Another jak and daxter headcannon because im a completly normal jak and daxter fan 🥴
I headcannon that jak has some internal shame about being able to control dark eco. He's clearly upset and dislikes it, it hurts him and others around him call him the "dark eco freak" when really, praxis and erol are to blame for his dark form. He became the very thing he had destroied in game 1, someone who was changed by dark eco, and he changed against his will. He was TORTURED with dark eco for two years and FORCEFULLY got these powers he didn't want. Teleprompters around haven city mention him as being able to "change into a monstrous creature" clearly putting FEAR INTO THE PEOPLE OF HAVEN CITY BECAUSE OF PRAXIS.
Everyone is either appaled, shocked or scared by his change, by his new dark form. All citizens flee in terror and the guards go to attack him right away, his closest friends are shocked and don't think that he is anywhere near the same person since this new dark jak form, and years of torture had happened.
Even Kira, someone who he loves, tries to seperate the jak he once "was" from who he is now. His motive is to get vengance, and for all we know, that could've been his motive in the first game, he just never verbalized it becuase he was mute. She says he "gets angry and change(es)" That "the jak I knew wouldn't be working for a guy like krew". That the jak she once knew was gone or buried deep, which is most likely true due to his imprisonment and torture. Sure, she tried to reach out for a brief moment when they first reconnected, but daxter is there and says "don't piss him off he's changed" not giving jak and Kira a chance to talk or rekindle much at all. Until the end of the game, EVEN THEN he interupts them.
Samos isn't much help either, when he sees jak after the 2 year gap. He literally yells "what happened to you jak?!"
Not giving him a chance to answer because he only sees the dark eco had changed him. And jak was stunned into silence. Then yet again, daxter interupted because "plot".
Daxter being the comedic relief, repeatedly interupts serious moments to make jokes in all of the games. But what I am focusing on is when jak has his moments when reuniting with the others, like Kira and Samos. He interupts and had not truly acknowledged the pain jak had gone through in the prison. All he does is says "what happened?" And doesn't let jak elaborate. Jak goes in his dark form and daxter just writes it off as him being "pissed off" because of what happened. Whenever jak goes in his dark jak form, daxter either steps away or says "that was cool" or makes it about himself, not acknowledging that it hurts jak whenever he uses it.
Of course jak would be ashamed of his powers, dark eco alone is frowned upon because of its dangerous properties. There must be somewhere in the history of haven city where gul and myia are mentioned and are seen as the potential destroiers of the world at that time. Dark eco had always gotten a bad reputation, just because jak got powers doesn't mean he would be praised for it. Daxter has only ridiculed himself because of him being in his ottsel body. Jak has only ever seen his dark abilities as dangerous or weird or painful. Imagine the atrocities of him seeing fellow prisoners being melted, burned, and killed by the dark eco injections. We know this because jak is the only survivor of this program. All the others had died, and praxis hoped jak would be different, and he was, only when he escaped.
Clearly, dark jak wasn't as utilized in the story or gameplay as us fans would have wanted, but in the jak 2 design bible, it is stated that when in dark jak form, it greatly hurts/drains jak's body, leaving him to have 1hp left. Similar to how Gul from TPL had trouble breathing and was shakey when he talked due to his own dark eco enfusement, as well as his dark form changing his tone and vocal chords.
JAK HAS SIMILAR VOCAL CHORDS IN HIS DARK FORM, HE IS ALSO SHAKEY WHEN HE GETS OUT OF HIS DARK ECO FORM
EVERY SINGLE TIME: HE IS SHAKEY
HE LITERALLY SAYS HE CANT CONTROL IT AND HE LOOKED LIKE HE WOULD'VE FAINTED THE FIRST TIME HE TRANSFORMED.
Of course he would feel ashamed for physical weakness and or lack of control. Everyone belittles him, is shocked, or ignores his change. The change he had no control over.
Back in Sandover village everyone saw him as the reliable good kid that can help, the kid that Samos raised, sure he gets into trouble sometimes. BUT he is a good kid.
But now in this strange new city, everybody is mean or strict or trying to hurt him in some way like the krimson guards, erol, or krew.
That is until he is banished from the only home he had in haven city, by the very people he saved, they kick him out because he is "an abomination" a "dark eco freak" and could have even let metal heads into the city because of what he did for krew in jak2. Which hasnt been determined, but after saving the whole city, nobody thought to give him a second chance, they kick him to the curb because of his dark form and because of what he might have done.
And then he and daxter get accepted by spargas and damas through the means of jak's physical strength rather than what he can "do for people" like all of the missions that torn and krew had sent him on.
Seem, although was different, she saw through his facade and knew about his dark abilities, mainly because he of course showed his dark form on display in the fighting ring to fight and win. She points out his dark powers, saying he couldn't possibly understand the dark forces in spargas, but jak retaliates, clearly threatened because she knows nothing about his trauma or connection to dark eco.
Damas however saw his dark form as a strength rather than an odditiy, he hears what it is first, then says it can be useful rather than jak being a "freak" or "accursed" Damas even says he is proud of jak, which besides from Samos, nobody has said to jak.
Jak of course sees damas as a father figure, because he didn't have one growing up.
When damas dies, jak feels immense pain and agony, which fuels his dark jak form for a brief moment. (I may just be restating what happened in the game at this point but if you want, keep reading lol)
After seeing damas as a father figure and relying on him for support, strength and advice, he looses him, which fuels his anger and pushes him to be closed off further, which is shown in the events of Jak X: Combat Racing.
Jaks is less talkitive, more closed off and when called a hero, is silent ie. When daxter smacks his head and says "say some hero stuff" jak is silent.
Clearly loosing damas hit him hard. (as well as being poisoned and being out raced by those in the game)
You can even hear jak say "this one's for damas" when you win and get first place in a race in jak x.
Jak is shown drinking, being closer to Kira and has a more sullen attitude throughout the events of Jak X.
This is shown especially shown when at the end of Jak X (Spoiler warning)
Jak walks away from the burning car, and GT blitz asks "you have a habit of leaving people to die don't you?" And jak says with a depressed expression "you get used to it"
He must've been thinking of damas, krew, praxis, and erol. But mainly damas because he was a positive figure that he left to die.
(I know this essay/headcannon has changed from talking about jak's shame to rambling, ill try to stay on topic lol)
Throughout jak X, his reputation is not well known, even though daxter tries to fluf up their story to random people in bars, jak's main focus is to win and get the cure to the poison. Which can be depressing if all the weight is on his shoulders, which it is. Sure he's in a "team" but most of his friends compete to win regardless, and some even "betray him" to win the race themselves. Like Ashlin.
Ultimately, jak has changed, he knows it, his original capabilities of channeling eco has been corrupted due to the dark eco within him, he no longer has the "pure gift" that his younger self once had. And he is ashamed of that.
Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk.
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