So it seems that twst’s been pushing the idea of prefect feeling useless in latest books (6-7.5) [I mean they kinda are…] At the same time they’ve given us lore about the fisrst magic that was born from big desire.
Do you think twst will go the route where prefect gains this kind of “original magic” by wanting to save Grim for instance or do you think they’ll go the “you don’t need magic to be helpful” aka “the strategist route” (doubtful… prefect doesn’t strike me as smart and strategic so far due to the writing and it would be weird if they suddenly did) or do you think they’ll choose the “watch nrc people solve their own problems” again?
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They definitely do seem to be… building towards something?
In book 6, Crowley tells Yuu that they will be unable to speak with Grim until further notice. Later on, when Ferrymen come to kidnap Grim, Yuu laments that they were useless and not able to stop him from being taken. They ultimately decide to defy orders and leave campus with Epel to pursue Rook to the Isle of Woe. This is notable as being the first time Yuu actively chooses to disobey an adult figure of authority and act on what they feel is “right”.
In book 7, Yuu agrees with Ace’s sentiments of feeling like they cannot contribute to fights. The former lacks magic and the latter is missing a unique magic, so they are both "dead weight". Then Yuu is able to talk Ace through the overwhelming sensation of getting his UM on the spot.
In book 7.5, when the first years are talking about the age they first acquired magic and Grim begins speculating on his own UM, Yuu has this strange dialogue option. The top is “I want to use magic too” and the bottom is “I think I’m fine just watching (others using magic)”.
Something else to note is that, earlier in this scene, the first years share the ages at which they first manifested magic. Of them, Sebek (a late bloomer) was the oldest, at age 14. Assuming Yuu is roughly the same age as the other first years, they would be 16ish. If they got magic now, they would be a VERY late bloomer.
This, in combination with a piece of lore Silver dropped in book 7 (that magic was originally birthed from a strong wish to help others), has led to fans theorizing that Twst is setting Yuu up to eventually gain magic in book 8.
With the way things are going now , I don’t think it’ll be left at just “[watching] NRC people solve their own problems”. Book 8 especially feels like it will be focused on various things connected to Yuu, like their relationship with Grim, finding a way home, and how they ended up in Twisted Wonderland to begin with. Of all times to step up, now would be ideal.
I’ve always been of the opinion that Yuu should never gain the ability to do magic. It just introduces way too many issues with the self-insert, blank-slate nature of them. Many fans get joy out of imagining what their own Yuu would be like—but once magic is introduced as a skill in their repertoire, questions begin to arise. There’s many different kinds of magic and spells, meaning the narrative would now need to specify what Yuu is and isn’t good at. And what about UM, which is closely tied to one’s identity, personality, and experiences? Assigning a UM to Yuu means it could invalidate fans’ interpretations of the character.
I’m also of the belief that giving Yuu magic would put them at odds with the narrative. In the prologue, Crowley suggests that Yuu is a strategist, and throughout the main story Yuu mainly acts as a bystander or POV character. Now, the main story doesn’t do a good job of showing off Yuu’s abilities as a strategist, so that plot thread falls flat. However, this isn’t unusual for Twst. They often get too ambitious with their ideas and do not fully follow through on the promises they set up. For example, the first years’ friendship is inconsistently handled and Twst relies on vignettes and voice lines to fill in the gaps in how their friendship developed. Epel and Sebek backpedal on their respective forms of bigotry very quickly after their books. Book 7 is supposed to be about Mallleus, yet he hardly shows up in it. Therefore, Yuu “suddenly” being smart and strategic would align perfectly well with Twst’s inconsistent writing quality.
I think the fact that Yuu can’t actively do much can be read as their strength. The NRC boys often choose violence or assert their dominance over others in some way. Yuu, by contrast, falls back on alternate methods which are more peaceful. For example, they bargain with Azul, befriend the first years, encourage Ace when he gets his UM, and point out injustices like Riddle’s book 1 behavior. They also play support in many events, like helping to evaluate citizens in the City of Flowers/Fleur City, documenting happy memories, and organizing events. In these ways, Yuu is showing the NRC boys that it’s possible to resolve problems without flying off the handle or being powerful. This would be lost or the message lessened if Yuu is suddenly the one beating down their opposition… You get what I mean?? And it also just feels very anime-esque and in-line with Twst to end on some corny note like “the real magic was the friends we made along the way”, spearheaded by Yuu themselves. (I mean, look at the end of book 7…)
Regarding the dialogue option in 7.5, I don’t think it means anything because… well, when HAVE Yuu’s dialogue choices meant anything?? They’ve always been an illusion of choice rather than promising something to happen in a future installment.
Books 6 to now could be seen as coincidental and existing for the sake of furthering other characters’ growth. Yuu agrees to tag along with Epel to the Isle of Woe. Yuu supports Ace during a low point. Yuu joins in on the first years and specifically Grim talking about magic. Even the lore about the origins of magic is said to explain why Trey’s UM was able to override Riddle back in book 1, not in relation to non-mages developing magic late in life. But given the repeated pattern of Yuu feeling useless, I don’t think it’s pure coincidence. This feels like Twst trying to write an arc for Yuu in the latter books of the main story, right before they may or may not return to their original world. As to whether or not this would involve manifesting magic… it might be my bias speaking, but I’m highly skeptical on the idea (for the reasons I stated earlier in this post). Idk, it just feels entirely antithetical to me and going this route would mess with the messaging 😭
