thoughts on harlequin’s possible feelings for pierrot / greenapple / pierroquin
okkk so i wanted to make this analysis-type thing because i feel like i need more ppl to see harlequin x pierrot as more than just a joke/crackship bc based on official content so far i feel like it’s a plausible interpretation of the story that harlequin could have had or currently has some sort of one-sided feelings for pierrot (and if anyone wants to validate me for seeing this PLEASE DO IM FEELING CRAZY)
on the surface it can look like pierrot and harlequin hate each other, or that harlequin only messes with pierrot for the fun of it, but i can't help but feel like there’s something more complex between them. there’s a lot of reasons why so um idk how i’m gonna organize this but i’ll start with jester’s story, which of course is likely his own interpretation of what happened on that night (and also embellished for the audience), so it’s not the absolute truth but i'm assuming it's accurate for the most part:
harlequin watched the lovers, pierrot and columbina, and felt envy
but what was he envious of? whose attention did he want? it’s not clear. was he envious of what the two had (genuine and tender love)? was it columbina’s attention? or was it pierrot’s?
what was it that he wanted but couldn't have? again, i believe there could be multiple interpretations. it's possible that it could have been pierrot’s affection that he wanted, but pierrot’s eyes were on columbina instead. so he wanted to steal her away from him so the two couldn't be happy together.
maybe he even wanted to be involved in their happy relationship in some way because it's something he's never had, but didn't realize it or know how to communicate that properly, and so he attempts to ruin their relationship instead.
but in the end, harlequin never got what he wanted from either columbina or pierrot.
on that night, pierrot is barely conscious, and when he wakes, he sees harlequin tearing his beloved apart while smiling and laughing:
pierrot was probably….very furious with harlequin that night (i wouldn't be surprised if pierrot had wanted to kill him in that moment) and was still upset for a long while after that. even if harlequin tried to explain his reasons for what he did, would pierrot even listen to harlequin after he betrayed him like that?
i think that harlequin understood that pierrot couldn't forgive him or look at him the same way again after that (and maybe harlequin couldn't forgive himself either).
so harlequin got used to pierrot’s anger towards him, accepted that pierrot could only hate him after what he did. and harlequin has leaned into that, turning into the one who teases and antagonizes pierrot.
if harlequin truly only hated pierrot, why would he care so much about what pierrot does or who he is interested in? if harlequin only hated him and didn't care about him, wouldn't it make more sense to ignore him completely?
yet he doesn't leave pierrot alone. he pays attention to who pierrot is or isn't interested in in the pink tent. he always steals one of pierrot’s sweets, even though they're too sweet for him. he loves to mess with pierrot specifically, because he loves to see his angry reactions.
harlequin calls pierrot ‘irritating’ and says he ‘disgusts’ him, yet harlequin still cares for his attention enough to pursue someone (mc) specifically and (initially) only because pierrot is interested in them and harlequin wants to see pierrot ‘lose.’
whether he's aware of it or not, it seems like harlequin craves pierrot’s attention in any way he can get it, even if it’s his anger and disdain. harlequin has accepted that pierrot can only look at him in that way.
by now, harlequin has probably convinced himself that he doesn't need love, not tender love like the kind pierrot and columbina shared, because he believes it’s something he can never have (and especially not with pierrot).
but if pierrot looks at him with anger? it’s better than nothing, because pierrot’s eyes are still on him.
some other things i felt like mentioning:
apparently he followed pierrot at least once when pierrot came to “visit” mc at night, because he knows that pierrot “whispers passion” to them when they're asleep (stalking the stalker?? ok….)
he acts as if he and pierrot never got along and calls the idea “insignificant”:
by acting like it never happened, this could be him rejecting the idea that he ever felt any vulnerable emotions regarding pierrot or was involved with him in a friendly way. he acts like it doesn't matter, but if he cares enough to hide the fact that they used to get along (and saying it in such a seemingly bitter way), ironically it could imply that their friendship had meant something to him (and he's resentful of the fact)
if harlequin had ever craved pierrot’s love, such as when he watched pierrot and columbina and felt envious of their relationship, by now he’s probably so emotionally guarded that he’s convinced himself that he doesn't, that he only likes to tease pierrot for fun and to hurt him. harlequin might act like he doesn't really care about him, that he thinks pierrot is pitiful and disgusting, but still, he pretty clearly has some sort of fixation on him and being on the receiving end of his anger.
also not to mention the way harlequin touches pierrot’s clothes and looks at him it seems kind of uhh a bit Sus (case in point below) (what is he doing):
could the ship work/could pierrot like him back?
ok this is where the reaching/delusion has to happen because so far pierrot does seem to hate his ass most of the time (understandable for him honestly), not enough to kill harlequin of course, but enough to stab him 5 times without hesitation and get annoyed just saying his name/thinking about him. though there is the Fabled ending with both of them so that implies they’ll at least tolerate each other eventually. it could be more like pierrot > mc < harlequin, but honestly i hope that maybe mc could help pierrot and harlequin reconcile with each other and understand what happened between them and columbina, and then maybe eventually all three of them could be a triad AJAHSHDGKDJ it may not be very realistic but a queer can dream ok. i want them to be happy.
maybe one day pierrot would be able to see past harlequin’s Very Annoying surface and realize that there's a lonely, emotionally-starved creature beneath…? (but it would probably take a very long time.)
uh Yea i tried not to reach TOO much while writing this. but anyway i think the green one is possibly very gay (in a complicated fucked up way) for the red one and maybe he doesnt even know it. these monsters need help
Oh a classic ship of ‘if I can’t make you love me, I’ll make you hate me instead’, a mainstay of fandom circa the early-to-mid 2000’s /silly
But jokes aside, these are some FANTASTIC points! While I can’t give you much aid or help into Harlequin’s thoughts with the start of the game, we absolutely do have a chance to really dig into his psyche and character as the game progresses— I myself even questioned who exactly Harlequin was more jealous of from Jester’s storytelling, and from all my experience in fandom I can tell that, as the old saying goes: ‘something queer is happening here…’ when it comes to Harlequin and Pierrot.
Especially when you remember that this whole damn circus is traumatized and fucked up royally by their treatment and experiences, its not surprising that Harlequin might have some deluded or vastly incorrect way of interpreting love and affection— if we compare how he acts whenever the MC shows him *genuine* love, he always reacts with surprise and what seems to be some level of genuine discomfort… because he’s just not used to it. This is a character who has developed all sorts of emotional walls and boundaries, who has developed genuinely horrible habits of (lacking) self-care to avoid getting himself hurt, and I’m frankly surprised the majority of the fandom hasn’t clocked that yet!
Pierrot likewise is just as complicated— he knows love as obsession, he knows emotions in their extremes, and he also has every right to feel the way he does after what Harlequin did (though keep in mind we still don’t know a lot of the reasons behind that OR what genuinely Harlequin was thinking when it happened).
Their ship can work, I openly talk about it myself in how much I enjoy it. I adore the emotional complexity that these characters have to explore together since a genuine old friendship IS THERE, there’s just a lot of grief and pain to mend, a lot of things to discuss, a lot of heartache for each of them to understand.
My words were polished with a translation tool, so they might come across as a bit harsh, or the meaning could be slightly misrepresented. Please kindly understand!
I have never opposed anyone who ships romantic relationships between the clowns; it’s just something I personally cannot accept. That said, I only quietly block such content and have never criticized others or told anyone, "You can’t ship this pair."
Now I’d like to share my thoughts:
To fellow players
As ordinary players, we have no right to dictate what others should like. The only thing we can do is manage our own experience and proactively avoid content that makes us uncomfortable — this is something everyone can do.
To Neko
Regarding your plan to add a romantic storyline between Pierrot and Harlequin in the game’s ending, I sincerely hope you will not go through with it.
Here’s why: Do you remember your game was initially targeted at a female audience? Your friend mentioned you’re just telling a story, not selling a product, but the truth is you’ve gained substantial support through this game — monthly voluntary donations from fans who love your work on Patreon and Ko-fi, plus income from official game merchandise. Since you’re profiting from the game’s popularity, I truly hope you can consider all players’ perspectives, instead of dismissing our concerns with "donations are voluntary".
Do you still remember why you received those malicious private messages before? I’m sorry to bring this up again… but your game has grown extremely popular now, and the previous controversy clearly shows most players cannot accept romantic relationships between the male leads. I urge you to think this through carefully; online backlash can be terrifying, and I don’t want you to go through that kind of harm again.
I defended you on both domestic and international platforms back then, and you told me you only supported fan-made content — I trusted you, so I sincerely hope you won’t let me down…😭
You need to understand that for many people, it’s really hard to accept their favorite "romantic interest" having a romantic bond with his close companion who’s by his side every day.
If you’re going to say, "I’m just adding one extra ending; you don’t have to play this route", I’d like to ask: To set the groundwork for this ending, won’t you have to design plots that showcase the past romantic feelings between Pierrot and Harlequin? That would mean all players will inevitably come across such content, which will be extremely distressing and hurtful for those who dislike it…💔
If you’re really eager to create romantic storylines between the clowns, could you please consider not including them in the main game? You could make them into side stories, bonus content, or short comics with clear warnings before release, so people who dislike such content can actively avoid it and everyone can enjoy your work more peacefully.
Besides, there’s no doubt they are not blood-related. Based on the current game plot, I’d rather interpret their past bond as "family-like affection", especially between Pierrot and Harlequin. I’ve seen posts saying Harlequin once had a secret crush on Pierrot, but Pierrot liked Columbina — that’s why Harlequin tried to seduce Columbina. What’s more, you mentioned there might be a love triangle ending featuring Pierrot×MC×Harlequin. I assumed it meant both Pierrot and Harlequin like MC — please don’t tell me the actual meaning is Harlequin likes Pierrot while Pierrot likes MC, and the player in this plot doesn’t mind their feelings for each other… I want to say something more explicit, but it’s just too terrifying for me. I’m sorry… I really can’t accept it… It’s so frightening😞😞
What’s worse, the reason you’re not making this plot happen is because the coding would be too difficult, not because you’re considering the players. If you really just want to create your own story, you shouldn’t charge for it or profit from this IP — that’s hard to justify.
I’m saying all this because I truly love this game and the character Pierrot. I’ve donated to you, bought two official Pierrot plush toys, created nearly 600 artworks for him, made a figure, plus many videos and comics since July 26, 2025. I sincerely want this game to keep getting better.
Actually, I faintly noticed some ambiguous hints between Pierrot and Harlequin in Jester’s story on Day 2, but I chose to overlook them because I want to believe we players are not treated as mere tools by the clowns… The game is still unfinished, so there’s still room for adjustment. I just hope you’ll think this through thoroughly.
That’s all I want to say. Please keep the discussion rational and respectful🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
It's not mine either, neither us can dictate to Neko what to do. Also, this is about ONE possible route in the game, right? There are others...
It is 1000% valid if the ship makes some people uncomfortable, neither the fandom nor game is forcing people to like it. But again, it is not our call as fans if it ends up being the story (seems like we, as MC, also get to dictate if pierrot/harlequin happen since most of the routes are not poly anyway).
I know you're just saying what you WANT the game to be, but to many, it does come across as a fan giving orders to a creator on what does and doesn't work.
Which, as you admit, is all your opinion.
If neko chooses to make harlequin/pierrot canon, even in just a one-sided way, then that is up to him, not us.
It's even shown in this very post (with evidence) the HUGE amount of foreshadowing and signs that there is something between the two. That Harlequin may have wanted Pierrot all along. If anything, that is very good writing on Neko's part, should it be intentional that is. cause idk
I'm glad you're okay with other people shipping the two (seemingly). I for one do ship harlequin/pierrot, but I'm also completely fine if it never happens or if neko decides not to confirm. Which may be a reality because sadly, baidao i don't know if you're aware, but many fans are getting bullied for shipping pierrot/harlequin and the clowns together in general.
I think it's presumptuous and spoiled behavior however to imply that confirming such a ship (which again, may simply STAY one-sided) would RUIN the game, when none of us know HOW it will all go down in the end.
None of us know what will happen.
I urge all fans whether you're someone who hates the idea of pierrot/harlequin or not, to just let the game be whatever it's intended to be.
Let the creator write what he wants.
If it disappoints you or me or whomever, then let us move onto another Fandom as we always do. As the cycle goes...
Does it suck when a series doesn't go the way you want? Yeah. But it's not ours to dictate.
In my opinion, harlequin/pierrot has the WONDERFUL potential to tell a story about healing. About the dangers of obsession, about the poison that can build up when you keep your feelings to yourself. Etc. Plus, are we all ok with MC dating Pierrot?? Their stalker....but not ok with harlequin's CLEAR interest in Pierrot--which btw, pierrot might not return those affections. Or if he does have feelings for harlequin, does that ruin pierrot for all of you? Really? If so, it may be time to ask yourselves why that is?
Regardless, speaking to neko now: Listen to your heart. Write what you want.
Even if you disappoint me with the story, baidao, or anyone else, it's YOURS at the end of the day.
Do what you want, write what you want. Pierrot/Harlequin, and I admit my bias here, do work as a couple VERY WELL, in my opinion. I think it has a BEAUTIFUL story to tell. Is it healthy? Well...this is a yandere game so...even MC/Pierrot isn't healthy lol so whatever.
Baidao you mention that this game has a female fanbase?
I am a woman. I would love pierrot/harlequin. You don't speak for me. I also, again, am fine if it never happens. But it's not an insult to women if this occurs. It does not make pierrot or halrequin's love for MC less.
Plus, Neko is already giving fans who dislike pierrot/harlequin many options OUT OF it by having pierrot/MC, harlequin/MC or the 'protagonist ending' which sounds like an ending without either option confirmed.
But yeah...guys....i get that we're all just stating our opinions. but let's not be brats on christmas crying cause we got everything but oNE item on our christmas list.
Did we put money into this game? Sure. But that was OUR choice to do so. It's not Neko's fault nor anyone else's if things don't work out how we personally wanted. Okay? Okay.
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