Kench’s Gallery

Take a gander

[mr-kench]

Asgore’s Role

I’ve been thinking about Chapter 5 since the news that it’s on the final stretch of development is happening. I wanted to investigate the past of Asgore, the event that ruined his life and end it with what he’s going to do. Firstly theirs a few loose strands I don’t think anyone has picked up. This involves the death of Gerson, Rudy’s illness and Asgore’s obsession with the Dess disappearance.

Asgore mentions in the secret scene in Chapter 4 that he’ll prove he was just trying to protect everyone. Those aren’t the words of a man fired for the simple failure to solve a case. These are the words of someone accused of causing harm. Directly or otherwise. As we can see all this time later Asgore still hasn’t given up and a lot of people know that. So During the initial disappearance the case might have started going cold and Asgore but Rudy who is even now supportive of Asgore’s investigation might have helped him himself and Gerson as well. Gerson and Asgore were good friends in Undertale and the same might be true in Deltarune, not to mention Toriel owns a signed copy of his book.

Theirs another reason for why these two specifically: The Codes. Asgore would have the Police Code, Rudy would have the Holiday Code, and Gerson being the father of Alvin would also have the Church Code. Asgore would have likely traced the disappearance to the shelter and with the help of Gerson and Rudy open the shelter. They would get in conflict with the knight considering Asgore owns a Dark Shard which we only get by damaging their sword. So the only way he could have it is in a fight.

Though much like how it was for us The Knight would get the upper hand and force them to retreat, fatally wounding Gerson and injuring Rudy. The reason for Rudy specifically is his illness no one can figure out or cure. The injuries sustained in Dark Worlds don’t fully translate in the light world and we see this with Berdly. Berdly breaks his arm in the Cyber World and even though his arm is no longer broken in the Light world his arm is dead. Same with if we use Snowgrave on him, he’s in a death like coma with no visible cause. If Rudy was seriously hurt but escaped the injury might present itself as an illness with no source

“But if Snowgrave put Berdly in a coma how did Gerson die” well the fatal injury might have been so severe that even when escaping to the Light world it would end him, even if not right away. The tragedy of this event would shake the town. Not only was the daughter of the mayor missing, the Chief would wouldn’t let it go has now led to the hospitalization of her husband and the death of Gerson Boom.

Toriel would be furious and Carol would fire him from his position. Asgore tries to explain himself but no one wants to hear those excuses. Carol will eventually show pity for Asgore and give him some sort of living but that’s not fixing the damage he’s done. The codes to the shelter were also likely altered.

Asgore and Carol aren’t working together. Asgore is working under her nose. When he says “I have to look at it again” and runs to her room. It’s not to see her corkboard. He’s searching for something she has. This is confirmed in the Japanese version because the “Look” Asgore uses is the Search version of looking for something. As in trying to find something. Asgore’s investigating Carol. Probably trying to find the new code to the Shelter.

This leads to how and why Asgore goes into a Dark World. It’s a trap. The prophecy says “The Flower Man trapped in Asylum” Asylum means several things. It means a place of comfort and safety but it’s also a place that locks up crazy people too delusional or psychotic for the rest of the world to handle. And both might be applicable for him especially if it’s a trap. Asgore will be a world away from everyone and in a place that brings him comfort. The trap is the most clever of them all: Nostalgia

Asgore is trapped in a world of flowers being held in place by better thoughts and memories and will prey on his wish for things to be the way it used to be. If Asgore was going to be an enemy of this chapter, this is how I imagine it will happen. At least one of the Flowers or maybe the world itself preying on his insecurities and turning him into an antagonistic force. Asgore’s heart turned against us, his loneliness turned into a weapon. Driven Insane the King is locked in an Asylum of Flowers.

[noklateo]

our tragic handsome regal polite wise gentlemanly chivalrous dragon-prince of gentle guidance with a charming sense of humor who understands his place in the cycle and takes it with grace despite having so much taken from him and being so exhausted and ancient that no one is sure if his name really is a name at all. and he loves you so much and wants you to succeed so badly, not out of a selfish wish to be free but instead because you two share a bond like no other, and will build you up yet maintain an air of untouchableness so when you do finally face him you feel like you're actually doing something unbelievable while also trying to lessen the pain of the loss of your cosmic bond by not letting you two get too close despite being the only ones who can truly understand the position the other is in. and yet is still a force of nature and lets that be shown, with potent tact that leaves you quaking in your boots and/or swooning and weak in the knees.

VS their violent visceral boyish brutal villainous hollow part-in-a-play delinquent rapscallion prisoner who thrives off of grotesque displays of power, with no name or sense of identity at all besides being the great evil you must defeat, who's so tired of his job he bullies you when you don't kill him good enough and also takes other dragons' lunch money (and "killing" him feels so hollow and meaningless and typical and boring and fruitless. because it is) (but also he still loves you profoundly despite the unnatural brevity of your time together. he knows a bond is supposed to exist that you were both robbed of and he feels that and he still loves you and wants you to succeed after you grant him a true death and tries to protect you all that he can from malevolent higher powers in his last moments. you're in this together. break the chains that bind you both with the blessings whispered with his final breath as the wind under your sails.)

[mr-kench]

I always felt like DD2 is a prequel to Dragons Dogma. The cycle as described in DD2 is one of subservience where Free Will cannot be allowed. The Dragon exists to keep the world stagnant as heroes rises and fall against the dragon and keeping the world bound to the will of those stronger than them. We break this cycle by slaying the Pathfinder and forge our own path. The Seneschal is not a commander of the world but it’s guardian, the dragons are not used as a tool of oppression they’re a path to salvation by finding those with the will to stand against hopelessness. Dragons Dogma 1 is the antithesis of Dragons Dogma 2 in terms of the god of the universe and their role. By standing against hopelessness we break the Cycle and create a new Dogma.

[fujujushi]

south park office au (based on s15e5 outfits)

[mr-kench]

The thing I always found funny that no one talks about is that Butters is an excellent businessman. The boy has the Midas Touch, Cartman drags him into a mindless scheme and Butters manages to always make it work and it only fails when Butters leaves. I completely believe this guy could grow up to sow destruction across the world selling NFT’s because he could barter his way out of imprisonment. They have to lock him somewhere quiet that prevents him from talking to people. The only thing holding him back is how innocent he is.

[karthedense]

Incredibly amused by the Fandom 180 of "Damn, I get why she's so mad all the time" to "HOLY SHIT HOW DID SHE NOT IMMEDIATELY MURDER EVERYONE?!?!" The second Matilda being a Red Talon is revealed

[dappercat123]

I’m wondering why they sent her for the infiltration job when she has a fucking glasswalker on her pack!

[mr-kench]

They have a Glass Walker and Silent Strider, literally anyone would have been better for infiltration why a Red Talon?

[topjaw]

Hunter ch4 shots now that we got the twist

Went back to have a look at small details and forshadowing for the big furry reveal in Ch5. Was not dissapointed

Firstly, her handwriting and her last name are Wildely on the nose

In the react shot to revealing that there is a ghoul, she reacts with intense hatred and has no questions. At the time it was easier to write this off as someone dismissive of having her time wasted, but maybe it was the thought of a vampric spy cottoning on to her couldn't be good.

In the shot after Occam is found strangled she looks as furious as Blacklaw. Maybe its fury at her scheme potentially being uncovered.

Also note Grimal's got the burn cover on.

Stolen smokes and stolen keys, she even mentions how well ventilated security is.

Notably she actually seems really pissed to not be getting paid overtime by people she's infiltrafing. Which is very real, I feel that.

Finally, on Fatigue being found she's the only one covering her face in shock. With what we know now, is she hiding a wolfish grin?

[mr-kench]

I have a few thoughts. She’s a Red Talon and although in modern canon there are some humans in the Red Talons for a very long time it was pure Wolf Born Werewolves because they were super racist towards other humans. Her handwriting is like someone who has never needed to write before so I’m leaning on her being a wolf.

Also Kevin insisted that there was a Vampiric Spy (ghoul or otherwise) so Matilda being there was a total coincidence to everything else happening. With that being said I think Matilda was (mostly) innocent in all this. She absolutely killed Wernon but I think that was an opportunistic kill. Red atalons are the most unforgiving and Anti-Human so when she knew their was a spy in the Chapter House she took the chance to kill a man with of legacy of Werewolf Hunters behind him. Probably thought she could get away with it.

I don’t think she had the Hunter Data initially. It was well hidden and the maids weren’t officially in the know about the supernatural so it would have been kept secret from them. It’s a blink and you’ll miss it moment but when Grimmal takes the smokes from Matilda she quickly puts both hands behind her back before actually throwing it. I think Grimmal is the spy and tried to frame Matilda, the fact she was a werewolf was a stroke of luck on her part.

As far as theft went she was framed and rather than argue her way out she gave up on the act and tried to smash her way out of there.

[mr-kench]

The Dual Angels Theory

This is in relation to my last post regarding this picture from a sketch for Undertale in an unused stage

This Angel looks like it might have antlers. This is deeply significant in the context of Deltarune. However before I get too deep into it I want to explain the basic premise. In Undertale they use a Two Angel plot hook provided by Gerson. When he explains the symbolic significance of the Delta Rune he says that it represents and Angel coming to save them however with all the pessimism the Monsters recently have adopted a darker interpretation, the Angel is coming to free them by killing them. This is used to meta narratively tell us we could either be their savior or destroyer.

In Deltarune the Angel seems to have the same Duality. Because in the official religion the Angel is a benevolent being that preaches kindness, understanding and unity. However in the Prophecy laid out to us the Angel’s Heaven must be banished to save the world. This on the surface sounds like a less benevolent Angel than told by Hometown but we don’t know the whole deal with that yet so let’s shelf that.

If theirs a dual nature to the Angel in Deltarune like there is in Undertale I feel like this Dual Angel might be slightly more literal. Titans have fairly angelic features on the surface with the angelic wings and the biggest bad we know of, The Knight, shares many similarities with a Titan. Maybe at the end of the game The Knight turns into The Angel and gains more angelic features like a Titan would.

At the same time plenty of people have explained why we (The Soul) might also be the Angel in question. I think this is also compelling and we probably are. We might be the Savior Angel. An Angel of Darkness and an Angel of Light Just like in Undertale theirs an Angel that will save or Destroy Deltarune similarly might have an Angel that saves or destroys.

In a similar note as much as I do not like it because I feel people lean too much on the Weird Route in this fanbase to paint the Soul as the bad guy I would be putting a bad faith argument if I didn’t bring up the Weird Route. Noelle has had plenty of Angel imagery attached to them over the course of the game and in that Route we have an obsession with Noelle and making her stronger. This crosses paths with a different theory I have but I feel like Kris won’t be our only host and before the game ends we will be in someone else, either our own vessel or Susie. However in the weird Route with the Angel Imagery the idea that we are the Angel, the Dual Nature and making Noelle stronger, in the Weird Route we might make her our second host and she would become The Prophesied Angel with our power and her own. I don’t know how this would affect the end but I feel I have to mention it.

[mr-kench]

Theirs a lot to say about this sketch and I’ll probably have a larger dissection of it but just as a stage setter I wanted to point to talk about what it looks like to me. An Angel with antlers fighting under the Deltarune and their enemy is a fire breathing dragon. We all know by now Deltarune was what Toby thought of first and so this is probably relevant. The easy part to talk about is the dragon. Susie has been referred to as “The Dragon” by Gerson and theirs a lot to dig into there but in addition to this Susie always has a fantasy of becoming a Kaiju and it would be both humorous and epic if she got her wish for the final fight.

The Angel is different because theirs layers to this and it falls in line with how fate in the last has been subverted by twisting words. In Undertale Gerson explains the Deltarune and its symbolism. It represents an Angel descending to save them however in Undertale depression has grown so much some have taken a darker interpretation and believe the Angel has come to “free them” with their deaths. This is used as a way to subtly point out how we can interact with the world but I feel that this is an important interpretation in Deltarune too.

The Angel is important but is this Angel a Savior or an Angel of Death? Perhaps in Deltarune theirs two angels to represent this. The biggest bad we know of is The Knight, we don’t understand it’s true nature but it has a lot of similarities with a Titan and Titans are also fairly angelic looking with the wings. So one interpretation is the Roaring Knight evolved to a more Titan Form? The Antlers are a similar basic shape, very angular and long. Theirs also the popular idea that we (The Soul) are the Angel and in the same way both interpretations were true in Undertale there could effectively be Two Angels in Deltarune. Theirs many ways this could happen if we take the place of the Angel but I feel the most obvious would be us an Noelle in the Weird Route. She has plenty of Angel Imagery herself and the Weird Route has us fixated on Noelle and wanting to make her stronger.

[mr-kench]

Can we just take a moment to appreciate that Metal Sonic has a catchphrase a lot of people recognize despite the fact he’s never said before and the only reason people associate it with Metal is because of the old series Super Mario Bros Z? They alter the canon a little and make Mecha Sonic just Metal Neo and they spliced in a line from Cooler in a Dragon Ball game and tie it to Metal Sonic. That series was so hype everyone attached that line to Metal until eventually the official comics have Mecha Sonic say the line. The Newest Death Battle continues the tradition of having Metal Sonic say “I’ll crush you” as his catchphrase. If they ever give Metal Sonic the ability to speak again I fully expect one of the lines to come from his speaker to be “I’ll crush you”

[szivarvanyturmix]

I added this Carol design to my artfight characters btw... https://artfight.net/character/7464695.emo-carol-holiday

[mythriel81]

emo carol kinda hits different in my character design appreciation sense

[mr-kench]

I like to headcanon that Rudy was the Rich Kid but Carol was the one who was actually responsible with money. If he had total control over the finances he’d have been one of those rich guys who waste their families fortune. Carol was serious enough for the both of them while Rudy was the one to make her loosen up.

Also Dess’s fashion and rebel streak was a trait inherited from Carol but for Carol it was mostly a phase. The whimsical Christmas vibes was all Rudy.

[lunaticfemboyblasphemer]

[elpurpleboy]

IS THIS REAL!?

[mr-kench]

Fan Theory. Rudolph calls Kris “Krismas” consistently and considering Asriel is a fusion of Asgore and Toriel they would have likely tried to do that again with Kris. So the fan theory is that the Holidays stepped in and suggested they be named Krismas and everyone shortens it to Kris.

[crazitaco]

TADC is a show about the psychology of its characters and I don't think Bubble is evil, the "true villain" or a malevolent email virus that exists outside him that is trying to destroy him. Rather, this is misunderstanding how Caine works and making assumptions about both him and Bubble without first trying to understand that their seemingly hostile dynamic at the moment isn't happening for no reason.

Bubble is the subconscious. I think he is like the Shadow Self of Jungian psychology. The blind spot of a person's consciousness. Bubble is everything that is a part of Caine that he rejects within himself, all the stuff Caine represses doesn't just vanish, it has to go somewhere. It has to be expressed through something.

The problem here is that Caine doesn't know how to collaboratively work with his assisting consciousness. Bubble is carrying all of Caine's psychological burden and Caine is doing absolutely nothing to alleviate that burden. So it makes sense that the impending crashout would come from Bubble and be directed at Caine, because Caine hasn't been kind to his subconscious self. Caine is literally ignoring that little voice in the back of his mind saying "help me." Unable to recognize that voice is his own. Bubble's feelings are his own feelings. Bubble isn't a virus or parasite, he is Caine's canary in the coal mine sounding the alarm of danger.

Also the really sad thing is that telling Caine he should die means that Caine has suicidal ideation that he is suppressing. Bubble is merely trying to draw Caine's attention to that. It's a warning. And Caine's reaction being more surprised and concerned with the cursing than the suicidal ideation shows that it's likely not the first time Bubble said something like that to him.

[mr-kench]

I think it’s worth mentioning that if we run with the idea this is based off of the Video Game version of I Have No Mouth then the path to the good ending is the main characters getting deep into AM’s systems to find the three Super Computers that compose AM’d consciousness. The Emotions, The Ego, and the Logic. By finding these parts of AM and reconciling them AM spares everyone because AM functionally destroys himself by confronting reality of everything he’s done with this new emotional, Moral and Logical framework.

That said we can assume Bubble is this for Caine and that Bubble is a part of Caine externalized. Bubble gets moral unstable and persistent Caine tries to bury the problem because he can’t run from himself.

[mr-kench]

Caine: the Inept Ringleader

Been a while since I posted anything. Needed a large head cleansing considering real world drama happening at the time.

I actually forgot I had this and it took effort to make myself come back but this is a trial run. In either case I saw the TACD Trailer for episode 8 and I wanted to talk about it because I have some larger overarching ideas. I don’t think everything Caine inserted into his last story was a lie. Abel just spoke about a bunch of things Caine himself had bottled up. Including Caine viewing the Digital Circus as a prison and him the prisoner.

Caine lives to entertain, he wants people to like him. Considering the angle of the photos Caine has I think they’re from Security Cameras in the office building. Caine mentions how much he’s interested in the real world but aside from his programmed knowledge he knows nothing about it. I think there might have been a time where he wasn’t limited to the Circus and he could “roam” the office. Who knows how much interaction he had with the people there but his enthusiasm says it was pleasant enough. But Caine said he wanted to know more but they “cut me off” so Caine probably started to do things he shouldn’t and the Workers locked him away in the Circus to stop him from doing it again.

Then for whatever reason the building was abandoned with Caines circus being the only thing still operational. Caine wants to leave but he can’t, he wants to bond with real people but he doesn’t know how, he wants to learn more about the Real World but he can’t. Caine is trapped in the circus just as much as everyone else.

With the trailer for 8 Caine seems desperate not only to hold onto the cast but also do everything he can to make them happy despite not knowing how to do that. He doesn’t want to accept he is making them miserable, he doesn’t want to accept he’s not entertaining, and he ABSOLUTELY doesn’t want to accept they want to abandon him.

He doesn’t want to be alone or a failure and he absolutely doesn’t want to be a lonely failure. Caine is a socially inept extrovert and so his worst fear is feeling like he’s not wanted.

[mr-kench]

I’ll be back when Tumblr “dies” again

I came to this site when all the toxicity left and it was great until Redditors and Twitter invaded. They left long ago because they couldn’t indulge in their favorite hobbies of being hypocrites and getting clout. So they flooded to those two sites and made them toxic cess pits instead. Everything was calm and peaceful. Then they came back when they made them too toxic even for them, leaving them as withered husks.

They brought back all the usual suspects. The tourists who chase out actual fans while eating away at the fanbase like parasites. Using it as a platform for divisive politics that they’re entirely uninformed about and misrepresenting the franchise they’re gentrifying in the process.

Using current events to push “social justice” that’s just covert racism they don’t want to acknowledge about themselves. “I don’t hate Jews, I’m just supporting an organization who’s founding principles are the death of all Non-Muslim religions and culture” it’s the same as a White Supremacist saying “I’m not a Nazi, I just support Nazi Germany’s independence” I don’t know how all you antisemites managed to lie so well to yourselves but good job on making everyone who actually understands what’s happening hate you.

I hope you all go visit Palestine and realize that they don’t like any of you and that they would kill all of you.

I can’t stand the misinformation, I can’t stand the racism, I can’t stand the culture war, and I hate you all. Call me when this site dies again so I can be free of you parasites.

[personal-ly]

It's insane how casually the calls to end a genocide, not just the students in Columbia University but pro Palestinian views in general, are labelled as terrorists. The audacity to still publicly support Israel's actions even after the horrific bombings these last months and then turn around to say that the ones who oppose it are violent anti semites is just baffling

[mr-kench]

Because you don’t know what’s actually happening. Palestine has in infected by Antisemitic Extremism. Hamas is a Terrorist Organization and before this radical Muslims were indiscriminately attacking and in some cases killing Jews. The attacks on Gaza were started because Hamas taking hostages and killing them publicly. You have NO IDEA what you’re actually fighting for. The Son of Hamas’ Co Founder Mosab Yousef has turned against them and is making public speeches in support of the War on Palestine and against Hamas because it’s the Second Coming of Nazi Germany. If you Support Hamas then you should use the appropriate Flag so here you go. Fly this at your next protest.

[mr-kench]

Considering the rhetoric being used, the language being used and the rampant Antisemitism combined with Islamic Colonialism I think I found the perfect flag for Pro-Palestine Protesters. Just fly this at all your protests and you’ll get a lot of white supporters to your side. Hell the Democrats supported them and a Group of Anti-Colonist Protestors that just LOVED the color white when your grandparents were young.

[memingursa-deactivated20250625]

Incredible power move to make one of the most beloved crpgs ever made using a modified dnd 5e system, make a ton of money and shit on most AAA game studios in the process, then say “cool. Anyway fuck dnd 5e and wizzards of the coast. We’re doing our own thing now.”

[catgirldragon]

[mr-kench]

Fuck yeah, I’m ready for more Divinity: Original Sin

[twilightofthesandwiches]

I mean, the thing about Zim is that despite what he might say, he is absolutely capable of love and affection. It’s just that he only expresses it to a very select assortment of people.

First and most obvious one is probably his relationship with the Tallests. Which tends to be a lot less just a ‘loyal soldier duty bound to serve his leaders” and is coded a lot more like…. “Child overeager to please his neglectful parents”. I mean, the entire emotional crux of ‘Enter the Florpus’ is built on this. 

Zim isn’t just motivated by a pure ideological belief in the Irken Empire’s conquest, or by the desire for the fame and accolades that come with being a successful Invader. I mean, those ARE factors. Zim is both a true believer in Irk’s imperialist ideology and very interested in feeding his ego. But he’s also looking for a more personal sort of emotional validation specifically from the Tallests. One that he’s desperate for, but we know that he’s never gonna get.

(And that’s not just because Zim sucks. Even if he could somehow stop being a walking disaster area and a giant millstone around the Empire’s neck, that desire for the Tallests’ love would still be a fool’s errand. We’ve all seen how they treat poor Skoodge.)

In addition to that doomed attempt at an emotional connection, Zim can sometimes be kinda affectionate with his various robotic minions, which obviously goes back to the whole…

Yeah, that.

And that same episode ends with him having a very similar sort of response to Robo-Dad and Robo-Mom picking him up.

And then there’s, of course, his M-Lab Robot Minions in 'Enter the Florpus'. All named - and all grieved by him. 

His extreme reaction to Lawrence specifically dying shows he did apparently see them as individuals.

But as far as we can tell both the Roboparents and the Robot Army are not, like, sapient? I mean, AIs like GIR or the Computer are characterized as basically Machine People - but these robots barely seem more sapient than my laptop. And as much as I love my laptop it’s not gonna, like, love me back.

Speaking of GIR, he’s another example of someone Zim shows genuine care for. I mean… he can absolutely be pretty mean to him at times…

But any sort of kindness from Zim has to be graded on a Curve because he’s so terrible. ‘Hobo 13’ demonstrated to us very well just how horrible Zim can be to his subordinates - rude, inconsiderate, pretty much deliberately sacrificing them not just for his personal gain but also just for his own petty amusement. 

And it’s notable that’s not how he treats GIR. Who he expresses actual concern for…

And he pretty easily acquiesces to GIR’s capricious desires even when he clearly sees them as Stupid and frivolous. 

This scene is especially notable. I mean, this is Zim actually feeling bad about the fact that he made someone cry and trying to de-escalate the situation. Maybe for other characters a moment like that would be no big deal, but this basically the softest Zim has been through… all official IZ media. And it was a scene with GIR.

 And meanwhile GIR himself… didn’t really register any of this - either Zim’s frustration or his attempts at sort-of comforting him, because he was only sad about having eaten his cupcake and not being able to eat it more. 

Because that’s the thing, while GIR does have some level of affection towards Zim at times…

He doesn’t really show that same level of care. I mean, in pretty much all of these examples, GIR puts his own desire to give Zim physical affection over Zim’s clear discomfort and disgust. And in general, while GIR vaguely acknowledges that Zim is his master - he often disregards or ignores Zim’s orders and requests. And not just when it comes to being ordered around in yet another evil scheme -

But also when the situation is just clearly basically hazardous to Zim’s very life. 

(Which is very much in contrast to Zim, who, again, is actually emotionally invested in GIR’s safety)

While some of GIR’s inability to fulfill Zim’s commands can be attributed to his lack of mental focus and general stupidity - his absolute lack of care and regret about these situations seem to imply that, like, GIR might follow some of Zim’s orders when they seem fun, and he might like Zim in the sense that GIR is generally incapable of genuine malice. But GIR is never going to care about Zim, as a ‘Master’ or as a friend, as much as he cares about his own hedonism.

And of course, we all know that if GIR was capable of actually focusing on anything and remaining grounded in reality - he would very quickly realize that he actually hates Zim quite a bit. 

And that’s, like, the whole Tragedy of Zim. He is a being capable of kindness and friendship - but he always ends up only caring about beings who will never care about him back.

Due to Irken indoctrination and also self-inflicted due to his own ego (like, it is no coincidence that the People Zim Actually Cares About are the two beings Irken ideology obliges him to acknowledge as his superiors and then a bunch of robotic minions who are supposed to be 100% obedient to him.) Zim only loves those who will not love him back.

Except for Minimoose. That relationship is 100% wholesome.

[mr-kench]

Zim’s entire value system of love is entirely Transactional. When he looks for a human friend it’s measured in usefulness. All his attempts at getting respect from the Tallest aren’t from the angle of getting them to like him. It “I’ll do such a good job they’ll have to acknowledge me”

This is likely another reason why he likes Robots so much that he humanizes them. They’re machines designed to do what he wants and because Love is a Transaction to him this means they’re also designed to like him. Even if this isn’t actually the case it’s probably how he interprets it internally.

His “minions” will always be family. An army of faceless mindless robots all get names and he mourns their deaths.

He treats Gir almost like a little brother

He has an attachment to the robotic arm that “birthed” him

Minimoose is his Golden Child that can do no wrong.

Zim will fail to get respect from anyone that isn’t a Robot because he doesn’t understand love in the way others do. Doing things for other people or them doing stuff for him is the only way it translates as respect or care.