BILL AND AXOLOTL: ANALYSIS AND THEORY
Bill is an odd character for a multitude of reasons; his design, the mysterious origin, contradictory motives, and connection to all things weird. I wanted to take a closer look into him and really see if I could find something that hasn’t already been pointed out, and I found a lot more than I originally thought. This was going to only be exploring a few aspects about him as a religious reference, but when I got into the nitty gritty I found some damning evidence that points to him involved in a much bigger plot that I anticipated.
To even begin to understand Bill Cipher I needed to first gather information about perhaps the most important character in the franchise that only shows up in the show as a reference. That’s right, the Axolotl. Upon first watching the show you can miss him completely and if you don’t reverse Bill’s death message yourself or find a clip with it, then there certainly won’t be any pointers to this creature. However, looking closer you find that Stanford had been in possession of one of the creatures before with it’s tank left as Stanley took the shack, but Bill even outright mentions him when saying the backwards message that once reversed reveals something huge: “A-X-O-L-O-T-L! My time has come to burn, I invoke the ancient power that I may return!’ In the Gravity Falls universe, the Axolotl is a powerful extradimensional creature that takes the form of a giant talking axolotl whose power ranks above that of Time Baby, Bill Cipher, and possible other unnamed or unseen powers.
Now this on it’s own is interesting but when comparing the creature to its real life equivalent and mythology things get even more intense! So, what are these creatures in real life? Well they’re a type of salamander that’s critically endangered and originate in Mexico, but the more intriguing piece of their history is their abilities and what they were named after. First off, these little creatures are a rare type of animal that can stay in a tadpole like state for the entirety of their lives and can even regenerate limbs. Their names comes from an Aztec myth about one of their gods, Xolotl, who was associated with the sunset and would guard the Sun as it traveled through the underworld every night. This deity and a dog were believed to lead the soul on its journey to the underworld. In order to avoid being hunted for sacrifice, he turns into a plant now named Mexolotl and animal now named Axolotl. In Aztec mythology, he was a god with associations to lightning, death, and fire and was also god of twins, monsters, misfortune, sickness, and deformities. Xolotl is the twin of Quetzalcoatl, the god of wind and learning. He is the dark personification of the evening star, and was associated with heavenly fire. Knowing this has huge impacts on what we know about the series, so now it’s time for some connections and my idea of what the Axolotl in Gravity Falls canon truly equivocates, to. And boy is it huge.
First let’s start with the mythology and piece it with the show. The Aztec god Xolotl has some big relations to Bill Cipher, with how it is associated with lighting; Bill uses it in the battle during Dreamscapes and even forms a weather cloud that shoots lighting to pillars in Weirdmageddon, death; I don’t need to even explain this one as Bill causes the death of his entire dimension, sought to destroy the universe, and of course his death in the finale, and the biggest one of all; fire. We see that Bill can use both harmless fire as it appears blue when he strikes deals or even surrounds his body on occasions or to hurt others when it’s orange as shown in Dreamscapers as well. Along with this he is the god of monsters, misfortune, and deformities which are things heavily related to Bill. But if he is so heavily connected to Bill, why is it that Axolotl is the one who goes by the name? The answer has been in the show all along. Who are two other main characters where one goes by the other? Stanley and Stanford Pines. The twins, and here’s where things get mind blowing.
Look back at the mythology. Along with being a god of monsters, misfortune, sickness, and deformities, Xolotl is also a god of twins. And every. Single. One. of these attributes are huge key factors in the show. Not only are the two main characters, Dipper and Mabel, twins, but the twist of season two reveals that Stan hasn’t been what he’s seemed all along as isn’t who we know him as, instead having the twin brother who is the real owner of that name. Along with this Bill’s whole plan is revolved around bringing his monstrosities to the world, and disfigurements are in so many of the characters within the Gravity Falls universe!
With this implication in mind, consider this: Why would a creature who is an ancient power and all knowing being after surely seeing Bill Cipher’s crimes give him the opportunity of another form and shirk blame onto Axolotl himself? Why would Bill wait until his death to remotely mention this being at all besides a quick note in the journals? And why would Alex, knowing the dedication of his fans, throw in a troll name like Axolotl if he wasn’t completely important? The answer has been hidden in the show the entire time, but as Alex says, one out of show piece hides a huge canon secret; the Axolotl poem. Here is it pieced together:
Sixty degrees that come in threes.
Watches from within birch trees.
This part is pretty self explanatory, telling what Bill is and referencing the woods where he makes his first appearance, noting that he can watch from the eye-like features in the trees. It’s further on in the poem where things start to get interesting.
Saw his own dimension burn.
Misses home and can’t return.
Remember that line in Weirdmageddon where Bill describes the second dimension? He says “Try living in the second dimension. A flat world with flat minds. I liberated my original dimension, Stanford, and I’m here to liberate yours”. At first I thought this meant he purposely burned down his dimension after wanting to leave, but why not just leave? I believe this was an accident. That the second dimension may not have been ideal but it was still his home, and when he tried to seek greater things, like power (more on that later), he was granted that wish and with it came a fire he could not control and a sight he’d never experienced. This is further supported by the next lines:
Says he’s happy. He’s a liar.
Blame the arson for the fire.
Bill is hiding the fact that this wasn’t purposeful, and we see it clear on his features how unhappy he is about burning down the second dimension as pictured here.
He blames arson, which is described as “the criminal act of deliberately setting fire to something”. Deliberately. He doesn’t want to admit how this didn’t make him happy, how it was an accident, and instead he lies and says it was purposeful, he meant the fire, and he’s happy about it. It was liberation.
If he wants to shirk the blame,
He’ll have to invoke my name.
For the longest time this line confused me. Why would the Axolotl offer this, and why would he have to appeal to him, be judged like this by this being? Then I read more on axolotls and the mythology behind them, and then i found out Xolotl was responsible for guarding the sun and transporting souls to the underworld. The Axolotl is doing this because his job is to act as judgment to Bill and either destroy his soul completely or, as the next lines go:
One way to absolve his crime.
A different form, a different time.
He can also give Bill another form if he appeals and tries to absolve his crime. But why, why the Axolotl? How are they connected? It had to be something big if this creature who was barely in the show could do something so massive as bring back the main antagonist who was a being that could destroy existence itself as we know it?
Because of one simple answer. One groundbreaking answer that I almost couldn’t believe when I was researching and writing this.
Bill Cipher and the Axolotl are related. Not only that, they are twins based on the Aztec myths of Quetzalcoatl and Xolotl.
To prove it, I’m going to present to you my own idea as to both of their mysterious origins as well as some parallels before then and by the time you’re done reading it I hope I have you as convinced as I am.
Before this, I’ll address the biggest problem right here and now: they don’t look the same, and they aren’t even of the same species. That is where I challenge you with this: both the mythology and canon about Axolotl talk about how the form of this frilly salamander is taken, but isn’t necessarily their true form. And we also see that Bill can both shapeshift and become any form he chooses after Weirdmageddon. What I believe these beings truly are, are mere stars and dust for Axolotl and weirdness for Bill. As, in Alex’s own words; “Bill was born from weirdness and crafted by it, but not the cause of it.” He chose to look as he does because it was not only the forms he saw in the second dimension, but something weird and something he wanted.
Since that’s out of the way I can now draw out the parallels. I believe this is made to be a sort of Ying Yang story, a balance of good and evil. As Xolotl is made to represent Bill, even though the name goes to Axolotl, Quetzalcoatl is made to represent Axolotl in that he is god of knowledge and wind. Take a look at the canon Axolotl and the environment, as well as where it’s described. It’s a time and space between time and space, with bright fluffy clouds and a nice aura. That could be the wind part, but the knowledge part is clear as he is able to provide any answer to the questions Mabel and Dipper can ask. They also go completely in parallel with each side of the All Seeing Eye belief, more on that later. And there’s a part in the journal where he is referenced, saying that every conspiracy theory is correct. This means Axolotl knew these, and is being cursed due to it. The more damning piece, however, is on the page with the Oracle where it points to Bill and the inscription says ‘his exact opposite’. Or the balance to the weirdness that is Bill. Consider this: usually storytelling elements go in threes but with the twins it’s only twos. Mabel and Dipper and Stan and Ford. But adding these two to the equation makes it even better, as if destiny. Bill and Axolotl being twins as well. And one taking after the other (Bill as being more like Xolotl), foreshadowing the series’ entire plot. And it even matches perfectly with the characters as, again, one of Xolotl’s jobs was to be a god over disfigurement and weirdness. And guess which three main characters, in my opinion the third being a twin, each have a weirdness to them? Dipper’s birthmark, Stanford’s six fingers, and Bill’s one eye.
Now, here is my version Bill and Axolotl’s background for your consideration:
Bill Cipher wanted more out of his life. He wanted knowledge like his cosmic brother, and he wanted to be free of the flat realm that he’d been confined to. The Axolotl warned him to stick to his own dimension, that he was too blind to see the truth but Bill didn’t listen. When he tries to leave, he does gain success but he also gains a burden from his twin. As this being was both Ultimate Knowledge and Ultimate Sight, the power was split and sight was given to Bill for him to see that his leaving that dimension would cause it’s end. But it was too late, the power too great, and Bill killed everything within that dimension after causing a fire he couldn’t control.
Axolotl, being the one who judges souls, sent him to a realm between dimensions with no escape where interdimensional criminals and nightmares would also be sent upon their judged crimes. Within this place, Bill becomes a cold and cruel being due to the dimension’s influence on the mind and the lawless, unstable atmosphere. He became insane, to the point where he could not distinguish his own lies from himself anymore and convinced himself that his crimes had been purposeful and funny, that this was the only true way to be alive. Along with this he also learned how to control his ultimate sight and he would watch as the universe morphed around him, being the only one who could see it as his destiny was now to become the All Seeing Eye.
As he watched the third dimension’s earth he realized that he could have influence over it through eye-like features within the earth as well as appear as a mere shadow, or become a constructed thought. Eventually his influence was found in caves where people had drawn their worship, in pyramids as he was connected to their gods, eventually even on money and in many other places throughout history, but he still was trapped, and it was still only his influence. Bill wanted to truly exist and control, to have more power, which would come in the form of a broken rift. But the promised day that he’d seen in his own future was short, as he was tricked into being erased and where he would finally have to answer to his crimes.
When his judgment day had come again, Axolotl takes pity on his brother since it had been him that gave the powers and decides to give him another form in another time. And that form is what I believe Alex may either hint at or go into in the graphic novels that will soon be released.
Well, that sums up what I believe the Axolotl has to do with Bill, but what exactly is Bill and what are his true plans throughout the series? Now that I’ve explained what hasn’t been shown in the show, I can connect it further and with even more mythological examples, this time in Trinity and Egyptian myth.
I think we all know by now that Bill is meant to symbolize the Eye of Providence, but if that wasn’t proof enough Alex has stated he made Bill when he thought it would be funny to dress up the thing on the one dollar bill with a tophat and tie, then name him Bill for dollar bill. But that thing on the dollar isn’t just some random design, it’s the All Seeing Eye of God from Trinitarianism belief. This can either be a good sign saying that God is always watching and represents light and glory, but as with the Egyptian idea it means something far darker. That you are just a pawn in a higher game, and this eye is out mocking you. Axolotl is the light, and Bill is the dark.
Further evidence points out that this eye also can mean that an enemy is hiding in plain sight, and with Bill Cipher that has never been more true. Not only is one of the major plot points his false partnership with Stanford Pines, but his symbol can be seen all around the shack and even hidden in certain panels of the show. He’s there, and you’re all pawns in his game, and there is nothing you can do about this.
So, knowing this, here is my assessment of Bill Cipher and what he truly is:
Bill is a deity, the polar opposite to his twin brother Axolotl. He is the All Seeing Eye and has been throughout history, watching and influencing. All along he’s wanted freedom from the nightmare realm and to create his weirdness reign. He can do this by entering dreams and showing people what they want to see, by possession as he places yet another pawn on his chessboard, and by influence over the universe he saw and helped to grow just so he could take it over. He desires power, referenced by gold in the show as both his famous line “Buy Gold, Bye!”, and his power over Ford and how he turns him to gold to show who is really in control. He desires true happiness as he’s been lying to himself all this time, and he desires freedom. By any means necessary.
