Season Six Incoming!

[kazisgirlfriend]

Snake Girl Rayla?

The TDP fandom has always had headcanons that didn't really work out (such as Soren rather than Claudia staying loyal to his father), but the idea of Callum being some sort of "Snake Boi" seems to have stuck around despite having basically no support in canon.

This isn't to discourage people who like the aesthetic. People who think it would be cool if Callum was That Way. By all means, keep writing those stories, making those fanarts! Many of them are downright inspired, and represents a really interesting direction the story could have taken.

But "could have taken" is the operative term here. The traits that are associated with "Snake Boi" Callum (listed below) barely represent what his defining traits really are:

Obsession

Ambition

Temper

Ruthlessness

Selective Loyalty

There are, of course, shades of the above that ring true with Callum, as they ring true for most of the main cast. But it seems odd to single out Callum as the one who most exhibits these traits. Other characters who better exhibit, say, selective loyalty (such as Sarai taking a stance against hunting the Titan but ultimately sides with Harrow), are never recognized as such, let alone singled out to the extent Callum is.

Or they're based on interpretations that are dubious at best (Callum "turning against" Viren, a man he's never shown a particular liking to), or false at worst (Callum being the only one to actually want to kill Aaravos, despite the fact that killing him was originally Rayla's idea). So given all this, it's curious as to why "Snake Boi" Callum as an actual theory of who Callum is stuck around for as long as it did.

Then it hit me: much of this is really a projection, because there is a character who does exhibit these traits far better than Callum - Rayla.

Obsession

Rayla's obsession brings out the best and worst in her. She would obsess over what the right thing to do is ("I hesitate, think too much, get confused about the right thing to do"), but then also become obsessed over specific goals, first over killing Viren, then over the coins.

Ambition

All of the main character display some forms of ambition from time to time, but Rayla seems to have dispalyed hers at a much younger age:

At an age when most of the other main characters were just having fun and getting to be children, Rayla already chose her path. She wanted to be trained day and night by her mentor, despite her parents wishing that she have fun and grow up. To set aside a normal childhood and deciding on a career at that age, that takes ambition.

Temper

It should go without saying that it doesn't take much to set Rayla off:

So whether it's being mistrusted, being lied to, being rejected, being called weak, or just plain hungry, Rayla has a history of getting pretty angry.

Ruthlessness

I mean, c'mon, look at that smirk...

Or that death glare...

If that's not enough, here is what Rayla was planning to do with Claudia and Soren at the Cursed Caldera according to the novelization:

Selective Loyalty

Last but not least - selective loyalty. I think this is best exhibited by Rayla being willing to scuttle a two-year mission to kill Viren by saving her family instead:

But also by her insistence that "we can't save anyone," typically hinting at the belief they have to look out for themselves and their in-group before others:

But this is also hinted at throughout the series. She goes to save Pyrrah from Soren and Claudia, but doesn't express similar empathy for the humans in the nearby town that the dragon burnt down. Evidently, the bonds of loyalty are a strong influence on her actions.

So much so that in ToX this is Rayla's defining trait:

So on the one hand it's curious that Rayla's "most important value" is often assigned to Callum in some headcanons, but on the other I do get it. People want Callum to be selectively loyal, because that would mean he is selecting Rayla. That he's more loyal to her than he is to any pesky moral principles, that she's his ultimate value. What's more romantic than that?

But this does have the uncomfortable nature of being wrong: the truth is Rayla is the more selectively loyal one. She ultimately chose Callum over her quest to find Viren - doesn't get more loyal than that.

Conclusion

I don't write this to disparage anyone's theories or beliefs, but merely to point out what I think should be clear by this point: every single trait Callum is thought of having - temper, obsession, ambition, and especially ruthlessness - better describe Rayla. I'm sure people don't mean to project Rayla's traits onto Callum. It does seem to be done so in order to let Rayla be an uncomplicated hero with no moral issues, but in doing so I think people unintentionally ignore Rayla's best side.

Her obsession lets her stay on task. Her ambition shaped her into a great warrior. Her temper means no one can run roughshod on her. Her ruthlessness means she has what it takes to get the job done. And her selective loyalty means that when she says...

...she means it.

[stickypersonaharmony]

Callum antis when talking about Callum and Viren:

Callum antis when talking about Callum and Amaya:

[kazisgirlfriend]

Like Aunt, Like Nephew

I happened across @raayllum's meta here about Callum and Amaya, and certainly raises a few really interesting points about them that I wanted to touch on. Most notably, it demonstrates how their overall differences really stem from a simple difference in overall experience - at the end of the day, Amaya has potentially years if not decades of experience on a teenager Callum. So, when there are similarities between Callum and Amaya, they are as frequently about who Amaya WAS as much as who Amaya IS.

However, differences in experience do not negate parallels between characters. Just as Runaan is far more experienced than Rayla, that fact alone does not diminish the very clear parallels she has with her father figure. Similarly, the differences between Callum and Amaya do ultimately come down to a level of experience.

Prejudice

Callum and Amya's contrast in prejudice actually demonstrate how their level of experience influence their differences. Amaya had spent years at the breach, which solidified distrust and even hatred that she had towards elves ("I've slain monsters before").

Callum's prejudice, while relatively muted, is still there. Not only does he assume Rayla drinks blood, he initially refers to as a "creature" in the novelization, and later amends to thinking she's "one of the good ones."

As a sidenote, it's important not to dismiss Callum's prejudices as mere "misconceptions" simply because they are less intense. TDP is ultimately a story about overcoming prejudice, which is something that Callum does quicker than Amaya does. But this is ultimately the result of his prejudices being borne out of a lack of exposure rather than years of war like Amaya. Amaya has had years to let her prejudices fester, while Callum's simple ignorance gets dispelled rather quickly. But both Callum and Amaya demonstrate admirable open-mindedness in overcoming personal biases, even if at different paces.

The Test of Light

The other comparison is between how Amaya handles her test of light in 3x02 vs. how Callum handles his "test" in 5x08. This, I admit, was a peculiar test since whatever situation Callum was faced with in s5, it had nothing to do with purity. It was not a test of light.

Instead, Callum faced his test of light in s3, when he rode the Twin-Tailed Inferno-Tooth Tiger.

A creature that can sense the purity of one's heart (much like Pharos' staff), and a creature that Callum rode.

Instead the test that Callum faced in 5x08 was a test of darkness. Facing down his own dark side, and ultimately emerging triumphant, signified by the narrative rewarding Callum with the Ocean Arcanum.

Framing Callum's test as a defeat stems from a simplistic view of light and darkness as mutually exclusive. In truth, light and darkness exist in all of us, even heroes. Callum's realization that he contains complexities beyond his understanding is integral to his arc, not a failure. Everyone has a dark side, and it is this realization, that Callum has a part of himself he can neither fully understand nor control, that leads Callum to reach a breakthrough with the Ocean Arcanum. His eventual triumph would not be framed as such if he did not face this shadow side.

But as this lesson is one that is wholly irrelevant to s3, it raises the question as to why should we compare these two moments across two seasons at all. And the reason is that, if we were to compare the actual parallels this season, find that Callum and Amaya--as they both charge in to save their loved ones--are not so different at all.

In the end, their nuanced journeys demonstrate how light and darkness can coexist within us all. Comparing dissimilar tests obscures this meaningful complexity that makes both characters human. The distinction lies in understanding, not judgment.

Stronger Together

While Amaya's lesson to Rayla about being stronger together vs. alone is important, the reason this conversation never comes up between Amaya and Callum is because Callum already knows this. It is yet another similarity that he has with his aunt.

Even after the tribulations of 5x08, Callum is still the one to insist that the trio does everything together. Akiyu gave the group only one amulet, meaning that only Callum can theoretically go underwater after the pearl. In spite of this, Callum takes it upon himself to reverse-engineer the amulet to create magical gills for all of them. Far from insisting he should be strong alone, Callum acknowledges--much like Amaya did--that they are stronger together.

The writers convey Callum already comprehending Amaya's lesson through his own actions, rather than needing the moral spelled out for him. It's a great example of showing rather than telling. This creative choice highlights the strong unspoken bond and understanding between aunt and nephew.

The Canon of It All

Challenging the notion that Callum and Amaya are especially similar is a peculiar undertaking, given that the show spends a large amount of time highlighting their similarities.

I could show all the similarities between Callum and Amaya throughout the series, but rather than dragging out the meta any further, all I and anyone else have to do is merely point to the fact that their similarities are called out by the show itself. If the narrative is indicating its significance, then it's significant. Rather than denying the undeniable, it is more constructive to examine why this relationship is highlighted and what significance it may hold for future story developments.

After all, the writers make a concerted effort to draw connections between Callum and Amaya across multiple scenes and story arcs. Questioning why such focused narrative choices exist will likely offer more meaningful insights into their characters and bond. Challenging textual evidence risks missing the forest for the trees. If the show itself calls attention to a theme, then clearly it carries weight. The deeper question is what purpose these parallels serve in the broader storytelling. Their interconnected journeys likely foreshadow an integral joint role to come.

Conclusion - What does this all mean?

It's very rare for one to write a meta around the argument that the story beats and similarities audiences are noticing are actually not important, especially when the show itself expressly calls out these similarities and story beats in such a prolific way. So that really raises the question - what is this all about? What is the motivation behind the argument that fans are wrong for noticing the things the show explicitly draws attention to?

At the end of the day, what motivates disagreements about whether Callum is like Amaya isn't about objective scoreboard-tallying. After all, Callum's s5 parallels with Viren are only held together by one single utterance of "I'd do anything for X" from each of them in very different contexts and that hasn't deterred many folks.

Instead, it is an issue of bias. As I mentioned before, there is a certain stereotype about characters with nerdy interests, and Callum has been no exception. He's a human mage, and so it's frequently assumed that the only "proper" comparisons he can have are with other human mages like Claudia and Viren (which also leads to his depictions as morally dubious, since the only other human mages we've seen are morally dubious ones).

He also starts out the series as "bad at everything" and a bit clumsy. Rather than realizing he's simply insecure and inexperienced, the argument goes that actually his ineptitude is innate to his character. He's scrawny, weak, a pushover, someone who belongs on the sidelines and with his nose in his sketchbook. Unlike the strong, brave, tough, capable warriors like Sarai, Amaya, Soren, Rayla, and so on.

But when seasons 4 and 5 rolled out, when it was revealed that Callum was far from a pushover--that he is strong, talented, confident, tough, and brave--along with the explicit comparisons between him and Amaya, most fans I think realized and recognized who Callum really is now. But a few instead doubled-down, and saw the parallels between Callum and Amaya (which, again--cannot stress this enough--are called out by the show directly) as a threat to this initial takeaway back in s1.

Assumptions about "proper" character archetypes or stereotypes around nerdy, awkward characters can cause some to overlook Callum's growth. But his strengths as a mage do not preclude similarities to a warrior like Amaya. Wells-rounded characters defy singular boxes.

But that's neither here nor there. The most pertinent question here is not whether, but why the show so explicitly calls out Callum's similarities with Amaya. My guess is that it has something to do with seasons 6 and 7, about the kind of person Callum will become. That it has something to do with why Callum, despite Aaravos' insistence, is not destined to play right into his hands.

But that is a story for another time ;)

Postscript - Viren and Amaya

As a sidenote, there was some stuff about the ways Viren and Amaya were similar that I found interesting. Haven't forgotten about that, and wanted to address it, but I'll do that separately as I don't want to drag out this meta beyond what's reasonable.

[kilfeur]

I just wanted to say that I really like your posts about Callum and the analysis. I don't think I've seen everything but I must admit it's this kind of analysis that interests me. Often when Callum is in opposition to another character, it's often Viren, and I can understand that, but sometimes I find that these analyses of these two turn into an obsession, or at least that's how I feel. So I take a step back. Seeing the parallels between him and his aunt is, I must say, more pleasant to read.

[kazisgirlfriend]

Thank you! I appreciate your sentiment.

Yea, the Callum/Viren parallels some people obsess over have approached a fever pitch that I don't think is justified. So when I see those same people then look at the show's calling out Callum/Amaya parallels and just go "erm d-don't worry about it," it just sounds a little too biased for my taste.

[kilfeur]

To be fair, Viren is a fan favorite as far as I can see. Personally, I'm neutral about him, not that he's not a good character, but he doesn't have the same effect on me as other characters who follow a similar path to him. Speaking of parallels, I think it's a shame more people aren't pointing out the parallels between Janai and Ezran. Maybe there were, but I didn't see it myself. Two lords who must protect and lead their people, the contrast between Janai and Karim's relationship and that between Callum and Ezran. I personally find it interesting.

The parallel that comes to mind would be that of Ezran and Amaya in the early seasons. When Amaya condemned the frontier and surrendered, sacrificing himself to protect Katolis. And Ezran, who sees that the situation is getting out of hand, decides to return the crown, sacrificing himself in the process by going to jail to avoid more deaths. Even if it means returning Viren to the throne.

In fact, when I saw the trailer for season 5 and the scene where we see the trio in the great library of Lux Aurea. I would have thought that the fighting style would be similar to both Amaya and Sarai. Because she had a spear and he now has a staff, so I thought he'd use it either as a spear or a baseball bat. It hasn't happened yet, but I must admit that I would love to see Callum use his staff like that. We've only seen the punches! I would love to see a scene where Amaya and Callum fight together and for a moment when he wields it, she feels like she's watching Sarai wielding the spear!

[saltytalestrawberry]

Yea, I like Viren too, but when people are comparing Callum to him, I get the sense it's not a very flattering comparison. That Callum, like Viren, just doesn't care about right or wrong the way Ezran and Rayla do, and mostly just cares about the people close to him. And in spite of that being disproven time and time again (giving Ezran and Rayla mage gills clearly shows him prioritizing the mission's success over their immediate well-being), people will still harp on this idea.

I definitely like the sound of Janai/Ezran parallels, or Amaya/Ezran! Those are definitely great parallels for which there's a lot to go on! Maybe one day I'll write a meta of my own about that.

As for Callum, there are still two more seasons, and Callum looks like he's about to level up some more, so we may get to see him fight like Sarai did!

[kilfeur]

Yes, I mean, Viren considers his family to be his most closest, even Harrow whom he considered to be his brother during the nightmare. Callum goes far beyond the family and considers that in his group outside his family are important too. For my part, I'm glad to see that he and Soren's relationship has improved, allowing them to joke around like we saw in Scumport. The most important thing is his path, not just his actions, because I don't think he's going to limit himself to just two paths. There are several, so I'll wait and see!

If you're interested in the parallels between Janai and Ezran, I did an analysis of them. It's pretty basic, but I'm still proud of it. So if you're interested, here's the link :

Ezran et Janai, leurs responsabilités en tant que seigneur mais aussi celui de leurs royaumes (Ezran and Janai, their responsibilities as ru

A la base, je comptais mettre cette analyse après la saison 6. Mais au final, je me suis dit autant le faire maintenant. Ezran est un person

[kazisgirlfriend]

Wow, this is really good stuff! I really think Janai and especially Ezran tend to be overlooked by the fandom, and those that frequently do try to analyze them typically have an idealized version in mind (such as "chessmaster Ezran" to describe a character who has always refused to see people as pawns). But you do a great job analyzing them!

[kilfeur]

Thanks I appreciate it, it's been a while since I've done an analysis so I was wondering if I was a little rusty. So I considered this analysis pretty basic but I'm glad to see that I haven't lost my touch after all. Then I think it's because Janai and Ezran have a development that's less in your face and a bit more subtle compared to Rayla and Callum's developments, which are more pronounced, so to speak.

For my part, I like the development offered by Act 2 for Ezran and Janai, Janai having become one of my favorite characters in season 4, and Ezran having to learn what it means to be a king and how to govern and protect his people despite the pressure he feels, a bit like Janai. So I'm curious to see where it all goes and I'd love to see them interact with each other. I think it would be good for them to talk to each other, as they share a similar burden.

[stickypersonaharmony]

I agree, Janai is awesome! If she and Ezran could interact that would make Ez's journey all the more interesting.

Looking back at this, I still chuckle at how some people were so obsessed with associating Viren and Callum that there even was an effort to write a meta basically saying "there is nothing significant between Callum and Amaya. Don't worry about it. Stop taking about it. STOP TALKING ABOUT IT!"

[stickypersonaharmony]

Not gonna lie it's kinda funny how strongly people project on Rayla. They want her to be this unstoppable badass because they wish they themselves were unstoppable badasses.

Like, leading up to s5, when people knew there were going to be pirates, everyone just assumed that Rayla (and just Rayla) was going to fight a bunch of them. Her getting curbstomped was a pretty timely reality check.

So in short, we got:

Canon Rayla: An above average fighter whose light on experience and thus has to get bailed out by her boyfriend more often than not.

Fanon Rayla: An invincible super-warrior who could kick God's ass if he ever showed his stupid face.

[stickypersonaharmony]

I'm genuinely confused as to how Callum saying "I would do anything for you" is supposed to be some creepy parallel to Viren.

When we first met Viren, he wasn't the "I would do anything for you" guy. He was the "if you have to choose, choose the egg" guy. His children (Soren in particular) were just sacrificial pawns, whether he was willing to admit that or not. He and Callum couldn't be more different.

And I can already see the incoming counterargument: "That moment showed that Viren started out like Callum before his motives were corrupted by dark magic."

Which would make sense if we hadn't already known that this wasn't the beginning of Viren's journey. This was:

So, the moment Viren declares "I would do anything for my son" didn't happen at the beginning of his journey, it happened way after he was already a seasoned practitioner. Not only does this show Viren never had any qualms with using dark magic like Callum does, but it shows what he did must have been much worse than a simple chains-to-snakes spell. We can guess what that entailed since it probably involved coining his mentor...

"One after the other" hmmm what a coincidence! Anyway, comparing Callum to Viren is like comparing shoplifting to armed robbery. "Stretch" doesn't begin to cover it.

[narukouzumakinamikaze]

Okay so we’re ignoring the Harrow scene where Viren would have died if it meant protecting Harrow. But I guess we were meant to think that Viren wanted to cosplay as Harrow to take Uber the throne or whatever. But it also goes against the series trying to paint Vires as the “I’ll do anything for my family’s type of character

Makos seems like you’re ignoring the context of the panel you used. The context is that bad thjngs keep happening. Or do you think viren purposefully got Soren sick

[stickypersonaharmony]

Okay so we’re ignoring the Harrow scene where Viren would have died if it meant protecting Harrow.

You mean the time he time he "almost" sacrificed himself to Harrow only to immediately back out as soon as he felt insufficiently respected. Yea, that just proves the point I'm making, Viren makes these halfhearted attempts at sacrificing something important to himself, only to stop because of his thin-skinned ego.

JC, it's crazy that people will basically give so much deference to Viren. You take him at his word that he wants to serve his kingdom, he wants to sacrifice for his king, he wants to protect his family...and then forget that he's basically never done anything of the sort in the show.

"I'll do anything to protect my family, but also the egg is more important than my son's life." Lol, c'mon, let's have some critical thinking here.

Makos seems like you’re ignoring the context of the panel you used. The context is that bad thjngs keep happening. Or do you think viren purposefully got Soren sick

Oh yea, bad things just happen to keep happening. His mentor just happens to get himself trapped in a coin. His wife just happens to become scared and disapproving of Viren's increasingly heinous actions, and leave him. Why oh why do these bad things just happen to keep happening to Viren as a direct result of his choices? And it just so happens that these same choices clear the way for Viren to become High Mage in Kpp'ar's absence. Give me a fucking break. Soren getting sick might be the one thing Viren isn't directly responsible for.

[narukouzumakinamikaze]

You mean the king who literally talked done on him for even suggesting that he do so? The king who legit disregarded that entire relationship because he wanted to die and Viren didn’t want him too? Wow, it’s almost like Harrow being such a shit friend is why Viren changed his mind.

Also The fact that viren is a one dimensional character is something I always point out whenever anyone tries to claim viren is complex. He’s a one dimensional bad guy who is evil for the sake of being evil. That’s why I don’t like his characfer now and why the writing of the show is lackluster and boring.

Who knows if Viren isn’t responsible for Soren getting sick. The series says that he never wanted him. Whose to say viren didn’t get him sick to get rid of him.

[stickypersonaharmony]

You mean the king who literally talked done on him for even suggesting that he do so? The king who legit disregarded that entire relationship because he wanted to die and Viren didn’t want him too? Wow, it’s almost like Harrow being such a shit friend is why Viren changed his mind.

Wow, some hero Viren is: I'm only gonna help you if I think you deserve it.

[stickypersonaharmony]

I'm genuinely confused as to how Callum saying "I would do anything for you" is supposed to be some creepy parallel to Viren.

When we first met Viren, he wasn't the "I would do anything for you" guy. He was the "if you have to choose, choose the egg" guy. His children (Soren in particular) were just sacrificial pawns, whether he was willing to admit that or not. He and Callum couldn't be more different.

And I can already see the incoming counterargument: "That moment showed that Viren started out like Callum before his motives were corrupted by dark magic."

Which would make sense if we hadn't already known that this wasn't the beginning of Viren's journey. This was:

So, the moment Viren declares "I would do anything for my son" didn't happen at the beginning of his journey, it happened way after he was already a seasoned practitioner. Not only does this show Viren never had any qualms with using dark magic like Callum does, but it shows what he did must have been much worse than a simple chains-to-snakes spell. We can guess what that entailed since it probably involved coining his mentor...

"One after the other" hmmm what a coincidence! Anyway, comparing Callum to Viren is like comparing shoplifting to armed robbery. "Stretch" doesn't begin to cover it.

[narukouzumakinamikaze]

Okay so we’re ignoring the Harrow scene where Viren would have died if it meant protecting Harrow. But I guess we were meant to think that Viren wanted to cosplay as Harrow to take Uber the throne or whatever. But it also goes against the series trying to paint Vires as the “I’ll do anything for my family’s type of character

Makos seems like you’re ignoring the context of the panel you used. The context is that bad thjngs keep happening. Or do you think viren purposefully got Soren sick

[stickypersonaharmony]

Okay so we’re ignoring the Harrow scene where Viren would have died if it meant protecting Harrow.

You mean the time he time he "almost" sacrificed himself to Harrow only to immediately back out as soon as he felt insufficiently respected. Yea, that just proves the point I'm making, Viren makes these halfhearted attempts at sacrificing something important to himself, only to stop because of his thin-skinned ego.

JC, it's crazy that people will basically give so much deference to Viren. You take him at his word that he wants to serve his kingdom, he wants to sacrifice for his king, he wants to protect his family...and then forget that he's basically never done anything of the sort in the show.

"I'll do anything to protect my family, but also the egg is more important than my son's life." Lol, c'mon, let's have some critical thinking here.

Makos seems like you’re ignoring the context of the panel you used. The context is that bad thjngs keep happening. Or do you think viren purposefully got Soren sick

Oh yea, bad things just happen to keep happening. His mentor just happens to get himself trapped in a coin. His wife just happens to become scared and disapproving of Viren's increasingly heinous actions, and leave him. Why oh why do these bad things just happen to keep happening to Viren as a direct result of his choices? And it just so happens that these same choices clear the way for Viren to become High Mage in Kpp'ar's absence. Give me a fucking break. Soren getting sick might be the one thing Viren isn't directly responsible for.

[raayllum]

me every time i remember 5x08 is just set up

[stickypersonaharmony]

Yup, it was setup for him learning the Ocean Arcanum, and is probably setup for him learning the Star Arcanum.

[stickypersonaharmony]

I'm genuinely confused as to how Callum saying "I would do anything for you" is supposed to be some creepy parallel to Viren.

When we first met Viren, he wasn't the "I would do anything for you" guy. He was the "if you have to choose, choose the egg" guy. His children (Soren in particular) were just sacrificial pawns, whether he was willing to admit that or not. He and Callum couldn't be more different.

And I can already see the incoming counterargument: "That moment showed that Viren started out like Callum before his motives were corrupted by dark magic."

Which would make sense if we hadn't already known that this wasn't the beginning of Viren's journey. This was:

So, the moment Viren declares "I would do anything for my son" didn't happen at the beginning of his journey, it happened way after he was already a seasoned practitioner. Not only does this show Viren never had any qualms with using dark magic like Callum does, but it shows what he did must have been much worse than a simple chains-to-snakes spell. We can guess what that entailed since it probably involved coining his mentor...

"One after the other" hmmm what a coincidence! Anyway, comparing Callum to Viren is like comparing shoplifting to armed robbery. "Stretch" doesn't begin to cover it.

[stickypersonaharmony]

The Raylasphere has lost it lol.

"Like Aunt Like Nephew? Nah, that doesn't mean anything. You know what's important? That he stood in front of a mirror like that other guy. That means stuff!"