Mother3: Theory of Everything, Masterpost 2
Warning: this is a very long post….
Characters, Part One: the “focus” families
I know a lot of people still haven’t accepted the twin boys scenario, but I’m an adherent, and in order for my theory to work properly there has to be an older twin in Black Butler… specifically an older twin who dies/goes missing during a second traumatic event.
In Mother3, we have Flint (the father), Hinawa (the mother), Claus (the older twin boy), Lucas (the younger twin boy), and Boney (the family dog). In this scenario, the mother is killed by a chimera that is wandering loose on one of the islands of Nowhere Islands. These chimeras are made on the orders of the self-proclaimed king. The father, in his grief, goes ballistic and has to be temporarily jailed. Claus leaves almost immediately to avenge his mother’s death but cannot defeat the monster that killed his mother; he is seen, only by the player, as lying at the bottom of a cliff; he appears to be dead. Lucas blames himself for his brother’s disappearance and runs away, but he soon returns to his home. His father is usually either visiting Hinawa’s grave or searching for Claus, not really paying Lucas much attention, so Lucas doesn’t see much of him for most of the game. Lucas’ only constant companion is his dog, Boney. In Lucas’ absence, Flint refuses to acknowledge the king, so their house gets burned to the ground. During his adventures, Lucas makes new friends, as well as new foes. I’ll get into plot/story details later… in another post.
In Black Butler, we have Vincent (the father), Rachel (the mother), Ciel (the older twin), the earl (the younger twin), and Sebastian (the family dog). Both the mother and father are killed in this scenario, and it’s at least suspected (due to S1 of the anime) that Queen Victoria, the queen of England, ordered their deaths. Even the family dog, Sebastian, is killed. The manor burns to the ground. Ciel and the younger twin are kidnapped and sold to a cult for ritual sacrifice. After about one month of being held captive, Ciel (older twin) is stabbed on the altar; we see him there, but we are not sure whether he’s really dead; we assume that he is. The younger twin makes a contract with a demon, names it Sebastian (after the family dog), and soon returns to his home. We also learn that the younger twin wasn’t favored by his father; at least we get a feeling about that, since Vincent was always taking Ciel on trips and talking about him, but he didn’t take the ailing younger twin much of anywhere and we never even see Vincent call him by name. [Twin theory deniers, you’ll just have to bear with me.] Again, there will be more details later.
Let’s discuss individual family member parallels now. First up are Flint and Vincent:
Ok, so they don’t look alike, but they have some personality traits in common. Unlike Vincent, Flint lives, but he is forever changed by the traumatic events; he feels quite useless and isn’t able to offer Lucas much help with anything, at least not directly. When Flint learns that his wife has been killed by a mecha-drago (chimera), he loses his composure and goes into a violent rage, attacking people around him, even friends. His name is, according to Itoi-san, short for “Flintlock”, a firing mechanism used in guns during the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries:
You could say he has a fiery, even explosive personality that gets him in trouble. He is arrested for attacking and injuring these people. His arrest, and then his grief, keep him out of the story for most of the time. He breaks out of jail to attend his wife’s wake/funeral. Later, he does kill the mecha-drago that killed his wife. He has a few close friends, including a father and son duo, named Fuel and Lighter. They have their own adventures together. Life had been rather peaceful until a guy named Porky Minch showed up, claiming to be King Porky, or the “Pig King”. The king demands acknowledgement and support, which Flint refuses to do; the king’s use of chimeras is what killed Hinawa, is wife. Because he refuses to support the king’s vision of a new, technologically advanced Nowhere Islands, his house keeps getting burned down.
Vincent Phantomhive is the “Queen’s Watchdog” before he is killed and the young earl claims that role. Vincent competently fills that role for several years until he apparently makes one mistake too many. It’s been hinted at several times, mostly by his old pal and fellow “Aristocrat of Evil” Diedrich, that Vincent had made bad decisions and got in trouble with the British royal family… specifically with the queen. One thing mentioned is referred to as the “Windsor incident”. In 1885, just a few years after that incident, the Phantomhive Manor is burned to the ground… with the bodies of Vincent, Rachel, and the dog (Sebastian) along with it. Something else to note: there is a Tower Bridge still under construction in 1889; it has been planned since 1875… but construction didn’t begin until 1885. Though S2 of the anime cannot be taken as canon (generally), it does explain that the Phantomhives were responsible for the flow of rivers – repairing and building dams, etc. We have to wonder whether Vincent supported the building of this technologically advanced Tower Bridge in England.
Next up are the mothers, Hinawa and Rachel:
The mothers don’t look too much alike, but they both have long hair and look very sweet-natured. Thanks to the Character Guide, we know that even though Rachel appears innocent and weak (poor health), she’s actually a bit masculine in personality and is more likely to discipline the kids than Vincent is. In a flashback of her sister, Angelina, we even see Rachel tease her younger sister by grabbing her breasts and saying how big they are. Ever hear the phrase “She’s a pistol”? It’s used to describe women with unpredictable personalities; you never know what they will do next. And Hinawa’s name means “matchlock” (literally “string of fire”), another (even older) firing mechanism for guns:
It’s been suggested that Hinawa could also be a play on the word “haniwa”, which are small funerary figures buried with the dead. Sadly, both mothers die when the sons are 9/10 years old. Now we only see them in flashbacks and dream sequences….
Hinawa dies while she and her sons are visiting her father, Alec, on another island. Another villager, Tessie (a nurse), helps Alec care for the twins when they are first discovered (right after Hinawa dies). Alec and Tessie return the boys to their home. Rachel, of course, dies with Vincent and the family dog (Sebastian). When the younger twin and his demon butler (Sebastian) return to London, they head for London Hospital in order to find his Aunt Angelina, who is a physician there. While asking for Aunt Angelina, they are noticed by Tanaka, the previous Phantomhive butler.
Something else of note about them. In the flashback of Flint and Hinawa naming their twins, Hinawa says how the twins were such a blessing. Similarly, Rachel has always had poor health, and twins in the Victorian era were rare enough, so for her to bear a child (let alone twins) is not too short of a miracle. It’s been noticed that Ciel was possibly named that because it can mean “Heaven”, touching on how the birth was a blessing. We can also consider the biblical story of Rachel, a good wife who had trouble conceiving a child. An aphrodisiac or some drug/medicine was made with mandrake root to help her conceive. (Anyone else recall the OVA showing William T. Spears using his telescopic pruner to safely pull up a Grell-rooted mandrake? I sure do.)
Ok, now for Claus and Lucas vs. Ciel and the younger twin:
Claus and Lucas are shown to be not quite identical, but they are clearly described by their parents as being twins. Their parents even state that while they are younger, they will often be confused for one another. That’s probably why they are dressed differently. They are also mirror twins: Claus’ hair sort of swirls off to his left, while Lucas’ hair swirls off to his right. Claus was named first, so we assume he’s older; he’s very outgoing and is the first to leave home, wishing to avenge his mother’s death. While their father (Flint) is in jail, Claus visits him (bringing him an apple with a hand file in it) and says he’s going to get strong and kill the mecha-drago. Their grandfather, Alec, makes Lucas admit to their father that Claus stole a kitchen knife (not as sharp as the Phantomhive cutlery, I bet) and ran off to kill the mecha-drago. Then Lucas also runs away, but it’s out of shame for letting his brother do something that will probably get him killed. Soon, Lucas returns home. Meanwhile, Flint and Alec search for Claus; they find a shoe but not him. Flint kills the mecha-drago himself, using it’s own fang (the one that killed Hinawa). Flint and Alec do not know, but the player sees Claus lying at the bottom of the cliff; he seems to be dead. About three years later, Lucas (now 12/13) starts off on an adventure to avenge his family for all their loss and suffering, his as well. He is accompanied by his ever-faithful dog, Boney. Claus (or his body) ends up being turned into a “Fascinating Chimera”, and he is used by the king to pull NEEDLES out of the ground. Claus is also Commander-in-Chief of the Pig Mask Army. Lucas runs into him many times while also trying to pull NEEDLES out of the ground, except Lucas can’t identify Claus, who is wearing a mask; he’s referred to as the Masked Man for most of the story, and being transformed into a chimera… he’s heartless. After Lucas defeats the king, he must confront Claus once more to pull up the last NEEDLE. Claus finally remembers who he is, and then he sacrifices himself, so that Claus may win this competition in which they’ve been forced to participate. The one who pulls up the most NEEDLES is the one who wakes the Dark Dragon and gives him their heart. Lucas “wins”, and wakes this Dark Dragon with his good heart. The Dark Dragon rises up from under the Nowhere Islands, causing much of the islands to crumble and the sky to turn black. It seems to be the end, but then the player enters their world and, in the dark, meets characters who have survived this armageddon. It is assumed that they will move onward with their lives, rebuild, etc.
Similarly, Ciel and his twin are not quite identical; the other twin is said to take more after his mother, particularly her eyes and her poor health. They can be easily confused, so they are dressed slightly different. They are mirror twins: Ciel’s hair parts on his right, the younger one’s hair parts on his left.
Ciel is apparently the older one; he’s outgoing, he’s in good health, and he’s the one being groomed to take over as earl one day. When their parents and dog are murdered at home, both boys are kidnapped and sold to a cult for sacrifice. Ciel is stabbed and left for dead, while the other twin claims to be Ciel, makes a deal with a demon, and returns home… about a month after being captured. About two years later, the 12 year old boy (as “Ciel Phantomhive”) has gained the earldom. By the time he is 13, his adventures are getting into full swing. His contract with the demon is born of his desire for power and revenge, not for his family, but for himself… for his own loss and suffering. He is accompanied by his ever-faithful contracted demon, named Sebastian after the dead family dog. Ciel (or his body) has apparently fallen into the hands of Undertaker, who has been performing various experiments to revive the dead (or reanimate them if their souls are gone). It is currently being speculated whether Ciel has been turned into one of Undertaker’s “Bizarre Dolls”. Now it gets a bit weird (like it wasn’t already, right?), as we start seeing the appearance of NEEDLES in the story. A Chinese gang leader, Lau, keeps acupuncture NEEDLES that he uses to stun people; at one point the earl thinks Lau might have used one to kill a young man (Phelps, who had actually been killed by a snake). One of the queen’s butlers, Charles Phipps, keeps a sewing NEEDLE with him at all times because he finds it handy. At one point, we wonder whether the queen’s other butler, Charles Grey, might have used that same needle (or one like it) in a locked room murder. Again, this turns out to not be the case, but we are reminded of these NEEDLES. The story is now in an arc where we are pretty sure blood is being stolen from sleeping/drugged victims. These blood “donations” would, of course, be drawn with the use of medical NEEDLES, draining the blood into collection containers of some sort. Well, that’s three of them for the earl…. Want to guess what kinds the real Ciel might encounter? Hmm. Ones used for embalming corpses? Ones used for blood transfusions? Ones used to administer drugs/medications? Are memories stitched onto cinematic records using a type of needle?? And when the earl and the real Ciel confront each other (which they must, really), will there be another NEEDLE making an appearance? Who “wins” and wakes their “Dark Dragon”? Who gives it their soul? Does the real Ciel even have a soul to give?
Yana-san is no stranger to making seriously complex plot twists. The hardest one for me to even explain is what she has done with the twins’ roles. Mother3 follows Lucas, never Claus, and Lucas is always fighting against King Porky. We watch him make friends, find clues, pull needles, and give his good heart to the Dark Dragon. Meanwhile, Claus has become shaded in mystery, heartless, and he works for the king. In Black Butler, though we are still following the younger twin’s adventures, watching him make friends and find clues and encounter needles… he has stolen his brother’s identity; he is the one working for the queen and being decidedly shady (taking on a role more like that of Claus). He’s also becoming somewhat cold/heartless in how he treats others. It’s been foreshadowed not only by S2 of the anime but also in the manga that the earl could become demonic. Meanwhile, we really don’t know what physical, mental, or even spiritual state the real Ciel is in. However, since Undertaker hates the queen, we can assume the real Ciel is filling a role more like that of Lucas, even though we aren’t watching it. If Ciel doesn’t have a soul and the earl’s soul turns demonic, does the demon get to devour a soul at all? Is that enough to make a demon abandon his aesthetic and break a contract? What does a demon do NEXT if he is pushed to a breaking point and frees himself? This could lead to an armageddon of a different sort than what is witnessed in Mother3….
Something else to note is the naming scheme. Claus was named first, and Lucas is an anagram. Similarly, Ciel was probably named first, and the other twin might have an anagram as his name. The only anagram of Ciel that makes a recognized name (no one is calling their child “Lice”) is Elic. Elic is a variant of Alec and Alex, which both mean “protector” or “protection”. A similar name is Eric (like how “L” is often replaced by “R”), and it means “ruler”; Potentia Regere, right? However, the flower language meaning of erica flowers is “protection”. There is Claus in Mother3 and Chlaus in Black Butler. There is Lucas in Mother3 and Luka in S2 of the Black Butler anime. There is an Alec in Mother3 and both an Alex and an Eric in Black Butler (Alex B. is on one of Undertaker’s lockets, while Eric Slingby of “Kuromyu2″ makes a single appearance in the manga, but not mentioned there by name.) Is Yana-san sticking with the anagrams, and the earl’s name is Elic? Will she change it up slightly and go for Alec? Will she surprise us with some random, unconnected name? IDK. I can say one thing that would make sense, though. People keep asking “Why would the younger twin choose to use his older brother’s name if he would get the inheritance and title anyway? What if his name is really Elic… and he just hates it?
Last, but not least, we have Boney (the dog) and Sebastian (a butler) vs. Sebastian (the dog) and Sebastian (the demon butler):
In Mother3 there is the family dog, Boney… and a random butler named Sebastian. In Black Butler, you have the family dog, Sebastian… and a demon butler named after the family dog.
Boney is Lucas’ constant, loyal companion. He sniffs out clues, digs (I think at least on one occasion), refuses the drugs offered to him (LOL, yes), discovers secret passages, warns Lucas and helps him get out of danger, and even (at one point) wears human clothes and walks on his hind legs. The butler in the game is named Sebastian because it’s the cliché name the Japanese give to butlers; it’s the equivalent of the Brits naming butlers Jeeves.
Sebastian, the family dog in Black Butler, plays with the children, sits/rests by his master’s feet, and we can probably assume made a decent guard dog, too. Sadly, he is killed along with his master. The demon butler is named after the family dog (much to his chagrin, as he doesn’t like dogs). However, true to his namesake, he literally sniffs out hunting prey and clues… and digs (up bodies). He also refuses the drugs offered to him (LOL, yes), discovers secret passageways, warns the earl and saves/protects him… and takes a human form/pretends to be human, changing his attire or wearing disguises to fit the situation at hand. Just like with all the chores at Phantomhive Manor, Sebastian really does pull double duty – he is at once the butler, companion, accomplice, and dog… and a contracted demon expecting a very delicious, hard-won meal. As such, Yana-san has him fill one other major role: he’s the equivalent of Mother3’s Dark Dragon. Just like you never really see the Dark Dragon (it rises as the sky turns pitch black), you never completely see Sebastian’s true form. Beyond heeled boots, long black nails on an extended hand, fangs, and fiery, slitted eyes… it’s also shrouded in darkness, sending swirls of pitch black outwards like tendrils. He waits (as patiently as he can) for the earl to get his revenge, at which point he will expect him to fulfill his part of the deal… but will the earl be able to?
