Please read this reference post on all the information known about witches so far for further context.
Some have speculated that he may be a half-breed (with one human parent), but the creator has made it clear that that is impossible (as witches cannot procreate with humans).
Others are of the opinion that he may have a stronger moral conscience than the other witches do.
While I believe that is true to an extent, I do not think that is the cause of his anomalous nature. If anything, it is a consequence. Growing up, Superfish never assimilated into witch society the way he normally would have, and thus never internalized their opinions enough.
In my opinion, it is something about the nature of Superfish's high magical potency that makes him a "defect" in the eyes of witch society.
Find more information enclosed below. I welcome all discussion and opinions, and you may send a message, a question, or comment upon the post itself.
Taking the following facts into account,
Superfish has stated many times that he is the most powerful witch alive, a fact that the creator has confirmed as being accurate. It's not mere bragadocio.
He has also specified that a spell involving the removal of a witch's core has never been performed in history.
It was right after he performed this spell that Toppleprey, the red-eyed witch, called him a "dirty defect."
Witch society is highly militaristic and hierarchical, likely also lacking any family units analogous to the ones humans have.
Even witch names function more as titles.
Superfish has no qualms wiping people's memories, enchanting them, killing them if they wish to hurt him, etc. However, he was visibly concerned for DJ's health since the beginning of the events of the series.
He routinely refers to witches as something separate from himself, describing their behaviors in third person.
We can draw the following conclusions,
If Superfish is the first person in known history to perform a spell that can extract a witch's core, his levels of magical power are unbelievably high.
Superfish, being all of 19 years of age and yet so powerful, is definitely something that would not fly in a strictly hierarchical witch society where age is a defining factor in how powerful you are.
Superfish is much less likely than other witches to see killing as the only option in every situation. He isn't as species-ist as they are, having never absorbed their doctrines due to the alienation he faced growing up.
Thus,
There is something about the nature of Superfish's unbelievably high magical power that makes him a "defect" in the eyes of witch society.
The alienation he experienced within it has caused him to see himself as something separate from them, since he never fully absorbed their modes of operation or way or life.
While the above means he sports a "more" apparently moral outlook toward other life than most witches do, it is NOT the reason for why he is considered a "defect."
Based on the above, there are some more points of note we can speculate on,
What could a society that seeks to maintain a very strict order hate more than someone who presents the greatest threat to it? Perhaps, Superfish's magic even allows him to render the magic of other witches dysfunctional in some way. We already have seen him replicate the same on a very broad level with his core-removal spell.
Perhaps, he has always been able to carry out minor versions of the same thing? Making witches incapable of using magic for some short duration. Or, he may instead sport a degree of invulnerability to magic cast upon him that witches do not normally have.
Toppleprey called him a "defect" right after he was rendered powerless against him, somewhat implying that something like this has happened before, even if to a much lesser degree. There is likely some precedent to Superfish being able to render magic used against him useless.
While this is to explored further in another post, it is possible that witches are incapable of reproducing the way humans normally do. If they instead need to be created in some way that relies on spells and potions, they may have eugenics programs. In which case, Superfish may be an anomaly because he was not designed to show such a high magical potency.
One of the best things about Superfish is the attention to detail present in pegl0's backgrounds, and how lived-in the environment feels consequently.
For one, the sky itself is this wonderful dynamic entity; there are always different kinds of clouds present in it. This panel shows what appears to be a cumulus-filled sky with some stratocumulus-like layers, and perhaps a mild cirrostratus cover. Being a stylized illustration, the cloud types can only be approximated. However, the sky still looks quite realistic.
Additionally,
the fallen leaves are flying around in a gentle breeze,
the shimmering of the lake corresponds with a soft mid-morning Sun,
even the bridge itself isn't pristine but instead has an overgrowth of foliage building up in its corners—this gives the impression that this place does not just exist for the sake of the story and is independent of it,
and the surrounding grass and greenery has texture—patches of various colors add to the ambience.
In general, for a comic, this kind of illustration work makes it a much more enjoyable read, and is very remiscent of anime as a medium.
Greetings, everyone. This blog has been created specifically to discuss theories regarding the world pegl0 has created in his comic “Superfish,” and what we can extrapolate based on the information shared with us so far.
Having developed a keen interest in the same, I have reread the episodes available thus far a few times and compiled the information we have so far, and hence have some ideas on where I see things going.
I am new to this platform, so this may present a learning curve.
Are there any particular subjects you are the most curious about in Superfish? Feel free to send questions.
Find below a list of all my posts so far.
REFERENCE POSTS
Witches: Known Information
Werewolves: Known Information
Superfish: Speculated Timeline of Events
How Witch Cores Translate Languages
DISCUSSION POSTS
What makes Superfish a "defect" in witch society?
What's happening with the witch's core inside of DJ?
Investigating the Sources of Magic in Obscaria (and the Etymology of Superfish's Name)
The Metaphysics of Enchanted Objects
How long has Superfish been in the human world?
Why Superfish Stands Out in Romantic Media
The Significance of Holding Hands in Superfish (and Familial Relationships in Obscaria)
The Nature of Witches: Are they even "alive" in the conventional sense?
What do witches even do in Obscaria?
What species is this woman from Superfish’s memories?
INBOX RESPONSES
Who is the more interesting character, DJ or Superfish?
Additional Information Shared By Pegl0
ART
Aloo!
GENERAL ANALYSIS
How Will Superfish's Journey Conclude? A Brief Analysis of Howl's Moving Castle
The Shape of Loss and Grief in Superfish
Why S1 of Superfish Will End With Superfish Leaving The Main Story Temporarily
Month: Likely in the middle of the year during the summer months.
The following is a proposed timeline to keep track of the events of the comic. It will be updated as the comic progresses and may contain spoilers for the paywall-locked episodes.
Day 0 -> Tuesday, Full Moon: The Occult Club visits an abandoned house. DJ meets Superfish, absorbs the core, and collapses.
Day 1 -> Wednesday: DJ learns what has happened. Superfish joins his school. DJ and Superfish strike a deal to cooperate with each other until the situation is resolved. DJ goes home, finishes his chores, and has a nightmare.
Day 2 -> Thursday: DJ wakes up, goes to school, and ends up in a fight with some bullies. Superfish assists him and they both end up in detention, where Superfish comes up with an idea. DJ's bike is found broken, so Superfish drops him off.
Day 3 -> Friday: Superfish shows up early morning at DJ's house with a new potion idea. They go to school. Mandy shows up, wanting to run for captaincy of the Occult Club. Superdish and DJ get the first ingredient—a thera-beetle. DJ asks his brother if he has the weekend off, and if so maybe they could do stuff together tomorrow. DJ is attacked by a werewolf. Superfish saves him and stays over.
Day 4 -> Saturday: Superfish finally answers some questions. They try to get the nocturnal mushrooms.
This is a reference post made using information available both in the non-paywall locked episodes of the comic and as shared by the creator on his Instagram account. It will be updated routinely as the comic progresses.
ORIGINS
Witches are NOT a divergent branch of human evolution and have existed independently since the beginning.
BIOLOGY
A. WITCH CORES
While the core can be transferred into inanimate objects, it always prefers a living host. Once it transfers into a living host, it attaches itself and doesn't simply move into another living host on its own. A witch cannot have more than one core, and if a witch already has a core and touches an inanimate object containing another witch's core, the existing core would block the new one. The core is practically like a parasite.
KNOWN ABILITIES
A. PHYSICAL
longevity/immortality [Toppleprey, the red-eyed witch hunting Superfish down, is 800 years old; they stop aging at 30],
speed,
enhanced reflexes and agility,
superior strength,
perfect immunity,
transformation [they don’t seem to be capable of switching between sexes, however],
levitation and flight.
B. COGNITIVE/SPELL-BASED
instantaneous language translation [They hear the original language as it is spoken to them, but the words are translated in their minds in real time. When they are speaking another language, their core is translating in real-time such that the spoken words come out in a language intelligible to the person they are speaking to. The process is adaptive; witch cores filter words into whatever language the other person is speaking at that moment, not whatever language they are the most fluent in. Older witches, however, usually have picked up on some languages enough to understand them independent of their core’s translation abilities.]
enchantment,
memory wiping.
potion-making.
NOTE: Extensive use of magic beyond what a witch's core allows (i.e. their "stamina") causes irreversible magical burns which can culminate in the permanent loss of the limb.
CULTURE
A. NAMES
Witch names function more as titles, explaining why their names translate so oddly into non-Obscarian languages.
B. TEMPERAMENT
They generally despise all other species, but humans especially so. Witches graduate school at the age of 16, enjoy inflicting torture on others, and altogether belong to a very cutthroat and violent militaristic regime. They only ever wear formal clothing.
C. OTHER NOTES
There can never be such a thing as a half-witch half-human; in fact, a witch and a human procreating together is an impossibility. A spell that can extract a witch’s core has never been performed before.
This is a reference post made using information available both in the non-paywall locked episodes of the comic and as shared by the creator on his Instagram account. It will be updated routinely as the comic progresses.
ORIGINS
Unknown
BIOLOGY
A. PURE-BLOOD WEREWOLVES
Born to two similarly pure-blooded werewolves.
B. HALF-BLOOD WEREWOLVES
Born to one werewolf parent and one parent of another species, or turned into a werewolf later in life.
KNOWN ABILITIES
A. GENERIC
Enhanced strength and musculature,
Long distance jumping,
Better agility and reflexes.
B. SUB-SPECIES SPECIFIC
I. HALF-BLOOD WEREWOLVES
Partial werewolf transformation (except on the full moon, when they may transform into their full werewolf forms but also cannot control themselves).
II. PURE-BLOOD WEREWOLVES
Full werewolf transformation (and the ability to exert greater control over themselves even during a full moon with training),
Turning other species into werewolves.
CULTURE
A. COMMUNITIES
Found in both Obscaria and the human world, werewolf communities are widespread and often large. They tend to get along with humans and many even have families with them.
B. STANDING IN OBSCARIA
Due to their association with humans, their entire species is seen as "polluted." Even pure-blood werewolves are discriminated against and occupy a lower strata in Obscarian society.
Half-human (and thus half-blood) werewolves are never welcome in Obscaria, and even entering the realm is a difficult process for them; many are turned away.
While it is easy to surmise that he must have escaped Obscaria sometime after his graduation from a witch school at 16, we have no clear indication of when he may have escaped in the three-year span since.
I believe he most likely escaped either immediately or at most only a few months after his graduation from a witch school at 16.
Find more information enclosed below. I welcome all discussion and opinions, and you may send a message, an anonymous question, or comment upon the post itself.
We have seen the following,
He seems fairly situated in the human world, owning a mobile residence that he can access through a magical portal.
He has a fair amount of knowledge of human technology—owning a vespa, a record player, and even a telephone. He makes his own meals using fresh ingredients, takes lengthy showers, and overall is competent in various human customs. He has also gathered a sizeable collection of artifacts and items.
Toppleprey, the red-eyed witch, has been trying to kill him for a "while."
He was working as a junior officer at some point, with Toppleprey present as an authority figure in some capacity.
When discussing potion-making in the first few episodes of the comic, he mentioned that he hadn't made a potion in a "while."
In conclusion,
He most likely graduated witch school at 16, then joined the ranks of witches and served in their system for a few months.
However, he was found lacking in some way, and did not fulfill the terms that were bestowed upon him.
He escaped Obscaria sometime after. It was either always his plan to do so, or something he decided upon after the events that led to him becoming a target for Toppleprey.
He has been on the run since, and has spent enough time in the human world to know a significant amount about at least its physical reality.
He has, however, not spent enough time around humans to understand both the physical and emotional details of what makes them human—he "forgot" that humans were "delicate," lacks an understanding of what flies as "normal" behavior in human society, etc.
