A Detailed Overview of Classes
-aortaObservatory
The Classes of Homestuck are left up to interpretation; they were designed for the characters who hold their titles, and as such, there is inherent bias within them even within canon. Like many other classpectors, I believe they can stand alone, beyond how canon defines them (and, if I am being honest, beyond the sheer lack of canon material for them). It is simply a matter of straining out what they are defined to be in canon from the characters, and from those strains, foraging in the same direction based on a number of factors (such as the class's pair and inverse pair).
In this post (A Brief Overview of Classes), I gave brief statements of what each class was and what it did.
In this post (A Look Into My Classpecting Process, with a focus on Karkat), I explained how I initially defined the classes as based on my understanding of the aspects, comparing the characters who held the same titles and stripping away all that differed between aspect and character trait until only "class" remained. From this, I defined each class beyond their canon bias and fully fleshed them out.
In this post, I will attempt to go into a bit more depth for each class, defining certain classes as active/passive, and explaining why their pairs are what they are, how they work, as well as what they do. How I classify the classes is in a trio of quadrants (four classes to one group, with three groups for a total of 12 classes). Three groups of four.
This is my overview of the classes. My interpretation.
To define: Class is the intended role of the player; how they interact with or are shaped by their aspect, either actively (directly) or passively (indirectly). Active-Passive class pairs are defined by a primary word that dictates what they do, and the quantity of the hidden secondary word that dictates the difference between the pair.
Primary words: Know, Change, Utilize, Allocate, Enhance, Destroy
Secondary words: Experience, Embody, Skill, Value, Reliance, Control
Know - Do or Do Not have Experience
Change - Do or Do Not Embody
Utilize - Do or Do Not have Skill
Allocate - Do or Do Not Value
Enhance - Do or Do Not have Reliance
Destroy - Do or Do Not Control
Perception Classes - Know and Change
perception: "immediate or intuitive recognition or appreciation, as of moral, psychological, or aesthetic qualities; insight; intuition; discernment."
The "Knowers" are those who do (Mage) or do not (Seer) have experience with their aspect. The Mage directly has too much experience with their aspect, while the Seer indirectly has too little experience with their aspect by being surrounded by their inverse aspect. In other words, a Mage knows, and a Seer does not know.
Mages are flooded with their aspect, uniquely experiencing both the good and the bad of it. As a result, they gain a unique understanding of what their aspect is or does, often resenting it or becoming jaded and frustrated with it, but never rejecting it. Their challenge is to become open to new insight or different perspectives than their own.
Seers study their aspect, craving knowledge of it from their previous lack of it. They seek knowledge of their aspect with a fierce intensity in order to gain more understanding of it, acknowledging the potential consequences of doing so and dealing with them later. Their challenge is to learn how to translate their insight and knowledge into action and decision, as well as learn how to manage their engagement with their aspect so as to not overwhelm themselves or others.
The "Changers" are those who do (Heir) or do not (Witch) embody their aspect. The Heir indirectly embodies too much of their aspect, often unintentionally or by getting stuck on some part of their inverse, while the Witch directly embodies too little of their aspect by picking and choosing what to embody and what not to embody. In other words, a Witch changes, and a Heir does not change.
Witches are self-assured and conclusive individualists. They pick and choose which parts and pieces of their aspect fit into their own already determined desires, making their aspect embody themself and changing it to suit their own wants and needs. Their challenge is to achieve a stable balance in themselves without losing themselves to their aspect or their own changing whims.
Heirs inherit and embody their aspect, allowing their aspect to change themselves or itself. They have huge amounts of aspect related strengths, allowing themselves to be surrounded by their aspect or naturally gravitating towards it. Their challenge is to not get stuck on their aspect, to know when to move on and change themselves to keep themselves balanced.
Inverses:
The Mage and the Heir are inverse classes; for example, a Mage of Doom is also an Heir of Life (inverse), and an Heir of Breath is also a Mage of Blood (inverse). A Mage has too much experience with their aspect, and as a result, fully embodies and gets stuck on their inverse. An Heir fully embodies and gets stuck on their aspect, and as a result, has too much experience with their inverse.
The Seer and the Witch are inverse classes; for example, a Seer of Light is also a Witch of Void (inverse), and a Witch of Space is also a Seer of Time (inverse). A Seer doesn't have much experience with their aspect but is surrounded by their inverse, and as a result, picks and chooses pieces of their inverse to embody to further their study. A Witch chooses pieces of their aspect to embody and ignores what they don't want to embody, and as a result, doesn't have much experience with their inverse and thus gains a desire to study it to fill in their missing pieces.
Alignments:
Those who Know (Mage, Seer, knowers pair)
Those who Change (Witch, Heir, changers pair)
Those who do experience and embody (Mage, Heir, inverse pair)
Those who do not experience and embody (Seer, Witch, inverse pair)
Those who directly Know/Change (Mage, Witch, active pair)
Those who indirectly Know/Change (Seer, Heir, passive pair)
Volition Classes - Utilize and Allocate
volition: "the act of willing, choosing, or resolving; exercise of willing"
The "Utilizers" are those who do (Knight) or do not (Page) have skill with their aspect. The Knight directly has too much skill with their aspect, while the Page indirectly has too little skill with their aspect, often focused on compensating for the lack of their inverse. In other words, a Knight utilizes, and a Page does not utilize.
Knights are extremely adept with their aspect, their driving effort to protect it and others through it. They are loyal to their aspect's cause and naturally gifted with it, using it as a tool to achieve whatever they set themselves to. Their challenge is to learn how to be less harsh on themselves, to accept and learn from failure, and to accept the assistance of others when they need it.
Pages start unskilled in their aspect, learning how it works and how to use it to its full potential over time. In their many attempts to master their aspect, they teach others the value of their aspect, becoming an unintentional source of inspiration. Their challenge is to keep at it, learn from failure, and eventually master their aspect, being able to confidently provide their aspect to others.
The "Allocators" are those who do (Rogue) or do not (Thief) value their aspect. The Rogue indirectly values too much of their aspect, giving it away until there is nothing left within themself, while the Thief directly values too little of their aspect by taking it without caring for it. In other words, a Thief allocates to themself, and a Rogue does not allocate to themself.
Thieves take their aspect, either craving it fiercely from their lack of it in their lives or simply because they like it, stealing and hoarding it all for themselves and their own personal benefit. Despite their outward confidence with their aspect, they often take it at face-value without learning of its true value, being unsatisfied with how much of their aspect they hoard and craving more and more. Their challenge is to focus less on attaining and more on learning about the value their aspect, as well as to let others have their aspect and learning why it is important to others.
Rogues give their aspect away, either because they have a lot of it already, or are able to get it so easily they don't know what to do with so much of it. They often know the true value of their aspect, and are able to see where there is too much or too little of their aspect and redistribute it in a balanced way around themselves. Their challenge is to not let their aspect run dry within themself, and to learn how to healthily balance their aspect in themselves.
Inverses:
The Knight and the Rogue are inverse classes; for example, a Knight of Time is also a Rogue of Space (inverse), and a Rogue of Void is also a Knight of Light (inverse). A Knight has too much skill with using their aspect, and as a result, fully values their inverse and gives it away to others. A Rogue fully values and gives away their aspect to others, and as a result, has too much skill with using their inverse.
The Page and the Thief are inverse classes; for example, a Page of Breath is also a Thief of Blood (inverse), and a Thief of Light is also a Page of Void (inverse). A Page doesn't have much skill with using their aspect, and as a result, seeks their inverse because they think it will come easier to them (an act which ignores the value of the inverse). A Thief desperately craves their aspect for their lack of value towards it (or additionally, a physical lack of it), and as a result, doesn't have much skill with using their inverse.
Alignments:
Those who Utilize (Knight, Page, utilizers pair)
Those who Allocate (Thief, Rogue, allocators pair)
Those who do have skill and value (Knight, Rogue, inverse pair)
Those who do not have skill and value (Page, Thief, inverse pair)
Those who directly Utilize/Allocate (Knight, Thief, active pair)
Those who indirectly Utilize/Allocate (Page, Rogue, passive pair)
Passion Classes - Enhance and Destroy
passion: "any powerful or compelling emotion or feeling, as love or hate"
The "Enhancers" are those who do (Sylph) or do not (Maid) have reliance on their aspect. The Sylph directly has too much reliance on their aspect, while the Maid indirectly has too little reliance on their aspect, often told how to think of it or forced to rely on others instead. In other words, a Sylph enhances, and a Maid does not enhance.
Sylphs start off relying on themselves for their aspect, attempting to heal, restore, and enhance their aspect in others. They are a pure source of their aspect for others, and though this can cause frustration and irritation in themselves and others, they can see ways for their aspect to help and heal the struggling of others. Their challenge is to learn how to listen to the needs of others instead of assuming they know best, and to balance themselves by learning that it's okay to rely on others for their aspect sometimes.
Maids start off pushed around by others' view of their aspect, but eventually allow their aspect to heal, restore, and enhance themselves, making them into an entirely new person and purifying their aspect to themselves. They start out relying on others for their aspect or being told by others how to interact with their aspect. Their challenge is to listen to themselves instead of others, and to not let others opinions dilute their aspect as they restore it for themselves and allow it to make them into a new person.
The "Destroyers" are those who do (Bard) or do not (Prince) have control over their aspect. The Bard indirectly controls too much of their aspect, often avoiding it to the point of deterioration, while the Prince directly controls too little of their aspect, generating frustration and anger with which to destroy. In other words, a Prince destroys intentionally, and a Bard does not destroy intentionally.
Princes destroy their aspect with their aspect or in the name of their aspect, and as a result, often end up appearing as their inverse aspect at first glance. Princes start off with disdain or hate for their aspect, likely because of its overwhelming presence in their lives, and because despite its abundance, they can never seem to grasp or control it for themselves. Their challenge is to be able to recognize their aspect's presence in themselves before they destroy themselves beyond repair, and learn that they do not need to control or bend their aspect to their will.
Bards allow their aspect to be destroyed via simply not reaching out for it, and ignoring its presence in their lives, leading to them appearing as their inverse aspect at first glance. This is typically due to stubbornness and/or a fear of being controlled by their aspect; while they may see benefits to what it could offer them, they can also see all the downsides to it simply because of their fear of what could go wrong. Their challenge is to be able to embrace their aspect and not be ruled by its whims, learning to control the way it impacts themselves without letting it be destroyed.
Inverses:
The Sylph and the Bard are inverse classes; for example, a Sylph of Space is also a Bard of Time (inverse), and a Bard of Rage is also a Sylph of Hope (inverse). A Sylph has too much reliance on their aspect and themself, and as a result, allows their inverse to deteriorate out of stubbornness and/or fear of it. A Bard has too much control over their aspect but allows their aspect to deteriorate from their own stubbornness and/or fear of it, and as a result, has too much reliance on their inverse.
The Maid and the Prince are inverse classes; for example, a Maid of Life is also a Prince of Doom (inverse), and a Prince of Hope is also a Maid of Rage (inverse). A Maid doesn't have much reliance on their aspect or themself because they are surrounded by their inverse, and as a result, destroys their inverse in an attempt to purify themself. A Prince has too little control over their aspect despite being surrounded by it, and in their attempts to make their aspect obey, doesn't have much reliance on their inverse.
Alignments:
Those who Enhance (Sylph, Maid, enhancers pair)
Those who Destroy (Prince, Bard, destroyers pair)
Those who do have reliance and control (Sylph, Bard, inverse pair)
Those who do not have reliance and control (Maid, Prince, inverse pair)
Those who directly Enhance/Destroy (Sylph, Prince, active pair)
Those who indirectly Enhance/Destroy (Maid, Bard, passive pair)
