Fridgestuck: Dirk Strider (Facts/Theories)

The orange Strider brother is here, just in time for Halloween! What does Dirk have to do with Atlantis, Anime, and Odysseys of the Space variety? Hopefully P.H.I.L. can keep Jen's mouth shut about the Epilogues long enough to tell all in this extra long episode!
Music by Kevin MacLeod (Disco Medusae, Floating Cities, Shiny Tech, Spellbound, Groove Grove, Upbeat Forever, Sovereign Quarters, Black Vortex, Frost Waltz)
Ending Gag: hellyeahangels “[S] Prince of Heart: How to Unite and Synchronize” / s-prince-of-heart-how-...
Animation Channel: / catwithpencil
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DeviantArt: catwithpencil.deviantart.com/
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My Patreon Link: / le_jenm

[@LaureledEevees]

I know: Homestuck^2. I’m getting to that rn.

[@nepetaleijon1017]

Hey Jen what have your thoughts been on Pesterquest?

[@Thready_Carnival]

homestuck 2 homestuck 2 homestuck 2 homestuck 2 (get it it's 2 squared)

[@KiraHelper]

This Fridgestuck couldn't have been posted on a better day if you ask me ◥◤◥◤

[@fakefake7456]

You sure your not a seer?

[@RandomDNA4137]

Hey, can you include Vriska as well. I love your work for this and I love you, so, I'll wait for the update of Vriska Serket in Fridgestuck. ;)

[@griphusgriphus5530]

Another fun fact: Dirk becoming the new narrator in the epilogues is foreshadow as far back as Jane's introduction where she talks about the gifts she recieved. Dirk's gift was bad horse novel where he started replacing small parts with jokes, until he got carried away and rewrote the whole novel.

[@cheatseychespin2792]

...holy shit you're right-

[@vicenteisaaclopezvaldez2450]

Me at the start of the comic: Dave is such a cool guy, he's dauntless and tough. Me after reading the comic: Dave is a sweetheart and needs to be protected from any further damage at all cost.

[@enk335]

GOD SAME

[@CosmosGatito]

Dave's aspect is that of death. He was marked for struggle before John made him in the lab.

[@CJCruz-rf9vz]

@@CosmosGatito Nah, not death but destruction

[@CosmosGatito]

@@CJCruz-rf9vz True, thank you for the correction. Time is the aspect of destruction, not death. Destruction of souls, paradox space, the general end/destruction of all things.

[@user-wg3ry3mn6k]

dave has crows, dirk has seagulls, and hal has duolingo owl

[@fantoast6932]

hal? what's that stand for again?

[@SB_Cream]

@@fantoast6932 it’s Dirks auto responder, he ironically nicknames himself lil hal

[@JacklyCraft]

Okay The guy lives in middle of nothing No job, no school, no neighbors, anything Still he makes an auto-responder because, well, he's too busy taking a bath and his friends couldn't wait 20 minutes

[@solluxcaptor7908]

Ure right holy shit

[@thebiolibrary5572]

Correction: they couldn’t wait 3 hours for him to finish his showers.

[@infinityheart_tm9270]

To be fair do we know what’s in the sea.

[@BenDover-xw7dv]

The auto-responder was never for his friends to chat up. It was for him.

[@matheusm.santana6527]

The auto responder is more for him to chat with. but HOW MANY baths does the guy take amd HOW LONG are they for AR to respond "he is taking one of his strider showers"?

[@mycaryan1899]

Oh boy, this is ironically beautiful timing

[@knate44]

Jenn is psychic type pokemon confirmed.

[@fantoast6932]

hm?

[@mycaryan1899]

@@fantoast6932 If I remember right, she posted this the day HS^2 started

[@rarestpepe3815]

Dirk's Katana being broken by Dave makes sense if you think of it as a Juju, or at least operating on a similar principle. When Roxy brought the one from her timeline, 'surviving' Dirk's Katana was retroactively rendered a fake, as Jujus can never be truly duplicated.

[@extantcadence2707]

That’s not Dirk’s katana, it’s Bro’s. You can still argue that it’s Dirk’s, but then there were already two copies in the Game Over timeline (plus Brain Ghost Dirk’s one) and an extra one presumably lost in the rubble of John’s destroyed planet in the Collide timeline, making 3 there. Regardless, it’s not a juju, it’s a symbolic representation of Dirk himself, just like basically everything else related to him.

[@blakethesnake6686]

Also, it was touching the JuJu breaker

[@JacklyCraft]

Everything about Dirk have good explanation and also "because he's gay"

[@NimhLabs]

Which is somewhat ironic... and also very gay.

[@pericatt]

My favorite thing about the epilogues is that they're *technically* not cannon so we can pick and choose what aspects of it that we like

[@augstuffie8609]

This is *technically* coping

[@Louisville0321]

don't forget the fact that Dave hates being a hero, the sound of metal hitting other metal, and seeing blood because of bro.

[@lila5887]

Can we talk about the fact dirk is the textbook definition of borderline personality disorder. As someone with the disorder I’ve always noticed that about him, never knew if it was intentional but it’s interesting. Some examples: -It’s theorised the disorder is caused by abuse or neglect, dirk grew up without and parental figures or just human interaction in general - intense but unstable relationships with others, his romantic relationship with jake, forcing jake to say he loved him and needing constant validation from him - emotional instability, just dirks overall self loathing but also the fact he can very quickly be extremely confident in himself -disturbed pattern of reality, dirk is the only character that can switch between wake and sleep self and can make a figment of himself in another person(brain ghost dirk) become reality and just all his AIs of himself Trigger warnings for next part - self harm and attempting Suicide, dirk (like u mentioned) is the only character to have committed Suicide in canon the most times -miss use of drugs and alcohol, although this is just a theory but in his alternative timeline self (bro) the way cal influenced bros decisions and possessed him could be alluring to the influence of drugs. It would also make sense since he’s a heart player aswell, and a more active one, and the aspect focuses on personality and understanding of self. Idk tell me what u think :3

[@starpaw2000]

that's a really good point, wow.

[@fgvcosmic6752]

Prince of heart: one who destroys heart, or brings destruction through heart

[@sunshineyrainbows13]

It's been over a decade since I've been into Homestuck, I'm a 24 year old almost 25 now, and I just had this revelation at 7AM and then found your comment. I was diagnosed with BPD this year and hyperfixated on everything about Dirk when I was a teenager. It all makes sense now.

[@sunshineyrainbows13]

​@@fgvcosmic6752Literally perfect. I wonder what Andrew was thinking when he wrote Dirk, genuinely. I know he based Dave much on himself, I wonder what the inspiration for Dirk was.

[@rewindgamer3620]

All im saying is Candy Dirk has a higher kill count than Meat Dirk

[@ashikjaman1940]

Rewind Gamer Meat Dirk debatably killed John though

[@Johnof1000Suns]

Though the breaking of other people’s (who were also friends) minds, relationships and other assorted problems caused by him makes up for the lack of a kill count. He’s at least least the antagonist of the plot, though pure, full-on Villain status is questionable

[@lmaodeletedasf9838]

Wow this didn’t age well

[@infinityheart_tm9270]

I don’t know what’s more saddening. Jake being an asshole to a literal child stuck in a machine for not being “The Real Dirk”, or Hal privating his rp sessions with Roxy and developing a crush on her because she treated him like an actual person and keeps those memories close.

[@thatonepunkguy]

my favoirite theory on why dirk's favorite mlp pony is rainbow dash is because she is notably known for "adventure," not disimilar to a different character in homestuck that dirk also likes.

[@SalemsRising]

You know what they say, Jen. You either die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become a villain.

[@tobi5689]

"Lord English can only enter a universe after it's been scratched. So why would Bro try to scratch the mesa?" Bcoz he is suicidal, as it matches Dirk's affliction with himself, as well as his multiple suicunes.

[@StepperBox]

Heart of the hylander: Dirk keeps getting decapitated. God damn it

[@irisinthedarkworld]

Dirk is the destroyer of heart, so he killed Hearts Boxcars

[@larrymcmund6600]

I like to think bro was trying to prepare Dave for the game. In a very poor way, for sure, but Dave was probably the most important player I'd argue because his obvious weapon skill and his... odd emotional state that allowed him to push through some of the worst times

[@darkpince1310]

YO! Homestuck 2 gets confirmed and Fridge stuck makes an episode about Dirk Strider! XD BEST DAY EVER!!!!! I LOVE BEING HOMESTUCK TRASH!!!! Thank you for making this video. Dirk is my favorite character

[@hyperkitten2247]

7:07 ALL THE SU FANS COME GET Y'ALL JUICE

[@tuxedoterrorist6879]

Is this because Homestuck 2 came out a while ago?-

[@ihavekalashnikovyoudomath9275]

It must be a pain to have released this today of all days. Everyone excepts an immediate reaction on Homestuc^2. Not me, good job on the video. From now on I'm calling Dirk Dork

[@thejunkyard7249]

here's another fact about dirk: timaes is the father of the blind guy who got his eyes healed by jesus dirk/bro represents timaes, dave represents the blind guy who got his eyes healed, and karkat represents jesus I'll just let you connect the dots if you haven't already

[@DrTimes99]

Dirk is now a villain because "orange man bad"

[@lordbuss]

5:00 Probably in a way similar to the other legendary weapons (or the crowbar). The sword was probably sent back in time after the alchemization, and then sent to universe b1. Also, the sword is a perfect representation of Dirk's classpect - it is his unbreakable soul, that can break everything else. 14:45 Not only soul, but the identity and sense of self. For example, the classical "Jake, you should be more like Jane", "Jane, you should be more like Jake" - destruction of Heart (natural identity) and creation of Mind (rational choice). Generally, by destroying Heart, Dirk acts very much like a Mind player. It is possible that shades (whole shades, at least), are a symbol of Mind because the wearers are Terezi, Latula, Dirk (a destroyer of Heart), and Dave (who was raised by a version of Dirk, and "his Heart destroyed"...until he got is own, different shades). Also, it is possible that hat is the symbol of Heart - Nepeta wearing a cat hat because of her "cat personality", and Dirk liking hats very much, but unable to wear them, instead having a hat on his shirt - a perfect metaphor for the Prince belonging to an aspect while simultaneously rejecting it.

[@imlovedavepetab3374]

God. I just love Dirk. He's my favorite DORK!! Also, the little Heartbreaker ref KILLED me!

[@ericquiabazza2608]

The fact that Bro knows TOO much even when he dosnt contacts anyone and having little Cal influence him may explain his abuse. In part this abuse can be concider training for the game. So Bro may also outplay Cal by Training its killer. At the end we know almost nothing about Bro because he LITERALLY has no diaolog and thus we know nothing of his train of thought, even more so when we can varelly keep up with even Dirk's mentality itself.

[@pkcat1]

Okay but am I the only one who never realized the striders' hair look like birds?

[@BUGFlower413]

Now that you mentioned about Dirk admiration through Rainbow Dash, I find kind of curious how Dave is addict to apple juice and Rainbow Dash is (kind of) addict to apple cider

[@nightazday7988]

it's kinda ironic the comparison between Kamina and Dirk since personality-wise Kamina has more in common with John than Dirk (A dork way over his head, values freedom over anything, and constantly encourages his allies to do the same, that and a dead dad is a BIG part of both characters)

[@thefunniestenbyalive2054]

DIRK IS A DORK CONFIRMED

[@infinityheart_tm9270]

Pretty much

[@june9914]

Making lil cal wink was the most terrifying thing all fay

[@crystalwaites4731]

6:57 we all wish we have a fandom bro.

[@cgoose500]

Gasp Sans epilogue And epilogue about Sans

[@NJP695]

LE: today: aw finally I got that Dirk video done, and I know exactly when I should upload it... Comments of this video: HOMESTUCK^2 WHEN

[@yaelkorn4252]

How To Be A Heartbreaker really completed this video!

[@alyk9379]

I'm so glad I found your channel. Dirk is one of my favorite characters. I'm slowly re reading homestuck, both back then and now I didn't get the chance of having any friends to obsess over homestuck so this is the next best thing. 💓 maybe one of these days I will find another hs fan who knows

[@Wischmopp95]

I always thought the white birds in Dirk's apartement were doves, as a reference to the white dove in the story of Noah's Ark. That would fit the whole biblical flood thing going on. But seagulls definitely make more sense lmao. Also, I know you didn't want to include epilogue spoilers, but I just want to mention that the Detective Pony rewrite Dirk gave to Jane (which was mentioned all the way back when the post-scratch kids were first introduced) is probably my favourite piece of foreshadowing in the entire webcomic.

[@harrisonwynn5201]

Personally, the epilogues made me like dirk way more than I did before

[@thebiolibrary5572]

I like dirk too. Why did he make him so malicious to decide to be evil just because someone said he was evil? Strilondes 4 Life

[@knate44]

That timing was perfect!

[@kerfuffletruffle1383]

When you speak welsh and hear someone mess up trying to say caledfwlch Honestly I don't blame you I can barely say it either

[@princeinsomniavoid]

"the scythe turns into a fancy santa scythe, making it a deadly weapon" so your telling me that it *wasnt* deadly before?

[@liamwhite3522]

Fuuuuuck... Trying to read Homestuck 2, now that I know _that's_ apparently a thing, and GOD is it weighing on my patience. Fuckin' Dirk...

[@Guruc13]

Man. Talk about good timing

[@Pixaurora]

dirk-capitated really got me

[@lessecretsdepokemon2375]

There is a game named strider where the character "strider" is a ninja with a katana and a spiky haircut who time travel

[@haikuheroism6495]

I realized the other day that I really relate to Dirk (not bro) a lot and it sort of explains why I liked him so much in the comic. Depressed and pushes people away? check. Splinters of personality? Check. Takes really long showers? Check.

[@cosplaydreams4136]

I, for some reason, take these videos as a sign that I should go out for dinner.

[@EmberBlaze99]

Oh man, can't wait for you to cover the veritable shitstorm that is the epilouges

[@Ustar]

Having this Fridgestuck episode just the very same day Homestuck^2 is online is kind of good and weird. more good than weird. Also, this time, i learned a lot. I didn't knew all that about the dirk (the dagger, i mean). very good video, one of the bests!

[@bucketman3095]

AUGH! I loves this one! Keep up the good work!

[@URAYsan]

lil hal should also be called "hal 4500" lmao

[@marshmallowpies1761]

timing is so perfect.

[@NemFX]

The irony is, the unbreakable katana is literally not a katana.

[@kitkatmuffin]

YES Moonsetter

[@LujaLDP]

Wait, the U. Katana broke because of the Crowbar's Crowbar effect on it, as Dirk was blocking an attack from Jack trying to choke him with it. Because of the two objects were in contact Dave could slice them off breaking the Katana in half and severing the three heads.

[@NimhLabs]

Yeah... AR showing up was weird... as I did have a programming project back in like 2006/2007 that was a mixture of IRC client and IRC Bot--and it mostly just copied how I talk and type. Modelled after an elaboration on NIALL bots. The plan was mostly to just turn on the NIALL bot when I didn't like somebody I was interacting with, or just felt like being a douche bag. I really didn't imagine that having it turned on would have anybody enjoying my decision to do this. So I just imagined it would develop animosity--and took that approach. Reading Homestuck was REALLY weird... as Terezi pretty much looked like logs from various forums and IRC communities that I was an administrator on. And no... not including any filters over Terezi. Which I mostly just did to be a bit of a douche bag to people for self depreciating irony in hopes people would stop accusing me of "thinking I am better than them". Well, you know what they say about small minds and seldom differing--especially with how much resembled stuff I was doing elsewhere.

[@pilotzorua7626]

Oh god oh fuck oh god oh fuck oh god oh fuck oh god

[@gavinchao561]

I CAME HERE FOR A GOOD TIME BUT I FEEL SO CALLED OUT

[@bluewhittum4131]

You describing the Heart aspect scares me greatly due to it describing me better than I thought 😅

[@UraniumCoffee]

Why did Dirk have to demonetize so many of his friends?!

[@LoonyLoofah]

Oranges are good for your HEART

[@GG-kj8xu]

Jake+Dirk=Jirk Jirk jerk

[@mrforgetmenot]

Hey I just really want to say I really like your videos and the depth you go into your research you go into your videos is amazing!!! I love your god teir name too it is awesome. I think I might be a page of space, knight of space, or knight of hope. Well just saying this again I really like your videos and I hope you are having a good day! (Edit) : i found out i am a prince of time!!

[@senhor_errante]

Can't wait for homestuck 3 & knuckles

[@enderwalkgang]

Gemini posting second comment here ignore me- also, Dirk would be Mami from Madoka Magica

[@sahrynasreddin3671]

Awesome episode!!! You're so insightful dude!!!! But I wonder, do you literally reread HS for every episode you make or do you just search the webernets for hours about stuff? Keep up the amazing work anemoneways 💜

[@ironicpineapple]

FINALLY!!!!! THE BEST STRIDER BROTHER EVER

[@LaureledEevees]

*now with footnotes

[@philipdriver3344]

Dirk is a horse furry

[@dancinglamb9001]

The more I think about Dave's cannon relationship with bro the more excited my depression becomes.

[@jt0n]

hey on the on the moonsetter album cover look at where the sword is stabbed on dorks shadow hehe

[@cjthrasher5603]

Yes you're doing my boy

[@cjthrasher5603]

@@thefool5922 I just realized

[@fujoshiinpink8097]

It’s here it’s here 😻😻😻 sooo happy 😸😸😸

[@Thelovelyrosie-wips]

Surprisingly, Rainbow Dash is gay in Canon, because she literally married applejack on the final episode. It was basically hinted in there that they were a lesbian couple. Lmaooo, how ironic!

[@johncosco2348]

Do a Fridgestuck about Vriska!

[@eduardoespinosa3336]

As a person with the mind aspect ( I took multiple quizzes) the part where it said that people with the heart aspect do everything to try to develop a sense of self hit hard, because(keep in mind that the mind aspect and heart aspect are opposites) whilst doing some thinking the other day, I noted that I really don’t have that strong of a sense of self. Also, funny enough, dirk is basically my favorite character.

[@ratthew8287]

kinda off topic but i think most of us would wanna... demonetise a 13 year old omniscent AI versions of ourselves. like i aint living with an emo hal9000 miss with that shit

[@everythingisterrible2997]

Dirk the Irredeemable

[@jaunesmith0947]

As far as the main cast goes, it's only Caliborn and the Lalondes left. Deeeeeeeefinately no one else........

[@shythelycan8133]

Happy 10/25 guys!

[@kimbatai]

Jen almost every human except the Lalondes

[@coralia.i9702]

bruh I read himestuck 2 and I'm getting flashbacks

[@stoplookingatthisyougleepy]

I hate himestuck 2 hamestick 4 is gooder

[@glucky9046]

The Striders best bros

[@spudsylives1249]

I need a fridgestuck on Roxy

[@nameless4224]

Fucking Homestuck is back! We aren't dead yet!

[@xenan7889]

Wait, so I'm the movie hal 9000 became the ultimate antagonist, Isn't lil hal technically part of Lord English, the ultimate antagonist of homestuck?

[@lordbuss]

Yes.

[@stanqifrey1575]

sooo heart is the whatever of ossdid hosts is what im hearing 16:50

[@leviathantb4014]

was that last line a reference to darksydephil??? 20:18

[@zakkom]

Probably a bit late but would anyone know the name of the real unbreakable katana

[@tobi5689]

Hi, where did you find the art at 16:41 of Dirk's multiple selves??? It's really cool; I want to know the source/artist!

[@goldegreen]

This is late but it's the art for Sleep Well Timaeus

[@davestrider2766]

Cough I think Dave's vid needs a re-upload cough cough

[@_meldrop_]

R U GONNA MAKE A VIDEO ON HOMESTUCK 2

[@DillonMaynard]

Posted on Homestuck^2 Day too

[@junomaul3782]

ok i need to know. Do u know what ficto kinning is?

[@roseherbalist830]

Could you do Davepeta?

[@RespawnJupiter]

5:38 It has unbreakable enchantment

[@infinityheart_tm9270]

Mending Unbreaking III. Sharpness V Sweeping Blade III

[@yeenjaw]

will you ever make a vid on the epilogues?