The Owl House Face Reveals: Why They Work

Mask off! Today we will be doing an analysis of the face reveals in The Owl House--how they are executed, their relevance to the narrative, and why they're so effective.
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Thank you all so much for watching, and have a wonderful day!

[@JamieElli]

I really liked how the season 2 intro showed Hunter, Lilith, and Kiki "Masked" (literally for Hunter), and then showed a glimpse of the real them (Lilith begging for forgiveness, Hunter peeking out from the golden mask, and Kiki's unconstrained rage).

[@idlescree]

Right? THIS BIT MADE ME FERAL. They're also all positioned along a visual spectrum--framed at one extreme by Bonesburough on the left and the Emperor's castle on the right...and varying distances from Belos' grasp that comes in from the next shot. Kikimora, closest to him and in the palm of his hand, Hunter ambiguously in the middle, and Lillith now more affiliated with our heroes but still struggles with her brainwashing!!

[@Turai12]

Wish we'd seen more from the insane Kiki from the intro and not the comic relief villain she turned into. She was legitimately creepy in season 1 what little we saw.

[@FFKonoko]

​@Turai12 in season 2 she literally left her entire hometown and family behind willingly in favour of a promotion that turned out to be "being allowed to live". I feel like the tone shifted in HOW she was rabid then

[@claritale_]

The Collector's face reveal was also very good, before he looked like just some evil entity, then boom, a lonely playful child. Also Steve's, just one cool emperor's coven soldier, then "oh, he looks so normal, just some guy". I love how all of the face reveals serve mostly to humanize the characters, every single one made me like them even more than I already did.

[@therealchaosguy]

The Collector went from “This is a god of death” do “Get this boy a bedtime story”

[@CakeoftheMews]

Belos's face reveal was so "anticlimactic" that made it all the more shocking and exciting. In that scene he acts so....kindly grandpa-y. The way he says "were you spying on me just to hear these boring stories" in a gentle tease. Reminiscing on older times. Which made looking back on his past appearances all the more horrific.

[@shotaaizawa1206]

I felt the exact same way, which I find crazy as even here he’s being manipulative to not just Hunter but us, the viewing audience

[@midnights2631]

I really love it because there older people in the world who can seem like a wonderful grandpa or grandma but are the worst deep down.

[@Aceofdiamondss]

from what I've heard, that scene was meant to make you think "oh is he going to be redeemed" to trick you into thinking he might be a good guy

[@thesixthmonth4928]

What I love about all the face reveals so far is that my first thoughts about any of them was: "oh. this is just some guy!" Sure Hunter does have a very unique face and Belos face is old and scarred. But... my first thoughts on seeing them was "oh. just a guy. could be my neighbour!" I also had the same reaction with seeing Steves face the first time. "Just. a guy."

[@lillianhoigard6702]

Definitely. I remember being so jarred by both of their face reveals at the time, but couldn't explain why. The whole "that guy could be my neighbor " shtick with Belos became very alarming very quickly.

[@cosmictitan2166]

​@@lillianhoigard6702 A terrifying thought and I love it. We know what Belos is like, but without his mask he just looks like some horrifically scarred old man who you might be able to have a lovely conversation with. He looks n i c e. Like, he looks he'd use be such a kind dude, but y a k n o w.

[@stellamariefanboy.6768]

Imagine just passing by and hearing someone say “just a guy!” Over and over again in a mundane voice. That would be so funny. That or humors broken.

[@fulana_de_tal]

That reminds me a bit of an analisis i saw once about atla, specifically the fact that Ozai's face is completely obscured until book 3, and, when we finaly get to see it, it's to show that he's just a guy, that he can be defeated. He even looks a lot like his children, so there's absolutely nothing extraordinary or fucked up about his appearence. The reveal of his face symbolizes the shift from the characters seeing him as an impossible to best monster to a vile man who has to go.

[@torazely]

I think that's the point, especially with Belos. The idea is basically an inverse Spider-Man, ANYONE can be under the mask. Belos is just an guy who is extremely devout in his beliefs. Literally go to any Midwest small town, you'll find a hundred people just like him.

[@CosmosCompletion]

First of all your bat avatar is adorable! Second, I'm glad someone talked about unmasking! Masks are so prevalent in TOH but in such a different way than usual.

[@Kaipyro67ALT]

Other characters wear masks too in this show-- a number of characters are introduced masked/veiled before revealing themselves later. Characters like Steve start out as masked, faceless goons that then become important to the story later and gain personality as the story progresses.

[@danalynch118]

Yeah especially with hunter

[@kingnocho1231]

Another great face reveal is Warden Wrath's, it really nails home the weirdness of the boiling isles by showing us someone who wears a plague doctor's mask(a human item) with all the other human looking characters. The reveal that his face is literally just a huge maw does wonders for the worldbuilding.

[@mrmightyena8786]

Excellent point! That moment from the first episode is what first sold me on the show. It was the absolute last thing I expected to see, and was animated beautifully

[@lifefindsaway7875]

At first I thought a human looking mask on a Giant Maw-face was humorous. Now I can see that Belos wants to pretend his army of witches are human. He’s standardizing them in his own image, regardless of how poorly that matches what’s underneath.

[@gargles5270]

@@lifefindsaway7875 this comment put the image of severine in my head 😭poor gal

[@sydnamon5986]

8:30 Hunter's VA, Xeno, actually incorporates this design choice into his voice for Hunter. He gives him just the slightest hint of a lisp and it works SO WELL. edit: He mentions this in the New York Comic Con panel.

[@pippastrelle]

I feel a difference but it's hard for me to articulate what makes TOH face reveals different from many of the ones you've listed. They feel less about revealing peers/allies/love interests to the cast audience and more so revelations about the characters' actions. Which might be why the moments themselves don't evoke much reaction from the other characters and are shot accordingly. Hunter might be the most conventional in all these points but it's still then about him dealing with his suddenly-revealed vulnerability and youth; Bump is less about his appearance and more about the revelation of palismen as an aid; Steve as humanising coven guards; Vee is as the revelation of the basilisk; and Belos' manipulations shining even more so as an uncle than an emperor. Very interesting video! (and adorable bat avatar). Love seeing more TOH analyses.

[@idlescree]

Oh yeah you are totally right. I love that you bring up Steve and Vee. We are thinking about doing a Masks part 2 that gets more into the overall execution of the motif instead of just analysis of these major character reveals that would include Steve, Vee, Titan Trappers, etc--but it may not be for a while. Thanks for comment, that was really interesting!

[@BoneMeal.12]

Oooo I love the way you worded that!!

[@n1ghtwa1kr58]

Belos’ face reveal strongly reminds me of Ozai’s reveal from AtLA. They’re both the hyped up bad guy who’s revealed to be surprisingly human. Later it’s revealed that they’re even more monstrous than initially believed with Belos’ true form and Ozai’s blatant insanity

[@brookez3116]

When I tell you that I just genuinely thought principle bump looked like that, I was so shocked when he revealed he was actually wearing his palisman as a mask the whole time

[@genericname2747]

Opposite of a face reveal. It's a mask reveal.

[@thedragonwarrior5861]

Yeah, I just thought that was part of his head. The reveal that it's his palisman caught me completely off guard

[@DataDrain02]

​@@thedragonwarrior5861Personally, I thought the little demon was like a parasite controlling a witch host or something.... Turns out it was much more wholesome than what I thought it would be.

[@cricket5203]

something ive also loved is how they portray belos even after he has been showed as an old white grandpa. he seems less threatening at first but when you see him lash out you get that snap of realization that "oh shit this guy is evil and terrifying" and its so cool. absolutely love this show and love your summary

[@mimimurlough]

I really think Belos' human face is more important thematically than the monstrous one. The whole series is a subversion of traditional storytelling - the king of demons os a little kid, the cursed old witch is a caring foster parent, what looks scary or odd is generally positive. The evil in this show is in the banal, dressed up to look good and right, just look at Odalia and that weirdo museum guy in the human realm. Noone embodies this theme than the witch hunter Philip.

[@idlescree]

Yes, I heartily agree!

[@siobhanfrazier4943]

This is so good!!! Love how you pointed out the lack of shine in belos eyes. Cus I was definitely feeling it but couldn’t put my finger on what was causing it

[@SandroneEko]

Belos resembles more Wendigo than deer, what I find to be great choice, because wendigo are monsters that used to be human, but became the monster because they were rejected by someone close to them. By day they have human form, but in the night they turn into this monstrosity. They also feel insatiable hunger

[@SleepingLittleOwl]

@@SandroneEko oh my GOSH I never noticed that! That’s really great attention to detail, man I love the way TOH does cool things like this.

[@singingofsilver]

This was really really good but I have to admit, I'm surprised you didn't mention Steve. A beloved figure of the Owl House community, born from a singular line about shoulder pats way back in season 1A, and kind of one of those characters we didn't think we'd see much of initially. He seemed to be something like the coven version of Tinella Nosa (aka Tiny Nose), yet he still got a considerable amount of fanart and appearance theories. But then Steve started gaining depth, both on and off screen. His implied prior interactions with Lilith (or maybe even a friendship, considering his invite to her job party), his comment on regretting his life choices in Any Sport In A Storm and Dana's confirmation of him being Matt's older half-brother, meaning that he was mentioned briefly in Through The Looking Glass Ruins where we got an anecdote of his relationship with Matt, who idolises him enough to copy his hair, and also had classic sibling teasing along with Steve giving Matt the map they needed. This all leads up to O Titan Where Art Thou, where we get an entire _episode_ of Steve. Through his snippets of conversations with King, we learn even more about him, how he's like Amity, Eda and Lilith in how he's always wanted to join the coven from a young age. Like Lilith, he actually followed through with it. But his doubt that he mentioned a few episodes prior seems to have grown, so much so that he questions stuff he's probably been told his entire life by everyone. Shortly after, we finally get _his_ face reveal. And he's shown to be a normal guy. Brown hair, a few small demon traits.... nothing about him says anything new, unlike Hunter or Belos's. One in a million, like how all the other scouts must be. His reveal isn't just about his face though, but more about the mask that he takes off. With each appearance he had over the series, he slowly lost his coven attire. First he switched his shirt to his Steve shirt, then he added his jacket and removed the hood, like physical representations of baby steps. When he takes off his mask there, it's a symbol of him choosing to leave the coven, take off the mask, and learn independence and to act out. Each scout is identityless because of their masks, not anything special. Expected to fall in line and follow orders smoothly to the point where they just hup-hup-hup over a body (Kikimora in Follies At The Coven Day Parade). The only other scout we see remove their mask is Severine, who does it to announce her quitting. In a way, Severine could have been the set up for the metaphor of Steve removing his mask to remove himself from the Emperor's coven. With his loss of anonymity, he gained an identity. His face reveal didn't tell about who he was, but who he was going to be, who he was _choosing_ to be. A person, something he couldn't be in the oppressive Emperor's coven. He had only one day off a year, his brother was his only family ever mentioned, and lesuire time seemed scarce. His mask was not a cover like Belos's, nor a defence like Hunter's, or an aid like Bump's. It was a burden, a cage he couldn't see. Steve is so loved, yet his quiet character arc is so scarely talked about. He's similar to Hunter, in how he's being forcibly shown the dark side of the coven, yet he has not nearly as much parental-related trauma. But he was in the coven for years longer than Hunter, so perhaps more similar to Lilith overall, but there's no way he survived that ordeal mentally unscathed. I believe that both he and Lilith have unmentioned issues, as they both worked in the upper levels of a governmental cult, made by a man who seemed to value conformity and mindlessness and had no problems enforcing this harshly and violently. And that's not even _mentioning_ the draining spell...

[@idlescree]

These are all WONDERFUL thoughts. Honestly, this video started off as an off-the-cuff ramble on my blog. We ended up recording the whole thing and then it was like. We're talking about masks. We can't talk about Hunter and not Belos. So we added Belos, and now it's looking like it would be very very worth it to do a Masks part 2 with all the people asking about Steve and some others. I really appreciate how thoughtful this comment was!

[@mrmightyena8786]

This comment means everything to me!!!!!! The montage of Steve and King wandering around the Isles, just vibing, really touched me for some reason. Then him removing the mask in front of King, who's having his own identity issues, was such a gentle, satisfying moment. Especially since he's Just A Guy under there.

[@AdminDestroyer1]

Steve does mention having a therapist in o titan where at thou

[@briannastenvick8087]

I second this! Steve was supposed to just be a mook and minor character, but he’s become popular for a reason. His little arc ties into the theme of escaping a cult and regaining your personal identity perfectly, and his few relationships with the other characters are really interesting. The fact that he’s Matt’s big brother is both cool and funny to me. Like, Matt is introduced as a selfish little douch canoe (even if he improves later on), but he clearly loves Steve and is confirmed to style his hair the way he does to try and emulate him. The fact that one of the most mundanely awful characters is not only related to one of the nicest characters, but actually adores him and doesn’t treat him the way he does everyone else is…shocking, to say the least. Dana confirmed that Steve was supposed to have a part in season 3 and get some focus put on his relationship with Matt (probably with all the insanity going down at Hexside) that unfortunately got axed because of the show being shortened. But the relationship that intrigues me the most is his relationship with Hunter which is…weird in a lot of ways. During ‘any sport in a storm’, Hunter is still clinging to Belos and desperately trying to fight off any doubts he has. He’s the nephew and loyal right-hand of the dictator who has the boiling isles under iron-clad control; literally the last person you would want to talk about your doubts to if you want your head to stay on your shoulders…but Steve somehow feels totally safe saying openly treasonous things to him and it seems like Steve’s doubts nudged Hunter to listen to the voice in the back of his head saying ‘Maybe I shouldn’t force my friends to join the emperor’s coven. Even if I think it’s great and love my uncle, it still feels like somethings a bit off’. And there’s the whole thing with Hunter being annoyed on Steve’s behalf after Skara punches him in the face. That whole interaction really intrigues me, especially after watching Scree’s video on Hunter’s character development and death. As they pointed out, Hunter has been isolated, abused, not allowed to interact with the rest of the coven, allowed to be a smug jerk so no one wants anything to do with him, and no one outside of Belos seems to know his face or even his name. Steve is one of literally hundreds of soldiers who had to give up their names, identities, and lives to serve the emperor and have no identity outside of being disposable tools. Yet Hunter and Steve somehow seem to have some sort of professional relationship and level of trust because that scene wouldn’t have happened otherwise. Steve is honestly pretty interesting overall for a mook character and it’s a bummer he didn’t get more screen time, so I’d love any sort of analysis of him.

[@fyrebirdarts7634]

Dana Terrace and the creators of the Owl House are masters of subverting expectations and many forms of irony, from tragic to humorous. This video showcases one of the other many things I love about this show- how much care and attention to detail was put into its creation. There is so much nuance and so many easter eggs, so much to learn about this strange and beautiful world long after I'm done watching. As Luz once said: "The Boiling Isles never stops surprising me."

[@xqsk4506]

Belos's face looks as a bit gently and calm human is perfect when you think about how normal con artists irl appearance would be: the opposite expectations of how we would think a con-man, an evil person looks be. It make me understand why Luz wouldn't expect Philip to be Belos when she first saw him cuz most of the times Luz know Belos as this evil monster person + don't know he could be a human from her universe cuz he was supposed to be Hunter's uncle and Hunter (and I'm not talking about his OG as being Belos's brother) having ears that still looks like people belong to the Boiling Asle (which made her lower her guard and trust him cuz he looks and sounds like a calm and intelligent person). This also makes sense on how people in the Boiling Asle could trust him. While his mask made him looks like a higher-up, a god, his actual face made him look like a saint + his calm and collected voice (as least when you don't know how f-ing evil he is).

[@xqsk4506]

His later second (or should be the third when you count his younger past face) face reveal is more how people would expect the first time based on how evil he is. A monster

[@mistedscript2722]

The reveal of the monster Belos gave me another impression, one that really explains some of his actions: he has the form of a Wendigo. Wendigos are normally portrayed with deer-like skulls on their heads, and incredibly slim bodies that tower over people, much like Belos does. They also are known as being living symbols of Gluttony, consuming everything living they cross, much like Belos does to all of the Palismans he gets his claws on. Knowing about the Wendigo, and seeing the similarities behind it and Belos, makes this reveal even more amazing to me. In my eyes it's a perfect explanation as to why he's become so dependent on Palisman blood, and why his eyes are so inhuman/un witch-like.

[@becuaseimbored3481]

Ironically the trope of someone being hot under the mask is probably why dreams face reveal went over like a lead balloon

[@darkfire1044]

Now that I look back, scars on characters are pretty all over the place. Unless you see the scar being applied first-hand you tend to forget how severe they can be and just think "cool scars bro/sis". An example of a scar being conveyed to both audience and characters as so severe is Zoro's scar he received from Hihawk after Don Krieg's defeat at the end of the Baratie Arc. Not only do we see the scar being applied, but we also see Arlong's reaction to the scar after he tore off Zoro's bandages at the Arlong Park Arc. This is before we even had Chopper in the crew by the way so the stitch-job was a rush at best. Arlong is horrified, and this is a guy who has committed atrocities and most likely gave people scars just as bad or worse than Zoro's, the difference is his victim's never survived long enough to suffer them and stare him in the eye. This is compounded by the reactions of everyone else present. We then finally see the scar itself, WHICH IS STILL BLEEDING PROFUSELY. Honestly I can't describe the scene well enough, it's really a hell of an experience to see.

[@Kagomai15]

Stop trying to get me to watch One Piece please that sounds so awesome ahh 😂😮

[@Shoulderpads-mcgee]

As for a real comment about the video: I absolutely love Hunter’s design and you’re right, he’s super fun to look at. The details are really appealing and help him stand out. It’s nice that he’s not some conventionally attractive pretty boy but rather a face with character. It all helps to make him endearing and the tooth gap is just adorable

[@khajiitimanus7432]

Honestly, I never noticed the shine of life in the characters' eyes, and thus the lack of shine in Belos's own eyes. It just really nails that cold, dead psychopathy/sociopathy. Thanks for pointing that detail out?

[@symester5o546]

I can't believe that I only just now realized about the discussions of scars 😂 the most prominent scar on Belos's face is actually the one across his nose. To really remind you that that particular scar was from when Lilith punched him in the face all those years ago. Funny how in all those years, that particular scar never healed or faded away. Maybe to symbolize his refusal to let go of his petty hatred of witches and ironic how he got his just deserves given to have gotten that scar in the first place he betrayed them?

[@smallfrost5502]

this was wonderful! and I really enjoyed this video! speaking on the topic of how Hunter's features where so out of the norm also brings up another good point. things arent as they seem on the isle's, giving hunter red eyes, dark sharp brows, scars, and an aquiline nose which are usually used in "bad" or "scary" archetypes when hes so good at heart also brings the shock of belos's face up I think. hes made out to be a big bad monster but when we see his face for the first time, yes its a regular old face, but they also gave him features usually assciated with "good" characters, I dare say i even thought it was eerie when i saw him because he looked "kind". he has soft downward eyes that are usually portrayed on "inoccent" and "sweet" characters, with blue eyes that are so loved amongst the americas, he has an upturned nose and a soft smile, he even his a small chin and instead of his scar looking menacing, it looks pityable. young philip looks like he could be a kind honest man and THATS what belos believes himself to be- which is why its so eerie. because he looks like someone you could know, he looks like someone you could like. hes been hiding in plain sight! just like real life.

[@lillianhoigard6702]

Yeah for both of them, when I saw their faces for the first time, I couldn't help but think "okay... not what I was expecting..." We really are so used to the idea of the "teen prodigy" being beautiful and effortless that we forget how much work it takes to get to and stay there (eye bags and scars). For Belos, the whole "looks like he could be my neighbor" bit really fits into how he operates: manipulators rarely show how evil they actually are, and could be anyone. It was really bone chilling.

[@OrionNebula_M42]

I love dramatic identity reveals with trauma so much it’s my favorite trope

[@Trysenna]

13:08 this makes sense as he, as seen in the new episode possesses the bodies of the grimwalkers he makes. Which, from information we got from the scenes in the time traveling episodes shows grimwalkers are made out of palistrom wood, which is eerily similar in color to the scar on his face. Additionally, before someone says well the scar is a darker color, what do you expect he becomes a liquid form which when a liquid like water touches things like wood, the wood appears to be darker because its damp

[@Trysenna]

Another factor is also that he eats the palimans souls, which caused him to get the wood texture even more

[@idlescree]

I have SO many thoughts on the nature of his curse and the whys/hows. It's all speculative based on scraps of info of course but the bottom line is this disgusting old man takes up TOO MUCH SPACE in my brain and it might become everyone's problem eventually. Thanks for watching!!

[@Trysenna]

@@idlescree very true, let’s put him in those slime toy thing’s children get at Walmart

[@nateds7326]

Ozai: *permanently scars and only tries and fails to kill his son* Belos: pathetic

[@catboxanimations985]

I never noticed that Belos never had the same eyes shine or lighting that the others did

[@zearrak5704]

Ok i did not even realize he had ashy skin tones. this just makes the fact the more he and luz became friends, the healthier he looked, just all the better. The gap in his teeth is one thing that made me really connect with hunter as I have a gap in my own teeth as well. He tries to come across as all powerful, dangerous and smart, but we learn he is essentially a middle schooler who was bullied for much of his life to the point he looks so heavily rugged. I cannot say I ever disliked hunter as the cockiness of the right hand of belos was truly entertaining as we saw him with king. We saw how he was not allowed to truly give his own thoughts, but instead we saw the perfect little soldier he was meant to be Belos's design was truly perfect. from his high and divine but evil motif of his masked self, to the soft, gentle look upon his face once it is removed. to the true monster he is under all the facades. his pope-esc design gives off a divine feel, with a deer and avian-esc mask. All 3 connected tells us he has some form of connection to old Christianity. His unmasked self shows an old withering man who looks tired and is ready to sleep but cannot just yet. His eyes dead as if no joy can possibly come from himself. And his true, monstrous state, shows that he has had eyes, everywhere. an eary infectious goopy look that only barely has resemblance to that of a witch or a human. Belos's bizarre magic, as if it was not operating under his own rules, always felt off, and more blood magic based. More, forbidden. Wild in this case. But instead of the free wild magic eda was teaching luz, his wild magic felt...wrong or corrupted. how it used the corpse of the titan itself as a weapon ps. Gwen stacy from into the spiderverse has a gap in her teeth but was more to make her look more cute/innocent

[@illchangethislater8]

This is very underrated, and I’m thrilled to see someone finally talking about this! I will definitely be sharing this with my friends! I love everything you covered and your really good at explaining things! It usually takes me awhile to catch onto things but I had no problem following along with this. I love your bat icon btw

[@idlescree]

Thank you so much for your support! And thanks, Anna did a great job with the bat icon, she is fantastic.

[@fizzlewizard404]

The way you spoke of every little detail in this video is such a refreshing and fun way to talk about TOH that I haven't seen many other people do! I can't wait to see how you handle other topics and characters in this show! (it would probably be a little biased if i specified how much i wanna hear of your thoughts on the Collector buut that's not important ^^) PLEASE CONTINUE!!

[@idlescree]

Thank you! I certainly have some thoughts on the Collector and even if they don't make it into a video we might do a written essay that you can check out on our tumblr! We just posted one on Hunter and his fighting style if you're curious. I appreciate your input, we're blown away by the response so far and it's wonderful to see what people would like to hear about!

[@rubyriot69]

Bump using his palisman as a disability aid inspired me to do the same, so for my hypothetical palisman, it’s still a staff but most of the time it’s used as a cane since i use a cane on and off irl when i’m having bad pain days. it was so refreshing to see someone who is beloved by the main characters that is disabled and doesn’t betray them or something akin to it, like when he HAD to expel the trio, he didn’t want to and we saw how torn up he was a out it on screen.

[@lefandomtrash7746]

I honestly love when face reveals also tend to just be… tame. In a sense. If they don’t do it in a big dramatic scene, it’s usually when the masked character feels most(?) comfortable. Belos/Philip’s face reveal was incredible in all different ways. It showed that the writers and artists weren’t trying to convey some extreme form of “totally sympathetic” or “totally evil” but just… a person, scarred from the consequences of their actions. What honestly shocked me a bit more was that Belos *is* Philip. Even when it showed Philip taking in the essence(??) of Palismen, Hollow Mind still threw me through a loop. The fact that his inner self can truly take on any shape but is ultimately, still himself. It shows how comfortable he is with all forms of himself. He’s able to fluidly move from being a child, to Philip, to Emperor Belos and have no problems at all with taking either form. He sees them all as himself and is so strangely content with it that it’s almost unsettling in a way. It’s unnerving for a person whose committed such horrible acts to be perfectly content with being perceived as all these different variants of himself. Whether he’s become forced to accept all of this due to his years of living or that’s his true feelings, is another question entirely. Emperor Belos/Philip Wittebane can move through identities easily and seems so calm through it all that it’s somewhat scary, in my opinion (he even states he had to change his name after “Philip” got kicked out of too many towns). He’s a very interesting character and villain.

[@ooppoop4522]

One thing that always kinda stood out to me about Belos' face is just how kind he looks... behind the big ugly green scar that we've already been kinda trained by this point to look past, he has this old man's soft smile and these big downturned eyes. When drawn like that, eyes always make a character look much kinder... and we see this look first before he then completely flips it out his head by threatening and abusing Hunter. We get to see what Hunter sees (or rather how he WANTS to view 'Uncle' Belos)

[@gobbox7442]

What I love about Belos’s face reveal and character design is how they use his Palisman scar. It acts as a shadow, signalling that while Hunter and the public may think they know who he is, the dark undertones are very clearly hidden underneath. This is backed up by how Luz is the only person to see him without his scar, as though she as the fellow human and the person who set everything in motion is the only person who knows his true colours, as though that shadow isn’t hidden for her Sorry for going off on a tangent just something I noticed

[@idlescree]

Thank you for sharing your observation, that's very interesting :D

[@froggleati6050]

i really like what they did with the hunter's mask in thanks to them, where despite it being a really poor paper imitation of the golden guard mask, the mere act of wearing it helps him gain the confidence and bravado he was usually able to use as the gg. he even repeats his threat word by word from one of the eps like it was a script. subverting that trope before did wonders for when they tried to use it again but explicitly for the audience

[@Obsessor23]

Something I think about when it comes to Hunter's tooth gap, is that despite being essentially a clone of Caleb, Caleb does not have a gap. That combined with the scar on his face and ear makes me wonder if that was an adult tooth that Belos ended up knocking out during a beating.

[@Autumn-fk4fo]

If im remembering this correctly, grim walkers are not a perfect copy of the original, each clone looks different from Caleb in some way, Hunter was the one that looked most like him but that doesn’t mean he looks exactly like him, so I kinda doubt he would copy exact small details like that if that makes sense? The tooth gap could just be one of the differences between him and Caleb or something he earned during his own life in like maybe an accident or something. But that’s a really interesting thing to think about

[@valentineeverain2450]

Fantastic laser accurate aim with attention to detail, and a high class production. Your team makes this look easy~ will recommend 10/10 again and again!

[@justsomeferalminor]

"stop manipulating children for five minutes or draw +25" *belos draws +25*

[@somedragonbastard]

Belos sees a child asks "is anyone gonna traumatize that" and doesn't wait for an answer

[@Parasolhyena]

Oh I love that you included Bump. Lots of people would just brush over his face reveal so it's real nice you didn't.

[@zakkus]

This was very well done and high quality (particularly the audio), especially for a such a new channel. I bet youll grow quick Also as an aside, Caitlyn from Arcane is a character that has a gap tooth who wasnt played as a joke, but was i think was more to humanize what would otherwise be a fashion model running around as a detective (and was pretty effective i think).

[@idlescree]

Thank you! We're pretty blown away by the overall response. As for the teeth...yeah, that is the comment that is probably going to age the Most Poorly. Right as the video was exporting I became aware of how the designed Kaylie from the Legend of Vox Machina, Caitlin and then like...even Millie from Helluva Boss lol. Ah well.

[@lionsgamers592]

Wait, Caitlyn has a tooth gap?! I never noticed that lol

[@thesatelliteslickers907]

i think another important moment for belos is when he casually pulls that sickly green scar off of his face like its nothing

[@googleitlol6590]

5:14 that caption on Flapjack was EXTREMELY uncalled for and still way too soon

[@tigersinlondon2152]

I'm so glad you mention the difference in ear size - I noticed this and then when I looked through the production artwork for Hollow Mind, I was like, OH it was INTENTIONAL!! Also, I never thought about that introduction scene between Belos and Hunter as being intentionally comparing their features, but it really does do that effectively! You get to see their similarities and it leads the audience to think of them as being truly family, even as the emphasis on 'nephew' makes the audience question whether that is a lie or not. It's interesting how their differences are highlighted as well - Hunter's appearance and expressiveness makes him look like a genuine person, albeit exhausted and kinda fucked up - but Belos' appearance and LACK of expressiveness makes him look dead inside, makes the audience think that THIS face is the true mask, which in a way, it kinda is.

[@idlescree]

Yesssss indeed! Thank you for the thoughtful comment!!

[@lazyvincy13666]

Y’all notice how Belos still has the scar from Lilith punching him? Like dang girl, your punch created a scar that lasted centuries.

[@rrtkddigimon0]

What blew my mind about Belos' face reveal was when Luz and Lilith travelled to the past... Lilith punched his face... and I recognized his nose. His nose is... bent/previously broken. And when to me THAT was the big reveal. When Lilith punched his face centuries in the past... THAT was the face reveal for me, that blew my mind since his book was, for a long time, the compass for Luz's way back home. And now I knew that it was full of lies, it was written by someone who never made it back, and that the Emperor of the Isles had a grudge against the main cast from BEFORE the beginning.

[@Wabbajacrane]

god that episode was so shit

[@lucysowers2986]

I always wanted someone to point out how Belos looked more like Hunter (in extension, Caleb) than Philip. I feel like the blonde hair and nose just freaks me out in that his mortal body might be more intentionally Caleb looking.

[@HexagonThatReallyLikesVinegar]

i cant believe you didnt use the best face reveal of Quattro Bajeena taking off his amazing, totally fullproof disguise to reveal he's actually NEVER BETRAYED ANYONE IN HIS LIFE.

[@doodlethealien8889]

Omg ur bat is so cute! I love hunters design as it tells such a sad story of a child soldier while also giving him fratures that don't get a lot of rep ie his scars tooth gap and hooked nose. He's such a good character and the reveals of both his face and belos' was very well executed.

[@illiardbilliard2355]

I just realized something: I think part of the reason why Hunter has scars is likely because Belos wouldn't let healers near him, lest they found out he was a grimwalker.

[@maddymiller4146]

Hey, just found your channel and I love it already. Masks should be used to as a story tool, there's a lot to work with in the writer's toolbox and the masked person trope is no exception, you either have the ability to portray the character significant to the story and The Owl House made masks both good and evil. It's a nuanced trope, and one I personally love because the character is trying to hide who they are for better or worse.

[@vg326]

The tooth gap is foreshadowed by guss. Quote: "Can you believe humans strap barbed wires to their children's teeth?".

[@Tamari_Cult]

I have a head cannon that Hunter’s ear was cut because it came out more rounded then Belos liked so he decided to “fix it”

[@bo1932]

i literally thought "oh,,,, he's just a little boy,,," when i first saw him

[@v1ntagecassette]

my favorite thing about the initial belos face reveal is that it's also disappointing to the characters. willow and gus were like oooooooh he's gonna be HOT, he's gonna be HIDEOUS, he's gonna be INCREDIBLE TO BEHOLD. and then he's just... an old white man. and they're like ........oh

[@JohnTalbane87]

First unmasking was Warden Wrath, and while he was monstrous to us was probably quite normal for the BI. Also turned out to be just a single father doing his best for his kid while trying to pursue a relationship with the strongest witch on the isles.

[@krazykookie23]

Your words about Hunter were spot on for me. When his face was revealed I really didn't know how to feel about it, I expected the classic pretty boy face reveal. But in the end he really grew on me, from his looks to his personality.

[@dapperghastmeowregard]

I remember when they started heavily foreshadowing Philip I actually went back to the reveal scene and checked Belos's ears and was just like "Huh, they are pointy," but then it turns out they thought of that.

[@philipjohnston5822]

Don't you just love how when the fans first saw the goopy form of Belos, they immediately assumed Belos' true form with look like?

[@FerraticaTheBard]

I understand why many people found Belos's first face reveal underwhelming, especially with the hints previously given, but I think showing his human face first only adds to how scary he was. After all the careful telegraphing of 'there's a physical monster under that mask,' the sharp subversion of this the revelation of such a grandfatherly face brought, it also subtly tells the audience to have more cards in his hand than he's showing us at any given moment. I love the way it emphasizes how manipulative he is, too, by showing that he can seemingly manipulate anyone and everyone - including us, the viewers.

[@Iloveruisomuch]

I watched this video for toh was not expected to be jumpscared with Gin Akutagawa at the beginning 😭😭 (I get really excited when people bring up things I like)

[@idlescree]

It's quite rare that we only cover a single IP in a video! Keep your eyes peeled for more, and thanks for watching!

[@madsoldyt7109]

i remember being active in the owl house fandom at the time of hunters face reveal. itd been an expectation in the fandom for him to be extremely conventionally attractive for a while and he had a lot of fans for this reason.. which made his reveal as this scrawny, scruffy little guy so much more effective

[@idlescree]

This is probably my favorite piece of fandom history for Owl House--that everyone EXPECTED him to be conventional and hot, like you say, makes that reveal so much more effective and also arresting! Oh! Oh he's just a fucking kid! Not the same "archetype" at all! Thank you for sharing that

[@madsoldyt7109]

@@idlescree bonus fun bit of fandom history on this topic!! i was around before 'agony of a witch' and a LOT of people at that point thought that it was hooty who cursed eda!! pretty wacky, looking back. the lilith reveal REALLY got us all haha

[@kateancharn4202]

When you started talking about the intentional framing to draw attention to the similarities and differences between Hunter and Belos' faces, it made me think more and more about how... it almost seems like Belos is intentionally trying to make himself look more like Caleb. Sure, his hair is still a little bit darker, but he's making it look blond. His eyes have sharper corners that get hidden a bit by the half-lid You could argue age or wild magic effects, but he also chooses to be gaunter and paler in this form when compared to Philip. It almost feels like there was Philip with some grooming choices to keep 'soft and friendly'... and then there was Goop Monster, and this form was literally manufactured to fit into that role he wanted to put out there of the wise, powerful leader. And he just could not help styling it after a brother who he clearly adored and thought the world of before his 'betrayal'.

[@TheAlexio00]

13:11 I never realized the scar was suppose to reclaim a wood motif, and just after you said that I noticed that a small chunck of his head on the left (our POV) from the tuft of hair in the middle of his face is missin, as it literally is a wood knot. Damm it totally flew over my head

[@LanieMae]

I’m kinda surprised you didn’t mention the collector. Even though not a face reveal in a typical fashion it truly highlights his character and what’s to come.

[@idlescree]

Same reason I didn’t include Steve or Phillip writtebane: this is about a really specific set of executions on a trope! However, the overall motif of masks is different, and we may do a masks part 2 that will talk about that-which wound include Steve and the collector and other powers/aspects that masks are used for in this show!

[@joeblaster8770]

1:30 I feel the need to say that Cobra Commander was only ugly in the cartoon. In the the Larry Hama comics Cobra Commander is actually a normal looking dude; it's hero Snake-Eyes who has the disfigured face.

[@J1245-b7h]

Hunter is literally the shy girl of Huntlow/Winter

[@rollo_linwood]

Belos would have been Puritin as 1600s witch hunter from Connecticut. Puritins were known as religious extremists even in those days, especially by Cathloics and Anglecans (the other major Protestant type at the time). The Witch Trials were almost entirely run by Puritans, so it makes sense for him to be Puritan. I only point this out because he essentially does, as you say in the video, turn the Boiling Isles into Cathloics, by saying they can only speak to the Titan (who he basically turns into their god although I'm pretty sure its implied in Hollow Mind that The Titan wasn't before him) through him, which Catholicism believes through the Pope.

[@mint7442]

I especially love Hunter’s nose. I’ve never seen noses like that being treated as nice looking even though they are great! It’s really refreshing

[@hegpie]

I did not expect to be so engaged with this video the whole way through! Honestly terrific essay I enjoyed every minute. Awesome work!

[@TheOddHawk]

Yet another interesting use of contrast in storytelling!

[@Hufflepufflie]

When it said "Cocky little asshole with a lot of bravado" THAT MADE MY DAY~~~~!

[@zarryis3365]

I think you missed the parallels between belos and a straight up skinwalker or wendigo. Add a heart shaped hole at the bottom of his mask and boom, deer skull. Or his gnawing hunger that he sates with the blood of palismans. His ties with undeath through hunter, the skinwalkers ability to take a normal appearance. I mean...

[@emeraeishi1821]

Taking notes for my own masked character in my comic...thanks for the help! 🤭

[@adarkerstormishere]

Hey Idle, good movie with a non comedic-relief gap-toothed character? Hogarth, the protagonist of The Iron Giant. Bonus: It's animated. Beautifully.

[@idlescree]

OH HOGARTH HOW COULD I FORGET HOGARTH. You are so right. Hogarth's prayer scene still makes me cackle unfailingly. Thank you for reminding me akfjsdlagkj

[@adapienkowska2605]

The way you say 'serce gazety' is so cute

[@Draikinator]

I love this so much!!

[@aureus-2010]

Okay, did NOT expect to see you here, but it was a pleasant surprise!

[@fixielle]

Your bat avatar is so cute!

[@Luzisaustralian]

PLEASE do a video analyzing Hunter’s mannerisms! I love your voice and you are very observant:)

[@idlescree]

Thank you! And we do have more of Hunter planned so stay tuned :D

[@yanvorona2808]

oh gosh i love your bat the cutest bat ever

[@misterdayne2792]

I'm honestly a little surprised and somehow disappointed that Hunter doesn't have uglier scarring? The pretty face under the mask has happened so often, anything less than absolute mutilation has next to no effect. It honestly took your focus on his features for me to understand how roughed up he is. To make it worse, apparently scarring in the face heals fairly neatly? So the size of his scar is even more worrying, but then again. Watching a *special* memory episode puts Hunter's trauma into a horrifying perspective.

[@genericname2747]

Belos listened to your complaints and gave Hunter more scars

[@meliebug-amy251]

The fact that belos towers over eda is shocking CONSIDERING THAT EDA IS 7’5 HOLY SHIT

[@Deirel0]

There's another face reveal that had to be addressed: the one who cursed Eda. I know we already knew Lilith, but the moment we saw the moment of the curse that was intense.

[@vasisstupid]

I wanted to add to Hunter's face reveal and talk a little about the emotional part oft he GG mask. Luz herself told him in s3 to bring back the "masked confidence" That he and with the mask and it's obvious in the face reveal as he goes from the confident person in power to a pretty vulnerable and socially awkward teen by just removing his mask.

[@idlescree]

Oh absolutely. Hunter’s relationship to the mask of the GG is very profound and significant!

[@Scuffed2520]

Honestly great video, I love analysis like this

[@MrGabeanator]

Belos is definitely an intimidating villain in his own way

[@Ruby2P]

1:31 bro did Shiggy and Overhaul dirty-

[@michelle8809]

"This is a BUSTED-ASS teenager"

[@Justaguyiguess]

BAHAHAHAHA I’m sorry the captions when you said eye bags were “ibags” 💀💀💀💀

[@OhadaYano]

7:13 okay to be fair Kakashi is actually a good example of how scars can be used narratively, he got this scar as a kid while protecting his friend Obito, this caused Kakashi to lose that eye, and when Obito dies in that same mission, Obito gives his sharingan eye to Kakashi right before he is presumeddead, but not actually as he later comes back as a primary villain to the entire plot of Naruto, and kakashi personally has to deal with him and their history as friends, so sorry to rain on the parade here and nit pick, but Kakashi is definitely NOT an example of using scars just for aesthetic purposes

[@upumpkin]

Steven Universe would have a perfect face reveal in Ocean Gem (during an intense scene, Steven accidentally slaps Garnet's visor off and not only she has 3 eyes but it's the first time she's seen as genuinely angry) but they blew it by revealing it too soon in an unremarkable episode (Meat Beat Mania). Still impactful though.

[@The_Gidz]

I think it's also possible some of hunter's imperfect attributes are a result of the process of creating a grimwalker. Belos said he looks more like Caleb than any of them did, so the others probably had even more issues

[@taffytokki]

off topic but I absolutely ADORE the cute little "reee" at the end it made my heart melt I really hope you gain more attention soon

[@evakazoo]

I love detailed analyses like these! Super interesting to pick apart the details of a scene especially in a medium like animation ❤❤

[@evakazoo]

Also, you have a GREAT voice

[@idlescree]

That's very sweet of you! Thanks!

[@Cup_o_Caffeine]

HOW DO YOU HAVE SO LITTLE SUBSCRIBERS OMG I LOVE YOUR VIDEO FORMAT

[@iratetrolls]

Probably because they seem to have just started the channel. Which is one more reason to recommend it to others imo 😉

[@alicefulkman9825]

Another detail that makes owl houses unmasking's so good is how most all people in the emperor's coven where a mask except, like, the coven heads. With the sheer abundance of masks, it makes anyone else with a mask seem like just another lacky, even if their mask is special and golden paired with a fancy cape and entertaining cockiness. In shows where no characters, except maybe one or two, where masks, those masks make them stick out as it's a special character trait that no one else has. It makes it clear that they are hiding something about themself, likely something they don't like which makes them seem sympathetic almost instantly as it conveys that they are evil because they're hiding from their good nature. But in the owl house masks are so prevalent on all the simpler(?) villains like warden wrath, Belos, general lackies, and probably a couple others that when they put importance on HIS mask being removed, it made it feel more like a twist because NO ONES mask is removed and if so, it's not with the emphasis like Hunters. The abondance of masks also helps stir the audience away from the conclusion that he is hiding something about himself and more towards someone else is hiding him. With all of Belos's lackies hiding their faces it would be a little silly to assume their doing it because they want to hide themselves over the much more obvious assumption that it's a uniform. We'd also likely apply that to Hunters mask which would imply that he isn't hiding his face because he doesn't want to face himself, but because Belos doesn't want him or any coven scout to be known AT ALL.

[@moonlit_rain.6784]

When I first saw Hunter unmasked, my first response was "That is a child! D:"

[@madsb.8097]

This is such a brilliant character design analysis! Your examination of the martyrdom and religious associations in Belos’ design really blew me away. As did your little scree at the end! ❤ Keep up the good work

[@area52ron]

🤓: Actually Hunter has magenta eyes

[@Imortal_FlyWCUE]

out of nowhere but on the topic of face reveals- I loved the Shadow Weaver face reveal in She-Ra (Not counting when she was Light Spinner)

[@idlescree]

Yknow thats a fair one, I didn't think to include Shadow Weaver but honestly she probably deserves a video all on her own at some point. Maybe I'll do a patreon ramble about it.

[@WierdGuy734]

In season 1 we build up the identity that belos is a true evil monster, however in seasson two his mask is off not to show vulnerability or his true form but to show kindness? Humanity? It makes you actually think about him, and especailly the scar on his face does as its the physical representation of his past creeping up on him. [As the scar is the goop of souls he has taken] and then he has another mask reveal not to show hes sympathetic or tragic, but to show that hes narcasitic, fukcied up, and disgusting a true monster that will turn around and call others monsters. Belos is probably the most intresting character and I feel deserves 5 season of Owl House alone as a villian.