Paladin Strait: Why the Torment will never End (twenty one pilots theory)

[@Good_Day_Dema]

Still a firm believer in the HDS cycle theory btw

[@aistieramusic]

Tyler has a very different idea of "early june" than we do.

[@robertpalomera6409]

Yeah,probably does 😭

[@Good_Day_Dema]

Unless he means early June 2025

[@aistieramusic]

​​@@Good_Day_Dema It's Tyler, so I wouldn't rly be surprised tbh

[@robertpalomera6409]

@@Good_Day_Dema if so,the long wait begins

[@maryynekdied]

@@Good_Day_Demanooo that would be hilarious they wouldnt tease PS music video for whole year. Like Stolen Potential in his newest video said. But i think its good marketing for the because we all talk about it all the time and thats their plan. Tyler even said it in the Navigating “pardon my delay, im navigating”. Yeah i dont even know when PS mv will come out but at least I want it to be worth it and not a "sloppy" video and ending

[@lisdennn]

9:57 "THE WORLD AROUND US IS BURNING BUT WE'RE SO COLD" -> "IT'S A HEATLESS FIRE"

[@Good_Day_Dema]

OH YEAH

[@emilychivell2671]

OHHH MYYY GOSHHHHH YESSSS, YOUR BLOWING MY MINDEDDD

[@dekkard79]

Thank you! I thought the same just because the blueish flames seen at the end of the Outside, it didn’t occur to me that that Bandito lyric goes in the same direction!

[@skipcadorette5077]

Also, the reality is that no matter how much sussing out the meaning we do, Tyler will never actually tell us what any of it really means to him.

[@christinecastellan]

That’s it!!

[@MGallagher143]

My theory is that Trench is a world that was initially created by Tyler's subconscious in an attempt to take mental inventory of his psyche. Tyler has been visiting Trench for a long time, often while asleep at night (numerous references to this theme throughout their catalogue), in an attempt to make sense of his sentience during the day. All the characters within the Trench universe are products of Tyler's psyche and experiences. Clancy is his confident side, Nico his insecure side, Torch Bearer his love for Josh's friendship and support, Ned his creativity, so on, and so forth. When Tyler drifts into sleep at night, he can pass through into Trench either as himself, as Clancy, or even as Nico for all we know. And often revolves through these characters based on his sentient struggles and experiences throughout the day. But this has been a process that Tyler has slowly been figuring out. Battling breaking cycles during the day, and exploring Trench through literal REM cycles during the night. I think you can see where I'm going with this. My theory is that Tyler is Tyler, but he's also Clancy.. and.. he's also Nico. Each of these characters can stand to exist in their own right, dependent on which one Tyler steps through as in his sleep into the world of Trench. I believe that in the Jumpsuit video, we're seeing Tyler stepping through as himself, possibly for the first time that he's aware of, and this could explain why Clancy was able to see him from the cave from a third-person perspective. If you keep this theory in mind, almost everything starts to come together and make sense. Trench is very real, but only in Tyler's mind. And the more he's explored it and made sense of it, the more lucid he's become during his step throughs and what it all represents. The album Blurryface is written by Tyler in a sentient state in the real world, trying to make sense of both his conscious and subconscious battles with the side of himself that he refers to as such. Trench is likely written by Clancy in the world of Trench from his perspective and from what he's come to know about Dema, The Bishops and even Tyler. SAI was likely written by Clancy while captured by The Bishops, possibly while Tyler was busy occupying Nico as his dominant persona when stepping through into Trench. Clancy is likely written by both Tyler and Clancy, in the pursuit of truth and realizing they are one of the same, without quite understanding yet that Tyler is also Nico. Assigning Blurryface to Nico as a separate entity in Trench was just a subconscious attempt to put distance between himself and his insecurities. My general prediction is that the video will reveal the Bishop as Tyler, likely faced with his own reflection, coming to the realization, and in the end, calling a truce of sorts with all parts of his psyche to bring balance and understanding to his sentient existence as Tyler Joseph. Just a theory that I'm still trying to make sense of, but I thought I'd share :).

[@MGallagher143]

@@toohottexas bingo.

[@jkillenit]

Tyler alt account??? 👀

[@josehenriquefs888]

This would explain so many things! "We've been here the whole time, you were sleep, time to wake up" - Jumpsuit "I'm evil to the core... I'm not evil to the core" - Fairly Local "Polarize is taking our disguises, separating 'em, splitting 'em up from wrong and right... deny, deny, denial" - Polarize And the list could go on

[@melissagraber2687]

Routines in the night track he's navigating different parts in his mind like different rooms or maybe the different personas.

[@CharanBMusic]

This is exactly what I think, it only exists in his head, not in the physical world. So many lyrics point to it like " I used to be the champion of a world you can't see" and "I created this world to feel some control" etc He'll probably wake up at the end otlt explain this to a therapist or something showing the battle, the world only exists in his head and it's how he deals with things

[@-thatonecuber-]

Never realised how much of a clikkie I was until I started going down this rabbit hole. I’m genuinely blown away by what Tyler has done with his music.

[@doob.]

The “lore” is not a fictional story, it is a visualization and metaphor for what’s going on inside his head, his mental predicament. He can’t just plan out the story like he knows what will happen in the future.

[@heckinat5502]

Oh my god you're the smartest person I've ever listened to 😭😭 Based off the points you made, it makes sense that Clancy uses the act of creation to battle the difficulties he is facing within Dema. After all, Tyler himself advocated for exactly that in Kitchen Sink with "Are you searching for a purpose? Then write something it might be worthless, paint something it might be wordless, you'll see purpose start to surface" Just as Tyler battled his depression by creating music, Clancy creates a work of fiction to give him a purpose in staying alive.

[@tigerlewis7370]

Yessss this makes so much sense

[@Good_Day_Dema]

Like, it struck me recently that Tyler is incorporating the process of creating as a key theme/part of the story - hence why it is a story within a story

[@-thatonecuber-]

I see Dema vid, I click. It’s a very simple process.

[@silverfox3195]

Yay she got the video out before the pilots did

[@Good_Day_Dema]

I was genuinely so worried that it would be dropped right as I uploaded this because honestly it has happened before

[@davidmcallister1205]

Not only that, but then that would make sense that Clancy is a version of Tyler, who also wrote this story to cope with the harsh conditions of his mental health, and much like hik, Clancy wrote a story of a version of himself strong enough to break the cycle, and to cope with DEMA. but the reality is, we learn to live with our demons, and how to help prevent them from taking over, but we never fully win.

[@B0nehilda]

... tbh that would add a lot of context to the lyrics: "I used to be the champion of a world you can't see, Now I'm drowning in logistics" from backslide, since creating a fictional world does require some logistics

[@Good_Day_Dema]

We've been getting a lot of mentions of internal battles lately and I'm starting to think it's not a coincidence

[@-thatonecuber-]

I always thought that the door opening was a trapdoor- like the song Trapdoor, primarily because of the heavy lore implications within the lyrics (e.g. He wakes up early today, throws on a mask that will alter his face- this mask being the mask we see clancy wear during the Overcompensate MV.) Never until now did I remember the blue door from SAI.

[@Good_Day_Dema]

I have seen the trapdoor speculation go around! Although my only issue with the trapdoor theory is that it seems more like a cool Easter egg than actually adding to our understanding of what could happen. Although trapdoor had been mentioned A LOT this era

[@rileyb24]

Maybe the real paladin strait was the friends we made along the way...

[@rileyb24]

No like seriously listen to the song and the album. The theme of our friends and loved ones helping us get through our tough times/choppy waters (paladin straits) is all over the project.

[@Good_Day_Dema]

@@rileyb24 I love how this comment started as a joke and then actually brought up a serious, factual point

[@dougwbenson]

“On the ground are Banditos fighting..” Thinking this is a reference to frustration about Paladin not providing clear answers (and Clancy album as well) that lived up to the hype. Thinking the door opens. There is a mirror. 🪞 The Nico voice speaks, but, instead of another character, it’s Tyler as Nico talking to Tyler as Clancy. With that, I believe you have a perfect ending to the saga.

[@sparkythesparky4367]

You calling attention to how it doesn't make sense that he's in the Paladin Strait again immediately reminded of the lyric "I'm open a moment then closed when you show up then before you know it I'm lost at sea" from Holding on to You. Clancy really does get lost at sea fast.

[@josehenriquefs888]

Getting lost at sea is likely if you're "not good with directions" (The Judge)

[@Good_Day_Dema]

Someone get this man a map

[@tylerdieter4942]

This is totally fucking it holy shit you nailed it. That’s ALSO a way that we can get a satisfying ending to the story, with “Clancy” defeating the bishops but also keep in tact the message that your inerstruggles don’t always go away, you have to find healthy ways to cope and “push on through.” I think this is 1000% it. Good work.

[@jcBentleyB3]

This is not so much of a stretch but that it is such a beautiful theory and way to introduce the idea of a prisoner trying to be free. 😢

[@ItsSnagret]

I think the first part of Paladin Strait is sort of a flash back to after The Outside. It’s when Clancy finally has a weapon and feels the responsibility and drive to fight back, no matter what. Then, after the birds, it flashes to the end of the story (perhaps the music video will have a huge battle with Tyler climbing to find Nico during this) to where the final confrontation between the two happen. Now, that nature of what happens there is the mystery, which you may be on to.

[@I_am_defo_Clancy]

I always thought that in paladin strait he was talking about josh on the other shoreline, and the one big pause could be him going from Voldsoy after overcompensate back to the towers of dema.

[@Dwardtonian]

If this turns out to be true, I wonder what it's gonna fully look like, because that sounds depressing lol. Really interesting idea though, amazing video!

[@Good_Day_Dema]

My guess is it would be something like Tyler at the top of the tower calling for Nico and then all of a sudden it cuts to a door opening, Clancy looking up from his desk as a bishop speaks to him. Thank you for watching!

[@Deleph]

What if the verses of the song talk about what happens at the very end of the fight mentioned in the final portion of the MV track? Maybe this is Clancy talking about what he would do if he was able to escape continental Trench and go back to Voldsoy, where the banditos and Dema escapees might be taking refuge after being rescued. I believe Clancy's destiny isn't to get out of Trench (as explicitely stated in Nico and the Niners) but to embrace Blurryface (the negative side of his emotions) and accept him as a part of himself. I think Clancy is as much as a personification of parts of the character of a person as Blurry is, this one being aggresion and self-confidence, so to me it makes sense than in order to end the struggle, Tyler must make amends with both.

[@brandonw.peebles4225]

To further support your theory, in the Navigating music video, it's revealed that Josh helping Clancy move along was just all in his head. It's like he's created a world to feel some control.

[@Good_Day_Dema]

Whilst I think the idea of josh not being real could play into that, the livestream done for Clancy confirmed that Josh has the power of 'guidance' so this is him almost astrally projecting himself to help Tyler (at least that is what was my understanding). Again, this is going to sound complicated, but Josh is real in the story and, according to the story, isn't real during sai

[@LoweMartin-ew7ee]

“We’re being my open about everything” yea where you at rn Tyler😭

[@Good_Day_Dema]

Bro is not being very open about wrapping things up huh. All men do is lie /j

[@Coupon4Copper]

9:48 “How things change so rapidly, I find my self esteem then turn so cold” -Navigating

[@SammyBoiBeThicc08]

First off, great vid!! Loved your thoughts and ideas. Gonna leave some of my own here lol. I think in overcompensate Clancy is using the bishop's power to control someone; and josh doesn't exactly have to also be there given that he is more of a guiding figure (as stated in the clancy release livestream), then we see him meet the banditos in navigating. So i do think he has to cross the paladins straight narratively. It is obviously clear that the overarching moral is about struggling with addiction, and applying a physical space to the struggle helps navigate your own habits and tendencies. I believe Paladin's straight is the narrative way of describing Tyler's backslide. In the album he had mentioned falling back into something that he "Kicked at 17", which means he recently (probably) backslid into an old habit. In the none-lore explicit songs he still has an arc of fighting these urges and ultimately falling to them. Backslide: Tyler fight and mental battle with the temptations. Vignette: A very chaotic telling of a man caught in chaos and denial. Snap back: Tyler realizing what he's done after backsliding. I think my point can be further supported by the Vignette line "Now he can't hold out his hand without it shaking, hounded by a bunch of dead when the search party found him" which almost directly in parallel with the music video for Snap Back. I think Paladin's straight is pushing the idea that the fight is never really over, and right when you think you are going to never do something again, you do it.0 "There's no way I'm headed there. Always sure-footed, educated, and was never scared". Perhaps this can also pertain to an overcompensation in confidence (?) The Bishop catching Clancy off guard is like how often falling to a bad habit can just happen out of the blue or during a bad moment (night terror). All that said, the none-lore explicit songs show more of a failure than a victory, so it would be surprising if the Clancy story was not similar in some way. (A failure with encouragement, help, and hope of course).

[@Good_Day_Dema]

You are 100% correct about overcompensate by the way! Clancy is using the psychokinesis ritual to seize a dead body - that is his 'way in' to Dema so that he can educate the citizens and start a rebellion within the city walls. For me at least, I agree that this won't end in victory. Too many of the songs this era reinforce the theme of cycles (overcompensate being the cycle of mistakes, next semester being a cycle of mental health, backslide being a cycle of insecurities, The Craving being a cycle of self doubt, Midwest Indigo being the cycle of toxic relationships) whilst some of them also allude to car imagery/metaphors which links to hds

[@the_messageman]

So now I'm going to go into a corner and cry because this all lines up too perfectly and I will never see the lore the same way ever again 😭

[@tanyadraper7588]

There is a book called "What's Behind the Blue Door" which is a creative writing prompt book. Maybe something

[@Good_Day_Dema]

Oooh I'll take a look!

[@the_hype_on_tv]

10:48 one of my clikkie mutuals who is deep in philosophy has said that the symbol Ø means, when studying plato, means world, and according to plato, the soul always wants to escape the world. i think it could be related, but if not that's still cool.

[@Good_Day_Dema]

Ohhh that's a really good find!

[@BANDIT0_929]

As always you just absolutely blew my mind

[@Good_Day_Dema]

Thank you! That's what's sleep deprivation does to you. I think.

[@TriciaStewart84]

I mean even if this isn’t true, this is an amazing theory. You have a vastly brilliant mind!

[@Good_Day_Dema]

Thanks! Sleep deprivation is my biggest inspiration

[@loumss]

Thanks for the theory! It's very believable and would DEFINITELY make sense if it was real, but i personally would still be curious about the "Story Clancy's" story ending and not the real Clancys. From the impossible theories i also would believe there's at least one final track that would finish the story, more lore heavy. That's almost impossible but would be so cool.

[@dustyurbeloved]

I love your voice! hope to see more videos like this

[@Good_Day_Dema]

I always use my voice in theory videos so don't worry, you'll be hearing it a lot!

[@dustyurbeloved]

@@Good_Day_Dema that's so nice nwn

[@L0rdtheClikkie]

There's a theory floating around on Twitter that the Paladin MV is already out and we have to find it.

[@Good_Day_Dema]

Whilst I think that is funny, they wouldn't do that

[@I_am_defo_Clancy]

@@Good_Day_Demabut we are talking about tyler here..

[@FajarTarmidz1]

I keep thinking, what if at the end of this Paladin Strait, Clancy was actually just an insane asylum patient. And the only person who opened the door was a psychiatrist who was treating his patient, Clancy. All this lore is just on his imagination that never end.

[@Good_Day_Dema]

I mean Heathens did a pretty good job of displaying the Dema story as that

[@FajarTarmidz1]

@@Good_Day_Dema Sure, Heathens MV is a single track and didn't have connection to the main storyline. Maybe it can be a "spoiler" for us to explain all the storyline in one MV.

[@josehenriquefs888]

I believe you're onto something here! Of all theories for the conclusion of this story, this is one of very few that I believe could be true. I started to think about Polarize: "Polarize is taking your disguises, separating 'em, splitting 'em up from wrong and right" - Tyler polarized his own personality and created, at least, two "disguises": Blurryface ("wrong") and Clancy ("right"). "Though I am running to you, all I feel is deny, deny, denial" - Clancy is now running (or, actually, swimming) to Blurryface, but he's still in denial that this whole story was all in his head and, in reality, Tyler, Clancy and Blurryface are the same person (notice he says denial 3 times, so it makes sense he is divided in 3 personas). And, by the way, this gives another meaning to Morph: he is "morphing to someone else" as a "defense mechanism", this line doesn't even need explaining if Tyler=Clancy=Blurryface. Also, Nico saying Clancy is a copy would make a lot of sense - in a way, he is a copy of Tyler, and Nico knows that.

[@Pac_Appl21]

Instrumental of Leave the City should be used one day💯💯💯

[@Good_Day_Dema]

Will do! Probably for one of my analyses videos

[@AxeToday]

I should point out that the real life Andre’s last name, since it’s a German name, would be pronounced ‘vile’ instead of ‘veal’ Weil being pronounced that way is why it’s called ‘Vialism’ in the story of DEMA. Nico probably is just a bishop in tyler’s head that he believes to be real, but I think Andre is the bishop actually in charge. There is a lot of evidence to suggest that there have only ever actually been eight bishops.

[@Good_Day_Dema]

Always found it odd that Nico is in charge not Andre so I think you're onto something there

[@AxeToday]

@@Good_Day_Dema Andre Weil being the leader of a group with a fake figure head name sounds like good enough evidence to suggest that ‘Nicolas Bourbaki’ is also a fake figurehead in this story. Regardless, there’s something we all don’t quite know yet about bishop Andre that I feel everybody needs to be focusing on. Glad your theory video hones in on him.

[@760ms3]

Your videos never cease to amaze me… great work

[@connorhatchs]

I'm so glad you included the blue door, it's the first thing I thought of!

[@lennardsoerensen8899]

Just imagine that the video is already out there but we just haven't found it yet

[@gheorghetamara3333]

this video and theory were absolutely mind-blowing and actually makes sense!!

[@Good_Day_Dema]

Thank you!

[@diet_bleach_]

Haven't even watched it yet but I know it's gonna be great😍

[@Good_Day_Dema]

Thank you for your unrelenting confidence in my pure insanity

[@skipcadorette5077]

Interesting thought that the "whole story" if not real but created by Clancy to cope. I was also bothered by "swim the Paladin Strait." Why would you need to "swim the Paladin Strait" when you were already there- according to the Overcompensate and Navigating videos? Also what is the reason to "swim the Paladin Strait." Why is the narrator of the song even going to do it? It sounds very much like he's trying to get to someone he cares about; and expecting to see them. Who would that be? A theory I've been kicking round is the idea that Clancy ultimately makes peace with Blurryface. The tone of the "Hello Clancy" from the voice is not menacing. It's almost affectionate. There is the idea that a true victory is when one not only makes peace with an enemy but turns the enemy into a friend. Or in the case of mental illness, begins to understand it, and learns the ways to navigate the mind in a healthy way- such that the weakness, turns into a strength. [I know people like this.] [In C.S. Lewis book "The Great Divorce" [People from Hell get to visit the outskirts of Heaven] there's an incident where one of the folks from Hell agrees to have the lizard on his shoulder [which is Lust] killed. An angel kills it but rather than dying it changes from the grotesque lizard to a gorgeous powerful horse- and the renewed spirit jumps astride it and rides "further up and further in" to Heaven.

[@imcarakins]

Yessss ive been waiting for this theory im so excited!!

[@ZuzuFanatic]

This is an interesting theory. It reminded me of something that might be related. On April Fool's Day this year twenty one pilots posted a video that made it seem like they were dropping backslide, but it was just a lyric video for Overcompensate to trick us. I looked at the band's youtube and the video isn't up anymore (maybe to avoid confusion or something?) but i remember how there was a dash below the lyric "I created this world to feel some control, destroy it if i want" from Overcompensate. Next to that dash was the name Clancy. I remember thinking this was weird but i didn't process through what it might mean. But if your theory's correct this would actually make a lot of sense because that lyric would be what clancy was saying about the world that he has created.

[@Homan164]

Just a thought, what if ‘I WOULD swim the Paladin Straight” means leaving Dema/Trench after the battle to go back to the Neds (positivity) or leave this world forever because the story ends… or was supposed to end but the cycle has restarted… GREAT VIDEOS/ANALYSIS/THEORIES!!

[@Good_Day_Dema]

This idea heavily reminds me of march to the sea being a contender for the set again

[@Homan164]

@@Good_Day_Dema Reading March To the Sea lyrics has me thinking Tyler/Clancy wants to leave that world but must fight (and maybe can’t, at least fully). Disclosure: I’m only a TOP lore amateur 😅

[@Homan164]

@@Good_Day_Dema or… perhaps this is Clancy looking back after Navigating, saying he would just go back to Voldsoy, but this is the Banditos chance and past the point of no return… and even the line ‘past the point of no return’ could say the cycle is ending, or starting over (fun times likely over analyzing lyrics, though over analyzing is also one of the things TOP is all about)

[@ChrisTheClikkie]

I must say. I love ur theories. A lot. BUT DAMN HOW DO U KEEP EVERY BIT OF THIS IN UR HEAD😭😭😭😭 I'd have a migraine (pun hehehe)

[@Good_Day_Dema]

It's a bit like having a bird feeder. I'll have a big idea and then little birds of evidence will come and eat at the bird feeder

[@ChrisTheClikkie]

@@Good_Day_Dema yeah that actually makes sense

[@silverfox3195]

I love these theory videos!!!

[@Good_Day_Dema]

I'm glad!

[@Eden.H]

Since you mentioned Andre Weil - what are your thoughts on the theory that Andre is actually the real antagonist of the story and the creator of vialism, and Blurryface is not really the ninth Bishop, but actually a made up identity that Clancy/Tyler are taking? (Which emplies a journey of self destruction)

[@Good_Day_Dema]

I quite like the theory since I've always viewed it as odd that the bishop named after Andre, arguably the most important member of the group who has had such a heavy influence on Tyler, isn't the leader.

[@tomwoodcraft9068]

Paladin Straitjacket

[@Good_Day_Dema]

Petition to rename the track to that

[@Darkblade9965]

My theory is that in Overcompensate is tyler leaving trench or voldsoy, wherever the building is, and traveling back to dema to finish the job of ending nico and the niners. Also I think that the banditos are actually on the side if dema. The red and yellow are at war. The yellows seen in Overcompensate have changed sides. I think the yellows are banditos and the reds are the rebels hinted at in Chlorine. I don't think it's just a shade of red, but a red worn by people called the rebels. The banditos are seen as good because it's been blurryface telling us about them and not necessarily tyler or clancy. Which might be why they just watch tyler get drug back to dema without helping too much. 1/2

[@Darkblade9965]

I also think that this album is out of order. I think next semester is the or one of the endings. In Midwest he's trying to talk to a counselor about his problems. In next semester he is recalling things. I think the yellow dashes in the street is tyler remembering some things from dema and specifically walking past banditos on the ground as their tap does resemble yellow dashes and especially if tyler is in some sort of haze would look like yellow road lines. But also "what I was wearing" I think the yellow dashes is clancys side while what he was wearing was remembering tyler wearing a bishops robe as he is blurryface or nico. OR he's just remembering it from blurryfaces eyes. The yellow dashes are nicos fallen soldiers if my banditos vs rebels theory is true. Basically paladin is him finishing the job and leaving for the final time, next semester is tyler recalling leaving dema in a haze. Midwest is his return home. He chills for awhile in ohio before backsliding into his depression, addiction, etc. cutting his hair and hopping in a car to return to dema (Snapback and heavydirtysoul) starting the cycle again

[@christinecastellan]

Nowadays, I’m looking at many theories cos I’m being impatient not knowing the end. I don’t know if you’re right but I’m sure of one thing, there will be 2 versions : one for the public not familiar with TØP, and one for us, the real followers. Funnily, Tyler Joseph hasn’t revealed much in the album Clancy, and I’m pretty sure everything will be clearer when the MV of Paladin Strait is released. And now he must be having fun, seeing us craving 🤪

[@blueraventv]

Fpe is the ode to sleep

[@Good_Day_Dema]

I'm intrigued, explain

[@I_am_defo_Clancy]

explain.

[@xx-nekoxd-xx]

Why did you subject Tyler to this fate, little Dema 😭

[@Good_Day_Dema]

Because it's funny!

[@FlightlessPilot]

I’ve always sorta thought that Dema was real life/world and trench was the world he created to have control.

[@emys1k]

I will not sleep at night

[@Good_Day_Dema]

Same

[@no_phun_in_dema]

Idk if I agree with the theory, but this is still really interesting!

[@Good_Day_Dema]

Im honestly not sure if I agree with it myself lmao

[@gabriel.stone21]

holy crap this is insane

[@mattribass]

Oh. My. God.

[@lucasnelson5706]

Ok but when is paladin strait music vid coming out

[@Good_Day_Dema]

I unfortunately do not have the answers for you there

[@str8shootapro]

More of a fun little nugget but take a look at an empty set Venn Diagram example and let me know what it reminds you of. There is 100% something deeper with the empty set usage for TOP. I've looked around Wikipedia for Set Theory/Empty Set and found some interesting language. "set theory features binary operations on sets" (Morph 1's and 0's?) | "A set is pure if all of its members are sets, all members of its members are sets, and so on. For example, the set containing only the empty set is a nonempty pure set." | "The empty set can be considered a derangement of itself, because it has only one permutation (0!=1)" (Is Blurryface a derangement of himself Clancy and vice versa???) | "A derangement is a permutation of the elements of a set in which no element appears in its original position. In other words, a derangement is a permutation that has no fixed points." I'm no mathematician, probably need one here to figure out what in the world is really going on but it feels to me like the battle here in the Lore narrative lives in the brain. left side vs. right side brain. the logical (Bourbaki/math/rules/1's and 0's) vs. the creative (exploration/unexplainable/spirituality/empty set). When looking at the empty set Venn diagram example, does the left circle represent left side brain, right circle represent right side brain and the overlapping center (empty set) represent the penial gland? just go read through wikipedia on the pineal gland. I also think the connection to Simone Weil also plays a huge role in the inspiration behind all of this. Simone was a mystic but also active in the world to stand up for the less fortunate. How can we stay active in the "logical" world while also maintaining a mystic sense of wonder and exploration into the unknown? In the world, but not of it. is the answer found in the empty set? Keep talking crazy Dema, it's fun and I'm clearly right there with you.

[@Good_Day_Dema]

I'm going to be completely honest with you, I have no understanding of maths so most of what you just said did not process in my brain at all; I even had to ask mathematicians on discord clique if my understanding on certain things was correct because honestly I am a little too stupid for maths. HOWEVER, I do agree Simone Weil has some more importance. I did some reading recently and discovered some cool things I can't wait to incorporate into a theory video

[@AbolfazlMalekpour]

let's be real tyler will probably never come out and explain anything... we just have to find out from his music.

[@KassioX_0]

DEMA THE RED TAPE IS GONE

[@Good_Day_Dema]

Yep! It's been gone for a few months now :D

[@KassioX_0]

@@Good_Day_Dema really? It’s been on my Apple Music for a while

[@Good_Day_Dema]

@@KassioX_0 could be a glitch? Apparently it was shortly removed after the release of Clancy

[@KassioX_0]

@@Good_Day_Dema probably. Mine was littersly just removed when the singles thing was announced. Thought they were connected but nvm

[@TcDynamicZ]

Guys, who believes the story in a story theory? If so on Bandito, Tyler/Clancy says "I created this world to feel some control" what if Clancy is still in DEMA and this is all the story he's wrote out. Kind of because he doesn't have any control while in DEMA and the "I am Clancy" video was just Clancy explaining a bit more of his story (Considering it was just updating people with the lore)

[@CodeKnight999]

I have something to potentially go with your theory (Which looking at it is actually kinda sound). if Fairly Local had the lore of the bishop Andre, could other songs that don't seem to have lore significance have some? If your theory is true, Clancy is looking to escape his world into his songs/stories, like Tyler. So could the song that has to do with Tyler's problems have some significance with Clancy? Like if Clancy made the world of Scaled and Icy, could Routines in the Night be a tribute to Clancy's regrets of what he has made? Same thing with Backslide, "Wish I never did Saturday" Clancy could also be saying this line. This sounds crazy, but please let me know what you think.

[@Good_Day_Dema]

There are definitely non-lore songs, explicit lore songs (such as overcompensate, no chances etc, NATN etc.), and songs that aren't lore explicit but do have the capacity to contain lore like redecorate. I have no doubt that this album has its share of non-explicit lore songs; hell, lyrically, navigating is a non-explicit lore song. So far, by looking at lyrics, I'm confident Vignette is but that's as far as I've got so far

[@TheBlondeClikkie21]

i find it very risky for me to anticipate clancy creating this whole world to cope with dema. it’s a dope theory and would be a crazy ending, but i still think that it’d be a bit of a cop out. tyler is an incredible storyteller, and i think ending it that way, although it makes sense, would really disrespect all of the work he and josh and the team put in up until then. don’t get me wrong, if they go that direction, they’ll execute it really well. also, your connections to fairly local were spot on. nico won’t be the one opening the door, i bet.

[@Good_Day_Dema]

I'm still mainly a believer of the HDS cycle theory, this theory was me more just trying to rationalise the clues given to us. I kinda hope?? They do not take this ending???? But I can see the rationale and logic of the clues left behind as to why that ending could be possible. I think it can be done well if executed correctly whilst also not removing what makes Dema a fundamentally horrifying dystopia - if vialism still exists and Clancy has created the narrative to cope with the truth of vialism, I think it /could/ work as it metaphorically reflects Tyler's process of songwriting; the act of creation can combat death. That way it's not entirely 'it was all in the head' scenario, as rebellion is still very possible.

[@Floecklii]

it will never end

[@Mark_Miedema]

Yep, i believe in another theory.

[@-thatonecuber-]

4:35 BLUE DOOR REF???!!!

[@Good_Day_Dema]

YOU KNOW IT

[@BungHole-ld6ub]

Bro. WHERE IS THE MV!!!!! WAAAAAAA

[@Good_Day_Dema]

In my closet

[@aistieramusic]

I clicked this 4 sec after it was uploaded 😭

[@Good_Day_Dema]

That's impressive

[@apoet-y6c]

I thought of a theory. I don't know if other people have come up with it already, but I want to share it. I think Nico isn't real, just like the original Nicolas Bourbaki was a pseudonym. (Like nicknames they give themselves to uninspire.) Saying Nico and the niners never made sense to me. Nico is one of the nine, so then there would be eight left then, not nine. But if Nico is the collective name for the bishops, it makes sense. In that case, I think Andre is the founder, like in real life, and perhaps he is in fact the one who speaks in Paladin Strait, since it is words he has already said. Who's the ninth bishop, then? Maybe Tyler? I haven't quite worked out that detail yet. Nico has always been separate from the rest of the bishops. He doesn't, ostensibly, watch over Clancy creating SAI or kill Keons (you only hear 7 slashes). Is it such a stretch to say he doesn't exist? Unlike the other bishops, Nico doesn't have his name in any Blurryface songs. He's referred to as Blurryface, again the collective term for the bishops. On top of this are the points that Tyler never looks straight at Nico and that we know from Navigating that Tyler isn't a reliable narrator. What Tyler thinks Nico is could likely be untrue. And if we say Clancy is a separate person, Clancy doesn't even know the ninth bishop's name - he only knows him as the bishop he saw in Jumpsuit. I don't know if this theory has much value - it kind of seems purposeless to me, even if it's feasible - but I want to know what other people think.

[@Good_Day_Dema]

I think this is an incredibly good observation! The implication of "Nico and the Niners" presents a LOT of inconsistencies with what we currently understand. To back up your speculation that Tyler may be the ninth bishop, there is quite a bit of evidence for that theory! For example, Tyler is referred to by the bishops /as/ Tyler in the livestream much like how the bishops call torchbearer by his real name, Josh. This ultimately implies that Tyler has taken on the psuedonym of Clancy (backed up by evidence I have previously talked about in a theory vid dedicated to the topic + the most recent Clancy letters translating to 'maniac clay' which is an anagram of "I am a clancy'). Nico being a psuedonym to refer to the collective of bishops and Clancy being a pseudonym to refer to the collective of escapees ties into the many themes within blurryface of exploring the two halves of yourself - "I've got two faces, blurry's the one I'm not". Other pieces of evidence include that Tyler's outfit in the Outside looks increasingly similar to the outfit Nico sports in HDS. Meanwhile, current theory also points to Tyler burning Dema down which, in heavydirtysoul, we see Nico take on a charred look with bits of ash flying around him. In the SAI livestream, the control panel at the beginning lights up all the bishops present: Sacarver, Lisden and Nico. Nico doesn't seem to be physically present unless Nico is also Tyler. Tyler's current Clancy outfit has a lot of religious motifs with the use of a stole and the mask not only mimicking the hood the bishops wear (only showing his eyes and covering his mouth in black) but also utilising red which is the primary colour of the bishops. There is one point of contention, however, and that is the Map of Dema which is provided by the 'pre-tyler' Clancy on dmaorg; this map shows that Nico has his own separate tower and therefore, much like the other bishops, must exist. Nico also has his own district. Nico is also featured in the control room as one of the buttons, an area seemingly only accessed by the bishops, which ultimately implies that they regard the existence of Nico as a separate bishop.

[@koneoneseven]

2:58 got me laughing so hard

[@Good_Day_Dema]

I was laughing whilst writing it tbh

[@fosterwilliamson01]

0:50 What's the song playing in the background here from?

[@Good_Day_Dema]

All songs are in the description btw!

[@KassioX_0]

Fastest click ever

[@ChrisTheClikkie]

Damn right.

[@I_am_defo_Clancy]

Talking about music videos order (potentially) overcompensate, navigating, levitate (i dont think the my blood synth meant a thing) , nico and the niners and possibly anything else..?

[@Good_Day_Dema]

Whilst I think it would be cool if, after all this time, the MVs were jumbled up, it can be proven incorrectly really easily. For example, the end scene of NATN literally leads on to levitate, navigating going on to levitate would not explain why the josh from the outside MV is there when Sai canonically happens after the events of trench. We also have the Clancy letters to back up the timeline as well as the I Am Clancy video setting out a basic timeline for us

[@Folie1525]

YAYYYY!!

[@kristypenny3317]

I just saw the poster for the Livestream Experience from May 21, 2021 and it seems like you may be on to something...

[@vitor_mnw]

I don't think that's the case anymore. Today the Paladin Strait teaser was found, and the ones in control of the video is Dema/Blurryface. How could Dema hold video evidence of the Banditos x Dema war if everything was happening within Clancy imagination?

[@Good_Day_Dema]

It depends if a.) Dema holding the information is part of Clancy's imagination, part of the story b.) this is a metaphorical representation of Clancy's demons preventing him from writing a cohesive end to his struggles c.) Dema irl are actually aware of what Clancy is doing and have possession of his story

[@Good_Day_Dema]

I say this but I'm not necessarily all for this theory, this was just me trying to make sense of the lyrics alone. I'm mainly a HDS cycle theory believer

[@JamesStoddah]

I wonder if there will be a deluxe version out in a few months as an epilogue?

[@Good_Day_Dema]

Current speculation is something will happen 3rd of August 2025 due to the password code we got when finding the teaser for paladin strait. As for what could happen on that date? Well... Anything

[@inescosta2671]

It would be amazing if they ended the lore with a movie on yt like melanie has k-12

[@Good_Day_Dema]

I would be down for a trench movie

[@jacob7521]

I know I'm a couple days late but I think it'd be CRAAAAAZY if you were right. That sound of the door at the end sounds like a heavy door to me. I think it'd be crazy if it all connected back to the heathens video. Just a thought. Definitely not happening

[@Good_Day_Dema]

Heathens has always been a trench related MV to me, considering it quite literally details the world of Dema but in a more metaphorical sense (hell, it's even got the 'josh isn't real' part in it). I know some people have argued it to be a metaphorical representation of jumpsuit, but I really do think it has the potential to foreshadow the story as a whole

[@idekaaaIC]

Unrelated but I saw a person that looked like you and a stray dog jumped on her lmao

[@Good_Day_Dema]

Scary that I have a doppelganger but rest assured I was not jumped on by a stray dog, you got the wrong dema

[@idekaaaIC]

​@@Good_Day_Demahaha yeah it would be very strange if you were somehow in a completely different country on the other side of Europe

[@Neptune8-8]

that voice may not be in the cd because it was on amazon music

[@Good_Day_Dema]

It was in the official CD

[@Neptune8-8]

@@Good_Day_Dema ok, i just don't have the cd yet

[@Owenpowerzz-yg4nq]

I don't think this is true, Tyler's music is partly made to help people fight depression, making the ending seem cold and hopeless would defeat the whole point.

[@Good_Day_Dema]

It depends how they frame the ending; it's pretty clear the ending won't be a victory because Tyler has stated before that we need problems and trials within life, just a healthy balance of it. If they frame it as Clancy being inspired to live on by this story he creates, it very much mimics the creative process Tyler utilises to find purpose and combat his demons

[@Owenpowerzz-yg4nq]

@@Good_Day_Dema I guess we will just have to wait and see

[@Punkie83]

Has anyone else ever.created their own world? Cuz I'm feeling more comfortable admitting that I have. It's a group of islands that I've named the ESAi's -Emotional Support Islands I thought I was just being "crazy/weird" at first but I'm realizing I'm not

[@Navgating]

Does sleep sound good??

[@Good_Day_Dema]

Yeah honestly

[@spiderbeetl3bee509]

what’s the songs you use on the background??

[@Good_Day_Dema]

All songs used and links to the stem creators are in the description!

[@johna-sofficialytchannel]

Hmmmmmm great theory but I'm not really a believer in this theory, we'll see when the paladin strait music video comes out I guess.

[@critical3337]

Paladin strait = PS as in PS this isnt the end.

[@Good_Day_Dema]

Oooh that's a cool idea

[@imhofpatrick6791]

Paladin strait is not the ending, why finishing like this, there has not be many lore in this album as we expected the end is coming, Nico facing directly clancy like come on the end must come with the next one the final battle

[@Good_Day_Dema]

People keep saying 'there wasn't much lore in this album' but from a writing perspective... There isn't really much lore you can add. Most of the word building has already been done in the other albums and all this album needed to detail was the final battle which Paladin Strait does. I don't think this is the end in the sense that it cycles, but I do believe they have told the end of the story

[@Mistercookoo]

No

[@Good_Day_Dema]

Understandable, have a nice day!

[@davetron4223]

Inception

[@Good_Day_Dema]

Kind of, yeah!

[@silviobressaninijunior4386]

I dont think they're in trench yet. Isn't the ned island voldsoy? And then they're still there, and they want to go back to trench

[@silviobressaninijunior4386]

He even had to use the horn power thing to show up in DEMA in the overcompensate mv

[@Good_Day_Dema]

In the outside MV, they are indeed in Voldsoy and, towards the end, we see them both hold torches in the direction of trench towards the Banditos. In overcompensate, we see Josh dragging a boat onto the shore and Tyler smiling at the presence of campfires, shortly followed by navigating where those fires are revealed to be the Banditos. They crossed the Paladin Strait and are back in Trench already.

[@silviobressaninijunior4386]

@@Good_Day_Dema Ooh you're right. Perhaps he left something in voldsoy? Haha

[@taylorschmidt920]

Can't watch this video, as you stated Paladin Strait is the end...it's not

[@Good_Day_Dema]

This is me just trying to make sense of the clues paladin strait have if it /does/ show us the ending. It might be. It might not. That's all

[@Cheeseballs200]

Trap door 🚪

[@derekrose3328]

I just love that we’re all debating this like rabid animals. Twenty Øne Pilots have objectively succeeded at being awesome in the world considering how deeply all of us care, and how we all scramble around, making Pablo boards, when something doesn’t add up. 🤝 ❤️‍🩹 Whatever happens, this ride has been.. astounding, and provided serious reprieve from life, yet it’s also been a crutch so I can keep walking forward when I’m beat up, and it’s been building materials so I can construct a way up and out, and it’s become a community of wonderful people to meet and talk with.

[@Good_Day_Dema]

I genuinely think the pilots have succeeded in creating the most brilliant connection with their fans I've ever seen a band create; by infusing their songs with an actual narrative, it helps to bring the clique together to discuss theories and debates. I'm honestly gonna miss it when this era ends

[@derekrose3328]

@@Good_Day_Dema Oh 100%! Well, and even if they don’t continue making conceptual stories after this? My guess is that people will still be talking about this. Shoot, there are films that are plenty old now and there are still analyses posted on KZbin, and discussions and analyses on Reddit & Discord. Once you put emotionally and conceptually galvanizing stuff into the word? That magnetism keeps drawing people.