The first premise: Introducing the typical characters: Snufkin, Gandalf
and Kisuke.
The first conjecture: Are they in fact Good or evil – and does it even
matter?
I can think, from the top of my head, of three transit-prone characters
that reside outside the protagonists’ comfort zone and tend to act as an
accelerant for the narrative in whole. The Hobbit’s Gandalf, The Moomin’s
Shufkin and Bleach’s Urahara Kisuke. Each of these characters is a foreigner, a
migratory creature and a bohemian. Each of them practices pointless, minute
functions that make them acceptable to “normal” people and each of them has an
almost entirely vacant backstory. They are portrayed as so thoroughly
charismatic, vital for the cogwheels of the story and yet so very briefly outlined
(or nonchalantly), that you come to suspect this is either because their
mystique is far more interesting than the truth – or they are in fact villains
in reins.
Each of these characters satellites around the main protagonist. Usually
in a very familiar manner. They mimic relatives or mentors, but not really.
Gandalf has a very grandfatherly air about him and it’s not just the beard. (HP’s
Dumbledore has a similar act about him, although by contrast, that role is very
stationary.) He tends to look down on almost everyone, disconnected from
everyday reality, always busy, always tense, always balancing his wizardly
reputation with the ugly things he knows and hopes to keep to himself. His drug
of choice is innocence and naiveté of younger species – a thing he can never
again regain himself. He has seen too much, seen too much ruined. He gravitates
towards young adventurers, because to him they are his missing heart. Entirely
unable to protect them or even avert them from the perils the adventures pose,
he tries his best not to fuck up and very little to care. Even if they all die,
these are just long forgotten stories from his better days. Cursed with
survival’s guilt, the Madonna-whore monkly disposition towards romance and
virtual numbness of earthly form, all he can do is pretend to be an old hippy
and occasionally use his staff on architecture and ghouls. He is long past his
moment of heroic glory. He knows that the strings of all his businesses
unfinished will eventually choke him and he will gladly retire and die.
Snufkin is not as dark and as dubious as the others. Probably, because
he appears to be a lot younger and because he doesn’t really have to go through
much to come to the Moominvalley every spring. His age is questionable,
although voice actors tend to put him somewhere in his late teens, early
twenties? Dunno. Neither is he entirely, strictly human, as I have heard his
nose described as snout on more than one occasion and his half-sister is very
very tiny. That said, he never regards his sister as his sister. They seem to
be removed half-sibling or cousins at best in most of his affection originates
from the fact she is cynical and smart. In contrast, he is very fond of his
friend Moomin and even tolerates their mutual friend Sniff, with whom he shares
no similarities (of character.) He briefly takes on a role of a foster father
to a shock of orphans and does it well. He also, unlike the other two, shows a
wide range of emotions, from playfully happy to aloof, annoyed and dismissive,
to angry and and vandal. Snufkin is a wunderluster, albeit a rather mysterious
one (you never know where he goes when he leaves his best friend.) But where he
goes is never as important as the fact he always returns. He comes with new
stories, which are not very important to him (or are intimate, really – the
pearl of them being his encounter with Teeteewoo (still trying to find the
correct spelling)). He is a calm and passive character, though very often and
very obviously portrayed. His temper is challenged only when ownership issues
arise and this is curious, considering Moomin is only able to thrive as such a
positive character because he is constantly surrounded with things that inspire
and protect his playfulness and innocence.
Kisuke, unlike the two, is less a migratory force and more an exile or a
fugitive and unlike the two, inhabits a temporary real-estate from which he
operates. Unlike the first two he also produces daily items of value (he has a
legit candy store and an underground spirit dealership.) But like the two, he
pretends to be far less important and wise than he actually is. Even going to
great lengths to appear so to the people closest to him. We don’t, during the
course of the narrative, clear out the fact he was an officer of his dethroned
profession until very late in the story. (When it is long to late and proves
nothing of his power anyways.) He is perpetually haunted by some of the things
he created that got out of hand. He appears to be very young, but is actually
quite old, as he has been dead for probably a very long time. (He is a soul
shepherd, so that qualifies as a living entity, especially in the Soul realm. He’s
not a zombie or anything. He looks great.) He does, relative to the lead character,
act most obviously as the helper from the shadows. Like Gandalf, he is very
two-faced – jovial and easily beaten on one hand and very dark and dangerous on
the other. Like Gandalf, his history is riddled with magical powers, backfires
and things he failed to mend before blameless people got hurt, but it is also
very scarce. Neither of these men has any family, any relationships beyond
friendship and never seems to show any interest in sex – less because they come
from juvenile literature and more because their frustrations or intentions have
to be abstinent from their actual warm bodies. Regardless of Kisuke’s benevolent
appearance and his close relationships with some very beautiful and passionate colleagues,
he is self-degrading, a fool and enthralled in saving the shadows. Not immune to
gender, he also regards most women, safely, as out of his league. Unlike the
other two, though, he openly mentors the lead protagonist in the early stages
of their encounter. And like the former two, he also tends to wear a distinct
hat. And clogs, in his famous case.
So why would I consider any of these men evil? Well, let’s take a look
at it from their arrogance perspective.
Gandalf has no reservations from pulling people who are a)
untrained, b) unwilling c) clearly expendable into path of peril. He forces
Bilbo on a road that may end badly at any given moment. He does the same thing
to Frodo. Surely, if he really wanted to, he could have made such a profound
self-sacrifice at any time himself. He could lead the dwarves of Thorin’s
company to Smaug any time, and also he could probably very easily fly one of
his eagled straight into Mount Doom, straight into the lava. Job done. Glory to
the heroic dead. But no. He likes his dirty work to be done by people who don’t
yet appear, or are in fact not dirty. He likes to come into sight wise, kind
and helpless, up until the point he starts to bully and manipulate. As I
personally don’t fall for ‘wisely old men, ‘may I offer you a friendly advice?’
types ’ and enjoy seeing Deckard Cain’s ass kicked on every occasion, but it
seems he has a knack for locating individuals who have it in them to be
impressed. Hard to argue with a pointy hat, granted. Still. To be able to split
mountains on one end and still employ random bucolic civilians to do your
battles on the other is a work of a coward. And if he would say it’s not his
business to win, then perhaps sticking his nose in it in the first place was,
well, conceited.
Kisuke doesn’t just
hide from his true power; he hides from what he caused, because of it. He
managed a lot of wrong with best intentions. He enabled the worst of antagonists
in the story to roam to great extends and with devastating results. Most of
this with things he created – just to see if they can be created. Some of it
with his personality. He rooted people’s deaths, betrayals, acted as a catalyst
in some of the things that enabled bad to return to the lead character’s world
... Oh, sure, he is able to lend great hands very often – very often at crucial
moments. But he tends to skip the parts in which he is sole responsible for the
mess in the first place. Behind his jovial mask is actually a long history of
fucking up. His exile is voluntary and he is, to some regards, skulking from
authority that would judge his crimes. In his pastime he helps kids become
tools in mending the cracks he created. He is not an evil man as sadists or misogynists
go, and far from wanting to cause repercussion, he is simply selfish and
irresponsible. Oddly, the things he did, he didn’t do it to prove anything at
all, he was just being curious. Being as old as he is, he obviously has history
with most characters in the story of Ichigo & Co., some of which is quite
dramatic, but he is strongest when coming in and out of a moment, pretending it
does not concern him.
And how would Snufkin
be a villain? Well, he’s not. An anarchist and vandal, to some degree, and a
hypocrite in the worst case, he isn’t really much of anything, except a constant
reminder that beyond the skyline there’s adventure to be had and stories to be
gained. But Moomin never really falls for that, so it’s okay. As he is benign,
so he is always a welcomed sight.
Which only leaves the matter of their outfits. I have to mention this,
because I am very fond of either green and/or traveler’s outfits. It doesn’t relate
to their vileness, it just wraps the whole ‘nomad’ part real neat. All of these
characters, less of need and more of part of character, only ever wear one particular
type of an outfit. Any change is with much pomp and cause. Gandalf has a great,
trusty, multi-layered wizard wardrobe, that doesn’t seem like it gets cleaned
very often. I won’t even go into speculating on the conditions of his
undergarments, because I have seen his friend Radagast and that individual has lichen
growing on his head. I am very germophobic and wash my hands twenty and my hair
every two days, nervous and edgy if I am unable to wear dry, clean, comfortable
clothes. This doesn’t necessarily say I am spoiled or provided for. I have
travelled as much as any of these – and always opted for keeping my undies
clean. Moving on - the pointy hat is very useful. Especially considering the
weather (rain, sleet, relentless sun …) and hiding rodents or small goats. Also
beard, same reasons. The coat is large, protective and road-worn. He has good
shoes, a good belt and his weapon of choice (Staff.). Like all of these
characters, he furthermore smokes a pipe. There’s probably also a satchel in
there somewhere.
Snufkin wears all of
these items, from old pointy hat which to him has great sentimental value
(ironically), to good boots, only in green. And smaller. His backpack is larger,
which leads me to suspect he has at least one extra pair of socks and underwear
(I prioritize odd angles, I know.). He plays harmonica or the flute, smokes a
pipe and tends to stop to make himself tea on several occasions. He sleeps in a
tiny tent and gets sick and tired like any other traveler. Especially on the
road back.
Urahara Kisuke wears a
lot less and is Japanese, so he likely wears no underwear at all. Nor does he
need socks, because his footwear of choice is traditional sandals. Like both of
former he has a distinct hat (albeit not pointy), smokes a pipe and can leave
his house and walk great distances without needing additional cover. In
reference to his former status, he wears diamond-shapes ornament on the ushiromigoro (lower backside) of his coat
and a loosely tied green kimono underneath. Tends to expose his chest, much to
approval of yours truly. He gets away with it, because he is a tall, shapely
man. Regarding beard he is between the two, as he is neither clean-shaven as
Snufkin (who does not seem to be yet in need to shave) not has an old man’s
bush. He just has a sloppy stubble. And unkempt hair. As someone who often
wears hats/caps myself, I do not hold this against him, as there really isn’t
any other way to have it. You either have a hat or a do. Can’t have both.
