**This post will have spoilers if you haven’t read books 2-4 of The Wingfeather Saga**

So I was thinking about Wingfeather things and I accidentally realized something really significant about Janner.

Janner has the ability to remind someone of who they are. There is something about him that reminds people to have hope and courage, to be noble and hold on, to fight for the light. I think the first time this happens is with Sara in the Fork Factory, and this one is made abundantly clear to us because Sara thinks many times about “the light he left behind”. Janner reminded Sara that there is hope, that there is life still outside of the factory walls, and that they can escape the place they’re in. And that rekindles the light and hope in Sara’s heart and she spreads it like wildfire to all the children around her.

He does it at the end of book 2 with Kalmar (and then never really stops through books 3 and 4) when he brings his brother back from being a Fang. He tells Kal stories about who he was, about their silly adventures in Glipwood, and Kalmar breaks through the fear and hate and anger that fills his little Fang mind and comes back to himself. Janner reminds Kal over and over “Your name is Kalmar Wingfeather, son of Esben, High King of Anniera”. He helps Kalmar keep his mind through the Blackwood and the Deeps of Throg. Janner’s very presence helps with this when nothing else does.

Janner does this again for Artham at the beginning of book 3, when Artham has a panic attack and the Hollowsfolk start trying to kill him. Janner doesn’t have time now like he did with Sara and Kalmar, but he still manages to remind his uncle of who he is (their protector and guardian) when he just straight up jumps out of a tree and trusts Artham will catch him. And Artham does and his mind is cleared. I think this shows us that Janner just has an intuition for this, because here he doesn’t really have time to think.

The last one is a more of a joint effort, but at the end of book 3 I think it’s significant that cloven!Esben says his name. Esben has had loads of time with Kalmar where he could have addressed his son and told him who he was. But he isn’t able to speak until he sees Janner. And at this point Esben is dying. He could have said any of his kid’s names and Janner would have known who he was, he could have said Kalmar’s, he’s spent more time with Kal at this point, but he calls out to Janner specifically. And Janner hears him and responds.

The last and biggest moment this happens in is in book 4 when they’re fighting Gnag. Janner can hear and sense Gnag’s thoughts and he can also hear the truth about who Gnag is. And he connects the two. He is the first person since Madia Wingfeather to tell Davion his name. The other kids and Oskar jump on board here pretty quick so it’s easy to miss, but Janner was the one who told Gnag, point blank “this isn’t what you want, and this is your name” and spoke that name.

So yeah, Janner has the unique ability to give a person what they need to remember who they are at any given time. He awakens something in them that they’ve lost. He’s a catalyst for memory and change, for healing. And that’s pretty amazing, I think.