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rebelcourtesan · 2 years

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The Real Stolas

I've been thinking a lot about how The Circus changed my feelings about Stolas. It showed many different sides to Stolas we haven't seen before: depression, abused, mocked, lonely, etc. He wasn't the smiling, flirty, royal owl introduced in the pilot. We've seen him angry, hurt, lost, humiliated, and heart broken.

I finally realized what it all culminated to. We were finally seeing the real Stolas.

The Stolas we thought we knew was flirty, lustful, spoiled, manipulative, arrogant, and demanding, but that was hiding what lie beneath the shell. We saw glimpses beneath the shell, spoke with Octavia at Loo Loo Land and was humiliated by Asmodeus in the Lust Ring.

Yet, the Circus shows us who he is from the beginning, when he was a little child excited about his birthday.

One thing I noticed about the episode it takes place in three stages, and in all three he reaches a milestone in his life.

When Stolas is a child, he learns his purpose in the Goetia Family, receives the Grimoire (a major plot device in Helluva Boss), and meets Blitzo.

Then we cut to his adult life, to the day he begins his sexual relationship with Blitz and discovers a new sense of freedom from his dismal marriage to Stella.

And finally, we get to the current time where he wakes up the night of his disastrous date with Blitz and confronts Stella, thus starting off a chain of events I believe is going to impact season 2.

And in each stage, he wakes up with a different level of happiness which all involves Stella and Blitz.

In the first stage, a child Stolas wakes up, joyful and excited about his birthday.

Two things I want to point out in this part of the Circus: Child Stolas is told to repress his emotions. He gets excited about his birthday, the imp caretaker scolds him, telling him excitement is 'unbecoming' for a member of the Goetia family. When he cries, upset by his engagement to Stella, Paimon tells him to 'cease his bitch crying' and takes him to the circus as a means of placating him and rents him a playmate for the day so he wouldn't have to 'deal with' Stolas.

From a young age, Stolas's emotions are either repressed or dismissed. While he was excited to being assigned a purpose within the Goetia family, I believe this is because he's excited to be apart of the family. He seems to have been raised alone in the palace. We see no other family in the palace save for Paimon and the imp servant, no one posing with him in the portraits, nor does it seem that Paimon had plans of a party or social gathering to celebrate his birthday. The circus visit was a spur of the moment decision to get Stolas to stop crying. Even then, only the imp servant went with Stolas with Paimon in attendance via a handmirror.

Another thing from his child I want to point out is that Stolas likes imps. Early on, I thought his fascination and attraction to Blitz was a fetish for imps or kink for the taboo, but in reality it has an emotional vein. Child Stolas's favorite toy looks like an imp version of Sam from Sam and Max. Judging from the portraits, he's had this toy since infanthood (owlette hood?). And there's a familiarity with the imp servant as he helps Stolas dress, think a distant Alfred to Bruce Wayne.

Also, going back to Episode 5 of Season 1, Stolas attends the Harvest Festival himself where the population are mainly imps. Perhaps its something only he can head, or maybe it's voluntary position? Also, he goes to Loo Loo Land where the majority of visitors are, yet again, more imps. He feels comfortable with them, more so than he does with his own family. He's not intimidated by them, nor bullied. With them, he's in an elevated position of power which he does use to make himself feel happy and confident as we see him in the Harvest Festival.

Which leads to my next point. When he first sees Blitz, I don't think it's love at first sight or physical attraction which I believe he's far too young to experience. It's admiration, as Blitz is an imp his age and has a sense of humor that meshes with Stolas's own. And while he's playing with Blitz (even while Blitz is tricking him and robbing his house), he's having the time of his life!

My favorite wholesome moment in this episode is Stolas and Blitz sitting under a tree and having a conversation about their futures. It's a genuine talk about their aspirations and hopes with Stolas being supportive of Blitz's dream of running his own 'circus' and Blitz being impressed with Stolas's role. It's heartbreaking to know these kids are going to face many hardships.

As an adult Stolas is fulfilling his role, but at the cost of his own happiness while Blitz will likely undergo a set traumatizing events that will leave him broken and scarred physically and emotionally.

Then we come to the second segment. 25 years later, Stolas is an adult, a prince, father, and husband, but far from happy. He's no longer the happy boy who leapt from his bed, but groans upon waking and takes anti-depressants (Happy Pillz).

This is a Stolas who has carried out the role expected of him since childhood. He's a Prince of the Goetia, married Stella, and had an heir, Octavia, but isn't happy.

I want to point out how further he's emotionally repressed in this segment. He's taking anti-depressants (Happy Pills) which are helpful for people who suffer depression, but in this case, I think they symbolize a means to repress Stolas emotions. He's not allowed to feel sad because he's carrying out his role.

The only time he's openly happy is with Octavia. Later on, we see portraits of him with Paimon (in the handmirror. The guy couldn't even come in person for a painting) and Stella and in both Stolas takes on a stern, rigid poise. With Octavia, he's smiling brightly and it's the best picture of him.

And the poor owl tries!

He sneaks a peek at a sleeping Octavia for an emotional boost, goes into the kitchen and attempts to say good morning to Stella who rebuffs and ignores him. So he is making a fair attempt to find happiness in his role, but it's like scraping the bottom of the barrel when it comes to Stella, who openly mocks him at her Not Divorced party and while angry about it, he doesn't confront her nor do anything to cause waves at the party.

What I've noticed is Stolas never speaks with any other Goetia, and he's in a ballroom full of them. He stands off alone and his only interaction is with the imp servants who bring him mood altering alcohol (absinthe) which he drinks up. Drinking alcohol is another means of repressing emotions, to make yourself feel better without confronting the real issue.

Then in comes Blitz.

Again, Stolas feels more at ease around Blitz as he's an imp, but also an old childhood friend. I wonder if Stolas and Blitz had any more playdates after that first one? Time will tell, but nonetheless, Stolas is very happy to see him again and while he was flirting to begin with, I believe it was a means to break the tension and put Blitz at ease around him. He wasn't serious about Blitz seducing him, but Blitz, who is desperate for a means to cover his true purpose of stealing Grimoire, actually seduces Stolas which leads to the stage of their relationship as we seen it throughout season 1.

Stolas acts lustful and flirty because that's how he believes Blitz wants him to act.

Stolas has spent his life appeasing others from his father to Stella and the rest of the Goetia family. While I believe Stolas enjoys being a bottom in a BDSM relationship, his act is a means to appease Blitz as a sexual partner, never realizing how it annoys him.

2. For the first time, Stolas feels he had can openly be passionate with someone who cares for him.

Being so repressed, Stolas has found an outlet for his emotions through sex. People have labeled Stolas as gay, but personally, I think he's demisexual. If you can put aside the fact that Stella is abusive and insulting, I don't believe Stolas ever felt as close to her as he ever did with Blitz.

3. Their relationship revolves around the Grimoire.

To put it simply, Blitz wants the Grimoire which Stolas owns, and Stolas wants Blitz.

Not to get off topic, but Stolas and Blitz sees their relationship different perspectives. Stolas sees this as a simple exchange of favors between lovers, Blitz sees it as Stolas, a powerful noble, using his power over him. If we backup to Blitz's drug trip in Ep 6, he sees Stolas sitting up on a high pedestal on a throne, being served by imps, while tugging on golden chains as if Blitz is a pet.

Because Stolas has been repressed both socially and emotionally, he fails to see how his relationship with Blitz isn't a true relationship, because he has never had a genuine one before. He's been groomed to wed Stella since a childhood and Stella has not been a good partner. So is it any wonder why Stolas would be so confused?

Regardless, we are given the wonderful scene of Stolas ripping Stella's Not Divorce banner and declaring he wants a divorce! Vivziepop says he's riding high on life and his newfound 'relationship' with Blitz has given him the courage to openly defy Stella.

It's the highest moment of his life and then we cut to . . .

. . .the lowest point in the finale stage of this episode.

Like in the previous stages, he wakes up, but miserable. It's the night (or morning?) after Ozzie's. Publicly shamed and humiliated, and having his heart broken by Blitz. With his makeup streaking down his face like tears, he laments his sadness in song until we get to an awesome scene where we finally see Stolas and his potential as a character.

This is a very powerful moment.

For the first time since he was a child, Stolas is being open about his feelings and desires. This isn't the Stolas who is reining in his excitement as a child or the lecherous Stolas when he began a sexual relationship with Blitz, this is Stolas raw and unrestrained.

He's making direct eye contact with Stella, and making it clear he wants her out of his life. He's unashamed and unafraid about his own desires, and damned with the consequences, of which I am sure there will be.

While season 1 was introductory of the characters, setting, and situations, I believe season 2 is going to be Stolas going on a journey of self-discovery and finding his independence and happiness. While a relationship with Blitz will bring him happiness, it shouldn't be his sole source. He needs to find his identity and become a person who can stand on his own unashamed to become a equal partner to Blitz. I'm eager to see more in the coming episodes.

#essay #hellaverse #helluva boss #hazbin hotel #stolas #blitzen mcga #stoli

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