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A Deep Dive into Hunter from The Owl House

Most fans of The Owl House will agree with me when I say this: Hunter is a sweet cinnamon bun and must be protected at all costs!

Joking aside, Hunter might be one of the absolute best characters on The Owl House. Played to masterful levels by Zeno Robinson, Hunter started the show as this younger, goofier version of Darth Vader. He was the Emperor’s enforcer, his right-hand man, this man of mystery. However, it took a little while for us to get a look behind the mask to find he was anything but a Vader. Instead, he had more in common with Prince Zuko from the Avatar franchise. He’s this young, inherently compassionate person who devoted his life to trying to please this toxic authority figure he looked up to. Hunter began to learn more about the outside world by meeting Luz and, later, her friends. Thanks to them, he realized that the man he looked up to was, in truth, an abusive monster. So, he ran and would’ve kept running had he not found people who cared about him for who he was. 

Hunter’s story in The Owl House is about someone who’s been the victim of domestic abuse his entire life. It’s a journey that helps him to slowly realize how horrible his life truly is and seeks to escape it with the help of the people that truly love him. More importantly, it’s about said victim finding the strength to overcome said abuse, stand up to the person responsible for it, and come out on the other side a better person than their abuser ever was. This is the story of Hunter, this generation’s Zuko.

Our First Impressions: Like Vader, but Goofier

Introduced in the final moments of the season one finale, the Golden Guard was subject to rampant theories and fan speculation during the seasonal interim. Who was he? What was he like underneath the mask? Was he going to take Lillith’s place as Emperor Belos’ chief enforcer? Would he become Luz’s main rival in the second season? 

Eventually, the season two premiere of The Owl House, “Separate Tides,” rolled around, and we got our first look at the Golden Guard. From Lillith’s own experiences, he was this hotshot young Witch that got special treatment from the Emperor, much to her and many others’ jealousy. Once he gets involved in the plot, serving as the primary threat of the episode, we see his reputation isn’t unwarranted. He’s authoritative, confident, and willing to use underhanded tactics to get his way. Case in point, he blackmails Luz and Eda into doing his dirty work by using King as a hostage. That’s a very Vader move!

At the same time, though, the Golden Guard is quite unlike Vader. He acts like a typical teenager, finding enjoyment in messing with King. He even undercuts how threatening he is with his goofy farewell to the trio.

I knew right away that I would enjoy having the Golden Guard around. However, I didn’t realize how much we’d grow to love him.

Getting a Look Underneath the Mask at the Real Hunter

Besides a brief appearance at the end of “Escaping Expulsion,” Hunter’s next appearance would be in “Hunting Palismen.” That episode would give fans our first glimpse underneath the mask and see who the boy underneath really was.

It starts in the episode’s cold opening as the Golden Guard sees Belos away when his health catches up to him. He looks away from the silhouette of what Belos transforms into, but otherwise, he stays by his side. His concern for Belos, who we learn is his “Uncle,” is genuine. Yet Belos threatens to skewer him when he suggests using wild magic to cure him before ordering him to bring him a new Palismen.

Thankfully, his mission doesn’t succeed, thanks to the wild card that is Luz Noceda and the jealous rival that is Kikimora, the latter of whom tries to kill him. Thankfully, Luz’s compassionate nature prompts her to save him, much to his anger. The remainder of the episode amounts to Hunter going through a conga line of humiliation. He gets slapped by Luz, brushed off by the Emperor’s Coven, forced to reveal his lack of magic to the Human, and then outsmarted by the girl as she escapes with the Palismen. By the end of it, most of the mystique he had as the Golden Guard’s non-existent. 

In exchange, though, we got something better: we got to see a little bit of what Hunter’s like underneath the mask, literally and metaphorically. For starters, he’s not just a teen; he’s young enough to pass for a Hexside student and a very skinny one. In addition, without the mask to hide his face, Hunter’s emotions are free for all to see, and we see someone whos very insecure about being a magicless Witch. Thus, he must constantly prove himself to Belos, his father figure. However, despite obediently following Belos’ commands, Hunter’s curiosity about wild magic shines through, even as he spouts the Emperor’s rhetoric that such things are dangerous. This desire proves strong enough that one of the Palismen, a cardinal named Flapjack, stays with Hunter, much to his confusion.

Forming the First Positive Relationship in His Life

The next time we see Hunter is in the episode “Eclipse Lake.” Following his failure to capture the Palismen, the young man finds himself on thin ice with Emperor Belos. Desperate to retain his Uncle’s approval, he sneaks out behind the Emperor’s back to travel to Eclipse Lake. His goal is to sneak past Kikimora and the Emperor’s Coven, retrieve the vial of Titan’s Blood Belos needs to activate the Clawthorne family’s portal to Earth and win his favor again. It’s a poorly thought-out idea, but Hunter is desperate to prove himself useful. Too bad for him, his plan goes sideways when he’s captured by Amity, Eda, and King, who are there for the same reason he is.

Continuing from his previous outing, this episode takes every chance to humiliate Hunter, forced to follow the Owl House gang as their prisoner, with Eda and King taking the opportunity to dunk on him. Or, in King’s case, bite his head. He and Amity do briefly connect due to their shared beliefs that they have to earn the approval from the ones they care about to matter to them, but unlike Amity, Hunter doesn’t grow out of this.

Then we have the big moment when we see Hunter at one of his lowest points. Eclipse Lake’s dried up, the Titan’s blood is gone, and Hunter knows he can’t return to Belos empty-handed again. So, he starts digging his own grave! At the time, it seemed like an example of black comedy. However, later, we learn how justified Hunter’s fears are, and the joke…isn’t as funny as before.

In the end, Hunter manages to get his hands on the portal key, meaning his quest isn’t a waste. More importantly, though, throughout this experience, Flapjack stuck beside him, supporting him no matter what. The experience helps the two bond, and by the end, Hunter’s formed the first positive relationship in his life. 

More will soon follow.

The Owl House Season 2, Episode 14 Review

One of the things that Luz and Amity have in common is that they don’t have the best relationships with their parents. In Luz’s case, her relationship with her Mom’s strained by her choice to stay in the Demon Realm. Amity’s is because she’s got a control freak of a Mom and an absent-minded Dad. But they still have each other, and are there to help each work through their problems. Even if one of them refuses to admit that they have a problem to begin with, like Luz with her Dad.

A Very Important Day for Luz

While Luz has shown no interest in returning to Earth beyond showing her Mom she’s alright, the day this episode takes place is an exception. We open up to a reminder on her phone for a very important event with her Mom that she quickly tries to ignore. In addition, she spends the rest of the day trying to stay as busy as possible by helping Amity with her problems.

The annual Bonesborough Brawl is taking place that day, and Amity’s always dreamed of winning it like her Dad did back in the day. However, her Dad’s too busy to care and wants her to go to the Emperor’s Coven tryouts. Rather, her Mom wants her to go, something she has no interest in. It drives home how much of an influence Luz has been on Amity when she says she may not even want to join a Coven at all. Luz’s solution is simply to go anyway and compete in disguise.

However, things get derailed when Luz decides to ultimately compete in the Brawl herself, all while claiming that nothing’s wrong. It all comes to a head when Luz ends up alerting Alador to what his daughter’s really up to, making Amity mad at both of them and storming off. What follows is something that fans suspected but is now confirmed.

RIP Mr. Noceda

From the beginning, fans have speculated about the abscence of Luz’s father. Some people thought that her parents were divorced. Others thought that he was a Witch. However, I guessed that he was actually dead this whole time; and it turns out I was right. Luz’s dad died some time ago, and this date marks the anniverserary of his passing. Her Mom and her would lay flowers on his grave to honor his memory every year, and the fact that she can’t do it is eating away at the poor girl.

Once again, I would like to say that this was something that I already suspected. However, knowing this doesn’t diminish the importance of this moment any less. If anything, Luz’s obvious grief tugs at the heartstrings even more. Despite loving her life in the Boiling Isles, she does miss some things from Earth. And this led her to cope by trying to help Amity sort out her own paternal issues.

Hearing her motives is more than enough to get Amity to forgive Luz, and hearing her girlfriend’s lack of a father spurs her to confront Alador as he’s fighting a mutated Warden Wrath (long story!) Afterwards, the two have an honest heart-to-heart, where Alador admits that he hasn’t been the best parent, but is willing to respect her daughter’s choices and be there for her. I hoped that Alador was the good parent.

Cracks in Belos’ Reign

In the b-plot of the episode, Eda, King, and Edric team up to learn more information about what Belos is planning, and why Raine’s acting weird. Their planned blabber (truth) potion backfires, though, and leads to Wrath being mutated and everyone having to lay down the smack on him. It doesn’t even matter in the end, though, as Wrath got demoted for stealing coworker’s lunches! However, they do learn a little bit of information.

It turns out, not everyone in the Emperor’s Coven is into the Day of Unity plan. Belos claims it will unite them all with the Titan, but some think that no good could come of that. If all the signs shown thus far are true, than they’re right to be afraid. Belos might be planning on using the Boiling Isles residents as fuel for a massive spell, one that could destroy everything in the process. However, we won’t know until the Day of Unity arrives.

Parent-Child Bonds Transcend Worlds

The episode ends on a very somber note. In the Boiling Isles, Luz and Amity pick flowers and send them skyward on an Abomination balloon. On Earth, Mrs. Noceda puts flowers in a vase while solemnly looking off into the night sky, thinking of her husband and daughter. It’s a very sad moment. In fact, the whole situation seems sad.

This was a suprisingly emotional episode of The Owl House that touched on character arcs and past decisions, but it was one that I loved. It showed just how far Amity has come since we first met her, and how far she has to go. And while Luz might not be able to work things out with her Mom right now, she’s not alone. She’s got others to help her through this.

I Give “Reaching Out” a 4/5

Stray Observations

• I love how Alador automatically calls Luz Eda’s kid!
• The tree from Grom is still there
• My friend JP-Ryder and his beta-editor got Luz’s Dad right in their fanfic!

Click here to see my other animation stuff.

The Owl House Season 2, Episode 13 Review

I’m sorry that I didn’t get to this yesterday, but I had a busy day. But do you know who probably had an even worse day? Hunter, AKA the Golden Guard, AKA Emperor Belos’ supposed nephew and/or magical clone of his brother. Ever since he debuted in the second season premiere, fans have just fallen in love with Hunter. He’s funny, adorkable, and probably in more dire need of a hug than anyone on the Boiling Isles. The more time passes, the more we see how bad Hunter has had it in life, growing up under an emotionally manipulative man such as Emperor Belos. After seeing this Hunter-centric episode, though, I feel more sorry for him than ever before.

Hunter Just Wants Some Respect

Poor Hunter really has it rough in life, and that’s not just because he’s the Emperor’s supposed nephew. All he wants is to earn the respect of the people who work for Belos, and they treat him like dirt. When Belos puts him in charge while he’s doing other things, the Coven Heads outright reschedule a meeting just so they don’t have to deal with him. Being the insecure teen that he is, he ends up taking the head of the Abomination’s Coven remark about “finding new recruits” as an actual mission. Thus, he goes undercover at Hexside to do just that.

Meanwhile, it’s club day at Hexside, and Willow’s looking to start the school’s first Flyer Derby team, which is like Quidditch meets capture the flag, only more extreme. Through a series of events beyond his control, Hunter gets drafted into joining Willow’s team for their first match against her old Abominations teacher. From then on, the episode shows just how messed up Hunter’s life has really been. It turns out, joining the Emperor’s Coven means going through boot camp that would make the Navy SEALS look tame in comparison. What’s worse, Hunter’s grown up thinking that it’s normal to lie and stab your friends in the back, as this is what the Coven heads do under Belos.

This just shows how messed up things are under Belos. He emotionally manipulates people to do what he wants, while also having them at each other’s throats to curry his favor and keep them from becoming a threat. It’s like the Skeksis from The Dark Crystal, but for kids.

Baby Steps, Hunter

Ultimately, Hunter’s “mission” at Hexside does do some good for him. Willow, Gus, and the other students serve as a positive influence on him, ultimately leading Hunter to stand up to Darius when he’s ready to attack them after trying to escape. And fortunately, Darius actually respects Hunter for this, saying that it’s about time he get a life outside the palace. Maybe he’s not such a bad guy, after all. Then again, he does work for the Emperor, so…

The end result is that Hunter gains yet another positive emotional connection in his life. He’s changing for the better, people, but his full heel-face turn won’t come until he realizes that his Uncle Belos isn’t worth it.

Take That, Us!

Meanwhile, in the episode’s B-Plot, Luz and Amity discover that the author of the Good Witch Azura books is in town for a signing, and they eagerly attend. While doing so, they come up with more and more outlandish theories to explain who the author is. Like, is she a Witch who can travel between worlds? Is she Luz’s mom as a teenager sent forward in time? Kikimora?

Turns out, it’s none of these things. The books are just normal books that find their way to the Boiling Isles and sold by Tibbles. However, it turns out Amity is the only one to buy them.

So, the entire B-Plot of the episode was a funny jab by the show’s team at the fans for coming up with crazy explanations for mundane ideas. It’s all done in good humor, though, and I couldn’t help but laugh about it. You got us, Dana!

This was a fun episode, all around, and I just love seeing Zeno Robinson voice Hunter. He’s a rising star in the VA world, people!

I Give “Any Sport in a Storm” a 4/5

Stray Observations

• More Steve!
• Look and you’ll see a Remy Remington bobblehead in Hunter’s room. A nice reference to his role in Big City Greens

Click here to see my other animation stuff.

The Owl House Season 2, Episode 6 Review

I know that he’s only been around for a few episodes, but I love the Golden Guard. Voiced by the talented rising star in the VA Community, Zeno Robinson, the Golden Guard quickly became one of my favorite characters in The Owl House. Considering how this series already has memorable characters, that’s saying something. Young, talented, and highly skilled, the Golden Guard serves as a great foil to both his predecessor, Lilith, and to Luz, with the show seemingly setting him up to be her new rival. However, we actually knew very little about this masked character. Until this week, that is. This week sees us gain some big insight into who the Golden Guard really is. In addition, we gain further insight into Belos’ plans for “The Day of Unity” and what his endgame is.

Also, we should note how the show has since updated its intro reflect the changes in appearance for several members of the cast. Eda has her new dress, King has his detached horn back on, and Amity’s hair is now pink. That’s attention to detail!

Choose Your Palismen

Immediately following the events in the Library, Luz returns to Hexside, still sorting out what happened between her and Amity. However, that soon takes a backseat as it’s Palismen choosing day at Hexside. Every Witch gets to choose a Palismen to bind with, courtesy of the Bat Queen and the ones under her care.

Surprisingly, Luz is the only one to not get a Palismen. Apparently, her lack of long-term goals beyond becoming a Witch hinders her from finding a Palismen. As a result, she spends all night trying to figure out what she wants in life. At least, until the Golden Guard shows up and nabs the Palismen so Belos can devour them.

Due to Kikimura trying to kill GG, though, both end up crash-landing in the woods, forcing them to work together to survive. As a result, we get some insight into who the Golden Guard really is.

The Truth About the Golden Guard

Firstly, it’s confirmed that the Golden Guard is around Luz’s age. That’s not really new, but it’s still nice to see. Secondly, his real name is Hunter, and according to him, Belos took him in when he was little, even calling him his nephew. Whether they’re actually blood-related is left up for debate. Lastly, though, it’s revealed that without his staff, the Golden Guard can’t use magic.

As Luz figures out, Hunter can’t perform regular magic like other Witches. He relies on artificial magic created by the staff given to him by Emperor Belos. In other words, he’s in the same boat as Luz: wanting to be a Witch but lacking the normal means to do so. Moreover, he takes an interest in Luz’s glyphs, saying they’re similar to the wild magic used from before Belos’ time.

In the end, Hunter and Luz save the Palismen from Kikimura, and Luz escapes with them as Hunter watches. However, one Palismen, a cardinal with a scar on its face, chooses to bond with Hunter for his conviction on studying wild magic. And the reasons why are made apparent.

Belos’ Master Plan

The question of who Belos and what his plans are remain among the show’s biggest mysteries. He claims to have been chosen by the Titan as its messenger, but many fans believe this is a lie. In addition, there’s the fact that his staff, like Hunter’s, seems more mechanical than magical. Plus, he eats Palismen’s to maintain his power. With the revelation of Phillip Wittebane’s existence last episode, speculation’s grown that Belos is somehow connected to him. While this will remain speculation, the show begins to give us some answers.

Firstly, while we don’t know all the details, it seems that the “Day of Unity” somehow involves merging the Boiling Isles and Earth together. Which is a big deal! Secondly, we see what happens when Belos doesn’t consume the essence of Palismen. He begins to turn into this hideous, black, oozing monster. My guess is that whatever grants Belos his power is also rotting his body from the inside out. Thus, he’s resorted to using Palismens, making the material they’re made from hard to find. Additionally, the fact that Belos’ staff is similar in design to Hunter’s leads me to believe that the magic it grants him is only artificial. In other words, Belos isn’t as strong as he makes everyone believe.

Luz’s Future Palismen

In the end, Luz remains without her Palismen. Fortunately, Eda and King manage to steal some of the wood needed to make one! Hopefully, we’ll get to see Luz with her own Palismen before the season ends!

Overall, this was another stellar episode of The Owl House. If you haven’t already, then I urge you to go watch it. The first five episodes of the new season drop on Disney+ in less than a week!

#SaveTheOwlHouse

Before we go, I wanted to give a shoutout to the fans who helped get #SaveTheOwlHouse trending on Twitter yesterday. After Dana revealed that it’s too late for a full third season, fans took to Twitter and began showing their support for the show in the hopes of giving it a fourth and final season to end its story properly. Show your support for the show by tweeting #SaveTheOwlHouse and by watching it on Disney+

I Give “Hunting Palismen” a 4.5/5

Stray Observations

• Luz is from Connecticut
• That hat demon on Bump’s head is actually his Palismen! Who knew?
• Hunter has a Sprig Plushie!!!
• The Goose!!
• The Blight’s Abominton’s are now serving as guards to Belos’ throne room
• Luz has gotten to the point where she can draw glyphs on anything.

Click here to see my other animation stuff.