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Dad fighting imps

RIDICULOUS FOLLY. INEXCUSABLE.

Even though sloppy is fine, it might be a bit of a good idea to arrange this particular page because, to be quite frank, as it is right now, it is just absolute garbage. Here's some detail: sources should be added to more statements, speculative statements should be cleaned up and made more objective, and subjectivity should be avoided.


A Sburb player's assigned title consists of 2 parts - the aspect, and the class, the latter indicating the intended role of the player, and how they may use their aspect. There are 14 known classes, consisting of 12 "normal" classes and two "master" classes.

While several class mechanics are explicitly explained throughout Homestuck, others are only implied.

Passive and active[]

Classes can be paired based on the similarity of their role's function; within these pairs, one class serves as passive (+), the other active (-), with each member of a particular pair executing their roles differently. Simplistically, active means self-serving, passive means group oriented, where active classes employ or affect their aspect directly and for their own gain, and passive classes are affected by their aspect, and work to benefit their team. Calliope states that some more strongly passive or active than others. HS It is a vague concept with some flexibility, however Calliope gives two examples of this pairing dichotomy: In the case of a Rogue/Thief pairingHS, both classes 'steal', however Rogues do so to help their teammates, and Thieves do so for their own benefit. Alternatively, in the Bard/Prince pairingHS, both classes cause destruction, with Bards bringing about/catalyzing the destruction, and Princes directly destroying.

The passive/active system exists on a scaleHS, with some classes being more passive or active than others. Excluding the master classes, no class's position on the scale has been revealed, although some hints have been given. Hussie has stated that the passiveness or activeness of a class is determined by multiple factors, and is related to whether the player is a Prospit or Derse dreamer.

The 12 classes and their passive/active alignment are believed to be connected with Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung's mythic Archetypes.

Gender[]

Classes can also have gender alignments, with some being exclusive to a certain gender, and others being assigned to both males and females. Calliope has statedHS there to be equal numbers of male-exclusive and female-exclusive classes, as well as implying that the number of commonly-male and commonly-female classes are balanced. Three male-exclusive classes were stated (Bard, Prince and Lord), as was one female-exclusive class (Muse). Of the remaining 10 classes, 5 are known to be non-gender-specific (Knight, Rogue, Thief, Seer, and Mage) - though some appear more commonly amongst a certain gender, (The Thief and Rogue pairing is typically - though not exclUsivelyHS - assigned to female players) - the remaining 5 having been only assigned to a single gender in canon, but not confirmed as being gender-exclusive (Heir, Page, Sylph, Maid, and Witch). At least 2 of the remaining classes would therefore have to be female-exclusive, in order to balance the number of known male-exclusive classes (presumably Witch and Maid, given the feminine connotations). Conversely, Heir and Page cannot both be male-exclusive as there are not enough potential female-exclusive classes to balance that out.

There is evidence which seems to indicate that Calliope's theories about class gender restrictions may be incorrect. Calliope's theories aren't always accurateHS, and Calliope's understanding of gender may be based on the concept of her own species' duality, so what she may understand as gendered traits may be according to personality traits contrasting her and Caliborn. Additionally, when asked about the possibility of a female character with the Prince class, Andrew Hussie gave a simple "sure". It's unclear whether this means Calliope was canonically wrong about gender bias, or if Hussie was simply lifting the restrictions for fan content.

Thief and Rogue[]

Thief template

The garb of a Thief

Rogue template

The garb of a Rogue

The Thief and Rogue class pairing are active (-) and passive (+) respectively. They deal with the redistribution of an aspect; while the active Thief will steal or take their aspect for themselves, the passive Rogue will generally take it then distribute it to someone or something outside of themselves. Essentially, the Thief is one who steals their aspect or steals using their aspect for their own benefit, and the Rogue is one who steals their aspect, or steals from their aspect for the betterment of others.

Vriska, the Thief of Light, is notable for stealing "luck" from her allies or enemies, and in doing so makes an outcome fall into her favor. She also took what was arguably the most significant part of the battle against the Black King of her session, by landing the killing blow.

Roxy, the Rogue of Void, is said to have "voidey blackout bullshit"HS follow her wherever she goes, and consequently obfuscated the viewHS of the entire B2 sessionHS, though these manifestations of her aspect seem to be largely unintentional. Roxy also regularly ganked pumpkins from Jake's island (gourds noted as being mostly detached from reality) to help feed the Carapacians in her neighborhood, in-keeping with the "Robin Hood" comparison sometimes attributed to the Rogue class. She is also able to materialize objects out of thin airHS by stealing the essence of nothingness from an idea.HS

Meenah, the Thief of Life, "stole" her friends' lives by killing them so they could continue to exist after the scratch in A1. As the Condesce, in A2, she was able to lengthen the lifespans of othersHS, possibly indefinitely, on a whim.

Not immediately apparent in most renditions, the Rogue outfit has a front pocketHS akin to a typical hoodie. It shares this quality with the Maid, Heir, and Page outfits, although it's currently unclear whether the other classes have similarly equipped outfits.

Known Thieves are Vriska Serket, the Thief of Light; and Meenah Peixes, the Thief of Life. Known Rogues are Roxy Lalonde, the Rogue of Void; Nepeta Leijon, the Rogue of Heart; and Rufioh Nitram, the Rogue of Breath.

Bard and Prince[]

Bard redirects here. For the protagonist of Bard Quest, see the Bard.
Bard template

The garb of a Bard

Prince template

The garb of a Prince

Bard and Prince are a pair of classes, respectively passive (+) and active (-), that deal with destruction. The Prince, as the active, is literally simplified to destroyer of [aspect] or one who destroys via [aspect]. Bards are somewhat stranger, in that they "allow destruction of [aspect]" or "invite destruction through [aspect]". The Bard is also quite the wildcard, unpredictable by nature and thus equally likely to help or hinder his party, often to great effect. In extreme cases they are single-handedly responsible for their party's massive downfall, their improbable victory, or sometimes even both.

The Prince's powers seem to include, (aside from their obvious abilities to channel their aspect to destroy, or simply destroy their aspect outright) phenomenal offensive abilities: If the pre-scratch version of Dave's bro is any indication, Dirk is also an incredibly strong fighter. Princes, it seems, are devoid of their aspect. Due to their nature as the destroyer class, it stands to reason that they destroy their aspect in themselves; Dirk describes himself as heartless and Eridan says that there is no hope left when he wants to join Jack, making him hopeless. Additionally, Kurloz, the Prince of Rage, is always seen as being completely calm in all situations, meaning he completely lacks rage.

Gamzee, as the Bard of Rage, could enter some sort of berserk mode, causing deep fear in everyone around and becoming exceptionally strong. When he did, he was surrounded by a strange purple lightning, which turned red later, and may have been Rage itself considering the purple colours of his god tier robes. This suggests that Bards can use their aspect to improve their own abilities and possibly others. Throughout most of his life and most of the game, he allowed his rage (his calling as grand highblood) to be destroyed by consuming his sopor slime which left him docile and harmless. Later on he allows his Rage to be destroyed by Karkat and sets a trap for Terezi that, by inspiring Rage against Vriska, invites her to commit destruction. During his stay on the meteor, his uncanny ability to inspire Rage in Terezi results in him becoming her kismesis, which proves to be a very negative (or self-destructive, as it were) relationship for her. He has been seen in god tier clothing while in possession of Aradia's music box time machines. In Act 6 Act 6 Intermission 2 he was able to momentarily destroy Terezi's Rage which led to her being brutally beaten by him.

The god tier outfit for Princes seems to consist of culottes and a tiara, much like an ordinary prince, despite the class's non-literal nature. Interestingly, the tiara appears to be attachedHS to the hood. Dirk later confirms that the hood does indeed have some sort of cloth tiara deal embedded in it. It should be noted that, in a somewhat related circumstance, the god tier outfit of the Bard class comes standard with a clown-like form better suiting a jester and massive codpiece, which is likely a reference to Bard Quest's Hull of the Flagship codpiece.

Known Bards are Gamzee Makara, the Bard of Rage; and Cronus Ampora, the Bard of Hope. Known Princes are Dirk Strider, the Prince of Heart; Eridan Ampora, the Prince of Hope; and Kurloz Makara, the Prince of Rage.

Heir[]

Heir template

The garb of an Heir

The Heir is a passive (+) class[1], whose exact definition is not yet known. John, the Heir of Breath, was saved by the Breeze twice before he learned to consciously use it. Jack Noir, along with Jade Harley, was unable to pick up the source of his scentHS, as if the Breeze was protecting him. He was also saved in a battle with Jack Noir by turning into wisps of windHS and reforming behind him. A possible third time is when the wind blew out a fire on LOWASHS . He was seen summoning largeHS, tornado-like structuresHS on LOHAC and on Skaia as well. He used the Breeze to lift the Dersite battleshipHS containing WV and the Courtyard Droll, created a windy shield in Collide and was an important influenced in his session's direction, for example, gifting Rose her signature knitting needlesHS and retconning the entire Game Over timeline.

Equius, the Heir of Void, was known to sit in the background and watch things happen from the shadows. Equius used his fists as his main weapon, which can be interpreted as him using nothing (Void) to fight and defend himself. His blood was used to block out informationHS in Rose's tome, and his death can be seen as a pun on his title, as he was killedHS by being rendered "Void of Air".

Mituna, the Heir of Doom, was said to have lost his psychic powers (and part of his sanity) while protecting his friends from an imminent disaster. Aranea said he had "strong prophetic insights" that warned him of the oncoming Doom, much like Sollux.

The Heir outfit has a front pocketHS akin to a typical hoodie. It shares this quality with the Maid, Rogue and Page outfits, although it's currently unclear whether the other classes have similarly equipped outfits.

Known Heirs are John Egbert, the Heir of Breath; Equius Zahhak, the Heir of Void; and Mituna Captor, the Heir of Doom.

Page[]

Page template

The garb of a Page

The exact powers and passive/active alignment of the Page class are currently unknown. Unrealized Page of Breath Tavros Nitram summoned Breath in his attempt to revive Vriska with a kiss.HS

Pages have a lot of untapped potentialHS - possibly alluding to a blank "page" in a book - and can become very powerful once they reach this potential; Caliborn believes that if Jake English fully realizes his powers as a Page of Hope, he might even become powerful enough to defeat a Lord of Time.[citation needed] This latent potential is reflected in Tavros' Flarp class, the Boy-Skylark, whose useful c0mbat abilities [don't] c0me int0 play until y0u reach a very high level.HS In Aranea's words, for a page, the journey to reach his full potential is longer than it is for any other class [...] 8ut once that journey is over, how fearsome he 8ecomes!HS The beginning of this long journey towards the realisation of a Page's potential seems to be reflected in a Page's deficit in their aspect at the beginning of their arcs, such as Tavros' injuries hampering his dreams of freedom and flying. Horuss Zahhak's role as a multi-talented "renaissance troll" in the upper echelons of troll society could be seen as literally a deficit of nothing.

Both Jake and Tavros were guided on their journeys by imaginary alter egos in the form of Rufio and Brain Ghost Dirk. Horuss' identification with a horse persona[citation needed] may play into this same pattern.

Like the Heir, Rogue and Maid, the Page outfit has a front hoodie pocket.HS

Seer[]

Seer template

The garb of a Seer

The Seer is a passive (+) class, that uses extensive knowledge to coordinate their team members. According to Aradia, they understand their aspect comprehensively (for example, Terezi knows all consequences of individual actions, and Rose knows the "most fortuitous path" and what happens in it). Doc Scratch also states that Seers will keep their party from making grave mistakes, as if they had a strategy guide for Sburb imprinted deep in their mind. He also mentions that the knowledge of offshoot timeline outcomes are fully within their domainsHS. This is later seen to be true as all known seers have gained information from the experiences of their alternate selves.

Two of the Seers can hear the mental commands of the exiles louder and clearer than the other playersHS. One of the Mages apparently experienced this as well.HS

Known Seers are Rose Lalonde, the Seer of Light; Terezi Pyrope, the Seer of Mind; and Kankri Vantas, the Seer of Blood.

Maid[]

Maid template

The garb of a Maid

The exact powers of Maids are unknown. Aradia (the Maid of Time) was able to freeze Jack, while Jane (the Maid of Life) was able to heal herself after being stabbed, and is able to bring people back from the dead - an ability, according to Jade, that is limited to one use per person. Likewise, its passive/active alignments are unknown.

All seen Maids have been female.

The Maid outfit has a front pocketHS akin to a typical hoodie, similar to the Heir, Rogue, and Page outfits, and features bandages wrapped around the lower legs. Maids are the only class seen with two colors (not including multiple shades of the same color) on the shoes that are unique to the rest of the outfit.

Known Maids are Jane Crocker, the Maid of Life; Aradia Megido, the Maid of Time; and Porrim Maryam, the Maid of Space.

Sylph[]

Sylph template

The garb of a Sylph

Sylph is a magic-based class, and its meaning is currently unknown.

All seen Sylphs have been female, however whether the Sylph class is exclusively female is unknown.

Known Sylphs are Kanaya Maryam, the Sylph of Space; and Aranea Serket, the Sylph of Light.

Knight[]

Knight template

The garb of a Knight

The exact powers of a Knight are unknown, but it has been described by AradiaHS as warriors that exploit their aspect as a weapon. It is unclear where they fall on the active/passive axis.

Known Knights are Dave Strider, the Knight of Time; Karkat Vantas, the Knight of Blood; and Latula Pyrope, the Knight of Mind.

Witch[]

Witch template

The garb of a Witch

The Witch is an active (-) class. The exact definition of the Witch class is unknown. Jade Harley (the Witch of Space) is able to change the size, velocity, and position of things in space, and an alternate-timeline Feferi (the Witch of Life) was shown healing WV in a dream bubble.

Known Witches are Jade Harley, the Witch of Space; Feferi Peixes, the Witch of Life; and Damara Megido, the Witch of Time.

Mage[]

Mage template

The garb of a Mage

The exact definition of the Mage class is unknown, as is its passive/active alignment.

Known Mages are Sollux Captor, the Mage of Doom; and Meulin Leijon, the Mage of Heart.

Muse and Lord (Master Classes)[]

Lord template

The garb of a Lord

Muse

The garb of a Muse +(hood)

Muse hood
The garb of a Muse

Calliope has stated that these two classes are significantly more powerful than the othersHS, and that these are the classes she and Caliborn have. Her class, Muse, is the most passive (+) of all classes, while Caliborn's class, Lord, is the most active (-)HS. Presumably, these classes are paired.

Caliborn's Lord outfit is composed of a cloak longer than the Heir hoodHS which drapes over his shoulders, apparently double prongedHS at the end, but otherwise seems to match his previous outfit, complete with green suspenders and pants which leave his robotic leg uncovered, along with a lime green bowtie, identical to his text color. It is not clear whether this is Caliborn's original default Lord of Time outfit or a modified version like Meenah's outfit in Ministrife, but modifications very likely took place. The suspenders are identical to the green suspenders from his previous outfit which he pledged to never stop wearing, and Stitch is a good tailor.HS In addition, it appears the right pant leg, along with probably the leg itself, was torn off so that Caliborn could replace it with a gold robotic prosthetic.

Speculation[]

Bard and Prince[]

The Prince class may also be one that destroys in order to make new opportunities for creation, rebuilding, and improvement on their aspect. A good example of this is Dirk as the Prince of Heart: He breaks Roxy's heart so they can get over their crush on him and develop stronger relationships with others over the course of their game. Secondly, he destroys Jake's fake confidence and fantasies of adventure so that he could develop real confidence and improve his powers as the Page of Hope. Thirdly, Dirk destroys Jane's romantic chances with Jake, forcing her to confront her timid personality and learn to become a more decisive person. Finally, Dirk breaks himself down into 'splinters', so he's forced to confront the most negative aspects of his personality and how to overcome them.

Eridan destroyed the Matriorb, thus destroying their hope for continuing the troll race, but his actions become important for building new relationships and creating a new hope for the future of trolls as they join the humans in the B2 session.

Bards can be seen as the opposite of the Prince pattern. They build up the aspect in themselves and others before using it to bring destruction. Gamzee destroyed his own innate rage with the sopor slime before entering their game, only to go off of it and becoming highly destructive as a result. Before their falling out, he can calm Karkat (a rage-aholic) when no one else can, destroying his rage directly. Gamzee in the pre-retcon timeline has a relationship with Terezi which destroys her fighting spirit and confidence. Inspiring rage in the other trolls to prevent them from fighting effectively is part of what ultimately led to all of their destruction in the Game Over timeline. Most importantly to the story, Gamzee helps Caliborn control his rage and destructive impulses so that he can more effectively bring destruction to others.

Heir[]

Heirs could be ones who invite change through [aspect]. They are apparently drawn to their aspect, subconsciously seeking it. They may also be defined as one who is consumed by [aspect], one who becomes their [aspect], or one who is surrounded by [aspect], as seen when John, surrounded by the Windy Thing, eventually became the wind, when Equius was surrounded by a Void that protected him from Doc Scratch's omniscience, and when Mituna had the failure of his psiioniics envelop his mind.

If inheritance is thought in terms of programming (which is a commonly visited subject in Homestuck), it can be speculated that heirs are those who are controlled by or represent [aspect]. Equius can be seen as such an example, as he had all the capabilities (intelligence and strength) and strong convictions (his belief in the caste system) to be a most active element in the game, but ended up being a smaller presence.

The bodies and biology of Heirs seem to be connected to their Aspects, which fits how familial heirs are blood-related to whoever they inherit a position from. John can change his body into the Breath, Equius's blood was used by Gamzee to blot out information related to him and Lord English, and Mituna suffered brain damage and is constantly injuring himself.

It could be that heirs protect or defend through their aspect, or, as the class is passive, allow it to protect or defend. The Heir class could also mean one that manipulates [aspect] or one that changes [aspect]. It is assumed that their active (-) counterpart is the Witch, as both John and Jade can seemingly change (with) their aspects, John by using the Windy Thing, and Jade by changing the form of objects by shrinking/enlarging them.

The title "Heir" could also have the more literal meaning one who inherits/receives [aspect]. John, the Heir of Breath, receives a sort of freedom from the storyline and a disconnection from reality when he is affected by Lord English's "treasure", and Mituna receives a kind of doom when he loses part of his sanity. Equius, the Heir of Void, inherits irrelevance when he is killed by Gamzee, as he goes completely unmentioned and forgotten thereafter, and his blood is even used to block out information in Rose's tome.

Page[]

Due to the contextual relation in the name, Pages are speculated to be the counterpart to a Knight. In medieval times, a Page was a sort of apprentice to a Knight, which could be another reference to the idea of a page being weak at first but having extreme potential. It is debated whether Pages are the Active or Passive counterpart. Knights are thought to be warriors that exploit or equip themselves with their aspect as a weapon: one who wields one's aspect. If Page is the passive counterpart, a page could be "one who equips others with one's aspect", although it is hinted that the class "provides others with [aspect]" or "creates [aspect]" as seen hereHS.

Another possible definition of page could also be one who serves [aspect] or one who serves through [aspect] for others.

Seer[]

A possible speculation into Seer powers could be one who understands [aspect] or one who understands through [aspect] for others, with their active counterpart being the Mage class.

John speculated that a Seer might be someone who knows how the consequences of certain actions play out,HS but he was likely talking about Seers of Mind specifically, not all Seers. The Sufferer (reincarnation of Kankri Vantas, the Seer of Blood) was able to recall his past incarnation.

Act 6 Intermission 3 implies that Seers can use tarot decks to enhance their sight powersHS.

Maid[]

One speculation for the class is one who creates [aspect] or one who creates through [aspect] for the betterment of others. Maids may also be the active (-) counterpart to the Sylph class, being healers or repairers, as Sylph appears to be a healer class. Aradia used time travel to avert doomed timelines, in essence, "repairing the timeline," and Jane repaired her planet, herself, and Karkat's Life. However, maid could be a possible counterpart to page, due to a page boy being a form of male servant.

Maid could refer to "protecting/cleaning up/tidying [aspect]". Aradia, when talking to Sollux, mentioned that the reason she was accompanying Vriska on her mission to find Lord English's treasure was because all loops must be tidied up even his. Aradia could also use her time powers to freeze Jack in time, thus protecting herself with time. There is also a possible example of this later in the comic when Aradia says that she'd slow down Jack while Rose, Dave and the other trolls went ahead to the new session; she might have used her time powers to do so. Later, in Collide, Aradia used her time powers to freeze Lord English, protecting the lives of Tavros and Meenah. This could make it the passive (+) counterpart to the Knight class, Knights being speculated as those who fight (for themselves/for others) with [aspect] and Maids being those that protect themselves and others. This also could allude to Roxy's description of the active/passive classes being similar to the "attack/defend powers in an RPG".

Yet another interpretation is that a Maid is one who gives [aspect]. Aradia gave the Trolls, Dave, and Rose time when she stalled Jack Noir and boosted the meteor towards its destination, and Jane is able to give life to others by reviving them once they die. Furthermore, the word Maid is a homophone of "made", and when someone has a surplus of something, it is often said that they are "made of" it. Hence, the Maid could always start their session with a surplus of their aspect which enables them to freely give it. Aradia mentions this idea to Dave at one point.HS

One historical reference for the term 'maid' is "unmarried lady of noble birth who attends a queen or princess," (think Maid Marian of Robin Hood fame) which could place this class among the highly-active royalty derived classes like Lord and Prince. This interpretation would also make sense with respect to Jane Crocker being the 'heiress' to Crocker Corp but not actual royalty, and Porrim Maryam being in the class that tends to the Mother Grub (similar to a queen of insect hives) and took part in this occupation (unlike Kanaya).

Sylph[]

The Sylph class is thought to specialize in healing. As such, the definition of Sylph is thought to be one who heals [aspect] or one who heals through [aspect] for others. As a Sylph of Light, Aranea healed primarily by helping people to see things, both figuratively and literally. In the figurative sense, she focused on helping people to heal from psychological wounds. In the literal sense, she restores Terezi's eyesight for her, as well as Jake's mind. Its placement on the passive/active scale is unknown, although most speculate it to be passive (+).

Kanaya statesHS that a Sylph is Sort Of Like A Witch But More Magical, meaning that it is possible that the Witch class could be its active (-) counterpart; it could be that Sylphs benefit others in an abstract or psychological sense of their aspect while Witches manipulate it more practically, in a physical sense, which would be supported by the actions of Jade and Aranea, the two main examples of Sylphs and Witches. However she later statesHS I Am On Record As Once Having Facetiously Likened It To A Magical Witch, casting that into doubt.

Sylphs and Witches could have something to do with secrets as well. The traditional connotations of sylphs and witches are generally mysterious and secretive. All of the known Sylphs and Witches are friendly, even-tempered or perhaps inconsequential on the surface (Feferi, Jade, Aranea, Kanaya, Damara before she was corrupted), but they were actually all surprisingly powerful in some way, and could get really fiery if you pushed them to their limits. Additionally, the known Witches and Sylphs seem to have entered their sessions quite late, and according to Jade's comments it was quite a long path realizing herself as a witch, as she was the last to enter, the last to find her powers, and the last to god tier. This would be supported by Aranea's unlocking light for others, and Jade's unlocking space by her teleporting, expanding/shrinking, and moving powers.

Maids are also speculated to be Sylphs' active (-) counterpart as one who heals or restores. Aradia, as the Maid of Time, used time travel to avert doomed timelines, thus "repairing" the timeline, and Jane, as the Maid of Life, healed herself using her powers, which is similar to Aranea's use of light to heal people. Jane and Kanaya also had similar transformations into absurd creatures who avenged themselves on insensitive characters, with several directly parallel panels.

Knight[]

The Knight could be defined as one who serves [aspect] or one who serves through [aspect] for the betterment of others. They also serve what there is little of in their session; for example, Karkat, the Knight of Blood (Blood being about bonds) tried to get everyone to work together but was unsuccessful. Dave represented their lack of time. he went back in time to save his friends and their whole session. Knights are not necessarily the ones who help the space player breed the Genesis Frog. It is unconfirmed whether Latula assisted Porrim with frog breeding in the A1 session. Karkat helped Kanaya breed their frog less out of necessity and more out of wanting to lead his team to victory. Curiously, the only session to succeed in breeding a healthy Genesis Frog involved the Time and Space players working together.

All Knights seen thus far have made a point of concealing their innermost selves- in part because of a physical "imperfection"- where possible. Dave puts on the "aloof coolkid" mask, complete with shades that hide his emotions. Karkat has his "shouty angry leader" act, in part because of the aspirations he had to become a leader- aspirations that are speculated to be a means for him to deal with otherwise debilitating self deprecation on account of his mutated blood. Latula's "rad girl gamer" act fits with this pattern as well, as it was noted by Aranea in Openbound 1 that the Knight had lost her sense of smell.

It may be significant that two Knights have been seen to have problems with other versions of themselves- Dave being creeped out by the "other hims" and Karkat always having arguments with his future and past selves. No example of this has been seen with Latula, however.

Knight is also sometimes speculated as a "protector", or one who uses their aspect to protect their teammates rather than to advance themselves, which could potentially make it counterpart to Heir or Maid instead. Dave has so far saved the lives of all the members of his team. Karkat tried to protect his team through his leadership; for example: Gamzee and Eridan in their rampages; and in pacifying Gamzee. On a more personal level, it may be interpreted as one who protects/conceals [aspect], as Dave is responsible for maintaining the timelines, Karkat attempts to keep his mutant blood color a secret, and Porrim strongly suspects that Latula is hiding the true extent of her knowledge. Karkat, as the Knight of Blood, also has a unique leadership role, being outside the hemospectrum, and better suited to pacify a jumble of different-blooded trolls. This could qualify as using his blood to his advantage.

Knights might be protectors of their aspect as well, examples being Dave's conscious efforts to maintain the timeline and concerns over John's new timeline-altering powers, as well as Karkat's protection of his team/comrades (Blood) throughout their session and post-scratch.

Witch[]

The most common definition of a Witch is one who manipulates [aspect], although that seems a little vague. Witches are possibly the active (-) counterpart to Heir, which both seem to deal with changing or manipulating their aspects. John throughout the story was referred to as a wizard, and had connections with the mythic archetype of a Magician like the Witch; such as familiars.

Another speculation is that Witch is related to "breaking the rules" of their aspect. Feferi was able to establish an afterlife through dream bubbles, therefore breaking the rules of Life. Jade displays powers that completely go against the laws of physics. This could make Witches the active (-) counterpart to Mages, if they are also related to the rules in some fashion as is sometimes speculated, whether it be the Mage enforcing/enacting the rules due to being manipulated by said rules or the Mage having the power to manipulate the rules.

Witches are also likely to be a Sylph's counterpart due to the similarities between the two classes, explored in the Sylph's section.

Mage[]

A definition of a Mage is one who knows about [aspect] or one who knows about [aspect] for themselves. The Mage class is most commonly thought to be the active (-) counterpart to Seer, someone that "benefits themselves with knowledge pertaining to [aspect]" and "guides by setting an example using knowledge pertaining to [aspect]," like how Sollux actively led the surviving trolls away from their doom. The pairing is further alluded to by the fact that, in the post-scratch Troll session, only the Seer and Mage are blind, and Sollux says that iit2 kiind of liike how a prophet earn2 hii2 2triipe2, by beiing bliind, liike how an angel earn2 iit2 wiing2.HS In the pre-scratch session, however, the Mage was the only one of the pair to lose one of their senses—Meulin's hearing. The fact that Latula, the Knight of Mind, lost her sense of smell calls the pairing into question. Alternatively, a Mage may display the absence of their aspect. Despite being known to be a miracle worker when it comes to match making, Meulin's own romantic history ironically is riddled with trouble and heartbreak. Sollux is known to evade absolute death, even becoming only half-dead. Therefore, a Mage may "forfeit [aspect] to gain knowledge pertaining [aspect]". In addition, Mages, like Seers, seem to be more directly cognizant of their exiles' commands.HS Sollux also is able to sense impending doom through the voices of the dead. Because of this, some speculate that Mages relate to knowledge and are similar to Seers. However, Mituna also saw a great doom ahead of time and promptly stopped it despite being the Heir of Doom rather than a Mage of Doom, leading to a possibility that those with the Doom aspect generally have some ability to foresee doom and calamity no matter which class they are assigned to.

Mages could also be speculated as one who receives knowledge from [aspect] as opposed to the Seer's one who gains knowledge through [aspect]. Sollux heard the voices of the imminently dead (the doomed), and Meulin, despite being deaf, is able to communicate with her ex-matesprit; in essence, she could hear his soul (which could be taken literally, given his use of telepathy, she hears his self).

A different definition may be that a Mage is one who arms themselves with knowledge about [aspect] which can be seen by Sollux Captor creating the Mobius Double Reacharound Virus, which dooms the Trolls' Lusi, and blows up Karkat's computer.HS Sollux also programs Sgrub, which causes the doom of Alternia. Both of those instances Sollux causes Doom by programming, an activity that he is very knowledgeable about. This can also be seen by how Meulin, the Mage of Heart, is very good at finding romantic pairings that will last. (However, this can also be seen by looking at Nepeta and possibly The Disciple, so this may be part of the Heart aspect. Dirk is seemingly unable to do this, but his status as a Prince may account for that.)

Another definition is that a Mage is one who creates [aspect]. Sollux created the mobius double reacharound virus that resulted in the death of the trolls lusii, although it actually prevented a far more sinister timeline in which Gamzee kills everyone. Sollux's creation of Sgrub, as well as the creation of the virus, could also be seen as evidence that Mages are in fact ones who create [aspect], although whether this makes the class active or passive is debatable. Meulin's reputed skills as a masterful matchmaker, even bringing together unlikely pairings, also supports this view.

Mage class could also be the passive (+) counterpart to the Witch class and can mean one who manipulates with or through the use of [aspect] or one who is manipulated by [aspect]. This can be shown by how Meulin is being manipulated through Kurloz, her former matesprit (which is the quadrant represented by a heart), and how Sollux was manipulated by the voices of the imminently deceased or the doomed, as well as ghostly Aradia.

Yet another speculation is that Mage is synonymous to being "given protection from [aspect]'s ill effects". Sollux had two dream selves, was able to exit the dream bubble he was in, and only half died, while Meulin seems to have been spared heartbreak despite her romantic troubles.

Alternately, a Mage could be one who uses [aspect] to the benefit of others, but to the detriment of themselves. This would explain the fact that Sollux's abilities benefit the team overall, but cause him a great deal of personal distress. It would also account for the fact that Meulin has such terrible luck in her romantic life, despite her outstanding ability to bring other couples together.

If one goes out on a limb, one may also speculate that it is the counterpart to heir, being one who causes others to be affected by [aspect], as Sollux does with his virus, causing others to be affected by doom, or Meulin could do or could have done with shipping, causing others to be affected by heart.

Muse and Lord[]

It could be speculated that these classes deal with interference on a cosmic level, with Lord English destroying the dream bubbles and being the leader of the Felt (who are notorious for meddling with time—although this may just be due to the fact that the aspect of their player, Caliborn, is time, e.g. a hero of light might have luck/fortune-based leprechauns, or a hero of breath might have wind-based leprechauns) and Calliope inserting herself, or at least, her trollsona, into real events.

It could also be speculated that the Muse class is based on the traditional role of a muse: to inspire. The tale of Calliope's tragedy, for example, inspired hundreds of souls to seek her out, or, at the very least, to seek a way to kill Caliborn. This also ties in with the Muse being the most passive class, as to fulfil her role Calliope only needed to die at her brother's hands.

If Caliborn's rantHS is anything to go by, progressing as a Lord involves excruciating effort and a large amount of suffering. Also, in place of other players, Caliborn, as the Lord of Time, has several underlings with time-themed powers and apparently must learn to command them in order to make any progress in his session.

Calliope has stated that Caliborn "prevails throUgh the simple inertia of inevitability that has always been on his side, as a lord of time." This may imply that Caliborn's class and Aspect combination is related to him being "Already here".

In fact, taking all of the above points together, it may be suggested that the two master classes are at least partially codified by the ability of the player to influence events indirectly. The Muse inspires others' actions despite not being in a position to do anything directly by themselves, while the Lord instructs his minions' actions in the places he cannot reach.HS

It is possible that these classes are "master classes" in the sense that they are "master copies," or guidelines for what defines active and passive classes. Alternatively, it could be presumed that the lord holds the combined roles of the active (-) classes, while the muse holds the roles of the passive (+).

Aranea, in Act 6 Intermission 5, describes the two options Yaldabaoth offers Caliborn in The Choice. The options may delineate the roles of the two master classes. Caliborn, of course, as an active player, chooses the more active choice: to prove himself through a series of trials before receiving unconditional immortality and a limitless supply of power, "to destroy anything he wanted, for as long as he wanted". The other option, which could correspond to Calliope's role as a Muse, is for the player to give up all ambition and accept their own death in exchange for the promise that their sacrifice will benefit all who ever lived by ending "a force of unfathoma8le evil and destruction" - in other words, the player who chose the first option.

Hero Mode templates[]

Trivia[]

  • On two occasions during Act 6, before the existence of the Muse and Lord classes were revealed, Hussie hinted that more classes may exist. One of these hints includes a reference to the often joked about 48 player squiddle session with a suggestion against the idea of classes being doubled up in sessions, this would imply that at least 48 separate classes exist.
  • Hussie also stated that each class only has one syllable in its name.
  • In Namco High, the Cousin is pseudo-canonically an Heir. While the gender alignment of the Heir class is currently unrevealed, in canon it has only been assigned to male characters, however as the Cousin is gender-neutral, if Namco High is accurate this would mean that the Heir class is not male exclusive, unless exceptions are made for gender-neutral individuals.
  • It wasn't until Collide that the Sylph and Mage's outfit sprites were revealed, during the battle against Lord English.
    • Also in Collide, a dead Kanaya is shown in a god tier outfit - but the pattern doesn't match Aranea, the other Sylph. This may have been unintentional, as some Kanayas are later seen with the previous sylph clothing.
  • A forum page to discuss theories regarding class can be found here.
  • Andrew Hussie has jokingly stated that that fedorafreak's class was Gent and Nicolas Cage's was Nick.
  • The Mage class is the only one that hasn't been seen in Hero Mode.

References[]

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