Pandora's Actor: Ainz's (Very) Personal Creation
All fans of the Overlord anime and manga have at least some knowledge of Pandora's Actor:
He's the one NPC Momonga/ Ainz created.
He is a high level doppelgรคnger, with the ability to shape shift into about 45 different beings.
Is not a Nazi, but dresses the way a younger Aniz thought was cool (and still does). Made during an "eighth grade syndrome" phase.
Speaks and moves loud and dramatically.
His main job is protecting and experimenting in the Tomb's treasury. Right outside the Mausoleum.
There are tons of explanations of his stats, his loyalty and his role. But one thing I don't see much discussion on is his creation and how it reveals something very personal. Remember, while the NPCs of Nazarick see Pandora's Actor as a creation of Ainz, he was truly created by the mind of the human Suzuki Satoru, who Ainz was as a flesh and blood human.
So, first we have to look at Suzuki Satoru. A Japanese, common office worker, lost his mother due to her overworking, and literally put his whole life and body in the online game YGGDRASIL.
Yeah, this image says a lot about him. His whole room, his life and even his BODY is all about his life in the world of YGGDRASIL as Momonga! And honestly... the state his world was in, who could blame him? Death was so common people had to wear full gas masks to walk outside. Suzuki had never seen a clear night sky in his life, and ... well, the year 2138 of his world was basically a world on the doorstep of death itself!
But how does this relate to the boisterous Pandora's Actor? Let me explain:
A lot of Pandora's Actor's appearance can be explained by this:
Fans of Animal Crossing will recognize this as a Gyroid. These little musical stumps of clay are actually based on something called a Haniwa!
Link if you want to know what a Haniwa is here:
Pandora's Actor has a lot more in common with them than just the facial features ๐ฎ. The purpose of a haniwa has two relevant points: to protect the TOMB and, sometimes, to house the soul of the deceased.
In Overlord, the nearest and dearest thing to Ainz is his old friends and the time they had in the Tomb of Nazarick together. So, for his one and only created NPC it makes sense to have a character like a Haniwa guarding the most precious part of the tomb. And yet... Pandora's Actor may have a purpose that not even Ainz is consciously aware of.
Let's look at some facts: Pandora's Actor had a personality that was tailored to what Suzuki Satoru once found to be cool: outspoken, expressive, intelligent, and knowledge of an exotic culture. In other words, he embodies the things a more open human being admired. So, if Pandora's Actor would be said to house any soul, it would be the long-dead soul of Suzuki himself!
Now, likely, Ainz never acted like Pandora's Actor once in his life. That human life was too broken before it really had a chance to start. However, Ainz/Suzuki still had influences from his culture and past he found admirable. He's not extroverted like his creation, but acknowledges those people have qualities that are able to make connections and express themselves more honestly. Hence, while his avatar as Momonga might represent one part of who he is, Pandora's Actor might represent a deeper part of Suzuki that never got to live.
But... what do you think?
Is Pandora's Actor only similar to a gyroid in appearance? Or in purpose?
