The difference between the progress of Lloyd's relationship with Arin and Sora is a very interesting look on how reputation can completely change the way a person is viewed way before one meets them for the first time.
To Sora, the ninja in general, were nothing more than overexaggerated stories told to her by her enthusiastic best friend in the middle of the night. She took those tales with a grain of salt, not really thinking much of it. Ninjago was not a world Sora came from. She didn't grow up with the ninja, they were never part of her life, her story or her culture the way they were of Arin's. So until Lloyd came along, she didn't really have much of her own view of him.
To Sora, Lloyd was a blank slate - someone she based her opinion on purely on what she saw in front of her. And what she saw was someone far from perfect. She saw someone who is incredibly skilled at what he does, but also someone messy, sheepish, self-conscious, a bit of a dumbass, and more often than not just as unsure about things as his own pupils. But also someone kind, gentle and safe. The only adult in her life thus far, who, despite taking the role of a teacher didn't feel overly strict or demanding, who she didn't really feel all that inferior to, who didn't like being called master despite being levels above her...like a friend. A caretaker, an authority figure, but also someone more than that, someone who wasn't too imposing, who made her feel welcomed. Sora, just like Arin had been doubting herself constantly ever since she decided to live in the Monastery. Because of the way she was brought up, she had a habit of basing her value on her skills and usefulness alone. So whenever she felt like she's failing, like she wasn't meeting this invisible standard that she made for herself, she started believing that she wasn't earning her place. On the other hand she saw Lloyd, someone incredibly powerful, regarded and accomplished, someone who by all means should know exactly where he belongs and what he's doing, and yet all she could see, was someone struggling in the exact same way she was. And it felt so reassurring to know she's not the only one who doesn't have quite everything put together yet. That this radiculously important adult is just as much of a loser as the rest of them, that she could connect with him like that, that she could relate to him it that way. I think it really helped Sora believe in herself so much more.
To Arin, the ninja were everything. Strong, brave, untouchable, legendary, everything Arin ever wanted to be. They were role models, an example, and a sense of safety. It's clear that Lloyd was Arin's idol, his hero, way before he was his friend and mentor. Just like many citizens of Ninjago used to watching the ninja from afar, Arin had put Lloyd on a pedeatal. To him, he was a figure close to divine. Similarly, being a ninja was an idealized concept. An illusion of a life full of thrilling adventures with very little peril in-between.
So it was a bit of a shock to Arin to see Lloyd act so painfuly, unbelievably human. During their time together Arin, for the first time experienced the ugly parts of being a hero. He got to see Lloyd fail, he got to see him frustrated and stressed out. He got to see him enter battle with little to no plan, he saw him panic and freeze. He saw him lose sleep over nightmares, visions, nearly suffocated by the amount of work ahead. He got to see him so wrapped up with so many things that he could barely keep up, not only with the world as a whole, but also with his own promises. He saw him stupidly promise even more. In all of that, Arin had to make peace with the fact that Lloyd is not invincible, that he won't always be able to fix every problem, that he might not have time to fullfill all the promises be made, including those be made to Arin. The idealized view of Lloyd shattered and for a moment the illusion was so far removed from what lied beneath that it made Arin feel like he'd been deceived. But deep down Arin knew he wasn't. Not in a way that could make him truly hate Lloyd. Lloyd is a creature raised to roam among the divine while never being divine himself. In a world in which the public expects him to be god, Lloyd feels like he has no choice, but pretend to be one, destroying himself in the process. A creature that loves with his whole heart, and tries to do right by everyone, losing sleep every day so others can sleep soundly. And the more Arin began to understand that, the more willing he was to forgive his mistakes. The moment Arin accepted who Lloyd truly is, he realized that he cares for him more than he could ever care for the faceless idol he used to follow. Lloyd finally felt to Arin like something real, something more than a poster in his childhood bedroom, someone who cares for him and someone he can care for and support on return. And that meant to Arin more than anything he thought he wanted Lloyd to be.
blakekathryn
gracieabrams
amandla
romaincrisis
jacobvanloon
ellievsbear
yousharknotpass
