By the Cupful

We all know why Wander helps, “The helper seeks to help because he knows what it is like to be helpless” (The Wanders, S2 Ep4a). He went through something so life-changing—most likely traumatic—that it ironically helped him become the Wander we know and love.

Now during The Ball episode (S1 Ep13b) after Beeza explains how this doomsday is basically routine at this point and before they all board the ship, Wander gives a speech:

“Y'all have put so much work into this pretty little planet. Don't you want to try and save it? I know you're scared of Buster, but if you keep running, that's all you're ever gonna be doing! You have a chance to change that. You just have to turn and face your problems head-on!”

“…but if you keep running, that's all you're ever gonna be doing! You have a chance to change that.”

He says that while looking at his hat longingly as if this situation reminded him of a bad memory.

I genuinely believe Wander started out as fearful.

I believe he ran away and hid at the first sign of danger when he was much younger, immature and inexperienced because he didn’t have a chance to save or defend what he had. He lost something very dear and precious to him—whether that be his family or his home-planet (or both), we may never know.

However, how he reacted to those bouncing phantom mimes in The Heebie Jeebies episode (S2 Ep19b) proves my point. Wander’s first instinct when encountering danger or something scary is to scream, run away and/or hide—and at times freeze in place.

Usually he’s able to override that stress response throughout the show if there’s someone needing help, “When I see someone who’s a-needin’, I just gotta help!” (The Fugitives, S1 Ep2b). Take the episode The Pet (S1 Ep4) as an example of this.

Wander nervously searches the ship for anyone alive only to encounter an arachnomorph he lovingly christened Captain Tim. His first reaction is to scream, and it doesn’t sound like an excited scream either.

Only after he gets tackled does he collect himself and switches gears from being afraid to being ready to help because he changed how he looked at the creature.

At first, he saw Captain Time as this terrifying monster (he even admits to Sylvia that he knew Captain Tim is dangerous later in the episode, twice) before almost immediately doing a 180 degree and choosing to see Captain Tim as an abandoned pet that needs tender love and care.

It's not just this episode either. The Greatest (S1 Ep1a) shows how scared he is of Lord Hater when they first officially meet until he chooses to—not only help the planet's residences—but to also learn more about Hater so he can help him later down the line.

The Search for Captain Tim (S2 Ep19a) is another example when he shows up with a wanted flyer knowing full well that the creature is carnivorous and remembering what Captain Tim tried to do to him.

He's able to get through his fear if it means helping someone in the process.

We also know that Wander seems obsessed with the idea of helping others to an alarming and unhealthy degree. Being unable to not help someone in need gives him anxiety that builds up over a short amount of time until he can’t take it anymore and gives into his immense desire to help (The Fugitives, S1 Ep2b).

Even when he was sick during The Sick Day (S2 Ep20a), he still tries to help when it impedes on his own health and well-being.

Since he’s over 1000 years old, he most likely lost that chance to rewrite or make amends with what he originally went through that made him feel helpless in the first place—and I wouldn’t doubt it if he regrets it deep down or thinks bringing up his past is unimportant since nothing can be done anymore.

Heck, Sylvia calls him, “a man of mystery,” in The Waste of Time (S2 Ep17b) which later when they both successfully end the time loop it erases that interaction from existence. Wander doesn't disclose what exactly happened to him to be helpless in The Wanders (S2 Ep4a).

He chooses not to go into detail about his past.

Going back to The Ball (S1 13b) episode, he doesn’t just give a speech and tries to help because that's the right thing to do. He tries to help because he sees how the Ballzarians were choosing to lose their chance by willfully fleeing from their home-planets because of Buster, and Wander could not accept that.

"Whew! I wouldn't want someone else to go through what I went through" (The Wanders, S2 Ep4a).

He needed to help them because he himself was not helped.

Having to watch someone else go through the same experience was devastating for him. That's why he took control of the ship and crashed landed it on Buster.

Unlike the Ballzarians, I believe he did not have anyone in his life to help him when he was helpless, nor provide the opportunity to make a change in his circumstances.

He had to become his own helper.

In The Wanders episode (S2 Ep4a) when Sylvia finds the last Wander to complete himself again, the little Wander is terrified and cowering in the corner. He doesn't trust her until she reassures him, "It's okay, I won't hurt you." Wander was used to not receiving help. Sylvia was the first person who—not only reciprocated that same love and care he tends to show towards everyone—but also the first person to stay by his side afterwards. She became his new home.

With all this said, I believe he started out as a coward, then became a stereotypical hero, until finally being transformed into the wandering helpy helperson we know and love today.

Or I'm reading waaaaaaay too much into a silly little cartoon about helping others and self-improvement from a decade ago idk tHat’S jUst a tHeoRY lmao

So during this episode, Sir Brad Starlight impersonates Wander. The way Sylvia reacts is what any other person would; incredulous and downright furious. However, Wander chooses to praise the guy—going so far as saying, “What an inspiration!”

His reaction doesn’t make sense, logically speaking. Although, it would make sense if he never had anyone to look up to when he was helpless.

Throughout the whole episode, he thanks him, imitates his imitator—heck, he even writes and sings a song about him!

Even when he finds out it’s Brad, he’s not mad or hurt by it. He actually proposes they work together to take down Lord Dominator!

“Brad, there's plenty of thunder! Maybe there's a way you can still help us stop Dominator!” (S2 Ep18a).

When Sylvia and Wander defeat the real Dom-bot—and by extension save Brad—Wander still isn’t mad at him. He opts to just stay silent and let Brad talk until Sylvia shoves him towards the king and his daughter.

Despite Brad’s narcissistic traits (not saying he is, but he meets most of the criteria for it), he is seen as the role model that was never there in Wander’s life throughout the episode. That itself is why I think Wander felt inspired by him, despite it being a cheap imitation of himself.

Even if Wander had someone to inspire him to help, it doesn’t make sense why he’d go the extra mile with his accolades. It's extremely over the top with how much he admires his imitator.

Either that or Wander wholeheartedly believes in the saying, "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery" (Oscar Wilde). We can kind of deduce that Wander seems to know the person is imitating him when Sylvia says, "Inspiration?! Wander, the only thing that guy was inspired by was us! I mean, green hat? Orange fuzz?" He doesn't deny it or challenge what she says. He just opts to point out that nobody's ever beaten a Dom-bot before (until Sylvia does near the end of the episode).

So, him feeling flattered to have inspired someone enough to fake being him would be in line with his character.

It might even be both those things, who knows!

In any case, Wander's reaction to this whole situation in this episode is abnormal compared to how the average person would react.

But I guess in that sense, he lives up to his title as being the friendliest face in outer space!