#rook analysis

I just wanted to say that I find your account amazing! I'm not the best at twst analysis (I do love it I'm just Very Into other stuff that takes up all my brain space) so seeing these analyses focused on one of my fav characters is wonderful! (tho saying rook is one of my favorites isn't much... I love all these guys)

now, just something I'm curious about ... do you have any thoughts on the beastman rook theory? sorry if you already answered this and I just couldn't find it

I like it because I want to pet his feathers please and thank you. I love rook.

- the anon who asked bout ruggie last time

THANK YOU ANON‼️🫶 its super fun to write and share my analyses, i'm really happy they're enjoyable!!

on the topic of beastman rook, this actually isn't something i've written about before at all, and i'd be glad to share my thoughts!!

this theory seems to kinda have two main "variations" that i've seen - fox beastman rook, and bird beastman rook.

i think a good part of the fox beastman rook theory comes from the fact that rook takes some character inspo from robin hood as well, sharing many similarities with him (both in terms of physical design and lore/character tidbits). another point of this theory comes from the fact that rook has INSANELY good senses (which are also canonically mentioned to be on the same level as non human characters, such as lilia) and he has a cat/fox-like eye shape as well. additionally, he can also be very cunning and stealthy too, traits which are also often associated with foxes.

a few counterpoints i can think of for this theory are that rook has no physical attributes that explicitly point to him being a beastman overall (BUT to be fair, it could also be possible that rook is only half beastmen too, which could give him the advantages of things like good senses without him having a tail or ears. i've seen it mentioned he could also be possibly using a sort of potion to cover up any physical beastman attributes, but i find that to be less likely imo) another thing i've heard mentioned is that a great amount of foxes actually statistically don't have amazing hunting rates, which we know isn't true for rook.

as for the bird beastman rook theory, this is one i've seen come up a lot more than the last due to rook having TONS of bird symbolism and such overall. his name is quite literally rook (a type of crow, likely a nod to the evil queen's crow), his canon hair color in the official twst artbooks is referred to as "canary gold", he regularly wears a feathered hat (a detail i find intriguing about this is that his feathers always alternate between either white or black, and bird rooks have both black and white feathers!!), and is referred to as seagull/black-tailed gull (jp) by floyd, getting the only one of floyd's nicknames so far that isn't an "actual" sea creature. and again to reiterate from before, rook has senses that are on par with other nonhuman characters in the game. we also know that the physical characteristics of bird beastman appear less apparent, and can be more easily hidden.

counterpoints for this theory are that, while physical attributes of bird beastmen appear less apparent, they're still there. for example, if we look at kifaji's FULL live2d sprite, we can see that he has tail feathers, proving that bird beastmen still do have physical bird traits. jade has also said that seagulls can easily see through lies, which may be moreso why floyd gave him that specific nickname.

so, with all that said, do i personally believe in this theory? - honestly i dunno!!

i don't think it's necessarily fair to just chalk up rook's hard work and skills as a hunter and archer as just being innate "second nature" to him (which is a part ive heard of this theory i just didn't include, but i know not everyone who likes this theory agrees with this too). additionally, i don't think his incredible senses need to necessarily be explained as him being nonhuman, but rather his sharp senses could possibly just be sensory sensitivities of sorts, another point i've heard made about this theory by others!!

on the contrary though, i do think rook being a beastman would be very interesting!! i think if he is a beastman, he's likely only half beastman, which could explain his lack of physical traits. i really do enjoy getting to see different hcs and art of rook as a beastman too, its all incredibly peak‼️🥹i also think that if rook is a beastman, he's likely a bird beastman.

Caterina's first interaction with Aylewin boils down to: “this crazy elf lady thinks shes fighting gods and she needs Lucanis. Might as well send her to go find him, because if she dies I don't care and if she brings back Lucanis, great.” Nothing about Aylewin instills confidence. This ragtag looking elf, with torn and well worn robes and a look on her face that keeps flickering between hatred and desperation does not scream: “I know what I'm doing and I'm mentally sound.”

Same anon is back again. Just wanted to ask about how you're doing lately!!

Please don't forget to take care of yourself (and don't stress yourself out too much please~)

I hope everything is going well for you! <3

And.. question! because. Well. Why not lol? Who's your favourite twst character? I'm not sure, but I guess it's Vil? I'm a little curious lol~

Anywahs. I hope you're doing alright. Feel free to take your time at writing and such. Don't rush yourself, Kay??

I’m better now that you’re here! But generally, I’m good. Could be better, but I’m trying to improve at some real life stuff. I’m also on my period so ouch. Also, off my adhd meds rn. However, I did do a quick edit sweep of this post, so I think it’s decent. Want to reply out there before I go to sleep

Also, I swear your little asks are the only reason I keep coming back to Riddle’s Dreaming of You lol. U’re a saint. Keep the questions about twst coming. U can probably even ask me what I think about different characters too. That’d help me get back into twst I think. I love talking about characters and character analysis lol

Anon, u picked the right option and asked me a question. Good job! I’m proud of u and thank u so much! I love talking and texting lol. Feel free to dm me btw. I don’t bite. Besides, I’ve already deemed u my friend, since you’ve helped me so much in terms of redirecting my attention back to my beautiful Riddle fanfic. That means u get exclusive access to unreleased content if u dm me! In addition, I’ll probably end up writing a whole fanfic in the chat. It happens with every online friend of mine. Again, if u want that, dm me! You’ve ignited a small flame in my heart regarding twst. Feel free to fan it before it fizzles out.

…I sound like a cross between a car salesman and Rook, which inevitably brings me to answer your question!

My favorite character is actually Rook! But Vil is my second favorite obviously. I love them both! However, our favorite hunter always speaks more to me in terms of mystery, hidden depth, and poetry. If you can’t tell, I can embody Rook very quickly when I think or talk about him. The “flames” line came out of nowhere simply because I was about to talk about him. It wasn’t planned nor have I been writing like that for my MDZS or Death Note fanfics. That’s how easy Rook is for me.

I think one of the reasons I like the Pomefiore vice leader so much is, again, his hidden depth. I think of my fanfics as puzzles. The harder the puzzle is, the more interested I am. Now that sounds like Near from Death Note (the adhd brain jump appears).

As for Vil, he tends to speak to some of the narcissistic trauma I endured as a child (I’m totally ok though! I’ve recovered. That’s why I’m so open to talk about it). Smacking some sense into him in my fanfics is extremely cathartic. Most narcissists don’t change, so seeing Vil’s actions line up with his words and desire to improve no matter what, it seems realistic that he would want to alter his behavior. It heals my soul a little bit every time I lovingly smack him around. I want to show a more real side to Vil. The one who struggles to improve on an aspect he’s never worked on before. Vil orients himself to the physical world much more than anything else. Obviously, he employs logic and critical thinking skills as well. Even then, it’s not emotionally conscious. He maintains his body to a T. He created his own skincare brand by physically playing around with the formula. Even when using his logic, he tends to apply it toward physical activities and practicalities. He’s a very hands on, practical person. (That’s why I think he’d love physical touch, but that’s beside the point.)

The realm of emotions is so clearly foreign to the model that it makes me put my head in my hands and cringe. As a person who is in tune with psychology and interpersonal communication, it’s extremely easy for me to create stories that focus on developing that aspect of Vil.

Wow, considering how much I talked about Vil vs Rook, I understand why you’d think Vil is my favorite. So, I’ll talk about Rook a little more in contrast to Vil. They very much compliment each other and their relationship is very interesting to watch.

I suppose the appeal of Rook is he helps behind the scenes. While he acts showy and adds a ton of flare, it also allows him to completely conceal himself when he’s sneaking. People expect him to walk in to a room spouting poetry, so when he doesn’t and appears behind you, it’s an extra surprise. It just adds another layer to his stealth. It’s actually a tactic I used in my youth, so I connect with that extremely well.

Rook also loves to help people. Again, his help is more subtle than Vil’s blunt and often scalding comments. He really fill Vil’s faults in that area. Rook knows how to navigate emotions much better than Vil. Regardless, the hunter is still very much physically oriented. He had to hone those skills to survive. Information is the key to taking down an opponent. That’s something I also learned as a kid to survive some of that narcissistic abuse. I relate to him in that way.

Jumping to a different aspect of him, I find his facade fascinating. He plays the role of a hunter, yet it’s implied by his behavior that his biggest fear is being hunter. By extension, it also means the fear of truly seen. As a fanfic writer, that aspect is an easy dynamic to play with because it’s inherently a internal conflict. Rook does want to be seen and connect with others, but there’s a combination of fear of probably endangering his friends if they know too much about what his family does and the fear of the unknown. That’s why he’s much more comfortable in the outside observer role. That’s also something I relate to. I tend to be on the outside of friend groups because I don’t like the drama. I’m open to helping one on one with people in them, like Rook, but generally I’m on the periphery. I enjoyed seeing our favorite hunter divulge more of himself in chapter 6 to actively become closer to the others. I think he loved the experience of being in a team, especially when he’s so used to being alone (mood for me lol). In addition to Vil’s overblot scare, probably learning he needs more support than he originally thought, he wants to maintain some of that connection. With all the Pomefiore trio has been through, who’s a better candidate to take a leap of faith for. When Rook decides something, it’s with conviction and no one will deter him (me too). It’s a very powerful trait to have.

Back to his original fear, Rook wants to conceal information so people can’t target him. He’s done everything he can to mitigate that factor with stealth and skill. He is an expert at what he does. Even then, some of it’s not fool proof. Trey tends to clock his lies and privately points them out. Rook appreciates that he doesn’t pry or reveal information publicly. While it might be considered a mild threat, knowing Trey’s personality, he wouldn’t be one. It makes Rook trust him more. Trey’s nice to be around anyway.

Bouncing back to a previous topic, Rook’s flamboyant persona isn’t a complete lie. The best lies are created with a little bit of truth after all. He just happens plays it up a lot. It could also be a measure of self disclosure. He is very loud about his interests, drawing attention away from more personal and real aspects of his life.

Interestingly enough, I love his contrast to Cater (this is a tangent, but I’m into the analysis and hopefully you are too). The card solider is similar to Rook in his secretive nature. He keeps his cards close to his chest if I want to get poetic. However, he 100% more secretive than Rook imo. He’s fantastic at flying under the radar and being underestimated. Our hunter excels in the physical territory, which tracks as a Pomefiore student. All of them are very physically oriented (like Savanaclaw students but the similarities between the dorms is a talk for another day). Rook is openly strange and eccentric, so whenever he feels threatened or wants to establish his dominance (a very Savanclaw wording, but he was originally in it so it fits) (also an example of this is actually when the cast first meets him when they’re signing up for VDC. I could get into it, but for now I won’t) he openly threatens others. He doesn’t conceal that he has secrets. The way he gets people to back off is by making them scared and uncomfortable. People quickly learn that he’s not worth the effort of being stalked.

Cater, on the other hand, plays defensively. His facade is much more ingrained than Rook’s is. Rook only adopted the more refined persona during his Pomefiore days, upping the level of his lies and armor. The reason Cater’s is so ingrained is because of his childhood. He’s also much certainly lying to himself which strengthens its hold on him. Regardless, He makes himself ditzy to seem harmless and has no brain. People instantly chalk him up to being an annoying influencer. Hell, if you don’t look into him, he even tricks the readers. I know he did that for me.

He hides by deflection. When someone asks personal questions, he probably gives a generic answer before redirecting it to the other person. He knows people love talking about themselves. He learned that from his sisters who unknowingly trampled all over him and his autonomy. The fact he had to move around a lot also meant that the only stable and constant people in his life were his sister and mom. He couldn’t escape that abuse. Side note: it was 100% not intentional, which I can see making Cater’s feelings toward them even more complicated. He also doesn’t like conflict, but considering his finesse, there must’ve been a lot of petty conflicts within the house. If his sisters are anything like the ones from Cinderella, they’d fight over pretty things. Anyway, I could talk more about our Cinderella boy, and his depression and how his autonomy was absolutely ignored and ripped away from him. The only thing he could do to survive was to conform. He probably believes he has to keep changing himself to be worth anything too. His self esteem is ran through the ground. I seek to explore that in his dreaming of you fanfic. However, I will stop here for now.

Hopefully that gave you insight about my favorite twst characters. Although, I wouldn’t say Cater is technically my favorite… the third place for me is always changing. Honestly all of them r in third place, it just who interests me in the moment lol.

Regardless, I’ll minimally edit this before posting. However, I hope you like it! Feel free to ask me other questions about characters. This was very fun.

Also, who’s your favorite character or characters? It might be nice to do a little analysis of them on here too! Gives me something to do lol

Now, I’ll go read and edit Riddle’s Dreaming of You while falling asleep lol. How fitting