#rsa analysis

Dorm Fashion Style

As referenced in this post by @twstarchives, Yana Toboso wanted each dorm to look “mismatched” when lined up together, with emphasis in reflecting the different tones, themes and settings of the Disney films they were honoring/referencing. 

Octavinelle’s dorm is described as “employees of a jazz lounge”, which can also be interpreted as a business men, suit and tie, kind of vibe. It flows with the character of Ursula: a witch that entrapped many merfolk with predatory contracts. In the Disney wikia, it states: “Pat Carroll, Ursula's voice actress, envisioned the character as ‘part Shakespearean actress, with all the flair, flamboyance and theatricality, and part used-car salesman with a touch of con artist’.” 

The uniform is flamboyant (although far from the only one) but it’s overall one of the more serious and somber of them all. It’s described in the Wiki.gg of Twst in its entirety as:

[image from @twiwoncrackpopcorn] [edit: july 11 2026]

- A black tuxedo jacket with matching pants. The jacket can be either buttoned or unbuttoned. - A lavender colored dress shirt. A black cummerbund is worn around the waist, visible when the jacket is open. - A white bowtie, either tied or untied. - A black fedora with a silver ribbon tied around its middle and tied into a bow. The bow has an ornamental purple seashell in the middle of it. - White gloves and white kerchief in the left breast pocket. - Silver lavender scarf, the same color as the ribbon on the fedora, with the Octavinelle dorm emblem on one side. - Black and white dress shoes, with purple socks emblazoned with a vertical pattern reminiscent of octopus tentacles. - The housewarden of Octavinelle has a white dress shirt instead of a lavender shirt, and has a purple bow tie instead of a white one. The housewarden also has a large grey coat that they typically wear over their shoulders.”

As you can see, the black suit and pants are a direct fashion translation of how Ursula’s body from the chest down to her tentacles is similar to a black dress, her tentacles violet suckers also are referenced in the dorm’s purple socks. And her classic shell necklace is used in their hats and central part of the dorm's crest.

Azul’s dorm uniform shares most of the elements with the rest of his dorm colleagues, with the exceptions mentioned above. Needless to say, it’s crucial that he’s the one that should resemble Ursula the most out of all of them.

The choice of colors for Octavinelle also reflect her influence. Silver from her hair and lavender (or, I could argue a pale lavender that falls into the tone shades of periwinkle) for Ursula’s disguise as Vanessa, more specifically her first periwinkle dress and a black cloak. 

I feel like they probably translated Vanessa's cloak into the outfit as Azul’s gray coat. The combination of black and white also falls into Ursula’s general color scheme and it gives elegance to Azul's figure (and naturally, to his merman form as octopus).

He is the perfect fit in all senses.

Now, unto Marinafinne!

Marinafinne’s dorm uniform, or at least Rielle as Dorm Leader, is a classic simple suit consisting of:

- Rielle has three hair accessories in the shape of little shells and one sea star, and a silver fork in the middle of his fanfiction messy bun. - Sea-green jacket with four parallel golden buttons and pants that get baggy at the top of Rielle’s boots. - The jacket has pink lapels and cuffs, with golden details around both, and special golden embroidery that puffs out like sailor knots (from my view) in the forearm parts. - Marinafinne’s gold dorm crest is pinned in the right lapel, with a cord that has a seashell pending from it. - The inside shirt is a long fabric in very, very light green with a collar and as it descends, it takes on a mermaid tail scales pattern and appearance. Maybe in future art books we’ll see if the entire fabric has the scales print or only that long lower part that goes down until his knees and it appears to be more sheer than the upper part. - Rielle uses his shirt unbuttoned and if you look close enough, the button closer to the vest seems nearly unbuttoned as well. - The vest is purple, buttoned and surrounded by three brown belts with different buckles, some golden accessories hanging out from them, including little golden Sebastian. The last belt excess comes down next to Rielle’s middle. - Hanging from the first and second belt are two types of seashells, with Sebastian on the second as well. Around the third belt it’s a long chain with multiple loops with other trinkets. From left to right: a spoon, a clock in a position at 3 o’clock, a fork, a little golden Flounder, a medallion with a trident engraved and three different types of corkscrews. - These accessories could be personal to Rielle and maybe not mandatory dorm items. - [according to the Wiki Fandom description of the shoes, which I thought were clearer than my own]: (...) His shoes are dark blue button boots that reach his mid-calves. On the front of each boot are pairs of gold buttons secured together by a string of gold lace per pair.

As we can gather, the outfit for Rielle goes for a more “prince-like” vibe, mixing the two movie leads together.

First, traits that could call back to Eric the most are Rielle’s open shirt, the suit buttons structure and maybe (and here I say maybe with the entire salt pot, not a pinch) on the three belts for Eric’s red belt and the two toned boots, although these are more reflective of Ariel’s dark blue heels in her town clothes too.

The rest of the dorm uniform is 100% Ariel.

Edit June 30th: I CRACKED THE CODE!!

I should've thought of it bc of Rielle's feet in his artwork but the chibi gave me the image more directly: the shoes are like that to symbolize a mermaid's fin, in relation to the pants ("the tail").

[chibi images from @twstassets]

So much so that Rielle's chibi is always crossing his feet or putting them together, as if it's his fins! [End of edit]

The green color that’s the same from Ariel’s tail, the purple vest to recall her brasserie shells, the touch of pink is from her iconic princess dress, and need I say more of the mermaid-tail-shirt? The sheer tail of it is a nod to her fins and waist line’s color, I’m guessing. The Disney wikia describes it in a “seafoam green” tone.

I wonder if the baggy ends of the pants are a subtle recall to Ariel’s sail and ropes dress? Could be a reach on my part though.  

It’s an outfit that has a lot of information, but it could mostly be due to Rielle’s own personality and therefore Ariel’s influence. It combines the messiness of her improvised sail and ropes dress and her mermaid form in and of itself.

This post on X has other notes on the possible references. And there's this post from @/a-fairytale-character that also has a quick analysis.

What Does The Design Inform Us?

Putting Azul and Rielle side by side, my impression is that they manage to “talk to each other” in a very specific way. Both use suits but for different aesthetics, a predominant color in each (black/seagreen).

I wonder if it’s on purpose that the color pop of a unique piece (gray coat and light green shirt-tail) comes in two different ways: from outside for Azul, since the coat is on top of his shoulders and reveals a purple exterior, and from inside for Rielle, with the shirt going almost on par with Azul’s coat length.

I could go on more on that but Azul’s scarf is also a pop of color, so we’ll scrap that. Even so I just wanted to bring attention to this neat detail!

Azul’s design is slick and tight, giving him a serious demeanor, trustworthy and business-minded. The monochromatic color scheme also keeps us in secret of what his personality is like. It’s interesting. There’s flashes of purple in the overall outfit but, even there, the overpowering black brings mystery. 

At the same time, if the design is business centered, the person using it is always looking to serve. (Serving who?, is another question.) Azul’s colors make the outfit work seamlessly, his hair, colored after Ursula, was made for that coat. 

On the other hand, Rielle’s abundance of information is in and of itself the main information of his character. He’s extroverted, honest and has nothing to hide from our view, literally using his hobbies on his sleeves… I mean, belts. 

I don’t know if it will be a pattern for RSA’s dorm clothes but I find it interesting that both Rielle and Minajael have their dorm crests outside the clothes themselves (most of NRC’s have prints of the crests) and it seems made of gold. At least that’s my impression of it.

It’s overflowing in vivace. Rielle’s design brings a youthful feel, the unstoppable forces of color in nature. The golden details make sure you know of his status, deep down he’s really a prince and his thingamajigs all over the clothes are his appreciation of what the above shore has to offer. 

Side by side, in the end, they’re perfect opposites. A suit for a business man and a suit for a prince. Monochromatic with somber grays and ominous purples. A splash of maritime colors and warm tones of pink and red.

The final concept of Ursula serves as an antagonistic foil for Ariel in a lot of senses.

Ariel is a young princess, curious and wild, gentle yet reckless, dreams of a world out there, beyond her understanding, wishing to participate in and belong, with a overly positive and romantic view of humans and life in general.

Ursula is an older mermaid, vast knowledge due to experience, well put together, malicious and cunning, plans to conquer back what "belongs" to her, she also has that world that she wants to go back to, presents to Ariel (in an attempt to convince her to give her voice) a warped, negative view of humans.

The boys functions similarly. Azul wants to prove himself to others, so does Rielle but with his father. But they're these sides of the same coin of personality: Azul seems so mature and trustworthy that it's a full on surprise when he's being childish, as for Rielle... we have yet to see of him.

But in summary, the designs work on these points, for better or worse. Working hard to appear mature, over indulgence in one's childness.

The Difference An Sprite Can Make

But I need to address the seagull at the wedding boat ceremony… it’s Rielle’s hair bangs.

Pffff- Okay, it’s way to see the problem. Ever since his design reveal, I was a bit surprised by the team’s decisions and at the same time kinda fascinated. Yes, Rielle’s design is messy but, at the same time, the information it conveys is very objective of who he is and we feel like we know him from the start.

That isn’t to say that the mixture of colors could be better directed, especially the pink. Since the dorm color is green, the inclusion of pink in the clothes doesn't seem all that necessary aside from the mentioned “reference” points. 

But it’s the sprite that makes it a little more difficult to buy their idea. But while the artwork can get away with lighting and body movement, sprites don’t have the same luck and everything facing the same direction brings attention to how the colors are just this close to fighting each other, the lighting on them is flatter than the artwork and their intensity is messed up. 

I won’t comment on the shoes because Twisted Wonderland has a story with shoes. We all have been there. We all know it.

I agree with the sentiment that either the team got pressured into deliver the impossible and take all the remaining Ariel motifs for Rielle or they overindulged in the concept and went balls to the wall it the direction.

Because even in my best intentions, I can't deny it is too much. It's overflowing with information as much as anything else.

But… and here I explain how all these statements aren’t necessarily criticisms, I personally feel like this has Rielle’s name written on it. Nobody could use something like that. Think about how in taking out his personal touch, Marinafinne’s dorm clothes are very simple in nature.

They just feel “a tad worse” in simplicity than Octavinelle’s bc our sea boys have the monochromatic tones at their side and advantage, keeping the seriousness (and with that, unwavering charm) of the clothes at 100, all times.

Maybe things will be clearer if we ever get to see a Mob Student with the dorm clothes and discover if that amount of accessories are required or if it's Rielle himself. I don't know what I prefer in this case. At the same time, it could be interesting to see that Rielle, as a ironic reflection of the team who designed him, is overindulging in human culture and bringing to surface some of the things he like (the sea creatures motifs mixed with human objects).

Everybody has a right to dislike one design or the other, even feel like there’s something fresher to one another.

My personal problem is Rielle’s hair bangs. I think they could’ve made them puffier. It feels like a crime to me to give Ariel’s inspired character the flimsiest bangs known to men and fish. 

But even then I’m still getting used to his design. And Rielle feels sorta of right next to Azul, they state loud and clear who influences them (Ariel and Ursula) and it solidifies my goal (and persistence) of appreciating their school’s artwork storytelling. 

1st Edition Conclusion: RSA Overall Style vs NRC’s

Night Raven College brought us the dorm leaders in imposing poses. They’re determined towards their goals and personal ideas.

Royal Sword Academy (will possibly) deliver us dorm leaders that feel like their battles are almost won over. They’re living the moment, it’s who they are.

Azul isn't too simplistic nor Rielle is too much, in a way. They weirdly balance each other out. When I found this image on pinterest, it dawned upon me that maybe the reason we feel there’s something “refreshing” in the RSA boys is that simply… their poses are more dynamic or at least they give that impression. 

Actually, from Rollo up until Swing, Twst new silhouettes are becoming more dynamic and puts the boys in a more “moving” fashion rather than a simple pose.

It could also be because they’re mostly brand new and there’s always this commotion around news in general. Whatever may be the case, I’m happy the team got to advance so much in all those years, not forgetting the already amazing work they made from the very first year!

As I wanted to show, Azul and Rielle are both crafted to give a character subtext through their designs and make callbacks to their patrons, Ursula and Ariel (& Eric), and I’m sure the rest of the boys will follow in the same steps.

Next time, I’ll put Jamil and Minajael side by side, the ones that kick started most of the conversation lol

While I was studying each design, I got some ideas of what I would personally change (although imo once canon, it’s kind of cemented in my mind anyways) but this is not the place for it and I’ll do a separate post in the very, very far away future~ Not a critique still, just… *inhale/exhale* bro, even Eric has bushier bangs! This is so not fair-

Anyways. Thanks for your attention and patience! Until next time!

...

It's comments like these from the NRC boys that we need to remember that it's their personal interpretation of other characters actions. It immediately reminded me of Leona and Idia thinking the worst of Trey and Cater in the Heartslabyul's dreams lmao

I think we think it's true at first bc since we're accompanying the story through their eyes and in their shoulders, we tend to believe what the first narrator. But upon second analysis, we stop and go "wait... but they aren't very reliable narrators" and there's other things to consider!

Especially coming from Jamil. As much as I love the snake boy <3, Book 4 is basically Jamil trying to run for the Oscars lol So it's likely that he expects Neige to be two-faced not only bc, let's be honest, it's understandably common behind the scenes stuff, but also because it's a behavior he's very familiar with.

There's two things in life:

people with problems will immediately clock someone else's problem bc they went through the same stuff and it's familiar to them ("It takes a thief to catch a thief");

or they will think the things they do are common to other people, out of a need to feel "normal" and that their behavior isn't necessarily wrong bc "everybody does it, so I'm not a outlier".

Because Book 5 is focused on Pomefiore but Yuu gets help from Scarabia, it's natural that those little details about Kalim and Jamil will pop up more frequently. But it's mostly that. We see this behavior with other boys assuming the worst of each other, especially if they aren't really close to begin with.

It's the case with Idia & Leona bad mouthing Cater and Trey. They expect them to use Riddle to get a better life in Heartslabyul but secretly wanting something more... because it's what they would do in that situation. We know is not the case for Cater and Trey and later, we'll shown to be right.

Getting back to Neige...

We're all still anxious about RSA portrayal bc Twst can always do a 180 when we least expect it but, at the same time, I don't think that is likely to happen. My typical "I mean, it can happen but maybe it won't" lmao

It's difficult to pin point following the Eye Theory many anime/mangas follow bc, as you pointed out in the case of many villainesses stories, the two-faced heroine is also drawn with big eyes (which is a common sign of innocence but can be subverted in the flip of a scene).

Neige has big eyes but he closes them a lot, mostly as a nod to Snow White's closing her eyes a lot. Rielle does the same thing actually but in the two cases, I chalk it to another trope that cute characters close their eyes when they're enjoying or appreciating something. And they immediately open their eyes again too!

From Rielle and Minajael's portrayal until now tho, I think Twst is still more likely to go with a nuanced writing for RSA students, similar to the NRC boys. They had the chance to make Mina be stuck in his frustrations with Rielle but instead, he was mature and realized what he did wrong (and Rielle will possibly go through that as well, I feel).

So even if Neige has a little shadow in his eyes, it could probably be for other things that they'll show us in the future. It's already stated that Neige wanted to be a little more confident like Vil but he doesn't say that with envy, more like being sad with himself.

I discussed back in my predictions about how I'm very interested in the view of Neige wanting to try something else, be different for once, and have a moment to take on the very difficult things he probably went through. But the reality is that he comes with quite a lot of possibilities!

Other thing is that looking back at Snow bc yes, she's pure hearted but she has her little sassy moments lol Looking forward for that as well! Ofc with that, comes the fear of the cliche. But honestly they couldn't ever make me hate Neige, whatever route they go with him <3

Rielle & Minajael: Freedom

Their personal drama is relatively the same, although different things are expected of them given their status.

Rielle, as the 7th prince, so not urgently in line to the throne, is expected to be less reckless with himself. Tbf we didn't get the impression the merfolk have any hostility towards humans, at best is desinterest, which makes Rielle and Azul stand out for their respective interests in the above surface world.

On the other hand, Minajael is the 1st prince, putting him directly in line to the crown once his father passes away. A lot of pressure and attention is put onto him bc he's the future of the Tealrajah house.

Both Rielle & Minajael share the wish of freedom to do what they want and pursue their own dreams, not someone's else. Mirroring Azul & Jamil's wishes to reach freedom and independency themselves too.

Alisson & Nalad: Responsibility

Given their circumstances, yes, the original characters stand up against tyranny and abuse of power (in their own way). We don't know how the boys are going to work based on that but possibly something similar!

I used "responsibility" here bc Alice learns to be responsible herself instead of imagining that being the queen of a backwards world is going to solve her problems and Nala helped to bring Simba to his senses of the true responsibility of a good king.

Finding your way in the world is not a easy task but it's necessary! "With great power comes great responsibility."

It becomes a good parallel with Alisson & Nalad to Riddle & Leona, who both performs roles of authority heavily related to a royal-like figure and represents the downfalls and nuances of the topic.

Neige & Megboy: Truth and Heroism

That is the most interesting and tragic bc it's something that rings true to a lot of characters, and these two aren't the exception.

Snow and Megara were deceived in different occasions yet, similarly, it almost cost their lives. But they were saved by acts of true love, from their princes and actions that they did too.

Megboy probably will have the most mysterious take from this... if it follows the original. Maybe in the form of an unlikely and reluctant hero?

Just an aside: No Traitor Megboy theories, please 😑 This fandom can only take so much conspiracies! I swear everywhere has this lol It's kinda like a canonical fandom event in shounen-ish stories that someone has to be a traitor. Anyways-

Idia comes in with both themes is a similar manner. I don't know how to fit in Truth but Heroism is basically his peak point in book 7.

About Neige discovering what Vil did........ I wait for this day with mixed feelings bc while predictions was fun to make, I legit can't fathom what his reaction could be, from a canon stand point. It varies so much. It can get scarier. It can never happen and he lives in forever blissful ignorance. This would need to be its own separate post!

In relation to the Truth theme, true beauty lies within in one's actions (I was not planning on the irony of that phrase tho). Neige's genuine feelings and true innocence, Vil's compromise with true effort and reality.

Merrylad: (my interpretation) Protection

So why protection? This is mostly a prediction based on the Three Good Fairies motivations. They were trying to protect Aurora and the kingdom until the very end, to the best of their abilities and intentions. We know, as spectators, that so much protection without full honesty payed its cost in Aurora falling prey to Maleficent either way (a common trope in this theme, similar to Ariel and Triton).

Interesting enough, Malleus' downfall in book 7 started bc he wanted to protect Lilia, Yuu and others from suffering, by trapping them in a world of dreams. It's a retelling of what the Fairies did to the kingdom so they wouldn't realize Aurora was temporarily "dead" (sleep of death aktually~) yet be protected with her.

Nothing more fair than Merrylad giving his take on this theme as well! Maybe in a more extreme manner or more lax? It depends on the lesson will learn from this situation, granted if that's where they'll go with him.

~~

From NRC side, we got 3 names:

Claire Fontaine (Pomefiore)

Although mostly use in feminine form, it can be used for unissex. "Claire" is of French origin and translates directly to "clear," "bright," or "light-colored". It stems from the Latin word clarus, which also conveys "famous" or "brilliant".

🫧🫧🫧 Fontaine is a French surname meaning "fountain" or "spring". Derived from the Late Latin word fontana, it was originally a topographic name used to identify families who lived near a natural spring, well, or water source.

Together, it forms "bright fountain" or "clear well/spring".

Lucien Benoit (Scarabia)

"Lucien" is the French form of the Latin name Lucianus, which is derived from the Roman family name Lucius, stemming from the Latin word lux (meaning "light").

🕯✨️✨️ "Benoit" is derived from the Latin Benedictus, which comes from benedicere (combining "bene" meaning "well" and "dicere" meaning "to speak"). Literally, it translates to "speaking well of" or "blessed".

Together, it forms "blessed light".

Talis Ferris (Ignihyde)

"Talis" has multilingual origins, but since he's a Ignihyde guy, I'm working with the Ancient Greek meaning.

Often connected to the variant Tallis or Talys, rooted in Old French (taillis) meaning "woodland clearing" and Greek (thállō) meaning "to blossom" or "to bloom".

🏞🌳🌳 "Ferris" has two main origins: English (Norman/Latin): Derived from the Latin word ferrum (meaning "iron"). Historically, it began as a locational surname for people living near iron mines or working as blacksmiths. Irish and Scottish: Closely tied to the Gaelic name Fearghus (anglicized as Fergus), which translates to "man of vigor" or "strong man". In some Irish Catholic naming traditions, Ferris was also used as an anglicized variation of Piaras (the Gaelic form of Peter).

Together, either "woodland clearing/iron" or "to blossom/iron" or "to blossom/man of vigor". I think that the specific Greek root meaning "blossom" but Ferris refers to "iron" (but we could recall it to ferryman, as in Charon, which is a reach in my part).

From RSA side, we got 5 names:

Tim Kamba (Privalo)

I personally hear the romanji for Tim like "Timu". But let's carry on. Tim/Timothy comes from the ancient Greek name Timotheos, which combines time (meaning "honor" or "respect") and theos (meaning "God"), forming "honoring God". It's occasionally used as short form of the Germanic name Dietmar, which translates to "famous people" or "famous nation".

🙏🙏🙏 "Kamba" is said to be primarily referring to the Akamba (or Kamba) people and their Bantu language, originating from central Kenya. The word Kikamba has ties to the translation "the Ostrich Country".

Together is "honoring God"/"Kamba". An interesting rabbit hole on "kamba" from the JP perspective, as one of the meanings also has "God" in it. Given that this is a Privalo guy (Nala's dorm), maybe it's mostly referencing Timon and Pumbaa? It could be. From the sound I immediately thought of them.

Oliver Marchfield (Rosauroria)

"Oliver" derives from the Latin word olivarius (from oliva), literally meaning "olive tree planter" or "olive branch bearer." Also has some connections with the Old Norse name Óleifr, which means "ancestor's descendant" or "ancestor's legacy." Another Germanic root theory links it to Alfher, meaning "elf army".

🌿🌿🌿 "Marchfield" typically means "border field" or "territory by a border river."

Together, it's "olive/border field". Or just plain "olive/march/field".

Winter Blessbell (Rosauroria)

"Winter" refers to the season. It derives from the Old English word wintr, which traces back to Proto-Germanic roots connected to "water" or "wet".

❄️❄️❄️ "Blessbell" is self-explanatory, although it's fair to say that "bell" (depending on the romanji used) could be for "belle" (as in "beauty"). Which reunites as "blessed beauty".

Together, it's "winter/bless/bell" or with my reach, "winter's blessed beauty".

Sylvie Constille (Psycheros)

"Sylvie" is derived from the Latin word silva, which means "wood" or "forest".

🌲🌲🌲 "Constille" doesn't have much results but it feels closer to the word "constellation".

Together, "forest/constellation" or "forest of constellations".

Vega Allenby (Psycheros)

"Vega" has multiple origins. The Arabic one translates to "swooping eagle" or "falling". It comes from the Arabic phrase al-nasr al-waqi, referring to one of the brightest stars in the night sky (in the constellation Lyra). The Spanish origin functions as a surname meaning "dweller in the meadow" or "fertile plain", also referring to the Virgin Mary as "Virgin of the Meadow".

🌠🌌🌌 The star specifically is the Alpha Lyra, the brightest star of the constellation. Lyra is a callback to the history of Orpheus, which takes place in the Underworld. "Allenby" combines "Alein (or Allan)", a French or Breton personal name meaning "handsome" or "little rock" and "by", an Old Norse suffix meaning "farm," "settlement," or "village". It translates roughly to "Alein’s farm" or "Alein's village".

Together, "swooping eagle"/"Alein's farm".

Okay, seriously... wow (in a horrified sense). I was confused when I was reading the translation and then it hit me. I'm curious if they were trying to train Minajael (which would explain how he's a prodigy) while finding ways for keeping inside the palace...

For a kingdom to have a prince with such a UM, they probably would invest hard for him to develop asap but also keeping him at arms length so he "doesn't fall in the wrong hands", as if he's a weapon/object of some kind. That's kinda messed up if it's the case.

Now I don't think they trapped him in a room without food for one month but that they turned the palace (technically, his own home) into a fancy birdcage. Maybe. I'll put a tab on that when I reread the chapter and be on the look out for that tidbit on the next update!!

Case in point:

I noticed first when I was searching for Dunasmina logo and realized the font was closer to Aladdin's than Scarabia... which, like Octavinelle here, utilizes almost the opposite approach. I wonder if it will be a pattern later? Or we're still in the realm of coincidences?