Power and Control in The Freak Circus + Columbina Theorization
This post is personal analysis of the overarching theme of power/control within the story of TFC (sorry, y'all, I had Columbina brainworms and needed to get this typed out since a lot of it has to do with my queen... I apologize if it's a little all over the place), as well as some slight theorization regarding the history of the characters and Columbina's death.
TW: Discussion and mention of SA, human trafficking, discrimination, objectification, dehumanization, and femicide. Please do not read if these topics upset you!
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So, we see from the very first day of the game that the monsters had their autonomy stripped from them by humans, specifically the human man (whom I will refer to as "ring leader"), who takes advantage of their poor circumstances and offers them a place at his circus in exchange for food. The ring leader knew he had some innate power over the monsters, and he used this power to potentially coerce the monsters into working for him, resulting in the control he had over the cast.
At the circus, the monsters are treated incredibly poorly. They were kept in cages, and their food rations – which were the only thing the ring leader had promised them when he asked them to join his circus – were made smaller and smaller, resulting in them growing too weak to fight back. They were promised they would receive something as payment for their service (i.e., food), and then that was taken away from them (in real life, human trafficking is defined by the use of force, fraud, and/or coercion; in this case, what the ring leader did to the monsters would be fraud, and it would eventually become force).
Since we now have three different versions of Columbina's death, as of December 2025, I will be analyzing each scene one by one to piece together what we already have regarding lore, starting with Harlequin's puppet show.
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Harlequin's Tent:
We are shown by Harlequin during his performance on Day 1 that the monsters were not able to flee from or leave the circus because they were all physically too weak and malnourished to do so (they were trapped, and because of that, they no longer had control over their own lives/wellbeing/fate). However, they eventually regain their freedom by killing, and most likely eating, the ring leader who had been responsible for their imprisonment and unjust treatment.
However, to achieve this in the first place, they had to violate the autonomy of one of their own – Columbina, who I must note was also the only woman-identifying member of the group (Brazil, the country in which the characters originate, also has high femicide rates). Columbina additionally had the identity of "angel" thrust upon her by Harlequin in his story, presumably against her will, just to make her death seem like a sacrifice rather than what it truly was – betrayal and murder.
Harlequin also frames Columbina in this scene as a willing sacrifice, wanting them to eat her so they could become human and build a home for all of them. However, the text right after this narration is Columbina pleading with them as she says, "Please, no!", followed by the text below:
Jester: "We have no choice." – The purple text seems to be almost dejected, like this wasn't something any of them wanted to do, but instead just something they had to do. The way it's worded almost takes away any accountability from them and the actions they had to take as a result of their circumstances. Harlequin: "She is the weakest of us." – The green text highlights the clear power difference/imbalance between Columbina and the rest of the monsters, her physical weakness making her a prime target for what they have to do because she will not be able to fight back. Ticket Taker: "You will give us the strength to go on." – The white text comes off, to me at least, as trying to comfort Columbina so she knows her death will not be in vain, and that she will be helping them all with her "sacrifice." Columbina: "PLEASE HELP ME, I DON'T WANT TO DIE." – The pink text highlights that she did not want to die, and that her death was not something she wanted to happen, nor something she consented to. She was killed, and we do not know who she was calling out to in her final moments for aid.
I find it interesting, too, how in Harlequin's play, only he, Jester, and the Ticket Taker comment on the murder and consumption of Columbina, especially since these are the three characters who have been confirmed not to be virgins by the creator. As someone who works with survivors of SA/stalking/human trafficking and as a survivor myself, I just find this particular scene (and Columbina's story as a whole) so chilling because, statistically, most harm-doers are people you know/are close with. Sometimes, they're even people who experienced violence themselves and no longer want to feel powerless, going so far as to violate the autonomy of another.
Now, in no way am I saying that this scene is directly related to or implying SA, but I just found it interesting to take note of, especially considering that Pierrot and The Doctor have no lines of dialogue during this entire scene. They were simply bystanders from Harlequin's perspective, despite them being the two largest members of the circus, and Pierrot being the strongest in terms of physical strength.
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Ticket Taker's Tent:
TT's tent is incredibly interesting as its main theme is to "not trust what you see", and yet, we see a very different tale compared to both Harlequin's and Jester's retellings presented in the mirror at the end of the hall, which TT states is "his favorite." Placing your trust in someone inherently gives them a lot of power over a situation, especially since, if they break your trust, you're in a worse situation than they are. TT puts the MC in a position where they're inherently at a disadvantage (they're in his tent at the circus he helps run), and to make it through his tent, they have to trust what he tells them during their interactions.
Now, in TT's tent, we get to see mirrors for each of the different circus members, with their reflections either interacting directly with or speaking directly to the MC. At the pink mirror, we see who we can presume is Columbina, given the pink eyes and the subsequent scene if you choose to stay and listen to her tale.
In this retelling, we learn that Columbina didn't look as "monstrous" as her companions, and because of this, she was frequently leered at by the humans who found her to be pretty despite "being one of them (a monster)." However, Pierrot was always around to protect her, and presumably the other circus members, due to his large size and immense strength. Because Pierrot acted as a barrier – as something that prevented them from getting what they wanted (i.e., "a problem") – the humans somehow managed to harm him, leaving him physically unable to protect the others (i.e., taking away his power).
We then cut to a scene of everyone trapped inside different cages – everyone except Columbina, who is sitting on the ground in the middle; we can assume this was because the humans did not view her as any kind of a threat, so they felt no need to restrict her the same way they felt the need to do so with the others. She says she is scared of them (the humans) trying to touch her again, and she asks Harlequin if he will "save" her, which he seems confused by.
After this, we overhear the humans talking about their plans; they'll leave the others to starve, and they'll find a use for Columbina. The humans were planning on isolating her completely from her support system (the other monsters), which is a tactic used by abusers against their victims, so the victim feels as though they can only rely on the person abusing them.
This, to me, can also be representative of how some individuals in real life tend to fetishize other groups of people, which is another way of dehumanizing them (the humans don't respect the monsters, but they find themselves viewing Columbina as an exception to their biases/prejudices, potentially knowing that she is the weakest and targeting her specifically to "tame"). I feel like they were planning on trafficking Columbina, as well, and we can presume what kind of trafficking they were planning on doing based on how they talked about her and the fact that Columbina mentioned they had tried to touch her before ("she'll be useful for something"). We also know Brazil has experienced a rise in human trafficking cases, particularly regarding women [1].
Jester then seems to be surprised that Pierrot is alive and hasn't succumbed to his injuries right before Harlequin breaks out of his cage, and he mentions the fact that Columbina is the weakest among them once more. However, instead of crying or begging for her life, she simply tells Harlequin, "Thank you." Pierrot directly talks in this scene, as well, saying "No... no... no...". Harlequin then laughs with tears in his eyes before telling everyone to eat after biting into Columbina's neck.
Jester: "Sorry, [Harlequin]." – Why was Jester apologizing to Harlequin? Was what happened something Jester had mentioned at some point? Was Columbina's death not done in a spur-of-the-moment situation, but rather, planned, or at least talked about beforehand? Columbina: "No, he wasn't..." – Columbina states that Jester wasn't sorry, but what wasn't he sorry for, exactly? This line brings up a lot of questions.
Now, the story told by the Columbina in TT's Tent shows Harlequin's actions, while most likely not intentionally by him, as merciful – that by killing and eating her, she would not have to endure further abuse by the humans. After this, Columbina thanks the MC for listening, and you leave the tent after not having blinked or moved for quite some time.
This story is completely different from what we have seen from the other characters, and since it's confirmed that everyone remembers what happened differently to cope with her death, I find it so interesting how TT's depiction of the event shows Columbina's death as almost peaceful. I'm a huge sucker for the theory that TT had a paternal relationship with Columbina (based on the screenshot of him kissing her forehead while she was dying/being eaten, his symbol being a teardrop, him being in charge of the pink tent, and the fact he is the oldest among the group; if you're interested in this theory, check out @hexserath's blog under the tag #grievingfathertheory), so it would make sense for his character to view her death not as violent, but as something better for her than the potential abuse she would have had to endure while the rest of them were left to rot.
However, while the Columbina in the mirror could have potentially been her spirit talking with the MC, and while I do enjoy this concept, I do not think that is the case. The reason I say this is because of the easter egg and other flashes of dialogue from her character. In the easter egg, if the MC chooses to name themselves "Columbina", it shows scenes of her violent death, with her text reading, "We are not the same, you and I. I didn't want to, but our fate was cursed. I should have listened to him. It was my fault." (Keep this last line in mind for later.)
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Pink Tent Intermission:
Before we get to Jester's tent, I wanted to talk about the "fools" of the circus. So, we know that the characters cared deeply for Columbina, with all of them being depicted crying in one scene or another over her death. However, I do find it strange that pink – the color that represents Columbina herself (even if we see two different shades of pink for her used throughout the game; one that is more saturated, and one that is more pastel, which we see in Jester's performance) – was chosen for the purpose it was eventually given at the circus. We know that pink tickets are given to people who will either be used as dolls for performances or advertising (i.e., Carol, the unpleasant woman from the café, other "fools") or as a source of food for the circus members (as shown in the bad end on Day 1 regarding the MC's fate).
While them wanting to have Columbina and her memory remain a crucial part of the circus makes sense, especially since her death resulted in them being able to become human and create the circus as their new home, I do find it almost cruel that the pink tickets are given to people who are "sacrifces" that are used for their bodies in one way or another (either as meat for the circus members to consume, or as mindless dolls to be used in the different performances or tents).
Given that we can assume that Columbina was frequently a target of unwanted advances, both from humans and her own kin alike (i.e., Harlequin), and was a victim of abuse just as much as the rest of the cast was, it feels almost... distateful to me that her violent death is memorialized in such a way by the circus. Though, perhaps the monsters simply grieve and mourn differently than humans, which wouldn't be a stretch considering Jester's comments about how love is perceived in the valley where they once lived.
It's also strange to me that those dressed in pink are called "fools", which Harlequin talks about in Day 2, especially considering that fool is something demeaning you would call another person who you would consider to be unintelligent or naive. I find Columbina saying "it was my fault" in her scene in the naming easter egg to be something to note, and it makes me wonder if Columbina was the one who first made contact with the humans and, because of her naivety, was coerced or tricked into making a deal with the ring leader that resulted in the poor conditions she and her companions then were forced to endure. This would make sense why those who wear pink at the circus are deemed "fools" to mirror Columbina's own naive actions.
Harlequin mentions in his play that the man who asked the monsters to work for him would give them food in return for their services. Perhaps the monsters were experiencing famine in the valley, and Columbina believed the human man would be able to help them. This is just a theory for right now, though, at least until more information is revealed throughout the story.
To tie this little rant back to power and control, I desperately want to know how the circus chooses those who receive pink tickets. Since we know Carol is currently at the circus as a fool, it makes me wonder how she ended up there – was she kidnapped, or was she invited to the circus much like the MC was? We know from the brief interaction between the MC and Boss that Carol has a turbulent home life, so did this make her a target for the circus? In real life, most predators tend to find victims who don't have many people to rely on or other traits that make someone an "easy" target, so it's not too far of a stretch. This also makes me wonder why the MC was given a pink ticket, too. Did TT know the MC lives alone, or was there something inherently apparent about the MC that made them seem like a prime target (i.e., naivety)? Here's an interesting post/theory regarding the fools, particularly in reference to TT!
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Jester's Tent:
In Jester's play on Day 2, we get to see the events Harlequin depicted in his puppet show as something almost completely different. For one, Jester uses the human fools as actors, resulting in the death of the one woman actor, who was assigned to play Columbina, at the hands of the actor meant to represent Harlequin. So far, we have seen Jester and Pierrot directly killing people in their performances, which I think is another important thing to note for the future; I don't have much more to say about this at the current moment, but I do find it quite interesting that this is the case (Harlequin uses puppets, The Doctor doesn't kill anyone on-screen during his tent sequence, and Ticket Taker has no one else in the tent while we're there).
Jester's story focuses on Columbina and Pierrot's relationship ("forbidden love") rather than their prior interactions with humans/the history of the circus. In his play, he highlights how Columbina was "delicate, with no claws, almost no fangs," and how Pierrot would be incredibly gentle, going so far as to hide his claws (the monstrous aspects of himself), so as not to accidentally harm her. However, Harlequin, who is described as The Poison by Jester, shows great envy towards the two and their relationship. He seems to wish that Columbina would look at him in the same way she does Pierrot, and that he would become angry whenever she "slipped away from his attempts at seduction."
Jester notes that Columbina's heart "beat differently" for Harlequin (which could have been from fear of him, since she states that "something inside of you scares me" when talking with him). However, in this moment of rejection and heartbreak, Harlequin kills Columbina, which Pierrot ends up stumbling upon. Her final words are "Please... Please don't [Harlequin]." This is followed by the following lines of dialogue:
Ticket Taker: "Why... did you do that?" – Blue text (not white, which is interesting given that TT seems to switch between white and blue text, with the white text being used for him on Day 1 during Harlequin's performance). This is the same dialogue we have seen in previous moments from him that expresses a feeling of shock because of Harlequin's actions. Harlequin: "Someone had to do it, obviously." – Green text; new dialogue that was not shown in any other scene regarding this moment. Harlequin states that someone had to do it (murder), and that Columbina's death was an obvious choice; he comes off as almost callous and cruel. Pierrot: "No... no... no..." – Yellow text with the same dialogue we have seen in a similar scene from TT's Tent. Once again shows how much emotional turmoil this caused Pierrot, especially since he didn't have the power to protect Columbina in this moment.
Jester finishes his performance by stating, "Because in the valley of monsters, love is just another way to devour each other." This is something that could certainly be a cultural difference between their species and humans, though it could have just been the culture of monsters living within the valley, since they had been forgotten and left to starve, making food and hunger something important to them. After this, we get the text, "We have no choice.", in purple, with Jester once again reiterating they didn't have a choice regarding the actions they took toward Columbina. Were they forced to do it, or did they simply believe there were no other routes they could take, given their physical weakness/loss of power?
Now, Jester's story is interesting because Harlequin's murder of Columbina is painted to be done because of jealousy, not out of mercy (as depicted by TT) or as something that needed to be done so they could be free (as depicted by Harlequin, who also called Columbina an "angel" for her sacrifice). I really enjoy Harlequin's character, but it's clear that he is depicted in Jester's retelling of the events as being selfish, greedy, and envious, resulting in him killing someone he cared for in a fit of anger (or to purposefully harm Pierrot, similar to the idea "if I can't have her, no one can"). This particular retelling is a bit unnerving compared to the others, showing Harlequin's seeming entitlement to Columbina, her love, and her affections, despite her not wanting to have that kind of relationship with him. This is very frequently a reason behind a lot of harm done to women by men who feel wronged or slighted by the woman not reciprocating the feelings they believe they deserve.
After his show, Jester's final words to the MC are that, if they try to run, they will be found; he wants the MC to know how powerless they are in the current situation, and he seems to have no problem making them aware of it. We know that Jester is the only member of the cast who fully hates humans, and that he is the appointed leader of the circus (we do not know the full details behind why at this point in time, but being a leader is a very high position of power).
The fact that he can control another person's mind, turning them into "dolls", is quite concerning. Calling someone a "doll" is clear objectification and dehumanization in this case, and since Jester's ability leaves people unable to move or act of their own free will, it takes away from them all of their autonomy and choice. Pierrot even tells the MC to not speak or move after putting a mask over their face and telling them to simply act like a doll, which indicates to me that this is how humans under Jester's influence act when not being given direct orders (which, later in the mentioned scene with Pierrot, results in Harlequin coming in and immediately taking advantage of the situation, saying "I must be really lucky today!" when he sees the MC chained to the bed).
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...So, yeah. This was my big, long braindump because I'm very interested in the truth behind my beloved Columbina's death (and I'm very passionate about discussing the inappropriate amount of violence that women face across the world). Let me know your thoughts on my nonsense haha! I tried to compile/analyze all of the retellings of this particular event from the characters so far. It's really interesting to me that we haven't seen what happened from Pierrot's or The Doctor's POVs yet, and I'm very curious to see if we will.
On that note... surprise!!!
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Bonus Pierrot Analysis:
Pierrot calls the player "my sweet angel" (the same mioniker/theme that is tied to Columbina) at the end of Day 1 if you eat the circus food or his cake, likening you to his deceased lover (who we know he felt drawn to because she was kind and gentle with him, as told by Jester). He then says, while you're passed out, "Don't make me devour you, too."
The next day, when the MC wakes up, Pierrot tells them that there were other eyes "trying to devour" them (that specific word is used again by Pierrot, and it's the same word used by Jester during his performance), and that you "looked like prey" while passed out – highlighting his desire to keep you safe and under his watch, but also noting that he does view you, to some degree, as prey/helpless/weak (he seems to be aware that he is a predator/much stronger than you). He then mentions that you were breathing slowly and you weren't moving, saying, "it was like... like you were going to disappear forever, like..." (like Columbina?) before quickly stating he would never hurt you "like that" (murder? assault?).
We know that Pierrot's main color is yellow (his eyes, his text), and yet, he's forced to wear red. Red symbolizes love and passion, but it is also a color closely associated with anger. We also know that Pierrot was assigned this color by Jester as a punishment (red also being the color used for the humans who harmed the cast). Now, this brings up the question – did Pierrot hurt Columbina in some way, or was he more involved in her death than he remembers? Sometimes people black out in moments of intense anger, so could that be a potential reason? In the Commedia dell'arte, the character Columbina cheats on her husband Pierrot with Harlequin, so do the characters' inspirations/historical origins play a major role in TFC?
For right now, though, there are not enough clues pointing to Pierrot potentially being the one who killed Columbina when compared to Harlequin, who is depicted in all the stories as being the one behind her death. All we have is Pierrot mentioning not wanting to devour the MC "too", but this could simply be because he was fed part of Columbina by the other members of the circus to get his strength up after being attacked/injured. Though, in Jester's play, Pierrot says, "I'll find a way to be together forever..." before it cuts to a shot of an open mouth with sharp teeth moving towards the camera after Columbina is killed, implying that Pierrot ate her remains willingly so the two could be together even after her death.
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...Man, I really do love lore analysis. If anyone is interested, I could do an analysis of the mirrors in the Ticket Taker's tent (because his tent was so, so cool).
