i DON'T NEED YOUR HELP TO EXPLODE

something i don't see a lot of people mention about edd are his flaws, specifically his narcissistic traits. i'd argue he has more than matt (who is often portrayed as a narcissist). if you watch eddsworld closely, you'll notice that while matt is flamboyant and craves a lot of positive attention, edd is the one with the inflated sense of self. when given the chance, he makes things about himself, and in his own artwork, he portrays himself in better shape than he actually is. it doesn't come from a need to feel wanted or accepted, but a desire to feel admired. he's not usually competitive, but when he feels personally insulted or challenged by someone else, he will give it all he's got just to prove himself. edd also needs to be the center of the universe and have everything operate under him. his biggest fear is living a life that he has no control over (which is a normal fear to have, but the thought terrifies him and it ties in with the theme of having control over his world).

edd's narcissistic tendencies don't overshadow his great leadership skills, but he can be bossy and impose himself in a lot of situations. i personally headcanon that very deep down he's horribly insecure about himself, but his outward and often playful grandiosity makes up for it. i'm debating whether or not to bestow him the official npd headcanon. he definitely has adhd though.

tord!!!! tord is the quietest and most reserved one in the group. he can seem cold sometimes but it's often just his autism blank stare. unless he's passionate about a topic or person he's talking to, he will not speak much and be quite bored in conversations. tord is actually bored by many things in general. he enjoys more exciting hobbies like firing and detonating weapons and honestly anything that spikes his adrenaline. but he also gets fixated on robotics, biotech, engineering, and sometimes a really good book. tord gets along fine with his roommates; besides edd, he's not shown to feel too strongly towards them. he and tom will sometimes have a little spat when it comes to fighting for the Edd's Favorite™ position but they're usually chill.

ok here's where a lot of the headcanons come in. i headcanon that tord has aspd (antisocial personality disorder) that stems from past childhood abuse and neglect -- he also has pstd but that's kind of a given. he received very inconsistent love and care from his parents, which resulted in him having stunted empathy, acting with occasional aggression and defiance, and becoming generally detached from other people. other symptoms include things i already mentioned above, like impulsively doing outrageous things to relieve chronic boredom and seeming cold and unfriendly.

despite his sometimes impulsive actions, tord isn't senselessly violent like how some fans portray him; he just has what we would consider a skewed moral compass. he prioritizes different things than a neurotypical person would. it's rare that he forms a genuine alliance with someone, but when he does, he will cross every line for that person without a care for anyone or anything else. he is strictly logical and almost seems to follow a rulebook he's crafted in his mind, rarely letting his emotions do the reasoning. when making decisions, he prioritizes his own well-being over the well-being of others. it's how he learned to survive, and he expects others to do the same.

tord doesn't like being under the shadow of people or being told what to do. in fact, he looks at how the world is run and thinks "there is so much wasted potential here, i could singlehandedly do that better." like edd, he is very much a leader, and i think this is why he chose to leave and live life on his own terms. he loved being by edd's side, but at the same time, he felt like a caged animal. the last time he belonged so somebody, he was hurt, so this trauma-based fear is part of what causes him to run away. there were valid reasons behind his decision -- he had aspirations he wanted to chase that could not be achieved by living on durdam lane forever. but it meant leaving a loved one behind, and he payed that price.

i really do like how edd and tord's personalities both match and complement each other. edd is a morality pet for tord, he's a person his mind has somehow made an exception for. tord helps mellow edd out, and gladly gives him the admiration he craves. what's really awesome is that they're both far from perfect people, yet they both look up to each other.

however, their personalities also clash. edd's bossy nature can sometimes be a bit over-bearing for tord. i imagine that tord leaving must've been the worst thing to ever happen to edd, not just because he was losing a lover and friend, but because there was nothing he could do to stop him. he had no control over tord's decisions -- he just had to watch him go and let his whole world go out of balance. my friend @orfisheus brought up edd's more tame nature after tord leaves (mostly in legacy), and how this could be how he acts after internalizing (and maybe even blaming himself for) tord's departure; he waters himself down so no one else gets sick of him and leaves. the truth is that tord only wanted what edd had, which was a group of people to lead.