The Freak Circus: Is Jester lying?
I'm still trying to figure out why Jester, despite having the least amount of screen time, has quickly become one of the most fascinating characters in this game. Spoilers below for the game. Join me in tinfoil hat land.
I have no skill in art, so my contribution to this fandom is over-analysing every piece of dialogue.
I've been through a journey with Jester. I've gone from love, to doubt, to questioning, and landed firmly on unease. The more I sit with this game the more uncomfortable I get, the more creeped out. Maybe you can play a horror game too many times. That and it's excellently made.
Let's narrow down this post for a bit though, specifically to the show Jester puts on for Y/N in the tent. I'm intentionally referring to it this way because I believe he purposely put that particular story together just for Y/N.
Let's establish what Jester knows about Y/N at this point. He knows they have a red ticket and that Pierrot is interested. He knows Harlequin is interested in whatever Pierrot is interested in. He knows that Pierrot has asked Y/N to go to the circus that night (I think we can safely assume this given he knows if Y/N lies to him when he asks about why they came to the circus that night). He knows that Y/N has seen something they shouldn't have (I think this is also a safe assumption due to Ticket-Taker being his little minion).
Here's my theory: Jester's show was specifically for Y/N and I don't think it was true.
Here's my other theory: Jester sees Y/N as a threat to the circus and to his control.
We currently get 3 tellings of the group's history. The first is from Harlequin who has framed it as Columbina being a willing sacrifice so he can protect himself from the knowledge that he killed her for survival. The second is from Columbina, or a part of her, who frames it more being an unwilling sacrifice. I'm torn on how to interpret Columbina's version. I think she was willing to die to prevent further torment, but I'm not sure how on board she was with being eaten. Not that it matters in the grand scheme of things, we want to focus on how much these versions overlap. The joining thread is that Columbina died to set the rest of them free.
Now, let's look at Jester's version. Harlequin killed Columbina out of envy that she couldn't love him the way he wanted her to. This reduces Harlequin to a villain for villain's sake; a broken, deeply flawed, selfish individual who if he can't have something then no one can. This is so different to the other two versions we get: ruthless pragmatist vs selfish sociopath.
Sidenote: the doubt I have with Columbina's version is I'm unsure how much "influence" Ticket-Taker has with what's in the mirrors. Having said that, given he's Jester's number one minion, surely if he had control over what was seen in that mirror then the version we see would match up more with Jester's version?
Why is Jester's version different? Because he wants to make Y/N doubt the attentions of both Harlequin and Pierrot.
Pierrot only likes/is interested in Y/N because he sees them as a replacement for Columbina.
Harlequin is only interested in Y/N because Pierrot is. I'm going to defend Harlequin for a second here because, to me, he makes no secret of this. It's quite clear from his "I'm going to steal you from him" comment that it's the only reason why he's in pursuit of Y/N.
I tentatively think Jester's story was predominantly to plant doubt into the mind of Y/N, and players, that Pierrot's affections were misplaced more than doubting the sincerity of Harlequin's attentions, but I get the impression Jester likes a two birds with one stone approach.
Jester, I believe, reinforces this by referring to Y/N as "sweet visitor" and "sweet thing", which although not identical do contain parallels to the way he referred to Columbina in his version of the tale, further cementing the possible ties and further forcing Y/N to draw parallels between themselves and Columbina.
I also think it's telling that the first question Y/N asks Pierrot once they're out of Jester's tent is "Are you sure you're not mistaking me for someone else?".
But why? Why is the great leader of the circus going to so much effort to scare off a single human that he can easily dispose of? Maybe it's no longer easy since Pierrot has taken an interest, and we've been told how "unstable" Pierrot can be so he doesn't want to resort to direct confrontation. Instead he has to force a wedge.
Because he knows Y/N is a threat. A comment from Neko about this sticks in my mind regarding my theory. "What would surprise you more being saved by another human, your own kind, or one of the wolves turning against the pack to protect you?".
Y/N is a threat to the circus in Jesters eyes because they technically have control, or at least the potential to have control, over Pierrot and possibly Harlequin, which runs the risk of destroying everything that Jester controls and has built.
We know Jester likes to be in control. Despite being the second youngest of the group he's the one that took leadership, he's the one that keeps everyone else managed, and he's the one they all respect and/or fear. He's the one reading books and learning languages, he's the one who goes scouting for places to pitch the circus, and he's the one who decided everyone's roles within said circus.
He can't remove Y/N, so he resorts to manipulating them instead, just like he does with other members of the circus. He makes it seem as though the current situation between the three is simply history repeating itself.
Sidenote: In one of the hidden scenes Harlequin essentially calls Jester deceitful. Take issue with Harlequin all you like but I think his assessment here is accurate.
