[R A I N E | A T L A S | B E L O V E D]

So from the beginning Ranboo and Tommy establish a connection, Ranboo’s introduction into the main story is through Tommy. This wild but sweet boy who just wants someone to spend time with him. As loud and abrasive as Tommy can be, Ranboo is the first to recognize his softness and genuine desire to help people. So they steal from George, accidentally burn down his house, Ranboo gives him the allium, and history is made.

Now Ranboo meeting Tommy at this time is really important because of how different Tommy is after Wilbur’s death. Tommy is highly insecure and was constantly seeking validation. Now the person he was seeking that validation from is gone and as a result Tommy becomes a little more honest in his grief. When the exile talk starts, Tommy openly admits how scared he is of losing Tubbo and their friendship and his worries on what being president would do to Tubbo.

And Ranboo listens. While Tubbo at the time is just seeing another problem he has to drag Tommy out of, Ranboo is one of the few who acknowledges how unfair the situation is and sees that Tommy needs help, not a reprimanding. Ranboo doesn’t just let Tommy take the blame, he admits his own fault and points out why he isn’t receiving a punishment.

Ranboo sends letters to Tommy while in exile (until those letters get intercepted by Dream). Tommy starts to doubt their friendship, Ranboo reassures him and even keeps track of Tommy’s state in his memory book. In fact, ranboo’s memory book is HOW Dream finds out Tommy is staying with Techno.

Then there’s Enderwalk’s involvement with Dream, burning the community house which Tommy is blamed for, keeping a hold of the disc Cat. Even during disc confrontation / Final Waltz, Enderwalk sides with Tommy (though that may have been planned). He’s also the one who set the explosives off near pandora’s vault and got Tommy trapped in the cell with Dream.

But when Tommy dies, both Ranboo and Enderwalk grieve for him. Ranboo flies into a guilty rage against Sam, questioning his pseudo guardianship, preparing and planning to kill Dream. I half suspect his marriage to Tubbo might have also been out of guilt for Tommy. He admits that he should have stayed with Tommy more, protected him more. Now that Tommy is gone, maybe Ranboo can do that for the person he cared about most: Tubbo. (Bonus being when Ranboo found out Tommy had kept the original allium after they stole from George.) Not to mention, despite Enderwalk’s involvement in Tommy’s death, he’s the one who plants flowers outside of Tommy’s home. He leaves the allium on his doorstep and sits there for hours. And I think it’s important to specify that Enderwalk isn’t a second personality or different person, he is described as “Ranboo with all his memories.”

Then when Tommy gets revived, Ranboo is one of the few who is openly ecstatic. Offering him even more flowers, inviting him to live in the Snowchester mansion, and still actively planning to murder Dream. When Tommy finds about his marriage to Tubbo, Tommy is highly possessive and jealous of BOTH of them. Tubbo is his childhood best friend, his closest companion, the safe place he’s never had to share before. But he’s also upset because Ranboo was HIS friend, his confidant, and now he’s Tubbo’s husband? Does that mean he’ll no longer be loyal to Tommy? He feels replaced on both sides and Ranboo is the first to reassure him that their friendship still holds and he has no intention of taking Tubbo away from him. He wants to make sure the two never have to be separated again.

Even in Hitting On 16 and the whole Wilbur vs Q arch. Ranboo decides to give Wilbur a chance because he recognizes some of their shared traits and feelings. Particularly regarding Tommy. Their shared admiration and desire to protect him, yet also guilt that they’ve failed to every time.

Pretty much everything Ranboo does, his character, his story, it all revolves around Tommy. Ranboo’s guilt and devotion. Even when Enderwalk is working with Dream, it’s all about Tommy.