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Hunting Palismen
The central lore element to the episode, as one can probably tell from the title, is palismen, little creatures that fit on witches’ staffs who serve as their companions. They’ve mostly shown strong visual appeal and intrigue, though the one mainly seen has been Eda’s palisman, Owlbert. It’s also known that there are several palismen out there who don’t have an owner, leaving one to wonder what could possibly become of them. The central story for this episode features a very clever solution that reveals more interesting details to the nature of these magical beings and insight on featured characters. At Hexside, Eda, Principal Bump, and the Bat Queen have banded together to form a new event for the student body, Palisman Adoption Day. The Bat Queen presents a nest of palismen for the students to choose, or rather the palismen choose their students. It’s revealed that they seek conviction in potential hosts, which to be specific is students knowing what their future is and how dedicated they are to it. As students approach the nest and explain their plans for their futures, it’s interesting to see how specific they are with their end goals. This in turn makes for a contrast with Luz which brings to light a very relatable dilemma. When it comes to her future, all she says is that she wants to be a witch, which in hindsight is very vague and baseless. Not only does this mean that none of the palismen can seek any conviction from her, but Luz is confronted with heavy truths about what she’s been doing all this time. She enjoys learning magic and trying to be a witch, but she’s also trying to get back to her mom in the human world where magic doesn’t even work. It’s like there’s no point to her interests, and with no clear way to balance them with another big part of her life, there’s no clear answer for what Luz can make of herself. In other words, Luz not being able to get a palismen of her own shows she has no idea what she wants her future to be, something many people can relate to.
Another lore element that gets significant focus in this episode gets its biggest development since the Season 1 finale. The biggest antagonist of the series, Emperor Belos, has unsurprisingly raised a lot of questions behind his menace and dark practices. As this season has been on a roll with knowing what its audience wants to see, it’s very fortunate that this episode expands upon some Belos’ goals. The Day of Unity, which he has constantly brought up, is shown some basis to exactly what it is during a meeting of all the nine coven heads. Visually, a sequence of the corpse the Boiling Isles being transported to what looks like a cityscape in the human world serving as a sneak peek of the day gives good ideas. While it’s not outright stated, it feels like Belos wants to merge the realms into one single entity. Think of it like the ending of Star vs the Forces of Evil, but much better built up and with clear implications that this isn’t a good thing. Apparently, this course of action is to purify magic and create a world free of wild magic, the very thing Belos has outlawed. These feelings on wild magic become complicated with a major reveal of Belos.
During his meeting with the coven heads, he abruptly calls it off when he feels an unpleasant sensation. This is because of an ailment where he transforms into what appears to be a violent muddy creature sure to tamper with his regal image he must show off to the Isles. To counteract this, he is given a palisman which he severs in order to absorb the magic within it and get back to his normal form. Such a dark gesture was presented before, but now there’s a clearer reason behind it, though it certainly doesn’t justify anything with lives needing to be taken. Anyhow, it’s easy to tell that with the efficacy of this practice, Belos needs a lot of palismen to keep his condition under control. In addition to taking lives though, it’s also causing for a depletion or resources, not just of palismen in reserves, but the disappearance of the wood that used to be used to make palismen. The latter reason is why most young witches have to adopt palismen now. One of Belos’ trusted advisors, the Golden Guard seems to have an idea for wild magic that could help him for good, but that idea is aggressively rebuffed. This instance, his general disdain towards wild magic, and a claim that his ancestors are gone because of it develops yet raises more questions to why Belos is so against it. In any case, this serves as compelling background for the Golden Guard’s role in the episode.
Sharing a connection with the subject of palismen, both subplots come together to form an insightful, atmospheric, character-building whole. In fact, one particular palisman, a small cardinal with a scar on its eye, is principle in tying the parts of the story together. As Luz laments over a lack of knowledge of her future and feeling like all she’s done has no purpose, she finds that the cardinal has followed her home. Since it still doesn’t decide to be her palisman, Luz takes it back to the nest with the others. She also stays there herself to think of her potential future until one of them chooses to go with her. Even if nothing comes from this, it still feels like Luz is at least making an endearing connection with these little creatures at least as a friend, demonstrating her great appeal.
This is especially good when the nest is suddenly abducted by a ship, prompting Luz to take action to protect the palismen. The Golden Guard is controlling the ship, and Luz’s confrontation with him is a great show of resourcefulness as she comes up with clever strategies to outwit him. Even when she’s captured, she finds the Golden Guard’s weakness in how he can’t do magic without his artificial staff. She also discovers ways to work glyph magic on the floor of the ship, and as a result, she’s able to save herself. In the process, something else aids in her escape as the Golden Guard’s ship is attacked by a mysterious yet creatively designed steed. This in turn reveals interesting yet disturbing sides to certain character dynamics.
In addition to the Golden Guard, one other being very close to Emperor Belos is a demon called Kikimora. Before, she was mostly present as his stern, no-nonsense secretary without much entertaining traits that really stood out. This episode adds some standout elements to the character that don’t make her likable, but are worthy of mention anyhow. In fact, they can be downright sadistic from some perspectives. After striking down the Golden Guard’s ship, his mask comes off and there’s no trace of the body. Kikimora acts like she’s sympathetic of this apparent demise, but when her crew’s gone, she has her steed take the scent of his mask, intending to really finish him off herself. It’s believable that highly regarded members of the Emperor’s Coven would be competitive, but Kikimora actually wanting to kill him takes things to a whole new level. There are a lot of implications with how things must be for them on a regular basis, none of them good.
It’s not too big a shock that the Golden Guard is in fact alive, as a humorous subversion of the ‘true love’s kiss’ trope soon proves. Though he is an enemy to Luz, she’s too good-hearted to leave him in his current condition, especially with Kikimora after him the way she is. Without his mask, the Golden Guard looks very young and troubled, striking scars all over his face. Even if he is in the enemy coven, this appearance and implications of violent treatment from peers is enough to successfully make him sympathetic. He’s even revealed to have a real name, Hunter. All these qualities and elements of his appearance give a big shred of humanity to this character, which is remarkable given how huge he is to the Boiling Isles populace.
Really selling this feel is how he goes about the town he and Luz have crashed into, Latissa, a moody atmospheric break from the main town of the series. He tries to assert his authority as the Golden Guard, but without a clear indication of his coven-related status, he’s just seen as a young teen out past curfew.
A more interesting demonstration of this appearance comes from his interactions with Luz. Much of them feature her just plain messing with him and treating him like a nuisance of a sibling. In addition to slapping him awake in the aforementioned ‘true love’s kiss’ subversion, she takes his staff, makes him chase her, and taunts him all the way. His annoyed and pestered reactions to Luz’s behavior really makes him come off as a poor troubled child longing for respect and worth.
Even with their instances of animosity towards each other however, Hunter’s interactions with Luz do bring out strong humanity in each other, which is really good for Hunter. For one thing, once they find out that Kikimora is now after the stolen palismen, they bond over the common goal of retrieving them for themselves. Of course, Luz is the nobler one for wanting to get them to safety while Hunter is trying to catch them for Belos who will no doubt consume them. Nevertheless, this one instance of teaming up gives Luz some impressions that even if Hunter is part of the Emperor’s Coven, there’s so much more to him. She learns that Hunter came from a family of witches who were born without magic, a fascinating bit of depth to the nature of witches in this entire world. Belos took him in with a purpose, and so that’s what Hunter’s spent his whole life following. Luz laments that he has a future while she has nothing, but Hunter also gives her some encouragement by saying she can still figure her own future out. Not only is Luz’s central concern for this episode relatable, it’s also compellingly complex in how it can be a legit benefit as much as it is a burden.
Out of Luz’s and Hunter’s bond is a decent sense of compatibility where they come up with a plan to stop Kikimora’s steed and retrieve the palismen. Putting the newly formed glyph combo system to good use, Luz’s fire and ice glyphs create a mist that combine with the scent of flowers to make one drowsy. It also further demonstrates Hunter’s interest in the forbidden art of wild magic, as this same practice apparently came from a book on the subject. While the plan goes well, Hunter’s true loyalty ends up being questioned.
As Luz continues to be adorably nurturing to the rescued palismen, Hunter still wants to catch them and use them for Belos’ dark purposes. Luz starts doubting there being any good in him after all out of this, but this just brings the complexities of Hunter to light. Despite still aiming to serve Belos, when a dazed Kikimora attacks, he’s quick to protect Luz as she escapes with the palismen. However, this act doesn’t immediately get Luz to find that there was good in Hunter after all. She’s left feeling conflicted on how to view him which only adds to the stress the matters of the day have brought her. To the audience though, what’s shown of Hunter from his time with Luz to the mysteries behind his moral compass bring a fascinating character to follow.
The shared subject of palismen both this episode’s plot points followed leads to interesting places for them to leave off for now. It all relates to that red cardinal who stuck with Luz and Hunter for the whole adventure. Having found someone to be with, there’s intrigue over who it will choose. Considering that Luz was good to it and had the right intentions all that night, it’s easy to think it will choose her.
Well, to make Luz’s plight over her future more relatable, it shows that it will take more than one big adventure for her to decide what her future will be. This in turn leaves something to be said about Eda’s role here. Having already shown great parental qualities in noticing how downtrodden Luz was over not being able to get a palisman, what she offers her is very encouraging. As Luz is still without her own palisman and unsure what to do, Eda appears with as good a fix as she can offer. Like witches of the past including herself, she and King reveal to have obtained wood that can be carved into a palisman. Luz says she needs more time to figure out what she wants before getting started carving, including how she’d have a better idea of her future if she could talk with her mom. Even so, how moved she is by this thoughtful gesture is big on heart that shows that even with what she’s going through, she’s in a very healthy place of unconditional love.
As for Hunter, like his general character, his position is very complex. He arrives back to Belos empty-handed and while the Emperor seems encouraging by saying he could do better, the berating tone indicates nothing heartfelt to walk away with. Not helping matters is Kikimora acting surprised to see Hunter alive, but it’s clear to him that he’s not being viewed favorably. The only thing in this scene that can be viewed as reassuring is what becomes of the cardinal. Shockingly, the person it found to be with was Hunter, only this is the worst place for it to be on account of what Belos does with palismen. Still, since palismen seek conviction, this is a telling sign that in spite of who Hunter tries to be loyal to, deep inside him is a personal desire, possibly for something different. The thing is, it’s something he can’t even admit to himself. Where things leave off for him is both reassuring, but also mysterious.
With this episode, the show further proves to know how to take advantage of what it’s built up for itself. The lore is given strong development, some of the most universal themes ever are explored, and the characters at the center are very relatable and complex. It really shows that even if you don’t have all the answers, if you have the right mindset, you can eventually come to a good beneficial place.
A+
Fan Art
Series Ranking
1.
Enchanting Grom Fright
2.
Agony of a Witch
3. Hunting Palismen
4.
Echoes
of the Past
5.
Escaping
Expulsion
6.
Understanding Willow
7.
Lost in Language
8.
Adventures in the Elements
9.
The Intruder
10.
Covention
11. Keeping Up A-Fear-Ances
12.
Through
the Looking Glass Ruins
13.
Young Blood Old Souls
14.
Separate Tides
15.
Escape of the Palisman
16.
Wing it Like Witches
17.
The First Day
18.
I Was a Teenage Abomination
19.
Witches Before Wizards
20.
Something Ventured, Someone Framed
21.
A Lying Witch and a Warden
22.
Sense and Insensitivity
23.
Hooty’s Moving Hassle
24.
Really Small Problems
25.
Once Upon a Swap
The next Owl House review follows Eda lamenting on the idea of her found family leaving her while also reconnecting with her former love interest.
Next time on MC Toon Reviews, we officially meet "Marcy at the Gates" in Amphibia.
If you would like to check out other Owl House reviews on this blog, click here for the guide made especially for them.
