Bajoterra - Blog Posts
omfg this is one of mg fav posts EVER
Shane Gang Head Cannons because brain rot
[Feel free to add]
Eli never got his GED(obviously he was 15 when he took the Drop)
But this also translates to Slugterra as well seeing as how no one makes much of a fuss about the Shane being a 15 year old kid who probably should be in school
Between the Episodes "The World Beneath our feet(1&2)" and "Shadows & Light", Kord, Trixie and Pronto pick up on the fact Eli, despite being Will Shane's son, dose not know a whole lot about Slugterra.
more accurately, certain little things most kids around Eli's age learn real early, like The Slug Run, how tricky it is to trap slugs, that in tournaments you lose a slug if you lose, Blakk and the SlugTarran Express and a hand full more, are not common knowledge to the young Shane. Because anyone with access to the SlugNet and a TV should know these things
However after "Shadows & Light" when Eli says he was home sick on the lesson about Slug energy being the key to a Caverns survival, and Bullseye being the center of Slugterra, the team realizes their resident Shane did not in fact receive standard education
this is because those are simple, easy things that are recapped, like every school year in Slugterra's education system set up
This then prompts the gang covertly asking Eli questions about stuff, seeing if he's right or wrong, and then correcting him
to take it a step further, for educational slugisodes, Trixie asks Eli to do the research/help write the script
no one blames him, because Eli was probably homeschooled by his dad,
but even then, The Will Shane forgetting to each his son something as important as Slug energy's connection to the Caverns put a tiny little crack in their perception of the man
Kord is the one who teaches Eli how to shave
Eli has a small privet cry over that
The guy's have had to physically restrain Trixie from punching/shooting a Slug at people(mostly sexist men), on more than one occasion
They let her do it once because that one particular guy had it coming
Pronto is the best cook, his Cave Crawler special is just something his mom used to make and he loves it, and wants to share that with his friends :)
Eli keeps the letter his dad wrote on him at all times, and when he's feeling anxious he reads it.
every one has read the letter, by accident and Eli has no clue
Pronto has tried to get the others hooked on "Kisses from a Hoverbug" Kord is the only one interested
Kord has drunk motor oil, twice, once to know what it tastes like, and once on a dare
Trixie, as the only girl on the team, get's priority when it comes to the bathroom
Eli has eaten slug food, twice, once to know what it tastes like, and once on a dare
Eli hums songs from the surface sometimes
Kord has more than one helmet, just in case
Pronto has a comical amounts of bandanas and neck scarfs, to the point he could pull off the endless scarf gag most magicians do
Trixie dared Eli to eat slug food or be called a cowered
Since Pronto sleep walks: each member of the Team has gotten up in the middle of the night for something, is at first perturbed by it, but by the third/fifth time, the use it as prime prank opportunity
Trixie dared Kord to drink motor oil or be called a cowered
Eli is banned from certain searches on the SlugNet
not for anything he did, the team just want him to stay ignorant to certain things, like thirst traps of his dad, and Will Shane x Thaddius Blakk fanfic his devices literally have parental locks just to make sure
^ this is referring to a post I saw about there being thirst traps of Will Shane, and crack theory's, like Eli actually being Blakk's son having a lil' rebellious phase on the SlugNet + some other stuff. I don't remember who made the post, but if your reading this, it lives rent free in my head, and I love you (platonically)
Over the course their friendship, before the events of 'A Distant Shore' the team has bets on what Cavern Eli is actually from because they do not buy the "Oh uh I was raised in a secret Cavern" excuse the more they get to know Eli Shane.
Hero worship be damned Trixie will punch Will Shane
If he's feeling sad, Eli wares the hoodie he was wearing when he fist took the drop
he wears it for three days following the events of "The New Kid"
^ The hoodie thing takes inspiration from a fic I read, I can't find it rn but if i do ill link it.
After the events of 'A Distant Shore' and learning the Burning World is, in fact real, Trixie, Kord and Pronto wonder what other myths might be true
Eli has a silent freakout in "The New Kid' because of Twist's Slug's name being Loki, like the Norse god of tricks. how and why?
Kord has been wanting to make jetpacks since he was a kid
The Mecha, Mecha Beast the team built in 'Roboslugs' reminded Eli of a Megazord from Power Rangers, and it took everything not to quote PR
Pronto likes to garden
the slugs like to eat whatever is in Pronto's garden
Pronto has 'successfully navigated the Caverns of Time, not once but TWICE' in his bio of all platforms he's on.
There is a tally on how many fire's Eli and Burpy start
Its currently in the triple digits
They have a 'days without incident' sign
the record is 2 days
the Slugterra alphabet, apparently
this was hidden in the pictures section of one of the random Slugterra fandom wiki pages and I adore it. Kinda a crime we don't talk about it more!
pronto: "what energy does this piece of music have?"
Eli: "it's jolly."
pronto: "ah, yes-"
Eli: "jolly rancher"
*everyone in the Shane gang laughs, Kord repeats it loudly and with absurdity*
pronto: "...thanks for your suggestion, ANYWAY-"
Based on my last class period teaching a middle school band, love the kiddos they say the weirdest things and it's so much fun
Eli's teachers in the staff lounge, laughing, in tears: "he's so smart and he does his work but he HAS to stop talking to his backpack and bringing a lighter to school!!!!!!"
I should have acted out in school more none of the consequences mattered actually
Eli before he left for Slugterra
Back on the murder train (I say jokingly)
And uh, how much we wana bet the Miners from DeadWeed tried to sue Blakk Industries for hazardous working conditions/tempted murder?
Because the Dark Water/Dark Water Vapor turned them into ghost/translucent ghoul monsters due to the direct exposure and lack of hazmat suits when they first breached the Dark Water vain.
Could you imagine, like the Gang (+everyone else) thought these people were dead-
Imagine what that might have been like for the family's-
Let's assume, at the least, it was like a year or so that the mine in DeadWeed had been used to farm Dark Water.
(Because I don't recall if a timeline was stated, pleas fact check me)
That is a whole ass year of people thinking their loved ones died in the Mines of DeadWeed, and a whole year of the Miners being stuck in the mines not being able to do anything other than chase away anyone who shouldn't be there, including family or friends that went looking for them to keep them safe, while also trying to stop Blakk's henchmen.
It's so sad???
And then, when the Shane Gang saves them, and their able to go home, imagine how different things might be?
Like, yeah, people are excited and overcome with joy/relief that the Miners are okay - but like, do you think some people might have moved on? Like, what if a miner had a wife and young kid? And the wife moved Cavers because she couldn't bare to be there anymore? Or if a miner was working to pay for a loved ones medical treatment and that loved one passed away? Or or-
[i need to shut up now because I'm getting sad]
There are consequences to the actions of Blakk Industries taking over the DeadWeed mine is all I'm saying, just like with everything Balkk Industries sinks it's hooks into.
The only reason that Blakk was able to stay in business is not just because Slugterra didn't have a Shane. No, that's a small part of it. It's because Blakk had the most richest, and powerful people in Slugterra on his side.
When Eli took the drop, it took close to a full year to scrub Blakks empire out even after this and 100+ other very illegal things were exposed about the company
You would think, after gunning down the Unbeatable Master, he would be arrested, Shanai was a respected individual, but nothing happened, and I just -
HC about Mario Bravera
we know he went back to his show due to his cameo in Slug Fu Showdown. But when did he restart his career?
Lets ask another question. Blakk gained low-level employees as s2 went on because after the beast forge he consolidated his power and many people were probably forced to work for him. And we know the real reason why no new, high-level villains show up near this end - as a show, its not wise to introduce too many new characters at once, especially at the climax of the story. BUT, still, it does ring suspicious that, other than more regular guards, there's no more well-known slingers who turned to Blakk's side.
UNLESS: Mario Bravara's show. He didn't start slinging again quite yet, but unlike the shane gang, relying on the shane status but still obviously run by kids, he had a cultural pull. AND, c'mon, he was famous and gave that up - anything he did while returning to the spotlight would be worldwide talked about.
I think he restarted his show, and didn't exactly go the Trixie route and gain footage from the warring caverns - he did interviews with Blakk Inc. survivors. Imagine? Celebrity comes around out of nowhere, just as charismatic, and this time, there's a deadweed minor talking about how he's had breathing problems since blakk inductries basically killed him, took him away from his family, and left him to rot. Next week: a mother who was forced to sign away her home for the Slugterran Express. Gretchel and his crew, describing in horrific detail the quick and for all we know deadly attack on the beast forge. Scientist staring in horror at the data coming out about dying caverns and what ghouls do to their homes, their caverns, and their resources as a society. The Lumino Ore minors with guns pointed at them as they still surrendered their rights. ALL these stories, on blast.
Maybe it wasn't helping Eli directly, but the publicity maybe helped the West move on quicker than it would have if Blakk's war crimes were left buried. And stopped more better shooters from joining Blakk's cause - Blakk has the greedy shooters, but maybe Mario prevented more fame-and-people-pleaser-hungry shooters from joining, too.
Slugterra Holiday Gift Exchange!
I had interest on Discord and Instagram for this, so I'm posting it here too! I'm hosting a Slugterra holiday gift exchange. If you're interested in giving/receiving fanart/fanfiction, fill out this Google Form: https://forms.gle/rvcGYpDFUkFECujA6
The form will close at 11:59pm EST on Monday, November 25. Gifts can be given at any point whenever it's December 25th in your time zone! I've pasted the details from the form in the read more. If you have any questions, let me know!
Gift Exchange Details! READ BEFORE COMPLETING THIS FORM!
This form doesn't send you a copy of your responses at the end, because that requires me to collect your email addresses, and I don't want those. If you think you made a mistake, or want to see what you submitted, contact Cyan to see!
This is a gift exchange to celebration gift-giving around the holidays hosted by Cyan! Join other Slugterra fans to create and gift fanfictions or fanart!
What Do We Give/Get?
Slugterra-related fanart or a fanfiction.
Your giftee will provide three gift prompts.
Please try to follow at least one of the prompts! Prompts can include canon, alternate universes (AU's), original characters (OC's), ships, situations, settings, etc.
The gift can be fanart for those artsy folks, or a fanfiction for those wondrous writers!
Gifts will be posted at any point on December 25 in your time zone! That way we don't have to worry about syncing up different time zones. Once it's the 25th wherever you are, go nuts and post your work!
When you post your work, please tag/contact your giftee!
How Do We Join?
Fill out this Google Form! It will provide Cyan with all the information needed to assign your gifter.
READ THROUGH THE FORM CAREFULLY. PLEASE. I'M BUSY TOO PLEASE MAKE MY LIFE EASY
Are There Limits/Rules?
ALL gifts MUST be safe for work. This means no sexually explicit, overly suggestive, or gorey material. Ships, angst, and minor injuries are allowed, but nothing extreme.
Please provide 3 prompts for your gifter so they have something to choose from. To make things easier for your gifter, who may not thrive with ships or original characters, only one prompt can include original character(s) and only one prompt can continue a ship(s). That way, if there's something they may not be comfortable with or not confident with, nobody's worrying. This is meant to be fun, not extra stress around the holidays!
If your prompt requires a reference (like an original character reference), there will be a space to attach or link references.
Please put thought and effort into your gift, but don't stress about making a masterpiece! Just like real-life gift exchanges usually have a price range, we want to try to keep things relatively similar across the board. Take a couple hours, but don't do, like, a ten hour project that's got you stressing!
If you have any questions, just ask Cyan on Discord, Tumblr (xcyansparksx), or Instagram (cyansparks).
Flute shows up one time in Slugterra and I wanted to learn it lmao
and yes, pronto has the wrong fingerings and is using too much teeth. BUT, he only has 4 fingers so the instrument might just have different fingerings; it probably feels more like a baroque/medieval flute to play, which I admire from this character I otherwise am lukewarm to, since baroque flute takes alot more air and embrochure trickery than the modern metal flute I play here.
"What happened to the Elves"
a completely improvised song/theory because I try to continuously refine my skill for procrastinating my actual work using interesting and self-improving methodologies
and yes I have a face, I know, its disturbing to me too, just focus on the mediocre guitar it'll be okay
this is SUCH a good point. I've been meaning to skim through the show and make a proper timeline as to where every event happened in the span of the year, because its bananas. Maybe (probably) Eli is just as fustrated as we are that he hasn't actively been searching but hey, he fought blakk then found Junjie then had to learn slug fu then had to help defeat the emperor and aid the east and then RIGHT when they may have time they find Tad the Traumatized Child and they had to spend time helping him and finding him...and part of the reason why I wanna make the timeline is actually for the will happy birthday son scene. I wanna know how long after tad's fall that happened, because if it was a day it makes it more emotional for eli to know he's got family even after the betrayal, and if it was a while it means they HAVE lied low, probably scarred by the new kid they spent at least weeks helping out leaving them.
I just really want a canon moment where eli's like: "you know what? I'm calling up my allies, you deal w the small stuff. I'm taking a trip to the shadow clan and learning stuff." Or, like, commits his free time to it, making small trips around slugterra ("I'll visit that hideout under the falls this weekend", "maybe I can look thru the rubble in molemound for a few days", that type of thing). We're at a point in the narrative where he would do that, and BECAUSE of his search shit and plot happens, not the other way around. It would be a good way to progress this story, just like how the eastern cavern twist provided another slug-filled culture in the east and gave the Gang a new perspective on how energy and tech and legacy and heroism functioned.
Because I'll never forget how, when the emperor showed up, Junjie had fellow fighters, and even shadow clan. Meanwhile, he shanes have been blasted into slugterra hell, AND fought blakk...basically by their own, at least for the major battles. Their openess to tad, to me, is in part because they saw that in the east and went "oh, maybe allies, even if theyre not in the gang particularly, as actually pretty useful".
Long rant aside, that what I wished for eli and the gang; make allies, stabilize the region and have helpers, then take the extra time in the schedule to breathe, get therapy, and learn the will shane lore. Cause yeah, if the shane gang are the main emergency force in this world and them alone, they're never gonna have time to save will! Duh!
another addition to the will Shane discussion
...I'm gonna be SO clear about this: this is NOT the fault of Eli, obviously. He's a kid and trying his best.
but, when Eli got to Slugterra, he COULD have made it his life's mission to find out what happened to his dad, or find all the secrets that supposedly died with him. He didn't. He took up being the Shane and left the past buried unless it smacked him in the face in some current situation. He never once looked for what his dad left him, didn't even go looking for Will's remaining allies. They all just found him, and he only went searching when he needed to - Redhook, the elementals, etc...
it could also be that Will left some things, as much as he could (tho he still should've told him stuff about his enemies), but Eli wasn't interested in unearthing it. He wanted to move on, make a path for himself and not focus on what happened. That could also influence why he never even looks for his dad - he wants to, but he's been in a "look to the future" mindset for so long it hurts to look back and realize all he's missed out on in being a Shane.
personally, I think he did take the right route. That would have driven him insane, and he knew that. There's something really refreshing about such a possibly vengeful character strictly choosing to be a force for good and stick to current bad guys instead. Just...remember. We got no will/Slugterra answers partially because Eli never truly looked for them. I think he was going to...but in the future, when the current fires are put out. Or after therapy, whichever came first.
another addition to the will Shane discussion
...I'm gonna be SO clear about this: this is NOT the fault of Eli, obviously. He's a kid and trying his best.
but, when Eli got to Slugterra, he COULD have made it his life's mission to find out what happened to his dad, or find all the secrets that supposedly died with him. He didn't. He took up being the Shane and left the past buried unless it smacked him in the face in some current situation. He never once looked for what his dad left him, didn't even go looking for Will's remaining allies. They all just found him, and he only went searching when he needed to - Redhook, the elementals, etc...
it could also be that Will left some things, as much as he could (tho he still should've told him stuff about his enemies), but Eli wasn't interested in unearthing it. He wanted to move on, make a path for himself and not focus on what happened. That could also influence why he never even looks for his dad - he wants to, but he's been in a "look to the future" mindset for so long it hurts to look back and realize all he's missed out on in being a Shane.
personally, I think he did take the right route. That would have driven him insane, and he knew that. There's something really refreshing about such a possibly vengeful character strictly choosing to be a force for good and stick to current bad guys instead. Just...remember. We got no will/Slugterra answers partially because Eli never truly looked for them. I think he was going to...but in the future, when the current fires are put out. Or after therapy, whichever came first.
i just had a shocking epiphany about slugterra lore and went to an old post to rant about it but @temperance-sunlight already pointed it out on a reblog and now im apologising to everyone because im sorry and I should've learned how to read before this sin occurred
you all clued in literal months before i did and i am not worthy of your mercy
*yeets myself into jimmo's retirement home*
I agree! We are scholaring so hard rn
I only have 2 additiona considerations. One: all the shane's are secretive, but I think will shane was SUPER secretive and concerned for the future. I don't think previous shanes would have a) not told their only son anything, b) left a bunch of holograms in case they died c) left out crucial information (like dana's perspective of Tom Por), and ANYTHING about doctor blakk...the list goes on. I think this isn't just a shane thing; something MADE Will this paranoid and fearful.
I have a few theories. Will could have carelessly lost his uncle's journal, and someone bad cracked the code about the surface/shadow clan secrets/other stuff (blakk? someone we dont know?) and thats why he's so terrified of another mistake. Another is that will LET someone read the journal w the code (blakk?!?) and they betrayed him, so he becomes a guy who trusts no one, and cares deeply for a very few - and perhaps, if he had the chance to see him older, eli would have helped him regain trust in humanity and stuff.
BUT, here's one harrowing detail that i've seen no one bring up but its haunted me (how it alluded me in the will shane post i have no idea):
Slugterra, episode 2. Blakk and Eli meet. Blakk's first words to Eli were:
"What your friends say is true. Will Shane was a true hero. I owe my life to him, in fact."
...
.........
BITCH WHAT.
okay, lets ignore that blakk KNEW from going to the deep caverns will was alive and was trying to keep eli from knowing his dad was alive. SURE. because somehow that emotional bullshit is secondary to how HOW DID WILL SHANE GIVE YOU YOUR LIFE, THADDEUS?!?
Like we all know they were rivals, but what the actual fuck happened?!? What a fascinating first sentence for your main villain. There's LORE here. Maybe they actually helped each other sometimes, back when they were around Eli's age. Maybe blakk had nothing to do with the journal. maybe he and their situationship had EVERYTHING to do with that journal, and will's shane legacy.
There's so much here. So much and yet we have no answers. All we have are theories, and u bet ur ass im writing out every single one I have. Thank you for joining me on my crusade :)
Will Shane.
the character I am drawn to in this particularly anxiety inducing month of my life.
literately NOTHING is normal about him. Eli's mom? Had to leave somehow. Bestie? He and Tom Por had a massive fall out. Blakk? From what we gather from the master, they used to not hate each other apparently. Jimmo? Straightforward enough, but that leaves the question of what happened to wills parents! like he's a decent dude but also shady af and paranoid as hell and, WHY is he like that? Idk and it's fascinating?!? he's the definition of just being human, and I love him. He's got a complicated history and PLENTY of unsolved beef, because everyone associated w him's got a VERY different take on the guy and they all have changed their opinion of him massively at some point or other. Like yall I WILL write everything but I will especially write TomxWill and ThadxWill I need to explore his CHAOS
also never, NEVER forget, because I never will; Will KNEW about Blakk knowing about the surface right?!? Surely?!? He would find out, either w his son or with the alliance w dark bane?!? WHAT IS THE STORY HERE?!?
give me your headcanons, they lower my heart rate and stop my panic attacks from my executive dysfunction problems.
Will Shane.
the character I am drawn to in this particularly anxiety inducing month of my life.
literately NOTHING is normal about him. Eli's mom? Had to leave somehow. Bestie? He and Tom Por had a massive fall out. Blakk? From what we gather from the master, they used to not hate each other apparently. Jimmo? Straightforward enough, but that leaves the question of what happened to wills parents! like he's a decent dude but also shady af and paranoid as hell and, WHY is he like that? Idk and it's fascinating?!? he's the definition of just being human, and I love him. He's got a complicated history and PLENTY of unsolved beef, because everyone associated w him's got a VERY different take on the guy and they all have changed their opinion of him massively at some point or other. Like yall I WILL write everything but I will especially write TomxWill and ThadxWill I need to explore his CHAOS
also never, NEVER forget, because I never will; Will KNEW about Blakk knowing about the surface right?!? Surely?!? He would find out, either w his son or with the alliance w dark bane?!? WHAT IS THE STORY HERE?!?
give me your headcanons, they lower my heart rate and stop my panic attacks from my executive dysfunction problems.
![We Can Be Saved - Chapter 2 - Mister Rose (MrRose) - Slugterra [Archive Of Our Own]](https://64.media.tumblr.com/787f3b5372ed7bd8d4d76041e7f9137f/3bd50d49ba6029c9-6a/s500x750/a89db33082e5a38e2ccd156c8f148839c6b19dda.png)
Just a post of appreciation for the slugterra-minor-character lovers:
many of you tumblr slugterra citizens adore the neutral/villian characters of slugterra. CC, Mr. Saturday, Maurice, Blite, Gar Revelle, Nacho, Billy, Mario Bravado, the gentleman, the fish pirates, basically all of the eastern caverns characters...there's alot of them. And I never talk about them, and have rarely wrote about them.
But hey, I freaking adore them too. They make Slugterra feel loved and huge and expansive. I have extensive plans on bringing Billy and Mr. Saturday and CC back in TEAL pretty soon, and all the side characters eventually - I swear thats still happening! It's just, like much of slugterra, they all need an episode where they crossed the line from "character who the audience is delighted to hc/theorize their personality and motivations" to "character who's still mysterious but there's something/some event that's solid to appreciate about them". I want to give that to them, like all of you! That's just in the ao3 realm for me.
So even if I don't reblog it, keep posting they/them Twist and CC thirst-traps and Billy polls, its clearly super fun AND you continuously remind me to write about them :)
With much love, Mister Rose
also, I think Seargeant Slug is Billy's dad.
ROTE: my incoherent rambles
whenever Burpy is ghouled/gooned/sick in the show, Eli is SO. DISTRAUGHT. or at least happy when Burpy is freed. Like, pets their head, says "hi", smiles to them, quipps a joke; something to show Burp that their human is very happy they're back.
I watched the will shane gets cured scene again, and I forgot that Burpy is also ghouled there; the shot that saved his dad also freed Burpy. And does Eli retrieve Burpy, like he usually does?
No. He immediately thinks the worst, walking up to his dad on the ground. Burpy doesn't even cross his mind. And Burpy's chill with it, hopping to will shane just like Eli did. After all, Burpy and Eli only really bonded after Will's disappearance; he obviously knows how much the man means to his son.
Its a great way to subtly hit the viewer with how big and tragic it all is. Imagine watching lightwell and ROTE back to back? Eli nearly sacrifices himself for Burpy a million times, and would again and again and again. But then his dad returns, and the fabric of time (and our understanding of the lore) changes dramatically.
So much so that, in the chaos, Eli touch-Burpy-and-I-will-kill-you Shane has bigger fish to fry that Burpy being back. Its startling to watch. It's something so small, but so impactful. It's even made more clear when Jun - who we learn in slug-fu showdown demands more time from his slugs to trust them - warmly greets Joo-Joo again, and thats the only time we ever really see that from him. and even will says "hello, old friend." and after that? Burpy isn't even ANIMATED, OR ON SCREEN for the last 5 minutes. Like Burpy isn't a main feature of the battle. thats BIZZARE. until...the promise to save his dad. Burpy retook Eli's shoulder, right next to doc.
When else do we see Eli not go above and beyond for his slugs? When others show more care for their team than he does? Never, actually.
It was just there, when he realized he still had a dad, and needed to speak to him first. He's in full "omg dad's here and alive" mode. Of course he is; but a lesser show would have had him reunite with burpy. The end of ROTE is a very harrowing slugterra watch, and its little details like this that made it so poignant. Eli's slugs took the backseat to his dad, on screen and as a part of the narrative itself, till Eli needed them again when he lost his dad for deeply sorrowful second time.
If you ever rewatch this show, keep a very close eye on burpy. What they're doing, how they react to events. Knowing the little guys been around for thousands of years and probably knows all the shane secrets makes all the little emotions fascinating. one of the best things I noticed was when Will saved eli on the ground with burpy; Burpy was growling at blakk while being shot. We havent seen him growl like that since....eli first met Dr Blakk in episode 1 of the entire show. I now see that shot as Burpy's true revenge, for that moment 5 years ago; Will got to shoot Burpy and land a hit with them on the monster who sent him to the deep caverns. Justice at last, for both of them...till, you know.
I'll leave off with one more note: in the show, especially pre-movies, Eli looks to burpy for advice constantly. It's never pointed out, but Eli always checks in: "do i tell them this?" "Is this the right move", etc. When the five of them promise, he didn't have to check. Either he didn't need a second opinion - he knew what his mission was - and/or he already assumed burpy was in agreement. I don't know if eli "grows up" during the slugterra timeline - its only a year - but he does gain more confidence in himself. And thats not him getting over past trauma or not feeling guilty over things anymore - thats on him becoming more accustomed to looking ahead instead of behind him. Like what jun said to pull him back.
If you catch me on ao3, I'm fascinated with the shows absolute hatred toward backstories. I think that's convenient for the writers, duh, but I also interperet it as a mirroring of the shane gang's attitude towards their pasts. They need to go forward, yes, but they also desperately want to move on, to make the past not matter anymore. If they were to make any actual good slugterra content again, I would like them to keep making ROTE-like stories; not even necessarily giving us complete backstories (we didn't even get that with Blakk), but having our characters contend with past events. his dad, of course, but also: Twist. dana. tom por. the goon. eli's mom. any and all lore about pronto, kord, and trixie. Any of these things returning would fit well in any plot they come up with, and continue making slugterra's fight with good and evil more and more personal to the characters. that's what slugterra exceeds at - having a plot's lore tie juuuuuuust slightly to broader slugterra history/culture and making these characters learn and face it together. If you want to make a better future, the past must be resolved.
and I think eli finally realized that at the end of ROTE, even if he spends the rest of the running show letting other missions distract him from that painful reality.
also we can be saved ch 2 is in production and i have monday off, and legend says that if you comment on my other stories my depression will lesson and i can actually produce content again thanks yall i love this fandom :)
