Latest Posts by peelmyfaceoff - Page 2
i needed it so I made it
It was forced tbh and that makes me mad because Gudrid is a good character :( the relationship could've been explored better, giving the fact that Thorfinn never was romantically involved with anyone and all his interpersonal relationships has impacted him on a high level. Heck, even Canute and Thorfinn had a better developed friendship. What happened there?
This is an unpopular opinion but I really hate thorfinn x gudrid. I felt like it was a bit..forced? I have never felt any tension when they are intimate or anything. Idk I felt like I would've continued reading Vinland saga if there weren't any romance that involves thorfinn
Please, Mr. Miura…
what if we were trekking through enemy territory during the worst of winter and we were both little dogs? >.<
Animation I made about Toki Wartooth.
He is such a tragic character to me, this is based off of events in s1 and s2 but more just abt his backstory, poor guy
Song : Things to do - By Alex G
Took me about 5 days?
today me and @cthene aggied and drew the boys from her AMAZING fic, a band in hope !!
Heres a skwistok shitpost while I work on some awesomeness (>ᴗ•)
Workin on sum au shit
(these fucking assholes as your average Mexican family)
Been listening 2 WAAAAAAAAY too many Mexican songs....
(plus I'm Mexican myself)
free metal documentaries on youtube <3
Genre
+ Until The Light Takes Us [Black Metal] + Get Thrashed: The Story of Thrash Metal [Thrash Metal] + Metal Evolution - Extreme Metal [Death/Black Metal] + Death Metal: A Documentary [Death Metal] + Slave To The Grind [Grindcore] + The Decline of Western Civilization - Part 2: The Metal Years [Glam/Thrash Metal] + Black Metal Satanica [Black Metal] + Heavy Metal Parking Lot [Heavy Metal] + Black Metal's Unexplored Fringes - One Man Metal [Black Metal] + Such Hawks Such Hounds [Stoner/Doom/Sludge Metal] + Heavy Metal Louder Than Life [Metal]
Region
+ Heavy Metal in Baghdad (Vice) + March Of The Gods: Botswana Metalheads + Japanese Extreme Metal + True Norwegian Black Metal (Vice) + Slow Southern Steel [American South] + Thrash or F**k Off [Australian Thrash]
Band + Metallica - Behind The Music [Metallica] + Once Upon A Time in Norway [Mayhem] + Judas Priest - Behind The Music [Judas Priest] + Pantera - Behind The Music [Pantera] + Megadeth - Behind The Music [Megadeth] + Ultra Sound: All Hail Black Sabbath [Black Sabbath] + The History Of Iron Maiden [Iron Maiden] + Carcass - The Pathologist's Report [Carcass]
“Shhh.. don’t tell my girlfriend”
Does Toki See His Father When He Looks In The Mirror?
Hello again! I'm back with another analysis, this time focusing around Toki and his father, Aslaug. I want to explore Toki's connection with his father in terms of inherited violence and anger, whether or not Toki is aware of it, and what he is doing about it.
Toki is a very complicated character with CPTSD, which is a regular background point of his character. The show does not shy away from the abuse he suffered at the hands of his family nor does it explain it. However, I have always been curious if Toki successfully broke the cycle of abuse or did he merely disguise it behind his brutal and violent livelihood.
In this analysis, I'll discuss the connection that Toki and Aslaug share physically and mentally, and what that means for Toki's mental health.
GIST: Toki does see his father in mirror, both physically and mentally. The abuse he suffered changed him permanently in both his animal form, rabbit, and his role in the prophecy (Angel of Death). However, Toki actively tries to separate himself from that internal anger by choosing forgiveness ("Dethdad"), acknowledging his anger ("Dethkids"), and using coping mechanisms (Age Regression, "Dethcamp", Alcohol, "Dethrelease", "Dethdinner" ). Toki suffers from generational anger and will relapse for as long as he lives. However, with the support of his band, he will continue to work towards remaining good-natured for the sake of himself and others. Toki will always see Aslaug in the mirror but he will always sees himself first and foremost.
As always, longer analysis under the cutaway.
Facial Resemblance
I know a popular theory is that Toki is not biologically Aslaug and Anja's but for the sake of this analysis, they are. I wanted to first look at the facial resemblance that they share. I mean it when I say, "Does Toki see his father in the mirror?" This is a common theme amongst people who have been hurt or are hurting because of a family member, in this case, a parent. Obviously, Toki is going to naturally look like his parents, but I think it's important to note just how similar he looks to his abuser and what that kind of semblance can do to him. Aslaug does not have a lot of appearances, so references for his face normally is limited. I used the Metalocalypse Wiki character profile photo as the reference. It's from "Dethdad".
Below are different photos of Toki with a natural, stagnant face that I believe are the best for comparison for the photo we have of Aslaug. There are a few areas that stick out to me the most as being the most "Aslaug": Eyebrows, lips, chin, and eyes.
Eyebrows
All of their eyebrows when rested have a natural downward pull in the middle. Not as exaggerated as Murderface's eyebrows, but Toki and Aslaug share the same eyebrow pull. They also share, obviously, hair color and thickness. Anja's eyebrows are thinner, but the same color. (We can infer that they all have the same hair color based on the eyebrows so that's a given, even though when we see Aslaug in "Dethdad" he has gray hair and is balding.)
Lips
Toki and Aslaug's resting lip shape is also very similar. They seem to have long mouths with little to no lips, with each side pointing downwards. You can see the resemblance a little clearer during "Dethzazz" (comparison further down) but these images are meant for a natural, resting look resemblance. Good to note that Anja does have lips, so Toki definitely got his lips from his father.
Eyes
Now, from what I can tell, Aslaug and Anja have blue eyes. However, Anja has rounder eyes, like circles, while Aslaug has almond eyes, like Toki. They share the same eye color (Though Toki seems to have lighter eyes, which could be contributed to Toki being outside in the sunlight more than his parents, who are always seen in a bleak, snowy landscape in the flashbacks.), eye shape, and they both have downward turned eyes. (Though, with a comparison to Anja, he gets his downward shape from her, not his father.)
Chins
Toki and Aslaug also share a similar chin definition. They both have a above the chin line that indicates a pointy chin. (You can see this clearly in "Stare Downs" with Skwisgaar sharing the same feature.) Taking reference from "Dethdad", you can see the chins prominently poking out. Aslaug points out more but that is probably due to age and sickness. Some other things to note is the similar nose bridge connecting the brow bone and the high, defined cheek bones.
Differences
A few details that make him different from his father is his nose shape. Aslaug (and Anja) have straight, down facing noses with prominent nostrils, like Nathan. In the headliner image, you can actually see that Toki seems to have a bent nose to the right with less defined nostrils. (Possibly breaking it in his youth?) Obviously, Toki has facial hair while Aslaug does not. Toki also has longer eyebrows than Aslaug, and they are fuller, though this could be contributed to age. Toki also lacks a cupids bow above his lips that is apparent in both parents.
Anja
Just to compare a few things with his mother, they do share a fair amount of facial features. The most notable to me is the asymmetrical eye shapes that Skwisgaar points out in "Stare Downs". If you look closely at their left eyes, they both point downwards significantly more than their rights (though Anja has very downward turned eyes, her left seems more down). They also share the same prominent chin and high cheek bones.
Rabbit Symbolism
Toki and the rabbit are connected throughout the whole series. There are many interpretations of what a rabbit can mean, but I want to focus on how the rabbit represents his father, his father's anger, his own anger, forgiveness, and it's connection with death.
Common Rabbit Symbolism
Rabbits have many different types of meanings all around the world, but here are a few that I think hold significance for Toki.
Luck - While Toki gives off bad luck and death to people around him, he himself is very lucky to survive his abuse, his homelessness, and be at the right time at the right place to audition for Dethklok and get in.
Innocence and Vulnerability - Toki is seen as naĂŻve and innocent to a lot of different people and in social situations. To a degree, Toki allows himself to be vulnerable in the hopes of making friends ("Dethcamp"). He also fills his life with innocent hobbies and interests that come off as "childish", much like his bedroom design. He also has a significant (in Dethklok terms) lack of interest in sex in comparison to the others ("Writersklok").
Rebirth (Cycle of Life and Death) - This symbolism can allude to Toki taking action in "Breaking the Cycle" in reference to the abuse he delt with and choosing not to continue that abuse. "Life" and "Death" can be literal or not, as I see it. Such as Toki "killing" his past to be "birthed" into his future. (Being kicked out of his home to being accepted into Dethklok to then Dethklok "breaking up" and so forth.)
Messengers of the Underworld - As an "Angel of Death", we see many people who die while around Toki but the specific people we see who Toki has direct relations with are people and animals already on the verge of death but haven't died yet. (Juliette, Dimneld, and Really Cool Cat) This can allude to Toki's role as bringing people close to him in order to let them pass.
Survival and Resistance - Toki has survived many horrible acts upon him, many of which should have killed him. But they did not. Out of all of the members, Toki is seen as the most resistant member, facing years of abuse, homelessness, and kidnapping and torture. Yet he refused to let the negativity consume him. He actively chooses to remain hopeful and kind.
Toki's Connection With The Rabbit
"Dethcarraldo" is in Season 2, episode 9. This is after "Dethkids" and before "Dethdad". This is the episode where we are explicitly shown that Toki has a spiritual connection to the rabbit. The Yopo shows the group their "ancient animal form" in the episode. Toki is the only member of the group to not look like his intended animal but instead, a hybrid.
Or a monster.
While doing some research through the Wiki and the old Brendon Smalls AMA, I can say that there is no clarification as to why Toki looks like this. (If you have evidence of canon clarification, please @ me so I can see it.) So, I am going to make some reasonings for Toki's form.
First, we have to acknowledge that Toki is suppose to be a rabbit/hare/bunny. That's the actual animal he is suppose to be. Now the problem becomes the hybrid part. Toki is covered in the skin and fur of dead rabbits, with himself being transformed into a grotesque rabbit monster with large, rabbit-like legs, buck teeth, rabbit ears, paws. This is something one would see in a horror movie. With that being said, I think the reasoning behind it is because Toki is meant to represent generational anger and defense and how it transforms people into something they're not. (I'll talk more about that later.)
As explained, rabbits have many different symbolisms attached to them, many of them being good and positive things, such as luck and fertility. However, this isn't just a rabbit, it's also Toki. Toki, who is the "Angel of Death". Toki, who was abused from birth. I think what is happening is that Toki's life has permanently changed his animal form in order to protect him.
The other members are all predators with Toki being the only prey. However, as this hybrid, Toki transformed from his original prey form to a predator. He is meant to be kind. He is meant to be compassionate. He is meant to be the rabbit, but the human world destroyed that privilege. Toki had to transform into this beast in order to survive. He was transformed against his will due to the violence and abuse he endured as a child.
A poem that I think encapsulates this transformation is "The Deer with Fangs" by The Red Poetress on tiktok under the same name. The excerpt that I think best describes it is as follows:
"'Stay back wolf because I am a deer that will bite!' the deer shouted to the world that was awake in the beginning of the night. 'But deer, you were never meant to bare fangs' the wolf replied, it was true what the world said but fate had other plans. 'I'm sorry for whatever made you bare your fangs and wish you inner peace too, but baring your fangs was not meant for you.'"
That's how I view this. Toki's animal form is meant to be a rabbit, but Toki the person no longer has that chance of just being just the rabbit. He was forced to change to survive. He was birthed into a family that never gave him the chance of just being the rabbit.
And now he has to live with that.
Angel of Death
You can't talk about Toki's anger without talking about his part of the prophecy. He is not a normal human, so this side of him also has to be examined.
Taken directly from the wiki:
Toki appears to represent the forces of death, and is referred to by The Tribunal as "an angel of death" for his tendency to leave a trail of bad luck in his wake. He is constantly surrounded by deaths and plagued with misfortune yet always seems to come through these experiences relatively unscathed. In contrast with his childlike role in the band he is the only character who has actually killed someone directly, both intentionally (beating a man to death in Snakes N' Barrels II) and accidentally (drowning his own father in Dethdad).
While there are no direct connections in the show of the bunny and his part of the prophecy, there is a lot to be inferred from it. As mention above, bunny's can be symbols of "death messengers" and rebirth. It's important to note that Toki does not have to do anything for this curse to be active, he simply has to be around people.
I believe that Toki's part in the prophecy and his animal form are directly and intentionally related, but his humanity altered his spirit form permanently into a hybrid, which in turn changed his part of the prophecy. These two things were always meant to be together but the actions of his father changed it into something new. Looking back up at the wiki, "Toki is the only one in the band who actually killed someone intentionally and accidentally." While some may argue that this is just the nature of death, I do not believe that this is how his curse is meant to unfold. Toki is not meant to take a direct approach in the deaths he causes.
Tribunal
Going back to "Dethdad", I wanted to discuss what the Tribunal has said about Toki. From the wiki, it states:
"...Toki has been suppressing his true feelings about his birth parents and they [the world] could very well die if those feelings are unleashed."
Toki, without the interference from his parents, would have never been this much of a threat to the tribunal on his own. This says to me that his parent's abuse altered his very role of the prophecy by making him more violent. Which also points to how the abuse changed his animal form, from the bunny to the hybrid, in order to protect himself. His abuse, and the anger from it, has left him in such a volatile state that the tribunal believes he could kill everyone if he were to confront those emotions.
Also note that the Tribunal calls him a "Messenger of Death" which is a direct symbol of the rabbit, who is sometimes called the "Messengers of the Dead".
Prophecy
I want to look at one line of the prophecy to support my theory that Toki is not suppose to take a direct approach with his curse/power.
“And the death-song of the man who stands behind shadows, began.” - "Dethcamp"
Magnus was always a part of the prophecy, his death was ALWAYS meant to happen. The moment he meets Toki the "death-song...began." Toki never once laid a finger on Magnus, never once got mad at him during his torture, never once gave up on him being a friend. Toki was embodying his animal form, the rabbit, with vulnerability, innocence, resistance, and survival. Toki never killed Magnus, but by meeting Toki, Magnus was always meant to die. This is connected to the "Rebirth" and "Messenger of Death" symbolism of the rabbit, along with Toki's role in the prophecy. This, I believe, really pushes the idea that Toki's role in the prophecy is meant to be indirect and non-discriminatory.
Toki is the angel of death and he is the rabbit.
He was never meant to be the hybrid.
_______________________________
I want to take a step back and go back to the original question, "Does Toki see his father when he looks in the mirror?" Toki is well aware that his father was a very bad man that hurt him (and probably hurt other people). Young Toki was an innocent child, who has no idea as to why his father did these things to him. But, if young Toki were to start recognizing a pattern of death around him, what is to say that he does not start seeing how he reminds himself of his father?
Despite Toki, who from the few times we see him as young boy, tries to be different from his father, he still causes this string of bad luck and death around him. He does not understand his part of the prophecy. He does not know that he is spiritually connected to the rabbit.
All he knows is that he is his father's son.
Toki's Acknowledging His Anger
In order to understand Toki's anger, we need to take a look at "Dethkids" in Season 1. For reference, "Dethdad", "Dethrecord", and "Snakes N' Barrels II" are both in Season 2, subsequent of each other.
I'm not going to spend a lot of time describing Toki's abuse as all fans understand he was horrible abused as a child. So, I'm just going to continue to "Dethkids" assuming that everyone understands the horrors Toki faced as a child.
In "Dethkids", Juliette Sarmangsadandle sings a song for Toki called, "a song for toki." It goes:
"I am just a girl. Just a speck of worthless dust in this rotting world Yet I must speak to thee. There was once a time where I longed for pretty things But now that's changed. I long for murder. How long shall I wait To celebrate my unforgiving hate~ Oh~ I can't wait to be brutal. I can't wait to wield a hatchet covered with blood. Cause you're the maggot of my eyes You're a piece of rotting pie to me. Oh~ It's been so long since you've been young. Now you understand Toki: Now, I very understand Yes he does Yes, Yes, Yes he does Toki: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah Pickles: I am Pickles the Drummer and I get to sing. Here too cause I'm drunk. And fuck you I'm drunk. I'm really really drunk, fuck you dickweed. Fuck you too. I'm gonna go -- I'm gonna go lay down. Ok, bye. *Harmonizing between Juliette and child Toki.*"
This episode is credited at showing Toki's own hypocrisy toward children and his child-like self. This episodes changes his view points on children and his own self. The episode is about Toki no longer wanting to be the childish one in the band, so he decides to be "a demon" to create a new identity. He's rejecting himself, rejecting Juliette, and rejecting his own comforts to be someone else. But once he listens to the song, he realizes that he understands Juliette's anger and want for brutality. He acknowledges that he too was a child filled with anger and hatred.
Let's break down a few lyrics:
"I can't wait to be brutal."
During these lyrics, we see young Toki being abused by his mother, Anja. Here is where Toki starts to relate to the lyrics. Toki can't wait until he can hurt his parents like how they've hurt him.
"I can't wait to wield a hatchet cover with blood."
The lyrics starts to describe gruesome acts of violence, all of which he is relating toward his parents. He is acknowledging that he had these feelings of hatred and violence toward his parents, and wanted to hurt them.
"Cause you're the maggot of my eyes."
Here he is accusing his mother (and father) of being the cause of his pain, thus the cause of his anger and violence. He is putting the blame on to them for being the abusers, for harming him, and for making him feel this way.
"You're a piece of rotting pie to me."
He views his parents with disgust. What was once sweet has now rotted away into something unusable. He views his parents as something that should have been good but has turned sour. He sees them as garbage, something no one wants, something he does not want.
"It's been so long since you've been young. Now you understand."
This points to me that Toki has not been feeing his own anger, but instead letting it stew inside of him. He has not acknowledged his hatred for his parents, but this is where it starts. Juliette helps Toki reach back into his childhood to acknowledge his anger and violence, so that he can choose to be different. That's why he goes back to Juliette at the end, to do right by her, and giving her the wish she wanted and the acknowledgment to her anger.
Now that we have Toki acknowledging his anger and violent thoughts toward his parents, we can not see how Toki reacts to his father in "Dethdad" in Season 2.
His Father, Their Anger, and Toki's Forgiveness
From "Dethdad", Toki sings;
"I hates everythings, includings my dads. And also myself. Why is everything so hards for Toki? Ams I a boy? Ams I a man? If I hates you so much, why does it make me so sad? And if I lets you too close, will you dies in my hands? It's times for me to grows ups. Bes a mans. Gonna do what I cans, gonna says goodbyes to my dad."
First off, I want to explain that this song to meant to represent Toki choosing to "Break the Cycle". I know a lot of fans (myself included) didn't want to see Toki forgive his father, especially for all the shit he put Toki through. But I think after really looking at the lyrics and seeing Toki's progression in the show, I can confidently say that this is a song about Toki choosing to forgive so he can let go. Within the song itself holds views of his father as a rabbit.
Lets break it down lyric by lyric.
"I hates everythings, includings my dads."
Right off the bat, Toki admits to hating his father and everything around him. He specifically wanted the audience to know that he hates his father. This is not shocking as we, at this point, have a good understanding that Aslaug was a very abusive and horrible man.
"And also myself."
This is very telling for the type of mindset Toki is in right now. He hates himself. Many children of abuse have feelings of hatred toward themselves, and Toki is no different. The following lyrics provide possible context as to why Toki hates himself.
"Why is everything so hards for Toki?"
This is Toki asking the question, "Why did this happen to me? Why do I have to care for my abusive father? Why was I abused?" This is him asking all of the impossible questions to all of the abuse he suffered as a child. He's frustrated about his past and the things that happened to him, that he knows shouldn't have happened. He's also mad that he's still being put into these positions where he has to make these decisions that he doesn't want to do. Toki does not want to see his father.
"Ams I a boy? Ams I a man?"
In DSR, we find out that Toki ran away from home at a young age. Toki was still a boy during that time and they never saw each other again until "Dethfam" when he was well into his adult life. This could be him reflecting on that stretch of time. This could also be Toki asking himself, "Am I going to continue to be filled with anger like how I was when I was a child, or am I going to be a man and face my problems?" I think this is a pivotal point in the song that guides the listener into Toki's inner struggles of forgiveness.
"If I hates you so much, why does it make me so sad?"
This is a very common theme amongst children with abusive parents. Toki has hatred for his father, for himself, for everything, and yet he feels sad for his father who is dying. He is sympathetic to the situation when he feels like he shouldn't, and it makes him confused. At his core, Toki is still a child, wanting to be loved by his parents (or parent-like figures). This is where he first see the rabbit! It is just a normal white bunny that Toki proceeds to pick up when he sings this part of the song, adding another layer to his confusion and how he sees his father. Could this relate to Toki's sympathetic nature toward his father and the vulnerability he will have to show in order to face him? Or could this be symbolism for the end of Aslaug's life in the cycle of life? Or possibly, could this be Toki using the rabbit as a guide to lead his father to the afterlife?
"and if I lets you too close, will you dies in my hands?"
Here we see that the rabbit is meant to represent Toki's father, which alludes to rabbit's and their connection with death, vulnerability, and guidance. To have Aslaug wearing the rabbit suit, Toki is acknowledging that it is his father's time to go. However, there is another possible meaning. Due to Toki's conflict of wanting to forgive but feeling so much hatred toward his father, by having his father wear the rabbit suit, it could be a way for Toki to see him as a once innocent and vulnerable person. He's changing his perspective of his father to make "being a man" easier on himself, as he too has to be vulnerable in order to say goodbye to him. He also possibly acknowledges his curse, adding meaning that he is guiding his father into the after life.
This is a very interesting lyric to me because it makes me wonder just how much Toki understands his "death curse". Toki is canonically known as the "Angel of Death" but it obviously did not start when he went away. There must have been signs at a young age that something was wrong. He also understands that the people who die are those who are close to him. Could this be Toki acknowledging that very same curse, and if so, does this lyric have a double meaning?
At first, this lyric could be interpreted as in Toki does not want his father to pass away. He knows that by seeing his father, he's basically signing his death certificate, and he's conflicted about the role he would be in by doing that. However, this lyric could also read as morbidly intrigued, almost sadistically hopeful. Toki knows about his curse to a degree and has a lot of hatred for his father, and while conflicted, he could also be happy that by being close to him, he could end his father's life and his own suffering.
Granted, I believe the first interpretation is the correct one, but it is nonetheless an interesting angle.
"It's times for mes to grows up. Bes a mans."
This is where I see the "Forgiveness" part in this song. Toki is obviously choosing to forgive his father by "being a man". Being a man to Toki means forgiving and letting go of his anger to do what, he believes, is the right thing to do. It takes a lot of bravery to do something like that.
"Gonna do what I cans, gonna says goodbyes to my dad."
Seeing his father is what he believes will make him a man. He's scared and angry and confused but he's choosing to forgive and move past it in order to "be a man". He's going to do "what I cans" to make that happen. It's also important to note that what he is singing about is "saying goodbye" to his father. He has yet to be asked to take Aslaug up to the cottage.
_______________________________
At the end of the episode, we know that Toki slips and Aslaug falls and drowns to his death under the ice in a pond. Toki is clearly distraught. He tried to do what he believed was the right thing to do and he still "killed" his father. Toki already has complicated feelings about his father and this only pushes to confuse him even more. He is already trying to separate himself from the "boy" to a "man" by being better than Aslaug, but by "killing" him, Toki is only able to see what he longed to not be, his father.
Toki is quite literally looking at his father as he dies. His hands are over Aslaug's. The ice acts as a mirror for Toki, where he does not see his own reflection, but instead the demise of his father. Even when he tried to be different from his father and grant him forgiveness and kindness, he failed, and hurt and "killed" his father in the same fashion as he was tortured; freezing temperatures and helplessness.
We see his inner turmoil morph in the next episodes, "Snakes N' Barrels II", "Dethrecord", and "Dethrelease."
_______________________________
This is where I believe we start to see a clear message about "Breaking the Cycle" where Toki is actively trying to break it by doing what he believes is the right thing as "a man". He does not want to be that angry, scared child anymore. But the violent nature of Aslaug's death and the role Toki plays in it, pushes him back into his feelings of rage and confusion, ultimately causing a obstacle in Toki's journey of "Breaking the Cycle". It's important to note that "Breaking the Cycle" is never linear and relapses happen. Healing is never linear.
In the question, "Does Toki see his father when he looks in the mirror?" I think Toki forgiving his father is him trying to separate himself from Aslaug. By forgiving, he's doing something that he knows his father never would do. He's "Being a Man", becoming his own person, he's choosing to let go of his anger, sadness, and fear.
But does it work?
Toki, The Rabbit, and His Anger
Snakes N' Barrels II
"Snakes N' Barrels II" happens immediately after "Dethdad". Quick synopsis, Snakes N' Barrels still has "Totally Awesome Sweet Alabama Liquid Snake" in their system and at the "SOBERTOWN USA No Drugs Allowed Sober Rock and Roll Show", the drug is reactivated and effects people around them.
It creates hallucinations.
One of which, is the bunny we see in "Dethdad".
While this is all going on, Toki has snapped on a man at the concert and starts to violently beat him up to the point of killing him. This is contributed by the mounting pressure, confusion, and anger that "Dethdad" left Toki in. While he is beating this man to death, a hallucination of a bunny appears to a hallucination member of Snakes N' Barrels, but turns into a giant bunny monster that chases after him and kills him.
This is symbolism for how Toki, who is the rabbit, has snapped and let his anger consume him into committing violent acts against others. Because Toki was never able to get his father into his childhood cottage and dropped him in the pond, resulting in his death, Toki never received closure for what he thought forgiving his dad would bring. It only motivated him to be angry and violent, something his father was, something he is started to see in himself. He blames himself for his father's death, probably falling into a pit of despair that all of his internal work was for nothing, as he will always be like his father. The concert goer was an unfortunate man who pushed Toki too far at the wrong time. It's important to note that Toki is pushed around a lot in the rest of the series but he never behaves like this ever again, even to Magnus.
If we look back at Toki's "ancient animal form", we can start to see just how dangerous this hybrid can be. We see why the hybrid was necessary in the first place, and the people who are unfortunate enough to see it in action.
The hybrid is a defense mechanism.
Toki is purposefully letting himself get this angry to make sure no one ever hurts him again, while also giving into the idea that he is just like his father; cruel and violent.
We see this theme continue on into "Dethrecord".
Dethrecord
Not too much to talk about here but there is one scene that sticks out to me. When Murderface and Toki are showing the guys "Takin' it Easy", Toki threatens to throw hot towels at Murderface. Now, this is probably just for laughs, because Toki does normally shows regular "Metalocalypse" signs of violence. However, this is RIGHT after "Snakes N' Barrels II" where they all witnessed Toki beat a man to death, Murderface included. They are obviously a little scared of him, and Toki threatening Murderface so casually shows Toki allowing himself to get violent when faced with opposition. (Murderface told him he's not in Planet Piss, which is where the song will be released on, so he gets no credits for it, even though he helped create it.)
Continuing on to "Dethrelease" will show just how bad his father's death affected him.
Dethrelease
"Dethrelease" is where we see Toki's anger essentially burn out. He begins coping with alcohol and falls into a depressive state of being. As the rabbit, he is not suppose to be this way. By drinking excessively, he is pushing away his own feelings while also worrying his bandmates. It isn't until Nathan tells him that he's worried about him that Toki realizes that someone does care about him and is worried about him. We can discuss the importance of this coming from Nathan, who is considered the band dad by both fans and AOTD (Knubbler).
His father, Aslaug, was a cruel and abusive man. Toki was told to carry him up the mountain so he can die in his childhood home, which Toki failed once slipping. His father then died in the frozen pond.
This is a parallel of that same scene.
Nathan, the band dad, is carrying Toki out of a raging fire in Mordhaus. Once Succuboso tries to hurt Nathan at the top of the house, Toki hits her over the head with a bottle (saving Nathan's life). Nathan then carry's Toki down from the house and tells him that he's worried about him, which helps Toki realize that his drinking has gotten out of control.
Toki knows that his father would never carry him up the mountain but Nathan did. Toki knows that his father would never tell him he is worried about him or that he cares about him but Nathan did. Toki knows his father would never protect him from the elements but Nathan did. It is crucial that Toki heard these words from Nathan and no one else, because Nathan is the band dad, a father figure. And we know that Toki returns to "normal" after this exchange because we see Toki interact with rabbits later on in the series, connecting once again to his "ancient animal form".
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Season 3, Episode 10 "Doublebookedklok". There are no other rabbits in this shot except for what is in Toki's arms, furthering his connection to the rabbit. (Also looks like the other animal is a version of Deaddy Bear, as there are no copy cats of that stuffie either in the picture.)
Season 4, Episode 6 "Writersklok". He is the only one without a woman on his lap, showing signs of innocence as symbolized by the rabbit. (Look at how happy they both look! :3)
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We also do not see Toki resort to major acts of violence when pushed or prodded. (I do not count normal amounts of Metalocalypse type violence in this, I'm only referring to "Snakes N' Barrels II" type of violence.)
Season 4, Episode 7 "Dethcamp". Even though Toki is violently having cake shoved down his throat and is dying of a diabetic shock, he does not put his hands on the bully.
Doomstar Requiem. Toki, throughout "Magnus and the Assassin", sings about how scared he is and pleads for them to not hurt them. That they have done nothing to them. Toki even calls Magnus, "my friend."
Generational Anger
Before I continue, I believe another quote will help further explain this section of the analysis.
“If you’re raised with an angry man in your house, there will always be an angry man in your house. you will find him even when he is not there. and if one day you find that there is no angry man in your house— well, you will go find one and invite him in!” - Cut by Catherine Lacey
Now that I feel like I've talked enough about the importance of the rabbit symbolism, we can get down to the humanity of Toki and Aslaug. So, what exactly is "Generational Anger?"
Paper Cranes Counseling defines Generational Anger as, "The unhealthy expressions of anger and nonconstructive methods of release that often run in families." We do not know the origins of either of Toki's parents, but it is safe to assume that they were also brought up in this cult. There's a very good chance that both Aslaug and Anja were also severely abused as children, and passed on their traditions and anger onto to Toki. (I assume that Toki is actually from a long line of Reverends, whereas Toki was meant to be the next reverend after Aslaug's death.)
The thing about Toki is that he is resilient and good-natured as is. It's one of his defining characteristics in the show, it's simply who he is as a person. This doesn't mean Toki is a perfect person or that he does no harm, it just simply means that Toki by default wants to be good. That's what ultimately saves Toki.
Toki did not let the abuse consume him. He continued to be himself, despite the problems it would eventually cause for himself.
But is this out of character for the son of Aslaug?
No.
Toki knows that he is the reverend's son, he knows that, within the cult, he is meant to take over for his father at some point. He is meant to lead, meant to protect the traditions, meant to be strong willed, meant to be different from the rest of the cult. And he is, just not the way Aslaug wanted him to be.
For Toki to be himself and find joy in music and playing guitar, he is going against his father's wishes. Toki is leading his own life, away from his parents abuse, and attempting to be someone that is not his father. (I've said this before but Toki is very Cinderella-coded to me.)
While this works in his favor, his inability to confront his feelings toward his parents is what ultimately destroys the progress he has made. Toki can be violent and cruel and power hungry. These are things that Toki has to work on while trying to remain true to himself.
Sadism
Toki shows bouts of sadistic glee in the show, which means that Toki holds a lot of his own anger and how he chooses to show it. It's common for abused children to repeat the cycle of abuse on those they think are below them, such as their own children or pets. Usually in the same fashion. There are 3 incidents where I think Toki shows sadistic traits.
While going through the incidents where Toki exhibits bouts of sadism and anger, I wanted to highlight the different types of ways his sadism comes out and when.
Toki's sadistic side usually only comes out when he is in charge of other people. The examples will show that every time he is sadistic, its because he's in charge.
The types of ways his sadism comes out is as follows:
Physical Violence
Threats of Physical Violence
Cursing
Yelling
Threat of Death
It's common for generational anger to show itself in ways that the victim either experienced themselves (Physical Violence, Threats of Physical Violence) or how the victim wanted to react when they were the target of anger (Cursing, Yelling, Threat of Death, Physical Violence).
Also to note, Toki does show signs of being sexually affected by being sadistic, though it is very small. This is a completely normal reaction that many people exhibit, but it does open the door for therapy.
Dethgov
Season 2, Episode 10
I believe this is the first time we see Toki going power crazy and sadistic toward someone. He gets put into a position by Governor Nathan because he wants to "helps people." But the problem is that once he's in office, he loses himself to the power he has over his secretary.
"Now I reallys gonna makes everythings right and do something good for people. But first I gots to get this officer in order. Moves that over there. Not -- Not there. No, moves it there. No -- There."
After having this poor guy move this pencil holder all over his desk, he starts demanding the man do more dangerous tasks for him.
"Jumps out the window. Find me a paper clip! You do what I say, or I haves you all killed! Now shit your pants!"
This obviously shows Toki reacting poorly to the power he has and how he treats people once he has it. He once was a powerless child in the clutches of his abusive father, and now he has the option of doing the same thing to someone below him. Toki has good intentions but without good coping mechanisms and therapy, Toki will continue to fall into his internalized anger.
This is also were we see Toki being sexually affected by his sadism. This is a normal theme seen in a lot of people's traumas, so it's no surprise that we see it in Toki. Unfortunately, this does not seem to make another appearance in the show.
Nathan: "Toki, your boner is showing."
Dethmas
Season 3, Episode 4
Granted, this is not a huge sign of sadism, however, Toki is comfortable commanding around these klokateers, and threatens them with death if they talk about what Toki says to "Santa Clause". He's obviously feeling good about himself while he does it to. Toki likes having power over other people.
"Holds dis bags at once. I should likes to haves a private audience with Santa Clause fors a brief moments. And I would likes you to not repeats whats you sees to anybodys or I will haves you alls killed."
Bookklok
Season 4, Episode 5
In this infamous episode, Toki has dethroned Skwisgaar as the more popular guitarist, resulting in Skwisgaar losing a lot of his sponsorships and favor with the public. You see just how power crazy and sadistic Toki becomes once he has this power. I also want to make note that Toki and Skwisgaar's relationship in the series is slightly similar to the position Toki was in with his father. (I am in no way saying that Skwisgaar comes even close to the shit Aslaug put him through, but Skwisgaar does do certain things to Toki that keep him in that child-like role, which only harms his mental health.)
It is canon that Toki is in Skwisgaar's shadow all of the time. No one really wants Toki when Skwisgaar is right there. Not sponsorships, not the fans, not even the band really places him or his musical ability all that high. Skwisgaar demeans Toki a lot and is generally disappointed in him as well. No one really pays Toki any attention, something the band has joked about before ("Dethclown"). A lot of that resembles how Toki felt while he was a child living with his parents, and constantly being under his father's hand. So, once Toki has that power and has that audience, he slips back into this sadistic, power hungry self.
"Moves my 10:00s to 10:30s, move my 10:30s to 11:00s, and uh, moves my 11:00s to noons and my noons to next weeks! That's give me 10 minutes for lunch, so you'd better not fucks this up!"
He once again has no problem ordering around the klokateers like this. Just like in "Dethmas" Toki commands the klokateers to do his bidding and is cruel in his speech to them. Shouting and cursing. When he does see Skwisgaar again, he responds:
"Oh, look who ams waltzings back into my life. What, sos you can abuse me more? Pencils him in for next weeks or some shits like that."
He pays him no mind and even comes out and says the word abuse.
THIS IS SOMETHING I WANT PEOPLE TO ACKNOWEDLGE!
Never, not ONCE does Toki ever say the words, "My parents abused me." He acknowledged the abuse in multiple different ways and different configurations, but not once does he utter the world "abuse" about his parents, not even his dad. But Skwisgaar? HE GETS THE WORD! He says it on the cover of his book as well, "Toki the ABUSED guitarist." Toki feels more comfortable admitting that Skwisgaar abuses him than his own parents. (Though, Skwisgaar has done his fair share of being a dick to Toki, so some of it may very well be true and truly only toward Skwisgaar.)
I do think that a lot of the shit that Skwisgaar is getting from Toki in this episode is projection. In "Dethzazz", Toki is unable to tell Dr. Twinkletits that he was abused, but instead saying the opposite. He even puts the blame on himself for why he was punished.
"I was happy. I loved my lifes. But occasionallys, I woulds makes mistakes and has to be punisheds."
But, he does acknowledge bits and pieces of his abuse.
"What my parents didn't know is that I had a friends with me, a friends that listens to me and kepts me safe. As long as my friends was there, nobodys could hurts me."
Toki is going over the top because he wishes he could have done something similar to his parents because he is so angry. This episode is late in the series with multiple character's relationships breaking apart and reshaping. Toki has reached a climax with his relationship with Skwisgaar and the relationship with his anger toward his parents.
Toki and Age Regression
This part will be short, as most people are already aware that Toki drank to cope in "Deathrelease". I wanted to talk a little bit about Toki and age regression.
Toki is a canon age regressor, something that is very common amongst victims of CPTSD. From the first season to the movie, we witness Toki explore age regression in all forms and at all stages. He went from a person who just enjoyed his hobbies, that were seen as childish, to someone who needed a caregiver and extensive accessibilities to function. As the viewer, this makes complete sense.
After "Dethrelease", we do see Toki cope more and more with age regression in the show. The first and second season did not heavily show how Toki was age regressing, but when you come back after watching all of it, it is apparent that Toki is showing signs of constant age regression. From the posters and toys to the single occupant bed to his hobbies, Toki has always been age regressing to cope. It isn't until after "Dethrelease" does the audience truly begin to question if Toki just likes childish things as a stereotype or if it's a part of his character arch.
A few instances where it becomes clear that Toki is heading further into his coping mechanism is as follows:
"Fatherklok" - Toki yearns for a father figure.
"Dethzazz" - Toki needs Dr. Rockso to escape his "Punishment Hole" because he looks like the clown doll he had down there.
"Doublebookedklok" - Toki begins to hit others in order to get attention. He runs away with the band when Charles yells at him. He hugs Charles when Charles addresses him that he doesn't need to hit people, and that people like being around him and think he is very cool. Toki cries on his shoulder.
"Diversityklok" - Toki becomes angry when he keeps being left out of group activities, makes his own group in retaliation, and refuses to let Murderface in.
"Prankklok" - Toki is seen drawing and "coloring" in a child's coloring book when Murderface prank calls him.
"Writersklok" - Toki does not have a half-naked lady on his lap like the other members but instead a rabbit, which he is very excited about.
"Dethcamp" - Toki goes to camp to make friends because he feels lonely. The items he takes with him are child-like, Deaddy Bear, finger paints, coloring book, and "My Little Disemboweled Pony" lunchbox.
"Dethdinner" - Copes with Alcohol and excessive social media usage
"Breakupklok" - Toki plays with the paper weight while Murderface is trying to talk to him about running for congress.
It's at this point when we get to "Doomstar Requiem" that the audience really understands that Toki is regressing, but it isn't until "Army of the Doomstar" do we get a confirmation from Pickles in the church.
It can be inferred that Toki is slowly applying more and more regression coping mechanisms to combat the lingering anger and violence still within him.
If we wanted to, there is also a connection to be made about Toki spiraling into age regression and the song he sings in "Dethdad" about choosing to be a man and not a boy. Here, we see Toki choosing to be a boy, not a man. This is either a confrontation of toxic masculinity and the "get over it" mindset that Toki is suffering from not achieving,
OR
This is Toki being unable to be a man because he has unresolved anger toward his parents and remaining as a boy until he is able to safely confront it (Post-AOTD). Either way, it is interesting to see how the lyrics and Toki's character arch match up.
However, the coping mechanism can only go so far, as Toki has never been shown going to a therapist along side it. Toki has yet to confront the things his parents have done to him, and is only putting a band-aid on it.
Choosing Forgiveness
Despite all that we know about Toki, he remains good-natured. Which I think is ultimately crucial to his character. Toki would not be Toki if he was cruel, violent, or cold-hearted. The point of his character is to show cast stereotypes in the metal scene. Just because Toki can be childish and kind, it does not mean he can't also be metal and a prick.
Forgiveness from victims to abusers is a touchy subject, one that is personal and could only be done by the victim. No one else can make that decision. Toki makes that decision for himself every single day.
Toki chooses to forgive his bandmates.
Toki chooses to forgive his father.
Toki chooses to forgive his mother.
Toki chooses to forgive Magnus.
Toki chooses forgiveness over and over again, whether he says it or not.
And that, to me, shows that Toki is constantly "Breaking the Cycle". He does not want to be his father, but he knows that he has his father's looks and his anger. He also knows he has his own anger. But despite all that, Toki just wants people who love him, who listen to him, who keep him safe. Going back to Nathan in "Dethrelease", that is what Nathan encompasses when he is taking care of Toki during the fire. Toki has what he craves the most and he is going to work hard to never lose it.
Now, with the ending of the series, we do see Dethklok lose themselves and breaking away, especially Toki from the rest of the band as he sits with Magnus. But during "Doomstar Requiem", when Toki sings "I Believe", that's when he realizes that he's always had everything he's ever wanted right in front of him. In AOTD, that is when Nathan fully understands that all he needs, and what he needs to work on, is to be appreciative and never take for granted the "army" (fans) and his family (bandmates).
I do believe that post-series Toki will continue to work on his anger and repressed memories while Nathan learns to be open with his love toward his band, and openly show (and state) that he cares about them.
Conclusion
So, lets go back to the question.
"Does Toki see his father when he looks in the mirror?"
The answer: Yes, he does. But he also sees himself a lot more than he will ever see Aslaug. I've said it before, healing is not a linear journey. It is not easy and it is not cute. It is hard, grueling work. Toki is bound to relapse into fits of anger and cruelty as long as he lives. He is only human (+ something else?). But, with the ending of the show as it stands, Toki is on a much better path than he once was. He has a clear understanding of his role in the band, he is seen and appreciated by his bandmates, the others are learning how to better themselves, and the world is a better and safer place for him.
Toki will heal. He will sometimes see his father in the ways that he acts but he will also know that he does things his father would never do, like forgive and love. Those things will keep Toki grounded, along with his support system.
As it goes with his role in the prophecy and his "ancient animal form", those will unfortunately never change. CPTSD never goes away, and nether does the aftereffects. Toki will continue to live his life always having to fight this battle, and his animal form and his role will suffer from it.
Now, with Charles being in charge of the church, I do see him helping Toki and guiding him toward spiritual healing and acceptance. The hybrid is here to stay, so Toki must learn how to live with him. Same goes for his role in death. I feel that once Toki has a clear understanding that these things are just a part of him, and not because he is his father's son, he will begin to heal parts of himself that he thought were broken.
Toki is more than Aslaug's and Anja's son. He is more than just an abused child. He is more than the rabbit, the hybrid, or the messenger of death. He's more than the rhythm guitarist for Dethklok.
He is more than the reverend's son.
He is nothing like his father.
He is Toki Wartooth.
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If you want to add anything to the analysis, feel free too! I would love to read your thoughts!
I’m so obsessed with this sketch I had 2 post it here too uu
Dethklok x Caballitos 🇲🇽🗿‼️.
The Rocky Horror Metal Show 🥀
bang bang bullet wonderland
