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John Doe, initially only known as the Entity, is a being who was bound to a book in The Dark World. This book was sent to Arthur Lester who opened it and bound the pair of them together. John acts as Arthur's eyes and narrates the sights to Arthur as well as advising him on what to do next.
Personality[]
In the beginning of the story the Entity is manipulative, deliberately using a gentler tone and pushing Arthur to do things that Arthur expresses doubts and fears about.[1] However, he also shows appreciation for humanity and the vibrancy of the city. [1]
Since the beginning, he expresses the opinion that all creatures can be redeemed,[2] which he has carried throughout.[3] As the story progresses, and especially after renaming himself as John,[4] he becomes much more blunt about his opinions on the actions that he and Arthur should take. He shows to be quick to anger, especially when feeling cornered,[5] but also to have the ability to experience vulnerability and loss.[6]
John claims to be trying to become a better version of himself, what he should have been a long time ago. He claims that this is not without conflict, and he is going to make mistakes in the process, but that this is what makes him human.[7]
He enjoys poetry,[8] [6] [9] and is terrified of not being able to see [10] and the darkness in general.[11][12] He seems to enjoy mundane things like watching a movie,[13] and gets excited when he can apply the investigation techniques that he's learned from Arthur. [14]
Description[]
John does not have a physical form, being confined to Arthur's body. Although he sees his form in a mirror in the Sleeping City,[15] and the Trader can perceive him in the Dreamlands,[16] his appearance is not described.
John is in control of Arthur's eyes,[1] left hand as far as the elbow,[17] and foot.[18]
History[]
Early History[]
The Entity initially introduces himself as someone who previously died in his own world, and ended up in The Dark World. While there, he claims to have somehow been bound to the book that Arthur received before the start of the story, but to not have a clear memory of his own identity or previous history.[1]
It is later revealed that he became trapped in the book due to being bound by one of the participants who witnessed the ritual of the Cult of the Black Goat to summon Shub-Niggurath in the basement of 58 Pelican Lane in 1924, ten years before the book was sent to Arthur.[16]
Before being bound to Arthur, John tried to get Emily MacFarland to read from his book, but was unsuccessful and so he killed her, though how he accomplished this remains unexplained.[5] Immediately after being bound to Arthur, John killed Arthur's partner Parker.[19]
Season One[]
Since the beginning, the Entity appears fascinated by Earth and the people that inhabit it, explicitly contrasting it with the bleakness of the Dark World.[1] He is also interested in the concept of redemption, claiming that since he doesn't know who he is, he needs to believe that all creatures can be redeemed.[2]
The Entity and Arthur have to work together to learn what has happened to them and how to separate. In the beginning the relationship is fraught and full of misunderstandings, such as the time that Arthur doesn't heed the Entity's warning and asks for a ride from the wrong truck.[20]
After Arthur wakes from a month-long coma after being stabbed by Kellin,[20] the Entity asks Arthur to refer to him as 'John Doe' and explains he chose the name after spending a month being greeted as 'John' by a nurse named Lilly at Harper's Hill Hospital. [4]
John becomes distant and distracted when looking at certain symbols[18] or when reading certain words, especially those referring to The King In Yellow.[19] In the hotel in Leerie, he claims that a pallid mask worn by a cultist is familiar and comforting to him.[21]
In the Sleeping City under Leerie, John learns he is a fragment of The King In Yellow, and the Cult of the Pallid Mask is trying to help him become whole again by taking over Arthur's body in full. John refuses to complete the ritual and return to the King, at which point the King transports both him and Arthur to the Dreamlands.[15]
Season Two[]
John continues to act at Arthur's guide in the Dreamlands. As they are trying to navigate the landscape, he claims to remember some but not all of the details of being the King in Yellow and what that entailed; for example, while he was not hostile to human life, he found it insignificant. However, John says he has found meaning during the month he spent at the hospital while Arthur was in a coma, and he didn't want to abandon that purpose to reunite with the King.[16] He also claims to be trying to rewrite parts of himself and to want to be more like an investigator, but he agrees with Arthur that he is still the King and that he must own that fact of his past if he wants to grow and change.[22]
John claims he doesn't want to be reunited with the King in Yellow—he and Arthur decide that Arthur should end his life before allowing that to happen. [23]
During the journey through the Dreamlands, John's relationship with Arthur improves and they reach a level of mutual trust, so much so that Arthur shares the details of the death of his daughter Faroe. [10] However, they still have arguments and misunderstandings. The King in Yellow exploits this by influencing both Arthur and John under the guise of Frank, leading to an heated argument during which John admits to having killed Emily and calls Arthur a murderer and an unfit father. As a consequence of this, Arthur is captured by the King.[5]
In the prison pits, John and Arthur seem to have reached an understanding and they manage to flee.[7] When they meet the Trader again and find Faroe's music box on their way out of the Dreamlands, John expresses hesitancy at entering the lost city nearby but relents after seeing how much it means to Arthur. During the final confrontation with the King in Yellow on the plateau at the top of the Ten Thousand Steps, John vows never to forget Arthur no matter what happens. In the end, he decides to return to the King to save Arthur from torture and from the throat wound that Arthur inflicted upon himself to deny the King his reunion. [6]
Season Three[]
In the immediate aftermath, Arthur is sent to Addison by the King and John is absent from his head for the first time, being replaced by Yellow due to Kayne's interference.[24] He returns after Arthur plays Faroe's song on the piano in the Larson Estate[25] and claims not to remember anything past the point of their separation.[26] Arthur comments that he seems more fragile,[3] while John empathizes with Yellow and argues to Arthur that he and Yellow have the same nature, only being different due to their lived experiences.[26] John and Arthur have an argument[3] but reconcile after Arthur kills Uncle, when John acknowledges Arthur's trauma and vows to support him.[9]
When Arthur is impaled by the creature in the mines underneath the Larson estate and John is trying to save him, Kayne appears and references a deal. The exact details of this deal are unknown, but it involves Arthur heading to a specific location in New York.[27]
Arthur and John manage to defeat the monster, but their trust in each other is put to the test, as Arthur is not able to communicate his plan before executing it. Later, John asks Arthur to trust him in return when he convinces Arthur to go to New York to find Larson.[27]
Season Four[]
On the journey to New York, John and Arthur seem to be comfortable with each other, bickering about trivial things like food and movies.[13] Once they arrive in New York and take residence in Marie's house, John starts behaving oddly, having an episode in which he seems to zone out and be lost in a waking dream, claiming to see darkness and someone in the corner of the ceiling.[11] He also starts to become distracted, unusually quiet, and forgetful. Arthur calls him out on this but John dismisses his concerns.[14] He questions Arthur about grayer areas of morality, such as lying in order to help someone, and lashes out when Arthur attempts to question his motives for asking.[28]
As Arthur begins to investigate Mr. Scratch, their path crosses with Oscar. During this time, John claims he does not see the car keys and misses noticing environmental details, such as their exit on the road. On the way to the farm, repeatedly expresses displeasure with both Arthur and Oscar.[29][30] After Arthur removes Oscar's arm, the two argue, Arthur accusing John of intentionally trying to kill Oscar by aiming the axe too high. John admits he lied when he said he didn't see the keys or the road exit, and admits to trying to manipulate Arthur into killing Oscar. He laments his inability to hold conversation with anyone other than Arthur, and apologizes for lashing out. They agree to work together to rid themselves of Mr. Scratch and keep Oscar alive.[31]
The next time Arthur meets Detective Noel, he reveals John's existence and repeats what John is saying to Noel, allowing him to participate in external conversations. John expresses his feelings to a human being other than Arthur for the first time. Once he finds out that the King tortured Noel for information on John's book, he insists Arthur does not tell Detective Noel who he is for fear that he will no longer help them. He agrees with Arthur to head "home" after this is over to England.[32] In The Order of the Fallen Star, John become disoriented and fails to recognize Noel with them. Through the Grand Vizier, is forced by Larson to admit to Noel that he is the King, but after a moment, affirms to John that he is nothing like the King. Arthur and John realize that the gaps in John's memory is caused by proximity to Yellow, as if he is being drawn to exist in two places at once. During their confrontation with Larson and Yellow, Yellow attempts to dominate Noel and force him to throw himself over a balcony, Enraged, John projects out of Arthur's body the same as Yellow did, subduing Yellow and saving Noel. Once they reach the Graystone, Kayne appears, stopping the movement of everyone in the room except John. Kayne reveals that after being separated from Arthur in the Dreamlands, he no longer "fit" with the rest of the King in Yellow, and was sent to the Dark World. While there, John fell back on his old habits as the King, and once he was at his lowest, called to Kayne for help. Kayne returned him to Arthur, and in exchange, John pushed Arthur to come to the Order and touch the Graystone. John hopes to eventually tell Arthur about this, and Kayne informs him that while Arthur's movement is stopped, he can hear. They leave with Kayne.[33]
Season Five[]
After Kayne explains to Arthur he is tasked to search for The Blackstone, he makes John an offer to wipe Arthur's memory of the revelation of his manipulation to get Arthur to New York. John accepts, and Kayne refuses to follow through, sending them both to 13th century England.[34] John argues with Arthur regarding his deal with Kayne and struggles with his sense of identity, stating that he feels lost.[12]
When Arthur is taken captive by the witch, she casts a spell to hear John speak. John first tries to assert himself as the King in Yellow, which does not faze her. John recounts his journey up to this point, defending his identity and love for Arthur against the witch's nihilism. In the course of this negotiation, he reveals that while in the Dark World, he built a new kingdom of fear, thriving off of the pain of others. When the witch kills Arthur, John projects out of rage, but is forced back into Arthur's body by the power she holds over her home. The witch continues to convince John that his true nature is the King in Yellow, not "John", and eventually, he manipulates her into shooting herself in the head, declaring that only he decides who he is. He speaks to Arthur's body, reaffirming that he can't hold himself to anyone else's ideas of who he should be. He is entirely his own, and his friendship with Arthur has saved them both.[35]
Known Abilities[]
- After Arthur's coma, John (as Arthur's eyes) sees the dying moments of any human whose remains he or Arthur touch,[4] as long as there is still flesh on the bones.[25]
- Projection - John can project himself out of his host. The form is described as like a long shadow, though not tethered to only shade. In this state, he can speak aloud, and is able to subjugate Yellow. However, it is draining physically on Arthur for John to sustain this form.[33]
Trivia[]
- John cannot read lips.
- The editing techniques used to achieve John's voice have been referred to by Harlan Guthrie as a "trade secret".[36]
- Harlan has revealed John's birthday to be June 3.[37]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Part One
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Part Three
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Part Twenty Five
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Part Five
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Part Eighteen
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Part Twenty
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Part Nineteen
- ↑ Part Sixteen
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Part Twenty Six
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Part Seventeen
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Part Thirty
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Part Forty One
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Part Twenty Nine
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Part Thirty Three
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Part Twelve
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 Part Thirteen
- ↑ Part Two
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 Part Seven
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 Part Eight
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 Part Four
- ↑ Part Eleven
- ↑ Part Fourteen
- ↑ Part Fifteen
- ↑ Coda
- ↑ 25.0 25.1 Part Twenty Three
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 Part Twenty Four
- ↑ 27.0 27.1 Part Twenty Eight
- ↑ Part Thirty Two
- ↑ Part Thirty Six
- ↑ Part Thirty Seven
- ↑ Part Thirty Eight
- ↑ Part Thirty Nine
- ↑ 33.0 33.1 Part Forty
- ↑ Intermezzo
- ↑ Part Forty Three
- ↑ Official Malevolent Tumblr, 11/11/2022
- ↑ Official Malevolent Tumblr, 12/6/22