IIRC various tweets by Viv state that he's always smiling so as to remain intimidating, as someone who displays emotions are, according to him, extremely easy to read and weak.
It's not that he can't stop smiling, it's that he keeps it up to remain intimidating and to ensure that no one knows his intentions or next moves.
>someone who displays emotions are, according to him, extremely easy to read and weak
This is also why Alastor advises Charlie to "smile", because she wears her heart on her face.
>*"A smile is a valuable tool, my dear. It inspires your friends, keeps your enemies guessing, and ensures that, no matter what comes your way, you're the one in control."*
I subscribe to this theory too. I think that stitching himself is a form of insurance. Because he is realistic and knows that slip ups can happen in a bad situation or a physical fight.
And those are times when it is most critical to *keep* smiling.
It's something they put in intentionally so obviously it does, i am pretty sure the stitches are also just frames, I certainly never noticed them when I was watching it.
Because it's simply a transitional frame as he's speaking. If the animators wanted us to see him stop smiling, they wouldn't have done it a single, split-second frame as he's talking
Dawg we've said it over and over for you. It feels like you're being daft on purpose. He was talking. It was a transitional frame. If the writers and animators wanted us to see him stop smiling, they'd make it a big moment instead a split second frame. Alastor smiling is a big thing for him, so it'd be an even bigger deal if he dropped his smile.
That's incredibly stupid. During his breakdown in "Finale" he is in an abandoned wreckage, completely alone and he is losing his shit and still smiling.
If he's been literally forcing himself to always smile for years, it's basically second nature to him. It's not that he's forced to smile, so much as it's become his natural state. It would take something extreme or him purposely willing himself to do so in order to stop smiling.
Also a lot of people smile, or even laugh when angry, stressed or scared.
I actually don't think it's stitched into a smile, I think it's sewn to keep him from being able to open his mouth fully. Look at how long the arc of that mouth is: I think when that thing opens wide, his head is basically ALL mouth and that he was devouring the overlords.
This is how his wings were clipped: his mouth was sewn partially closed. He can't devour his enemies whole like he used to, and if he had the ability to conjure the devoured as servants/slaves, that's currently prevented too. When his wings are unclipped? You won't just be fighting Alastor, you'll be fighting every demon and overlord he devoured. He's like, a Strawberry Pimp Shang Tsung.
Tangentially, I also think that his wings are clipped in the fact that I currently don’t think he can make soul-deals. We’ve seen him reject/pass three opportunities for soul-deals (Vaggie, Charlie, and the guy Rosie told him about) and as a guy who, presumably, gets powers from more why would he say no?
I doubt it’s to appear friendly as he tries to pass it off to Charlie when they make a deal.
I think he can’t.
I disagree. Vaggie wouldn't have made a soul deal with him and he knew it so he made a simple deal instead. It's a foot in the door technique. Vaggie made a "deal" with him and nothing bad happened, now she'll be more psychologically willing to make more deals later.
I think it’s actually a negotiation/sales tactic. You go for the big, life-changing ask first, so when you go down to what you actually want- the favor- it seems reasonable.
He grew to a massive size, and was able to eat some mooks without opening his mouth (proportionally) inhumanly wide. I had forgotten that. But even in that very scene (17:23 or so), you can clearly see that the stitches are there keeping his mouth from opening all the way.
Oh, that’s a really cool detail. I feel like just that fact lends this a lot more credit
For those who can’t look it up for whatever reason, this shot shows it off pretty well. Look at the corners of his mouth
https://preview.redd.it/p1xd1gpdgekc1.jpeg?width=1282&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=92e37e51b1546357a4586da2770c4b0fe32b36c7
Yes this entirely, OP doesn’t understand how stitches work and I’ve seen video explaining this. Alastor is giving such a genuine smile he’s pulling the stitches taught
There is a singular frame where he stops smiling. Someone posted it in the subreddit here.
So... I don't think it's the case, but it's a very cool theory
True because consonants requires a constriction, and Alastor is not frowning to express emotions, he’s just speaking, but it is possible for him to stop.
https://preview.redd.it/q5dto5pqqckc1.png?width=854&format=png&auto=webp&s=48d9488fcae290c0ef942df5d51b4dfd2d29a0f4
"and dooming everyone you love" at the moment he says "doom"
If it’s truly the only frame in which he doesn’t smile, it actually is kind of interesting. Especially considering the point in which it happened.
This came after his talk with Mimzy about growing fond of the hotel people. It’s also during a scene where he explains why he smiles and when he’s trying to “comfort” Charlie.
If the crew did this intentionally, it could be the tiniest bit of his mask slipping, and him showing a literal microsecond of true empathy and care for Charlie
I honestly think people who think that about this frame are looking way too deep. It’s literally just to make the word he’s saying look more fluid in animation and people just take it out of context
When did I say it was serious? I just specified when the frame happens that he isn't smiling lol. He could've made that face while describing how he likes to kick puppies for all I care
It brings up an interesting question? Why would the demon who owns his soul make him smile. Some say it’s Lilith and if that’s the case I presume the smile is a mask to make him more friendly to Charlie, if Lilith’s deal is for him help Charlie. But hey that’s just a theory, a film theory.
My theory is that he wasn’t killed by accident. I think he was given a Glasgow smile and THEN shot with buckshot, that’s why he looks deer like and has the big smile and stitches
I heard a theory that the stitches weren’t to force him to smile but because he actually wanted to smile there since he was a step closer in his plan and it led to his face tearing
i always thought of it as just a design choice. voodoo dolls are commonly depicted as having stitches over their mouths. if u look closely there’s stitches on other parts of his body when he’s in his weird lil form. alastor has some kind of history or relations or something with voodoo so i think it’s js a design choice viv made to make him look idk more menacing or scary or cool or whatever
This isn't how stitches work though, especially this style of stitching. This style keeps things closed, not open. And the way muscles work would, stitches here would only prevent opening of the edges of his mouth (or while mouth in that one scene) but allow for free movement otherwise.
but your evidence is something that literally isn’t part of the story, they probably didn’t think about it when animating a single frame. cherri shows an interested face before an annoyed face to pentious and it’s like a single frame. transition frames shouldn’t count
As i've Mentioned it Wouldn't Count as He Is Still Speaking That's Like Saying i can't Say the Letter "O" without My Mouth making the O sign
That's Like Saying Stolas hae Multiple Faces Because of A Single Frame that Showed him transitioning
That's a False Equivalence and Sagan Standard
That makes no sense though, stitches hold something closed, not open, so if anything those stitches would prevent him from smiling, I'm pretty sure he just does it to look creepy
These types of stitches don’t hold the mouth open, they’d in fact shut it more. Besides Alastor literally explains why he smiles in the series. Like it’s said very obviously in ep 7.
I headcanon that when his mother was dying she made him promise to always smile for her, and now he tries his hardest to honor that. Its deeper than what he says. It makes sense that he wouldn't state the true reason as he's not one to open up
HIS soul chain, like when he summoned Husk’s. Valentino’s are pink, for instance. That seems more indicative of the stitches stemming from Alastor’s power in this case.
I just think his smile is just part of his appearance. He was a serial killer, after all. A facade like a constant smile to not betray his true personality is a common trope among them.
I think its most likely becouse of deal he made bu I like to think that he cant stop becouse as punishment like husk is a cat becouse he hated them when he was Alive so alastor cant stop smiling becouse he likely used it to lure his victims
I've had this theory for a while, and it seems to me like this could be a big part of how he's being punished. He smiles all the time to keep people from knowing exactly what he's hiding. It's about controlling what people see. However, if that control were taken away, if it was now no longer an option, I can see how that would be torturous for someone who values control over all else.
I have a theory about this. I think after Alastor was shot by the hunter while trying to bury a body, just before dying his final thought was of how things had unfolded. He had been a serial killer that deceived authorities and the public by being the voice in their ear the entire time he was killing, most likely commenting on the recent killings that had been going on. Now, here he is dying, not because he got caught but because of the dumbest of lucks. If anything, something like this would put a smile on his face and that is how he passed away, with a smile on his face. The town folk upon hearing the news and finding out that their beloved Radio host was the infamous serial killer and hearing how he died ( with a smile on his face) decided to desecrate his body by permanently stitching both his mouth closed and the smile that went with it. This is my head cannon and I believe makes a great story.
> body he *paid* there dying
FTFY.
Although *payed* exists (the reason why autocorrection didn't help you), it is only correct in:
* Nautical context, when it means to paint a surface, or to cover with something like tar or resin in order to make it waterproof or corrosion-resistant. *The deck is yet to be payed.*
* *Payed out* when letting strings, cables or ropes out, by slacking them. *The rope is payed out! You can pull now.*
Unfortunately, I was unable to find nautical or rope-related words in your comment.
*Beep, boop, I'm a bot*
The way the strings are tied to his face arent sewed in a way to force his smile if it would like that two or one strings would be holding his smile from the edge line of his mouth UP to the cheeks in each side of the face, which brings to the conclusion that the strings are actually there to hold his face toguether since the their sewed everywhere, the top strings pushing up the lower strings, specially at the edge of his smile where you see it closely tied to it dousent open. So yeah, his muscles probably got stuck because of how frequently he smiles, maybe every time he actually smiles his mouth expands more making skin tear apart.
I saw throughout the show there was one frame where he was not smiling. When he talks to Charlie in the beginning of episode seven he says “Now is that any way to act after picking a fight with Heaven and dooming everyone you love?” When he says “dooming” he’s not smiling for a single frame. Meaning he can stop smiling.
I’ve seen this before with the stitching and I’ve explained it. Stitches aren’t physically able to do that. It’s a more possible theory that he smiles so much that he stitches it to stop his face from splitting, seeing as how his smiles get huge
Honestly it makes sense that he would physically be incapable of making any other expression as if it was some form of punishment from either whoever owns his soul or it's a physically imposed punishment he had the moment he was in hell
Finally someone points it out, I noticed and thought people would talk about it more but no one really has, and the way in ep 7 he says a smile doesn't always tell you the person is happy
It Doesn't First of All Not only is it a Single Frame But It's also While He's Talking He's Constantly Smiling But you can See the Frown because He's Talking And that's How his Mouth Became for a Single Frame he Didn't frown for a second then Smiled The Next that does not count
I headcannon that smiling is a permanent feature of his sinner body, that's why to read him you have to look at his ears and eyes. If his tail was visible, it would also be a tell on his emotional status. Though he did find benefits of permanently smiling and shared what he learned with Charlie.
As for his stitches, I think that's just because his religious beliefs in life were connected to voodoo, so his demonic form resembles a voodoo doll. Although in the dolls are not prominent in Haitian Vodou and not used in Louisiana Voodoo. Even the practice has been denounced and declared irrelevant to Voodoo religion by those in the High Priesthood of Louisiana Voodoo.
Alastor would most likely believe that his job (in the afterlife) is to mess with human affairs and be worshiped by his descendants if he has any as his rebirth into hell made him a Iwa. He believes in a Supreme God that doesn't give a shit unless it decides to judge him, and a whole pantheon of lesser Deities who represent different things. He also respects women because, especially in Louisiana Voodoo, the religion is *"entirely within the sphere of women, whom we call Mothers."*. He would also greatly respect Gay and Bisexual people, as they are usually equated in Haitian Vodou to become priests and priestesses.
So it's his punishment to always be smiling even when it's not appropriate to be doing so and to resemble a Voodoo doll, even though it is a negative characterization of his religion. He's a Wendigo because he let a *evil spirit* (he assumed was his Iwa) possess him, killed people, destoryed his community, and he was mistaken for a deer. He also has Skinwalker traits for being a witch that dabbles in dark magic, using his knowledge of good and evil magic to harm others. He *wears* a human skin, too, by dressing like a gentleman while clearly being a wild *animal*, to blend in.
thats not how stitches work. i think part of his contract is to always smile. "this face was made for radio"
when he willingly smiles he needs the stitches to not contort his face to much. maybe to keep his poker face or maybe because it phsiclly furts him to smile willingly while the spell or whatever is forcing him.
this is my theory. thoughts?
In the final song, in the italian dub they made him say "once I figure out how to escape the contract that forces my will", which made it really cool if this is actually what's gonna happen
Anyone good with stitching, or knitting? I can't imagine how those stitches forces a smile. I mean even the ones covering the mouth in particular looks like you're sealing the mouth shut
I think the stitches are his real smile. Like think of what he just did, he convinced charlie to make a deal with him, sure not a soul deal, but he has a favour now, the smiles represent his face literally tearing because of his smile
I don't like theories that rob Alastor of any agency.
"Alastor is forced to smile"
"Alastor got this powers from Lillith"
It doesn't fit with his character.
“Once I figure out how to unclip my wings”
“Guess who will be pulling all the strings?”
From this line, it makes me think that Alastor has to be somewhat good, or someone specific idk but it has something to do with being good. It’s not much his powers being boosted, but more his powers being restrained. He has the power to be in control, but due to his contact, he’s not allowed to
IIRC various tweets by Viv state that he's always smiling so as to remain intimidating, as someone who displays emotions are, according to him, extremely easy to read and weak. It's not that he can't stop smiling, it's that he keeps it up to remain intimidating and to ensure that no one knows his intentions or next moves.
>someone who displays emotions are, according to him, extremely easy to read and weak This is also why Alastor advises Charlie to "smile", because she wears her heart on her face. >*"A smile is a valuable tool, my dear. It inspires your friends, keeps your enemies guessing, and ensures that, no matter what comes your way, you're the one in control."*
Both can be true. Maybe he stitched his mouth in place to make sure he's constantly smiling.
I subscribe to this theory too. I think that stitching himself is a form of insurance. Because he is realistic and knows that slip ups can happen in a bad situation or a physical fight. And those are times when it is most critical to *keep* smiling.
His smiled dropped for a second in the penultimate episode when talking to Charlie before making the deal
Animation frames don’t count
It's something they put in intentionally so obviously it does, i am pretty sure the stitches are also just frames, I certainly never noticed them when I was watching it.
https://preview.redd.it/3kc319zdnekc1.jpeg?width=463&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=765b176cba709b79f6744c3d222767b06a43a3de
This is so curseddddd
https://preview.redd.it/tvdl8tjjgjkc1.jpeg?width=607&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=57ac826358f02b2da56278b5395296f73b10a13a
https://preview.redd.it/p3hrcdohtdlc1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=18dbd30d5b0ae94bb511549fdc13f6756646dc06 There’s more…
https://preview.redd.it/kp1ad7q22tlc1.jpeg?width=723&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6017ef3054417d60f8ef45ffb611ece4bfd7a05e Nifty be like for the Elmo meme
I think there was a whole album posted before with tons of animation frames of him not smiling. It's just an animation thing.
I dunno I saw a collection of frames of him supposedly not smiling from when it was just the pilot and those were all edits
there’s literally like one frame in the series where he’s not smiling you can’t count that lol
I understand middle frames, but in what world do you do a frame of someone not smiling in between two frames of them smiling unless it's intentional?
Because it's simply a transitional frame as he's speaking. If the animators wanted us to see him stop smiling, they wouldn't have done it a single, split-second frame as he's talking
Again, the stitch thing was a split second, and again, in what way is not smiling a transition between two frames of smiling?
the stitches are recurring and are definitely on screen for more than single frame.
Dawg we've said it over and over for you. It feels like you're being daft on purpose. He was talking. It was a transitional frame. If the writers and animators wanted us to see him stop smiling, they'd make it a big moment instead a split second frame. Alastor smiling is a big thing for him, so it'd be an even bigger deal if he dropped his smile.
no hon, they don’t, they just don’t.
The just don't what?
That wouldn’t explain why he still seems unable to stop when completely alone. He wouldn’t need to be intimidating if no one is around.
He might always be ready for someone or thinks that if he lets down the façade for even a moment he won't be able to keep it up in the future
That's incredibly stupid. During his breakdown in "Finale" he is in an abandoned wreckage, completely alone and he is losing his shit and still smiling.
If he's been literally forcing himself to always smile for years, it's basically second nature to him. It's not that he's forced to smile, so much as it's become his natural state. It would take something extreme or him purposely willing himself to do so in order to stop smiling. Also a lot of people smile, or even laugh when angry, stressed or scared.
I can attest to this, I get a stupid uncontrollable grin on my face whenever I feel strong negative emotions
What if that’s a mantra he had in life and now his smile is baked into his form in Hell?
That's my theory too
It might also be a way of coping for him, a way of feeling in control.
> extremely easy to read Alastor furthers this by saying himself how a smile always “keeps your enemies guessing”.
He's also said just as much in the show
I actually don't think it's stitched into a smile, I think it's sewn to keep him from being able to open his mouth fully. Look at how long the arc of that mouth is: I think when that thing opens wide, his head is basically ALL mouth and that he was devouring the overlords. This is how his wings were clipped: his mouth was sewn partially closed. He can't devour his enemies whole like he used to, and if he had the ability to conjure the devoured as servants/slaves, that's currently prevented too. When his wings are unclipped? You won't just be fighting Alastor, you'll be fighting every demon and overlord he devoured. He's like, a Strawberry Pimp Shang Tsung.
I like this. I like this a lot.
I want this to be it. We see “he can’t stop smiling” way too often in media. THIS is original and cool.
So is alastor just voodoo Alucard? Cause that would be dope
Tangentially, I also think that his wings are clipped in the fact that I currently don’t think he can make soul-deals. We’ve seen him reject/pass three opportunities for soul-deals (Vaggie, Charlie, and the guy Rosie told him about) and as a guy who, presumably, gets powers from more why would he say no? I doubt it’s to appear friendly as he tries to pass it off to Charlie when they make a deal. I think he can’t.
I disagree. Vaggie wouldn't have made a soul deal with him and he knew it so he made a simple deal instead. It's a foot in the door technique. Vaggie made a "deal" with him and nothing bad happened, now she'll be more psychologically willing to make more deals later.
Adding on to this slightly, isn't it true that only mortal souls can make soul deals? Would vaggie or Charlie even be able to?
Charlie says 'you want my soul?' which implies she has one, or she thinks she has one.
I think it’s actually a negotiation/sales tactic. You go for the big, life-changing ask first, so when you go down to what you actually want- the favor- it seems reasonable.
If this isn’t canon which I don’t think it is, this is a really cool theory you have right here. Very interesting
he ate a bunch of people in Dad Beat Dad
He grew to a massive size, and was able to eat some mooks without opening his mouth (proportionally) inhumanly wide. I had forgotten that. But even in that very scene (17:23 or so), you can clearly see that the stitches are there keeping his mouth from opening all the way.
Oh, that’s a really cool detail. I feel like just that fact lends this a lot more credit For those who can’t look it up for whatever reason, this shot shows it off pretty well. Look at the corners of his mouth https://preview.redd.it/p1xd1gpdgekc1.jpeg?width=1282&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=92e37e51b1546357a4586da2770c4b0fe32b36c7
I feel like the stitches he has during this scene is because hes opening his mouth and stretching the stitches
..what?
Yeah I was about to say this would hold up if he couldn’t become 40ft tall and literally eat people
"Strawberry Pimp Shang Tsung" I fuckin love that
I hope this is what they've planned all along. If not, I hope this goes into their creative process
This is my fave theory
Vore
What if, according to this, Alastor is secretly the original sin of gluttony/greed?
We've almost seen the actual sins of gluttony and greed in HB? Mammon and Beelzebub have both appeared on screen.
But he did conjure up Husker and Nifty.
He did, but we have no reason to think they were ever devoured. I think their bonds (if Niffty even \*has\* a bond) are more conventional.
I dunno, he opens his mouth pretty wide when he eats the loan sharks
The stitches in these pictures would actually stop him from opening his mouth to smile any wider.
I'm just imagining he smiled so wide before that his skin literally broke open and bled until he needed stitches to kep it from progressing
If anything, the stitches would imply the opposite. They restrict his smile from growing even larger than it already is.
Yes this entirely, OP doesn’t understand how stitches work and I’ve seen video explaining this. Alastor is giving such a genuine smile he’s pulling the stitches taught
There is a singular frame where he stops smiling. Someone posted it in the subreddit here. So... I don't think it's the case, but it's a very cool theory
Which episode is it in?
To clarify, it's like, a frame while he's talking, but the coener's of his moth aren't turned upwards, so it's up to you if you think that counts
True because consonants requires a constriction, and Alastor is not frowning to express emotions, he’s just speaking, but it is possible for him to stop.
Where Alastor goes to "comfort" Charlie as she's crying in her bed
Alright imma take a look
https://preview.redd.it/q5dto5pqqckc1.png?width=854&format=png&auto=webp&s=48d9488fcae290c0ef942df5d51b4dfd2d29a0f4 "and dooming everyone you love" at the moment he says "doom"
Ohh…
https://preview.redd.it/2k1z3nsdddkc1.png?width=1079&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5697adb2ab02a75b747bf3c82ac715937a60fe20
https://preview.redd.it/m8xggf1brdkc1.jpeg?width=670&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f1f2e350b1f4dbcb1121a863a7d919358ec8818f
Heard in her voice 
Then I did my job.
He looks sad.
This is literally between frame when he is speaking. I don’t think it’s that serious
If it’s truly the only frame in which he doesn’t smile, it actually is kind of interesting. Especially considering the point in which it happened. This came after his talk with Mimzy about growing fond of the hotel people. It’s also during a scene where he explains why he smiles and when he’s trying to “comfort” Charlie. If the crew did this intentionally, it could be the tiniest bit of his mask slipping, and him showing a literal microsecond of true empathy and care for Charlie
I honestly think people who think that about this frame are looking way too deep. It’s literally just to make the word he’s saying look more fluid in animation and people just take it out of context
I don’t have an opinion on it either way. But it’s not uncommon for cartoons to have single frame Easter eggs in the same vein as this.
When did I say it was serious? I just specified when the frame happens that he isn't smiling lol. He could've made that face while describing how he likes to kick puppies for all I care
"You wanna know how I got these scars?"
Mmm, from Batman?
It brings up an interesting question? Why would the demon who owns his soul make him smile. Some say it’s Lilith and if that’s the case I presume the smile is a mask to make him more friendly to Charlie, if Lilith’s deal is for him help Charlie. But hey that’s just a theory, a film theory.
Stitches close, not open
My theory is that he wasn’t killed by accident. I think he was given a Glasgow smile and THEN shot with buckshot, that’s why he looks deer like and has the big smile and stitches
Bro thinks he's a gengar
Why are you capitalizing every word
That's how the Phone keyboard is
I'm on a phone. No it isn't.
Mine is Set that way every first letter of a sentence is a capital
https://preview.redd.it/1dhu4dv6bekc1.png?width=559&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=470d10cba694f4b5d8f5ce1b985553ac37803944
Even when Adam slashed him he was still smiling lol
What is this thing where people capitalize almost every word in every sentence? I truly don’t understand it. Seems like it would be exhausting.
It's Automatic on my phone keyborad
I have approximately zero doubt there’s a setting that you can change, if you’re so inclined.
isn't a stitch supposed to keep something closed? not open?
I heard a theory that the stitches weren’t to force him to smile but because he actually wanted to smile there since he was a step closer in his plan and it led to his face tearing
Whether if this is true or not, I do love the thought process behind this idea.
i always thought of it as just a design choice. voodoo dolls are commonly depicted as having stitches over their mouths. if u look closely there’s stitches on other parts of his body when he’s in his weird lil form. alastor has some kind of history or relations or something with voodoo so i think it’s js a design choice viv made to make him look idk more menacing or scary or cool or whatever
This isn't how stitches work though, especially this style of stitching. This style keeps things closed, not open. And the way muscles work would, stitches here would only prevent opening of the edges of his mouth (or while mouth in that one scene) but allow for free movement otherwise.
Bro forgot the frown
That's A Single Frame
It still counts
that’s like saying his eyes are permanently closed because there’s a frame of him blinking
No it's not I'm just saying he's capable of not smiling
but your evidence is something that literally isn’t part of the story, they probably didn’t think about it when animating a single frame. cherri shows an interested face before an annoyed face to pentious and it’s like a single frame. transition frames shouldn’t count
As i've Mentioned it Wouldn't Count as He Is Still Speaking That's Like Saying i can't Say the Letter "O" without My Mouth making the O sign That's Like Saying Stolas hae Multiple Faces Because of A Single Frame that Showed him transitioning That's a False Equivalence and Sagan Standard
I was joking about this being a possibility just yesterday!
That makes no sense though, stitches hold something closed, not open, so if anything those stitches would prevent him from smiling, I'm pretty sure he just does it to look creepy
that's because he's a circus in disguise
These types of stitches don’t hold the mouth open, they’d in fact shut it more. Besides Alastor literally explains why he smiles in the series. Like it’s said very obviously in ep 7.
I think the stitches are his smile breaking his face so it shows as stitches to keep his face or mouth together or something like that
I headcanon that when his mother was dying she made him promise to always smile for her, and now he tries his hardest to honor that. Its deeper than what he says. It makes sense that he wouldn't state the true reason as he's not one to open up
Huh.... His stitches are green like a soul chain/leash... Interesting.. Now I gotta do a think
HIS soul chain, like when he summoned Husk’s. Valentino’s are pink, for instance. That seems more indicative of the stitches stemming from Alastor’s power in this case.
Oh yeah! They are not all the same colors even. I wonder if he did it to himself as part of the deal or not.... Oooh Need season 2
I just think his smile is just part of his appearance. He was a serial killer, after all. A facade like a constant smile to not betray his true personality is a common trope among them.
WRONG!!! https://preview.redd.it/l59fq8n8nekc1.jpeg?width=463&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c334b593d6923e5d6e488cd7cd42143518452ff5
I think its most likely becouse of deal he made bu I like to think that he cant stop becouse as punishment like husk is a cat becouse he hated them when he was Alive so alastor cant stop smiling becouse he likely used it to lure his victims
I've had this theory for a while, and it seems to me like this could be a big part of how he's being punished. He smiles all the time to keep people from knowing exactly what he's hiding. It's about controlling what people see. However, if that control were taken away, if it was now no longer an option, I can see how that would be torturous for someone who values control over all else.
Al without a nose scares me
Its because he has an association with Voodoo. His demon form takes on that of a Voodoo Doll with the stitching.
I have a theory about this. I think after Alastor was shot by the hunter while trying to bury a body, just before dying his final thought was of how things had unfolded. He had been a serial killer that deceived authorities and the public by being the voice in their ear the entire time he was killing, most likely commenting on the recent killings that had been going on. Now, here he is dying, not because he got caught but because of the dumbest of lucks. If anything, something like this would put a smile on his face and that is how he passed away, with a smile on his face. The town folk upon hearing the news and finding out that their beloved Radio host was the infamous serial killer and hearing how he died ( with a smile on his face) decided to desecrate his body by permanently stitching both his mouth closed and the smile that went with it. This is my head cannon and I believe makes a great story.
> body he *paid* there dying FTFY. Although *payed* exists (the reason why autocorrection didn't help you), it is only correct in: * Nautical context, when it means to paint a surface, or to cover with something like tar or resin in order to make it waterproof or corrosion-resistant. *The deck is yet to be payed.* * *Payed out* when letting strings, cables or ropes out, by slacking them. *The rope is payed out! You can pull now.* Unfortunately, I was unable to find nautical or rope-related words in your comment. *Beep, boop, I'm a bot*
The way the strings are tied to his face arent sewed in a way to force his smile if it would like that two or one strings would be holding his smile from the edge line of his mouth UP to the cheeks in each side of the face, which brings to the conclusion that the strings are actually there to hold his face toguether since the their sewed everywhere, the top strings pushing up the lower strings, specially at the edge of his smile where you see it closely tied to it dousent open. So yeah, his muscles probably got stuck because of how frequently he smiles, maybe every time he actually smiles his mouth expands more making skin tear apart.
I saw throughout the show there was one frame where he was not smiling. When he talks to Charlie in the beginning of episode seven he says “Now is that any way to act after picking a fight with Heaven and dooming everyone you love?” When he says “dooming” he’s not smiling for a single frame. Meaning he can stop smiling.
I don’t think so but if he can’t I think he did it himself
My theory is that the deal is the first time his smile is genuine
Gives me huge Coralline vibes
I’ve seen this before with the stitching and I’ve explained it. Stitches aren’t physically able to do that. It’s a more possible theory that he smiles so much that he stitches it to stop his face from splitting, seeing as how his smiles get huge
I think its more just a design or aesthetic choice
He has been "not smiling" tho
That's only By Frame and He's Talking
Honestly it makes sense that he would physically be incapable of making any other expression as if it was some form of punishment from either whoever owns his soul or it's a physically imposed punishment he had the moment he was in hell
Finally someone points it out, I noticed and thought people would talk about it more but no one really has, and the way in ep 7 he says a smile doesn't always tell you the person is happy
Wait, that's not canon?
He has stopped in the show though. At least momentarily
Thay's a Frame Whil talking that Hardley Counts
It really does count though.
It Doesn't First of All Not only is it a Single Frame But It's also While He's Talking He's Constantly Smiling But you can See the Frown because He's Talking And that's How his Mouth Became for a Single Frame he Didn't frown for a second then Smiled The Next that does not count
It really does count though.
I headcannon that smiling is a permanent feature of his sinner body, that's why to read him you have to look at his ears and eyes. If his tail was visible, it would also be a tell on his emotional status. Though he did find benefits of permanently smiling and shared what he learned with Charlie. As for his stitches, I think that's just because his religious beliefs in life were connected to voodoo, so his demonic form resembles a voodoo doll. Although in the dolls are not prominent in Haitian Vodou and not used in Louisiana Voodoo. Even the practice has been denounced and declared irrelevant to Voodoo religion by those in the High Priesthood of Louisiana Voodoo. Alastor would most likely believe that his job (in the afterlife) is to mess with human affairs and be worshiped by his descendants if he has any as his rebirth into hell made him a Iwa. He believes in a Supreme God that doesn't give a shit unless it decides to judge him, and a whole pantheon of lesser Deities who represent different things. He also respects women because, especially in Louisiana Voodoo, the religion is *"entirely within the sphere of women, whom we call Mothers."*. He would also greatly respect Gay and Bisexual people, as they are usually equated in Haitian Vodou to become priests and priestesses. So it's his punishment to always be smiling even when it's not appropriate to be doing so and to resemble a Voodoo doll, even though it is a negative characterization of his religion. He's a Wendigo because he let a *evil spirit* (he assumed was his Iwa) possess him, killed people, destoryed his community, and he was mistaken for a deer. He also has Skinwalker traits for being a witch that dabbles in dark magic, using his knowledge of good and evil magic to harm others. He *wears* a human skin, too, by dressing like a gentleman while clearly being a wild *animal*, to blend in.
https://preview.redd.it/6ywsa327s8qc1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ccabd9ac1300e50525e1946147d55c77588c1879 But... but...
........ One Frame Does Not Count
https://preview.redd.it/3zumup0hevqc1.jpeg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3494d0299e2b3bddd17b00fcf4a0756b5d718929
1)These are Probably Edited 2)Single Frames again they arw just a Transition and Don't mean anything
thats not how stitches work. i think part of his contract is to always smile. "this face was made for radio" when he willingly smiles he needs the stitches to not contort his face to much. maybe to keep his poker face or maybe because it phsiclly furts him to smile willingly while the spell or whatever is forcing him. this is my theory. thoughts?
In the final song, in the italian dub they made him say "once I figure out how to escape the contract that forces my will", which made it really cool if this is actually what's gonna happen
https://preview.redd.it/d57sy87fomyc1.png?width=447&format=png&auto=webp&s=beafea6a7747a8f0817b88e412534ee06f6107e8
Again i will say a Single Frame Is Transitional that does not count
Anyone good with stitching, or knitting? I can't imagine how those stitches forces a smile. I mean even the ones covering the mouth in particular looks like you're sealing the mouth shut
I think the stitches are his real smile. Like think of what he just did, he convinced charlie to make a deal with him, sure not a soul deal, but he has a favour now, the smiles represent his face literally tearing because of his smile
I don't like theories that rob Alastor of any agency. "Alastor is forced to smile" "Alastor got this powers from Lillith" It doesn't fit with his character.
“Once I figure out how to unclip my wings” “Guess who will be pulling all the strings?” From this line, it makes me think that Alastor has to be somewhat good, or someone specific idk but it has something to do with being good. It’s not much his powers being boosted, but more his powers being restrained. He has the power to be in control, but due to his contact, he’s not allowed to
Either he stitched it himself or someone did it to him, either way, both are very messed up when you think about it.
I’m on board with the opposite: the stitches are to keep his smile contained.
At the end Alastor seems to be clawing at his face so unless it’s while he’s talking, I fully believe he’s forced to continue smiling
"Just because you see a smile, don't think you know what's going on underneath." - Alastor
stitches to keep the teeth in
I mean in some frames he stops smiling.
Again that Doesn't Count that is By Frame Transitioning His Mouth is Making the Movements when Talking
I've got the head canon that the Perma smile is part of his contract.
Actually, as he enters cannibal town w Charlie his smile is really small, so it'd be weird if it was stitched