Orange Side - Blog Posts

I guess this is canon now lmao

Made a little something with @midnight-is-my-actual-name 's Dark Logan au because I'm her n1 stan and y'all should really check her animations out!

Another gift for @midnight-is-my-actual-name. Happy 1 year of Erase me lmao. Also tumblr quality 📉

Made a little something with @midnight-is-my-actual-name 's Dark Logan au because I'm her n1 stan and y'all should really check her animations out!

I made this a while after pride month and finally decided to post it! Don’t mind me making my faves say aspec rights. I also decided to add plushies of the others because why not! 💜🤍🖤

If you can’t tell: Lion= Roman, Owl= Logan, disturbing looking frog= Patton, spider= Virgil, snake= ...Thomas and finally Octupus= Remus 💚🤍🖤

I made this last year and forgot to post it. But worry not, here it finally is; the biggest crime against humanity!

Sanders Sides Character Recaps and Fortune Telling, what fun

let me start by saying I have suddenly been thrown back on the Fander train without my consent and this is the result of that. its a doozy, but if anyone wishes to discuss further id be delighted. so:

Virgil: came a long way, accepting being accepted, he's still dealing with the guilt of his past i spose. getting more familiar with everyone, him and logan are cute (platonically). Of course as Anxiety, he still struggles with lying (because we get nervous when we think about getting found out) and intrusive thoughts (what if im a bad person) but as a person(?) hes learning to come to terms with that, well on his way with a few crises coming his way, theres that whole thing with saying Paranoid to him, hope we face that. I see self discovery and good things coming his way, a win for all you virgil fans!

Roman: clearly, getting pretty emotionally beat, yknow, sides with Janus to be shot down, goes against Janus to be shot down again, significantly lacking in wins recently, you wonder abt his self esteem. Still doing his job great, which seems to be the only thing hes got going for him which is concerning. in the You vs Yourself vid hes very unsure about his moral views because he recognizes hes not Morality and when he proposes arguments they are based on endgoal, just like hes usually been as Passion, creativity, career drive, you might say? I dont see his arc being addressed in his near future, but I'm sure it will come to that. I see dark times before his good times roll, hang in there Roman fans, he'll get his moment.

Patton: Hes really been going through it, hasnt he. I mean, recently he just found out there was so much more complications to his job that he wasnt prepared to handle and to be faced with it all at once must be really challenging, especially when everyone is expecting results from him and he doesnt even know what to do and theyre all judging his decisions when hes just trying his best with all these new factors to consider with his job as Morality. Its easier for him to come to terms with Janus as deceit than Remus because he can easily see how lying can be good (even though he knows its also not a lot of the time) but he still doesnt really know how Intrusive Thoughts are helpful to Thomas or good in any way. I see in his future, job related anxiety and insecurity. It will be adressed, and its also good he was allowed his breakdown early (You vs Yourself, you can tell I really like this episode despite a severe lack of Virgil and Remus)

Logan: Well. we all know how this is going, I mean, hes the talk of the town lately! As a Logan fan, I can attest to the fact that he did used to be more lighthearted and smile more and I can also attest to the fact that Thomas is very aware of his development as a character and I don't think he'll let yall down. just, what I can glean from his videos. we're all waiting for him to go apeshit, and I with you, and i do think its coming very soon guys, hold on to your proverbial hats! I do enjoy that hes clearly indifferent to the new additions and not thrown off like the others. due to the fact that he is Logic. Id also like to point out that logic can be wrong and everyones logic is different. even if its less so compared to how anxiety is. so. logic is still susceptible to human whims. anyway theres been plenty going aorund abt ignoring logan and the orange side, and I'm always up for discussion on any of these guys. Hes really been just going ham into his job, huh? search for purpose, hmmm? ponder on that morsel. more alcohol in his life as well, an interesting observation.

Janus: oh, the snakey boi. How hes grown. he does a lot of drinking too. what for, I wonder. I do think the preposition to his song reveals a lot, like how Patton is talking to him more, how he knows truths and knows that some need to be hidden and its healthy to lie sometimes even when you know its a lie. Hes confident in himself and his abilities and knows when the criticism is ignorance vs actual criticism, which is why he values Logan's perspective on his arguments and brushes off Roman's jabs to his ego. Hes safely on the ride, and I dont see any heavy existential crises or anything in his near future, as in, he (and Remus, I'll talk about it later) will probably be the only mentally stable ones as the Light Sides are having their purposes reevaluated. Confidence is surprisingly key. who'da thunk it?

Remus: My favourite rat man. True to his name, hes very intrusive, and I admire his determination in his fight for acknowledgement. I think it will serve him well, the "face it bluntly hands on" tactic compared to Janus, who understands where he stands in the others' eyes and will slowly but surely snake his way (see what i did there?) to the table. Remus, and I love it about him, is just running forward to acceptance MACE ABLAZING and I hope it takes him good places. the WTIT ep was very revealing. his confidence in himself, like Janus's, will carry them through the generally rough patch that I predict is coming their way. i do think he is salty abt being ignored, which I interpret as the biggest difference between him and Janus (who might also be, but I dont really see it? I might also be in denial cuz this theory is really working for me) and Remus is wounded by it and trying to hide the fact that hes salty with his craziness and randomness that no one understands. its why he feels mor menacing than Janus. who knows, Janus might be just as peeved but hiding it better? settled himself in for the long game?

both dark sides certainly seem bent (and betting) on getting Logan to lose his marbles, but idk whether thats for Logans good or so the Reasonable Light Side (tm) will see what its like? and by proxy everyone else...? the tail end of the theory is escaping me now. its also 5 am.

Cant wait to see how the orange side manifests, wont that just be plenty of fun for all?

Sanders Sides in my style (including FANMADE Orange Side and Character!Thomas), where I mashed up Thomas's appearance in golden-age SS, modern-day SS and my personal artistic liberties!

Rambling commentary on design choices under the cut...

Love it when people take design inspo from his dyed hair era and make it color-coded to the other sides through the power of artistic magic

Gave stubble and ear piercings so he looks closer to his current appearance

Decided to give Character!Thomas that one jacket he really seems to like rather than the popular Steven Universe shirt bc it reflects his current style more

LOVE it when people give Roman scars- also gave Remus one across his eye to make him similar to Roman

Speaking of Remus... I removed the silver streak bc it's kinda a hassle to draw and doesn't really unify him with the others (also clutters his design) + just gave him heavier facial hair rather than a full-mustache

Janus's snake-side is usually a washed-out green when Thomas has his make-up so I made it more vibrant! I usually hate drawing Janus bc bowler hat + snake scales is a STRUGGLE but I like how he turned out

ORANGE SIDE ORANGE SIDE

His hair is spiked and swooped back to make him 'disheveled', 100% believe Thomas will wear orange contacts so he has those, and gave him short-sleeved leather jacket to relate him to Logan's short-sleeves

patton and janus with step mom energy

*ORANGE SIDE THEORY SANDER SIDES*

GUYS!!!

I was rewatching some Sander Sides when about 21 minutes into ‘Dealing with Intrusive Thoughts’. Logan was trying to stop Virgil from thinking Thomas is lying. Logan states, “I can assure you he’s not. You’re just para-“ and then cuts himself off. Now this could be him just trying to be nicer because of Virgil’s reaction. But what if there was another reason?

Is it possible it has more to do with the orange side?

What if the orange side is Paranoia? Not only did Virgil seem pretty shaken up by Logan starting to call him that. But it also shocked Patton. Which only japans when it comes to a dark side, like how he reacted to Janus and Remus.

I’m sure other people have mentioned this and stated this theory but I found it really interesting.

And honestly it would make sense if Paranoia was the last side. It’s labeled at the ‘irrational and persistent feeling that people are ‘out to get you’ and feeling angry or betrayed’ which wouldn’t be to far off from the hints we’ve been given.

With Logan feeling more left out it could make sense. He feels that everyone wants to get rid of him. Which is causing him to feel angry at times.

Anyways those are my thoughts let me know yours :)

(Sorry if this doesn’t make sense 🥲)

OOF I was rewarching some sander sides videos and just realized how suspicious Patton looked when Thomas mentioned making a decision with a blind fold on, and it's just failing my theory about the orange side being wrath/impulsivity

Sanders side New video spoiler

Warning ⚠

You know at the end card we saw the orange in the chair. What if his gonna be wearing the orange beanie when we first get to see him in a future video. I feel like he is!!! If he is then I fucking called it. If he's not I'm going to cry.

Remember this!!!

You can't tell me thomas isn't gonna use it for the Orange side's outfit

I’d just like to once again pose the concept that Anger fucks with Logan specifically because anger blinds logic which is why his eyes glow when he gets mad at Remus after being ignored by Thomas all day. Idk if I believe that Logan Is Anger^tm but I could see a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde situation since generally when you’re angry logic goes Out The Window.

Tbh though I really hope they’re separate entities because we haven’t seen a different side have such total control over Logan the way Janus and Remus could control the others. Logan isn’t really affected by Janus outside of the hand over the mouth, and he isn’t afraid of Remus. Do you know how fun it would be to have a completely new side just be able to nerf Logan and make him lose his common sense? And it’s not a “oh his dark persona that shares his body” situation?

Like imagine a side that shows up and just completely knee caps Logan. Logan can’t see it but there’s a side behind him feeding into his frustrations, a whisper in his ear when the others try to confront him about it. Because the second logic loses its grip in conflict it opens the door for anger to take the wheel. Anger possesses you and overwhelms you. Maybe Logan is just particularly vulnerable to the manipulation right now because of his repressed emotions.

I just can’t see this going any other way except it all blows up and logic is no longer in the building all we have is A Very Angry Side being boosted in his anger by a side he can’t even *see*.

Even better is if everyone else can see Anger but Logan is just Mad^tm and can’t see anything.

Orange side thoughts

I think them and Logan should be besties

guys its been 40 minutes and im already theorizing

I cant tell exactly what flower it is, but marigolds can symbolize cruelty, grief and jealousy, ranunculus can symbolize careless behaviour and (this one is just for fun), but poppies can symbolize sLEEP REMY WHERE ARE YOU

So far every side name has two syllables.

Ro/man.

Ja/nus. (or Jan/us, depends on how you say it)

Re/mus.

Pat/ton.

Lo/gan.

Vir/gil.

Even Thom/as and Ni/co have two syllables.

Heck, even E/mile and Re/my have two syllables.

What if the next side doesn't? What if it's like, Craig or something?

Even Apollo (a common orange-side name theory, after Logan's comment about wishing Apollo had more of an influence in WTIT) would mess with the pattern, being A/pol/lo

Janus: Hey I'm ba—

Remus, clinging onto his leg: NEVER LEAVE ME AGAIN

Janus: Are you alright?

Remus: I HAVE ABANDONMENT ISSUES JANNIE NEVER LEAVE ME

Janus: You— what?

Remus: Because Virgil left! And [R̴̢̢̧̟̭̲̗͍̔̓͐̒̈́͌̎͒̓͊̚͠Ę̵̫͙͔̗̤͆̌̌̀̿͋́̄͊̽̚͠ͅͅD̷̛̛̮̝̜́͋́̕̚Ả̷̛̲̟͍̃̇͋̑̇́͛̚C̶̢̱͔͈͎͔͚̤͍̿̀͛̇͗͗̈́̾͑̾̕͜͠T̵̟͎͖̘͈͎̻̑̊̾͛̓̀͊̄͝ͅÉ̶̢͇̭̜̋̇̑̀́̐͗̾̉̀̕͠͝ͅͅD̸͉̓̀̾̉̆̃̆̊̊̿̀̾̈́] left! And you can't leave too!

Janus: (picks him up) Hey, I just went to the store. Next time you can come with me, okay? I'm not going anywhere. Okay?

Remus: *sniffle* Okay...

Roman, still there: ...Who's [R̴̢̢̧̟̭̲̗͍̔̓͐̒̈́͌̎͒̓͊̚͠Ę̵̫͙͔̗̤͆̌̌̀̿͋́̄͊̽̚͠ͅͅD̷̛̛̮̝̜́͋́̕̚Ả̷̛̲̟͍̃̇͋̑̇́͛̚C̶̢̱͔͈͎͔͚̤͍̿̀͛̇͗͗̈́̾͑̾̕͜͠T̵̟͎͖̘͈͎̻̑̊̾͛̓̀͊̄͝ͅÉ̶̢͇̭̜̋̇̑̀́̐͗̾̉̀̕͠͝ͅͅD̸͉̓̀̾̉̆̃̆̊̊̿̀̾̈́]?

Janus: . . .

Janus: Thank you for making sure Remus didn't burn down the dark side. I appreciate it.

Roman: Wait, Janus, who's [R̴̢̢̧̟̭̲̗͍̔̓͐̒̈́͌̎͒̓͊̚͠Ę̵̫͙͔̗̤͆̌̌̀̿͋́̄͊̽̚͠ͅͅD̷̛̛̮̝̜́͋́̕̚Ả̷̛̲̟͍̃̇͋̑̇́͛̚C̶̢̱͔͈͎͔͚̤͍̿̀͛̇͗͗̈́̾͑̾̕͜͠T̵̟͎͖̘͈͎̻̑̊̾͛̓̀͊̄͝ͅÉ̶̢͇̭̜̋̇̑̀́̐͗̾̉̀̕͠͝ͅͅD̸͉̓̀̾̉̆̃̆̊̊̿̀̾̈́]?

Janus: I'm sure you have very important princely duties—

Remus: *snicker*

Janus: —to fulfill, I'd hate to keep you from them.

Roman, as he's being sent away: JANUS WHO IS—

Remus: *sigh* I miss Janus...

Roman: He just went to the store, he'll be back in an hour.

Remus: *bangs fist on table* THAT'S WHAT VIRGIL SAID TOO

I feel like that could be for a few reasons, these are the ones that make the most sense to me:

1. Logan's speaking for the fans, as Apollo is the god of prophecy/oracles, and we're definitely wishing there was more orange side stuff especially considering it was 'prophesied' by the fans that Logan and the Orange side would be connected/Logan would be the Orange side

2. Logan's referring to how Apollo is the god of truth/knowledge and Logan (truth/knowledge) was really ignored that episode

3. Apollo, being the 'averter of evil,' could have kept Remus at bay

4. Apollo, being the god of healing/health, could have helped C!Thomas's mental state

Bonus, kind of joking, kind of not:

5. The orange side's name is Apollo and Logan knows him

6. Logan is referring to himself because Apollo is the hottest god (pun intended)

But since Apollo is the god of just about everything it's gonna be really hard to know what he meant until Thomas tells us

Does anyone have any thoughts on the line “If only Apollo had more influence today” ?

Im just slightly confused by it…. Aphrodite makes sense to reference as the goddess of love, but why Apollo? Music and the sun and archery and healing and stuff? Why is that the god Logan chooses to reference? I might just be missing something obvious lol

Objectively, the dumbest things the sides have done in my fics (not taking into account why they did them) (TW)

Roman: Threw himself down a staircase

Orange: Kissed Logan years after they broke apart their mutually toxic relationship

Janus: Fell off a cliff (and just barely caught himself)

Remus: Made a painting with his own blood

Patton: Agreed to go on a long hike with his friends when he's never been able to before (and was out of breath by the top of the first hill and had to be carried by Remus)

Logan: Realized wayyy too late that Remus (his best friend and previous roommate) and Roman (his friend and current roommate) were brothers

Edit: I remembered Logan got high and followed a hallucination off a cliff (into water luckily), so I think that's dumber XD

Virgil: Met Roman and in less than a minute, in his second sentence spoken to him, called him out for self-harming

How Remus Describes The Other Sides

From a bit in a fic I wrote; basically, Janus sent a letter to a "new dark side" (its dark!Logan) that showed up explaining—

Y'know what I'll just put in the whole excerpt

Welcome to the ‘dark side.’ There are two of us here and four on the ‘light side.’ Fair warning, most of the others don't like us. More details on that and the main things that have happened if you missed it on the back. I look forward to meeting you, it has been quiet ever since Virgil (Now Anxiety, previously Paranoia) left. There's no rush to come out, though. Take your time. — Janus, Self-Preservation (Nicknamed ‘Deceit’)

He flipped it over, seeing a thorough but quick explanation of the split, Virgil switching sides, who the others were, why the lights didn't like the darks, etc. Janus had very nice handwriting.

It was really… Sweet. Nobody had ever been so considerate towards Logan in his life.

...

Hiya! Figured Jan already did the important introduction, professional and shit, but here's whatcha gotta know about the others—

Roman: My brother, kinda! Very dramatic, title is Creativity, his color is red, he always has his sword and knows how to use it so beware! He dresses like a Disney prince. Minus the crown. He has one. He just doesn't wear it.

Janus: You probably got a good gauge of his personality from his letter, his color is yellow, his title is Self-Preservation but the others always call him Deceit (he’s never corrected them), he's got some scales so don't be freaked out when you see him for the first time (y’know those Catholics and their lying snakes)

Me!: I usually write on neon paper didn't wanna ‘til I knew if you were okay with it, I’m Creativity but the non-socially-accepted Creativity so like intrusive thoughts and such, my color is green, I have a morning star fair warning though I hardly use it on people (never used it on anyone but Roman)

Patton: He’s Morality, he’s very confused about a lot of things, loves cats but he’s allergic, color is light blue, scared of spiders (which is hilarious cuz he loves Virgil), he pretends he’s the dad of the group and calls the others kiddo but he’s just a kid that had to grow up too fast and is now way out of his depth but scared to ask for help??? he wears glasses

Virgil: He’s Anxiety, used to be Paranoia when he was a dark side but then he got a redemption arc and now they love him, his color is purple, he loves spiders, he’s got really intense eyeshadow under his eyes, he’ll probably hiss at you when he first sees you

Logan: Ah, Logan. His title is Logic, and he’s truly the only light side with any braincells. However they NEVER FUCKING LISTEN TO HIM LIKE WTF sorry Thomas is such a dumbass it pisses me off being he! should! just! listen! to! Logan! and! he! wouldn't! have! half! these! problems! but nooOOOOoooOOoooo he’s gotta be a fucking idiot all the time, anyway Logan’s color is indigo he wears glasses he wears a black button-up and a blue striped tie and he’s the only light side worth talking to tbh

He teared up, reading the section about him. Remus got it. He understood how he felt. It was a bit confusing how he described him in more detail than the others, but he quickly moved past that, realizing Remus had forgotten to sign his name and chuckling a little.

(end of excerpt)

Here ya go

Nobody Asked, But If I Could Say One Thing To Each Of The Sides, They'd Be:

Roman: We appreciate you. Not everything you make has to be the work of Adam (Driver). It's okay to mess up. You aren't just Thomas's hero; you're the hero of a lot of fans too.

Orange: TBD. (Right now, 'Come out, come out, wherever you are!')

Janus: Thank you. Also, I think your name is awesome.

Remus: You aren't evil. You're just as important as the other sides.

Patton: It's okay to say 'I don't know.' You aren't supposed to have all the answers. You aren't letting anyone down.

Logan: I listen when you're talking, and I learn from you, and I know a lot of other fans do. You can show your emotions, we know you have them. We'll always take you seriously.

Virgil: We love you. You've never been the villain— you've always been looking out for Thomas's safety.

(I know some of them aren't really 'one thing' shh)

(I know Remus is as important as everyone else because @thatsthat24 doesn't make one-dimensional sides. All the sides are like onions: they have several layers and once they're revealed you usually start crying)

Thing I Noticed

Virgil: I freaking hated everything about this.

(Patton: Hoo, I was afraid of what you meant by "strong language".)

Virgil: Do not allow him or any of... his friends... to stick around that long ever again.

Thomas: Okay, but what—

Virgil: Ever again! Cool?

Thomas: Cool.

Virgil says this, speaking about Janus. We know that Remus is considered a friend of Janus's, however, he said 'any of his friends.' Plural.

This implies that Janus has another friend, other than Remus. Considering the split dynamic of sides, and how light sides and dark sides so far haven't been friends (though they are warming up to Janus now), it's reasonable to assume that Janus's other friend is a dark side. There are three dark sides we know of, and Virgil obviously isn't speaking about himself (he doesn't consider Janus a friend anyway).

So, with this in mind, there's two possible options:

1. There's another dark side

2. Virgil/Thomas misspoke and I'm reading way too into this

ROY-G-BIV? No, my rainbow is R?J-R-PLV

🍊: The Semantics of The Orange Side

Explaining his function, understanding his role in the narrative, and debunking/dissecting common notions about the Orange Side.

To be honest, this essay was inevitable. I've had thoughts about Orange brewing since 2020, but only recently has it developed into something more concrete. For the longest time, most meta surrounding Orange began with theories about his role as a side, then extended towards narrative and side mechanics later on. I, for one, have been a victim of this pattern. 

Then, I realized that asking who Orange is is a terrible opener for theories.

There are many important questions glossed over if we start that way. For example, what is Orange's role in the overarching theme of combating black-and-white thinking? What does it mean for Orange to be a side? Who is he in the context of the Dark Sides? There are many crucial things to consider when it comes to predicting who Orange is, and I feel like concrete theories can only be made if we can establish the semantics of how Orange works.

This essay definitely won't be perfect— this is literally my second draft— but I will try my best making it in a way that flows, somehow. Some sections will discuss general ideas I have, some will try to dissec popular preconceived notions to reorient our logic surrounding Orange. As always, I'm open to discussion! My words aren't gospel.

Important notes: All mentions of Thomas refer to him as a character. Moreover, I acknowledge that Remus is a flawed depiction of intrusive thoughts. Technically, he acts more of a mix of intrusive thoughts, forbidden creativity, and impulsive thoughts. Because of this, when I talk about Remus in the context of his role, please be assured that I am talking about all his functions at once, not just intrusive thoughts. 

(Full essay under the cut! I worked hard on this, so I'd definitely appreciate the read. <3)

i. Orange as a Dark Side

The ways fans have characterized and defined Orange has always seemed to be rooted in their perception of what being a “Dark” Side is. That is— they are edgy, and somewhat suppressed. They are more “morally questionable” compared to the rest. More fics would even go as far as depicting Orange as morally black, in that he has no role in the narrative other than being a stirring force of conflict; a villain that needs to be defeated.

It is unfortunate to see such a surface level perspective on who the “Dark” Sides are and what they mean as an oppositional force to the “Light” Sides.

My stance on the “Dark” and “Light” sides has always been the same (if you read my past essays, you'll know). Like what Logan said in CLBG, the labels are arbitrary because no side can be argued to be “good” or “bad”. Although, it would be a complete lie for me to say there's no distinction. Rather, Thomas’ black-and-white thinking literally created one. But the distinction does not lie within the sides’ morals, rather it lies in how big their influence is on Thomas. Because the “Light” Sides are welcomed, Thomas will entertain their contributions more than the sides Thomas considers as “bad” or “taboo”.

In my opinion, Orange being morally black makes no sense in a series that is a.) thematically focused on dismantling black-and-white thinking, and b.) a man vs. self conflict. The villain is the problem of Thomas not being able to cope with his mental struggles properly. It would be odd to blame a portion of his brain as the evil of all evils. Although, I'd like to clarify that while Orange most likely wouldn't be morally black, it wouldn't be a surprise to me if he is just as dubious and mischievous as the other “Dark” Sides. After all, if they are the most suppressed sides, they would have to stick to unconventional tactics (aka looking scary) to get Thomas’ attention.

I'll explain more later when I get into what I think Orange actually does as a side. For now, I want to focus on Orange in the context of the “Dark” Sides, because I genuinely think it's an overlooked idea! While nothing is explicitly confirmed, the “Dark” Sides are implied to know something the other characters and we, the audience, don't know about. 

Janus and Remus share this sense of meticulousness. They always feel like they're scheming something. Janus, for example, took his time from CLBG to SVS.R to successfully impart to Thomas that acting out of self-interest isn't the worst thing in the world, especially if your mental health is crumbling. Remus is even in on this plan, although his motivations for assisting Janus aren’t actually explicitly expressed yet. Even if Remus wanted to challenge Logan's self-restraint in WTIT to prove how much it was harming Thomas’ long-term mental health, we still don't know if Remus is doing it out of care for Thomas, or just… ‘cus. Either way, it's important to know that whatever Remus is doing seems to point to the same direction Janus is going, which is to break Thomas’ black-and-white thinking.

Assuming Orange is another “Dark” Side, it feels crucial to understand who Orange is in the context of this undisclosed plan. More than anything, because the “Dark” Sides want to be heard, it would make sense if they unionize to achieve that goal together. If they dismantle Thomas’ horrid perception of them, then all three of them would benefit. Thus, it would make no sense for Orange, if he were not morally black, to act solely out of individual interest. Yes, the “Dark” Sides seem to be introducing themselves one by one, but I feel like that's because a.) narratively, it's to pace, b.) it would scare Thomas for three strangers to pop up to him only for them to be shunned as a collective by the “Light” Sides, and c.) Janus and Remus seem to be performing specific roles in this overarching plan, so while they work separately, it's mostly for the same cause.

So, what does that mean, exactly? Like I said, the “Dark” Sides have an overall goal of being heard, strengthening Thomas’ mental wellbeing, and breaking his black-and-white thinking. If my theory is correct in assuming each “Dark” Side has a specific role for this plan, then pinpointing Janus and Remus’ roles may help us factor out Orange's role.

Here's what I deduced: Janus is there as some kind of soft launch, to set the principle. Janus mirrors Patton in that sense, although in the opposite direction. He breaks apart Thomas’ preconceived notions of the world and bandages it with better, more nuanced foundations. On the other hand, Remus somewhat acts like an alarm clock. While not all his contributions are worthwhile, his mere presence is a reminder that something has to be done. In the series, it's to cater to his deteriorating mental health. He checks if the principles Janus provides aren't being followed, and makes a good fucking clamor about it if it doesn't.

Orange, I'd argue, serves as a means for Thomas to externalize these principles. It would make sense that the last thing Thomas would need to do is to put everything into action. Janus points out how one can be disenfranchised, Remus points out when he is being disenfranchised, and Orange ensures Thomas can express his discomfort when he is disenfranchised. Makes sense, right?

Speaking of externalization.

ii. Personal and Narrative Purpose

If you’re a fan that pre-dates the release of WTIT, you're well-acquainted with the idea that Orange represents Rage or Wrath. This theory came about in cahoots with an old notion that each “Dark” Side needs to have a “Light” Side counterpart, especially if you share complementary colors. Thus, many people assumed that Orange is Logan’s foil. Consequently, most interpretations of Orange depict him as emotion-centric, specifically Rage, as that’s what most people assume is an oppositional force against logic. Moreover, because a portion of Logan’s arc revolves around accepting one’s emotions, it would make sense if Orange, as an emotion-centric side, would be part of that. We’ve gotten two hints from the series itself that confirms this: 1.) a fight sequence in SVS.R showing “Blinding Rage” as one of Thomas’ attacking options, and 2.) the infamous orange eyes in WTIT that appeared when both Thomas and Logan felt angry simultaneously. 

What’s funny is, if you really think about it, we literally only have two pieces of evidence that point to this widely accepted fan theory. Although, unlike the previous section, I’m more inclined to actually believe these theories because it… does make sense! Especially narrative-wise. At the moment, miscommunication amongst the sides are at an all-time high. This is mostly because each side refuses to express their thoughts, especially since they’re at the midst of a complete paradigm shift in terms of morality and principles. Everything’s just a little too fragile, and it does not help that Thomas’ mental health is also at the brink. After SVS.R, the sides have acknowledged Thomas is on edge, but they’re still doing nothing concrete to actually fix it.

WTIT is my favorite episode of the series because it encapsulates the entire conflict so well. While Logan isn’t perfect, much of the useful suggestions he provided since DWIT never last past the moment he suggested them. Did Thomas ever see a therapist? Not really. Did Thomas find someone to talk about his issues with? Doesn't seem like it. Is Thomas taking his time with his mental health recovery? Nope. More than anything, the “Light” Sides and Thomas are very reactionary towards their problems. It’s even worse when you consider that Thomas is opting to pursue a relationship in the middle of this mess. WTIT showing us Thomas getting irrationally angry at Nico for not replying to his texts is… an interesting Chekhov’s Gun for future episodes, lemme tell you that.

Now, why am I relaying all this? It’s mostly to prove that something, or someone, needs to snap. There are grievances between the sides and Thomas that they are consciously suppressing that need out. Roman, Logan, and Thomas, specifically, need some sort of outlet for their frustrations— a way to justify them, in a sense. Logan’s eyes glowing orange while he snapped at Remus speaks so loudly of what Orange may offer. Externalization, justice, “cathartic release,” as my friend Orb (@orbmanson7) put it. Presently, Orange as an externalizing force is needed so they can actually do something about this damn issue! 

And if not, I also see Orange’s role similarly to Remus’. As I’ve explained earlier, Remus’ presence acts as an alarm clock for Thomas to be aware of his deteriorating mental health. If Orange isn’t there to assist in an all-encompassing externalization of a side or Thomas’ deepest grievances, the mere presence of Orange as an emotional force can act as another kind of alarm clock. What I mean is, if we’re feeling mentally low, for example, we don’t need to express our grievances in the most eloquent way possible. Sometimes we just need to get angry. To cry, to shout nonsense. And that alone would be enough to prove that we need help. We need to do something about this. 

To summarize, I think most depictions connecting Orange to emotional externalization are not off. There’s a lot of objectivity surrounding it, both when it comes to the narrative and his semantics as a side. We need a driving force that can topple the sides and Thomas over the edge to fully process the depth of Thomas’ mental health issues. 

But, how does he, a supposedly, emotion-centric side, differ from Patton?

iii. Orange’s True Identity

Now that we laid our foundations, I think it would be a good time to entertain the question of: well, who is Orange?

Truth is, I have my own guess on what I believe Orange to be, but I cannot say my opinion is conclusive. My theories on Orange literally change every two months. So what I'll do, I suppose, is first, explain what makes a side a side. Then, I'll explain my own current predictions about Orange. Lastly, I'll list some popular fan theories I've heard about Orange and give you my thoughts.

a. What is a Side?

First— what constitutes a side? To me, there is no real basis in the conception of a side. Like what my friend Orb once explained to me, the interactions between sides are mental processes personified. This doesn't mean we should simply view the sides as metaphors, by the way. They're a hundred percent characters in their own right. But what I mean by “process personified” is that if we view one of Thomas' conflicts on its own— as in, without the sides— can we imagine the mental processes he's undergoing? To make it clearer, let's use an example. In WTIT, we see Remus and Logan battle out on who gets to influence Thomas more. If we saw this without the sides, we can think of it like— imagine you're having a bad mental health day. You wanted to do a list of chores but your mind is in the gutters right now. You feel guilty because of your demotivation. You try doing what you planned, but you still suck at it, and now you're spiraling, thinking about every insecurity you have, but you're also trying to combat that by rationalizing it.

I'm not gonna say that this definition solves who Orange truly is, but it does help when it comes to understanding how the sides work. Another characteristic of a side would be their multifacetedness. No side embodies one thing alone. They can have roles that are adjacent to each other, but not the same thing. For example, Roman embodies both the ego and creativity. Not the same thing, but it works in tandem in Thomas’ context. Same goes for Remus with intrusive thoughts and dark creativity. It is important to entertain the idea that Orange can encompass more than one role. 

The last thing to consider would be the technical difference between a “Light” Side and a “Dark” Side. The division was created for Thomas to compartmentalize and suppress sides of himself that his Catholic upbringing taught him to believe is bad. If we assume Orange is a “Dark” Side, he must be embodying something typically thought of as taboo. 

b. Who is Orange?

This brings us to our earlier question of, how does Patton differ from Orange if they both embody emotions? In DWIT, Logan confirms Remus was born from the categorization of certain thoughts as good or bad. I think it wouldn't be farfetched to suggest the same happened to Orange if he did embody emotions at a certain capacity. One of the biggest arguments I hear against this suggestion would be, if Patton already represents Thomas’ emotions, why do we need another side who does? The answer, again, lies in the themes of black-and-white thinking and compartmentalization. If Remus embodies the thought of committing a “sin”, Orange could possibly embody the actual emotions of wanting to do so. Anger is merely one possibility in Orange's roster of emotions. There are other emotions as well deemed “sinful” by Catholicism— pride, jealousy, hatred, greed, grief, etc. It would make sense that Patton would try omitting these out of himself when he was younger because he viewed them lowly.

So, what is my actual guess on who Orange is meant to embody? Well, I mean, I think my stance is pretty clear from the past 2500 words written literally before this. Simply put, if Remus is meant to embody forbidden thoughts, then Orange embodies forbidden emotions. Anger is merely one of many. He aids both Thomas and the other sides in externalizing strong emotions that seep past their efforts of suppression.

This is, of course, under the assumption that Orange is his own separate entity. I'm more inclined to believe this because Virgil confirms in CLBG that Janus has “Dark” Side friends (as in, plural). It also just feels more balanced this way if we consider the forbidden thoughts vis-a-vis forbidden emotions parallel to be true.

c. How could Logan be Orange?

But, of course, I've also considered the possibility of Logan being Orange. It's not my theory of choice but as someone who was balls deep in this theory a few months ago, there's definitely some merit to it. Here's the link to the post if you want to read my theory in full. It's pretty lengthy, but to summarize: This theory operates under the assumption that Thomas’ suppression of certain sides (ie. making them a “Dark” Side) makes them develop an additional role— the role Thomas perceives them as. 

To explain better, let's use Remus as an example. Logan explained that, originally, Remus separated from Roman as Dark Creativity. Because Thomas refuses to entertain any creative thought he deemed bad, any suggestion provided by Remus was immediately labeled as intrusive. Thus, he became intrusive thoughts via Thomas’ low perception of him. Same goes for Janus, but to a lesser degree. As a side, he mostly acts out of the interest of Thomas, somewhat like self-preservation. But, because Catholic upbringing teaches that selfishness equates to evil, Thomas perceives Janus’ role of keeping things hidden as deceitful.

Thus, if Logan is Orange, then that means Logan’s role as logic is warping due to Thomas’ low perception of him. It’s no secret that Thomas views Logan as a “strict” side. In this scenario, I wouldn’t exactly say his additional role has something to do with externalization. Moreso, it has to do something with assertion or strict discipline. Think of an authoritative figure, like a teacher. Usually, when an authoritative teacher isn’t being respected in a class, they resort to meaner tactics like passive aggression, manipulation, etc. to impose their power. Logan doesn’t really transform into anything opposite to who he is as Logic. Rather, he has an additional role that coincides with Thomas’ perverted perception of logic. I’m not actually sure what this role is, but if I were to guess, it has something to do with restriction, discipline, or conformity. 

Narratively, Logan becoming a “Dark” Side makes sense when you realize that his entire character arc is about him losing his sense of self-assertion. I made an essay last year that explores this if you want something to read later. To explain, WDWGOOBITM establishes how it’s important for Thomas to balance his practicality (needs) and aspirational desires (wants) for him to function as a human being. At the same time, we get LNTAO where Logan realizes that he failed to contribute to the discussion as usefully as the other sides. This creates a scenario where Logan concedes a lot of the decision-making to Patton and Roman’s hands. The result: Logan’s presence is minimized. Even in the episodes where he “saves the day” (DWIT and the Frozen episode), Thomas refused to consider his suggestions until the latter halves of the episodes. WTIT emphasizes this even more when we see Thomas prioritize his date with Nico to keep himself happy instead of focusing on the chores he promised to do. Even if we don’t know if Roman had anything to do with this, it’s obvious Thomas is naturally more inclined to do things Patton and Roman would prefer than something Logan does.

Thus, it makes sense that Logan becomes a “Dark” Side. But, and this is an important but, I don’t really agree with depictions of Logan suspending his role as logic to become a “Dark” Side. Logic is such an integral part of who we are as people, that even if you’re an intuition-focused person, you’d still have logical facilities in your head that connect one thing to another. Basic knowledge and all that. I can only see Logan be a completely new role if someone takes his place as Logic. Personally, I don’t like that idea, but you can make your own takeaways on this.

How “Dark” Sides are conceived would still be a mystery. The closest we’ve gotten to an explanation is Remus’ origin story, where he and Roman originally started as one creativity until they separated. In this sense, becoming a “Dark” Side didn’t really uproot Remus’ original role. He just changed a little. I’d like to assume the same for Logan, because if he is literally born as Thomas’ Logic, then he as a “Dark” Side would still have similar roles, just with minor changes.

d. Other Theories

Now with the main theories out of the way, let me speedrun through other theories I’ve heard and give my thoughts on it:

Procrastination: I feel like this is too surface-level for a side. As in, hHow would Procrastination justify itself to Thomas as a side that wants to help? Yes, Procrastination would be a good foil to Thomas, but Thomas’ inability to work doesn’t stem from Procrastination. It stems from bad solutions to his mental health crisis. Anyway, too cheap.

ADHD: This feels like… it’s prone to problematic territory. For real, ADHD is so multifaceted in itself, and is literally a disability? I think it makes more sense to have ADHD traits sprinkled amongst the sides rather than one character representing it as a whole. To make it its own guy is like suggesting the other six sides are divorced from Thomas’ ADHD characteristics, which feels wrong to me.

Hatred and any other suggestion that relates to “taboo” emotions: See my argument on Orange encapsulating forbidden emotions as a whole instead of Rage/Wrath on its own.

Justice: I actually liked this idea and sort of incorporated it with my idea of Orange as a means of externalization! To enact justice means to externalize your deepest desires— cathartic release. 

Regret: See: the last two points, since it’s very similar.

Repression: Your heart’s in the right place, but most theories that subscribe to this literally just describe Janus. Keeping things secret because you think it’s unbeneficial? That’s one of Janus’ roles. 

Insecurity: That is literally Remus’ role. While intrusive thoughts shouldn’t be viewed as meritable, intrusive thoughts base itself on a person’s sensitivities and insecurities. I also have an essay detailing how Remus is incredibly perceptive about everyone’s insecurities here.

That's about all the other theories I can recall, but if anyone else has other suggestions, send it to my inbox and I'll give you my thoughts. 

Now that we understand Orange's fundamentals and who he is as a side, the question to ask next is what is he capable of as a side?

iv. Powers and Influences

Now we get to the part where I am! The most unsure about! As of the time I'm writing this, I literally just had a conversation with Orb trying to understand how Orange “possesses” Thomas and the sides, and nothing conclusive came out of it. Even if we are shown one instance of how Orange influences the others (ie. Logan's orange eyes), we actually do not know how that works at all. 

I suppose we can start by asking ourselves how Orange embodies forbidden emotions. I see his insistence for Thomas to perform a certain emotion similar to how Patton would do it. It's impulsive, reactionary. They undergo a situation, then they make Thomas feel an emotion they deem apt for that situation. The only reason Orange isn't utilized as much as Patton is because, of course, Patton is who Thomas is more familiar with. I'd also like to argue that the emotions Orange would possibly encapsulate aren't ones that are constantly expressed. Most of the time, we are in a state of happiness or contentment, emotions covered by Patton. If not, we experience sadness, another common emotion covered by Patton. I would imagine Orange's roster of emotions are only experienced rarely, or if put in a continuous dire situation. Immense anger, for example, would pop up if you feel continuously disenfranchised by something. See: Thomas’ mental health crisis.

Ergo, Orange allows Thomas to feel “taboo” emotions when the situation calls for it. Pretty straightforward. But we're not done yet, because we have to consider what it means that Orange also assists other sides in externalizing their own emotions. We can't use the same argument we gave to Thomas because the sides… aren't each others’ sides. They're Thomas’. If Orange assists in the externalization of the other sides’ repressed emotions, then it has to work differently.

A widely accepted theory or headcanon I see in the fandom is that Orange “possessed” Logan to make him get angry. Or, Logan made a deal with Orange, and now he has angry spurts he doesn't understand. While I appreciate the efforts to make juicy angst, I'm not fond of the idea that these theories basically imply that Logan's anger in WTIT was not his own. In reality, it was. Logan suppressed his frustrations about everyone ignoring his suggestions, and now he snaps. Making it seem like he can't achieve these emotions on his own volition implies he has no frustrations about his predicament to begin with.

The real question is, then, why did Logan's eyes glow orange if his emotions at that moment were genuine? Well, like other segments of this essay, it's hard for me to say something conclusively. We literally have nothing else to work on, guys, pardon me if I can't be a hundred percent certain on my assertions. But if I were to guess, I'm inclined to believe that Orange cannot make the sides feel emotions that they don't already have. Rather, he's responsible for enhancing it. In Logan's situation, for example, his frustration is completely his own. But when you submit to something like, let's say, blinding rage, sometimes you lose your sense of control and simply act. In this case, Orange possibly assists the flow of emotions the side in question would be experiencing.

I'll admit though, I literally have no clue how Orange does that, how he assists the other sides to feel their repressed emotions better. Again, we are working with practically nothing here. Although, one thing we can entertain is the idea that Orange has something to do with a side's state of being. Just like how Janus causes the sides to cover their mouths when expressing a lie, the sides’ eyes could possibly glow orange just because they're feeling an intense, “taboo” emotion. If you don't want to imagine Orange as its own side, you can also factor in the popular fan theory that Orange is simply a state of being the sides experience, no additional side required. Either way, while we cannot dive deep on the semantics of the glowy eyes thing, we can at least confirm there is a link between a side externalizing repressed or “taboo” emotions and Orange himself.

v. Relationships With The Sides (Especially Logan)

Another thing I wanted to discuss is the relationships Orange shares with the other sides. The most accepted depiction of Orange shows him distanced from the “Dark” Sides, while also having a crude fascination with Logan. We've discussed enough of how I view Orange in the context of the “Dark” Sides, so I'd like to focus more on what it means for Orange to assimilate with the “Light” Sides, especially Logan.

Because Logan's first to be seen with these orange eyes, many are quick to assume this is an isolated case. Fair enough— we don't have other examples to compare this with. At the same time, I think a lot of people aren't considering the idea that, if we go by the assumption that Orange is connected to states of being, then any other side can also experience the orange eyes. I won't even be surprised if it happens to Roman in this coming season finale.

But is the much entertained idea of Logan being specifically targeted by Orange unfounded? I would say no, not necessarily. The “Dark” Sides and Logan have always had an interesting relationship. Logan in particular is shown to be the side most unbothered their presence. Again, he's the side who argued that no side can actually be categorized as “good” or “bad”. He's the most sympathetic to the “Dark” Sides, but also… isn’t. 

There's an explainable contradiction here. Even if Logan is nicer to the “Dark” Sides compared to the others, he also has the reputation of being able to easily and successfully shut down their suggestions. He completely opposed Janus’ side in SVS out of Thomas’ interest. He shut down Remus not once, but twice, to protect Thomas. But that's the thing— he does not shut down the “Dark” Sides’ contributions because he disagrees with them. Moreso, he does it because he thinks that's what Thomas’ wants. For example, he admitted in SVS that even if he wanted Thomas to attend the callback, he still preferred if Thomas attended the wedding instead because he thought that was what Thomas would have wanted.

And, well, we saw how Janus responded to Logan's decision— he was confused. It's like he had trust Logan would vouch for his side. Let's remember the main goal of the “Dark” Sides: to be respected, to break Thomas’ black-and-white thinking, and to get him out of his mental slump. This goal can only be achieved if they restore the balance of want and need lost partially due to Logan's diminishing self-assertion. They know Logan can do something if he lets himself loose. That's why Remus and Janus teased him in the Secret Santa gift exchange about wanting to express his frustrations. That's why, after Logan's outburst in WTIT, Remus says, “Gee, Logan, now you're speaking my language.” 

They want Logan in on their plan. For that to begin, they need to make Logan in tune with his own emotional wants and needs, to make him more assertive. Thus, Orange would have to step in. There is merit when fans joke about the “Dark” Sides wanting Logan to go apeshit— it's because it's true. It's because it benefits them.

I can only provide things to consider when it comes to the other sides:

With Patton, think of the point I made earlier about Orange being “bad” emotions divorced from Patton, in a similar way Remus and Roman were created. The main difference between them would be that Patton has more faculty over principles, since Janus has that covered for the “Dark” Sides. While Patton, influenced by Catholic morality, thinks emotions and morals are intertwined, it would make sense for the more cynical sides to view them as separate.

Roman, as aforementioned, may also be susceptible to Orange's influence as the other side tends to hide his emotions from the others. With how the narrative is building up, I won't be surprised if Roman's frustrations with the whole debacle about morals heightens in the finale, especially if something Interesting happens between Thomas and Nico. You can't use Nico as a distraction forever, Thomas. Remember Thomas’ anger at Nico not responding to his messages, remember Chekhov's Gun.

Virgil is an interesting case because he would be more familiar with Orange compared to the others. That begs the question of, is he aware of the “Dark” Sides current goals and plans? My idea is, yes, but only to a certain extent. This can go down many paths. There's the possibility that Virgil was the first part of the plan, but accidentally grew closer with the “Light” Sides before he fully completed it. This explains why he hasn't disclosed the plans to the others, especially since it may incriminate him as someone who was part of that plan. There's the possibility that he knows nothing of the plan, but is familiar with the “Dark” Sides’ antics. Thus, he can't do much but stay suspicious of the sides. Either way, we still don't know enough to conclude how much Virgil knows, but I doubt he would get along with Orange.

I pondered about Janus a little because, if Orange is meant to embody externalization in some form, what does that mean for him, the embodiment of self-preservation and secrecy? I don't have the answer, but while we know the “Dark” Sides have to work with each other, we don't actually know how close Janus and Remus genuinely are with Orange. To be fair, Janus and Remus are complete opposites and they get along fine. I'd definitely prefer it if all of the “Dark” Sides were actually close because it creates such a perfect juxtaposition to the “Light” Sides’ crumbling family. 

I also thought Orange and Remus would make interesting parallels as two forbidden versions of feeling and thinking respectfully. Like I said earlier, Remus can only suggest, but he never actually embodies the emotions of wanting to do taboo things. Orange, however, could. No other points except for the ones I mentioned about the “Dark” Sides in the previous bullet.

vi. Long-Term Presence

Originally, this essay would end here and already be posted. I even went through at least half of it for beta reading. Then, Orb started a discussion where they asked what I thought Orange's purpose was, especially since most theories (even the one you're reading right now) are more centered on Orange in the context of the current conflict. There was actually a part I wanted to write during the second segment where I disclosed what I thought Orange would contribute in the grander scheme of things, but I omitted it because it felt too out of place.

I replied to Orb what I was going to write; I thought that Orange was going to be the final push for Thomas to go to therapy, and make Thomas stand his ground more instead of asking the sides for advice every time he has an issue. I've always thought this, especially therapy, was one of the ways the series would end as a whole, because it means Thomas would stop talking to his sides. Or at least, in the way we see him do it in the show. That sounds a bit cynical, I know. Why would I suggest that Sanders Sides end by Thomas cutting ties with the sides?

Well, I'm not. Not entirely. I'm not advocating Thomas does. What I mean is, an underlying conflict to the current conflicts we have now is how Thomas internalizes his problems. This is literally how the series functions. Thomas has a problem, then consults himself about it via the sides. Even c!Joan mentions it in CLBG. This issue of the problem aversion Thomas has would be fine in the former parts of the series, as the things he consulted the sides about were small. But as the series progresses, we're facing issues that call for an entire paradigm shift in morality. Of Thomas putting himself and his friends in the infamous Trolley Problem. Of Thomas facing horrible intrusive thoughts he opts to combat alone.

I once called Sanders Sides a psychological horror because we see how a normal dude's mental health crumbles as he deals with life-changing situations alone. To find a solution for this main, underlying conflict means the show has to end— internalization IS the series’ foundation!

And so Orb suggested the most batshit idea— what if Orange was Thomas’ foil? Not in a sense that confirms the Opposite Sides theory. Rather, Orange, if his role is externalization, is literally the antithesis of how the sides work. As Orb put it, Orange is there to “completely wreck the format”, making Thomas realize that consulting the sides for help has its limits. He has to literally go out and touch grass, talk to his friends about his moral dilemmas, consult a damn therapist. That is what I think Orange's true purpose as a side is.

vii. Closing Statements

In the end, I can't say that everything I've stated in this essay is pure fact, but this is the most educated guess I can give considering what we're given and what we can expect to happen in canon. While most theories I've seen easily pinpoint different issues the sides and Thomas are facing in the series, these theories would then guess that Orange would be the cause of these issues. That's where theories like Procrastination, Repression, Regret, etc. come from. More than anything, I want you to see that Orange acts in response to these issues rather than in tandem with it. 

The best advice I can give you when theorizing about Orange is: ask yourself what needs to be seen in the series. Remember, Sanders Sides is a narrative. Episodes will continue to happen past Orange's inevitable reveal. Think of Orange in this context, as his own character with motivations and wants for Thomas. Only then you can make educated guesses about him.

Anyway, thank you for reading my incredibly extensive essay on Orange! Again, my words are not gospel, so if you want to discuss anything further, add onto this post or send me an ask! Please read this post though before you send me anything. And If you enjoyed this, PLEASE reblog, I'd definitely appreciate it! If you want to read more stuff from me, here's a carrd masterlist of Sanders Sides meta I've done. Happy reading!