Vanya X Sissy - Tumblr Posts
The Umbrella Academy: the concept of second love, finding yourself, a little controversy and loss
I've noticed a very similar concept recurring with characters in TUA, and I'd like to break it down for each character individually. I'll take them by their numbers.
#1 Luther
First Love: Allison
Controversial relationship (adopted siblings)
Partially unrequited love - he was never as important to Allison as she is to him + later manipulates him (a sign of toxicity)
Still, she's very important in the development of his story and they have some nice moments and she's important to his character development, though mostly it's about him agonizing over his love for her (he falls for Sloane all the more quickly in my opinion, as he thirsts for true love)
Second Love: Sloane
Romantic relationship, despite the obstacles their feelings for each other are very pure and they have some very cute scenes together
Luther has found in her someone who understands and accepts him for who he is
Found and lost thanks to the time jump (reboot)
#2 Diego
First Love: Eudora
Ex-partner
Partial cooperation
Tragic loss: Eudora's death - partially helps his character development
Second love: Lila
From his point of view, an initially casual yet intense relationship
Controversy: Their relationship is built on Lila's lies and manipulation (she was interested in him because it was her mission, kidnaps him to the Commission and later lies to him about "their son")
Even though they are later married and have three children together, their marriage is dysfunctional
Relationship loss: Lila wants a break because she is unsure about their marriage, later falls in love with Five
#3 Allison
First Love: Luther
(Yes, it's probably appropriate to mention Patrick, but he was never really in the plot, so I won't mention him even though they were married and had a daughter together.)
More of a childhood crush
She valued him most when she didn't have anyone else around
(See Luther's points)
Second love: Raymond
Her true love
He knew the truth about her and accepted her
Found and lost thanks to the time jump
#4 Klaus
First "love": Alcohol and drug addiction
An unexpected and controversial choice? Perhaps, but this "love" was very devastating and made Klaus do many crazy things
His eternal affairs can't be considered love.
Second love: Dave
The only man Klaus loved more than himself (his words)
Found and lost thanks to the time jump
Klaus got rid of his addiction thanks to him (which then came back thanks to him, but he was definitely able to help him from his "toxic love")
#5 Five
First Love: Dolores
His fantasy created through loneliness and trauma
She helped him through his years in a post-apocalyptic world
Despite not being a "healthy relationship" it had a place in Five's story and was important to his development (among other things, it foreshadowed how sensitive Five could be when he fell in love)
Second Love: Lila
His first true love
Lila was the only one who ever truly understood him and understood what he was going through + he had the happiest moments of his life with her (finally)
Controversy: she was still his brother's wife at the time, yet we know that, given the circumstances, she hadn't been with Diego for years (and wanted a break before that)
Love found through being lost in time and "lost" through going back in time
Tragic ending: erased from existence
#6 Ben
First love: Jill
One-sided crush (Jill didn't really know Ben existed)
He had partially distorted ideas about her
Jill reminds me partly of Dolores, since Ben as a ghost had very limited options
Second Love: Jennifer
A fateful yet devastating love
Feelings affected by other circumstances (Marigold and Durango)
Tragic ending: death
#7 Vanya/Victor
First "love": Leonard
A relationship built on a foundation of manipulation and lies
Yet Vanya herself mentioned the feelings she had for him, even if they were based on lies
Killed by Vanya, part of the reason for the apocalypse
Second Love: Sissy
Her/his true love
Controversy: A married woman with a family
Found and lost thanks to the time jump
Part of the reason for the apocalypse (Harlen)
#8 Lila
First Love: Diego
Their relationship had a very toxic foundation, from my perspective it was also based on Lila's rebellion against The Handler
An intense relationship, especially sexual
Their relationship gave her the family she wanted
See Diego's points
Second Love: Five
A romantic relationship
A collaborative partnership
Controversy: the killing of her family (who later live again)
Concept: enemies to lovers
See Five's points
It is very interesting from my point of view that their relationships often have common points. Usually the first loves carry a trace of a certain toxicity and only the second love is the real one (though this point is slightly moot with Diego, as his healthier relationship was definitely with Eudora and Ben wasn't entirely lucky in that regard either).
Also, they all found their loves based on the time jump and also lost them based on another time event. Death is also a very common part of the story.
I also find it interesting that most, for the sake of their relationships, opposed their family (in various forms) no matter what it brought - everyone would be very selfish for their happiness.
What do you think about this?