Esteban and Cassandra: Antiheroes from Two Worlds

Hello, all!

Sorry it’s been so long since I’ve posted — life’s been crazy recently. Anyway, here’s a post that’s a bit of a return to form, all about two antiheroes that I, personally, find very fun.

Hope you enjoy!

Esteban from Elena of Avalor and Cassandra from Tangled the Series are two very different characters. They come from different backgrounds, and live in completely different worlds. But there’s one important thing they share: both have excellent redemption arcs (even if the rest of their series aren’t as stellar).

I’ve talked a lot about Cassandra in other posts, so I won’t go into detail here. Basically, she’s a character who’s always had self-worth issues — and it certainly doesn’t help that she’s serving a princess who is universally better liked. Her fall involves reliving a traumatic memory from her past (Gothel deserting her for Rapunzel), coupled with manipulation from an ancient creepy British ghost girl that turns out to be Zhan Tiri (a big bad sorceress who was banished for wanting absolute power). Fortunately, Rapunzel never gives up on her, and she turns back to the side of good, even sacrificing her own life in the process. At the end of the series, she’s off to explore the world, and to find her own destiny (for more details, see my posts about Tangled the Series at kirstenhardin.com).

Esteban is Elena of Avalor’s cousin. They began life as the same age, until Elena was trapped in an amulet for 41 years and returned as a 16-year-old. He was fostered by his grandparents (on his mom’s side), as his parents tragically died in a shipwreck when he was very young. Unfortunately, he spends his life feeling as if no one listens to him. First his parents didn’t listen to him, and they were killed on their journey. And then, since the king didn’t heed his warnings about letting Shuriki attack their allies, she set her sights on Avalor instead. As a result, the king and queen lost their lives, while the remainder of their family was magically kept safe.

All but Esteban. His secret, hidden from his family for almost the entire series, is that he helped Shuriki in exchange for power. He thought that if he had it, people would finally listen to him. The only reason he turns on her in the Avalor episode during Sofia the First is because his family is threatened — at this time, he loves them more than power.

And it’s his family that keeps him from really turning. Sure, he’s always working towards his own ends (and doesn’t think Elena can be crown princess for the vast majority of the series) — but he’s also a rather grey character from the first, so it’s not surprising. But that all changes when Elena gets emotion magic, and uses one of her powers to find out his secret. He’s thrown in the dungeon with Ash (a power-hungry sorceress bent on taking over Avalor) and her family, and is to spend the rest of his life in exile.

This is what changes everything. He ends up going with Ash, and gaining his own teleportation magic from the well of magic crystals. But throughout their journey — gathering allies so they can finally take over Avalor — he still holds back from truly hurting his family. He even tries to apologize to Elena, multiple times (though they’re very much the “I’m trying to justify what I did to you” sorts of apologies). That’s what’s interesting — it’s as much Elena’s fault that he goes so far as it is his own. If she had been able to forgive him, there’s a chance that the situation wouldn’t have gone as far as it did.

But that didn’t happen. And oh boy, does the situation get dire. In an effort to finally take over Avalor, Ash summons the Shades of the Night, spirits who almost took over the ancient civilization before Avalor. She winds up trapped in the spirit realm for all time, while Esteban is made “master” of the spirits and finally has the chance to get what he’s always wanted: the crown of Avalor.

Except he doesn’t. Turns out, those spirits are exactly like Ash: using him for his own ends. Esteban realizes on his own what a mess he’s made. He let pride take over him, and now he’s lost his grandparents, the people who raised him. He’s ready to change, though he’s dead certain there’s nothing he can do about it. Then, when Elena is about to be turned into terracotta, he sacrifices his life to save her, just managing to apologize to her. In the end, that sacrifice enables Elena to forgive him. She fixes everything, and together they get rid of the fourth Shade of the Night. At the end of the series, it’s clear he’s completely changed — he supports Elena entirely as queen, and will spend the rest of his life proving to her that he truly is on her side.

Now, while fundamentally different, both these characters have similar arcs. They’re both pushed into falling due to a combination of their own backstory and prodding from someone else, and both turn back after help from someone who meant a lot to them. They also prove that they’ve truly changed by sacrificing their lives in order to save that person/the entire world.

But here’s the question: is one a better written character?

Honestly, it’s a close call. I really do like Cassandra — she’s very different from characters in a Disney princess setting, and it’s fascinating to watch her growth throughout Tangled the Series. But if I had to go with one, I’d choose Esteban. Fundamentally, his arc makes more sense — he’s always wanted power, and once his family is out of the picture, he would definitely go after it with every fiber of his being. Also, it makes more sense that a 57-year-old (though he’s probably early sixties by the time the show ends) would figure out what’s wrong on his own — Cassandra may be in her early twenties, but she’s far from what you’d call a “stable character”.

But the big clincher is that his character … just makes more sense. I’ve talked a lot about my problems with Cassandra’s arc, but to summarize my issues: it makes no sense that the whole reason she falls is because she’s Gothel’s daughter since Gothel would never have a biological kid, and the fact that her ending is going off from Corona on her own with no indication that she’ll ever return is just insulting. Esteban doesn’t have any of these problems — his arc makes sense from beginning to end, and he’s honestly just a very satisfying character to watch.

Or, as he would put it: “This is true.”

Thanks for reading! If you want to find out more about who I am and what I like to write, my website would be the best place to start. I can’t make any promises about social media — again, life is crazy right now, and my priorities are currently elsewhere. Posts will probably be piecemeal like this until at least May — possibly later.

Have a wonderful week, and happy almost Halloween!

—Your Fairytale Enthusiast