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working-dreamer · 1 year

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The Person Within: An Analysis Of Professor Layton's Hidden Character Development

Spoilers for practically all of the Layton games!

Hershel Layton as a character is sometimes criticized outside of the fandom for having no personality other than his gentlemanly nature and taking the concept of enjoying puzzles to the extreme.

While I think this criticism shows a blatant misunderstanding to his character, I do think from a different angle that perspective makes Professor Layton more interesting.

Think about it. Most of his personality is taken from the tragedy of those around him. Randall was the one who was originally obsessed with archaeology and puzzles. Claire was the one who originally perceived Hershel as a gentleman (thus giving him the idea.) We don’t really see Layton take these aspects of his personality onto himself until tragedy strikes and these people are taken away from his life.

In the case of Randall's death, Hershel blamed himself for surviving and moved out of town because of his self-loathing and guilt. And when Claire disappeared Layton paused his studies for an unknown amount of time trying to find out what happened until he was beaten into a coma by a group of people associated with her death.

And yet instead of grieving like you’d normally expect from a person who lost his best friend and girlfriend, he internalized their interests and aspects of their personalities into himself. He wears their passions and dreams as his own to remember them. In a way, he’s always reminding himself that he couldn’t save them.

However one might wonder how Layton really feels about those things outside of his previous losses. Does Layton even enjoy archeology and puzzles? Or is it something he has grown to accept in his life simply because he is living out Randall’s dream? Does he feel like he has a choice in the matter?

I can easily imagine Layton having doubts deep within himself: Randall didn’t get to live and it’s my fault. His dreams should live on. I don’t deserve anything else.

Same with Claire. She saw him as a gentleman but he certainly didn’t feel like one after her disappearance if his memory of events is to be taken seriously. How long did it take for him to turn into the perfect gentleman? Especially if it's just a painful reminder of her loss?

It’s probably after waking up from his coma that he starts to really embrace the idea that he has to be the perfect gentleman because he knows he can never get her back. So all he can do is embrace what she thought of him before she died. So with all of this in mind is Layton’s gentlemanly persona genuine to who he is as a person? Or is it just a persona created in order to keep her memory alive?

Layton has kept the shadows of his lost loved ones close to his heart for years and probably would have always done so had he never gotten any closure. However, when Randall turned out to be alive Layton now has the opportunity to let go of that guilt. Claire came back in the future momentarily and Layton got to say goodbye. He no longer needs to keep their personal traits as his own.

So why does he still embody Randall's passion for archeology and puzzles and Claire's perspective that he's the perfect gentleman?

I think it's because Layton doesn't know who he is without these borrowed parts of his personality. Without those aspects that he adopted into himself… who is Hershel Layton? Deep down he is someone who has silently mourned his loved ones and repressed those emotions. And yet most of his life has been embodying said grief. It makes me wonder if Layton would ever look deep within himself and realize that he doesn’t have anything to claim as his own. His entire personality revolves around past guilt and trauma from people he loved and lost.

Shoot even his name isn’t his own! Hershel Layton was actually the name belonging to his brother and in a moment of sacrifice switched names so our Layton could be adopted. So our Layton loses the only family member he has left without even knowing who that is for the majority of his life!

So we have a man who feels guilt and remorse for the deaths of his best friend and his girlfriend so he doesn’t allow himself to develop his own interests and personality because he doesn’t feel like he deserves to be his own person. It's even implied that he believed for a time that he didn't deserve to be the one who survived the events that killed his best friend and girlfriend. And then adding to the fact that he never knew his real family so he most likely felt a different kind of loss by not knowing where he came from. All and all we find a man that feels alone and tries to make it right by embodying the traits of those he cared about.

We don’t get to see Layton develop his thoughts on all of this but we do see an interesting development later on. I’d like to think that Layton slowly began to heal after his adventures thanks to adopting Katrielle in the anime.

This is because, for the first time in Layton’s life, he had a family to look after. Someone who doesn't need a mystery-solving archeologist or a perfect gentleman detective. Someone who doesn't need the grand "Professor Layton." This little girl just needs someone to be her father and, while he tries his best, he doesn't really know how to do that.

Sure he had a familial relationship with Luke and Flora, but he never called himself their father. I don’t think he allowed himself that privilege because of all the self-loathing he had been dealing with before. When he adopts Kat it feels like it’s the first time we see Layton truly allowing himself to be a father figure. And yet he is still uncertain about if he should be the one in this role.

Layton feels like his adopted daughter should know where she came from (something he didn’t get to have) before he can start thinking of himself as a father. He’s scared that if he gets attached then it'll hurt worse when she eventually returns to her own family should she decide that is her wish. But if he finds her family first then he doesn’t have the go through that heartache. He wants to find them first so she can make an informed decision.

And he says this with the logic that he always had as “Professor Layton” with that calm and collected smile. Notice that he says "I want to solve this puzzle so that we can become a true family." He doesn't say "so that we will become a true family." It’s almost as if he is going to let Kat decide if she wants to stay with him or go back to her real parents and that choice will be up to her. However, it's somewhat implied that he already thinks that she would naturally choose her real parents if she had the opportunity.

Despite his wishes to be her father, he still seems to be internally preparing himself to say goodbye (hence why he disappeared for so long in the first place.) He just doesn’t want to get too close to another person only to lose them and suffer alone again.

It makes sense why he is distancing himself, but he’ll still solve the mystery. It's what “Professor Layton” would do and he’ll have to accept whatever happens once Kat learns the truth. He doubts that she would still see him as her dad if she could be with her real parents. He doesn't even know himself outside of the role of "Professor Layton" so how can he be a true father to her? She'll go away with her real family eventually anyway. Why would anyone choose him?

And yet when he sees her again Layton is surprised when she immediately cries out for him. She still calls him papa. She wants him to be her papa.

In a public display of overwhelming emotion, we see Layton openly weep for the first time. He is so overcome by these emotions and for once doesn't repress them. He's just so happy to see his daughter again (to truly call Kat his daughter again) and allows himself to fully express those feelings for perhaps the first time in decades.

If Layton from the original game trilogy saw himself like this he would have been mortified by this “un-gentlemanly” behavior. His mindset back then was that a gentleman never cries because he has trouble coming to terms with his emotions. He even chastised Luke in Unwound Future because “a gentleman never makes a scene in public.”

However, he was never a gentleman for himself. It was always for holding onto the guilt of losing his loved ones while trying to honor their memories at the same time. But he doesn’t have to hold himself to those impossible standards anymore. He no longer blames himself for their deaths, he found closure, and now he has found himself in a family who chooses to love him not because of those attributes “Professor Layton” embodied, but because she loves him for the person hidden under that persona. And that is enough for Layton to openly weep as he embraces his child.

I believe Kat's words here helped Layton more than she'll ever know.

So who is Hershel Layton if he’s not a gentleman or a fan of archeology?

The solution to that puzzle is really quite simple.

He is a caring person. And that’s all he ever needs to be.

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justkillingthyme · 1 month

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#only counting the guys that get a sprite at the bottom of the screen when travelling #pl #professor layton #professor hershel layton #luke triton #emmy altava #randall ascot #angela ledore #henry ledore #aurora azran #desmond sycamore #jean descole #flora reinhold #clive dove #tholls #thposts

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serialadoptersbracket · 15 days

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Round 3, Match 23: Camilla Noceda vs. Professor Hershel Layton

Submitted kids:

Camila Noceda: Vee, Willow Park, Amity Blight, Gus Porter and Hunter (ex-)Wittebane

Professor Layton: Katrielle, Alfendi, Luke, Flora

Propaganda under the cut!

Camila Noceda:

1. “She found out a shapeshifter had been posing as her daughter and instead of turning on said shapeshifter she instead beat the hell out of the guy holding the shapeshifter captive. And kept the shapeshifter. Like any true mother.

She’s a Star Trek fan. She wears a pride pin. She’s a single mother. She’s a queen and an icon and we all love her very much”

2. “She fucking adopted all of these children as soon as Luz brought them from the demon realm, and has taken them all under her wing like a true mother.”

3. “Sadly, she doesn't appear much in the series (especially because of the shortened season 3) but she's such a good mom.

I hope she gets another submission, cause as I said in my Eda propaganda I don't remember much from the later seasons, besides general plot points, so I don't have any scenes to point out.

Though basically every scene of them all together is on the first episode of season 3, "Thanks To Them". Also, there's MoringMark's comics that I and half the fandom treat as 100% canon.”

4. “Need I elaborate? Her daughter shows up after several months missing with 4 traumatized teenagers in tow, and she's kind of just like "welp, guess I have 4 more kids now." absolute icon.”

Professor Hershel Layton:

“#But anyone who's played PL can tell you Hershel Layton adopts every kid he meets #Even if he doesn't give them a home - he would die for them #Not listed are also: #The Black Ravens #Arianna Barde # Tony Barde #Nina #Amelia Ruth # Janice Quatlane #Melina Whistler #Bonnie/Cookie #Aurora Azran #Katia Anderson #Sammy Thunder #Espella Cantabella #Maya Fey #And so many more”

#camila noceda #hershel layton #the owl house #professor layton #toh #professor hershel layton #pl #serial adopters bracket #round 3 #tumblr polls #tumblr tournament

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dailyfigures · 9 months

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Professor Hershel Layton ; Professor Layton ☆ Good Smile Company

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britishaccentcharacterpoll · 1 year

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British Accent Poll FINAL

It's here folks - the final match! Who will be declared the ultimate winner?

#professor layton #portal #portal 2 #hershel layton #wheatley #luke triton #professor hershel layton #british accent poll

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raddest-hat-showdown · 1 year

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🎩Raddest Hat Battle👒

Professor Layton from The Professor Layton Series vs Timekeeper Cookie from Cookie Run

Round 3 side 3

#raddest hat showdown #Raddest hat showdown poll #Raddest hat showdown polls #Raddest hat showdown round 3 #round 3 side 3 #tumblr tournament #polls #professor layton #professor hershel layton #hershel layton #layton #timekeeper cookie #cookie run

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cafe--tables · 4 months

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Comfort characters in a car what they gonna do?

#ivy art and doddles #art #subway boss emmet #emmet pokemon #submas #professor layton #hershel layton #pom pom purin #joltik #bubble tadc #tbh creature #professor hershel layton #pompompurin #sanrio

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illuminesce · 7 months

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Before we adopted Hershel, he started off as a gloomy, scared little potat that would sit in his pen for hours staring at the wall.

After two years, he's really come out of his shell. He's discovered his joie de vivre, which is food. In Japanese, we call him affectionately 食いしんぼうハーシェルくん, or Hershel the Glutton.

Putting these photos side by side make me smile. You can really see the difference.

#bunblr #bunny rabbit #pet bunny #rabbits #bunnies #bnuuy #professor hershel layton #hershel the bun

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best-fictional-detective · 1 year

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ROUND 1

#best fictional detective poll #bestfictionaldetectivepoll #tintin #the adventures of tintin #professor layton #professor hershel layton #hershel layton

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andymatronic · 1 year

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A lie I tell myself everytime I rewatch this scene (༎ຶ⌑༎ຶ)

#prof layton #professor layton #professor layton meme #professor hershel layton #hershel layton #claire foley #professor layton and claire #professor layton and the unwound future

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mangledscrimp · 25 days

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GODDD IT’S FINALLY DONE HEY GUYS!!! WOOOO have a dy!!

Some closeups!

Also! Shoutout to lando for helping me out with Randall’s hand and giving me a ref to use for this piece! Hehe! @prisile

#hope u all enjoy #ranlay #professor layton diabolical yuri au #d.y ranlay #pl #professor layton #art #randall ascot #hershel layton #miracle mask spoilers #professor hershel layton #mangledscrimp art tag #THISSS TOOK ME SO FARTING LONG #d.y Hershel Layton #d.y Randall ascot #professor layton au

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working-dreamer · 1 year

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I have seen the new Layton trailer and I have thoughts!

It’s interesting that they made a point to say that in this American town Layton is just an anonymous gentlemen while Luke has been solving mysteries and growing his reputation as a detective. Makes me wonder how that will affect their dynamic. On one hand I think Layton would be happy to see Luke has thrived on his own but I also think Layton will feel sad that he missed out on watching Luke grow up.

Will Layton feel oddly out of sorts because he’s so used to being well known? Or will he revel in the anonymity that this town brings? Will Layton wonder why Luke invited him since he seems to already have a handle on solving mysteries?

The website character portrait has new things to say about the characters. On Luke’s side it says he has become a detective. On Layton’s side… it says he has been acting on his own. Does this mean that Layton hasn’t done much of anything since the ending of Unwound Future? I mean it definitely makes sense because the ending of Unwound Future could naturally have left him depressed- what if that’s partly why Luke invited him to come solve a mystery in America? What if Luke just wanted see how Layton is holding up and to be there for him if needed? It probably won’t be that dark but that would be an interesting story right? Oh my heart!

I don’t think this game retcons Kat’s story. This game takes place one year after Unwound Future. Kat’s adventure takes place years after. I have yet to see the whole anime so I don’t know if Layton says he hasn’t seen Luke since Unwound Future but if so that might be the only detail that’s changed.

Can we have a cameo from Phoenix Wright? Come on, that’d be perfect!

Those sketches thooooo!!! Flora has grown up too!! Or maybe it’s Luke’s future wife?? Either way I’m excited!

On one hand it’s kinda funny that the ending card featured bullets and two bullet holes because ‘haha of course they would include guns in America’ but on the other hand…. They included guns. Real guns. Real bullets. IF LAYTON OR LUKE GETS SHOT I’M GONNA GO FERAL!

Overall I am so excited for what the future holds! Game looks good! Big excite!

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