#the director nimona

[fairfowl]

I actually much prefer the movie character design for the Director to the comic version

In the comic she was tall and gaunt and eventually revealed to be bald. Not exactly the height of female beauty and well in line with what is expected of a female villain

Her movie version on the other hand, was blonde and attractive in a Karen sort of way. She looks "normal" and unthreatening

And in a story about people who don't fit the mold, think that was the best choice they could have made for their antagonist

#nimona #the director #the director nimona #nimona movie #nimona 2023 #nimona comic #nimona 2015 #original #i contributed

[walrus150915]

I like that if you take the fantasy and sci-fi elements out of Nimona, what you get is a story of a nonbinary punk teenager who overthrows the government with her 30yo Pakistani gay ex-cop bestie and kills the police chief

What a legendary movie

#nimona #ballister boldheart #the director nimona #nimona 2023

[magnus-rhymes-with-swagness]

thinking thoughts about swords symbolizing the corruption of the institute and the control it has over the kingdom. the sword motif is absolutely everywhere - banners and art, kids’ games and cereal commercials, the statue of gloreth at the center of the kingdom. the institute building itself boasts even more - there are tons of statues and suits of armor, all holding swords. swords are everywhere you look!

another example is the way ballister and his swords are used as a tool by the director. he’s knighted with the same fake sword that kills the queen, highlighting how the system can only thrive on manipulation and deceit - the director can only have control over the kingdom if she lies to it, which she does primarily through ballister. he also immediately tries to go to his sword when he finds out nimona is a shapeshifter, as he hasn’t yet unlearned the values taught to him by the institute. the director keeps his real sword the whole time and uses it to try to kill who she thinks is ambrosius, planning to frame ballister for that murder too, which becomes a major turning point in his arc as he decides to abandon the sword as he no longer wants to be part of her game.

but even though he’s made the choice to reject the institute, he still struggles to unlearn its values. he’s been brainwashed from a young age, and had plenty of time to internalize false notions about heroes and villains and monsters. while he cares deeply about nimona at this point, he still instinctively goes to draw his (other) sword when he learns she’s the “monster” from the legend of gloreth.

one of the ways the director retains power is through gloreth - since she’s considered the symbol of righteousness and heroism, the ideal to which all knights should strive, she’s invoked at every moment possible. the scroll bearing the legend is used to justify killing nimona, and “the will of gloreth” is used to justify practically everything. ballister’s sword has a G on it, which is visible right before he gets knighted, and ambrosius’s sword looks just like the one the statue holds aloft. (gloreth didn’t actually have a sword like that, at least not when she knew nimona, but nobody knows this - the real story had been warped and twisted to fit the narrative so much over the course of a thousand years.)

ambrosius, being her descendant and the golden boy, finds it even more challenging to realize the institute is corrupt. he’s also been brainwashed and forced into a role, and there has always been an immense amount of pressure on him to follow in her footsteps. so when he meets ballister in the tavern he places ballister’s sword on the table and suggests killing nimona, as this is what the institution wants. ballister, who knows that nimona isn’t the one to blame, angrily walks out and leaves the sword laying there, trying to leave both it and the institute behind again.

ambrosius becomes understandably reluctant to use his sword for anything violent after cutting off ballister’s arm. he doesn’t draw it when leading a squadron of knights to find nimona and ballister, even when everyone else has their weapons trained. he points it at them and doesn’t use it when he and the other knights have them surrounded. at one point he even places it in front of the director in the effort to protect her. (he seems to be very loyal to her for reasons i’ve touched on here, and is still heavily under the influence of the institute at this point in time.) in fact, the only time he ever actually uses his sword going forward is the fight with ballister, but even then he’s not really fighting exactly, just deflecting ballister’s sword. he doesn’t try to get in a single strike, not wanting to hurt ballister again or give him any more reason to hate him.

nimona, having grown up under very different circumstances, knocks over suits of armor that have swords. she destroys the statues that hold them. when she and gloreth play fight as children, gloreth holds a toy sword while nimona holds a stick.

everything is inverted at the climax - when every other knight is running around with weapons, ambrosius doesn’t draw his sword. he stands in the middle of the street and asks aloud, “what are we doing?” as he’s finally able to see how corrupt and how dangerous the institute is.

and nimona is the one who seeks out gloreth’s sword, and ballister is the one who lets his own sword fall, breaking the cycle and rejecting the institute’s values once and for all in order to save her.

#nimona #nimona movie #nimona netflix #ambrosius goldenloin #ballister boldheart #ballister blackheart #gloreth #gloreth nimona #the director #the director nimona #nimona 2023 #nd stevenson #nimona spoilers #my words #meta #the tavern scene goes way more in-depth and it’s really interesting #hi yeah i am far from done talking about this movie. both it and the book permanently rearranged the molecules of my brain #i have written five metas now. plus a fic and various other things. this is what nimona does to a person LMAO #i hope this is at least partly coherent i wrote it at night with the fire of obsession burning bright in my soul #oh yeah this is the meta i promised last night (edit sorry abt the inaccuracies i was tired 😭)

[attichoney4u]

When I watched "Nimona" for the first time, I was struck by the fact that the villain of the story, The Director, doesn't have a name. Throughout the movie, she's simply referred as The Director. And then it hit me. Nimona is a deconstruction of the typical archetypes you meet in fairy tales. In most fairy tales, the hero has to fight an evil monster, like a dragon that guards a treasure, or an ogre and a giant that likes to terrorize people or a wizard or a witch that has cursed a noble princess. Most of the times, these monsters don't have a name. The dragon in St.George's story doesn't have a name. The giant in Jack's story doesn't have a name. Neither Snow White's stepmother, who is simply referred as The Evil Queen. By leaving The Director nameless, they put her in the same position as these monsters.

#nimona #nimona netflix #nimona movie #the director #analysis #nimona the director #nimona the movie #nimona 2023 #the director nimona #fairy tales

[little-cereal-draws]

Some sad Ballister and money headcanons

pt 1? maybe?

Ballister has a very complicated relationship to money

Growing up poor, the threat of not having basic things like a home, food, or other necessities hung heavy over his head. He might not have understood the full scope of it, but he was a smart kid and understood enough to feel its affects

He didn't have nice toys, his clothes were full of holes, their meals were small. He knew other families had more, he would see them walking down the street, but knew that wasn't for him or his family

He wouldn't ask for ice cream in the summer, wouldn't complain when they ate the same stew for dinner every day for a week because that's all there was, never cried or whined the few times he asked for something and was told "no"

It bled into guilt. When his mom offered to cut his hair one summer when he was sweating up a storm, he said no. He didn't want to bother her; she already was so busy and stressed. She assured him that it would take five minutes and wouldn't cost anything but still he refused

Or one fall, he helped a neighbor fix his heater (he held the tools) and got paid $10. He was so excited; this was money all for himself! His first thought was to give it to his parents because he knew how much they needed it but this was his money. He bought himself a sandwich for $6. The rest of it he gave to his parents. They didn't want to take it from him but he insisted and eventually they gave in

That night, he cried. He wanted to help, he knew how much they needed the money and how hard his parents worked, and he had selfishly spent over half of it on a single meal. $10 would have been much more helpful than $4 but he just had to treat himself, didn't he? He knew those fancy, expensive foods weren't for him but he bought it anyway

It was around this time that he decided he wanted to be a knight. They were so brave and strong and helped so many more people than he could. And they probably got paid pretty well, their armor was always so shiny

So he would pick up any odd jobs people could give to a kid (walking someone's dog, watering their plants while they were away, sorting recycling from garbage, etc) while dreaming about being a knight. The jobs only paid somewhere between $5 - $10 but it wasn't about the money. He was a hero of the realm and they only needed the safety of their people to be satisfied

But he would go home and count every dollar before he went to bed

When the Queen offered to keep him at the Institute and train him to be a knight, neither him nor his family could believe what they were hearing. There was some back and forth about what this would mean but ultimately, they let him go. He would have food, shelter, stability and all the things they couldn't provide

Joining the Institute was very overwhelming for many reasons but Balister did have to say he did enjoy not worrying about money all the time. He never had to worry about if the lights would shut off or where his next meal would come from. He didn't have to budget his few dollars and didn't feel guilty for wanting things. The other kids had so much stuff, surely he could have some too

This... wasn't totally true. Even though his life was more stable now, he still didn't have the latest sneakers or stories about long vacations to country houses or anything else that these kids had. He tried to ignore it but it was a glaring middle finger to the face every time someone casually mentioned their new pet pony or other ridiculous bullshit

The first few years of his training were fine, they were all using fake swords with plastic armor on straw dummies. But as he reached his teen years and training got more serious, he realized he was going to be left behind again

The Institute and the Queen did provide some things for him but it turns out that most of those kids' families provided their knight equipment for them. Ballister's family would be expected to do the same and he knew there was no way that was going to happen. He had come here to make his dreams a reality but if he had to choose between his future or his family starving/being homeless because all their money went to his armor, he would go home in a heartbeat. It would kill him but, in his heart, he knew it's what he would do

So he went to class everyday with only a sword that wasn't his. Ambrosius gave him a sword when he first got to the Institute and saw he didn't have one. At the time he was thrilled but told him he couldn't accept it, Ambrosius needed it. The blond boy had simply shrugged and said "You can keep it, I have a whole bunch." He was ecstatic to finally get a real-life sword but now it was a reminder that these other kids could trade these thousand dollar weapons like baseball cards. The monetary value meant nothing to them

Despite having a sword already, he didn't have any armor and got his ass handed to him so many times. Turns out having protection against people thrusting blades at you was important. Todd and the other knights made of him mercilessly but he would just have to endure it because there was no way in hell he was going to tell his parents he needed equipment. He was going to have to deal with it himself

At first the Director wanted him to stop training until he was able to afford armor but he begged her to keep going. He got really good at blocking attacks, because if he didn't, he would get hurt, but he knew it wasn't enough

It was nearly impossible because training took all day and then left him dog-tired but he started picking up odd jobs on the weekends again. People paid much better in the wealthier neighborhoods and he could get quite a decent sum for cleaning someone's gutter or mowing their lawn. It was embarrassing that he had to do this while the other kids could relax but it was worth it to not be covered in bandages all the time

He had saved halfway to his goal when he got seriously hurt. Sparing gone wrong, he fell for a fake-out right move and got slashed across his left side. It was bleeding a lot and he was whisked away to the informatory. After he got stitched up, the Queen came to see him. He hadn't expected her but apparently the accident was big enough to reach her

She asked him how this happened and embarrassedly, he admitted he wasn't wearing armor during practice. She was shocked and asked "why in the world not???" After a moment debate, he admitted that he didn't have any. That opened the floodgates, and everything came pouring out. He was ashamed that he got hurt, he was embarrassed he didn't have armor, he was guilty that he didn't ask for help, he was stressed that his parents would help him at their own expense, he was tired from spending every second he wasn't in class working

The Queen comforted him, letting him cry on her shoulder and combing his hair. It only added to his shame, this was no way for anyone to be treating the QUEEN. He pulled away and then the unspeakable happened. She offered to buy him a suit of armor. He sputtered, trying to refuse it, or at least let him pay for the part he had money for but she refused to negotiate. It was unacceptable that one of her knight cadets was left without the basic equipment required to succeed, that the Director did nothing to fix the problem, and that the environment of the Institiute made Balister feel too ashamed to ask for help and got him seriously injured

She bought him his thick black armor and the first day he wore it to class, he couldn't stop grinning. He beat the shit out of everybody who dared spar with him

Time went on and Ballister's armor got chipped and dented but he never wanted to buy a new pair like all his classmates in their shiny chest plates. This armor was old but it was his, he was allowed to have this

#i might do a part two of this set after the moive bc i hit the character limit on this post lol #i know a lot of ppl have done analysis posts on bal class and the institute but i wanted to do more of a personal approach #also i like the hc that bals really good at fighting bc his lack of armor/poor quality of armor wouldn't protect him very well from attacks #he had to really really learn how to block and dodge which led to his victory many times #nimona #ballister boldheart #ambrosius goldenloin #the director nimona #the queen nimona #nimona headcanon #whew long post

[mc-tummy-blur]

Do I dare make another post about Nimona yes I am going to because I just wanna talk about the usage of color because even though what I say will probably be obvious I'm gonna say it because i cant shut up I like how Ballister is the only knight wearing black while the others wear white it's a clear indicator of how he is the black sheep of the group and I like how Ambrosius is the only knight that has a ton of gold on his armor because he's a direct descendant of Gloreth and gold often being seen as something valuable really showcases how they view him as somebody who is just as valuable as gold and I like how The Director is covered in white giving this angelic appearance while also wearing a color that represents purity when she is anything but those two things and yet this is how she wants to be viewed as and I like how Nimona and Gloreth are wearing colors that are suppose to oppose each other that being red and blue which really gives that Romeo and Juilet vibe because they are two people that should not be together because it is wrong for them to be and they are enemies and yes I know Nimonas color is actually pink but it's still in the red family of colors so it still applies in a way and finally Nimonas color being pink I really like because it's a color often associated to girls but it's constantly stated that she is not a girl and is just Nimona so her wearing pink makes it feel like that she's showcasing to the world that she can still wear pink and not have it be strictly a girl defining color and overall i just love the colorkng of this movie its so pretty God I am tired I can't keep writing these things when I'm tired but once they've hit my brain I can't let it go I love this movie go watch it this is not a polite request this is the request of a man that is falling asleep while typing this I am at my limit

#nimona #nimona movie #nimona spoilers #ballister boldheart #ballister blackheart #ambrosius goldenloin #the director nimona #gloreth #mctalks #i am going #i am going to pass out

[beaulesbian]

Nimona (2023) dir. by Nick Bruno and Troy Quane

#nimona #nimonaedit #ambrosius goldenloin #the director #the director nimona #nimona netflix #netflixedit #animationedit #mine #gif:nimona #it was all probably already said about this scene #but i love ambrosius questioning slowly what proof he had before his own eyes #like seeing ballister's sword in the director's room and panicking about the arm chopping #but only in this scene he saw how horrible the director truly was and what all she would sacrifice for her own reasoning #hmm lot of metaphors and allegories! so good this movie

[alpacahat67]

The Nimona movie really helped me look deeper into Ambrosius' arc in the comic and I'm just. The way Ambrosius was so brainwashed it's INSANE. The way he's so trusting of the Director because her way of doing things is all he's known and she's the only parental figure he's ever had. The way he trusts her so much that he only thinks to question her when he's ordered to kill Nimona, a "little girl." The way that he's cast aside and demoted as soon as he refuses this for the final time because he's no longer "useful." The way he only thinks to apologize to Ballister 15 years after blowing off his arm when he was cast aside by the Institute JUST LIKE BAL WAS. The way that if the Institute were to still exist in the epilogue of Nimona, he'd be released from his position because if they don't want a knight with one arm then they don't want a knight who uses a mobility aid.

#IM SO NORMAL ABOUT HIM HAAHAHHAHA #nimona #nimona comic #ambrosius goldenloin #ballister blackheart #the director nimona

[incorrectquoteslobby]

In dire need of more incorrect nimona quotes

Nimona quotes, coming right up!! (I'll also make a note to post more of these, thanks!) (genuine)

-----

The Director: How many kids do you have? Ballister: Biologically, emotionally, or legally?

-----

Ballister: Must be hard not being able to laugh Nimona: I do have a sense of humor you know Ballister: I’ve never heard you laugh before Nimona: I’ve never heard you say anything funny

-----

Ballister: Come on, I wasn’t that drunk last night Nimona: You were flirting with Ambrosuis Ballister: So what? He's my boyfriend Nimona: You asked them if he was single Ballister: Nimona: And then you cried when he said he wasn't

#can you tell ballister is my favourite. can you. #nimona incorrect quotes #nimona netflix #nimona film #nimona movie #nimona 2023 #the director nimona #nimona the director #ballister boldheart #ballister #nimona #ambrosius goldenloin #ambrosius #ambrosius x ballister #ballister x ambrosius

[archerandbrown]

made a little something something

they're so similar and for what 😭

ps if you don't think the Director is that creepy you should watch the test animations😭

here's a blank one cuz hot girls don't gatekeep <3

#shout out to slim creepy fellows #steven universe #white diamond #white diamond su #the director #the director nimona #they're so gender #and for what??

[toasterghostie]

Love how she didn't fix any of the buildings that toppled or the wall but lifted the Gloreth statue from the ground and replaced it, being careful to align it right, showing that she doesn't actually care about the safety of the people, only the security of the institution and its principals.

It's good that they aren't afraid to pretend that she's doing this to keep people safe, she's doing all this for herself. Her feelings of security come from her power over everyone else.

This doesn't make sense when I try to say it, someone else that did well in English lit please tell me I'm onto something here

#nimona #animation #netflix #the director #the director nimona #nimona gloreth #metaphor #i think idk

[achillean-knight]

ooUUUGHHH I FINISHED THEM ALLLLLLL

#FIRSTLY THE DIRECTOR AKA SISTER IS MEANT TO HAVE A LONG ASS NECK #BC the director herself in the movie lookin like a MF giraffe istfg #I tried to make Todd as punchable as possible #I hate how much time I spent on todd #I hate him why did I spend so much time drawing him wtf #I know Ballister and Ambrosius are already uploaded but I'm adding them here in the bunch BC LOOK AT THEM ALL TOGETHER!!!!!! #Gonna be hell fixing the fanfic now #I have to move Ambrosius into Ballisters index page then remake Ballisters page into the Sisters & Todd's #The i'll add a last one for Nimona #Nimona AU #Medieval AU #Nimona #ballister boldheart #ballister blackheart #ambrosius goldenlion #ambrosius goldenloin #thoddeus sureblade #fuckin hate todd #the director nimona #alternate universe #fan made #I don't own Nimona duh #my nimona au art #my art

[walrus150915]

Nimona characters but I'm practicing heavy stylization

(Without the color circles sjjsakw + the sketches because I loved them!!!)

#i might have also sneaked a few symbolisms in how they pose yknow #yesterday i got into a car accident today im drawing my sillies + the director and todd #crazy stuff #nimona #ambrosius goldenloin #ballister boldheart #todd sureblade #diego the squire #the director nimona #LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT THESE DESIGNS!!! THIS STYLE!!!! TELL ME

[magnus-rhymes-with-swagness]

the director choosing to turn the cannon towards the city is horrifying enough on its own but the fact that it turns that way in the first place adds a whole other layer to it. she was ready to decimate half the kingdom in order to kill one person, she was anticipating doing that. you only have a cannon that turns inward if you expect you're going to use it. like jesus christ

#nimona #nimona movie #nimona netflix #nimona 2023 #the director #the director nimona #nimona spoilers #not only was she willing to sacrifice thousands of people in order to kill nimona but she was fully *prepared* to do it #i feel like it speaks to the total control she had too #maybe the queen or a past ruler came up with the idea for the cannon but the director also could have been the one to propose it #plus she was either a) authorized to use it or b) not authorized but did it anyway #and either one would show just how much power she had over the kingdom #i mean i imagine she was authorized (possibly by her own design seeing as the queen was dead by that point) but either way! scary! #happier nimona post coming out after this one once i figure out how to word it btw #my words

[puddlestheduck1]

Ranking of Nimona's characters:

HOW DO I CHOSE 😨

Ballister

nimona

ambrosius

diego

queen

car sales lady

todd

director

no it didn’t take me ten minutes to decide who got 2nd place what do you mean, and yes car sales lady is above Todd.

#ballister boldheart #ballister #ballister blackheart #nimona 2023 #ambrosius goldenloin #nimona ambrosius #nimona #diego the squire #queen valerin #the director #the director nimona

[little-cereal-draws]

Not me thinking abt the implications of Balister being top of his class

At first it seems like it's just because he’s really passionate abt being a knight, and we know he has been ever since he was a kid, but it’s probably deeper than that. He probably felt the need to “prove himself.” To the queen, to the director, to his classmates, to the kingdom.

We know that him being accepted into the knight training academy(?) was very public/televised and that him being knighted was as well. And we know both of those times, the public was not on his side. So how much of the middle, his actual training, did the public see?

I can easily see a slimy news anchor reporting on a video of the cadets doing drills and saying smth like, “And here we see the next generation of Gloreth’s monster slayers! They’re all looking really great! Except, woah, there’s Balister swinging a little too hard at that dummy there. Ha ha, that’s a level five move, smth these cadets won’t learn for at least another year. Trying to show up his classmates much? I bet he thinks he’s all that but with a gpa of only 3.6, I think he needs to be trying a little harder before he impresses anyone. Ha ha!” (Conveniently leaving out the fact that a 3.6 is way better than any of the other cadets are doing, even their precious Gloreth golden boy.)

How many times was him getting short of an A grade broadcasted to the whole kingdom as a “failure?” How many times did Ambrosius walk in on him slumped over a pile of books after studying too late? How many times did he insist on continuing to train even though he was obviously hurt? How many times did he resolve to do better after another "failure" only to be jeered at by his classmates, calling him teacher's pet? How many times was his studying disrupted by hot angry tears blurring the pages in front of him beyond recognition?

I can easily see him ignoring the end of class dismissal for the day, his classmates laughing and pushing each other as they leave. The Director's gently urges him to take a break and Ambrosius hangs back a few minutes, worried glances burning into the back of Balister's head. He brushes them both off and stays to train more. He practices for hours after, skipping dinner, anger and the need for approval driving him. He needs to try harder, teacher's pet, he's not doing enough, goody-two-shoes, he's not at the same level as the other cadets, suck up, he'll never be a knight. No matter what he did, he couldn't fucking win. He's so tired and angry and frustrated and burnt out but he can't stop, he can't fucking stop or they'll eat him alive.

A scream made of years worth of pent up rage echos through the training hall as he raises his sword above his head. All those nights spent studying instead of sleeping, there goes the straw and rubber dummy's arm, the whispered jokes behind his back as he walked down the halls of the institute, there goes the dummy's other arm, the disappointed "I expected better of you" the Director gave him, hay was flying everywhere as he pummeled his sword in and out of the dummy's chest, the never ending criticism from the watchful eyes of the kingdom. Sword clattering to the side with a clang, he rips the dummy's head off with his bare hands. Chest heaving, he sits back and looks at what he's done. Regret creeps in; he'll definitely get in trouble for this tomorrow. What has he done?

Anyways... this got a bit off track from where it started... I'm just having a lot of Balister gifted child feels

#welcome to the latest addition of 'i didn't mean to write a fic' lol #nimona #nimona spoilers #balister blackheart #nimona headcanon #ambrosius goldenloin #the director nimona