- “Destiny is... a gift. Some go their entire lives, living existences of quiet desperation, never learning the truth about what feels as though a burden pushing down upon our shoulders, is actually a sense of purpose that lifts us to greater heights. Never forget that fear is but the precursor to valor, that to strive and triumph in the face of fear is what it means to be a hero. Don't think. Become.”
- ―Jim's audition
James "Jim" Lake Jr. is the main protagonist of the Tales of Arcadia franchise, appearing as the titular main protagonist of Trollhunters and the finale film, Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans, a supporting character in 3Below: Tales of Arcadia and one of the two tritagonists of Wizards: Tales of Arcadia (alongside Archie).
He is the former Trollhunter, a successor of Deya the Deliverer and Kanjigar the Courageous, and in a relationship with Claire Nuñez, whom he began dating at the end of season 2 in the original timeline. He is the son of Barbara and James Lake, the best friend of Toby Domzalski, close friends with AAARRRGGHH!!!, Douxie Casperan, and Draal the Deadly, the son figure and protege of Blinky Galadrigal and the current wielder of Excalibur. He is currently 18 years old and the successor of Kanjigar the Courageous.
He is loosely based on Jim Sturgis from the original 2015 novel Trollhunters by Guillermo del Toro.
Background
Personality
At the start of the series, James Lake Jr. was an ordinary teenaged boy. However, he wished to have a life that was more exciting than the one he led. When Jim first became a Trollhunter, he was unwilling to take responsibility of this title.
Jim is somewhat of a mother's boy because he is constantly looking out for her. Toby points out that Jim’s mothers Barbara too much. Even Barbara says that she is the one who is supposed to take care of him and protect him, Jim says that they need to look out for each other since Jim's no-good father abandoned his family. Due to this, Jim instead saw Blinky and Strickler as father figures before the latter was revealed he was a Changeling who tried to kill Jim and his friends’ multiple times.
He could also be somewhat overprotective of his family and friends, as he does not tell his mother of his new Troll hunting duties. After losing AAARRRGGHH!!! to Angie Rot, Jim went into the Darklands by himself to because he didn't want to lose anybody else. Despite being overprotective and a little bumbling, he knows when he can't accomplish things without help from his team. It's also something he's been learning to overcome, particularly after his dream sequence from Unkar the Unfortunate. After Drawl’s death trying to protect him, Jim lashed out at his friends and family in The Way of the Wizard.
Jim is also a bit of the jealous type since he hated it when Douxie flirted with Claire and when she giggled at his witty comments. However, by Wizards, Douxie and Claire remain strictly platonic with one another, even with Douxie considering Jim and Claire as his new family.
When Jim first became a troll, he was excited about his newfound abilities. However, he found himself hating his new transformation after a group of trolls called him "troll" and insisted he was human. Jim found it more difficult, as he couldn't walk in the sun and could not go to school or eat proper dinner with his mother anymore. Strickler mentions that it is difficult for Jim because he was handling both human and troll emotions simultaneously. Jim explains his worries to his friends on the rooftop of the school. However, Jim's friends and family convince him that while he cannot do things he did as a human, they still love, care, and support him the way he is now. Afterwards, Barbara is relieved and Strickler tells her that her son is going to be alright.
Jim is also very protective of his girlfriend, Claire Nuñez. He had a major crush on her but Toby and Strickler point out that Jim never actually talked to her and watches her from afar. When he first actually talked to Claire, he came off as nervous but Claire immediately warmed up to Jim after watching his audition. She came to view him as one of her closest friends and later, her boyfriend in season 2.
Physical Appearance
Equipment
Powers and Abilities
Powers
- Above-Average Physiology: Jim, during his time as a human, possesses a strength and durability that surpasses that of the typical teenager.
- Enhanced Durability: Due to the properties of his enchanted armor, Jim has demonstrated the ability to endure impacts that would likely have shattered the bones of an average individual, as well as resisting the formidable grip of Bular. In the episode "Bittersweet Sixteen," he even survived a lightning strike from a significant altitude, a force potent enough to eliminate a Stalkling and would have caused severe injury or potentially death to a typical human.
- Strength: Jim demonstrated sufficient strength to render Steve unconscious with a single blow, simultaneously dislodging a tooth in the process.
- Reflexes: Blinky observes that Jim possesses remarkable reflexes even prior to the training. He demonstrated his agility by swiftly rolling and evading a blade that was on the ground, managing to escape despite being in extremely close proximity.
- Magical Weaponry: Upon being selected by the Amulet of Daylight, Jim gains the ability to summon his armor and weapons by reciting the phrase, "For the glory of Merlin, Daylight is mine to command!" However, there are instances where he activates the amulet without uttering the incantation, as it also responds to his emotional state. Jim possesses the capability to manipulate his armor in any manner he wishes, which includes his sword, glaives, shield, and helmet. Following his transformation into a half-troll, the armor seems to have become permanently affixed to his body. Nevertheless, as clarified by one of the show's writers, this phenomenon occurs due to Jim experiencing significant emotional distress, causing the amulet to confine him within his armor in an effort to safeguard him until he feels "safe."
- Sword Conjuring: Jim can summon Daylight, which includes his Eclipse Blade, and can also command the sword to return to his hand during combat or to switch hands as needed.
- Glaive Conjuring: Upon cleaving the Birthstone, Jim acquires the power to materialize two glaives from his thighs, which function similarly to boomerangs and respond to his commands.
- Shield Conjuring: Following the faceting of the Killstone, Jim obtains the capability to conjure a warrior's shield on his left forearm, providing protection against most forms of attack.
- Helmet Conjuring: After compressing the Eye of Gunmar, Jim gains the ability to summon a large helmet, which protects him from lethal damage and Gunmar's Decimaar Blade. He can also open and close it with his thoughts.
- Supernatural Detection (via Amulet): Through the use of his amulet, Jim possesses the capability to sense the presence of supernatural beings, although its effectiveness is confined to his immediate vicinity. Nevertheless, the amulet's responses vary due to Jim's human nature, rendering this ability often inconsistent and unpredictable. As illustrated in "Hero with a Thousand Faces," Hunter Jim previously employed the amulet to systematically scan specific locations, which would notify him of any possible adversaries.
- Camouflage: The Eclipse Armor enables Jim to merge seamlessly with shadows, rendering him nearly undetectable in low-light conditions, particularly at night or within the Darklands. As detailed by Jim in A Brief Recapitulation of Troll Lore Volume 48, the armor functions similarly to a stealth suit. In the book Welcome to the Darklands, Jim successfully concealed himself from a mindless Antramonstrum by intentionally dimming the red engravings on his armor and using his shield to obscure his head.
- Wall Walking (briefly): In "Hero with a Thousand Faces," Jim momentarily gained the ability to traverse vertical surfaces by utilizing a mysterious stone that had been previously employed by Araknak the Agile. To maintain his position on the surface, he needed to concentrate diligently; any lapse in focus would result in his falling.
- Duplication (briefly): In "Hero with a Thousand Faces," Jim managed to briefly create clones of himself, each representing different facets of his personality, by utilizing the Aspectus Stone, which had previously been employed by Maddrux the Many. Nevertheless, he lacked control over these clones, similar to the situation with Hunter Jim.
- Counteracting Angor Rot's Magics: After cutting Angor's eye and placing it into his amulet, Jim gains the ability to ward off his magics. He also regains possession of Daylight from Angor.
Abilities
- Charisma: It has been stated by others (Blinky, in particular) that Jim's greatest strength is his humanity and love for others, no matter the cost. It has allowed him to inspire others to find greatness in themselves and come to his aid whenever possible. Even some of his enemies have been inspired by his sense of honor, like Strickler and Nomura. Even after becoming half-troll, it appears that this trait has not diminished at all. He reminds Angor Rot of the hero he used to be before he became Morgana's slave, which convinced him to turn against her and give the Trollhunters the opening they need to seal her away for good.
- Indomitable Will: Jim has a strong sense of will, as he is greatly determined to save his loved ones no matter what, even if odds are close to none. His strong will was most notably shown when he resists Gunmar's cursed blade to where he was deemed almost-to-completely immune to its brainwashing effects.
- Swordsman: After training with Draal, Jim is an accomplished swordsman, able to hold off against Nomura, Strickler, and even Bular himself. Jim's fighting style is somewhat chaotic, but he uses his agility to outsmart larger and stronger foes and get behind their guard. Jim's proficiency has extended beyond Daylight as well, as he is able to parry Angor Rot's attacks with his newly discovered daggers, hold off Nomura using only a frying pan in his house, and fight Strickler with a fork and knife. After his transformation into a half-troll, his swordsmanship has increased to where he could fight Gunmar and Angor Rot blade-to-blade.
- Martial Artist: Although Jim had no formal training in martial arts, he was instructed in the art of hand-to-hand combat by Blinky and Draal. While he relies on his sword for most attacks, Jim has been shown to improvise punches and kicks in combat. It is most likely that he has been taught some techniques from his mother, as she is an orange-belt in Krav-Maga, prior to becoming a Trollhunter.
- Cooking: Jim is an accomplished cook, making meals for himself and his mother while she works since she is a terrible cook herself. Toby and Strickler have both praised his cooking. Even after he became a troll hybrid, he was still shown to be a terrific cook (despite not being able to taste his own food anymore).
- Adaptor: Jim is a noticeably fast learner, as he learned how to wield Daylight, with some help from Draal, in mere moments.
- Survivalism: After months of training with trolls, Jim gains remarkable knowledge of how to survive on his own, as he was able to live in the Darklands for nearly two weeks in spite of having little-to-no resources. He could hunt, lure out, and trick monsters out of their dens while in search for food and avoid being detected by Gumm-Gumms, goblins, Dictatious, and even Gunmar for weeks, at least until he finally finds Enrique.
- Tactician: As the de facto leader of his group, Jim is usually the one who comes up with the strategies. Although most of his plans have been foiled, such as when Strickler anticipated his attempt to send Toby, Blinky, and AAARRRGGHH!!! into his office, Jim has a knack for improvising situations to complete his missions.
- Actor: In the first half of Part One, Jim is shown to be a fairly decent actor, despite never being on stage once. He was even able to land the part of Romeo for the school play (although his chronic tardiness briefly reduced him as an understudy for a time).
- Faceting/Cleaving: Although only used during his hunt for the Triumbric Stones, Jim has been seen carving and cutting the Birthstone perfectly under the direction of Vendel, the Killstone and the Eye of Gunmar by himself, and the Eye of Angor Rot under the direction of Strickler.
Former powers
Human-Troll Hybrid Physiology: After using Merlin's elixir potion, Jim has become a hybrid of human and troll, which granted him greater strength, speed, durability, stamina, senses, agility, and reflexes, to where he defeated Angor Rot and Gunmar simultaneously. Merlin even claims that Jim is now capable of preforming feats beyond that of a human and troll.
- Superhuman Strength: Jim's strength was enhanced to the point he could hurtle Gunmar into a building with nothing but his might, as well as knocking him several feet away with a rookie. He is also able to tackle AAARRRGGHH!!! a few feet away.
- Superhuman Endurance: Jim can endure more than an average human or troll.
- Superhuman Durability: Thanks to his new stone skin, Jim's durability was increased to where he could withstand many of Morgana's deadly spells, managing a nosebleed (which is human red, instead of purple or green like other trolls and changelings). When AAARRRGGHH!!! punched Jim, he openly claimed that "[he] didn't feel a thing."
- Superhuman Stamina: Jim can now physical exert himself for long periods of time without wearing himself out.
- Superhuman Speed: Jim is fast enough to out-run Claire and her Shadow Staff, even appearing as a blur. Claire even claims that Jim was moving so fast during their chase that she lost track of him.
- Superhuman Reflexes: He is able to react to most attacks with incredible ease. He was able to easily evade every single strike from Claire, as well as Gunmar and Angor Rot’s.
- Superhuman Agility: Jim exhibits remarkable agility that surpasses that of both the average human and troll.
- Superhuman Leaping: His hybrid nature grants him enhanced leaping capabilities, allowing him to jump significantly higher and farther than a typical troll.
- Superhuman Senses: Jim's sensory perceptions—encompassing smell, sight, and sound—are notably more refined than those of an ordinary human.
- Matter Indigestion: In terms of dietary capabilities, Jim, as a half-troll, can ingest and process a wide variety of substances without difficulty; however, he has unfortunately developed a disinterest in most human foods, including those he once enjoyed.
- Semi-Immortality: Jim likely possesses a form of semi-immortality characteristic of trolls, enabling him to live for centuries with minimal aging, although he remains susceptible to mortality through external threats.
Tales of Arcadia
Trollhunters
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
3Below
Part 1
D'Aja Vu
Lightning in a Bottle
Jim's role remains the same as his role in "In Good Hands," but this episode is told from Aja's and Krel's point of view. Aja mistakes Jim's amulet for her missing serrator before realizing that it is actually his.
It was the last episode in the series to feature Jim as a human.
Last Night on Earth
Jim is briefly seen by Aja, who immediately recognizes him as Jim. They glance at each other for one minute before resuming the fight against Morgana's forces.
Part 2
Race to Trollmarket
He later made a brief appearance in "Race to Trollmarket," where he and Blinky are contacted by Toby when he and the Tarron siblings inquire about Trollmarket. He sees Aja and Krel and asks how they are doing while fighting a masked creature as Blinky gives them instructions in finding the core they are searching for before the line goes out.
Wizards
Relationships
Family
- Barbara Lake - Mother, Rescuee and Savior
- Jim Lake Sr. - Father
- Walter Strickler/Stricklander - Former Mentor and Future Stepfather
Friends
- Toby Domzalski - Best Friend and Successor
- Claire Nuñez - Girlfriend
- Blinky - Mentor and Honorary Father
- AAARRRGGHH!!! - Close Friend
- Draal - Former Rival, Mentor and Surrogate Brother
- Vendel
- NotEnrique
- Eli Pepperjack
- Arcadia Oaks High school
- Mary Wang
- Darci Scott
- Steve Palchuk
- Aja Tarron
- Krel Tarron
- Varvatos Vex
- Luug
- Douxie Casperan - Former Rival and Close Friend
- Nomura
- Merlin
- Lenora Janeth
- Coach Lawrence
- Karl Uhl
- Nancy Domzalski
- Nuñez Family
- Nari
- Archie
- Deya the Deliverer - Friend and Predecessor
- Morgana
- Unkarr the Unfortunate - Predecessor
Enemies
- Bular † - Attempted Killer and Victim
- Gunmar † - Arch-enemy, Attempted Killer and Victim
- Goblins
- Stalklings
- Queen Usurna
- Porgon the Trickster
- Gumm-Gumms
- Gruesomes
- Arthur Pendragon/Green Knight
- Arcane Order
- Titans
- The Janus Order †
- Otto Scaarsbach - Attempted Killer and Unwitting Victim
Neutral
- Krubera - Former Enemies
- Krubera Soldiers
- Dictatious Galadrigal - Situational Enemy
Personal Relationships
Toby Domzalski
Claire Nuñez
Blinky Galadrigal
AAARRRGGHH!!!
Draal
Initially, Draal and Jim did not get along, especially since the former of the two felt he was supposed to be the next Trollhunter. The two sparred with each other with both arguments and weapons. However, after Jim spared Draal's life, the troll immediately decided to protect Jim, his house and his mother. They share a bond similar to Toby's and AAARRRGGHH!!!'s in the series.
Aja Tarron
Despite only knowing each other for a short time, Jim became very close with each other. They both bonded that they both had responsiblities and training to be a warrior. Aja and Jim were sadden to learn that they would not remember each other after their first meeting. The episode explains that they don't remember each other and explains their first "meeting" in "Lightning in a Bottle."
Jim also was not surprised to find out that Aja and her brother were aliens.
Gallery
Etymology
- The name Lake is a gender-neutral name that is of Anglo-Saxon origin, derived from the Old English word lacu[1]. Jim's last name could be a reference to the Lady of the lake, a heroine in Arthurian Legends who gave Arthur the sword, Excalibur. This is fittingly enough, Jim's story arc is affiliated with Arthurian Legends.
- The name James originates from the Hebrew name Jacob, meaning “supplanter,” or "holder of the heel." [2]Fittingly enough, Jim did supplant or replace as the next Trollhunter
Trivia
- 3rd number amount of appearances, after Toby and AAARRRGGHH!!!.
- Jim was born October 10, 2000, as revealed in the 5th anniversary of Anton Yelchin’s passing.
- According to Walter Strickler, Jim has anxiety and he also suffers from PTSD.
- Everyone compliments Jim for his cooking, especially his mother and best friend. According to Toby, his cooking rivals that of Lucy Blank.
- After Season 2, Jim initially rejected Nomura and Stricklander's over to teach him how to fight more ruthless until a time traveling adventure changed his mind. However, he most likely did this to protect everyone else and fill the void that Blinky hadn't been able to train him for days.
- Jim, Claire and Douxie are all generational counterparts to Arthur, Morgana, and Merlin[3]
External Links
References
- ↑ The Bump. Lake. Retrieved on January 18, 2024.
- ↑ James. - Three Bump - James
- ↑ . That detail was intentional. In WIZARDS: TALES OF ARCADIA, Jim, Douxie and Claire are generational mirrors of Arthur, Merlin and Morgana. Their quest was as much finding a way to save the world from their competing ideologies as it was battling evil #TalesofArcadia #ToAWizards @GoodAaron Ok, ireally need to know. Is this a coincidence or...?(See Screenshot Here.)
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