What D&D Alignment is Grunkle Stan? (Gravity Falls) 

The principal’s office scene could easily have been fixed if the secretary had called “Stan Pines” instead of the “Pines twins.” Just have Stan and Ford give each other a look, shrug, and go together, and the rest of the scene plays out exactly the same.

Dude did you not see the "dungeons, dungeons, and more dungeons" episode? It very clearly states that Grunkle Stan's alignment...is awesome. Which is a type of logic that there is no arguing with.

I'm positive that the part with the puppy smuggling is purely a visual gag referencing that he has a record for "Pug trafficing" mention by the news caster in the previous episode that they thought worth showing. Considering that Pugs are worth a lot in some countries... Yeah.

I'd like to note, Stan getting his memory back was a very long process, it was just hard to show how long it was within the episode. The journal expands on this a lot

19:43 the joke is a continuation of last episodes jokes, when the news anchor list Stan's crimes one of them is "pug trafficking" which prompt him to ask the twins _"on an unrelated note, I have a large quantity of pugs I need to get rid of"_ so in this episode opening we see he found a way to do so. the show have a few inter-episodes jokes (like ben franklin being a woman) and I think they're great

For the secretary scene, I thought the implication was that the Secretary couldn't be bothered learning the Pine Twin's names, so she just called both so she wouldn't make a mistake, and then just let the one wearing glasses into the office.

Unpopular opinion: Stan getting his memory back isn’t a flaw with the show’s writing. Stan was still perfectly willing to get his mind wiped to save the universe and his family, and he went into it knowing that it would almost certainly be permanent. Him getting his memories back doesn’t take away from this massive character moment, ESPECIALLY with how incredible the rest of the finale was, and it wouldn’t have been possible if Stan didn’t remember anything. We couldn’t have gotten a proper sendoff between Stan and the kids, or Soos, or anything like that if the focus was too much on how sad Stan losing his memories was. Plus it’s ultimately a family show, so it can’t really have such a depressing ending.

I think it's unfair to say that Stan getting his memory back undoes his heroic sacrifice- the dude still absolutely did all of that and fully expected to sacrifice himself, it undoes nothing and just stops the ending from being extremely depressing. Plus, didn't him getting his memory back actually take a while anyway? It's the last episode, so we don't experience that time gap, but isn't it implied that it took a while for that to happen?

9:28 I would like to mention the moment in the Pioneer episode where Pacifica asks him to declare that the Pines family sucks (paraphrasing a bit here), and when Stan asks if she wants that in writing, he seems to do so, but instead he wrote "YOU STINK." He's pretty proud of this, more of the fact that he did that with his mouth (as he had been in been shackles at the time), despite the trouble that soon follows. Would you call this Chaotic Good, or Chaotic Neutral? Worth a mention either way.

What if, instead of being Bill Cipher reincarnation, Stan is instead a alternate version of him? We already saw alternate versions of him, even a frog one in Amphibia. So it could be plausible

This video made me realize how much Stan tried to bond with the kids, I knew it happened, but not this consistently.

13:12 Just a small nit-pick here, it was meant to be implied that Robbie's music was not actually mind controlling Wendy with backwards talk. In fact, in the original script Robbie was supposed to be a plagiarist and all of the songs he "wrote" were actually copied from another rock band that liked to hide backwards messages in their songs just like some did in real life. However, these backwards messages were not meant to be taken seriously, as you can't actually control someone's actions using backwards messages on account that no one would be able to understand them. This point was unable to be made clear to us though due to production constraints, and because this show constantly deals with the supernatural, the audiences' reaction was to believe that the backward messages were real and were actually controlling Wendy, though to me personally watching it the first time it felt as though the writers purposefully left this point open and vague as to let the audience decide or figure out if the messages were actually doing something. The real intention was that Dipper just could not understand why Wendy would be going out with Robbie and thought that there NEEDED to be an explanation to it. He just so happened to find these backwards messages and assumed that they NEEDED to be the reason she was going out with him and not because she actually liked him. But again, this is just a small nit-pick that has no bearing on Grunkle Stan's involvement/alignment dings, ... unless I'm remembering the episode wrong, idk.

Alternate theory: Bill didn't reincarnate as Stan, but Bill's prayer/incantation or whatever is why Stan was able to come back. Bill was trying to invoke some power that could bring him back after he was wiped out. Not certain if it could bring Bill back, but it effectively created a way for Stan to get his memories back.

8:26 Stan: "You had your chance at the cotillion, you!" TV: "You had your chance at the cotillion, you!" Stan: "That's what I'm sayin'!" TV: "I may be a duchess, but I'm also a woman!" Stan (crying): "Yes! You go, girl!"

Someone must have said this, but, in the wax figure ep, it's widely believed he mourned wax stan so much because it looked so much like him, and by extention, his brother, so it might have felt like ford's disappearance all over again Also, the room dipper and mabel discover in the sleepover episode is the same room stan slept in after ford disappeared into the portal. You can see him pick up the glasses as he's trying to keep an apathetic facade. So yeah.

I think a good way to handle the sacrifice scene without making it a downer ending is if they showed him the scrapbook and he started to remember but didn't completely remember everything. It would have been a really cool open ending.

Stan being a reincarnation of bill also explains how he is so good with the mindscape. I always found it weird how memory stan was able to give dipper that pep talk and explain how the mindscape worked.

I think Stan deserves a few more Chaotic Evil dings for his more destructive crimes -- the shady carnival, forcing Dipper and Mabel to make him counterfeit money, putting the fate of the entire world at risk to get back his brother, etc. I'd classify him as pretty solidly Chaotic Neutral. I love Stan. He's a hilarious and fantastically well-written character. But pug-smuggling doesn't magically become okay just because an otherwise-lovable guy is doing it.

Instead of bill reincarnating in stanley just to save himself, I like better the idea that maybe bill saved himself by saving stan's memories and now he lives as a part of stan's subconcious as a price to save both. it keeps the sense it makes poetically and tematically, and it removes tht ugly idea that stan isn't stan but it's just bill reincarnated in him. It could even be an interesting side story to have bill and stanley understand eachothers backstory.

without watching the video, I'm gonna say Chaotic Good. sure, he's willing to make dubious ethical compromises, but he's the furthest thing from heartless. He's just a hero who doesn't play by the rules.

You are correct, Not What He Seems is the best episode, giving it advantage and rolling two nat 20s! And you are also correct, Stan Pines is not only the best character in GF, but I've placed him in the pantheon of mentor characters, second only to the likes of Mr. Miyagi

"If Ford made anything even remotely commercially viable Stan could've been the salesman." Ow, just... ow that hurts. Stan's life really did get completely screwed by one stupid mistake exasperated by him being to stubborn to talk to his brother. No wonder he became such a cynical, bitter man by the time episode 1 of the show begins.

15:10 I would argue that exposing Giddion's crimes is lawfull *good*. 20:44 I'ld call Stanley giving dating advice to Dipper, *netral* good.

The advice at 21:07 is advice that I definitely needed when I was a kid I think all kid shows should teach kids that Just because you're growing up doesn't mean you need to grow up.

Here’s my view on the memory wipe. It works, it works perfectly. Stan’s memories are gone. What is it gone this is hucksterism. Stan does not recover his memories what time does his fake recovering his memories because he knows how much it means the people around him and he is very good of a salesman that they believe it. The print copy of journal three makes it clear it takes weeks and weeks to get it done.

I think an alignment video on finding Nemo or House MD would be pretty fun.

Smuggling dogs was a reference to the previous episode when the newscaster listed his crimes. Among them was "Pug Trafficking"

A very solid video! I only disagree with one thing really, Stanley is absolutely capable of more serious crimes. He landed himself in Colombian jail due to a heist gone wrong, was part of a bike gang and overall i feel like most of his crimes seem innocent because this is a kid's show. You don't get locked in the trunk of a car for scamming people Also he married Marilyn during those 10 years, not the 30 when he was fixing the portal But other than that, i completely agree with the video! Great work!

Ya'know. I remember seeing people think Dipper was gonna blow up at Mabel over not pressing the Portal button. But no, he wouldn't. Not when it is so painfully obvious that Dipper would've noticed how blatantly *wrong* *HE* *was* when the Author of the Journels popped out.

The 'drug trafficking' joke is from the previous episode, 19:38 lists 'Pug Trafficking' on his criminal record, so next episode he's trying to get rid of the evidence You also tragically missed one of my favourite Gravity Falls lines in there! 'A new crime he invented called Burgle-Bezzlement'

The alignment videos made on series that you clearly love are usually the best alignment videos, and this trilogy was no exception. Stay mysterious, and take care of yourselves!

22:55 Immediately is a strong word. I’ve seen the immediate version of this in Centaurworld’s finale, it’s much worse. It’s like if they cut everything between Ford hugging Stan and the news report.

SECOND! Also thank you so much for making this series! Love it so much, even if most people seem to think that alignment is going out of fashion. Also Gravity Falls is my favorite show of all time, makes me so happy to see it's still relevant today. Keep making the good content! :D (but also dont forget to take care of yourself :) )

The office scene makes some sense when you remember that Stan can do a perfect impression of his brother. Bringing both twins before telling the brother who isn't needed to stay out is probably easier.

The only way I can accept the Bill reincarnation is if the Axolotl sends Bill back in time after his erasure to become Grunkle Stan from the beginning. The idea that he was just erased and became the new mind of Stand doesn't sit well.

I honestly forgot how good Gravity Falls was. I need to rewatch it.

easy fix for the clumsy way of getting both Stans to the principal's office only for Stanley to be rejected is just have the announcement be for "Stan Pines to the Principal's office" this way neither knows who they want till they get there.

I’m betting he’s chaotic good, he clearly doesn’t follow the law and very greedy but cares deeply for his family

I see Grunkle Stan having Dipper and Mabel work at the Mystery Shack to teach Them the world of adulthood You know so Dipper and Mabel can get a good job in the future when They become adults He's teaching Them to be more responsible when They get older.

It's a drug reference and a pun he's a pug trafficker this was just one of those adult jokes hidden for the older crowd watching

Our favorite Grunkle! Just make sure to check if your wallet is still there after visiting him.

King Clawthorne is the reincarnation of Bill Cipher though.

just gonna throw my two cents out there on the ending. the memory gun was shown to not completely erase the memories of the person it was used on at least not from a single use since the society of the blind eye established it could remove the more targeted memories without completely wiping the mind entirely.at least not without constant and repeatedly use to to effectively break a mind like what happened to Old Man McGucket. alternatively the gun can wipe out kind of the surface of the mind but grunkle stan did have over 70 years of life that over time probably wired a lot of his personality into his brain so even without all the memories who he was at the end still remained. Or you could take it as because his last moments when the gun is wiping everything is him remembering his family and focusing on that, maybe he managed to keep it from being completely wiped out I mean everyone else who used the memory gun on them (aside from dipper shooting ford thinking he was bill) was more or less voluntarily trying to forget something. Its not that unthinkable that if someone was really trying to fight the process they could hold onto some parts of them.

I think Bill is more so stuck in Stan's head and with what little power Bill had he gave Stan's memory back maybe cause it would be in the long run easier for some reason...? 🤷‍♀️🔺(Imagine it's yellow and not red)

Stanley Pines is the best character in GF. No doubt about it. But Bill and Ford come in close second. I love how there are so many themes and bits of lore that tie these characters together.

Stan was/is a conman. He took whatever information he could in Mabel's attempts at jogging his memory (she was showing him multiple pages of her scrapbook) and used it to 'prove' he wasn't really gone to be accepted by the people he could tell were hoping to get 'him' back. The name Waddles alongside a picture of him would absolutely be in one of the pages she showed him due to her love for Waddles. His memories might be gone but his ability to understand/speak English means he still has some knowledge left in his head.

I'd love to see a DnD alignment for Eda Clawthorne from TOH

I love the video-record where stan curses "pg", notices he's alone and starts cursing "not so pg". It Shows he doesnt want mabel and dipper to learn curse words. Kinda funny. A nat 100 Episode! Well, the gravity falls vido was awesome!! Nat 36 Videos! Goodbye, see ya in the next Videos! We'll meet again Don't know where, don't know when But i know we meet again Some Sunny Day! Why in all swedish waffles do i always forget what i wanted to comment... Wait, i'm alone! Why THE F-

He doomed his world and his family, and asked to be reborn in a different place and a different time. it only made sence to make him stan pines.

19:58 In the listing of Stan’s crimes in the Mayor episode, it lists pug trafficking as one of them…. After that I have no idea

I believe he would be chaotic neutral on the Dungeons, Dungeons, and More Dungeons alignment

The pug trafficking is continuing a joke from the previous episode when they start reading his criminal record on the news and one of them is pug trafficking

I've always put Stan under the Chaotic evil/Chaotic Neutral side of the spectrum since it is mentioned that he killed in a llama (First degree- llamacide joke in Stanchurian Candidate) as well as that time in the second episode ("legend of the grobelwonker" or something) where he gets Dipper and Mabel to make him some counterfeit money.

I'd love alignment videos on the owl house.

It was awesome to see this trilogy of videos. Awesome work guys and looking forward to seeing what's to come 😄

None of what you said here is particularly revelationary, but I LOVE the way you presented it. You have a genuinely talent for painting characters in the best, most authentic light and it's one of the reasons I love your channel. Y'know, beyond my being a D&D nerd who consumes WAY too much pop culture lmao

Maybe the Bill reincarnation theory could help with Stan getting his memory back... Like Bill with his powers and in Stans mind made them come back somehow for some reason...

__Stanley Pines__ Race: Human Class: Rogue Alignment: Chaotic Good Background: Charlatan _Stats_ Str: 15 (+2) Dex: 13 (+1) Con: 11 (+0) Int: 7 (-2) Wis: 9 (-1) Cha: 17 (+3) __Stanford Pines__ Race: Human Class: Artificer Alignment: Chaotic Good Background: Haunted One _Stats_ Str: 8 (-1) Dex: 12 (+1) Con: 10 (+0) Int: 18 (+4) Wis: 10 (+0) Cha: 8 (-1)

Stan is litteraly just the epidemy of nuteral/chaotic good

I have to argue with the halloween episode. Because of what he did to make those kids scared and forced to run. Very much Chaotic Evil.

Good job on this video man

that stewart called them glowies caught me off guard.

I feel like you could also say that Stan and Bill are simply narrative foils (similar to Dipper and Mabel being foils of the Stans). Both made mistakes that destroyed their family and are ultimately con artists that do many underhanded things. The biggest difference is that Stan never decides to stop caring about his family while Bill decides to only look out for his own amusement. Either way, it's a cool parallel, almost like Bill is what Stan always had the potential to become, but didn't.

I'll give you a bit of a challenge: what D&D alignment is Thomas the Tank Engine? (mainly going from the CGI movies)

I never heard of this theory before! It's weird but kinda better than "Bill is still in Stan's head Forever" that I've normally heard. I kind of like it.

At 8:15 you said that getting rid of government agents is usually always good, but since they did it non-violently you gave it chaotic neutral. This implies that if they were to brutally murder the agents that it would have been chaotic good and I support you.

I know this was such a minor part of the analysis, but a funny thing is that the CD that Robbie used for Wendy? It wasn't actually controlling her. Said in a commentary for the episode, the song was just a normal, ordinary song that was plagiarized. Course that's something the episode should have made more clear.

Chaotic good, he may like to scam people and is obsessed with money, but he cares about his family.

Lol before it started I guessed Stan was going to be chaotic good

Watched this via the patreon, 100% ready to watch it again

Why would violently getting rid of government agents be good but nonviolently getting rid of them be neutral. I don’t know if that’s what you were implying at around 18:00 but just wanted to clarify the reasoning.

Ironic given that the Pioneer episode is out to get Stan seeing as the Creator of Gravity Falls is his voice actor.

Ah yes, the best character.

I thought Bill was reincarnated by King from Owl House And I thought the theory that Bill was possessing Stan

I love the outro. XD

FYI they sell a gravity falls journal 3 book that you can buy that tells about all of stanfords adventures in the portal in case you're interested in finding out wjay Stanford did for the 30 years he was trapped in the portal

20:00 Pug Trafficking. i love it

You call all these things chaotic but I see most of his life as lawful. Him constantly rolling around the edge of the law , parts that can only be proven in court, something he found a loophole around as well! If this man was a lawyer I'd hire him if he wouldn't pass out mid case on me!

18:20 wow, you really went there... Good for you. It made me laugh.

Thank you for leaving the alignment wheel on the screen for a while post analysis

The bill reincarnation theory is a bootstrap paradox if you think about it

I personally prefer the Bill = Gruncle Stan conclusion since the 'erase it like it never happened' ending falls into the 'infinite timeloop', 'it was all a dream', and 'everything goes random/gets flushed down the toilet' cop-out endings. It also adds that sweet behind the scenes but in plain sight if you know where to look aspect that the show is famous for.

love this video

10:11 "Stan reveals to Label"!

Never heard the reincarnated Bill idear befor, but I kind of like ike, if nothing else, I means that Stans sacrefise is not undone.

chaotic good there saved you the trouble

He's at least chaotic.

I’m calling it: chaotic neutral

3:54: she did that just too get under their skin. i know you were a teacher but you'd be surprised by just how many go on a power trip and will bully kids. they think they wont tell anyone because they see them get picked on by others and they didn't do anything.

Okay. Just to get it off my chest cause this is the only place I can say it: Both the stans are 58 at most, not 70. Think about it. They were in high school when Stanley got thrown out, afterwards if was 10 years until they met again and then 30 until the portal got opened back up. I'm willing to believe Stanley got held back some time. But he was in the same class as Stanford, who I sincerely doubt could get held back at all. So, at most they were like 18 when they seperated!

Holy crap this video was 7 months ago

Stan is a great guy

Nah, you were right when you called it Hell.

Hell, New Jersey, no need to apologize. Trust me, I live in this state.

"HER AIM IS GETTIN BETTER!"

Now we need an alignment video on the 2 most important characters to finish this series. Waddles, and Gomber

The pugs are a "coyote" refence. A "coyote" (not the wild canine) is someone who smuggles people across borders, mostly the Mexican/American border.

I have a different take on the bill cipher Stan axlotal theory. I believe that the reason why Stan is able to regain his memory’s back so fast is because of bills wish with the axlotal. Because bill was burnt with and in stan's mind by recovering memories bill is also recovered, not in reality but back in the mind scape how he started. Stan and bill are opposites Stan and bill go through similar things but each respond differently. Stan stays good and does not intentionally destroy what he loves but try’s to create, even if he is bad at creating he try’s. Like Stan making all those bad products he makes and try’s to create. Stan cares for others where bill just destroys and manipulates. When brought over to reality what does bill make? He only destroys and creates for him self. What he does for his friends is only for their attention and admiration because he didn't get that originally.the only common thing shared is back story and I guess how the both are a bit chaotic. Quick side theory about stan's memory recovery, he changes a lot from the Stan before and after the memory whip so what if they only allowed Stan to recover certain parts of his memory and twisting his memories to change Stan. I don't believe that Stan naturally developed magically over all his regrets and mistakes he just isn't show them. Remember he recovered his memory’s from mables scrap book, dipper, Soos, and ford. They probably made Stan the Stan they remembered. We know how mable generally see the best in people, soos saw Stan as the father he never had and dipper thought highly of Stan. Then we have Ford who would only have said his perspective of Stan from his childhood, and Ford not being petty would have skipped him being a disappointment or Stan accidentally destroying his perpetual motion machine. So the Stan we see at the end only contains his best traits and good impressions plus his behaviour's and personality. Why I say Stan keep those was because after his memory whipe he still had simmalar speaking manurisms and similar expressions after the memory whipe. Comparing Stan to miggut who over used the memory eraser, miggut keep his intelligence and crazy. Miggut was paranoid after his memory whip but not at any thing in particular witch is why he made random robots and defences even though he forgot what he was making them for. Any way I just wanted to put out my theory's at the end because I got a much different view. Sorry for all the grammar mistakes I wort this on my phone so there is likely a plethora of mistakes.

I feel like bill reincarnated into king from owl house

18:22 Is he implying that doing it violently would have been GOOD? “While I’d argue that getting rid of government agents is always good. The fact that they did non-violently makes this chaotic neutral.”