Character Breakdown: Ian Lightfoot from Onward
Onward might have had a few problems, especially in the worldbuilding department, but in the character department, it excelled. The brothers and their relationship is what really made the movie shine. Today I want to look at my personal favorite- Ian.
Spoilers ahead!
Personality
• Introvert. Ian is a pretty shy kid, especially at the beginning. He talks softly, keeps to himself, doesn't mind spending time alone.
• Determined. Throughout the movie, he continues to push through in order to meet his dad. When faced with challenges, he holds fast to that determination and takes them head on.
Virtues
• Kind. Ian is a sweet kid. He wants to make friends. He helps his mom. He can mend his own clothes. He loves his brother. His kind soul is one of the reasons he's so likeable.
• Brave. Ian is also thrown into a lot of terrifying situations. He's scared a lot, but in the end, he doesn't let that fear stop him. One of my favorite examples is when he takes his leap of faith with the invisible bridge.
Flaws
• Scared. Like I said, he's scared a lot throughout the movie. Of driving, of speaking up for himself, of missing time with his dad. It's part of his character arc. Learning to overcome his fear is what helps him in the final climax.
• Pessimistic. While Barley always looks on the bright side, Ian tends to see things more glass half empty. (It's one of the things I find relatable, since I too am that way.) It's what makes him fight with his brother and unable to do a lot of spells at first.
Skills
• Magic. Ian is a wizard, which is freakin' awesome. He learns spells from small and mundane, to Arcane Lightning. I love watching characters make progress on a skill throughout a story, going from a novice, to able to defeat a dragon in the climax.
• Driving. Ian is afraid of driving at the start of the movie. He can't even merge into traffic during his driving class. (Again, since a fear of driving is one of my big anxieties, I find this super relatable.) But with his brother's coaching, Ian becomes a confident and capable driver, even able to evade the police (and his mom's boyfriend).
What Makes Him Interesting
• His relationship with Barley. These brothers warm my heart. I adore the sequence at the end where Ian realizes that he accomplished everything on his list, albeit in a different way than he thought. Barley was his dad. The person who was there for him through it all. Even though they don't always see eye to eye, they love each other to death.
• His anxiety. Probably one of my favorite parts of the movie. Being someone who struggles with anxiety, it was so nice to see a character on screen feeling the same way. That's why I resonate so deeply with Ian. I understand his motives and the way he thinks. While he overcame it a lot by the end (which might be problematic, but we're not going into that today), I think we need to see more characters with anxiety.
What do you love about Ian? Should we have more characters struggle with anxiety? Tell me in the comments.
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