The TRUTH About James!
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- Опубліковано 10 лип 2024
- Wow, this video ended up be a lot more in-depth and complicated than planned. It was only meant to be a few minutes long but the longer I was writing, more stuff I realised. I was like shit, this stuff makes fucking sense. Though, this is only a theory. Not facts.
0:00 - Intro
0:46 - First Appearance
1:42 - Reason #1
3:16 - Reason #2
5:23 - Reason #3
7:55 - James being James
8:40 - Outro - Розваги
The trucks gave James PTSD no wonder he hates them
yup thats what it is
@Ryder-a-Blaze and Topham almost always blames the engines for the trucks’ actions.
@@sophiebyers5496 yes and it makes me upset
James: Wait, i a really splendid red engine almost had PTSD!!!!, 😮😮😮😮😮😮😮
WHAT is PTSD
As a kid I always thought that James was someone trying to be big and tough but in reality is fragile and scared I think that’s accurate to this theory
The big engines I always thought of as jackass elder siblings, with James being the most desperate to prove himself.
A sheep in a wolf's clothes, if I've ever seen one.
the irony of this comment.
@@neonfroot Either james or henry is the youngest. of the elders.
@@southerncoastproductions7587
james would be the youngest. henry is the most levelheaded of the trio.
This is a highly interesting psychoanalysis, actually. I hadn't exactly noticed that James did go quiet after each accident he had, deathly quiet. Even though we know that Rev. Awdry wrote James to be vain as a way to give him a character after basically not having one in his debut (plot device more than a character), this does make sense, as he fails to protest after his run-in with the tar wagons. No boasting, just silence. He's shoved into the same situation where he was before, and he's also rendered black by the tar to boot with the old paint scheme in mind. He seems to shut down, an indication of his old persona. Hmm...
*Sniff* you see, this train James is a classic example of the Freudian male. *Sniff*
What about James’s reaction to getting dirty at the end of the episode “shiny and clean”
i haven't even watched the video yet but now i'm intrigued by your comment
The first time that a "dark" Thomas theory is good and not brain dead.
*Flashbacks to "Top 10 Darkest Thomas The Tank Engine Theories" by "Most Amazing Top 10"*
Not only that, but unlike most "dark" theories, this one fits the shows realism. Being traumatized after a crash like that is very plausible.
Facts
FAX
What if James is going insane and will one day overthrow the human race and enslave us all to clean and repair the engines and other machines
James is a very good character, no matter what era it is we still like him.
BWBA James: Allow me to introduce myself
Even reboot
@@francisplays9055 reboot James is alright; not bad but alright
I hate him in "Apology Impossible" tho
@@percyfan06 same, it’s like they turned him into a complete douchbag
My theory is that James actually fears trucks, as they’re what caused his first wreck. Additionally, James just wants to feel special, as most of the other engines have something special about them. Additionally, James has a lot of anxiety that he tries to hide. He is rather small compared to the other tender engines, so he wants desperately to prove that he can bring something to the table.
**sad Edward noises**
5:18 literally caught me off guard tho😭
I love when people and fans look into the engines mental state as it really makes them SO much deeper. Especially James! The nothing at all plot device with nothing special to him outside of being the only red engine and being vain, is an engine who never really healed from his past.
A common work horse engine who some claim is not deserving of doing anything special like pulling passengers. No one talks about, looks or cares about the engine in all black pulling goods trains. But when STH gave him his red paint to cheer him up, people came to see him at the station. People paid attention to him, they WANTED to see him. He was given value because of his red paint. To James, I imagine he thought "This red paint makes me somebody instead of a nobody."
This is why James is so proud of his red paint. You mock it or damage it, then prepare to get an earful because devaluing the one thing he values because he thinks it gives HIM value (something that could EASILY be snatched away,) he'll fight to defend it. He's shaken to his core when he hears Rosie is repainted red. "ROSIE IS RED?!Wait, like red red? Splendid red?! James red?!" Because now that someone else is wearing red, he fears deeply he'll not be special any more. The second he loses it like in Dirty Objects, all his confidence goes way. The way James must see it is "my red paint is gone... I'm nothing..." He's quiet because he ties so much of his confidence to it. Without his red, he has nothing and thus goes silent as he feels he has no right to talk. I imagine he feels he COULD talk, but he fears no one will listen, or worse they'll berate him for having the gall to speak out of turn.
James values his paint because he feels its the only thing anyone likes him for. The reason he has people who wave as he puffs down the line, why he gets to pull passengers, why he has friends or a home on this railway is because he is red. And that can all be snatched away with just the flick of a paint brush.
Can we please get James some damn therapy? He needs it as much as Henry!
Amen for poor James.
Too long but I agree with the last part
I read it.
I’m more impressed that James isn’t scrapped based on how many accidents he’s had over the years
I think it's something a little different. I think James is worried about blending in the background and being forgotten, which is why he chose a bright red livery no one else had, why he joined the elite circle of the Big Engines despite Gordon taunting him when he was new, why he wants to pull passengers and why brags to the others all the time. Your theory works too and I love the connection between James' black livery and the tar
James orignally being an NPC/shy person only to develop his more known cocky personality is a cool idea and doesn't have any continuity issues against it, no matter the series.
I can kinda relate to him, someone who is usually very unlucky but has a prestigious image image of himself bit others think of him as as normal as they are.
He is the type of guy who is like, "I had it difficult so I deserve special treatment".
he always looks up to those who who are superior but is almost always let down by them
It hurts him, he too aspires to be the backbone of the fleet.
So basically Henry in the railway series
@@etheredengine9235 I see a lot of similarities between them
James was originally supposed to be a one-off character in the books. If you look at his nose in his debut, it's very different to the one he's had in all subsequent appearances. If he was intended to be a recurring character then his face wouldn't have been so generic at the start.
5:45 Either he's traumatised after his various crashes, or he's just respectfully silent as he knows making a childish or otherwise rude comment about an engine involved in a crash might make the situation worse, starting more arguments etc.
I like the former
@@Teon5072 Same.
3:50 My best guess is that James wasn't taken care of on his previous railway, his anxious response to a small scratch would make sense that his does obsess over it.
Well, the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway did have a period where thier service and locomotive quality was poor.
@@JRS06 when was that exactly?
James is a character who is always trying to get the approval of others. But the way he goes about it, a high percentage of the time leads him into trouble. He has some repressive issues going on in his smokebox. And because of certain engines and his reputation. He has a hard time being honest with himself and his insecurities.
To put it simply, James needs counseling. Out of all the characters I consider him to be the most flawed and needs life lessons in order to become a better engine.
Interesting theory, you made me feel bad for James too, really hoped we could have seen James trying to overcome these issues more often.
I think the reason james got so much hatred to pull trucks was because: james got PTSD, which make him afraid of the trucks. Also, his class was used during WW1, so, I think he might have seen some stuff that scared him.
This is a very interesting analysis! I totally get where the evidence stated in this video points! From the 'shutting down after every crash', to the assigning of psychological comfort that being painted red provides him and the fear of reverting back to the troubled 'black paint James' persona. It definitely shows that James is a much deeper character than we initially thought. Like the other comments, I also wonder if the WWI had an impact on him, whether the wartime affected him psychologically could lean even deeper into his anxiety developing and manifesting! And it is a little sad that everyone around him just brushes him off as 'mean' or 'overdramatic'. It kind of feels like the red paint made everyone notice him and he associated it with people loving him and giving him attention, and made him not have to think about or be able to brush off his troubled past. Like his red paint makes him stand out, makes him special like how the others like Gordon or Thomas or Henry all have something special about them, instead of being ignored or forgotten or less than special. I kind of also wonder if he developed a kind of narcissistic disorder or histrionic disorder because he became desperate for love, attention and affection, but that is just a guess. I just feel bad for James sometimes, because it doesn't really seem like he wants to be mean to others on purpose, but his anxieties and insecurities lead him to act in that kind of a way.
I’ve seen a fan film made by MasterOfTheLemons that dove in to James as a character. James is a probably the most interesting layered character in the entirety of Thomas once you get past the vain and boastfulness deep inside is a much more venerable side we don’t really see a lot of (at least what I’ve seen) James is definitely my favorite character probably not as high as my other favorites like Percy or Molly but he’s definitely in my top 10
I was going to reference that movie too. It is a splendid video and feels like it's such a great deep dive into James's character in a very believable way. In case anyone is wondering, the film is called "The Token" and is technically an audio drama, but it's still wonderfully done.
Yes, I’ve seen the token, it’s one of my favourite stories because of how it portrays James and his character as not just a boastful jerk…
A look into Henry in a similar vein could make for an interesting video. Henry is believed to have both depression and various phobias.
And Percy might have PTSD from so many accidents
I personally guess is that Henry obsessed over his paint in "the sad story of Henry" because it's the only thing he took pride in. He was built wrong and shouldn't even exist. Sir Topham Hatt was mad he got tricked into buying him and Gordon was only brought to Sodor because he couldn't work properly due to his illnesses. I think this caused him to have low self esteem and he started to think that looking pretty is the only thing he's actually good at so he panicked when it was about to be taken away by the rain.
I have a history for the James of my own AU that could seem similar to this. James was built as an experimental Class 28 in 1920, but the experiment did not give the necessary results, and he was put on mixed-traffic duties. He felt as though his railway didn't want him, and that they thought him purposeless and unremarkable. When the L&YR merged into the LMS in 1923, a mix-up happened at the works and James was given LMS passenger red. He loved it. He felt like he stood out from the 28s, and boasted to try and make others see and notice how important and renarkable he was, how much he mattered. When others ignired or argued with him, he would bite back, not wanting to be a part of the background again. In 1925 he was bought for the North Western Railway, and crashes on his first day. After returning from Crovan's Gate, he met Henry and Gordon. James often tried to act like them, as they were noticable and well-known. He feels purposeless inside, as a common standard engine could do everything he could do, and maybe better. After ivercoming these in the 1950s, he is given a Jazz train service, and runs it happily.
That's so neat
This video at least gives a possible reason as to why James acts the way he does. If this does turn out to be true, he certainly hid his PTSD well.
Topham really needs to open a a counseling center for the engines.
i mean i kinda see why james wouldn't want his paint messy as freight locomotive were painted black or other dark colors to cover up grim and dirt whilst james is painted in a bright red coat to be a standout
This is a concept that strongly reminds me of the fan audio “The Token” and greatly taps into the deeper mind of James.
You should really give it a listen! It inspired me so much I made a James model the following week.
Genuinely wouldn't surprise me if James had a traumatic experience during his early years, maybe during the last great war or earlier? Just a thought, I've had both depression and anxiety so I had to comment sooner or later. Best wishes mate. 🚂
@@CosmicOffical Indeed, quite the interesting character he is.
@@CosmicOffical I ❤you maybe Murdoch
i`ve actually thought something similar for a while, I thought James might have PTSD because of his accident
Hmm... The idea has some merits.
Vanity can be a coping mechanism for some people to hide themselves, and whenever James crashes or is brought down to the ground, you tend to notice a softer side to him, like when Thomas rescued him from the tree or when he apologised to Rosie for not listening to her.
In fact, another example can be from the Fastest Red Engine on Sodor. When Thomas tells James Rosie is red, he suddenly freaks out. Perhaps this indicates that he has a fear of being turned into a common engine like Henry, Gordon and Edward. He's in disbelief when he sees Rosie for himself and then accuses her about trying to mimic him with colours, and in early episodes and Engine of Many Colours, he shows distraught about being in any other colour than red, like when the Fat Controller threatened to have him painted blue.
To me for "An engine of many colors" James' anxiety about being in a different color other than red and his PTSD of Sir Topham Hatt telling him that he'll paint him blue if he can't behave would be the parts of his 3 nightmares that would make him suffer for his sins from the past accidents he gets himself into.
At first in his nightmares about being blue and green he doesn't like it, then after awhile he begins to feel stronger and more important. Too stronger and more important. Which leads to him crashing to his demise.
Though his 3rd nightmare about him being silver started off great until he hears nonstop remarks of him that he'll get into another accident if he keeps showing off.
Luckily, James Didn't Harm Anybody With The Crash, But The Crash Harmed Him.
Yeah, this makes sense. I'd love to see someone make a story that reveals that the real reason the James prefers coaches is that they don't get him into nasty crashes.
Evidence to support these claims can also be found in Season 13. There’s an episode where James, in the middle of getting a new coat, is tasked with taking the fat man’s granddaughter to her birthday party, and it mustn’t wait for James’ second coat of paint (he had a Pink Primer on at the moment). James is noticeably worried about how he looks throughout the episode. It isn’t until he collects the grandchild and some of her friends that James accepts the color pink. This likely means he was torn between his two personalities, caught half and half between the trauma and his means of dealing with it. The moment he accepts it, he’s worked out in his head that yes, Pink is made WITH Red, so he can deal with the trauma, because it doesn’t show his black boiler.
Hah! That fat man is Topham Hatt.
I do feel like Topham could've waited for James's red paint to dry or just choose another engine. Why was it so urgent that he had to put one of his engines in a state of possible humiliation for something that could've been done by another engine that's all ready to go? Maybe Emily could've done it. Or Edward. Why James?
One thing to keep in mind is that his class was used during WW1 So maybe he could’ve seen some stuff which affected him.
My thought about James was that his confrontational persona was his true character, but this is offset by having been the victim of a nasty accident, and his consciousness toward his own special colour, which puts him quickly on edge, especially when given an important task. I say this because everything he says is as it stands to how he felt in the moment. When you consider too he is framed very easily by the larger likes of both Gordon and Henry, whom he shares a main line link with on a routine basis, he is easily pressured to make his stand in effect of being ridiculed, and inclined to take it out on engines relative to or smaller than his size. Regards, Samuel Farris.
James has had many troubles, it's true. But James is also the smallest of the 3 big engines, and has always tried to follow and look up to Gordon (likely to boost his own confidence). He doesn't get many of his own stories, or progression therein, but he does help other characters a lot as a side character. So odd, for such a distinct engine.
If I saw James, I'd ask the driver, fireman, and even Hatt if I could hire a therapist for James. Because even though he's a big machine, all engines are living things of fire and steam and steel. He's been though a lot, and I'd like to give his face and boiler a side hug. He tries to hide it, but he just comes off as a little crass, at times.
If I could talk to James, I'd remind him that even though he's the smallest of the three big engines, a mixed traffic engine, and would otherwise be... kind of average, in its own way that is to be celebrated. He's a JOAT! A jack of all trades, master of none, better than being a master of one. And a very smartly painted JOAT at that. He can shunt where other big engines can't. He's more powerful and faster than many smaller engines, but lighter than the bigger engines. He can do everything. He may not be the best at everything, but he can put his mind to do anything. And on several occasions he's tried!
I'd say, "Don't be like anyone else. Be the one to help others when they falter. Be the one who can do anything because you believe you can. And even when you can't, you still tried and that's better than having never tried at all. But most importantly, be yourself. And if you don't know who that is yet... you'll find out when you push yourself to your limits, and maybe discover those limits lie farther than you ever thought they were."
God... I feel bad for James. I didn't know James was going through these.... cytological disorders. It's a real pity for him. I hope I can change James' Personality.
You raise very good points and I agree with you on most of them! Also Percy has PTSD due to the stuff he’s been though like being buried alive in season 5.
As well as possibly the fumes he inhaled explaining why he got dumber and dumber
That’s just a theory.
Explains why he became a scaredy cat in the CGI series
he is also very hot headed and very quick to anger. he’s extremely sensitive to any topic regarding himself
Wait, this ALSO explains his hostility to Douglas! Douglas is a goods engine who is painted black- this explains James' hostility to him!
Very interesting theory! This reminds me of an audio story someone did that also goes deep into James's personality and how his red paint can symbolize his worth.
@@CosmicOffical Would you like me to send you a link?
@@CosmicOffical I believe it's called "The Token". It's like 90 minutes long.
@@DonaldDouglas2000 I saw that video, it was pretty intresting.
There is one thing I noticed in The Adventure Begins when James had wooden brakes he would brake hard and make a face since he had trouble stopping but would quickly act as if it was intentional and yell "Here's James!" And the coaches and passengers complain about this. But then of course he crashes and gets rebuilt with proper brakes but even in the CGI seasons he is still seen braking hard which leads to him crashing in the CGI into the sheds which cuased the Edward to get kicked off the show. So I also think James might have ptsd from not being able to stop from his original crash which in the end caused a crash.
LMAO I THOUGHT THAT JAMES MIGHT OF HATED TRUCKS WHEN I FIRST SAW SEASON 1 (way before TAB came out) BECAUSE OF HIS CRASH- LOL.
As someone with graduate level training in psychology, I do think you make some good points, but I also wanted to offer my own ideas. First of all, dissociative identity disorder is most certainly far fetched. The diagnostic criteria for this disorder require not only at least two separate contrasting personalities, but for the person to experience amnesia when they switch personalities. Basically they don't remember anything that happened when they were in their other personality. I can't see this happening to James, he's far too reliable for that to be happening. However, a key differential diagnosis is Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder. Although many people with Dissociative Identity Disorder do also have Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, PTSD is also associated with changes in personality that are not the result of having multiple personalities.
Here's why I think PTSD is an appropriate diagnosis for James:
1. James gets very distressed (and reactive) when reminded of one or more of his accidents. For example, after Douglas mentioned the incident with the tar wagons, he was so distressed that he struggled to handle his train (ultimately leading to Douglas smashing the Spiteful Brakevan)
2. James frequently attempts to avoid a major reminder of his accidents... trucks. He will still pull them when asked to do so (unlike Gordon who fell into a ditch to avoid doing so), but he is not afraid to voice his dislike of them.
3. If one buys the argument that James' overconfidence is an attempt to cover up insecurities, the idea that he developed negative thoughts about himself following his accidents is not unreasonable. I would argue that the reason he stays silent after his accidents is because his true persona comes out, not the one he's created to cover up who he really is.
4. The final criterion is related to changes in activity following the event(s). James has two of the changes listed. He is known to get easily angered, sometimes engaging in outbursts. He is also reckless (particularly in the CGI series).
I cannot say for certain whether James has any flashbacks or nightmares associated with PTSD. However, not all individuals with PTSD have flashbacks or nightmares. The traumatic memories simply have to be "intrusive" on the individuals functioning, which is the case with James' reactions to reminders of his accidents.
I'm not a fully trained psychologist, so I cannot speak to all the nuances and considerations that might be in place. However, I'm basing all this information on the diagnostic criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders- Fifth Edition (DSM-5).
@BlueCosmicEngine I really appreciate this coming from you. I actually did write a fanfic last year in which James had an acute trauma reaction after witnessing the death of his older brother during the Blitz. I did a lot of research on the differences between the two to make my story as accurate as possible. In my story, James actually does experience nightmares as an acute stress response, but doesn’t progress to PTSD. But your video has caused me to consider how I might handle future fanfics.
Yep. Before mental things like this had a name, you could still write about them and Wilbert Awdry could have done it without even realizing. The rest of the show somehow lines up. Finally, James has the most drive of every other main character.
Good job, this makes the most sense of all your theories so far.
Very good video! Not sure if this could be related in any way, but in Blue Mountain Mystery when Victor is retelling the story of how he came to Sodor, he tells Thomas that he chose to be painted red because it was "a bright new colour for my bright new life on Sodor." It could be that in both cases, red is hiding the characters' pasts and represents big change or a new chapter in the character's life.
very good idea! i like it!
4:11 One of the best reactions in the series
A SCRATCH
Ok, but the line at 5:17 "Your colours nice James, pity about your face though" just verbally nuked him.
Ngl this is actually a really good theory and it makes sence that James has trama from his crash. Because when he crashed into those tar wagons he was covered with tar making him look like him when he had his crash. And when he heard Toby and Percy arriving into the Yard and started laughing at him it could've made him hear things like the trucks laughing at him and calling him names like Toby and Percy were. But also if you look at the book where james crashed you see how bad the wreckage actually is.. and it seems so bad and it almost killed james. Because of how fast he was going, and how bad the actual wreckage from James's crash and that could probably mean he not just have trama, but also has PTSD too.
I really like this video! You really get to see a humanized version of James which I really like! Too bad during his creation Mental Health Awareness wasn’t taken seriously back then. He could have used some compassion and counseling.
This a tually feels believable for someone like James. If his accident hadn't happened, I bet he probably wouldn't mind pulling trucks and wouldn't become the lovable jerk we all know.
Topham really should scrap the troublesome trucks
@@sophiebyers5496 Then he'd have to scrap the railway. No work, no trains, no railway.
@@sophiebyers5496 or maybe get faceless trucks instead
@@GachaKaizer2022 Then that might just leave the tankers.
I wonder: does Henry have a similar shift in his personality after the crash in S01E19? It would make sense as Henry is in a horrific state and almost dies during the crash, the thing is that I don't know Henry's personality much as all the time I saw him he was just chill and didn't talk too much (maybe an introvert), I think his personality didn't change much because he doesn't talk much before the crash AS WELL as after it (I don't really know I don't really know much about Henry and his personality)
I think James after the crash has developed PTSD
I have my doubts over whether or not James was deliberately written to have anxiety or body dysmorphia after his crash, but it is something to think about. It would be interesting to see what kind of engine he was befor the crash and if he had issues around not feeling important when he was black. He is the only R.W.Aldry character to be painted red which was so he could stand out so maybe he does have these issues within himself.
Great theory I really do feel bad for James the reason why he hates goods trains because of the accident
I think all the engines before the late 40s would have some trauma due to the wars and the great depression.
Nice video! It's very interesting to get into what these engines are going through inside their smokeboxes. With James he might also feel anxious because of Henry and Gordon, James is a smaller tender engine like Edward, but unlike Edward James seems to care about how the bigger engines see him. That's why he kind of imitates their behavior and speech when talking to the smaller engines and eagerness to pull the express.
I wouldn't blame James for hating freight cars, those little psychopaths laugh as they try to rope people and locomotives into thier horrific kamakazi like train wrecks.
I agree with this theory as its incredibly similar to my James headcannon.
The red paint is what makes James stand out and makes him special (to himself). At the same time, it is a constant reminder of his crash as it is loosely the source and reason for the red paint. A nasty cycle. The pride and arrogance are a result of the mental damage from the crash and cycle as a compensation/coverup.
The evidence you've presented is even more convincing.
I really love this. Escpecially the fact that James was built at the first world war, and was possibly suffering PTSD, and he could possibly have another crash during the war prior to coming to Sodor
Wait really ?
@@Yaboyin368 well, you know what 'they' say, It's just a theory, a FILM theory!
I think it kinda did affect him mentally, but not in making him more careful, as he's been in many accidents. i feel James isn't actually liked by the other engines, and uses his paint and hatred of trucks and diesels because he probably doesn't want to crash but still crashes because he is too proud of himself. I think he took the whole red paint, which he was gifted to take his mind of the crash and started thinking about the paint too far. There is a fan episode about when Rheneas is painted yellow and he crashes because he stops focusing on work (a lot like james).
Personally, i feel that james does struggle a lot due to his past, how he looks and the people around him, causing him and others harm, especially when he makes tramist and anti-diesel comments.
I still like him as a character (and a lot more than Thomas too). He's surprisingly well written despite W awdry struggling to write his original book.
"Scrapes and Scratches" by Ilovetrains323?
@@jeremiahsisaias8677 that's the one!
@@alexanderboltonRheneas getting painted yellow and being boastful about it wasn't as narcissistic as James, but when he got back to being orangeish red he was happy to be in his original color.
James on the other hand is more dramatic and sometimes more depressed inside.
He gets blunt whenever somebody jokes about any crash that has his paint getting dirty such as the time he first met Donald and Douglas, the feeling of someone impersonating him like Rosie did after she got painted red, and how being in a different color can give him bad luck.
My only slight problem with this whole thing, is that in the 2015 film, the Adventure begins, we see black James. And he seems has confident as ever, if not confident, then trying to be and act as important as Gordon in the film. I would love to see your take on it.
I would say in that piece he tries to stand his ground against Gordon but always comes short and seems to get quite upset by it
It makes since. After having a severe accident with trucks, anxiety would've led to that attitude and his thought process of trying to get out of goods work. His fear of his appearance made have been from the crash because it would've made him look horrible, and he would be determined to keeping looking good so no one would mock him.
James was my favorite character back in the day mainly for his personality. But I realized the deeper meaning of his personality
It's very possible that James developed anxiety after his first accident. It would have put a huge dent in his confidence.
However James does have a soft side to him. He did tell the Fat Controller that he is a mixed traffic engine and will do what he asks after the Fat Controller asked James if he would like to pull a passenger train again
THis is a good an I'd say mostly true therory, well done. I don't know about trauma, but yes in any series where James was canoniclly black and crashed from bad breaks, gets new ones and his red paint job, he does seem to have possibally changed to be egotistic and worries about his paint job and looking nice, refusing during jobs if he can and seeming to see himself as better or at least nicer looking then other trains.
This self-anxiety is characteristic of James’s napoleon complex
James is not just vain. He's red
I feel bad for James because he is my favorite, you made a lot of good points.
I mean…pretty solid, one I like to believe (I forget who came up with the theory) James had the accident on his first day on sodor
And tbh, if it was my first day at a new place, I wouldn’t want to mess up
So most likely he’s embarrassed and wants to show everyone that he is capable
I love how this delves into the Psychology of James.
this came out before i was even conceived yet it still feels personal
Obviously James hates the trucks because of his accident with them at the start, and I think he also has a perceived image of himself and when things contradict that image, he gets angry as he's not matching his perceived appearance. While the accident was certainly a memorable one, I don't think it is behind his obesesion with his image.
I think this might make a-lot of sense! I can relate to the James-Theory in that I also had traumatic experiences that might’ve led to me obsessing over an appearance, and having my confidence silenced…Maybe I am like James.
I'm hooked, your voice is spooky and yet warming
I have to agree on this. As someone who sometimes has anxiety, I can relate to James.
This has to be one of the best Thomas channels at the moment. Love the rebrand!
@@CosmicOffical No problem mate, keep up the amazing work
Excellent theory! Really enjoyed the character analysis here
Wow, when you put it like this it definitely makes sense and it very much feels like anxiety affects myself
I feel like I would listen to this on Spotify like a podcast or playlist of Thomas Theory's. Also nice video
Really enjoying the video so far thanks cosmic for the great video
A thomas theory that actually makese sense. This is a rare one
Nice theory ryan!
glad your spreading word on mental health stuff like this.
no problem! i hope you bring back the ttte discord at some point!
Honestly a few years ago I always thought he had bipolar
I’ve also thought James could have bipolar as well as ADHD NPD and HPD, Diesel 10 could also be bipolar
Okay, this is one TTTE Theory i can get behind. It adds up and makes sense.
So James is my equal and opposite
This video makes James even more relatable.
I cried! 😭 I love James very much! 😭❤ I mean I love all of them since I was a kid, but with James i have a tiny more feeling, maybe because I feel just like him 🥺❤
1:33 when you mean mental issues you should say PTSD instead of anxiety it'd make since if I was a locomotive with a major accident like that I'd have PTSD and be afraid of trucks and honestly I'd try to pull passengers though I'd consult a controller about the PTSD if possible
If James haves PTSD though would he have a therapist during his times off-duty? Or does he fear that his trauma could spread, and not gonna lie I'd leave that railway if they'd tease a traumatic event I'd experience
Man that was deep, great video.
I have a theory myself, maybe why James is so afraid of pulling goods trains and why he's so arrogant is to do with his life before Sodor. Let me explain.
James's class basis is a Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Class 28, one of the flaws with that class was that they were top heavy, so when they went down hills they were prone to be runaways. This presumably is why James has a pony truck, to balance his classes problem out, however, this might have just been a one-off for James specifically, otherwise his siblings would have still had the same problems.
Now with James's class defect in mind, now ask why they would give an engine that was prone to runaways wooden brake blocks. That sounds like James's prior owners to me were cheap, a quick fix and then get them back on the rails as soon as possible.
Maybe it's not the trucks he's afraid to pull, but the impending crash he's afraid of. He's probably seen many of his siblings become runaways and crash, and since his owners were cheap, they probably found it easier to scrap the engine and sell it than to spend costs to fix the engine. So to James, crashing is a death sentence. He's terrified of the idea of crashing.
So imagen what happens when he comes to Sodor, he's treated fairly, he has a crash and instead of being scrapped Sir Topham Hatt fixes him, and not only that, he gives him a new coat of paint! To James up until that point that must have been the highest luxury he's ever gotten, he wasn't scrapped and he was given a new paint job. To be put so low then feel so high and mighty must have given him a really strong confidence boost.
So there, James is traumatized by crashing and he feels like a top engine for how "unique" he is.
Love that new look, Cosmic
I’m wondering if James secretly and personally knows a few ghost engines who were killed or had gone missing in tragedies?
I think this could lead to a very good and interesting James story.
i feel like that James and I have the personality, i can really relate to this bro. Anxiety on my looks and trauma jeeez man
WE LOVE JAMES NO MATTER WHAT !!!!!!! ❤
tbf i think james is just depressed
I never knew I needed a Thomas analysis narrated by Kurzgesagt
I think this theory is %100 correct. This explains why james hates trucks.
This adds more reason on why James is my favourite Thomas character.
imagine an episode where the other trains learn about Jame's crash!
So he’s been masking himself after the troublesome trucks incident to cover up his ptsd