Monday Musings: Long Hauls and Minor Characters

If there's one thing I love in fiction—whether it's printed or presented in some audiovisual form like movies or video games—it's a long-haul revelation. I mean something that adds more dimension to a character than it ought to at face value because it fits into what we already know about them and builds on that knowledge in a way that is both satisfying and piquing. One example of this is the revelation about Snape near the end of Deathly Hallows; knowing his history adds a great deal of depth to his interactions with the main characters throughout the series (and fits in with some details we might have forgotten from early on, such as his determination to save Harry in Year 1 when Harry's broomstick is bewitched during a Quidditch match).

But I'm not here to talk about Snape. The title of the post is, after all, "Long Hauls and Minor Characters"—and I have a particular minor character in mind.

Fasir.

I'm going to assume none of you know who I'm talking about, so here's a little more info: he's the (blind?) wise man who shows up in a handful of episodes of the '90s Aladdin TV show Disney produced.

Why do I want to talk about Fasir? Because this guy has one of the best arcs of a minor character in a TV show when it comes to a long haul revelation.

When we first meet Fasir, he's an unnamed old man in the marketplace of Agrabah who is involved in Jasmine's attempt to prove she can survive on the streets as well as Aladdin. Later, he tells the story of a gigantic cyclops whose brother turned him to stone to stop his monstrosity—revealing at the end of the episode that he was the brother (and also a cyclops, albeit a human-sized one).


He goes on to offer wisdom and prophecy during several other adventures, one of which involves Mirage, the vengeful cat-woman (voiced by Bebe Neuwirth) who was responsible for Aladdin's childhood friend becoming a kidnapping monster of the night (but he gets better).

In the episode which cinches Fasir's long-haul revelation, Mirage finds the perfect revenge to take on Aladdin for foiling her previous plans: she tricks Jasmine into using a cursed lotion which transforms her into a snake-person. Jasmine's new body even has poisonous barbs, so that she can't even be with Aladdin without killing him. When they finally reach the tree whose fruit will cure Jasmine, Mirage kills the tree. Rather than be separated from Jasmine (or be forced to kill her; Mirage doesn't care how they're sundered), Aladdin uses the same cursed lotion to become a snake-person. They can live out their lives together, even if they must live separated from human society. This act of true love foils Mirage's plan. Fasir, who cautioned Mirage about the power of love at the episode's beginning, restores the tree, not wishing Aladdin and Jasmine to suffer because of Mirage's hatred.

And then.

Fasir looks on the happy couple, amused by Mirage's outrage and bemusement. She has underestimated the power of love. But Fasir tells himself that Mirage knew love once, and that it will lead her back to him (Fasir) one day.


So this guy has gone from no-name beggar to wise man and prophet to former love interest (and possible redemptive happy ending?)  of one of the series' most interesting villains?

Talk about layers.

So tell me: are there any long-haul revelations you love?