Parabatai comparison.

[Avani]

Does anyone else feel like Jem and Will were closer, as Parabatai, than Alec and Jace?

I feel that Jem and Will were both alone in the beginning, and they fell into and completed each other, becoming two halves of one soul. I don't feel that same strong connection with Alec and Jace.

The one similarity I did notice, though, was that one half of each pair of Parabatai was oblivious to an extremely important aspect of the other's life-- their love. Jace didn't realize Alec's love for him, as Jem didn't realize Will's love for Tessa.

Thoughts on Parabatai?

[Erin]

I felt the strong connection with Alec and Jace... Does anyone else see the strong comparison to Alec and Jem, and Will and Jace.

[Avalon]

I think that over time the development of bonds have started to mean less... Like in the old days friendship seems more like something that meant something while now you're friends with anyone who's seen your online profile.

[Rachel]

Will and Jem both have nothing when they become friends. They are the best example of parabatai possible. Will left his family so they wouldn't die, so now he is all alone. Jem's parents died and now he is left alone. They form a friendship and it grows into a strong, fierce brotherly relationship where they look after one another. They can't bear to be separated and it's so great just to see how much they deeply care for another and put each other before everyone else.
Alec and Jace are very close too, but they have others that they love too. Alec and Jace are strong parabatai though. Whenever one is hurt or they can't find each other, they freak out and worry.

[TheOriginalNikeGirl]

Erin wrote: "I felt the strong connection with Alec and Jace... Does anyone else see the strong comparison to Alec and Jem, and Will and Jace."

There is definitely a resemblance between Will and Jace, but not Jem and Alec. In TMI, Magnus and Camille actually had a conversation about how Alec reminded them of Will, so if there was a connection, you'd think it would be there.

(view spoiler)[Trying to figure out who is whom based off of Jem's reincarnation theory, I feel like Jem would be Max... but Max could also be Henry... and it wouldn't be fair if Jem were Max anyways... (hide spoiler)]

[Brittney]

Also, Jace/Alec never really had a reason to dote on one another, unlike Will with Jem. It was very likely that Will and Jem's relationship was so much more because of the fact that Jem was dying. With Alec and Jace, that urgency really isn't there. I think I recall Cassie saying somewhere that Will and Jem are a rare example of very close parabatai, and Alec and Jace are your typical ones.

[Rachel]

Alec and Jace were good parabatai, but I feel like Jem and Will were just closer friends maybe.

[Jeni]

I was bothered about this a bit, as well. We are told how strong the bond is, even to the point of sensing when the other person is in trouble or dying. It's like your parabatai becomes an extension of yourself. (view spoiler)[When Jace died at the lake and Alec wasn't as affected as you would think (more of a "meh, what was that?" thing), whereas Will always seemed to know when Jem was faltering. (hide spoiler)]

Now, the difference in the two relationships, to me, is that Will and Jem take the bond very seriously and entered into that ritual with great solemnity.

Alec and Jace became parabatai ritualistically, but (at least to my mind) they were preoccupied with other parts of their lives and it interfered with their bond.

I think your mentality and outlook of the significance of the pairing may (or may not-haha) have a bearing on the solidity of the bond.

My two cents. :)

[Hannah]

I think Alec and Jace probably represent how most parabatai relationships are. I think Will and Jem were the exception, the extreme, if you will. I never doubted that Alec and Jace loved each other, cared for each other, had each others backs no matter what. With Will and Jem it's just all of that intensified. I feel like Will and Jem are soulmates.

So Jace says him and Alec are more than best friends, I feel like Will and Jem are more than parabatai. I don't think it's the usual for parabatai to be as connected as Will and Jem were. That doesn't mean Alec and Jace's relationship is any less important, though. Not in my eyes anyway. They're just different.

[Vanessa]

people believed strongly back then. if they say they are connected, they believe it and act like it. they give their hearts 200% without questions and without doubts. unlike people today (even in real world) we tend to take advantage of the things around us.

Will and Jem's relationship is a perfect example of a parabatai.

[B.L.]

Will and Jem were the true love story in The Infernal Devices for me. They Jem and Will were competely connected, they knew so much about what the other was thinking and feeling, bar the whole Tessa thing, to be fair neither picked up on the other one loving Tessa, which to me didn't really make sense as with everything else Will and Jem always seemed connected 100%. I could read about Will and Jem's relationship forever, they just had such a beautiful and strong bond. But i agree that in their case they were more than just Parabatai, Will and Jem were soul mates through and through, their relationship was honestly my favourite part of the series xxx

[Leni]

I felt a much stronger connection with Jem and Will, but probably because I learned more about parabatai through them and Alec is an a**. I can't say that Jem and Will were joined at the hip because they were more than that. They were more than brothers and that really touched me. Much more than Alec and Jace. After Jem and Will, Alec and Jace seem so distant to each other, not at all like parabatai should be.

[Tane]

Will and Jace are great parabatai, just look at what happened between Valentine and Luke, they were parabatai, and Valentine literally fed Luke to the dogs once he wasn't good enough. Will and Jem make it sound all special and strong and forever, but it really is very fragile and depends on the individual's souls and character.

[Enyoung]

Will and Jem displays a good base of what a parabatai should be, but like what the above comment says, it depends on the individual.

There's a lot of other parabatais in the books but we probably only know like four at most.
I want to hear about a girlxgirl parabatai pair. Does anyone know if one was ever mentioned?

[Juan]

Jennifer wrote: "Will and Jem displays a good base of what a parabatai should be, but like what the above comment says, it depends on the individual.

There's a lot of other parabatais in the books but we probably..."

Well in TLH Cassie does mention a girl-girl parabatai which are Lucie Herondale and Cordelia Carstairs.

[Amber]

The parabatai connection is about your "brother" and someone you can trust, so weather or not they recognize the love between them is unimportant. In response to Tane because Valintine was "evil" that trust was lost. I believe it all depends on who you parabatai is because it is a Huge commitment.