I get why you’re using hyperbole in the Jake posts! I mean, many believe Jake must’ve suffered brain damage from fights with Brobot because people were comparing him at his most intentionally obtuse/stubborn to Grandpa Harley’s informed competence. I don’t think he’s necessarily the smartest character in the series, but much of Jake’s apparent incompetence comes from stubbornness, an emotional difficulty with asking for what he wants, and attempts to maintain a persona, not actual stupidity.

Pretty much! I don’t think he’s the smartest character or anything either–I clarified in my latest post– but notice how you used the word *believe* there?

Yeah. Jake uses plausible deniability to dodge confrontation any chance he gets, and he doesn’t really think ahead to how that affects his friends until it all blows up on him. this is all canonical–like, Brain Ghost Dirk *is* his brain, and on the quest crypt he literally says so himself. I sure do wish people would stop ignoring all of that to make him into their woobie victim child! You don’t need to turn a character into a perfect saint to respect and feel for their issues with abuse. All it does is make it a lot harder to discern what actually bothers them.