Did you think I was joking about King getting actual development?

Lilith: There’s no such thing as a king of demons.

King: Blasphemy! Clearly you know nothing of my reign of terror. Allow me to tell you. I was once the mighty King of Demons! I was beloved almost as much as I was feared. But one dark day, an evil spell was cast, transforming me into this. […] But when I shrank, my memories got…fuzzy.

Lilith: How convenient. A hole in your memory for each hole in your story.

Lilith takes offense when King implies that there’s something as important as a King of Demons that she’s never even heard of, and naturally, King is similarly offended that she doesn’t believe that he ever was a real king.

Luz: Could you please just go with it, for his sake?

King: Alright, you two shall regret ever doubting me! We’re going to my castle.

Luz didn’t quite know that she was signing up for a field trip, but with Lilith and King both so worked up, she doesn’t really have a choice at this point.

Shockingly, King actually leads them to a castle on an uncharted island.

Lilith: Luz, look! This predates any language I know. King’s story may be a fake, but these ruins are a history mystery!

Lilith still doesn’t believe King, but she’s a history buff, so the ruins are like catnip to her.

Luz: What was up there?

King: I can’t quite remember. I just remember a muffled roar. Probably some minion praising my name.

Then Luz discovers the “horrifying monstrosity room,” which does indeed include at least one living monstrosity.

Luz: Tour’s over, we gotta go, now!

Lilith: But there’s so much to learn!

Luz: This environment is not conducive to learning, it’s conducive to death!

But Eda shows up just in time to fend off the monster and, more importantly, inform them that it can’t venture beyond the castle walls.

Luz: That thing must be guarding this place against intruders.

King: But it’s my castle. How could we be intruders? […] You don’t believe this is my castle. Luz, you think I would lie to you?

[…]

Eda: You aren’t lying. You just don’t know the truth. It’s time for me to tell you how we really met.

WITTLE BABY KING IS TOO ADORABLE!!!

Eda: I assumed you were just some stray dog, but then, that thing was gonna kill us both, so I picked you up and bounced. Against my better judgement, I took you home with me.

And the monster also happened to break King’s horn…

Eda: Oh, look at you! A king amongst his subjects.

And Eda subsequently fed him stories about what kings do.

King: Y-you’re lying!

Eda: I’m not.

Then when he touches the piece of his horn, he remembers what his life was actually like before he met Eda, just him in a ruined castle.

King: My army…my feasts…my life…

King: Y-you’re all just making fun of me like usual, right?

He just discovered that his whole life was based on a lie, and it is heartbreaking.

King: Eda was right, wasn’t she? I was never king of anything. I’m nobody.

Luz: You are somebody, and I love that somebody very much. I’m sorry I lied about what I believed.

King: Everyone lied! And I was too caught up in the fantasy to realize it. I don’t know what to do, Luz. I can’t tell what’s real and what’s fake.

Luz: Something’s not adding up. One of your memories is falling, right?

King: Probably another stupid thing I made up.

Luz: No, what if that’s a real memory?

He may look (and sometimes act) like a pet, he’s really more of a little brother to Luz, and it is precious.

But anyway, Luz convinces him to investigate the second floor of the castle, thinking that there might be some other clue about his origins.

But first, he needs to make up with his mom.

Eda: You’re mad at me. I get it. I would be, too. I’m so sorry, King.

King: Boop! No more secrets, okay? You have to promise me.

Eda: Only truths. I promise.

One chase scene later, they’re in the room that King was evidently hatched in.

Eda: I think we’re safe, for now. But how did we get the door open?

Lilith: This room is old, very old.

When he puts his broken horn back together, he remembers something more.

King: That roar…it meant “son”! I don’t know how I know that, but I do! Someone called me their son. Luz. I think it was my dad!

Luz: Maybe it was him in all those wall carvings!

King: Stop!

And it turns out that the monster was meant to protect King all along! It reminds me quite a bit of the robot from Castle in the Sky, who was also scary at times, but was actually made to protect the heroine.

Luz: Maybe you weren’t exactly the King of Demons, but-

King: I was important to someone. If he’s out there, I want to find him. I’m not that old, it could be possible! Would you help me?

King: Luz, is it okay to still call me King? Feels kind of weird when I’m not the king of anything.

Luz: Well, you’ll always be king of my heart! That’s good enough, right?

King: Yeah! Good night, Luz.

So, on top of the ever-present threat of Belos (and his impending “Day of Unity”), the occupants of the Owl House have another mystery to unravel now. Because they would do anything for this precious demon, king or not.

Until next time…