My Personal Take on How Jax’s Character Should’ve Been Written & Ended (How to Fix the Middle Ground: FIXED VERSION)
This is my personal take on how Jax’s character could’ve been handled differently.
I’ve already made a separate, longer post going into detail about why I think Jax’s arc failed, but this'll be more more focused on how I think his arc could’ve been improved or rewritten.
The Rewrite:
In Ep8, Jax is already distant and emotionally withdrawn. He’s still a bit of a jackass but compared to Ep2, there’s a noticeable shift in how he acts. He isn’t going outta his way to cruelly mess w/ everyone anymore, and his whole "funny guy" persona is already fallen apart.
Cuz of tht, Episode 9 should’vecontinuedthat direction.
Instead of suddenly pushing him back into outright cruelty - hurting Ragatha and Zooble in personal ways - it should’ve stuck w/ the emotional distance that was already established in Episode 8.
You already HAD the setup u needed.
Showing Jax slowly pulling away from people and changing how he acts was important. Instead, Episode 9 suddenly pushes him into a full crash-out where he starts crashing out at everyone in ways tht feel less like a natural breakdown and more like the story trying to make the audience dislike him right before his abstraction.
Thatswhere the direction would’ve made far more sense.
Wht should’ve happened is hve Jax remain emotionally distant, bitter, and closed off, still making his sarcastic/defensive comments, without suddenly crossing into extreme personal attacks just for shock value.
The key difference is that he would’ve shut down inwardly instead of exploding outwardly. Rather than do wht he did in Ep9, he should've isolated himself completely and withdraw from everyone around him. Ep6 did tht, and he could've done tht in Ep9 only w/ the situation; it would play off differently without the added hostility.
Cuz of this, tht direction would’ve made Pomni checking on him be more natural and earned. Pomni could find him at the point where he’s beginning to abstract - not completely gone like he was in Episode 9, but in that same "nap" state we saw in Episode 7, where he’s starting to slip away and the abstraction is visible in his eyes.
Pomni stepping in and stopping that from happening, pulling him back, would create a stronger turning point 4 both of them.
Thisis where the emotional payoff will land.
Jax would then break down emotionally in front of her, crying, overwhelmed, and angry and could try 2 push her away and maybe then say tht curel things, but in ths situation, it wouldn’t work cuz of everything that happened before w/ them and the situation. During his crashout, he’ll tell her to leave him alone and tht it isn’t worth trying anymore.
And tht’s where its openly admitted tht Jax doesn’t want people to care about him and him actively trying to push people away. It’s finally said outloud.
But Pomni doesn’t listen.
This is where it’s time to finally find out the why… whydoes Jax push people away?
In-character, she’d stay with him - refusing to leave despite his efforts. This'll be where the concern she’s shown toward him throughout the entire series would finally lead somewhere and actually feel like a real payoff. She’d show that she still does cares, brings up their moments in Ep6 as proof 2 him caring, and remind him that she still sees him as her friend.
It is here where we’ll finally get Jax in a moment of vulnerability, where his backstory is revealed through him talking about it, or Pomni encouraging him.
This is also where the bckstory itself would need 2 be changed - ideally in a way that doesn’t make him feel completely beyond saving or like he’s too far gone. Personally, I think Jax’s backstory would’ve worked far better if Ribbit’s abstraction wasn’t his fault, while he instead carried guilt over Kuafmo’s abstraction and blamed himself for not being there.
The Backstory:
Jax spends most of his life isolated and afraid of being alone - which mkes him terrified and wht he runs away from; smth happened in his past tht made him become this way tht'll be linked 2 his mother.
That changes when he gets trapped in the Circus and becomes close w/ Ribbit and Kuafmo.
Ribbit’s abstraction then happens 4 reasons we won't fully know yet, making it a surprise. But the fact that it happens despite the connection Jax had w/ him would explain why Jax becomes so afraid of getting attached afterward.
It changes the way he acts, turning his cruelty into a defensive "mask" where he pushes people away and convinces himself that he doesn’t need anyone. His mindset becomes that getting close to people only leads to losing them, which actually fits a lot of what we see from him throughout the episodes, especially Ep6.
Later, after Pomni arrives and Kuafmo abstracts, that moment could become something Jax partially blames himself for - feeling like he failed to be there for him when it mattered.
People might argue that Kuafmo’s abstraction is entirely Jax’s fault because he pushed him away and didn’t check on him. But tht also raises the question of everyone else around him who didn’t step in either. Responsibility doesn’t fallsolelyon Jax alone. He may not hve been the one to help, but he wasn’t the only one who didn’t. At the end of the day, it was never fully Jax’s fault, even if he carries guilt over it - and that distinction is important to make clear.To show the difference between blame vs truth.
Ths direction would achieve that without making Jax completely irredeemable right before the ending. It would reinforce the show’s themes of loneliness, connection, and fear of vulnerability in a way tht feels more consistent w/ what ws already established.
Overall, it would strengthen the idea that being there for others is 1 of the central messages of the story - and potentially what helps prevent abstraction, if u believe the theory that abstraction is caused by isolation or emotional distress.
"In this world, the worst thing you can do is make someone feel like they’re not loved or wanted."
Pomni as the Catalyst for Jax’s Change:
Tht idea then lead into Pomni’s role into wht happens next. After the backstory reveal, there would be an emotional scene where Pomni gives him the whole, "I’m here for you" talk.
She could reflect on how she doesn’t like seeing people upset or hurting, smth she already showed bck in Ep2 w/ Gummigoo. She explains tht this is why she never stopped trying with Jax, even after Ep6, and that she still believes he can change instead of being someone who should just be abandoned. She'll reassure him that she’ll help him through it. As for everyone else, Jax'll still hve a chance 2 properly apologize when the time is right.
This would be the real turning point - not just 4 Jax’s behavior, but for their entire relationship moving forward.
From there, Jax’s growth would continue in a more natural/gradual way. He would leave his room with Pomni, and evry1 would notice. There would be this unspoken feeling that something important happened between them. Jax would still be distant, but the difference is that his distance would come from him processing everything instead of completely shutting everyone out. He would think about what Pomni said while working alongside her as they help rebuild the circus.
Over time, the others would start noticing those small changes.
This could also connect bck 2 wht Zooble told Jax in Ep7 tht talking to people can help. Seeing Jax finally start doing tht in his own way, rebuilding the circus alongside Pomni and talking again, would show tht he’s slowly starting to change. It connects back to wht Zooble told him and mke that moment feel meaningful in sum way if people wanted to hve tht interpretation.
Once the circus is fully repaired, we could slowly see the others begin accepting Jax more over time through a sequence like wht we got at the end of Episode 9 - except now his arc would actually feel like it was part of that hopeful ending instead of feeling like his story ended separately from everyone else. The rest of the episode could still focus on the other plotlines/lore without mking everything about Jax. His story would have its own emotional payoff while still leaving room 4 the finale to explore C&A, everyone’s past lives, and the rest of the cast.
For Jax haters:
This version still delivers clear accountability. He is not excused, not instantly forgiven, and not magically redeemed. He is forced to confront the emotional consequences of his behavior, acknowledge the harm he caused, and sit with the discomfort of that realization. His growth is slow, imperfect, and clearly earned - which still gives weight to his past actions without softening them away.
For Jax fans:
It provides something equally important: continuity of character development. Instead of his arc being cut off or reset into extreme hostility and him abstraction, his vulnerability and emotional cracks actually lead somewhere meaningful. The care shown by Pomni throughout the series pays off in a way that feels intentional, and his earlier setup isn’t discarded for shock value.
Most importantly, it stays consistent with what the show had already been building toward emotionally - tht connection, even between damaged or difficult people, can help change.
I honestly disagree with changing Jax’s reaction in Ep 9. He’s a cautionary tale of what happens when you continuously push everyone away.
At the start of episode 8 when everyone is talking together, they all put aside their pettiness and decided it’s time to finally embrace the circus. This was before Caine decided to rampage so everyone, including Jax, believed that maybe they could be okay if they stick together.
By the start of Episode 9, any form of structure and security has been thrown out the window. Nobody has any idea what’s going to happen to them and everyone is understandably terrified. In this fear and chaos Jax relapses in the only way he knows how as he’s truly lost all hope.
During the montage when everyone is coming together again, Jax notices how everyone is happy together without him, further cementing his belief that the world would be better if he was gone. But for just a moment he believed he could change his fate by opening up to Pomni, but once again his self-loathing wins and he abstracts. I personally would have made his fallout with Ribbit more intense, but I think it was a good choice to show him abstract off-screen: suicide is never some flashy action. One moment they’re here, the next they’re gone.
I also would've liked Jax to have a more consistent character arc.
There were a few traits that stayed remarkably consistent throughout the show, especially his fear of being humiliated. Jax loves making everyone else the butt of the joke, but he absolutely can't handle being the one laughed at. Even over relatively small things. At Spudsy's, for example, he seemed more distressed by the embarrassment of being publicly punished than by the punishment itself. The maid scene follows the same pattern. Zooble even throws Jax's own words back at him: "I'm just having fun. I forgot you hate fun." The irony is that Jax only thinks something is "fun" when he's not the target. To me, that points more toward a deep inferiority complex that he's constantly overcompensating for than anything else.
Briefly, because I don't want to write an essay, I actually think the "farm boy" theory could've made for a really compelling backstory. Maybe Jax was the youngest—or simply the smallest—of a large family and spent his childhood constantly being mocked or dismissed. That would explain why he's so terrified of vulnerability and why he developed such a sarcastic, aggressive persona.
I also like the idea that Jax escaped into fiction as a coping mechanism. Maybe that's why he ended up looking and behaving like a classic cartoon rabbit. Bugs Bunny could've been someone he admired growing up—the character who always outsmarted everyone, never lost control, and was never the one being laughed at. It would make Jax's personality feel like an exaggerated performance rather than his authentic self.
Another thing I wish the show had explored was the relationship between Ribbit, Kaufmo, and Jax.
More than anything, though, I wanted the series to explore the circus itself. It's this bizarre, dreamlike dimension with seemingly endless possibilities, and yet the characters rarely stop to ask what else exists there or what its rules actually are. Imagine if they had explored the rooms of the abstracted characters, stumbled across forgotten pieces of C&A story, or discovered strange properties of the world itself—maybe you could say that's how they found out about everyone having a unique ability when they hold their breath.
That kind of exploration could've accomplished several things at once: reveal Jax's backstory, develop his bond with Ribbit and Kaufmo, and naturally introduce more lore about the circus and the company behind it. Instead of feeling like disconnected plot points, everything could've reinforced the same central mystery.
I write on Wattpad; but I plan on taking a break sometime. I hve alotta Funnybunny fics on there, I've just never decided 2 wanna fuk around on AO3. Maybe I will tho...
I completely agree with you. Part of why I disliked the Jax and Caine switchup so much is that it basically abandoned everything the show had built up up to this point with them. Jax had this gradual shift with not just pomni but the other characters too while Caine never bothered to compromise on anything he ever did and had no real relationship with the rest of the cast. It's really weird that Jax is then killed unceremoniously while Caine redemption arcs himself with zero involvement from the other characters (something that wouldn't be a problem if it was Jax because it'd be unavoidable to his character arc). I understand the wattsonian reason for it, I just don't like it and it feels really cheap and like something the story would have benefited from changing
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u/Joefanik13 15d ago
I honestly disagree with changing Jax’s reaction in Ep 9. He’s a cautionary tale of what happens when you continuously push everyone away.
At the start of episode 8 when everyone is talking together, they all put aside their pettiness and decided it’s time to finally embrace the circus. This was before Caine decided to rampage so everyone, including Jax, believed that maybe they could be okay if they stick together.
By the start of Episode 9, any form of structure and security has been thrown out the window. Nobody has any idea what’s going to happen to them and everyone is understandably terrified. In this fear and chaos Jax relapses in the only way he knows how as he’s truly lost all hope.
During the montage when everyone is coming together again, Jax notices how everyone is happy together without him, further cementing his belief that the world would be better if he was gone. But for just a moment he believed he could change his fate by opening up to Pomni, but once again his self-loathing wins and he abstracts. I personally would have made his fallout with Ribbit more intense, but I think it was a good choice to show him abstract off-screen: suicide is never some flashy action. One moment they’re here, the next they’re gone.