Theory: Paimon’s missing memories may have started long before the Cataclysm
Theory 1 : Paimon’s missing memories may have started long before the Cataclysm
Ok so this has been stuck in my head since the recent Paimon lore and idk if I’m cooking or losing it 😭
The main thing that bothers me is that Paimon’s memory problem seems to go way further back than just the Cataclysm.
Like yeah, if something happened during the Cataclysm and she lost her memories from Khaenri’ah, fair enough.
But why did she already seem to know basically NOTHING about who she was before she even came down from Celestia?
That’s the part that got me thinking.
What if Paimon was already kinda “reset” before she ever reached Khaenri’ah?
We know she has some kind of connection to Celestia, but we still have basically no clue what she actually did there, what her purpose was, or if she used to be way more powerful than she is now.
I’m not gonna say she was definitely one of the Four Shades because that’s a massive reach rn lol.
But I do think it’s possible she used to be some kind of higher Celestian being and something happened that caused her to lose whatever she originally had.
Maybe her power.
Maybe some authority.
Maybe just her memories.
And this is where I start reaching a bit 💀
What if Paimon actually went against Celestia in some way?
Not necessarily some huge dramatic rebellion, but maybe she disagreed with what they were doing, found out something she wasn’t meant to know, or just became a problem for them somehow.
If Celestia didn’t want to straight up kill her, wiping her memories would be a pretty effective way of dealing with her.
Basically:
Paimon knows too much / does something wrong
then
Celestia goes “nah 💀”
then
memory wipe + maybe power removed
then
Khaenri’ah starts messing with technology that can reach the heavens
then
Paimon comes down with basically no clue who she is And Pierro probably wasn’t sitting there like “today I shall summon Paimon specifically” 😭
He might’ve just been trying to reach or pull something from the heavens and Paimon happened to be what came down. That could just be coincidence.
OR, and this is even more questionable, maybe Celestia actually let her come down because they already wanted her gone. Again I got basically no hard proof for that part, that’s just where my brain went.The bit I actually find interesting though is that Paimon doesn’t seem like someone who simply forgot one bad event. It feels more like her whole original identity is missing.
And if she did used to have some power or authority, maybe her memories are tied to it somehow. Like what if remembering who she was isn’t just gonna make her go: “oh wow Paimon remembers Celestia now 😃” What if remembering actually changes her?
Maybe she gets something back, Maybe she realizes why she was sent away,Maybe she remembers something Celestia REALLY doesn’t want getting out.
Obviously the biggest hole in this theory is that we have no actual proof Paimon rebelled against Celestia or disagreed with them at all. That part is pure theory.
But I do think the memory thing itself is sus enough to question, because her missing past seems to start before Khaenri’ah and the Cataclysm.
So instead of only asking:
What made Paimon forget Khaenri’ah?
I feel like the bigger question might be:
**Why did Paimon already have basically no memory of Celestia in the first place?**And if someone did erase those memories on purpose…
what exactly were they trying to make her forget? idk man maybe this came straight out my ass but the more I think about it the more suspicious it gets 😭
Theory 2 : Ronova might know what Paimon originally was
Ok so this kinda connects to my other theory about Paimon maybe having some older Celestian identity that she doesn’t remember anymore.The thing I keep thinking about is Ronova.
Like… Ronova is not some random character. She’s one of the Four Shades, so she’s obviously way higher up in the whole Celestia / Heavenly Principles side of the lore. So if someone like Ronova is specifically interested in Paimon, I feel like that has to mean something.
Because from our point of view, Paimon is basically just this tiny floating girl who has no idea what she was before.
But what if Ronova DOES know? What if she knows exactly what Paimon used to be before all the memory loss? That would make her interest in Paimon way more suspicious. Maybe Ronova just sees Paimon as a Celestian being who belongs back in Celestia.
That’s probably the simplest explanation.
But what if there’s more to it? If Paimon used to have some kind of role, power, or authority before she lost her memories, then maybe Ronova knows about that too. And maybe that’s WHY she cares about getting Paimon back.
Like imagine Paimon remembering her past doesn’t just give her memories back. What if it also brings back something else?
Her power?
Her old role?
Some kind of authority?
Or even just knowledge about Celestia that she was never supposed to remember?
That’s where I start wondering if Ronova’s interest is less:
“Oh, we lost Paimon, let’s bring her home.”
and more:
“We really cannot let Paimon fully remember who she is.”
Now obviously there’s no proof of that rn, I’m just connecting the dots.
But there’s another thing too.
Ronova being one of the Shades doesn’t automatically mean every single thing she does has to be because the Heavenly Principles told her to.
We already know she can make her own choices, so maybe her reason for wanting Paimon is personal.
Maybe she knew Paimon before.
Maybe she knows why Paimon lost her memories.
Maybe she was involved in what happened to her. Or maybe Ronova and Paimon had some kind of connection in Celestia that Paimon just completely forgot.
And tbh that possibility is what interests me the most.
Because if Ronova knows Paimon’s past, then she might be one of the only characters who could actually tell us what Paimon originally was.
I also don’t think Paimon has to secretly be evil or anything for this to work.
Maybe the whole point is the opposite.
Maybe Paimon used to be important to Celestia, something happened, and now Celestia or Ronova doesn’t want her becoming that person again. So maybe Ronova isn’t interested in Paimon because of what Paimon is right now.
Maybe she’s interested in her because of what Paimon could become again. And if my first theory about Paimon’s memories being erased on purpose is even slightly right… then Ronova showing up around her becomes way more interesting.
Basically:
Paimon forgot who she was.
Ronova probably didn’t.
And that difference could end up being VERY important later.
Maybe the real danger isn’t Traveler finding out Paimon’s past.
Maybe it’s Paimon finding out herself.
idk this might be reaching but Ronova knowing Paimon’s original identity would explain a LOT 😭