Nimona

“Hey, Boss! The name’s Nimona. / [...] / The Agency sent me. I’m your new sidekick! / [...] something about helping your image? They want you to appeal to today’s youth. / [...] / Everyone has a sidekick these days.”

Nimona introduces herself to Blackheart with corporate language that pokes fun at marketing techniques, for example: “the Agency,” “helping your image,” “appeal to today’s youth,” or “everyone [does X] these days”). This element of parody creates a humorous tone and sets up the narrative’s later subversion of fairy tale tropes. Additionally, this establishes Nimona as a character meant to challenge Blackheart’s preconceived ideas.

“It’s not about winning. It’s about proving a point. / As I said, Nimona, I go by the rules. Not their rules. Mine.”

Blackheart makes it clear that not only does he have a moral code, he goes directly against the Institution’s rules. This hints at his heroic nature while suggesting that the Institution may not be as morally good as it appears. Blackheart subverts fairy tale tropes in a way that lets him assume his role as the Institution’s enemy while reclaiming his free will and agency. Through Blackheart, Stevenson introduces the theme of Ambivalent Morality and Moral Dilemmas.

“This isn’t how things are supposed to go.”

Goldenloin’s statement emphasizes the characters’ meta-awareness of their fairy tale world. On the one hand, they are expected to go through the motions of typical fairy tale dynamics, i.e., the hero and villain are “supposed” to have a climactic sword fight.