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Pitch black and the big six black by mikaeriksenweiseth-d749176

http://mikaeriksenweiseth.deviantart.com/art/Pitch-Black-and-The-Big-Six-Black-430403154

Dark AU (also known as the Evil Four AU) is a popular AU (Alternate Universe) within the Rise of the Brave Tangled Dragons fandom. In the AU, Rapunzel, Merida, Hiccup and Jack Frost are all changed into darker versions of themselves. As it is not canon, ideas for this AU are shown through fanfiction, fanart, and other fan-made works.

About the AU[]

In some fanfics, either Jack Frost from Rise of the Guardians, Merida from Brave, Rapunzel from Tangled or Hiccup from How to Train Your Dragon are changed into a dark version of themselves, usually by Pitch Black, making it a Seasons Guardians AU scenario on Pitch's side of the conflict. This may sometimes cause much conflict and destruction among the members of the team. Some fans also indicate that the Big Four run into dark counterparts of themselves.

The choices in each of their films define who they are, and fanfic writers like to imagine what they would be like if they took the road not taken.

Popular Spin-off AUs[]

Featured Characters[]

The Big Four[]

Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III[]

The Dark Spirit of Betrayal, supposed to be Guardian of Change, Element of Earth/Air, and Spirit of Autumn. Out of all the Big Four, Hiccup's place in Dark AU has been explored the most. The most common scenario portrays him as simply a victim of prejudice for the sake of his dragon and branded as an Outcast by his tribe, leaving him bitter and vengeful (often called Outcast Hiccup or Hiccup the Outcast). Other cases show that the loneliness and alienation inflicted on him by his tribe and his father left his mind in a fragile mental state, leading to murder or some degree of sadism to those who would be considered his friends and family.

After the third film was released, a few fans were inspired to create a Dark HTTYD3 AU that has Grimmel altering his Deathgripper venom, so he could use it to control Hiccup (with the dark nickname of Venom Hiccup). Like he had done with the Light Fury and his pack of Deathgrippers.

Jack Frost[]

The Dark Spirit of Mischief, supposed to be Guardian of Fun, Element of Water, and Spirit of Winter. In the film, Pitch gives Jack an offer to join him in his crusade of extinguishing the hope and light in children, allowing him to be believed in. He appeals to Jack through the shared loneliness they have and, in this AU, rather than rejecting the offer, he joins with Pitch instead. He becomes an enemy to the Guardians and slowly grows into an infamous figure in folklore of the mortals, children of the world knowing him not from the joys of a snow day, but through the harsh and bitter cold of an unforgiving part of the year. Jack has two recurring designs; he either wears a black version of his hood, his skin, hair and eye colors matching that of Pitch (better known as Black Jack, Jack Black or Dark Jack), or his hair and body is covered in spiky icicles like a fur coat, almost as if his humanity was slowly being consumed by his squandered power (appropriately called Icicle Jack). He is sometimes referred to as Jokul Frosti.

Merida DunBroch[]

The Dark Spirit of Chaos (or Misfortune), supposed to be Guardian of Courage/Freedom, Element of Fire, and Spirit of Summer. Many have made the observation that Merida's situations parallel Mor'du, and that she would be just like him if she did not mend the bond. Not only would her mother and brothers stay as bears forever, but the four clans would devolve into war and destroy themselves, much like Mor'du and his brothers did to their kingdom.

Rapunzel Corona[]

The Dark Spirit of Doubt, supposed to be Guardian of Creativity, Element of Air/Earth, and Spirit of Spring. Instead of being kind and tolerant of Gothel's imprisonment, she grows bitter and vengeful, losing the sweet spirit that she had in her original storyline.

In Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure, Rapunzel and her friends come across a darker and life-killing version of the Healing Incantation called the Moonstone/Hurt Incantation, and whenever she sings it her hair begins to drain and destroy life, all while turning both her hair and eyes black. The song also places Rapunzel into a trance, while she sings it, and cannot stop reciting the incantation until someone shocks her out of it. That darker incantation sometimes has fans calling her Hurt Rapunzel. Season two of the of the Tangled TV series also revealed that the source of her hair's magical abilities, the Sun Drop (A.K.A. the Magical Golden Flower), links her to a destructive and life draining force known as the Moonstone opal, the source of the black rocks. As both divided drops of sun and moonlight, that created the Sun Drop and Moonstone when they fell from the heavens and landed on earth, are longed destined to be reunited. Which is why Rapunzel was temporally able to control the rocks through the Sun Drop's connection with the Moonstone, until the rocks began to lead Rapunzel to the Dark Kingdom. The scene of Cassandra's betrayal and merging with the Moonstone has even inspired a few fans to have Rapunzel as the one who merged with the opal, and becomes corrupted by it.

Extra Characters[]

Queen Elsa of Arendelle[]

Instead of finding peace in the wilderness, hoping her isolation will keep her sister and kingdom safe from her powers, Elsa becomes bitter and vengeful, scorning her parents for locking her away and inflicting her pain and anguish upon the helpless citizens. In the original draft of Frozen, Elsa was originally meant to be the villain, building an army of ice golems (Marshmallow being the only one to make it in the finished product) with intentions of destruction and/or conquest, unofficially nicknamed Evil Elsa or the "Ice Queen". This version of Elsa was notable for having a "villain's collar" on her clothes and shorter hair parting upward from behind, a trend still found today in fanart.

In Frozen II, Elsa learns that her own grandfather was a tyrant who feared loosing kingship and had attacked the peaceful people he saw as a threat.

Princess Anna of Arendelle[]

Instead of Anna believing that she and Elsa would someday bond again, tries to be understanding and be patient with her, Anna would resent Elsa for shutting her out and being cast as the "spare"; for being the second born and the second in line for the throne. So instead of wanting to go after Elsa and bring her home after her "icy outburst", she'll use the chance to take the throne for herself and use the people's fear to get rid of her "ice witch", older sister. As well as becoming a bride that Hans could truly learn to love, since he too wants to be king and doesn't get along with his older brothers.

Hiro Hamada[]

Instead of standing aside and watching his friends trying to stop Baymax from harming Callaghan, Hiro puts on Yokai's mask so he could use his stolen Microbots to hold his "former" friends back so Baymax could for fill his orders, or uses his stolen bots to exact his revenge himself. Which later led Hiro to loss his senses of forgiveness, kindness and understanding, as his rage and hatred consumes him and his mind. As he becomes a Yokai or Obake-like character; as the two villains are what Hiro have become if it wasn't for his brother or friends. Some fans have Dark Hiro being in charge of the Fujitas, as well as having Hiro becoming Obake's student.

Tadashi Hamada[]

Instead of Robert Callaghan being the masked man, fans sometimes have the title of Yokai be given to Tadashi. With the fire causing Tadashi to loss his way and scared him on the inside as well as the outside, along with losing his memory; which would have Callaghan twisting Tadashi's mind and telling him lies so he could turn him into his "little helper" in his task. Tadashi as also been given the identity and nickname of Kitsune, which is a fox spirit in Japanese, Yōkai folklore that has the power to take on the form of a human; and uses the trickster side the fox rather than the kind, guardian side of the fox spirit.

The Once-ler[]

This AU focuses on the Once-ler's "Greed-ler" side, as some fans view Greed-ler as a monster, uncaring and money hungry-like character. So instead of realizing his actions towards the Truffula Forest and the animals living in it when the last of the trees were cut down, he and his family would try to find an other Truffula tree forest that he could use to make more of his Thneeds. Oncest even as Greed-ler as a Hyde-like character that whispers dark thoughts into the Once-ler's ear, telling him how to do things and sometimes acts as a reminder of what his greed and actions had done to the Truffula Forest.

Mavis Dracula[]

Since her grandpa Vlad that told Bela that he had raised his son to hunt and kill humans "like a good boy" in Hotel Transylvania 2, it could mean that Vlad would drill the darker side of vampires into his granddaughter's head, should he had been a lot more time with Mavis during her childhood years. Which could have Mavis wanting to seek revenge on humans for killing her mother, and forcing other monsters into hiding (as Dracula had mentioned that killing a human would bring a lot of "darker monsters" back into the world).

Vanellope von Schweetz[]

Should Vanellope had been swallowed by a Cy-Bug like King Candy/Turbo, she'll be transformed into a virus like him. As the Cy-Bug's nature twist her thoughts and "delete" her child, fun and sweeter side, which could lead her to seeking revenge on the people that have cast her out for being a glitch.

Kubo[]

Instead of only having one of his eyes taken that night and his mother escaping the attacked fortress with him in her arms, Raiden the Moon King and his twin daughters succeeded in their task. Which has Kubo with both of his eyes taken and being raised in the heavens beside his grandfather and aunts, as the Moon Prince (fans have also given him the second dark nickname of Moon Kubo). In Raiden's care, Kubo views the human world as his grandfather does and was told that his mother was a traitor, that wanted him to be "weak" like his mortal father that stole her away from their family.

Norman Babcock[]

Norman's dark self is a bit like Agatha's, and is sometimes given a similar version of her enraged specter form. As Norman's built up feelings of hurt, from living people seeing him as a freak, caused him to "explode" like Agatha did at her trail.

The Light Fury[]

In some darker fan-made versions of the third film, the Light Fury is Grimmel's loyal dragon and the willing bait to lure Toothless into one of her master's traps for him.

Baymax[]

This AU focuses on the ruthless and destructive side of Baymax, that was seen moments after Hiro removed his Healthcare chip and ordered the robot to kill Callaghan, while being "consumed" by the battle programs of his fighting chip. Dark Baymax is sometimes placed as Dark Hiro's mindless, obedient puppet.

In Kingdom Hearts III, the first Baymax, that was lost in the portal's dimension and was brought back in the Kingdom Hearts universe, was turned into a Heartless-like robot version of himself. For when a much darker and altered version of the red chip was inserted back into him. Some people base their Dark!Baymax art on his dark KH form.

Varian[]

This AU focuses on the revenge seeking villain that Varian became in the second half of the first season and at the beginning of the third season in Tangled: The Series (that was later retitled as Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure for the rest of the series). Instead of wanting to erase the memories of his rage filled actions from the minds of Corona's people, so he could walk among them as someone that they could trust and welcome again, in "Rapunzel's Return", Varian remains angry at Rapunzel and still wants to punish her for not being able to help him free his father while she lives happily ever after with her family. When Varian first showed signs of being a villain, a few fans who didn't want that to happy had theories that Varian's actions and state of mind were do to the Attitude-Reversing Potion, after he found it.

There have even been fans who believe that during Varian's time in jail after his defeat, he met and became allies with Lady Caine. Along with there being fans who have Zhan Tiri promising Varian the power to exact his revenge by swearing loyalty to him (before Zhan Tiri's gander was revealed to be female). This version of Dark Varian, that is connected to the Moon!Varian AU, has him merging himself with the Moonstone in Cassandra's place, or has Cass lending some of its power to Varian when she asked him to join her.

Cassandra[]

This AU focuses on the villain that Cassandra became after she took the Moonstone Opal for herself as the end of two season of Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure, and during season three until the end of it.

Flynn Rider[]

Like with Varian from time to time, the ending scene of Cassandra taking the Moonstone Opal for herself has inspired fans to sometimes have Eugene as the one who Zhan Tiri tricks into obtaining and then merging with the Opal in Dark AUs within the Tangled fandom. His dark Moonstone merged nickname is Moongene.

Mirabel Madrigal[]

Bruno Madrigal[]

Walter Beckett[]

Alberto Scorfano[]

Douxie Casperan[]

Marinette Dupain-Cheng[]

Adrien Agreste[]

Known Examples[]

Fanfiction[]

Mockup Art[]

GIF[]

Fanart[]

Cosplay[]

MMD Art[]

Live Action Art[]

Videos[]

Articles/Links[]

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