With the rest of the characters reaching their final forms, more or less, I found myself with a character void after turning Volo into Lux. I saw Volo as an opportunity to contrast Donovan’s bookish, professorial vibe. Lux had become an essential part of the story, but is non-verbal so it limited the levels of interaction between the two. As I pondered this new character, I decided that I also needed someone to inject some action into things. In the spirit of my initial Miyazaki influences, I didn’t want my story to be particularly violent, but not necessarily devoid of conflict. And I love action. I was also immensely inspired by the animated series Samurai Jack, not just by its superb action sequences, but the pacing and visuals as well. Earlier on, when contemplating Volo’s background, I thought of having other characters like him, all part of an enigmatic Jedi-like group, with names of different animals. As I went back to this concept, and thought about what kinds of personality would go with someone named Eagle or Wolf, I decided I didn’t want them to be another young man. Another influence I’ve mentioned before, the comic series Bone, had its most formidable character in the form of Grandma Ben, an elderly woman who was at times a warm, loving mentor and a bare-knuckled brawler. Going down the list of animals, I fell upon Owl as a proper name for this character. And as I started making preliminary sketches, I thought about other influences in mind, such as Dola in Castle in the Sky, Professor McGonagall from Harry Potter and actor Lily Tomlin.
Another character design consideration from Pixar was making characters immediately recognizable form one another by giving them diverse silhouettes. Using this, I wound up giving Owl big, bushy, Sideshow Bob-like hair. I kept the cloak and wide brim hat from Volo, throwing a little Clint Eastwood in there, as well as the long staff. After all this was in place, I was able to give Owl an air of pastoral laid-backness, with her working as a shepherd on Growtree, while at the same time being able to use her long staff against any foe unfortunate enough to cross her path. Her age, tired eyes, and humped posture would also be indicators of a weathered life, reminding me of a line from the film The Way of the Gun, where James Caan’s character is verbally sparring with a younger cohort: “The only thing you can guess about a broken down old man is that he is a survivor.”
Thinking more about the group that Owl would be a part of, I didn’t want anything referring to some ancient language, again keeping the mythology in the background. I decided to call them Wanderers, referring to their nomadic lifestyles and giving them a sense of mystery. They would all be distinguished by their wide hats, cloaks, and staffs, and with more of them out in the world, they might be able to make their way into the story later.