Playing Mother Grub

Data-driven analysis of designing canon-compliant trolls.

This essay was written by CMa Overdensity. Started on February 3rd, 2023, and published @ cmaoverdensity.neocities.org on February 15th, 2023. Last edited June 7th, 2025.

Homestuck, Hiveswap, and the image above © VIZ Media. This work is a nonprofit educational essay that complies with Subject Matter and Scope of Copyright, 17 U.S.C. § 107 (Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use).

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Troll Biology and Culture
  3. The Hemospectrum
  4. Signs
  5. Classpects
  6. Trolltags and Typing Quirks
  7. Citations

Introduction

Original characters (OCs) are common in any fandom. Homestuck is a property particularly suited for OCs due to how trolls, an original species in the comic, are presented. This essay seeks to answer if there are any trends in troll design that can be used to create more canon-compliant OCs.

Trolls from Homestuck, Homestuck 2, Epilogues, Hiveswap, and Friendsim were collected and analysed for design trends. Data for trolls as a whole and each caste was gathered. This totals 70 named trolls and 145 trolls in total. Known fantrolls were not included. Canonicity comprises not only every Homestuck text but also Andrew Hussie’s commentaries and writings on other platforms.

The spreadsheet used to compile data is in Citations under “Data Table” and was last updated 12.22.2024.

Troll Biology and Culture

Trolls are a race of insectoid or aquatic/insectoid1 aliens that live on Alternia.2 All trolls have grey, potentially chitinous skin;3 orange sclera; and at least one pair of red-orange horns. As trolls are primarily insectivorous4 and carnivorous,5 able to eat dairy6 and some plants7 (excluding onions),8 of those with known teeth, most (75.9%) are sharp. Child trolls have grey irises;9 adult irises match their blood colour.10 They always have eyebags unless wearing full-face makeup.11 Some trolls have psychic powers,12 and if a troll has these powers, they can put humans to sleep on-command, no matter what power they have.13

Most have one pair of horns (89.4%) that point up (90.8%), are not bent backwards or forwards (90.2%), and are symmetrical (87.2%). A smaller majority’s horns point outwards (63.4%) and have one point (66.6%). Horns have a roughly equal likelihood to be on the temples (54.8%) or above the temples (44.1%), though one troll, Vestri, has horns coming from the back of his head. While horns typically end in a point (86.2%), they can also be blunt-tipped (3.1%) or round-tipped (3.9%). A troll’s horns are attached to their skull,14 and can be broken off without injuring the troll.15 It is unknown if broken horns can be grown back, along with how the horns grow in the first place.

Troll society is heavily caste-based, with each troll’s blood colour being their position in society. These blood colours are due to pigments in the blood that also colour their tears,16 can colour their hair,17 and will eventually colour their irises on maturity.10 Blood colour also determines their lifespan and both the possibility and type of psychic powers. Lower castes (warmer colours) die off quicker than the higher castes (cooler colours), causing them to be produced in higher numbers.18

Trolls may have mutations that affect their body and abilities, such as extra body parts,19 modifications to existing body parts,20 or psychic abilities.21 These mutations are socially accepted and seem to have no real limit. However, mutations that change the colour of a troll’s blood are not socially accepted, as they place the troll outside of the caste system. Those with mutated blood are sought out to be killed.22 The only known mutated blood colour is candy red,23 and other colours, if possible, are unknown.

Each caste has an “alphabet” of signs, with each troll having a unique sign.24 If a troll has the same sign as another, they share not just caste, but genetics. Ancestors, who share a troll’s sign, are believed to contribute most of a troll’s genes.25 Lowbloods don’t care much about ancestors,26 but highbloods believe they should imitate their ancestor’s life, as their destinies are entwined.27 All known troll ancestors have eight-letter names that vary between titles and names,28 suggesting trolls may change their names in adulthood. Half (55.8%) of trolls wear their sign in the middle of their shirt, but other locations are possible, such as being incorporated into a design on the clothes themselves.29 Few (17.2%) trolls can be confirmed to not display their sign, but of the trolls who do have signs on their clothes, even less (2.1%) wear more than one sign. Trolls care little for fashion,30 and tend to dress in black (39%), their blood color (29.5%), or grey (16.4%). Some trolls (46.2%) wear makeup.

A troll’s life starts when the Mother Grub, a queen-like type of troll, receives troll genetic material in an “incestuous slurry” by the imperial drones and lays eggs in the brooding caverns. The hatchlings, called wrigglers, are grub-like creatures who will spin cocoons to emerge as young trolls. These young trolls go through a series of deadly trials to escape the brooding caverns.31 If successful, a lusus - one of Alternia’s fauna - chooses a troll of their same sex through scent and names them.32 Some lusus are easy to care for, while others are more demanding. Trolls without lusus are killed, including trolls whose lusus was killed.24 Afterwards, the young trolls are given carpenter droids to build a hive,31 as they are taught to be architecturally skilled from a young age.33

Trolls are an “overwhelmingly bisexual” race,34 though some trolls display gender preferences.35 Troll romance is broken into four “quadrants” - pitying matespritship, rivalrous kismessitude, stabilising moirallegiance, and cockblocking auspisticism. Only auspisticism involves more than two trolls, involving three. Trolls believe their quadrants are ordained by fate, to be filled serendipitously. When trolls come of age, they are expected to find both a matesprit and kismesis - both the only sexual quadrants - and fill filial pails with their genetic material. These pails will be taken by the imperial drones to the Mother Grub for the process to start anew.36

Only child trolls live on Alternia,31 though this was not always the case.37 Adult trolls leave Alternia to conquer other star systems. While the age of adulthood for trolls is not known, Alternian years are measured in “sweeps”, which are about 26 Earthling months.38

The Hemospectrum

Rust

Rustbloods are the most common blood type, comprising 17.8-21.1%1 of all known trolls. There are 1.89 males for every female. Rustbloods have downward pointing horns slightly more often (10-13.8%) than other castes, as well as a higher likelihood to not have sharp teeth (71.4-76.9%). Rustbloods live one or two dozen sweeps.2

Rustbloods can have telekinetic powers,3 which is considered common.4 Skill varies considerably in the caste, with Aradia able to move large objects, while Xefros can only bend spoons. Some rustbloods can summon and communicate with ghosts.5

Rustbloods usually (71%) only wear their blood colour if they wear another colour at all. Most non-blood colours for rustbloods come from blue jeans. About a quarter (16-25%) of rustbloods have eyewear. One rustblood has a blood-coloured streak in her hair. Very few (3-4%) of rustbloods wear makeup.

They are often given menial or servile jobs within Alternia.6

Bronze

Bronzebloods comprise 11.7-14.9%1 of all known trools, being the second most common caste. There are 1.29 males for every female. Compared to other castes, Bronzebloods are more likely to not only have downward-pointing horns (16.6-26.3%) but also large horns (10-15.8%). They live roughly about as long as humans.7 Bronzebloods typically have the ability to talk to and manipulate animals.4

Bronzebloods are unlikely to wear their blood colour (39%) or another colour (36%), with most extra colours being from blue jeans. Few wear makeup (7%) or have eyewear (10%).

As adults, they can become cavalreapers.8

Gold

Goldbloods comprise 9.8% of all known trolls. There are 4.5 males for every female. All but one goldblood (92.3%) have two pairs of horns rather than one. They often (64%) have dual- or solid-coloured eyes without pupils. They live roughly about as long as humans.7

Goldbloods in particular are noted for their psychic abilities. Sollux seems to be exemplary for his caste in his abilities, as Vriska notes only some goldbloods can move meteors and have eye lasers.4 Psychically gifted goldbloods become batteries for Alternian spaceships.9 Some goldbloods suffer from a condition called voidrot, where they are unable to make their own energy and must sap it from another troll.10

They often (86%) wear their blood colour and over half (64%) wear another colour, with an average of 2 other colours. About half (57%) of known Goldbloods have some form of eyewear.

Goldbloods are commonly connected with technology and bees.11

Lime

We have no canonical examples of limebloods. As limebloods are extinct due to being hunted to extinction,12 you need to have some reason why your limeblood has evaded being killed.

Olive

Olivebloods comprise 9.8% of all known trolls. There are 2 females per male. They live about as long as humans.7

They tend to have animalistic features, such as horns resembling ears or tufts of fur, and animal-like teeth. About half (53.3%) of all oliveblood horns have more than one point.

Olivebloods are the second most likely caste to wear their own blood colour (93%), and nearly half (43%) wear another colour. Over a quarter (29%) prominently wear white.

Olivebloods are noted to be able to become threshecutioners13 and seem interested in romance and relationships.14

Jade

Jadebloods comprise 9.3% of all known trolls. There are 4 females per every male. Jadebloods can withstand the Alternian sun15 and are the only caste able to become rainbow drinkers - Alternian vampires.16 They live over a century.7

Most (89%) have asymmetric horns, the asymmetry coming from a hook on either horn.

Jadebloods often (78%) wear their blood colour, but are less likely to wear other colours (44%). This caste has the highest incidence of white in their caste (44%). Almost half (44%) wear makeup, though this is skewed by the gender ratio.

Jadebloods are assigned to caring for the mother grub and wrigglers.17 Some may be “cloistered” as seen in Hiveswap, where they are only kept in the brooding caverns.18 While Hussie notes that they are a rare caste,19 the amount of Jadebloods seen suggests they are as common as olivebloods, though this is likely skewed by Hiveswap.

Teal

Tealbloods comprise 7.5% of all known trolls. There is an even ratio of males to females.

Tealbloods are equally as likely to wear their blood colour as another colour or have eyewear (71%).

They are Alternia’s civil servants and lawyers,20 with Xefros stereotyping them as law-abiding.18

Cerulean

Ceruleanbloods comprise 7.9% of all known trolls. There are 3.5 females per every male. Ceruleanbloods can have psychic powers that let them read minds and control others.21 They live for several centuries.7

Nearly half (44%) of ceruleanbloods have asymmetric horns, often as a pincer and hook.

Nearly half (43%) have some form of eye mutation and over a quarter (29%) have some kind of eyewear. All ceruleanbloods wear their blood colour and nearly half (44%) wear at least one another colour.

Ceruleanbloods have no stated job in any source.

Indigo

Indigobloods comprise 7.5% of all known trolls. There are 1.33 females per every male.

They almost always (86%) have arrow-shaped horns.

Indigobloods have the second-highest incidence of white on their designs (43%), with the same amount wearing at least one other colour than their blood. Over half (57%) wear their blood colour, and the same amount has eyewear.

Of all indigobloods, a majority (62.5%) have doubled letters in their names. Indigobloods are described as being stuck up.18 They can become ruffiannihilators or archeradicators.22

Purple

Purplebloods comprise 7.5% of the sample. There are 2.5 males for every female.

They are the highest land-dwelling caste. Purplebloods have “chucklevoodoos,” an ability that lets them read minds, control dreams, and communicate psychically.23

A majority (89%) wear their blood colour, and over half (57%) wear another colour that isn’t their blood. On average, they wear two other colours that aren’t their blood colour. Purplebloods all wear some form of makeup, regardless of gender. This makeup resembles Juggalo face paint. Juggalo and clown motifs are prominent in this caste. None in the sample have eyewear. Karako is the only troll in the sample with painted horns.

Purplebloods worship the Mirthful Messiahs, who are foretold to bring a dark carnival paradise.24 This caste is noted for their “exceptional brutality”, having a gamelike view on violence and not caring who dies - even their own caste.25

They can become subjuggulators, whose job is to suppress the lower castes.26

Violet

Purplebloods comprise 6.5% of all known trools. Violetbloods are the royal caste and the first of the sea-dwelling trolls.27

Due to a small sample size, outfit trends are hard to draw conclusions from. Cronus alone gives a 20% rate of white prominence within the caste. Similarly, Eridan and Jerann both have eyewear, representing 40% of the sample. However, every single violetblood wears a colour that is not associated with their blood colour, and 60% wear their blood colour somewhere. Violetbloods usually wear at least two other blood colours.

It is a tradition for land-dwelling highbloods and sea-dwellers to hate each other.28

Fuchsia

Fuchsiabloods are the ruling caste of troll society. Only two fuchsiabloods exist at one time, the Condense and the Heiress, and comprise only 2.8% of all known trolls. All known fuchsiabloods are female and have Gl’bgolyb as a lusus. Heiresses are expected to challenge the Condense for the throne when they are old enough. Fuchsiabloods are expected to live for hundreds of thousands of years.7

Due to the low sample size of fuchsiabloods, trends are hard to identify. However, what Feferi, Meenah, the Condense, and Trizza share are their horn shapes. Considering either Condense or Heiress would have no limit to whatever fashion they choose, they can dress however they want, though seem partial to gold accessories.

When making a fuchsiablood, if you want to be as canon-compliant as possible, Feferi cannot exist, because that would mean more than two fuchsiabloods exist. Or, alternatively, the current Condense cannot not exist, and your OC would be the Condense instead.

Signs

There are a variety of ways to make a troll’s symbol. If you want to be canon-compliant, stick to the Extended Zodiac. This requires knowing your troll’s aspect, which is covered later in this document. Here is a link to all signs used within Homestuck and Hiveswap.

Since the original trolls are based on the zodiac, if you want something inspired by them, use astronomical symbols. This page has unofficial symbols for constellations and other astronomical objects. Out of all trolls where a symbol is not assumed to be hidden, the most common placement is on the shirt (65%), followed by none visible (10%) and the sign being a shirt pin (6%).

Trolls only share a sign if they are genetically similar. This is rare and involves a gap of time between trolls of the same sign being alive. If you accept the theory that Barzum and Baizli are identical twins, even they have different signs with different aspects.

If you’d like to make your own original symbols while still looking like a canon symbol, this blog provides a breakdown of all the extended zodiac signs. Below is an abridged version from that blog.

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Rust: Symmetric, curved, horn-like

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Bronze: Symmetric, involve at least one closed circle

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Gold: Symmetric, straight lines and circles

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Lime: Circular heads, snaking lines, U-like swoops; may borrow from other caste’s design traits.

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Olive: Asymmetric, lines that end in a circle.

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Jade: Swoops.

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Teal: Symmetric, one line with an often open loop.

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Cerulean: “M” shapes with an arrow somewhere.

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Indigo: Symmetrical, prominent arrow motifs, sometimes bow and arrow symbolism.

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Purple: Loops and spirals and curls.

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Violet: “V” shapes, waves.

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Fuchsia: Somewhat symmetric, abstractions on a trident.

Classpects

It is not within the scope of this essay to break down classpects in detail, however, if you want to classpect your OC, I have another essay analysing multiple classpect blogs for commonalities.

Trolltags and Typing Quirks

Handles are troll usernames and are written in camelCase. If you want to be canon-compliant, the first letter of both elements must be G, C, A, or T. Using U is technically canon-compliant, but as only cherubs have U in their usernames,1 it is best avoided. If you don't care about being canon-compliant, use whatever letters you want, but use camelCase. Without camelCase, the usernames won't be read as handles.

Trolls have typing quirks. This reflects how they speak, as non-Pesterlog dialogue retains their quirks. However, quirks can be dropped by trolls as a sign of seriousness. This suggests that they are cultural traits, rather an inherent compulsion.2 Within Homestuck, all quirks are able to be typed on a standard keyboard. Within Hiveswap, non-standard characters are used,3 along with differently coloured text.4 Using keyboard-only characters makes writing dialogue easier, but you aren’t restricted to it.

Quirks need not be simple letter substitutions or ways of bracketing text! Quirks can affect capitalisation, punctuation, emoticons, how sentences are broken up, and vocabulary usage. Take Eridan for example. His most obvvious typing quirk is the doubling of his Vs and Ws, but he lacks punctuation. Many of his sentences run on, giving his speech a rambling quality. He also uses British vocabulary such as rubbish and bloody that connect with his theme of being aristocratic, pompous, and referential to his inspiration of Harry Potter.★ Vriska is another good example. She replaces Bs with 8s, but she also elongates vowels by eight when she’s being sarcastic. Her emoticons also have eight eyes. This all ties back into her spider theming.

Below is a list of quirks seen in Homestuck and Hiveswap and some examples of trolls who use them.

Cases and Formatting

Vocabulary

Symbols

There’s no real limit as to what you can do here. However, it is better to have a quirk that is readable over one that isn’t. Latula is on the boundary of readability, while Mituna is over that boundary.

A quirk is best when it relates to their personality and theming. Feferi is an excitable fish with a trident, so she “spears” her Es when excited. Eridan’s double Vs and Ws look like his sign. Karkat is in all-caps because he’s crabby. And so forth.

So! Now you should be able to make a troll, following or breaking rules at your discretion. Make some trolls!

Citations

Troll Biology and Culture

  1. Implied. Trolls hatch from eggs laid by a queen (Mother Grub), have larval forms, pupate, can have insect-like wings, and seem to have a similar division in body plans as bees (queen/sterile drone/genetic provider). Seadwellers obviously have more aquatic features and may have aquatic mutations.
  2. Homestuck, pg. 1991.
  3. Homestuck, pg. 1993.
  4. Homestuck, pgs. 2144 and 4710.
  5. Homestuck, pg. 2156.
    Hiveswap: Act 2.
  6. Homestuck, pg. 2216.
  7. Homestuck, pg. 4712.
  8. Homestuck Epilogues: Meat, chapter 32.
  9. Homestuck, pg. 3905.
  10. Homestuck, pgs. 3905 and 4572
  11. Seen with Gamzee.
  12. Aradia can communicate with the dead. Tavros can control animals. Sollux can move objects telekinetically and shoot eye lasers. Vriska can use mind control. Xefros can bend spoons telekinetically.
  13. Homestuck, pg. 2080 (Andrew Hussie’s commentary).
  14. Homestuck, pg. 4048.
  15. Seen with both Equius and Cliper.
  16. “WAIT. Trolls cry blood?” answered by Andrew Hussie, posted on Formspring (12.29.2010).
  17. Seen with Eridan.
  18. “What does being a Bard of Rage have to do with making shtty dolls appear in people's dreams?” answered by Andrew Hussie, posted on Formspring (08.08.2011).
  19. Seen with the Summoner (wings) and Ardata (extra eye).
  20. Seen with Vriska (extra pupils).
  21. Seen with Sollux (heightened psionics) and Equius (heightened strength).
  22. Homestuck, pg. 4054.
  23. Homestuck, pg. 2301.
  24. Homestuck, pg. 3474.
  25. Homestuck, pgs. 3176 and 3474.
  26. Homestuck, pg. 3475.
  27. Homestuck, pgs. 3176 and 3473.
  28. The Handmaid, Summoner, Psionic, Sufferer, Disciple, Highblood, and Condesce are all titles. (Neophyte) Redglare, (Marquise) Spinneret Mindfang, (Executioner) Darkleer, and (Orphaner) Dualscar all seem to be names with titles.
  29. Seen with Porrim and Latula, as well as most of the ancestors.
  30. Homestuck, pg 1996.
  31. Homestuck, pg. 2069.
  32. Homestuck, pgs. 2069 and 4057
  33. Homestuck, pg. 2003.
  34. Homestuck, pgs. 2448 (Andrew Hussie’s commentary) and 6007.
  35. As seen with Kanaya.
  36. Homestuck, pgs. 2392-2406.
  37. Homestuck, pg. 4063.
  38. Extrapolated from Homestuck, pg. 1992.

The Blood Castes

  1. Numbers vary. Second value includes trolls of uncertain caste.
  2. Homestuck, pg. 4068.
  3. Seen with Xefros and Aradia.
  4. Homestuck, pg. 7520.
  5. Homestuck, pgs. 2135 and 2242.
  6. Xefros is training to be a butler. Marsti works as a janitor. Fozzer likely digs as a job.
  7. “What does being a Bard of Rage have to do with making shtty dolls appear in people's dreams?” answered by Andrew Hussie, posted on Formspring (08.08.2011).
  8. Andrew Hussie’s sixth Tumblr Q&A (06.15.2012), archived by mspaintadventureswiki on Tumblr.
  9. Homestuck, pg. 2116.
  10. Homestuck, pg. 4060.
  11. Folykl suffers from this condition and saps energy from Kuprum.
  12. Seen with Sollux’s apiculture networking, multiple goldbloods being associated with or using technology, and the beekeeper Zebede in Hiveswap. Kuprum was seen to be able to charge technology in Hiveswap.
  13. Homestuck, pg. 4962.
  14. Homestuck, pg. 2008.
  15. Seen with Nepeta and Meulin’s interest in shipping, Polypa’s original Troll Call card mentioning she gives good relationship advice, and Konyll’s Troll Call card describing her as a shoulder to cry on.
  16. Homestuck, pg. 2323.
  17. Homestuck, pg. 5398.
  18. Homestuck, pg. 4057.
  19. Hiveswap: Act 2
  20. Terezi is associated with legal proceedings and justice. Redglare was a legislacerator and called a civil servant by Mindfang (pg. 3742). The Hiveswap tealbloods are part of a Phoenix Wright-esque investigation.
  21. Homestuck, pg. 4926.
  22. Homestuck, pg. 2211.
  23. “What does being a Bard of Rage have to do with making shtty dolls appear in people's dreams?” answered by Andrew Hussie, posted on Formspring (08.08.2011).
    Barzum and Baisli can read minds. Gamzee can affect dreams. Kurloz can communicate psychically.
  24. Homestuck, pg. 4027.
  25. Homestuck, pg. 4063.
    Hiveswap: Act 2.
  26. Homestuck, pg. 4063.
  27. Homestuck, pg. 2439.
  28. Homestuck, pg. 3431.

Handles and Typing Quirks

Data Table