While characters living at the Owl House and a source of magic. Owlbert’s bond with Eda tied him closely to the entire group, but they nearly lost him during the show’s early shenanigans.
All witches in The Owl House have a palisman, or a magical companion carved from palistrom wood. These animal-like creatures can roam freely but often sit frozen atop the staffs witches use to cast spells and fly. Witches and their palismen have a lifelong partnership based on emotion and shared purpose. Palismen in The Owl House usually appear in their static form rather than as active characters, but the emotional weight of their relationships with witches gives them significant impact nonetheless.
The loving relationship between witches and their palismen makes the reveal that s villain Emperor Belos eats palismen to survive all the more horrifying. This reveal also suggests that Belos would have eaten the captured Owlbert in the episode “Once Upon a Swap” if he and Luz had not quickly escaped. Although “Once Upon a Swap” was a fun and light-hearted episode, the near-fatal consequences show that Luz and her friends have always been playing by high stakes, even if they did not realize it at the time.
How Owlbert’s Capture Almost Led To His Demise
Season 2 episode 6, “Hunting Palismen,” confirmed Belos’ need to eat palismen as well as the difficulty he faced in acquiring them. Hunter implied that the Emperor’s Coven had been making palismen to feed Belos but explained that palistrom wood had become too rare to make more. To supplement this failing source, Hunter and the rest of the Emperor’s Coven collected existing palismen as well. Golden Guard Hunter attempted to steal palismen from Palisman Adoption Day in “Hunting Palismen,” and the episode “Any Sport in a Storm” explained that Emperor’s Coven recruits must hand over their palismen to become full . Even unwilling recruits lose their palismen by force. A brief flashback confirmed that Belos eats these surrendered and stolen palismen.
In season 1 episode 8, “Once Upon a Swap,” the Owl House crew swapped bodies to determine who had the hardest life. While in Eda’s body, Luz got arrested by Lilith and the Coven Guards, who confiscated Owlbert. Given the shortage of palismen for Emperor Belos to eat, Owlbert could have been added to his supply and eventually eaten if Lilith succeeded in making Luz the Emperor’s Coven.
While “Once Upon a Swap” ended happily as one of the show’s sillier adventures, season 2 episodes “Hunting Palismen” and “Any Sport in a Storm” cast it in another light. These episodes show that Luz, Eda, Owlbert, and King were always surrounded by danger, even if they didn’t realize it. The same high stakes have governed the Boiling Isles since Luz’s arrival. The wrong misstep could have turned The Owl House’s light-hearted adventures tragic, and something as simple as a body swap could have had dire consequences.