Homestuck is a webcomic written, illustrated, and animated by Andrew Hussie as part of MS Paint Adventures (MSPA). The webcomic centers on a group of teenagers who unwittingly bring about the end of the world through the installation of a beta copy of an upcoming computer game. Homestuck features a complex story and a large cast of characters, starring the four children John Egbert, Rose Lalonde, Dave Strider and Jade Harley. Hussie invented an alien species, called trolls, that have a unique culture. Homestuck characters are particularly popular to cosplay at anime conventions.[1]
According to Lauren Rae Orsini writing for The Daily Dot, there existed 128 named characters in Homestuck in September 2012, with more still being introduced.[2] The cast of Homestuck features a large quantity of LGBT characters and a major theme of the webcomic is the multitude of characters that die throughout the story.
The first few acts of Homestuck center around four 13-year-old children. Early pages of Homestuck were experiments in "fan-sourced storytelling", where Hussie allowed readers of Homestuck to name its characters and make story suggestions. The main characters of Homestuck were all named by fans.[3] The four main characters are presented as Internet friends who have technically never met one another but interact through an online chat application.[4][5]
John Egbert is the main protagonist of Homestuck and the first character that is introduced. He is portrayed as a loyal "leader" of the group of kids, despite also being described as a "stereotypical mischief-making teen."[6] Jokingly described by blogger Subdee as a "shoujo heroine", John's character is notably fond of bad films and has a seemingly irrational revulsion to the Betty Crocker brand.[7] His weapon of choice is a hammer.
Rose Lalonde is portrayed as an "intellectual", both through her obsession with Lovecraftian literature and through her organizing and planning the group's movement during the story. She tends to speak and write in a formal, overwrought manner, as if to demonstrate her knowledge. Aside from her interest in the occult, the character also enjoys knitting and uses her knitting needles as her go-to weapons.[6] Rose forms a relationship with, and marries in Act 7, the troll Kanaya Maryam during the events of Homestuck.
Dave Strider is a boy "so cool he only appreciates things ironically." He copied this behavior from his older brother (also his biological father through ectobiology and his only guardian), who collects puppets and katanas on what Dave assumes is an ironic level.[8] Dave has been described as "smart-cynical", and is John's best friend. Surrounded by bad video games and junk food,[7] he wears aviator sunglasses, obscuring his eyes entirely, and wields katana in combat situations.[9] He wields a sword.