Ultimate Self Theorization and Development.

[thorondraco]

As the ultimate self seems to be a major and mysterious factor to Hs^2 and homestuck in general, wanted to make a thread to theorize about the Ultimate Self and update when we learn more about how it works and its place in Homestuck's reality.

To start with just what we know for FACT, or semi fact maybe, rather than a theory.

We know that the Ultimate self is connected to the ghosts and memories of those ghosts. We do not know if the Ultimate self is a gestalt creation from the doomed selves converging onto the Alpha timeiline incarnation, or if the alpha incarnation and all the ghosts and doomed selves are parts of a Singular entity. A possible comparison being the concept of Hinduism, where you have a major God and the rest of the pantheon is increasing specific incarnations of that god. It could be both or neither.

We do know that the ultimate self allows both the entire set of memories and, presumably, skills of all incarnations of oneself and that it allows one meta awareness, understanding the storylike structure of their cosmos. In the cases of Alt Calliope and Dirk, it allows one to functionally play the part of the Author but we don't know if it has other requirements. Both Dirk and Calliope are artistic in some way. And of course as a result they basically have a certain level of omniscience so they can view events going elsewhere, but we do not know if there is a limit to range.
We do know that their ability to author the story and manipulate the narrative is seemingly limited to their Aspects. Dirk controls the story through the actors, figuring out how they would think and act and looking into their heads. Calliope controls the tone around the characters, it may in fact be in part from her desire to be handsoff compared to Dirk but it is also likely because of her Space aspect. It addition it seems that those with the opposing aspect may have resistance to their influence, albeit our primary example is a seer and they are prone to being weirdly aware of such things.

Another and very disturbing aspect of the ultimate self is that it kills you. Even if you are god tier it kills you eventually, overwhelming ones body and physical mind, seemingly, bypassing ones conditional immortality, as if the Conditional mortality had fine print. The sole exception to this is apparently Dirk. Alt calliope has a giant black hole for a body and was kinda dead already and uses Jade as a strange conduit for her will. Both Rosebot and an incarnation of Dave use a robotic body, but this appears to not be a proper replacement and appears to function more like life support.
It would appear that these ultimate selves in robots may have inferior abilities to the likes of Dirk and calliope. rose not even aware of the narration. But we do not know yet what exactly they are capable of or what Rose thinks their powers are.

If i am not mistake that is about what we know about the Ultimate self right now. A lot of may or may nots and uncertainties.

[VASKA]

Personally I think Terezi also has attained her ultimate self. We see some of that memory-mixing happen in Terezi: Remember, which came out at a time when we know Andrew was thinking about the ultimate self. This would also explain some of her interactions with Dirk in Homestuck 2, and why she generally seems to know so much about the narration. Since Mind and Heart are both closely tied to identity, individuality, and the self, this may lead to them ascending more easily and dealing with the process more easily than others. This would explain why Dirk took Terezi with him as well, since she would otherwise be the only living non-ultimate on the Theseus.

[TH4NK YOU B3N]

Terezi only has the memories of one of her ghosts, and that might be a product of her mind powers.

[thorondraco]

Personally I think Terezi also has attained her ultimate self. We see some of that memory-mixing happen in Terezi: Remember, which came out at a time when we know Andrew was thinking about the ultimate self. This would also explain some of her interactions with Dirk in Homestuck 2, and why she generally seems to know so much about the narration. Since Mind and Heart are both closely tied to identity, individuality, and the self, this may lead to them ascending more easily and dealing with the process more easily than others. This would explain why Dirk took Terezi with him as well, since she would otherwise be the only living non-ultimate on the Theseus.

She connected to one of her ghosts and had visions of several ghosts but she isn't an ultimate self. At most she unlocked her classpect powers despite not godtiering which is an achievement all its own.
Seems more like she understood it from talking with dirk i wager, least somewhat. Ultimate self Terezi would be a considerable force though.

I suspect that she ends up godtiering soon though, which could lead into her becoming her ultimate self? Another factor we don't know is if godtiering is a necessary step.