However, my adoration for the series hasn’t budged. I still have all four installments of the books and all of the movies on DVD. I even indulge in the live-action remakes out of curiousity and sport Draculaura’s pink coffin backpack all of the time. As I get older and spend more time on the internet, I’m discovering dynamics in the fandom that I haven’t noted before.

I’ll admit that during the height of my Monster High obsession, I shipped a few non-canonical characters. Deuce x Jackson Jekyll is an excellent example of this. As well as Spectra Vondergeist x Invisibilly (view this video with cringe caution).

In this piece, I’ll be diving into ships I’ve never considered before and deciding whether I “Ship It” or “Sink It.”

Warning: Use of monster puns to honor the campy nature of the franchise.

Rules:

1. A character can only be mentioned in a ship up to three times. Otherwise, I’d have a page full of Frankie Stein and Deuce ships. The franchise itself and the fans have shipped them with the entire student disembody already.

   

   

2. The ships in this digest are queer-centric. I will mention some straight ships. I will also be including throuples and polycules. 

3. All of this is based in first generation lore. I refuse to acknowledge generation two. And the only thing from generation three that resonates with me is that Frankie is non-binary. I stan they/them Frankie. So much so I actually use she/they pronouns for the character.

Clawdeen Wolf x Draculaura 

Source: https://pin.it/1zzZvhO

Starting off light, we have best friends-to-lovers, Clawdeen and Draculaura. They're best ghouls friends who love fashion, Clawd (by default) and each other. Fans ship them because Clawdeen is canonically lesbian and sense some jealousy between Draculaura and Clawd’s relationship. 

Personally, I really enjoy Draculaura and Clawd’s fun loving relationship. I think it would be really hard on Draculaura to choose between her best friend and her boyfriend who also happens to be her best friend's brother. I personally think this ship is a stretch.

Verdict: Sink It

Frankly, I think we can ship Clawdeen with better, less obvious ghouls. Like…

Clawdeen Wolf x Venus Mcflytrap

Source: https://pin.it/7yQ5w1P 

Some of the best ships from this franchise were fed directly to us through the ‘Freaky Fusion’ movie. No fanart required. This is one of them. Venus is an environmentally conscious plant girly with one side of her head shaved. It doesn't get any more lesbian-coded than that.

In Freaky Fusion, she and Clawdeen become fused together in an experimental accident. They struggle to understand and mesh each other’s powers at first. But they work together to mediate their powers by meditating. Yes, meditating That’s the most healthy on-screen relationship I’ve ever seen.

Verdict: Ship it.

Clawdeen Wolf x Toralei Stripe

Source: https://www.tumblr.com/hippiecockatoo/693891389111582720/sometimes-i-just 

This isn't a ship I’ve seen on my own before doing research for this piece. Like we’ve discussed, Clawdeen is a lesbian fashion werewolf. In contrast, Toralei is an edgy mean-ghoul werecat. The reasoning behind this ship is their combatting, feisty personalities and the cat-dog dynamic. 

I honestly don’t see them getting along or finding any common ground as Clawdeen is extremely loyal and supportive of her friends while Toralei is a certified hater and backstabber.

Verdict: Sink It

Toralei Stripe x Cleo De Nile

Source: https://pin.it/kFPVhSw 

Wrapping up our Clawdeen ships and continuing the Toralei ships, I present Toralei x Cleo. This is another ship introduced to us through Freaky Fusion. Just like Clawdeen and Venus, Cleo and Toralei were fused together and forced into a sort of get-along-shirt.

In the entirety of the series, Cleo and Toralei can be seen beefing and insulting each other to no end, but in Freaky Fusion, they literally go to therapy and work out their differences… It’s giving enemies-to-lovers. Which I think is kind of cute. And in Egyptian culture, cats were pets to be treasured, adored, and believed to bring good luck. 

Therefore, I think Cleo should give a little p**** a try…

Verdict: Ship It

Toralei Stripe x Nephera De Nile

Source: https://pin.it/3ZSxAho

I know I just said that I ship Toralei and Cleo, but I need you to hear me out. Because they’re sisters Nephera and Cleo share that Egyptian culture, therefore Nefera can find value in cats just as well, or even more than Cleo. While Cleo is known to go against her father's wishes, like dating Deuce and refusing to marry Pharoah, Nephera backs her fathers rules completely (as seen in ‘Boo York, Boo York’). Which begs me to wonder why she couldn't just marry him herself… Maybe because she's a flaming lesbian for Toralei. They’re both conniving, sneaky, manipulative and I see them being an absolute power couple.

Verdict: Ship It

Cleo De Nile x Deuce Gorgon x Ghoulia Yelps

Source: https://64.media.tumblr.com/fc34de9606ed7af62fe7fd0aeb5ad3e4/6ded8123fdefac51-97/s640x960/2d21d8fce792a1e2377bfcce629398299d9b74ef.jpg 

Continuing the Cleo ships and introducing our first throuple, I hope this trio finds you well. Cleo is a high maintenance princess mummy, Deuce is a stoner guy (pun intended) son of Medusa, and Ghoulia is a tech savvy zombie. I hadn’t given this trio much thought until doing some further research. Reason being that I like Cleo and Deuce just the way they are. When it comes to heterosexual couples, Monster High got it right with them. And I also like Ghoulia and her mans Slo-Mode. 

That being said, I’m not opposed to this relationship. I just don’t see what Deuce adds to Cleo and Ghoulia’s dynamic. Nor do I see what Cleo brings to Deuce and Ghoulia’s dynamic (or lack thereof). Not to say there isn't potential in Cleo just being the throuple’s center piece. Can you tell that I’m quite torn on this ship? For the simple fact that I don’t see any harm in this throuple…

Verdict: Ship It

Rochelle Goyal x Deuce Gorgon

Source: https://pin.it/5JiPSRH

Like I said before, Deuce Gorgon has been shipped with a myriad of Monster High characters. There’s something special about Rochelle however. Deuce is the son of Medusa, meaning he can’t look anybody in the eyes without turning them to stone. He has to wear glass all of the time to protect his friends. Rochelle is a French gargoyle who is completely made of stone.

Both of these characters have beautiful relationships with their partners, Cleo De Nile and Garrott. But there’s something romantic about Deuce being able to take his glasses off around Rochelle, opening him up to new levels of vulnerability.

Verdict: Ship It

Valentine x C.A Cupid x Hoodude 

Source: https://pin.it/5JiPSRH

Referred to as “The Heart Club” is love expert, Cupid, love dummy, Hoodude, and love master Valentine. This is so interesting to me. 

Source: https://pin.it/3ZSxAho

I’ve thought about Cupid and Valentine in great detail, imagining that Cupid can see true love in him. She can change him, teach him about true love because he cannot break her heart. Until now, I didn’t consider that Hoodude, a lovesick voodoo doll, would be in the mix. Personally, I love it. Especially since Valentine (and literally all vampires ever) are so queer-coded. I can see the three of them going on super romantic dates and teaching each other a lot.

Verdict: Ship It

Heath Burns x Hoodude

Source: https://pin.it/5Bfzmo1

I love Heath and Hoodude, but they are two of the most annoying characters in Monster High. Throw Manny in there and you have the holy trinity of annoying. 

But I digress. As we’ve discussed, Hoodude is a hopeless romantic who is a literal doll made of fabric. I see him as disastrously pansexual and easily manipulated. He definitely thinks with his heart and that can get him into trouble that he won’t realize hes in. Heath is a rizzless teenage boy made of fire. I think he also suffers from so-straight-he’s-gay syndrome. He always seeks to “impress the ladies,” but after failing miserably, claims not to need girls and only needs his bros. Coping mechanism or sexuality? You be the judge. 

When I merge those tropes together in my head, I get a really heartbreaking outcome. I see Heath using Hoodude to validate himself, but never giving Hoodude the romance he needs. I also don’t think Heath is stable or confident enough to openly date another boy, which I think would ruin Hoodude emotionally over time.

Verdict: Sink It

Valentine x Clawd Wolf

Source: https://www.tumblr.com/wernevergrowingup/628195366129614848/the-rat-boi-catch-how-it-should-have 

I have never thought of these two together for any reason, until now. Now I’m spiraling.

Clawd is a sporty werewolf who’s cool, loyal and, honestly, just amazing in every way. Valentine is a vampire who breaks women’s hearts because he [allegedly] can only feel true love for a man. He’s also Draculaura’s toxic ex. Like I’ve stated before, I like Draculaura and Clawd’s relationship. I think its cute, stable.

It’s wild for me to think about Clawd leaving Draculaura for her ex. Or even cheating on her with him. He won’t do that because wolves are incredibly loyal. And let’s be real, the three of them would not survive a throuple. Clawd would get way too jealous and possessive, Valentine would get too sneaky and Draculaura would get too overwhelmed.

Verdict: Sink It

Closing Thoughts

It was incredibly fun diving into the nonconventional ships of Monster High and shedding light on first generation again before gearing up for the second installment of the live action movies. Perhaps next time, I can watch the new animated series and unpacking the possibilities of new ships with the new lore. I could explore the dynamics of couples like Clawdeen Wolf and Deuce Gorgon as well as Frankie Stein and Cleo De Nile.

Who knows, maybe I can mix first and third generation lore and think about the beautiful, yet potentially messy throuple of Frankie, Cleo, and Deuce. Better yet, I can unpack the romantic/sexuality theories our fandom have had for years.

Needless to say, my love and appreciation for Monster High has only grown over the years. With spooky season upon us, its a great time to indulge in these conversations.

Love always,

Kennedy

Taste of K

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