Imagine you are a young child with an interest in the paranormal. You know the supernatural exists and the proof of it is right in front of you, yet you still sometimes wonder if everything is real: that you’re not insane or crazy. That is the story of both Dipper Pines from Gravity Falls and Dib Membrane from Invader Zim. They both have knowledge of the supernatural that live among them and their towns. However, what separates them is what the viewers know and learn about them. Despite their numerous similarities, Dipper appears to have more of a character to him than Dib does. When it comes to their belief in the paranormal, while they are both believers, it wasn’t always this way for one of them. Dipper was completely unaware of the…show more content… Dipper is lucky enough to have his twin sister, Mabel, along with his great uncles Stan and Ford. He also has some exceptional friends in his co-workers: Wendy, a local teenager and lumberjack’s daughter, and Soos, the lovable man-child of the town. He is not without rivals, however, as he quickly becomes enemies with Robbie, another teen of the town, and Gideon, a young child who seeks to win Mabel’s heart. His relationship with Mabel, Wendy, and Soos throughout most of the series is quite solid, but with a few bumps here and there. He is enchanted by his uncle Ford when he first meets him: however, it takes quite a while for a good relationship with his uncle Stan to form. As a contrast, Dib only has his younger sister, Gaz, and his father, famous scientist Professor Membrane. Gaz seems to hate humanity in general, including her brother, and his father is continually encouraging Dib to pursue ‘Real science’ over his paranormal studies. Even ‘The Swollen Eyeball Network’, a group Dib is a part of that lives to expose the supernatural, sees him as ‘annoying, crazy, or a disgrace to the network.’ (2) Dib considers Zim his main enemy, as Zim is an alien who has come to Earth to take it over for his leaders: however, every time he states this fact, no one seems to believe him despite the clear evidence that supports his conclusion. Despite the…show more content… Throughout the series, Dipper goes through an entire character arc of his own. He discovers the journal, sparking his initial curiosity in the unusual creatures. This curiosity builds until he is consumed with it, making every day about unlocking the mysteries behind these creatures and the town. Once he meets the author of the journal, he becomes entranced by him. He spends every waking moment thinking about him and these creatures that have become his norm. It is not until a demon creates apocalyptic times that he realizes everything he’s done wrong; he involved innocent people in stupidly dangerous adventures and pushed his sister away, breaking that tight sibling bond they once had. He realizes that he is too far in over his head, and that he has no one to help him: the author is captured, his sister is missing, and everyone else is out there somewhere. He finally snaps out of his daze long enough to find his friends, rescue his sister, and team up with friends and foes alike to attempt to destroy the creator of all the mayhem. This is the exact opposite for Dib. He has no strong relationships with anyone, and thus no one to push him to grow as a character. His entire arc throughout the show is about exposing Zim for being an alien and proving to everyone that he is not the crazy kid: that he has been telling the truth this whole time. The bit of character development we do see is Dib
