The Men of Narnia Will Always Be A Part of My Cinematic DNA

I may just have to create a saga where I go through all of my past celebrity crushes and what they meant to me as I seemingly am just in that writing zone and this has long since stopped being for a competition and more just a fun re-living of my past self and what made me happy.

So let's get this out of the way. . .

Yes, I have had an attraction to all three. I am majorly convinced that there is no bad looking Narnian. I will maybe look more into that theory (purely for research purposes, of course).

However, there was only one that has stuck with me and has grown substantially more over time with the amount of history coming to light with the character he played and speculation made by fans.

Edmund Pevensie, the second youngest of four siblings that we follow throughout most of the Chronicles of Narnia series. Their first appearance comes in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

He was primarily seen as a mean-spirited, bad-tempered boy who was longing for his dad to be back from war, back in his house, and to have someone who would not look at him as a disappointment. I by no means think that is an excuse for his behavior.

It does make me relate to him in a way that I was unable to with the others. They all had their flaws, but his whole arc was surrounding that. Because the arc was so poignantly made to show his mistake the redemption was all the more beautiful.

He was afraid that he would get retribution by Aslan and instead was made a king, he feared that his siblings would never forgive him and they rushed to welcome him home, he was afraid that those he had betrayed would turn on him and the embraced him as their king.

In future Narnian history he was forgiven, more so, he was revered. His time with the Witch was never mentioned more than once. He was as an equal with his siblings in the standing of legendary kings and queens.

Aslan further proved his forgiveness as the White Witch demanded the price to be paid. He sacrificed his life in place of Edmund's and thus the victory was sealed.

Thus began the battle for Narnia that would end all battles. A fight to save the lives of the innocent, reclaim a homeland, and bring a new era of peaceful reign.

Spoiler alert: the Narnians won!

Peace was restored and they were given their titles as kings and queens. They became legend as they continued to expand their peaceful reign throughout the regions surrounding.

Their influences expanded and all were revered and loved among their people. They were known for being compassionate, strong, kind, skilled, and loving leaders. Their influence far surpassed their kingdoms and not many tried to stand against them.

That was not to last.

One day as they were hunting they came across the infamous lamppost. Having an inkling of a memory they retraced the exact same steps they made years ago.

Children yet again. The exact same age and time as when they had left. They were now adults in the body of children and were forced to have to learn to grow up again.

All the while in the back of their minds they longed for a world that they thought has long been lost to them.

They got despondent and wanted to go back to their world, their kingdom. It ended with Peter acting out, Edmund trying to be more responsible, Susan was in a stage of denial and acceptance and dear Lucy was the only one that still held out hope to see her beautiful homeland.

Then out of nowhere, one year later. . .

They were taken back to the land they knew, but not anymore. They are so excited that they run to the waves as carefree as when they ruled Narnia. Edmund looks up and wonders at the ruins that nor grace a land that once knew nothing of despair and decay.

They explore and find that this was Cair Paravel. Their castle was destroyed and in its place was only the echo of a memory of what they now knew.

There is a new threat facing a world that is not theirs anymore. Now they are just legends. Names that have been talked about, but never more than a phantom whisper.

They have to earn the trust and respect of not just the Narnians, but their newest leader, Prince Caspian. A Telmarine.

He was the heir in line for the throne of Telmar, but his uncle who wanted the throne killed his father and tried to do the same with him to usurp the throne.

The newest threat, Miraz, now had a son to secure his line. The Narnians were not a passing thought to him as many believed them extinct.

Little did he know his nephew was alive, called upon the legendary kings and queens of old, and was ready to claim his right to the throne for Narnia and Telmar.

A plan was made to surprise them in the night. It could have worked had there been more time to prepare for all the unexpected delays that were thrown their way.

Defeat and death were a low blow to Peter as he remembered a world where that would have rarely happened. He was frustrated, angry, and trusting in himself rather than the Lion that brought them back.

Caspian and Peter exchanged rough words and it ended in swords pointed at each other's throats.

Caspian was enraged and went to cool off. He was lured into a trap set by the White Witch and was close to freeing her. Peter pushes him out of the way and is frozen to the spot.

Edmund was the only one who split the ice in half and destroyed that final part of her. He constantly struggled with the knowledge that he used to follow her and help her.

He strove to make sure he was never that person again.

Inevitably the final fight is underway and the Narnian are vastly outnumbered, there is no element of surprise, and Aslan is nowhere in sight.

Just as they are taking the final stand before defeat, Aslan's roar wakes the trees, crashes through the waves, and the Telmarines are defeated. Peace is won.

Caspian is crowned king and our legendary monarchs are asked to leave. The two youngest are able to return. The other two have learned all they could.

Of course their story continues, but this is where I stop as this is where I fell hard for Edmund and what his character represented to me.

We saw all the flaws and insecurities in him. He betrayed his family, watched as innocent creatures were turned to stone, and had his life saved so that Aslan could die in his place.

Edmund's backstory is powerful and redeeming in ways that make you love him as you look more into it. He was truly repentant as he was forever changed when redeemed by Aslan.

He set his skills to help his family and his country. Everything he did from then on was for others to redeem a past that he was not proud of. Some accounts would have listed him as a traitor king. His people knew his history and he made no secret of it.

Having to constantly spend all of his time and energy to right a wrong that many have already forgiven him for, if not all, only to have that life ripped away from him had to have been frustrating at times.

He was humbled more than most. He had to live through a time where he was on the wrong side. He knew what that meant and he worked hard so others did not have to.

At his core he never lost the person that he was at the start. He was a strong fighter, one of the best tacticians, observant, had a healthy dose of curiosity mixed with skepticism, good with witty remarks, and had the mannerism of any king.

"Once a king or queen of Narnia, always a king or queen."

May they always live on in our hearts, our imaginations, and memory as we continue to learn and grow ourselves and be reminded that there is always a world where we can go back to.

As always thank you so much for reading the second installment of my 'Embarrasing Crush Saga'! If you want to see the first installment you can click here! Hope you had a fun time down memory lane or have loved being introduced to a new world! See you for another one.