Ok, listen. I know, I KNOW that “Phantom Planet’s Not Canon Fuck You.” Okay?
But just. Hear me out for a second.
Do Halfas Need To Breathe In Ghost Form?
Okay so this is a really lowkeye “debate” (I say that in quotes because it’s more just that people have different headcanons and tbh this is the best way anyway because, you know, fuck canon death of the author and all) as to whether or not Danny needs to breathe in halfa form. And while I, like most people, just sorta decide whether or not he needs to breathe based on whatever my fanfic plot needs, I actually think, canonically at least, there is some solid evidence that no, actually, they don’t need to breathe in ghost form.
There’s a few times in canon where Vlad is choking Danny mid-fight and Danny looks more mildly annoyed than seriously panicked about it, but you can largely chalk that up to Kid’s TV Screening Filters, so I don’t put much weight on those.
However, there are some moment that sticks out more than the rest. And that’s when Danny and Vlad are in space.
Yeah, uh, I’m talking about Phantom Planet.
(I’m sorry)
So initially, both Danny and Vlad are shown to be wearing helmets that presumably have oxygen filtering through them. Now now, I know what you’re thinking: Lexx, wouldn’t this mean that they do need to breathe in ghost form?
My theory isn’t that they can’t breathe in ghost form, my theory is that they don’t need to breathe in ghost form. There’s a difference.
I also think that they probably don’t exactly want to test the theory if they have to breathe or now. Better safe than sorry, so let’s wear helmets!
(Also, side note, this furthers the other lowkeye “debate” as to whether or not they get seriously cold in their ghost forms because, uh, they’re in space with no spacesuit)
But I digress. Here they are shown with helmets, suggesting that they do have some breathing capabilities, even in ghost form.
But at the end of the episode, we see Vlad here chilling on a space rock, no helmet in sight, looking perfectly fine albeit disappointed and bored.
This, obviously, suggests that halfas do not need to breathe in ghost form. And I think Vlad literally just discovered that as soon as he was ejected to space sans helmet.
So my theory is, while Danny and Vlad have the organs required for breathing and do breathe as a reflex automatically, when put in situations like outer space where oxygen is not available, their ghost half takes over a little more and they stop breathing. I think this is such an automatic thing that when this change happens in day to day life (like Danny being choked by Vlad mid ghost-fight), that like how us humans don’t actively think about breathing, we just kinda do it, they don’t really notice it either.
So that’s my theory. I’m so sorry for needing to cite Phantom Planet here. I’m sure there’s other things you can pull from canon too, but this was just the most obvious. Again, headcanons ftw, okay peace out ✌️
You don’t need to to look at this episode to prove this theory. In the episode “Girls Night Out” Danny and Skulker are underwater and talk to each other without needing to breath.
(Except I realize that could also mean ghost could have gills to accomplish this feat and therefore makes merman Danny canon?!)
