- “What makes you think I beat someone up, huh? Ever consider maybe I'm not just a bully? That maybe I can be a good guy?”
- ―Steve to his classmates[src]
Steven Q. "Steve" Palchuk is a major supporting character in the Tales of Arcadia franchise.
He is a student, former bully, and quarterback of Arcadia Oaks High, the de facto leader and co-founder of Team Creepslayerz, squire of Lancelot during his stay in Camelot (and his descendant), best friends with Eli Pepperjack and Douxie Casperan, son of Mrs. Palchuk-Lawrence and Mr. Palchuk, the stepson of Coach Lawrence, current boyfriend of Aja Tarron and the father of Maja, Baja, Taja, Faja, Daja, Waja, and Eli Jr.
History[]
- Main article: Steve Palchuk/History
Physical Description[]
- “Meet Steve Palchuk. He's handsome, strong, and athletic. He's also the most notorious bully in all of Arcadia High School.”
- ―The Art of Trollhunters
Steve has quite a buff and lean structure, due to being an athlete. He has dark blonde hair and brown eyes. After the events of "Wherefore Art Thou, Trollhunter?", Steve lost a tooth after Jim broke it off when he punched him in the face. For the majority of the first half of Part One, he spoke with a lisp that came from the open gap in his teeth. By the start of the second arc, he got his tooth fixed and speaks normally again.
He is normally seen wearing a teal polo shirt with a yellow symbol on it, tan jeans, and white tennis shoes.
In his Creepslayerz uniform, he wears a black helmet with "Z" symbols on the sides, black liners under his eyes, a black T-shirt, black sweats, and black shoes.
While visiting Camelot, his armor is a classic gray suit of knight's armor, consisting of a breastplate (the chest area), pauldrons (the shoulder areas), vambraces (the forearm areas), gauntlets (the hand areas), cuisses (the thigh areas), poleyns (the knee areas), greaves (the leg areas), and sabatons (the feet areas) with brown trimmings. Underneath the armor, there is a dark gray inner layer. When not using his battle axe and/or sword, it is attached magnetically to his back, a mechanism similar to Jim's.
Personality[]
- “Steve began our story as the typical high school bully and quickly draws himself into our secret world of trolls and goblins, forcing him to look beyond the simple power struggles of school life and more into what's going on in mysterious Arcadia.”
- ―Chad Hammes, Executive Producer[src]
At first, Steve started as a stereotypical jock bully who takes great pleasure in tormenting other kids who he deems weaker than him. He was also persistently vindictive, as he wanted to get back at Jim for knocking out his tooth and making him look like a fool (which initially backfired on him due to his large ego). Steve also seems to be a spoiled sport, since he kept on gloating when he won Spring Fling King (for no reason) and kept being mean to Jim and Eli after they won the events. He also prefers to solve all of his problems by using brute force. Implied by Coach Lawrence in "Creepslayerz", Steve's harsh behavior was likely because of his now-absent father's hostile nature, thus straining most of his social interactions with his peers and his mother.
However, when Steve begins to learn about the supernatural activities going on in Arcadia, he has become a better person and since then, he and his new best buddy, Eli, have been devoted to protecting the city their way, though he still sometimes goes back to being a jerk for the sake of his image. After Coach Lawrence becomes his new stepfather, things became uncomfortable as Steve tries to distance himself from him because of his past daddy issues. When Lawrence goes crazy from the Gravesand, Steve starts to emotionally connect with his new father and admits that Lawrence is a much better parent than his real father ever was, since he is caring and loyal, implying that his father was a cruel and abusive jerk.
He also seems to have a liking for tough girls, as when Aja angrily kicked him after he threatened her brother, he instantly fell in love with her. However, he does often feel bashful and nervous when he asks her on a date but gradually begins to warm up. Even after he discovers that Aja is an alien, he was taken away by her beauty and accepts her for who she is, completely throwing aside how much he trash-talked about aliens before. He's also admitted that he's become quite used to most of the weirdness of the supernatural after learning about trolls, aliens, and wizards in Arcadia. As such, he was more surprised that Archie was a cat with glasses than the fact that he's a talking cat.
Steve is also not exactly the sharpest crayon in the box since he doesn't really do his schoolwork and somewhat believes everything he is told. Despite his dimness, however, he is still quite clever, resourceful, and is capable of showing many hidden depths that none of the characters could ever notice before. He's even quite creative with his words whenever he insults or boasts, something Lancelot took note of.
Powers & Abilities[]
Powers[]
- Above-Average Physiology: Although Steve possesses no supernatural powers whatsoever, he is still stronger and more durable than most of his classmates, able to be on par with Jim Lake and Krel Tarron for a short while.
- Strength: Steve was shown strong enough to lift a heavy moon rock with visible strain and even punch Krel (a more durable Akiridion) in the face hard enough to give him a nosebleed. In "Ill Gotten Gains", he managed to knock a hazmat guard out cold with only one uppercut. However, he is outmatched by trained warriors, like Jim and Aja. He also does not bother fighting with Zeron Omega when she kidnapped him, so his strength is only capable of human levels.
- Durability: Despite being human, Steve was shown to be remarkably durable, even more so than Eli. He has fallen from a tree, hit several branches, and got hit in the Gronk-nuts (testicles) with a branch; that circumstance would easily knock someone out cold with several stitches, as well as broken bones and balls. He even survived a swift slap from a super-strong Gorbonian, followed by a direct impact from a free-falling Aja while he was trying to get up, without even a bruise. In "The Big Sleep", he was shoved out of a moving truck and got back up to his feet with no sign of injuries.
- Agility: As an athlete, Steve's agility is about as good as an average human's.
- Reflexes: Steve's reflexes were notably shown in "Bad Coffee" when he evaded a Gravesand-induced Lawrence's whip-snaps with ease.
Abilities[]
- Combatant: Like Eli, Steve's fighting skills are more than an untrained person, however, his skills slowly increase over time. He can fight enemies as weak as goblins but often struggles with something as strong as an Omen Blank. However, his combat skills do not match a true warrior's, like Jim and Aja. During the Truck-a-Thon, when Steve attacks Jim, the latter was able to easily out-match him due to his formal training with trolls (though he was partially holding back, possibly to be a little careful not to expose his nature as a Trollhunter). In Wizards, however, after receiving some training from Lancelot, Steve's combat skills have noticeably somewhat improved to where he could fight the Gumm-Gumms with a little difficulty.
- Swordsmanship: After receiving training from Lancelot, Steve can wield a sword, but his skills are less than that of Jim.
- Resourcefulness: Steve has a preference for using simple resourceful weapons and tools like a baseball bat, sticks, and his own Spring Fling King Staff. In "Truth Be Told", he brought an aluminum foil hat (as it's believed it would protect the human brain from alien mind control), and Krel uses this to break his and Aja's more advanced cuffs off.
- Actor: Despite his [former] harsh nature and dimwittedness, Steve is a natural actor, which he often uses to his advantage. He was able to land a part as Jim's understudy (until he was briefly promoted as Romeo due to Jim's chronic tardiness). Later in "Luug's Day Out", while auditioning for the role of DJ Kleb, he brought the whole audience into tears (Toby was even serious about recasting DJ Kleb and starting over again).
- Con Artist: With his acting skills, he can easily fool almost everyone to get what he wants. In "Airheads", he was able to completely con Jim during the Truck-a-thon.
- Beatboxing: Steve is a natural beatboxer, even rhyming in a perfect beat.
Weaknesses[]
- Mortality: As a human, Steve possesses a mortal body, so is therefore highly vulnerable to any forms of injuries, sicknesses, and death.
- Intelligence: Steve is not exactly the most intelligent student in school, so he often believes everything he's told and/or often makes a fool of himself sometimes.
Equipment[]
- Armor: Steve received a suit of armor during the group's trip to the past. Unlike Claire and Toby's armors, this armor is forged from common steel in the medieval ages, meaning it's not magically enhanced in any way, and probably of lower quality steel given the methods of the time.
- Toothache: In Wizards, Steve received a tooth from the Lady of the Lake, which he later attached to a shaft to turn it into a sort of pole-ax. In practice, this would be very inefficient, as its size and width would make it heavier and duller than a more traditional pole-ax.
- Sword: Steve gains a sword as another one of his combat weapons during his time in Camelot. It is a hand-and-half sword from the 12th century, has no magic powers, and is made of inferior steel. He later loses this sword after being swallowed by Nimue.
- Creepslayer Uniform: With the uniform's custom black helmet, Steve becomes a bit more durable.
- Baseball Bat: One of Steve's primary weapons of choice before his pole-ax.
- Scepter: After winning Spring Fling King, Steve acquired the scepter to show off his popularity. He later loses it when he was found sleeping on a bench at the end of "Skullcrusher". However, he regains it when Aja found it in "Beetle Mania".
- Vespa: Steve owns a Vespa as his mode of transportation. In "Adventures in Trollsitting", he was seen owning a red Vespa until he replaces it with a blue one (most likely either because he preferred a blue one or has more than one Vespa).
- Serrator (briefly): Steve found Aja's serrator after she accidentally dropped it in "Party Crashers", and mistook it as a protractor. He unintentionally managed to activate it twice (once as a shield and the second as a blade), though he had no idea how to properly operate it. He loses it when Señor Uhl takes it from him in "Lightning in a Bottle".
- Lighter: As revealed in "Our Final Act", Steve carries a lighter, which he tried to use to free AAARRRGGHH!!! from his ice prison but to no avail.
Relationships[]
- Main article: Steve Palchuk/Relationships
Quotes[]
- Main article: Steve Palchuk/Quotes
Episode Appearances[]
Trollhunters[]
| Trollhunters Part 1 | ||
| "Becoming: Part 1" Appears |
"Becoming: Part 2" Mentioned | |
| "Wherefore Art Thou, Trollhunter?" Appears |
"Gnome Your Enemy" Appears | |
| "Waka Chaka!" Appears |
"Win Lose or Draal" Appears | |
| "To Catch a Changeling" Appears |
"Adventures in Trollsitting" Appears | |
| "Bittersweet Sixteen" Appears |
"Young Atlas" Cameo | |
| "Recipe for Disaster" Cameo |
"Claire and Present Danger" Appears | |
| "The Battle of Two Bridges" Cameo |
"Return of the Trollhunter" Appears | |
| "Mudslinging" Appears |
"Roaming Fees May Apply" Appears | |
| "Blinky's Day Out" Absent |
"The Shattered King" Absent | |
| "Airheads" Appears |
"Where Is My Mind?" Appears | |
| "Party Monster" Absent |
"It's About Time" Appears | |
| "Wingmen" Absent |
"Angor Management" Absent | |
| "A Night to Remember" Appears |
"Something Rotten This Way Comes" Absent | |
| Trollhunters Part 2 | ||
| "Escape from the Darklands" Absent |
"Skullcrusher" Appears | |
| "Grand Theft Otto" Appears |
"KanjigAAARRRGGHH!!!" Absent | |
| "Homecoming" Absent |
"Hiss Hiss, Bang Bang" Appears | |
| "Hero with a Thousand Faces" Absent |
"Just Add Water" Appears | |
| "Creepslayerz" Appears |
"The Reckless Club" Appears | |
| "Unbecoming" Appears |
"Mistrial and Error" Absent | |
| "In the Hall of the Gumm-Gumm King" Appears | ||
| Trollhunters Part 3 | ||
| "Night Patroll" Absent |
"Arcadia's Most Wanted" Absent | |
| "Bad Coffee" Appears |
"So I'm Dating a Sorceress" Cameo | |
| "The Exorcism of Claire Nunez" Absent |
"Parental Guidance" Absent | |
| "The Oath" Absent |
"For the Glory of Merlin" Absent | |
| "In Good Hands" Absent |
"A House Divided" Cameo | |
| "Jimhunters" Absent |
"The Eternal Knight: Part 1" Appears | |
| "The Eternal Knight: Part 2" Appears | ||
3Below[]
| 3Below Part 1 | ||
| "Terra Incognita Part One" Absent |
"Terra Incognita Part Two" Cameo | |
| "Mind Over Matter" Appears |
"Beetle Mania" Appears | |
| "Collision Course" Cameo |
"D'aja Vu" Appears | |
| "Flying the Coop" Cameo |
"Party Crashers" Appears | |
| "Lightning in a Bottle" Appears |
"The Arcadian Job" Absent | |
| "Truth Be Told" Appears |
"Last Night on Earth" Appears | |
| "Bad Omen" Appears | ||
| 3Below Part 2 | ||
| "Moving Day" Appears |
"Moonlight Run" Absent | |
| "Dogfight Days of Summer" Appears |
"Mother's Day" Absent | |
| "Ill Gotten Gains" Appears |
"There's Something About Gwen (of Gorbon)" Appears | |
| "Asteroid Rage" Appears |
"Luug's Day Out" Appears | |
| "The Fall of House Tarron" Appears |
"The Big Sleep" Appears | |
| "Race to Trollmarket" Appears |
"A Glorious End, Part One" Appears | |
| "A Glorious End, Part Two" Appears | ||
Wizards[]
| Wizards | ||
| "Spellbound" Appears |
"History in the Making" Appears | |
| "Witch Hunt" Appears |
"Lady of the Lake" Appears | |
| "Battle Royale" Appears |
"Killahead, Part One" Appears | |
| "Killahead, Part Two" Appears |
"Wizard Underground" Appears | |
| "Dragon's Den" Appears |
"Our Final Act" Appears | |
Film[]
 | ||
Trivia[]
- In the 2015 book, Steve was a Changeling who took great, sadistic pleasure in tormenting Toby Dershowitz and Jim Sturges Jr. in school, and his last name was "Jorgensen-Warner".
- According to The Art of Trollhunters, the original concept was that Steve was supposed to still be a Changeling, much like his book counterpart. Draal's appearance was based on his original troll form concept until the creators settled on making Steve's human form and troll form completely separate characters.
- This is ultimately proven in "To Catch a Changeling", as Steve comes clean as a completely normal human when Jim throws a Gaggletack at his head during rehearsal.
- The symbol on his shirt looks almost like the symbol on Toothless' tail fin in How to Train Your Dragon 2.
- According to Coach Lawrence, Steve uses "extra strength pimple pads" (which may imply that Steve has acne problems) and has an affinity for pudding, which he leaves around his household and does not clean up after himself.
- According to Aaron Waltke on Discord, it is confirmed that Lancelot is Steve's ancestor.
- Steve has the 5th most appearances in the Tales of Arcadia trilogy overall, appearing in 66 episodes out of 88 total.
- Steve shares the same first name as his voice actor, Steven Yeun.
- Getting Crap Past the Radar: In "Our Final Act", Steve carries a lighter, which may imply that he smokes.
- Steve (by far) has the most character development than other characters in the trilogy. While starting as a rather one-dimensional jerk who takes great pleasure in tormenting other kids he considers weaker than himself, he gradually became a much nicer guy by "Creepslayerz" and genuinely began to make much better friends like Eli, Krel, Toby, etc. and then becoming a knight of righteousness and honor and finally becoming a father.
