Crane Rider Randolph

Exploration of Randolph's Character

Randolph is a rabbit homie that only appears in a few scenes during the Whole Cake Island arc but ever since I saw him I became oddly invested in him. He is very overlooked but I think his concept and his character is very interesting. He's an anthropomorphic rabbit but he is not a mink, he is actually one of Big Mom's many homies. It could be possible that Randolph's soul is a piece of Big Mom's soul herself but I initially imagined it as a piece of one of the many residents of Totto Land. I think he is much more interesting compared to other homies because he was an animal that was given a soul compared to the many inanimate objects that have been given souls. Randolph has no memories from the soul he was given (unless he were to convince Pudding to use her devil fruit power on him), but I believe Randolph would have faint memories of his life as a regular rabbit with his parents and many siblings. It was a simple life as a mere rabbit's life couldn't be anywhere near as interesting as the adventures of pirates, but it was nice nonetheless.

The memories would likely blanket Randolph in a nice fuzzy haze, but it is not like he would have anybody to discuss these fond memories with. At least not have any meaningful discussions with those who reside in the Seducing Woods. The closest he has to a friend is probably the crane he rides upon, but I feel like all attempts at a thoughtful discussion with the crane end up going nowhere. His fond memories do not end after he was transformed into a homie as he does have small moments that he looks fondly upon like having soup with Brulee or playing cards with other homies, but those moments are far and few in between due to having a job to fulfill. One core memory that Randolph remembers with conflicted feelings is when he was first transformed. He must have been captured or stripped from his family in some way shape or form in order to be given his soul. Due to Randolph being of a higher status than other homies and being a subordinate of Big Mom, much like Prometheus and Zeus, I like to think Big Mom herself gave a soul to Randolph.

I imagine that he was a small rabbit held in the palm of Big Mom, and once given a soul his body started to contort and shift. An uncomfortable and almost painful experience, but he remembers the way Big Mom's hand felt. It was so warm and yet her words were so unforgiving and cold. Big Mom was a collector of freaks, and Randolph was one of them. When he was first made, he was bare and had no clothes to speak of. Big Mom held him like a doll and admired him like one too, giving him his current name. It's been so long to where he doesn't remember his original name, if he ever even had one. With her praise also came criticism. She'd say his pure white fur was lovely and soft, but also say that his eyes were freakish and his digitigrade legs were abnormal. Her words didn't sound like they were fully being spoken out of malice, but also out of curiosity. Whatever the intent was behind her words, it stung Randolph. To be in such a vulnerable and confusing position only to be held like a ragdoll and have every feature, old and new, be pointed out had cut Randolph in ways he could not imagine, or even comprehend until his transformation. This memory makes him look upon his body critically rather than in awe or admiration. He has a bit of a hard time staring at his reflection because of this, which is unfortunate due to Brulee having a mirror devil fruit power.

What doesn't help is that Totto Land is a very diverse archipelago that has many races, minks included. Randolph can't help but look at minks with some form of jealousy as he remembers what Big Mom said about his features. He knows none of the Mink customs such as their greeting "garchu" nor does he possess their abilities like electro or a sulong form. Outside of his missions I imagine he mainly stays in the Seducing Woods, where he's often reminded that he's not normal. He doesn't really find comfort or a sense of belonging in knowing he's surrounded by freaks. Despite his conflicting feelings towards Big Mom, he can't help but feel some sort of attachment to her and her family. While he'd never admit it out loud, he calls himself Charlotte Randolph so he can feel a little more important and included in the large group that is the Charlotte family. Totto Land is a place that is presented as some sort of perfect paradise, where the flowers and desserts sing and dance, where everybody gets along, but it gets kind of sickening, especially knowing that it's some sort of confusing ill facade.

I think it's unfortunate that Randolph was given the gift of a new life only to be used to do Big Mom's bidding. He was given humanity but is also not given the chance to fully experience what humanity and the vast world has to offer. His only real experience are fights and he doesn't appear to have any genuine connections to anybody or anything, except maybe the crane. His fate was sealed as soon as Big Mom gave him a soul, and I think it'd be great if he was given a chance to explore things for himself at his own accord.

On a lighter note though, I like to think that Randolph is a well spoken and polite rabbit. He calls nearly anybody he meets lady or lord/sir. He's very quiet otherwise. As for his height I see him as being very short, around 4'5 or so. He really likes to use the crane to make it seem like he's way more tall and imposing than he really is. When I think about it, he's like a little prince. He's polite and stoic, has a steed, and his outfit is quite fashionable yet archaic. He isn't afraid to dive into action either, even if his superiors sometimes do not approve of it. He also likes to blame things on his crane, poor thing. There is no way Randolph doesn't like tea. I wonder if he likes carrot cake... It probably took Randolph a few days to adjust to his transformation. It must have been uncomfortable being forced to wear clothes, especially so many layers. Big Mom must have dressed him up like a doll. Randolph had to get used to a lot of things since he became anthropomorphic.