Blaze A. Destroyer: The Hidden Heir of Valentine Academy
Overview
Blaze A. Destroyer (of Worlds) is a flamboyant member of the STRIP program at Valentine Academy for Boys. He speaks in an exaggerated, archaic style and is secretly Bingo A. Dixon—the son of a wealthy donor whose family endowed the Dixon Dining Hall and the Dixon Writing Gazebo. Blaze is only twelve years old but has skipped two grades, placing him as a second-year student and Rank Three. Despite his aristocratic facade, he feels lonely and pressured by his father to pursue a Wall Street career. His involvement with STRIP provides a sense of belonging, but his true war is against the “arachnids” that haunt the lakeside gazebo.
Plot Role
Blaze first appears in Chapter 19 when protagonist Charlie von Hevringprinz seeks help writing love letters for the STRIP program. Blaze ambushes Charlie, tackles him, and only agrees to help after Charlie matches his archaic speech. Blaze reveals his identity as Bingo A. Dixon, admitting he never wanted to attend Valentine. He becomes a key ally for Charlie, offering poetic phrasing for the letters in exchange for aid in his “spider war.”
Later, in Chapter 25, Blaze accompanies Charlie to the equestrian center, where the two accidentally leave a gate open, later causing horses to be set free. Though Blaze is not explicitly blamed, the incident strains Charlie’s relationship with STRIP. At the Halloween mixer (Chapter 40), Blaze plays a vital role in delivering love letters disguised as candy, wearing a ghost costume and carrying a pumpkin bucket. The chapter highlights his speed and small stature—assets that make him the ideal courier.
Throughout the story, Blaze serves as a mirror to Charlie: both are hiding their true selves (Charlie’s transgender identity; Blaze’s true name and family pressure), and both seek acceptance within Valentine’s rigid hierarchy.
Motivations and Traits Shown Through Actions
Traits:
- Archaic speech pattern: Blaze consistently uses “thou,” “’tis,” “wherefore,” and similarly antiquated phrasing. This is not merely an affectation but a shield—a way to maintain distance and control in a world that sees him as a child.
- Flamboyant but defensive: He wears his blazer like a cape, performs dramatic poses, and draws “foreboding symbols” on his shoes. Yet he is easily startled (by spiders) and becomes self-conscious when Charlie hesitates to confide in him.
- Lonely and childlike: In Chapter 25, Blaze admits he envisions Charlie as a trustworthy “elder brother,” revealing deep isolation. His war against spiders is both a literal fear and a metaphor for his struggle to find a place at Valentine.
Motivations:
- To be seen beyond his family name: He insists on being called Blaze A. Destroyer, not Bingo A. Dixon. His entire persona is a rebellion against his father’s expectations.
- To find allies: He joins STRIP because he is “moved by their battle against Valentine’s law,” but he stays because he needs people who understand his own battles. His deal with Charlie—help with letters in exchange for help with spiders—is less about the letters and more about forging a connection.
- To avoid his destiny: Blaze explicitly states he does not want to be on Wall Street. By clinging to his childish war and archaic language, he postpones the adult future forced upon him.
Actions:
- He tackles Charlie on their first meeting (Chapter 19), establishing dominance but immediately switching to cooperation once matched.
- He takes Charlie to the equestrian center (Chapter 25), breaking rules to spend time with him, showing trust.
- At the Halloween mixer (Chapter 40), he willingly plays the fool as a ghost, delivering letters despite his fear of detection.
- When the horse incident comes to light, Blaze immediately blames himself (“My cries attracted the third awakening”), indicating a guilty conscience and eagerness to protect his new friends.
Chronological Arc
-
Chapter 19 – The Art of War
Blaze meets Charlie at the Dixon Writing Gazebo. He reveals his secret identity and agrees to help with love letters in exchange for assistance with the spider war. Charlie learns that Jasper Grimes “refuses to court anyone,” a key detail. -
Chapter 25 – The Secret Garden
Blaze leads Charlie to the equestrian center to retrieve a love letter left in a stable. The two bond over shared loneliness. Charlie admits he might quit STRIP; Blaze takes his side without question. -
Chapter 26 – Something Wicked This Way Comes
After the horses are freed, Blaze is suspected of involvement. At an emergency STRIP meeting, he is accused but not proven guilty. The incident deepens Charlie’s guilt. -
Chapter 31 – Crime and Punishment
Blaze joins Robby, Jasper, and Charlie to discuss the suspicious signs that led to the horse incident. He expresses regret and fear of exposure. -
Chapter 40 – The Winter of Our Discontent
Blaze is drafted to deliver love letters at the Halloween mixer. He wears a ghost costume and carries a pumpkin bucket, successfully distributing letters while avoiding faculty detection. -
Chapter 41 – Daddy-Long-Legs
At the mixer, Blaze panics at a spider and Charlie helps him shoot it with a slingshot. The moment shows their deepening friendship and Blaze’s persistent arachnophobia. -
Chapter 42 – The Importance of Being Earnest
After the mixer, the group celebrates together. Blaze is included in the collective statement that STRIP is a unit, indicating he has found a family.
Relationships
Charlie von Hevringprinz
Blaze initially attacks Charlie, but quickly warms to him when Charlie speaks in matching archaic language. Charlie becomes a confidant—the first person Blaze trusts with his war and his true identity. Blaze offers emotional support in Chapter 25, calling Jasper a “crook” and siding with Charlie. Their relationship is brotherly, with Blaze looking up to Charlie as “someone as trustworthy as an elder brother.”
Jasper Grimes
Blaze has been at Valentine for a year longer than Charlie and encountered Jasper during his first year. He knows Jasper well enough to state that Jasper “refuses to court anyone.” There is no direct conflict between Blaze and Jasper; they operate as STRIP allies. Blaze seems to respect Jasper’s rank but is not intimidated by him.
Other STRIP members (Robby, Xavier, P.M.)
Blaze is a junior member due to his age, but he is fully integrated. Robby often coordinates the group’s plans, and Blaze takes direction from him. Xavier trains Charlie, and Blaze does not interact much with him directly, though they share STRIP meetings. P.M. is mentioned only in context of past tensions between Jasper and P.M., not directly involving Blaze.
Key Decisions and Consequences
| Decision | Consequence |
|---|---|
| Blaze agrees to help Charlie with love letters (Ch. 19) | Forms a crucial alliance that helps Charlie complete the STRIP assignment and ultimately confess to Jasper. |
| Blaze takes Charlie to the equestrian center (Ch. 25) | The visit leads to the gate being left open, resulting in horses being freed and the sister academy being shut off indefinitely. This decision indirectly harms Charlie’s relationship with STRIP and contributes to Charlie’s guilt. |
| Blaze delivers letters at the Halloween mixer (Ch. 40–41) | The letters are successfully delivered, saving STRIP’s reputation. Blaze’s spider fear almost derails the mission, but Charlie saves the day, strengthening their bond. |
| Blaze conceals his identity as Bingo A. Dixon for most of the book | Allows him to be seen as “Blaze” first, but also isolates him from peers who might otherwise approach him for his wealth. Revealing his identity to Charlie builds trust. |
Themes and Symbols
Identity Concealment and Coming Out – Read more
Blaze hides behind the persona “Blaze A. Destroyer” just as Charlie hides his transgender identity. Both fear rejection. Blaze’s eventual trust in Charlie mirrors the coming-out process, though Blaze’s secret is revealed fully in Chapter 19.
Second Chances and Forgiveness – Read more
After the horse incident, Blaze is given a chance to make things right by delivering letters. Charlie forgives Blaze for the trouble, and STRIP continues to accept him.
Trust Versus Secrecy – Read more
Blaze’s decision to tell Charlie his true identity is a major act of trust. Later, when the horse incident is investigated, the group must decide how much to reveal. Blaze initially blames himself, showing his instinct to protect the group’s secrets.
Class and Ranking Systems – Read more
Blaze is Rank Three, but his family’s wealth puts him in a unique position. His father’s influence looms over him. The Dixon family name dictates much of his life, contrasting with Charlie’s scholarship-based merit.
Love Letters as Communication – Read more
Blaze’s contribution to the love letters is pure artifice—his archaic poetry (“Whilst lunation echoes along the lakefront…”) is both a joke and a genuine attempt to help. He uses letters as a medium for connection, just as the STRIP program does.
Five Questions and Answers
1. Why does Blaze speak in such an archaic way?
Blaze’s archaic speech is a deliberate persona to distance himself from his real identity as Bingo A. Dixon, the wealthy donor’s son. It also allows him to control social interactions and maintain a sense of dramatic power in a school where he feels powerless. The evidence shows he drops the act only slightly when emotional (Chapter 25) but immediately reverts.
2. What is Blaze’s “war against the arachnids”?
Blaze is terrified of spiders and claims to be waging a war against them from the Dixon Writing Gazebo (Chapter 19). He spends evenings there with a slingshot, watching for “arachnids.” This war is a metaphor for his larger struggle against loneliness and his father’s expectations. In Chapter 41, his fear nearly ruins the Halloween mixer until Charlie helps him kill a spider.
3. How does Blaze help Charlie with the love letters?
In Chapter 19, Blaze agrees to provide poetic ideas for the love letters in exchange for Charlie’s help with the spider war. He recites lines like “Whilst lunation echoes along the lakefront, I contemplate your light.” He does not write full letters but supplies the ornate language that Charlie repurposes.
4. Why does Blaze join STRIP?
Blaze tells Charlie he joined STRIP because he was “moved by their battle against Valentine’s law” (Chapter 19). However, he also admits that STRIP members fail to understand his own “war.” His joining is motivated by a need for community more than ideological alignment.
5. What role does Blaze play at the Halloween mixer?
At the mixer (Chapter 40), Blaze dresses as a ghost with a hole cut for his hand and carries a pumpkin bucket filled with love letters rolled into candy foil. He delivers letters to sister academy students under the guise of handing out candy, evading faculty detection. His small size and speed make him ideal for the task. The plan succeeds, though a spider scare nearly derails it.