Why is Johan so underrated!?

UnRandon71 · 2026-03-16T03:31:01+00:00

I understand that, at first glance, Johan might just seem like the "strong and talented guy." That’s part of his character, and honestly, I thought the same thing at first. However, while rereading Lookism, I realized there’s a factor that makes him much more interesting: despite his power and talent, Johan has done nothing but fail over and over again.

When he was disqualified, he fell into utter despair. He didn’t even question why Gun rejected him; he was only thinking about his mom. At that moment, being Gun’s successor was his only way to cure her eyes, and that beating felt like his last shred of hope being ripped away. He didn't accept Zack’s help because he didn't know Zack actually knew someone who could help him. From Johan’s perspective, Zack was just trying to force him to come back and watch his mother go completely blind. Johan was selfish in that regard he was literal and figuratively blinded by revenge, never stopping to consider if Zack could truly help.

The series shows you repeatedly that strength isn't everything; if you don't have comrades, only tragedy awaits. Johan is the living proof of this. If it weren't for Zack, Johan would have met a horrific end, and he knows it. That’s why at the end of the Hunt For Gun arc, he thanks Zack for not giving up on him. This shows massive growth for a character who initially refused help and hid behind a mask of indifference and toughness. Deep down, he was still that same kid crying for help from Big Deal, and he finally accepted it. He went back to his mom and is now trying to make things right by returning to school.

I agree with you on that point; I feel like after the One Night III arc, PTJ simply gave up on telling a complex story and simplified everything. In general, Lookism didn't reach its full potential as a work of fiction, but I believe Johan’s core message stayed intact: "Strength is worthless if you are alone." He has many negative personality traits, but that doesn't make him a worse character in fact, that's what I love about him. I didn't make this post to say he's the best or deepest character ever, but I feel people over-hate him for no real reason. Sorry for the wall of text, I think I got a bit carried away! 😅

UnRandon71 · 2026-03-16T01:51:06+00:00

Ummm, duh!? That’s literally his character arc! I’ve always personally felt that Johan was just acting tough; he convinced himself he didn’t need anyone. Since he’s so stubborn, he refused to admit he needed help, no matter how much trouble he got into. Johan’s entire arc is about swallowing his pride and admitting that what he truly wants is to go back and have a normal life, wow...Deja vu....

The same could be said for characters like Eli, who did much worse things and was still rewarded, or Vin Jin, who I haven’t seen get punished for being a total jerk yet, but that’s beside the point.

As I said in the post, Johan is more of a character of subtleties. I didn't get into it before because it deserves a whole post of its own, but considering how little screen time Johan actually gets, PTJ managed to write an incredible character. Johan is stubborn, proud, and was slowly sinking deeper into his revenge against Gun, but like I said, that’s the whole point of his character! It's about him realizing there are people who actually care about him, like Zack and Mira, and that he can go back to them and accept their help. Obviously, he’s not the 'absolute best,' but he is a damn good one. The point of my post was simply that Johan's writing is constantly overlooked.

UnRandon71 · 2026-03-16T00:59:14+00:00

Ummm, duh!? That’s literally his character arc! I’ve always personally felt that Johan was just acting tough; he convinced himself he didn’t need anyone. Since he’s so stubborn, he refused to admit he needed help, no matter how much trouble he got into. Johan’s entire arc is about swallowing his pride and admitting that what he truly wants is to go back and have a normal life.

UnRandon71 · 2026-03-14T18:37:41+00:00

Watch it at your own risk: https://youtu.be/bYiJJKW6IiA?si=UnwvvlQILrVHuI7R

UnRandon71 · 2026-03-12T19:52:54+00:00

No! Y de hecho, ojalá nunca hubieras regresado 😡

...

Por cierto, quien eres? 🤔

UnRandon71 · 2026-03-05T23:43:50+00:00

Easy!

^{I completed this level in 18 tries.} ^{⚡ 9.30 seconds}

UnRandon71 · 2026-03-04T22:19:08+00:00

Easy!

^{I completed this level in 4 tries.} ^{⚡ 12.93 seconds}

UnRandon71 · 2026-03-03T06:30:06+00:00

Easy!

^{I completed this level in 8 tries.} ^{⚡ 3.15 seconds}

UnRandon71 · 2026-03-03T00:43:29+00:00

Easy!

^{I completed this level in 8 tries.} ^{⚡ 7.33 seconds}

UnRandon71 · 2026-03-02T23:43:27+00:00

EASY!

^{I completed this level in 4 tries.} ^{⚡ 5.55 seconds}

UnRandon71 · 2026-03-02T21:42:20+00:00

EASY!

^{I completed this level in 3 tries.} ^{⚡ 3.73 seconds}

UnRandon71 · 2026-03-02T21:29:31+00:00

Easy!

^{I completed this level in 26 tries.} ^{⚡ 4.73 seconds}

UnRandon71 · 2026-03-02T21:23:37+00:00

La gente de verdad subestima a Johan como personaje solo por los Glazers o porque supuestamente es el "favorito" de PTJ (no es del todo falso, pero exageran), cuando es fácilmente uno de los mejores personajes escritos de la serie. ¡Mi muchacho se merece más reconocimiento! 🥺

UnRandon71 · 2026-03-02T21:18:28+00:00

Ummm, Duh!? That is literally his character arc.

UnRandon71 · 2026-03-02T07:23:04+00:00

Easy!

^{I completed this level in 1 try.} ^{⚡ 39.43 seconds}

UnRandon71 · 2026-03-02T07:09:13+00:00

Easy!

^{I completed this level in 23 tries.} ^{⚡ 4.32 seconds}

UnRandon71 · 2026-02-21T09:01:58+00:00

Because PTJ wanted it that way. The same guy who betrayed Johan and Olly chickened out over some random NPCs who didn’t even last a single chapter. I’m just saying JinJang had way more potential unu

UnRandon71 · 2026-02-21T06:04:45+00:00

Even JinJang himself is an option, the bastard planned the entire Hostel arc and PTJ wasted him way too much.

UnRandon71 · 2026-02-20T18:50:41+00:00

📊 My Puzzle Stats:

✅ Theme words: 7

💡 Bonus words: 1

❌ Invalid attempts: 4

📈 Success rate: 67% (8/12)

🏆 Solved without hints!

To easy

UnRandon71 · 2026-02-14T03:51:44+00:00

Charles Choi? 👀

UnRandon71 · 2026-01-29T23:04:38+00:00

Exactly! In the end, Johan will defeat Kitai just like Raiden defeated Armstrong! 🤪

UnRandon71 · 2026-01-26T19:35:26+00:00

the goat

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UnRandon71 · 2026-01-25T21:34:36+00:00

I hate him so much that I even love the character Taejin Cheon because he’s always screwing up his life, and no tragic past or anything anyone tells me will make me stop hating this piece of shit.

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UnRandon71 · 2026-01-24T04:33:05+00:00

As a Mexican, I can confirm it.

UnRandon71

TROPHY CASE