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Recap / Star vs. the Forces of Evil S4E21 "A Spell with No Name"

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Star and Eclipsa's spells join forces in order to defeat a lethal spell that has gone rogue after two of their spells collide into one another.


Tropes:

  • Advertised Extra: Star and Eclipsa are mentioned in the official description of the chapter but don't actually appear.
  • Alternate Universe: It's made explicit that the spells don't necessarily live in the Wand, but rather exist in an alternate dimension and can be called by both the Wand and magic users like Star. Star's spells aren't the only ones living there, as every user of the Wand has a room dedicated to their spells, and Eclipsa's spells have started coming out of their room again now that Eclipsa holds the Wand. Their major concern over the Spell with No Name is that once it finishes destroying their dimension, it will be free to move onto others.
  • Bittersweet Ending: The spell with no name has been captured thanks to Richard and Star's spells are more open towards Eclipsa's spells, but many of Eclipsa's spells died in the process, and it's heavily implied that the titular spell will become a problem in the future.
  • Break the Cutie: The normally cheerful and lively Spider With a Top Hat is hit by a Low Self Esteem spell and is reduced to a sobbing mess of woe throughout the whole episode.
  • Continuity Nod
    • Amongst Eclipsa's spells are Hypno Slumber, Ouroborus, and Low Self-Esteem Nightmare Dream, all of which she cast in "Swim Suit".
    • One of the doors in the hall has a green version of the Blood Moon symbol on it, which appears to reference the time Marco used the wand.
    • The Spell with No Name is mentioned once before, in The Magic Book of Spells, as being the spell Eclipsa created to kill Septarians, but never dared to name. Like when Moon used the spell on Toffee, it appears as a dark butterfly that disintegrates whatever it touches.
  • Foreshadowing: The spells mention that they must be willing to sacrifice themselves to protect the queens. In the final episode, Star and the queens destroy all magic.
  • Good Is Not Nice: Eclipsa's spells are trying to prevent the Spell With No Name from damaging the Multiverse, but crassly kidnap another spell and wreck several rooms without explaining themselves.
  • Heart Is an Awesome Power: Though he seems himself as weak and useless when compared to Eclipsa's spells, Richard's echolocation allows him to see the nameless spell when everyone else can't.
  • Impact Silhouette: The Nameless Spell effortlessly burns a hole shaped like itself through whatever it passes.
  • It's the Only Way to Be Sure: When the glow worm goes out, losing the only way to find the Spell With No Name, Eclipsa's spells decide to destroy their dimension so it can't damage other dimensions. They stop when Narwhal realizes he can find it anyway using echolocation.
  • Jerkass Has a Point: Though Dave the Flying Pig is a jerk to Richard the whole episode, he has a point when he calls the narwhal out for not helping his best friend, the Spider With a Top Hat.
  • Killed Offscreen: Most of Eclipsa's spells are killed by the Spell with No Name offscreen, the only survivors being Low Self-Esteem Nightmare Dream, Ouroboros, and Pyro Pony.
  • Lower-Deck Episode: The spells take centerstage once again, but rather than Spider with a Top Hat, the focal character is Narwhal.
  • Never Trust a Trailer: The episode's description says that Star and Eclipsa will work together to stop the spell. Neither of them appear in the episode, and it focuses on their other spells instead. It also says that the spell became a threat when their spells collided, but no such thing has happened.
  • Never Given a Name: The eponymous spell is one Eclipsa never named, and remains unnamed by the episode's end.
  • Pint-Sized Powerhouse: The nameless spell takes on the appearance of a butterfly like creature but is a potential risk to the entire multiverse.
  • Sealed Evil in a Can: Eclipsa's unnamed spell is sealed within a pickle jar.
  • Shadow Walker: One of Eclipsa's spells is a flying cyclopean black cat called Void Cat who can teleport through shadows.
  • Shout-Out: The title is a reference to America's popular country song "A Horse With No Name".
  • Touch of Death: Everything the nameless spell touches rots into nothing.
  • We Hardly Knew Ye: Every one of Eclipsa's spells (aside from Low Self-Esteem Nightmare Dream, Ouroboros, and Pyro Pony) are killed by the Spell with No Name in the same episode they debuted. While most were Killed Offscreen, Hypno Slumber is explicitly shown killed by the spell.

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