I do wonder why people keep looking at the rings we understand to be separately imbued with magical powers (at least in the family mythology sense) and keep demanding it proves other theories.
All it proves is that control and influence is built into the rings to some unknown degree.
Right out of the proverbial supervillain gate, Gabriel was perfectly okay with using tools to control other people. Maybe it wasn’t the first time he was doing so.
Just for a moment, let’s ignore any of those Sentimonster theories out there and just focus exclusively on the rings. We can assume they have obvious sentimental value, but there is clearly something more beneath the surface.
Looking back at the Felix episode, it does put an interesting spin on something Adrien’s Aunt mentioned when she first appeared.
Amelie: Aw, they look just like twins! Don’t they, Gabriel? Do you remember when they used to have so much fun pretending to be each other? Once they had you and Emilie fooled for a whole weekend! (laughs) We laughed so hard! (laughs again)
Gabriel: (frowns; annoyed) I won’t be fooled a second time.
Notably earlier in that episode, Gabriel deliberately swapped out his ring with Emilie’s. This whole move seemed very odd at the time, but we had no frame of reference to understand its meaning. We later realize that Amelie had reached out and was demanding the rings. That timing feels important here.
Then, Felix seems a little too interested in engaging with the matter considering this is his first line to Adrien:
Félix: You always do everything your father tells you to do?
Adrien: He’s very… (smiles) protective of me. (Félix smiles, and then hugs him. His smile turns devious, and he steals Adrien’s cellphone.)
Felix is clearly versed on what the family’s twin rings are supposed to be able to do.
Félix: I’ve got a surprise for you, mom. (He reaches behind her ear and pulls out Gabriel’s ring.)
Amelie: (gasps) But Gabriel refused to hand it over to me! And after everything that happened - (reaches out and cups his face) My little magician. I can never understand how you always manage to get what you want. (closes her hand over his) Keep it. It’s yours now.
Félix: But… you wanted it so much.
Amelie: Only to give it to you. You’ve always been so fascinated by them. How many times have you asked me to tell you the story of the Graham de Vanily twin rings, huh? (she kisses his forehead) I’m glad it’s back in the family where it truly belongs. (She winks at him and then rests her eyes. Félix smiles deviously out the window.)
Gabriel is really angry, but it is notable now that he has his initial ring back.
Scene: In the Agreste Basement.
(Gabriel takes Emilie’s ring off of her hand, and places it onto his. He balls his fist and growls in frustration as he leaves, angered by his nephew’s thievery.)
Going to pose a bit of a theory here of my own:
- Gabriel swaps his ring out with Emilie’s. This is the one that usually has some control over Adrien. He expects to have some much needed level of control over Felix (after Amelie’s contact he suspects the anniversary of Emelie’s passing as a likely time for a visit), but we don’t see him using his fidgeting at all before Felix lifts it. Gabriel seems satisfied that his Akuma are enough to control the situation otherwise and thankfully (for him), his in-laws do not stay long.
- We know Gabriel has been using his ring to control Adrien, to influence his will when he fights back more. Depending upon the powers, it might also have some ability to tamper with his memories.
- Felix is at a significant distance from both rings and clearly had far more freedom away from the stronger area of influence. Adrien’s proximity is more of an issue for himself here, but he isn’t aware of the problem just yet.
- That whole weekend that Felix and Adrien had confused Gabriel and Emilie is looking awfully suspect now. If one of the adults were sure they were attempting to put some sort of behavioral compulsion on Felix (who is clearly more mischievous now at least) but instead put it on Adrien, that probably would have been troubling…at least initially. However, Gabriel clearly saw it as a tool and used it more recently as Adrien gets progressively more openly frustrated by the increasingly unreasonable demands.
- Maybe the other ring was set to control Felix. If so, Felix merely stole back his own agency, something I think many of us would love to see for Adrien.
- Lastly, we now know Hawkmoth is clearly targeting Felix to some degree when he reappears during the Gabriel Agreste episode, because he wants that ring back.
