Luz was well-received by both critics and fans of the show, who praised her overall character and Robles' vocal performance.
Character and conception
Creation
According to series creator Dana Terrace, Luz is named after her Dominican-American roommate, Luz Batista, who is a story artist and consultant for the show.[3][4] Terrace also said that Luz's character evolved from conversations she had with Luz Batista, who later became her best friend.[5] Later, Nancy Kanter, EVP, Content and Creative Strategy of Disney Channels Worldwide explained that while they loved the "combination of magic and mystery in this other world" of The Owl House, they really "fell in love with the main character Luz," leading them to green-light the show itself.[6] This connected with Terrace's hope that audiences are "entertained by Luz’s world and her off-the-wall adventures."[5]
Role and characteristics
Luz Noceda is a 14-year-old Afro-Dominican-American girl[7][8][9] from the fictional town of Gravesfield, Connecticut.[10][11] Luz is confirmed to be bisexual by Terrace,[12] making her the "first bisexual lead character" on a Disney Channel show.[13] In April 2021, the show's creator also revealed that Luz Noceda is Neurodivergent.[14]
In the first episode of the series, her mother sends her to a summer camp, but she accidentally ends up going to the Boiling Isles instead through a portal in a nearby house.[15][16] She soon befriends an old witch named Eda and a small wolf-like demon named King.[17]
LGBTQ+ representation and impact
On July 7, 2020, when responding to a fan who posted a still of Amity putting her hands on Luz's shoulder,[18] from a promotion for the upcoming episode "Enchanting Grom Fright" on Twitter, Terrace said that there is no heterosexual explanation for the moment.[19] Later, on August 10, Terrace confirmed on Twitter that the episode features a bisexual character,[20] but didn't confirm whether this was Amity, Luz, or both, but many fans assumed this referred to Luz.[21][22] On September 2, during a RedditAMA, Dana Terrace confirmed that Amity is intended to be a lesbian and that Luz is bisexual.[12] She also stated that the relationship between Amity and Luz would be explored in Season 2 and that Luz is "oblivious to some things in front of her," including Amity's crush on her.[23] In the same AMA, Terrace stated that Luz was Amity's first crush[24] and that she was thrilled to see people connect to the show's characters, like Luz and Amity.[25]
Luz Noceda is a young girl with a strong love for fantasy. After failing her book report at school due to her outlandish presentation, her mother decides to send her to "Reality Check Summer Camp" to help her focus more on reality. To show confirmation of her mother's wishes, she throws her copy of (The Good Witch Azura book) in the trash. As soon as her mother leaves, however, she returns for it, only to see it being carried away by an owl into a run-down house. Upon entering, Luz is transported to the magical world of the Boiling Isles, in a town called (Bonesborough). Luz is immediately taken in by a notorious witch named Eda Clawthorne and begins to train under her, despite being incapable of performing magic.[26] Shortly afterward, she befriends two young witches named Willow Park and Gus Porter, who attend Hexside, a magic school that Luz begins trying to attend. She also meets Amity Blight, a snooty student who initially looks down on Luz and her friends.[27] During her time in (Bonesborough), Luz learns that she can perform magic by drawing "glyphs" on paper. Her first glyph, a magic orb that produces light, proves helpful in subduing Eda when she becomes an "owl beast". This periodic transformation is revealed to have been caused by a mysterious curse Eda has had since she was a child. Luz vows to help her find a cure.[28] Her relationship with Amity also begins to improve, especially once they realize they have a shared love of (The Good Witch Azura) series.[29] With Eda's help, Luz finally gets accepted into Hexside and,[30] contrary to the initial rules, is allowed to learn from every track after she saves the school from a Greater Basilisk.[31] She has many adventures at the school, including using memory magic to help repair Amity and Willow's friendship, which had ended years ago. On Hexside's "Grom Night", Amity is enlisted to fight Grometheus, a monster that manifests as the fighter's deepest fears. When she is overpowered, Amity comes to Luz for help. They dance together while casting multiple magic spells, defeating it.
Luz attends a field trip to the Emperor's Coven and plans to steal an item to cure Eda. She ends up getting discovered by Lilith, Eda's sister, who has been trying to capture her, and kidnaps Luz to lure Eda out. They collectively learn that Lilith had been the one who cursed Eda and has been trying to capture her, not just to cure Eda's curse, but also to have her join the coven, something Eda had long detested. Luz ends up getting sent back home after Eda gives herself up willingly to save her.[32] Luz and King head back to rescue her from the Emperor's Coven and reluctantly teams up with Lilith after she admits that Emperor Belos plans to kill Eda, rather than cure her. Luz faces off against the Emperor who will only let Eda go if she gives him the key to the real world, which Eda used when Luz first came to the Boiling Isles. However, Luz uses her magic to destroy it and she rescues her friends before fleeing. Lilith uses her magic to share the curse between herself and Eda, causing both of them to lose their magical abilities. Luz decides to teach them glyph magic to help compensate.[33]
Luz, now more adept and skilled with her glyph magic, decides to teach it to Eda and Lilith, to cope with their newfound weakness due to their curse. Eda, sensing Luz's guilt for recent events, tells her that her life has been better with her in it.[34] Luz and Amity's relationship continues to improve, after the latter saved Luz from her parents, as she was trying to get her expelled friends back into Hexside.[35] Luz learns from Eda's mother that she was not the first human on the Boiling Isles.[36] In the library, she learns that Philip Wittebane managed to arrive to the Isles hundreds of years ago. She seeks Philip's diary, which can only be accessed with Amity's help. Their relationship improves further, with Amity expressing interest in visiting the Human Realm. After Luz makes Amity lose her library card, Amity kisses her on the cheek after she helped her regain the card back. With Philip's diary and a knowledge-replaying Echo Mouse, Luz begins studying Philip's notes.[37] Luz can't create a connection with any of the palismen, as she is skeptical about her future. She decides to spend the night in the palisman nest, hoping to bond with one. After rescuing the palismen from the Coven guard, and befriending Hunter, the Emperor's Guard, she is given a log of palistrom wood by Eda to carve her own palisman staff.[38] After the events at Amity's house, Luz is now more confident about her feelings. Hooty tries to help by placing both of them in a tunnel of love. As they traverse the river, Luz feels embarrassed by the tunnel's romantic messages, destroying them to prevent Amity from seeing them. However, Amity mistakenly believes Luz is uninterested in her and turns to leave, heartbroken. Upset, Hooty lashes out, wreaking havoc in the house, but King and Eda allow Luz and Amity to ask each other out and begin dating. Luz continues to study the contents of the Echo Mouse with the help of Amity.[39]
Luz discovers from the Echo Mouse that Titan's Blood is needed to create a temporary portal home, which can be found on Eclipse Lake. Eda and King offer to get it for her, and Amity tags along, wanting to prove she is a good girlfriend for Luz. Luz worries for their well-being, and she joyfully embraces Amity when they return, happy that she is safe.[40] With the Blood recovered, Eda and King create a temporary portal for Luz to check on her mother, Camila. She discovers that a shape-shifting Basilisk, named Vee, has been living her life back in the Human Realm. Luz learns that Vee escaped the Boiling Isles, as her species was being experimented upon by the Emperor's Coven. With the help of Camila, Luz rescues Vee from a demon-crazed curator. Luz reveals that staying in the Boiling Isles was her own choice, but promises Camila to stay in the Human Realm once she manages another way to come back, leaving Camila devastated.[41]
After collaborating with Amity in assisting and later defeating Kikimora with her own personal business, Amity shows Luz her phone, which she left behind at school, playing a video Luz recorded for Camila. Luz finally explains her situation to her mother, and they promise to maintain themselves together throughout the journey.[42] Luz resolves to meet with Philip personally after learning from Eda that time-traveling puddles exist. With the help of Lilith, they travel to Philip's era through a puddle. However, they end up having to defeat Philip after he betrays them, leaving Luz guilty of having been blinded by her admiration for him.[43] Luz agrees to help Amity in a competition, but Amity notices Luz is acting differently. Luz reveals to Amity that her father died a long time ago, and on his death anniversary, she spends the day with her mother. However, she will be unable to accompany Camila this year. They send flowers tied to a balloon into the night sky, in the hopes that they will reach the Human Realm.[44] Luz and Hunter end up trapped inside Belos' mind. There, Luz discovers not just the whole truth about Belos, but also discovering his true identity as Philip Wittebane. After being saved by Eda and King, Hunter is left shaken at what he has discovered and tearfully runs away while Luz feels guilty as she realizes that all the events that have transpired were indirectly caused by her.[45] She tells Eda, Hooty, and King about the things she saw on Belos' mind, but does not mention his real name or reveal her actions. Luz, King, and Hooty travel to a village inhabited by beings similar to King, who call themselves the Titan Trappers. Luz and Hooty learn from talking with the elder of the village, Bill, that King is actually the son of the original Titan. Bill orders the village to sacrifice him, but Luz and Hooty save him, destroying the entrance portal as they escape.[46]
After telling Lilith and Eda the truth about King's heritage, Luz strains her relationship with the latter when she expresses her desire to send her and King away to protect them. She confronts Eda, accusing her of underestimating her power, and they end up captured by the Coven guard. However, they are instead taken to a hideout, where Darius, Raine, and other Coven rebels express their desire to enlist their help to stop Belos' plan.[47] The Covens Against the Throne explain to Luz their plan to stop Belos, but Luz expresses her desire to rescue Amity first, as she has been grounded by Odalia. With the help of Gus, Willow, and Hunter, she finally reunites with Amity, who leaps towards Luz, embracing her with teary eyes. Amity kisses her for the very first time, and they promise to go on a proper date when they've succeeded. Luz tries to help Amity bring sense to her parents, as they believe they are oblivious to the evil they are assisting. After destroying the Blight factory with the help of Alador, Gus reveals that Luz has been captured by Kikimora, as she assumed Hunter's appearance. As such, a captured Luz is taken to face Belos personally once again.[48] After the draining spell begins taking effect, she duels with him, as he expresses his desire to save her from the "delusions" caused by the Demon Realm, and tries to send her back to the portal. However, she saves herself from being petrified and manages to brand him with a sigil, causing Philip to be affected by the spell. After he presumably gets killed by the freed Collector, Luz and her friends are all through the portal to the Human Realm by King in an attempt to save them. After it collapses and the magical door only leads to the old shack, Luz goes home and reunites with Camila, devastated for the fate that awaits her family in the Demon Realm.[49]
Luz and Co. live with Camila for a few months during which Luz returns to school, and her friends stay home and attempt to learn how to live in the Human Realm, going as far as to try to understand Spanish. However, Luz still feels guilty helping Belos rise to power on the Boiling Isles, and, after the events that happened during the Day of Unity, has developed a severe and intense sense of self-loathing, believing herself to be responsible for all of her friends and family's suffering, even going as far as to say it would have been better if she never existed. Before the Gravesfield Halloween Festival, Luz records a mournful video on her laptop, exclaiming she has decided to stay in the Human Realm permanently to protect her friends from her own flaws. Sometime later, Luz and Hunter spot Belos in the woods on Halloween night. Belos ultimately creates a new portal in a cemetery with Titan's Blood he found using a map he stole while possessing Hunter's body. Their friends and Camila arrive to help, and Hunter expels Belos from his body after the battle. Belos crosses the portal, but Hunter is left mortally wounded. Flapjack, his palisman, sacrifices himself to save Hunter's life, deepening Luz's grief. After the fight, Luz finally confesses that the Day of Unity and everything that has happened to them is her fault, as it was she who introduced Philip Wittebane to the collector when she traveled back in time. However, her friends still show their support and reassure her. After Camila says she'll be going to the Demon Realm too, much to Luz's surprise, everyone except for Vee, who stays home to keep up appearances, crosses the portal. Meanwhile, in the Boiling Isles, Hexside Students are hiding out in Hexside from the Collector. Speaking of the Collector, the Collector has been hanging out and playing games with King, though it's not specific what games were played. However, King has been making a plan with Eda and Lillth to defeat the Collector behind his back. King misses Luz a whole ton and wishes that they could all be together. Speaking of Luz, Luz and the gang made it back into the Boiling Isles. The Boiling Isles looks insanely different from when Luz, Amity, Hunter, Willow, and Gus last saw it. [50]
Reception
Luz's character was received positively. She was described by Ashby Emily as a teen who "aligns herself with a witch and a demon" to fulfil her dream to become a witch,[51] and praised her character, with some calling her a "fantasy-loving human."[52][53] Others praised the plotlines of episodes where Luz explored the magic school and met other witches of the same age,[54] and the growing romantic relationship between Luz and Amity.[55]
In the season 1 episode "Enchanting Grom Fright," Luz and Amity dance together for the first time.[56] After it was confirmed that Luz was bisexual, actress Lili Reinhart, who plays Grace in Chemical Hearts, welcomed the development, saying that often people have told her that being bisexual is "a phase," and felt validated by Luz's character.[57]
Other media
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (September 2022)
Luz would later appear in Chibi form in the animated series based on the "Chibi Tiny Tales" shorts, Chibiverse.[58]
^Underwood, Bridget (director); Dana Terrace (writer) (July 17, 2021). "Hunting Palisman". The Owl House. Season 2. Episode 6. Disney Channel.
^Coburn, Bosook "Bo" (director); Molly Ostertag and Dana Terrace (writer) (August 14, 2021). "Yesterday's Lie". The Owl House. Season 2. Episode 10. Disney Channel.
^Smith, Reiss (August 10, 2020). "Disney finally makes queer history with long-awaited bisexual lead". PinkNews. Archived from the original on August 12, 2020. Retrieved August 12, 2020. Luz (Sarah-Nicole Robles) has previously shown interest in guys, but in recent weeks fans have noticed her growing closer and closer to her once-enemy Amity (Mae Whitman)...Though [Dana] Terrace didn't confirm whether she was talking about Luz or Amity (or both) as the bisexual character, most fans have assumed her words to be about Luz given the numerous hints that have been dropped, and the fact that she's the show's protagonist.
^Sandoval, Stephen (director); Dana Terrace and Rachel Vine (writer) (January 10, 2020). "A Lying Witch and a Warden". The Owl House. Season 1. Episode 1. Disney Channel.
^Sandoval, Stephen (director); John Bailey Owen and Dana Terrace (writer) (January 24, 2020). "I Was a Teenage Abomination". The Owl House. Season 1. Episode 3. Disney Channel.
^Livingston, Stu (director); Manuel Jesse Nieto Jr., Dana Terrace and Rachel Vine (writer) (January 31, 2020). "The Intruder". The Owl House. Season 1. Episode 4. Disney Channel.
^Dhaliwal, Aminder (director); Zach Marcus, Dana Terrace and Rachel Vine (writer) (February 28, 2020). "Lost in Language". The Owl House. Season 1. Episode 7. Disney Channel.
^Cotugno, Sabrina (director); Zach Marcus (writer) (March 13, 2020). "Something Ventured, Someone Framed". The Owl House. Season 1. Episode 9. Disney Channel.
^Cotugno, Sabrina (director); Zach Marcus, John Bailey Owen, Dana Terrace and Rachel Vine (writer) (July 25, 2020). "The First Day". The Owl House. Season 1. Episode 13. Disney Channel.
^Dhaliwal, Aminder (director); John Bailey Owen (writer) (August 22, 2020). "Agony of a Witch". The Owl House. Season 1. Episode 18. Disney Channel.
^Sandoval, Stephen (director); Dana Terrace and Rachel Vine (writer) (August 29, 2020). "Young Blood, Old Souls". The Owl House. Season 1. Episode 19. Disney Channel.
^Lorenz, Amelia (director); Zach Marcus and John Bailey Owen (writer) (June 12, 2021). "Separate Tides". The Owl House. Season 2. Episode 1. Disney Channel.
^Coburn, Bosook (director); Molly Ostertag and John Bailey Owen (writers) (June 19, 2021). "Escaping Expulsion". The Owl House. Season 2. Episode 2. Disney Channel.
^Lorenz, Amelia (director); Zach Marcus and John Bailey Owen (writer) (July 3, 2021). "Keeping up A-fear-ances". The Owl House. Season 2. Episode 4. Disney Channel.
^Coburn, Bosook (director); Molly Ostertag and John Bailey Owen (writer) (July 10, 2021). "Through the Looking Glass Ruins". The Owl House. Season 2. Episode 5. Disney Channel.
^Underwood, Bridget (director); Jane Hall and John Bailey Owen (writer) (July 17, 2021). "Hunting Palismen". The Owl House. Season 2. Episode 6. Disney Channel.
^Lorenz, Amelia (director); Dana Terrace and John Bailey Owen (writer) (July 31, 2021). "Knock, Knock, Knockin' on Hooty's Door". The Owl House. Season 2. Episode 8. Disney Channel.
^Underwood, Bridget (director); John Bailey Owen and Dana Terrace (writer) (August 7, 2021). "Eclipse Lake". The Owl House. Season 2. Episode 9. Disney Channel.
^Coburn, Bosook (director); Molly Ostertag and John Bailey Owen (writer) (August 14, 2021). "Yesterday's Lie". The Owl House. Season 2. Episode 10. Disney Channel.
^Coburn, Bosook (director); Dana Terrace and John Bailey Owen (writer) (March 19, 2022). "Follies at the Coven Day Parade". The Owl House. Season 2. Episode 11. Disney Channel.
^Underwood, Bridget (director); Dana Terrace and Emily Cicierega (writer) (March 26, 2022). "Elsewhere and Elsewhen". The Owl House. Season 2. Episode 12. Disney Channel.
^Coburn, Bosook (director); Dana Terrace and Emily Cicierega (writer) (April 9, 2022). "Reaching Out". The Owl House. Season 2. Episode 14. Disney Channel.
^Lorenz, Amelia (director); Dana Terrace and Emily Cicierega (writer) (April 23, 2022). "Hollow Mind". The Owl House. Season 2. Episode 16. Disney Channel.
^Coburn, Bosook (director); Dana Terrace and Mikki Crisostomo (writer) (April 30, 2022). "Edge of the World". The Owl House. Season 2. Episode 17. Disney Channel.
^Lorenz, Amelia (director); Dana Terrace and Emily Cicierega (writer) (May 14, 2022). "O Titan, Where Art Thou". The Owl House. Season 2. Episode 19. Disney Channel.
^Coburn, Bosook (director); Dana Terrace and Emily Cicierega (writer) (May 21, 2022). "Clouds on the Horizon". The Owl House. Season 2. Episode 20. Disney Channel.
^Underwood, Bridget (director); Dana Terrace and Emily Cicierega (writer) (May 28, 2022). "King's Tide". The Owl House. Season 2. Episode 21. Disney Channel.
^Coburn, Bosook, Lorenz, Amelia (directors); Dana Terrace, Luz Batista, Emmy Cicierega (writer) (October 15, 2022). "Thanks to Them". The Owl House. Season 3. Episode 1. Disney Channel.
^Brown, Tracy (August 10, 2020). "The five TV shows you should be watching this week - "The Owl House" (Disney Channel)". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on August 12, 2020. Retrieved August 12, 2020. For me, "The Owl House" has found its stride as Luz has started exploring magic school and meeting other teen witches. The latest episode was prom-themed and featured a memorable dance/fight sequence; its revelation that one of the show's main characters is bisexual was a bonus, and a significant milestone for LGBTQ representation on a Disney show.
^Adams, Tim (August 9, 2020). "The Owl House: Disney Animated Series' LGBTQ+ Relationship is No Longer Subtext". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on August 10, 2020. Retrieved August 10, 2020. Luz and Amity began as rivals, but The Owl House has slowly built up a friendship between the two girls. Once Luz learned that they share many of the same interests, she tried to befriend Amity. Since then, their relationship has continued to grow, with more clues being dropped that feelings could be brewing.
