Bill Cipher

Last updated
Bill Cipher
Gravity Falls character
First appearance"Dreamscaperers" (2013)
Last appearance The Book of Bill (2024)
Voiced by Alex Hirsch

Bill Cipher is a fictional character and the main antagonist in the Disney channel animated series Gravity Falls . The character is voiced by the show's creator Alex Hirsch. He is a "dream demon" that can be summoned and released into a person's mind. Bill first appears physically in "Dreamscaperers". However, many references to him are hidden throughout the backgrounds of the episodes and within the opening of the series. He is also a prominent character in the Gravity Falls book, Gravity Falls: Journal 3.

Contents

Bill Cipher has also been featured in the 2021 episode of The Simpsons , "Bart's in Jail!".

A novel centering on Bill Cipher, titled The Book of Bill [1] was released on July 23, 2024. [2] Unlike the original series, this novel was marketed as being "for older audiences".

Background

Bill Cipher's name is thought by fans to either a pun on the Beale ciphers (or ciphers in general, considering their prominence in the series,) [3] or a reference to the Eye of Providence that appears on the American dollar bill. Film director David Lynch was asked to voice Bill, as Gravity Falls was inspired greatly by Lynch's series Twin Peaks . However, Lynch declined the offer. [4] Hirsch voices the character with what he calls a "bad impression" of Lynch. [5]

In his standard form, Bill Cipher resembles a one-eyed yellow triangle superficially similar to the Eye of Providence with thin black limbs, wearing a top hat and a bow tie, and often carrying a cane. However, his form is shown as malleable in the series, as he changes his appearance seemingly at will; for example, Bill turns red and grows in size after becoming angered in the episode "Dreamscaperers." Also, as confirmed by Alex Hirsh he might deny this but he loves being called a dorito

Role in Gravity Falls

Bill Cipher is one of the primary antagonists of Gravity Falls. He is portrayed as smart and focused on getting his way, not caring much for the feelings of others and manipulating them to do his bidding. His primary goal through the series is to be freed from the "Mindscape" and bring about an apocalypse which he calls "Weirdmageddon" (a weird Armageddon). His attempts at reaching his goals are often thwarted by protagonists Dipper and Mabel Pines throughout the series. However. Mabel unintentionally helps him bring about Weirdmaggedon through her actions in the Season 2 episode, "Dipper and Mabel vs. The Future."

After the credits of the final episode of the series ("Weirdmageddon Part 3: Take Back the Falls"), Bill Cipher's petrified form is shown in live-action, isolated deep in a forest. This marks the beginning of the Cipher Hunt, a real-life scavenger hunt which congratulated winners with a real-life statue of Bill. The statue was eventually found in August 2016 by fans of the series. [6]

Reception

Bill Cipher has been described by Robin Reynolds of MovieWeb as the "Most Relatable Villain Ever", and his relatability has been highlighted by MovieWeb in other articles published by the site. Cipher's character is described as being sadistic but interpreted by some as one who wishes to be recognized. [7] His ruthlessness and willingness to make others suffer for his own enjoyment has also been regarded as one of the character's greatest strengths in fiction, and has landed him as a character and the series praise from viewers, noting him as one of Disney Channel's best villains. [8] [9]

Critical analysis of Bill by Ars Technica has credited him as being the manifestation of the fear of the unknown, with journalist Cassandra Khaw noting Bill as one of the most prominent incarnations of fear within Gravity Falls. Khaw further uses Bill's relation to fear of the unknown as the most prominent example of fear being a core theme of Gravity Falls. [10] Others cite him as being a manifestation of nihilism, contrasting Dipper and Mabel's optimism for the future and hunger for curiosity. [11]

Part of Bill's intrigue for fans comes from his mysterious presence; he has a cameo in every episode of the series at the end of the credits, plus many more in quick shots in episodes, such as being displayed on the back of playing cards in one episode. [12] A major part of his notability comes from this mysterious nature, and is why he is a favorite character of many fans of the series, despite only having a speaking role in a handful of episodes of the show. Small hints and puzzles like that allude to bigger parts of the series later on are a major part of Gravity Falls, and Bill Cipher embodies that aspect of the series by transitioning from a character who is only hinted at, to the final villain the main characters have to defeat.

The novel centering Bill Cipher, The Book of Bill, reached No. 1 on the New York Times Bestsellers' list for the week of August 11, 2024 in the "Advice, How-To, and Miscellaneous" category. [13] The Book of Bill also placed No. 2 on Amazon's best-sellers list and No. 1 on Amazon's Hot New Releases Chart shortly after its release. [14] The book's release sparked an interest in the series for fans again, causing Gravity Falls and related tags to trend on social medias such as X (formerly Twitter).

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alex Hirsch</span> American animator (born 1985)

Alexander Robert Hirsch is an American animator, writer, producer, and voice actor. He is the creator of the Disney Channel/Disney XD animated series Gravity Falls, for which he provided the voices of Grunkle Stan, Soos, and Bill Cipher, among others. He also earned BAFTA and Annie Awards for the series. In 2016, Hirsch co-authored Gravity Falls: Journal 3 which debuted as a No. 1 New York Times Best Seller and remained on The New York Times Best Seller list for forty-seven weeks. In 2018, Hirsch wrote Gravity Falls: Lost Legends which also appeared on The New York Times Best Seller list. In 2024, Hirsch wrote The Book of Bill which appeared on the Amazon and New York Times Best Seller's list.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mabel Pines</span> Fictional character and protagonist of Gravity Falls

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dipper Pines</span> Gravity Falls fictional character

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dreamscaperers</span> 19th episode of the 1st season of Gravity Falls

"Dreamscaperers" is the nineteenth and penultimate episode of the first season of the American animated series Gravity Falls. The episode is the first of the two-part season finale of the season. It originally aired on the Disney Channel on July 12, 2013, and was written by series creator Alex Hirsch, alongside Matt Chapman and Tim McKeon, and directed by Joe Pitt and John Aoshima. The episode marks the first appearance of Bill Cipher, the series' main antagonist.

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References

  1. ↑ Radulovic, Petrana (2023-12-15). "Gravity Falls creator wrote a new Bill Cipher book for 'older readers'". Polygon. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  2. ↑ "The Book of Bill by Alex Hirsch - Disney, Disney Channel, Gravity Falls Books". 2023-12-15. Archived from the original on 2023-12-15. Retrieved 2024-02-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  3. ↑ Hood, Cooper (2019-07-09). "How To Solve Every Gravity Falls' Cryptogram". ScreenRant. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  4. ↑ Kaiser, Vrai (2016-07-14). "Gravity Falls Rewatch Recap: "Dreamscaperers"". The Mary Sue. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  5. ↑ Valentine, Jasmine (2022-08-30). "The Untold Truth Of Gravity Falls". Looper. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  6. ↑ Swint, Angela Palumbo, Rupert Steiner, and Brian. "PacWest Plunges. First Horizon-TD Bank Merger Is Off". www.barrons.com. Retrieved 2023-05-04.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. ↑ Reynolds, Robin (2022-12-02). "Gravity Falls: Why Bill Cipher is the Most Relatable Villain Ever". MovieWeb. Retrieved 2023-02-19.
  8. ↑ Leunig, Maximilian (2022-09-16). "The 10 Creepiest Villains from Kids' Shows, Ranked". Collider. Retrieved 2023-05-04.
  9. ↑ "Top 10 Disney TV Villains - FandomWire". fandomwire.com. 2020-10-31. Retrieved 2023-05-04.
  10. ↑ Khaw, Cassandra (2016-02-20). "Disney's Gravity Falls is weird Americana meets Lovecraft for kids". Ars Technica. Retrieved 2023-05-04.
  11. ↑ bsudlr (2016-11-28). "Monstrous Nihilism: An Analysis of Bill Cipher and His Effects on the Characters of Gravity Falls". The Digital Literature Review. Retrieved 2024-07-09.
  12. ↑ Gunn, Patrick (2022-06-06). "Why 'Gravity Falls' Mysteries Set it Apart". Collider. Retrieved 2024-07-09.
  13. ↑ "Best Sellers - Books - Aug. 11, 2024 - The New York Times". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2024-08-11.
  14. ↑ Anderson, Sage (2024-07-30). "Following Up Behind 'Hillbilly Elegy', An Evil Sentient Triangle Is Currently Dominating the Book Charts". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2024-08-11.
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