Star is Queen and Meteora is attacking! Marco organizes a defense of Mewni! | Wraith's Journal #44 [S3 Finale pt. 1 - Divide]
It's all kicking off now! With Moon missing, Star has unceremoniously been made Queen of Mewni, and she's faced with the immediate crisis of rage-Meteora heading for Butterfly Kingdom! Star orders Marco to gather allies to stall Meteora so she can go to the Realm of Magic(!) to search for Moon. Can Marco buy enough time for Star? Will Star be able to find her mom before the Realm of Magic wipes her memory?
~
Star is talking with interrogating Eclipsa about her mom's disappearance. Eclipsa describes a "rainbow-colored" portal and seems regretful that her actions led to the situation the kingdom is currently facing.
Star leaves, and the guards lock up Eclipsa. Eclipsa asks what Star plans to do about 'her daughter', but Star ignores her.
~This interaction was.. less than cordial. Star and Eclipsa seemed to get along well. I wonder if Star is just stressed, or if she's actually angry that Eclipsa's actions led to her mom's disappearance?
Marco tries to comfort Star about being Queen, although Star insists on being called "acting Queen" instead since Moon is just missing.
Star reassures a Mewman who shows his family being soul-drained by Meteora before she's called to the situation room.
Star promptly kicks out the MHC for being "liars". She then goes around the room of knights asking for ideas on how to deal with Meteora... no one is being particularly helpful.
~It's funny that the MHC thought things would just be business as usual after everything that went down. Eclipsa gets found to not be that bad of a person, the MHC get outed as being actual manipulators, and Star's family is in crisis.
~Also, how are the knights this bad? Are they just like, inexperienced at dealing with crises?
Marco offers to send Mina, but the knights already tried this and Mina got one-shot (soul-drained). Star eventually storms out after the kitchen crew arrive and can't figure things out without Moon telling them what to do.
River runs into an overwhelmed Star and offers to help with dinner. Moreover, he gives his unconditional support with her being Queen (another good moment between Star and River).
\"I can't decide the fate of Mewni...\" | \"...I can't do this alone\"
~There have been several parallels between these opening scenes and Moon's in Moon the Undaunted. Both girls have just become Queen in dark and troubling times - both for the kingdom and on a personal level. The places they walked in the castle, having to meet less-than-helpful 'councilors', and having to deal with the entire weight of the kingdom - and the world - on their shoulders. We've come full circle in the story; history is repeating itself.
Star retires to her room, stressed. Marco checks on her, and she angrily wonders to him if anyone can "think for themselves" without Moon telling them what to do (was Moon that big of a control freak or is this just a general Mewman thing?).
Sir Lavabo shows up with the laundry, and Star is struck with the idea to send him after Meteora. Marco asks him to wait outside so he can have a word with Star. Instead, Marco offers for Star to send him to fight Meteora.
Star is taken aback, and Marco confidently and playfully challenges Star to a duel to showcase his skills. Star feints a refusal to fight him, but fires the first shot in surprise.
~Star vs... Marco?! Okay, it's just a spar. We all know how well these two work together, but now they're going at it - I guess it's good to let off steam. This is a really fun fight scene. Star throws everything she has at Marco but Marco defends all of it - they're both strong in their own right.
Marco fended off all of Star's powerful and signature spells, and both are worn out, leaving Star's room a mess. Star checks Marco's abs before getting back to reality:
Star: Look, just because you can take on my spells doesn't mean you can take on Meteora. I don't.. know if anyone can.
Marco: Your mom can. You heard what Eclipsa said. If she hadn't interfered, your mom would have beaten Meteora! I don't have to stop her. [puts his hand on Star's shoulder] I just have to buy you time to find your mom and bring her back.
Star: Okay!
~Real quick, this is about to be one of my favorite moments in the entire show. The music is incredible (s/o Brian H. Kim!) and Marco and Star's focused determination is really cool. I get chills watching it.
Star: We gotta Divide and conquer. You keep Meteora from reaching the castle while I go find my mom.
Marco: How are you gonna do that?
Star: My mom.. is stuck in the magic dimension. I gotta go there to find her.
Marco: But.. that's where you lost your memory. That's.. really dangerous...
Star: I know, but.. I don't have a choice. Okay. [she places her hands on his shoulders] As acting Queen, I order you, my squire, Marco Diaz, to do whatever it takes to stop Meteora from reaching Butterfly Castle.
Marco looks even more determined
Marco: I accept my orders.
Star: Okay! [blushes heavily, turns away] Well, then, you get started on that order right away.
Marco: Hey, Star. You know, you don't have to pretend to be strong around me. I'm your best friend.
Star: [grumbles annoyedly in a 'you know me too well' way] Ugh, I need a hug! [whimpers]
they hug each other
Star: [they're still hugging] I'm really scared.
Marco: Yeah.. me too.
They're interrupted by one of the chefs bursting in with dinner ideas. Star and Marco both blush very heavily and break apart, pretending everything is normal. Lavabo wonders if he can leave. End scene.
~The whole second half of this part is awesome. It's all about Star and Marco. Remember, the last time we saw them, they.. had a moment. Marco is being really supportive and strong, and he helped Star figure out how to hopefully fix the Meteora situation.
~Moreover, this is the first time since Star made Marco her squire that they used the term 'best friend' to describe each other. The world is healing. Okay, they had an awkward kiss and some feelings were shared. But deep down, this is what they are. They need each other. They want to lift each other up in every way possible. They both blushed at each other. Like I said before, things aren't going to go back to the way they are, but Star and Marco are moving forward. It's getting better. They're getting better.
~I've said pretty much all I need to say about part 1 of Divide. It's the season finale to an epic season that started all the way back at Battle for Mewni - and it's only just getting started.
~
Star uses her butterfly form to portal into the Realm of Magic and is greeted by a baby unicorn who wants to play. Star brushes them off, noting that she'll lose her memory if she doesn't find her mom fast - she even set reminders on her phone to tell her what her objective is.
Marco, meanwhile, has organized the 'Marc-nificent Seven' - some of the finest fighters in Mewni... or they're just his friends - to stop Meteora. Hekapoo, Talon, Kelly, Jorby, Pony, Tom, and of course, Marco.
Marco has a plan to trap Meteora: encircle her in a ring of fire. It's called "the Doom Nut". Marco plans to use himself as bait since Meteora has a grudge against him.
Star is searching the Realm of Magic for Moon. She almost loses her memory, but hears her phone reminder. She hitches a ride on a flying jellyfish.
~Once again, I love the worldbuilding. The Realm of Magic isn't just a vast place of golden magic; it has a lot of different biomes and weird creatures. Just how big is this place? Does it just.. go on forever?
On Mewni, everyone is making preparations while Marco goes over battle plans. Tom takes a moment to.. half-apologize to Marco for his past mistakes:
Tom: Marco, you know, I-I kind of treated you bad sometimes. Like that ping-pong game, or the.. the Blood Moon Ball, those Mackie Hand tickets, Naysaya...
Marco: I-I get it, Tom.
Tom: Anyway, look, the-the point is, I actually think you're a great dude. Whatever happens today, we'll make it through.
Marco: Thanks, Tom. I'm really glad you're here.
~It's a start, I suppose. Tom is still slowly improving himself. At least he realizes he 'treated Marco badly'. I wonder, does Tom actually look up to Marco? Marco is the one who smacked a lot of sense into him.
Star keeps wandering the Realm of Magic. She finds some.. little dinosaurs with unicorn horns, and marshmallows! And she finds... A DARK UNICORN?!
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~Okay, this is huge (except we don't really know why yet)! It's only a baby unicorn, drinking from some purple magic that's slowly stemming from.. somewhere. What else related to magic is purple...? Colors are very important in this story.
The dark unicorn drifts into the magic to hide from Star. Star once again has to re-gather herself, and sets off after her mom, following the trail of purple magic...
The Marc-nificent Seven are ready. Marco has donned the Turdina disguise as bait for Meteora. He gets Nachos and rides off to find Meteora.
Star, still following the trail of purple magic, stumbles into a rock grotto and finds... her mom! The purple magic's origin is Moon herself. Moon splashes some golden magic on her soul-drained eye, which heals it. Moon's dark veins are also gone.
~Remember Eclipsa stopping Moon from "ending" Meteora? Whatever Eclipsa did, it triggered the dark veins on both of them. Those dark veins - at least for Moon - came from one of Eclipsa's dark spells, the immortal destroyer she used to sever Toffee's finger as a young woman.
~Dark magic created the veins. Those dark veins have now been washed off in the Realm of Magic. There's a dark unicorn loose in the Realm of Magic. We've been told that dark magic is bad - but just how bad is 'bad'?
Star happily greets her mom, who doesn't remember her. Star tries to drag her away, but starts to lose her memory, too.
Marco finds Meteora - who is now as large as the forest trees - and starts to lure her back to the others, but Nachos gets hit by the soul-drain ray. Kelly and Jorby catch Marco, but Jorby is hit, too. Marco and Kelly make it back to Tom, who springs the trap - Meteora is surrounded by flames... Except, she simply swipes her tail at the fire and puts it out.
In the Realm of Magic, Star and Moon are playing in the magic. Star currently doesn't have her memory, but several mirror phones with reminders slowly bring Star back to lucidity. Star, momentarily herself, opens a portal and tries to get her mom to leave with her, but she loses her memory once again.
Things are looking bad for the Marc-nificent, uh, Five. They try to fight Meteora more directly, but Pony is soul-drained.
Star and Moon, both under the effects of the magic, run around and play some more. The portal Star opened closes. They've both succumbed to the amnesia of the Realm of Magic.
~Are things better? Meteora might have technically slowed down to fight Marco's group, but she's still advancing toward the kingdom, and Marco's plan didn't work. Meanwhile, Star found her mom, and some dark magic in the Realm of Magic itself (that won't be a problem, surely), but the memory loss is too strong. What's with the magic? Why does it do that? What's happening with the dark magic? Can Marco figure out a new plan?
~
I've really come to appreciate the storytelling and presentation of Season 3. Star's family drama, Marco and Star's character growth, Eclipsa, learning more about magic... It's awesome. This is just part 1 of the finale arc and things aren't looking too good for Star or Marco's sides. Will they be able to pull it together before the end? Even if they do, what troubles await ahead? Everything is connected, everything is getting bigger and better. I love it.
Posted Aug 29, 2025, 9:32 PM UTC