William Henry Doe, also known as W. H. Doe, is one of two overarching protagonists of UnOrdinary. He is the benevolent crippled father of John and husband of a high-tier named Jane. He is the author of the controversial book, Unordinary, which lead to the rise of superheroes.
He kickstarted a new era of vigilantism by rereleasing the story online, an act of rebellion that got him killed.
Appearance
William is a tall and athletic man. He is the very spitting image John, but with a longer face, smaller eyes that are grey in colour, and more wrinkles. He sports the gelled hairstyle John used to have.[1]
Personality
William as the Unordinary protagonist.
William is a caring father who worries about the well-being of his son. He is also very perceptive, knowing John was afraid of repeating the events of New Bostin without even having to hear it from him.
Despite spending his childhood being powerless, William believed that all should be treated equally regardless of tier[2];these ideas influenced him as a writer, and he has changed the ideals of many high-tiers with his book, Unordinary.[3] The response his book has gotten came as a surprise to him, but he was glad that his message resonated with so many individuals even after the book was banned.
History
What's the use in trying? All you get is pain.
As a child, William was a popular target for bullying due to his status as a cripple. Despite the bullying he endured however, William had often thought about a theoretical scenario where the entire population was made up of cripples save for the all-powerful protagonist (whom he based on himself). William believed that if he were given all the power in the world, he'd still be willing to seek out the value in everyone.[2] With his knack for storytelling, William pursued a career as an author. But his struggles continued.
And then I saw her face.
William's successes never lasted long. No matter how captivating his stories were, those who read them were invariably disappointed that he himself was a cripple and dropped him from their reading lists. His appearance at Wayward's Annual Book Fair started off by compounding this unfortunate reality. William was just about ready to throw in the towel just to keep from wasting money on travelling when an avid fan named Jane approached him. She had come to the event for the sole purpose of meeting him and getting his autograph. Jane was surprised to be the only one interested in him until William explained his situation. Contrary to his expectations, Jane was not dissuaded to get the signature she sought upon hearing he had no ability. As he granted her request, she complained about how superficial it was for everybody to think someone's worth lay only in abilities. Jane even encouraged William to do whatever it took to spread his talents to a wider audience, even if it meant using a pen name. She decided that she wasn't through with spending time with her favorite author, and asked him out for coffee. William was only too delighted to oblige her further. A trip to sweetcoffee transformed his bad day into one of his happiest life experiences.[4]
William and Jane became romantically involved. She turned out to be the most powerful person he had ever known. It seemed like an unbelievable dream to Will, who had to ask one evening: why did she choose him of all people? Jane replied that she had a great deal of experience with abilities of all kinds. But they all boiled down to the same sad truth: they brought out the worst in people. Will's words on the other hand, moved her like nothing else. It was like his own heart was calling to her from the bargain bin. (Ouch).[5]
"My writer's sense is telling me to keep our history a secret. Gotta keep readers engaged!"
The two eventually married,[6] despite opposition from Jane's brother Cameron and the rest of her family. (Of course, when it came to high-tiers as powerful as Jane, disapproving was the most any dissenter could do.) Through their union they had a child named John, whom they loved deeply. Everything seemed perfect, but during one family outing, William noticed Jane seemed agitated. He asked why she wasn't her usual cheery self. She asked him if he felt like his every move was being watched. William couldn't say he had, and invited her to share any concerns with him. As if on cue, little John seized his father's attention by crying and pulling on his hair. William had to divert his attention to keeping their baby boy entertained. Tragically, he never got to broach the subject of Jane's concern before her sudden disappearance.[7] William took it upon himself to learn what happened to her.[8]
But most of William's attention had to be focused on parenting John by himself. John seemed to take after him in powerlessness, and like him became targeted by bullies in school. William took comfort in the fact that his son found friends in Adrion and Claire. One day, Claire came over to the Doe residence and asked William if she could speak with his son.[9] Not long afterwards, a new power awakened within John. He tried to show his father, but couldn't get his eyes to glow just yet. Nevertheless, William believed him and was happy that he was happy. He watched as John enthusiastically trained his newfound ability throughout summer vacation, neither aware of what strife it would cause everyone.[10]
After the kids entered high school, William got another visit from Claire while John was out training. She cried about how John had been hurting everybody, including her and Adrion. She couldn't stop him, so she pleaded with William to get John to mend his ways.
"Either you apologize to Claire, or we eat Chef Boyardee from now on!"
So at dinner, he told John about their interaction, claiming he was getting in too many fights. John just felt mad that Claire "snitched" on him, so William reminded him that she's his friend. John dismissed her concern as nagging, to which William answered with a stern warning. He said that John should be grateful to have people who were willing to advise him not to get carried away. John was angry that he was "taking her side" and left in a fit of anger. When William tried to stop John, John threatened him, telling him that he was just a cripple and couldn't do anything to someone as high and mighty as him.[11] John's refusal to listen to reason would land him in hot water with the Authorities, and he was forced to undergo a rigorous readjustment class. Three months later, John returned home, a shell of his former self. Having been expelled from school, he spent an entire week holed up in his room. Worried for his son, William tried reaching out to him via his work.
William Doe's most famous and controversial work, Unordinary
William used the story he conceived back in the day to write a book titled Unordinary, under his pseudonym "W. H. Doe".[12][3] He later left the sample copy his publisher sent with John. After reading the book, John approached his old man asking if they could spend time together. William gladly agreed, and imparted lessons on how he went about life. They exercised, trained to fight with no ability, and played poker.
When John showed interest in attending Wellston Private High School, William was apprehensive. He would have preferred that John didn't move so far away for his education. But John was determined to enroll, so William came to accept his decision. He accompanied John to the airport the day he set out, and bid him a bon voyage.[13]
Contact was maintained between father and son throughout John's stay in Wellston. William heard plenty about a very powerful girl named Seraphina, who was John's best friend.[1] William constantly asked which of the two friends was stronger, but John never answered.[14]
Meanwhile, Unordinary became quite infamous. High-tiers all over the country were inspired by the main character in William's book to become vigilante superheroes in their own right. Adding to the controversy, reports of those same vigilantes being found murdered and branded with the logo of a terrorist group known as "EMBER". The book was swiftly banned in the wake of these crimes,[15] and William's editor disposed of all remaining copies still in the company's possession.[16]
Powers & Abilities
William is a Cripple and possesses no innate superhuman ability.
Physical Abilities
Despite his powerlessness, William is capable of defending himself without using an ability, as evidenced by John saying that he learned how to fight from his father.[17] The quality time John spent with his father was prominently showcased in one of John's flashbacks in Chapter 105. With no ability to rely on, William must exercise regularly to maintain his health as he continues to advance in age.[2]
Intelligence
William is a fountain of sage, fatherly advice. He often tries to teach his son important life lessons (and basic common sense), no matter how unreceptive he was. He knew that the bond between John and Seraphina was unlikely to survive should it be revealed that John had been totally dishonest with his best friend.[18]
Poker Expertise
As a skilled poker player, William can spot lies and bluffs better than most. John in particular hides his fears poorly, and William can see right through his weak excuses.[14]
Relationships
John
"Hug me before I disappear for 159 episodes, kids!"
William cared greatly for his son and dedicated his book to his him while also having taught him how to defend himself. Like any good father, Mr. Doe is concerned for his son's well-being and calls him to check in on him every once in a while, even coming to visit him. While William understands why John would rather let the world think he's a cripple, he still disapproves of it. He tries to advise John to lead a more balanced life, believing John can learn from his mistakes, though John doesn't heed it as often as he should. John's second brush with anarchy drove William to persistently get a better understanding of his son.
Jane
William cares greatly for his wife who get along greatly despite their different abilities and rankings in society. Jane was a fan of William's work and didn't care about his ability (of not having one), asking him on a date. William is insecure and seems baffled that she would like someone like him, but nonetheless the two would get closer and eventually marry, having a son together, despite Jane's family disapproving. Despite their good relationship, William didn't seem to understand that Jane was being stalked by unknown forces, as she would try to hide her fear and act normal around him. When Jane finally left, William was deeply insecure and assumed she left him because he was a cripple, although he still missed her immensely and becomes dedicated to finding her 15 years later, once he is reminded of her.
Seraphina
William knew of Seraphina before they met each other, as John had talked to him about her before.[1]. He thinks that she seems like a nice girl and has enjoyed talking to her.[14] She in turn admires him and has told him she thought he was strong despite his situation. William harbors a fear that Seraphina's recklessness with her position as a god-tier could get her in as much trouble as John's did. He nonetheless appreciates Seraphina for looking out for John.
Simon
He appears to be a close friend of William, whom he asks to find Jane for him. Simon seems dedicated to helping him. During his last moments, William was devastated to learn that Simon lost his life trying to help him.
Authorities
They are William's greatest enemy in life, solely for the fact they run the oppressive elitist society he wants to fix and they ruined his family, by both kidnapping Jane for 15 years and causing John's trauma. The Authorities in turn view his controversial book as propaganda and seek to kill anybody who becomes inspired by it. It's heavily implied that they would have killed him for writing the book in the first place had it not been for the deal they made with Jane. His deliberate attempt to subvert their power using the story did not go unpunished.
Notes & Trivia
- William Doe is the second person in unORDINARY to have a full name, the first being his son.
- William Doe is the second confirmed low-tier introduced in unORDINARY and is currently the first and only true cripple in the series.
- William is currently the weakest character in the series.
- William's name originates from a German combination of the words Will (will or desire) and Helm (helmet or protection.)
- Despite the good fit, his name was neither chosen for his determination to find his wife nor his hairdo.
- William didn't appear for over three years after his initial appearance.
- Despite writing Unordinary, William continues to work as an author and has mentioned that he has an editor.
- Said editor was also responsible for destroying William's copies of Unordinary for his protection.[16]
- A tweet from Uru-chan revealed what the "H" in W.H. Doe's name stood for. (Henry)
Family Tree
