Grunkle Stan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Grunkle Stan |
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| Gravity Falls character | |
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| First appearance | "Tourist Trapped" (2012) |
| Last appearance | "Weirdmageddon 3: Take Back The Falls" (2016) |
| Created by | Alex Hirsch |
| Voiced by | Alex Hirsch (Original) Declan J. Krogman (Young) |
| Information | |
| Aliases | Stanley Pines, Mr. Mystery, Mr. Pines, the Old One, Steve Pinington, Stetson Pinefield, Andrew "8-Ball" Alcatraz, Hal Forrester, Stanford Pines, S618 (prison number), 061800 (Gravity Falls prison number) 618 (Mystery Shack Address) |
| Gender | Male |
| Occupation | Owner of the Mystery Shack |
| Relatives |
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| Nationality | American |
Stanley "Stan" Pines, often called "Grunkle Stan", is a main character from the Disney animated show Gravity Falls. He was created and voiced by Alex Hirsch, who based Stan on his own grandfather.
Stan is an older man. He is the great-uncle (or "grunkle") of Dipper and Mabel, the show's main characters. The story begins when Dipper and Mabel spend their summer at Stan's house. This house is also a tourist trap called the Mystery Shack. It's filled with fake creatures and strange objects. Stan usually wears a black suit, a red fez, and a red bolo tie. He also uses a cane with an 8-ball on top. At home, he often wears comfy clothes like slippers and striped shorts.
At first, Stan seems like a simple character. People know him as Stanford Pines. The show hints at his past troubles in a funny way. But as the series goes on, we learn he has big secrets. In the episode "Not What He Seems", it's revealed that Stan has been trying to bring his twin brother, the real Stanford Pines, back for thirty years. His real name is Stanley.
Stan also appeared in the 2018 graphic novel, Gravity Falls Lost Legends: 4 All-New Adventures.
Contents
Stan's Story
Early Life and Family
Stanley and his twin brother, Stanford, grew up in Glass Shard Beach, New Jersey. Their father, Filbrick, owned a pawn shop. Their mother, Caryn, told many tall tales. The twins loved exploring the beach and hunting for treasure. They even found an old ship and named it the "Stan-O-War." They dreamed of fixing it up and sailing around the world.
Stan and Ford were often picked on by bullies. Their father made them take boxing lessons. Stan later used his boxing skills to help others.
In school, Ford was a very smart student. Stan, however, loved pranks and often copied Ford's homework. One night, Stan accidentally broke Ford's special perpetual motion machine. This ruined Ford's chance to go to a fancy university. Their father was very upset and told Stan not to come home until he made a lot of money.
Stan then started many businesses. He used different fake names. His products always turned out to be broken or poorly made. Angry customers often chased him away. He got into trouble with the law in many places.
Arriving in Gravity Falls
Stan came to Gravity Falls after getting a postcard from his brother, Stanford. Ford had built a house there to study strange things. A powerful demon named Bill Cipher tricked Ford into building a portal between worlds. Ford's friend, Fiddleford McGucket, helped him. But Fiddleford quit after a scary accident. He then created a memory gun to help people forget strange events.
Ford soon realized Bill Cipher's true, evil plans. He called Stan for help. When Stan arrived, he found that Ford had hidden two of his three journals. These journals explained how the portal worked. Ford wanted Stan to hide one journal far away. Stan was angry that Ford hadn't called him just to make up. They fought, and Stan accidentally pushed Ford into the portal. The portal then ran out of power. Stan was sad because he couldn't bring Ford back without all three journals.
Stan was running out of money. He went to town to buy supplies. But the local people thought he was Ford. They asked for a tour of the house and offered him money. Stan agreed and pretended to be Stanford. He tried to show off Ford's inventions, but they didn't work. So, he made up a fake attraction, and the tourists loved it. Stan then turned the house into a tourist trap. He first called it "The Murder Hut," but later changed it to "The Mystery Shack." He even faked his own death in another state to avoid more trouble. For the next 30 years, Stan secretly worked to restart the portal and rescue Ford.
Adventures in the Series
For most of Gravity Falls, Stan is shown as a greedy character. He often makes funny plans to earn money from the Mystery Shack. But even though he loves money, he truly cares for Dipper and Mabel. Their parents asked him to watch them for the summer. Stan also pretends not to know about the strange things in Gravity Falls. He has a big rivalry with Gideon Gleeful. Gideon is a ten-year-old who owns another tourist trap and wants to take over the Mystery Shack.
Dipper and Mabel don't know that Stan has the first of Ford's journals. By the end of the first season, Stan gets all three journals. He uses them to restart the portal. He finally succeeds in bringing Ford back near the end of the episode "Not What He Seems". The brothers then tell Dipper and Mabel their whole story. They try to get along again, but it's hard because their lives went in such different directions.
In the last few episodes, a big event called "Weirdmageddon" begins. Bill Cipher captures Ford. Stan hides in the Mystery Shack, which is protected by a special unicorn spell. Many characters from the show join Stan in the Shack. Stan feels responsible for the apocalypse.
After a battle with Bill's demons using the "Shacktron" (a giant robot made from the Shack), the heroes free the townspeople. To stop Bill, Ford draws a special diagram. It has ten symbols around a wheel, each representing a main character. Everyone stands on their symbol except Stan. Stan demands that Ford thank him. They argue, and Bill finds them. Bill captures the Pines family and turns everyone else into tapestries. Dipper and Mabel escape. Stan and Ford are locked in a cell, where they finally make up.
Ford explains that Bill needs a secret idea from his mind to spread Weirdmageddon everywhere. If Bill enters Ford's mind, Ford can erase it with McGucket's memory gun. This would destroy Bill. But Ford has a metal plate in his head that stops Bill from getting in. Stan bravely offers to have his own mind erased. The brothers switch clothes. When Bill returns, Stan pretends to be Ford. Bill enters Stan's mind by mistake. As Ford erases Stan's memory, Bill is punched into nothingness by Stan's mind-self. Stan's mind-self realizes his life's purpose was to protect his family.
After Gravity Falls returns to normal, Stan wakes up without his memories. But his family and friends help him remember everything. On the last day of summer, Stan and Ford decide to live their dream. They plan to sail around the world to find more strange things. Stan makes Soos the new manager of the Mystery Shack. The show ends with a look into the future, showing Stan and Ford at sea on a ship called the "Stan-O-War II." They are still dealing with strange events.
How Stan Was Made
Character Design and Ideas
Stan is based on Alex Hirsch's own grandfather, who was also named Stan. Both are big, strong men whose clothes sometimes have popped buttons. They also both wear a gold chain and gold rings.
Stan looked very different in early drawings. He was shorter and had a pointy pink nose instead of a big orange one. His face looked more like a puppet than a tough old conman. This early version of Stan was seen in a test version of the show's first episode.
Stan has appeared in almost every episode of Gravity Falls, along with Dipper and Mabel. He was also in the short videos called "Dipper's Guide to the Unexplained." One short, "Stan's Tattoo," showed the twins trying to figure out a mysterious mark on Stan's shoulder. In "A Tale of Two Stans," it's revealed that it was actually a burn scar.
