Dylan O’Brien Forever

          When someone asks me who my celebrity crush is, I do not have to think for one second. Yes, I have had 5-10 celebrity crushes over the 20 long years of my life, but no one has come close to beating Dylan O’Brien. Here is the story of how my love for him blossomed:

2014: 7th Grade:

          Back in 7th grade, my home life was very volatile. My sister and I had just become teenagers, and my mother was rarely home. She was under much stress, which rubbed off on us and fueled frequent violent fights. My only escape was a show called Teen Wolf.

Teen Wolf

          Teen Wolf is a young-adult supernatural comedy about a high schooler who turns into a werewolf and fights countless monsters with his friends while navigating regular struggles, such as academics and dating issues. While the main character is Scott McCall, his adorable, funny best friend, Stiles Stilisnki, steals the spotlight, not just by being the comedic relief but by showing intense loyalty to his friends. Stiles Stilinski is played by none other than Dylan O’Brien.

Stiles Stilinski

          Stiles made me laugh even when I was at my lowest, sleeping outside after a big fight with my mom. For example, there was a scene when he raised his hand in Physics class and accidentally drops a size XL condom a doctor had given him the previous day. The professor picks it up and raises his eyebrow, implying that Stiles shouldn’t need the condom – especially one that big because he was a pale, skinny nerd.

        There is also a scene where Stiles gets large chains to tie down Scott on a full moon so his friend won’t hurt anyone. His lacrosse coach walks in on Stiles, putting the chains in his locker, and slowly backs out of the room with a traumatized expression – thinking that Stiles has a an unexpectedly kinky sex life.

        Stiles is also adorable and endearing because he always tries to help fight off the bad guys despite being one of the few characters without supernatural or fighting abilities. Every few episodes, he will run into an attack with a bat trying to save his friends from a villain that could destroy him in seconds. He also faints at the sight of needles but loves investigating dead bodies. However, Stile’s best trait is his loyalty. In season 3, Scott gets brainwashed by a villain and tries to set himself on fire. While their other friends are trying to shoot the lighter out of his hand, Stiles walks into the puddle of gasoline that Scott is standing in and holds the lighter with him.

Here is a quote from the moment:

“Scott:

• Every time I try to fight back, it just gets worse. People keep getting hurt. People keep getting killed.

Stiles:

•  Scott, listen to me, okay? This isn’t you, alright? This is someone inside your head telling you to do this. Okay? Now–

Scott:

• What if it isn’t? What if it is just me? What if doing this is actually the best thing that I could do for everyone else? It all started that night, the night I got bitten. Do you remember the way it was before that? You and me, we were– we were– we were nothing. We weren’t popular. We weren’t good at lacrosse. We weren’t important. We were no one. Maybe I should just be no one again. No one at all.

Stiles:

• Scott, just listen to me, okay? You’re not no one. Okay? Scott, you’re my best friend. Okay? And I need you. Scott, you’re my brother. Alright, so… So, if you’re gonna do this, then… I think you’re just gonna have to take me with you. Alright?”

The YouTube Channel

          Once Stiles became my comfort character, I started researching Dylan O’Brien and came across his hilarious YouTube channel from his pre-debut days. In one video, high-school Dylan lip-syncs to Wannabe by the Spice Girls. He perfects the seductive hot girl to look. I watched it nearly 500 times until I memorized the whole song. As I write this, I realize my love and admiration for Stiles and Dylan O’Brien developed much earlier than my crush.

Stiles’ Major Glo-Up

          The innocent love became a full BLOWN CRUSH when Stiles had a major glo-up in season 3. His baby face became chiseled with perfect jawlines and cheekbones, while an attractive haircut replaced his boyish buzzcut. He also built some muscle and became more effective in defending his friends.

What really hooked me was season 4, when Stiles became the “Nogitsune,” an evil mythical being that could control Japanese demons and kill people with lightning. Stiles was unaware of what he was doing because the Nogitsune had possessed him.It was crazy to see funny, nerdy Stiles suddenly dropping 100 hundreds of bodies and electrocuting anyone who came in his way. Still, I was happy to see the Kitsuke leave his soul at the end of the season. The experience only made him stronger and more attractive. Despite the traumatic experience, his loyalty and sense of humor remained.

          By eighth grade, I had watched every YouTube video Dylan O’Brien had ever posted, every movie, show, and interview he had ever been in, covered my room with posters of him, and began signing Joy O’Brien on all school work. Dylan Ob’rien’s personality closely mirrored Stiles’s. I have a theory that he was just being himself on the show.

Nowadays…

          It’s been nearly a decade since my love blossomed, but Dylan O’Brien is still my favorite celebrity. I could be happily married and leave my whole family if Dylan O’Brien asked for my hand in marriage. If I could be any fictional character, I would choose to be Lydia Martin because she is Stiles’ obsession throughout the show

          If I were to change my last name legally, I would still choose O’Brien. You get the picture. Please watch some Teen Wolf or any other movie he has been in when you can! I strongly recommend the Maze Runner Series, Deepwater Horizon, and The Internship.

Do you have any celeb crushes? I love to debrief, so let me know if you see me around the AAC! xoxo

Warmly,

Joy Yamagiwa