Moo Deng the baby pygmy hippo in Thailand has taken the internet by storm with her glowing dewy skin and embodiment of chaotic feminine rage. She is bothered and thriving. With her recent popularity TikToker @indipine has created what she is calling “The Knights of the Rotund Table” which are led by celebrity panda Hua Hua as King Arthur. Moo Deng and Pesto the giant baby penguin have joined her as well as a gaggle of other round baby animals across the world. Many of you may be wondering what this has to do with speculative fiction. Well, this is going to be my personal list of knights but instead of being based off knights of the round table I will be assigning the internet's favorite rotund animals to different speculative fiction characters (specifically romance and fantasy cause they’re my favorite genres). There are twenty-five knights but don’t worry we won’t be going through that many animals.
HEAR YE HEAR YE THE FIRST CHARACTER IS ANNOUNCED
@indipine had the onigiri shaped Hua Hua as the king of her table and because I too am obsessed with the Director of Chengdu Culture and Tourism Bureau, she will be assigned the Mother of Dragons. Sweet but with the heart of a leader Hua Hua can only be Daenerys Targaryen.
The illustrious Moo Deng can only be Manon Blackbeak from the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J Maas. Manon is a queen in her own right but also a feral warrior witch. She’s just as chaotic as the glorious Moo Deng.
“Anybody want a peanut?” Pesto is the baby penguin from Australia that is already larger than his parents. He is a definition of a gentle giant which is why he makes the perfect Fezzik from The Princess Bride.
Fat Bear Week took place October 2nd through October 8th and this year’s winner is bear 128 who is more well known as Grazer who was also the 2023 Fat Bear Week winner. It’s a bit cliche but Grazer is a true mama bear. She would make a perfect Navani Kholin from The Stormlight Archives by Brandon Sanderson.
Billionare romance fans should know the four protagonists from Ana Huang’s Twisted series. I apologize to Stella fans, but I have not read the fourth book so I will be leaving her out. The trio of Jules Ambrose, Bridgette von Aschenburg, and Ava Chen are assigned the itty bitty snow leopard cubs Lenny, Phyllis, and Raya.
I’m sure many TikTok animal fans know Chunk the groundhog who eats a farmer’s vegetables in front of his camera. This mischievous little rodent can only be the mischievous little Edgedancer, Lift who is also from Sanderson’s Stormlight Archives. As a little bonus Lift is able to metabolize food to power her magic.
If any of the cuties interest, you be sure to check out or support the zoos and rescues where they live (listed below). Additionally, check out @indipine’s Rotund Table videos on TikTok!
Hua Hua: Beijing Zoo
Moo Deng: Khao Kheow Open Zoo
Pesto: SEA Life Melbourne
Grazer: Katmai National Park (wild)
Lenny, Phyllis, and Raya: Woodland Park Zoo
Chunk: He lives somewhere in Delaware (wild)
Comments