BEARS Stuffed bears, otherwise known as Janta puppets, often with a noose around their necks, found around Echo as dolls and chairs... although one was also dangling off Cheryl's fan. It is called Echo's mascot, and might represent her masochistic tolerance of Vincent's abuse. Personified as a girl. BUTTERFLIES The soul and the transformative powers of death; resurrection. Most are blue, some are made of light, one has been red. Seen around Jack, Glen, Lacie, Alice, Oz, and Gilbert. Lottie wears black butterflies in her hair, as earrings, and as a brooch. CAGES Bondage and entrapment, but also protection. Strongly associated with blue roses, and sometimes hang on a chain. Have been known to contain blue feathers, dolls of chains, skulls, and people. Have been used by Alice, Gilbert, Vincent, and Ada. CANDY Likely represents a link to Break and his omnipresence. Has been seen on the ground, on sword handles, everywhere. CHESSBOARDS Alternating colors representing polar duality and strategic conflict. Sometimes in stark contrast, sometimes blending into each other; sometimes level squares, sometimes diamonds. May come with chess pieces such as pawns, knights, bishops, Queens, or Kings.   COLORS   BLACK Associated with dark Alice, Black Rabbit Alice, Leo, Glen, Glen's chains, Baskervilles, the Abyss, Gilbert, and sometimes Jack. Eye color of Leo.   BLUE Associated with Gilbert, Vincent, Echo, dark Alice, and sometimes Elliot and Oz. Eye color of the Nightray dukedom.   GOLD/YELLOW Yellow is associated with Jack, Oz, and the Vessalius dukedom. Gold is the color of the Abyss as the harmonious Golden World and has been seen around both Leo and Jack. Gold and yellow might be interchangeable. Eye color of Gilbert and Vincent.   GREEN Associated with Jack and Oz. Eye color of the Vessalius dukedom.   PINK Associated with Sharon, Ada, and Lottie.   PURPLE/VIOLET Associated with Break, Alyss, Glen, Leo, Jabberwocky, and royalty. Eye color of Glen and the Alices.   RED Passion and blood. Associated with Alice as Bloodstained Black Rabbit, Baskervilles as Crimson Shinigami, and sometimes Oz. Hair color of the Barmas. Eye color of Break, Vincent, Lacie, and the color Oz's eyes turn when he uses B-Rabbit: "Cause of Misfortune."   WHITE Purity, but not necessarily in the virtuous moral sense. More like fullness of self-expression without restraint; can border on insanity. Associated with Alyss as the White Rabbit, Lacie, Echo, and powers of the paranormal. Hair color of Alyss, Break, and Echo. CROSSES Come in many varieties, including Lacie's Cross, Pandora Cross, and Nightray Cross. Usually associated with death and the afterlife. Sometimes come in the guise of swords. Associated with Alice and the Nightrays. CROWNS Immortality, righteousness, victory, triumph, resurrection, and honor, as well as glory of life after death. Seen on Leo, Alice, Glen's skull, Lottie's cover, and the Vessalius crest. CURTAINS Obscure or reveal information depending on how far they are pulled back. Often linked to pearls and stars. EARRINGS Come in many shapes and colors, including teardrops, clasps, crosses, butterflies, and roses. Might indicate the influence a character is listening to.   FEATHERS & Wings   BLACK FEATHERS Feathers of Glen's five Chains, particularly Raven, which grant access to the Abyss. Seen around Gilbert, Break, Glen, and Leo.   BLUE FEATHERS Love, devotion, and paranormal relationships, as well as secrecy and disguise. Given to precious persons on St. Belligeron's Day. Associated with Gilbert and Echo.   GOLD FEATHERS Found on the emblem of the Vessalius dukedom. Might be linked to the wings of light on which the soul flies through the golden Abyss.   PURPLISH FEATHERS Associated with Glen's give Chains, especially Jabberwocky, and seen around Leo.   WHITE FEATHERS A ceremonial object of the Vessalius dukedom. Seen around Jack, Oz, and Echo. Might be linked to the Will of the Abyss.   FLOWERS (Other than Roses)   BELLFLOWER Gratitude. Seen behind a mourning Gilbert who was holding Glen's skull.   IRIS A message of good news. Seen on Break's coat.   LILY Purity and majesty. Seen around Sharon, and maybe around Lacie as Fleur-de-lis.   LILY OF THE VALLEY Sweetness, humility, and renewed happiness; coming of Spring. Seen around Sharon.   MARIGOLD Grief, despair, and sorrow. Seen around Leo.   STATICE Something that never changes. Seen held by Elliot and as a shadow on Elliot's coat. Name of the melody gifted to Leo by Elliot as proof of their eternal friendship. HANDS Mysterious hands reaching for characters, suggesting connection, influence, and manipulation. Associated with "strings." Have been seen around Jack, Oz, Gilbert, and the black King chess piece which probably stands for Leo as King of the Baskervilles. MIRRORS These show polar extremes of the duality spectrum as an inverted reflections of each other. Mirrors have been very interactive in the story, serving as portals for beings real and illusory to cross between one reality and another. They may be a doorway to Wonderland, ie: the Abyss. ORANGES Mandarin oranges mostly appear in extras/omake, jacketless covers, and chapter intros. They are symbols of Jack Vessalius. RABBITS Representations of the Alice twins and Oz. Come in many colors: black (B-Rabbit), white (W-Rabbit), brown with bone (Alice's love of meat), brown with red tie (Oz), pink, and blue. Found most often in proximity of Alice and Oz, and also Cheshire. Sometimes the rabbit dolls are whole, sometimes damaged or stitched up, sometimes completely torn. The torn ones typically found around Vincent or Echo. Oz wears black rabbit ear hats.   ROSES   BLACK ROSES Death, hatred, and farewell. Used at funerals but can also mean rebirth. Could sometimes indicate obsession. Seen most often around dark Alice, Jack, and Vincent, and more rarely around Ada, Oz, and Leo.   BLUE ROSES Mystery or attaining the impossible. They are believed to be able to grant the owner youth or wishes; hope. Seen most often around Gilbert and Vincent, but also dark Alice, Oz and sometimes Ada.   PURPLE/LAVENDER ROSES Mysticism and enchantment, but also caution. Elegance, majesty, and opulence. Seen primarily around Break and Leo, but also both Alyss and Alice.   RED ROSES Love and desire. Passion that cuts both ways. Blood, violence, and aggression. Seen most often around Oz and Alice, but also Lottie and Break.   WHITE ROSES Humility, purity, and innocence, but also secrecy. Communion with the divine and paranormal. Used at weddings, funerals, and births. Seen around Alyss, possibly Lacie, and sometimes Break.   YELLOW ROSES Meant jealousy, infidelity, feeling unworthy, and decrease of love in Victorian times, but mean friendship in modern times. Seen most often around Jack and Oz, but sometimes around Ada and Break. SICKLES/SCYTHES Harvest and reaping, particularly associated with death and the harvest of souls. Found hanging from chains, pearl strings, and possibly in the Lacie music watch design. Associated with Black Rabbit as her primary weapon. SKULLS Symbols of death and the dead. Seen under Break symbolic of the 116 people he sacrificed to the Abyss as an illegal contractor. Seen as a pile at the feet of dark Alice, and a couple on the bed with her and Jack. Miranda collects skulls, Ada had one in a cage, and Gil held one in mourning. SPIDERWEBS Either symbolic of secret manipulation or the passage of time. Seen among the skulls at dark Alice's feet, and behind Vincent seducing Ada. STARS Linked with fun, light-hearted, whimsical scenes involving creativity and imagination to escape from an otherwise serious world. Often stuck to curtains or hanging off strings. Seen around Leo, but not exclusive to him. May be synonymous with five-petaled flower confetti.   STRINGS   CHAINS Bondage and entrapment, Chain contracts, degrees of autonomy and self-control. The most overt of the "strings," showing a direct connection to the Abyss. The braids that Alice had while she was human have turned into Black Rabbit's attack chains.   PEARLS Tears, pain, and sorrow. Often found around curtains. Sometimes hanging in garlands. Sometimes hanging down in strings ending with teardrops, stars, moons, and hooks. Have been known to hook into character dolls like puppet strings, and to turn into chains.   RIBBONS These can be loose or tied. They are found wrapped around or binding characters' arms and legs, tying characters to each other, or extending from characters' limbs offscreen like puppet strings. While they don't turn into chains, they sometimes hide chains. THORNS Danger and trickery, usually hidden behind a tempting facade, as thorns are hidden among roses. Might sometimes mean protection, as thorns protect roses. Often found winding around ribbons, chains, cage bars and, of course, among the various roses.

HOME DISCLAIMER: Pandora Hearts and all the characters, story, and art therein is copyright Jun Mochizuki. No copyright infringement is intended, and I hope that this essay inspires more people to read/watch Pandora Hearts! Translations are by Yen Press and Fallen Syndicate. Visit the Thanks page to see who else helped!