Why Did Vaggi Change Her Name? (Hazbin Hotel Video Essay)

Added: 2026-05-23

[00:00:00]Hey, what do you think about the name Bazzy? Sounds cool and tough, right?

[00:00:05]>> Uh, >> yeah. I'll keep workshopping.

[00:00:08]>> Okay, so before the video begins, question. Am I allowed to say her name without getting flagged? Because it's not my fault that's canonically her name. I mean, Kitty, I think you'll be fine if you were to say um I mean, considering how you did say you know who's staying for that one adult swim show, you should probably be fine. Okay then, Catherine, thank you. Hi, I'm Kitty Monk and I'm here to talk to you about Haspen Hotel or more specifically, it's been 30 seconds, so Vaggie.

[00:00:40]>> Actually, it's pronounced Vagy.

[00:00:44]>> No, >> it's okay. We will be discussing that.

[00:00:47]Now, one complaint I often do give for Hasbin Hotel, is the fact that because each season is eight episodes, and because I have technically in a way worked with Spindle Horse before, also shameless plugin, I star Frank in the Vox Tech singalong, which had the company's full backing. Well, they can't tell the whole story they want to, which as a creator myself, I massively sympathize with them for. And because Hasbin has Amazon and A24's oversight, I doubt they'll do anything more than the occasional song covers or the like. So, unfortunately, we likely won't get Hasbin shorts to close the gap like we do with Hella. I understand the frustration and how some plot lines have to end up on the chopping block or get significantly shortened to accommodate the bigger ones. Heck, I feel like each plot line in season 2, including Box's rise to power, were rushed or overlooked in some way, shape, or form. But which plotline do I feel suffered the most in season two of Hasbin Hotel? Because they did not get the 10 to 15 episodes they likely should have. Vaggie changing her name to >> Are you sure about the name this time?

[00:01:52]>> Positive.

[00:01:55]>> That which is just Vaggie without the E.

[00:01:57]So let's discuss. Baggie is a character in the world of Hasbin Hotel. She's Charlie's girlfriend, i.e. her romantic partner who just happens to be female.

[00:02:06]>> Vaggie, you're my partner. I need you there with me.

[00:02:12]>> Fine.

[00:02:13]>> Vaggie is the manager of the Hasbin Hotel, effectively being the second in command. Vaggie is often able to balance out Charlie by being more sensible, street smart, and straightlaced. Charlie thinks they'll be able to convince all of hell to come to the hotel via a literal song and dance on the evening news. Yeah, Vagy knows better.

[00:02:32]>> We want people to want to come here.

[00:02:34]This makes it look um >> The word you're looking for is bad.

[00:02:39]>> Funny. I was going for hilarious.

[00:02:42]>> Vagy doesn't believe in Charlie's plan of redemption, but she goes along with it because Charlie is her girlfriend and she's truly devoted to her.

[00:02:49]>> How many times will we have to watch your people be killed before we make headway?

[00:02:53]I'm supposed to make your dreams a reality. I'm supposed to protect you.

[00:02:58]I'm supposed to never fail you. Now, one complaint the spindle horror shows often get is that the female characters tend to get shafted or they aren't as well written as the male ones. No, I don't think this is because Vizzy Pop is a secret misogynistic racist sexist woman.

[00:03:13]But yeah, it is noticeable at times.

[00:03:15]Still, I feel kind of like Millie. Vagy has reasons for being a wet blanket. If you had a girlfriend like Charlie and you had to deal with people like Angel Dust, Alistister, or Nifty, you would likely get a little stressed out, too.

[00:03:28]That stops right now. Hey, you absolutely cannot build weapons in this hotel. No one is trying to kill you.

[00:03:34]People are being nice because they want you to feel welcome. Especially if again you don't really believe in all of this, but you're just doing it because you do believe in your friends. And no, Vagie is not a racist stereotype for the same reasons I gave. And also, Vivine Madranu is El Salvadorian, so hey. Plus, they also give the reasons why she's so devoted to Charlie, like to the point where she makes Pearl look like she's slacking when it comes to grieving for Rose. And it's because Charlie saved her from death and from the gutter and took her in and gave her a new life. To think someone as worthless as you landed Lilith's little hottie. Congrats on that, I guess.

[00:04:12]>> And remember, they've only been together for a couple of years. I think Charlie says how long when they're marching to Cannibal Town.

[00:04:19]>> Three years. three years I've been sharing my life with her and I tell her everything.

[00:04:24]>> So yeah, it makes sense. And the show further explains why. In the episode, Welcome to Heaven, Charlie is finally able to get an audience with heaven to tell them about her idea of redemption.

[00:04:35]And Vagie goes whiff, even if she absolutely hates heaven. It's cool. I hate Soho, too. Emily invites Charlie and Vaggie to have a day of fun before the trial, but Vagie doesn't want to go.

[00:04:46]>> Emily's going to take me to a zoo where all the animals are actually soft. You coming? Uh, I need a break, but hug a koala for me.

[00:04:53]>> OMG, can you imagine an actual koala?

[00:04:55]>> Baggy is me. After the con adrenaline wears off, when Charlie leaves, Adam shows up with loot. And well, this happens.

[00:05:02]>> Hey there, Vagosaurus.

[00:05:04]>> Charlie will be back soon. You need to get out now.

[00:05:08]>> Notice how annoyed she is at the name and the fact Adam even knows what her name is at all, or at least a version of it enough to nickname her. And to be fair, yeah, Faggie's name is suggestive.

[00:05:19]So, she has good reason to hate when people make nicknames out of it or confuse it with willow trees, like how Angel just did in episode 1.

[00:05:27]>> You're doing great.

[00:05:29]>> Cut. But it doesn't stop there. And wow, I think this is like the first and only time the sensor thing I use actually pertains to the episode. Outside of the whole feed the fish thing with Kanye West, Adam informs the audience there's a reason he knows Vagie and why Vag's name is the way it is. Vagy is an exorcist, aka an angel who is sent to kill sinners during the extermination.

[00:05:50]And she was so impressive, probably second only to loot of all people, that she impressed Adam so much he gave her a name befitting her status, implying she didn't really have one until then.

[00:06:00]>> You were on the front lines. I wouldn't forget a bad like you. It's why I named you after the best thing ever, Vagie.

[00:06:08]So, yes, Vag's dead name, so to speak, is that which, yes, is 100% demeaning, and I get why she hates that name. I'd hate that name, too. But from Adam's perspective, it is a mark of respect because he appreciates her skills. He just doesn't know like most women or people aside female at birth would hate that name. Still, when you think about it, Baggie is technically still going by the name she was given, but in a way where she was able to make it her own.

[00:06:35]She didn't change the spelling. She didn't change the name itself. She only changed how the name was pronounced.

[00:06:40]Hey, that rhymes. Which if you're curious, yeah, Vag is 100% a heavenborn angel. Maybe even created by Adam. The exorcists are public knowledge considering the cherubs. It's just merely the exterminations that they have to keep a secret. Bizzy Pop confirmed the exorcists are not descended from Adam the same way, say Angel is because he's a human. And in any case, I think if Vaggie were a human turned angel, she would just revert to using her human name. But in any case, notice that too.

[00:07:08]Vaggie doesn't have another name to fall back on beyond the one Adam gave her that she absolutely despises. At least would say Vox if he stopped liking his name, he could just go back to being Vincent. Like, it's a possibility. Adam tells Vaggie that if she doesn't stand down during the trial, he'll tell Charlie she was an exorcist, aka one of the angels who murdered thousands, which is kind of antifatical to Charlie's whole goal. And remember, Loot killed 275 people during the pilot alone, and the exterminations are only one day a year.

[00:07:40]>> I guess I'll just tell little Miss Butterflies and Rainbows that someone who's killed thousands of her people.

[00:07:46]>> Veggie does as Adam orders, but because Charlie is able to convince Emily to follow her lead, well, out of spite, Adam spills the beans, which admittedly, I do think the whole twist was a bit anticlimactic, even if that probably was the point.

[00:08:00]>> You know, I'm an exorcist. how you have a giant X over your eye and wield an angelic spear. It's not rocket science.

[00:08:08]I feel it would have benefited if they didn't actually say it until you didn't know and then next episode we open with a flashback to how she became Ballen. Or if they did have extra time and got more episodes, they could have made this a two-parter and they end with a cliffhanger of, "Oh yeah, you're one of us and then episode two kind of built on that." Even if I guess maybe them being anticlimactic was like the point. Like, look, everybody can tell, and if you can't tell, you weren't watching, so I'll accept it. But before we get to season 2, I do want to continue touching on Vag's name. In the season 1 finale, Penises calls her Vagifa, which is a funny inside joke because Vagafa was Vaggie's full name in the pilot.

[00:08:46]>> Ladies, there are more COMING UP ON YOUR RIGHT. GET READY FOR THEM, VAGIFA.

[00:08:52]>> NOT MY NAME, BUT GOT IT. But well, the hellers loves its metaphors and therefore in my mind, Vaggie can be read as a transcoded character. Technically speaking, yes, she is a queer character since she's canonically a lesbian in a loving relationship with a bisexual woman, but she did leave her religious conservative relatives and community.

[00:09:11]Have you ever heard stories of queer people coming out to their religious families and getting thrown onto the streets? And now she has a new name she insists people use because it best represents her, which those conservatives who are supposed to be her family refuse to do.

[00:09:25]>> Vag. Actually, it's pronounced Vagie.

[00:09:30]>> No, >> they dead name her, which is ironic for this kind of a show. The whole word dead naming. And they even do it when she isn't around considering the finale.

[00:09:38]>> And you all remember Vagie.

[00:09:41]>> Whoever brings me Vagie's head gets I don't know a million heaven bucks. So yeah, even if the show maybe did not intend for it, I think you can read Vagia's transcoded the same way you can with Steven constantly being called she her because people think he's his mother. Out of all of the hotel members, excluding potentially Nifty, Faggie gets the least amount of focus. I mean, besides the twist with her being an angel, she doesn't really get a lot of true development. I'd argue she was the Millie of Hasbin Hotel, which they say there are reasons for Millie being so boring, for lack of a better word. And I'll even say Veggie wasn't my absolute favorite. Although, if you watch my Charlie and Pomi videos, you'll know by now I actually hate most main characters. So, it wasn't anything personal. It was just a kind of preference. Doesn't mean I don't mind cosplaying as Baggie. I actually love wearing an eye patch. But still, remember, I'm not most people. On social media, people complained about Baggie and Charlie for a lot of reasons, like, "Oh, the show doesn't exist outside of Charlie," or the like. Until we finally got season 2. When we first meet Vaggie in season 2, this is her introduction.

[00:10:48]>> Hello and welcome to the Husband Hotel.

[00:10:49]My name's uh changing for now. Call me Vaggie. Have a lovely day. Here's your key. Thank you so much for staying with us.

[00:10:55]>> Oh, she's changing her name. Eh, this might be fun. But okay, let me get this out of the way once again. I think Baggie changing her name was the worst plot line of season 2. Doesn't mean it was the worst written. It just meant like it was the one that needed more time, the one that suffered the most because they have reduced time. Heck, I felt at times if you removed this plotline, nothing would be lost. And I hate I have to say that. And I feel if Hasbin wasn't owned by Amazon, they would have gone with Baggie actually changing her name to something else. But they couldn't because merch was a thing.

[00:11:27]But I feel the only reason this plot line was made was because they wanted to dispel the criticism Vagie doesn't really do anything unless it pertains to Charlie. Like, see, look, we did something. Now you can't complain. But unlike what Millie got with Unhappy Campers and Ghostbusters, they didn't have the time to do it. Which is surprising considering how big Hasbin is. And it sucks because later in the season, she does get stuff to do. Like, she gets a whole argument with Charlie.

[00:11:52]>> Oh, you really done it now, Princess.

[00:11:55]Charlie, we don't even know how Penises got redeemed. How do you expect us to replicate that on TV?

[00:12:01]>> I.e. she gets focus as a character and it's not just being her yes man. And to be fair for this, I am highly sympathetic to the writing staff. I know I sound harsh, but no, I actually am because I really do feel bad they can't tell the full story the way they want to. I just feel like the final product is still something critique in a way, even if I'm not saying like you should have done better. Anyhow, I'm not spoiling anything. Vaggie ends up changing her name to Vaggie, which is just her name, but with no E.

[00:12:28]>> It'll only work if the right people are in the right place. Here. Are you sure about the name this time?

[00:12:35]>> Positive.

[00:12:37]>> She basically does the Blitzo thing. Um, Kitty, the O is silent. You should be silent, Catherine. But the journey is 100% offcreen. We never see any meaningful milestones for Baggie. We don't even see the moment she decided to essentially keep her name but just change the spelling a little. Like maybe say Loot shows up and calls her that or whatever. At most, it's just a background joke and it sucks. Now, in the season 2 premiere, Vagie does address why she's changing her name when Cherry Bomb presses her for it.

[00:13:05]>> Why are you changing your name again?

[00:13:07]What's wrong with Vaggie?

[00:13:08]>> Because Adam gave you that name, and it's demeaning. I feel like I got to give myself one, you know, >> which is perfectly fine. Your name is your own business. Heck, I have a story or two. who I'm going to share at some point later in this video. But when I first saw this, my first thought was, "Didn't you technically already do that?

[00:13:24]Adam did not give you the name Baggie.

[00:13:26]He gave you the name of that other thing."

[00:13:29]>> What do you think about Vanessa?

[00:13:31]>> Uh, it's not bad, but it's not as unique. But if you like it, then I I love it.

[00:13:38]>> Now, this would be a scene that would be ripe for a flashback or maybe a Family Guy style cutaway gag like we see where the new pronunciation came from originally. Maybe when she was introducing herself in the alley to Charlie and she was in too much pain to say her name, so it got mispronounced and it just stuck. Maybe Charlie mispronounced it. Maybe when she saw it written down for the first time and Vaggie liked it so much he kept it. It would have been cool to see. Or even the moment Adam gave her the name she hated, like, "Nice job, recruit. Your new name is Vagie." Can't I have a cool name like Vanessa?

[00:14:13]No. But for the most part, it's just a running gag of sorts. Like, "Oh, hey, Vaggie. Oh, it's Vanessa this week, babe. You know what? I'm not really feeling it. Just stick to Vaggie." What about Vera? You know what? Call me Vera.

[00:14:23]Which is very easy to miss if you're a casual viewer and don't binge and digest and absorb the show like I do. Even times when, say, Lucifer calls her a different name.

[00:14:32]>> Oh, sorry. Oh, Vanastasia. I'll let you in on a little secret.

[00:14:36]>> Yeah, I don't really count that. He's done it before to Baggie. He did at their first meeting.

[00:14:41]>> You like girls? So do I. WE HAVE SO MUCH IN COMMON. YOU PUT HER THERE, MAGGIE.

[00:14:46]>> AND Lucy is canonically bad with names in general. So this is just him being him. And not to mention, there's other opportunities to insert this. That sounded weird. Not my intent. Like when Vox shows up to the hotel, maybe he keeps dead naming Vaggie or using a different name than the one she's requesting he use. Just saying. Charlie is literally sleeping with an angel, aka the people that Vox is trying to wage a war against. I'm sure he didn't use that as a way to say Charlie is bad news. is like, "Oh, look. She's literally sleeping with the enemy." But there's also a few other reasons I think they could have used the naming angle. And that's how it pertains to real life.

[00:15:20]Yeah, I know for my Zubal video a lot of you guys said like, "Hey, maybe they shouldn't just write this for rep." But it makes sense. And considering how they actually attempted that here and it just became like a nothing burger, I feel like I'm more afraid to critique it than I was with Zubil. Hasbin is a very queer positive show and as a result it has a big queer positive following or at least a bunch of allies. I've seen both. Many queer people have gone through the same journey Baggie has where they don't go by the name they were given at birth. It was interesting watching season 2 because this time I actually had people to watch it with. I would talk to people, friends and acquaintances and they would tell me how much they saw their own experiences reflected in Vaggie and it was cool hearing these stories and it made me realize, yeah, Hasbin does have an impact on people.

[00:16:04]And Hasbin has a big community that also cosplays and the like. And with cosplay, most people do not go by the name they were given because either they want to keep that anonymity or because hey, this is the only place they can feel safe. I feel for most cosplayers, allowing someone to call you by your normie name, i.e. the name you go by when you aren't in cosplay, is a huge mark of respect and trust. Like Kitty Monk is interesting because I'm known more by that name than my own name. And I've had problems with fans calling me Abby or Abigail because I consider Kitty and Abby to be two separate people. Like I had to make it a rule that only my friends or mutuals, i.e. if I follow you and you follow me back and we talk on the regular, could call me either or just because I know you and I trust you.

[00:16:47]And hey, I am a queer person myself. I'm both bisexual and a-romantic. And I still go by my legal name. Aby's just a nickname. Now, like I said above, when I first watched the season 2 premiere, I thought that Vaggie was going to retain her name, mostly because of my own personal experiences. If you'll recall in my videos, especially in my Owl House videos and the one I made on Francine and her little kid self, Kitty Monk, or at least the monk part of my name, started off as a mean nickname. I'm a goth. I used to wear all black and some people who were supposed to be my friends and family didn't really like that and they would constantly make it known. Even if, to be fair, it's the Benedictton monks who wear all black.

[00:17:24]Not the Franciscans. You're not as smart as you think you are. But I'm a non-conformist poser, so you can't tell me what to do. This trope is called appropriated epilation, i.e. taking a name that was meant to insult you and reclaiming it as a badge of honor. At the time, I couldn't really stand up for myself, so I took the monk part and turned it into my username. I basically pulled a rose quartz. And if you're curious, the kitty part was because I misheard somebody calling me kitty, as in little kid, and I thought they said kitty, like kitty cat. So yeah, that's the origin of Kitty Monk. And this is something Hell of a Boss has done, meaning they have experience writing this. Blitz changed his name and the pronunciation to distance himself from his past. We don't know when he did it, although I feel like the show's eventually going to say it, but yeah, the only person he lets call him Blitzo is his own sister. And while considering Vag's line of >> actually, it's pronounced Vagie.

[00:18:16]>> That she'd eventually realize, wait a minute, this name I always hated, is it really Adams anymore? He doesn't own it.

[00:18:23]I made it my own. I'm keeping it. But I guess I'll just drop the E because hey, because that I can get. Abby is traditionally spelled with four letters.

[00:18:30]I spell it with three because somebody did that for me once. And I really liked how it looked. I made it my own. Even if growing up I was constantly told, "No, you're not Abby. Your name is Abigail."

[00:18:40]And where did it get the idea of dropping the E from? Like they never say. Did maybe someone misspell it and she liked it like me? I don't know.

[00:18:48]Other idea I heard that was my second choice was that Vaggie changes her name to Vagafa. Perhaps as a way to honor Penises. Like maybe they wouldn't know for a while that Penas really was alive.

[00:18:58]So she was like, "Huh, he did call me that. Maybe I should keep it." Remember how Galinda became Glinda to honor Dr. Delmon? Baggie was one of the people who didn't really like Penas and now he's gone. But I do think this was honestly the weakest plot point of season 2. I just wish we got the Eureka moment from Baggie just that once. Like maybe when the angels show up in Silence, Lude could actually get more than one line and be like, "Uh, Vagie." Or maybe the angels try to give her a gift basket, but they misspell it and she's like, "Wait, my name is Huh. I actually kind of like that." And she just keeps it or be like, "Hm." Becky as a character is one I feel gets overlooked a lot by fans. She's not a bad character. There are good reasons for her being the way she is, but fans want more from her, and I understand that. Season two tried that, but because of stuff like Vox's rise to power, it got shoved to the back burner and unfortunately happened mostly offscreen and in the background. It sucks because this would have been a fun journey to watch because be it for gender reasons, sexuality reasons, or personal reasons, there are a million reasons you might want to change your name and all of them are valid. But we never got that. Still, I am happy they tried something and yeah, anyhow. A B