where-fading-princesses-live:

He secretly harbors a nurturing side. His repressed personality is very similar to Sarah’s, but unlike hers where I think she does push down true sisterly love for Ed, I think underneath Eddy’s shallow exterior is the potential for real tender instincts. He has a caring streak under all that greed, and he’s shown to care for his friends even if he usually sacrifices them for his own personal gain. But it’s not like he lacks total empathy either.

I think Eddy is like an egg. He’s tough on the outside but soft on the
inside. Initially, he seems rather unapproachable and cold, but as you
get to know him, you discover that he has a warm side too. People who are outwardly tough are easily mistaken as rocks. They
are respected for their strength and confidence, but at the same
time, other people feel intimidated by their achievements or
feel incompetent around them. Some might even mistake their confidence
as arrogance. They are typically not the first people you approach to be
friends with. However, some of these people have a heart of gold.
If you take the time to understand them, you might find a friend for
life. Not only are they warm and caring, they have the mental
toughness to help you resolve your problems. If you have a friend who
is tough on the outside but soft on the inside, treasure them. And Edd and Ed really do–they’re the most loyal friends Eddy can ask for and I don’t know he knows how lucky he is to have them. Eddy doesn’t know how to talk about intimate feelings, but the boomerang actually brings out this side in him. He seems to have a lot of trouble physically expressing himself, but it’s not that he doesn’t have any feelings.
He tends to be very direct with his words and says what’s on his mind without much thought. Sometimes, he may sound harsh and critical.

But sometimes I don’t think it’s Eddy’s intention to come off that way. He’s just not always soft in his delivery.

For example, ‘‘Dueling Eds’‘.

Eddy
has to learn to apologize to Rolf after unintentionally hurting his feelings.

This is one of the very few episodes where Eddy is fully aware he did something wrong, but he actually didn’t mean to.

There’s
a scene I really like which involves Eddy somewhat expressing guilt over
hurting Rolf, but he is unable to admit this, or realize what he did wrong
(it’s in these small, subtle moments that Eddy has the chance to show his
humanity and vulnerability. He understands
he hurt Rolf, he just doesn’t know why).
In @book-o-scams own words, ‘’Something Season 3 is REALLY good at is inserting
a quiet moment into these heavy stories. ‘’ The Eds are hanging out in
their usual spot in the junkyard, and while Eddy pretends to drive the ceremonial
retro van to take his mind off Rolf, Edd sits beside him in icy silence, only
delivering to Eddy an occasional sideways glance.

There’s no dialogue for
almost a minute, but you can feel the uncomfortable tension between Eddy and
Edd, while Ed remains joyously oblivious to what’s

bothering
his friends. When Eddy can bear it no longer, he breaks the silence by
screaming, ‘’WHAT’S ROLF’S PROBLEM?’’ to which Edd proceeds to explain to Eddy,
in a very serious tone, that he hurt Rolf’s feelings, albeit inadvertently.
Eddy’s in constant denial though as he keeps repeating the phrase ‘’I DIDN’T DO ANYTHING.’’ It’s actually a mature scene, and though the episode’s climax quickly dissolves
back into its usual, strange EEnE dialectic (which involves raw fish and a
bucket of eels), the majority of the episode is managed dismally. I actually
like this scene more than the quarrel between Edd and Eddy in the middle half
of Big Picture Show, another notable
mature moment that surprisingly doesn’t feel out of place in such a silly
cartoon. Though the fight between Edd and Eddy is more dramatic, I prefer the
scene in ‘’Dueling Eds’’ for its low-key silent intensity.

I also like that Eddy physically STRUGGLES with apologizing to Rolf, something he doesn’t do very often. It’s just not his character. He can’t even form a full meaningful apology. ‘’Here you go Rolf, I’m sorry for hurting your…whatever,“

he says half heartedly in a non-apology apology. And he only does it because Edd actually forces him to apologize, the way a parent would. Eddy literally doesn’t know how, nor does he have the moral sense and responsibility to admit he was at fault. But then we see how he breaks down in BPS and openly ADMITS to his faults. It’s such a big character development for him that I feel ‘‘Dueling Eds’‘ was building up to. The point is, Eddy can come across as blunt and unemotional, but the boomerang shows us otherwise.

Eddy, too, gets his feelings hurt. Sometimes he’s blunt, but sometimes he means well.
If someone else was to misunderstand him, he does feel the pain inside. He might act like
nothing is wrong on the outside, but it hurts on the inside. He’s only human. He’s also afraid to appear weak, so he builds these walls around himself.
One reason why tough people don’t display their emotions publicly is
because they are afraid to be seen as weak or pushovers. They are afraid
that others might take advantage of their vulnerability, so they prefer
to hide their feelings away from public view. He has his insecurities too. He finds it hard to be vulnerable and
emotionally close to another person because he was hurt by
others in the past. So he puts on a strong front to protect himself
from getting hurt again.

It’s not just that Eddy has trouble opening up to others. He has trouble opening up to himself. He only opens up to friends he trusts and keeps others at a safe distance. I don’t even think he trusts his own emotions.
He probably believes that showing emotions is a sign of weakness. He’s also
probably afraid that his emotions will guide him wrongly. I also think Eddy is harder on himself than he is on others and that’s why he’s bossy. 
His expectation of himself is so much higher. As bonding with others
wasn’t his best strength growing up, he focuses on achievements
and working hard instead. Being tough is how he gets to where he is
in life. He sees the value in it, so he keeps challenging himself to higher standards.
Bigger better scams. More money. Casey, Jr. shows us that he takes his relationships very seriously. Tough people with a tender heart tend to be selective with their friends
and choose their relationships carefully. They have fewer friends but
they are close with their friends. They are supportive and loyal to
their friends despite appearing uncaring.

Eddy may be independent, but he needs his friends as much as they need him.

So that’s my take on it.