long post ✨️ tl;dr: the reason a lot of caleb mains (who are anti-valko) feel that valko has displaced caleb trope and trait-wise is due to the fandom-wide mischaracterisation of caleb. i've said it before and i'll say it again—a lot of the kind of personality valko has (btw we don't Truly know how he is yet, sadly—we can only speculate) is what caleb has been fanonised as. i suspect this is because valko's 'type' (assumed as: overly clingy, cuddly, warm, a true 'puppy-like' guy and very doting husband type) was missing within the li's, but now he's here and it's caused caleb to be displaced—but it's Because of the fanon traits We've given him. caleb isn't actually a puppy-like personality, let's be really honest here. he's actually quite cunning and dominant, and extremely reliable to the point where he wants mc to completely rely on him for everything. is that 'puppy-like' type to you? the puppy thing was 100% sparked from his puppy-features, and how needy he tends to get when he yearns deeply for mc due to the overwhelming guilt he feels for loving her, but that isn't a purely 'puppy' trait—he has yandere tendencies, don't forget. hell, even the panties trope is also a fanon trait. in reality, these things can actually possibly be given to valko bc he's a wolf, down to being a sniffer and being an actual 'dog', it can't be helped. caleb has been mischaracterised for a really long time, and i've felt that way since he was introduced as a li personally. don't get me wrong—i always indulge in the fun times the fandom has, i literally love puppyleb! i've puppyised him myself, i'm not pointing blame at all. fandoms doing fandom activities and having fun, that's normal. but all jokes aside? all fanon context aside? he's not that, and now caleb is forced to be displaced against fandom expectations. it kinda sucks! another example is when some people said caleb didn't fit the 'leopard', i was confused—because he does. he's absolutely as cunning and sharp as a leopard, and very, very paternal too. you don't think that caleb suits a fierce feline predator who is physically gifted? you may have only thought that way because you puppy-ised him, let's all be honest. that's all i want to say. if anything, i totally get where it's coming from and tbh, it does suck—but it is 100% not valko's or even infold's fault. it was us.