One theory I came up with when I wrote my latest Tron fanfic was that for Programs, body circuitry has the same meaning as muscles for humans. Having a lot of circuitry suggests that you have a lot of energy flowing through you, that you’re “strong” and “beefy”. Someone with fewer circuits might be considered weaker, but maybe it can also mean that they’re more sleek and efficient, “he doesn’t have many muscles, but he knows how to use them”. Kind of similar to the difference between athletes with muscles for lifting and muscles for running, for example.
So Tron with his many circuits would be considered a big beefy guy, attractive in the same way that some humans think that people with big muscles are attractive. And similarly, a Program with few circuits might be considered attractive in the same way that a slim, skinny human can be considered attractive.
Not entirely sure what the equivalent to “fat” (which can also be attractive, of course!) would be. Maybe having thick circuitry as opposed to thin? Like, “oh, there’s a lot of energy stored in those circuits”.
Also, this made me think that the Program equivalent to “body building” would be to draw extra circuits on yourself, that don’t have any actual functions, but look good (similar to how bodybuilder muscles look impressive but aren’t actually that strong compared to other types of muscles).
oooh I like this idea
Yori then would come across as either “strong and compact” or “brains not brawn”
Ram would look maybe even stronger than Tron! (Or is that densely circuited vest something different from the actual body circuitry?)
Maybe Ram’s vest is another kind of “body building”, like he (or Roy?) added a few minor subroutines that don’t do anything useful, but that look impressive.
So Tron would be “the strong one”, all his many circuits serving important purposes, while Ram would be “the pretty one”.
