- "You know what the worst part of being dead is? You’re stuck. Nowhere to go. Nowhere to change."
- —Ben Hargreeves[src]
Ben Hargreeves, originally designated as Number Six, is one of the forty-three children who were all born on the 12th hour of the first day of October 1989 to mothers without any previous signs of pregnancy. The baby was one of seven adopted by Sir Reginald Hargreeves with the intention of training them to save the world. Ranked by their individual usefulness, Ben was Hargreeves' Number Six as a member of the Umbrella Academy. He possessed the ability to summon eldritch creatures through a portal to another dimension located in his body. Ben's death is one of the main reasons that the Academy disbanded.
Transported to February 11, 1960 with Klaus, Ben was determined to be seen by those he loves and vowed to go further than ever before to make his presence known. It was Ben who ultimately saved the world by sacrificing himself to calm Viktor down. After stopping the apocalypse, Ben's ghost moved on to the afterlife.
Personality
Ben is a very introverted person. While he was dead, he was scared to go into the light and spent time hanging out with his brother Klaus. It often became exhausted for him to watch and supervise his brother, due to Klaus always acting very volatile and harming himself. Ben cares very deeply for Klaus, and had FOMO for the real world. This is proven true, when Ben begs for Klaus to let him possess his body. When Ben is possessing Klaus, he is very happy and extroverted, revealing a side to him none of us have really seen before, He feels happy and freed from all the limits. When he reunites with Diego, they both burst into tears due to Ben's death a long time ago. Ben's usual personality is very stoic because he's always accompanied Klaus, caring and watching over him. This exhausted and drained him. But deep down he is a very happy person who is willing to care for his brother.
Biography
Ben Hargreeves is one of forty-three children born simultaneously to mothers with no previous signs of pregnancy on October 1, 1989. Ben was adopted by Sir Reginald Hargreeves and designated as "Number Six".[1]
In 2002, the Umbrella Academy made their first public appearance, stopping a robbery at the Capital West Bank. Ben was part of the team that stopped the robbery, reluctantly using his powers to kill several of the robbers. His power scared the hostages in the bank and they fled. Ben emerged covered in blood and dejectedly asked to go home. Once the Academy successfully stopped the robbery, Sir Reginald introduced the world to the inaugural class of the Umbrella Academy, but only mentioned that he adopted six children, rather than seven.[1]
On the day that Number Five disappeared, Ben was with his family at the dinner table. Ben read a book during the meal.[2]
While mobilizing for a mission, Ben found that the zip on his uniform got stuck. Grace helped him to release it and get ready.[3]
Death and legacy
Umbrella Academy What Happened to Ben?
In 2006, Ben died while on a mission, suffering a terrible fate. The event was later referred to as the Jennifer Incident. A statue of him was erected in the courtyard of the Umbrella Academy. However, Ben was not entirely gone. Klaus' power to communicate with the dead allowed him to see and talk to Ben when he was sober.[1] Klaus first summoned Ben after his funeral where Ben told him that he needed to go back and he had been told to go into the light. Klaus blew this off, stating that Ben could go whenever he wants. After Klaus assured him that he knew as the expert on the dead, Ben agreed to stick around.[4] Klaus did not tell his siblings he talked with Ben.[5]
In 2014, Viktor wrote a tell-all biography about their life as Number Seven in the Umbrella Academy. Klaus read the book while in rehab, allowing Ben to read the book while standing over his shoulder. He could not believe what Viktor wrote.[3]
During Sir Reginald's funeral, Luther and Diego come to blows. During the fight, Luther accidentally destroys Ben's statue.[1]
Klaus sobers up in an attempt to contact Sir Reginald. As a result, he is able to talk to Ben while in the back of Diego's car. Klaus is hungry and Ben agrees that he should have waffles.[1]
At the Academy, Klaus sobers up after getting high the previous night. As he struggles to find some drugs, Ben tells him that he used them all and he should consider starting the day with eggs and orange juice rather than drugs. Pogo asks Klaus about some items that went missing from Sir Reginald's office. When Klaus denies any knowledge of the items, Ben tells him he is lying. Klaus tells him to drop dead, which Ben tells him is a low blow.[2]
As Klaus searches the dumpster he threw Sir Reginald's effects into, Ben sits on the fire escape and watches him. Ben asks him if they can go to a movie, or to the ocean but Klaus wants to get Pogo off his case.[3]
Later, Klaus joins Luther, Diego, and Allison in discussing whether or not to deactivate Grace. During the vote, Klaus votes to keep her active and tells the group that Ben would agree with him if he were there. Ben tells him that he would not agree.[3]
When Klaus is captured and tortured by Hazel and Cha Cha, he is forced into sobriety. Ben helps him through it, trying to give Klaus the strength not to tell the two torturers anything. He is disappointed when Klaus gives up information on Number Five when they begin destroying his drugs, but is amused when Hazel and Cha Cha eat his "special" chocolate without realizing it is drugged.[6]
With Klaus locked in the motel closet while Hazel and Cha Cha are gone, he starts to go into withdrawal. Ben tries to comfort Klaus through it but tells him that the worst part of being dead is watching someone have what he doesn't throw their life away.[6]
As Klaus gets deeper into withdrawal, more spirits begin appearing to him. Ben notes that Klaus has not been this sober since he was a teenager and encourages him to use the spirits. Ben realizes that the spirits are all Hazel and Cha Cha's victims and advises Klaus to learn his captor's secrets and use it against them.[6]
When Diego and Klaus go after Hazel and Cha Cha, they are forced to drive away with Luther. Ben is visibly pleased to be sitting in the front seat.[7]
Trying to get sober in order to contact Dave, Klaus gets Diego to tie him up and take away his options. Ben watches the proceedings.[8]
With the day repeating, Klaus goes after Luther after he realizes that the last four years of his life has been a lie. Klaus believes that Luther needs something to take the edge off and experience life, but Ben argues that he's not ready for it. He points out that if the situation was reversed, Klaus knows that Luther would stop at nothing to save him.[9]
Klaus continues to search for Luther, finally finding him at a rave, drunk, and taking drugs. He tries to get Luther to stop, even throwing away a tablet, but the location threatens to overwhelm him. Ben tries to get him to stay strong but the temptation overwhelms him and he begins to crawl along the floor towards the tablet. As he does, he has flashbacks to his time in Vietnam.[9]
Klaus calls a family meeting to tell them about his contact with Sir Reginald and to reveal the information that he intentionally killed himself to get the Academy back together. With some of the Academy elsewhere, only Luther, Five, and Ben learn the truth.[10]
With the apocalypse quickly approaching and Allison badly injured, Klaus begins to look for something to take the edge off since no one is taking him seriously despite being sober and he still can't talk to the person he loves. Ben tries to talk him out of it, tell him he likes sober Klaus better. Telling him that bad thing happen and good people die, Klaus accuses Ben of playing the dead card again. Ben tells him he is referring to Dave and that he is better than this. Klaus apologizes and tells Ben he is right but is faking and swallows the pills. Ben turns and throws a punch at Klaus, and to both of their surprise it connects. Klaus spits out the pills. Klaus asks him how he did that, but Ben tells him he didn't and thinks that Klaus made it happen.[11]
During Viktor's destructive rampage through the Academy, Klaus and Diego search for Grace. As they do, they are knocked over. Diego is unconscious, and Klaus tries to rouse him. Just before the ceiling falls on them, Ben grabs both of them and hauls them to safety. Outside, Diego thanks Klaus for saving his life and Ben is annoyed when Klaus takes credit for it.[5]
Regrouping at Super Star Lanes, Klaus tries to convince his siblings that Ben is the true hero but they don't believe him. He tries to show that Ben is around by making him catch a bowling ball, but it doesn't work. The family still doesn't take Klaus seriously. When they head to the Icarus Theatre, Klaus is posted as the look out.[5]
During the fight against the Temps Commission while trying to stop Viktor from triggering the apocalypse, Klaus taps into his powers in a way he never did before and manages to manifest Ben into the real world. Using his tentacles, Ben takes care of the Temps Commission assault team. His siblings are stunned to see Ben take form in front of them.[5]
With Viktor stopped but the world still ending, Five devises a plan to take all of them back in time to try and avert the apocalypse. All the Hargreeves agree to the plan; Luther, now aware his dead brother is around asks if Ben agrees to the plan. With a smile to Klaus, he indicates that he is.[5]
Standing in a circle with hands joined, the Umbrella Academy are united once more, a family for the first time in years. Ben stays in contact with Klaus. Five transports them away just before the wall of fire devastates the building.[5]
Ben travels with the other members of the Umbrella Academy and is scattered throughout the Dallas timeline alongisde Klaus. Ben desperately wants to return to San Fransisco, however, where he has fallen in love with Jill, one of Klaus's followers. Klaus is reluctant to return, however, and this causes large tensions between the two.
Eventually, Klaus agrees to allow Ben to temporarily possess him whilst he talks with Jill, and the two kiss before agreeing to have sex; this is eventually interrupted by Diego, however, who is relieved to see that Ben jumped to 1963 like the rest of them despite Klaus' remarks that he couldn't travel.
After the Umbrella Academy realizes Viktor is in danger of destroying the FBI building and causing the apocalypse, Ben, the only one able to get through the shock waves created by Viktor's power, jumps into Viktor's body and locates his sibling hiding in his own mind, traumatized by the restoration of his memories. Ben recognizes that everything that's happened isn't Viktor's fault and comforts him, pointing out that after everything that Reginald did to him, it's no wonder he couldn't control his power. Ben comforts Viktor, remarking "it's a shitty world full of shitty people." Ben states that Viktor is not a monster but his sibling and their other siblings are risking everything to save them. Ben promises that Viktor isn't alone at the table anymore and can do this.[12]
As Viktor smiles at Ben, he suddenly starts disintegrating. Ben sadly explains that he can't go back with him, and Viktor realizes that he's hurting him; Ben states it's not his fault. He's been holding on as long as he can inside of him, but he can't anymore. Ben reassures Viktor that it's alright as he's been dead for 17 years and calls all of his years with Klaus "gravy." Ben asks Viktor to hug him as he goes, having not been hugged in a long time which he immediately does. Ben whispers a message for Klaus to Viktor before disintegrating completely and finally going into the light, traveling to his long avoided afterlife. Ben's sacrifice calms Viktor down in the real world averting the apocalypse.[12]
As Viktor goes to help Harlan, Klaus enters their car and asks if Ben is gone forever. Viktor confirms it, stating that Ben traded his life for theirs and saved the world in the process. Viktor passes Ben's message onto Klaus: Ben was too scared to go into the light and it wasn't Klaus that made him stay. Klaus is comforted by Ben's final message, having thought for 17 years that it was all his fault that Ben never went to Heaven.[4]
Powers and Abilities
Powers
- Eldritch Tentacles: Ben can summon eldritch tentacles from a portal in his stomach.
- Possession (formerly): As a ghost, Ben discovered the power to possess people for brief periods of time. However, Klaus is able to eject him with some effort. Using this ability, Ben was able to enter Viktor's mind to communicate with him, but doing so caused him to cross over into the afterlife.
Abilities
- Expert Combatant: Ben, like most of his siblings, has expert fighting skills. Though he mostly uses his powers in physical combat.
Relationships
See also: Klaus and Ben and Ben and Jill
Differences between Comics
- In the show, Ben's appearance differs from his comic book counterpart. Ben is asian and has black hair and dark brown eyes, while in the comics, Ben has white hair and lighter skin color.
- Ben is alive (in the altered timeline) and is a member of the Sparrow Academy (as Number Two), while in the comics, Ben is still dead in both the original and altered timelines.
Appearances
- The Umbrella Academy
- Season One
- "We Only See Each Other at Weddings and Funerals" (First appearance)
- "Run Boy Run"
- "Extra Ordinary"
- "Man on the Moon"
- "Number Five"
- "The Day That Wasn't"
- "The Day That Was"
- "I Heard a Rumor"
- "Changes"
- "The White Violin"
- Season Two
- Season One
Gallery
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 "We Only See Each Other at Weddings and Funerals"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Run Boy Run"
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "Extra Ordinary"
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "The End of Something"
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 "The White Violin"
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 "Man on the Moon"
- ↑ "Number Five"
- ↑ "The Day That Wasn't"
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 "The Day That Was"
- ↑ "I Heard a Rumor"
- ↑ "Changes"
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 "743"
See more
| The Umbrella Academy Characters on Netflix | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| The Umbrella Academy | Luther • Diego • Allison • Klaus • Five • Ben • Viktor • Lila Pitts • Sir Reginald Hargreeves • Grace • Pogo | ||
| The Sparrow Academy | Marcus • Ben • Fei • Alphonso • Sloane • Jayme • Christopher • Sir Reginald Hargreeves | ||
| Villains | Hazel • Cha Cha • The Handler • Leonard Peabody • The Swedes • A.J. Carmichael | ||
| Other | Harlan Cooper • Sissy Cooper • Raymond Chestnut | ||