What Fans Don't Realize About Klaus' Powers In The Umbrella Academy
Based on an Eisner-winning series of graphic novels from Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá, Netflix's The Umbrella Academy follows the ongoing adventures of the Hargreeves family — a group of super-powered, adopted siblings raised from birth to play the part of "umbrella" against evil in the world. Season 1 of the Netflix smash picks up years after the group's unceremonious dissolution, finding the grown-up members trying to make their way in the world (and beyond) and struggling to get along when they're forced back together to stop a coming apocalyptic event.
Season 2 of The Umbrella Academy will drop on Netflix on July 31, and will hopefully shed some light on those season 1 cliffhangers – though, judging from the season 2 trailer, it will almost certainly raise a few more. However, there's one question in particular that continues to dog Umbrella Academy fans, and it involves the scope of Klaus's super powers.
As a reminder, the fan-favorite character (played by Robert Sheehan) has the capability to see, talk with, and, as we now know, physically interact with dead people. But a key scene late on The Umbrella Academy's first season has left a few savvy Redditors debating whether Klaus' abilities allow him to see only dead humans, or if he can see any deceased being.
Klaus' barbershop scene on The Umbrella Academy seems to be a key sours of the confusion
The scene in question comes on episode 7 of The Umbrella Academy's first season. One of the key storylines on the episode involves a disillusioned Luther (Tom Hopper) treating himself to a boozy night on the town. While some have found the scene itself cringe-worthily forgettable, it did lead to a revelatory moment for Klaus, who is temporarily left for dead after trying to help his ape-y brother.
The twist places Klaus in some form of the afterlife, eventually getting a close, post-life shave from his deceased dad, Sir Reginald Hargreeves (Colm Feore). While the scene is full of vital information, it's Klaus' ability to both see and interact with the late Papa Hargreeves that's raising questions — chiefly because we find out on a later episode Sir Reginald may be from another planet.
"Can Klaus see *any* dead being, or just human?" one inquisitive fan wrote on Reddit. "Additionally, if some sort of supernatural being does exist (omnipotent or whatever), would Klaus be able to see it?"
Sir Reginald's otherworldly origins are confirmed beyond doubt in the pages of the source material. The Netflix series has all but confirmed as much too, showing the monocled patriarch heading off to another planet following the apocalyptic event at the end of season 1. Given the timeline Jenga-ing we appear to be in for with The Umbrella Academy season 2, it wouldn't be surprising to learn that Hargreeves is from some futuristic alt-version of Earth itself. Should that be the case, it might help explain the odd technological advances (or lack thereof) in this story's world. However, it's important to note that the show has also deviated dramatically from the books, so really, a number of things could be at play here.
There are likely fewer implications regarding Klaus' ability to see dead, non-human beings, however — save that it might give him dominion over departed aliens with vital intel and/or powers of their own. That being said, the concept of aliens and humans sharing an afterlife — or the possibility that Klaus himself can see both because he and his super-siblings are half-alien hybrids, with their biological father being the same alien entity – is beyond intriguing. Still, that's a can of worms we can't imagine The Umbrella Academy actually opening, even if it fits within the show's bonkers narrative wheelhouse.