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Why Diego's Powers Have Umbrella Academy Fans Confused

Many superheroes can fly, use X-ray vision, or shoot lasers out of their eyes. While there is obviously an abundance of abilities throughout the history of superhero lore, "The Umbrella Academy" introduces some truly unique concepts for its heroes to use against evil and each other in the Emmy-nominated Netflix series.

Talking to the dead isn't anything new, but Klaus (Robert Sheehan) takes it to another level by being able to allow the dead to interact with the living. Ben (Justin H. Min) has tentacles coming out of his torso, and Luther (Tom Hopper) has the body of a gorilla. Five (Aidan Gallagher) can teleport through space and time, and Allison (Emily Raver-Lampman) can rumor people into believing whatever she wants, even forgetting about having powers. Then, there is Victor (Elliot Page), who can destroy the world.

And finally, there is Diego (David Castenada), who looks like a discount Batman that throws knives. At first glance, it truly looks like he got shafted by whoever handed out these mysterious superpowers. But one point in the critically-acclaimed series (via Rotten Tomatoes) surprised fans by showcasing the true potential of Number 2's abilities.

Diego's abilty to move bullets like Neo confused fans

u/MrCrazymanyt posted his shock at Diego's ability to move a barrage of bullets from the army of Time Keepers in Season 2, Episode 10 ("The End of Something"). Several users chimed in with u/lml__lml saying, "He's a metal bender!" and u/aeschenkarnos responded, "Think of Magneto, and aim lower." But according to others, that isn't the case. u/Growdanielgrow pointed out, "He was able to redirect his knives, so why not metal bullets?" And u/smartlog said, "Agreed. He seems to be able to change the vector of a projectile." And finally, u/FluffyBlade11 came in with the confirmation, "That is how he curves his [knives]! I'm pretty sure he was shown doing that in season one." So Diego's power is projectile manipulation, and his forte is chucking blades.

But why wasn't he dodging bullets before this situation? Showrunner Steven Blackman may have the answer. In an interview with Uproxx, he talked about his approach to the character's abilities, "Something I'm trying to do, which is slightly different than the novels is having the powers in the TV universe always evolving. Because remember, they broke apart when they were teenagers. They didn't finish their training with their dad, and they're still sort of discovering stuff." It would seem Diego never mastered the skill of manipulating bullets, and it will be interesting to see how his powers progress in future seasons. Maybe he'll someday live up to his nickname in the graphic novels, The Kracken, and show off his talents underwater.