The Apple TV+ show Foundation is a sprawling epic that aims to compellingly relate the collapse of a vast galactic empire and the efforts of a few people to try to stave off its worst impacts. Like all sagas, it is populated by an enormous cast of characters, each of whom has their own motivations and personality.
While some are clearly meant to be understood as heroes and are therefore quite likable, there are others who, while justified in their actions, are less adept at garnering sympathy for what they set out to do.
10 Phara
Phara is arguably one of the most complicated and complex characters to emerge out of this series, making her a good candidate for one of the best science fiction characters of the decade.
As the survivor of a bombing campaign that destroyed her planet and most of its population, she is bent on revenge against the empire. While she is capable of great cruelty and is single-minded in her approach, it’s hard not to at least sympathize with her somewhat, since everything that she loved or cared about was destroyed through no fault of her own.
9 Demerzel
Part of what makes Foundation such a great science fiction series is its ability to craft characters that fit into several categories at once, or sometimes none at all, and that often includes robots.
As one of the last thinking robots, Demerzel should have no actual consciousness of her own, but it’s precisely her liminal status--not quite human and yet also clearly not entirely an automaton--that makes her not only a fascinating exploration of what constitutes subjectivity, but also one of the series most interesting and likable characters.
8 Brother Day
The empire is the series’ most powerful political organization, and at its head, there are three cloned emperors, each of whom gradually ages out and is replaced by the next. While the various men that occupy the position of Brother Day are very different in some ways, in their key respects they are the same, in part because they are portrayed by the inimitable Lee Pace.
Their likability stems from their resolution to protect their empire and its people from those who would see it destroyed, even if this also means that they are willing and able to do brutal things to see it through.
7 Lewis Pirenne
Lewis Pirenne, at least at the beginning of his story arc, is one of the more obstructionist characters, unable to see past his own prejudices and beliefs about what Foundation could accomplish. As it goes on, however, he becomes ever more likable, particularly once he is kidnapped by Phara and forced to help her in her revenge efforts.
What’s more, he shows that he has a genuine respect for Salvor Hardin and does what he can to help her before he is mercilessly cut down.
6 Brother Dawn
Of the three genetic clones, the most recent Brother Dawn is one of the more compelling and complex. Unlike his brothers, who are identical in almost every respect, he has begun to show aberrations that, if discovered, could lead to his death.
His struggles with his identity and his obvious ability to feel love and affection for other human beings makes him far more likable than his elder brothers, both of whom reveal just how cold and ruthless they are in the defense of the empire.
5 Brother Dusk
The first iteration of Brother Dusk is possibly the most likable of the emperors that the series introduces. Unlike the Brother Day at the time, he doesn’t think that violence is always the answer, and he has a remarkable ability to feel compassion for other beings.
Indeed, he goes out of his way to demonstrate that he does truly care about the people of Terminus, showing that he has at least a measure of independence (especially compared to the Brother Day with which he shares the throne).
4 Hari Seldon
Hari Seldon is sure to become one of Jared Harris’ best roles, and he is arguably one of the most brilliant people in the series.
His obvious fondness for Gaal and his efforts to look after her show just how likable he is and demonstrate that, despite the fact that he has to bear the burden of understanding the eventual fate of the empire, he still retains a fundamental core of humanity and compassion. Most importantly, his deep desire to prevent the worst impacts of civilizational collapse helps to make him one of the series’ most likable characters.
3 Gaal Dornick
Every epic story has to have its reluctant hero, and in Foundation that is Gaal Dornick, a young mathematician that Hari Seldon takes under his wing.
From the moment she appears, Gaal shows why she is one of the series most appealing characters, for she has an independent streak that allows her to rebel against rules that she doesn’t feel are morally correct, whether that be her own culture’s dictates against science and mathematics or Hari’s absolute adherence to his own vision of the future.
2 Abbas Hardin
Of all of the people that go to Terminus to set up Foundation, Abbas is arguably one of the most charming. He goes not just because he believes in Hari but, more primarily, because he loves his wife (who is a devout follower of Seldon).
More than that, he clearly has a very loving and deep relationship with his daughter, Salvor and, when the chips are down, he is willing to sacrifice his life so that she can survive. No matter what happens, he will always remain faithful to her.
1 Salvor Hardin
Salvor Hardin is without a doubt the most likable character to appear in Foundation. She is very much invested in her duty as one of the primary protectors of the people on Terminus, and she is willing to do quite a lot to make sure that they stay safe.
Most importantly, she sets herself against Phara, recognizing that, while the Empire might have done terrible things, that doesn’t mean that the other woman’s efforts to attain vengeance--which would in turn sentence many innocent people to death--should be allowed to proceed without at least someone trying to stop her.
from ScreenRant - Feed https://ift.tt/3x8rGYF
0 Comments