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Who are the Sparrows? What’s a Kugelblitz? Here’s what to know for 'Umbrella Academy' Season 3
Here's what you need to know about the characters and past apocalypses before watching.
After almost two years of waiting, the third season of The Umbrella Academy is almost available to watch on Netflix. However, almost no time has passed for the Umbrella siblings (or a lot of time has passed, depending on how you look at it … time travel is confusing), and there’s a whole lot of story for us to remember before the show’s Season 3 premiere.
Here’s a refresher of where things stand for the Umbrella Academy as well as what we already know about the Sparrows — their counterparts in the altered timeline they’ve jumped into — before the new season hits Netflix on Wednesday, June 22.
After barely stopping Armaggedon in 1963, the Umbrellas are back in 2019
Much of Season 2 had the Umbrella siblings thrown back in time to the 1960s, where they once again had to stop an Armaggedon. This time, the end of the world was coming from Harlan, the young son of Viktor’s (Elliott Page’s character comes out as transgender in Season 3) newfound love, Sissy (Marin Ireland).
Harlan gets some of Viktor’s powers after Viktor saves him from drowning, and when the FBI tortures Viktor, Harlan’s powers go haywire and threaten to destroy the planet. The Umbrellas also have a whole run-in with The Handler (Kate Walsh) that results in her death. By the end of the season, Viktor ultimately takes back his power from Harlan (or so he thinks), and the Umbrella siblings head back to 2019.
This 2019, however, isn’t the version they left at the beginning of Season 2. Back in the '60s, the Umbrellas met their father, Reginald Hargreeves (Colm Feore), and the patriarch really didn’t like them, so much so that he chose new children from the cohort of kids inexplicably born on Oct. 1, 1989 with special powers.
Reginald’s new group of children is called The Sparrows, and when we see them briefly at the end of Season 2, they’re none too pleased to have the Umbrella siblings in what is now their home.
The Sparrows are like the Umbrellas, but organized, effective, and with matching outfits
The Sparrows are a little more uptight than the Umbrellas and a lot more brutal. We don’t know much about them individually, although The Umbrella Academy Twitter account is releasing short videos for each character describing their respective characteristics.
The Sparrows' Number One is Marcus Hargreeves (Justin Cornwell), a man who seems like a true leader of the Sparrows and who can fight like no other. Number Two is Ben Hargreeves (Justin H. Min). Ben used to be a member of the Umbrellas but he died when they were all kids. This Ben is very alive and seems to be kind of a jerk. Number Three is Fei Hargreeves (Britne Oldford). Fei may be blind but that doesn’t seem to stop her or the crows that sprout out of her back. Number Four is Alphonso Hargreeves (Jake Epstein), a guy with a unique visage who is apparently a jokester.
The remaining Sparrows — Sloane (Genesis Rodriguez), Jayme (Cazzie David) and the cube Christopher — have yet to get their Twitter treatment but look suitably impressive in the photos we have of them.
Some other characters will most likely pop up too
Besides the Umbrellas — Luther (Tom Hopper), Diego (David Castañeda), Allison (Emmy Raver-Lampman), Viktor (Elliot Page), Klaus (Robert Sheehan), and Five (Aidan Gallaher) — there are a few other characters that may pop up this season.
Viktor, for example, wasn’t the only one who left loved ones in the past — Allison got married to Raymond Chestnut (Yusuf Gatewood) in the 60s, though she left him there to go with her siblings and see her daughter in 2019.
We also got a glimpse of Pogo, the advanced chimpanzee voiced by Adam Godley who was Reginald’s right-hand monkey, so we know he’ll play some part in the events of the third season.
Last but absolutely not least is Lila (Ritu Arya). Lila was raised by The Handler and gets romantically tangled with Diego in Season 2. She really hates Five since he killed her parents (although The Handler was the one who ordered him to), and we find out at the end of the last season that she can mimic the Umbrellas’ powers, an ability she has because she was one of those born on Oct. 1, 1989 with unique traits.
We also know that the young Javon Walton (Euphoria) will be in Season 3, though we don’t know what his role will be.
Based on the trailer, it looks like the Umbrellas will have paradox problems
It’s not a season of The Umbrella Academy without the fate of the world at stake. In Season 3, Armageddon takes the form of what Five calls a "Kugelblitz," a manifestation of the paradox the Umbrellas created when they altered the timeline in 1963 and then jumped to the altered 2019.
The Kugelblitz is apparently swallowing things, and it looks like it may swallow all of reality if the Umbrellas (and maybe the Sparrows?) do something to stop it.
How the Umbrellas do so, however, remains unknown. The good news is we’ll only have to wait a few days until Season 3 of The Umbrella Academy premieres on Netflix on Wednesday, June 22.
Looking for more sci-fi and fantasy? Head over to Peacock for films like Firestarter, Constantine, Twilight, Creepshow, Resident Evil, and Independence Day.
