The Umbrella Academy's characters all possess impressive abilities, but one is heading into season 4 with a marked advantage over their siblings.
Netflix's The Umbrella Academy has given one character a particularly substantial arc that not only hints that they're the most powerful of the Hargreeves siblings, but also that they'll have an advantage in season 4 when it comes to dealing with Sir Reginald. The Umbrella Academy tells the story of seven super-powered siblings adopted after the curious circumstances of their birth piqued the interest of eccentric billionaire Sir Reginald Hargreeves. Their dysfunctional family dynamic colors the universe-bending narrative of the show as the Hargreeves siblings hop from one timeline to the next attempting to stave off the various reality-threatening events they inadvertently trigger.
The varied powers of the Hargreeves siblings make them an excellent team, although certain abilities seem to be used more than others. For example, Five's time and teleportation powers are the driving force of The Umbrella Academy's story, while the Netflix show has yet to fully explore Diego's abilities. Allison spent a period of time unable to use her powers, while Viktor didn't even discover his until adulthood. One of the characters whose powers have been explored thoroughly - an arc that seemingly came to a head in season 3 - is Klaus: his ability to commune with the dead and return from the spirit world saw him learn that he's essentially immortal, and that seems to make him The Umbrella Academy's most powerful character.
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However, with the Hargreeves siblings apparently stripped of their abilities at the end of season 3, The Umbrella Academy has teased a season 4 shift in the show's power dynamic. Regardless, it still seems that Klaus has an advantage over his siblings, and it's not one that stems from his powers: it's the bond he built with Sir Reginald Hargreeves in season 3 that will likely serve him well in the show's final season. With Reginald teased to be the main antagonist for The Umbrella Academy season 4, Klaus's additional insight into his adoptive father will almost certainly prove invaluable to the Hargreeves siblings.
Of all the main characters of The Umbrella Academy, Klaus has arguably undergone the biggest transformation. In season 1, his difficulty living with his powers had contributed to a reliance on substance abuse, with subsequent seasons showing him learning to master the full scope of his abilities. Season 3 made Klaus the Umbrella Academy's most powerful member by making him functionally immortal, and that came as the direct result of him overcoming the trauma his abilities had inflicted.
Having Klaus use the compassion and empathy developed over this arc as a means of connecting with Sir Reginald would be an excellent way of paying off his story. It would highlight the personal growth he has undergone in order to master himself and his abilities, and would also fit the overall narrative of his recovery by having him extend his humanity to season 4's apparent villain. As The Umbrella Academy season 4 will begin with the Hargreeves siblings stripped of their powers, using Klaus's significant character development as a means of approaching Sir Reginald would be a perfect way to highlight his importance.
Niall Gray is a features writer for Screen Rant covering just about every film- or TV-related topic he's loosed upon. After spending his formative years soaking in as much pop culture trivia as possible, Niall started writing about film online in 2020, and contributes to numerous websites. When he's not writing for Screen Rant, Niall also writes for Corner of Film (where he also hosts a podcast) and sporadically dabbles in fiction with a focus on dark comedy and horror. Niall is also a certified boxing coach, which goes hand-in-hand with his encyclopedic knowledge of the Rocky franchise, and considers himself something of an expert on Batman. Though he takes a keen interest in the sci-fi, fantasy, and horror genres, Niall watches everything and anything, and his secret shame is consuming the many forgotten movies of questionable quality from the '90s and 00s. Niall can be found on Twitter @lordofthegray.