‘The Umbrella Academy’: Steve Blackman Reveals Why Klaus Never Tells Anyone He Can See Ben
Many fans of The Umbrella Academy are curious about how Ben Hargreeves (Justin H. Min) died. Unfortunately, it’s unclear when the answer to that question will be revealed.
But, thanks to showrunner Steve Blackman, fans finally have some clarity. While he didn’t explain how Ben died, he did clarify why Klaus (Robert Sheehan) never tells his siblings that Ben’s spirit is still around.
[Spoiler Alert: Some spoilers ahead for season 2 of The Umbrella Academy].
Gerard Way still doesn’t know how Ben died
Since The Umbrella Academy‘s release, fans have been curious about the details regarding Ben’s death. Did he die by suicide, did a villain kill him, or was it something else?
“I always knew I was going to resolve [Ben’s death],” Gerard Way, who wrote the graphic novels with Gabriel Bá, explained to Forbes in February 2019.
“The thing about The Umbrella Academy — it’s almost like improvisational jazz,” Way continued. “You’re just making it up as you go along. I have lots of things planned for eight volumes of this graphic novel, but some are still questions.”
At the time, that included the details on Ben’s death.
Fans only know one thing about how Ben died
What we know so far is that all of the Hargreeves siblings are to blame somehow for Ben’s death.
“I think that they all maybe have some involvement in his death,” Way told IGN in May 2019.
Still, Way was tight-lipped about the details. “I’m not even quite sure if I could reveal that. That’s beyond a spoiler because it has to do with the comic, too.”
In season 2, the siblings hinted that Ben’s death had something to do with a mission. During his funeral service, Sir Reginald (Colm Feore) made it clear that Ben’s death was on the siblings’ hands.
Many fans are eager to learn more about the tragedy of Ben’s death in the comics and hopefully, the Netflix series.
There’s a good explanation for why Klaus didn’t tell his brothers and sisters about Ben
In August 2020, Blackman hosted an Ask Me Anything forum on Reddit.
“Is there a story reason why Klaus doesn’t reveal Ben to the family in the 60s?” one fan asked. “It seems like Ben is keen to interact with the five other members, but Klaus seems to be content just leave Ben to himself.”
As Blackman put it: “Klaus is… well, Klaus. He is selfish and knows he is the conduit to Ben’s connection to the world. He doesn’t want to share Ben.”
In season 2, when asked if Ben made the time jump with the rest of them, Klaus lied.
“Unfortunately, ghosts can’t time travel,” Klaus said, knowing full-well Ben was in a chair behind him.
Thanks to Blackman’s insight, Klaus’ decision to lie makes more sense.
Eventually, Ben discovered he could possess Klaus and communicate with his siblings on his terms — which made for some of the more heartfelt moments in season 2.
For now, the details of Ben’s death are still a mystery. But at least fans have a better understanding of why Klaus chose to keep Ben’s presence a secret for so long.
