Based on the comic book series of the same name, The Umbrella Academy is a TV series that follows the story of a dysfunctional family. An eccentric billionaire, Sir Reginald Hargreeves, adopts seven out of 43 infants with superpowers born on the same day under mysterious circumstances. He prepares them to form a superhero team called “The Umbrella Academy” to save the world.
Their mother gave a name and number to each of these siblings. However, one of these siblings, Five, has no name. Portrayed by Aidan Gallagher, Five is seen as the only sibling without a real name, unlike the rest. This has intrigued fans since the beginning of The Umbrella Academy.
Warning: This article contains major spoilers from the series The Umbrella Academy. Also, the piece reflects the viewer's opinion. Reader's discretion is advised.
There are theories explaining why Five remains nameless throughout the series. The most plausible could be the character’s innate nature and background as an assassin. The absence of a name could possibly be a reflection of his unique personality and the role he plays in the story.
Exploring why Five has no name in The Umbrella Academy
Every sibling has a chosen name in The Umbrella Academy. Luther is Number One, Diego is Number Two, Allison is Number Three, Klaus is Number Four, Ben is Number Six, and Viktor is Number Seven. However, Number Five is just called Five. While all the other siblings also have a superhero alter ego name like the Spaceboy (Luther), The Rumor (Allison), and The White Violin (Viktor), Five is just known as The Boy.
His number, Five, is his identifier, which is not just in the screen adaption but also in the comics. However, the comics explain why Five does not have a name in The Umbrella Academy. The siblings’ robotic mother, Grace, was responsible for giving them names. She had asked them to pick a name, but Five never got to pick one as he vanished into the future.
Sir Reginald Hargreeves adopted this unique naming approach, indicating a hierarchy assigned to each of the siblings. Luther was the best child in Reginald’s eyes. Hence, he was named Number One. In this manner, the ranking system placed Viktor, or Number Seven, as the least-liked child. Naturally, this had a negative impact on all of the children, but Five.
He did not function the way the rest of his siblings did. He had a complex relationship with his adoptive father. Unlike his siblings, he was least concerned about seeking validation or approval from his father. Five’s focus was more on achieving his goals. He is a confident character who has a practical and sensible approach to problems. So, it might be possible that a name was a trivial thing to worry about for Five.
Five’s background as an assassin for The Commission might also explain why he does not have a moniker in The Umbrella Academy. His ability to time travel made him fixate on honing it. As a result, he time-jumped even before he could fully understand its ways. He was impatient and stuck in an apocalyptic future for decades when The Commission recruited him. Thanks to the organization, he developed a methodical personality and became a ruthless assassin. While his siblings went on to lead lives filled with humanity, Five never had that opportunity. Thus, the lack of a moniker might reflect his cold, calculative nature.
Aidan Gallagher, who plays the role of Five in The Umbrella Academy, opines that the lack of a name is crucial to the development of the character. Gallagher told Collider in an interview in 2020 that Five believed that he was above such a petty thing as a name.
"He probably rejected the name because he thought it was petty, or something like that."
Showrunner Steve Blackman, during an AMA session on Reddit in 2020, has further gone forward to state that since Five disappeared while performing his time jumps and got lost for decades, Grace, who was in charge of naming the children, simply did not get the chance to help Five pick a name.
What powers does Five have in The Umbrella Academy?
One of the most intriguing aspects of The Umbrella Academy is Five’s powers. It is crucial to the storyline because it drives the plot forward. However, his powers come with a significant amount of risk. It is evident from the beginning that his desire to prematurely master his skills led to him being stranded in an apocalyptic future.
Along with traveling through time, Five also possesses teleportation abilities. He can move from one place to the other in an instant. However, despite being one of the most powerful siblings in the Hargreeves family, he is doomed to live a life of isolation due to his personality.
The Commission ensured that they stripped away whatever was left of his humanity and turned him into a deadly assassin. He proved to be valuable to them with his precision and efficiency. However, his experiences as an assassin may also have contributed to his disregard for a name. Possibly, he simply found it to be irrelevant and trivial.
The Umbrella Academy can be streamed on Netflix.
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