Let's talk about Ulim

[+mdross81]

Not sure about anyone else, but I'm endlessly intrigued by Ulim. And not just his weasely, sycophantic ways. There's a lot of weirdness going on with him. So I wanted to put together a post laying out what we know, and what mysteries remain surrounding that Voidspren we all love to hate.

What We Know

1. Appearance

Ulim generally takes one of two forms. Either that of rolling, crackling red lightning/energy moving across surfaces; or that of a small human male with "odd eyes" and long hair that waves or ripples in an unseen wind. He can also vanish, making only certain people able to see him.

And on one occasion, we also see him with spikes breaking through his skin and then retracting:

Quote

Ulim blurred, carapace-like barbs breaking his skin and jabbing out, then retracting. It seemed to happen to the beat of one of the new rhythms, perhaps Fury.

RoW, Chapter 77.

2. Personality and Mannerisms

To put it bluntly, Ulim is just ... the ... worst. He's dismissive, derogatory, and downright callous ("Oh, you thought she was alive?") to anyone he views as bring of a lower station than him. Which seems to include pretty much everyone except for the Fused and Odium himself. Although he's not beyond making snide remarks about even the Fused and the Unmade, provided they're not around to hear it:

Quote

In the past, Odium granted forms of power, but Ba-Ado-Mishram thought she could do it. Ended up handing out forms of power as easily as Fused giving each other titles, Connected herself to the entire singer species. Became a little god. Too little.

Row, Chapter 73.

But when in the presence of a Fused, he's obsequious and frankly, more than a little cowardly. He's concerned about others making him look bad in front of them.

He lies constantly, and is a master at manipulating people. While being dismissive is his go to move, he's plenty able to pour on the praise and promises of future glory if that's what the situation calls for.

And while he seems firmly on the side of the Fused and Odium, he speaks and gestures in human ways.

Here he is in RoW 59, somewhat reluctantly deciding to work with Venli, while using what seems a very un-singer like expression:

Quote

“Well, you’re certainly dramatic,” the little spren said, tapping his foot. “Guess we use the tools we find in the shed, even if they’ve got a little rust on them. Here’s the deal. I’m going to take up residence inside of you, and together we’re going to do some incredible things.”

Here he is in OB Interlude 3 after Venli grows angry at the way Ulim is speaking about Eshonai:

Quote

Ulim rolled his head in an exaggerated way, as if perturbed – and bored – by the chastisement.

Here's another point later in the same chapter, and this time a Fused calls him out for it:

Quote

“Let her pass,” the thing with Demid’s body said. “I will speak with her.”

Ulim sighed. “Bother.”

“You speak like a human, spren,” Demid said. “Your service here was grand, but you use their ways, their language. I find that displeasing.”

He's unforgiving toward those he views as traitors to Odium's cause (even when they do exactly what he wants them to do). Oh, and he thinks pretty highly of himself (perhaps not entirely undeservedly) for what he was able to accomplish in summoning the Everstorm. This is again from OB Interlude 3:

Quote

“Our leaders,” Ulim said, “know exactly what they’re doing. Them I obey. But I am the one who escaped, the spren of redemption. I don’t have to listen to you.”

3. Abilities

(Note: I'm proceeding in this section under the assumption that what we see Ulim do with Venli, he would also be able to with other singers)

Ulim is able to move in and out of a singer's gemheart without needing a highstorm (though it may require some level of permission from the singer). He's able to crowd into the gemheart along with whatever lesser spren gives the singer their current form. While inside a singer's gemheart, Ulim is able to speak to the singer and even hear their thoughts. By taking up residence inside a singer's gemheart, he also grants them the ability to hear Odium's rhythms. Perhaps his most impactful ability is the ability to manipulate a singer's emotions. He makes Venli dance like a puppet on strings, and through her manages to manipulate a number of other listeners as well in pursuit of his goals.

(If interested, you can read in the thread below about my theory that Ulim is actually using vibrations/rhythms to perform this emotional manipulation):

As mentioned above, Ulim is able to scoot along surfaces in the form of cracking lightning. And although he doesn't appear to able to fly, he does seem able to sort of jump while in lightning form:

Quote

The spren approached across the stone wall, like crackling lightning moving through the stone. “Demid, you hand.”

Demid obediently raised his hand, palm up, and Ulim shot across from the wall to the hand, then formed into his human shape, standing on the perch.

This is also one of several instances where we see that Ulim can make physical contact with a singer. Other instances are when he hops onto Venli's shoulder, grabbing onto her hair, and shortly later in RoW 77 when he lands on Venli's arm and begins moving toward her gemheart. During that pivotal moment, Ulim also demonstrates that he can vibrate energy through a singer. After hitting on the idea of starting a war with the Alethi, he vibrates energy through Venli while trying to convince her, not just to go along with that plan, but also that it was in fact her idea.

There is a limit to his ability to interact with the physical world, though. For example, he is not able to carry a bag of gemstones, and brings Venli along to do that.

One ability that Ulim does not have is the ability to see in Shadesmar. I don't know how notable this is. I tried to look back through the first four books to see whether spren are generally able to do this or not and couldn't really find anything definitive one way or the other.

4. Ulim's Role in Odium's Plans

Although it is never explained, the Fused (and even one stormform singer) refer to Ulim as the Envoy.

He made his way to Roshar by passing through the barrier storm that blocks the way to Braize in Shadesmar. Through some unknown method, he was pulled into a gemstone in the Physical Realm of Roshar at a place in the southern ocean that, presumably, corresponds with the location of the barrier storm in Shadesmar. Axindweth, a Feruchemist agent of Odium delivered the gemstone into Venli's hands and tempted Venli with promises that it held the secret to granting forms that could heal her mother's illness.

After Venli releases Ulim, he begins putting into motion Odium's plan to circumvent Taln, who after 4,500 years of torture has still not broken. By manipulating Venli, revealing information about new forms, and sharing human gem cutting techniques, he eventually succeeds in getting nearly all of the listeners to adopt stormform. This allowed the singers to pull a large portion of the roiling barrier storm - that Odium had broken off and moved through Shadesmar to the the Shattere Plains - through to the Physical Realm. The result: the Everstorm, which restores the Connection and Identity of the singers who were lobotomized by the imprisonment of Ba-Ado-Mishram, and allows for the Fused (and other Voidspren as well I believe) to return Roshar for a good old-fashioned Desolation.

After that, Ulim shows up just a couple of times in OB (searching for Eshonai, and the scene where Venli and the other singers are lined up to accept Fused souls in the Everstorm). And then he pops up early on in the invasion of Urithiru (RoW 42), letting Raboniel know that they've found Navani, after which they have this intriguing exchange:

Quote

“She is now asking to speak to whomever was leading our assault. Shall I have her killed?”

“Don’t be wasteful, Ulim,” Raboniel said. “The Blackthorn’s wife will make a very useful pawn. I would have thought better of you.”

“Normally, I would be nothing but eager for a new toy,” Ulim said. “But this woman is dangerous and crafty. Reports say she’s the one who created the flying machine that raided Alethkar last month.”

“Then we certainly won’t kill her,” Raboniel said.

And that's it. We don't get to see him again throughout the rest of RoW.

5. Miscellaneous

This didn't really fit in above, but I wanted to mention that Ulim recognizes the Heralds (at least Shalash, Kalak, and Nale). And Nale, at least, knows Ulim by name. Relatedly, Ulim is terrified of Nale

Remaining Questions about Ulim

1. Why is he called the Envoy?

2. Why does he both appear human and have human mannerisms?

3. What's with the unseen wind that's always rippling his hair when he's in his human form? What's so "odd" about his eyes?

4. How the heck did he make it through the barrier storm?

5. How does he communicate with Axindweth and other agents of Odium? In RoW 77 he says that "I haven’t heard from Axindweth in a few days. I’m certain it’s all right. We have a meeting point where she leaves things for me. The gemstones will be there.” How was he communicating with her? How often did he go to the meeting point? What else did she leave him there? How did he carry it? Also, who are these other agents?

6. Why can't he see into Shadesmar? And more broadly, if anyone can point me to any information about whether other sapient spren are able to do this or not, I'd appreciate it.

7. What's the deal with the creepy little poem that Venli seems to use in RoW 86 to locate/summon Ulim ("Say a name on the breeze and it will return, she thought")

8. What was up with those spikes poking through his skin when he was freaking out he night of Gavilar's assassination? (I've seen someone compare that to how Ati appears a couple of times in Secret History; also reminiscent of the several times when light seems to be poking through Rayse in RoW)

9. What did he mean when he referred to Navani as a new toy? Has he used humans as pawns in the past? Who? When?

 

Edited February 13, 2021 by mdross81

[LewsTherinTelescope]

55 minutes ago, mdross81 said:

Ulim is able to move in and out of a singer's gemheart without needing a highstorm (though it may require some level of permission from the singer). He's able to crowd into the gemheart along with whatever lesser spren gives the singer their current form.

Reminds me of Timbre. Might be something sapient spren can do, somehow. Wonder why.

57 minutes ago, mdross81 said:

This didn't really fit in above, but I wanted to mention that Ulim recognizes the Heralds (at least Shalash, Kalak, and Nale). And Nale, at least, knows Ulim by name.

Makes sense. The Heralds and Voidspren have been alternating between fighting each other and being imprisoned together for thousands of years. I'd expect most Voidspren to recognize the Heralds, and possibly even the Heralds to recognize most sapient Voidspren by this point.

59 minutes ago, mdross81 said:

Relatedly, Ulim is terrified of Nale

That's just called being reasonable

53 minutes ago, mdross81 said:

1. Why is he called the Envoy?

Probably because he was the one sent to the listeners.

34 minutes ago, mdross81 said:

2. Why does he both appear human and have human mannerisms?

I've had a little crack theory that the Voidspren are Ashynite in origin. Yixli looks human as well (specifically, she looks Shin). Could explain a few things (how the Ashynites accessed Surges, why the Voidspren look human, etc).

39 minutes ago, mdross81 said:

3. What's with the unseen wind that's always rippling his hair when he's in his human form?

Spren are weird, tbf. It might just be that.

39 minutes ago, mdross81 said:

What's so "odd" about his eyes?

Might have Shin eyes? Szeth is probably the only person with them she's seen up until this point (maybe Nale as well, I forget whether he has Shin eyes or not). So it'd look sorta odd.

52 minutes ago, mdross81 said:

4. How the heck did he make it through the barrier storm?

Yeah, this is a really big question. How the heck are they getting spren out??

41 minutes ago, mdross81 said:

5. How does he communicate with Axindweth and other agents of Odium? In RoW 77 he says that "I haven’t heard from Axindweth in a few days. I’m certain it’s all right. We have a meeting point where she leaves things for me. The gemstones will be there.” How was he communicating with her?

...huh. Never even thought about that. Hmm.

42 minutes ago, mdross81 said:

6. Why can't he see into Shadesmar? And more broadly, if anyone can point me to any information about whether other sapient spren are able to do this or not, I'd appreciate it.

Syl doesn't seem to in her interlude. But bonded spren could be weird, idk.

44 minutes ago, mdross81 said:

7. What's the deal with the creepy little poem that Venli seems to use in RoW 86 to locate/summon Ulim ("Say a name on the breeze and it will return, she thought")

I had interpreted that just as a sort of "speak of the devil"-type saying. She was just thinking of Ulim, and then here he comes.

46 minutes ago, mdross81 said:

8. What was up with those spikes poking through his skin when he was freaking out he night of Gavilar's assassination? (I've seen someone compare that to how Ati appears a couple of times in Secret History; also reminiscent of the several times when light seems to be poking through Rayse in RoW)

Hmm, that's an interesting parallel. Had seen it as yet another weird spren thing, but Brandon does love his subtle connections, so could be a sign of something similar, somehow.

51 minutes ago, mdross81 said:

9. What did he mean when he referred to Navani as a new toy? Has he used humans as pawns in the past? Who? When?

I think it just means he likes manipulating people.

[+mdross81]

4 minutes ago, LewsTherinTelescope said:

I've had a little crack theory that the Voidspren are Ashynite in origin. Yixli looks human as well (specifically, she looks Shin). Could explain a few things (how the Ashynites accessed Surges, why the Voidspren look human, etc).

This is kind of where my thoughts have been going as well. Can't you just see Ulim being involved with this:

Quote

Ishar was ambitious even before madness took him. He cannot bear sole blame for the destruction of Ashyn, humankind's first home, but he was the one Odium first tricked into experimenting with the Surges.

On a more general note, I'm impressed you responded to every question posed (even if some of the responses were cheeky).

[mathiau]

Some people have theorised most Unmade and voidsprens were corrupted pieces of the other Shards, the Thrill certainly fit Odium+Ruin and Ashertmarn fit Preservation(=stillness)+Odium in a very twisted way. So maybe Ulim is a corrupted Skaze? Acting superior to everyone but being obsequious and cowardly when someone actually superior and treating everyone like toys fit the Dominion+Odium idea -although some of it is unquestionably because he's an ass. I think it'd make sense if Odium took some prizes with him on planet where he kills Shard, it's likely he also has some corrupted versions of Seons and of whatever the Shades used to be before Ambition died.

Finnaly Skaze have been called by Brandon evil seons and Seons seems to be the type of spren-like entity the easiest to get offworld since the Ghostblods have some but still can't get Kel offworld so it's possible that a Skaze would have a easier time passing through the stormwall than the other voidsprens

1 hour ago, LewsTherinTelescope said:

Might have Shin eyes? Szeth is probably the only person with them she's seen up until this point (maybe Nale as well, I forget whether he has Shin eyes or not). So it'd look sorta odd.

The guiding spren had them too. A lot of spren imagined by Ashynites would have them I think.

Nale's description on the coppermind doesn't list Shin eyes and talk about a birthmark as his most notable physical aspect so I think he doesn't have them.

55 minutes ago, mdross81 said:

This is kind of where my thoughts have been going as well. Can't you just see Ulim being involved with this:

Note that "convincing men to engage in dangerous experiments" is what the Skazes have done on Sel with Dakhor

Edited February 10, 2021 by mathiau

[+mdross81]

24 minutes ago, mathiau said:

So maybe Ulim is a corrupted Skaze? Acting superior to everyone but being obsequious and cowardly when someone actually superior and treating everyone like toys fit the Dominion+Odium idea -although some of it is unquestionably because he's an ass. I think it'd make sense if Odium took some prizes with him on planet where he kills Shard, it's likely he also has some corrupted versions of Seons and of whatever the Shades used to be before Ambition died.

Finnaly Skaze have been called by Brandon evil seons and Seons seems to be the type of spren-like entity the easiest to get offworld since the Ghostblods have some but still can't get Kel offworld so it's possible that a Skaze would have a easier time passing through the stormwall than the other voidsprens

...

Note that "convincing men to engage in dangerous experiments" is what the Skazes have done on Sel with Dakhor

Interesting theorizing here. Also, according to the Coppermind, "the skaze are described as dark, seeming to suck in the light around them, with indistinct edges that blend into the air." If that doesn't sound like a voidish spren, I don't know what does. I guess it's officially time for me to reread Elantris.

[mathiau]

11 minutes ago, mdross81 said:

Interesting theorizing here. Also, according to the Coppermind, "the skaze are described as dark, seeming to suck in the light around them, with indistinct edges that blend into the air." If that doesn't sound like a voidish spren, I don't know what does. I guess it's officially time for me to reread Elantris.

I don't think skazes appears in Elantris.

Yes going from dark ball to red stormy thingy is a bigger change than we've seen with any lesser sprens, but not that much more than with Glys (assuming he's indeed a mistspren)

Of course there's the possibility he was another kind of splinter of Devotion, Ruin doesn't have known splinters but some of us are still theorising the Thrill used to be one of his splinters.

[KSub]

Great work compiling all of this. I think we've all been wondering 'what's ulims deal?'

He is definitely from another world, which is why he looks human but his eyes look strange. I think as spren go he is fairly normal in appearance and movement. I believe Syls dress seems to blow in the wind and his movement reminds me of wyndle. He's probably a corrupted spren though, which is why he is red. I think we will find that he was from Ashyn although that spike thing does make me wonder if he's connected to Ruin. And he is such a weasel.

 

[danex]

On 2/10/2021 at 1:07 PM, mdross81 said:

7. What's the deal with the creepy little poem that Venli seems to use in RoW 86 to locate/summon Ulim ("Say a name on the breeze and it will return, she thought")

Lol, that’s just an expression. It’s supposed to be the Singer-ized version of “speak of the devil and he appears”. Which is an expression used for whenever you’re talking about someone and they coincidentally walk into the room. 

As for Ulim, I’m most interested in his language patterns. He and some of the Heralds (specifically Ash) seem to speak more modern-y, more casual. What’s up with that? People have guessed it’s a Braize thing, since that’s the only thing they have in common, but nothing lives on Braize except for them. So where did that manner of speaking come from before it was on Braize? My guess is Ashyn. And considering how none of the other fused speak like Ulim, I think that instead of the Heralds being related to Ulim/Braize, I think that Ulim is related to the Heralds/Ashyn. 

[Halyo_Alex]

6 minutes ago, Dannex said:

Lol, that’s just an expression. It’s supposed to be the Singer-ized version of “speak of the devil and he appears”. Which is an expression used for whenever you’re talking about someone and they coincidentally walk into the room. 

As for Ulim, I’m most interested in his language patterns. He and some of the Heralds (specifically Ash) seem to speak more modern-y, more casual. What’s up with that? People have guessed it’s a Braize thing, since that’s the only thing they have in common, but nothing lives on Braize except for them. So where did that manner of speaking come from before it was on Braize? My guess is Ashyn. And considering how none of the other fused speak like Ulim, I think that instead of the Heralds being related to Ulim/Braize, I think that Ulim is related to the Heralds/Ashyn. 

It does feel a little like the Heralds and Ulim just got yoinked from modern Earth when they talk like that, doesn't it? I think they just might not really care about the language anymore, having been around for so long, so they start to speak like that. Who gives a storm about proper language when you've been speaking it for... what, 7,000 years??

I mean the internet proves that people will take ANY shortcut to get information into words, as long as it remains intelligible.

[KSub]

5 hours ago, Halyo_Alex said:

It does feel a little like the Heralds and Ulim just got yoinked from modern Earth when they talk like that, doesn't it? I think they just might not really care about the language anymore, having been around for so long, so they start to speak like that. Who gives a storm about proper language when you've been speaking it for... what, 7,000 years??

I mean the internet proves that people will take ANY shortcut to get information into words, as long as it remains intelligible.

This may not be the best comparison but look at the oldest people you know. My grandmother says things like 'jeepers' and 'chum around with'. Language does change but for the most part we get stuck in speech patterns. It's more likely that this is how they spoke on Ashyn. Plus Ulim is a spren and not prone to change.

And I wouldn't say that being intelligible is a requirement on the internet iykwim. 

[teknopathetic]

2. Why Human

3. Why wind

I actually thought we were supposed to believe that Ulim is the equivalent of a Windspren, but from Ashyn and Odium. 
 

Now I’m like “Oh, maybe that wasn’t made explicit” 

[mathiau]

1 hour ago, teknopathetic said:

2. Why Human

3. Why wind

I actually thought we were supposed to believe that Ulim is the equivalent of a Windspren, but from Ashyn and Odium. 
 

Now I’m like “Oh, maybe that wasn’t made explicit” 

Corrupted windsprens act nothing like him so probably not

[KSub]

1 hour ago, teknopathetic said:

2. Why Human

3. Why wind

I actually thought we were supposed to believe that Ulim is the equivalent of a Windspren, but from Ashyn and Odium. 
 

Now I’m like “Oh, maybe that wasn’t made explicit” 

I think it's something along these lines.

He is red so there's a good chance he is a corrupted honor spren. Or possibly a piece of the Everstorm that Odium splintered long ago and has since gained sentience.

[+mdross81]

On 2/10/2021 at 4:06 PM, LewsTherinTelescope said:

Yeah, this is a really big question. How the heck are they getting spren out??

On 2/10/2021 at 3:07 PM, mdross81 said:

I feel like it likely has something to do with Ulim’s form as moving lightning, given that that is also how Venli is able to pull the stormspren through later on.

I got it. They get a giant tuning fork/lightning rod made of raysium on a boat out in the ocean and just suck him down into the gem. 

 

[teknopathetic]

4 hours ago, mathiau said:

Corrupted windsprens act nothing like him so probably not

Ugh - I meant honourspren. 

[mathiau]

1 minute ago, teknopathetic said:

Ugh - I meant honourspren. 

My point still stand

[teknopathetic]

4 minutes ago, mathiau said:

My point still stand

I mean, I don't think Ulim and Syl are thaaaat different. Syl is more playful about it, but she does go on about how old and gross some humans look, or when someone is being stupid or unreasonable. Syl assumes people are trying their best, while Ulim assumes everyone is at their worst. Syl is curious while Ulim is dismissive. They seem somewhat similar (Unlike a Cryptic to Ulim or an Inkspren to Ulim). 

Again, the cultural ideas permitting Ashyn or Braize would have been different, so the spren would have different connections and associations. But, Ulim seems like evil Syl with a moustache to me.

[+mdross81]

17 minutes ago, teknopathetic said:

Ulim seems like evil Syl with a moustache to me.

Hahahahahahahaha!!!!!!

Syl definitely cosplays as Ulim when she’s pretending to be a Voidspren:

Quote

“You there! I am super annoyed! Super, super annoyed! How can you stand there? Didn’t you see?”

Can’t you see my mustache blowing angrily in an unseen breeze?

[AquaRegia]

13 hours ago, Dannex said:

As for Ulim, I’m most interested in his language patterns. He and some of the Heralds (specifically Ash) seem to speak more modern-y, more casual. What’s up with that? People have guessed it’s a Braize thing, since that’s the only thing they have in common, but nothing lives on Braize except for them. So where did that manner of speaking come from before it was on Braize? My guess is Ashyn. And considering how none of the other fused speak like Ulim, I think that instead of the Heralds being related to Ulim/Braize, I think that Ulim is related to the Heralds/Ashyn. 

Agreed.  I don't have too much to add, except to say that I will be thoroughly unsurprised if we eventually find that Ulim has been around for as long as - if not longer - than the Heralds.  I will be similarly unsurprised to find that Ulim had a hand in the ruination of Ashyn.

That said, I find him to be refreshingly human.  Sure, he's self-centered, grandiose, and manipulative... but in a very entertaining way.  He's like the weaselly neurotic D&D party member who always has a new plan: "trust me, it's gonna be GREAT!  All we have to do is..." and next thing you know, he's sneaking out the back door with all the treasure, giving you a thumbs-up, while you are surrounded by angry town guards.

[KSub]

35 minutes ago, teknopathetic said:

I mean, I don't think Ulim and Syl are thaaaat different. Syl is more playful about it, but she does go on about how old and gross some humans look, or when someone is being stupid or unreasonable. Syl assumes people are trying their best, while Ulim assumes everyone is at their worst. Syl is curious while Ulim is dismissive. They seem somewhat similar (Unlike a Cryptic to Ulim or an Inkspren to Ulim). 

Again, the cultural ideas permitting Ashyn or Braize would have been different, so the spren would have different connections and associations. But, Ulim seems like evil Syl with a moustache to me.

He is fairly similar to Syl but hateful....

apologies to the original artist

[teknopathetic]

6 minutes ago, KSub said:

He is fairly similar to Syl but hateful....

apologies to the original artist

This was obviously the core image as it is in the Spiritual Realm, and the pre-riginal artist should be sued. 

Edited February 12, 2021 by teknopathetic

[+Harrycrapper]

On 2/10/2021 at 4:17 PM, mathiau said:

I don't think skazes appears in Elantris.

In the original version, no. But the 10th anniversary has a scene with Hoid at the end talking to a Skaze. It's the only time we've actually seen them, but someone else mentions them in the original, I think Dilaf.  

[+mdross81]

21 minutes ago, Harrycrapper said:

In the original version, no. But the 10th anniversary has a scene with Hoid at the end talking to a Skaze. It's the only time we've actually seen them, but someone else mentions them in the original, I think Dilaf.  

Yup. Here’s the entirety of the other mention:

Quote

Dilaf laughed, tapping Raoden on the side of the face with the tip of his sword. “The skaze are right, then. Elantrians are not indestructible.”

 

[KSub]

It's amazing how little we know about any of the world's we've seen in the cosmere. And while I don't think we will see every shard world we must get to see some others.

I would say Scadrial is the world we know the best and we've really only seen half of the civilizations.

[+honorblades]

On 2/12/2021 at 1:40 AM, Halyo_Alex said:

It does feel a little like the Heralds and Ulim just got yoinked from modern Earth when they talk like that, doesn't it? I think they just might not really care about the language anymore, having been around for so long, so they start to speak like that. Who gives a storm about proper language when you've been speaking it for... what, 7,000 years??

I mean the internet proves that people will take ANY shortcut to get information into words, as long as it remains intelligible.

I totally agree. I thought this during basically the entire time Kelek was onscreen in RoW - I couldn't help but think that this guy talks like he is from modern day Earth. I sort of imagined him just smacking gum the entire time he was talking, too (that's not canon tho obviously haha).