Even amidst the incredibly strange cast of characters that populate Netflix’s hit series The Umbrella Academy, English actor Tom Hopper’s (Game of Thrones, Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City) simian superhero Luther Hargreeves stands out. There are a number of reasons why Luther, who was given the designation number one by his cold-hearted adoptive father figure, Sir Reginald Hargreeves, who is portrayed by Colm Feore (The Chronicles of Riddick, For All Mankind), is even weirder than the other members of his dysfunctional, gifted family.

For starters, he has the body of a gorilla, and no, that’s not just a reference to Hopper’s muscular physique. Following an ill-fated mission that left Luther, the only one of his siblings who remained in the custody of Sir Reginald Hargreeves, fighting for his life, he was injected with a serum that, while it healed his myriad injuries, transformed him into a human-ape hybrid. Another strange fact: At the beginning of The Umbrella Academy’s first season, Luther is a space ape, having been sent to the surface of the moon by his father. The reason for his venture into space was purportedly to defend the Earth from unseen invaders, but the truth of that reasoning is consistently called into question throughout the series.

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Luther’s strange life aside, his character is deeply complex. Here are some reasons why Tom Hopper’s Luther Hargreeves is fantastic in The Umbrella Academy season three.

Tom Hopper’s Talent

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Without the incredible acting chops of Tom Hopper, Luther Hargreeves could easily become simply a hammer, one of many among the legions of hard-hitting fighters that fill the ranks of superhero entertainment. This would be an obvious issue, as Luther Hargreeves often needs to be the backbone of his constantly bickering family. A one-note performance would fail to fully encapsulate the familial struggles of The Umbrella Academy’s characters.

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It would be easy for Tom Hopper to portray Luther Hargreeves as just another brute, using his impressive, musclebound frame, accentuated by the artificial ape body underneath his character’s clothes, as an excuse to relax his emotional acting range. In fact, in interviews, Tom Hopper has talked about this very juxtaposition and the ways in which his large frame has led to typecasting. Fortunately for fans of The Umbrella Academy, Tom Hopper doesn’t rely on his physique, instead opting to bring every bit of his acting ability to the role of Luther Hargreeves.

In season three alone, the character took fans of the series on an emotional roller coaster. He felt the heartbreak of betrayal and also fell in love. With a less talented actor at the helm of Luther’s character, this simply would not have been possible.

Luther Hargreeves Chooses Love

Despite the death and violence of The Umbrella Academy season three, which were brought about in large part, or at the very least related to, the paradoxically originated entity known as the kugelblitz, love somehow found a way to wriggle itself into the heart of Luther Hargreeves. He falls head over heels for Sloane Hargreeves, a member of the alternate reality children of Sir Reginald Hargreeves, The Sparrow Academy.

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Near the end of the season, as the universe crumbles around them, The Umbrella Academy and the remaining member of The Sparrow academy gather in the seeming apocalypse-proof Hotel Obsidian for the beautifully simple wedding of Luther and Sloane. Though the end of the season sees the family reinvigorated in their attempts to save the universe, this wedding represents their initial plan to simply allow the apocalypse to occur. Tom Hopper’s Luther, betrayed by his beloved father, chooses love in the face of loss and brings a refreshing levity to season three.

The Hardships of Being Number One

Tom Hopper’s Luther Hargreeves was named Number One by his adopted father, Sir Reginald Hargreeves, due to his perceived status as the most powerful member of the superpowered family. With this role came all manner of responsibilities, and as previously mentioned, the devotion Luther had to his adoptive father resulted in his simian transformation.

Ultimately, it is revealed that, in all likelihood, Luther Hargreeves is not the most powerful member of his family, as the full extent of some of his less discussed sibling’s abilities are revealed. However, he still serves an essential purpose in the functioning of his family, who, without a leader, would likely never have been able to save the world.

Season three of The Umbrella Academy was full of surprises, to say the least. Despite being murdered by the sinister Sir Reginald Hargreeves, Luther was saved at the end of season three, and audiences everywhere breathed a sigh of relief. In any and all future seasons, Tom Hopper must return as Luther Hargreeves.