No member of the Hargreeves family is emotionally healthy and well-adjusted, but across The Umbrella Academy‘s three seasons on Netflix, a Number Two curse has emerged. Thanks to the unconventional parenting style of Sir Reginald Hargreeves, the Umbrella Academy kids grow into adults with a litany of hangups, traumas and emotional problems, from Klaus’ memory of being trapped in a haunted crypt to Luther’s unquestioning obedience. The Umbrella Academy season 3 proved the alternate universe’s Sparrow Academy was no better. Alphonso and Jayme became cruel and ruthless, whereas Sloane felt trapped as a member of Reginald’s superhero team.

The Umbrella and Sparrow Academies are polar opposites, united only in their shared agreement that Sir Reginald is a terrible father. After spending time with the Sparrows in The Umbrella Academy season 3, however, one curious comparison emerges between each team’s respective Number Two – Diego Hargreeves for the Umbrellas and Ben Hargreeves for the Sparrows. Stranger still, it seems that Number Two is destined to carry the exact same curse in any other universe’s version of the Hargreeves siblings.

The Umbrella Academy’s Number Two Curse Explained

Throughout The Umbrella Academy seasons 1 and 2, the defining characteristic of Diego Hargreeves was the Luther-sized chip on his shoulder. Diego constantly made references to Luther’s position of leadership and would openly declare himself a better “Number One.” Practicing vigilantism as an adult, meanwhile, was little more than a transparent attempt to prove his capability as a superhero. When Sparrow Ben debuts in The Umbrella Academy season 3, it immediately becomes clear that he suffers the same inferiority complex.

As soon as Marcus Hargreeves, the Sparrow Academy’s Number One, dies, Ben begins asserting his dominance over the others, relishing his new position as group leader. Fei Hargreeves later comments on how Ben has always desired his Number One spot back after being replaced by Marcus at some unspecified point in their youth. Even after the Sparrow Academy breaks down and only Ben and Sloane remain, the Number Two continues trying to prove himself as a worthy leader in the stern eyes of Sir Reginald. With Diego and Sparrow Ben demonstrating near-identical behaviors in The Umbrella Academy, it becomes clear that the Number Two position is cursed.

The simple act of designating a child “second-best” instills them with an unhealthy determination to prove their adopted father wrong by showing how they deserved the crown of Number One. In both the Umbrella and Sparrow teams, numbers three-seven appear unfazed by their places in the hierarchy – perhaps simply accepting Number One is beyond them. For both Number Twos, however, coming second has turned into their greatest source of misery, and defines them as adults. It seems inevitable that this curse would occur regardless of which Hargreeves sibling found themselves selected for the Number Two spot.

This Umbrella Academy Season 3 Story Perfect Demonstrates The Number Two Curse

The Umbrella Academy‘s Number Two curse is perfectly demonstrated by The Umbrella Academy season 3’s ending. By this point, the apocalypse is inevitable, the Sparrow Academy has been decimated, and Sir Reginald’s authority has been reduced to crumbs. When Reginald implores the Hargreeves siblings to help him find the Seven Bells, therefore, the entire group shows a skeptical reluctance to assist their awful dad’s mission. Two characters immediately volunteer: Sparrow Ben and Diego, who are both keen to earn Sir Reginald’s praise.

When Sparrow Ben later argues to Sir Reginald how they couldn’t have reached Hotel Oblivion without him, the family patriarch coldly responds, ” What did you do Number Two? ”

Both Ben and Diego are hoping a quick readiness to follow their father into battle will finally show Sir Reginald their suitability for leadership, proving once and for all that he was wrong to lumber them with the Number Two berth. Of course, the curse of the Number Two in The Umbrella Academy is to always fall short. When Sparrow Ben later argues to Sir Reginald how they couldn’t have reached Hotel Oblivion without him, the family patriarch coldly responds, “What did you do Number Two?” The refusal to use Ben’s name here cements how any Hargreeves family Number Two is destined for second-best, no matter how hard they try to win Reginald over.

How Ben Can Move On From Sir Reginald In Umbrella Academy Season 4

Since meeting and falling in love with Lila Pitts in The Umbrella Academy season 2, Diego has gradually broken away from the shadow of his dad’s judgment. Becoming a father figure to young Stan in season 3 helps heal the wounds of Diego’s childhood further. While the aforementioned volunteering scene proves he still has some way to go, The Umbrella Academy has shown Diego Hargreeves gradually taking steps to define himself as something other than “Number Two.” Sparrow Ben has not yet had that luxury, as being around the Umbrellas in The Umbrella Academy season 3 marks the first occasion Ben has truly thought for himself for many years.

The Umbrella Academy season 4 can show Sparrow Ben finally making those emotional strides. Ben started cutting loose in season 3 – getting drunk at Luther and Sloane’s wedding, for example – but by the final scene, he is completely alone with just the Umbrellas for company. Venturing out into the wider world, Sparrow Ben can become his own person, just as Diego did in The Umbrella Academy seasons 2 and 3. Ben’s evolution might have already happened, if The Umbrella Academy season 3’s post-credits scene is any indication. The sequence shows a very different Ben riding a subway, and might confirm that Sir Reginald Hargreeves’ influence upon him has waned.