Who is the old man in The Umbrella Academy season 3? (Spoilers)

The Umbrella Academy has finally returned! Following a nearly two-year hiatus, The Umbrella Academy season 3 is finally streaming on Netflix and the new season wasted no time in picking up right where the action left off in the season 2 finale.

As the season begins, we’re finally introduced to The Sparrow Academy and its’s key members after their arrival was teased in last season as part of the season-ending cliffhanger. Within the first few minutes of the season, we formally get to know the seven members of The Sparrow Academy who end up playing key roles in the season.

However, the Sparrows aren’t the only new characters we’re introduced to early on in the new season.

Warning: The Umbrella Academy season 3 spoilers ahead. 

Who is the old man in The Umbrella Academy season 3?

Among the many new faces introduced this season is a mysterious older man who we see pop up on a few occasions across the first few episodes of the season. During these scenes, it’s unclear who this mystery man is or what his connection is to the season at first, but all is revealed in the third episode of the season when the writers drop a major bomb on us.

In episode 3, the Sparrows show up at Hotel Obsidian prepared to battle with the Umbrella Academy members. For a minute, it looks like they’re going to succeed in taking down the Umbrella Academy siblings until the mystery man shows up and hits the Sparrows with a blast of energy much like the powers we’ve seen Viktor use before.

It’s after the older man saves Viktor and company — killing a few Sparrows in the process — that we discover the many to be Harlan Cooper, the young boy we met in season 2 who Viktor grew close to when his parents, Sissy and Carl took her in.

This was a twist we admittedly didn’t see coming, but one that made the payoff all that sweeter because of it. Harlan’s return is just the beginning of his role in the season, but you’ll have to finish the season to see what we mean.

The Umbrella Academy season 3 is streaming now on Netflix.