The Sparrow Academy is an alternate superhero team introduced in Netflix’s The Umbrella Academy. Sir Reginald Hargreeves creates the group in a changed timeline after meeting the original Umbrella siblings in 1963 and deciding that he does not want to adopt them.
When the Umbrella Academy returns to 2019, Marcus, Ben, Fei, Alphonso, Sloane, Jayme and Christopher occupy their former home. Unlike the dysfunctional Umbrellas, the Sparrows operate as disciplined celebrity crime-fighters with public support, matching uniforms and a clear internal ranking.
However, their confidence does not protect them from the Kugelblitz, Harlan’s powers or Reginald’s plans. Most Sparrow members die during Season 3, while Ben continues into Season 4 and Sloane’s fate remains deliberately unresolved.
Spoiler warning: This guide reveals major events from Seasons 3 and 4.
Sparrow Academy at a Glance
| Number | Member | Actor | Main power | Season 3 outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| One | Marcus Hargreeves | Justin Cornwell | Superhuman strength | The Kugelblitz consumes him |
| Two | Ben Hargreeves | Justin H. Min | Summons destructive tentacles | Survives the reset |
| Three | Fei Hargreeves | Britne Oldford | Controls and manifests ravens | Dies when the Kugelblitz escapes |
| Four | Alphonso Hargreeves | Jake Epstein | Redirects physical pain | Harlan’s energy blast kills him |
| Five | Sloane Hargreeves | Genesis Rodriguez | Controls gravity | Survives Hotel Oblivion but disappears after the reset |
| Six | Jayme Hargreeves | Cazzie David | Produces hallucinogenic venom | Harlan’s energy blast kills her |
| Seven | Christopher Hargreeves | A floating cube | Telekinesis and energy projection | Dies when the contained Kugelblitz explodes |
Netflix’s official Season 3 cast guide confirms the actors, rankings and central abilities associated with the new team.
What Is the Sparrow Academy?
The Sparrow Academy is the superhero family that Reginald Hargreeves raises instead of the Umbrella Academy in an alternate version of 2019.
Like the Umbrellas, the Sparrows belong to the group of extraordinary children born unexpectedly on October 1, 1989. Reginald adopts seven of them, assigns each child a number and trains the group to fight crime. However, his different selections create a much more organized and publicly successful team.
The Sparrows live in the same mansion that originally belonged to Luther, Diego, Allison, Klaus, Five, Ben and Viktor. Therefore, the Umbrellas initially believe that they have returned home before discovering that their actions in the past changed the timeline.
Why Did the Sparrow Academy Replace the Umbrella Academy?
The Umbrella siblings travel to Dallas in the 1960s during Season 2. While there, several of them meet a younger Reginald Hargreeves and tell him about their future family.
Unfortunately, they do not impress him. When the altered timeline reaches 1989, Reginald deliberately adopts a different group of superpowered children. Consequently, the Sparrow Academy replaces the Umbrella Academy in the new 2019.
This choice also explains why the two teams have different personalities. Reginald applies his controlling training methods to a new set of children, while the Sparrows respond with greater discipline, competitiveness and loyalty to the institution.
However, their professional appearance hides many of the same family problems. Ben resents his rank, Sloane wants freedom, Fei schemes for influence and Reginald controls the entire household.
Why Is Ben in Both Academies?
Ben appears in both teams because the younger Reginald never met him during the Umbrellas’ visit to 1963.
The original Ben had already died and accompanied Klaus as a ghost. Therefore, Reginald had no reason to avoid adopting the baby who would become Ben when he chose the Sparrow children in 1989.
However, Sparrow Ben grows into a very different person. The Umbrella version acts gently and often tries to protect his siblings. In contrast, Sparrow Ben behaves aggressively, seeks status and resents his position as Number Two. Netflix describes him as the same superpowered individual from another timeline rather than the resurrected original Ben.
Why Are They Called the Sparrow Academy?
The television series never gives a clear in-story explanation for why Reginald chooses the word “Sparrow.”
Official Netflix character guides use the name but do not connect it to a specific event, symbol or power. Therefore, claims that the name represents freedom, teamwork or Fei’s birds remain interpretations rather than confirmed explanations.
The name originated in Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá’s comic-book world. Netflix explains that Season 3 loosely combines ideas from Hotel Oblivion and the planned Sparrow storyline, although the television team differs significantly from its comic counterpart.
Every Sparrow Academy Member and Power
Marcus Hargreeves: Sparrow Number One
Marcus leads the Sparrow Academy. He combines superhuman strength with discipline, intelligence and a controlled public image.
Unlike Luther, Marcus appears comfortable in his leadership role. His siblings listen to him, and he recognizes that an extended fight with the Umbrellas could damage the Sparrows’ reputation.
Viktor secretly meets Marcus to negotiate a peaceful solution. However, Marcus later approaches the Kugelblitz in the mansion’s basement, and the energy sphere consumes him before he can complete the agreement.
Ben Hargreeves: Sparrow Number Two
Sparrow Ben can release powerful tentacles from a portal in his torso. He shares this ability with the original Ben, but his personality differs sharply.
Ben previously held the Number One position before losing it to Marcus. As a result, he carries a strong sense of resentment and believes that he deserves to lead the team.
He survives Season 3 and enters Reginald’s reset universe with the Umbrella siblings. Although everyone loses their powers temporarily, this remains Sparrow Ben rather than the original Umbrella version. The Season 3 train scene also shows the same Ben who later appears in Season 4.
Fei Hargreeves: Sparrow Number Three
Fei manifests ravens from her body and controls them remotely. Because she uses the birds as additional eyes, she can observe people and locations from several perspectives.
She also works closely with Ben and supports his effort to gain more authority after Marcus disappears. Although Fei remains calculating, she shows loyalty to the surviving members of her family.
Later, Fei helps the others contain the Kugelblitz inside Christopher. However, the containment fails, and the resulting explosion kills both Fei and Christopher.
Alphonso Hargreeves: Sparrow Number Four
Alphonso can redirect physical damage toward the person attacking him. When someone punches or strikes him, that person may experience the same pain or injury.
Years of fighting have visibly affected his face and body. Moreover, his powers do not make him completely invulnerable, particularly against supernatural energy.
When Harlan releases a powerful blast at the Hotel Obsidian, the attack kills Alphonso and Jayme. His pain-reflection ability cannot protect him from the scale of the energy.
Sloane Hargreeves: Sparrow Number Five
Sloane controls gravity. She can make people and objects float, alter their movement and create powerful gravitational effects during combat.
Unlike several of her siblings, Sloane wants to experience life outside the academy. She soon develops a relationship with Luther, and the pair marry as the Kugelblitz approaches the destruction of the universe.
Sloane survives the Hotel Oblivion battle and helps activate Reginald’s universe-resetting machine. However, she does not appear beside Luther after Allison completes the reset.
Jayme Hargreeves: Sparrow Number Six
Jayme produces black venom that causes intense hallucinations. She spits the substance at opponents, who then experience vivid visions while losing awareness of the real fight.
For example, Diego imagines a stylized dance sequence after Jayme strikes him during the first battle between the academies.
Jayme works closely with Alphonso and often treats outsiders with open hostility. However, Harlan’s energy blast kills both of them during the Sparrow attack on the Hotel Obsidian.
Christopher Hargreeves: Sparrow Number Seven
Christopher is a floating cube rather than a human-looking character. The other Sparrows understand his unusual speech, even though viewers and the Umbrella siblings hear only distorted sounds.
He uses telekinesis and powerful energy attacks. In addition, Christopher can contain the Kugelblitz temporarily after Sloane, Viktor and Lila help compress it.
Unfortunately, the Kugelblitz continues growing inside him. It eventually escapes in a massive explosion that destroys Christopher and kills Fei.
Is Christopher a Person or a Cube?
Christopher is a genuine member of the Hargreeves family, and the Sparrows treat him as their brother. However, the series never shows his biological parents or explains whether he looked like a cube at birth.
Showrunner Steve Blackman later said that the writers considered several ideas for Christopher’s origin. Ultimately, they chose not to give viewers a complete explanation because they found the mystery more entertaining.
Therefore, theories that Reginald transformed a human child into Christopher remain unconfirmed. The television canon only establishes that he belongs to the group of extraordinary children and functions as Sparrow Number Seven.
Sparrow Academy vs. Umbrella Academy
| Difference | Sparrow Academy | Umbrella Academy |
|---|---|---|
| Timeline | Exists in the altered 2019 | Exists in the original timeline |
| Public image | Celebrated celebrity heroes | Disbanded and largely forgotten |
| Team structure | Organized and competitive | Dysfunctional and separated |
| Leadership | Marcus leads confidently | Luther struggles to unite the family |
| Reginald’s control | Strong until the team begins losing members | Weakens after the children leave |
| Ben | Alive, ambitious and aggressive | Dies young but remains caring |
| Home | Controls the Hargreeves mansion | Loses the mansion in the changed timeline |
| Main Season 3 role | Rivals who become reluctant allies | Central family trying to repair the timeline |
Netflix presents the Sparrows as a mirror image rather than a simple replacement. They show how a different group of children might respond to Reginald’s training, fame and emotional neglect.
Are the Sparrow Academy Members Villains?
The Sparrows act as antagonists when Season 3 begins, but they are not straightforward villains.
They attack the Umbrellas, kidnap Luther and blame the visitors for Marcus’ disappearance. However, they also believe that the Umbrellas invaded their home and may threaten their world.
As the Kugelblitz grows, the remaining members cooperate with the Umbrellas. Sloane forms the strongest connection through Luther, while Ben and Fei eventually join efforts to stop the universe from collapsing.
Therefore, the Sparrows function more accurately as rivals and alternate siblings. Reginald’s upbringing creates much of their hostility and obsession with status.
What Happened to the Sparrow Academy?
The team falls apart rapidly during Season 3.
First, the Kugelblitz consumes Marcus. Later, Harlan kills Jayme and Alphonso with an uncontrolled energy blast. Christopher then contains the Kugelblitz briefly, but it escapes and kills both him and Fei.
That leaves only Ben and Sloane. Both enter Hotel Oblivion with Reginald and the surviving Umbrella siblings. After Allison resets the universe, Ben appears in the new world, but Sloane does not.
| Member | Final confirmed status |
|---|---|
| Marcus | Dead in the Season 3 timeline |
| Jayme | Dead in the Season 3 timeline |
| Alphonso | Dead in the Season 3 timeline |
| Christopher | Dead in the Season 3 timeline |
| Fei | Dead in the Season 3 timeline |
| Sloane | Missing after the universe reset |
| Ben | Survives into Season 4 |
What Happened to Sloane?
The series leaves Sloane’s fate unresolved.
After Allison activates the reset, Luther searches for Sloane but cannot find her. She does not return during the fourth and final season.
In Steve Blackman’s official post-series Q&A, the showrunner said Sloane might exist somewhere in the reset timeline without finding Luther. However, he also left open the possibility that Reginald’s interrupted reset failed to recreate her. Blackman personally imagined that she remained somewhere in the world, but the series never confirms that outcome.
Consequently, the story provides no canonical reunion between Sloane and Luther.
Does the Sparrow Academy Appear in Season 4?
Sparrow Ben returns as a principal character in Season 4. However, the rest of the team does not re-form.
Sloane remains absent, while Marcus, Fei, Alphonso, Jayme and Christopher do not return as active characters. Season 4 instead follows Ben and the Umbrella siblings in Reginald’s reset timeline.
The fourth season concludes the television series. Therefore, the Netflix show does not provide another Sparrow Academy storyline after Ben’s final arc.
How Does the TV Team Differ From the Comics?
The television adaptation takes a loose approach to Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá’s comics.
The comic Sparrows first emerge around the Hotel Oblivion storyline, but the Netflix series builds its own roster, personalities, relationships and alternate-timeline explanation. Season 3 also combines the Sparrow material with a heavily revised version of Hotel Oblivion.
For example, the television version makes the Sparrows replacements for the Umbrellas after Reginald meets the family in 1963. Meanwhile, the show creates original storylines involving the Kugelblitz, Harlan’s attack and Luther’s marriage to Sloane.
Netflix’s TV-and-comics comparison offers the clearest official overview of these changes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the seven members of the Sparrow Academy?
The seven members are Marcus, Ben, Fei, Alphonso, Sloane, Jayme and Christopher. Reginald ranks them from Number One through Number Seven.
Who is the strongest Sparrow Academy member?
The show never publishes an official power ranking. Marcus has immense physical strength, Sloane controls gravity and Christopher can contain extraordinary energy. Therefore, the answer depends on whether strength means physical force, versatility or destructive potential.
Why is Ben Number Two?
Ben previously held the Number One position but lost it to Marcus. That demotion fuels his anger, ambition and resentment throughout Season 3.
Is Sparrow Ben the same as Umbrella Ben?
They are alternate-timeline versions of the same child. However, they have different memories, personalities and childhood experiences. The original Ben dies, while Sparrow Ben survives into Season 4.
Who killed Marcus?
No person directly kills Marcus. The Kugelblitz consumes him after he approaches the energy sphere in the academy basement.
Who killed Jayme and Alphonso?
Harlan kills Jayme and Alphonso when he releases a powerful energy blast during the confrontation at Hotel Obsidian.
Did Sloane die?
The series never confirms her death. She disappears after the universe reset, and the showrunner left her fate intentionally uncertain.
Are Luther and Sloane married?
Yes. They marry shortly before the original Season 3 universe collapses. However, the reset separates them, and they never reunite on screen.
Does the Sparrow Academy return after Season 3?
The full team does not return. Sparrow Ben continues into Season 4, while Sloane remains missing and the other members stay dead or absent.
Conclusion
The Sparrow Academy gives The Umbrella Academy a disciplined but equally damaged alternative to the original Hargreeves family.
Marcus, Ben, Fei, Alphonso, Sloane, Jayme and Christopher initially appear stronger and more united than the Umbrellas. However, Reginald’s manipulation, internal rivalry and the Kugelblitz quickly destroy the team.
Only Ben clearly continues into Season 4. Meanwhile, Sloane’s disappearance remains one of the show’s unanswered questions, and the series ends without restoring the Sparrow Academy.
