Brother Day is one of the main characters of Foundation. He is portrayed by Lee Pace in the Apple TV+ series. Both intimidating and larger than life, Brother Day is the latest in a long line of clones and the current ruling Cleon, Emperor of the Galaxy. He is capable of being charming but also prone to volcanic eruptions of anger.
General Information[]
Brother Day is one of the three ruling clone-emperors of the Galactic Empire alongside his immediate predecessor, Brother Dusk, and Brother Dawn, his successor-in-waiting.[1] As part of the system of the Genetic Dynasty designed by Cleon I, Brother Dawn ascends to the middle throne, becoming Day the ruling Emperor with his elder to advise him and his younger to train. When Dusk becomes too old, he becomes Brother Darkness and is euthanised. Brother Day, by then an elderly man, becomes the new Dusk while Dawn ascends to the middle throne as the new Brother Day. An infant Brother Dawn is awoken and handed to Day to raise as his own. As the primary Cleon, protocol states that he should never leave Trantor to ensure his safety.[2]
Cleon XII[]
Brother Day is worried about the predictions made by Hari Seldon as to the fate of the Empire, believing that Hari might be a revolutionary out to destablize the Empire from within. However, Hari is not Day's only problem. The Outer Reach planets of Anacreon and Thespis are involved in a mining dispute over an asteroid that resulted in the deaths of several Imperial appraisers. Day receives delegations from both planets in an effort to maintain the peace.[1]
After the terrorist attack on the Star Bridge, Day decides to exile Hari and his Foundation out to Terminus. If the predictions of Psychohistory falter, then the project will be left to wither. If the predictions are accurate, then Imperial support will ensure that the successes of the Foundation can be used to bolster the Emperor's regime.[1]
Evidence comes to light that the bombers came from both Anacreon and Thespis, forcing Day to interrogate the diplomatic delegations from each planet. Despite their protestations of innocence, and Jerril's belief that their hate each other more than their hate Empire would not lead them to working together, Day decides to punish them. In a public ceremony, Day executes the delegations aside from the primary ambassadors, and orders Imperial ships to bomb both planets.[3]
Eventually, Cleon XII ascended to the position of Brother Dusk upon the ascension of Cleon XI.[4]
Cleon XIII[]
As Brother Day, Cleon XIII oversaw an Empire beset by turmoil; religious disagreement rising from Luminism, homegrown insurgency on Trantor, and the Outer Reach planets defying the Empire. Day firmly believed the blame for this was the impulsive actions on his predecessor, Cleon XII, who allowed Hari Seldon to enter exile and ordered the bombing of the planets Anacreon and Thespis. In an attempt to steady the Empire, Day resolved to travel to the funeral of Proxima Opal to install a favored successor as her replacement, breaking with protocol that the primary Cleon should never leave Trantor.[2]
Cleon XVII[]
Ruling in 12,240 Era Imperial, Cleon XVII intended to correct the issues being caused by corruption to the Genetic Dynasty by effectively ended it. Cleon XVII intended to wed, and had proposed the prospect of marriage to Queen Sareth I of Cloud Dominion. He hoped that by bearing natural children, he could extend his own legacy as the Cleons drifted further from Cleon I.[5]
From the Foundation Books[]
While Brother Day is an original creation for the Foundation television series, he does have a counterpart in the Foundation series -- Emperor Cleon I. Last Galactic Emperor of the Entun dynasty, Cleon I ruled from the planet Trantor. Amiable and not enthusiastic about his position as Emperor, Cleon I relied on his Chief of Staff, Eto Demerzel, to conduct the day to day business of running the Empire.
Cleon I was insulated from his own Empire, confined to the grounds of the Imperial Palace on Trantor. He eventually learned of Hari Seldon and his new science of Psychohistory and took an immediate interest. The Emperor used Seldon’s predictions as a tool to prevent unrest within the Empire, eventually installing him as his new Chief of Staff upon Demerzel’s retirement.
Behind the Scenes[]
Brother Day is an original creation for the Foundation series. In the Foundation series by Isaac Asimov, the Emperor at the time of events depicted in the series was Cleon I.
Appearances[]
- Season One
- "The Emperor's Peace" (First appearance)
- "Preparing to Live"
- "The Mathematician's Ghost"
- "Barbarians at the Gate"
- "Death and the Maiden"
- "Mysteries and Martyrs"
- "The Missing Piece"
- "The First Crisis"
- Season Two