Cleon XVIII is a main character in the Apple TV+ series Foundation. He is the eighteenth Emperor of the Genetic Dynasty, known as Brother Dawn. Cleon XVIII is portrayed by Cassian Bilton, first appearing in the episode "In Seldon's Shadow."
Biography[]
Cleon XVIII is suspected as being involved in an assassination attempt on Cleon XVII, due to the potential end of the Genetic Dynasty as Cleon XVII intends to marry and father children. Despite protesting his innocence, Cleon XVII wants him to go through a neural audit to confirm he wasn't involved. Later, he joins his brothers and Demerzel as they discover the Foundation may not have been destroyed and they plan next steps.[1]
At dinner with his brothers, Day and Dusk discusses the appointment of Bel Riose to deal with the Foundation. Day expresses his disdain at the movement coach towards the brothers' lack of synchronization during the meal. He gets up and leaves, saying when he is married, he will not have to do this again. Later, Cleon XVIII joins his brothers, Sareth I and Rue Corintha for a meal where they discuss Sareth's family being killed as well as the end of the Genetic Dynasty. Sareth wonders what Cleon XVIII will do since the proposed marriage between herself and day would end his reason for being since he would never become Brother Day.[2]
Alongside his brothers, Cleon XVIII meets with Bel Riose when he arrives on Trantor. However, he and Brother Dusk are dismissed by Day when Riose requests a private audience.[3]
Cleon XVIII privately meets with Sareth I where she wants to know if Brother Day was involved in the death of her family, or indeed if he is aware of his older brother’s involvement. In return, he wants to know if she was involved in Day's assassination attempt, which she denies. As they continue talking, he doesn't deny his older brother could be capable of something like that, and further wonders if he may be capable as he grows older. Sareth suggests not, and suggests to him that they could get married - instead of her with Cleon XVII - as they are effectively the same person. This gives Cleon XVIII pause for thought.[4]
Dawn meets with Dusk at the Principium. They plan to awaken the memory of Cleon I for advice. Dawn is worried that their genetic drifting might not be enough to activate the memory, but Dusk says if they are not identical, the ceiling will drop on them. A digitized form of Cleon I emerges from the Principium, and Dusk tells him about Day's hoarding of authority. Cleon I's responses are frustrating; saying they must be united and to be envious of Day is to be envious of themselves as they are one man. Cleon I says that Day's actions are not their concern, and that his temperament has been accounted for.[5]
Still not satisfied, Dawn and Dusk head down to the Memorium and request metadata on their memory files, as well as for all the Cleons before them. As they wait for Keeper Yartell to retrieve the information, Dusk wonders about his own legacy, and tells Dawn that maybe Day is doing him a favor by taking away his chair, and releasing him to actually live a life. Yartell arrives with the memory data, and everything appears normal. Dusk has the same average memory data as other Cleons of his age, although one thing stands out; Cleon I's memory size is significantly larger. Dawn says that if makes sense for Cleon I to have more since he presumably had more life experience. Dusk agrees it could, or it could mean the subsequent clones had something removed.[5]
Cleon XVII assembles the Galactic Council and addresses a crowd of citizens in an arena on Trantor, including Cleon XVIII and Cleon XVI. He dedicates a new statue to Winoset, mother of Cleon I and the last galactic Empress. During his speech, Brother Day announces his intention to wed Sareth I and end the Genetic Dynasty. To the applause of the crowd, Sareth addresses them as well and promises that they will rule as servants to the people, and that their concerns would be their agenda. The crowds cheer as Day looks on, annoyed at what his bride-to-be has promised the people.[6]
Cleon XVIII meets secretly with Sareth, through the use of facial scramblers. The pair reveal secrets only few other people knew - the fate of a previous Dawn, and how Demerzel had Sareth's family killed. Sareth is determined to convince Dawn that he is different to Day, with there being time for him to change his life trajectory. Dawn is unsure, especially when Sareth says she wants to have his child, not Day’s. Dawn realises though that if the true heir is his, his legacy would be secured. He kisses Sareth and notes that what they’re doing is suicide, while Sareth says it is, in fact, a coup.[7]
Dawn confronts Demerzel about Sareth who has been arrested for sending the assassins to kill Day. He says Sareth has been framed. Demerzel denies this, saying they will discuss what happens next in Dawn’s quarters. Dawn leaves, noticing a green mark on Demerzel’s neck which is a sign that she is a betrayer which he learned from Dusk. Later, Dawn goes into the Imperial Palace through secret passages and fights off the guards as he frees Sareth.[8]
Now together, the pair make a statement. Dawn reveals to the galaxy that Day is dead and he wants to marry Sareth which she agrees to. They are not present though, it is Sareth's servants using facial scramblers. They then contact Demerzel to explain the situation, trying to win her over, citing that killing them might turn the people against Empire, which goes against Demerzel’s programming. Unbeknownst to Dawn, Sareth reveals to both that she is pregnant with Dawn’s son. Dawn refutes Demerzel’s claims that the child won’t be a leader, saying it doesn’t have to lead, just be loved. He thanks her for always being there for him as the couple go into space.[8]
Some time later, a new exponent of Cleon XVIII is decanted by Demerzel, alongside exponents of Cleon XVI and Cleon XVII.[8]
Appearances[]
Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 "In Seldon's Shadow"
- ↑ "A Glimpse of Darkness"
- ↑ "King and Commoner"
- ↑ "Where the Stars are Scattered Thinly"
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "The Sighted and the Seen"
- ↑ "Why the Gods Made Wine"
- ↑ "A Necessary Death"
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 "Creation Myths"