Theories on the Origins of the Drode

[TobiasMasonPark]

     Alright, the wildcard--everyone's favourite mischief maker. The very character that, somehow, makes us roll our eyes and grin everytime he makes an appearance in an Animorphs book. And, as with many of K.A. Applegate's characters, we know very little about this hybrid of Barney the Dinosaur and a prune. We do know that he's Crayak's most loyal servant--if not his only servant-- and has some of the powers that Crayak and the Ellimist possess.

     But how?

     Crayak and the Ellimist ended up drifting into a black hole and becoming one with the Universe. Did the Drode do the same? I get the image of a purple Dinosaur getting chucked into one by Crayak everytime I think about it. But it provides fewer answers and only more questiond as to the origins of this interesting and annoying character in the K.A. Applegate Universe.

     According to Wikipedia--the last time I checked-- the Drode is the sole survivor and traitor to his entire race. Though, we know nothing of this race, his real name, or the circumstances surrounding his speicies' extinction. He somehow got into contact with Crayak, but we don't know how he managed this. We don't even know if the form he's using in the series is his original form. I mean, if he can pop in and out of the series, why can't he change his appearance?

     So, was the Drode found by Crayak? Was he really a traitor to his people? Does he share the same powers of Crayak? How did he even get into contact with such a powerful entity? How limited are his own powers? What's his real name? Does he like games? Is he just a dinosaur sent from the immediate past and became a superpower?

     Basically, I want to see what you guys come up with. You don't have to answer the above questions, I was just rambling a bit.

     Here's what I think: the Drode is Crayak.

     All we ever see of Crayak's true form is the red eye, right? What if, in Crayak's lonliness--before or after he met the Ellimist-- he created a separate body--with its own identity, memory, knowledge, etc-- like the Ellimist did with the Andalite? I mean, personally, I can see an evil, psychotic creature like Crayak as being egotistical enough to create an extension of himself, just to gloat about how powerful he [Crayak] really is.

     I think it makes a teensy weensy bit of sense. We never hear the Drode doubt or insult his master. Sure, I guess he could be extremely devoted to his master, but it's a strange relationship they've got going. And it would give Crayak a chance to converse with the Animorphs and interfere without breaking the supposed rules of the game.

     Now, I'm not sure if the Crayak, the Drode and the Ellimist were all in the same room at once. I have yet to read a few books, and my memory of the Attack is sketchy, but I can't be sure if the Drode ever appeared together, at the same time.

     Not to say that totally blows my theory out of the sky; Ellimist and his Andalite form were near each other when the body was initially created.

     Just my theory.

[Morilore]

That was similar to my thought - the Drode is Crayak's "true" original form, as though the Ellimist had a "servant" who introduced himself as "Toomin."  Crayak presents itself in this way when it wants to inspire something other than abject terror in whoever it's communicating with; when it wants to needle people and get under their skin...  I had an image of an animated Animorph's TV series in which, at the end of the adaptation of the Ellimist Chronicles, the Ellimist finally gets a peek at whatever is behind Crayak's facade of implacable terrifying power and sees the Drode; a creature more akin to a bored 14-year-old internet troll hurting people for the lulz than to an elemental manifestation of pure evil.

[paul1991]

Makes a bit of sense. TEC spent quite a while talking about loneliness. With Father, Toomin and Crayak all wanting company and each finding it in a different manner.

Just a note, the Crayak never got sucked into a black hole. That was the fate of the Ellimist.

[TobiasMasonPark]

     Didn't the Ellimist say, in the same book, that the Crayak "mimicked" his feat--that being the black hole maneuver?

[DinosaurNothlit]

I would just like to point out that the Drode and Crayak have, in fact, been in the same place at the same time, in book #48.  Although, that entire book may or may not have actually happened, seeing as Rachel was already having dreams within dreams for the first few chapters of that book.  But still, if that book is to be believed, Crayak and the Drode are at least separate in physical form.

But, like you already pointed out, that doesn't mean much, since Crayak could have easily created a physical persona separate from himself.  And I think your idea makes a lot of sense.  Crayak is very egotistical, and the Drode sings praises of Crayak whenever he mentions his master's name.  The Drode has a lot of Crayak's powers, and almost seems to exist for the sole purpose of being a go-between for Crayak to talk to mortals.  And he has many of the personality traits that Crayak seems like he should have, but lacks.  He's supposed to be a gamer, right?  So where is his playfulness, his enjoyment of games?  In the Drode.

According to Wikipedia--the last time I checked-- the Drode is the sole survivor and traitor to his entire race.

I would like to know where Wikipedia got this.  I don't remember any mention in the series of the Drode being a traitor to his race.  I don't suppose this Wikipedia page cites the book they got this from?

[RYTX]

^ I always took it to be the black hole, but i don't remember if that's expressly stated.
And Crayak and the Drode both hang out to watch Rachel in #48.

Personally I like to think that the Drode is a seperate entity, neither created or the embodiment of Crayak or the Ellimist. Drode's about chaos and mayhem for the joy of it, Crayak's on death and destruction to assert his own power-his end game was master, not watching lesser beings squabble.
The easy thought is Crayak meet him some time after going super-being, and the drode was somehow appeasing, so he gave it powers like he did with rachel for a bit, to bring about a bit trouble, but once the ellimist caught on, they had to put a cap on: or else he got a sweet deal that's kept kinda quite (Setting up the animorphs?  *denial*)

More fun for me is the notion that when Crayak was physical, the drode was a creature he encountered and so many ideas come up: He'd done something that pissed off his people and landed on the planetiod Crayak, and they struck up a deal where he goes back and ruins his species while becoming a willing pawn.
Another that's way out there is the drodes species all lived on crayak-either evolved or traveled there, and Crayak took favor on one them that was either particular or unusually wicked. admittedly not likely, but it's tickled my thoughts from time to time

edit: as dino says I don't recall him being the traitor or that last of his species said in the series. But that's a fun idea ain't it.

But that just leads to the theory there's a hole race of them somewhere still (ignoring my other theories) and who knows what that could lead to....

[TobiasMasonPark]

     It is often implied that the Drode's first act of service was betraying his species to Crayak, so that it/he is now their only remaining member.

     I just checked the Wikipedia page; that's what it said.

[Galladerotom]

Wikipedia is completly unreliable.

I once checked it regarding the endings and it said that Marco settled down on the Andalite homeworld with Ax's family.

People seem to forget that people can write up total crap on wikipedia all too often.

Anyways, the Drode is definatley a malevolent joker who is unpredictable, (he says that his name means wildcard).

I don't think he is the Crayak's alter ego. For no reason what so ever he draws them to the bottom of the sea to the Chee ship (correct me if I am wrong)

[nocoolnametim]

     It is often implied that the Drode's first act of service was betraying his species to Crayak, so that it/he is now their only remaining member.

     I just checked the Wikipedia page; that's what it said.

personally I think that this was how he got the crayak to notice him. I kind of disagree that the Crayak just made an extension of himself.

[NateSean]

      

     According to Wikipedia--        

Sounds a bit like a fan theory. Wiki can be edited by anyone, is that particular entry flagged in anyway? Only reason I ask is because I don't quite recall where KA ever explained Drode's existence for any length of time, even in TEC.

Still, it would make sense. He does the same thing to David and he approaches Rachel as well. Whereas the Ellimist seems to choose a variety of people based on a number of traits and skills, the Crayak seems to value treachery and ruthlessness. (That and Rachel wasn't supposed to be one of the six, so she was basically a wildcard that could be turned. Otherwise he would have gone to Marco for the same reasons)

[MoppingBear]

I would just like to point out that the Drode and Crayak have, in fact, been in the same place at the same time, in book #48.  Although, that entire book may or may not have actually happened, seeing as Rachel was already having dreams within dreams for the first few chapters of that book.  But still, if that book is to be believed, Crayak and the Drode are at least separate in physical form.

That would be trivial for a being like Crayak.  And yeah, it was explicitly stated in TEC that Crayak copied the Elimmist and got powers.


My theory has always been that before the Animorphs, there was a similar conflict somewhere else.  The Drode was the Rachel analogue of his group, except when Crayak went to him and offered powers in exchange for killing the leader, he agreed.

[Azguard]

^ interesting theory.

 WHAT IF (and this is bringing human emotions and classic human tragedy into it) the drode is actually in some sorta debt relationship with Crayak? Like in order to save his race or his family or whatever, he must obey Crayak and Crayak wants the Drode due to something the Drode possesses that the Crayak either doesn't possess or can't for some reason?

So that at first the Drode does everything the Crayak asks him to, but grudgingly and resistantly. but as time goes on, he becomes desensitized, rationalizing that he is hurting the few to protect the many? XD