I think I know why Jake doesn't morph Howler...

[CounterInstinct]

Well, I just reread "The Attack" and I just noticed that, in the end, the Ellimist "warps" them back to Cassie's barn as if nothing had happened. In my opinion, it happened as if Jake "never" acquired the Howler... probably right huh?

[morfowt]

not really. they were back in cassie's barn, but they never say at the same time as they left. the ellimist only said their parents wouldn't know they were gone.

in my opinion he doesn't morph because howlers are sentient creatures.

[Chad32]

I never understodd the "no sentient creatures" rule. It's not the same. A sentient morph is not the same as a sentient being.

They morph several sentient beings over the course of the series, and whenever they do the morphs never start talking back.

As for the Howler, it's dead. A dead sentient lifeform won't care if you morph it.

[Mongoose]

The sentient morphs rule was not about control, more about ethics. You can morphs sentient creatures, but only with it's permission.

[CounterInstinct]

Because that is what a Yeerk would do. They control sentient beings. You say its just a morph, but still, what happens? You become that creature, THEN you control the creature. If the morph is sentient, then it is no different from controlling a sentient being.

It's impractical, but its morally wrong. I'd feel insulted if someone morphed me or morphed my father. Heck, I'd feel insulted if he morphed my long gone grandmother....

[Chad32]

Because that is what a Yeerk would do. They control sentient beings. You say its just a morph, but still, what happens? You become that creature, THEN you control the creature. If the morph is sentient, then it is no different from controlling a sentient being.

It's impractical, but its morally wrong. I'd feel insulted if someone morphed me or morphed my father. Heck, I'd feel insulted if he morphed my long gone grandmother....

But the actual morph has no sentience. It isn't any more aware of what's happening than any other morph they do. Sure there are instincts, but no higher awareness.

Plus, the morph is like another you. Which means you can keep living your life separate of the morpher. It's no different from morphing an animal, as far as I can tell. It's not the same.

A Yeerk takes the host, body and soul. A morpher takes a single strand of DNA, which does not hinder the other person's life in any way.

If a morphed sentient lifeform showed higher awareness of what was really happening, then it would be different. But it doesn't. There's no real person inside the mind. Just base instincts.

[morfowt]

well it doesn't matter. they have the rule. you can't change that fact.

[Phoenix004]

I doubt that Jake not morphing the Howler had much to do with the sentient species rule, although that could have been a factor.

I think it's more likely that he chooses not to morph it because of his uncomfortable experience in the Howler morph. He thought it would be a brutal killing machine, but it was actually a fun loving species that didn't realise that killing was wrong. Clearly this upset Jake, which is probably why he never morphs it after book 26. Besides, he's got his Tiger morph so he doesn't really need to use the Howler morph.

It's also possible that (for whatever reason) he can no longer morph the Howler. Maybe Crayak or the Ellimist made it impossible for him to morph it? (Something to do with their rules?) Or perhaps it's kinda like Megamorphs 2 where they can't morph the Dinosaurs after they've gone back through the Sario Rip?

[sundi]

The being you morph may well be an "empty shell" but its a matter of invasion of privacy. Humans are very self conscious about their bodies and to morph into one, you would invade their privacy. Additionally your subsequent actions as this morphed human will come into play.

[morfowt]

It's also possible that (for whatever reason) he can no longer morph the Howler. Maybe Crayak or the Ellimist made it impossible for him to morph it? (Something to do with their rules?) Or perhaps it's kinda like Megamorphs 2 where they can't morph the Dinosaurs after they've gone back through the Sario Rip?

so it's impossible for him to keep the howler morph, but not impossible for the howlers to keep the piece of memory they recently got (the one with jake and cassie kissing) and not impossible for guide to still have his riches?

[Phoenix004]

It's also possible that (for whatever reason) he can no longer morph the Howler. Maybe Crayak or the Ellimist made it impossible for him to morph it? (Something to do with their rules?) Or perhaps it's kinda like Megamorphs 2 where they can't morph the Dinosaurs after they've gone back through the Sario Rip?

so it's impossible for him to keep the howler morph, but not impossible for the howlers to keep the piece of memory they recently got (the one with jake and cassie kissing) and not impossible for guide to still have his riches?

I'm not the Ellimist, and I'm not Crayak. I don't make the rules, but if I did, then I think I'd excuse the Howler memory thing (since that was part of the game!) and I honestly wouldn't care about Guide being rich or not.

[esplin]

i would have morphed it

[Duff]

well didnt crayak have control over all the howlers minds or something, so maybe jake just didnt want to get too close to crayak, like in lotr where he didnt want to wear the ring cause it kinda focused sauron on him, something like that

[Ketsuban]

Why would Jake want to morph a Howler again? Its howl would do as much damage to his friends as it would to his enemies.

[Chad32]

Why would Jake want to morph a Howler again? Its howl would do as much damage to his friends as it would to his enemies.

True that. He'd have to be in a situation where he was separated from his friends by quite a bit. I can imagine Ax panicking a little if he saw Jake start morphing Howler. He suffered from the howl more than the rest.