Ax's arrogance

[Darth Zakryn]

Ok, is just me, or does Ax's arrogance get a LITTLE annoying at times? Annoying as in I just want to reach in through the book and strangle him?

Two memorable occasions come to mind.

Where he compares human technology to chimpanzee technology. Good God! Chimps can't build rockets, make nuclear weapons, create cars, and computers, and lights, or raise buildings. That made me really angry. You might think he was joking. I don't think he was. Remember, by this time he had only a vague concept of humor.

The second one is where he corrupts the Animorphs. I am not kidding. When Marco's dad discovers the secret of Zero-space, he automatically assumes that it's a Yeerk trick, never mind there would be nothing to be gained from it, or that HE might have created the basis for what led to him discovering it with his actions in #8, noooooo, it's a Yeerk trick, and the others believe him because after all he's the expert alien. Don't they have any pride in their own race? Ax has told them time and time again that humans are fast learners. Isn't it possible, just POSSIBLE, that humans may be finding out about Zero-space on their OWN?

Sorry if I offended any of you. I needed to rant. But can you give me any opinions of your own on this?

[Chad32]

Seems like a typical alien lifeform to me. Highly advance race that feels they're superior to us lowly Humans. I can't say I was never annoyed by Ax, but he was still one of my favorite characters.

[Darth Zakryn]

I agree. Ax was one of my favorites too, but I accept the bad with the good.

All hail the holy blue race.

This brings up the next question: Why didn't one of the Animorphs just explan clothing to Ax? He sort of understands it, but how hard is it to really say "We're embarrassed to show our bodies, it's like how you feel without your tail."

[Semeir-Cooraf-Armaheen]

Elfangor wasn't all arrogant. He seemed constantly impressed by what he'd seen.

I think a LOT of it is Ax was young, and we all hit that age where we try to impress and one-up your peers no matter who they are or what race they are. Sometimes he was weirdly polite about saying "Hey, you guys are SOOOOOO behind us Andalites!" lol

[Darth Zakryn]

Hmp. Never thought of that. Thanks for the clarification, Semeir.

[estrid]

thats how i always saw it. ax was a teenager, or preteen. those kids are always arrogant, no matter the species

he did annoy me at times, mainly in the MM4 where he talks about humans not being able to invent soap as if the andalites ALWAYS had soap. ya right

[Darth Zakryn]

Well, they WERE the dark ages. I dunno, maybe the Andalites never had those... but yeah, in primitive times, no soap.

[Red]

thats how i always saw it. ax was a teenager, or preteen. those kids are always arrogant, no matter the species

Hah, yeah. It was just innate Andalite racism, pretty much.

[Magdaleen]

he did annoy me at times, mainly in the MM4 where he talks about humans not being able to invent soap as if the andalites ALWAYS had soap. ya right

Nahh, they're just an older race.
He said that at least Andalites had invented soap four hundred years ago. And I've read somewhere else that Andalites had existed for about a million years, as opposed to humans who only had existed for some thousands. Naturally, being an older race has its benefits, such as inventing things before other races even gets the chance.

Call me weird, but I didn't really notice Ax's arrogance until somebody mentioned it.

[Phoenix004]

Actually if I recall correctly, Marco is the one who brings up the comparison between Human and Chimpanzee technology, after Ax admits that Chee tech is superior to Andalite tech. Ax then jokingly replies by saying that actually the gap would have to be far wider, because there isn't much difference between Human and Chimpanzee technology. Personally I thought that was a pretty awesome burn from an Andalite. 

As for the thing with Marco's dad, Ax is hardly being unfair by assuming that Human's hadn't discovered Z-space so soon. The others were really shocked too and would've come to the conclusion that it was a Yeerk trap even if Ax wasn't around. In fact, I don't believe you ever find out for certain that it was solely Human work, despite the fact that it is heavily implied.

Andalites are a proud race, and with good reason. Yes they have a tendency to be arrogant, and being raised in such a culture it's hardly Ax's fault if that influence wears off on him. Compared to almost all of the Andalite we met in the series, Ax was much more humble. We only saw a handful of civilian Andalites, and most of them we only met briefly. It's hardly fair to judge a race based only on their military personnel.

[Joan Berenson]

First of all, Ax is still an Andalite so he still is bound to the culture of his species as he is bound to human culture. Andalites are warriors as well as artists and scientists. His was a scientific query about the consciousness of the chimps. He was curious about the chimpanzees because of Marco's remark about the chimpanzees' capability of creating speech. He even made a mental note to research about chimpanzees.

For the next situation, Ax wasn't belittling humans, it's just that the Andalite's discovery of Z-space occured in a longer length of time, and basing on his ability for mental calculations, he might have computed (with the current state of our technology and the devices and machines we use, and despite of him saying that we're fast learners) the time it would take for human technology to reach the discovery of Z-space. So in the time when Marco's dad knew about it, he instantly thought that it was a Yeerk idea. And it was the simplest explanation, most logical, too since the workplace of Marco's dad is run by Yeerks.  

[Terenia]

Elfangor wasn't all arrogant. He seemed constantly impressed by what he'd seen.

I think a LOT of it is Ax was young, and we all hit that age where we try to impress and one-up your peers no matter who they are or what race they are. Sometimes he was weirdly polite about saying "Hey, you guys are SOOOOOO behind us Andalites!" lol

I disagree. Elfangor was arrogant, especially when he was younger. He thought that the Yeerks were an evil scourge on the galaxy - an opinion he carried with him until death. He thought that he alone would change the course of the war and that the Andalite were doing a righteous thing.

The only thing that took Elfangor's arrogance away from him was being utterly defeated. He created the Abomination and ran away from a war, spending two years amongst humans. When Elfangor lost is arrogance it was because he lost his Andaliteness. He never lost his bias towards the Yeerks, though. To him, they were always evil.

I think Ax truly exemplifies the Andalite arrogance at a young age - how it's brainwashed into their species.

Which does make them downright annoying at times. They should know that the Yeerks are better than them.

[songofsuzanna]

I always took Ax's arrogance as partially being because he's young.  Also, you have to remember that he is essentially marooned on an alien planet.  Of course he's going to cling to his culture and defend it and if that means being arrogant, then so be it.  There were moments, though, that Ax was seriously disillusioned about his people (for example, remember when he was made to take the blame for Elfangor giving the kids the ability to morph).  I think deep down Ax was seriously conflicted at times, and very lonely, and the arrogance was sometimes real but a lot of times simply a cover.  It's like the person who uses anger to cover the fact that he's afraid.

[LisaCharly]

+Karma for that post, Songofsuzanna. I agree entirely.

[songofsuzanna]

Ah, gee, thanks!