Final Space is an animated TV show that is widely recognized as an epic interstellar adventure; the plot, comedy and action are all great elements that combine to make this a truly great show. While the series follows the adventures of Gary Goodspeed and his ragtag team made up of the smartest minds in the universe as well as the deadliest killers, it is clear that the entire story runs much deeper than you would expect of an animated series. One of the characters in particular can be described as having the worst experiences on the show.
Ash joined the series in the 2nd season and is notably the only humanoid character with powers. In the Final Space universe where imprisonment happens in space and the tech is eons from what we can imagine today, Ash having powers was still a rare event that came in handy many times during their many adventures. But this gift turned out to be a burden that led to her having the most tragic story in Final Space.
Ash Had to Make the Most Difficult Choices in Final Space
Final Space is a very layered story where each character has depth and nothing is really ever as it appears. Even the jokes are laced with meaning heavier than the laughs they elicit. With this in mind, the first time we meet Ash from the first episode of season 2, it is clear that she carries baggage that is heavier than what she deserves. She runs away from her planet after her parents fed her sister to the serpent god of her home planet, Serepentis. Then as the story proceeds she loses her foster brother. This only drives deeper the trauma she suffered after the death of her sister.
The anger that arises from these events is then manipulated by the show’s villain, Invictus, who twists more events to draw Ash to his side. By the time the show is coming to an end, Ash has to make the choice of forgiving who she perceives is her brother’s killer and remaining with her team, or joining Invictus. This comes after a change to her looks and an amplification of her powers by Invictus. In the end, when she overhears what she considers a betrayal of the only person she considers her friend, she makes a move that is detrimental to the survival of everyone.
Ash Suffered the Most Losses on the Sci-Fi Series
Final Space is a story of loss, from the first season, the show’s lead – Gary Goodspeed – loses, his father, an entire planet, and the love of his life. One of the lead characters dies at the end of the second season and another character is fostered by the man who killed his parent. Loss is rife. But for Ash, the losses of her loved ones affect her so deeply that as each person she loves dies, she loses a bit of herself, such that by the time her brother dies, she is turned into a completely different person who has slid into delusion and the dark side.
One of the poignant things about Final Space is that the story is propelled by the actions of each character. While Gary Goodspeed is the lead character, he is not the only character that things happen to or things happen because of. Ash might have joined Final Space in its second season but the tragedy of her life is such an important part of the story, that if you take it out and give her a less tragic story certain aspects of the plot crumble.