Animorphs Chronicles
Encyclopedia
The Animorphs Chronicles is a series of 4 books written by K. A. Applegate
alongside the main series
as a companion collection to detail the backstories of characters introduced in the series, and help explain and expand upon concepts that were briefly defined in the series, but, as the series is told from a human point of view, were limited in terms of what could only be explained through in-story dialogue. Four Chronicles books were published; The Andalite Chronicles
in 1997, The Hork-Bajir Chronicles
in 1998, Visser
in 1999 (the only Chronicles book not to feature the word in its title), and The Ellimist Chronicles
in 2000. The Chronicles books are unique amongst the Animorphs continuity in that they are told from previously largely unfamiliar aliens' perspectives, and not from one of the 5 main human points of view (nor Ax
's, after being introduced), bar the beginning and end of The Hork-Bajir Chronicles, which is narrated by Tobias
. All four books feature artwork by Romas Kukalis
on their covers.
The Andalite Chronicles
The Andalite Chronicles takes place before and leading up to the events in The Invasion
. It is narrated by Elfangor-Sirinial-Shamtul
, or, as he is later known, Prince Elfangor. It begins with him uploading his memory into the computer before facing Visser Three
at the abandoned construction site. The rest of the book is then a flashback of Elfangor's personal history, beginning with him as an Aristh, a warrior in training, and ending with him at the construction site.
Elfangor and his fellow aristh Arbron
rescued two humans from the Skrit Na
: Loren and Hedrick Chapman. They were assigned to return them to Earth
under the leadership of a disgraced War-Prince, Alloran-Semitur-Corrass
. However, upon realizing the Skrit Na were in possession of the mythical Time Matrix
, they were forced to go after it. Arbron became trapped as a Taxxon
, and Elfangor became responsible for Alloran's infestation. Eventually, Elfangor, Alloran and the Yeerk controlling him, and the humans fell into a black hole. They were forced to use the Time Matrix to escape, which took them to a fragmented universe created from Elfangor, Loren, and the Yeerk (now Visser Thirty-Two)'s memories. Elfangor and Loren were able to escape to Earth, where he permanently morphed a human and stayed in that form. He married Loren some time later, but just before she gave birth to Tobias
, the Ellimist
repaired Elfangor's "timeline" and returned him to the Andalite homeworld. Elfangor went on to become a great Andalite hero, leading to the events of the first Animorphs book, where Visser Thirty Two, (Esplin 9466 the Greator) having somehow escaped the collapsing universe, has been promoted to Visser Three.
The Hork-Bajir Chronicles
Jara Hamee, the first member of the free Hork-Bajir colony, tells Tobias a story of how the Yeerks tried to enslave the Hork-Bajir
, and how Aldrea
, an Andalite
, tried to help the Hork-Bajir.
Visser
Told from the perspective of the Yeerk
Edriss 562 who, during most of the main series, was the designated Visser One. She later takes over the body of Marco
's mother, Eva, and fakes her own death to fulfil her duties as the lead Visser. In the book, she is on trial for treason, prosecuted by her enemy, Visser Three
. Edriss 562 explains her backstory, from when she was inside her previous host, a Hork-Bajir
designated Sub-Visser 409, stationed on the Hork-Bajir world, to when she hijacked a ship and eventually inhabited a female Hollywood actor, Jenny Lines, to her founding of The Sharing inside another host, Lore David Altman, to her current host, Eva, and her role in the Yeerk Empire.
The Ellimist Chronicles
As an unidentified Animorph (who in the final book is revealed to be Rachel
) lies on the brink of death, the Ellimist appears and recounts his origins as Azure Level, Seven Spar, Extension Two, Down-Messenger, Forty-One (Toomin) the Ketran
and his transfiguration into the Ellimist as a final request to the dying Animorph. The Ketran race was virtually extinguished by the Capasin
s, who had seen images of violent virtual Ketran games that had been broadcast into space and mistook them for real violence. Toomin/Ellimist was one of the few survivors. These survivors became space nomads, seeking a replacement for their home Ket. Toomin became the leader of this group and was the only survivor when it crash-landed on a mostly aquatic planet. He was kept alive at the bottom of the sea by a planet spanning entity known as Father that accessed every corpse on it. Toomin, after defeating Father at music, began to grow too intelligent for Father and defeated him, incorporating all the memories of corpses on the planet, eventually becoming a blending of minds.
After he defeated Father he began to wander the universe without purpose until he started to resolve conflicts and crises under the name Ellimist. The Ellimist worked like this for several thousand years until he encountered the Crayak
, who existed to destroy all life in galaxies, a strong antithesis to what the Ellimist had come to stand for. Crayak engaged Ellimist in games that had entire planets on the stakes. Ellimist did not fare well and lost far more often than he won. Losing motivation to continue fighting the Crayak, the Ellimist temporarily retreated to the Andalite home planet. The Andalites at the time were not the advanced civilization but a primitive collection of tribes. By living on the planet as an Andalite, the Ellimist learned that the key of survival was to create as many offspring as possible; although some may die, with repeated efforts life could multiply faster than the Crayak could wipe them out. With a renewed vigor, the Ellimist fought the Crayak, creating the Pemalite
s, creators of the Chee
, who spread quickly throughout the galaxy (until they were destroyed by Crayak's own creations, the Howlers
). Although, the Crayak eventually destroyed the Ellimist physically by luring him into a black hole, the Ellimist found himself fully integrated into the fabric of space-time. Soon, both the Crayak and the Ellimist recognised direct combat to be much too dangerous for themselves and space-time itself. To prevent such catastrophic damage, the Crayak and the Ellimist agree to construct the intricate "game" they are seen to play in the Animorphs series.
K. A. Applegate
Katherine Alice Applegate is an American author, best-known as the author of the Animorphs, Remnants, Everworld and other book series, although some of the books in these series are ghostwritten by other authors. Applegate's most popular books are science fiction, fantasy, and adventure novels...
alongside the main series
Animorphs
Animorphs is an English language science fiction series of young adult books written by K. A. Applegate and published by Scholastic. Five humans, Jake, Marco, Cassie, Rachel, and Tobias, and one alien, Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill , obtain the ability to morph into any animal they touch. They name...
as a companion collection to detail the backstories of characters introduced in the series, and help explain and expand upon concepts that were briefly defined in the series, but, as the series is told from a human point of view, were limited in terms of what could only be explained through in-story dialogue. Four Chronicles books were published; The Andalite Chronicles
The Andalite Chronicles
The Andalite Chronicles is a science-fiction novel, and is the first companion book to the Animorphs series, written by K. A. Applegate. Within the timeline of the series, this book takes place before the first book in the series, The Invasion...
in 1997, The Hork-Bajir Chronicles
The Hork-Bajir Chronicles
The Hork-Bajir Chronicles is the second companion book to the Animorphs series, written by K. A. Applegate. With respect to continuity within the series, it takes place before book #23, The Pretender, although the events told in the story occur between the time of The Ellimist Chronicles and The...
in 1998, Visser
Visser (novel)
Visser is the third companion book to the Animorphs series, written by K. A. Applegate. Within the continuity of the series, it takes place directly after the events of book #35, The Proposal, but is also in part a detail of the backstory of its narrator, Edriss 562, Visser One, whose host is...
in 1999 (the only Chronicles book not to feature the word in its title), and The Ellimist Chronicles
The Ellimist Chronicles
The Ellimist Chronicles is a children's science-fiction novel, a companion book to the Animorphs series written by K. A. Applegate. It tells the backstory of the Ellimist, a god-like being from the story...
in 2000. The Chronicles books are unique amongst the Animorphs continuity in that they are told from previously largely unfamiliar aliens' perspectives, and not from one of the 5 main human points of view (nor Ax
Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill
Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill is a fictional character from the sci-fi book series Animorphs.-Biography:Aximili is a young Andalite who becomes stranded on Earth when the Andalite Dome Ship GalaxyTree is shot down by Yeerk fighters...
's, after being introduced), bar the beginning and end of The Hork-Bajir Chronicles, which is narrated by Tobias
Tobias (Animorphs)
Tobias is a fictional character from the sci-fi book series Animorphs written by K.A. Applegate. His surname is never mentioned, but had the Ellimist not altered time in order to take his father, Elfangor-Sirinial-Shamtul, back to his old life, his full name would have been Tobias Fangor, the...
. All four books feature artwork by Romas Kukalis
Romas Kukalis
Romas Brandt Kukalis is a painter best known for his work as a cover artist for works of speculative fiction, including the Animorphs Chronicles...
on their covers.
The Andalite ChroniclesThe Andalite ChroniclesThe Andalite Chronicles is a science-fiction novel, and is the first companion book to the Animorphs series, written by K. A. Applegate. Within the timeline of the series, this book takes place before the first book in the series, The Invasion...
- Copyright date: 1997
- Cover Art: Elfangor
- Number of pages: 326
- New Morphs: Arbron and Elfangor - Taxxon; Elfangor - human
The Andalite Chronicles takes place before and leading up to the events in The Invasion
The Invasion (Animorphs)
The Invasion, published in 1996 and written by K. A. Applegate, is the first book in the Animorphs series. It is narrated by Jake.-Plot summary:...
. It is narrated by Elfangor-Sirinial-Shamtul
Elfangor-Sirinial-Shamtul
Elfangor-Sirinial-Shamtul is a character in K. A. Applegate's book series Animorphs. He is of an alien race known as the Andalites. His adventures are highlighted in the book called The Andalite Chronicles, which takes place before the main Animorphs series.Elfangor is an Andalite war-prince, who...
, or, as he is later known, Prince Elfangor. It begins with him uploading his memory into the computer before facing Visser Three
Visser Three
Visser Three, born as Esplin 9466 Primary and later known as Visser One, is a fictional character and the main antagonist of the sci-fi book series Animorphs, written by K.A. Applegate. He is the leader of the Yeerk forces on Earth, having inherited the planet from Edriss 562, who was Visser One at...
at the abandoned construction site. The rest of the book is then a flashback of Elfangor's personal history, beginning with him as an Aristh, a warrior in training, and ending with him at the construction site.
Elfangor and his fellow aristh Arbron
Arbron
Arbron is a fictional character in the Animorphs series by K. A. Applegate.He was an Andalite aristh, a cadet, who was never serious and was always competitive with Elfangor-Sirinial-Shamtul, who back then was an aristh as well....
rescued two humans from the Skrit Na
Skrit Na
The Skrit Na are a race of aliens from the Animorphs book series by K.A. Applegate. They capture specimens from the many planets they visit and either perform strange medical procedures on them or put them in a zoo on their homeworld...
: Loren and Hedrick Chapman. They were assigned to return them to Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
under the leadership of a disgraced War-Prince, Alloran-Semitur-Corrass
Alloran-Semitur-Corrass
Alloran-Semitur-Corrass is a fictional character in the Animorphs series by K. A. Applegate. He is the host body of Visser Three, a high-ranking Yeerk and the primary antagonist of the series.-Character history:...
. However, upon realizing the Skrit Na were in possession of the mythical Time Matrix
Time Matrix (The Animorphs)
The Time Matrix is a fictional device from the book series, the Animorphs, by K.A. Applegate.It is essentially a time machine, though it can also create a whole new universe if given improper, or mixed, directions....
, they were forced to go after it. Arbron became trapped as a Taxxon
Taxxon
The Taxxons are a fictional sentient race in the Animorphs book series by K.A. Applegate, one of the species conceptually created for the series. They resemble giant, centipedes, with the forward one-third portion of their body held erect. They move on many rows of needle-like legs and the legs...
, and Elfangor became responsible for Alloran's infestation. Eventually, Elfangor, Alloran and the Yeerk controlling him, and the humans fell into a black hole. They were forced to use the Time Matrix to escape, which took them to a fragmented universe created from Elfangor, Loren, and the Yeerk (now Visser Thirty-Two)'s memories. Elfangor and Loren were able to escape to Earth, where he permanently morphed a human and stayed in that form. He married Loren some time later, but just before she gave birth to Tobias
Tobias (Animorphs)
Tobias is a fictional character from the sci-fi book series Animorphs written by K.A. Applegate. His surname is never mentioned, but had the Ellimist not altered time in order to take his father, Elfangor-Sirinial-Shamtul, back to his old life, his full name would have been Tobias Fangor, the...
, the Ellimist
Ellimist
The Ellimist is a fictional character from the science fiction novel series Animorphs.The Ellimist is an almost god-like being, displaying many reality warping powers, though it is stated several times that while he appears to be, he is not omnipotent. By standard values, the Ellimist is a force of...
repaired Elfangor's "timeline" and returned him to the Andalite homeworld. Elfangor went on to become a great Andalite hero, leading to the events of the first Animorphs book, where Visser Thirty Two, (Esplin 9466 the Greator) having somehow escaped the collapsing universe, has been promoted to Visser Three.
The Hork-Bajir ChroniclesThe Hork-Bajir ChroniclesThe Hork-Bajir Chronicles is the second companion book to the Animorphs series, written by K. A. Applegate. With respect to continuity within the series, it takes place before book #23, The Pretender, although the events told in the story occur between the time of The Ellimist Chronicles and The...
- Copyright date: 1998
- Number of pages: 206
- New morphs: Aldrea - Hork-Bajir (Delf Hajool), chadoo, Alloran
- Narrator: Tobias, Dak Hamee, Aldrea-Iskillion-Falan, and Esplin 9466Visser ThreeVisser Three, born as Esplin 9466 Primary and later known as Visser One, is a fictional character and the main antagonist of the sci-fi book series Animorphs, written by K.A. Applegate. He is the leader of the Yeerk forces on Earth, having inherited the planet from Edriss 562, who was Visser One at...
Jara Hamee, the first member of the free Hork-Bajir colony, tells Tobias a story of how the Yeerks tried to enslave the Hork-Bajir
Hork-Bajir
The Hork-Bajir are a race of aliens in the Animorphs novels.The Hork-Bajir are fictional aliens that are usually about seven feet tall. They are a dark shade of green and have three-toed theropod feet. Their necks are long and they have a mouth that resembles a falcon's beak with teeth. Their legs...
, and how Aldrea
Aldrea
Aldrea-Iskillion-Falan is a fictional character in the Animorphs series.Aldrea is the daughter of Prince Seerow, a main character in Animorphs 34: The Prophecy and the heroine in The Hork-Bajir Chronicles...
, an Andalite
Andalite
The Andalites are a fictional alien race of grazers in the Scholastic book series Animorphs.-Biology:The Andalites are fictional aliens from the book series and TV series Animorphs....
, tried to help the Hork-Bajir.
VisserVisser (novel)Visser is the third companion book to the Animorphs series, written by K. A. Applegate. Within the continuity of the series, it takes place directly after the events of book #35, The Proposal, but is also in part a detail of the backstory of its narrator, Edriss 562, Visser One, whose host is...
- Copyright date: 1999
- Number of pages: 193
- Cover artist: Romas KukalisRomas KukalisRomas Brandt Kukalis is a painter best known for his work as a cover artist for works of speculative fiction, including the Animorphs Chronicles...
- Narrator: Edriss 562Edriss 562Edriss 562 is a Yeerk that controls Marco's mother Eva. For most of the series, her rank is Visser One. She is the subject of the novel Visser, which describes her rise to and dramatic fall from power...
Told from the perspective of the Yeerk
Yeerk
Yeerks are a fictional extraterrestrial species from the book and television series "Animorphs" written by K. A. Applegate and published by Scholastic.-Biology:...
Edriss 562 who, during most of the main series, was the designated Visser One. She later takes over the body of Marco
Marco (Animorphs)
Marco is a fictional character from the sci-fi book series, Animorphs, written by K. A. Applegate. His last name is never mentioned.-Biography:...
's mother, Eva, and fakes her own death to fulfil her duties as the lead Visser. In the book, she is on trial for treason, prosecuted by her enemy, Visser Three
Visser Three
Visser Three, born as Esplin 9466 Primary and later known as Visser One, is a fictional character and the main antagonist of the sci-fi book series Animorphs, written by K.A. Applegate. He is the leader of the Yeerk forces on Earth, having inherited the planet from Edriss 562, who was Visser One at...
. Edriss 562 explains her backstory, from when she was inside her previous host, a Hork-Bajir
Hork-Bajir
The Hork-Bajir are a race of aliens in the Animorphs novels.The Hork-Bajir are fictional aliens that are usually about seven feet tall. They are a dark shade of green and have three-toed theropod feet. Their necks are long and they have a mouth that resembles a falcon's beak with teeth. Their legs...
designated Sub-Visser 409, stationed on the Hork-Bajir world, to when she hijacked a ship and eventually inhabited a female Hollywood actor, Jenny Lines, to her founding of The Sharing inside another host, Lore David Altman, to her current host, Eva, and her role in the Yeerk Empire.
The Ellimist ChroniclesThe Ellimist ChroniclesThe Ellimist Chronicles is a children's science-fiction novel, a companion book to the Animorphs series written by K. A. Applegate. It tells the backstory of the Ellimist, a god-like being from the story...
- Copyright date: 2000
- Number of pages: 200
- Cover artist: Romas KukalisRomas KukalisRomas Brandt Kukalis is a painter best known for his work as a cover artist for works of speculative fiction, including the Animorphs Chronicles...
- Art Direction/Design: Karen Hudson/Ursula Albano
- Narrator: The Ellimist
As an unidentified Animorph (who in the final book is revealed to be Rachel
Rachel (Animorphs)
Rachel is a fictional character from the sci-fi book series Animorphs. Her full name is never explicitly mentioned in the books, but her relation to her cousin Jake Berenson through their fathers makes it most likely to be Rachel Berenson, if it was never changed or hyphenated.-Biography:Before the...
) lies on the brink of death, the Ellimist appears and recounts his origins as Azure Level, Seven Spar, Extension Two, Down-Messenger, Forty-One (Toomin) the Ketran
Ketran
The Ketrans are a fictional race from the Animorphs book series; they lived in giant crystals hovering above a lava-covered planet. The Ellimist was once a member of this race, apparently one of the first technologically advanced sentient life-forms of the galaxy...
and his transfiguration into the Ellimist as a final request to the dying Animorph. The Ketran race was virtually extinguished by the Capasin
Capasin
The Capasins are a fictional race from the Animorphs book series first seen in The Ellimist Chronicles. They resemble squids, with giant, bulbous heads dominated by glittering blue eyes, a beak-like mouth, and a number of thin, multi-jointed arms. They came across images of the Ketran Games and...
s, who had seen images of violent virtual Ketran games that had been broadcast into space and mistook them for real violence. Toomin/Ellimist was one of the few survivors. These survivors became space nomads, seeking a replacement for their home Ket. Toomin became the leader of this group and was the only survivor when it crash-landed on a mostly aquatic planet. He was kept alive at the bottom of the sea by a planet spanning entity known as Father that accessed every corpse on it. Toomin, after defeating Father at music, began to grow too intelligent for Father and defeated him, incorporating all the memories of corpses on the planet, eventually becoming a blending of minds.
After he defeated Father he began to wander the universe without purpose until he started to resolve conflicts and crises under the name Ellimist. The Ellimist worked like this for several thousand years until he encountered the Crayak
Crayak
Crayak is a fictional character and villain from the science-fiction book series Animorphs, written by K. A. Applegate.-Description:Crayak is a nearly omnipotent entity appearing in the form of an armless cyborg with massive limbs and nothing but what would resemble as a blood-red eye for a head...
, who existed to destroy all life in galaxies, a strong antithesis to what the Ellimist had come to stand for. Crayak engaged Ellimist in games that had entire planets on the stakes. Ellimist did not fare well and lost far more often than he won. Losing motivation to continue fighting the Crayak, the Ellimist temporarily retreated to the Andalite home planet. The Andalites at the time were not the advanced civilization but a primitive collection of tribes. By living on the planet as an Andalite, the Ellimist learned that the key of survival was to create as many offspring as possible; although some may die, with repeated efforts life could multiply faster than the Crayak could wipe them out. With a renewed vigor, the Ellimist fought the Crayak, creating the Pemalite
Pemalite
The Pemalites are a fictional alien species from the Animorphs series by K.A. Applegate. In appearance they resemble dogs, though they walk on their hind legs.-Creation:...
s, creators of the Chee
Chee
The Chee are a fictional race of androids created by the extinct Pemalites, a race of pacifists from the sci-fi book series Animorphs, written by K. A. Applegate. The word Chee means "Friend" in the Pemalite language.-Fictional history:...
, who spread quickly throughout the galaxy (until they were destroyed by Crayak's own creations, the Howlers
Howler (Animorphs)
Howlers, or Crayak's Children, are the alien shock troops of the nearly omnipotent Crayak, in the sci-fi book series Animorphs.-Biology:...
). Although, the Crayak eventually destroyed the Ellimist physically by luring him into a black hole, the Ellimist found himself fully integrated into the fabric of space-time. Soon, both the Crayak and the Ellimist recognised direct combat to be much too dangerous for themselves and space-time itself. To prevent such catastrophic damage, the Crayak and the Ellimist agree to construct the intricate "game" they are seen to play in the Animorphs series.