Erek King
Encyclopedia
Erek King is a fictional character
from the Animorphs
series by K.A. Applegate. He is a member of the Chee
, a pacifistic android race created by the Pemalite
s. Erek King was the name of a real Animorphs fan who won a competition on the Animorphs Official Site to have his name included in one of the books. Erek was originally intended as a minor character, but ended up becoming one of the most important secondary characters in the series.
After the destruction of the Pemalites at the hands of the Howlers
, Erek, along with the rest of the Chee, escaped to Earth, and has lived there for thousands of years, using incredibly advanced holographic technology to pass as human. In an early book, Erek, through the use of the Pemalite Crystal, reprogrammed himself to remove his inability to do violence and slaughtered about two dozen Hork-Bajir
in less than five minutes, but, unable to cope with the memory of violence and unable to forget it, he vowed never to fight again. The Pemalite Crystal was discarded (see Chee
). The Animorphs befriended Erek after learning he was a spy against the Yeerk
s- having pretended to become a voluntary host, Erek had subsequently tapped into the Yeerk's memory rather than the other way around, providing the Yeerk with Kandrona rays he generated himself to stop it escaping, and Erek - and most of the other Chee - assisted them whenever they could, whether it was passing them sensitive Yeerk information, masquerading as the human Animorphs while the real Animorphs were away on a mission, or even assisting the Animorphs on some of the missions (such as #26: The Attack
). Generally Erek was the Animorphs' 'default' Chee ally, although on one occasion (in #38: The Arrival
) Ax
asked the Chee posing as Erek's father for assistance in hacking into an Andalite computer.
As the series progressed Erek became a more important character, until the final battle in #53: The Answer
and #54: The Beginning
, in which the Animorphs forced Erek's hand, taking advantage of his non-violent programming to force him into acting in situations that he felt were morally reprehensible. After the defeat of the Yeerk Empire, Cassie
told Erek that Jake
said for him to leave the ship if Erek wanted to keep the Chee identity secret since the Andalite
s were coming on board. This was not a friendly parting since Jake (and maybe others) blamed Erek for the death of Rachel
since Erek drained the Dracon beam so Jake would not be able to defend the ship and possibly kill others, while Erek was horrified by Jake's decision to vent the Yeerk pool, killing those Yeerks feeding therein. The Blade Ship manned by Jake's brother Tom was going to fire on the Pool Ship thus Rachel had to attack Tom to stop it. Both ended up dying. Erek left telling Cassie to take care of Jake since Jake would need her. The series does not mention what happened to him or the other Chee after the battle's end.
empire, a citizen of a country ravaged by Attila the Hun
, a witness of the first performance of Hamlet
by William Shakespeare
in the 16th century, Catherine the Great's hair dresser, Ludwig van Beethoven
's valet, Louis Pasteur
's assistant, and President Franklin Roosevelt's butler. Furthermore, Erek has also passed as Marco
on several occasions — despite his tendency to clean Marco's room, much to the Animorph's dismay.
, is that of a human boy. He has "brown hair, just a little over his ears." Erek is about five feet tall, a bit shorter than Jake. Marco says he looks strong and confident.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
from the Animorphs
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...
series by K.A. Applegate. He is a member 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:...
, a pacifistic android race created by 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. Erek King was the name of a real Animorphs fan who won a competition on the Animorphs Official Site to have his name included in one of the books. Erek was originally intended as a minor character, but ended up becoming one of the most important secondary characters in the series.
After the destruction of the Pemalites at the hands of 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:...
, Erek, along with the rest of the Chee, escaped to Earth, and has lived there for thousands of years, using incredibly advanced holographic technology to pass as human. In an early book, Erek, through the use of the Pemalite Crystal, reprogrammed himself to remove his inability to do violence and slaughtered about two dozen 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...
in less than five minutes, but, unable to cope with the memory of violence and unable to forget it, he vowed never to fight again. The Pemalite Crystal was discarded (see 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:...
). The Animorphs befriended Erek after learning he was a spy against 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:...
s- having pretended to become a voluntary host, Erek had subsequently tapped into the Yeerk's memory rather than the other way around, providing the Yeerk with Kandrona rays he generated himself to stop it escaping, and Erek - and most of the other Chee - assisted them whenever they could, whether it was passing them sensitive Yeerk information, masquerading as the human Animorphs while the real Animorphs were away on a mission, or even assisting the Animorphs on some of the missions (such as #26: The Attack
The Attack (Animorphs)
The Attack is the twenty-sixth book in the Animorphs series, written by K.A. Applegate. It is narrated by Jake.-Plot summary:...
). Generally Erek was the Animorphs' 'default' Chee ally, although on one occasion (in #38: The Arrival
The Arrival (Animorphs)
The Arrival is the thirty-eighth book in the Animorphs series, written by K.A. Applegate. It is known to have been ghostwritten by Kim Morris. It is narrated by Ax.The front cover quote is "Andalites have reached Earth...
) 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...
asked the Chee posing as Erek's father for assistance in hacking into an Andalite computer.
As the series progressed Erek became a more important character, until the final battle in #53: The Answer
The Answer (Animorphs)
The Answer is the fifty-third and penultimate book in the Animorphs series. It is narrated by Jake.-Plot summary:After the destruction of the Yeerk pool, Jake, Tobias, and Marco witness the Yeerks destroying the last remnants of their hometown and watch as the Pool ship lands amidst the destruction...
and #54: The Beginning
The Beginning (Animorphs)
The Beginning is the fifty-fourth and final book in the Animorphs series. Unlike other Animorphs books in the main series, but similar to the Megamorphs, all characters conduct narration instead of just one.-Plot summary:...
, in which the Animorphs forced Erek's hand, taking advantage of his non-violent programming to force him into acting in situations that he felt were morally reprehensible. After the defeat of the Yeerk Empire, Cassie
Cassie (Animorphs)
Cassie is a fictional character from the sci-fi book series Animorphs, written by K. A. Applegate. Her last name is never mentioned, although she referred to it as being "nice" in The Secret.-Biography:...
told Erek that Jake
Jake Berenson
Jake Berenson is a fictional character and one of the main protagonists from the science-fiction book series Animorphs, written by K. A. Applegate. Until the penultimate book of the series, his last name was never revealed, and he was known only as Jake...
said for him to leave the ship if Erek wanted to keep the Chee identity secret since the 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....
s were coming on board. This was not a friendly parting since Jake (and maybe others) blamed Erek for the death of 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...
since Erek drained the Dracon beam so Jake would not be able to defend the ship and possibly kill others, while Erek was horrified by Jake's decision to vent the Yeerk pool, killing those Yeerks feeding therein. The Blade Ship manned by Jake's brother Tom was going to fire on the Pool Ship thus Rachel had to attack Tom to stop it. Both ended up dying. Erek left telling Cassie to take care of Jake since Jake would need her. The series does not mention what happened to him or the other Chee after the battle's end.
Known identities
Mentions of Erek's previous lives include a laborer that assisted in the construction of the Great Pyramids of Giza for the EgyptianAncient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
empire, a citizen of a country ravaged by Attila the Hun
Attila the Hun
Attila , more frequently referred to as Attila the Hun, was the ruler of the Huns from 434 until his death in 453. He was leader of the Hunnic Empire, which stretched from the Ural River to the Rhine River and from the Danube River to the Baltic Sea. During his reign he was one of the most feared...
, a witness of the first performance of Hamlet
Hamlet
The Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, or more simply Hamlet, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601...
by William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
in the 16th century, Catherine the Great's hair dresser, Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all time.Born in Bonn, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of...
's valet, Louis Pasteur
Louis Pasteur
Louis Pasteur was a French chemist and microbiologist born in Dole. He is remembered for his remarkable breakthroughs in the causes and preventions of diseases. His discoveries reduced mortality from puerperal fever, and he created the first vaccine for rabies and anthrax. His experiments...
's assistant, and President Franklin Roosevelt's butler. Furthermore, Erek has also passed as 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:...
on several occasions — despite his tendency to clean Marco's room, much to the Animorph's dismay.
Appearance
Erek's primary hologram, as described by Marco in Book 10The Android (Animorphs)
The Android is the tenth book in the Animorphs series, written by K.A. Applegate. It is narrated by Marco.-Plot summary:While sneaking into a concert in dog morph, Jake and Marco discover that they are unable to detect a smell from their friend Erek King, something impossible, as all living things...
, is that of a human boy. He has "brown hair, just a little over his ears." Erek is about five feet tall, a bit shorter than Jake. Marco says he looks strong and confident.