Having recently wrapped up season 3, The Umbrella Academy has seen exceptional success. The series is based on the Dark Horse graphic novels series by the same name which was written and created by Gerard Way. Bringing the comics to life proved to be the way to go, as the Netflix series was pretty much an instant hit when it first aired.
The Umbrella Academy is the story of a dysfunctional family of superheroes, and the characters were a hit with the audience from the beginning. This is a big reason why The Umbrella Academy has seen such triumph, as the characters are most definitely the selling point. Klaus Hargreeves is perhaps the most quotable character in this series. The lovable character who has the power to see and interact with the dead is what Chandler Bing was to The Walking Dead. Klaus Hargreeves is the underdog in his family, and though his goofy, nonchalant attitude often gets on his siblings' nerves, viewers absolutely love him.
Updated August 1st, 2022, by Kevin Pantoja: Season 3 of The Umbrella Academy arguably gave Klaus the best content to work with. The character embarked on an intriguing journey of self-discovery, expanding on his powers, and even forming an unlikely bond with a version of his father. Through it all, Klaus remained the lovable character that he always has been. That meant doing things like saying some of the best lines anyone on the show has, often making the audience laugh at every turn.
"You're Always Screwin' Things Up, And You're Really F*****g Tired Of It"
Someone Who Wants To Change
As noted, season 3 saw Klaus grow as a person in impressive ways. He took a look at himself and his life and wanted to finally do better. That led to this quote where he emotionally opened up about what he truly wanted.
That desire led Klaus to visit the Reginald Hargreeves in this timeline, who was seemingly much nicer than the father he grew up with. Klaus came to him for help with improving his abilities and he emotionally revealed that he's tired of being seen as a screw-up.
"Long Story Short: I'm Immortal Now."
The True Extent Of His Power
Due to his addiction, Klaus hasn't always had full access to his powers. He stayed high and it dulled his abilities while also helping him deal with the PTSD of what his father did to him as a child. That has changed over the course of the series.
The incredible opening scene of season 2 gave a preview of this as Klaus controlled an entire army of ghosts. Season 3 expanded upon that as Klaus came to realize that he's immortal. The things he believed were near-death experiences were actual deaths that he came back from.
"Why Would You Put Pineapple On A Pizza?"
An Age-Old Question
One of the biggest debates you can find online revolves around the idea of putting pineapple on pizza. There are people who consider it to be a great meal and some who view the topping as one of the worst things you can put on pizza, ruining it.
Season 3 gave fans Klaus's take on the topic. While in the Void with Luther, he questioned the decision to put the fruit on pizza, agreeing that it kind of messes up one of the most popular foods on the planet. It's the kind of comedy and lighthearted nature that Klaus brings to the show.
"Chaos Is Exhausting."
A Hectic Life
Ever since Reginald Hargreeves died, the of the Umbrella Academy have been in constant peril. They had to stop an apocalypse partially caused by their sibling and then got transported to the '60s where they had to do the same thing again.
Things were more dire than ever in season 3 with the Kugelblitz as a factor. Klaus laid out this line that his entire family likely found to be true. Their lives became completely chaotic over a few weeks and they have likely never been more tired because of it.
"Well It Was The 60s Babe, Everyone Had One."
He Really Had A Cult
When the Hargreeves siblings got stuck in the '60s, Klaus technically landed before anyone else. That gave him more time in the decade to do his own thing (with ghost Ben by his side) and it's pretty fitting that Klaus ended up as the leader of a cult.
When Klaus was discussing things with Stan in season 3, he mentioned that he had a cult. Stan questioned it and the casual way that Klaus brushed it off as if it was no big deal is even more fitting for his character. He keeps things light.
"Don't go chasing waterfalls. Stick to the rivers and the lakes that you're used to."
Quoting TLC
When Klaus finds himself in prison with cult follower Keechie, he's pressed to share some wisdom. Keechie thinks Klaus is sharing some deep wisdom, not knowing it's actually a lyric from the song "Waterfalls" by TLC, a song that doesn't yet exist in 1963.
The reference is more meaningful than that, though, as it is indicative of Klaus clinging to his old habits and way of life instead of bravely moving forward. Keechie certainly thinks it's meaningful and spreads the quote far and wide.
"Family barbecues are about to get real weird."
Meeting His Brother-In-Law
With Ben's help, Klaus is able to free Allison's husband Raymond Chestnut from prison. Klaus then drops the bombshell that he is Allison's brother, which is followed up by the line about family barbecues.
This is the understatement of the century as Ray has no idea at this point about Allison's "rumor" superpower, let alone her superpowered siblings and their remarkable history together. Klaus considers Ray to be family now, but he can never prepare Ray for the bizarre and dysfunctional depths of the Hargreeves family.
"The healthiest long-term relationship in this family was when Five was banging that mannequin."
The Hargreeves Aren't Good At Romance
When Klaus chats with Allison and Vanya about the siblings' many failed romantic relationships, it becomes clear that none of them are ideal to give each other relationship advice. Between all the tragedy and toxicity, none of them have had the chance to develop a long-lasting and healthy romantic relationship that flourished.
That leads to Klaus's quip about Five having the healthiest long-term relationship with the mannequin Delores that he carried with him during the apocalypse and throughout the events of season 1. It is a sad state of affairs if a relationship with a mannequin is the best they can do. Only Klaus can get away with casually saying something so ridiculous yet true.
"If you don't make it back, there's one thing that I need to tell you . . ."
Important Words
Klaus, Diego, and Allison are doing everything in their power to reach Vanya and stop her from causing the apocalypse before it's too late. When Klaus tells Diego that there's something he needs to say in case Diego doesn't make it back, the audience prepares itself for a heartwarming and emotional moment from Klaus.
After insisting that Diego hears what he has to say, Klaus tells him, "You look like Antonio Banderas with the long hair." Klaus's urgency in this tense moment subverts the expectations of the audience and of his siblings. It's hilarious, but it's also clear the Diego sincerely appreciates the remark, and that it helps put Diego into his confident hero mode.
"All these years and I thought it was my fault that he didn't take his ticket to heaven."
Ridden With Guilt
Ben makes a huge sacrifice when he ends his ghostly existence so he can reach Viktor, get through to them, and prevent their powers from exploding and causing the apocalypse again. Before Ben's ghost disappears, he tells Viktor to on a message to Klaus.
The message is that Ben was too scared to go toward the light after he died and it wasn't Klaus who made him stay. Klaus always felt guilty about Ben sticking around as a ghost for 17 years after he died. Klaus's response is one of gratitude and relief as he no longer has to wrestle with this guilt. He now realizes that it was Ben's choice to stay and can feel happy that Ben has found the strength and inner peace to move on.
