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For the Esplin 9466 from an alternate future, see Esplin 9466
For the Esplin 9466 from the Amazon Sario Rip, see Esplin 9466
For the Esplin 9466 from Back to Before, see Esplin 9466

"The mistake was following the path laid down by you, Visser One. You and your Sharing, your one-host-at-a-time, your slow, steady infiltration. We took the Gedds. We took the Hork-Bajir! Took them! We made allies of the Taxxons, but if they had resisted, we would have taken them, too! Do you think we will infiltrate the Andalites when that time comes? Will we form little social clubs and talk them into becoming our slaves? No! When we are ready we will take them, too! We are the Yeerk Empire! We are not a race of sneaks and spies. We are rulers, conquerors!"
―Esplin 9466[src]

Esplin 9466 is a former officer of the Yeerk military. As the leader of the Yeerk invasion of Earth, he served as the Animorphs' primary foe.

In addition to being one of the first Hork-Bajir-Controllers, Esplin 9466 also possesses the distinction of being the first human-Controller and the first Andalite-Controller in history.

Biography[]

Birth[]

"I come from no regular Yeerk pool. I was born from the decaying bodies of my tripartite parents, along with several hundred brothers and sisters, aboard ship. And one twin, naturally, as you know from the double-number designation. I have never lived on the home world. I was born in a sterile, titanium-alloy tank, beneath the warmth of a portable Kandrona. It was all I knew. [...] And I would have lived happily enough."
―Esplin 9466[src]

Esplin 9466 was born between 1966 and 1968 in an artificial Yeerk pool on board a captured Andalite ship shortly after the Yeerk exodus from their home world.[1]

Studious Ambitions[]

"I would never be a scientist. I knew I didn't have that kind of mind. But perhaps there was something else I could learn from the Andalite computer. [...] Know your enemy. That was my calling. That was the way to gaining my own host. I would learn all the computer held about the magnificent, powerful creatures called Andalites. Someday we would face the Andalites in battle. Then I would be needed."
―Esplin 9466[src]

At the time, the Yeerks had only a small number of Gedds to use as host bodies, and so each of the quarter million Yeerks on the convoy were given fifteen minutes "training" in a Gedd host. When Esplin's turn came up, he was so overwhelmed by the experiences of sight, hearing and greater mobility that he made it his ambition to be one of the few Yeerks to always possess a host body. He had a twin brother named Esplin 9466 Lesser. To help increase his chances of achieving his dream, he immersed himself in Andalite culture, biology, and military tactics, taking a famous Andalite saying – "Know your friends well. Know your enemies better." – as his axiom. He quickly became the pre-eminent expert on all affairs Andalite in the gestating Yeerk Empire. Through this initial research, Esplin fostered a deep desire to one day infest an Andalite, so that he might truly understand them.[1]

Hork-Bajir Conflict[]

Launching the Hork-Bajir Infestation[]

This section requires expansion
"Months went by, and slowly the memory of those few amazing moments in the Gedd faded. Others were called to assume hosts. I was not. But then it happened. Palp to palp, the message came to me. Esplin 9466 to the infestation pier! There was a new species to try. After failures with the Hawjabrans and only the few Ongachics, our wandering assemblage of spacecraft had found a new planet. With new creatures. Three had been seized from the surface and brought aboard. One was for me."
―Esplin 9466[src]

Soon after arriving at the Hork-Bajir homeworld, the Yeerks capture two specimens to examine for their fitness of infestation. Esplin is called to the pier, and becomes the first Yeerk to inhabit a Hork-Bajir as a permanent host. He utters the words "Yes, these creatures will be our weapons," and seals the fate of the Hork-Bajir.[1]

Andalite Hunting[]

"You see, I had already realized one very important thing: From now on, the host body one had would be an indication of power. Already there were lines of distinction between Yeerks who had Gedd hosts and Yeerks who were given the new, powerful Hork-Bajir bodies. These Hork-Bajir would be our shock troops. But there was still one host better than Hork-Bajir: Andalite. Yes, the Yeerk who could take an Andalite host would be more than a mere sub-visser. The Yeerk who could take and hold an Andalite host would be a visser, at the very least. And someday, who knows? A seat on the Council of Thirteen?"
―Esplin 9466[src]
This section requires expansion

To be added[1]

Newfound Promotion[]

"I heard the title and swelled with pleasure. I had been newly promoted. Up from Sub-Visser Seventeen, my first command rank. It was a jump of five places! Sub-Vissers Sixteen and Fourteen had been promoted. Sub-Visser Thirteen had been killed in battle against Hork-Bajir rebels. Sub-Visser Fifteen was being executed for incompetence and cowardice. [...] But I was in command. I was the twelfth highest-ranking sub-visser. Beyond that there were nine vissers. But every day there were promotions. Every day new sub-vissers and vissers were added. We were growing! These were amazing, heady days."
―Esplin 9466[src]

When the first Andalite forces arrive, Esplin, now known as Sub-Visser Twelve, leads the fighter attack against the Andalites. Using his knowledge of Andalite tactics and technology, his counter-measures prove to be effective, and he manages to survive the struggle against the then-superior Andalite forces, though most of his comrades are lost. By the end of the conflict, Esplin has established himself as one of the most prominent Yeerks of his generation.[1]

Taxxon Homeworld[]

Meeting Elfangor and Chapman[]

"There has never been an Andalite-Controller. None of us has ever succeeded in capturing an Andalite alive. Your warriors use that nasty Andalite tail blade on themselves rather than be taken alive. Such a waste. Really. See, I want to be the first to have an Andalite body. With that body, with the Andalite morphing power, I wouldn't remain a sub-visser for long. I could be a full visser. [...] Let me take that Andalite body. You'll live. It's the only way you'll live."
―Esplin 9466 to Elfangor-Sirinial-Shamtul[src]
This section requires expansion

Esplin, now Sub-Visser Seven, is in charge of security on the Taxxon homeworld. He encounters Elfangor-Sirinial-Shamtul, Arbron, and Alloran-Semitur-Corrass on the Taxxon homeworld, and their two human charges, Loren and Chapman.[2]

Infesting Alloran[]

"He stood there, rage on his face. Alloran. War-Prince Alloran-Semitur-Corrass. But not really Alloran anymore. For the rest of my life I would remember that moment. The moment when I looked for the first time, upon the abomination. You see, Alloran was no longer Alloran."
Elfangor-Sirinial-Shamtul[src]

Esplin conducts a little signing negotiation with Chapman, understanding that the human race could be a useful new host species. During a skirmish with Elfangor, Esplin’s host is knocked unconscious, along with Alloran. Esplin uses the unguarded moment to acquire Alloran as a host body, becoming the first Andalite-Controller in history. He gives all his knowledge of Andalite fleet movements and modern tactics and technology to the Council of Thirteen, and they reward him for his efforts.[2]

Using the Time Matrix[]

"We are falling toward a black hole in a dead ship. But we have a way out. The Time Matrix."
"In case you haven't noticed, Visser, the Time Matrix is strapped to the outside of the ship. The outside. In fact, it's probably drifting free. It was held in place with energy ropes. Those are gone."
"Gravity. There should be just enough attraction between the ship and the Time Matrix to keep it close."
―Esplin 9466 and Elfangor-Sirinial-Shamtul[src]
This section requires expansion

Esplin later arrives when it becomes known that the Skrit Na obtained the Time Matrix, now Visser Thirty-Two. He becomes entangled with Elfangor and Loren, and the result of their meddling with the Time Matrix as all three of them try to use it to go home results in a warped universe, part Earth, part Andalite homeworld, and part Yeerk Homeworld. In a final stand-off with Elfangor and Loren, Esplin travels through a rift and apparently returns to the Jahar, falling into a black hole, but he survives under unspecified circumstances.[2]

Becoming Visser Three[]

Reunited with Elfangor[]

This section requires expansion

Later, when the Ellimist warps Elfangor out, Esplin has already reached his trademark rank, Visser Three. Elfangor rams his Blade Ship, and the battle ends with an Andalite victory as Esplin retreats his forces. This battle makes Elfangor a Prince.[2]

Reassigned to Earth[]

To be added

Invasion of Earth[]

Killing Elfangor[]

"What have we here? A meddling Andalite? Ah, but no ordinary Andalite warrior. Prince Elfangor-Sirinial-Shamtul, if I am not mistaken. An honor to meet you again. You're a legend now. [...] The very last Andalite in this sector of space. Yes, I'm afraid your Dome ship has been completely destroyed. Completely. I watched it burn as it fell into the atmosphere of this little world. [...] This world will be mine. My own contribution to the Yeerk Empire, Our greatest conquest. And then I'll be Visser One."
―Esplin 9466 to Elfangor-Sirinial-Shamtul[src]

On a Friday night in 1997,[4] the Yeerk Empire had the Pool ship and Bug fighters in Earth's orbit, Esplin had his Blade ship parked in one of the craters of Earth's moon. As the Andalite fleet emerged to fight the Yeerk forces, Esplin had the Blade ship ambush them, which resulted in the destruction of the Andalite Dome ship GalaxyTree and the deaths of most of the Andalite forces. After finishing off the remnants of Andalite resistance, Esplin followed Prince Elfangor-Sirinial-Shamtul, who had flown his fighter down to Earth moments earlier. Esplin had his Blade ship land in the abandoned construction site where Elfangor had crash-landed, which was coincidentally in the same city the Yeerks were basing their Earth invasion out of.

Exiting his Blade ship, Esplin found himself facing a fatally wounded Elfangor. He told the Prince that it was an honor to meet him again, noting that he had become a legend since they last met. Esplin relished in notifying Elfangor that the Dome ship had been destroyed and the Andalites had all been killed. When Elfangor retorted that Andalite reinforcements would arrive, Esplin responded that they would not be enough and that he would kill them too. As Elfangor asked why Esplin was targeting humans himself, Esplin crowed that the conquest of Earth was to be his contribition to the Yeerk Empire and that victory would have him promoted to Visser One.

However, when Esplin added that he hoped to torture Elfangor's family before having them infested, Elfangor struck at Esplin. Screaming in pain, Esplin ordered his forces to destroy Elfangor's fighter, which had fired a shot at a Bug fighter, while commanding two Hork-Bajir-Controllers to hold down the wounded Elfangor. Esplin then morphed into an Antarean Bogg, a creature with a huge mouth and ringed teeth, and devoured Elfangor. Elfangor screamed as the teeth shredded him, but the Andalite prince was quickly killed, with Esplin eating the Andalite body. Esplin then demorphed and witnessed as his forces attempted to pursue what they believed were human children that had been watching them. He then ordered his subordinates to find the children at all costs and was infuriated at their failings.[5]

Meeting the Andalite Bandits[]

"I know who and what you are. So. Not all of you Andalites died when I burned your ship. I compliment you on getting this far. But it will accomplish nothing. Because now, my brave Andalite warriors, it is time. Time to die. I acquired this body on the fourth moon of the second planet of a dying star. Like it?"
―Esplin 9466 to the Andalite bandits[src]

A few nights later, on Monday, Esplin 9466 was in the Yeerk Pool when he was informed that wild animals had entered the complex and attacked some of the Controllers before freeing the imprisoned hosts. Realizing that the animals were morphs,[5] Esplin deemed them as Andalite bandits[6] who he believed had survived from the destruction of the GalaxyTree Dome ship. Complimenting them for what they had achieved thus far, he informed them that they would die now before morphing into a giant fire-breathing monster with eight heads which he revealed he acquired on the fourth moon of a dying star.

Jake vs

Esplin attacked by an Andalite bandit

Spitting fireballs from his eight heads, Esplin incinerated many of the fleeing prisoners. As the Andalite bandits ran towards the stairs to escape, the visser crowed and encourged them to continue running, citing that it made it more fun for him; he then continued his fireball gauntlet, deeming it as target practice, resulting in all of them except one woman and Tom being either recaptured or killed. Esplin followed the Andalites up the stairs but struggled as his giant body hindered him. He then created a wall of fire to block off their escape, which prompted Tom to try and attack him, although Esplin was easily able to swat him off the stairs. The Andalite bandit in a tiger morph then lunged at him and bit one of his necks, causing Esplin to scream as he spat a fireball at the tiger's flank. With the stairs now too narrow for him to follow them any further, Esplin could only watch and shout as the bandits successfully escaped, screaming that he would kill them all.[5]

Meetings with Chapman/Iniss 226[]

To be added

Ambushing the Bandits[]

To be added

Troubles with Andalite Bandits[]

"Earth is not ours because of the incompetence and treason of Visser Three. I left Earth in a position to be taken!"
"You left Earth before the Andalites landed a force of trained guerillas and saboteurs armed with morphing technology!"
Edriss 562 and Esplin 9466[src]

To be added

Encountering David[]

To be added

Planning and Failing[]

"You've never understood anything but brute force and crude manipulation, Visser Three. Your plans are grandiose and absurd. You wasted how much time and how many resources inventing a clever potion to destroy human free will? A failure! As anyone who knows humans could have told you. You try and seize control of the head of state of the most powerful nations and end up alarming them, making half of them suspect our presence on Earth! You spend a fortune in pursuit of an Anti-Morphing Ray that doesn't work! Why? Because you cannot even manage to wipe out a handful of Andalite refugees!"
Edriss 562[src]

To be added

Trial of the Vissers[]

To be added

Underwater Expeditions[]

Hork-Bajir Experimentations[]

To be added

Fighting the Nartec[]

To be added

Further Machinations[]

To be added

Becoming Visser One[]

Operation 9466[]

"The newly appointed Visser One, recently Visser Three, current leader of the Yeerk mission on planet Earth... has approved Operation 9466. Visser Two has undertaken a journey to Earth to assist in the execution of this long-anticipated military action."
―Yeerk Transmission[src]

To be added

Learning of the Animorphs[]

To be added

Open Warfare[]

This section requires expansion

When he discovers the truth of the Animorphs' identities and escalates the conflict, it forces the Animorphs to retreat to the Hork-Bajir colony with most of their families.

Defeat[]

"You're the one called Jake, aren't you? The brother of my security chief's host body."
"That's me."
"As you see, my Blade ship is approaching. [...] The Blade ship will attack, and I am helpless, unable to control this ship. Only a traitor could have beaten me. I was not beaten by you, human, or by your pet Andalite there. I was undone by my trusting nature. Only another Yeerk could have beaten me, and then only by the lowest treason. I was not beaten by you. Never by you."
―Esplin 9466 and Jake[src]
This section requires expansion

When the Andalites arrive, the Animorphs are able to force a stand-down, resulting in the now-promoted Visser One retreating from Alloran. Esplin was then kept as a prisoner on Earth pending trial.

Post-War[]

Trial and Imprisonment[]

"We have this just coming in. The five judge panel in The Hague has returned convictions on twenty-two of twenty-five counts of war crimes against the Yeerk, Visser One. Visser One, of course, led the Yeerk invasion of Earth and was in command of all Yeerk and allied forces at war's end. The decision means that Visser One will almost certainly never be released from the specially constructed prison facility that has been built in Kansas. The trial was televised live around the world for three weeks during which time seventy three witnesses took the stand to substantiate the charges and allegations."
―CNN Breaking News[src]
This section requires expansion

Despite attempting to get Jake charged with war crimes, he is left incarcerated in his natural state on Earth for crimes against humanity.

Personality[]

"I understand you perfectly, Esplin-Nine-Four-Double-Six. You have the necessary brutality without the necessary subtlety. You are crude and emotional. You've made no progress with Earth. None. For all your grandiose schemes you are no further toward your goal than when you took over."
Edriss 562[src]

Esplin is a no-nonsense Yeerk, personifying the cold and heartless enemy the Animorphs are up against. He keeps subordinates in line with fear over incentive, and isn’t above the random execution, just to keep the rest in line.

Esplin's twin brother was initially his comrade in arms, but eventually the pair became antagonistic towards each other, with Esplin declaring his brother a traitor. The other Esplin became a cannibal, killing other Yeerks in order to sustain his own need for Kandrona rays, and suspected that Visser Three only kept him alive in hopes of obtaining this technique. The home of Esplin's twin's host body on Earth later burned down under mysterious circumstances; it is unknown whether this was perpetrated by the Animorphs or by Visser Three himself.

Esplin is a war hero to his people in a similar way Elfangor is to his, and the two share a bitter hatred towards each other almost from the moment they meet. Though Esplin isn’t as selfless and valiant as Elfangor, he appears to be far more cunning, as demonstrated in most of the battles of wits he has with Elfangor, he emerges the victor.

He does enter a rivalry with then Visser One, and their rivalry was something of a legend, even among Andalite circles. He has a close friendship with Visser Four, the head of the Leeran invasion; though, with Esplin’s personality, it is most likely a political alliance more than friendship.

Most Yeerks possess some kind of relationship with their hosts, often not a positive one, and Alloran long ago gave up his fight with Esplin so until book 54 he remained an entire slave, not even thinking to be free once more. In book 54, however, once defeated by the Animorphs and Tom the traitor, Esplin voluntarily relinquished his hold on Alloran, favoring the Animorphs' punishment to what the Council would sentence him to, and Alloran was overjoyed to be free again, once and for all.

Morphs[]

"Visser Three didn't look all that scary. Not compared to the Hork-Bajir, the Taxxons, or even our own Earth-animals. But Visser Three had an Andalite body. He had an Andalite's power to morph. And he had been all over the universe acquiring the genetic patterns of monsters like nothing ever seen on Earth."
Jake[src]
Morph Book Acquired/Used
Djabala, Kafit bird Prior to The Andalite Chronicles
Taxxon The Andalite Chronicles
Hork-Bajir
Antarean Bogg The Invasion
Unnamed Creature with Eight Heads and Eight Legs
Vanarx The Visitor
Huge unnamed creature with three legs, tiny head, and a rock-like appearance
Mardrut The Message
Human The Capture
Amazonian Snake (unusable; acquired by alternate Esplin 9466) The Forgotten
Lerdethak (morphed by alternate Esplin 9466)
Lebtin Javelin fish The Reaction
Unnamed Giant Yellow Sea Serpent creature The Escape
Unnamed Winged porcupine-like creature The Underground
Human (Hewlett Aldershot III; possibly) The Decision
Dule Fansa, Human (Tony) The Discovery
Unnamed Lizard Creature The Threat
Human (Aria) The Pretender
Kaftid
Unnamed creature with a Medusa-like head, with a scythe-shaped blade on each of the "snakes" The Suspicion
Anteater
Unnamed creature with an appearance resembling an eyeball, with long yellow tentacles for eyelashes The Sickness
Unnamed Chameleon Land Crab creature The Reunion
Luminar The Mutation
Unnamed putrid creature The Weakness
Unnamed tar creature The Hidden
Bievilerd The Revelation
Unnamed acidic crature The Return
Unnamed creature, which resembled a mound of living, carnivorous, Jell-O
Unnamed creature, with an appearance like a giant squid covered in hard black scales, with twenty spike covered tentacles The Ultimate
Giant Octopus The Sacrifice


Books Narrated By Esplin 9466[]

Trivia[]

  • Esplin 9466 has the title Visser Three from books #1-45 in the series. After the original Visser One is killed in #45, he becomes Visser One for the rest of the series.

Gallery[]

Elfangor eye closeup andalite chron "Someone took a picture of me? Not cool. Do you see what I'm wearing? I'm Spandex-boy. Totally not cool."

The image gallery for Esplin 9466 may be viewed here

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 The Hork-Bajir Chronicles
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 The Andalite Chronicles
  3. Sentenced to life imprisonment in a Kandrona prison facility in Kansas
  4. The Andalite Chronicles takes place in 1976 and states it is 21 years before Elfangor met the Animorphs, placing the event in 1997.
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 The Invasion
  6. The Visitor
Vissers in the Yeerk Empire
Visser One Visser One | Visser One
Visser Two Visser Two
Visser Three Visser Three
Visser Four Visser Four
Visser Thirty-two Visser Thirty-two
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