Jake
From Seerowpedia
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|
| Jake Berenson | |
|---|---|
| Biographical information | |
| Gender |
Male |
| Eye color |
Brown |
| Hair color |
Brown |
| Family |
Father: Steve Berenson, Mother: Jean Berenson, Brother: Tom Berenson, Cousins: Rachel (Animorph), Jordan, Sara |
| Occupation |
Student |
| Affiliation | |
| Behind the scenes | |
| First appearance | |
| Last appearance | |
| Cause |
End Of Series |
Jake Berenson is a fictional character, and main character, in the Animorphs book series, written by K.A. Applegate.
Contents |
[edit] Position And Role
- At the beginning of the Animorphs series, Tobias, another Animorph, announces to the other Animorphs, that he thinks that Jake should be their leader. The other Animorphs quickly agree, and Jake accepts the position; but, he's very reluctant at first, although few would disagree that he is naturally fit for the job; he is brave, responsible, cool under pressure, and able to take charge during a crisis. He is described by his cousin, Rachel, as a person who can give orders without sounding overly-bossy. At first, Jake doesn't view himself as a leader, and isn't ready to accept the role, but when he learns that his older brother, Tom, is a Controller, his desire to save his brother serves as the fuel to his unyielding determination in his fight against the Yeerks.
[edit] Relations To The Other Animorphs
- Rachel: Despite being cousins, Jake and Rachel aren't particularly close. As the series progresses, Jake becomes worried about Rachel's violent nature, and Rachel finds herself wishing to challenge Jake's leadership; but, overall, the two get along very well, and are often on the same side in arguments.
- Tobias: Before Jake became an Animorph, he helped Tobias escape from bullies, and because of this, Tobias looks up to Jake, and has a deep respect for him, almost never questioning his decisions. But, after the end of the series, Tobias is unable to forgive Jake for his part in Rachel's death.
- Cassie: Jake and Cassie were attracted to each other ever since the start of the series, and their relationship kept growing as the series progressed. They end up kissing in The Attack, and admit the depth of their feelings for each other; after they kiss, Rachel remarks, "It's about time.". However, they grow apart towards the end of the series, due to Jake's depression, and his distrust of Cassie, after she allows Tom to take the Escafil device. But, they do make up before the very end of the series, and Jake even asks Cassie to marry him in The Answer, but she declines, saying she will marry him "a year after this is all over". At this time, Cassie correctly suspects that Jake had been changed by the war: and after it's over, he becomes too entrenched in depression and guilt to be able to pursue a romantic relationship. So, Cassie moves on to a new boyfriend, Ronnie Chambers.
- Marco: Jake and Marco had been best friends for years (even before the war), and generally maintained a close relationship throughout the series, despite several tests of their friendship. But, towards the end of the war, Jake and Marco's friendship suffers. In the post-war period, Marco is concerned for his friend, and makes a plan with Cassie, to try to get through to him.
- Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill: Ax deeply respects Jake, and calls him his "prince". This is a running joke between the two, as Jake is biologically younger than Ax, and holds no real rank. However, Ax does actually respect Jake's position as leader, and at times, Jake uses his "rank" to overrule Ax's objections. While Jake, at times, keeps a certain distance from Ax, as he is Ax's commander, there is a strong bond between the two. Jake is protective of Ax, believing him to be a soldier under his command, and therefore Jake's responsibility (when Ax is kidnapped in the final book, Jake describes him as "one of mine").
[edit] Effects Of The War
- Like the other Animorphs, Jake is affected internally by the war; in fact, his position as leader may put more pressure on him than anybody else in the group. The war forces him to mature quickly, and his friends seem to notice, as he becomes less of a normal teen, and more of a serious, and experienced captain. Jake's burden and his desire to return to a normal life has caused him to falter a few times, mostly noticeable towards the end of the series. However, for the most part, he remains strong, and doesn't display his struggles to the rest of the group.
- One of Jake's most terrible experiences, was when he was infested by a Yeerk, Temrash 114. But, luckily, Ax realized something was wrong with Jake (because Jake looked disgusted when he saw Ax), and the Animorphs tied Jake up for three days, until Temrash 114 died of Kandrona starvation. Temrash's death is also significant, because Jake gets his first view of Crayak, an extremely powerful being, who is the enemy of The Ellimist. But, while Jake was infested, he gained some of the memories of Temrash, and his old hosts: a Gedd, a Hork-Bajir, and Tom (who now is host to another Yeerk).
- After his parents were taken, and made into Controllers, Jake became despondent for a time, and briefly gave up his leadership position. Jake refused to give orders to his friends, as he was sick of the responsibility of command; he believed the mistakes he had made indicated that he was unfit to lead. However, after Eva pointed out that Jake was the only enemy Visser One feared, Jake resumed command with the support of his friends. However Jake's command style changed radically: he became more ruthless, and resolved to never question himself again.
- After the war, Jake falls into a deep depression, "armchair quarterbacking" his life, and regretting the things he had done. Jake particularly wishes that he could have seen an alternative to sending Rachel to kill Tom, as well as wishing that he could unlive the moment when he gave the order that doomed seventeen-thousand unhosted Yeerks on the Pool Ship.
- When Ax is kidnapped, Jake, of course, is worried, but at the same time, the need for a leader is what snaps him out of his depression. Jake promises to Marco that this time he "won't make mistakes", and resumes his position as leader of the Animorphs, for the new war that lies ahead.
- Jake presumably died, at the end of The Beginning, in a head on collision, consisting of the Blade Ship and the ship the Animorphs named the Rachel, in honor of their deceased friend. Marco, Tobias, and two cadets were in the Rachel when it crashed, and Ax was in the Blade Ship, after being enslaved by The One.
[edit] Morphs
Favorite Battle Morph: Male Siberian Tiger
Favorite Morph: Peregrine Falcon
| Morph | Book Acquired |
|---|---|
| Golden Retriever (Homer) | The Invasion |
| Green Anole Lizard | |
| Male Siberian Tiger | |
| Peregrine Falcon | The Visitor |
| Flea | |
| Alpha Male Wolf | The Encounter |
| Trout | |
| Bottlenose Dolphin | The Message |
| Seagull | |
| Lobster | The Predator |
| Ant | |
| Cockroach | The Capture |
| Fly | |
| Termite (Acquired, but never used) | The Secret |
| Great Horned Owl | |
| Mother Skunk | |
| Bat | The Android |
| Spider Monkey (Unusable, Sario Rip morph) | The Forgotten |
| Jaguar (Unusable, Sario Rip morph) | |
| Racehorse | The Unknown |
| Parrot | The Escape |
| Hammerhead Shark | |
| Rhinoceros | The Warning |
| Mole | The Underground |
| Mosquito | The Decision |
| Leeran | |
| Tyrannosaurus Rex (Unusable, Sario Rip morph) | In the Time of Dinosaurs |
| Dragonfly | The Threat |
| Random Human Controller | |
| Anteater | The Suspicion |
| Baby Seal | The Extreme |
| Polar Bear | |
| Howler | The Attack |
| Giant Squid | The Exposed |
| Chimpanzee | The Experiment |
| Eel | The Sickness |
| War Horse | Elfangor's Secret |
| Hork-Bajir | The Prophecy |
| Squirrel | The Proposal |
| Cockatiel | |
| Orca Whale | The Mutation |
| Beaver | The Resistance |
| Anaconda | The Answer |
According to the Anibase, which can be downloaded here, Jake has a total 43 morphs in the series.
[edit] Trivia
- Jake's WAA username, is Bball24. It is a reference to his best basketball game, where he scored 24 points.
