Eldest

Eldest is a major supporting character in the first book of the Across the Universe series and was the previous leader of the ship Godspeed. He was also Elder’s mentor. Eldest lived on the Keeper Level along with Elder. Eldest died towards the end of the first book after being exposed to too much Phydus when Orion tried to kill him.

Appearance
Eldest bears several features that are similar to that of Elder and Orion as Elders are clones of every Elder before them. The only features that make Eldest distinguishable between the two are his wrinkles, white hair and terrible limp which he got from a bad leg injury which never fully healed.

Eldest wears the same pale taupe tunic and chocolate brown trousers as every other passenger aboard the ship.

Personality
Eldest is a crude, arrogant dictator who prefers things quiet and controlled. Eldest cannot stand differences, as he disapproves of Amy Martin’s ’freakishness,’ even calling her a freak straight to her face. Eldest, however, is willing to do his best in training Elder and is very serious about his education.

Eldest‘s false personality, which according to Elder is like that of an old grandpa, is only shown when Eldest is around Feeders, which shows that Eldest is very self-conscious when it comes to his public image. Eldest loves prideful and sacrificial people, which was shown at the start of the series when Elder attempted to sacrifice himself to save the ship when he thought it was exposed to ‘space.’

Being into quiet and controlled things, Eldest rules Godspeed using Phydus, a drug developed after the so-called ‘Plague‘ which is said to have wiped out two thirds of the ship’s population nearly three centuries ago.

Eldest also prefers hiding the truth from his people rather then telling it to them as he told them that Godspeed was set to land in 75 years when it was in fact 250 years behind schedule.

Across the Universe
Empty