The 100 has introduced a mysterious new enemy in its final season, but this new civilization is still shrouded in mystery. Who exactly are these “Disciples,” and what do they want with our heroes — particularly Clarke (Eliza Taylor)?
Clarke (Eliza Taylor) and her crew on planet Alpha came face to face with their new enemy, one of which called himself and his fellow soldiers, “the disciples of a greater truth.” That’s also what Orlando (Darren Moore) called members of his civilization during his five years with Echo (Tasya Teles), Gabriel (Chuku Modu), and Hope (Shelby Flannery) on Skyring/Penance.
Through Orlando, we got a lot of important information about the Disciples’ culture and history. Most obviously, these people speak English and Orlando knew what a Navy Seal was without having to be told. That’s an oddly specific thing for a member of an alien race (or at least interstellar human race) to know. It reinforces the idea that the Disciples were originally from Earth, just like the inhabitants of Sanctum. Though Orlando didn’t go into too much detail, he did say that the “Shepherd of all Mankind” delivered their society to Bardo and saved them from the fire that consumed the Earth. We’re going to go ahead and assume that was a reference to the first Praimfaya, aka Apocalypse One.
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The Disciples also sound like a very devout civilization, possibly even religious. Orlando mentioned Shepherd’s Law Number Four, which decrees “the day of rest” is one where everyone abstains from work in order to be more efficient the rest of the week. Sounds a lot like the Sabbath, right? And because Orlando chose not to rest, he was sentenced to 10 years on Penance, which lets you know how seriously breaking these laws are treated. We also know that they have some kind of level system within their culture that corresponds with the symbols tattooed on their faces. Orlando was a Level 12, which is one of the highest levels attainable, according to Hope.
We know the Disciples are incredibly advance based on their tech. Not only have they harnessed the power of the Anomaly to create wormholes that allow them to planet-hop, the bodysuits they wear are beyond futuristic. They operate with a command center based on thought and allow whoever wears them to become absolutely invisible at the drop of a hat. That makes tech like the Flame and mind drives seem like kid stuff!
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They also have M-Cap, aka memory capture, which allows the people of Bardo to view a person’s memories. Though it’s not necessarily torture, it can be if you fight it, which Octavia (Marie Avgeropoulos) apparently did. This process explains how the Disciples know so much about our heroes and could correctly identify everyone by name. They even know Clarke’s alias is Wanheda.
Most interesting of all, the Disciples leader, whoever he may be, believes Clarke is “the key to winning the last war mankind will ever wage.” Right now, it’s hard to tell if the Shepherd is their current leader, making it a title that is passed down from person to person, or if he was simply the original figure their religion/culture was based. We do know the man currently leading the Disciples, Anders, doesn’t seem to be the head honcho.
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There are plenty of theories about who these people actually are, but for now, we’ll focus on the one that’s currently the frontrunner. This theory presumes that these people are actually the descendants of the Second Dawn cult from back on Earth in Season 4. While looking for a bunker to help them survive the second Praimfaya, Clarke and her friends learned about a cult that foretold the end of the world and made plans to survive it. It was their bunker that Octavia and Wonkru eventually settled in to wait out Apocalype 2.
We don’t know much about what became of the Second Dawn cult, but we do know they were on Earh when Becca (Erica Cerra) came down and started turning survivors into Nightbloods. The cult’s leader, Bill Cadogan (John Pyper-Ferguson), actually burned her at the stake, which we saw in Madi’s (Lola Flanery) memories when she took on the Flame.
All the talk about a Shepherd delivering the Disciples from the fire that consumed Earth sounds a lot like the cult rhetoric the Second Dawn leader, Cadogan spouted way back when. There’s also the matter of the Season 7 premiere being titled “From the Ashes,” which was part of the Second Dawn’s motto: “From the ashes, we will rise.” Finally, on Nakara, the gang found the Second Dawn’s symbol on the remains of a Disciple, all but confirming that the cult made it across the galaxy somehow.
Could the Disciples actually the descendants of the Second Dawn cult from back in Season 4? Only time will tell!
The 100 Season 7 premieres Wednesday, May 20 at 8/7c on the CW.
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