Cleon XVII

**Cleon XVII** is a main character in the Apple TV+ series *Foundation*. He is the seventeenth Emperor of the Genetic Dynasty, ruling as Brother Day. Cleon XVII is portrayed by Lee Pace, first appearing in "In Seldon's Shadow."

## Biography

Cleon XVII rules the Galactic Empire in 12,240 Era Imperial. As the corruption of the Genetic Dynasty becomes more apparent, Cleon intends to try and change the Empire by marrying and having natural children. Despite this, he is also in a sexual relationship with Demerzel. While having sex with Demerzel, Cleon XVII's bedchamber is infiltrated by assassins who attempt to kill him. He defeats them with the help of Demerzel, though is wounded in the process and infected by a nanotoxin. Demerzel takes him to the medical unit to receive treatment as she goes away to repair herself.

As Cleon XVII recovers, he demands to know who is responsible for the attacks as his Shadowmaster, Greeve, tells him it is the Blind Angels. He has his Shadowmaster executed when he fails to answer how the assassins made it into the Imperial Palace, and wants those around him interrogated. He also wants Cleon XVIII and Cleon XVI to have a neural audit to see if they were involved in the assassination attempt.

Cleon XVII's prospective bride-to-be, Queen Sareth, is presented to him and he offers her a gift in the form of a brass depiction of Trantor. After receiving a reply of Empire's waning influence, Demerzel interrupts and calls him away. He is informed that the Foundation may not have been destroyed a century ago as previously thought. Pondering the next move, he takes Demerzel’s advice and will take no action yet, wanting to investigate the issue further.

Demerzel reports to Cleon XVII that the memory audits for Cleon XVI and XVIII show no involvement in his assassination attempt. With regards to the Foundation, Cleon XVII is furious when he hears Demerzel wants to bring in Bel Riose to tackle the issue, citing how Bel disobeyed orders in the past at the Lemul Cluster. He is, however, won round by Demerzel and he agrees to this, on the grounds that Bel Riose is killed if he declines the offer. Later, at dinner with his brothers, he discusses Bel Riose with them and also expresses his disdain at the movement coach towards the brothers’ lack of synchronization during the meal. He gets up and leaves, saying when he is married, he will not have to do this again.

Later, Cleon XVII joins his brothers, Sareth I and Rue Corintha for a meal where they discuss Sareth's family being killed as well as the end of the Genetic Dynasty. As Sareth wants to find out more about Empire, Cleon XVII gives her a tour of the palace and they go to the place where the clones are created. Sareth raises the rumours of the clone genetics being tampered with, and indicates this is likely why he wants to have offspring.

Alongside his brothers, Cleon XVII meets Bel Riose and he makes it clear that this is Demerzel's idea. He explains to Bel that there is growing rebellion in the Outer Reach and wants him to start in Siwenna. Cleon XVII grants Bel a private conversation with him, where he reiterates that he won't allow any defiance from Bel. In response to accusations that he has never seen battle, Cleon XVII demands Bel strike him but Bel refuses - despite his husband's life being threatened - on the grounds that he took an oath to his Emperor. Cleon XVII lets Glawen Curr live as a result.

He watches a security feed of Bel meeting Glawen and them comforting each other, and he realises with Demerzel that they made the right decision to bring him back.

Knowing that Sareth I wants to copulate, Cleon XVII expresses his nervousness to Demerzel as he is used to doing it with her. After some reassurance from her, Sareth enters and he discusses with her what their relationship could be. After attempts at intimacy with Sareth, he struggles to be natural and this is compounded when Sareth brings up her family's assassination. He suddenly realises why she came to his bedroom and accuses her of being behind the attempt on his life. After she says she just wants to make sure the palace is safe, he is unsure, though she promises to wed him if he can find the traitor. As Sareth leaves, Demerzel reassures him that the assassination of her family cannot be traced to him. At this, the pair go to his bed.

Cleon XVII assembles the Galactic Council and addresses a crowd of citizens in an arena on Trantor. He dedicates a new statue to Winoset, mother of Cleon I and the last galactic Empress. During his speech, Brother Day announces his intention to wed Sareth I and end the Genetic Dynasty. To the applause of the crowd, Sareth addresses them as well and promises that they will rule as servants to the people, and that their concerns would be their agenda. The crowds cheer as Day looks on, annoyed at what his bride-to-be has promised the people.

Reviewing Brother Constant and Poly Verisof’s arrival on Trantor, Cleon XVII and Demerzel note how they arrive on Trantor as Bel Riose is in the Outer Reach. As they discuss his marriage, he notes that Demerzel will have a place in the new Empire. Later, as Foundation prisoner Hober Mallow escapes from Imperial custody, Cleon XVII wonders if the Foundation could have orchestrated his assassination attempt. Meeting Sareth in the gardens, they discuss her family and Day notes that it is a tragedy what happened to them and Empire will honor them. Sareth leaves, with both having a mutual understanding of each other. Later, Day hears from Bel Riose that the Foundation have tried to make a deal with the Spacers and may be getting ready for war.

Day leads the Cleon delegation in overseeing the execution of Brother Constant and Poly Verisof. He gives a speech to onlookers and the cameras about the Foundation’s history with Empire and how they made Terminus their home. He will use the Collar of Typhon to perform the execution and he gives Sareth the choice of who to execute. When she doesn’t, he decides on Sareth’s behalf to end Constant’s suffering first. As Day begins the execution, Demerzel warns him of impending danger. He looks up and Hober Mallow arrives on a whisper ship, crashing into the platform, knocking everyone off their feet. Demerzel rests on top of Day, protecting him as much as she can. She wants to stay there longer as the ship’s gravitational field damaged his aura, but he wants to move. Moving her aside, he wants Hober killed but Beki chases him, injuring him in the process. Imperial forces save him by shooting Beki, but Hober is able to escape.

Back in the Imperial Palace, Day assesses his next move and Dusk wants him to act swiftly and harshly as the world is watching. Day retorts that Dusk always thought Seldon was just a story and not much of a threat. Day wants to talk to the Foundation and claim what is theirs - everything and everyone on Terminus. Dusk thinks Day is a fool for this and is snubbed by Day, with Trantor being given to Dawn to lead while he is away on Terminus. He promises Terminus be given to Sareth as a wedding gift.

Day arrives aboard the *Destiny* and quickly wants to go down to Terminus to accept the Foundation’s surrender, contrary to Demerzel’s advice. He wants to be the Cleon who chose peace. Landing on the planet, he meets with the Director and returns Poly as a gift, ready to discuss the terms of the surrender. Instead of going to the Foundation tower as members there wanted, Day decides he wants to go to the Church, to their surprise. He wants the encyclopedia the Foundation promised decades ago but there isn’t one. He wants Poly to convert him and put on a show which he does, but Day knows this is all a trick and in fact the Foundation have been working on technology and weapons. Having seen enough, Day orders Bel Riose to send the Invictus down on to the planet and he stabs the Director. He wants the scientists kept alive, and orders the priests to be killed. This is not a war, but a police action.

On his way out, Day sees the Vault on the horizon and decides he wants to visit it. As he approaches the vault, Day asks Poly if an act of God will strike him down. Poly says that Hari has his defences when he needs them and it’s possible he’s not afraid of Day. Therefore, Day removes his defenses and his Aura and Hari appears behind him on the sand. Despite protests from Demerzel that he cannot win, Hari leads Day into the Vault. Inside, they talk about icons and deities and also the attempt on Day’s life. Hari denies involvement and goes on to say he knows how and when the genetic dynasty will end and the fall of Empire. Day said he is changing this which should disrupt Hari’s math. Hari retorts that he has met outliers - Day is not one of them. Hari later reveals the Prime Radiant to Day and Demerzel, in the hope of teaching the latter how to use it. Day refuses, saying humanity’s fate will be decided by humans and that he owns the Radiant anyway. Day says to Hari he will show Terminus mercy if he admits that the math is flawed, but Hari tells Demerzel in return .whatever happens today is about survival for all of them. Hari says that Psychohistory is real and to the rage of Day, he orders the Invictus be brought down on the planet.

Back on the *Destiny*, Day passes Hober and Constant’s cell and Hober chastises him, prompting Day to get the pair transferred to the bridge. There, Hober continues to needle Day, prompting Day to exclaim that he is retaliating after Hober’s stunt on Trantor. He orders Riose to send the *Invictus* crashing down on Terminus which Bel eventually does. Day watches in awe as Terminus is completely destroyed.

Day orders Bel to prepare for the fleet to jump. Not to Trantor, but to seven planets the Foundation has a foothold on. He wants to start with Thespis, but throw Siwenna on the list for good measure. He sees Bel disobey his order again, saying that it will be the moral ruin of Empire. The Spacer agrees to carry out the order, but notices an anomaly with the jump sequence. Ships start jumping into each other and Day doesn’t know what’s happening. They cannot be stopped, and Day hears how Hober being captured by the Spacers was a ruse - they made a deal with Hari. They baited Day to Terminus with his entire fleet due to how predictable Day is. Furious, Day starts to beat Hober who also returns the favour. With Hober nearly beaten, Bel tackles Day to the ground and starts beating him. The pair continue to fight as Day insists he wants no help from his guards. As the fight continues, Day thinks he has Riose beaten and in the airlock, but Bel uses the castling device to switch bodies. It is Day who is launched into space and his reign as Empire is over.

Some time later, a new exponent of Cleon XVII is decanted by Demerzel, alongside exponents of Cleon XVI and Cleon XVIII.

## Appearances

* Season Two
	+ "In Seldon's Shadow" (First appearance)
	+ "A Glimpse of Darkness"
	+ "King and Commoner"
	+ "Where the Stars Are Scattered Thinly" (Mentioned only)
	+ "The Sighted and the Seen"
	+ "Why the Gods Made Wine"
	+ "A Necessary Death"
	+ "The Last Empress"
	+ "Long Ago, Not Far Away"
	+ "Creation Myths"

## Notes and references

1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 "In Seldon's Shadow"
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "Creation Myths"
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "A Glimpse of Darkness"
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "King and Commoner"
5. ↑ "The Sighted and the Seen"
6. ↑ "Why the Gods Made Wine"
7. ↑ "A Necessary Death"
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "The Last Empress"
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 "Long Ago, Not Far Away"