7 jaw-dropping twists in Foundation as season 3 finally arrives

The first two seasons have seen non-stop twists and turns, from the Star Bridge attack in the very first episode to that premature death in the last episode of season 2.

Safe to say, there are plenty more twists to come from season 3, but, as we await the drama to come from the next instalment of the Isaac Asimov adaptation, let's revisit the best jaw-droppers thus far!

The Star Bridge attack

Foundation season 1 began quite literally with a bang, with the destruction of the almighty Star Bridge at the centre of Trantor, and at the heart of Empire.

It was the most immediate and dramatic foreshadowing of the fall of Empire that we possibly could have imagined, and a bold way to kick off the series - not least because the Star Bridge (and so, the attack) is not included in the books.

The Anacreons and Thespins faced brutal consequences for the attack - despite their leaders claiming no knowledge of it. Two seasons on, the impact of this dramatic beginning to the series are still felt.

Hari Seldon's death

Now, just two episodes in, our main character dies. Yep, Hari Seldon, played by the great Jared Harris, is stabbed in the heart by his foster son Raych Foss (Alfred Enoch).

Not only that but, as Raych realises that Gaal has witnessed his crime, he throws her and the murder weapon in a cryo-chamber and sends her off into the darkness of space alone for 34 years.

Thankfully, we later found out Raych's reasons for 'killing' his foster father - and that Hari was in on the plan all along.

But the plot twists just kept coming, leading to...

Hari Seldon's resurrection

By the end of season 1, it's revealed that two digital copies of Hari Seldon exist, with one being left in the dark about actual Hari's plans.

Eventually, after a run-in with a representation of Kalle, one of those consciousnesses is also afforded a new biological body, meaning he is all but resurrected.

It's great news for Foundation and for Gaal, who's relying on Hari's help to face the villainous Mule, and for audience members who may have worried that we wouldn't get to see any more of Harris past episode 2.

The corruption of the genetic dynasty

It was no surprise to see the beginnings of the fall of Empire by the end of Foundation season 2 - after all, Seldon's psychohistory quite literally predicted it.

But the reveal that the genetic dynasty had been corrupted and that there would never again be a direct clone of Cleon I was definitely a dramatic way to do it.

The timing of the reveal provided a perfect bit of poetic justice too, coming immediately after we saw Day calmly explain to Azura that he had killed not only her entire family, but also anyone who could have ever known or heard of her.

For Day to then discover that his whole life and only purpose had always been a lie? Yep, that'll do.

The destruction of Terminus

Terminus may have avoided destruction once before, in faking a megaflare to allow Foundation to grow out of Empire's sight - but its time did eventually come.

In a brutal move of cruelty that we've come to expect from Empire, Day orders the Invictus to be brought down on Terminus, causing the destruction of the entire planet.

Thankfully, it's revealed that the entire population of Terminus survived inside the vault as Hari once again outsmarts Empire.

Salvor Hardin's premature death

It was a twist that divided the writers of Foundation as well as the audience, but season 2 ended with the shock death of Salvor Hardin, Gaal's biological daughter, played by Leah Harvey.

It was a tragic moment of loss, and one we were completely unprepared for, considering that we'd seen Salvor's death coming at a different moment in one of Gaal's visions - proving once and for all that her visions don't necessarily have to come true.

As for how Gaal is dealing after Salvor's death?

Speaking to RadioTimes.com ahead of season 3, Llobell said: "It's obviously heart-wrenching and heartbreaking, and she's trying to find a reason as to why, even though there's no explanation, and it doesn't affect what the math is saying and where it's going and what we have to do to overcome The Mule and to save humanity.

"She's really battling between emotional distress and, like, being emotionally attached to something and someone, and losing those people, and how that affects her drive to continue and the logical aspect of trying to save humanity."

The true power behind Empire

Perhaps the biggest reveal of them all came gradually, finally being made explicit in the season 2 finale: that the genetic clones' robotic aide, Demerzel (Laura Birn), is actually Empire's true heir.

A series of flashbacks showed Cleon I falling in love with her and cloning himself so as his successors could be considered their children - but Demerzel remains trapped, with Birn opening up to RadioTimes.com about how we find her in season 3.

"I feel like she's very conflicted," she said. "And I think her having the hold of Prime Radiant, which happens in the end of season 2, kind of opens her world, but it doesn't give answers - it gives many more questions."

She added: "For the first time in the history of the Cleonic Dynasty, she kind of lets the Cleons drift away further from her, which also opens maybe a tiny possibility of another kind of path. Who knows? Maybe some kind of freedom.

"But would that freedom bring any joy to her? Her programming still demands her to defend the dynasty."

New episodes of Foundation season 3 are released weekly on Fridays on Apple TV+.

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