This article, “who is Stanley,” contains spoilers regarding the Netflix series The Umbrella Academy season 3.
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One of the more wholesome partnerships in The Umbrella Academy concerns Lila and Diego. In season three, Lila surprises our knife-wielding superhero with a rather shocking twist. Diego has a son, and Lila wants him to babysit the poor boy. This son is none other than Stanley, a lovable rogue who just wants to impress his father. But there is a whole lot more going on in this subplot.
Who is Stanley in The Umbrella Academy season 3?
Portrayed by Euphoria actor Javon Walton, Stanley is the surprise son of Diego and Lila. He is handed to Diego at Hotel Obsidian for the father to look after while Lila goes about her business. He’s a rebellious little scamp who looks up to his father and constantly vies for Diego’s affections. With his skinhead and bad boy clothing, he does seem to mirror his father. The sassy twelve-year-old gets into a whole host of sticky situations throughout the season, which shocks Diego, but secretly impresses the father too.
Stanley is a pyromaniac and a thief. The troublemaker makes himself a Molotov cocktail and inadvertently sets fire to the hotel. As punishment, Diego makes him clean all the bedrooms in Hotel Obsidian, with Klaus on hand as his babysitter. They both break into a hidden suite, and Stanley accidentally shoots Klaus with a harpoon gun. Diego and Stanley try to hide the body, but Klaus springs back to life. They share other bonding moments, like the time they fight Jayme and Alphonso at the supermarket. It’s a strange father-son partnership but quite adorable at times.
In another shocking twist, Lila admits that Stanley isn’t actually her son, and it was all just a test to see if Diego could be a good father. She is pregnant with their actual child, and Lila wanted to be sure that Diego could step up to the plate and be there for her. Poor Stanley is just the son of Trudy, one of Lila’s friends. He is vaporized by the Kugelblitz soon after the reveal, disappearing into the ether.
Stanley was a breath of fresh air in the Umbrellas’ universe. A criminal child who loved to create mischief and just wanted to make his ‘pretend father’ proud. When the two did bond, it made for some charming TV. It was hard not to love the rascal, what with his allergies, ear infection, and that mad glint in his eye. The writers did a great job in crafting a really unique and fun new member to the cast, who helped provide not one, but two major twists in the story.
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