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This page is about the Tv icon TV character. For the books incarnation, see Arjun (Books).
Book-icon-simple Books character Tv icon TV character

Arjun Avasarala-Rao was the husband of Chrisjen Avasarala and caretaker of their grandson.

Biography[]

He lived with his wife Chrisjen in their Westchester home and worked at Columbia University in New York City as a history and Greek professor.

Throughout the series[]

Arjun is supportive and understanding of the requirements of his wife's career[2] and has made friends with many of her political contacts as well[3]. As conspiracy and intrigue grows within the United Nations, Chrisjen tells him that he needs to go to Luna for a while, as she fears it's not going to be safe for him on Earth much longer.[4]

Arjun accompanies Chrisjen to Mars for an official meeting.  On UN One prior to landing on Mars, they admire the aurora borealis on the edge of the planet, which is now possible thanks to Mars's new magnetosphere. Arjun ponder ed that Martians are resilient and work to build a good world for generations they will not live to meet, something that the Earth has forgotten. At a Martian banquet, Arjun sits next to Bobbie Draper and starts talking to her, shaking her hand and thanking her for saving Chrisjen's life. Bobbie thanks him and humorously retorts that Arjun is much braver than she has ever been just for marrying Chrisjen.[5]

While Chrisjen campaigns for re-election as Secretary-General of the United Nations, he supports her efforts and advises her where he can and comforts her when she needs it.[6][7] As the campaign starts to falter, Chrisjen becomes increasingly upset. Arjun confesses that he's never questioned her actions, because he knew she always had the right reasons in mind, but with the election it feels like it's not about her being right, it's just about her needing to win.[8] He becomes more and more disillusioned with her political tactics as the campaign goes on.[9]

After Chrisjen's defeat by Nancy Gao she is reassigned duties on Luna. She asks Arjun to go with her however he tells her he'd rather stay on Earth so that they can both have time to adjust. Chrisjen realizes Arjun is mad at her, which he denies, but despite her pleading with him to go with her, he tells her to go alone and walks away.[10]

Arjun was killed in the wake of the Bombardment of Earth by the Free Navy.[11]

Appearances[]

Season One
1 "Dulcinea"Appears
2 "The Big Empty"
3 "Remember the Cant"Appears
4 "CQB"Appears
5 "Back to the Butcher"
6 "Rock Bottom"
7 "Windmills"
8 "Salvage"
9 "Critical Mass"Absent (credit only)
10 "Leviathan Wakes"Appears
Season Two
1 "Safe"
2 "Doors & Corners"
3 "Static"
4 "Godspeed"
5 "Home"Appears
6 "Paradigm Shift"
7 "The Seventh Man"
8 "Pyre"
9 "The Weeping Somnambulist"
10 "Cascade"
11 "Here There Be Dragons"
12 "The Monster and the Rocket"
13 "Caliban's War"
Season Four
1 "New Terra"
2 "Jetsam"Appears
3 "Subduction"Appears
4 "Retrograde"
5 "Oppressor"Appears
6 "Displacement"
7 "A Shot in The Dark"Appears
8 "The One-Eyed Man"Appears
9 "Saeculum"
10 "Cibola Burn"Appears
Season Six
1 "Strange Dogs"
2 "Azure Dragon"
3 "Force Projection"
4 "Redoubt"
5 "Why We Fight"
6 "Babylon's Ashes"Appears (voice only)


Media[]

Images[]

Notes[]

  • The last name "Rao" appears to have been added for the TV show.[12]
  • As with so many characters on the TV show, naming is inconsistent. His last name appears to match that of Chrisjen in a communication ID during a conversation about evacuation during "Home".
  • Arjun doesn't appear in the books until Caliban's War, but was brought into the first season for character development.
  • For Season 4, Arjun was recast and is now portrayed by Michael Benyaer.[1] Also he is now called Arjun Avasarala.
    • Due to the announced cancellation after Season 3, the original actor, Brian George, became unavailable having accepted other roles that conflicted with appearing on The Expanse.[13]
  • Brian George returned for season 6 to voice the Hindi poem that Avasarala meditates to in her quarters in "Babylon's Ashes".[14]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Icon-heavy24x24 Chrisjen Avasarala’s Husband Arjun Recast
  2. The Expanse TV Series - Season 1, Episode 1: "Dulcinea"
  3. The Expanse TV Series - Season 1, Episode 3: "Remember the Cant"
  4. The Expanse TV Series - Season 1, Episode 10: "Leviathan Wakes"
  5. The Expanse TV Series - Season 4, Episode 2: "Jetsam"
  6. The Expanse TV Series - Season 4, Episode 3: "Subduction"
  7. The Expanse TV Series - Season 4, Episode 5: "Oppressor"
  8. The Expanse TV Series - Season 4, Episode 7: "A Shot in The Dark"
  9. The Expanse TV Series - Season 4, Episode 8: "The One-Eyed Man"
  10. The Expanse TV Series - Season 4, Episode 10: "Cibola Burn"
  11. The Expanse TV Series - Season 5, Episode 4: "Gaugamela"
  12. File:S01E01-Recap ArjunRao.png
  13. SCREEN RANT - Why The Expanse Recast Arjun Avasarala For Season 4 By Craig Elvy Jun 20, 2020
  14. Icon-twitter-22x22  Tweet from Naren Shankar, showrunner of The Expanse
  15. Icon-twitter-22x22  Tweet from Naren Shankar, showrunner of The Expanse
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