Oberon's Children - Overview

Overview

Though not literally the offspring of Oberon, he is nevertheless the leader of the entire race, serving both as ruler and father-figure. In general, it seems the species are referred to as children of their current ruler, as they were called "Mab's children" when still governed by Oberon's mother, Queen Mab. Oberon ascended to the position both by virtue of being Mab's son, but also because he had been the one to overthrow her.

Members of the race range from fairies to gods to other mythological creatures that were encountered during the "World Tour" arc during the show's second season. They are shown to possess fantastic and supernatural powers, which vary from individual to individual, although most do have the power to change shape and appearance at will alongside other abilities. If they shapeshift fully into a mortal form, they are bound completely by the nature of that mortal body. They suffer all the frailties typically associated with that body, age as a mortal, and lose all their magical powers save one: they can still transform back. They may not be said to have "real" forms, but most do have an appearance (or several) that they favor above others and will use in most circumstances.

Several members of the race (most notably those identified as "tricksters" by themselves or others) have displayed willingness to interact with mortals and even grant wishes in the style of traditional genies. However, such wishes often have an ironic twist and cost similar to the monkey's paw. They are immortal and have lived throughout the ages, influencing folklore (or even playing a central role) of certain ethnic groups and cultures worldwide. They are also shown to have a weakness to iron; their magic will not work on it, they can be bound by it, and it can cause them pain. In fact, iron is such a threat to them, that even sound vibrations from an iron source are damaging. Other than that, they are formidable opponents.

The foremost members of the species are characters from two Shakespeare plays: Oberon himself, his wife Titania, and Puck from A Midsummer Night's Dream, and the Weird Sisters from Macbeth. By the end of the show's run, each of them had been woven tightly into the mythological fabric of the series.

Though separated by their various mythologies, it is suggested that all members of the race have a common home on the mystical island of Avalon.

Series creator Greg Weisman has posited that there exist numerous informal subsets to the race, of which the fairy-like fay, and various pantheons such as the Norse pantheon are obvious examples.

Curiously, several of the characters are voiced by actors who worked for various Star Trek series.