Andalite - Culture and Government

Culture and Government

The Andalite government, headed by the Electorate, functions on pillars of honor, respect, pride in culture as well as self. However, these noble characteristics are accompanied by others that seem surprisingly backwards in the eyes of species they consider evolutionarily inferior: arrogance, inflexibility, sexism, and an atrocious attitude towards the disabled, whom they label vecols and treat as outcasts.

Although males and females have a higher societal equality in Andalite society than they did in Earth's past, gender roles are nevertheless strictly defined, with males strongly encouraged to enter the Andalite military, while the females remain in civilian, vocational roles, specializing themselves in arts and pure sciences. Andalite recreation includes a sport called driftball, as well as tail-fighting for sport.

Working down the chain of command from the Electorate are the Princes, the basic, personal leadership role. Every warrior must have a prince, and is expected to report only to that one Prince. A Prince will have one or more arisths, or cadets, under him. According to Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill, in Andalite culture, every individual is supposed to be subordinate to another, with the Electorate in turn being chosen by the people. Even military matters are controlled by the public, as warriors can present a "challenge" to any action a superior wishes to make, which would result in a trial where the people decide the outcome. However, during the war with the Yeerks, the Electorate became increasingly deaf and blind to the war, and independent Princes began to take direct control of the entire war effort. Prince Alloran-Semitur-Corass attempted to wipe out the entire Hork-Bajir race in order to eliminate the Yeerk's main troops with a quantum virus, and the Andalite military had been ready to obliterate the human population through a 'Quarantine' that would have wiped out almost the entire human population in order to starve the Yeerk empire of hosts.

The Andalite civilian government is rarely referred to, if it even exists; it is known that the military is run by the Andalite High Command, the members of whom are called "Great Leaders." A "Council" is also mentioned, but it is unclear if this is military or not.

The Andalite culture is very self-centered on the fact that Andalite themselves are the best race in the universe because of their technologies. Due to the law of Seerow's kindness, Andalites are not allowed to give other species their technologies. They are also very proud and will condemn anyone (even their own people) if any disgraced acts are committed. The best known taboo status Andalite was war prince Alloran-Semitur-Corrass during his infestation by Visser Three. Alloran was the only Andalite-controller in existence and deemed him the title of "The Abomination".

The vast majority of the Andalites encountered over the course of the series are from the military, and once the war ends, Marco notes that Andalite civilian tourists are much less arrogant and irritable than their military counterparts.