Ben 10: Alien Force Season 2 Episode 10 — "Birds of a Feather"

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Trust and deception collide in deep space in Ben 10: Alien Force Season 2 Episode 10, "Birds of a Feather." This interstellar adventure introduces a charismatic alien prince and puts Ben's idealistic nature to the test, proving that even across the cosmos, appearances can be incredibly deceiving.

When a flamboyant, bird-like alien prince named Simian arrives on Earth, he appeals to Ben's heroic nature for a critical mission. Claiming his home planet is under tyrannical oppression, Simian needs help retrieving a powerful artifact—the Crystal of Prime—to save his people. Overriding Kevin's deep skepticism, Ben agrees to assist his fellow alien, setting off a high-stakes heist on a secure moon station.

“He's a prince trying to save his people, Kevin. That's what we do. We help.” — “I don't trust him, Ben. Monkeys belong in trees, not whispering in your ear.”

Episode Summary

The episode starts with the arrival of Simian, an Arachnichimp (the same species as Spidermonkey) claiming to be an exiled prince. He informs the group that his homeworld, Aranhascimmia, has been seized by a hostile faction. To reclaim his throne and restore peace, he needs to secure the legendary Crystal of Prime, which is currently housed in a heavily guarded, automated Plumber outpost on Earth's moon.

Ben, eager to stand by a fellow interstellar citizen, convinces Gwen and a highly reluctant Kevin to fly the Rust Bucket III to the lunar base. Using advanced coordination, the team successfully bypasses the station's laser grids. Ben transforms into Big Chill to phase through security barriers and eventually handles the internal defense systems, allowing Simian to extract the glowing energy core crystal.

However, once the crystal is removed, the entire station triggers a massive critical meltdown containment sequence. In the midst of the chaos, Simian betrays the team, snatching the crystal and locking Ben, Gwen, and Kevin inside the collapsing facility. To their horror, the team discovers the station isn't a vault—it is a critical terraforming regulation matrix, and removing the crystal will cause a massive explosion capable of devastating Earth's atmosphere.

Ben breaks through the blast doors as Humungousaur and gives chase across the lunar surface. Engaging Simian in a zero-gravity battle, Ben manages to intercept him before he can escape via a warp portal. Simian confesses the truth: he isn't saving a planet; he's a mercenary hired to sell the crystal to the Highbreed to weaken Earth's planetary defenses. Ben subdues the mercenary, recovers the artifact, and uses Jetray's high-speed flight to plunge the core back into the station's reactor just seconds before detonation, leaving a defeated Simian to flee empty-handed into the void.

Themes & Character Development

Naïveté vs. Street Smarts: The narrative brilliantly highlights the ideological clash between Ben and Kevin. While Ben's heroic optimism drives him to trust automatically, Kevin's cynical past proves vital in identifying deceptive criminals.
The Price of Betrayal: Simian's character explores how greed and desperation can lead individuals to sell out entire species to cosmic tyrants like the Highbreed, showcasing the moral decay under wartime stress.
Franchise World-Building: By showing the origin planet and species of one of Ben's own Omnitrix forms (Spidermonkey), the episode deepens the connection between the watch's transformations and active alien civilizations.

Production Details

First Aired: March 24, 2009
Created By: Man of Action (Duncan Rouleau, Joe Casey, Joe Kelly, and Steven T. Seagle)
Written By: Stan Berkowitz
Directed By: Butch Lukic
Produced By: Cartoon Network Studios
Art Style: Visually striking outer space and lunar landscapes, characterized by cold blue moon surfaces, sterile white high-tech station interiors, and low-gravity animation physics
Voice Cast:
- Yuri Lowenthal as Ben Tennyson / Big Chill / Humungousaur / Jetray
- Ashley Johnson as Gwen Tennyson
- Greg Cipes as Kevin Levin
- Diedrich Bader as Prince Simian
- Dee Bradley Baker as the automated station security computers

Fun Facts & Trivia

Did You Know?

Prince Simian belongs to the Arachnichimp species, making this the first time Ben interacts with an un-transformed member of the species that powers his **Spidermonkey** form.
Voice actor Diedrich Bader delivers a wonderfully smooth, theatrical performance for Simian, perfectly capturing the charming rogue persona.
The title "Birds of a Feather" is a direct reference to the classic idiom "birds of a feather flock together," ironically playing on the fact that Ben and Simian share identical alien DNA but completely opposite moral codes.
This is one of the very few episodes where the crew travels directly to Earth's moon, utilizing the high-altitude capabilities of Kevin's modified Rust Bucket III.
Despite his betrayal here, Simian's charm made him a breakout recurring character, returning for key episodes in both *Ultimate Alien* and *Omniverse*.

Legacy & Impact

"Birds of a Feather" serves as a vital reminder that the Highbreed threat is utilizing espionage, local mercenaries, and black-market deals to tear down Earth's defenses from the inside out. It forced Ben to grow as a leader, learning that true heroism requires balancing a kind heart with sharp vigilance.

The thrilling moon battle and the introduction of Simian added great depth to the franchise's expanding lore. It proved that as the ticking clock of the invasion neared zero, Ben's team had to remain on high alert against every cosmic traveler, because in a galactic war, the friendliest smile can hide the darkest intentions.