Ben 10 Ultimate Alien Season 3 Episode 2 — "Simian Says"
The space-faring adventures take center stage in Ben 10: Ultimate Alien Season 3, Episode 2, "Simian Says." The team is pulled away from Earth's conflicts when a shady, fast-talking old acquaintance reappears with a desperate plea for help that could decide the fate of an entire world.
When the untrustworthy Arachnachimp prince, Simian, begs the trio for assistance, Ben, Gwen, and Kevin find themselves traveling to the jungle planet of Aranhaschimmia. Armed with the Ultimatrix, Ben has to clean up a catastrophic bio-hazard mess that threatens to permanently transform an entire species into mindless thralls.
Episode Summary
The episode starts with the unexpected return of Simian, the disgraced Arachnachimp who previously crossed paths with Ben's team. Simian claims that his home world, Aranhaschimmia, has been completely overrun by a single rogue DNAlien, which is rapidly spreading Xenocyte parasites and mutating the local population. Despite their deep-seated distrust of him, Ben, Gwen, and Kevin agree to go investigate.
Upon arriving at the jungle planet, they discover the situation is even worse than described. The planet is crawling with transformed Arachnachimp-DNAlien hybrids. As the team battles through the mutated hordes, Ben relies on agile and heavy-hitting alien forms like Fasttrack and Spidermonkey to push through the dense, hostile canopy.
The dark truth is eventually revealed: Simian accidentally caused the outbreak himself by stealing a weaponized Xenocyte crystal from the Highbreed and trying to sell it on the black market. To stop the spreading infection before it becomes permanent, Ben steps up the firepower. He evolves into Ultimate Spidermonkey, overpowering the alpha hybrids and safely releasing a planet-wide cure, teaching Simian a harsh lesson about responsibility in the process.
Themes & Character Development
- Consequences of Greed: The entire planet's downfall highlights the devastating ripple effects of selfish actions and black-market arms dealing in the universe.
- Trust and Skepticism: Ben and Kevin showcase great maturity by working with an established liar for the greater good while remaining smart enough to keep a close eye on him.
- Evolving Forms: Ben fighting alongside and utilizing an advanced, evolutionary version of the native species (Ultimate Spidermonkey) serves as a poetic contrast to the twisted mutations of the DNAliens.
Production Details
- First Aired: September 23, 2011
- Created By: Man of Action (Duncan Rouleau, Joe Casey, Joe Kelly, and Steven T. Seagle)
- Written By: Charlotte Fullerton
- Directed By: Matt Youngberg
- Produced By: Cartoon Network Studios
- Art Style: Lush, vibrant jungle environments blended with the signature dark tech aesthetics and complex, multi-limbed alien combat animation of the 2010s era.
- Voice Cast:
- Yuri Lowenthal as Ben Tennyson / Fasttrack
- Ashley Johnson as Gwen Tennyson
- Greg Cipes as Kevin Levin
- Dee Bradley Baker as Spidermonkey / Ultimate Spidermonkey / DNAliens
- Diedrich Bader as Simian
Fun Facts & Trivia
Did You Know?
- This episode provides a rare, deep-dive look into the native culture, environment, and architectural style of the Arachnachimp home world.
- The title "Simian Says" is a clever, direct wordplay on the classic childhood party game "Simon Says."
- The weaponized DNAlien parasite plot throws back to the massive Highbreed invasion arc that served as the focal conflict of the early Alien Force seasons.
- This marks one of the few instances where Ben stays transformed in a specific species' form while interacting extensively with the actual citizens of that alien planet.
- Diedrich Bader returns to deliver his iconic voice performance for Simian, perfectly blending comedic relief with a sleazy, anti-hero charm.
Legacy & Impact
"Simian Says" is remembered fondly by fans for expanding the cosmic world-building of the Ben 10 franchise. By showing the aftermath of remnants from the Highbreed war, the episode grounds the universe in a continuous timeline where past global actions have long-lasting galactic consequences.
The episode perfectly encapsulates the charm of Ben 10: Ultimate Alien, effectively blending alien sci-fi lore with character-driven consequences. It remains a memorable, fast-paced ride that proves Ben is willing to travel across galaxies to save a population—even if a sneaky prince dragged him there.
1 Comments
Bro season 3 is also not coming
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