Theory:René

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The following fan theories are about René.

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Theories

Theory	Citations	Notes
The Haitian deliberately allowed Sylar to escape from Primatech and from the Bennets' home. (Distractions)	The Haitian says he receives orders from someone higher than Bennet. (Company Man)	+ People higher in the Company than Mr. Bennet had seen prophetic paintings showing Sylar involved in the explosion. Since the Company - under Linderman - wanted the explosion to occur, they ordered the Haitian to let Sylar escape. + The Haitian could presumably have kept Sylar from using his powers to prevent his escape. According to interviews, he was the reason Sylar hadn't escaped from Primatech sooner. • Mr. Bennet asked permission to execute Sylar, but received orders not to. - When Eden says the Haitian would agree with her recommendation to kill Sylar if he could speak, the Haitian can be seen nodding once. • This could have simply been in order to keep his allegiance and intentions hidden. • If the Haitian was under orders to let Sylar escape, then he would follow those orders. However, he wouldn't have to like them. - The Haitian also fails to stop Ted from going nuclear in Company Man, even though this would appear to be detrimental to all factions involved. - The Haitian could be referring to God. It is known that he is very religious, so this could be who he is referring to by "someone higher than Mr Bennet". - The Haitian takes orders from Angela Petrelli, who is higher up in the Company than Noah.
The Haitian can perform power theft.	None	+ Power theft requires extensive knowledge of the brain. The power of mental manipulation can probably grant this understanding in a way similar to intuitive aptitude. + The Haitian can apparently be summoned from anywhere with simple wind chimes. This would require more than mental manipulation. - Presumably, the Haitian was stationed in Odessa with Primatech Paper, and was checking the house to see if the chimes had been hung. - The Haitian never had contact with Dale, and we have no evidence that powers can be stolen from Sylar, unless he actively uses them (Peter has only demonstrated telekinesis, not any other of Sylar's powers. It is possible that Peter has begun to exhibit intuitive aptitude, since he seems to deduce conclusions - such as the location in his Montreal painting - more quickly than normal, possibly invalidating this restriction). + In Graphic Novel:It Takes a Village, Part 3, the Haitian's father tells him the cautionary tale of The Serpent and the Crane, about an ambitious serpent who devours a crane in order to steal its wings. This sounds suspiciously like power theft. - The story of The Serpent and the Crane when told by The Haitian's father referred to himself as he later tells the Haitian that he (Guillame) has lost sight of the ground.
The Haitian must know the kind of memories he is taking.	None	+ The Haitian must know what he was taking or he would just take random memories. + In The Line, Ivan says that the Haitian is useless for obtaining new information. This suggests that the Haitian cannot find a memory if he doesn't have general information on what that memory is. + Whenever the Haitian removes the memory, he has to have Mr. Bennet or someone else describe the memory for him. - The Haitian is not telepathic. The only way for him to know which memories Noah wants him to erase is to have Noah tell him. Also, the act of telling someone being interrogated what cherished memory is about to disappear forever would be very effective in making them talk.
The Haitian's ability has a secondary effect of enhanced memory.	The Crossroads: "Don't you need to write any of this down?" "Memory is not an issue for me." (Mohinder and the Haitian)	• It is plausible that someone who has demonstrable powers over erasure and recollection would possess this ability as well, unless there is more to enhanced memory than is currently known. • Maybe he has the ability of "memory manipulation". Both his or the others ones. • That wouldn't account for the negation of other evolved human abilities. - You don't need to have a power to have a good memory. • It could be a 'side adaptation'. Some abilities seem to be 'accompanied' by certain personality traits. For example, people with pyrokinesis tend to be self-confident and extroverted. An ability which deals with memories could have developed among a groups of people with a genetic tendency toward having good memories.
Evolved humans with empathic mimicry are unable to absorb The Haitian's power.	None	+ Peter has come into contact with the Haitian several times and shown no signs of being able to use his power. - The Haitian's power may require conscious effort to use: when considered with the fact that Peter has accumulated abilities the method of use of which he is unaware, such as Sylar's intuitive aptitude (Peter had been in close proximity to Sylar several times but could not use the ability until he was taught to use it), and the instance where Daphne was able to flee the theater but Hiro was blocked from teleporting suggests that the Haitian's ability is not one of innate use. To clear any simmering arguments about whether the Haitian was awake when Daphne fled, remember that he had to ascend a flight of steps (and most likely was conscious prior to rising and ascending), likely giving him time to block her ability. + Daphne may have been out of the Haitian's range to use his ability. • The Haitian's ability seems to require at least some effort (his exertion against Arthur). After being knocked unconscious it takes a while before you get to 100%. + The Haitian can block the mental abilities of others, it is possible this includes the absorbing of other people's powers. - He wasn't able to block Peter from using telekinesis (and possibly space/time manipulation) to stop the taser darts from hitting him, this might be an autonomic use of the Haitian's ability against him as Peter shouldn't be able to use telekinesis (or ANY ability) if it is blocked. + The Haitian may have been out of the range that is required to affect abilities. - Arthur displayed the Haitian's ability after absorbing Peter's powers. - The Haitian's ability to cancel others' abilities isn't constantly active; he must choose to use it. As long as he didn't decide to block Peter's ability, mental manipulation can be mimicked just like any other power.
When Nathan escaped Mr. Bennet and the Haitian in Hiros, the Haitian wasn't trying to block his ability at all.	None	+ The Haitian also saves Peter from the Company in Four Months Ago.... - How would he explain to Bennet that he failed, even when he is so close to Nathan? It is more likely that people with a strong will to use their powers can overcome this aspect of the Haitian's powers. - It appears that the Haitian is unable to negate physical abilities. That would also explain why he used infra-red goggles to see Claude and Peter (Unexpected) instead of negating their ability. Also in Four Months Ago, Adam said "If it were possible to kill me, they would have". This would imply that the Haitian could not negate Adam's ability either, which is also a physical ability. + The Haitian was able to stop Daphne from utilizing her super speed, which is a physical ability. + The Haitian is also able to stop Peter from fighting back and probably killing him with super strength at the shipping yard.
The Haitian cannot block synthetic abilities.	None	+ Nathan was able to successfully fly away in the presence of the Haitian. - Considering he was answering to Angela at that time, he may have let him flee on her orders. • Angela was not in charge till season 3. • She didn't need to be in charge of the entire Company to have the Haitian answer to her. • The Haitian's loyalty to her was established in season 1.
The Haitian must be exposed to a power at least once before he can block it.	None	+ He didn't stop Peter from using space-time manipulation when he and Noah tried to capture him, but later blocked Hiro from using that same ability.
The Haitian can return powers to those who've had them stolen by Arthur.	None	+ The Haitian is capable of stopping powers from working, he may also be able to get them working again. - The Haitian has had plenty of time and many opportunities do this, and he hasn't.
The Haitian cannot block passive powers such as rapid cell regeneration.	None	+ Adam Monroe was with Peter in Four Months Ago..., and the Haitian was there as well, actively blocking Peters power. Now, while he was also actively allowing Elle to use her power, it's unlikely he would have the foresight to do the same for Adam. If he had been able to negate Adam's healing ability, he would have turned to dust, just as he did when Arthur stole his power. - Perhaps he wasn't actively allowing Elle to use her power; rather he was actively blocking Peter's (and possibly not actively blocking Adam's power since it was not a direct threat). - It seems as though the Haitian can't completely block a power (Matt could hear static; Arthur was apparently fighting the Haitian's power in Our Father, etc.), so that could have kept Adam from aging quickly, if the Haitian was even directing his power at Adam anyway. - The distinction between "passive" and "active" abilities is purely a fan creation. - In The Fifth Stage, Peter uses mental manipulation to nullify Sylar's abilities. Later, after he nails Sylar's hands and feet to a stack of lumber, he taunts Sylar, pointing out that the wounds Sylar has are not healing. + The nails were stuck in his wrists, he wouldn't be able to heal unless the nails were removed.
The Haitian will eventually, or may currently be able to return memories to those who have lost them.	None	+ It has been proven with previous specials such as Matt that powers can "evolve."
The Haitian's ability has both innate and active qualities, not two individual abilities.	None	+ Most characters (not the ability mimics) have only one power, but it can surface in different ways.
The Haitian has two abilities.	None	+ The Haitian can both manipulate minds (as he has shown by erasing memories) and suppress abilities, as he nullifies the powers of others nearby. These should be two distinct abilities. - Manipulating ones mind certainly allows one to erase memories and disrupt the mental processes that activate an ability. • How the Haitian actually suppresses other's abilities is not known. We do not know if he uses some mental power to disrupt mental processes that activate an ability, so his ability to nullify other's powers could be considered a separate ability in itself. • The ability to erase/block memories seems like an active ability, and the "ability suppression" or nullification seems a bit more passive. + They have not been shown to be related powers. • The Facebook application "My Heroes Ability" splits his powers into two: Memory Manipulation and Power Nullification. - There is a separate power called memory manipulation. • This can be considered an ability byproduct. + It would make sense that he has two separate powers in that Arthur (who has mental manipulation) has not necessarily demonstrated the ability suppression ability like the Haitian has, even though it would have been beneficial for him to do so (e.g. cancel out the Haitian's presense in Our Father). - Arthur did not know the Haitian was present until his own abilities were suppressed. + If ability suppression was part of mental manipulation, then it would be difficult for others to take the ability of mental manipulation from someone else, because the use of the ability suppression (as part of mental manipulation) could prevent others from using their powers to take the ability. - Peter could have taken the Haitian's ability in Unexpected or I Am Become Death. Arthur took Peter's powers after both instances. - The writers specifically said Arthur used "the Haitian's" ability, which suggests it originated from the Haitian. If Peter were able to absorb memory removal from the Haitian, he must have also gained ability suppression.
The Haitian's surname is Samedi.	None	+ His brother's name is Baron Samedi, which would make "Samedi" the Haitian's surname. - Peter said that's an alias. - Even if it wasn't an alias, they could have different fathers anyway, and therefore different surnames. + Even though it is an alias, there's still a chance that the surname is the same. Even if they do have different fathers, maybe his assumed surname reflects his brother's. - When someone uses an alias, if they were to actually use part of their real name, they would most likely drop their real surname and use their real first name. Surnames are most likely the part to be aliased. - Baron Samedi is one word on its own. It is on its own a proper noun. Yes, Baron Samedi means Baron/Lord Saturday but it should be accepted as one proper noun instead of one common noun (Baron) and one proper noun (Samedi). - "Baron Samedi" is the name of a Vodou god - that was the reason his brother took the alias from the start. There is of course a chance that "Samedi" also happens to be the Haitian's last name, but then it's purely coincidental. And the chance for this is just as big/small as the chance of any character whose last name is unknown to have "Samedi" as their family name.
The Haitian killed Baron Samedi.	None	+ It would be the only way to stop Samedi for good. - He might have put him in a vegetative state. - He might have done to him what he did to the villagers in It Takes a Village, Part 4. + Samedi was nowhere to be seen with the group if they intended to take him back to Level 5. + The Haitian seemed completely filled with rage and very irrational when he shunned his brother's pleas for mercy. - It's not irrational to ignore the pleas of someone who murders, rapes and plunders en masse, even if he is family. + The Haitian is usually an extremely calm and collected character. Even so, if his brother was a genocidal rapist, the Haitian has kept his cool with people just as bad, if not worse. + A person in a vegetative state will die if they aren't put on life support. The Haitian wouldn't waste resources at the Company or a hospital in Haiti just to keep an ego-maniacal warlord alive. - The Company worked to keep Sylar alive. + Cause they wanted to study his acquiring of abilities, something Samedi didn't have. + Since The Haitian can control the brain, that means he can make your brain forget how to breathe or perform other necessary functions. This happens to people who have Huntington's disease.
The Haitian's power has something to do with breaking synapses.	All the times he erased/disabled the mind.	+ Ability suppression would be performed by weakening the bonds between neurons responsible for powers. Erasing memories would happen the same way. This is a super explication for why he seems to have two powers. • It also would explain why he can't suppress artificial abilities if the source is not in the brain. • Then how could Sylar copy powers artificially induced like in the explosion future in which he took Nathan's ability? • He may have gotten flight from someone else and just pretended to be Nathan for his political status. • Through empathy. + When he suppressed Arthur he had to concentrate a lot since Arthur "was too powerful", meaning Arthur could have strengthened his synapses (perhaps using Claire's or Adam's regeneration). - The Haitian has blocked Peter more than once, all of which after he mimicked regeneration. + Every time a person with erased memories was healed, the links between the neurons was restored. Claire's mother had amnesia since too many bonds were broken or the bonds responsible with the "needed to be erased" information had other uses.
Noah will recruit the Haitian into the new Company.	None	+ He's a valuable asset for an agency that's required to work under the public eye without exposing itself. + He and Noah seem to mutually trust and respect each other. + He's connected to Angela Petrelli who is likely to be in on the new Company. + Noah is likely to reinstate the "one of us, one of them" concept.
The Haitian will have troubles in using his ability on shapeshifters.	None	+ Sylar can shift the weak spot in his brain. He may be also able to move the spots responsible for his memory and abilities, so the Haitian may not be able to affect them if he doesn't know where exactly they are. - The ability was never implied to have some physical requirement or disadvantage. + In "Brother's Keeper", The Haitian implies that if Sylar gets too close, it may revert his shape-shifting. - Changing into another person is the act of shape shifting, not staying as someone else. If "Nathan" got too close then he would not be able to change. René most probably just does not want to be near Sylar for any reason, knowing what he's done. - René can choose when he uses his ability. - René was uncharacteristically aggressive when he told Nathan/Sylar to back away. This implies that he wasn't necessarily worried about undoing Nylar's shape shifting, but that he simply did not want to be near a serial killer/politician.
René believes in creationism, not natural selection.	"What you can do, what I can do--that is God. Respect it accordingly." (Godsend)	+ René has been shown making numerous comments about God and seems to be a very religious man. Very religious people are often proponents of intelligent design, an ideology that blatantly rejects the idea of natural selection. The quote cited implies that the Haitian believes God was responsible for giving him an ability. - René worked for the Company, which possessed massive amounts of data about the evolution of abilities. It is unlikely he would be able to maintain belief in creationism while simultaneously working for a group so thoroughly immersed in cold, heartless science. + While not necessarily Catholic, René does have some religious background. After Mohinder cured him of the Shanti virus in Haiti, he went back to the crossroads where his father died and performed some sort of religious ceremony or ritual. - Referring to a natural talent as a gift from God suggests that he is a spiritual man. However, it does not indicate what form of religious beliefs he follows. + Believing that his natural evolution is from God is more or less the definition of creationism.
Any future version of René will not speak.	None	+ In both the explosion future and exposed future, René has appeared but never spoke. - René speaks only when he needs to. There wasn't anything particularly important he had to say in either future.