Usutu

Usutu
Portrayed by	Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine
First appearance	The Butterfly Effect
In-story stats
Known ability	Precognition
Gender
Date of death	2007
Home	Botswana, Africa
Residence	A handmade hut

Usutu was a wandering shaman in the desert sands of Africa. He was an evolved human with the ability to see the future.

Character History

The Butterfly Effect

Matt is teleported to the continent Africa. After a day in the hot sun he collapses, only to be found by Usutu. He helps Matt get back on his feet and gives him some water. He tells Matt he is in Africa, though he is not supposed to be here. As the two take a "spirit walk" back to Usutu's home, Matt asks to use Usutu's cell phone. Usutu replies that his phone is not getting service in this remote area. The two continue walking.

One of Us, One of Them

Matt and Usutu continue "spirit walking" throughout the African desert. Matt asks Usutu how he knew his name, and Usutu replies by saying that he read Parkman's police badge. Usutu then shows Matt a painting on the ground depicting Matt and Molly Walker on the day that Matt rescued Molly from the Walkers' home. He says that when he was a boy, he was compelled to gather berries of many colors and paint. He says he painted this painting when he was a boy, and that he is no longer a boy. Matt then sees a large cliff face, covered with Usutu's prophetic paintings.

Usutu then brings Matt to his desert dwelling outside the cliff face. Matt sees a painting of him and a blonde woman carrying a baby, but Usutu says that the future has changed, and proceeds to cover the painting with a new coat of white paint. Matt asks Usutu what his future is, but Usutu doesn't respond and just paints on the newly cleaned rock. Annoyed, Matt grabs Usutu and turns him around, but his eyes are white. Usutu finishes the painting, which depicts Matt carrying a limp body. Matt asks Usutu who this is, and he responds that it is Matt's future, and not his.

Later, Usutu and Matt go into the desert dwelling and Matt eats some food from a bowl, but claims that something isn't working. Usutu gives Matt his music to listen to, and Matt's eyes to go white.

I Am Become Death

Usutu gives Matt a substance and his walkman, and Matt sees into the future. When Matt comes back from seeing the future, he says he needs to find Daphne, who is the body that Matt is carrying in the painting. Usutu tells Matt that he needs to find his totem, which is usually an animal, to guide him. Matt finds a turtle and leaves Usutu.

Dying of the Light

Hiro gets the assignment from Daphne to capture Usutu. Hiro and Ando teleport to Africa to capture him, but Hiro, like in the painting he sees in the Hut, is KO'd by Usutu's shovel. After Hiro goes back a couple of minutes, he is awaited by Usutu again, who hits the second Hiro as well. After Hiro and Ando go to Usutus hut by foot, he awaits the duo and tells them they have passed the test and used their head instead of their powers for once. Usutu then shows the painting of the four villains to Hiro and Ando, telling Hiro to make the choice between fighting them or taking him in.

Eris Quod Sum

Usutu informs Hiro that if he does not choose his destiny, then someone else will. Later, Usutu deceives Hiro into eating the food that allows the consumer to go on a spirit walk.

Villains

Usutu watches over Hiro while he is on his spirit walk. When Hiro shows signs of waking, Usutu prepares a fuming mixture that puts him fully back under and warns Ando not to wake Hiro until the spirit walk is complete. Upon waking from his spirit walk, Hiro and Ando hear a scream. They rush out of the hut to find Usutu lying on the ground, decapitated.

Heroes Evolutions

Usutu is mentioned as a citizen of Botswana, Africa, on the assignment tracker map.

Equipment

• Food--an unknown food he gives to Matt Parkman and Hiro Nakamura
• Paintings--painted on rocks
• Walkman--worn when Usutu paints
• Shovel--used to knock out Hiro in Dying of the Light

Evolved Human Ability

Usutu had the ability of precognition, which allows him to perceive information about future places or events before they happen. He knew who Matt was from his visions of the future, and stated that his presence in Africa meant that the future he saw had been changed. Like Isaac Mendez, he typically records what he sees in his visions in paintings.

Usutu was known to have developed this ability when he was relatively young, making him an experienced precog. He seems to be able to extend his ability to other people who share his ritual food and other paraphernalia.

Memorable Quotes

"I gotta use your cell."

"No service! I should've gone with Sprint."

- Usutu, Matt (The Second Coming)

"Hello? Mr. African Isaac?"

- Hiro (Dying of the Light)

"Evil forces gather. The dark sun rises. Soon, it will be too late."

- Usutu (to Hiro and Ando) (Eris Quod Sum)

"If you do not choose your destiny, it will be chosen for you."

- Usutu (to Hiro) (Eris Quod Sum)

"I see the future is not how I painted it."

- Usutu (to Matt) (I Am Become Death)

Trivia

• In an interview, Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine said that Tim Kring originally conceived of Usutu to be an archetype of "Yoda" from Star Wars. In fact, early scripts had Usutu speaking in broken English akin to the way Yoda speaks.

Fan Theories

Please refer to Theory:Usutu for fan-created theories and other speculation.