Theory:Compass

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The following fan theories are about the compass.

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Theories

Theory	Citations	Notes
Sylar will fix the compass.	None	+ He has the ability which helps him in repairing broken things. • The compass might not actually be broken, maybe it only responds to evolved humans. + Sylar appeared in Lydia's tattoo, proving at least that Samuel will be looking for him. - Samuel gave the compass to Tracy, and it seems to work fine.
The compass points at people with abilities.	None	+ A real compass has the same behavior at the magnetic north/south poles as when Peter held it. + What else would Danko have thought "was worth dying for"? - If this were the case, why wouldn't it point toward Peter when Noah held it? It didn't seem to move at all until Peter was holding it. + Maybe it only points to people with abilities when held by someone with abilities. - In that case, it would only point to the hero holding it, making it worthless. + Maybe it's supposed to bring people with abilities together, pointing other evolved humans. + Danko was able to find Mohinder in Coyote Sands in 1961, how did he do that without something to help him with that? - He could have tracked him on his way there, same he did with Sylar and Luke, and since he was working for the government, it's possible he had access to files on what happened in Coyote Sands. + There is a big chance that the Company did delete all those files. - The Company also gave what was left of their own files to the government. - When Tracy took the compass, it pointed at the carnival.
The compass points at a treasure.	Maybe not at chests with gold or anything, but at other mysterious objects like the fortune teller's crystal.	+ The compass doesn't seem to point at north, and it works only in hands of evolved humans. Perhaps it points at something significant. - The compass didn't point in a specific direction with Peter, it just spinned wildly.
The compass points to something in the carnival.	None	+ Samuel says that all evolved humans will come to the family. - They also need Bennet at the carnival since he appeared on a tattoo on Lydia's back. • Edgar almost killed Bennet. The carnival doesn't need him.
The compass is used to detect people with abilities.	None	+ It reacted when Peter used it, but not when Noah had it. + It spinned when Samuel held it. + This would make it very valuable to a family of evolved humans, as it allows them to see who has abilities.
The compass is related with Claire's wind chime somehow.	None	+ Both are obviously related with evolved humans. One calls an evolved human and other only works with evolved humans.
Certain compasses work for certain people.	None	+ In Orientation, just before Samuel threw Joseph's compass in his grave, it did not move. + However, Samuel's compass worked for him. So maybe only Joseph's compass worked for him. And maybe the compass in Danko's bank account works for only Peter (a reason why Samuel wanted him). • The compass Samuel threw in Joseph's grave and the one Edgar retrieved are the same compass. • No, they are two separate compasses. • Samuel sends Edgar to kill Danko, saying, "Get the compass back and kill the son of a bitch... It's what Joseph would've wanted". This implies Danko stole the compass from Joseph's grave. • Maybe Danko is responsible for Joseph's death and took the compass off him at that point and Samuel threw his own compass into the grave in the absence of Joseph's own one. • Why would Samuel get rid of the only remaining compass he had? • It wasn't the last one he had, otherwise we wouldn't have been able to give Tracy one.
The compass points at the carnival.	None	+ When Tracy considers Samuel's offer, the compass stops spinning wildly and points in a direction.
Someone at the carnival has the ability to imbue objects with supernatural abilities.	None	+ This would explain the compass' erratic behavior and significance.
The compass can detect the force between evolved humans Chandra Suresh discovered in Coyote Sands.	None	+ It would explain why it seems to work only with evolved humans. + If the compass pointed Tracy towards the carnival, it would make sense, as there are lots of evolved humans there, Chandra said that when evolved humans are near each other, the force is magnified. It could work like a magnetic pole for the compass.
The compass is a symbolism of moral ambiguity.	In one interview, Sendhil Ramamurthy states that Mohinder's "moral compass" always points North.	+ Moral ambiguity is a trademark of the show. - The compass is morally disambiguous as Samuel states that it hides the carnival from "people like you".
The compass points to Samuel Sullivan.	None	+ Mohinder was lead to the carnival by the compass. + The force emanates from and between all evolved humans. Analogous with magnetism, the compass points long 'field lines' of this force. As Samuel's power is proportionate somehow to this force, it could be argued that he is somehow drawing the force from those around him to him, making him the 'magnetic North' of the special force. • It only appears to work in the hands of an evolved human. Perhaps it treats them as the 'magnetic South'.