148 Fun Facts About Heroes (NBC Series)

On which network did Heroes originally air?

Its pilot drew NBC's best drama premiere rating in five years.

Who created Heroes?

Tim Kring created Heroes and served as its showrunner; he later created the 2015 revival Heroes Reborn.

How many seasons of the original Heroes were made?

The original Heroes ran 4 seasons, from September 2006 until NBC cancelled it on May 14, 2010.

What is the title of the first volume and of the pilot episode?

Both the pilot and Volume One are titled Genesis; the pilot aired on NBC on September 25, 2006.

Who plays Peter Petrelli?

Milo Ventimiglia plays Peter Petrelli; he later starred as Jack Pearson in This Is Us.

What is Peter Petrelli's job when the series begins?

He becomes a paramedic in season four.

What is Claire's ability?

Claire Bennet has rapid cellular regeneration; she feels the pain of an injury but heals within seconds.

Who plays Hiro?

Masi Oka plays Hiro Nakamura; Oka was born in Tokyo and moved to Los Angeles at age six.

What is Nathan Petrelli's power?

Nathan Petrelli's power is flight, which he hides while running for Congress in season one.

What does LAPD officer Matt Parkman do with his ability?

Matt Parkman reads minds; his telepathy later grows into mind control and precognitive painting.

Which character does Ali Larter play in season four after Niki is written out?

Tracy is Niki's triplet sister.

What power does Niki's triplet sister have?

Tracy Strauss, Niki's triplet sister, can freeze objects with a touch; she first reveals it by accidentally freezing a reporter solid.

How many episodes did the first season of Heroes have?

23 episodes, averaging 14.3 million US viewers.

Where is the season-one explosion that the heroes must prevent?

Nathan flies Peter above the city to detonate safely.

What is the name of the second volume, which is also season two?

It picks up four months after Kirby Plaza.

Which illness is weaponized and locked away at Primatech in season two?

The Shanti virus, named after Mohinder's late sister Shanti Suresh, is the strain the Company keeps locked away in season two.

What kind of business is Primatech's front in Texas?

Primatech's cover is a paper company, Primatech Paper Co.; Noah Bennet poses as its manager while secretly working for the Company.

Which two volumes make up season three?

Thirteen episodes then twelve.

What is Level 5?

Level 5 is the Company's maximum-security prison area for the most dangerous specials; its inmates break out in the season-three premiere.

Who plays Arthur Petrelli, the father of Peter and Nathan?

Robert Forster plays Arthur Petrelli; Forster had earned a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for Jackie Brown (1997).

What is the name of Primatech's rival organisation in Villains?

Pinehearst, run by Arthur Petrelli, is the Company's rival in Villains; both it and Primatech are destroyed in the volume finale 'Dual'.

Who kills Nathan Petrelli at the end of Fugitives?

Sylar kills Nathan in the Fugitives finale 'An Invisible Thread'; Matt then rewrites Sylar's memory so he believes he is Nathan.

Where does Sylar's consciousness end up after his memory is rewritten?

He taunts Matt through season four.

What is Volume Five, the fourth season, called?

Season four is Volume Five: Redemption; its premiere 'Orientation' opens six weeks after the end of Fugitives.

What is slowly killing Hiro in season four?

A brain tumor is slowly killing Hiro in season four; in 'Pass/Fail' he hallucinates a trial of his life as it nearly kills him.

What is Samuel Sullivan's ability?

Samuel Sullivan's ability is moving earth, terrakinesis; it grows stronger the more specials are gathered around him.

What is the never-made Volume Six teased in the series finale called?

The finale ends by teasing Volume Six: Brave New World; Heroes Reborn reused the title for its 2015 premiere episode.

From what does Claire jump in the last scene of the series?

Claire jumps from a ferris wheel at the carnival in front of reporters, saying she has lost count of her attempts.

Which NBC show had Tim Kring created before Heroes?

Tim Kring created Crossing Jordan, which ran on NBC from 2001 to 2007 and was on the air when Heroes premiered.

Which Lost producer advised Kring on pitching a serialized drama?

They had worked together on Crossing Jordan.

Roughly how much did each episode of Heroes cost to produce?

Heroes cost roughly $4 million per episode to produce, an unusually high budget for a 2006 network drama.

Which comic-book writer helped define the tone of the series?

Jeph Loeb, a comics writer and Heroes co-executive producer, shaped the show's tone; he and Tim Kring had worked together on Teen Wolf Too (1987).

Why did season two have only 11 episodes?

The 2007–08 WGA writers' strike cut season two to 11 episodes; 24 had been planned.

What was the name of the cancelled third volume planned for season two?

It would have covered strain 138 of the Shanti virus.

Which writer left Heroes after season one and rejoined its staff in season three?

Bryan Fuller rejoined Heroes in season three after his own show Pushing Daisies ended; he had written the season-one episode 'Company Man'.

Which duo composed the Heroes score?

Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman, formerly of Prince's Revolution, composed the Heroes score; Shankar supplied its vocals.

Sylar's musical theme uses marimbas and bassoons to evoke what sound?

A nod to his watchmaker origins.

Which comic-book artist provided Isaac Mendez's paintings and the show's lettering font?

Tim Sale painted Isaac Mendez's artwork for the show, and its caption font is based on Sale's handwriting.

What is the name of Isaac Mendez's comic book within the show?

Isaac Mendez's comic is 9th Wonders!; Hiro and Ando follow the events foretold in one issue to Las Vegas.

What was Heroes: Origins?

Heroes: Origins was a planned six-episode spin-off cancelled during the 2007–08 writers' strike; Kevin Smith and Eli Roth were each to write and direct an episode.

What was the show's record at the 2007 Primetime Emmys?

Heroes earned 8 nominations at the 2007 Primetime Emmys, including Outstanding Drama Series, and took 0 wins.

Which award did Heroes win at the 33rd People's Choice Awards in January 2007?

Heroes won Favorite New TV Drama at the 33rd People's Choice Awards in January 2007; AFI had also listed it among 2006's ten best TV programs.

Which season-one episode drew the series' largest audience?

It is the episode where Peter saves the cheerleader.

What was the season four premiere's audience, then a series low?

The season four premiere 'Orientation' drew 5.9 million viewers, then a series low; the finale fell further to 4.41 million.

What was NBC's own secret parody of Heroes called?

It was released as a viral video without telling Kring.

What was the tagline that became a famous marketing device in 2006?

'Save the Cheerleader, Save the World' became the 2006 marketing line; Future Hiro delivers it to Peter on a stopped subway train.

What was the title of the only Heroes novel, about Hiro's lost love?

Saving Charlie, by Aury Wallington, was published in December 2007; it follows Hiro's attempt to save Charlie, the Burnt Toast Diner waitress.

Which BBC behind-the-scenes series went with the show in the UK?

Heroes Unmasked was the BBC's behind-the-scenes companion series; Anthony Head narrated its first two series.

What was the Evolutions online extension originally called in season one?

It won a Creative Arts Emmy for interactive fiction.

Which 1999 comic did some say the show resembled, though Kring said he never read it?

Critics compared Heroes to J. Michael Straczynski's 1999 comic Rising Stars, about ordinary people gaining powers; Kring said he had never read it.

How many episodes was Heroes Reborn?

13 episodes, premiering on September 24, 2015, five years after the original was cancelled.

In the pilot, in which Texas town is Claire a high school cheerleader?

Claire cheers at Union Wells High School in Odessa, Texas; in the pilot she pulls a man from a burning train wreck there.

Where does Hiro teleport to at the end of the pilot?

Hiro teleports from a Tokyo subway car to Times Square, New York, at the end of the pilot.

In which city do Niki Sanders and her son Micah live in season one?

Niki Sanders and Micah live in Las Vegas, where Niki owes money to casino owner Daniel Linderman in season one.

Which recurring celestial event appears in the pilot and in the show's logo?

A solar eclipse opens the pilot and forms the show's logo; a second eclipse in season three temporarily strips everyone's powers.

Which appliance maker sued NBC over Claire's garbage-disposal scene in the pilot?

Emerson Electric, maker of InSinkErator disposals, sued NBC in October 2006 over the scene; the brand name was later removed from the episode.

Who directed the pilot episode?

He earned an Emmy nomination for it.

Who plays Simone Deveaux, Peter's friend and Isaac's girlfriend?

Tawny Cypress plays Simone Deveaux, who is accidentally shot dead by Isaac in the season-one episode 'Unexpected'.

What is the ability of Niki's husband, D. L.?

He is Niki's husband and Micah's father.

Who plays the future-painting artist Isaac Mendez?

Santiago Cabrera plays Isaac Mendez; he later played Lancelot in the BBC's Merlin.

Why was Hiro added to the pilot late in development?

Tim Kring added Hiro late after his wife noticed no character was happy about their powers; Hiro became the one who delights in his.

What is the ability of Niki's son?

Micah Sanders has technopathy, the power to control machines; in season one he makes an ATM hand him cash.

What is the name of Niki Sanders's violent alter ego?

Jessica Sanders is the alter ego, and Larter plays both halves of the character in season one.

Which Doctor Who actor played the invisible man Claude Rains?

Christopher Eccleston, the Ninth Doctor, played Claude Rains, the invisible man who trains Peter to control his powers in season one.

Who plays the mobster Daniel Linderman?

Malcolm McDowell plays Daniel Linderman, the Las Vegas casino boss whose own power is healing.

Who plays Hiro's father, Kaito?

George Takei's Kaito gives Hiro his sword lesson in the episode Landslide.

Which Company agent with the power of persuasion poses as Mohinder's neighbor in season one?

Eden McCain, who can command people with her voice, poses as Mohinder's neighbor for the Company; she shoots herself rather than let Sylar take her power.

What is Sylar's real name?

Sylar was born Gabriel Gray; he accidentally kills his mother Virginia Gray with a pair of scissors in 'The Hard Part'.

Who is Claire's biological mother, who has pyrokinesis?

Meredith Gordon is Claire's birth mother and can generate fire; her younger brother Flint shares the power.

Whose sword does Hiro seek in season one?

Hiro seeks the sword of the samurai Takezo Kensei; the museum's copy is a replica and Linderman holds the real one.

Which flashback episode shows why Claire's adoptive father is so protective of her?

'Company Man' flashes back to Noah Bennet receiving baby Claire from the Company; Ted Sprague blows up the Bennet house in it.

How much does Meredith blackmail Nathan for after telling him Claire is alive?

It could ruin his political career.

Whose identity does Sylar assume to join Suresh's search for people with powers?

Sylar kills Zane Taylor, who can liquefy objects, and poses as him to travel with Mohinder; Mohinder eventually drugs him.

In Five Years Gone, who is President of the United States in the dark future?

In 'Five Years Gone' the President is Sylar, posing as Nathan after killing him; his regime labels people with abilities terrorists.

Who turns out to be the tracking system used to find people with abilities?

Molly Walker, the girl rescued from Sylar, can locate anyone in the world by thinking of them; the Company uses her as its tracking system.

Who kills Linderman?

D.L. is shot in the process.

Where does Hiro teleport to after impaling Sylar in the season one finale?

Hiro lands in 1671 Japan, where he meets Takezo Kensei, the samurai hero of his childhood stories.

Which Emmy did Masi Oka receive a nomination for in 2007?

He was the only Heroes actor Emmy-nominated.

What is the surprising truth about the samurai hero Hiro meets in feudal Japan?

Takezo Kensei turns out to be an Englishman, a drunken mercenary played by David Anders; Hiro performs the legendary deeds in his name.

Under what name does Kensei live in the present day?

His power is immortality.

In which country is the amnesiac Peter found at the start of season two?

Peter is found in a shipping container in Cork, Ireland, with no memory; he falls in with Ricky's gang and Ricky's sister Caitlin.

What are the twins Maya and Alejandro Herrera fleeing?

Maya and Alejandro are fleeing a murder charge after Maya's deadly power killed people at Alejandro's wedding; they hope Dr. Suresh can cure her.

What is Monica Dawson's ability?

Monica Dawson has muscle mimicry, copying any physical skill she watches; she is Micah's cousin in New Orleans.

Who plays Elle, the electricity-wielding agent introduced in season two?

Kristen Bell plays Elle Bishop; she joined Heroes in 2007 after her series Veronica Mars was cancelled.

Which Company boss of season two can turn objects into gold?

Bob Bishop, Elle's father and the Company's head in season two, can transmute objects into gold; Stephen Tobolowsky plays him.

What share of the world has died when Peter jumps a year ahead in Out of Time?

In the future Peter visits in 'Out of Time', the Shanti virus has killed 93% of the world's population.

How does Hiro deal with Kensei in the season two finale?

Hiro and Ando dig him back up in season three.

Who shoots Bennet through the eye in Cautionary Tales, as Isaac's painting predicted?

Mohinder Suresh shoots Bennet through the eye in 'Cautionary Tales', fulfilling Isaac's painting; Claire's blood later revives him.

What happens to Nathan at the very end of season two?

Nathan is shot at a press conference as he prepares to go public about abilities; season three reveals the gunman was a future Peter.

Who plays the speedster Daphne Millbrook?

Brea Grant plays the speedster Daphne Millbrook, who snatches half the formula from Kaito Nakamura's safe in Tokyo.

Who plays Emile Danko, the head of the government force hunting people with abilities?

Zeljko Ivanek plays Emile Danko, the government hunter Sylar teams up with in Fugitives.

Which Star Trek actor plays the U.S. President in Fugitives?

Michael Dorn, Worf on Star Trek: The Next Generation, plays the President in the Fugitives finale 'An Invisible Thread'.

Who is 'Rebel', the hacker helping people with abilities hide in Fugitives?

His technopathy makes him ideal for it.

Which two comedy actors play the comic geeks helping Ando in The Eclipse?

Seth Green and Breckin Meyer play Sam and Frack, comic-shop geeks who help Ando and Hiro with 9th Wonders! issues in 'The Eclipse'.

Where does the government detain captured people with abilities in Fugitives?

Building 26 in Washington is where the government holds captured specials sedated in Fugitives; Nathan and Danko fight over control of the operation.

Which episode reveals Angela's past at a government camp, and is titled with a year?

'1961' flashes back to the Coyote Sands camp, where the young Angela met Charles Deveaux, Bob Bishop and Daniel Linderman.

What is Ando's ability once he injects himself with the formula?

Ando gains power amplification and energy projection: he supercharges others' abilities by touch and fires red lightning.

What ability does Suresh give himself with the formula?

Mohinder's formula gives him enhanced strength, agility and reflexes, but side effects scale his skin and drive him to cocoon victims.

What is Angela Petrelli's ability?

Angela Petrelli's ability is enhanced dreaming: her dreams show glimpses of the future, which she uses to steer the Company.

What is Sylar's innate ability, before he steals any others?

Sylar's innate ability is intuitive aptitude, an instinctive grasp of how things work; it lets him take powers by examining victims' brains.

What was Sylar's trade before he became a killer?

Sylar was a watchmaker, repairing timepieces at his Gray & Sons shop before his first kill.

Where did Sylar get the name 'Sylar'?

He lashes out at anyone who calls him Gabriel.

What was the original, deliberately vague idea of how Sylar took powers?

Sylar tells Claire, 'Eat your brain? That's disgusting.'

Who was Sylar's first victim, killed for his telekinesis?

Gabriel tried to hang himself in remorse afterwards.

Which voice actor spoke Sylar's recorded phone message in Don't Look Back?

Maurice LaMarche voiced Sylar's answering-machine message in 'Don't Look Back', before Zachary Quinto was cast; Quinto later re-recorded the line.

Which TV Guide list of 2013 included Sylar?

TV Guide put Sylar on its 2013 list of the 60 Nastiest Villains of All Time; he was the primary villain of season one.

What is the name of Sylar's biological father, who shares his ability?

Sylar finds him dying of cancer in a trailer.

At what precise time did Sylar kill Chandra Suresh in his cab?

The Reborn episode is called '11:53 to Odessa'.

Where does Hiro work when the series begins?

Yamagato Industries is where the office worker discovers he can bend time and space.

Hiro is named after which city, according to the NBC online comic?

His name is used as a pun throughout the show.

Which pop singer took her stage name from Hiro?

Aya Nakamura, the Malian-French singer of 'Djadja', took her stage surname from Hiro Nakamura.

Which character appears in more episodes than any other, 72 plus one via stock footage?

Hayden Panettiere did not return for Heroes Reborn.

Which future star said losing the Claire audition was her Hollywood rock bottom?

Emma Stone called losing the Claire role to Hayden Panettiere her rock bottom; she overheard 'you're an 11' said to the winner before learning she was out.

Which visual-effects house did Masi Oka work for on the Star Wars prequels?

Masi Oka worked at Industrial Light & Magic on the Star Wars prequels and kept a part-time role there during Heroes.

What did Masi Oka do with his own Heroes dialogue?

Masi Oka translated his own Heroes dialogue into Japanese himself; his lines aired with English subtitles.

Which film role was announced for Zachary Quinto at Comic-Con 2007, while he was still playing Sylar on Heroes?

Spock in Star Trek went to him for J. J. Abrams's reboot, and Leonard Nimoy had approval over the casting.

On which show did Peter Petrelli's actor play Jess Mariano before Heroes?

He later starred in This Is Us.

Which co-star did Peter's actor date from December 2007 to February 2009?

They played uncle and niece on screen.

Which musician was Adrian Pasdar married to from 2000 to 2019?

Natalie Maines, lead singer of The Chicks, formerly the Dixie Chicks, was married to Adrian Pasdar from 2000 to 2019.

Which 1980s soap role made Jack Coleman famous before Heroes?

Jack Coleman played Steven Carrington on Dynasty, taking over the role from Al Corley in 1982.

On which J. J. Abrams series did Greg Grunberg play Eric Weiss?

Greg Grunberg played CIA agent Eric Weiss on Alias; he and J. J. Abrams have been friends since childhood.

Which horror franchise made Ali Larter a 'scream queen' before Heroes?

Ali Larter played Clear Rivers in Final Destination (2000) and its 2003 sequel.

How old was Suresh originally written to be before Ramamurthy's audition?

Mohinder Suresh was written as a 55-year-old until Sendhil Ramamurthy's audition; the older geneticist idea became his father Chandra.

What was Niki's profession originally going to be before Ali Larter was cast?

It became internet stripper instead.

What password unlocks Chandra Suresh's computer files?

It is the name of Mohinder's sister who died at five.

The Heroes soundtrack included the first new song in ten years from which band?

The Jesus and Mary Chain contributed 'All Things Must Pass', their first new song in ten years, to the 2008 Heroes soundtrack.

What Primatech phone number appears on Bennet's business card in Godsend?

Calling it played a Nissan advert.

Which tech conglomerate acquires Primatech in Heroes Reborn?

Renautas, the tech conglomerate run by Erica Kravid, has acquired Primatech by the time of Heroes Reborn.

What term does Heroes Reborn use for people with abilities?

Heroes Reborn calls people with abilities 'Evos', short for evolved humans.

Which Chuck star plays vigilante Luke Collins in Heroes Reborn?

Zachary Levi, Chuck's title star, plays Luke Collins in Heroes Reborn; Judith Shekoni plays his wife Joanne.

What is the name of the video game Miko enters in Heroes Reborn?

Miko Otomo enters the video game Evernow, built by her father Hachiro, as the sword-wielding 'Katana Girl'.

What global disaster must the heroes stop in Heroes Reborn?

Renautas plans to save only 12,000 people.

How did Tim Kring describe Heroes Reborn's place in the timeline?

It is set considerably after the original.

What was the name of the six-chapter prequel web series to Heroes Reborn?

Heroes Reborn: Dark Matters, a six-chapter web series released in 2015, introduced the siblings Phoebe and Quentin Frady.

Which characters are revealed to be Claire's twin children in Heroes Reborn?

Tommy, born Nathan, and Malina are Claire's twins; Hiro hides them in 1999, raising Nathan while Angela raises Malina.

What was reportedly the title of the revival series in development in 2024?

Deadline reported in April 2024 that Tim Kring was developing a revival titled Heroes: Eclipsed.

What did Kring say season two lacked, in his Entertainment Weekly apology to fans?

He said viewers wanted it rather than slow character build-up.

On which BBC channel did Heroes get its UK terrestrial premiere?

Heroes had its UK terrestrial premiere on BBC Two in July 2007, after Sci Fi UK first aired it in February 2007.

How long was the extended pilot screened at the 2006 San Diego Comic-Con?

It later appeared on the season one DVD.

How many main characters did season one have, then TV's third-largest cast?

Behind Desperate Housewives and Lost.

Which DC imprint published the collected graphic novels in 2007?

Wildstorm published the collected Heroes graphic novels in November 2007, with covers by Alex Ross and Jim Lee.

Who plays the Haitian, René?

Jimmy Jean-Louis plays the Haitian, René, who can erase memories and block other people's powers.

Who plays Samuel Sullivan, the carnival leader of season four?

Robert Knepper, known as T-Bag on Prison Break, plays carnival leader Samuel Sullivan in season four.

Which Star Wars actor plays the knife-throwing speedster Edgar in season four?

Ray Park, Darth Maul in The Phantom Menace, plays the knife-throwing speedster Edgar, who teams with Noah against Samuel.

Who plays Claire's college roommate Gretchen Berg?

Madeline Zima plays Gretchen Berg, Claire's college roommate; Zima had played Grace Sheffield on The Nanny.

Which season-four episode has Nathan and Peter confront Angela over the truth about Nathan?

'Thanksgiving' intercuts three holiday dinners; at the Petrellis', Nathan and Peter force Angela to admit Nathan died and his mind was placed in Sylar's body.

What business do Hiro and Ando run at the start of season four?

Hiro secretly believes he is dying.

What average US audience did the first season of Heroes draw?

Season one of Heroes averaged 14.3 million US viewers; season two slipped to about 13.1 million.