Ben Moore

Benison "Ben" Moore is a character in the Chaos Walking trilogy. He is one Todd's adoptive fathers alongside Cillian Boyd.

Ben is portrayed by Demián Bichir in the film Chaos Walking.

Appearance[]

Ben's Noise is blue or sometimes green, as said by Todd.

Personality[]

Ben has a tame disposition. He is incredibly kind and compassionate. He remains hopeful despite all the horrible things that he goes through. Ben is empathetic and always sees the good in things. He cares very strongly for the people he loves, and goes out of his way to protect them. He is quick to forgive others, being able to understand why they did what they did. Ben avoids violent confrontation and only fights if he’s protecting someone he cares about. Ben is emotionally intelligent and doesn't impulsively make decisions, knowing their outcomes. Because of his kindhearted nature, he sometimes fails to be assertive.

Biography[]

Pre-Series[]

Ben and Cillian were friends of Todd's parents. When they died, they took in Todd. He convinced Cillian to come to New World with him, to live in a farm of wheat and sheep.

Chaos Walking trilogy[]

The Knife of Never Letting Go[]

He was thought to be dead after he went to help Cillian create a diversion, though this is untrue. He followed behind Todd and Viola, trying to find them, and met up with them at Carbonel Downs. The elders of Carbonel Downs believe him to be a spy when they find him, and even when he convinces them otherwise, they still try to kill him, as by the law. They let him go as the army is coming, and Ben, Todd and Viola continue running along the river.

Ben soon tells Todd and Viola the true history of Prentisstown and New World. Ben didn't think they'd actually kill the women, which is why he stayed, and he didn't fight the Mayor and didn't let Cillian so they could stay alive and protect Todd. Ben sacrifices himself again to buy Todd and Viola time to escape from Davy Prentiss Jr., and is once again thought to be dead.

Monsters of Men[]

Ben is healed and revived by the Land as a Spackle/human hybrid as he can communicate in both languages. He can Voice-talk, and he can regular talk. He is reunited with Todd and tries to help in creating peace between the Land and the humans. Ben, Viola and Bradley return to the Land to continue the council and settle things. Before they can begin, however, Mayor Prentiss hijacks the scout ship and attempts to bomb the Land, though all the warheads were disconnected by Simone. He instead opts to burning everything down with rocketfuel. He hears Todd in the scout ship and tells Viola that he heard him fighting for her, so she has to fight for him. Ben tries to convince 1017, the new Sky, not to prepare for war against the humans, but 1017 sends out the order anyways. He uses his Land noise to warn everyone that the Land is coming, and keeps trying to convince 1017 not to fight as he marches with them. With the help of Wilf, Ben succeeds in getting 1017 to stand down, who instead decides he needs to kill David Prentiss. Ben finds Todd at the ocean with Viola, after 1017 wrongly attacked Todd, mistaking him for David Prentiss. Todd is thought to be dead and Ben desperately tries to save him by putting snow on his wound. Ben cries over Todd’s body, saying his name over and over again. He stops Viola from killing 1017. Ben then hears Todd’s Noise, realising he isn’t dead.

Chaos Walking (film)[]

Ben is one of the people alongside himself, Cillian, and Todd to find Viola in the farm shed. After Cillian is shot by David and Davy for allowing Todd and Viola to escape, Ben holds his husband in his arms as he dies. He later follows the Prentisstown army to Farbranch and reunites with Todd there. He allows Todd and Viola to escape again by using an Noise illusion of Viola to give to David. In the finale of the film, Ben is severely injured by the Prentisstown army; as he slowly dies, Todd comforts him before Todd fights David.

Relations[]

Humans[]

Cillian Boyd[]

Cillian is Ben's partner/potential husband.

Todd Hewitt[]

Todd Hewitt is Ben's adoptive son.

Viola Eade

Viola is his son’s friend, and later girlfriend. The two of them are on good terms.

Todd's Mother[]

Ben and Cillian were friends with Todd's mother before she died.

The Land (Spackle)[]

The Sky[]

Ben became allies with the Sky (1017) while he recovered from his bullet wound.

Trivia[]

It was never established if Ben and Cillian are in a romantic relationship in the books. However, it was confirmed by Patrick Ness himself that Ben and Cillian are a couple. Ben and Cillian's relationship might be the first LGBT+ couple with children shown in a book before LGBT+ couples were in modern mainstream novels.
"Ben" is a shortened form of the names "Benjamin" or "Benedict". It is likely that Ben's name is derived from the name "Benjamin", a Hebrew name meaning "son of the south" or "son of the right hand". "Moore" is a last name that indicates a person living on a moor and is derived from the Middle English name "mor", meaning "open land, bog".
Ben is confirmed to be the first human to speak the Voice (language of the Land). It is likely that Todd, his adoptive son, will become the second human to speak the Voice after being confirmed to come out of his coma in Snowscape.