Why Klaus Was Called "English" By The Amish In 'The Umbrella Academy' Season 3

Klaus is a fan favorite within The Umbrella Academy lore. In this season, the character is inspired to search for purpose in life and finds himself reaching the conclusion that looking for his mother will heal the trauma and the pain he is in. While doing so, he stumbles upon an Amish community and asks them questions about his mother, Rachel. The quest is left futile when the people keep calling him “English”. It is unclear whether this is an insult or not because the Amish weren’t very welcoming towards Klaus when he arrived.

This incident takes place in the third season's second episode titled World's Biggest Ball of Twine. Klaus and Number Five take a trip to Pennsylvania. He believed this is where he would find out everything about his past, giving him the answer to all his existential crises. He is enthusiastic to find out everything about where he came from and who his mother was. When he goes around asking about Rachel, Caleb, a man from the Amish community chips in to make a comment. He says, “walk [his] fancy boots back to town where [he] belongs, and leave [the Amish] be.” This leaves Klaus very confused. He thought the Amish “were supposed to be nice.” Caleb proceeds to call Klaus “English” when he finds that his cows are missing. 

Even though Caleb is using this term in anger, this doesn’t seem to be insulting because Sarah-Beth, Rachel’s sister also called Klaus “English” when she first met him. While in the present context, “English” is used to refer to anyone British, that is not what the show is going for here, explained Screen Rant. In the Amish community, anyone who is non-Amish is referred to as “English.” Since the Amish people came from predominantly German-speaking regions, non-Amish people started referring to them as “Germans.” It seems that the Amish then started referring to the non-Amish as “English” in turn. 

While Klaus didn’t get to meet his mother in Pennsylvania, he found out that the Amish were not nice people and that Sarah-Beth had a journal that Rachel wrote in. There is a photo of Rachel in the journal, a presence that made the beloved character feel more connected to his past even though the Amish consider him an outsider in their community (thereby calling him “English”). The Umbrella Academy does not dive deeper into the Amish community or their origins, however, there may be potential for Klaus to further discover his Amish roots.

Seasons 1, 2, and 3 of The Umbrella Academy are currently streaming on Netflix.