Rachel (Animorphs)

Rachel is a fictional character from the sci-fi book series Animorphs. Her full name is never explicitly mentioned in the books, but her relation to her cousin Jake Berenson through their fathers makes it most likely to be Rachel Berenson, if it was never changed or hyphenated.

Biography

Before the war, Rachel was very involved in gymnastics and had a lingering obsession with fashion. Her parents were divorced. Rachel's father is Dan, a news anchor on television. Her mom is Naomi, a lawyer. She has two sisters, Jordan and Sara, both younger than her. Her mother and sisters are later told the truth about the invasion and are relocated to the Hork-Bajir colony during the end of the war, largely against their will (they attempt to escape a few times). Jake and his brother Tom are her cousins.

Marco often sardonically calls her "Xena, Warrior Princess" or "Ms. Fashion", and Jake has referred to her (in his thoughts) as "the war goddess". She is best friends with Cassie, though this relationship is often strained throughout the series. Rachel also has feelings for Tobias and the two started dating near the middle of the series. In the beginning, Melissa Chapman (daughter of the Controller Chapman) is one of her best friends, but the relationship decayed and Melissa is only mentioned few times in the series.

Rachel's favored battle morphs are the grizzly bear and the African elephant (depending on what the situation calls for). Her favored aerial morph is the bald eagle.

Rachel's recklessness develops into disturbing, violent, sometimes sadistic, tendencies during the series. She is frequently described as "addicted" to the "rush" of the war -- the feeling of battle and conquering her enemies -- more or less, an adrenaline junkie. Rachel is brought face-to-face with this dark part of her personality in The Solution, The Separation, and in The Return. She struggles with it through the rest of the series, never quite getting back to becoming a "normal girl".

In the last book, Rachel is sent to kill Tom. She succeeds in doing so, but in the end she is killed by some of Tom's minions. When Jake, Marco, and Tobias set off to go save Ax, they name the cruiser-class ship they board The Rachel in her honor.

Rachel's morphs

African Elephant, Bald Eagle, Shrew, Cat (Fluffer McKitty), Wolf, Trout, Dolphin, Seagull, Ant, Cockroach, Housefly, Great Horned Owl, Grizzly Bear, Rat (Courtney), Termite, Skunk, Spider Monkey (can't use), Jaguar (can't use), Crocodile (can't morph), Hork-Bajir (Jara Hamee), Racehorse, Parrot, Hammerhead Shark, Mole, Mosquito, Deinonychus (can’t morph), Flea, Anteater, Seal, Polar Bear (Nanook), Sperm Whale, Chimpanzee, Eel, Starfish, Squirrel, Cockatiel, Orca (Swoosh), Cheetah, Honeybee, Human (Female Fighter Pilot), Beaver.

Rachel's favored battle morphs are the grizzly bear and the African elephant (depending on what the situation calls for). Her favored aerial morph is the bald eagle.

Family

• Father Dan is a news anchor. He is divorced and lives by himself. In #7, when he was moving out, he offered Rachel the opportunity to stay with him and fly back every weekened to see her mother and sisters, but Rachel declined. Brother of Jake's father Steve.
• Mother Naomi is a lawyer and is extremely headstrong and contentious. When she is forced to hide in the Hork-Bajir valley, she tries to escape a few times.
• Sister Jordan is two years younger than Rachel.
• Sister Sara is younger than Jordan.

• Uncle Steve Berenson (brother of Dan) worked as a pediatrician, and became a Controller late in the series.
• Aunt by marriage Jean Berenson worked as an author, and became a Controller late in the series.
• Cousin Jake Berenson is the leader of the Animorphs.
• Cousin Tom Berenson is a Controller from the beginning of the series.

• Cousin Saddler (by an unknown sibling of Dan and Steve, either his mother Ellen or his father George). Received life-threatening injuries in Book 21. David acquired and morphed the wounded Saddler, briefly masquerading as him and allowing his family to believe he'd miraculously recovered. The family would have suffered further grief when David became trapped as a nothlit, causing 'Saddler' to dissapear without explanation. The real Saddler has never been seen again and is presumed dead.
• Cousins Justin, Brooke, and Forrest are siblings of Saddler.

Toys

In 1999 two different Transformers toys of Rachel were made. The larger one sold in stores turned into a (male) lion, and the smaller one part of a Taco Bell children's meal promotion, turned into a fly. Oddly enough she has only turned into one of these creatures throughout the series, the fly. She only morphed the lion in the television series.