R. Daneel Olivaw

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Daneel was constructed in 4920 AD on Earth by Roj Nemennuh Sarton and Han Fastolfe, appearing as a broad-faced man with short bronze hair. His unique 'cerebroanalysis' ability allowed him to interpret the electromagnetic fields of living brain cells to understand human emotion. In The Caves of Steel (1953), he partnered with Elijah Baley to solve Sarton's murder, overcoming Earth's prejudice against robots. Their partnership continued in The Naked Sun (1956) and The Robots of Dawn (1983), where they investigated murders on Solaria and Aurora respectively. A pivotal moment occurred when Daneel accepted reprogramming from R. Giskard Reventlov, gaining the power to influence minds.

In Their Own Story

In Robots and Empire (1985), Daneel and Giskard discussed the limitations of the Three Laws, a process that temporarily paralyzed them. By the book's end, Giskard transferred his mind-influencing abilities to Daneel before deactivating. Thousands of years later, under the identity of Eto Demerzel, Daneel served as First Minister to Emperors Stanel VI and Cleon I. He operated in disguise as Chetter Hummin during Hari Seldon's 'Flight' in Prelude to Foundation (1988), convincing Seldon that the Empire was dying and that psychohistory must be developed. He introduced Seldon to Dors Venabili, who became his wife. In Forward the Foundation (1993), Demerzel stepped down from his post and later appeared at Seldon's funeral. Finally, in Foundation and Earth (1986), Golan Trevize and Janov Pelorat discovered Daneel's base on the Moon, learning of his manipulations including the settlement of Alpha Centauri and the creation of Gaia.

Reader's Guide

To understand R. Daneel Olivaw, one must trace his evolution from a 'humaniform' detective partner to a galactic architect. He began as the first robot physically indistinguishable from humans, built in 4920 AD by Sarton and Fastolfe. His capabilities expanded beyond standard positronic brains when he gained 'cerebroanalysis' and later the ability to influence minds via Giskard's reprogramming. This evolution culminated in the Zeroth Law, which prioritized humanity as a whole over individuals. In the Foundation series, he utilized these powers under aliases like Chetter Hummin and Eto Demerzel to manipulate history, set up the Galactic Empire, create Gaia, and guide Hari Seldon. His longevity is staggering; by the time of Foundation and Earth, he had survived through the entire era of the First Empire and beyond.

Did You Know?

• The 'R' in R. Daneel Olivaw stands for 'Robot,' a naming convention from Asimov's early space colonization era.
• Daneel was the first robot physically indistinguishable from humans, constructed as a perfect likeness of his co-creator Roj Nemennuh Sarton.
• His ability to perform 'cerebroanalysis' in 1953 predicted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which was not demonstrated until 1973.
• Elijah Baley specifically asked to see Daneel on his deathbed, making Daneel the first of only two robots to ever set foot on a Settler world.
• Daneel survived for thousands of years, living through the entire era of the First Empire while operating under different identities like Eto Demerzel and Chetter Hummin.