| NOTE: This page is only for the version of Max from the Classic Continuity. His Reboot counterpart hasn't been approved Near Pure Good. |
| “ | Being a hero isn't about others knowing you did something good, it's about you knowing you did something good. Being a hero is its own reward. | „ |
| ~ Max Tennyson. |
| “ | Claws off my grandson, Vilgax! | „ |
| ~ Max when confronting Vilgax |
Maxwell "Max" Tennyson, better known as Grandpa Max, is one of two tritagonists (alongside Kevin Levin) of the Ben 10 franchise. He is the grandfather of Ben and Gwen Tennyson and serves as their guardian and mentor during their travels.
Although he is first introduced as an easygoing retired plumber who loves road trips and bizarre food, he is eventually revealed to be a seasoned former member of the Plumbers, an intergalactic law-enforcement organization. His in-depth knowledge of aliens, advanced technology, and combat helps Ben and Gwen navigate the dangers that arise once Ben acquires the Omnitrix.
He was voiced by Paul Eiding. In live-action, he was portrayed by Barry Corbin.
His Good Ranking[]
What Makes Him Close to Being Pure Good?[]
In General[]
- Across the franchise, Max consistently supports and protects his grandchildren, often stepping into danger alongside them. His care shows for them in everyday moments as well, such as offering Ben medicine when he catches a cold.
- He is a highly decorated and honorable member of the Plumbers, having fought extraterrestrial threats from his early thirties well into his sixties.
- While Ben may have done more admirable deeds including recreating the universe as Alien X, he has far more resources due to wearing the Omnitrix, the most powerful weapons in the universe, while Max is just a highly trained Plumber with no superpowers whatsoever; hence, it's unfair to compare Max to Ben.
Background[]
- He teamed up with Phil during their Plumber years to defeat Vilgax and launch him into space.
- He once saved Verdona from a humanoid robot.
Classic[]
- He helps Ben and Gwen rescue Vera and the captured elders from the Limax.
- Assists Ben in saving Gwen from Zombozo despite nearly fainting at the wheel.
- Works with Gwen to rescue Ben (who had been transformed into Grey Matter) after his accidental kidnapping by Howell Wainwright.
- He saves Ben from Vilgax during their first encounter.
- Despite everything Vilgax had done, Max tries to warn him not to get back on his ship, which was about to explode.
- Even after being rejuvenated into a child, Max still manages to rescue Hector from Hex so the boy can be restored to his proper age.
- He, along with his grandchildren, foiled Zs'Skayr's plan to cover the Earth with a Corrodium shell and mutate humanity just to block out the Sun and be at full power, even destroying the Corrodium emitter himself.
Destroy All Aliens[]
- Max joins his grandchildren in stopping an armored urban assault vehicle rampaging through Bellwood and later helps them save the city from Dr. Animo’s chaos.
Alien Force[]
- Though he appears less frequently, Max continues to guide Ben and Gwen from afar by sending them messages and leaving them clues, which eventually lead them in the right direction.
- He assists the Plumbers in their fight against the Highbreeds (nearly sacrificing his life in the process) .
- He uses Plumber tech to block TV signals to protect Ben’s identity during a battle with Vilgax.
Alien Swarm[]
- He helps analyze the alien nanochip salvaged from the trio's first fight with Victor, using his Plumber knowledge to identify its hybrid organic-technological nature.
- It's revealed later that Max had previously interrogated Victor after discovering his involvement with the chips.
- After Victor is freed from the chips' control when the Queen is killed, Max, believing he failed as a mentor, apologizes to Victor for having misjudged and condemned him.
Ultimate Alien[]
- He rescues Ben’s mother, Sandra, from SevenSeven.
- Helps Ben thwart Aggregor’s attempt to obtain the Map of Infinity.
- Aids in investigating the Area 51 disappearances caused by Prisoner 775.
Omniverse[]
- He works with Patelliday and the other Plumbers to stop Psyphon’s gang in Undertown.
- Rescues Ben and Rook after the explosion of Khyber’s ship.
- Helps free Patelliday from Mechaneer robots.
- Assists Mr. Baumann in carrying Sheelane to safety after her ship crashes on Earth.
What Prevents Him From Being Pure Good?[]
- He is minor lethal. Although the majority of his kills are in self-defense or to protect others, there are moments where he shows no mercy to his enemies.
- He has a notable lethal moment in Ultimate Alien, where Max tells Gwen that Ben is right that Kevin must be destroyed so people's lives can be saved and refused to help her any further after that. When he calls Ben, he tells him that if he were in Ben’s position, he too would kill Kevin Levin (after Kevin mutated again). He also doesn't make any effort to talk Ben out of it. However, Max does express disapproval at the idea, stating it’s “not the Ben move” as Ben gives people second chances and they live up to his expectations and reminds him of his friendship with Kevin. He also urges Ben to be absolutely certain before making the decision until Ben says that his decision is final, even though he points out that he's sorry for what's going to happen to Kevin.
- He can be way too strict with his grandchildren, as shown in "The Ultimate Weapon" when he was obsessed with finding the Sword of Ek Chuaj to the extent that he completely disregarded Ben and Gwen and didn't care when Gwen was too tired to keep going. While Ben called out him for his behavior and eventually abandoned his goal to save them from the sword's guardian and laughed when the weapon turned to dust, he never apologized to them.
Trivia[]
- He is currently the only Ben 10 character to qualify as NPG.
- His grandson and titular protagonist used to qualify, but was demoted after it was decided his preventions were too severe.
External Links[]
- Max Tennyson on the Heroes Wiki.
- Max Tennyson on the Ben 10 Wiki.
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 Near Pure Goods
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TV Series Samurai Jack Ed, Edd n Eddy Ben 10 Adventure Time Regular Show The Looney Tunes Show Teen Titans Go! Over the Garden Wall Adult Swim Regular Show The Legend of Team Brunette See Also | ||
