One of the biggest "wait... what?" moments for me in the Foundation series was when the Mule showed up.
Up until then, it felt like Hari Seldon had everything figured out. Every crisis happened pretty much the way he said it would. Then this one guy comes along and wrecks the whole plan.
That's what made the Mule such a great character. He wasn't just another bad guy. He was the thing nobody thought could happen. It made Seldon's Plan feel a lot less invincible.
I always liked that part because it reminded you that no matter how much you think you've planned for everything, there's always something out there you didn't see coming.
--
Sector9
"Still reading beyond the stars."
Sector9
"Still reading beyond the stars."