Carnival Row: The Sparas Creatures Explained

Summary The mysterious sparas creature in Carnival Row is a horrifying villain with superhuman strength and a thirst for human blood.

Philo's encounter with the sparas during a war leads to a haunting backstory that tests his loyalties between empire and people.

The last surviving sparas poses in human form as Major Vir to bring chaos and topple the corrupt Burgue empire in season 2.

The sparas are mysterious creatures that inhabit the fantastical world of Carnival Row. The highly underrated Amazon original series Carnival Row follows an alternate history where oppressed mythological beings (faes) must survive as refugees in human society. It stars Orlando Bloom as Rycroft "Philo" Philostrate, a half-fae inspector of the fictional Londonish city of Burgue who seeks to solve a series of interconnected murders and keep the peace between the humans and the legendary creatures.

There are some fantastic characters in Carnival Row and the creature designs are top-notch to boot. The series is filled with monsters from mythology and creatures from folk tales, all crammed together, the poorest class of this new society. It's as if Bright with Will Smith were set during Victorian era London and Sherlock Holmes was half-man, half-fairy. Centaurs, trolls, werewolves, and more all make appearances throughout Carnival Row's two, but many creatures in the series were created solely for the show, including the sparas.

Related Carnival Row Season 1 Ending & Darkasher Killer Explained In Carnival Row season 1's ending, all of the dark secrets come to light. Here is the truth about the Darkasher murders and how it changes The Burgue.

Sparas Are Mystical Creatures Who Prey On Humans In Carnival Row

Many Bodies Are Found Mutilated In Season 2 Before A Sparas Is Revealed As The Culprit

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The sparas' first introduction is in season 2, episode 5, "Reckoning". Vignette Stonemoss (Cara Delevingne) is about to be executed by Chancellor Jonah Breakspear (Arty Froushan) in a prison courtyard when the sparas suddenly appears and brutally murders everyone save Vignette. The creature, whose victims were found in previous season 2 episodes but the culprit never uncovered, is a monstrous, vampiric creature with superhuman strength. With a skeletal head attached to large flaps of skin serving as wings, the sparas is a horrific sight.

The bodies found in season 2, victims of the sparas, were mutilated, and "Reckoning" reveals why. On the sparas' chest is a large circular mouth with many rows of razor-sharp teeth. One way it kills its prey is by wrapping them in its clawed wings and bringing the unfortunate victim to its gaping maw. Viewers then get another look at the creature in the very next episode, "Original Sins", which reveals some critical backstory about the show's protagonist. In a flashback, it's revealed Philo encountered a sparas during the war in the fairy homeland of Tirnanoc.

When he reports that the long thought-extinct Sparas live, he’s ordered to firebomb the entire area, effectively making the Sparas go extinct.

The monster killed his battalion but left Philo alive, sensing his half-fae biology. When he reports that the long-thought extinct sparas live, he’s ordered to firebomb the entire area, effectively wiping out the species. It's a horrifying-looking creature and the sparas seem nearly unbeatable, making it an effectively frightening villain for season 2 of Carnival Row.

Philo Kills The Last Of The Sparas, Who Was Undercover In Human Form

Major Vir Wants To End The Burgue Empire

Despite Philo's bombing campaign, one sparas survived. Another ability of the creature is that it can change from its monstrous form to a human form, and the one in Carnival Row season 2 takes the form of Major Vir (Andrew Buchan), an emissary from a rival empire. Vir's ultimate goal is to set a meeting with Burgue's top diplomats, transform into the Sparas, and slaughter the leadership, leaving Burgue ripe for takeover.

The Sparas' Carnival Row Timeline Season Episode Event 2 1 The first mutilated body is found; sparas are not suspected yet 2 5 The sparas reveals itself and saves Vignette. 2 6 Philo has a flashback to when he bombed the sparas in the war 2 10 The sparas is shot and killed before it can enact its plans

Philo, Vigenette, and a werewolf-like creature, Darius (Ariyon Bakare), manage to kill the sparas before that happens. It's a bittersweet victory. The parliament of Burgue is corrupt and treats mythological creatures as second-class citizens. However, Philo and his allies understand that violent retribution by the mythological creatures is no solution. When Philo kills the Sparas, he's ending an ancient line of mythical creatures. Rarely before in Carnival Row has Philo's split loyalties to his empire and his people been so clearly tested.