So Is Cleo a Bad Guy on 'Legacies'? Yes and No

Spoiler Alert: This article contains spoilers for Season 4, Episode 1 of Legacies.

Not everything is as it seems in Season 4 of Legacies, and Salvatore School newcomer Cleo Sowande (Omono Okojie) is proof of this fact. History has taught us that there’s a thin line between good and evil in the supernatural world, and Cleo walks the line in the season premiere.

We were first introduced to Cleo in Season 3, and it wasn’t long before she and Hope Mikaelson (Danielle Rose Russell) became besties. But Cleo showed her true colors when she made an attempt on Hope’s life in the finale, which led viewers to wonder if she’s been a bad guy all along. So, is Cleo evil in Legacies? Yes and no.

In the Season 4 premiere, Cleo reveals the truth about what happened to her family to Alaric (Matt Davis). Her story began in what is now Nigeria hundreds of years ago. Trouble arose when a monster, who we now know to be Malivore, began terrorizing her village.

In a heroic act, Cleo’s grandmother offered her life to put an end to his reign, but Cleo intervened and asked Malivore to take her life instead. Despite her efforts, Cleo’s sacrifice was in vain and her family was killed anyway.

For hundreds of years, she was held captive by Malivore until she created a vessel that was used to control the villain. It was then that Leonardo da Vinci helped her create the artifact, where she remained hidden until the person who could kill Malivore released her — which just so happened to be Hope.

In an attempt to save her own life and push Hope into her true purpose, Cleo tries to kill Hope to help her become the Tribrid she was born to be. Although misguided, we learn that Cleo’s intentions weren’t nefarious. After learning that Cleo isn’t evil after all, Alaric invites her to stay at the Salvatore School. Cleo declines his offer to continue her pursuit of Malivore.

According to actress Danielle Rose Russell, Hope and Cleo have unfinished business to resolve in Season 4. In an interview with KSITETV, she dropped hints about the fate of her character’s friendship with Cleo.

“I think it’s safe to say that seeing Hope and Cleo’s relationship evolve … where it left off, it’s very unfinished … I think that everyone feels that way, so there [are] definitely more places to go within that dynamic. I just can’t really say how,” she teased.

Cleo sure has stirred up quite a bit of trouble since her arrival in Mystic Falls, but who is this mysterious muse that’s at the center of the controversy? Here’s what we know about the Legacies newcomer.

Cleo joined Legacies as a recurring character in Season 3 but was promoted to series regular in the fall premiere. Much like her grandmother, Cleo is the seventh daughter of the seventh daughter, which makes her a muse.

Muses have the unique power of inspiration, which explains Cleo and Hope’s shared love for the arts. Cleo is fluent in three languages: Italian, Yorubian, and English. It’s unclear how her story will end, but it’s far from over.

New episodes of Legacies air Thursdays on the CW at 9 p.m. EST.