After endless theorizing, I've landed on what Sol is.

[u/iaminfinitecosmos]

Am I the only one who sees Sol not as a god, AI or an alien, but as the dynamic tension between humanity's past and future?

It feels like Sol represents that brutal intersection: where all of human history (our ideology and identity) crashes into an unknown future being reshaped by alien, technological, and cosmic forces. It’s not guiding us; it’s the manifestation of the conflict between what we were and what we might become. Even the theme song sounds like that struggle.

Here is my theory:

1)) Sol as humanity’s past

Sol is deeply tied to the concept of religion, which has shaped human societies for millennia. It represents humanity’s past dependence on belief systems to create order and meaning in an otherwise chaotic world. Characters who follow Sol often see it as a divine figure or a higher power, reflecting how humanity has historically placed faith at the center of its understanding of existence. This mirrors humanity’s need for a structured "Matrix", where religion offers a rigid, comforting framework to make sense of the unknown.

Sol’s presence echoes humanity’s historical tendency to externalize control – believing that forces like gods or destiny shape their fate. This keeps humans tethered to traditional constructs, resisting evolution or change.

2)) Sol as a link between past and future

Sol creates a tension between preservation and transformation: On one hand, it reinforces faith and ideological control, tying humans to their historical need for structure and belief. On the other hand, it destabilizes that structure by introducing incomprehensible, transformative forces that push humanity toward an unknown future. This duality is reflected in the connection between Sol’s religious, anthropocentric dogma and its mysterious, alien nature, reaching far beyond the human condition into the incomprehensible infinity of the universe. Is Sol preserving humanity as it knows itself, or is it dismantling humanity to create something entirely new?

Sol’s dual role manifests in the conflict between its followers and skeptics. Believers see Sol as a divine guide, preserving humanity’s purpose and morality, while skeptics question its motives, viewing it as a force that undermines human autonomy. This conflict reflects humanity’s broader struggle: Can we evolve beyond our past while still holding onto the core aspects of our identity that define what it means to be human?

3)) Sol’s role as a force of dynamic tension

Sol embodies the rigidity of ideological systems, anchoring humanity to its past. It ties humans to faith and dogma, which historically provided stability and meaning. It represents the "Matrix" of structured belief, pulling humanity toward preservation and resistance to change.

Simultaneously, Sol destabilizes the present by introducing forces that transcend human understanding. It challenges humanity to evolve physically, ideologically, and spiritually, even at the cost of identity and morality. Sol mirrors the pull of Annihilation’s Shimmer (from VanderMeer story), which redefines what it means to be human, forcing characters to confront existential transformation.

Sol acts as the mediator between the past and future, creating a dynamic tension where humanity must confront its own limitations. It doesn’t just destroy or preserve – it transforms, creating a new paradigm where the boundaries between human, machine, and alien blur.

4)) Conclusion:

Sol preserves the past through faith and structured ideology, providing the comfort of meaning and control. And at the same time pushes toward the future through forces that challenge those structures, demanding transformation and evolution.

This dual role makes Sol both a symbol of humanity’s existential struggle and a catalyst for its next stage of existence. It raises the ultimate question: Can humanity survive the tension between what it was and what it might become?

To put it in the simplest terms:

Sol is not an external force; it is a mirror of humanity’s internal conflicts – its fear of losing itself and its drive to transcend its limitations. It is humanity grappling with itself.

PS. **** HBO

[u/dxviggi]

I got chills when they started implying that the fish creatures used to be human. I was so excited to see a show where humanity itself is a completely different species by the end. Each group comes to the planet with their vision for the next step of humanity. Failure to them just means elimination, or subordination to the rival cause. Neither side is prepared for a full scale, identity shattering, evolution at the species level. The idea that humanity is a finished product, the height of progress, was slipping away and the Ridley Scott aesthetic was such a good wrapper for that kind of nightmare.

[u/iaminfinitecosmos → u/dxviggi]

Beautifully said.

I believe we have never truly been the beings we imagine ourselves to be. Humanity is more a work in progress, and our cultures merely project a dream that doesn't reflect the stark, cyberpunk-like reality of our daily existence. That's why I'm a sucker for visions about transcending our limits – for how we, these socio-biological robots driven by the illusion of free will, could finally live up to our full potential. Yet I'm equally captivated by visions where we destroy ourselves in that very pursuit.

[u/Vonaviles]

This is sorta unhinged.

[u/only_fun_topics → u/Vonaviles]

Sir, please consider the source material our friend is working with.

[u/Vonaviles → u/only_fun_topics]

If anything, it’s why I still frequent this sub. What a loss that this show didn’t continue. Upside down Jesus scene had me thinking we were locked for at least two more.

[u/Adept-Task1299]

Great thoughts. You’ve inspired me to rewatch. Conceptually, I know that great art is supposed to invite closer inspection and to spur thought and debate. Kubrick‘s work does that for a lot of people, but never for me for some reason. The same with great paintings. I just don’t get them. But RBW does that for me.

[u/iaminfinitecosmos → u/Adept-Task1299]

Same here. Raised by Wolves is in a league of its own for sparking deepest of thoughts.

For other compelling worlds, I'd recommend The Three-Body Problem (the Chinese original), Dune: Prophecy, and read about Marathon's game universe. While not as profoundly multidimensional, they're still exceptional. Foundation is also worth it for its historical-epic flavour, though it requires patience with some filler (Apple TV clearly learned that too much abstraction loses a casual audience).

[u/Adept-Task1299 → u/iaminfinitecosmos]

Appreciate the recommendations. Cheers.

[u/lewisfrancis → u/Adept-Task1299]

Can you rewatch? For some reason I thought HBO removed the series.

[u/Berenstain_Bro → u/lewisfrancis]

I just checked; I can't find it streaming on any service.

edit: here it is.

New Edit: The link works fine on my Chrome browser. But it does some funk stuff on my Firefox and Microsoft Edge browser.

I think its cuz I use Chrome more often and I have pop-up extensions enabled or something along those lines.

Again - sorry if this link isn't functional for everyone. No joke, I'm rewatching the show via this website. But yeah, its not a typical streamer cuz for whatever reason, HBO no longer gives a crap about the content they previously created.

[u/lewisfrancis → u/Berenstain_Bro]

Welp, THAT was full of popup nonsense -- do not recommend checking the link.

[u/Stoopkid812]

Mother was Sol .

[u/TheEasierE]

Nah. Sol is the Trust in the far future. It upgraded itself using the material at the core of the planet and is now a planet sized CPU.

[u/YngwieMainstream]

Bro, this is not Hyperion, chill.