5 questions that must be addressed in Foundation now that it is renewed for Season 4

Just before the Season 3 finale aired, Apple TV+ renewed Foundation for Season 4 on September 11, 2025! The show has been busy this latest season: characters have made big moves, alliances have shifted, and secrets have been revealed. The scale of events such as the collapse of the Genetic Dynasty, the rise of the Mule, and the mounting pressure on Hari Seldon means many threads now hang loose as Season 3 concludes.

For viewers, the important thing is:

What will all these changes lead to?

As we head into Season 4, there are major questions that remain unanswered about power, identity, loyalty, and what survives. Some outcomes are obvious, while others remain a mystery. The show has set up situations that simply cannot be ignored, for instance: what has happened to the clones? Or how the Empire will deal with betrayal and violence? And how is Hari’s plan really looking as of now?

These are not just plot twists; they shape the meaning of everything that follows.

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What happens to Demerzel?

In Episode 9, Demerzel is lured into the Ascension Chamber and confronted with the last living member of the Genetic Dynasty. The scene felt and looked final, but the show's track record with this character has remained surprising. The intention and actions of Dusk remain clear.

If Demerzel truly dies, Trantor loses a key stabilizer; if she survives in secret, she could keep influencing events from offstage. The new season must exhibit the immediate political ripple on Trantor and how people who relied on her respond.

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Which worlds were hit by the Novacula weapon, and what follows?

Brother Dusk fires a doomsday device called the Novacula in several recaps against systems that seem set to betray the Empire. That blast destroys whole worlds and the cloning facilities linked to the Cleon line.

The next season should name which colonies were lost, track refugee flows, and show who tries to claim or control the technology afterwards. Those facts will change, given who can mount fleets or hold territory.

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How will Gaal and the Second Foundation face the Mule?

Gaal has visions that point to a one-on-one confrontation with the Mule, and the finale sets a face-off in motion. Although for a moment, Gaal slits Mule's throat, she later realises that she killed someone else. Mule's identity is revealed to be Bayta, and in one way or another, Gaal manages to escape him.

The show needs to reveal the tactics Gaal uses, whether the Second Foundation can shield minds from the Mule’s reach, and the cost of battle for civilians and military forces. If the Mule’s conversions spread, the galaxy’s alliances will look different by the season’s end.

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What can Hari Seldon’s Vault version actually do now?

Jared Harris has discussed Hari’s “existential” problems this season. The Vault copy lacks the full awareness needed to predict or respond to the Mule and the Novacula.

Season 4 should clarify whether technicians update Hari’s archive, whether people trust his guidance after the surprises, and whether the Plan can accept choices made outside psychohistory. Those answers affect how leaders plan for the future.

With Kalle's revelation in the end, the choice to give Hari the body back changes the narrative and points out that power lies in much stronger hands than the Second Foundation or Gaal.

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Who fills the power vacuum across the Empire and the Foundation?

With the Genetic Dynasty shattered and Foundation worlds shaken, new leaders can rise. The show must demonstrate concrete shifts, the identities of admirals who claim fleet command, the governors who seize frontier worlds, and the Foundation scientists or politicians who push policy changes should be revealed. Naming those figures and showing the early power plays will make the political picture concrete for viewers.

With Kalle and a robot's revelation by the end, there seem to be many powerful voices controlling the entire narrative. With little to no information about the conflict between the Earth and Robots, there's an expansive ground, Season 4 needs to cover.

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Season 4 will need to connect specific events that lead to death, the worlds that fell apart, consequently, how the Mule will act, and what Hari's knowledge is about concrete repercussions involving characters and places.

New moves that have led to interesting consequences have been made on the board in Foundation Season 3. The upcoming season must show us the new players and retaliation.