Ancestor

Ancestors are a concept in Troll society. They are historical figures who lived centuries before the set of twelve trolls who are followed in Homestuck. Each ancestor is said to be a close genetic match to a particular troll, and young trolls believe that they are supposed to find clues about their ancestors. The ancestors are also intended to serve as role models for adolescent trolls. Each of the twelve trolls in Homestuck shares the same zodiac symbol and blood color as his or her respective ancestor.

The ancestors of the main twelve trolls were Ectobiologically created by Karkat Vantas. If the Troll ectobiological process follows that of the humans', then it is probable that Karkat first cloned the ancestors and then from the mixing of the ancestors' genes, the current generation of Trolls would have been produced. Conversely, the revealed ancestors look like grown up versions of the current trolls, which suggests that there might have been no mixing process involved at all. This is more in line with the social concept of Troll ancestors who are said to have the closest genetic match with their descendant.

Since the ancestors are associated with the current trolls based on blood color, it is uncertain who Karkat Vantas' ancestor could be, as he is said to have been the only troll ever with bright red blood. Terezi, Vriska and Eridan all named their Flarp characters after their ancestors. Feferi's ancestor was most likely to be the troll empress at the time of the other ancestors.

While Aradia's ancestor has not been shown, it is mentioned in her introduction page that she retrieved the technology to create Sgrub from the Frog Temple on the instructions of her ancestors.

Marquise Spinneret Mindfang
The ancestor of Vriska Serket. Mindfang was a pirate and the leader of a notoriously deadly fleet of Gamblignants. In her youth, Vriska found a journal in an impact crater that told about Mindfang's life and had clues for hidden treasures, including Vriska's dice and massive piles of treasure. Mindfang was also the namesake for Vriska's Flarp character. Through her HS 5407 (journal), it is revealed that she had a kismesissitude with Orphaner Dualscar, Eridan's ancestor, which may have been Vriska's inspiration for her relationship with Eridan. Mindfang seemed to have a habit of playing Redrom games with various trolls, most of them of lower castes, which Orphaner despised and envied.

After hearing that Neophyte Redglare was sent to apprehend her she thinks of it as little more than a joke. Underestimating the inexperienced Redglare she is taken by suprise when the Neophyte confronts her, together with her Lusus, the Dragon Pyralspite. She loses an eye and an arm in the confrontation and is taken into custody until her trial. Using her powers of manipulation, however, she successfully turns the onlooking crowd against Redglare instead, leaving her only to deal with His Honourable Tyranny to complete her escape.

Orphaner Dualscar
The ancestor of Eridan Ampora. He was Marquise Spinneret Mindfang's kismesis, and the original owner of Ahab's Crosshairs. He was prone to jealousy, despising Mindfang's redrom games with other trolls though she was only his Kismesis. Dualscar had Mindfang's potential matesprit assassinated and placed an even larger bounty on her head. It is also mentioned that he had a redrom interest in the Troll Empress of their time, most likely Feferi's Ancestor.

He attempted to inform the Grand Highblood of Mindfang's location, but was likely killed by the Subjugglator due to the clown's insane and unpredictable nature. (The only source currently available for this information is Mindfang's journal, however, and she doesn't seem to have bothered with confirming Dualscar's fate, so strictly speaking his fate after meeting with the Subjugglator is unclear.)

Unknown Subjugglator (Grand highblood)
The ancestor of Gamzee Makara and a member of the subjugglators, presumably the leader.

After Dualscar's kismesissitude for Mindfang failed, he offered her location to the High Blood. Mindfang writes in her journal that this plan either will or already has failed spectacularly due to the subjugglator's sanguinary nature, resulting in Dualscar's death.

He decorated his walls with the blood of his victims. The gory rainbow includes blood of all castes (excluding tyrian purple, Karkat's candy red, and his own), which surely HS 3914 (pleases him).

Neophyte Redglare
The ancestor of Terezi Pyrope and a neophyte legislacerator who was sent to apprehend Mindfang and bring her to justice after the incident with Dualscar. She is said to be quite talented, but she is still inexperienced, as evidenced by the title "Neophyte". She eventually captures Mindfang, who underestimated her, not knowing about her dragon lusus Pyralspite. Mindfang's sensitive vision eightfold is burned out by looking into the dragon's bright eyes, and her arm is severed by Redglare.

During her trial however, Mindfang manipulates the spectators into turning against Redglare, rather than herself. The rioting spectators pull her from the central court platform and proceed to hang her from the noose intended for Mindfang.

His Honorable Tyranny
Proposed by some to be Karkat Vantas' ancestor or lusus, his form is extremely large (far larger than any current known ancestor) and well-armored like a crustacean. His six horns appear in three rows, the first being a crab's claws, the second being sickles, and the last as normal troll horns (albeit extremely large, each being larger than Mindfang herself). This ancestor seems to play the role of a judge or courthead in the troll justice system.

His Honorable Tyranny's color is also a bright candy red, the same as Karkat's HS 4201 (blood color), which is also alluded to in Terezi's HS 3950 (court roleplay). It is unknown whether or not this ancestor is a troll similar to the others, considering Karkat's blood is referred to as a "mutation." This also raises question of what color blood Karkat's Custodian owns, taking into account that young trolls are matched with custodians of identical blood.

This theory, however, appears unlikely due to Hussie's statement implying that this is not true. In addition, Mindfang is later seen wielding Redglare's staff, covered in a black substance, most likely His Honorable Tyrany's blood, though it is possible that such black blood could also be a mutation among trolls, creating a parallel to Karkat in a different way. Furthermore, Karkat's single set of nubby horns is completely different from the three sets of large horns that His Honorable Tyranny has, differing from all other ancestors who are shown to have identical configurations of horns. There is also no association thus far between His Honorable Tyranny and the Cancer symbol, unlike all other ancestors, who have been given immediate associations with their descendant's zodiac symbol.

Alternate theories posit a relationship of this creature to Aradia Megido, though not necessarily ancestry. After Mindfang hangs Redglare (in a situation eerily similar to HS 4478 (Make Her Pay)), she kills His Honorable Tyranny: After blinding Terezi, Vriska murders (albeit indirectly) Aradia.

Expatriate Darkleer
The ancestor of Equius Zahhak, skilled in machinism of some kind that is analogous to his descendant's work in robotics. He was banished for some act of treason towards the highbloods, strongly implied by Mindfang to involve a certain woman. Unlike his descendant, both of Darkleer's horns, as well as his teeth, are at the current point in the story unbroken.

Mindfang escapes from her trial and seeks out Darkleer for a "debt" to be repaid in the form of a prosthetic arm. Mindfang has found that her admiration of Darkleer has vanished over the sweeps (years) as he continues to mourn the situation involving the woman and his banishment. She considers his work to be a good "distraction" for any grieving he may have part in.