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.

Similarly to how the twelve Trolls have names with six characters, the Ancestors tend toward names with eight characters. Notable exceptions thusfar include Spinneret Mindfang, Expatriate Darkleer, and the Grand Highblood. It is likely that these names are merely titles, though the true significance has yet to be revealed.

Terezi, Vriska and Eridan all named their Flarp characters after their 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.

Once she escaped, she met with Darkleer, who created a new robotic arm for her. Through use of a certain mysterious item (see below), she is also aware that she is destined to have a flushed relationship with "the summoner" (Tavros' ancestor), who will also be responsible for her death.

In addition to being the owner of Vriska's Fluorite Octet, she has also been shown to be the previous owner of the all-knowing cue ball, having also had communications with Doc Scratch (who called her his protege) in a manner similar to Vriska. Once she retrieved it from Darkleer's home, she hid it with her journal serving as the map, believing that knowing the future caused her more harm than good. It can be assumed that Vriska used the journal to find the ball.

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. "Orphaner" is likely a reference to Eridan's- and possibly Dualscar's- practice of killing other troll's lusi, leaving them orphaned.

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. Coincidentally, Pyrope is a type of Pyralspite garnet. 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.

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 (Equius's teeth are stated to grow back (usually) in his HS 4111 (introduction page). )

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 that might weigh on his mind.

Darkleer is thought by Mindfang to be surrounded by a Void that conceals him from Doc Scratch's omniscience. She left the Cue Ball with him so that Scratch would not be able to locate it. This ability is most likely related to his descendent's role of the Heir of Void, and may provide an explanation for why Vriska was able to keep the Cue Ball hidden from Scratch in turn.

Notably, Darkleer is the first ancestor to have been introduced in Mindfang's narrative after the death of his descendant troll in the main narrative. (Previously, only trolls who were living at the time have had their ancestors revealed, always with the tacit implication that the ancestor's actions in Mindfang's narrative might hint at the imminent actions of the descendant.)

The Summoner
The ancestor of Tavros Nitram. According to Mindfang's journal, he was a commander of an army of beasts and a member of the Cavalreapers who by skill and bravery became their leader, then won their undying loyalty by growing or revealing wings much like the God Tier Trolls have. His evolution would inspire his troops to follow him in a revolution against the Highbloods, eventually resulting in the banishment of all adult trolls to space, leaving the planet only inhabited by the young. This is possibly a reference to the fact that Neverland is only inhabited by kids who stay young forever.

According to the Magic Cue Ball, the Summoner was fated to become Mindfang's matesprit, but was also destined to be the one to kill her. Due to his lowblooded status he would not be born for some time after the last entry in her journal was made.

He is somewhat similar to Rufio.

The Sufferer
The ancestor of Karkat Vantas, known as the leader of a large scale sectarian revolt that would be crushed by the highbloods. After the revolt, any reference to it (including in HS 5658 (private journals)) was forbidden, along with the symbol 69, an obvious reference to the Cancer sign (thus indicating it to be Karkat's ancestor). It is possible that he is a member or the leader of the Threshecutioners.

Her Imperious Condescension
The ancestor of Feferi Peixes, the Condesce was empress during the lifespans of the trolls' ancestors. According to Mindfang's journal, she was responsible for banishing adult trolls from Alternia at some point between the end of the journal and the canonical events, apparently to diminish the risk of rebellions. It is also noted that she has an extensive lifespan and contact to a "deep undul8ing monstrosity" which is likely Gl'bgolyb, Feferi's lusus. Despite her longevity it is unlikely that she is the empress during the events of Hivebent, since it is stated that Feferi is higher on the hemospectrum than the empress of the time.

She was also the object of Dualscar's flushed ambitions, though it would seem that she did not reciprocate. It is currently unknown as to what relationship the two may have had in comparison to the relationship between Eridan and Feferi, though Mindfang stated in her journal that she [the Condesce] "will never even know his name".