▁B ail ▁Ch ann is , ▁are ▁very ▁nearly ▁successful . ▁Ult imately , ▁however , ▁the ▁Second ▁Foundation ▁succeed s ▁in ▁defe ating ▁the ▁M ule , ▁transform ing ▁him ▁into ▁a ▁relatively ▁har ml ess ▁individual ▁lack ing ▁amb ition , ▁and ▁ending ▁his ▁threat ▁to ▁the ▁S eld on ▁Plan . ▁ ▁The ▁M ule ' s ▁name ▁is ▁a ▁reference ▁to ▁the ▁ster ility ▁of ▁m ules , ▁since ▁he ▁too ▁is ▁gen et ically ▁ster ile . ▁Without ▁a ▁child ▁available ▁as ▁a ▁successor , ▁the ▁M ule ' s ▁emp ire ▁ends ▁soon ▁after ▁his ▁death . ▁ ▁No ▁reference ▁is ▁ever ▁given ▁about ▁any ▁other ▁name ▁for ▁him ▁besides ▁" The ▁M ule ", ▁a ▁name ▁he ▁apparently ▁gave ▁himself , ▁and ▁' M agn ific o ▁G ig antic us ', ▁an ▁alias ▁he ▁takes ▁up ▁to ▁travel ▁among ▁Foundation ers ▁( in ▁that ▁role , ▁he ▁also ▁claims ▁his ▁name ▁used ▁to ▁be ▁Bob o ). ▁In ▁Second ▁Foundation , ▁it ▁is ▁revealed ▁that ▁the ▁M ule ▁dies ▁in ▁his ▁th irt ies ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁poor ▁health . ▁His ▁child hood ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁tor ment ▁and ▁al ien ation . ▁The ▁M ule ▁becomes ▁aware ▁of ▁his ▁great ▁mental ▁powers ▁in ▁his ▁tw ent ies , ▁and ▁develop s ▁a ▁desire ▁to ▁compens ate ▁for ▁his ▁earlier ▁life ▁by ▁taking ▁reven ge ▁on ▁human ity . ▁ ▁The ▁M ule ▁is ▁a ▁central ▁character ▁in ▁Foundation ▁and ▁Empire ▁and ▁Second ▁Foundation