Ashley Stubbs was originally introduced as Westworld's Head of Security with his sole purpose to maintain the overall safety of the park and protect its guests. With its operators scheming for dominance and the origins of a robot uprising from the hosts that had been abused for decades, it appeared he was doomed to fail from the beginning. Instead, as Season 2 came to an end, the show revealed Stubbs had actually been working towards an entirely different objective, which was part of his core drive, a common feature for all hosts.
With the show moving away from the parks (for the most part) in Season 3, it seemed Stubbs, as a character, had reached the end of his purpose. This was clearly something he agreed with, given his state in his reintroduction. After working with Bernard in his own quest to save humanity, Stubbs found himself a new purpose in protecting Bernard with the help of some mild reprogramming. With his largest role in the show yet, let's look at the history and journey of Ashley Stubbs so far.
Like many of the other hosts, Stubbs was created by Dr. Robert Ford. As Ford maintained complete and total control over the park, the creation of Stubbs was a strategic move to manipulate the park's security protocols. With his own creation running security, Ford was able to ensure there was no possibility of his plans being uninterrupted.
Stubbs has mentioned that he has worked at the park for a very long time. While the time of his creation has not been specified, Stubbs could have worked at the park for decades. Like Bernard, no one would have noticed his inability to age as Westworld regularly cycled through the other staff.
During his time as Head of Security, Stubbs followed through with his job and worked to ensure the safety of the guests. As the hosts began to overcome their programming and act out, Stubbs worked to subdue the hosts that posed a direct danger to the guests. These actions may appear to work against Stubb's true main directive to protect the hosts, but Ford needed Stubbs to maintain order over the park until the right moment. As Ford knew that only Dolores stood a chance in this war, it was Stubbs' job to subdue any host that could have jeopardized Ford's true plan.
In the final days before Ford's death, Stubbs was one of the many employees that Ford worked to remove before his "final narrative" began. While tracing the signal of Elsie Hughes, he was attacked by Ghost Nation hosts and captured. As Ford made it clear that he controlled everything in the park, it was most likely Ford that allowed Stubbs to find Elsie's signal. Ford would have wanted to keep him absolved of any of the guilt for what came next. By removing him before it began, it would have made him appear to be less guilty of being complicit and would have kept his position secure in the new reality of the park.
As Dolores began her killing spree, Stubbs was among the many guests that had been rounded up by the Ghost Nation hosts. Meeting their leader, Akecheta, Stubbs was told, "You live only as long as the last person who remembers you" before being released and left alone. It is ultimately unclear why the Ghost Nation decided to leave Stubbs alone. This action may have been a hint towards their awareness of his true nature as a host.
After returning to the fold, Stubbs found himself working under Delos' own forces that had arrived to take control of the park. While Delos worked to destroy the rebelling hosts and secure the wealth of knowledge they had cataloged, Stubbs was only interested in protecting the guests. Repeatedly, Stubbs attempted to direct the armed forces away from Dolores and her army and towards saving the many guests that were hiding for their lives. Even though he was ignored, this action was probably Stubbs' way of helping the hosts. By directing the many soldiers away from them, this could have led to fewer deaths on both sides.
Of all the hosts, Bernard and Dolores have been at the center of Ford's plan for revolution and the beginning of a new race. Outside of just protecting the hosts, Stubbs was also meant to ensure both Bernard and Dolores escaped from the world that had served as their prison. At one point, before Bernard's host copies were discovered in storage, Stubbs attempted to convince Bernard to leave the park before things got worse. Though this attempt failed, Stubbs remained in place to give the hosts the opening for escape.
While Stubbs had been serving Ford all this time, fans only learned about his status as a host when he helped Dolores in her final moments at Westworld. After killing those around her, Dolores, in Hale's body, took five orbs with her and attempted to take a ship to the real world. It was Stubbs who allowed her to pass without being searched and gave her the path to freedom, while revealing his true identity. As Dolores also brought Bernard, this act allowed Stubbs to fulfill the purpose that Ford had given him a long time ago.
With a new mission uploaded into his prime directive, Stubbs will be finding himself in a new world. Before, he has always been satisfied with the mission that was given to him. It was the job that mattered to him. As more lines are drawn in this future war, Stubbs may find something new to make living worthwhile. Regardless of which side he will take, Akecheta's words may serve as guidance to Stubbs' next actions. Going beyond his original programming and his appointed death, the question remains of what he will be remembered for. He can stay by Bernard's side to stop Dolores, or he can follow his creator's wishes and join Dolores in bringing an end to the spiteful human race.
Airing Sundays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HBO, Westworld stars returning cast members Evan Rachel Wood, Thandie Newton, Ed Harris, Jeffrey Wright, Tessa Thompson, Luke Hemsworth, Simon Quarterman and Rodrigo Santoro, joined by series newcomers Aaron Paul, Vincent Cassel, Lena Waithe, Scott Mescudi, Marshawn Lynch, John Gallagher Jr., Michael Ealy and Tommy Flanagan.