On July 28, 2026, Ulysses Nardo rejoined the Club Penguin Romans leadership. We review his army history and his plans for the Romans.
Original Club Penguin Era
Ulysses Nardo first joined the Army of Club Penguin in January 2011, beginning his army career. After leaving ACP in 2012, he joined a democratic army known as the Global Defenders. While intrigued by the army, he eventually left around November 2012 to found his own army, isolated from other armies. He called this the Onlooking Snow Ninjas and hosted various events in addition to typical army events. After it closed in 2013, he spent the rest of the year in the Rebel Penguin Federation. In 2017, he found media and became a writer for Club Penguin Army Central.
Club Penguin Private Server Era
Following the closure of the original Club Penguin, he rejoined RPF and joined Club Penguin Rewritten Army Central as a reporter. After a short break, in late 2017, Nardo founded the Club Penguin Democratic Union of Armies to turn it into a league and to discuss issues within the army community. While CPDUA never panned out, this led to the next stage in his army career, when Djgtjvgyhxgy, a legendary founder of the Romans, noticed him. As a result of this interaction, Dj invited Nardo to join the Romans’ leadership at the time. Nardo excelled in this era, demonstrating the ability to manage diplomatic relations with the community and administrative tasks.
He also led the Romans through two wars. The first was the War of Roman Subjugation, a major war fought by the Romans and the RPF against the Underground Mafia Army, the Dark Knight Empire, the United Republic of Club Penguin, Acids, and Tubas. The Romans fought hard in the war but withdrew before the end, leading both sides to claim victory. The second was between the Club Penguin Crew and the Romans directly, which led to the CPC’s disbanding. Nardo also attempted to create the Club Penguin Army Syndicate, which merged into the Army Lounge, but he went on hiatus shortly after the merge. He returned in August 2018 and joined a new army, the Nova Phoenix Corps, as a second-in-command, quickly becoming its leader. Unfortunately, NPC closed at the end of the month due to its ban from Club Penguin Online.
Nardo decided to simply advise the Romans and continued in this position until 2020 before fully retiring in 2021. He was inducted as an S/M Army Legend in 2020.
2025 Romans Generation
In May 2025, Nardo rejoined the Romans’ leadership as part of the revival effort, serving alongside Dj, Smurf, and Games. A couple of months later, in July, he joined the Water Vikings as a third-in-command for a few months. In December 2025, he returned to the Romans as an advisor, then rejoined the leadership alongside Znation and Csani in January 2026.
Club Penguin Army League reached out to Nardo to learn more about his return to the Romans.
Why did you decide to return to the Romans’ leadership now?
Previously, I served as 3rd in command of the Water Vikings, dedicating several months to fostering team cohesion and promoting recognition of diverse perspectives. While these efforts didn’t yield the changes I hoped for, the experience deepened my understanding of effective leadership and the conditions that allow teams to thrive. With this perspective, I transitioned to Romans, an environment better aligned with my approach to collaboration and professional growth. After a month as an Advisor, Smurf and Twitchy approached me to resume leadership, as Romans was in need of a US leader. Recognizing an opportunity to apply the lessons I’d learned and contribute to the army’s growth, I decided to accept.
What do you aim to achieve as a Romans leader?
As Romans leader, my goal is to build on the army’s strengths and foster meaningful growth. I aim to replicate the success Cobra achieved with the Water Vikings in 2024-25, when he guided the army from S/M back to major status. Having studied his leadership approach, I feel prepared to apply similar strategies to help Romans reach its full potential.
Do you have plans to change anything within the Romans right now?
Yes. I’ve already taken steps to improve the army’s hyping and event coordination. In the near future, I plan to implement a system for evaluating staff performance, designed to promote accountability while preparing team members for advancement. Additionally, I aim to introduce RPG-style elements into our events, creating a more immersive and enjoyable experience that encourages participation and camaraderie.
Anything else to add?
One of the enduring challenges of army leadership is fostering an environment where members feel their ideas are genuinely heard and considered. Addressing this requires a deliberate commitment to carefully weighing perspectives and discussing potential outcomes together, a practice that builds trust and helps team members feel valued. Equally crucial is taking concerns seriously (no matter how small they may seem) and responding to them thoughtfully, without ever invalidating or dismissing the feelings of staff. When leaders adopt this approach, they strengthen respect for their authority and protect their teams from being held accountable for mistakes that arise from leadership decisions. When consistently applied, these principles help transform leadership from a position of authority into one of genuine stewardship.
Nardo’s return to leadership marks an important turning point in the Romans. The return is especially important as they progress to the Death Group stage of the Army World Cup. He seems entirely dedicated and ready to lead Romans into a new golden age alongside Znation and Csani. How will Nardo’s return boost the Romans? Will Nardo’s proposed changes help the Romans push towards major army status?
