Season 1
Into the Badlands is an American science fiction action television series created by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar and set in a devastated future world controlled by powerful feudal barons, which tells the story of a ruthless warrior and a young boy who embark on a spiritual odyssey across a dangerous land.
Centuries from now, following natural and man-made disasters, a new society has emerged with the strongest and most brutal rising to wealth and power. Known as the Badlands, this territory is divided among seven rival Barons who control the resources necessary for life, enforcing their rule with the aid of loyal armies known as Clippers.
These warriors enjoy status and comforts that the general population can only dream of and they are willing to sacrifice their lives in service to their Barons.
Few Clippers ever live to see their 30th birthday, but Sunny (Daniel Wu) is no ordinary Clipper. Demonstrating lethal proficiency in martial arts, Sunny rose swiftly through the ranks to become Head Clipper to Quinn (Marton Csokas), as well as his most trusted advisor.
For decades, Quinn has remained unchallenged as the Badlands' most powerful leader, but the land's newest Baron, The Widow (Emily Beecham), has been mounting brazen attacks on Quinn's transport vehicles, apparently testing his appetite for a fight.
One of these attacks leads Sunny to M.K. (Aramis Knight), a teenage boy who has survived a deadly ambush. Sunny soon comes to understand that the teen harbours a dark secret and has a sizeable bounty on his head.
As The Widow continues her campaign against Quinn, the destinies of the stoic assassin and the impetuous teenager become intertwined.
In their evolution as teacher and student, each will discover his true purpose; together, they will embark on a quest that could mean the difference between chaos and enlightenment for everybody throughout the Badlands.
Into the Badlands stars Daniel Wu (Tai Chi Zero) as Sunny, Marton Csokas (The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King) as Quinn, Aramis Knight (The Dark Knight Rises) as M.K., Oliver Stark (Luther) as Ryder, Emily Beecham (28 Weeks Later) as Widow, Orla Brady (Dr. Who, Fringe) as Lydia, Sarah Bolger (Once Upon a Time, The Tudors) as Jade, Ally Ioannides (Parenthood) as Tilda and Madeleine Mantock (Edge of Tomorrow) as Veil.
From AMC Studios, the six-part series is created by executive producers/showrunners/writers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar (Shanghai Noon, Smallville), and executive produced by Oscar-nominated producers Stacey Sher and Michael Shamberg (Pulp Fiction, Contagion), director David Dobkin (Wedding Crashers, Shanghai Nights), fight director Stephen Fung (Tai Chi Zero, House of Fury) and Daniel Wu (Tai Chi Zero).
Main Characters
Sunny - Daniel Wu
Sunny is Regent (Head Clipper) to the Badlands' most powerful Baron, Quinn. He is the ideal right-hand man: a prodigiously skilled, merciless killer with a keen strategic mind, unflappable temperament and deep sense of loyalty.
Found as a naked, starving child, Sunny remembers nothing about his origins or birth parents. He spent his youth as one of Quinn's Colts (teenage Clippers in training), and was only nine years old when he took his first life.
He has slain hundreds since, growing inured to the act of killing, even as he records each death with a black line tattooed (kill tat) on his back.
Naturally solitary, he has never sought friends. But a blossoming romance with a doctor named Veil has opened Sunny up to different ideas, and together they dream of a future far away from the Badlands.
Sunny unwittingly takes the first steps toward that future when he meets M.K., a teenage boy who harbours lethal powers. In taking M.K. as his Colt, Sunny will unravel the mystery of his own past – and awaken to his true purpose as a human being.
Quinn - Marton Csokas
Ruthless, enigmatic, shrewd and charming, Quinn is the Badlands' preeminent Baron. A former Clipper, Quinn secured his position the old-fashioned way: he killed for it, murdering the very Baron who trained him.
Given his own trajectory, it's not surprising that Quinn spares no expense to ensure the satisfaction of his Clippers, who constitute the largest, best-trained and best-outfitted army in the Badlands.
For three decades, Quinn has consistently outflanked and outmanoeuvred his fellow Barons to keep the upper hand. But the political winds are shifting and Quinn is no longer a young man; his aura of invincibility is fading.
However, Quinn will not go down without a fight and his desperation to maintain control makes him even more dangerous.
Lydia - Orla Brady
Lydia is Quinn's first wife and is both his fiercest critic and most devoted follower. Without her astute counsel, he wouldn't have ascended so far.
While Lydia never doubted Quinn possessed the makings of a Baron, she is less sure about their son, Ryder. As much as she loves her only child and wants to see him succeed Quinn, she is well aware of his flaws. Ryder's fortunes will undoubtedly have implications for Lydia, particularly given Quinn's upcoming marriage to a beautiful young Cog, Jade.
Lydia puts on an excellent show of indifference, while making it abundantly clear that she is still The Fort's true Baroness and always will be.
Jade - Sarah Bolger
Jade grew up as a Cog in Quinn's house. Now in her early 20s, she is a beautiful young woman whose beguiling demeanour hides a core of ambition and tenacity. She is about to become Quinn's wife, and aims to eclipse Lydia in her husband's affections.
Her experience growing up as a Cog gives Jade a different perspective and informs her opinions about how Quinn should run his opium empire. She agrees with Ryder that change is necessary, and she soon discovers the courage to say so.
However, she does not disclose that what she shares with Ryder goes beyond political opinions.
M.K. - Aramis Knight
Saved from mercenary Nomads by Sunny, M.K. is taken to Quinn's walled compound, The Fort. A seemingly average teenage boy, M.K. is anything but. Lurking inside him is a dark energy that is only unleashed when his skin is cut.
No longer himself, he becomes an unstoppable force with heightened and brutally lethal martial arts skills. Haunted by his murderous capacity, M.K. tries to keep his unwanted powers a secret. But Sunny senses something different about the teen, and it isn't long before M.K. is forced to tell the Clipper the truth.
At the same time, the duo forms a bond when the boy saves Sunny's life. Sunny recognises, however dimly, the faraway place M.K. calls home. And M.K. knows that if Sunny can train him to harness the darkness within, there is hope they can both find their way home.
The Widow - Emily Beecham
The Widow is the Badlands' newest Baron. It is rumoured, correctly, that she murdered her husband but few know the story behind her act. A brilliant martial artist, she has adopted a blue-winged butterfly as her Baronial symbol, representing a transformation from insignificance to beauty and power.
Since succeeding her husband, The Widow has amassed a crew of young female warriors: her Butterflies. The Widow treats the Butterflies with maternal affection, has taught them how to fight and instilled in them self-confidence.
With grand ambitions, The Widow has launched a brazen campaign against the formidable Quinn. She believes M.K. is the key to her success and will go to any length to find him.
Ryder - Oliver Stark
Ryder is Quinn's only son and presumed heir. Impulsive and arrogant, Ryder might have become a different person had he not been kidnapped as a child. Quinn's refusal to the pay the ransom resulted in Ryder's torture and mutilation.
The incident left Ryder scarred in body and soul, furious at his larger-than-life father but also desperate for his affection and approval.
Quinn has always measured Ryder's skills against Sunny's, and Ryder knows he has fallen short. When Quinn's assets come under attack, Ryder lobbies his father to change tactics and adopt a more aggressive approach, but is rebutted.
As his father seems to weaken, Ryder grows ever more impatient.
Veil - Madeleine Mantock
Veil is a doctor who specialises in making and fitting mimics, prosthetic limbs. She is unlike anyone Sunny has ever known: principled and honest, loving and supportive.
Orphaned as a baby, Veil was given by Quinn to his personal doctor. The child was a token of gratitude to the doctor who helped saved Lydia's life when she delivered Ryder. Veil does her best to keep a low profile, but when Quinn becomes ill, he begs for her help.
Realising that it is impossible to refuse his request, Veil reluctantly agrees. It is a decision she instantly comes to regret.
Tilda - Alexia Ioannides
16-year-old Tilda has flourished under the guidance of her Baron, The Widow. She has evolved into a confident, self-reliant teenage assassin. Brave and quick-witted, Tilda is profoundly grateful to The Widow, who saved her from abuse.
Though she has dedicated her life to her Baron, Tilda remains an independent thinker who will follow her own conscience.
When she finds M.K. on the run and starving, she doesn't hesitate to give him food. As that chance encounter leads to a closer relationship, Tilda finds herself caught between her feelings for M.K. and her loyalty to The Widow.