
Sherman Augustus as Nathaniel Moon, a former clipper who fights with honor, looking for his 1000th Clip.She is close friends with Castor (season 3) Ella-Rae Smith as Nix, a member of Pilgrim's followers who has the Gift.Lorraine Toussaint as Cressida, high priestess of Pilgrim and his followers (season 3).His real name is Taurin and he is one of the last survivors of Azra alongside Sunny and Kannin. Can control those with the Gift, including Nix, Castor and M.K. He is the leader of the Totemists, worshipers who are with him to recreate Azra in the Badlands. Babou Ceesay as Pilgrim, a self-described "Son of Azra".Nick Frost as Bajie, a schemer with questionable morals who finds himself allied with Sunny.His territory produces opium poppy, which are harvested for opium. His baronial symbol is an armadillo shown in white on a maroon banner.
Marton Csokas as Quinn, the Badlands' preeminent baron and a former clipper. At the end of Season 2 she has abandoned Minerva's cause and started a renegade band of bandits in Season 3 who steal precious supplies across the Badlands under the alias as their leader called "Iron Rabbit". Ally Ioannides as Tilda, a teenage assassin well-trained in the martial arts, she is the Widow's adopted daughter and later becomes her regent. Madeleine Mantock as Veil, a doctor who is in a secret relationship with Sunny (seasons 1–2).
Ryder later takes over as baron after his father's presumed death along with marrying his step-mother, Jade.
Oliver Stark as Ryder, Quinn's only son and presumed heir. It represents a transformation from insignificance to beauty and power. She has adopted a blue-winged butterfly as her baronial symbol, shown in yellow on a light blue banner. Emily Beecham as Minerva, better known as The Widow, the Badlands' newest baron a brilliant martial artist. Lurking inside him is a dark energy that the Widow wants to harness into a weapon. Aramis Knight as M.K., a seemingly average teenage boy who is anything but. She later marries her step-son, Ryder, after Quinn's presumed death. Sarah Bolger as Jade, Quinn's new wife-to-be, whose beguiling demeanor hides a core of ambition and tenacity which she uses to manipulate others. She adopts a horse for her Baronial symbol, shown in white on a green banner, and continues to produce opium poppies. She partners with The Widow and becomes her Viceroy and takes over Quinn's mansion. Orla Brady as Lydia, Quinn's first wife, who is both his fiercest critic and most devoted follower. Very skilled and proficient in various styles and weapons, he is considered to be one of the deadliest clippers in the Badlands. Despite being a man of conviction, he is very loyal to Quinn. Daniel Wu as Sunny, regent (head clipper) to the Badlands' most powerful baron, Quinn. The mythical utopian city of Azra is believed to exist outside the Badlands but, most dismiss it as a legend.Ĭast and characters Main Little is known of the world beyond the Badlands, but it is implied that it is far less politically stable yet environmentally sound like the Badlands. The Widow leads a revolutionary group of anti-feudal fighters from her late husband's barony although nominally recognized as a baron by her peers, they do not respect her, and the contempt is mutual. An ascetic religious movement called the Totemists is also shown to exist on the fringes of society, living in isolated communities and practicing a form of idol worship. The River King and his men control water trade in the Badlands and beyond, and is considered a neutral party in the barons' power struggles. Nomads are the most common, mostly lawless homicidal bandits who subsist on stealing from trade convoys between the baronies but some live in organized clans. Several groups exist outside the strict hierarchy of the barons. Each clipper force is captained by a regent. A baron maintains power through an army of young men and women called clippers: highly trained and loyal warriors, clippers are forbidden from marrying and having children lest their loyalties be divided.
Each baron is served by a massive workforce of slaves called cogs, as well as a prostitute class called dolls. Barons control land and monopolies over commodities like opium and fuel, trading amongst themselves to maintain the peace. In a territory known as the Badlands, encompassing several states located between the Rocky Mountains and Mississippi River, a feudal society has developed to fill the power vacuum left by the war. Some elements of technology, such as electricity and ground vehicles, have survived the apocalypse but society now shuns firearms, leading to a reliance on melee weaponry and crossbows. In a post-apocalyptic world approximately 500 years in the future, war has left civilization in ruins.