Characters found in Locke & Key (2020).
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The Locke Family
Nina Locke
- Played by: Darby Stanchfield
- Adaptational Angst Upgrade: Inverted; unlike her comic counterpart, Nina wasn't raped in the backstory.
- Adaptational Dumbass: Zig-zagged; in the comics, she remains oblivious to magic all the way through... but while her series counterpart is eventually made aware of magic through the power of the Memory Key, she also joins Kinsey and Bode in playing around with highly-dangerous magical artifacts - nearly getting Bode killed very early in season 3. Worse still, Nina is fully sober when she does this.
- Adaptational Personality Change: Throughout the comics, Nina is withdrawn, chronically depressed, increasingly alcoholic, and sometimes even violent - at one point slapping Kinsey hard across the face over the course of an argument. In the show, she comes across more as a befuddled Stepford Smiler, trying to hide her depression behind a positive exterior and occasionally letting the mask slip. Also, because she's on the wagon for most of the show, her actions can no longer be justified by alcoholism, so she comes across as slightly airheaded.
- Adaptation Relationship Overhaul: In the comics, she never remarries or even considers it apart from a Ship Tease with Detective Mutuku. In the show, she falls in love with Josh and ends the series well on the way to marrying him.
- The Alcoholic: She used to be this prior to the series. That is, until Sam invades their home.
- Locked Out of the Loop: Played for Drama. As an adult, Nina cannot remember magic, which is now an integral part of her children's lives, as well as the reasons why her husband died. As a result, on the one hand she's aware that her children are keeping things from her, and this devastates her because she thinks that's due to her inadequacy as a mother. On the other hand, she cannot make sense of Rendell's death or find satisfactory answers to the mystery she's aware it represents, which prevents her from moving on and finding peace. This comes to a boil in Season 2, when she breaks down and laments that, unlike her, her children seem to have moved on, further making her feel bereft.
- Parents as People: Nina is depressed, a tad airheaded, and finds herself at a loss as to how to communicate with her children, but she does what she can to support them nonetheless.
- Recovered Addict: Nina was an alcoholic several years back and is regretful of all the time she missed with her children because of it. She falls off the wagon when Sam invades their home.
- Weirdness Censor: Suffers this very frequently; though all adults are incapable of remembering the supernatural, Nina finds herself experiencing the effects more than any of the other adult cast because she's in close proximity to just about all of it. In the season 2 finale, however, Bode uses the Memory Key to switch this effect off.
Tyler Locke
- Played by: Connor Jessup
- Adaptational Attractiveness: While Tyler's comic incarnation isn't exactly unattractive, he's definitely inherited Rendell's enormous frame and distinctive Lantern Jaw of Justice; plus, though he's undoubtedly a Gentle Giant, he can look quite fearsome when he's angry. By contrast, Connor Jessup has a much lighter build and comes across as more conventionally attractive.
- Adaptation Relationship Overhaul:
- In the comics, Jackie Veda isn't Tyler's girlfriend; instead, she's Scot's girlfriend, the two of them even dying in each others' arms in the finale.
- In the show, Dodge seduces and sleeps with Tyler while still in their Well Woman persona; in the comics, Dodge abandons the female persona as soon as he escapes the Wellhouse and socially interacts with Tyler only as his "friend" Zack.
- Big Brother Instinct: He's protective of his younger brother and sister.
- Can't Stay Normal: At the end of Season 2, he decides to leave Key House and allow himself to forget about the keys after Jackie's death. However, Season 3 has him struggling with his memories and feeling Locked Out of the Loop, leading to him changing his mind and having the Memory Key used on him.
- His Own Worst Enemy: Tyler sabotages his budding relationship with Jackie, reasoning that it's better "sooner than later" and that she "deserves someone better".
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: While he clearly loves his family, Tyler isn't above throwing his sister under the bus when under societal pressure. He also lies about sleeping with a girl to seem cool to his new "friends". Kinsey implies that he wasn't as bad when they were younger, particularly before their father's death.
- Oh, Crap!: Tyler has a brief moment of shock in Episode 7 when he realizes the hot woman he just slept with is the Well Lady who's been threatening his little brother.
Kinsey Locke
- Played by: Emilia Jones
- Adaptational Dumbass: In the comics, the removal of her fear and sorrow makes Kinsey reckless, but the show takes this tendency to a different level; in the comics, it was Scot who invited Kinsey to the caverns, the near-drowning that ensued was the result of a catwalk giving way under them, and her recklessness only results in a few dangerous moments of showboating... while in the show, Kinsey is directly responsible for the whole thing and probably would have gotten the Savinis killed if they hadn't been able to swim to safety.
- Adaptational Jerkass: In the comics, Kinsey was much more callous after removing her fear and sorrow - especially towards her mother, only worsening the enmity between the two. However, in the show, she takes her unpleasant behaviour to dangerous new levels by manipulating the Savinis into conducting a shoot at the Drowning Caves just so she can investigate the Omega Door - an act that nearly gets Scot and the others killed when the tide comes in. Also, she never stooped to the level of using the Music Box to humiliate people.
- Adaptational Personality Change: Minor example; both her comic and show incarnations have a Trauma Button in the wake of their father's murder. In the show, it's blood and gore, which comes up during her interactions with the Savinis and causes her to freeze up, but in the comics, it's paint - courtesy of the renovations that were being carried out when Sam Lesser attacked the house; consequently, just walking past a wall being repainted at school prompts Kinsey to suffer a violent attack of nausea.
- Big Sister Instinct: Protected Bode against Sam, even when she is without fear, as she puts his safety first.
- Broken Bird: As a result of her father's murder, she's very cynical.
- Expository Hairstyle Change: After Kinsey kills her fear, she dyes some strands of her hair pink and wears her hair in a ponytail. Come season 2, she has dyed it brunette with blue streaks.
- Fearless Fool: Using the Head Key, Kinsey literally kills her fear that has taken the form of monster. While she becomes far more confident and self-assured, she also becomes insensitive, cruel, and reckless. However, her fear creature turns out to be a little harder to kill than expected, and Kinsey is eventually forced to return it to her mind.
- Polyamory: Kinsey suggests this as a solution to her torn affections between Scot and Gabe.
Bode Locke
- Played by: Jackson Robert Scott
- Adaptational Dumbass: Bode's comic and show incarnations are both naive and often unaware of the darker implications of the world around them; however, his show edition takes this to a new level by using the keys to go back in time and watch one of the showdowns between Tyler and Dodge, an act that ends with Bode being possessed by Dodge's past self. Putting aside the fact that the Timeshift Key doesn't work like this in the comics, Bode never goes out of his way to look for Dodge - because he's genuinely afraid of "The Well Witch."
- Cheerful Child: Even after everything that's happened to him over the course of the series, Bode still hasn't lost his exuberance.
- Children Are Innocent: Bode clearly doesn't get any of the nastier implications of what he witnesses around the house, taking in everything with childlike wonder and utter acceptance. On the more humorous side of things, this results in him misinterpreting Duncan's Flipping the Bird at the house as an "aloha!" On the more unpleasant side, this results in him being easily manipulated by Dodge.
- Children Are Special: Bode seems to believe this, citing it as the reason why Nina can't remember her trip to the mirror world. Bode is the first one to "hear" the keys and find them.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero:
- As with the comics, he ends up giving Dodge a means of escaping the Wellhouse in order to save his family.
- In season 3, his amateur time-travelling unwittingly gives Dodge a chance to escape the past, possess Bode's body, ally themselves with Gideon, and give the new demon on the block to open a portal to beyond the Black Door inside Keyhouse.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Very little can dampen Bode's spirits; if he actually appears downbeat or sad, it's a sign that things have gotten very serious.
- Super-Strong Child: As of season 2, Bode's new favourite key appears to be the Hercules Key and can frequently be found using it for all manner of Mundane Utility around the house. He also uses it to save Josh from a cave-in.
Rendell Locke
- Played by: Bill Heck
- Adaptational Attractiveness: Rendell's comic book incarnation is built like a bull and has a rather blockish face with a very prominent chin; plus, flashbacks make it clear he's not as handsome as he was in his younger days. By contrast, Bill Heck is much thinner and looks more than just a little bit on the roguishly handsome side.
- Adaptational Intelligence: In the comics, Rendell is just as clueless about Keyhouse as any other adult, having long since forgotten the magic of the keys and can only partially recall it while drunk. However, in the show, he and his friends have used the Memory Key to get around this particular phenomenon, allowing him and the others to remember everything.
- Mysterious Parent: Rendell never spoke much about his family or his past. Much of his life before he started his family is a mystery, even to Nina.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Quite a few of Rendel's well-intentioned decisions come back to bite the family in the ass long after his death.
- His decision to open the Black Door results in Lucas AKA Dodge being possessed; combined with Ellie bringing him back via the Echo Key, this ultimately sets the stage for Dodge's reign of terror over the family - along with Rendell's murder.
- Having Duncan make new Keys for the Keepers results in Duncan eventually becoming a target when Dodge needs someone with experience to help him build the Demon Key.
- Erasing Gordie Shaw's memories of magic and hiding the Creation Key inside his mind via the Head Key. Among other things, this results in Gordie becoming a target of Gideon and putting the rest of the Locke family in danger in their efforts to stop Gideon from getting his hands on the one thing he needed to end the world. Worst of all, it ends up getting Gordie killed.
- Plot-Triggering Death: His death is what makes the rest of the Locke family move into the ancestral home.
- The Shrink: Rendell was the guidance counsellor at his children's school - hence how he first came into contact with the increasingly-troubled Sam Lesser.
Duncan Locke
- Played by: Aaron Ashmore
- Adaptational Angst Upgrade:
- Inverted; in the show, he's not subjected to a homophobic hate crime at a bar, and his boyfriend doesn't end up in hospital - because Dodge doesn't break into his house to remove Duncan's repressed memories.
- Also, in the show, he played no part in Lucas being possessed during the backstory.
- Adaptational Backstory Change: The cause and time of his memory loss differs in the show. In the comics, it's because Dodge realizes that Duncan still partly remembers him and literally removes the memories from his mind via the Head Key in Head Games so that he won't be able to alert Tyler to the danger his new "friend" poses; in the show, it happened during the backstory, when Rendell and the other Keepers removed Duncan's memories to preserve their secrets.
- Laser-Guided Amnesia: Duncan can't remember massive portions of his childhood. It's revealed that most of his memories were taken by the Keepers and stored in jars on the Key House grounds.
- MacGuffin Super-Person: As it turns out, Duncan was once one of the few Lockes consistently capable of making new Keys, having created the Memory Key at Rendell's behest. This makes him very valuable to Dodge, who spends a good chunk of season 2 waiting for confirmation that Duncan's memories have been restored.
- Sanity Slippage: Tyler attempts to restore Duncan's memories by using the Head Key to directly return them to his mind... but without the Memory Key, Duncan can't properly assimilate them. Not only does he not remember, he also begins suffering vivid flashbacks to things he can't make sense of, grows obsessed with restoring a vintage car, and snaps angrily when people try to draw him out of his funk. He recovers when the Memory Key is found and used on him.
Matheson High School
Students
Scot Cavendish
- Played by: Petrice Jones
- Adaptational Attractiveness: In the comics, Scot is very much into the punk subculture and looks the part, complete with a shaved head and tattoos; in the show, he's not a punk and opts more for a more conventionally attractive look.
- Adaptation Name Change: In the comics, his last name is Kavanaugh.
- Adaptational Nationality: In the comics, it's never made clear if Scot is actually English or has just adopted the persona and Cockney slang as part of his devotion to the Sex Pistols. In the show, he's very clearly English, to the point that a subplot in season 2 concerns him potentially leaving Matheson to attend a prestigious school in the UK.
- Adaptational Nice Guy: He's not as cocky as his comic counterpart, nor does he possess Kavanaugh's trollish streak - having never made a racist joke for the sake of getting a rise out of Jamal. Indeed, the show version of Scot seems to be the voice of reason among Kinsey's friends.
- Adaptation Personality Change: In the comics, Scot is a headstrong wannabe punk, a fan of the Sex Pistols, a part-time Wholesome Crossdresser, and appears to have no friends other than fellow outsiders Kinsey and Jamal, even claiming that being part of his circle is social suicide; plus, he's not above enabling Kinsey's risk-taking instincts and the misuse of the Keys. In the show, he's a chatty, mild-mannered amateur filmmaker and the leader of a tight-knit group of like-minded friends who go on to achieve fame across Matheson; also, he openly disproves of Kinsey's increasingly reckless attitude.
- Adaptation Relationship Overhaul: In the comics, he crushes on Kinsey for a long time before discovering that she's actually in a relationship with his friend Jamal, resulting in a messy breakup, after which he starts dating Jackie Veda. In the show, he never gives up on Kinsey at any point especially after his main rival for Kinsey's affections, Gabe, turns out to be Dodge in disguise.
- Betty and Veronica: The Betty to Gabe's Veronica.
- Mythology Gag: In the season 2 finale, the Lockes recruit him as backup and arm him with the Hercules Key - a nod to the conclusion of "Alpha And Omega," in which Dodge "recruits" Scot by getting him possessed, the arms him with the Hercules Key so he can serve as muscle for the demonic army.
- Race Lift: Scot was white in the comics and wasn't above trolling Jamal with the odd racist joke - to the point that their friendship broke down due to Scot treating Jamal like a stereotypical Black Best Friend. In the show, Scot is played by a black actor and may actually be a Composite Character of Scot and Jamal.
- Spared by the Adaptation: In the comics, he's possessed by one of the demons from beyond the Black Door during the final showdown with Dodge, forcing Tyler to use the Alpha Key on him - undoing the possession at the cost of Scot's life. His show counterpart is spared this fate, in part because Dodge is killed before he can arrange for Scot's possession.
- Took a Level in Badass: After spending vast swathes of the story being a Non-Action Guy and unable to hold his own against demons anyway, he's entrusted with the Hercules Key in the second season finale - giving him a major role in the attack on Dodge's headquarters.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Does not take kindly to being used as Kinsey's excuse to explore the sea cave, especially when it nearly gets him and the other Savinis drowned when the tide comes in.
Jackie Veda
- Played by: Genevieve Kang
- Adaptational Personality Change: In the comics, she was more of a Lovable Jock rather than a sweet-natured nerd, first bonding with Kinsey after being beaten by her in a race.
- Adaptation Relationship Overhaul:
- In the comics, she's not Tyler's boyfriend, but Scot's. Accordingly, Scot is also the one to exorcise her with the Alpha Key during the finale, the two dying in each other's arms.
- Also, her friendship with Kinsey is largely excised, as Kinsey has few friends outside the Savinis in the show.
- Nice Girl: She's very sweet and kind.
- Dies Differently in Adaptation: In both the show and the comics, she's killed when the Alpha Key is used to kill the demon inhabiting her, killing the host as well; however, in the comics, it's done by a mortally-wounded Scot in the aftermath of the final battle, while in the show, it's done by Tyler in a one-on-one confrontation during the leadup to the final episode of season 2.
- Odd Friendship: The cute nerdy girl is best friends with Alpha Bitch Eden.
Eden Hawkins
- Played by: Hallea Jones
- Beware the Silly Ones: As a demon, she's still a bit of a ditz, easily hampered by her overwhelming gluttony, and Gabe clearly thinks very little of her as a minion. However, Eden is still a demon and not to be underestimated: among other things, she brutally murders a man for hitting on her; she bests Javi in combat and slits his throat with one of his own ice-skates; she punches her way through a giant glass tumbler and outfights Kinsey even while she's armed with the Hercules key; and Kinsey and Scot's attempt to explore her mind nearly results in them being murdered by a horde of nightmarish mannequins.
- Bullying a Dragon: In the season finale, Demon Eden tries to lay down the law to the possessed Captain Gideon, believing that she can gain his loyalty by freeing him from the wellhouse. Of course, Gideon remains loyal right up until she uses the Anywhere Key to set him free, whereupon he flings her down the well to her death.
- Butt-Monkey: She's on the receiving end of much of the supernatural weirdness going on. Kinsey uses the Musicbox Key to publicly humiliate her in retaliation for her bullying. Kinsey's fear monster attacks her. Then she's possessed by a demon. And that demon then inherits this trope from her: when she's not being regularly bullied and humiliated by Gabe, she's making an idiot of herself while trying to do his bidding until she's unceremoniously dumped. Season 2 ends with her trying to stand up to the newest demon to arrive on the scene... only to end up paying for it with her life.
- Canon Foreigner: Eden doesn't exist in the comics; there is an Alpha Bitch character by the name of Jordan Gates, but the two are so different in demeanor and their relationship with the Lockes that it's doubtful Eden was intended as an adaptation of her.
- Demonic Possession: In the final episode of season 1, she's possessed by a demon from beyond the Black Door, like what happened to Lucas.
- Disney Villain Death: Flung down the well to her death by the possessed Captain Gideon.
- Disposing of a Body: After her frozen body is finally discovered at the bottom of the well, Kinsey and the Savinis hastily dump it into the ocean.
- Hard-Drinking Party Girl: Season 2 reveals that Eden is an incorrigible drunk at parties and will happily chug herself into a stupor if given the chance. This is actually because she's possessed and suffers from typical demonic gluttony.
- History Repeats: Kinsey unwittingly repeats history in tipping Eden's body off the bluffs rather than explain her possession and murder - in much the same way that Rendell did with Lucas and his two victims. For good measure, the scene where this actually happens is interspersed with flashbacks to the first water burial.
- Lovable Alpha Bitch: She comes across as mean and intimidating but is also willingly help out when needed and genuinely seems to want to be friendly.
Gabe
- Played by: Griffin Gluck
- Adaptation Relationship Overhaul: After a fashion; though Gabe is a show-only character, he's clearly based on Zack, the new kid at Lovecraft High School - and Dodge's fake identity while undercover as a student. In the comics, Zack is a friend to Tyler, Kinsey, and Bode; in the show, his relationship with the Lockes is largely restricted to being a potential boyfriend to Kinsey.
- Betty and Veronica: The Veronica to Scot's Betty
- Big Bad Friend: He is actually Dodge/Lucas in disguise as another identity.
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: He seems to be very nice and agreeable. He isn’t.
- The Bully: Once his true nature as a demon is revealed, he mainly keeps Demon Eden in line through threats, mockery, and general abuse.
- Canon Foreigner: Gabe doesn't exist in the comics, in part because Dodge doesn't need to create a completely different identity to blend in at the high school; he just uses the Gender Key to revert himself to Lucas Caravaggio's true form.
- Walking Spoiler: It’s hard to talk about him without revealing that he’s really an identity created by Dodge.
Faculty
Joe Ridgeway
Josh Bennett
- Played by: Brendan Hines
- Canon Foreigner: He does not exist in the comics and has no comparable counterpart - partly because Nina (as a rape survivor in mourning for her husband) isn't interested in finding a new boyfriend outside of her Ship Tease with Detective Mutuku, but mostly because Frederick Gideon doesn't exist in the comics either.
- Everyone Has Standards: While he was willing to ask his daughter about the omega key, taking advantage of her friendship with Bode, he is less than thrilled about outright lying to her.
- Happily Married: Appears to of been so with his late wife.
- Know When to Fold 'Em: He spends season 2 obsessed with discovering the mysteries left behind by his ancestor in hopes of contacting his late wife. After almost dying in a cave in on what he views as a fool's errand he decides to give up on decoding the notes left behind by a man who terrorized the area over 200 years ago and abandons his quest to find the portal.
- Locked Out of the Loop: Like all adults he is unable to remember anything magical he has seen. He has notes left behind by his ancestor, but he can't make sense of them.
- Unwitting Instigator of Doom: Twice
- He has a piece of whispering iron that he shows off to his students. After wasting all the pieces he was able to collect Gabe steals it to make his key.
- He reveals to Eden that his ancestor Frederick Gideon had caused the portal to open. This prompts her to summon the echo of Frederick Gideon, setting up the villain for season 3.
The Keepers of the Keys
Ellie Whedon
- Played by: Sherri Saum, Sabrina Saudin (young)
- Adaptational Angst Upgrade:
- Inverted; in the comics, Dodge inflicts a Mind Rape on her with the Head Key and is heavily implied to have raped her for real during her Shower of Angst. In the show, Dodge's abuse of Ellie is restricted to menacing her and Rufus into following his orders.
- Also, her home life is way less miserable than that of her comic counterpart, as her loathsome mother isn't putting out cigarettes on Rufus and treating Ellie like shit in the show. In turn, Ellie is never driven to try to murder her mother, and Dodge (as the Well Witch) never does the deed for her.
- Played dead straight in the first season finale and its aftermath; Dodge uses the Identity Key to make Ellie into a Body Double, leading to her being thrown through the Black Door by the Lockes, leaving Ellie trapped on the other side for almost a season before finally escaping... and then she has to put up with the aftermath of her disappearance, including the rest of the faculty talking about her behind her back. By contrast, her comic book counterpart's brutal death at the hands of Dodge seems easy.
- Adaptational Attractiveness: In the comics, Ellie was quite boyish even as a teenager, and her adult incarnation looks distinctly haggard and worn-out - likely thanks to the stress of being divorced, raising Rufus alone, and being abused by Candace Whedon. Dodge even calls her ugly to her face. In the show, Sherri Shaun plays her as a sporty, attractive older woman.
- Adaptational Intelligence: In the comics, she's just as clueless about magic as the rest of Rendell's old friends once they grow up, and only functions as Dodge's minion thanks to a Mind Rape via the Head Key. In the show, the Memory Key allows her to understand and remember magic without difficulty.
- Body Double: In the first season finale, Dodge uses the identity key to turn Ellie into an exact replica of herself, then dumps her unconscious body in Keyhouse following the shadow attack. As a result, Ellie gets the blame for everything and is flung through the Black Door before she has time to regain consciousness - leaving Dodge free to continue her plans.
- Race Lift: The Ellie Whedon of the comics was a white woman but here she's played by black actresses.
- Spared by the Adaptation: In the comics, Ellie is stabbed to death by Dodge, and then has one lip torn off for good measure; here, she's used as an unwilling body double by Dodge and flung into the void beyond the Black Door, eventually escaping in season 2.
Lucas Caravaggio
- Played by: Felix Mallard
- Demonic Possession: Something from the other side of the Black Door hit Lucas and infected him with a demon.
- Dies Differently in Adaptation: In the comics, Lucas was originally killed in a cave-in during a confrontation with Rendell and the others in front of the Black Door. In the show, he's beaten to death by Rendell after murdering Kim and Jeff.
- The Lost Lenore: To Ellie.
- Spared by the Adaptation: In the final issue of the comics, his Echo is killed when Tyler uses the Alpha Key on him, freeing him from the demon at the cost of his life; in the show, Echoes can't be killed by conventional means, so while the demon inhabiting him is killed, Lucas is instead freed from his possession. For good measure, Lucas never returns to the story after this, instead being permanently put on a bus, guaranteeing his survival. Plus, as an Echo, Lucas is effectively immortal and invincible, meaning that he will outlive just about everyone in the entire cast.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: In season 3, he's left Matheson for parts unknown and never heard from again - quite an omission considering that he's an invincible Echo who might have been happy to help the heroes against the demons.
Erin Voss
- Played by: Joy Tanner, Nicole James (young)
- Adaptational Backstory Change: In the comics, Erin's condition is due to Dodge using the Head Key to literally empty her mind; in the show, it's due to the Locke's housekeeper accidentally knocking the Head Key out of her neck while Erin is busy exploring her Mental World, trapping her inside her own mind.
- Adaptational Dumbass: In the comics, Erin was the most scholarly of the group and the most cautious, having learned enough about demons to recognize that Dodge was lying about being untouched and set a trap for him on the night of the sleepover. Erin's show counterpart not only lacks the intellectual bent, but also enacts a number of insanely reckless ideas that her comic counterpart never dared try - partly because events proceed differently in the show, but mostly because she was much too careful to even try them. Among other things, she ends up getting trapped in her own head because she decided to use the Head Key without telling any of the other Keepers or getting someone to keep an eye on her, gets herself killed because she decided to take on Dodge by herself, and gets Gordie and Sam killed because she decided to hide the Creation Key in a new hiding spot without telling anyone.
- Death by Adaptation: While her comics incarnation survives to regain her mind and live her life as she sees fit, in the series, she ends up being throttled to death by Gabe/Dodge.
- Empty Shell: Something happened to Erin that rendered her almost brain dead. Season 2 reveals what it was — the Lockes' housekeeper found her while she was using the Head Key, and while examining her to try and figure out why she wasn't moving, unknowingly knocked it out of her neck. Erin has been literally trapped inside her own head for 23 years.
- Neck Snap: After her attempt to kill Dodge is foiled by Eden, Erin is slowly throttled to death by Dodge/Gabe.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero:
- Her attempt to kill Dodge not only results in her being brutally murdered, but ends up giving the demons access to yet another Key they never would have gotten their hands on otherwise.
- Posthumous example in season 3: during the backstory, she and Ellie hid the Creation Key inside the mind of Gordie Shaw exactly as planned... but Erin didn't like Ellie's choice of hiding place and moved it to a new prop without telling Ellie or any of the other Keepers of the Keys. In the present, Erin’s switcharoo forces Ellie and the others end up wasting precious time looking for it, allowing Gideon an opportunity to catch up with them; as a result, Sam ends up having to sacrifice himself in order to save the day, and with medical assistance unavailable due to all the time-wasting, Gordie dies on the way to the hospital. And the hell of it is that Gideon didn't even look in Ellie's original hiding place.
- Race Lift: The Erin Voss of the comics was black and is infrequently subjected to racial prejudice in both the past and present; in the series she's played by white actresses.
Mark Cho
- Played by: Ken Pak, André Dae Kim (young)
- Adaptational Attractiveness: Mark's comic-book counterpart was overweight and a bit on the nebbish side; in the show, both his adult and teenage incarnations are slim and handsome.
- Adaptational Wimp: In the comics, he's surprisingly competent in emergencies and an expert in the use of the Crown of Shadows - even using it to overwhelm Dodge twice. In the show, Mark has no action scenes and no indication of being cleverer or more skilled than anyone else in the group.
- Dies Differently in Adaptation: In the comics, Mark died when he and Rendell were still at school, having been fatally stabbed by Dodge and left to bleed out. In the show, he dies after Rendel's murder and as part of the Heroic Suicide mentioned below.
- Flat Character: Despite surviving until the present day, he doesn't receive much in the way of characterization before or after he burns himself alive.
- Heroic Suicide: Upon finding out about Rendell's death, Mark uses the Matchstick Key to kill himself because as the one who hid the remaining keys, he didn't want anyone going into his head to find them.
Kim Topher
- Played by: Ellen Olivia Giddings
- Adaptational Wimp: In the comics, Kim was a specialist in the use of the Angel Key and easily one of the most headstrong members of Rendell's clique. In the show, there's no sign of her specializing in the use of any of the keys, she never has a chance to defend herself, and doesn't receive any of her comic counterpart's fiery characterization.
- Dies Differently in Adaptation: In the comics, she dies while trying to rescue Rendell with the Angel Key, which Lucas thwarts by using the Crown of Shadows to fling her headfirst into a wall. In the show, there's no such rescue attempt and Lucas kills her with his bare hands.
- Flat Character: Little is known about her other than she was one of Rendell's friends and that she died before finishing high school.
- Punched Across the Room: How Lucas killed Kim.
Jeff Ellis
- Played by: Aiden Shaw
- Canon Foreigner: Did not exist in the comic, and consequently doesn't get as much characterization as the other keepers: his main purpose is to take Mark’s place in being killed by Dodge in the backstory.
- Flat Character: Like Kim and Mark, he doesn't have much characterization before his death.
- Neck Snap: How Lucas killed Jeff.
Antagonists
Dodge/"Well Lady"/Lucas Caravaggio
- Played by: Laysla De Oliveira
- Adaptational Dumbass: Due to events in the series occurring slightly out of order, Dodge hasn't planned things out quite as clearly as he has in the comics. Likewise, he's often pointlessly blatant about his villainous nature in the series and prone to antagonizing people who might oppose him, often to the extent that he makes things more difficult for himself in the long run.
- Adaptational Jerkass: While Lucas/Dodge was a bastard in the comics, a lot of his Kick the Dog moments and acts of malevolence often have some pragmatic purpose behind them, and the rest were carefully hidden from the public; indeed, he spends roughly half the comics cozying up to the Locke children, none of them realizing that he is the evil that has been antagonizing them until it's almost too late. Here he behaves much more like a low-functioning sociopath, taking the time to antagonize others in bouts of pointless cruelty in a trend that's borderline self-sabotaging. It ends up turning Eden against them.
- Adaptational Nice Guy:
- In the show, most of Dodge's abuse of Ellie is restricted to menacing and threats. In the comics, he uses the Head Key to perform a Mind Rape on her, and it's even implied that he sexually assaulted her as well.
- Even after getting his hands on the Demon Key, Dodge doesn't use it on Kinsey, instead trying to convince her to accept it of her own free will - and it's even suggested that he might have feelings for Kinsey. In the comics, Dodge doesn't have feelings for anyone and his relationship with Kinsey is based solely on his need to exploit her.
- In a case of Evil vs. Evil, season 3 features Dodge siding with the Lockes against Gideon and his men, even putting his life on the line to prevent the bigger, badder demon from enacting an apocalyptic plot to merge the human world and the demon world, claiming to like "meatworld" too much to endanger it. In the comics, Dodge's plans would have seen the human world rendered down into a nightmarish dystopia under his control, making him almost as bad as Gideon himself.
- Adaptational Personality Change: Dodge spends their entire tenure determined to take over the world with an army of their fellow demons from beyond the Black Door and needs Duncan's help to create the Demon Key to that end. In the comics, Dodge actually matures out of this mindset, instead opting to restrict his forces to four possessed individuals and use all the other demons to create new Keys... which will then be used to convert the planet into his own nightmarish kingdom.
- Adaptational Superpower Change: In the comics, Dodge's powers are mainly due to what Keys he has in his possession at the time; other than that, he's just a very knowledgeable demon in a Badass Normal body, hence why he tends to rely on stealth and magic rather than full-frontal assault unless he has no other choice. In the show, Echoes are effectively indestructible and demons are super-strong, making Dodge a much more physical threat to the heroes even without the aid of the Keys.
- Adaptational Villainy: Though Dodge's comic counterpart is plenty monstrous, he tends to restrict his atrocities to behind closed doors and usually doesn't kill anyone unless he absolutely has to; in the show, Dodge is a very casual killer, at one point murdering a man while having sex with him, and at another point, throwing a child under a train.
- Adaptational Wimp: In the comics, Dodge is the Big Bad of the story all the way through, managing to maintain control of his demon subordinates even after being forced to relocate to Bode's body. However, after managing to come back from the dead and possess Bode, Dodge's series incarnation is quickly beaten in the villainy stakes by Captain Gideon and forced to ally with the Lockes; in the process, he fails miserably at stopping Gideon and is pretty much forgotten about from then on.
- Ambiguous Gender: Dodge, the female Well Lady, is really Lucas Caravaggio. He/she willingly switches genders using the Identity Key, which can change between genders or the same gender. The other kids, after being told this by the Locke's, are unsure how to identify the entity. As Dodge, she is female; as Lucas, he is male. He is also male as Gabe.Scot: You know so where is she? He. It. I don't know what the pronoun is. Demon non-binary.
- Back from the Dead: In Season 3, Bode's messing with the Time-Shift key accidentally results in Dodge being brought back via Temporal Duplication, though it proves to be only temporary.
- Big Bad: Dodge is the one coming after the Locke siblings in order to obtain the keys, namely the Omega Key.
- Demonic Possession: Dodge was originally human, before something happened that turned her into whatever she is now.
- Depraved Bisexual: Dodge seduces a man before murdering him and has sex with Tyler in Episode 7. As Gabe, he seduces Kinsey.
- Dies Differently in Adaptation: In the comics, Dodge is killed three times; first when Kinsey beats his physical body to death - unaware that he's used the Ghost Key to transfer his mind into Bode; second, when Rufus effectively exorcises him by dragging Bode back over the wellhouse's threshold; third, when Tyler summons his Echo again so he can use the Alpha Key to destroy the demon inhabiting Lucas once and for all. In the show, Tyler surprises Dodge during the final battle in season 2 and uses the Alpha key on him, destroying the demon but allowing Lucas to live on as an Echo. In Season 3, Dodge comes back as a result of Bode's use of the Time-Shift key but ends up being killed a second time due to the clock's failsafe device — ironically, while he was trying to help the Lockes to kill the Gideon demon.
- Gender Bender: Dodge's original form was Lucas and "Dodge" was a nickname given to him by his girlfriend Ellie. He uses the Identity Key to switch back and forth between identities, depending on the situation.
- Gender Flip: Zig-zagged; in the original comics, Dodge abandons the Well Witch identity as soon as he escapes from the Wellhouse and adopts a male identity full-time from then on; in the show, Dodge is much more attached to the Well Lady persona and wears it throughout season 1, only resuming their original identity as Lucas Caravaggio in a few scenes. It's not until after he uses the Identity Key to make Ellie into a replica of Dodge's female form - getting Ellie tossed through the Black Door in the process - that Dodge adopts a male persona full-time... one that just so happens to be Gabe.
- Morphic Resonance: Dodge shares some physical similarities to Lucas, especially regarding facial features and the same hair color. Gabe looks completely different from either.
- Only Known by Their Nickname: Until revealing her name to Tyler, she is only ever referred to as the "Well Lady". The nickname "Dodge" comes from what Ellie used to called Lucas, who was on the fencing team in high school.
- Playing with Fire: Dodge uses the Matchstick Key to set fire to the Keyhouse's stove to distract Nina, and traps Bode in a ring of fire to threaten him.
- Stupid Evil: She pointlessly antagonizes Bode after he gives her the first key, making it clear to him that she can't be trusted. Problem is, she's unable to seize the keys herself and requires him to give them up willingly, which he was happy to do for his "friend" but certainly not for a blatantly sinister enemy who's established that she can't be trusted. Possibly justified as she's actually a demon, and while cunning and manipulative, it has an alien grasp of morality at best.
- The Vamp: Dodge is hot and she knows it, and she uses it against Tyler.
- Waxing Lyrical: When Dodge finally acquires the Crown of Shadows.Dodge: Hello darkness... my old friend.
- Would Hurt a Child: Not only does she choke Bode and threaten him in a ring of fire, she outright kills a child by throwing him under a train. She also killed Kim and Jeff years ago.
Sam Lesser
- Played by: Thomas Mitchell Barnet
- Abusive Parents: Sam's father was emotionally and physically abusive towards both Sam and Sam's sister.
- Adaptational Heroism:
- His comic book incarnation is more psychopathic and is fully prepared to kill innocent bystanders unprompted if it means getting to Keyhouse, even locking Nina in the basement while he menaces her children in an attempt to coerce the Omega Key out of her. Netflix Sam is much less indiscriminate in his violence and more open to negotiation.
- Though his comic book counterpart realizes he's been manipulated and tries to atone by stopping Dodge, he's never consumed with remorse in the way that his series counterpart is, instead being motivated mainly by hatred of his abuser. Also, though his comic book incarnation tries to do the right thing, he ultimately falls victim to one of Dodge's schemes before he can do any good, only saving the day indirectly thanks to the information he gave to Rufus. By contrast, Sam's series counterpart temporarily joins the heroes as an ally during the third season.
- Adaptational Wimp: In the show, he needs to be given the Matchstick Key to break out of jail; in the comics, all he needs is a pair of scissors, allowing him to murder his way to freedom.
- The Atoner: As of season 2, Sam, now a ghost, is seeking to help put right what he did in life by working with Chamberlin to help the kids defeat Dodge.
- Dies Differently in Adaptation:
- In the comics, he was shot twice with his own gun by Kinsey, then paralyzed via a Neck Snap from Dodge, who then pushes him out the Ghost Door so that his disembodied soul can continue to serve him. In the show, Dodge just stabs him in the chest and leaves him to it, forcing a mortally-wounded Sam to flee from police via the Ghost Door.
- Though both his comics and series incarnations end up trapped in ghost form, their fate afterwards differs significantly: in the comics, Sam's ghost possesses Dodge's vacant body in a desperate attempt to stop him once and for all - only to get beaten to death by Kinsey, totally unaware that the real Dodge is now possessing Bode. In the show, Sam instead manages to steal the body of one of Gideon's soldiers via a similar method and uses it to help the Lockes, leading to him getting trapped inside the mind of the mortally-wounded Gordie Shaw and dying along with him.
- The Dog Bites Back: By season 2, he's now out for revenge against Dodge for manipulating him and goes so far as to partly possess him in a spirited effort to kill him - and while he doesn't succeed, he does give Dodge a rather undignified beating.
- Meaningful Name: "Lesser" is certainly a fitting name for a deranged murderer. It also matches his low self-esteem and the way others view him as a loser/weirdo, which Dodge plays on to manipulate Sam.
- Odd Friendship: In the second season, he appears to have formed a surprisingly respectful partnership with Chamberlin Locke - the great-grandfather of the man he murdered. They work together so well that Chamberlin actually apologises to Sam for getting the credit for helping Kinsey find the Angel Key.
Captain Frederick Gideon
- Played by: Kevin Durand
- Adaptational Backstory Change: In the original comics, it was the rebel militia that found the portal in the sea caves while using the place to store contraband weapons, and the fighting occurs entirely between members of the militia; in the show, it's uncovered by the British colonial forces, who manage this seemingly by accident, and so the fight is between possessed Redcoats and rebels.
- Adaptational Badass: The two characters he's based on were, respectively, a mundane commander with no demonstrable flair for hand-to-hand combat and a militiaman who was killed on the same day he was possessed. By contrast, Captain Gideon is able to outfight Peter Locke with contemptuous ease and survives long enough to be executed after being possessed. And with Dodge gone and Eden no match for him, his echo is now well on the way to becoming the new Big Bad.
- Adaptational Villainy: His comic equivalent is a nameless commander who has Benjamin Locke's parents hanged for colluding with rebel forces and isn't involved with the sea caves at all. In the show, he's a psychopath who tries to burn the family alive, stabs Peter Locke to death, and willingly submits to possession for the power it might offer. He's also pretty much the Big Bad of season 3, whereas in the comics, Dodge maintains this role from beginning to end.
- Blood Knight: Gleefully spurs Peter Locke on during their fight, mockingly encouraging him to drive the blade home, then flips him over and stabs him to death.
- Composite Character: Appears to be a fusion of the British commander who executes Benjamin Locke's parents, and Harm Timmerman, the American militiaman who is among the first to be possessed when the sea caves are uncovered.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: Against pretty much any character who tries to take him on directly.
- Dies Differently in Adaptation: Harm Timmerman, his rough equivalent in the comics, was shot dead by Crais; in the show, Gideon survives long enough to be hanged for his crimes.
- A Father to His Men: Played very darkly; he allows his men to loot what they want from rebel sympathizers, guaranteeing their loyalty to him.
- Faux Affably Evil: Maintains a chatty, jovial demeanor even while carrying out war crimes against innocent people.
- Fish out of Temporal Water: The old British army uniforms of himself and his men are a major handicap in getting around unobserved. The Anywhere key is much less use to him than it was to Dodge since he doesn't know the doors of contemporary places to shoplift. He has to resort to housebreaking instead.
- King Incognito: Variant; when Eden gets a good look at him, they react with surprise and even a little awe; turns out that the demon possessing him was an important figure beyond the Black Door.
- Implacable Man:
- Once possessed, he's able to withstand an impressive amount of damage before being captured and finally hanged.
- After being resurrected as an Echo, nothing can harm him besides The Alpha Key or being forced over the Wellhouse threshold - allowing him to shrug off bullets, fire, and being hit with a car at full speed.
- Large and in Charge: Played by the 6'6" Kevin Durand and towers over his surbordinates, plus the rest of the cast.
- Make Way for the New Villains: Minutes after being brought back by Eden in the hopes of using him as a minion, Gideon flings her down the well and makes off with the Anywhere Key.
- Out of the Inferno: Emerges from the flaming wreck of Josh's car after having crashed it so badly that it explodes.
- Posthumous Character: Hanged for the murder of Peter Locke after being captured by the Colonists, over two centuries prior to the events of the series. Eden uses the Echo Key to bring him back via the Wellhouse.
- Rank Scales with Asskicking: As befits a military Captain and an apparently high-ranking demon, judging by Eden and Dodge's reactions to him, he is practically unstoppable: Dodge claims the demon possessing Gideon has power "far beyond mine", no other character is capable of taking him on in a head-on fight, and he is only eventually defeated when Kinsey gets the drop on him with the Alpha Key.
- The Sociopath: Gideon was a semi-functioning psychopath even before being possessed, demonstrating glib speech, compulsive selfishness, a love of violent stimulation, and a pronounced lack of empathy. As a demon, he's also a compulsive thrillseeker and greatly enjoys speeding whenever he gains access to a car.
- Stupid Evil: Much like Dodge, Gideon happily indulges in dog-kicking even when it might endanger his plans. After hearing that the Creation Key is hidden inside Gordie Shaw's mind, Gideon stabs him in the chest in order to give Ellie incentive to retrieve the Key from his mind before he succumbs to his injuries; trouble is, Gideon has to accompany her on this journey to make sure they get the Key - and if Shaw dies while they're inside his mind, they'll die with him.
- Unhand Them, Villain!: The moment Eden pleads for him to let her go, Gideon does so - right down the well - pausing only to remark "as you wish," before departing.
- Villainous Legacy: Quite apart from being the man who uncovered the cave, discovered Whispering Iron, and unwittingly paved the way for Lucas being possessed and becoming Dodge, he also left behind a diary urging anyone who finds it to find the cave and unleash the demons, and Josh - his ancestor - still obsesses over it.
- Willing Channeler: After seeing a possessed soldier wreaking havoc, he allows himself to be possessed by one of the demons.
