Character page for Pennyworth.
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Pennyworth Family
Alfred
Alfred Pennyworth
Portrayed by: Jack Bannon
A 26 year old former SAS soldier who saw service in Asia, now operating a private security business. His resourcefulness and skills get him employed by Thomas Wayne and Martha Kane in service of the No Name League.
- Affectionate Nickname: His closest friends and his family call him "Alfie".
- Badass in a Nice Suit: Alfred often wears suits and tuxedos, and he proves himself as a rather spectacular badass.
- But for Me, It Was Tuesday: Alfred is horrified to discover that Esme was killed because of something he did five years ago and that was so insignificant to him that he needs a witch's help to remember.
- Catchphrase: "Fair play."
- Colonel Badass: Becomes a Colonel in the English League's army by the end of Season 2.
- Consummate Professional: While openly objecting to be made part of it, he doesn't have issues witnessing or performing lethal violence onto others.
- Deadpan Snarker: He has a pretty dry sense of humor when dealing with some people. For example, when Lord Harwood lays his plans for a coup d'etat to him as a recruitment pitch.Alfred: As a rule, if you have to use French words for something, I don't like it.
- Decomposite Character: His comic self's past as an actor was given to Esme, with this version apparently not being a massive fan of theatre.
- Elites Are More Glamorous: He is a former member of the British SAS, along with his friends Bazza and Dave Boy. A fact that convinces Lord Harwood to try and recruit him into the Raven Society.
- Everyone Has Standards: By Season 2, he may have fallen into outright criminality to get enough money to leave England for the USA as soon as possible, but that doesn't mean he's OK with killing unarmed civilians like what happened during the heist led by Gulliver Troy. Then, just when his plane is about to leave, Conscience Makes You Go Back kicks in and he's back into the fray against the Raven Union.
- Expy: Jack Bannon's acting emulates Harry Palmer and Jack Carter. This is no coincidence given they were played by Michael Caine, who portrayed Alfred in The Dark Knight Trilogy. Then there's his nickname, "Alfie", referencing yet another Caine film. He also has a Cockney accent, much like Caine.
- Fourth-Date Marriage: Downplayed as he's not suggesting marriage, but during the first episode he meets Esme and later suggests they get a flat together after introducing her to his parents. It's implied that at least a week or more passed In-Universe instead of it being over the course of a few days which might make sense due to the time period, but it's still somewhat jarring. The second episode does have them get engaged, though again a good amount of time has passed since they have their own place and given the time period it wouldn't have been too uncommon for it.
- Heartbroken Badass: After losing Esme, he's apathetic for some time, until John Ripper motivates him to do physical activity. Roaring Rampage of Revenge ensues.
- Nerves of Steel: Hardly gets rattled by anything, excepting Esme.
- Not in This for Your Revolution:
- He doesn't really care about the No Name League's ultimate political goals, as long as he gets paid. That being said, to him it's better to work for them than for the Raven Society.
- For most of Season 2, all he wants is to gather enough money to leave England for the USA, not bothering to help the English League one bit in the seemingly Hopeless War against the Raven Union.
- Only in It for the Money: For about two thirds of Season 2, he tries to avoid any political allegiance, only doing jobs for money to get the hell out of England.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: For most of Season 2, all he wants is to get the hell out of England amidst the Civil War with his mother and closed ones. Which leads him to conduct increasingly dangerous and immoral heists to get important amounts of money as quickly as possible. Ultimately though, Alfie and Dave Boy ultimately choose to remain in London and help the League.
- Shell-Shocked Veteran: Continually has flashbacks to his time in the SAS, one mission in Asia in particular that led to the death of one of his friends.
- Team Switzerland: in Season 2, he goes neutral in the conflict between the Raven Union and the English League, accepting people from both sides in his nightclub so long as they leave their weapons at the entrance. Becomes firmly on the side of the League mid-season, and is a Colonel by the season finale.
- Working-Class Hero: He is a son of servants, and speaks with a strong cockney accent, much like Michael Caine did in the role.
Arthur
Arthur Pennyworth
Portrayed by: Ian Puleston-Davies
Alfred's overbearing father, a nobleman's valet.
- Action Dad: Brings down Bet's large henchman with a vase.
- Adaptation Name Change: His first name is Jarvis in the comics.
- Adaptational Job Change: He's still a butler as in the comics, but in the latter he served the Waynes in the USA before Alfred and not a British aristocratic family in England.
- Adaptational Villainy: Alfred's father in the comics was just the Wayne family's loyal butler before his son. The only unusual thing about him was his assassination by the Court of Owls. Here, he is the head of a Raven Society chapter, and eventually a high-ranking member of the Raven Union's government.
- Affably Evil: A loving father and husband who also happens to be a member of the Raven Society.
- Affectionate Nickname: Both Esme and his wife call him "Mr. P," instead of his given name.
- Domestic Abuse: Alfred indicates he's mistreated Mary in the past, though he doesn't seem to have kept it up.
- Dragon Their Feet: He is a member of the "Old Guard" of the Raven Society. After Lord Harwood is imprisoned, Arthur tries to suicide bomb the Queen and the entire government, with Alfred being forced to shoot him (and the bomb still going off).
- Even Evil Has Loved Ones: He genuinely cares about his family. His last action before his suicide bombing is to tell Alfred he loves him and to encourage him to escape so he can look after his mother. Despite his willingness to see Stormcloud used in London (which would have also taken his family), he ultimately chooses family over country and tells Alfie the location of the terror bomb.
- Evil Cripple: It turns out he survived his suicide bombing, and Raven Union doctors did their best to put him back together. The result is Arthur being reliant on a life support chair reminiscent of Davros or Christopher Pike in order to stay alive.
- Face Death with Dignity: After Stormcloud is stopped, Arthur secretly disables his life support and slowly drifts away, smiling at his wife.
- Inspirational Martyr: He has become this for the Raven Union as of Season 2. Then it's revealed that he is also secretly a member of its government.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: For all his faults of character, he loves his son and takes a liking to his fiancée Esme. And when Alfred stays at his parents' house in a depressed funk for months after Esme's death, he doesn't push him to get over it or anything like that.
- Last-Name Basis: Not even his wife calls him by his given name. Everybody either calls him Mr. Pennyworth, Mr. P, or in Alfred's case, Dad. It takes until the 8th episode until we learn his name when he is addressed by his employer.
- Pornstache: His mustache's shape. This, along with his thinning hairline, are a slight Foreshadowing of the familar look that his son would have in the comics.
- Redemption Equals Death: He ultimately chooses his family over his political cause by giving the position of the Stormcloud bomb to Alfred, then unplugs his life support and lets himself die.
- You See, I'm Dying: He has lung cancer in its final stages. This is also why he took on a suicide bombing mission by the Raven Society in the Season 1 finale.
Mary
Mary Pennyworth
Portrayed by: Dorothy Atkinson
Alfred's mother.
- Action Mom: Absolutely trashes Bet Sykes in a fistfight after the latter attempts to take her and her husband hostage against Alfred.
- Death Seeker: By Season 2, she gives off that impression after Arthur's death, not wanting to follow Alfred in America, not caring that much about what the Raven Union would do once they conquer London and staying in the middle of a street as it's being shelled. She gets out of this over the course of the season however.
- Good Parents: She's a caring mother to Alfred and adored his partner Esme when the latter was still alive.
- I Want Grandkids: She nags Alfred even when he's paying her ransom."That money's for my grandchildren, if you ever settle down, which you should."
Wayne Family
Thomas
Thomas Wayne
"Thomas Wayne. I have a job for you."
Portrayed by: Ben Aldridge
An American financial analyst, who's revealed to be working for the CIA.
- Adaptational Job Change: Usually a doctor, he's a forensic financial analyst here, not to mention his involvement in the NNL and the CIA. He does think about becoming a doctor at the end of Season 2.
- Foolish Sibling, Responsible Sibling: He is the responsible sibling to his older sister Patricia's foolish sibling, given her alcoholism and drug abuse, as well as her penchant for bad company.
- The Mole: He is a member of the No Name League in Season 1, but he is also there to keep on an eye on them for the CIA, which means he can switch allegiance if his spy job calls for it.Thomas Wayne: We'd back the Ravens if they'd have us.
- Which ends up happening in Season 2, when the CIA works to weaken the English League for the Raven Union's benefit. Eventually, though, the prospect of mass atrocities committed by the Raven Union through the Stormcloud Project, the US President's unwillingness to intervene and his love for Martha change his mind for good.
- Unstoppable Rage: Aleister Crowley notes that there is a "beast" that lives inside of Thomas. Later on in the episode, Thomas has to stop himself mere inches away from savagely beating Jason Ripper to death. In fairness to him, however, it's not every day one is made to watch a movie of their sister taking part in a pornographic satanic ritual.
- Wartime Wedding: Ends up marrying Martha while London is still besieged by the Raven Union.
Martha
Martha Wayne, née Kane
Portrayed by: Emma Paetz
Dubbed by: Ingrid Donnadieu (European French)
An American photojournalist who also works with the No Name League.
- Expy: Between her initial photojournalist job and being involved in a war, she's got something from the likes of Margaret Bourke-White and Lee Miller.
- Faux Action Girl: In Season 1, she carries around a gun and mentions being combat trained in the US Marine Corps Reserve, but leaves any actual fighting to Alfred. By Season 2 however, she displays much more Action Girl traits, having become a resistance fighter against the Raven Union (until her pregnancy that is).
- The Idealist: She joined the No Name League out of idealism, unlike Thomas Wayne. And she fights fascism in Season 2 out of this as well.
- Mind Screw: Is subjected to this at the party she attends with Patricia Wayne, at Aleister Crowley's mansion. It's quite bizarre; no matter how she tries to leave, she finds herself back in the main room, and after a few times finds all the other guests there watching her quietly, while she's guided to a tall figure that appears to be Baphomet. Then the next time we see her at the end of the episode, she's waking up naked in the middle of a field. It is left ambiguous whether Martha was drugged or what happened did really happen.
- Morning Sickness: One day during Season 2, she feels the need to throw up while talking to PM Aziz, which is the first sign of her pregnancy.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Blames herself for taking Alfred with her on assignment, and as a result leaving Esme alone to be murdered. Thomas thinks it's absurd to think she was responsible in any way, though he doesn't know that she and Alfred shared a kiss while he lingered at her apartment afterward, which adds to her feelings of guilt.
- Rebel Leader: She becomes an important figure of the English League during the Civil War caused by the fascist Raven Union.
- Rich Boredom: Martha is an adventuress, and the reason she gives to Thomas Wayne why she is mixed up with the No Name League is because she is easily bored. As for the rich part, she does carry around huge wads of cash around with her. Also, in the comics the Kanes were a prominent family among Gotham's high society.
- Undying Loyalty: Her loyalty is firmly on the anti-fascist side (thus the English League) in Season 2, unlike Thomas Wayne, whose CIA job has him work to undermine the English League (initially at least).
- Wartime Wedding: Ends up marrying Thomas while London is still besieged by the Raven Union.
Patricia
Patricia Wayne
Portrayed by: Salóme Gunnarsdóttir
Thomas Wayne's party-loving sister.
- Canon Foreigner: This is her first appearance in any Batman-related medium. Although Thomas had a sister named Agatha in the comics prior to Crisis on Infinite Earths.
- Foolish Sibling, Responsible Sibling: She is the foolish sibling to her younger brother Thomas's responsible sibling.
- Hard-Drinking Party Girl: Overdoses on alcohol, drugs and bad company, much to the frustration of Thomas. We see the extent of this in "Cilla Black", where she turns out to be a friend (and very likely one of the multiple sex partners) of Aleister Crowley.
- Mythology Gag: While she is a creation of the show, her name is a reference to what would be her canonical father’s name, Patrick.
- Put on a Bus: Towards the end of Season 2, she takes a plane for Gotham City, accompanying Melanie Troy along the way.
The Wayne Child (Unmarked Spoilers!)
Samantha Thomas Wayne
Portrayed by: Unnamed Baby (Season 2), Jayda Eyles (Season 3)
The child Thomas and Martha Wayne conceived during the civil war, born in London after their marriage.
- Bastard Angst: Thomas feared this for the baby upon learning that Martha was pregnant, but this got alleviated when Martha agreed to marry Thomas.
- Gender Flip: Of Thomas Wayne Jr, who is Bruce's Evil Counterpart Owlman from Earth-3. Thomas also actually existed in pre-Crisis canon as a mentally unstable older sibling who was sent to an institution and kept hidden from Bruce, before returning as a villain called the Boomerang Killer.
- Gender Reveal: Shockingly, it's a baby girl, not a boy, and thus probably not Bruce. It's Season 2's other Cliffhanger outside of the Bolivian Army Ending with the charge of Alfred & co during the was in the streets of London.
The No Name League
In General
The No Name League
A radical left-wing, undercover group of rivals to the Raven Society.
- Dirty Communists: The No Name League is an organisation which supposedly wants to overthrow the British government and set up a "socialist utopia".
- Hero with Bad Publicity: The No Name League is painted by the British government as communists seeking to subvert the government, but what we've seen of them so far presents in a fairly positive light. However, "Shirley Bassey" makes it clear that the No Name League is not so different from the Raven Society, despite the two organisations being ideologically opposed to one another.
- N.G.O. Superpower: The No Name League is independent of any government, and it is well-funded and organised enough that Alfred initially thinks they're the CIA.
- Villain Over for Dinner: The Thwaites arrange for a sit-down for the Raven Society leadership at a restaurant, allegedly for peace talks. However, the No Name Society don't seem to be big believers of Sacred Hospitality, since the peace talks were just an excuse to get Dr. Gaunt out in the open so they can have her killed.
Undine Thwaite
Undine Thwaite
Portrayed by: Sarah Alexander
Julian's wife and successor.
- Big Bad Wannabe: All of her plans and ambitions ultimately go nowhere, and she ends up getting hanged in the streets during the Raven Society's coup against the government.
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: She never acts bitchy to anyone; she treats her subordinates like her dear friends and she even treats her enemies with love and respect. This is the same woman who has her husband killed so she can take his place, tries to have Frances Gaunt killed and takes advice from a vicious gangster.
- Killed Off for Real: During the Raven Society's coup, she is arrested and then hanged in the streets.
- The Starscream: For the leadership of the No Name League, Undine worked with John Ripper to have her husband killed.
- Unwitting Pawn: As the leader, Undine takes advice from John Ripper. The same John Ripper who works for the CIA. She dies ignorant of the truth.
Julian Thwaite
Julian Thwaite
Portrayed by: Richard Lintern
The leader of the No Name League.
- Your Head Asplode: Courtesy of Alfred and a double-barrel shotgun, the only thing left of the poor man's head are his lower jaw and a few bits of brain.
The Raven Society / The Raven Union
In General
The Raven Society / The Raven Union
An underground extremist group that aims to overthrow the UK's government and set up a fascist state.
Despite their thwarted coup attempt in Season 1, they quickly managed to rebound in Season 2, causing a Civil War that allowed them to control 90 per cent of England and renamed themselves the Raven Union.
- Day of the Jackboot: Their attempt at fascist takeover of England was thwarted in Season 1, but then they rebounded thanks to a Civil War caused by them, which saw numerous partisans and the British army joining them. By Season 2, they control 90-95 per cent of England.
- Equal-Opportunity Evil: The Raven Society/Union is fascist, but seems neither sexist nor racist (bar some individuals' own personal tendencies), having many people of colour and women among them, even in high positions.
- I Did What I Had to Do: A lot of what the Raven Society gets up to is grim and unpleasant; kidnapping, murder, treason etc, but they see their crimes as the price they will gladly pay for their country.
- Mirroring Factions: Although they are a fascist organisation that wishes to overthrow the government in Season 1 and eliminate whom they perceive as undesirable, it can be difficult to tell them apart from said government, which routinely practices tortures and executions. By Season 2 however, the English League (their opponents with the Queen at their head) chooses more moral Prime Ministers and doesn't listen to John Ripper's immoral ideas, thus leaving the Raven Union as the sole true bad guys.
- A Nazi by Any Other Name: The Raven Society is an organisation which wants to overthrow the British government and set up a "fascist utopia" and eliminate everything they see wrong with society (including what they see as Dirty Communists). Interestingly, they do not wish to overthrow the monarchy, as Lord Harwood states that if the Queen does not approve of their eventual coup d'etat there are others in the royal family that would. And unlike the Nazis they're very much Equal-Opportunity Evil, having people of non-European descent and women with high ranks (and some non-heterosexual people) in their hierarchy and treating prisoners of any ethnicity or gender the same way.
- N.G.O. Superpower: The Raven Society is independent of the British government, though some of its high ranking members are also members of the British aristocracy, as, seemingly, are entire villages across Great Britain. The Raven Society are also organised and well-funded enough to equip a small army. As of Season 2, they are rebranded the "Raven Union" and have conquered 90% of England.
Lord Harwood
Lord James Harwood
"This great nation of ours is at war with itself. We will take back this country!"
"The complete destruction of our enemy is in our hands."
Portrayed by: Jason Flemyng
A politician and nobleman, and the ruthless leader of the Raven Society then of the Raven Union.
- Affectionate Nickname: Frances Gaunt calls him "Jimmy". She appears to be the only one who is allowed to do so.
- Aristocrats Are Evil: He's got an aristocratic title, and he's the show's Big Bad.
- An Arm and a Leg: The Barbers cut off half of one of his feet, leaving him with a limp.
- Badass Cape: Is first seen wearing a long, fur-lined red cape. After he resurfaces as the Ravens' leader, he has it replaced with a fur-lined black coat.
- Big Bad: The main antagonist of Season 1 and the first half of Season 2, until being disposed of by Salt.
- Canon Foreigner: He is a completely new villain to the DC (and more specifically Batman) universe, Pennyworth is his first appearance.
- Dark Is Evil: He favors dark suits, coats and capes. He also dons a black uniform during his coup in the last episode of Season 1, and sports a dark green uniform many times in Season 2.
- Dark Lord on Life Support: By Season 2, he's sick enough of an undisclosed disease to need to take pills regularly. It turns out that Salt has been switching his pills out for drugs which make Harwood increasingly paranoid.
- Disc-One Final Boss: Ends up being drugged and manipulated, which causes him to be put under house arrest in Episode 6 of Season 2, being shot to death by Salt's men in the following episode.
- Even Evil Has Loved Ones: He has much affection for Bet Sykes (given how loyal she is to him and how she helped him when he was in the most dire situation), up to easily pardoning her even after she murdered a Raven Union officer.
- Evil Cripple: Upon his return, in addition to being noseless, he has a limp due to having half of one of his feet cut off and can't stand up straight anymore, needing a cane.
- Face Death with Dignity: Goes out in full military uniform to confront the soldiers come to arrest him, and commands them to stand down before he is shot.
- The Generalissimo: He has shades of this when leading his coup to take over England, as he wears a black uniform with golden aglets doing so.
- He's Back!: After being arrested, tortured, mutilated and brainwashed, he's thrown into the street and ends up a hobo. Bet Sykes bumps into him and takes him at her sister's home. The Sykes sisters then help him regain his memories and get back into shape, and he takes his place back as the leader of the Raven Society after some time, more ambitious than ever.
- How the Mighty Have Fallen: Starts the series as a powerful nobleman and politician, and is quickly arrested, tortured, broken physically and mentally, and finally thrown out on the street. He gets better after Bet Sykes finds him and helps him, however, and ends up nearly succeeding in taking over England.
- Irony: Led a coup against the British government, and is, in turn, the victim of one after Salt has him arrested on grounds of insanity.
- It's Personal: With Victor Aziz in Season 2 when the latter becomes Prime Minister of the English League since Aziz arrested Harwood in Season 1.
- Leitmotif: Has his own ominous theme
. - Loss of Identity: The 'Barbers' tortured him to the point of rejecting his identity as that of a bad man. He later recovers with the help of the Sykes sisters.
- Nazi Nobleman: A nobleman who's a Fascist by Any Other Name, though neither a racist nor a misogynist.
- The Noseless: The 'Barbers' mutilate him by cutting off his nose. He later gets several nasal prosthetics after being saved by Bet Sykes, with the final one being made of chrome-plated metal, invoking the image of a beak.
- Red Right Hand: After losing his nose.
- The Scapegoat: Salt originally intended for the Stormcloud terror bomb to be deployed in Harwood's name, and so needed him alive. After he is inadvertently killed, Salt deploys the weapon anyway.
- Suicide by Cop: Provokes the soldiers come to arrest him into gunning him down, so that Salt no longer has his scapegoat and also so that Bet and Peggy could get away.
- The Unfought: He eventually dies without any English League protagonist, especially Alfred, fighting him, let alone even facing him at all in Season 2.
- Villainous Breakdown: He is on the verge of this when the Prime Minister refuses to surrender during his coup in Season 1. His military advisor calms him down by suggesting he should agree to extend the ultimatum instead of ordering a massacre right away.
- Villainous Friendship: With the Sykes sisters (particularly Bet) and Frances Gaunt.
- Villain with Good Publicity: Already a charismatic leader, his popularity goes through the roof after he commands the riot police to stand down from their heavy-handed approach to breaking up his rally, making it seem like the government is behaving like fascists and not the Raven Society.
Bet Sykes
Elizabeth "Bet" Sykes
"Nobody has rights, really, do they? It's every bugger for himself as far as I can see."
Portrayed by: Paloma Faith
An enforcer working for Lord Harwood. She speaks with a distinctive Mancunian accent.
- Dark and Troubled Past: She had a younger sister who drowned by accident at age 11. It traumatized her enough to cause at least part of her violent and callous behaviour later in life.
- Does Not Like Men: She loathes men in general, and only respects a handful of them (that is, Lord Harwood and Alfred).
- Dye or Die: She starts off as platinum blonde in Season 1. After being condemned to death and faking her execution, she becomes a redhead to reduce the chances of being recognized.
- Enemy Mine: She briefly teams up with Alfred to avenge Esme.
- Even Evil Has Standards:
- Violent, unpredictable and loyal to Lord Harwood she might be, but she can't stand misogynists and rapists even within the Raven Union. Which leads her to beat one such to death and save Katie Browning.
- She's capable of cold-blooded violence against men, but not against other women.
- Eye Scream: She seems rather fond of jabbing people in the eye with her broach.
- Faking the Dead: With the help of her sister, she manages to fake her execution and escape at the beginning of Season 1.
- The Glorious War of Sisterly Rivalry: The rivalry between Bet and Peggy is rather... violent, but in spite of that Peggy still loves her sister enough to break her out of Newgate Prison before she is executed.
- I Just Want to Be Loved: That's her deep down in a nutshell, beneath her carapace of violence, callousness and unpredictability. Katie Browning manages to bring down that carapace in Season 2 and the two start a loving relationship as a result.
- Lima Syndrome:
- Seems to developed this while she kept Esme prisoner in Season 1, given that she apparently falls in love with her during her captivity.
- The same with Katie Browning in Season 2, a prisoner of the Raven Union who dared lecturing her and brought her softer side to the forefront as a result, leading Bet to kill a Raven Union officer, free her and flee with her to London. They end up developing a love relation.
- Lipstick Lesbian: She loves women, and she's not tomboy-ish.
- Love Redeems: Her biggest Character Developments in Season 2 are due to her love for Katie Browning (and the latter's Morality Chain). By the season's end, she's fighting alongside her girlfriend in the ranks of the English League.
- No Celebrities Were Harmed: Looking at Bet's red hair (following her escape), her accent and certain mannerisms, it is possible that Paloma Faith's performance is meant to invoke 1960's British icon Cilla Black (whose name ended up the title of the first season's sixth episode).
- Oop North: She has a Mancunian accent (Manchester and vicinity) and sometimes uses Mancunian expressions.
- Psycho Lesbian: She has a blatant crush on Esme Winikus in Season 1 and a more subtle one on Katie Browning in Season 2 (which turns into a true love relation), and she's unpredictable and prone to violence. She never shows romantic and/or sexual interest in men.
- Stalker with a Crush: Risks going back to London, where she was supposed to have been executed for treason, just to see Esme, despite kidnapping her and keeping her prisoner. She is pretty heartbroken when she discovers Esme has been murdered, telling her sister that she loved her.
- Undying Loyalty: To Lord Harwood. She saves him off the streets and shows great sorrow over what had happened to him. Even after killing an officer of the Raven Union and fleeing with a political prisoner in Season 2, she still thinks of Lord Harwood as a friend.
- Villainous Crush: She develops an attraction for Alfred's girlfriend Esme.
- Wild Card:
- Despite her allegiance to the Raven Society, she remains an unpredictable element, even coming to Alfred's help in bringing Esme's killer to justice.
- In Season 2, despite being a high-ranking Captain of the Raven Union, she eventually turns on her superior, killing him, before he is able to rape Katie Browning, who correctly pointed out that she is not a true believer of the cause.
Frances Gaunt
Dr. Frances Gaunt
Portrayed by: Anna Chancellor
The new leader of the Raven Society after Lord Harwood's arrest.
- Affably Evil: She really comes across more as someone's eccentric aunt, and not the leader of a fascist group.
- Assassin Outclassin': Dave Boy has her at gunpoint. She shoots first. And, of course, there is "Tanya."
- The Creon: She did not want to take up the mantle of leadership but none of the other high-ranking Ravens would step up, so she became the pro temnote leader, and she willingly gives the leader position back to Harwood as soon as he resurfaces.
- Cincinnatus: She willingly steps down from the Raven Society's leadership as soon as Lord Harwood resurfaces to let him back in his seat and fully supports him even when questioning his plans; she clearly never was and never wanted to be a Starscream.
- Due to the Dead: She keeps a would-be assassin's head in a jar and asks people if they knew her. Why? Because, as she claims, her assassin deserves to be buried by her own people. Whether this is genuine or some kind of intimidation tactic is hard to say. She does have standards, after all.
- Even Evil Has Standards:
- Fascist she might be, but she is also willing to broker peace with her enemies, even after they try to have her killed. Compare to Lord Harwood, who might have had those same enemies eviscerated if they tried that with him.
- She takes the Hippocratic oath seriously enough to save her would-be assassin's life after she shoots him.
- She's appalled that Harwood would consider replacing the Queen (i.e. Elizabeth II, or an expy thereof) with her uncle the Duke of Windermere (i.e. Edward VIII, or an expy thereof).
- She is disturbed by Project Stormcloud, a new poisonous gas weapon designed by the Raven Union.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: Despite them now knowing that she is the new leader of the Raven Society, she is willing to let Alfred and Martha leave with such knowledge unharmed when it's clarified that Mrs. Darkness was actually killed by accident. She is also willing to accept the No Name League's overtures for peace, despite the first time being just an excuse to have her killed.
- Undying Loyalty: She's fully loyal to Lord Harwood, stepping down from the leadership of the Raven Society as soon as he returns and supporting him throughout his return in the public eye and subsequent coup. She does question him a bit about holding the Queen hostage, but does nothing against him beyond this.
John Salt
Colonel John Salt
Portrayed by: Edward Hogg
A high-ranking colonel and scientist in the Raven Union. He is the overseer of Project Stormcloud.
- Big Bad: Takes over as head of the Raven Union in Season 2 after drugging and manipulating Lord Harwood and ultimately disposing of him.
- Four Eyes, Zero Soul: He wears glasses, and he gradually emerges as one of the creepiest villains in the show.
- Lack of Empathy: If the prospect of killing hundreds of thousands of people with a horrible Deadly Gas is anything to go by.
- Manipulative Bastard: First, he gives Frances Gaunt the idea to make a parley with Aziz. Then, he informs Harwood of it, making her look like a traitor. When a young lieutenant who is friends with the Gaunt family asks for his advice, he tells him to ask Lord Harwood for mercy on her behalf, while also manipulating the latter into believing that the first one who does so is the traitor he was looking for, resulting in Harwood brutally beating the young man to death and being put under house arrest by the army. And in the next episode, he disposes of Harwood by having him shot dead, taking over the Union entirely.
The Duke and Duchess of Windermere
The Duke and Duchess of Windermere
Portrayed by:
The Queen's uncle and his American wife.
- The Dandy: The Duke wears jewellery (as pointed out by Frances as one of the reasons why he'd make a poor King) and is later seen complaining to Lord Harwood about not summoning his personal tailor for security reasons.
- Dirty Coward: Apparently, the Duke fled a war that England had fought in (presumably World War II). Lord Harwood admits that the Duke is no Alexander.
- No Celebrities Were Harmed: Are expies for King Edward VIII/the Duke of Windsor and Wallis Simpson. Interestingly, in the Alternate Universe in which the show is set, it doesn't appear that the Duke was ever the King of England, if both Frances Gaunt and D.I. Aziz calling him "the Pretender" is anything to go by.
- The Quiet One: Granted, neither the Duke nor the Duchess have that many scenes, and only one where they actually speak, but the Duchess only has two lines in all of Season One. And it's the same line.Duchess of Windermere: It won't do!
- Replacement Goldfish: Are these for the Ravens in regards to the British throne. Lord Harwood and Frances Gaunt would much rather have the Queen's support for their eventual takeover, but failing that...
- What Happened to the Mouse?: Their whereabouts are unknown in Season 2.
British Army
Special Air Service
Bazza
Deon "Bazza" Bashford
Portrayed by: Hainsley Lloyd Bennett
One of Alfred's wartime comrades, joining him as an associate in his security firm.
- Dropped a Bridge on Him: He gets brutally and suddenly killed off in Episode 3 of Season 2, standing too close to an exploding car.
- Elites Are More Glamorous: Is a former member of the British SAS.
- Off the Wagon: Without Alfred to keep him straight, he quickly falls back into drug use.
- Only Sane Man: Frequently the voice of reason for Alfred and Dave Boy, especially the latter, though he is oft-ignored.
- Shell-Shocked Veteran: It is not as visible as with Alfred or Dave Boy, but Bazza is just as messed up by the war as his buddies.
- True Companions: With Alfred and Dave Boy.
Dave Boy
Wallace "Dave Boy" MacDougal
Portrayed by: Ryan Fletcher
Alfred's other wartime comrade, a Scotsman who does security alongside him.
- The Alcoholic: He drinks to cope with his experiences in the war.
- Boisterous Bruiser: His friend is being held captive by a group of heavily armed mooks? Dave Boy sees no problem with busting through the gates and gunning down everyone he sees.Dave Boy: Alfie! It's me, Dave Boy! Saving your Sassenach arse again!
- Brave Scot: If you haven't figured out that he's a Scotsman, then his accent is a dead giveaway.
- Elites Are More Glamorous: Is a former member of the British SAS.
- Made of Iron: Played for Black Comedy. Gets injured often and then regards it as only a temporary inconvenience.
- Murder Is the Best Solution: He is the one who advocates the more violent courses of action, including murder, and he even carries them out despite Alfred's protests. For example, Dave Boy kills one mook to motivate the other into revealing where the Raven Society kept Esme prisoner.
- Non-Indicative Name: Everybody calls him "Dave Boy" but his name isn't even David; it's Wallace. When asked about this in Season Three, Dave Boy admits that not even he knows why everyone calls him that.
- Reckless Gun Usage: After getting into a heated confrontation with a gambler, he throws the own man's gun back at him, which ends up discharging and killing him.
- Shell-Shocked Veteran: He has it even worse than Alfred if his drinking and self-destructive behaviour is any indication.
- Violent Glaswegian: He's from the Highlands, but is still prone to anger. The drinking doesn't help.
- Would Hit a Girl: He seems to have no problem with killing a woman, but not if they're looking him straight in the eye. His request to close her eyes before he pulls the trigger gives Frances Gaunt the opening she needed to pull a gun on him and shoot.
- In Season Three, Dave Boy is forced to shoot a young girl in the head and he felt incredibly guilty about it afterwards. The fact that the girl was drugged and reprogrammed into a killer and that he saved Sandra from meeting a grisly fate doesn't help much to alleviate the guilt he felt in killing her.
"Spanish"
"Spanish"
Portrayed by: Ben Wiggins
A wartime comrade of Alfred's in Burma. He was killed in action.
- Boom, Headshot!: He died of a shot to the head.
- Dead Person Conversation: Appears as a manifestation of Alfred's guilt over Esme's death.
- Only Known By His Nickname: He's only known as "Spanish".
- Posthumous Character: He's dead, and Alfred has visions of him.
Gulliver Troy
Gulliver Troy/Captain Blighty
Click here to see him post-Stormcloud
Portrayed by: James Purefoy
A former captain in the SAS in the same unit as Alfred. During the civil war between the Raven Union and the English League, he hires Alfred to pull off profitable but amoral heists.
- Captain Patriotic: Following the end of the English Civil War after Season Two, Gully adopts (or, rather, it's adopted for him, most likely for propaganda purposes) the superhero-like persona of Captain Blighty and is given a sleek new set of Powered Armor with an English coat of arms emblazoned on his chest. He hates it.
- Crazy Jealous Guy: He doesn't take being cheated on very well, to say the least. It drives him to beat his wife and almost kill Alfred.
- Cuckold: His wife Melanie cheats on him with Alfred.
- Cyborg: Although he has returned to a more human appearance in Season Three, it appears that Gully is being kept alive by his Powered Armour. He also needs to be periodically recharged or else he dies and at one point Alfred shuts him down with a flick of a switch.
- Domestic Abuse: Once Melanie confesses cheating on him with Alfred, he beats her up. She manages to defend herself a little and escapes to seek refuge at Alfred's club.
- Everyone Has Standards: He takes the one heist gang member who killed people during the last heist into the woods and shoots him dead for his trouble.
- Heroic Sacrifice: He decides to swallow the Stormcloud gas bomb in order to contain the gas within himself. He doesn't die of it, however.
- And he does it again in Season Three, sacrificing himself to ensure Alfie and Dave Boy's safe escape once he learns that the former is going to be a father.
- Informed Attribute: Is said to be a national hero for his role in the English Civil War against the Ravens, but with the exception of Alfie and Lucius, it's implied (and later shown in the same episode) that everyone is afraid of him.
- Knight in Sour Armour: Is hailed as a hero who is loved by the country (though it's implied to be something of a falsehood), but by Season Three he is a cybernetic super soldier who is not allowed to leave the fortified bunker he is kept in of his own free will and he still holds a torch for Melanie, who despises him. Suffice it to say he is left bitter and depressed over what he has become.Gully: (To Alfred and Lucius) Look at me. I'm not a man. I'm a household appliance.
- Meaningful Name: Captain Blighty. 'Blighty' is British slang for England, emphasising the Captain Patriotic theme of his status as a national hero. Also, his armour's weaponry is based on the Stormcloud gas; a gas that causes flesh to rapidly deteriorate, so with this in mind you could say he is Captain Blighty.
- Not Quite Dead: He survives swallowing the Stormcloud gas bomb somehow, and even becomes superpowered as a result.
- Superweapon Surprise: The Stormcloud gas bomb he swallowed has left him with blue skin and the power to shoot gas-like death rays, which are harnessed with a Powered Armor. He gets deployed like a secret weapon in London by the English League during the urban war against the Raven Union as the city is about to be conquered. Cue the Bolivian Army Ending of Season 2.
Rutland Fusiliers
Captain Curzon
Captain John Fitz-Smythe Curzon
Portrayed by: Charlie Woodward
A former wartime superior of Alfred's.
- Bastard Bastard: He is the bastard of a powerful nobleman who helps covering up his crimes.
- Boom, Headshot!: How he meets his end at the hands of a vengeful Alfred.
- Death Glare: It was Alfred remembering Curzon giving him one of these during Spanish's funeral that let him conclude that he was the one who murdered Esme. And that it was an act of revenge for his making a joke at Curzon's expense.
- Dirty Coward: Showed signs of this during Alfred's flashbacks. Also, after Alfred works out that he was the one who'd murdered Esme and goes to confront him, he is nowhere to be seen. Except for a note that basically says "Don't think I'm scared!" He dies whimpering and begging for mercy.
- Disproportionate Retribution: Because murdering a man's fiancée in cold blood is a perfectly reasonable response to being made a fool of. Because of a joke. Five years after the fact. Dave Boy was quite dismayed that someone would go so far over something so insignificant.
- Killed Mid-Sentence: Alfred shoots him in the head while he is trying to weasel himself out.
- The Neidermeyer: Didn't hold his men's respect during the war due to his bumbling and cowardice.
- Psychopathic Manchild: A petty, cowardish murderer with a nanny.
- Serial Killer: It is implied that Esme isn't the first woman he murdered.
- Upper-Class Twit: Upper-class accent? Check. Disdain for the plebs? Check. Lack of charisma, lack of respect from his men and is a clumsily incompetent officer? Triple check.
Her Majesty's Government / The English League
In General
The British government, then the English League.
- Doomed Moral Victor: By Season 2, the anti-fascist English League is seemingly doomed, lacking of men and weapons and controlling merely 10-5 per cent of England as the Raven Union has gained control of the rest of the country, made worse by the fact that the English army is on the Ravens' side, and the CIA opportunistically supports the latter. That doesn't stop some like Victor Aziz to consider it the good/right side of history and that this alone can lead them to victory, somehow.
- Enemy Mine: The British government and the No Name League were enemies before the Civil War broke out, then they became allies against the Raven Union.
- Evil Versus Evil: There wasn't much to differenciate the British government under the morally bankrupt Prime Minister and the fascist Raven Society. After the Civil War broke out, the lines stopped being blurred as more moral Prime Ministers came to lead the English League (and also since the Queen took matters in her own hands), which also became clearly anti-fascist.
- Ragtag Bunch of Misfits: The English League is formed of royalists, loyalists to the Queen, clergy, assorted moderates, remnants of the socialist No-Name League, outright communists, and whoever else opposes fascism in England. We ARE Struggling Together seems very much at play.
- La Résistance: The English League opposes the Raven Union's Day of the Jackboot over England, with London as their major bastion.
The Queen
Her Majesty The Queen of England
Portrayed by: Jessica Ellerby
The queen of (at the very least) England.note
- All Girls Want Bad Boys: Is said to have been quite taken with Alfred (and Alfie fancies her too...respectfully, of course). They sleep together in the Season One finale, and she indicates they should continue to be Friends with Benefits, but Alfred ultimately declines.
- Bodyguard Crush: He isn't her bodyguard but she does have quite the crush on Alfred, who has rescued her more than once.
- Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep": She is never referred to by name, simply as "The Queen" and "Her Majesty".
- No Celebrities Were Harmed: She's an obvious expy of Queen Elizabeth II, if she's not the real article outright.note Considering what she does (like having Alfred as lover), it might be better left ambiguous. There's no indication that she has a husband or children, which the real Elizabeth already did by the time she was crowned, but this is an Alternate History after all. Making things more complicated is that, when Alfred confronts the landlord while looking for Esme's killer, there is a mail-box with the Royal sigil "G R". While that obviously wouldn't belong to her if she's Elizabeth, it might be an older one left from the reign of Elizabeth's father, George VI, even though enough time apparently elapsed in the new reign to have been replaced.
- No Name Given: Her name is never mentioned, only her title.
- Office Romance: Develops a romance with PM Victor Aziz while leading the English League in Season 2.
- Slave to PR: She's reluctant to look "awfully oppressive" in front of her subjects when discussing what to do with the Raven Society. After their coup is put down, the first thing she does is deliver a public speech.
The Prime Minister
The Prime Minister
Portrayed by: Richard Clothier
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom before the civil war.
- Asshole Victim: He perishes in the suicide bombing of Arthur Pennyworth at the end of Season 1. Nobody misses him afterwards, and a much more moral and virtuous man becomes Prime Minister of the English League in his place.
- Defiant to the End: In spite of all his glaring flaws listed below, he refuses to give in to Lord Harwood's demands of surrender during the coup.
- Dropped a Bridge on Him: He gets abruptly killed at the end of Season 1 by the bomb that Arthur Pennyworth detonates at the gala dinner that followed the victory against the Raven Society.
- Everyone Calls Him The Prime Minister: He is never referred to by name, simply as The Prime Minister.
- Evil Versus Evil: Considering that he is the Prime Minister of a Britain where grisly torture and executions are routinely practiced and himself has Lord Harwood tortured, it's pretty hard to tell him apart from the people who want to turn Britain into a fascist utopia.
- For the Evulz: He has Lord Harwood tortured by the Barbers purely out of this.
- Head-in-the-Sand Management: Is perfectly willing to let the Raven Society and No Name League operate freely, so long as neither of them make too much noise. Sadly for him and the British government, they are both starting to get a little too noisy for his taste.
- Hookers and Blow: In his Establishing Character Moment, he is first seen doing drugs in (presumably) 10 Downing Street, while in the company of a prostitute.
- Mr. Exposition: It is through him that viewers learn about the Raven Society and the No Name League, as well as the British Government's position on both.Prime Minister: They're... lunatics, who want to overthrow the government and set up a fascist utopia. The No Name League are fools, who want to overthrow the government and set up a socialist utopia.
- No Name Given: His name is never mentioned.
Victor Aziz
Prime Minister (formerly Detective Inspector) Victor Aziz
Portrayed by: Ramon Tikaram
A detective inspector with Scotland Yard, often present in the wake of Alfred's more violent exploits. Following the death of Archbishop Potter, he becomes Prime Minister of the English League.
- Dirty Cop: Doesn't seem to be on the take like most corrupt policemen, but he has made things disappear for some powerful people. This includes covering up Esme's murder and attempting to have Alfred killed after he discovers the truth, both instances to protect the illegitimate son of a lord.
- Dirty Coward: Played with, and in a Deadpan Snarker kind of way after asking Alfred to clarify that he is being threatened because he didn't want to capitulate too easily.
- Played with again in "Marianne Faithful," when he admits to the Prime Minister that if there were a craven way of getting out of the Ravens' coup attempt then he would take it. Then again, he then admits that if he had to go, then he would rather do it with dignity.
- Failed a Spot Check: Fails to recognise Bet Sykes on seeing her again, after she had supposedly been executed. And he was the one who arrested her in the first place!
- Friend on the Force: Alfred isn't quite friendly to him, though Aziz isn't deterred.
- Office Romance: Develops a romance with the Queen while leading the English League in Season 2.
- Rank Up: Gets promoted to Prime Minister after the public humiliation and suicide of Archbishop Potter.
- Uncertain Doom: A confrontation over the phone with General Thursday while Aziz was under the influence of the Lullaby drug eventually leads to the nuclear bombing of 10 Downing Street. Of course, as it's never confirmed that he was actually there...
Archbishop Potter
Prime Minister/Archbishop Potter
Portrayed by: Dermot Crowley
A devout man of the Church of England who got promoted Prime Minister of the English League during the Raven Union's civil war. Both the CIA and the Raven Union want his downfall to weaken the English League, so Thomas Wayne hires Aleister Crowley to make him fall into a trap.
- Driven to Suicide: After being tricked by Aleister Crowley into finding himself in the middle of an orgy and getting photographed at that, he is publicly humiliated. He can't handle it and ends up hanging himself.
- Good Shepherd: He genuinely wants to help the lost/questioning souls who come at him to find God.
- Incorruptible Pure Pureness: He is perhaps the most devout man in England, and both the CIA and the Raven Union seek to break this to cause his demise. He is a tough nut to crack in the virtues department, but that's nothing Aleister Crowley can't handle...
The Barbers
The "Barbers"
Portrayed by: ???
Torturers who 'practice' at the Tower of London. Lord Harwood ends up one of their victims.
- Dangerously Close Shave: The reason behind their Theme Naming. Harwood is dressed in a barber robe, tied to a barber's chair, his torturer dresses like a barber and slashes his face with a razor.
- Dissonant Serenity: Only one barber is seen, and he remains stone cold when torturing Harwood.
- Torture Technicians: They inflict several kinds of atrocities on Harwood, physically and mentally torturing him, then mutilating him.
Others
Esme Winikus
Esme Winikus
Portrayed by: Emma Corrin
An actress who works as a dancer in the same nightclub Alfred works at and becomes his girlfriend.
- All Girls Want Bad Boys: Her father outright tells Alfred she is only with him because of this, and there comes a moment when Alfred believes him.Esme's father: Let me be blunt, Alfred. I know my daughter's proclivities. She likes the fact that you've killed people. You satisfy her adolescent revenge fantasies. If she loves you... she loves the animal in you.
- Damsel in Distress: Becomes this in the Pilot when Bet Sykes kidnaps her. However, she becomes a Damsel out of Distress when she knocks Bet out and then tries to escape. It doesn't last, however.
- Dating What Daddy Hates: Let's just say that Alfred is precisely the kind of man Esme's father disapproves of. He even threatens to disinherit her if she ever went ahead and married him.
- Inverted in the case of Alfred's father, who despite his coldness toward her in their first meeting grows to adore Esme.
- Fourth-Date Marriage: Downplayed as Alfred's not suggesting marriage, but during the first episode he meets Esme and later suggests they get a flat together after introducing her to his parents. It's implied that at least a week or more passed In-Universe instead of it being over the course of a few days, but it's still somewhat jarring. The second episode does have them get engaged, though again a good amount of time has passed since they have their own place and given the time period it wouldn't have been too uncommon for it.
- Impoverished Patrician: Her father is the Dean of Salisbury and a very wealthy man. However, given that she works as a dancer in a seedy nightclub and shares a dingy little place with Alfred, it's clear that she doesn't see a penny's worth of her father's money.
- The Lost Lenore: Becomes this for Alfred after her murder.
- Properly Paranoid: After her abduction, she becomes convinced someone is stalking her and even almost shoots Alfred in her panic. Turns out she was right and is strangled.
- Rescue Romance: Played with. Esme actually broke up with Alfred mere moments before she was kidnapped, and their relationship is rekindled after she had been rescued.
- Uptown Girl: Downplayed, she comes from wealth and speaks with a posh accent, but she left her father and his money to pursue her dream of being an actress and works as a dancer at a club. This leaves Alfred feeling insecure about how to provide for her and he's worried when her father tells him he would disinherit her if they got married.
Sandra Onslow
Sandra Onslow
Portrayed by: Harriet Slater
The daughter of Sid Onslow, initially helping out her father at the bar, later a nightclub singer.
- Damsel in Distress: Initially sexually harassed and threatened by John Ripper's nephew Jason, until Alfred and his friends put a stop to it.
- Nice Girl: Very supportive of Alfred.
- Relationship Revolving Door: Has this sort of relationship with Alfred, by getting together and then breaking up on a regular basis. They finally decide to tie the knot by the end of Season Three after Alfie learns that Sandra is pregnant.
- Second Love: For Alfred, after Esme's death, though he does his best to keep her away.
John Ripper
John Ripper
Portrayed by: Danny Webb
A feared crime boss supposedly descended from Jack the Ripper. He also works as an undertaker.
- The Consigliere: Secretly advises Undine Thwaite of the No Name League. And he is also her lover.
- The Dreaded: Is so feared in London that people dare not speak his name.
- I'm a Humanitarian: Implied.Mr. Ripper: (To Alfred, while he is extracting a kidney from a corpse) "Nothing better than kidney pie." (sniffs the kidney, before putting it in a paper wrapper to take with him) "The faint tang of piss."
- London Gangster: Besides being an undertaker, he is also London's most feared gangster.
- The Mole: Besides working for Undine Thwaite as her advisor (and lover), he is also working for the CIA.
- Pet the Dog: He is the one who gets Alfred out of his depression after Esme is murdered, by motivating him into doing physical exercises again.
- In a rather roundabout way, he is also the one who puts Alfie on the path toward finding the person who killed Esme.
- Screw This, I'm Out of Here!: As Undine Thwaite is taken away to be hanged during the Raven Society's coup, he watches and walks away down the street.
Jason Ripper
Jason Ripper
Portrayed by: Freddy Carter
John Ripper's dimwitted, cruel nephew.
- Abhorrent Admirer: Towards Sandra, who only puts up with him due to his status and cruelty.
- Crazy Jealous Guy: Threatens to cut up anybody who even looks at Sandra.
- Dirty Coward: Once Alfred and his friends have him at their mercy, he devolves into a whimpering, begging mess, willing to sell out even his uncle just to save his own sorry hide.
- The Exile: His uncle banishes him from London after seeing what a coward he is, though he later ends up at Aleister Crowley's house, apparently acting as the latter's manservant and boytoy.
- No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: On the receiving end of a particularly nasty one courtesy of Thomas Wayne. Perhaps he shouldn't have mocked Thomas after seeing his sister in a Satanic porno.
- Nom de Mom: Jason is John Ripper's sister's son.
Peggy Sykes
Margaret "Peggy" Sykes
Portrayed by: Polly Walker
The sister of Bet Sykes.
- Dark and Troubled Past: She had a younger sister who drowned by accident at age 11. However, it doesn't seem to have affected her later in life, unlike her sister, who grew to become a violent enforcer.
- Dominatrix: This appears to be her day job. She upgrades this to a BDSM sex shop in Season 2.
- Foolish Sibling, Responsible Sibling: She is the responsible sibling compared to her impulsive, violent and, yes, foolish sister Bet.
- Oop North: Like her sister, Peggy has a Mancunian accent (Manchester and vicinity) and sometimes uses Mancunian expressions.
- The Glorious War of Sisterly Rivalry: Constantly talks down to Bet and while the sibling rivalry between the two sisters can be a little...violent, Peggy at least cares about her sister enough to break her out of Newgate Prison before she is executed.
Aleister Crowley
Aleister Crowley
Portrayed by: Jonjo O'Neill
A mysterious socialite who worships Satan and throws parties (that tend to turn into orgies) at his home. Patricia Wayne is a regular guest of his, and brings Martha Kane to one such party.
- Age Lift: Real life Crowley was born in 1875; he would be in his late 80s if not early 90s in the 1960s (since the series is set in that decade). Jonjo O'Neill is just past 40. Unless, perhaps, a Deal with the Devil is involved to explain why he doesn't look as old as he should. (They also use the detested "Crouly" pronunciation, which he ascribed to people who wanted to treat him FOULLY.)
- The Corrupter: He gets hired by Thomas Wayne to help bring down Archbishop Potter in Season 2, by having him fall into an "embarrassing situation" trap that will irreparably damage his reputation and weaken the English League as a result. The man is the most devout and even possibly saintly clergyman in England, but that's nothing Crowley can't handle...
- Den of Iniquity: He houses parties that tend to turn into Devil-worshipping orgies.
- Depraved Bisexual: Takes part in orgies with both men and women. In addition to his relationship with Patricia, he keeps Jason Ripper around in a state of partial undress, makes passes at both Martha and Alfred, and exhorts Thomas into kissing him. Arguably Truth in Television.
- Historical Beauty Update: He isn't bald unlike his Real Life counterpart, and the actor portraying him is a more attractive fellow overall.
- Historical Domain Character: Based on a real life figure of occultism.
- I Love You Because I Can't Control You: Martha is quick to rebuff his immediate attempt to kiss her as soon as he sees her, and that resistance seems to be much to his liking.
- Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane:
- Did Baphomet really appear at his party or was it just hallucinations by Martha?
- If he didn't use anything chemical ala The Scarecrow to induce nightmarish hallucinations in John Ripper's mind, then it's definitely supernatural.
- Really Gets Around: Casually kisses Patricia, then jumps on Martha as soon as he sees her. Let's just say he enjoys the pleasures of the flesh without any sort of commitment.
- Satan Is Good: Openly admits that he worships the Devil to Martha when she comes back at him in Season 1. And there is nothing wrong with this according to him.
Baroness Ortsey
Baroness Ortsey
Portrayed by: Felicity Kendal
A strange old woman Alfred goes to see on recommendation of John Ripper to find out about who killed Esme in Season 1.
- Our Witches Are Different: She describes herself as a witch to Alfred after giving him visions with something she put in the tea she gave him.
- Seers: She tells Alfred he has to bring her "a murderer's left hand" and a red rose when the Moon is full, then he leaves, ridiculing what she just said. The next day, he cuts off an aggressive bar client's left hand, which lies alongside a red rose, and the Moon is full...Alfred: How'd she do that?!...
- Shout-Out: Her name and title read like those of Baroness Emma Orczy, the author of The Scarlet Pimpernel, which is the Trope Maker for vigilante heroes with a Secret Identity and therefore a predecessor of Batman.
Katie Browning
Katie Browning
Portrayed by: Jessye Romeo
An art student who gets arrested along with many others during the Raven Union's repression. She gets interrogated by Bet Sykes, and ends up winning Bet's affection and even heart.
- Defiant Captive: When she's a prisoner of the Raven Union, she doesn't let herself be intimidated by Bet Sykes and even lectures her about being better deep down than what she appears to be. It works way beyond Katie's expectations.
- Morality Chain: Acts as this for Bet following their escape from the Raven Union, reining in Bet's temper and more violent proclivities with varying results. After the pair fall in love, Katie's status as a Morality Chain becomes firmly apparent, as evidenced in "The Hangman's Noose" where she threatens to leave Bet if she harmed their captive.
- She Cleans Up Nicely: Once at Peggy Sykes' place, there's a quite striking difference between before and after her change of haircut and clothes.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: Doesn't make an appearance in Season 3, nor is she even mentioned by any of the other characters. Not even Bet, who, y'know, is her girlfriend in Season 2.
- You Are Better Than You Think You Are: Upon being interrogated by Bet Sykes, she sees that Bet doesn't truly believe in the Raven Union's ideals and doesn't hesitate to tell her about this. Combined with Bet's repulsion towards her misogynistic and rapist superior, this ends up triggering a change of heart in Bet, who then kills said superior, frees Katie, accompanies her to London and eventually falls in love with her.
