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BPO

The Biologic Preservation Organization, a multi-national corporation dedicated to the extermination of sensates.

    The Organization Itself 

  • Nebulous Evil Organization: What they have turned into in the present day after 9/11, being a shady organization who hunts sensates.
  • They Would Cut You Up: And they would, too. Whispers in particular seems to head BPO's Cutting-Up operations.

Leadership

    Ruth El-Saadawi 

Ruth El-Saadawi

The founder of the organization, originally intended to be a place for humans and sensates to pursue mutual good.


  • Angsty Surviving Twin: Her twin sister was a sensate who was stoned to death for "witchcraft" after birthing a cluster herself. Ruth created BPO to ensure this sort of thing would never happen again.
  • The Ghost: She is never seen in the main story but is a great influence over it, being the founder of BPO.
  • Too Good for This Sinful Earth: Consistently portrayed as utterly pure in her intentions, having founded BPO as a sort of Big Good organization for humans and sensates alike.

    Croome 

Richard Wilson Croome

Portrayed by: Clive Wood

A high-ranking executive in the BPO.


  • Friend or Foe?: It's hard to tell whether Croome is sincere in what he says to Will or if he is just spinning a yarn because the August 8th cluster has dirt on him. Given his Surprisingly Sudden Death, this question is never definitively answered, but River asserts that he really was pro-sensate.
  • Gentleman and a Scholar: He meets Will in an art museum and waxes enthusiastically at length about Rembrandt.
  • The Mole: Croome reveals that he is part of a faction within the BPO secretly fighting its current purpose.
  • Surprisingly Sudden Death: Just as Croome prepares to make a deal with Will, Whispers uses a lobotomized sensate to stab him repeatedly in the neck.
  • You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: A rare non-evil example of this trope, as he does this to Whispers. It doesn't last too long, though.

    The Chairman 

The Chairman

Portrayed By: Stephen Boxer

The man who currently heads BPO, and the overall main antagonist of the show. He is also responsible for the corruption of BPO after 9/11.


  • Big Bad: The head of BPO and the one whom Whispers answers to.
  • Boom, Headshot!: Jonas kills him remotely by using a prototype of Angelica's technology; a lobotomized sensate shoots him in the head.
  • Corrupt Corporate Executive: The Chairman runs a corporation devoted to the extermination of sensates.
  • Establishing Character Moment: His introduction consists into him showing up to face a kidnapped Wolfgang, coldly and calmly referring to sensates as a sickness, before threatening him with a gun and going on a speech about how sapient have been decimating sensates for millennia thanks to their superiority.
  • Evil Counterpart: To Ruth El-Saadawi, as he currently heads the BPO and like her is The Ghost but, if his employment of The Sociopath Whispers is any indication, his intentions are anything but benign.
  • Evil Old Folks: Old enough to have grey hair, and responsible for the entire corruption of the BPO.
  • Facial Horror: He wears a bio-mask to conceal the extensive burn scars that cover his face.
  • Fantastic Racism: He is quite openly hateful toward sensates, comparing them to a disease and delivering a speech to Wolfgang about how sapiens are superior.
  • The Ghost: In season two, he is never seen in the main story despite his influence constantly hanging overhead. He finally makes an appearance in "Amor Vincit Omnia".
  • Karmic Death: The Chairman's been having sensates lobotomized so Whispers can puppet their bodies and use them as assassins. The Chairman's killed when Jonas uses technology to puppet a drone serving as the Chairman's bodyguard to assassinate him.
  • Killed Mid-Sentence: He's right in the middle of declaring revenge on all sensates for one disfiguring him when Jonas abruptly shoots him in the head.
  • Malevolent Masked Man: He usually wears a gaz mask covering his face due to the injuries from Angelica bombing a room he was in.
  • Muggle Power: He heads an organization that's trying to wipe out sensates. He boasts to a captured Wolfgang about how Homo sapiens are superior to Homo sensoriums due to "certainty" since the Chairman only has one voice in his head telling him what to do compared to sensates who are intwined with the thoughts and feelings of others.
  • We Hardly Knew Ye: He only makes two appearances in the finale of the show before being unceremoniously killed off despite being the true Big Bad. Admittedly, what we hear and see about him is enough to make yourself an impression of the kind of man he is.

Members and Associates

    Taylor 

Mitchell Taylor

Portrayed By:

A British MP who worked with Ruth El-Saadawi in the past and advocated for inclusive society today. He is murdered by Whispers at the behest of the Chairman.


  • Killed Offscreen: At first, anyway. The "mass shooting" where he was killed isn't shown at the time it happens, but is seen later as a recording taken by a bystander.

    Kolovi 

Professor Kolovi

Portrayed By: John Judd

A professor at the University of Chicago, and a pioneer of the neural graft procedure used to lobotomize sensates.


    The Secretary 

The Secretary

Portrayed By: Jason Thorpe

    Metzger 

Dr. Metzger

Portrayed by: Adam Shapiro

The doctor who diagnoses Nomi with a disease that requires a lobotomy.


  • Boom, Headshot!: This is how Whispers kills him.
  • The Butcher: Right there in his name; "Metzger" is "butcher" in German.
  • Even Evil Has Standards: Even he seems a little put off by Janet Marks' casual abuse of Nomi and transphobic behavior.
  • Hidden Depths: He's a fan of Nancy Drew as evidenced by having one of the books in his apartment. Amanita says it's proof that he can't be all bad.
  • Hoist by His Own Petard: He's offed by Whispers in the body of a sensate Metzger previously lobotomized.
  • Meaningful Name: Metzger is German for "butcher," which is apt considering what he does to sensates.
  • Morally Ambiguous Doctorate: He's in league with BPO and is one of the doctors who lobotomize sensates for Whispers to use as People Puppets.
  • Oh, Crap!: He has this reaction when he realizes Nomi's just made it clear to Whispers that he's been compromised.
  • Pet the Dog: Minor but he does make an effort to refer to Nomi by her preferred name, something even her mother refuses to do.
  • Politically Correct Villain: He refers to Nomi by her preferred name and pronouns, indicating that whatever might be said of him, he at least isn't transphobic.
  • Strawman Political: Played for laughs. Amanita believes that a picture of him shaking hands with Dick Cheney means he must be evil.
  • You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: Whispers has him killed after Nomi contacts him with Metzger's information.

    River El-Saadawi 

River El-Saadawi

Portrayed by: Amira Ghazalla

Ruth El-Saadawi's daughter, and a human working in BPO. She aims to return the organization to its original benevolent goals.



Chicago, USA

    Diego 

Diego Morales

Portrayed by: Ness Bautista
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/1499911_1438951048054_full.png

Will's partner on the force.


  • Best Friend: Will is his best friend and partner, to the point that Diego is able to predict Will's actions on an investigation. This is why he was extremely angry and hurt when Will just left without warning for a year and never called.
  • By-the-Book Cop: He's seriously against the more extreme measures Will takes to close cases.
  • Friend on the Force: To the cluster. Despite being Locked Out of the Loop, Diego gives Will and Riley access to police records and equipment, and keeps Riley safe while she's in Chicago out of loyalty to Will.
  • Happily Married: Implied, Will mentions his wife and kids as to why he can't let Diego know where he's gone.
  • Sarcastic Devotee: After Will shows Diego proof that something strange is going on, the latter finally believes him and accompanies him on his quest to find answers. However, that doesn't stop Diego from either constantly asking questions or rolling his eyes.

    Will's Father 

Michael Gorski

Portrayed by: Joe Pantoliano

Will's father. A highly-respected retired police captain, his access and reputation buy Will a lot of leeway in the Chicago PD.


  • Alcoholic Parent: He's portrayed as a mean drunk during Will's childhood and Will was often forced to care for him.
  • Character Death: He has a fall and dies while Will is in Amsterdam. Riley is present, having gone to Chicago for information on Angelica, and is Will is able to be there for his dad by Visiting her. Despite being initially confused because he didn't recognize Riley, in his final moments, Mr. Gorski is able to feel Will's presence.
  • Dad the Veteran: He's a retired Chicago PD captain and Will takes advantage of it for all he's worth.
  • So Proud of You: He tells Will this during the Fourth of July celebration, which comes on the heels of him berating Will for getting himself suspended.

San Francisco, USA

    Amanita 

Amanita Caplan

Portrayed By: Freema Agyeman
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/2206.jpg

Nomi's girlfriend.


  • Action Survivor: For a girl who's worked at a bookstore for the past ten years, Amanita is a badass, coming up with on-the-fly plans to subvert BPO (like using cough syrup to fake a tampon change and squick the federal agents after Nomi) and defend herself (including the threat of an Aerosol Flamethrower).
  • Affectionate Nickname: Nomi often refers to her as "Neets".
  • Badass Biker: She rides with the Dykes on Bikes contingent at San Francisco Pride. In the second season she's able to outrun and evade Agent Bendix when he tries to follow her home from work.
  • Dreadlock Rasta: She wears her hair in multicolored dreadlocks, which serve to emphasize her understanding, liberal nature. In addition, she clearly puts Nomi over any authoritarian figures.
  • Family of Choice: Amanita's Nomi's main support, seeing as how she doesn't get along well with her transphobic parents, her sister being the only one to accept her initially as a woman, though her dad eventually comes around too. They cement this by getting married.
  • Fangirl: She loves Nancy Drew books.
  • Happily Adopted: Played with. Amanita has three fathers. One of them is her birth father. It's just that no one is sure which one, as her mother had been with each of them around the time she was conceived. Nevertheless, they all love her as if she is their daughter.
  • Happily Married: By the end of season 2, Nomi and Amanita get married, inviting all of their families and the Cluster to the wedding.
  • Hippie Name: Doubles as Meaningful Name. Amanita's name comes from the fly agaric mushroom, which contains hallucinogenic compounds. Her mother is fittingly a hippie in a polyamorous relationship.
  • Meaningful Name: Amanita muscaria (also known as fly agaric or fly amanita) is a mushroom that contains a potent psychedelic and is often used for mind-expanding trips and religious experiences — a feeling the premise of the show leans heavily on. A radical '60s academic like Amanita's mother would likely have been very inspired by it; Amanita herself is very liberal.
  • Nice Girl: Amanita is a very kind and caring person.
  • Nonconformist Dyed Hair: Amanita Caplan is the understanding and intelligent daughter of Hippie Parents who works at a bookstore in the liberal Bay Area. She's also into women, and has dreadlocks dyed blue, purple, and red.
  • Queer Colors: Amanita's hair is dyed in the bi flag colors. She's bisexual, being in a committed relationship with Nomi, her girlfriend but also takes part in the psychic orgies which include men.
  • Pyromaniac: She delays Nomi's lobotomy by triggering the hospital's fire alarm. Not by pulling the lever, but by actually starting a fire. She also primes an Aerosol Flamethrower to answer a suspicious door knock.
  • Really Gets Around: Before she met Nomi, Amanita had a lot of relationships that never stuck.
  • Secret-Keeper: She knows that Nomi is a Sensate and is helping her both come to terms with it and help other members of the cluster.
  • True Companions: So much that she's the only one outside the cluster who's invited along on their mission at the end of Season 2.
  • Twofer Token Minority: Amanita is a bisexual mixed race (black father, white mother) woman.
  • Understanding Boyfriend: Gender Flipped. She seems very compassionate and believing of Nomi's newfound ability in even when Nomi herself states how impossible it sounds that she's connected to seven other people. She also puts herself at risk to keep Nomi and the other sensates safe.
  • Violently Protective Girlfriend: Don't even think of laying a hand on Nomi.
    Amanita: I will burn this building down before I let anyone touch that beautiful brain.
  • Who's Your Daddy?: Her biological father isn't known, but all three possible guys love her anyway as her dad.

    Grace 

Grace Caplan

Portrayed by: Maximilienne Ewalt

Amanita's mother.


  • Cool Old Lady: She's laid-back and kind, accepting Nomi as a member of her family and showing her far more affection than her own mother.
  • Foil: As a liberal, middle-class academic in a polyamorous mixed marriage, she draws a very stark contrast against Janet, a bigoted Rich Bitch.
  • Hippie Parents: To Amanita. Is very open-minded about concepts like Sensates and hearing voices, was big on promiscuity in her youth and spent some time living in a commune when Amanita was young.
  • Open-Minded Parent: In stark contrast to Nomi's parents Grace is completely accepting of Amanita's relationship with Nomi, welcoming them into her home when they're on the run. She also accepts the news that Nomi's hearing voices and even offers suggestions and theories as to why it's happening.
  • Really Gets Around: To put it simply, she has no idea which of the three men she resides with is Amanita's father. She justifies it as an attempt to protest "patriarchal control over women's bodies".

    Bug 

Bug

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_sense8_bug.png
Portrayed by: Michael X. Sommers

A hacker friend of Nomi's who also deals with hardware.


  • Accidental Misnaming: He knew Nomi before she transitioned and hadn't known about it, so he refers to her as "Mike", but he apologizes, indicating it's more force of habit than being outright insensitive. By the second season he consistently calls her Nomi without a single slip.
  • Bunny-Ears Lawyer: He's a bit eccentric to say the least but a very good hacker.
  • Chivalrous Pervert: He's very lecherous when it comes to women he finds attractive but will stop when someone simply tells him to and is very loyal to Nomi and Amanita. Notably, unlike Daniela with Lito and Hernando, he doesn’t fetishize Nomi and Amanita’s relationship.
  • Cloudcuckoolander: Bug is a very quirky guy.
  • Deus ex Machina: In the first-season finale, Nomi's stuck at her apartment with no resources and no way to help Will and Riley. Cue Bug coming in with a box full of equipment in thanks for Nomi helping him back when he was facing imprisonment.
  • Fan Boy: He is a massive fan of Lito and the films he has stared in. When he finds out that Lito is one of the people Nomi can speak to, due to being part of the Cluster, he is very excited, and manages to indirectly tell him how much he loves his work.
  • Innocently Insensitive: He misnames Nomi a couple of times, and makes a very lecherous comment about her to Nomi and Amanita's discomfort, but quickly and genuinely apologizes.
  • I Owe You My Life: His reason for coming to Nomi's aid in the Season 1 finale - she took the fall for him when he hacked into the Pentagon on the basis that her family would be able to bail her out of trouble.
  • Nice Guy: Quirkiness and lecherous behavior aside, he's a friendly and good-natured person who does a lot to help Nomi because he's grateful for what she did for him.
  • Omniglot: He speaks English, Spanish, French and Italian. He also recognises Korean when he hears it but isn't seen using it himself.
  • Only Known by Their Nickname: His real name is never revealed.
  • Playful Hacker: He seems even less concerned with the possible repercussions of hacking than Nomi is.
  • Undying Loyalty: He stays by Nomi and Amanita's side throughout all of the seasons.

    Janet 

Janet Marks

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_1sense8_janet.png
Portrayed by: Sandra Fish

Nomi's emotionally abusive mother.


  • Abusive Parents: She's emotionally abusive towards Nomi, refusing to recognize her gender and insulting her frequently.
  • Hate Sink: Not only is Janet a transphobe, she's a condescending ass who's clearly enjoying having financial power over her daughter when they just received (false) news that she'll die without a surgery she can't afford without her mother's insurance. She sort of comes around in the finale after eating a pot brownie.
  • Higher Understanding Through Drugs: To a degree, she becomes a lot more accepting of Nomi and Amanita after trying a pot brownie at their wedding.
  • I Have No Son!: Inverted, as Nomi is the one to disown them.
  • Jerkass: She's an unpleasant condescending person who treats her daughter like trash.
  • Kick the Dog: She makes a point of always calling Nomi by her birth name and referring to her with male pronouns, two things that transgender people utterly hate.
  • Malicious Misnaming: Refuses to refer to Nomi as anything other than "Michael" no matter how many times she's told not to do it. After trying pot at the wedding she finally address Nomi by name willingly.
  • Politically Incorrect Villain: Janet is homophobic and transphobic.
  • Rich Bitch: Janet lords the fact that Nomi will need her insurance to afford brain surgery over her.
  • Sliding Scale of Parent-Shaming in Fiction: Type III. Nomi's parents actually do care about her, but because they won't or can't acknowledge her as trans they only alienate her and make her miserable. They just think they're doing it for a wayward son's own good.
  • Smug Snake: She almost always has a very self-satisfied look on her face and seems to take pleasure in seeing bad things befall Nomi.

    Teagan 

Teagan Marks

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_sense8_teagan.png
Portrayed by: Annie Munch

Nomi's younger sister.


  • Affectionate Nickname: Nomi sometimes calls her "Tee" in the same way she calls Amanita "Neets".
  • Calling the Old Man Out: She isn't shy about telling her mother off for her behavior towards Nomi.
  • The Glorious War of Sisterly Rivalry: Prior to her transition, Nomi admits she and Teagan didn't get along due to Nomi resenting how much their parents preferred her. They have a much better relationship now though.
  • Granola Girl: She's been a vegetarian since childhood.
  • Nice Girl: Nomi's speech at the rehearsal dinner is all about how kind and "super nice" Teagan is, citing her humanitarian work and strict vegetarianism as examples. Everything we've seen of Teagan on-screen supports this.
  • Parental Favoritism: It's clear her parents favor her over Nomi and it had a damaging effect on their relationship for a while. Teagan has called them out on it though.
  • Sibling Yin-Yang: She and Nomi are regarded as polar opposites by their parents. This doesn't stop them from being close.
  • Token Good Teammate: Teagan is the only member of Nomi's family shown to respect her pronouns and name. She even asks Nomi to be her maid of honor regardless of their parents' objections and Nomi's legal troubles. It's also revealed that she discovered Nomi had forged her mother's signature for the operation and could have stopped it, but didn't despite them having a nasty fight over it the night before.

    Lawrence 

Lawrence Marks

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_sense8_lawrence.png
Portrayed by: Mark Withers
Nomi's father.
  • Abusive Parents:
    • He forced Nomi, a child with body dysphoria to join a swim team where group showering was mandatory in an attempt to man her up from liking dolls.
    • He at least starts to come around when Bendix is foiled from arresting Nomi, threatening to end his career if he doesn't leave and calling Nomi his daughter for the first time.
  • I Have No Son!: Inverted, as Nomi is the one to disown them.
  • Papa Wolf: When agent Bendix tries to grab Nomi and arrest her Lawrence steps between them and threatens to end Bendix's career if he doesn't let her go.
  • Pet the Dog: He defends Nomi from Bendix and openly refers to her as his daughter for the first time. In front of an entire church full of people, no less.
  • Sliding Scale of Parent-Shaming in Fiction: Type III. Nomi's parents actually do care about her, but because they won't acknowledge her as trans they only alienate her and make her miserable. They just think they're doing it for a wayward son's own good. Her dad eventually gets better somewhat, finally calling her his daughter.
  • Why Couldn't You Be Different?: Nomi's parents reject every part of her identity, even mocking her name. Even before coming out, Nomi was the "problem child" and her parents wanted her to be more like Teagan. At the wedding when the police come to arrest her, her finally refers to Nomi as "my daughter".

    Agent Bendix 

Agent Jeffrey Bendix

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_sense8_bendix.png
Portrayed By: Anthony Cistaro

An FBI agent on Nomi's tail in season two.


  • Inspector Javert: Relentlessly pursues Nomi for her hacking activity. This comes back to bite him in the ass when he storms Teagan's wedding to arrest Nomi without bothering to check if the arrest warrant was still valid. Amanita promptly embarrasses him in front of the congregation by pointing out his error.
  • Malicious Misnaming: Amanita and Nomi like to call him "Bent-Dick".

Mexico City, Mexico

    Hernando 

Hernando Fuentes

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_sense8_hernando.png
Portrayed By: Alfonso Herrera

Lito's secret boyfriend, a professor.


  • Deadpan Snarker: Case in point: he snarkily informing Daniela that Lito's "problem" with hooking up with her is her lack of a penis.
  • Forced Out of the Closet: Joaquin releasing the pictures of him and Lito exposes his sexuality to his students.
  • Hot Teacher: He lectures professionally on art and Lito and Dani certainly find him attractive.
  • Locked Out of the Loop: Unlike Amanita, Hernando is unaware that Lito is a sensate. By the time of the Series Finale, he and Daniela have been brought into the secret.
  • Morality Chain: He is one for Lito. This eventually leads to their temporary breakup because he could not stand to let Daniela get hurt just so Lito can protect his career..
  • Nerds Are Sexy: Wears glasses all the time, reads lots of books, and went to an art exhibit with Lito on his first date with him. And he's extremely attractive.
  • Nice Guy: Hernando is so sweet and passionate about everything that even Dani falls a bit in love with him.
  • The Philosopher: On their first date together Lito and Hernando share an intellectual moment talking about the nature of freedom and love in front of Diego Rivera's artworks.
  • Polyamory: By the end of the series Daniela is considered a third part of his and Lito's relationship, in a primarily romantic sense but she is also welcome into the bedroom with them as the two men have sex with each other
  • Real Men Can Cook: Daniela thinks he's good enough to open a restaurant.
  • Secret Relationship: With Lito.
  • Straight Gay: He fits this better than Lito, who is more Manly Gay.
  • Understanding Boyfriend: He's not a sensate himself, or anything more than an art teacher, but he takes Lito being a member of a secret human species with a psychic connection to seven other people fighting against an international terrorist organization in stride.
  • What the Hell, Hero?: Hernando ends their relationship after Lito allows Daniela to reenter an abusive relationship to protect his career.

    Dani 

Daniela Velasquez

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_sense8_daniela.png
Portrayed By: Eréndira Ibarra

An actress friend of Lito's who's acting as his beard for the public.


  • Affectionate Nickname: "Dani."
  • The Atoner: Becomes this when she goes back to Joaquin to keep him from blackmailing Lito.
  • The Beard: She was this unwittingly, unaware of Lito's intentions with their flirtation. When she finds out that he's gay, however, she's down with pretending to be Lito's girlfriend, as it keeps her away from her abusive ex-boyfriend and she believes in Guy on Guy Is Hot.
  • Badass Normal: Regular human without the connection the cluster shares. Beats down Whispers and turns his Breaking Speech back at him.
  • Defiant Captive: She returned to Joaquin for Lito's sake, but was more than ready to leave when Lito came for her. She even hit Joaquin with a shovel.
  • Damsel in Distress: Lito has to rescue her from Joaquin.
  • Fag Hag: Is a little overly keen about getting to stay with two attractive gay men.
  • Family of Choice: She has a strained relationship with her parents and chooses to remain with Lito and Hernando when they come to bring her home.
  • Guy on Guy Is Hot: Believes in this to an extreme degree, to the point where she will masturbate while Hernando and Lito have sex. This actually becomes a plot point when Joaquin steals her phone, which has pictures of Hernando and Lito having sex on them.
  • Incompatible Orientation: Before she learns he's gay, Daniela is very interested in being more than Lito's screen partner.
  • Locked Out of the Loop: Unaware that Lito is a sensate until the Series Finale.
  • Mafia Princess: It's heavily implied that her father runs a drug cartel.
  • Ms. Fanservice: She spends a lot of time hanging around Lito's house in her underwear.
  • My God, What Have I Done?: Taking pictures of Lito and Hernando for her own entertainment comes back to bite them in the ass when Joaquin steals her phone and threatens to leak the pictures if Daniela doesn't get back together with him.
  • Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: By getting carried away and snapping photos of Lito having sex with Hernando, she puts all three of them in jeopardy when Joaquin steals her phone.
  • Plucky Girl: She can be very determined when she puts her mind to something, first by convincing Lito to speak at the pride parade then later by getting him a movie deal by talking to two producers on the phone simultaneously.
  • Polyamory: By the end of the series she is considered a third part of Hernando and Lito's relationship, in a primarily romantic sense but she is also welcome into the bedroom with them as the two men have sex with each other
  • Shipper on Deck: She is definitely pushing for Lito and Hernando to be together and have happy memories.
  • The Social Expert: She knows how to work the film industry very well due to her connections and her experience from her early years as a young actress with no agent. She even acts as Lito's impromptu agent when his agency drops him due to the pride parade, and she instantly gets him an meeting with a producer by calling two studios and playing them off each other.
    Dani: In this business, timing is everything.
  • Sunglasses at Night: Wears them when she moves out of Lito and Hernando's place and meets them to get her luggage. It's to hide the bruises Joaquin's left on her face.

    Joaquin 

Joaquin Flores

Portrayed by: Raul Mendez

An ex-boyfriend of Daniela's.


  • Crazy Jealous Guy: He has it out for Lito, the guy the public thinks is Daniela's new boyfriend.
  • Curb-Stomp Battle: Get this on both ends. First gives one to Lito when he comes to take Daniela back, then receives it when Wolfgang steps in.
  • Domestic Abuse: He beat Daniela while they were together and does this again when he blackmails her into getting back together with him.
  • Establishing Character Moment: When he first meets Lito he holds a knife to Lito's jugular, explaining that's the best way to kill a man.
  • Faux Affably Evil: His early scenes show his obsession with Daniela in a more comical light, including a scene where he drunkenly requests that he see Lito have sex with Daniela so that he can know "how to win her back." This all becomes much less comical when his abuse towards Daniela comes to light.
  • Politically Incorrect Villain: He physically abused Daniela and chalked it up to Mexican machismo, and calls Lito a "faggot" when he comes to rescue Daniela.
  • Psycho Ex-Girlfriend: Gender Flipped. He's clearly not over Daniela leaving him, and even breaks into Lito's house just so he can ask what he did wrong. (Daniela helpfully reminds him it may have had something to do with the physical abuse.) He later blackmails her into getting back together with him and still treats her badly after she agrees.

    Estella 

Estella Rodriguez

Portrayed by: Dolores Heredia

Lito's mother.


  • Affectionate Nickname: Calls Lito "my baby penguin" during the Christmas special.
  • Daytime Drama Queen: The flashback to Lito's birth reveals that she, along with all of her gathered relatives, were watching a telenovela at the moment he was delivered. When Lito remembers this he starts laughing at how he was clearly destined to be an actor.
  • Drama Queen: Although she makes it crystal clear that she loves and supports Lito, she didn’t say so until after letting him find all the tabloid pictures carefully arranged on the table and dramatizing her own social ostracization. At least we know Lito comes by it honestly.
    • To be fair, Lito had to know that she would get hit with a lot of unpleasantness once he decided to let Joaquin release the pictures and apparently didn’t give her a heads-up. Or even call home at all for months afterward.
  • Open-Minded Parent: One of the few people to unconditionally support Lito after he is Forced Out of the Closet, and asserts that she loves her son no matter what.
  • So Proud of You: She tells Lito that she's proud of him for not backing down and denying his sexuality "like so many others".

Berlin, Germany

    Felix 

Felix Brenner

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_sense8_felix.png
Portrayed By: Max Mauff, Chiron Elias Krase (young)

Wolfgang's best friend and partner in crime.


  • Childhood Friends: He and Wolfgang have had each other's backs since they were kids.
  • Distressed Dude: Wolfgang has to protect him after he's shot by Steiner. He ends the first season comatose in a private hospital.
  • Family of Choice: To Wolfgang, who considers him a true brother (unlike the rest of his family, whom he hates).
  • A Friend in Need: As seen in the Christmas special, while on the run from gangbangers with Wolfgang, despite after already surviving being shot before, and even with Wolfgang demanding he split off and get to safety, Felix staunchly refuses to abandon Wolfgang.
  • Genre Savvy: He's watched his fair share of action films, and is aware that he fills the "sidekick" role in Wolfgang's storyline.
    Felix: ...I can't get shot again, that would be terrible plotting.
  • Heterosexual Life-Partners: With Wolfgang, since childhood.
    Wolfgang: He's my brother. And not by something as accidental as blood… by something much stronger. By choice.
  • Just a Gangster: To a degree. Even after just barely surviving being shot by Steiner and having the money to probably start a comfortable legitimate life, Felix writes off the idea of leaving a life of crime out of hand.
  • Moment Killer: He's the one who interrupts Wolfgang and Kala's Almost Kiss.
  • Nouveau Riche: After stealing the diamonds Steiner had planned to steal, Felix gets excited about all the money he and Wolfgang are going to get for them. When they go to dinner at a fancy restaurant, Felix orders "the most expensive wine [they] have".
  • Only Friend: Wolfgang mentions that Felix was the only kid who didn't hate him.
  • Undying Loyalty: He and Wolfgang have this for each other. Felix is always willing to fight for Wolfgang despite being scrawny and outnumbered, and Wolfgang's response to Felix getting shot was to go on a Roaring Rampage of Revenge.

    Steiner 

Steiner Bogdanow

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_sense8_steiner.png
Portrayed By: Christian Oliver

A Russian mobster who also happens to be Wolfgang's cousin.


  • Bald of Evil: Steiner doesn't have a single hair on his head or a single moral in his body.
  • Big Brother Bully: He has this dynamic with Wolfgang, though technically they're cousins. However they were raised together after Wolfgang's father died, so Steiner is more like a (terrible) brother than a cousin.
  • Gangland Drive-By: This is how he shoots and nearly kills Felix.
  • Hair-Trigger Temper: His self-control is practically non-existent. There's not a single scene with him in which he doesn't threaten, insult, or shout at someone.
  • Jerkass: He's a violent, vulgar, and all-around unpleasant thug.
  • Large Ham: Tends to deliver his lines in an over-the-top manner, often accompanied by similarly melodramatic hand gestures. Actor Christian Oliver clearly has a lot of fun with his role.
  • Oh, Crap!: He has an appropriately epic reaction to Wolfgang shooting a rocket at him.
  • Politically Incorrect Villain: He makes a few homophobic comments when Lito in Wolfgang's body lies to him about how they obtained the diamonds. For bonus points, Lito is a gay man (although Steiner's unaware of his presence).
  • Sir Swears-a-Lot: His speech is riddled with obscenities.
  • Smug Snake: Steiner thinks he is far more clever than he is. Wolfgang shows him up from their first conflict.
  • Tattooed Crook: His bald head lets him display his neck tattoo of the Virgin Mary holding a gun.

    Sergei 

Sergei Bogdanow

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_sense8_sergei.png
Portrayed by: Sylvester Groth

Wolfgang's paternal uncle and father to Steiner, seemingly the head of the organized crime unit Wolfgang works in.


  • Ain't Too Proud to Beg: When Wolfgang comes to kill him, Sergei desperately tries to bargain for his life, first by apologizing for ignoring the abuse Wolfgang was subjected to as a child, then by offering him money. It doesn't save him.
  • Affably Evil: In stark contrast to his thuggish son, Sergei is unfailingly polite in his interactions with Wolfgang.
  • Betrayal by Inaction: He did nothing to stop Wolfgang's father from abusing Wolfgang and his mother. This is why Wolfgang wants revenge so badly.
  • Boom, Headshot!: The cause of his death, although it's not a single shot, but a whole magazine worth of bullets. The result isn't a pretty sight.
  • Crazy-Prepared: Wears a bulletproof vest at home. Wolfgang immediately lampshades how unlikely this is.
  • Et Tu, Brute?: Sergei is genuinely horrified when Wolfgang betrays him and admits to killing Steiner and his own father.
  • Even Evil Has Loved Ones: He obviously cares deeply about Steiner and has stated that he wants nothing more than to get revenge for whoever killed his brother (Wolfgang's father).
  • Even Evil Has Standards: He may be a ruthless mobster, but he draws the line at killing family members. He is accordingly shocked when Wolfgang confesses that he killed both Steiner and his own father.
  • Like a Son to Me: Implied as much; Sergei tells Wolfgang that he doesn't want to choose between Steiner and Wolfgang (who does not reciprocate the feeling).
  • The Mafiya: A high-ranking member of the Russian mob in Berlin.
  • Man of Wealth and Taste: He lives in a huge, opulently furnished mansion, smokes fine cigars, and wears expertly tailored bespoke suits.
  • Multiple Gunshot Death: Wolfgang riddles him with bullets to prove to Kala that he's a terrible person.
  • Softspoken Sadist: He rarely raises his voice, which only makes him more threatening.
  • Villainous Breakdown: Once it dawns on him that Wolfgang killed Steiner, his self-control rapidly fades, until he's firing wildly at Wolfgang while screaming in rage and grief.
  • Wicked Cultured: Seems to be a lover of the fine arts, judging by the numerous paintings in his mansion.

    Fuchs 

Sebastian Fuchs

One of the four major Berlin crime lords. He approaches Wolfgang in season two.

  • Affably Evil: He's a crime boss, but he's always nice and courteous to Wolfgang and Felix.
  • Unwitting Pawn: He has no idea Lila uses him for her own gains.

    Wolfgang's father 

Anton Bogdanow

Wolfgang's abusive father.

    Wolfgang's mother 

Irina

Wolfgang's mother.

  • Broken Bird: Her treatment at Anton's hands has left her seriously depressed.
  • Domestic Abuse: On the receiving end of it from Anton.
  • Mama Bear: She did her best to try and protect Wolfgang from his father and encouraged him to keep singing.
  • Parental Incest: Anton is her stepfather in addition to fathering Wolfgang with her. It's strongly implied that it wasn't consensual.
  • What Happened to the Mouse?: She's only ever seen in flashbacks to Wolfgang's childhood, does not attend his grandfather's funeral in the first episode and her current whereabouts are never shown to the audience.

Seoul, South Korea

    Kang-Dae 

Bak Kang-Dae

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sense8_kangdae.png
Portrayed by: Lee Geung-young

Father to Sun and Joong-ki as well as a powerful businessman based in Seoul.


  • Fantasy-Forbidding Father: He disapproved of Sun training in martial arts, forcing her to use a different last name in competitions. Even when she won a prestigious tournament he still refused to give his blessing for her to continue fighting.
  • Heel–Face Door-Slam: Just as he decides to come clean about the embezzlement and get his daughter out of prison, Joong-ki murders him.
  • My God, What Have I Done?: He comes to this realization after convincing Sun to go to prison for his and Joong-ki's sake. When he visits her, he admits he hasn't been taking care of himself at all out of shock.
  • Parental Favoritism: He pretty clearly favors his son over his daughter, which his children are very aware of. In fact, he acknowledges his daughter so little that this is basically the entire reason the plan for Sun to take the fall for the embezzlement works - despite being his child and employee, there's almost no public connection between them. He eventually realises what a mistake he's made after seeing how Joong-ki is unable to take any responsibility for what he's done.

    Joong-ki 

Bak Joong-ki

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sense8_joongki.png
Portrayed by: Lee Ki-chan

Sun's younger brother who also shares a high position in their father's company.


  • Ain't Too Proud to Beg: When his crimes are about to be exposed he breaks down crying and begs his father to keep him out of prison. Kang-Dae is disgusted by this, and bitterly comments that his son doesn't know how to "act like a man". He also begs Sun not only to take the fall in the first season, but also when she's about to kill him with a piece of rebar.
  • Cain and Abel: He eventually tries to have Sun bumped off, because She Knows Too Much.
  • Corrupt Corporate Executive: His embezzlement is what gets the company into trouble in the first place.
  • Crocodile Tears: When he tells Sun that their father killed himself and she promptly replies by accusing Joong-Ki of murdering him, all pretense of grief immediately fades.
  • Dirty Coward: Will do anything he can so that he wouldn't have to face the music.
  • Establishing Character Moment: His first appearance is him arriving late to a meeting with a client, whom his sister has to deal with as a result; he also cheerfully ignores the sexist way the client treats Sun.
  • The Evil Prince: Though not royalty, he fits the archetype, being a petty, spoiled, greedy man born into a rich and powerful family, who then goes on to kill his own father and then trying to usurp and get rid of his much more morally upright and responsible older sibling.
  • Foolish Sibling, Responsible Sibling: Joong-ki is a freeloader who causes all of his family's problems, which Sun has to clean up by going to prison for his embezzlement.
  • Hate Sink: There is nothing likable about Joong-ki; from his first appearance he establishes himself as selfish, hedonistic, and uncaring about his family, and it only gets worse from there.
  • Hookers and Blow: The second time we see Joong-ki is at a sex club where he and his friends are pawing at the performers and getting drunk.
  • Jerkass: Constantly insults and dismisses Sun, and has no qualms about transparently trying to manipulate her into going to jail for him.
  • Karma Houdini:
    • Come the Season 1 finale, all he has to show for what he's done is an ass-kicking from Sun.
    • In Season 2, he still manages to escape justice because Sun spares his life, and an influential politician has his back to ward off corruption charges. This is ultimately subverted in the Series Finale.
  • Karma Houdini Warranty: In the Series Finale, the politician who had his back is investigated for corruption, ultimately bringing down Joong-ki with him.
  • Make It Look Like an Accident: Sun suspects that he murdered their father to spare his own reputation. His reaction suggests she's right.
  • Spoiled Brat: Joong-ki has clearly developed no accountability as a result of his father's favoritism, blaming his father for his embezzling of millions from the family company because their father "taught [him] how to bend the rules".
  • Villain with Good Publicity: Sun takes the blame for his embezzling and no one suspects him of killing his father. As of the Christmas special, he gets both praise for "saving" the company and sympathy for having an "unstable" sister. When Sun tries but fails to kill him in season 2 second last episode, he gets even more sympathy and she's labelled a dangerous fugitive. In the Series Finale though, the public finally get wise to his ruse when the corrupt politician protecting him is brought down by the police.

    Mi-Cha 

Bak Mi-Cha

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sense8_micha.png
Portrayed by: Hye Hwa Kim

Sun and Joong-ki's deceased mother.


    Min-Jung 

Min-Jung

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sense8_minjung.png
Portrayed by: Yuh-jung Youn

One of Sun's fellow inmates.


  • The Dog Bites Back: Decided to poison her husband when she had enough of his abusive behavior. She spots the same attitude in the thugs Joong-ki dispatches to kill Sun, and thus decides to help her fight back.
  • Heroic Sacrifice: Opts to return to prison after having a taste of freedom, rather than burden Sun on her quest for revenge.
  • Improvised Weapon: Kills one of Joong-ki's thugs with a broken mob handle.
  • Never Mess with Granny: Besides poisoning her husband, she also kills one of Sun's would-be assassins who was hanging her, single-handedly thwarting their almost successful attempt.
  • The Old Convict: Is older than most of Sun's fellow inmates and acts as something of a mentor to her.
  • Til Murder Do Us Part: Poisoned her husband and is in prison for it.

    Soo-Jin 

Soo-Jin

Portrayed by: Sara Sohn

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sense8_soojin.png
The youngest of Sun's fellow inmates.






    Detective Mun 

Detective Mun Kwon-Ho

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sense8_mun.png
Portrayed by: Sukku Son

A detective from Seoul Metropolitan Police working on Sun's case.


  • Amazon Chaser: Sun's ability to kick his ass every time they fight only makes him more interested in her.
  • Dating Catwoman: Played with. Technically Sun's not really a criminal, but she's being hunted by police after escaping jail. Despite having the obligation to arrest her, Mun believed her when she told him that her brother was the real crook.
  • Fair Cop: A handsome policeman in tight clothes who falls in love with Sun.
  • Forgotten First Meeting: He actually fought Sun in a taekwando competition when they were younger (she won, of course), but neither of them remembered at first.
  • Meaningful Name: A bit of a pun here, as he is the cool and jovial Mun (moon) to her quiet but intense Sun, although Mun is technically his family name while Sun is her given name.
  • Offscreen Moment of Awesome: Thanks to the story plans after Season 2 having to be squeezed into one final movie, he ends up taking down the entire Government Conspiracy Joong-ki is involved in without the cluster's help as they're busy saving Wolfgang.
  • Only a Flesh Wound: Somehow survives a bullet to the gut, fired by Joong-ki as he prepares to arrest the latter for money laundering.
  • Sympathetic Inspector Antagonist: He tells Sun's master that "something stinks in the story of her escape" and leaves his card, willing to hear her side of the story. Mun suspects that Sun's brother is the actual criminal and Sun might have been framed. He is even open to Sun's account of her father's death (being killed by her brother's mooks, which contradicts the official conclusion that he committed suicide) and asks her to make a statement about this on the record. In their last meeting he promises to let her go if she wins a physical fight with him. The next time she sees him, he is about to arrest her brother.

    Mrs. Cho 

Mrs. Cho

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sense8_mrscho.png
A former inmate at the prison and a friend of Min-Jung who harbors Sun and Min-Jung after they escape.
  • Deadpan Snarker: The only thing she hates more than rhetorical questions? Stupid rhetorical questions.

    Woo-jin 

Woo-jin

Portrayed by: Woo Joo Lee

The boy Sun fought in her last tournament as a teenager, with whom she lost her virginity.


  • Graceful Loser: Makes a point of finding Sun after he lost their bout to tell her it was an honour to have faced her in the ring. It's this act of compassion, humility and recognition which compels her to have sex with him.
  • Worthy Opponent: He had no problems fighting Sun even though she was female and, as mentioned above, didn't care that he lost to her.

Mumbai, India

    Rajan 

Rajan Rasal

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_sense8_rajan.png
Portrayed by: Purab Kohli

Kala's fiancé.


  • Alliterative Name: Rajan Rasal.
  • Ambiguously Bi: In the finale the love triangle between he, Kala and Wolfgang is settled by all three of them having sex (and implied to enter into a triad relationship), not just sharing Kala, as one of the last shots we see of them is he and Wolfgang kissing.
  • Betty and Veronica: The nice, sweet Betty to Wolfgang's dangerous Veronica for Kala's Archie.
  • Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Subverted. Though Kala realizes that there is corruption in the company, he initially brushes off her concerns, assuring her that, while they were indeed selling useless medication, it was fine, as they weren't selling it to "their people" — it was being sold to "faraway places like China or Africa," meaning that people like Capheus's mother were likely getting faulty drugs. However, within the same episode he realizes he's in the wrong, shares his feelings about the company with Kala, and expresses his sincere determination to put the company on the right path and stop the corrupt practices.
  • Disposable Fiancé: Played with. Kala isn't totally excited to be getting married to him, and starts falling for Wolfgang hard. When she faints at her and Rajan's wedding before it's finished, it definitely seems to lead to this. They do get married, and in the Series Finale Kala still feels torn, admitting that Rajan is much more than the man she thought he was.
  • Dogged Nice Guy: Was apparently head-over-heels in love with Kala and didn't know how to talk to her before he started courting her.
  • Grand Romantic Gesture: Got to ask Kala out by filling her office with flowers on her birthday.
    • Also learned an elaborate Bollywood-style dance number for a flashmob so he could surprise her at their wedding.
  • Groin Attack: Manages to pull this on himself at one point; he falls out of bed while erect, his penis snaps, and he has to spend some time in hospital and recovery as a result.
  • Innocently Insensitive: He's fine with the company sending faulty drugs to "faraway places" like Africa, unaware that one of Kala's clustermates lives in Kenya, and whose mother may be directly affected by the practice.
  • I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: On their honeymoon, he picks up on Kala's mixed feelings and offers to annul the marriage, acknowledging that the strength of his feelings for her might not have been reciprocated and that he wants her to be happy. She turns the annulment down, though.
  • Love Triangle: Both he and Wolfgang love Kala, though Rajan himself is unaware at first that he's even in a Love Triangle.
  • Nice Guy: Rajan is extremely supportive, loving, and understanding towards Kala. Though she doesn't truly love him, Kala does respect and like him, and when prompted early in season two to think of someone she loves, she thinks of him as well as One True Love Wolfgang.
  • Polyamory: By the finale he is welcomed into Kala and Wolfgang's relationship.
  • Odd Friendship: He and Wolfgang instantly got along the moment they met despite the obvious tension between both of them loving the same woman. Even disregard that, Wolfgang is a career criminal and Rajan’s family owns a pharmaceutical company.
  • Unfazed Everyman: Is remarkably gung-ho about being let in on the sensate secret in season two, directly helps the cluster along in their quest, and integrates well with the rest of the characters.
  • Uptown Girl: He's far wealthier than Kala is. This is one of the reasons Kala's nervous about their marriage.

    Manendra 

Manendra Rasal

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_sense8_manendra.png
Portrayed by: Darshan Jariwala

Rajan's father, and owner of the pharmaceutical company where Kala works.


  • Cultural Cringe: He hates Indian food, almost gets assassinated due to his efforts to ban Hindu ceremonial rites, and is never seen wearing traditional Indian garments. One of the Hindus who later has a hand in his assassination attempt earlier said he wants India to be like America.
  • Hollywood Atheist: Rajan's father isn't content to personally disbelieve in gods and miracles, but backed a bill to outlaw harmless religious rituals like offering fruit to Ganesha. This enrages some Hindus to the point they attempt to assassinate him.
  • Parental Marriage Veto: Subverted. He disapproves of Kala marrying Rajan and even tells her as much, but Rajan assures her later that he'd known about his father's disapproval and went ahead with the proposal anyhow. Also, Manendra doesn't bring it up to Kala until he senses her own reluctance to go through with the marriage; he's trying to give her the out she wants.

    Kala's family 

The Dandekars

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sense8_kalasfamily.jpg
From left to right: Daya, one of Kala's cousins, Sanyam, and Priya
Portrayed by: Anupam Kher (Sanyam), Natasha Rastogi (Priya), and Huzane Mewawala (Daya)

Kala's family, consisting of her father Sanyam, mother Priya, and sister and fellow pharmacist Daya.


  • Good Parents: Kala's parents are extremely supportive of her and her decisions. Kala is the only protagonist whose parents are both alive and have a good relationship with her.
  • Perfectly Arranged Marriage: Implied as much; Priya tells Kala that she's the first in the family to marry out of love, implying their marriage was arranged. Despite this, they have a healthy and loving relationship.
  • Supreme Chef: Everyone has nothing but praise for Sanyam's cooking.

    Ajay 

Ajay

Portrayed by: Sid Makkar

A friend of Rajan's.


  • Ambiguously Evil: Despite coming off as an affable guy for the most part, he is rather sketchy and makes some veiled threats towards Rajan and Kala. It later turns out he's being investigated.

Nairobi, Kenya

    Shiro 

Shiro Onyango

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_sense8_shiro.png
Portrayed by: Chichi Seii

Capheus's mother.


  • Daddy Had a Good Reason for Abandoning You: She had to leave Capheus's younger sister at a shelter because she couldn't keep both her children alive.
  • Defiant to the End: In a flashback, when enemies of Capheus's father tried to murder his son, she stared them down with only a knife. They backed down because they knew that, while they could kill her, she'd kill at least one of them in return before dying, and none of them were willing to risk it.
  • Mama Bear: Shown in a flashback where Capheus's father's enemies came knocking at their door. Shiro knew she couldn't take them all but was determined to take down at least one of them with her.
  • Who Will Bell the Cat?: This is how she stopped a group of men from killing a young Capheus. If they all had rushed her they would have definitely overwhelmed her, but she would have killed at least one of them too. And none of them wanted to be to the one that would go down with her.

    Jela 

Jela

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_sense8_jela.png
Portrayed by: Paul Ogola

Capheus's best friend and partner in the bus service.


  • Childhood Friends: Jela states he has known Capheus since they were 10.
  • A Friend in Need: After Capheus resolves to go after the gang that robbed his bus, Jela says, without a hint of hesitation, "I'm coming with you." Capheus doesn't let him, but it's clear that Jela has no reservations about marching into hell with his friend.
    Jela: I'd follow you anywhere.
  • Heterosexual Life-Partners: He and Capheus are very close and look out for each other.
  • I Owe You My Life: In a throwaway line, Jela once in the first season jokingly tells Capheus "you save my life again, my friend" implying there is some unknown history between them.
  • What the Hell, Hero?: Gives one of these to Capheus after the latter reveals that he's in Silas Kabaka's service.

    Githu 

Githu

Portrayed By: Lwanda Jawa

The leader of Superpower, a vigilante gang.


  • Aborted Arc: His last scene is him telling Capheus he has plans, and driving away. Due to the series' cancellation, this is never followed up on.
  • Even Evil Has Loved Ones: A vicious criminal and killer. He also had a younger sister whom he loved and adored. When he and crime boss Silas Kabaka had a falling out, Silas had his sister brutally murdered.
  • Heel–Face Turn: In Season 2 he starts defending Capheus against the people trying to kill him, having realized that their rivalry is giving him far more of a reputation than he ever could have achieved on his own.
  • The Only One Allowed to Defeat You: He saves Capheus from an assassination attempt during a riot because he refuses to allow an outsider like Mandiba to end "The Legend of Superpower and Van Damn".
  • Revenge by Proxy: Initially intended to kill Amondi as revenge for his sister's death at Kabaka's hands.
  • Would Hurt a Child: In episode eleven, he originally intended to murder Silas' daughter in front of him.

    Kabaka 

Silas Kabaka

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_sense8_kabaka.png
Portrayed by: Peter King Mwani

The head of a powerful criminal syndicate.


  • Bad Boss: Zigzagged. He treats Capheus with respect and pays him well enough to provide for his ill mother. On the other hand, he shows absolutely no mercy to traitors, cutting off a subordinate's hands for stealing from him.
  • The Dreaded: Just the mention of his name causes everyone in the vicinity to freeze up.
  • Doting Parent: Amondi is his whole world; everything he does, he does for her sake.
  • Even Evil Has Loved Ones: He may treat his subordinates like crap, but he loves and adores his daughter Amondi.
  • Face Death with Dignity: When Capheus is being forced at gunpoint to nearly kill him, he responds by simply telling him to do it quickly and exposes his neck.
  • Gross-Up Close-Up: When he cuts off one of his subordinate's hands.
  • Heel–Face Turn: Becomes a loyal ally to Capheus in season 2, even warning him of a bounty placed on his head.
  • Karma Houdini: Alive and well at the end of Capheus's storyline. Probably for the best, though, at least for Amondi's sake.
  • Love Is a Weakness: Defied. He explains to Capheus that, contrary to what his rivals believe, love for another person can be someone's greatest strength and motivator.
  • Machete Mayhem: Cuts off a traitorous underling's hands with a machete to demonstrate why Capheus shouldn't try to double-cross him.
  • Scary Black Man: A large, intimidating Kenyan crime lord.
  • Secretly Dying: Shiro reveals that Kabaka is willing to date her because he, too, is infected by HIV.

    Amondi 

Amondi Kabaka

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_sense8_amondi.png
Portrayed by: Rosa Katanu

Silas' young daughter.


  • Because You Were Nice to Me: She convinces her father to give Capheus a brand new modern bus for his birthday as thanks for taking care of her, even picking it out herself.
  • Children Are Innocent: Amondi is totally oblivious to the darker side of her father's dealings and considers him an unquestionable hero. Capheus doesn't have the heart to correct her.
  • Daddy's Girl: She clearly adores her dad.
  • Mafia Princess: Possibly. She doesn't seem aware of where her father's money comes from, and acts sweet and nice to everyone.
  • Morality Pet: Her otherwise sketchy father only has her well-being in mind.

    Zakia 

Zakia Asalache

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_sense8_zakia.png
Portrayed by: Mumbi Maina

A reporter who interviews Capheus on his exploits, and later takes an interest in him.


  • Defrosting Ice Queen: She is initially standoffish and critical about Capheus's love of Jean Claude Van Damme, but is quickly won over by his optimism and sincerity.
  • Uptown Girl: She obviously lives in a modern, wealthy part of Nairobi, in total contrast to Capheus's background. However, she has no qualms about dating him, having been won over by his heart and personality.

Reykjavik, Iceland

    Gunnar 

Gunnar

Portrayed by: KK (Kristján Kristjánsson)

Riley's father. A pianist and Riley's musical inspiration.


  • Good Parents: He's a genuinely good and caring father, Riley loves and adores him and the problems in her life have nothing to do with their relationship.
  • Hippie Parents: He's seen smoking a joint with his band mates before a concert and accepts ecstasy from Riley.

    Sven 

Sven

Portrayed by: Eythor Gunnarson

An old family friend who owns a boat. Riley was actually born in his house.


  • Delivery Guy: He and his wife helped deliver Riley, presumably because her mother couldn't make it to the hospital alone.
  • Undying Loyalty: He cares deeply for Riley. When he heard she was coming home, he dropped everything to act as her chauffeur (since she can't drive), and later helps Riley and Will escape on his boat.

    Magnús and Lúna 

Magnús Þórsson and Lúna Magnúsdóttir

Portrayed by: Thor Birgisson (Magnus), Ishildur Erla Kemp (Luna)

Riley's husband and daughter.


London, UK

    Nyx 

Nyx

Portrayed by: Joseph Mawle

A drug dealer in London.


  • Affably Evil: Nyx is very personable in both his season one appearances. He even manages to be charming in a creepy way when suffocating Riley.
  • Would Hit a Girl: He attempts to suffocate Riley with a plastic bag when she doesn't return his money.

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