  |
This article's content is marked as Mature The page contains mature content that may include coarse language, sexual references, and/or graphic violent images which may be disturbing to some. Mature pages are recommended for those who are 18 years of age and older. If you are 18 years or older or are comfortable with graphic material, you are free to view this page. Otherwise, you should close this page and view another page. |
| “ | Nobody double-crosses me, Sunny. Not even the best Clipper in the Badlands. Unlike you, I'm not a killer. I'm a trader. And a man with a talent like yours is a very valuable commodity. You wanted to leave the Badlands? You got your wish. | „ |
| ~ The River King as he sells Sunny into slavery. |
The River King is a supporting antagonist in the AMC series Into the Badlands.
He is a smuggler who control the import and export of goods and Cog slaves in a series of boats and ships that move along the rivers that run through both the Badlands and the Outlands. Due to the value of the service he provides, he is respected by all Barons of the Badlands and works closely with them, but is also willing to helps enemies of the Barons if the price is right.
He was portrayed by Lance E. Nichols.
Personality[]
As the leader of a massive human slave trading operation, the River King was an incredibly ruthless individual, being willing to capture men, women, and children to sell them into labor or sex slavery. He was also rather callous when speaking to others, as he mocked Sunny for his desire to abandon the Badlands, saying there was no way to outrun who he was as a Clipper. That being said, the River King would always follow through with his end of a deal, and be extremely vengeful towards those who tried to cross him, such as when he told the Black Lotus of Sunny's location in order to have him killed. He was often fairly unreasonable, as despite Sunny providing the River King with a token given to him by Waldo which was supposed to grant him a favor, the River King still demanded Sunny hunt down M.K. as payment rather than make good on the promise of a favor that he gave to Waldo. Ultimately, he did not have any loyalties, despite working with the Barons he was fully willing to work against their interests if someone met his demands.
Biography[]
Deal with Sunny[]
The River King was the most recent person in control of the river trading systems that go in and out of the Badlands and Outlands, having controlled it for several decades. One day, a cargo ship carrying a group of children by the name of Sanzō, Kannin, and Taurin was on its way to the River King, but never arrived. A few days later, it floated out of the fog near the River King's base, with all of the crew and people on board dead, and the children missing. The captain of the ship had an axe in his head, and was on the verge of death. After being saved from dying, he told the River King of the attackers, a cult known as the Black Lotus. One day, At some point in time, Waldo did a favor for the River King during his time as Regent for Baron Quinn. In return, the River King gave Waldo a token which could be given back to the River King for a favor at any time. After this, another cargo ship was destroyed with all of the passengers being killed by a boy named M.K., who has a dark chi ability known as the Gift. After this, the River King puts a bounty out on M.K.'s head. Waldo would eventually give his token to Sunny, who is actually a grown up Sanzō, that had lost his memories of his childhood and time on the boat. Sunny meets with the River King and gives him the token, who comments that Waldo must trust Sunny deeply if he was willing to give up the token. Sunny asks that the River King help him and his companions escape from the Badlands. The River King states that while the token got him an audience, he doesn't owe Sunny anything like Waldo, but they can work something else out. The River King takes Sunny on board the ship M.K. attacked and shows one of the bounty posters to him, saying that if he finds the boy and clips his head, it will serve as payment for Sunny and his companions to get safe passage out of the Badlands, to a place where nobody will ever find them. Unknown to the River King, Sunny is actually M.K.'s mentor, and isn't willing to kill him, instead bringing the River King the severed head of a boy named Bale who looks similar to M.K. as payment. The River King eventually discovers this and desires to get revenge on Sunny.
Collecting Sunny's bounty[]
After Sunny is overpowered and incapacitated by three Abbots in combat, he is left unconscious and discovered by the River King. He then takes Sunny and imprisons him on one of his cargo ships, telling him that he is not a killer, but a trader, and that as revenge for Sunny trying to scam him he will sell him into slavery. The River King trades Sunny to an unknown party, and he eventually ends up in the Bordeaux Mines. Months later, Sunny has escaped from enslavement and has bounties put out on his head by several of his enemies, prompting the River King to decide he will collect the bounty so as to profit from Sunny a second time. Sunny and his companion Bajie take refuge on the boat of Lily, Bajie's ex-wife. They need her help to reach Pilgrim, a false messiah who can help cure Sunny's infant son Henry of the Gift, which is killing him. Lily decides to turn them into the River King in order to pay off her debts to him. The River King and his men ambush Sunny and Bajie on the boat, with Sunny being enraged to see him as selling Sunny into slavery indirectly led to Sunny's wife being killed by Quinn. Sunny then attacks and overpowers all of the River King's men, and holds him hostage. Sunny asks why he shouldn't kill him, but the River King saves himself by saying that he can get Sunny to Pilgrim, but only if he is alive. Sunny takes him back to his base at sword point, where the River King has his men stand down, promising to no longer pursue Sunny's allies if he is not killed. Sunny, beginning to remember his past as Sanzō, reveals that he was the one on the boat all those years ago, and asks the River King what he knows about it. The River King tells the story, but claims he does not know the identity of the attackers. After the River King provides Sunny with a route to reach Pilgrim, he contacts the Black Lotus and tells them of Sunny's location. They ambush Sunny but he manages to overpower and kill them. The River King attempts to flee, but is caught by Bajie and brought before Sunny. The River King reveals who the Black Lotus are to Sunny, and tells him that he can help him evade their capture for a price, but Sunny decides he is done working with the River King and stabs him through a nearby spike on the wall, killing him. Following his death, Lily takes over his position as the new River Queen.
Powers & Abilities[]
- Trading: The River King helped to facilitate a trading network across the Badlands and Outlands, to the point that without his blessing, the Baron's cargo wouldn't get where it needed to go.
- Smuggling: The River King was incredibly skilled at smuggling cargo into the Badlands, able to provide the Barons with a consistent stream of goods and Cogs.
- Leadership: The River King successfully led his empire for several years, with his position being respected by even the Barons, who considered him indispensable to them.
Trivia[]
- The River King alludes to the Tuolong from the 16th-century Chinese novel Journey to the West, of which Into the Badlands is loosely based on.
External Link[]
[]
 Villains
| ||
|
Armadillo Territory Butterfly Territory Fox Territory Pickaxe Territory Other Territories Dark Ones The Black Lotus Other | ||