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| “ | I'll tell you something, life looks different from down here. From this chair. Back when I was standing tall I never bothered to notice all the people living on their knees, all the people whose lives are melancholy little tunes. Those are the ones I'm fighting for. | „ |
| ~ Waldo |
Waldo is a major character in the AMC series Into the Badlands.
He is the former Regent for Baron Quinn, who served as the mentor to Sunny, turning him into the most skilled Clipper in all of the Badlands. After losing his legs, Waldo retired from being a Clipper and eventually decided to betray Quinn, allying himself with the Widow and her goal of changing the Badlands into a world that isn't built on bloodshed.
He was portrayed by Stephen Lang, who also played the Party Crasher in The Hard Way, The Shooter in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Miles Quaritch in the Avatar film series, Khalar Zym in the 2011 Conan the Barbarian remake, Percy "King" Dimplewade in The Nut Job, Increase Mather in Salem, Injun Joe in Band of Robbers, Norman Nordstrom in the Don't Breathe duology and Shrike in Mortal Engines. His younger self was portrayed by David Alexander.
Personality[]
Waldo was shown to have changed significantly in his old age by the time he is seen in the series. Sunny described Waldo as being a ruthless Clipper who taught him to suppress his emotions and show no remorse. However, after losing his legs and retiring from being Regent, Waldo instead became more empathetic towards Sunny's desire to leave his Clipper life behind, but still warned him to not let his emotions dictate his actions. Waldo's care for Sunny surpassed his own desire to survive, giving him a token that Sunny could give to the River King in order to escape the Badlands, telling him he should have saved him from the life of being a Clipper when he was a child, displaying regret at having raised Sunny in the Badlands. While Waldo would continue to chastise Sunny for not keeping his emotions locked away, he would always help him when he could, showing that he saw Sunny as the closest thing he had to a son.
Waldo would eventually betray Quinn in order to serve the Widow, as she wished to end the Cog slave trade, which Waldo was in support of, as he knew the system was broken due to his time as a Regent, a believe that they needed to remove all Barons from power and rebuild the system of the Badlands from scratch. However, unlike the other followers of the Widow, Waldo did not actually believe that she was a worthy leader, instead believing that she was the best chance they had of toppling the current system, but still recognizing she was corrupt in her own way. When she offered to make him a Baron in her new world, Waldo did consider it, suggesting that is something he always did desire, but he ultimately did not go through with it. Waldo eventually abandoned the Widow altogether due to her having compromised her ideals to work with Quinn to kill the other Barons, as Quinn was the worst Baron among all of them, and perhaps the worst example of the corruption that the Widow claimed to be fighting against.
Biography[]
Early life[]
Waldo was raised in the Armadillo Territory as a Clipper, eventually becoming the Regent in charge of all the other Clippers. During his time as Regent, Waldo saw dozens of Doll prostitutes, and even believes he probably has fathered several children in the Badlands that he hasn't met. Some time after Quinn took over the territory, he alongside Waldo and his wife Lydia found Sunny as a small child, and decided that if the harsh conditions of the Badlands hadn't killed him already, he must have a fighting spirit in him, so they took him in and made him a Clipper just like Waldo. Some time after this, Quinn's son Ryder was kidnapped by nomad scavengers, and Quinn refused to pay the ransom, leading to Ryder having three of his toes cut off and sent to Quinn as a warning. Waldo eventually tracked down and killed the nomads, rescuing Ryder. Years later, Waldo would have some sort of injury that caused him to lose his legs, therefore confining him to a wheelchair. He retired from his rank of Regent, with Sunny becoming his replacement. Waldo's retirement seemed to change his worldview on the Badlands, realizing the injustice of the Cog slave trade and Clipper system. This caused Waldo to ally himself with the Widow in secret, serving as her inside man within Quinn's fort.
Working as a double agent[]
Waldo spends most of his time taking care of his birds, but one day Sunny comes by his Clipper shack to speak with him, offering him a special type of whiskey he knows Waldo likes. Sunny asks how his birds are, but Waldo tells him not to pretend that he cares about the birds. Sunny then asks Waldo if he ever thought about trying to escape the Badlands, which prompts Waldo to ask why Sunny would ever want to leave. Sunny tells him that they would be free if they left, and Waldo tells him that freedom is overrated, pointing out that the birds he takes care of love to fly free, but at night they always come back home to him so they can stay in their cages, because it safe, emphasizing that they are safe in Quinn's territory, and that beyond the Badlands there is nothing but a bunch of false stories and a wasteland. And furthermore, even if Sunny did try to leave, Quinn and his Clippers would hunt him for the rest of his life. Waldo and Sunny exchange more conversation before Sunny leaves, with Waldo making it clear that as Quinn's Regent he is in a good position, and trying to change things will only make his life worse, or get him killed. Some time later, Sunny has taken a boy named M.K. on as his Colt, something he has never done before. M.K. wants to learn how to fight, but only seems to think about fighting in a simplistic sense of throwing punches and kicks, so Sunny takes M.K. to see Waldo in order to teach him otherwise. Sunny explains to Waldo that M.K. only thinks that his training should involve basic fighting, and then tells M.K. that if he can land a single hit on Waldo in a fight, he will train him any way he wants. M.K. is reluctant due to Waldo being in a wheelchair, but Waldo goads him into it, humorously remarking he won't even use his legs. M.K. tries to hit Waldo, but due to Waldo's intense reflexes, he is able to counter all of M.K.'s attacks and knock him to the ground even though he can't walk. After beating M.K., Waldo explains that M.K.'s problem is that he only thinks about what is right in front of him, which caused him to underestimate Waldo, and if he does that on the battlefield, it will get him killed. He then explains that the reason they call them Colts is because they have to break them like wild horses, and that's the only way to make a Clipper out of a boy.
Sunny eventually returns to Waldo's shack and begins asking once again about how to escape from the Badlands. Sunny claims Waldo once told him that if he wanted to escape the Badlands, he would need three things: a way out, a map through the wasteland, and nothing left to lose. Waldo explains that there is nothing beyond the Badlands but death and drought and more death, and Sunny won't need a map to find it. Sunny informs Waldo that he got a girl pregnant, and now has a responsibility to his unborn child. Waldo tells him that he likely has plenty of children, as do many Clippers, but when Sunny reveals he wants to help the woman he got pregnant to escape escape, Waldo realizes Sunny fell in love. Waldo then gives Sunny a token that will get him an audience with the River King, the man who controls shipments through the Badlands, and can get Sunny and his companions out safely. Sunny at first doesn't want to take it as it could get Waldo out, but Waldo makes it clear that if he wanted to escape he would have done it long ago, and that he wants to give the token to Sunny as he should have saved Sunny from life in the Badlands long ago, telling him to escape with his companions and have the life that he deserves. Ryder later pays Waldo a visit, asking him if he would support him if he took over the territory from his father. Waldo says that he will follow the side that wins, but that Ryder should choose his allies with care. Ryder then shows M.K.’s pendant to Waldo, which depicts the mythical city of Azra. Waldo suggests becoming acquainted with Penrith, Ryder's religious grandfather, as he will likely know more about the pendant. Soon after, Waldo learns that Sunny is being held in Quinn's dungeon, who has discovered Sunny's plan to escape. Waldo breaks Sunny out his cell and tells him to go get his lover Veil, and escape on the River King's boat while he has the chance. When Sunny says he must go and save M.K., Waldo tells him that it is too late for that, and if he goes after M.K. he will be headed right into an ambush that Ryder and rival Baron Jacobee are planning against Quinn, and that Sunny needs to leave now before it is too late.
Serving the Widow[]
Waldo abandons Quinn altogether and flees to the Widow's territory, where he becomes her head advisor. Waldo helps to train the Widow's adoptive daughter Tilda, who has become her new Regent. One day while tending to his birds, Tilda attempts to sneak up on him, but he catches her right before she can attack him. It turns out they do this often, with him helping to train her in stealth. He claims he could see her coming, but she says that it's clear she has improved despite him refusing to praise her. They discuss Tilda's new status as Regent, during which Waldo is critical of Tilda for going behind the Widow's back on vigilante missions against Quinn's former Clippers, but Tilda defends her decision saying she is bringing justice to the Badlands. Waldo understands this, but tells her she must be careful and not create an untrustworthy relationship between herself and the Widow. Waldo explains that the reason why Sunny was the greatest Clipper in the Badlands was because he locked his emotions in a box, and didn't let anyone get under his skin, until one day he did. Tilda asks if there's been any word from the River King on Sunny's whereabouts, but Waldo says that there hasn't been anything, and Sunny is probably lying down in his grave somewhere, or else he is some place much worse. During a meeting with the Widow, she walks in on him playing a melancholy tune on a piano. She asks him where he learned it, and he explains that it was from his mother. He elaborates that it wasn't until he lost the ability to walk that he started to notice people like his mother, who's lives were noting but melancholy tunes, and that he wants to make life better for people like that, which is why he follows her. The Widow then explains that Ryder, who has taken over the Armadillo Territory following the presumed death of his father, has called a Conclave, a peaceful meeting between all the Barons to discuss the issue of the Widow trying to take back her oil fields, which Ryder inherited after Quinn took them from her. The Widow ultimately decides to take Waldo with her to the Conclave over Tilda due to him having familiarity with the other Barons that may help sway them to vote for her over Ryder.
Waldo attends the Conclave with her, but things go south when the other Barons vote for Ryder over the Widow, prompting a fight to break out. The Conclave is then crashed by Quinn, who was believed to have been killed by Ryder but was actually alive in secret. Quinn kills Ryder, and Waldo flees with the rest of the Widow's forces, and a war breaks out between the Widow and the other Barons, as she has publicly stated her intention to overthrow them and end the Cog slave trade. The Widow begins working with Quinn to take out the other Barons, something that Waldo disapproves of. Around this time, Sunny resurfaces looking for his wife and child who have been kidnapped by Quinn, and begins working for the Widow in hopes of saving them. Waldo and him meet one last time, where Waldo makes it clear that Sunny should not trust the Widow, and that if he plans to go after Quinn, he should stop by Waldo's old Clipper shed, where he will find everything he needs. They say their goodbye, knowing they are unlikely to ever see each other again. After is becomes clear that the Widow sold out Sunny's wife and child to Quinn, he abandons her and Tilda attacks her, prompting the Widow to imprison her for being a traitor. Waldo confronts the Widow on this decision, demanding to know where Tilda is. The Widow questions if he thinks she would hurt her own daughter, and Waldo tells her he doesn't know anymore, and that power has changed her. He says he is done, but the Widow suddenly says she will make him a Baron, giving him pause. He is confused at first as the Widow had previously said she wanted to end the system of Barons ruling others, but the Widow points out that Waldo had previously told her not to destroy the entire system at once, and she wants Waldo to serve as the new Baron of the Armadillo Territory now that it has no Baron. Later, when Tilda breaks out of her cell alongside two of her allies named Odessa and Bajie, they are caught by one of the Widow's Clippers who questions where they are going. Waldo appears and tells the Clipper to leave the area, which he does. Waldo notices that Tilda is among the escapees, and wishes her good luck on wherever she goes next. After this, he decides to abandon the Widow altogether.
Months later, Sunny and the Widow have allied themselves in the war against Pilgrim, a dangerous false messiah with the supernatural ability known as the Gift. Before the final battle, the Widow gives Sunny Waldo's old sword to use in his fight against Pilgrim, believing that Waldo would have wanted Sunny to have it. The two discuss what might have become of their former friend, and Sunny states that if Waldo was with them, he would have called them crazy for going into battle against Pilgrim, but that he would have helped them anyways. Sunny ultimately kills Pilgrim using Waldo's sword, and what became of Waldo is never revealed.
Powers & Abilities[]
- Martial Arts/Swordsmanship: Prior to his injury, Waldo was one of the most skilled and dangerous Clippers in the Badlands, serving as the Regent for Quinn and the Baron before him. Even after losing his legs, Waldo was still capable of fighting, using a chain that wrapped around the wheel of his wheelchair to kill several Clippers that attacked him during the Conclave.
- Mentorship: Waldo was able to trains Sunny and turn him into the greatest Clipper in all of the Badlands, showing his ruthless and aggressive training style was very effective, although it turned Sunny cold and emotionless.
- Leadership: As a Regent, Waldo successfully led a Clipper force for several years, and he was offered the position of Baron by the Widow, suggesting that he would be able to lead an entire territory.
- Intuition: Waldo on several occasions could tell who was walking up to him based on their footsteps, without actually seeing who it was. He explained to Ryder that he acquired this skill after losing his legs.
Quotes[]
| “ | People don’t really want to be free. Besides, it’s an illusion. I mean, you take my birds, they just love flying free, but every night they fly on home to their cages where it’s safe and warm. | „ |
| ~ Waldo's nihilistic speech about freedom, which later turns out to be a lie. |
| “ | You underestimate your enemy in battle, odds are you won’t live to see another. | „ |
| ~ Waldo's lesson to M.K. |
| “ | You wanna start a fire, you need to control the burn. Otherwise, we all go up in an inferno. | „ |
| ~ Waldo telling the Widow to be cautious in her conquest for the Badlands. |
| “ | Power is a pricey doll. You get a taste for it, you keep coming back for more. | „ |
| ~ Waldo's warning to the Widow about her growing desire for more control. |
| “ | The system is broken. We gotta blow it up and start again. | „ |
| ~ Waldo's philosophy on fixing the Badlands. |
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Deleted scenes from season two show Waldo becoming the new Baron of the Armadillo Territory under the Widow, but these were made non-canon in season three, and this role was instead given to Lydia. Waldo's absence was likely due to his actor Stephen Lang having a schedule conflict with filming Avatar: The Way of Water, and Waldo's fate in the series is ultimately left unknown.
External Links[]
- Waldo on the Heroes Wiki
- Waldo on the Into the Badlands Wiki
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 Villains
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Armadillo Territory Butterfly Territory Fox Territory Pickaxe Territory Other Territories Dark Ones The Black Lotus Other | ||