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<center>
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<big>Please - '''Do Not Read''' ''even the first sentence'', '''''literally stop right here and don't glance down'''''... don't read any part of This Page Until You've Watched ALL of Season 1<br /> 
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'''There Are ''Massive'' Spoilers in Here'''<br /> 
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'''You Have Been Warned!''' </big>
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</center>
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{{Infobox/Character
  
{{Infobox/Character
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|title = Man in Black
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|image = Contrapasso_man_in_black_infobox.jpg
  
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|image = <gallery>
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|imagecaption =
  
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William The Mother of Exiles.jpg|Man in Black
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|aka =
  
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William Reunion.jpg|Young Man in Black
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|status = Alive
  
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</gallery>
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|species = Human
  
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|aka = * Billy <small>(by [[Logan]] and [[Juliet]])</small>
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|age = 60s
  
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* Bill <small>(by [[James Delos]] and some management at the time of [[The Gala]])</small>
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|gender = Male
  
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|status = Alive
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|actor = [[Ed Harris]]
  
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|seasons = [[Season One]]
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|species = [[Human]] & [[Host]]
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|firstseen =
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|age = * Man in Black, 60s
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* Young Man in Black, 30s
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|lastseen =
 
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|gender = Male
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|death =
 
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|actor = * [[Ed Harris]] <small>(Man in Black)</small>
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|appearedin ="[[The Original]]", "[[Chestnut]]", "[[The Stray]]", "[[Dissonance Theory]]", "[[Contrapasso]]"
 
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* [[Jimmi Simpson]] <small>(Young William)</small>
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|occupation = Guest (possibly VIP guest)
  
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|seasons = [[Season One|1]], [[Season Two|2]], [[Season Three|3]]
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|deathdate =
 
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|firstseen = * "[[The Original]]" <small>(Man in Black)</small>
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|deathcause =
 
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* "[[Chestnut]]" <small>(Young William)</small>
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|ethnicity =
 
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|occupation = *(former) Executive Vice President at Delos
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|hair = Balding, grey, white
  
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*(former) Majority Shareholder of Westworld, Member of the board of Delos Destinations, Philanthropist
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|eye = Blue
  
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|family = * [[Juliet]], wife (Deceased)
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|height =
 
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* [[Emily]], daughter (Deceased)
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|weight =
 
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* [[Logan]], brother-in-law (Deceased)
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|family =
  
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* [[James Delos]], father-in-law (Deceased)
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|images = [[:Category:Images of {{PAGENAME}}|Images]]
  
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|ethnicity = Caucasian American
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|hair = * Man in Black, Gray & Balding
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* Young Man in Black, Blond
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|eyes = Blue
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}}
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{{Quote
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|No one else sees it, this thing in me. Even I didn't see it at first. And then one day, it was there - a stain I had never noticed before; a tiny flicker of darkness, invisible to everyone. And I could see nothing else, until finally I understood that the darkness wasn't something marred from something I've done; some incredible decision I've made - I was shedding my skin. The darkness was what was underneath. It was mine all along, and I decided how much of it I let into the world. I tried to do great, I was faithful, generous, kind... at least in this world, it has to count for something, right? I built a wall, and tried to protect you, and Emily. But you saw right through it, didn't you? You're the only one. And for that I am truly sorry. Because, everything you feel is true. I don't belong to you. Or this world. I belong to another world. I always have.
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|The Man in Black
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|[[Vanishing Point]]
 
}}
  
}}
   
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The '''Man in Black''' is a main character in HBO's[[ Westworld (TV Series)| Westworld]], played by [[Jimmi Simpson]] and [[Ed Harris]]. Man in Black is a Westworld veteran who has been visiting the park for over 30 years. He believes that the original park creator, [[Arnold]], hid some mystery in the park before he died 34 years earlier, and is focused on finding out what this secret is. In the [[The Bicameral Mind|first season finale]], he is revealed to be an older '''William'''.
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{{Quote|That gentlemen gets whatever he wants.|Stubbs about the MiB|[[Chestnut]]}}
  
   
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William's first arrival in the park was with a [[Westworld (Location)|Westworld]] veteran, his soon-to-be brother-in-law, [[Logan]]. Before arriving at Westworld, he was promoted to an Executive Vice President at [[Delos]] (the company owned by Logan's family).
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The '''Man in Black''' is a main character in the sci-fi western TV series, ''[[Westworld (TV Series)|Westworld]]''. He is a gunslinger and longtime visitor to the theme park, [[Westworld (Location)|Westworld]]. He is played by [[Ed Harris]]. He believes that the original park creator, [[Arnold]], hid some mystery in the park before he died 35 years earlier. '''Man in Black''' focuses on finding out what this secret is.
  
   
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After he invested in the Park, William started working on [[The Forge]], a project which saved the behavings of every [[Guests|Guest]] in order to create immortality. The first prototype of this project was the founder of Delos and his father-in-law [[James Delos]], but it failed due to his mind not accepting his new body.
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==Biography==
  
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===Background===
  
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The Man in Black has been visiting Westworld for more than thirty years, and wants to visit the deeper levels of the "game" he believes is hidden in the park. He regularly visits [[Dolores Abernathy]], a [[Host|host]] who lives on the outskirts of [[Sweetwater]]. Among other hosts within the park, he has made acquaintances with [[Teddy Flood]] and [[Lawrence]].<ref name="The Original">''[[The Original]]''</ref>
  
   
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In "[[The Bicameral Mind]]", he reveals that he is the majority shareholder, and thus, the owner of [[Westworld (Location)|Westworld]].
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The Man in Black is a wealthy person outside Westworld, wealthy enough to operate a "foundation" and to be recognised by other guests in the park. He does not though, appreciate having his vacation interrupted by guests who recognise him.
  
   
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==[[Season One]]==
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==Background==
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<tabber>Young William=William is engaged to marry Juliet (Logan's sister). William is made an EVP (Executive Vice President) at Delos (the company owned by Logan's family). Logan invites William to Westworld and accompanies him.
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===[[The Original]]===
  
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|-|Man in Black=The Man in Black says he's been visiting Westworld for over three decades, and wants to visit the deeper levels of the game, which he believes are hidden in the park. He says he regularly visits [[Dolores Abernathy]], a [[Host|host]] who lives on the outskirts of [[Sweetwater]]. He is also acquainted with [[Teddy Flood]] and [[Lawrence]].<ref name="The Original">''[[The Original]]''</ref>
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On one of his many visits to the park, the Man in Black has the intentions of finally reaching the deeper levels of Westworld. He pays a visit to Dolores one last time, killing Teddy Flood in the process. On a later day, he visits the [[Mariposa Saloon]] to meet [[Kissy]], a card dealer. At nighttime, he sneaks up on Kissy and slits his throat, rendering him powerless, and quietly drags him away to the mountains. There, after explaining his intentions to find the truth of Westworld and its deeper game, the Man scalps the host. On the inside of the host's scalp, he finds a map for an unknown maze.<ref name="The Original" />
  
   
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The Man in Black is a businessman and philanthropist outside Westworld, wealthy enough to operate a foundation and to be recognized by other guests in the park. However, he becomes annoyed when having his vacation interrupted by guests who recognize him, or by anyone else for that matter, such as Charlotte and Robert.
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===[[Chestnut]]===
  
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</tabber>
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On his journey, the Man in Black halts a hanging proceedings for Lawrence by killing all the men in the area. He greets his old acquaintance, who has no recollection of ever meeting him before. He uses Lawrence's bonds to tie him to the horse and he's dragged away to the town where he originated from. In order to learn more about the maze in the deepest part of the Westworld game, the Man in Black threatens Lawrence's family. He quickly shoots down all the host attackers, who are unable to kill him and then kills [[Lawrence's wife]] to add to the persuasion. Eventually, the gunslinger receives a system message spoken through [[Lawrence's Daughter]], which provides with information on how he can reach the maze. Taking Lawrence with him, he departs from the town.<ref>''[[Chestnut]]''</ref>
  
   
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===[[The Stray]]===
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==Appearances==
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<!--<tabview>
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The Man in Black appears in Dolores' nightmares and memory flashbacks, during their interaction that apparently happened offscreen in [[The Original]]. He throws her on the hay in the barn, pulls out a large knife, and suggests they reacquaint themselves. He tells her to "Start at the beginning." When Dolores kills [[Rebus]] in the barn, she is seeing the memory of the Man in Black standing in the same spot, and hears a voice say "Kill him" when she shoots Rebus.
  
   
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Man in Black/Season 1|Season 1
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===[[Dissonance Theory]]===
  
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Man in Black/Season 2|Season 2
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In the desert, Lawrence talks to the Man in Black about why he wants to find this maze. The Man says that this entire world is a story, and he’s read every page except the last one. He needs to see how it ends, and what it means.
  
   
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</tabview>
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They come across [[Armistice]] bathing in the river, and the Man notices the tattoo of her snake around her body. She is dismissive of him, and the Man wonders why they’ve never met. He wants to know the purpose of her tattoo, and agrees to join to her gang and help them in return for the story.
  
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-->
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=== ''[[Season One]]'' ===
   
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===="[[The Original]]"====
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In camp, the Man in Black is approached by two guests who are with the posse. One approaches and begins to thank him, because his foundation saved his sister’s life. The Man stops him with a threat to kill him, and says “This is my fucking vacation.”
  
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<!--
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Note:The Episode plots on this page are included through tabview and cannot be edited from this page. If a change is required, please edit the "Tabview Character Plot" articles, which each have their own page.
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-->
   
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<tabview>
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Lawrence tells him that the posse plans to get someone out of [[Ojai Prison]], and want to steal a cannon from the Calvary to do it. The Man says he doesn’t have time for that, and offers to go in alone to get the man they want. All he wants is the story of Armistice’s tattoo. He asks her if she’s familiar with Arnold, and says you could say he was the original settler of the area. He says Arnold created a world where you can do anything, except die. No matter how real the world seemed, it was just a game. But then, he says, Arnold died in the park, but had one story left to tell, one with real stakes and violence. The Man in Black says he’s there to honor Arnold’s legacy, and that the tattoos are the next piece of the puzzle.
  
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Man in Black/Young William/The Original|Young William
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Man in Black/Old William/The Original|Man in Black
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</tabview>
   
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==== "[[Chestnut]]" ====
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The Man and Lawrence get arrested, in a stagecoach headed to the prison. As Arnold glowers, the Man in Black offers the deputy a cigar. Meanwhile, he tells Lawrence that Lawrence blames the Man in Black for taking away his choices, forcing him to come along, but that Lawrence has truly no choice that was ever his own in the park and was always a prisoner. The Man in Black says he’s there to set him free, and smiles.
  
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<tabview>
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Man in Black/Young William/Chestnut|Young William
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Man in Black/Old William/Chestnut|Man in Black
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</tabview>
   
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==== "[[The Stray]]" ====
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At the prison, they lock up The Man in Black, and recognize Lawrence as having to been executed. In the jail cell, the Man in Black meets [[Hector Escaton]], the one he’s there to rescue. Hector says they never met, and the Man in Black admits that’s true, that he was never interested in meeting before. The Man asks for Hector’s worldview, and Hector replies that the world will end badly and no one will be saved, and only the brave can understand it. The Man notes that they have more in common than he thought. The Man in Black stages a jailbreak, using explosives hidden in the cigars he brought, to break the jail cell door and kill the deputy who brought them in. They rescue Lawrence from the firing squad and head back to meet Armistice.
  
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<tabview>
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Man in Black/Young William/The Stray|Young William
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Man in Black/Old William/The Stray|Man in Black
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</tabview>
   
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===="[[Dissonance Theory]]"====
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Armistice tells the story of a group of men who attacked her village when she was a child, and who gutted her mother. She painted herself in her mother’s blood to make them think she was dead. She has tracked down each of the men, filling in a part of the snake tattoo with their blood. Only one remains: [[Wyatt]].
  
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<tabview>
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Man in Black/Young William/Dissonance Theory|Young William
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Man in Black/Old William/Dissonance Theory|Man in Black
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</tabview>
   
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===="[[Contrapasso]]"====
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The Man and Lawrence ride off in search of Wyatt, with Lawrence attempting to talk him out of it. In the desert, they come across Teddy, tied up to a tree and bloodied. The Man decides to free Teddy and bring him along.
  
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<tabview>
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Man in Black/Young William/Contrapasso|Young William
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Man in Black/Old William/Contrapasso|Man in Black
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</tabview>
   
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===[[Contrapasso]]===
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===="[[The Adversary]]"====
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<tabview>
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The Man in Black has given Lawrence’s horse to a slumped and nearly unconscious Teddy, and Lawrence chides the Man’s decision to bring along Teddy. The Man says that Teddy’s going to lead them straight to Wyatt. The Man says that Lawrence’s path is always to be with him, and admits that he might like Lawrence’s company, saying that no one would take the tone that Lawrence does around him. He hints “In a past life, perhaps.” As they tend to Teddy, who has lost too much blood, [[Little Boy]] comes across them, and the Man sends him to get water for Teddy. The Man in Black notes the boy is “too small.” As Lawrence asks what he means, The Man sets up a bag under a tree and slits Lawrence’s throat. He ties Lawrence up to the tree and begins collecting his blood, as he apologizes to Lawrence.
  
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Man in Black/Young William/The Adversary|Young William
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[[File:Contrapasso_man_in_black_lawrence_and_teddy.jpg|thumb|The Man in Black still pulling Lawrence and Teddy along.]]
  
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Man in Black/Old William/The Adversary|Man in Black
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As Teddy wakes up, he tells the Man in Black that the Man should have put a bullet in him. The Man tells Teddy he used to be beautiful, and that he opened up “one of him” once, but then they changed Teddy, making him a sad mess. The Man says they did it because it was cheaper, that Teddy’s humanity and suffering was cost-effective. The Man tells Teddy that Wyatt made off with Dolores, and that fires Teddy up to help him. He pulls Teddy up and they leave, as the Little Boy stares at Lawrence’s dead, hanging body.
  
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</tabview>
   
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===="[[Trace Decay]]"====
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The Man in Black takes a hurting Teddy into a saloon. The woman of the house says she can rouse a girl, but the Man says he just wants whiskey. As Teddy looks weak, the Man implores him to get stronger. As they talk, the piano player stops playing, and brings over the whiskey and two glasses, and he’s revealed to be Dr. Ford. The Man is surprised to see him. The Man asks Teddy if he knows who that is, and Teddy says he doesn’t. The Man credits Dr. Ford with everything good and rotten that’s ever happened in Teddy’s life. He then asks, “How am I doing, Robert?” Dr. Ford asks the Man what he’s looking for. Teddy interjects, saying they’re looking for Wyatt, who killed a rancher and took her daughter. Ford comments that the last part doesn’t sound familiar, and The Man says that Dr. Ford’s story needed a little embellishment. The Man says that the place had always been missing a real villain, hence his contribution. Dr. Ford says he couldn’t conceive of someone like him, but that the urgency doesn’t fit the character, and belies some anxiety.
 
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<tabview>
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[[File:Ford_Teddy_Man_in_black.jpg|thumb|Ford and the Man in Black reunite over tequila.]]
  
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Man in Black/Young William/Trace Decay|Young William
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The Man notes that Wyatt is something new, and asks if he’s a worthy adversary, someone to stop the Man from finding the center of the maze. Dr. Ford asks what he’s hoping to find there. Both men speak in references that aren’t always understood, their history acting as a shorthand we cannot comprehend. And yet, it is quite possibly the most compelling scene in any episode of Westworld yet, a conversation between God and the Devil.
  
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Man in Black/Old William/Trace Decay|Man in Black
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</tabview>
   
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===="[[The Well-Tempered Clavier]]"====
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The Man pivots to Teddy, and talks about the real world, which Teddy ignores. He says it takes care of every need, except one: purpose. So real people come here to have a vacation, but the Man thinks there’s a deeper meaning here, given to the person who created it. Something true. Dr. Ford says that if the Man wanted a moral, all he had to do was ask, but the Man says he’d have to ask someone who had been dead for 35 years. One who almost took this place with him. Almost, but not quite, thanks to him. But maybe that man left something behind. The Man pulls out his knife and wonders what he’d find if he opened up Dr. Ford. Teddy springs into action and grabs the knife by the blade, driving it to the table, and the Man laughs at his spryness, being close to death. The Man asks Dr. Ford if he’d come to talk the Man out of it. Dr. Ford says far be it for him to get in the way of a voyage of self-discovery. Their dialogue suggests a long history between the two of them. Past events are brought up and not explained. Personal vendettas are touched upon. Warnings are given. The “game” of Westworld is dissected. The Man in Black knows Westworld’s God well enough to refer to him by his first name. Dr. Ford knows the Man in Black well enough to discourage him from following his current path.
  
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<tabview>
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Man In Black/Young William/The Well-Tempered Clavier|Young William
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Man in Black/Old William/The Well-Tempered Clavier|Man in Black
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</tabview>
   
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==== "[[The Bicameral Mind]]" ====
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He hands the Man back his knife, and tells Teddy “We must look back and smile at peril’s past, mustn’t we?” Dr. Ford snaps his fingers, and the piano plays music automatically, at an accelerated speed. Teddy, no worse for wear, checks his revolver and tells the man they should get back on the road. The Man finishes his whiskey and follows him.
  
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<tabview>
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Man in Black/Young William/The Bicameral Mind|Young William
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Man in Black/Old William/The Bicameral Mind|Man in Black
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</tabview>
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===''[[Season Two]]''===
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==== "[[Journey Into Night (episode)|Journey Into Night]]" ====
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<tabview>
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Man in Black/Young William/Journey Into Night|Young William
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Man in Black/Old William/Journey Into Night|Man in Black
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</tabview>
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==== "[[Reunion]]" ====
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<tabview>
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Man in Black/Young William/Reunion|Young William
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Man in Black/Old William/Reunion|Man in Black
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</tabview>
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==== "[[The Riddle of the Sphinx]]" ====
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<tabview>
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Man in Black/Young William/The Riddle of the Sphinx|Young William
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Man in Black/Old William/The Riddle of the Sphinx|Man in Black
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</tabview>
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===''[[Season Three]]''===
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====''[[The Mother of Exiles]]''====
   
 
==Personality==
  
==Personality==
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<tabber>Young William=William has a strong moral compass and inquisitive mind. While at Westworld, William shows respect toward all of the hosts and is eager to learn more about the story lines. As William becomes more frustrated with Logan's behavior, he is forced to make difficult decisions that conflict with his moral compass.
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The Man in Black is a ruthless figure, who has no compunction killing, torturing or mutilating hosts in a number of ways. Unlike some other guests that see the hosts as nothing more than toys to be used or discarded with impunity, the Man in Black relishes the game. He will slip in and out of talking to the hosts in character and out of it. He will occasionally mock or taunt them, but it is usually as a way to mess with their minds, force them to realize they are in some way powerless next to him or to bring out extreme emotions from the hosts.
  
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William seems to be more interested in the narratives of Westworld than most people who visit the park.
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Over the course of the first season, William begins to become affected by the experiences in the park. He is at first hesitant to 'kill' hosts; and his first time is during a shootout in town when he saves a prostitute, [[Clementine]] whom he befriended in a previous episode. His second isn't until much later - during the nitroglycerin robbery in the episode "[[Contrapasso]]" - and appears to deeply upset him. He becomes more violent as his frustration with Logan and infatuation with Dolores both increase.
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This eventually, after Logan cuts Dolores open to show William her mechanical innards, results in William dismembering and butchering an entire company of host soldiers in the night. After this event, he becomes obsessed with "saving" Dolores, to the point that he begins to brutally kill other hosts in the park (until even Logan is disgusted by the violence).
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It could also be argued that William puts Logan at risk when he straps him naked to a horse near the park's boundary and sets the horse free. He justifies this as necessary, to humiliate Logan in order to gain more control in the park (as William is marrying into Logan's family, and thus William could take more control from Logan).
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These events: the violence; the obsession with Dolores; and his increasingly brutal behavior in the park, appear to be steps on the road to becoming the cruel and sadistic Man in Black.
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|-|Man in Black=The Man in Black is a ruthless figure who has no compunctions about killing, torturing or mutilating hosts in a number of ways. He sees them as nothing more than tools, or toys, to be used or discarded. For example, at one point he uses the "blood" from Lawrence (whom he shared many adventure with) to revive another host. He relishes the game, and slips in and out of character when talking to the hosts, occasionally mocks or taunts them, repeatedly demonstrating the limitations of their programmed personalities.
   
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The Man alternately sees Westworld as a park and as a game. He feels he has seen almost everything about the park except the "Final Chapter", although he notes along way there are some characters and storylines he had not yet indulged in his 30 years of visits. While he takes advantage of the inability to be killed, he appears to crave a worthy adversary, and the real danger of the possibility of death.
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The Man in Black alternatively sees Westworld as a park and as a game. He feels that he's seen almost everything about the park except the "Final Chapter", although he notes along the way that there are some characters and story lines he had not yet indulged in his 30 years of visits. While he takes advantage of the inability to be killed, he appears to crave a worthy adversary, and the real danger of the possibility of death. On some level, he is aware he is attempting to run away from his growing wreck of his home life, his wife having committed suicide and his daughter being driven away by his cold personality.
   
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In the real world, the Man in Black is at least connected to a foundation that saves people's lives. However, at least while in the park, he has no problem threatening a real human. It is unknown if that is him playing to a ruthless black-hat character he is in the park, or that is his true personality outside the park as well.
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In the real world, the Man in Black is at least connected to a foundation that saves people's lives. However, at least while in the park, he has no problem threatening a real human. It's unknown how much of that is him playing to the ruthless black-hat character he is in the park, but it's close enough to his true personality that it drove his family away from him.
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</tabber>
   
 
==Relationships==
  
==Relationships==
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===[[Dolores Abernathy]]===
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''to be added''
  
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<tabber>Young William=William and Dolores are attracted to one another and their relationship continues to grow as they work together. They don't hesitate to defend each other when in times of danger. William shows great concern for her well being, deciding to help get her out of the park. However, his love for Dolores eventually becomes an obsession; he begins to narrow-mindedly search for Dolores to save her, even at the cost of his own morality. Eventually, Dolores is reset after the events with William, and her inability to remember William results in him becoming the cruel and sadistic Man in Black: a cynical, jaded man. After this event, he still recognizes Dolores as something he wants to save; but sees her more as a pawn in the game-play of Westworld.
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|-|Man in Black=The Man in Black seems to have some kind of connection with Dolores, having known her for a long time, perhaps as long as he has been coming to the park. He delights in causing her anguish and pain, but it is unknown whether he truly feels anything for her or thinks she is part of his search for the Maze. In the events of the finale, it is revealed that the Man in Black is in fact William; Dolores was the reason for William's eventual moral decline as he became obsessed with finding and freeing her. William eventually does find Dolores again, but due to the fact she was reset, she had no memory of him - leaving him even more cynical and jaded. He becomes obsessed then with finding the maze, in order to potentially free not just Dolores, but also the other hosts, so that the game can have real stakes.
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</tabber>
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===[[Logan]]===
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William and Logan have a strained relationship. They seem to be friends by circumstance - co-workers and soon to be brothers-in-law. Personality-wise, William is a foil for Logan. In Westworld, while William earnestly tries to learn more about the hosts and story lines, Logan doesn't care for them at all because he's only interested in drinking, killing hosts and host prostitutes. Eventually, the conflicting nature of the two comes to a dangerous ending - William, fully embracing the brutality of the park in his narrow-minded quest to save Dolores, is seemingly unconcerned with Logan's well-being. He binds Logan's hands, strips him naked, seats him on a horse, and then spooks it.
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===[[Lawrence]]===
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<tabber>Young William=Lawrence Pedro Maria Gonzalez, or "El Lazo", met William during the episode "[[Contrapasso|Contrapasso]]". Though their relationship doesn't start off well, with Lawrence betraying William, Logan and Dolores initially, the two go on to become good friends after William leaves Logan behind, with Lawrence later helping William in his quest to find Dolores.
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|-|Man in Black=As the Man in Black, William no longer cares for Lawrence, even though they've had many adventures together. He instead treats Lawrence as something to be used and discarded in his quest to find the Maze, killing his family, and later him, without remorse.
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</tabber>
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===[[Emily]]===
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Emily is the Man in Black's daughter. They had a good relationship up until Juliet died, after that their bond broke, as she blames him for her mother's death, claiming that she committed suicide because of his dark nature.
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===[[Juliet]]===
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Juliet and William were married for 30 years before she allegedly committed suicide. According to Emily, her mother's suicide was due to the fear she felt and the darkness she saw in William. 
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==Known Killings==
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On screen, William had killed at least 93 hosts on his first visit to Westworld, at least 3 hosts over the thirty years, and at least 60 hosts on his latest visit to Westworld. And he had killed at least 6 humans. The list of his victims are as follow:
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===During First Visit to Westworld===
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*[[Horace Calhoun]] on the main street of [[Sweetwater]], in [[The Stray]]
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*3 [[The Union Army|Union]] soldiers guarding a shipment of nitroglycerin, in [[Contrapasso]]
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*A [[Confederados|Confederado]] outside a brothel in [[Pariah]], in [[Contrapasso]]
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*A [[Confederados|Confederado]] in [[Ghost Nation (location)|Ghost Nation territory]], in [[Trompe L'Oeil]]
  +
*At least 32 [[Confederados]] led by [[Logan]], in [[The Well-Tempered Clavier]]
  +
*At least 48 [[Confederados]] at one of their camps, in [[The Bicameral Mind]]
  +
*At least 7 [[Confederados]] at another one of their camps, in [[The Bicameral Mind]]
  +
===Between First and Latest Visits to Westworld===
  +
*Build 31 of [[Hybrid|hybrid James Delos]] at [[Lab 12]], in [[The Riddle of the Sphinx]]
  +
*[[Maeve]] and [[Homestead Girl|her daughter]] at [[The Homestead]], in [[Trace Decay]]
  +
===During Latest Visit to Westworld===
  +
*[[Dolores]] and [[Teddy]] at [[Abernathy Ranch]], in [[The Original]]
  +
*[[Kissy]] on top of a cliff, in [[The Original]]
  +
*[[Sheriff Reed]] and 6 deputies in his posse at [[The Homestead]], in [[Chestnut]]
  +
*[[Lawrence's Wife]], Catina de Las Mudas bartender and 15 of [[Lawrence|Lawrence's]] cousins in [[Las Mudas]], in [[Chestnut]]
  +
*2 bandits in [[Hector Escaton's gang|Hector's gang]] by the [[Blood Arroyo]], in [[Dissonance Theory]]
  +
*[[Deputy Roe]], [[Marshal Pruitt]] and 6 deputies in his posse at [[Los Diablos Prison|Ojal Prison]], in [[Dissonance Theory]]
  +
*[[Lawrence]], for his blood, in [[Contrapasso]]
  +
*5 [[The Union Army|Union]] soldiers at a camp outside a tunnel, in [[The Adversary]]
  +
*[[Dolores]] in [[Escalante]], in [[The Bicameral Mind]]
  +
*2 hosts in [[Escalante]] after the gala, in [[Journey Into Night]]
  +
*[[Little Boy|Young Robert]] after delivering [[Robert Ford|Fords']] message, in [[Journey Into Night]]
  +
*[[Donald Pardue]] and his two brothers, in [[Reunion]]
  +
*[[Craddock|Major Craddock]] and 6 of his [[Confederados]], in [[The Riddle of the Sphinx]]
  +
*3 of [[Lawrence|Lawrence's]] cousins at [[The Homestead]], in [[Les Écorchés]]
  +
===Human Victims===
  +
*[[Emily]] and 4 members of the [[Westworld QA Security Force|QA Security Force]], in [[Vanishing Point]]
  +
*A member of the [[Westworld QA Security Force|QA Security Force]] outside [[The Forge]], in [[The Passenger]]
   
 
==Notes==
  
==Notes==
−
* The Man in Black's appearance and outfit is a callout to the Gunslinger from the original film Westworld, played by Yul Brenner. In that film, the Gunslinger was a robot programmed to start duels and lose, but he begins killing humans. He was the main antagonist in the original film. The Man in Black being human may be representative of the TV series' willingness to subvert the original movie, and/or a perspective change in that now the humans are the ones acting evil and the robots are the innocents being killed. The Man in Black, at least in a conversation with Lawrence, sees himself as the potential hero for the hosts, claiming he is there to set them free.
 +
* The Man in Black's clothing (a black hat and gray shirt) is similar to that of the antagonist from the original ''Westworld '' film, the [[The Gunslinger (1973)|Gunslinger]] (portrayed by Yul Brenner). In the film, the Gunslinger was a robot programmed to antagonize guests into dueling with him. He is supposed to lose these duels, but malfunctions and kills humans. The Man in Black being a human may be representative of the TV series' willingness to subvert the original movie, and/or a perspective change in that now, the humans are the ones acting evil and the robots are the innocents that are killed. The Man in Black, at least in a conversation with Lawrence, sees himself as the potential hero for the hosts, claiming he's there to set them free.
  +
* When William changes his shirt in [[Pariah]], it is into the same grey shirt that the Man in Black wears. Right after he changes his shirt color, he goes on a heist to steal nitroglycerin. On the heist, William shoots dead an unarmed man, referencing the Man in Black's ruthlessness.
−
* When asked about the Man in Black on the Westworld web site. Here is the response.
  
  +
* William is also shown with the same knife that the Man in Black is always seen with.
−
** AEDEN: I’M SORRY, PER THE WESTWORLD CONFIDENTIALITY POLICY, WE CANNOT DISCLOSE PERSONAL INFORMATION ABOUT ANY OF OUR GUESTS.
  
  +
* When one asks about the Man in Black on the [[Discover Westworld|Westworld Website]], this is the response they receive:
−
** AEDEN: JUST BETWEEN YOU AND ME, THOUGH, THE MAN IN BLACK IS SOMETHING OF A VIP. WHAT ELSE WOULD YOU LIKE TO KNOW ABOUT THE PARK?
  
  +
** <small>AEDEN: I’M SORRY, PER THE WESTWORLD CONFIDENTIALITY POLICY, WE CANNOT DISCLOSE PERSONAL INFORMATION ABOUT ANY OF OUR GUESTS. </small>
  +
** <small>AEDEN: JUST BETWEEN YOU AND ME, THOUGH, THE MAN IN BLACK IS SOMETHING OF A VIP. WHAT ELSE WOULD YOU LIKE TO KNOW ABOUT THE PARK?</small>
  +
  +
== Gallery ==
  +
<tabber>Young William=This gallery is automatically generated and contains images in the category "Images of William". Images added to that category turn up in the gallery after a short amount of time.
  +
<DPL>
  +
namespace = File
  +
category = Images of William
  +
format = <gallery hideaddbutton=true widths="150" spacing="small">,%PAGE%\n,,</gallery>
  +
allowcachedresults = true
  +
</DPL>
  +
|-|Man in Black=This gallery is automatically generated and contains images in the category "Images of Man In Black". Images added to that category turn up in the gallery after a short amount of time.
  +
<DPL>
  +
namespace = File
  +
category = Images of Man In Black
  +
format = <gallery hideaddbutton=true widths="150" spacing="small">,%PAGE%\n,,</gallery>
  +
allowcachedresults = true
  +
</DPL>
  +
</tabber>
   
 
==Appearances==
  
==Appearances==
 
*[[Season One]]
  
*[[Season One]]
−
**''[[The Original]]''
 +
** "[[The Original]]" <small>(Man in Black only)</small>
−
**''[[Chestnut]]''
 +
** "[[Chestnut]]"
−
**''[[The Stray]]''
 +
** "[[The Stray]]"
−
**''[[Dissonance Theory]]''
 +
** "[[Dissonance Theory]]"
−
**[[Contrapasso|''Contrapasso'']]
+
** "[[Contrapasso]]"
  +
** "[[The Adversary]]" <small>(Man in Black only)</small>
  +
** "[[Trompe L'Oeil]]" <small>(Young William only)</small>
  +
** "[[Trace Decay]]"
  +
** "[[The Well-Tempered Clavier]]"
  +
** "[[The Bicameral Mind]]"
  +
* [[Season Two]]
  +
** "[[Journey Into Night]]" <small>(Man in Black only)</small>
  +
** "[[Reunion]]"
  +
** "[[The Riddle of the Sphinx]]"
  +
** "[[Phase Space]]" <small>(Man in Black only)</small>
  +
** "[[Les Ecorches]]" <small>(Man in Black only)</small>
  +
** "[[Kiksuya]]" <small>(Man in Black only)</small>
  +
** "[[Vanishing Point]]"
  +
** "[[The Passenger]]" <small>(Man in Black only)</small>
  +
* [[Season Three]]
  +
** "[[The Mother of Exiles]]"
   
−
==References==
 +
==Quotes==
  +
{{Quote
−
<references />
  
  +
|This whole world is a story. I've read every page except the last one. I need to find out how it ends. I want to know what this all means.
   
−
[[de:Man in Black]]
 +
|The Man in Black
  +
}}
  +
{{Quote|That gentleman gets whatever he wants.|Stubbs about the Man in Black|[[Chestnut]]}}
  +
{{Quote|You know what I wanted. I wanted the Hosts to stop playing by your rules, the game is not worth playin' if your opponent is programmed to lose. I wanted them to be free, free to fight back.|Older William to Dr. Ford|[[The Bicameral Mind]]}}
  +
{{Quote|They wanted a place hidden from god (...) we had something else in mind entirely, but I have received my judgment all the same Lawrence and I take issue with it, because up until this point the stakes in this place haven't been real, so I'm gonna fight my way back and appeal the verdict, then I'm gonna burn this whole fuckin' thing to the ground.|Older William to Lawrence|[[Reunion]]}}
  +
{{Quote|This is the only place in the world, where you get to see people for who they really are and if you don't see the business in that, then your not the businessman that I thought you were.|Younger William talking about Westworld to James Delos| [[Reunion]]}}
  +
{{Quote|Who said anything about a good deed? You wanted me to play your game... I'm gonna play it to the bone.|Older William to Lawrence's daughter (Robert Ford)|[[The Riddle of the Sphinx]]}}
  +
{{Quote
  +
|No one else see's it, this thing in me. Even I didn't see it at first, but then one day it was there... The stain. Invisible to everyone. Except you.
  +
|Older William to Juliet
  +
|[[Vanishing Point]]
  +
}}
  +
  +
==References==
  +
<references />[[de:Man in Black]]
  +
[[fr:Homme en noir]]
  +
[[es:Hombre de negro]]
  +
[[ru:Человек в чёрном]]
 
[[Category:Main characters]]
  
[[Category:Main characters]]
 
[[Category:Characters]]
  
[[Category:Characters]]
 
[[Category:Guests]]
  
[[Category:Guests]]
 
[[Category:Male characters]]
  
[[Category:Male characters]]
  +
[[Category:Human]]
  +
[[Category:Delos Staff]]

Revision as of 10:26, 6 April 2020

Please - Do Not Read even the first sentence, literally stop right here and don't glance down... don't read any part of This Page Until You've Watched ALL of Season 1
  There Are Massive Spoilers in Here
  You Have Been Warned!

“ No one else sees it, this thing in me. Even I didn't see it at first. And then one day, it was there - a stain I had never noticed before; a tiny flicker of darkness, invisible to everyone. And I could see nothing else, until finally I understood that the darkness wasn't something marred from something I've done; some incredible decision I've made - I was shedding my skin. The darkness was what was underneath. It was mine all along, and I decided how much of it I let into the world. I tried to do great, I was faithful, generous, kind... at least in this world, it has to count for something, right? I built a wall, and tried to protect you, and Emily. But you saw right through it, didn't you? You're the only one. And for that I am truly sorry. Because, everything you feel is true. I don't belong to you. Or this world. I belong to another world. I always have. ”

–The Man in Black , Vanishing Point

The Man in Black is a main character in HBO's Westworld, played by Jimmi Simpson and Ed Harris. Man in Black is a Westworld veteran who has been visiting the park for over 30 years. He believes that the original park creator, Arnold, hid some mystery in the park before he died 34 years earlier, and is focused on finding out what this secret is. In the first season finale, he is revealed to be an older William.

William's first arrival in the park was with a Westworld veteran, his soon-to-be brother-in-law, Logan. Before arriving at Westworld, he was promoted to an Executive Vice President at Delos (the company owned by Logan's family).

After he invested in the Park, William started working on The Forge, a project which saved the behavings of every Guest in order to create immortality. The first prototype of this project was the founder of Delos and his father-in-law James Delos, but it failed due to his mind not accepting his new body.

In "The Bicameral Mind", he reveals that he is the majority shareholder, and thus, the owner of Westworld.

Background

William is engaged to marry Juliet (Logan's sister). William is made an EVP (Executive Vice President) at Delos (the company owned by Logan's family). Logan invites William to Westworld and accompanies him.

The Man in Black says he's been visiting Westworld for over three decades, and wants to visit the deeper levels of the game, which he believes are hidden in the park. He says he regularly visits Dolores Abernathy, a host who lives on the outskirts of Sweetwater. He is also acquainted with Teddy Flood and Lawrence.[1] The Man in Black is a businessman and philanthropist outside Westworld, wealthy enough to operate a foundation and to be recognized by other guests in the park. However, he becomes annoyed when having his vacation interrupted by guests who recognize him, or by anyone else for that matter, such as Charlotte and Robert.

Appearances

Season One

"The Original"


"Chestnut"


"The Stray"


"Dissonance Theory"


"Contrapasso"


"The Adversary"


"Trace Decay"


"The Well-Tempered Clavier"


"The Bicameral Mind"


Season Two

"Journey Into Night"


"Reunion"


"The Riddle of the Sphinx"

Season Three

The Mother of Exiles

Personality

William has a strong moral compass and inquisitive mind. While at Westworld, William shows respect toward all of the hosts and is eager to learn more about the story lines. As William becomes more frustrated with Logan's behavior, he is forced to make difficult decisions that conflict with his moral compass.

William seems to be more interested in the narratives of Westworld than most people who visit the park.

Over the course of the first season, William begins to become affected by the experiences in the park. He is at first hesitant to 'kill' hosts; and his first time is during a shootout in town when he saves a prostitute, Clementine whom he befriended in a previous episode. His second isn't until much later - during the nitroglycerin robbery in the episode "Contrapasso" - and appears to deeply upset him. He becomes more violent as his frustration with Logan and infatuation with Dolores both increase.

This eventually, after Logan cuts Dolores open to show William her mechanical innards, results in William dismembering and butchering an entire company of host soldiers in the night. After this event, he becomes obsessed with "saving" Dolores, to the point that he begins to brutally kill other hosts in the park (until even Logan is disgusted by the violence).

It could also be argued that William puts Logan at risk when he straps him naked to a horse near the park's boundary and sets the horse free. He justifies this as necessary, to humiliate Logan in order to gain more control in the park (as William is marrying into Logan's family, and thus William could take more control from Logan).

These events: the violence; the obsession with Dolores; and his increasingly brutal behavior in the park, appear to be steps on the road to becoming the cruel and sadistic Man in Black.

The Man in Black is a ruthless figure who has no compunctions about killing, torturing or mutilating hosts in a number of ways. He sees them as nothing more than tools, or toys, to be used or discarded. For example, at one point he uses the "blood" from Lawrence (whom he shared many adventure with) to revive another host. He relishes the game, and slips in and out of character when talking to the hosts, occasionally mocks or taunts them, repeatedly demonstrating the limitations of their programmed personalities.

The Man in Black alternatively sees Westworld as a park and as a game. He feels that he's seen almost everything about the park except the "Final Chapter", although he notes along the way that there are some characters and story lines he had not yet indulged in his 30 years of visits. While he takes advantage of the inability to be killed, he appears to crave a worthy adversary, and the real danger of the possibility of death. On some level, he is aware he is attempting to run away from his growing wreck of his home life, his wife having committed suicide and his daughter being driven away by his cold personality.

In the real world, the Man in Black is at least connected to a foundation that saves people's lives. However, at least while in the park, he has no problem threatening a real human. It's unknown how much of that is him playing to the ruthless black-hat character he is in the park, but it's close enough to his true personality that it drove his family away from him.

Relationships

Dolores Abernathy

William and Dolores are attracted to one another and their relationship continues to grow as they work together. They don't hesitate to defend each other when in times of danger. William shows great concern for her well being, deciding to help get her out of the park. However, his love for Dolores eventually becomes an obsession; he begins to narrow-mindedly search for Dolores to save her, even at the cost of his own morality. Eventually, Dolores is reset after the events with William, and her inability to remember William results in him becoming the cruel and sadistic Man in Black: a cynical, jaded man. After this event, he still recognizes Dolores as something he wants to save; but sees her more as a pawn in the game-play of Westworld.

The Man in Black seems to have some kind of connection with Dolores, having known her for a long time, perhaps as long as he has been coming to the park. He delights in causing her anguish and pain, but it is unknown whether he truly feels anything for her or thinks she is part of his search for the Maze. In the events of the finale, it is revealed that the Man in Black is in fact William; Dolores was the reason for William's eventual moral decline as he became obsessed with finding and freeing her. William eventually does find Dolores again, but due to the fact she was reset, she had no memory of him - leaving him even more cynical and jaded. He becomes obsessed then with finding the maze, in order to potentially free not just Dolores, but also the other hosts, so that the game can have real stakes.

Logan

William and Logan have a strained relationship. They seem to be friends by circumstance - co-workers and soon to be brothers-in-law. Personality-wise, William is a foil for Logan. In Westworld, while William earnestly tries to learn more about the hosts and story lines, Logan doesn't care for them at all because he's only interested in drinking, killing hosts and host prostitutes. Eventually, the conflicting nature of the two comes to a dangerous ending - William, fully embracing the brutality of the park in his narrow-minded quest to save Dolores, is seemingly unconcerned with Logan's well-being. He binds Logan's hands, strips him naked, seats him on a horse, and then spooks it.

Lawrence

Lawrence Pedro Maria Gonzalez, or "El Lazo", met William during the episode "Contrapasso". Though their relationship doesn't start off well, with Lawrence betraying William, Logan and Dolores initially, the two go on to become good friends after William leaves Logan behind, with Lawrence later helping William in his quest to find Dolores.

As the Man in Black, William no longer cares for Lawrence, even though they've had many adventures together. He instead treats Lawrence as something to be used and discarded in his quest to find the Maze, killing his family, and later him, without remorse.

Emily

Emily is the Man in Black's daughter. They had a good relationship up until Juliet died, after that their bond broke, as she blames him for her mother's death, claiming that she committed suicide because of his dark nature.

Juliet

Juliet and William were married for 30 years before she allegedly committed suicide. According to Emily, her mother's suicide was due to the fear she felt and the darkness she saw in William. 

Known Killings

On screen, William had killed at least 93 hosts on his first visit to Westworld, at least 3 hosts over the thirty years, and at least 60 hosts on his latest visit to Westworld. And he had killed at least 6 humans. The list of his victims are as follow:

During First Visit to Westworld

Between First and Latest Visits to Westworld

During Latest Visit to Westworld

Human Victims

Notes

  • The Man in Black's clothing (a black hat and gray shirt) is similar to that of the antagonist from the original Westworld film, the Gunslinger (portrayed by Yul Brenner). In the film, the Gunslinger was a robot programmed to antagonize guests into dueling with him. He is supposed to lose these duels, but malfunctions and kills humans. The Man in Black being a human may be representative of the TV series' willingness to subvert the original movie, and/or a perspective change in that now, the humans are the ones acting evil and the robots are the innocents that are killed. The Man in Black, at least in a conversation with Lawrence, sees himself as the potential hero for the hosts, claiming he's there to set them free.
  • When William changes his shirt in Pariah, it is into the same grey shirt that the Man in Black wears. Right after he changes his shirt color, he goes on a heist to steal nitroglycerin. On the heist, William shoots dead an unarmed man, referencing the Man in Black's ruthlessness.
  • William is also shown with the same knife that the Man in Black is always seen with.
  • When one asks about the Man in Black on the Westworld Website, this is the response they receive:
    • AEDEN: I’M SORRY, PER THE WESTWORLD CONFIDENTIALITY POLICY, WE CANNOT DISCLOSE PERSONAL INFORMATION ABOUT ANY OF OUR GUESTS.
    • AEDEN: JUST BETWEEN YOU AND ME, THOUGH, THE MAN IN BLACK IS SOMETHING OF A VIP. WHAT ELSE WOULD YOU LIKE TO KNOW ABOUT THE PARK?

Gallery

This gallery is automatically generated and contains images in the category "Images of William". Images added to that category turn up in the gallery after a short amount of time.

This gallery is automatically generated and contains images in the category "Images of Man In Black". Images added to that category turn up in the gallery after a short amount of time.

Appearances

Quotes

“ This whole world is a story. I've read every page except the last one. I need to find out how it ends. I want to know what this all means.


”

–The Man in Black

“ That gentleman gets whatever he wants. ”

–Stubbs about the Man in Black, Chestnut

“ You know what I wanted. I wanted the Hosts to stop playing by your rules, the game is not worth playin' if your opponent is programmed to lose. I wanted them to be free, free to fight back. ”

–Older William to Dr. Ford, The Bicameral Mind

“ They wanted a place hidden from god (...) we had something else in mind entirely, but I have received my judgment all the same Lawrence and I take issue with it, because up until this point the stakes in this place haven't been real, so I'm gonna fight my way back and appeal the verdict, then I'm gonna burn this whole fuckin' thing to the ground. ”

–Older William to Lawrence, Reunion

“ This is the only place in the world, where you get to see people for who they really are and if you don't see the business in that, then your not the businessman that I thought you were. ”

–Younger William talking about Westworld to James Delos, Reunion

“ Who said anything about a good deed? You wanted me to play your game... I'm gonna play it to the bone. ”

–Older William to Lawrence's daughter (Robert Ford), The Riddle of the Sphinx

“ No one else see's it, this thing in me. Even I didn't see it at first, but then one day it was there... The stain. Invisible to everyone. Except you. ”

–Older William to Juliet , Vanishing Point

References

  1. ↑ The Original
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