| Pilgrim | |
| |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Warlord |
| Status | Deceased |
| Affiliation | Himself |
| First appearance | "Enter the Phoenix" |
| Last appearance | "Seven Strike as One" |
| Portrayed by | Babou Ceesay Teni Taiwo (young) |
Pilgrim was a warlord from the Outlying Territories. He was the main antagonist of Season three of Into the Badlands. He described himself as a Messiah, claiming to lead his followers of Nomads to Azra.
In "Black Lotus, White Rose," Sunny discovers through his restored memories that Pilgrim's true name is Taurin and he and Sunny were once friends as children in Azra to the point that Pilgrim looked up to Sunny as a brother. Kannin tells Sunny that once Sunny's Gift is fully unlocked, he will be able to defeat Pilgrim who can't be both black-eyed and shut down Sunny's Gift. As a result, Pilgrim will have to choose and it will leave him vulnerable to Sunny.
In "Requiem for the Fallen," Pilgrim steals the Gift of Kannin who believes that as Pilgrim was not supposed to have the Gift, it has corrupted his soul. Looking into the future, Cressida witnesses a burned dead world and Pilgrim who welcomes her to his new Azra before killing Cressida. He later uses the Meridian Chamber to give more people the Gift.
In "Seven Strike as One," Pilgrim sends out his army to find more converts and to destroy anyone who refuses. Disillusioned, Cressida refuses to accept the Gift abandons Pilgrim when he refuses to listen to her warnings. Pilgrim keeps giving more people the Gift and kills a young man who refuses it. Sunny leads an attack on Pilgrim's fortress with the help of the Black Lotus, defeating Pilgrim's army though Pilgrim defeats everyone who goes up against him until only Sunny, Kannin and Bajie are left. With the Gift, Pilgrim proves to be stronger than all three, knocking Kannin and Bajie out and then going one-on-one with Sunny. Pilgrim impales Sunny through the stomach with a sword, but Kannin takes the opportunity to hook Pilgrim to two chains that Bajie then uses to drag him high into the air. With Pilgrim defenseless, Sunny leaps into the air and impales his former friend through the heart, killing him with a final "goodbye, brother."
Though Sunny apparently dies of his wounds moments later, his own long-dormant Gift reactivates and begins healing his body. In the realm between life and death, the Master warns Sunny that although Pilgrim is dead, an even greater threat is coming.
Character description[]
Season 3[]
- “When Bajie put out his signal at the end of Season 2, it was Pilgrim who heard the call. The zealous warlord enters the Badlands on a quest to recover a mysterious artifact from Azra that could tip the balance of power -- in the Badlands and beyond -- forever.”[1]
Skills/Abilities[]
Pilgrim had the ability to turn off other people’s Gifts and gained the Gift itself when Henry’s power was transferred to him. The Gift subsequently corrupted his soul as Pilgrim was not meant to have it and it drove him insane, turning Pilgrim into a megalomaniac who was intent on slaughtering everyone who was without the Gift and wouldn't convert.
Appearances[]
Season 3
|
Trivia[]
- Pilgrim is the first character on screen to acquire the Gift without being born with it: he stole Henry's gift after Sunny's request, curing him of potential death.
- He is the first person to call Sunny by his birth name, Sanzō, in the series. Before his encounter with Pilgrim, Sunny had no memories of his childhood and his sister Kannin.