Since debuting in November, the sci-fi series 1899 has quickly earned the title of one of the best Netflix shows of 2022. The series comes from the creative mind of the Swiss writer/director Baran bo Odar. Odar has written and directed a number of great works, including the best-received German series, Dark, another one of Netflix’s most successful titles (via Forbes).
Similarly to Dark, 1899 is a thrilling series full of twists that require its viewers to pay attention to every little detail. One of the main details to follow in 1899 is the cast and characters. With over a dozen main characters, 1899 forces its viewers to follow their favorite characters as they learn what caused them to board The Kerberos and why they want to escape and start over in America. While you start to get a glimpse of these questions in season 1, Odar did a fantastic job of leaving viewers wondering what’s to come in season 2. As we all eagerly await the highly anticipated second season, let’s take a closer look into a handful of the main characters and how they rank in the series based on usefulness.
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9 Virginia Wilson
Netflix
Virginia Wilson, played by Rosalie Craig, is perhaps one of the least interesting characters in the main cast because she seems to be the only one without an intense backstory that brought her on the ship. She does show that she received a letter, similarly to the rest of the main cast, but when things start going wrong, she almost seems at ease amidst the chaos. The English woman does have a relationship with Ling Yi and Yuk Je, but not much of her story is shared during the first season of 1899.
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MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
8 Ling Yi and Yuk Je
Ling Yi (Isabella Wei) and Yuk Je (Gabby Wong) are a mother-and-daughter duo who actually murder their way onto the ship to get to America. During Ling Yi’s episode in 1899 season 1, it’s revealed that she accidentally murdered another girl who was to be brought aboard the boat with Virginia Wilson. Ling Yi forms a relationship with Olek despite the fact that neither speaks one another’s language. When Yuk Je jumps ship while in a trance, Olek helps Ling Yi survive without her mother.
7 Ramiro and Angel
Ramiro (José Pimentāo) and Angel (Miguel Bernardeau) pose as brothers when in reality, they are lovers. The two are not as they appear. In addition to hiding their relationship, Ramiro is also acting as a priest. Due to his apparent priesthood, Ramiro ends up playing a bigger role in the series than Angel does. Ramiro is one of the three people who board the Prometheus, along with Maura and the captain, and finds The Boy. Where Ramiro is helpful, Angel is the opposite. He starts up a flirtation with another passenger despite his love for Ramiro. By the end, the pair seem to re-devote themselves to one another and when Angel dies, Ramiro refuses to leave his side.
6 Tove
Tove, played by Clara Rosager, represents the lower-class passengers who are kept separate from most of the main cast on the ship. She is aboard the ship with her family, which consists of a strict, religious mother, a cowardly father, a troubled brother, and a strong young sister. Tove is the most normal in her family as she is able to keep a level head even as the ship’s passengers start an uprising against the captain when he decides to search for the Prometheus instead of continuing on to America. Tove ends up losing each of her family members, starting with her siblings. During the final episodes, she and her mother, who had a strained relationship, seemingly come to an understanding of one another before her parents die.
5 Clémence, Lucien, and Jérome
Clemence (Mathilde Ollivier) is an upper class French woman who recently married Lucien (Jonas Bloquet) who at first appears to also be upper class, but during later episodes, it’s revealed he is a fraud. During the war, Lucien found a dead general and took on his identity and war hero status. Fellow soldier Jérome (Yann Gael) tries to stop Lucien, but is struck down by his friend and left for dead. Jérome, however, did not die, but snuck onto the ship to confront Lucien. He ends up meeting Clémence and the pair has undeniable chemistry, a chemistry that she does not have with her own husband. Throughout the series, the triangle makes for an interesting pairing as the viewer tries to decide who Clémence truly cares for.
4 Eyk Larsen
Captain Eyk Larsen, played by Andreas Pietschmann, is one of the characters with the most screen time. His backstory is also more developed and is shown almost immediately in 1899. Eyk has his own mysterious side as does most of the cast. He forms a quick friendship with Maura Franklin and is one of the three people to visit the Prometheus and find The Boy. Despite having his crew and the lower class passengers rebel, he is a good captain who cares for the well-being of all of those aboard the ship.
3 Daniel Solace
Daniel Solace, played by Aneurin Barnard, is perhaps the most mysterious character aboard the ship in 1899, besides The Boy, aka Elliot, himself. Daniel is first introduced when Maura, Eyk, and Ramiro board the Prometheus looking for survivors. He swims over to the Kerberos and plants himself in the room next to Maura’s. His fascination with Maura is later revealed to be one that a husband has for his wife, which is what they are, despite the fact that Maura does not remember anything about him or Elliot, who is their son. Daniel plays a huge part in helping Maura understand how she can beat the simulation that they are in.
2 Maura Franklin
The main character of 1899, Maura Franklin (Emily Beecham), is the woman behind the passengers on the ship. Though no one, including Maura, realizes this until later on in the season, it’s revealed that Maura and Daniel created this world where their son, Elliot, lived. Maura believes the simulation they are in was created by her father, but to further add to the twist in the series, her father claims that it was Maura and Daniel who put them all there, including him.
1 Olek
Despite being a supporting character in 1899, Olek is arguably the best in the series for a number of reasons. From his introduction in the first episode to his presumed death towards the end of the season, Olek is always the first to lend a helping hand. He is part of the crew who works below decks in the engine room. He starts a friendship with Jérome, loyally defends the captain during the uprising, and protects Ling Yi, even to the point of saving her life only to lose his own.
