Lydia (Into the Badlands)

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“	If you wanna change the world, you have to find a way to live in it first.	„
	~ Lydia

Lydia is a major character in the AMC series Into the Badlands.

She is the wife of Baron Quinn, the most powerful tyrant in the post-apocalyptic wasteland known as the Badlands. While she initially an elitist individual, the loss of her position as Baroness and death of her son leads her to eventually join the Widow's cause in order to try and repair the Badlands and put an end to the oppressive system it runs on.

She was portrayed by Orla Brady, who also played Countess Vera Rosakoff in Agatha Christie's Poirot and both Tallinn and Laris in Star Trek: Picard.

Personality[]

Lydia initially comes off as a rather prejudice individual, as she looks down on the Cogs that she rules over as the Baroness of the Armadillo Territory. She cares very deeply for those in her family and isn't outright hostile towards others, but she does dislike anything that she believes will disrupt the status quo of her and Quinn's rule. This is best seen in her hatred of Jade, who initially attempts to be friendly with Lydia but is met only with coldness. The worst of her traits comes in her interaction with Veil, who is brought to treat Ryder after he is injured by nomad scavengers. Lydia refuses to let Veil treat Ryder due to her status as a Cog, only relenting after finding out that Ryder will die if not treated immediately.

Lydia's views on the system of the Badlands change massively after she is forced to help work in the poppy fields, gaining an entire new respect for the work they do. She is later banished from the Armadillo Territory after being framed for trying to kill Jade, and returns to her old life as a Totemist. Once Ryder is killed by Quinn, Lydia finally realizes how depraved the way of the Badlands is, and begins working to help refugees who have been hurt by the war. She later becomes a Viceroy for the Widow and fully joins her in the mission to put an end to Juliet Chau and the Cog slave trade, putting her past as an oppressive Baroness behind her.

Powers & Abilities[]

Leadership: Lydia is one of the most effective leader in the Badlands. During her time as Baroness to Quinn, she was able to step in for Quinn whenever he was absent, and later led a refugee camp during the war between the Widow and Baron Chau. This led to the Widow making her the Viceroy of the Armadillo Territory and later briefly consider passing control of the entire Badlands over to her after the war was over.
Martial Arts/Swordsmanship: While Lydia was not nearly as active in combat as most other fighters in the series, she was proficient enough in combat to survive in certain situations, such as when she successfully fought off and killed an entire group of nomad scavengers attacking her Totemist camp.
Medicine: Despite not having the skill of an actual doctor, Lydia was able to treat Ryder and keep him alive for several days after he was injured until an actual doctor could tend to him.

Quotes[]

“	I’d rather have you hate me for the rest of your life than stand over your grave.	„
	~ Lydia cutting ties with Ryder.

“	It's hard when you build your life with someone and then one day they decide you're not enough anymore.	„
	~ Lydia on Quinn taking multiple wives.

“	Don’t let the past stop you from doing what you need to do.	„
	~ Lydia's reflection on her past mistakes.

“	You have to learn to play the game and that means compromise, right up to the line but not over it.	„
	~ Lydia explaining her philosophy to Tilda.

“	It’s frightening, isn’t it? To realize you’ve more to lose than you thought.	„
	~ Lydia confiding in Nathaniel Moon during the war with Pilgrim.

Trivia[]

Lydia alludes to the character of Princess Iron Fan from the 16th-century Chinese novel Journey to the West, of which Into the Badlands is loosely based on.
Lydia has the most ties in the Badlands, to the point that even the Chau family were aware of her manipulative abilities, and thus feared her despite typically not fearing anyone.