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| “ | If you want to use your Gift without cutting then you need to find a trigger, a memory... a feeling. One that hurts worse than any knife. | „ |
| ~ M.K. |
M.K. is one of the two deuteragonists (alongside The Widow) of the AMC series Into the Badlands.
He is a Dark One, meaning he possesses supernatural dark chi abilities known as the Gift, activating when his skin is cut. After being found by Sunny, the most skilled Clipper in the Badlands, he is trained on how to defend himself in the wasteland and to control his Gift. Several tragedies befall M.K. over the course of the series, being used and manipulated by a number of people, eventually sending him down a villainous path.
He was portrayed by Aramis Knight.
Appearance[]
M.K. after being burned.
M.K. initially has an appearance that is considered standard for the Colts in the Armadillo Territory, being a young man with short hair. Notably, his eyes turn black whenever he uses his Gift. After leaving the Armadillo Territory, his appearance mostly stays the same, although he grows his hair out and puts it into a ponytail.
He often wears outfits based on who he is associated with, such as the Abbot robes standard of the Monastery and eventually the heavier armor-like clothing that Pilgrim provided to his followers. After being hit by an explosive during Pilgrim's attack of the Widow's sanctuary, M.K.'s face is severely burned.
Personality[]
Originally, M.K. wanted nothing to do with the conflict in the Badlands. Being born with the Gift, he and his mother traveled across the world searching for someone who could somehow remove it. They both wished to find "Azra" the legendary city and safe haven ruled by those with the Gift, hoping that if it was real then perhaps it could lead them to a better life. After his mothers death at the hands of Sunny, the event is so traumatic that M.K. blocks it out of his mind and doesn't even realize Sunny is the one who did it when they meet years later. While being trained by Sunny on how to fight, M.K. does not take well to training as he doesn't have the lust for battle that the other Colts in the Armadillo Territory possess. Despite this, M.K. was clearly effective when he would try, and always had the bravery to stand up to those who tried to use his Gift for their own means, such as Quinn or the Widow. He develops a strong bond with Tilda, and even uses the love he has for her in order to control his Gift, as the thought of her balances out the darkness that his Gift brings.
Despite all of this, M.K. is eventually set down a darker path due to the way he is mistreated by the people around him. Both the Master and the Widow try to control him, with the Widow's imprisonment of him in particular causing him to being abusing drugs in order to ease the pain of what has happened to him. During a hallucination induced by a heroin overdose, M.K. finally remembers that Sunny was the one who killed his mother. The pain and rage of this memory enables him to use his Gift at will and escape from the Widow's custody. He eventually joins Pilgrim's cause to take over the world in the name of Azra, now believing that those with power, like himself, are the ones meant to rule. The only thing that remains of his old self is his love for Tilda, as during the final battle for the Badlands he is unwilling to kill her and opts to knock her out instead. When he accidentally fatally stabs her, he proceeds to drop his weapons and completely give up on fighting, not even making an attempt to fight back when the Widow attacks and kills him in retaliation, having lost all will to go on.
Powers & Abilities[]
- Martial Arts/Swordsmanship: Due to his training by Sunny, the most skilled Clippers in the Badlands, M.K. becomes a highly skilled combatant. He often uses his Gift in order to get an advantage over warriors that do not have it, but even when fighting without it he is still very capable, being able to hold his own against Nathaniel Moon, who was once considered the greatest Clipper in the Badlands prior to Sunny.
- The Gift: M.K. is the first character seen using the Gift, although he cannot control it. Initially it only activates for a few seconds before causing M.K. to fall unconscious. During his time at the Abbot Monastery, the Master makes it clear that M.K.'s Gift is exceptionally powerful, and thus very dangerous. While the Master initially locks the Gift inside of him, after he learns the truth about Sunny killing his mother, M.K. unlocks his Gift and gains the ability to turn it on and off at will. Being able to control such a powerful Gift at will made him extremely dangerous in combat, to the point he was able to easily overpower Sunny and the Widow without difficulty.
Quotes[]
Said by M.K.[]
| “ | The wars were so long ago, nobody even remembers. Darkness and fear ruled until the time of the barons, seven men and women who forged order out of chaos. People flocked to them for protection. That protection became servitude. They banished guns and trained armies of lethal fighters they called Clippers. This world is built on blood. Nobody is innocent here. Welcome to the Badlands. | „ |
| ~ M.K. describes the way of the Badlands. |
| “ | There's no easy way out of the Badlands. No shortcuts, no deals. I know that now. | „ |
| ~ M.K. after being taken by the Abbots. |
| “ | People are either weak or strong. The strong rule and the weak die. My mother was weak, and I'm not gonna be like her! The Gift will make sure of that. | „ |
| ~ M.K.'s cynical worldview. |
| “ | Sunny, the Widow, the Master, even my mother lied to me. Pilgrim is the only person who was never afraid to tell me the truth. Kingdoms aren't built on dreams, Eli. They're built on sacrifice and struggle. That's the real world. Not everyone gets a happy ending. | „ |
| ~ M.K. telling Eli of his nihilism. |
| “ | M.K.: I'm gonna save them all. All those people you betrayed. We're gonna rebuild Azra. The Master: You will try. And you will cause great suffering. But you will never see Azra. |
„ |
| ~ M.K.'s last conversation with the Master. |
Said about M.K.[]
| “ | I heard stories about people like him when I was a Cog, but who would ever actually believe that they exist, let alone walk amongst us. Now I know why the Widow wanted to get her hands on him. He's worth how many Clippers, ten? Twenty? A whole army, perhaps. | „ |
| ~ Quinn's admiration of the power M.K. possesses. |
| “ | Your Gift is the most powerful I've seen in a long time, but you're letting someone else control it. | „ |
| ~ The Master explaining M.K.'s power. |
| “ | I'm scared. What if the Master's wrong? What if there's no rebirth? What if everything just... | „ |
| ~ Ava's last words to M.K. as she dies. |
| “ | I knew if I let you go... you would kill us all. | „ |
| ~ The Master's explanation for taking M.K.'s Gift. |
| “ | I'm sorry M.K., I hope you find your Azra. | „ |
| ~ The Widow's final words to M.K. after killing him. |
Trivia[]
- M.K. alludes to Sun Wukong, otherwise known as the Monkey King, from the 16th-century Chinese novel Journey to the West, of which Into the Badlands is loosely based on.
- M.K. essentially has the opposite journey to the Sun Wukong, as Wukong starts out as a villainous character before finding redemption with Tang Sānzàng, whereas M.K. starts his journey being trained by Sunny (who is based on Tang Sānzàng), and ends his journey being a villainous character who wants to kill Sunny.
- His name is the initials for Monkey King, although in-universe it does not actually stand for anything.
External Links[]
- M.K. on the Villains Wiki
- M.K. on the Into the Badlands Wiki
- M.K. on the Heroic Benchmark Wiki
- M.K. on the Villainous Benchmark Wiki
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 Heroes
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Armadillo Territory Butterfly Territory Dark Ones | ||