Roan

Roan is a major character in the fourth season. He initially appeared as a recurring character in the third season. He is portrayed by actor Zach McGowan and debuts in Wanheda (Part 1).

Roan is the son of Queen Nia and the newly appointed King of the Ice Nation. At some point in his adulthood, he was banished. He became a bounty hunter and went after Clarke in hopes of getting the Commander to lift his banishment.

After Ontari fell under the control of A.L.I.E. and the latter gained control of Polis, Roan fled. He later ended up at Arkadia, and he joined a resistance led by Clarke and consisting of the majority of the Delinquents. The group hatched a plan to get into Poilis, take the chip out of Ontari and then put the Flame into her. However, due to an individual in Arkadia being chipped A.L.I.E. became aware of the plan and sent some of her soldiers to capture the group. Roan was then shot by Marcus Kane, but he managed to survive.

Early Life
Roan was born on Earth to the Ice Queen, Nia. As part of allowing the Ice Nation to join the Coalition, Commander Lexa forced Roan's banishment. He later made a deal with Lexa that if he would bring her Wanheda, she would lift his banishment, which she reneged on.

Throughout the Series

 * -|Season Three =

In Wanheda (Part 1), Roan, along with a few other Grounders, enter Niylah's trading post, and she asks him if he has something to trade. Instead, he pulls out a sketch of Clarke, who he recognizes as Wanheda. He asks Niylah if she has seen Clarke and Niylah lies, telling him that she was there two days ago. Roan thanks her for being "more help than she can imagine," and proceeds to leave. On his way out, however, he glances again at the red-headed girl, who is really Clarke, standing in the corner of the trading post with a suspicious look on his face. Later that night, Clarke leaves the trading post, believing Roan to be gone, however, Roan appears from behind some trees. He grabs Clarke and holds a knife to her throat.

In Wanheda (Part 2), Roan drags Clarke along a riverbank on a rope. She collapses of fatigue despite his demands for her to stay on her feet. He sarcastically replies that Wanheda is human after all. He kneels to fill up his water bottle but Clarke tackles him into the water from behind. She holds him under for a long period of time, attempting to drown him, and eventually releases her grip on him when she believes him to be unconscious. He jumps from the water and holds Clarke's head under water until she stops struggling. Clarke comes back up with the red berries rinsed from her hair to see that Roan's face has also been cleaned, revealing Ice Nation scars upon his face.

In a vast field, they encounter three Ice Nation scouts and Roan tells Clarke to stay quiet so they can slip away unnoticed. Clarke disobeys his orders and screams, alerting the scouts. tells her their deaths are on her as he puts a sack over her head. He walks Clarke up to the warriors, claiming that he doesn't want any trouble and that he has a Wanheda for their Queen. One of the warriors lifts the bag from Clarke's head, confirming that it is her. Clarke starts running with one of the scouts chasing after her while Roan fights and quickly dispatches the other two, grabbing a bow and arrow along the way. He shoots the third scout in the back, causing him to collapse on top of Clarke. As Roan goes to retrieve Clarke, she sneaks a weapon from the dead scout and stabs him in the stomach with it but he quickly subdues her.

Roan takes Clarke to an abandoned subway station and warns her that if she screams, this time, they will both be dead. He ties her up in the station and heats a blade over the fire. He takes off his shirt to treat his wound, showing impressive scars across his back. He mentions if she had stabbed an inch deeper he would be dead, and that maybe she isn't the Commander of Death after all. Clarke asks why he is hiding from his people and he asks her why she ran away from hers. He cauterizes the wound on his side and walks over to Clarke with the heated blade. He calls her "the Great Wanheda, Mountain Slayer." She asks him why he is taking her to the Ice Nation when he isn't loyal to them and her people will offer him more. He tells her that he was banished and she is the way back to his people. Bellamy arrives at the subway station and finds Clarke tied up. They are briefly reunited before Roan has him pinned to the ground and is about to kill him when Clarke pleads for his life and promises Roan she will cooperate if he lets Bellamy live. Roan stabs Bellamy in the leg so he can't follow after them and takes off with Clarke again, leaving Bellamy behind.

Roan brings Clarke into a room with a bag over her head. The bag is removed, revealing Lexa seated on a throne with Indra and Titus flanking her. Roan tells Lexa to lift his banishment as payment on the bounty. Lexa tells him his mother's army is marching on Polis and she will honor the deal when Roan's queen honors her coalition. She commands "Prince Roan of Azgeda" to be locked away.

In Ye Who Enter Here, in Polis, Clarke is approached by Roan, who is also being kept prisoner by the Commander. Roan tells Clarke that Lexa broke the deal with him by not lifting his banishment when he delivered Clarke to her and now he wants to strike a deal with Clarke. He bought off some of the guards and has left a knife under Clarke's bed to kill Lexa and with Lexa dead, the Ice Queen will become ruler of the Coalition. Clarke says she sounds worse than Lexa but Roan tells her it is because she only has heard Lexa's side of it.

At sundown, the summit begins with the Grounder Anthem as Clarke strides into the throne room and takes a stand before Lexa. Clarke pauses in front of Lexa before dropping down on one knee and bowing to her. Roan is the first to bow to Lexa after Clarke and the rest of the people follow suit with Kane and Abby and the rest of the Skaikru as the last kneel. Lexa orders everyone to rise and welcomes the Skaikru and Clarke to the summit. She tells the rest of the clans she is initiating them into the Coalition and the leader of the Skaikru will bear the mark. Abby passes the leadership over to Kane and he offers his forearm to be branded with the mark of the Coalition.

Octavia, Bellamy, and Pike barge in, holding a guard captive. Bellamy warns everyone the summit is a trap. Ivon, the Ice Nation representative, tells them it was the Skaikru who barged into the summit with guns. Pike says they are right because two Skaikru guards are already dead. Lexa asks how they came by the information and Octavia realizes Echo is no longer with them. Bellamy realizes Echo betrayed them as Kane tells him to stand down. Raven comes across the radio and tells them that the Grounders attacked Mount Weather and it is completely gone with only her and Sinclair surviving. Ivon tells them that is what they get for moving their people back into Mount Weather and the Ice Nation did what Lexa was too weak to do. Lexa declares war and orders the Ice Nation delegation along with Prince Roan to be arrested. Abby worries that Arkadia might be under attack next and Lexa commands them to go. Indra offers to escort them and tells Octavia she hopes she kept up on her training because she will need it before giving her back her sword. Bellamy tells Clarke they need to leave while Lexa offers Clarke protection if she remains as Skaikru ambassador. Clarke tells them she is staying to make sure Lexa keeps her word. Bellamy warns Clarke that Lexa will always put her people first and tells her to come home but Clarke apologizes and stays.

In Watch the Thrones, during an ambassador meeting Queen Nia attempts a coup against Lexa with all the ambassadors of the clans voting "Commander no longer," except for Clarke. Nia then issues a challenge to Lexa to fight to death announcing Roan as her champion. In the Polis marketplace, Clarke encounters Roan and tells him not to kill Lexa, he tells her he can't but instead offers her a way to kill Nia. The plan fails the match still takes place. Roan and Lexa appear to be rather evenly matched, with Roan innitially taking the upper hand. However, Lexa counters and is able to regain dominance. Clarke watches Lexa pin Roan down and prepare to strike but instead she throws the spear at Nia, killing her instantly. Roan is then crowned king of the Ice Nation.

In Stealing Fire, Roan admits to Clarke that he would accept if Ontari became commander because she was Ice Nation. He helps Clarke and Murphy escape Polis through the tunnels but informs her the next time they meet it won't be as friends. Clarke goes to steal the flame and is later named the flamekeeper by Titus. Roan later brings Titus to Ontari and demands to know where Wanheda went knowing she stole the flame. Titus admits he, in fact, gave the flame to Clarke and Roan puts a knife to his throat. Titus commits suicide by moving under the blade slashing his throat. Ontari then orders Roan to find Wanheda and get her the flame while taking a position as the faux commander.

In Perverse Instantiation (Part 1), Roan saves Clarke's life when one of A.L.I.E's chipped victims tries to kill her to get the flame. They then become allies because they both have the same common goal of getting the flame to Ontari. They arrange a ruse where Clarke acts as Roan's prisoner and they enter the Polis square with the flame. However, Roan is shot by Kane and Clarke is taken by Jaha and Abby and the plan is a failure.

Physical Appearance
Roan is tall with an athletic build and long brown hair. He also possesses great fighting skills.

Personality
Roan is a reserved and hesitant Ice Nation warrior. Although he is initially seen as an enemy he has demonstrated a high sense of honor and a willingness to be allies with the Sky People. This is seen when he spares Bellamy's life at Clarke's request after they fight. After he becomes King of the Ice Nation he shows his loyalty to Lexa and the coalition by gifting the last mountain man to Clarke, again implying his honorable nature.

Although he is loyal to his clan he does not agree with the ruthlessness showed by it's other leaders. This is shown when he helps Clarke escape Polis after Ontari becomes Commander and when he promises to tell Ontari that Clarke helped her get the flame.

Relationships

 * -|Nia =

Nia
Nia is Roan's mother and Queen of the Ice Nation. Roan knows his mother has very little respect for him as she banished him for unknown reasons. He even helps Clarke plot her assassination in Watch the Thrones. When she is killed in the same episode, he becomes King of the Ice Nation.


 * -|Clarke =

Clarke Griffin
"You have a real gratitude problem, you know that?"

- Perverse Instantiation (Part 1)

Roan and Clarke first met in Wanheda (Part 1) after he captured her a prisoner for his Queen. Later in Wanheda (Part 2), they encounter 3 Ice Nation scouts who also seek Wanheda, Clarke breaks away from Roan and the Ice Nation scouts pursue her, Roan shoots them dead as they approach. When Roan approaches Clarke she stabs him and tries to run away again however Roan quickly subdues her. He takes her to an abandoned subway station to treat his wound where she questions why he's on the run. Roan admits he is not on the run for he was in fact banished and he can't return Clarke to her people since she is his key back to his people. Clarke soon catches sight of Bellamy who has come to save her, Roan, however, pins him down and Clarke begs him not to kill him. Roan stabs Bellamy in the leg and leaves with Clarke. He brings Clarke into a room with a bag over her head and when the bag is removed the room is revealed to be Lexa's throne room. For Lexa made a deal with Roan, bring her Wanheda in exchange for his banishment being lifted. However, since Lexa was notified of Ice Nation warriors marching on Trikru Land, Roan is imprisoned in the Polis tower.

In Ye Who Enter Here, Roan finds Clarke and offers her a deal, kill Lexa and they can escape Polis together. At first, Clarke is completely against it but he tells her he'll leave a knife under her bed. Later at the summit, Roan watches Clarke kneel before Lexa and Skaikru become the thirteenth clan after Kane takes the brand.

In Watch the Thrones, during an ambassador meeting Queen Nia attempts a coup against Lexa with all the ambassadors of the clans voting "Commander no longer," except for Clarke. Nia then issues a challenge to Lexa to fight to death announcing Roan as her champion. In the Polis marketplace, Clarke encounters Roan and tells him not to kill Lexa, he tells her he can't but instead offers her a way to kill Nia. The plan fails the match still takes place. Clarke watches Lexa kill Roan down and prepare to strike but instead she throws the spear at Nia, killing her instantly. Roan is then crowned king of the Ice Nation.

In Stealing Fire, Roan admits to Clarke that he would accept if Ontari became commander because she was Ice Nation. He helps Clarke and Murphy escape Polis through the tunnels but informs her the next time they meet it won't be as friends. Clarke goes to steal the flame and is later named the flamekeeper by Titus. Roan later brings Titus to Ontari and demands to know where Wanheda went knowing she stole the flame. Titus admits he, in fact, gave the flame to Clarke and Roan puts a knife to his throat. Titus commits suicide by moving under the blade slashing his throat. Ontari then orders Roan to find Wanheda and get her the flame while taking a position as the faux commander.

In Perverse Instantiation (Part 1), Roan saves Clarke's life when one of A.L.I.E's chipped victims tries to kill her to get the flame. They then become allies because they both have the same common goal of getting the flame to Ontari. They arrange a ruse where Clarke acts as Roan's prisoner and they enter the Polis square with the flame. However, Roan is shot by Kane and Clarke is taken by Jaha and Abby and the plan is a failure.


 * -|Ontari =

Ontari
Roan seems to respect Ontari as she is Ice Nation but the extent of their personal relationship is unknown.

In Stealing Fire, Roan brings Ontari to the Purification Ritual being attended by all the other natblidas, there she says that if she becomes commander she will kill every last member of skaikru. Later when Roan is helping Clarke and Murphy escape Polis, Clarke realizes Roan would support Ontari becoming commander because she is Ice Nation. In the commander's chambers, after Clarke has left with the flame, Roan brings Titus and threatens to kill him. Titus kills himself stating "for Lexa" as he dies. Ontari then commands that Roan find Wanheda and the flame as she takes her position as commander. He is mentioned by her in Fallen to be searching for the flame.

In Perverse Instantiation (Part 1), Roan is still looking for Clarke and the flame and is angry because Clarke is the reason Ontari never ascended. Clarke and Roan ally because they both have the same common goal, giving the flame to Ontari. However, Roan never makes it to Ontari as he is shot.


 * -|Bellamy =

Bellamy
Roan and Bellamy don't have an easy relationship.

They meet in Wanheda (Part 2). Bellamy tries with all his might to save Clarke from her kidnapper, but he's knocked out by Roan. Clarke begs him, desperate, to spare his life, and in return she will no longer attempt to escape. He accepts the compromise but stabs Bellamy in the leg and knocks him out with a kick.

In Ye Who Enter Here, Roan sees Bellamy when he bursts into the room to denounce the betrayal of the Ice Nation.

In Perverse Instantiation (Part 1), Bellamy, thinking that Clarke is in danger, points him a gun, restraining his intentions to bring the flame to Ontari. Clarke says that Roan will go with them because they both want the same thing: to put the flame in Ontari's head. To be sure he's not chipped, Bellamy shoots him in the arm. In Arkadia, Bellamy leads Roan in lock-up, calling him "Your Highness." There, along with Clarke, apologizes for his arm and Roan replies saying that they are even. Clarke explains A.L.I.E.'s situation and how they can stop it, asking for his help. When Roan accepts they head towards Polis. When Clarke decides to be Roan's bait, Bellamy is concerned and doesn't want to leave her in Roan's hands. Roan is clearly amused by his reaction. Later, Bellamy is caught by the guards of Ontari and can't save Roan from being hit.

Killed Victims

 * Three Azgeda warriors
 * Titus (indirect)
 * A chipped Sky Person

Notes and Trivia

 * Roan's character was first seen in a leaked audition tape, though they decided to choose a different actor than the one who auditioned.
 * Roan was shot twice in the same episode, first by Bellamy Blake and then by Marcus Kane.
 * Roan was the first major character to debut after the first season. All of the other major characters debuted in season 1.
 * Roan was the second Grounder that become a major character. The first was Lincoln.

Gallery

 * -|Season Three=