Hulu's Castle Rock features several original characters from some of Stephen King's most notable short stories, novellas, and novels. Throughout season 1 and season 2, fans of his literary works can expect familiar names, places, and situations that all take place in one of the three fictional towns created by the author; Castle Rock, Maine. While some are more recognizable than others, they each play a pivotal role in establishing the dark and mysterious elements of the series. Here's every original Stephen King character featured in Castle Rock season 1 and season 2 as well as in which stories they can be found.

Castle Rock season 1 sets up the mysterious and unsettling atmosphere of Castle Rock, Maine, where the Shawshank State Penitentiary holds prisoners with otherworldly qualities. There are several notable alumnae familiar to King's cinematic universe in the series including Sissy Spacek of Carrie fame as well as Bill Skarsgård, who portrayed Pennywise the Dancing Clown in Andy Muschietti's two-part adaptation of IT. In Castle Rock season 2, the entire cast and characters changed to focus on Annie Wilkes (Lizzy Caplan), who is known for her role in torturing the author Paul Sheldon in King's 1987 novel, Misery. Despite the fact that she never existed in the Castle Rock literary canon, she was utilized as the villain due to her lack of backstory that the showrunners ultimately provided to her. Along with its notable characters, Castle Rock features several iconic locations including the Shawshank State Penitentiary, Juniper Hill Asylum, Salem's Lot, and the Marsten House.

Related: Castle Rock: How The Marsten House Connects To Stephen King's Universe

Castle Rock is filled with Stephen King references and Easter eggs at every turn. While it may be assumed that nearly every character in the series is based off of or taken from an original story, there are only five in total, most of which are featured in season 2. With a lengthy cast list, it is hard to imagine that there aren't more of King's characters involved. It is likely that including too many could've muddled the story. Therefore, each character who does appear in Castle Rock was carefully chosen to capture the series' elements of mystery, drama, horror, and the supernatural.

Alan Pangborn

Feature Castle Rock Season 1 Alan Pangborn

In season 1, Alan Pangborn from The Dark Half, Needful Things, and "The Sun Dog" makes an appearance. He is portrayed by Scott Glenn, who is known for his role in The Silence Of The Lambs as Jack Crawford. Castle Rock's version of Pangborn is the retired sheriff of the town and the alluded lover of Ruth Deaver (Spacek). The literary character first appeared in The Dark Half, which focused on the death of Alan's wife and son.

Rather than keep his original backstory, the series erases the entirety of his family's existence and centers his characterization around the fact that he was once the police sheriff of Castle Rock. In fact, Ruth Deaver doesn't exist in the literary canon of the town and, therefore, never existed in his life until the showrunners created the character. While he is only featured in three stories by King, he is also mentioned in passing in Bag Of Bones and Gerald's Game

Norris Ridgewick

Feature Norris Ridgewick Castle Rock Season 1

Norris Ridgewick (Timothy John Smith) is merely a guest in Castle Rock season 1. He only appears in episode 2, "Habeas Corpus," when he questions Molly about the disappearance of Henry Deaver when they were children. Deputy Ridgewick was the right-hand man to Pangborn during the investigation, but succeeded him in the literary canon of Castle Rock. This explains why he is more involved in stories such as Gerald's Game, Lisey's Story, and Bag Of Bones. 

Related: Gerald's Game: Every Major Difference Between The Book & Movie

Along with Pangborn, he also appeared in Needful Things and The Dark Half as his deputy. In Castle Rock, he is a relatively unimportant character who is only featured in passing. In fact, even the subtitles get his name wrong and refer to him as "Ridgewood" rather than Ridgewick, which is confirmed as his last name in the credits of episode 2. It takes a sharp eye to spot the character, but his appearance is still notable, as it establishes a timeline for the events leading up to those in season 1.

John "Ace" Merrill

Feature Castle Rock Season 1 Ace Merrill

John "Ace" Merrill (Paul Sparks) is the troubled nephew of Reginald Marion "Pop" Merrill, and plays a pivotal role in the story "The Body," which Stand By Me is adapted from. He is also featured in Needful Things alongside Alan Pangborn and Deputy Ridgewick. Just as he plays a pivotal role as an antagonist in "The Body" and Needful Things, his character in Castle Rock serves to cause the trouble that takes the show's characters to the location of Salem's Lot.

Annie Wilkes reveals that she murdered Ace in season 2, episode 3, "Ties That Bind." After she kills him, it's alluded that it is his body that the boys discovered in Stand By Me, which complicates the original story of "The Body." Regardless, Ace Merrill is known for being an antagonist, causing trouble wherever he goes no matter which story he belongs to. From "The Body," "The Sun Dog," and Needful Things, his presence is a foreboding one for whoever comes near him.

Reginald Marion "Pop" Merrill

Feature Castle Rock Season 1 Pop Merrill

Reginald Marion "Pop" Merrill is portrayed by Tim Robbins and owns The Emporium Galorium in Castle Rock, Maine. His nephew, Ace, is known to cause trouble in town and within the family. The two do not get along whatsoever, and Ace constantly poses a threat to the safety of the business as well as the family.

Related: Stand By Me True Story: Was It Inspired By Stephen King’s Childhood?

Pop is not a major character in the original King stories he is featured in - "The Sun Dog" and Needful Things - but he and his storefront do play a vital role in Castle Rock, when the characters fight back against the cultists of Salem's Lot. As the story unfolds, he discovers that his nephew was involved with the cultists who tried to find "The Angel" from season 1. The Merrill family ties the seasons together to make one cohesive story deeply entrenched in the supernatural and mysterious.

Annie Wilkes

Castle Rock Stephen King Hulu

Annie Wilkes is the most recognizable name from Stephen King's literary universe in Castle Rock. She is only ever featured in one story, 1987's Misery. After kidnapping and forcing Paul Sheldon to rewrite the next installment in his Misery book series, she becomes increasingly unstable and ultimately dies following an altercation with the author. In Castle Rock season 2, she is the main villain who gets stuck in the small town following vehicular difficulties. As she and her daughter get accustomed to a life in Castle Rock, her true evil begins to manifest until it reaches its peak.

By the conclusion of season 2, Annie Wilkes is traumatized after murdering her own daughter which coalesces with her unstable mental state. In the final episode, "Clean," the last moments show her having hallucinations of her daughter and attending a book signing for her favorite author, Paul Sheldon. Castle Rock season 2 ends where Misery begins and, in turn, strengthens the unsettling characterization already established by King with the provision of an even more disturbing origin story. While Castle Rock was an inventive take on adapting Stephen King's stories and linked the events that took place in Castle Rock, Maine together, it will not return for season 3, meaning that these five characters are the only ones that will ever exist in the Hulu series.

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