The Into the Badlands season 3 marketing campaign is kicking into high gear. Here’s everything we know about the upcoming season so far.

Note: All of the information here has been released via AMC, which means there are technically no spoilers here. However, if you want to go into season 3 knowing very little about what’s to come, I recommend skipping this article.

Into the Badlands season 3 returns to AMC on Sunday, April 22, at 10:00 p.m. ET. With less than a month to go, AMC is has finally started to share information about its supersized 16-episode third installment.

At the end of season 3, Sunny managed to rescue Henry and kill Quinn, but it was at the expense of Veil’s life. Bajie was gravely injured, but got to a tower on the coast, where he used the book and the compass to send out a Morse code signal pleading for help. The Widow is right where she wants to be, with a large army and a stronghold, but she’ll have to do it without Tilda or Waldo’s undying loyalty. M.K. is now under The Widow’s “protection,” while both Lydia and Jade attempted to flee on their own with varying degrees of success.

‘Into the Badlands’ season 3 synopsis and character bios

The season 3 synopsis reads,

Season 3 of Into the Badlands finds Sunny living off the grid, doing his best to provide for his infant son, Henry, in the wake of Veil’s death. It is only when Henry contracts a mysterious illness that Sunny must join forces with Bajie and journey back into the Badlands, where the Widow and Baron Chau are entrenched in a drawn-out war that has destabilized the entire region. No longer supported by Tilda or Waldo, the Widow must find new allies in Lydia and in Nathaniel Moon — the former regent who lost his hand to Sunny and Bajie in Season 2. But when a mysterious nomadic leader called Pilgrim arrives in the Badlands on a mission to restore Azra and usher in a new era of “peace,” old enemies must band together to defend the Badlands.

It sounds like Pilgrim might be the answer to Bajie’s call, but maybe not the one he was hoping for. If “old enemies must band together to defend the Badlands,” then you know this new threat is a big one!

Here are the character bios for season 3 according to the show’s press kit:

Sunny

After losing Veil in Season 2, Sunny’s only goal is protecting his infant son, Henry. Sunny retreats from the Badlands, but when Henry contracts a mysterious illness, Sunny has no choice but to return to seek a cure — a mission that leads Sunny into the middle of two wars for the Badlands.

M.K.

M.K. begins Season 3 as a prisoner of the Widow, stripped of his Gift and desperate for revenge. But when a new leader emerges in the Badlands, M.K. has an opportunity not only to regain his powers but also to finally have the acceptance he has always craved. But at what cost?

The Widow

Season 3 finds the Widow entrenched in a war against Baron Chau for the Badlands. But the most important war the Widow must wage is the one within herself — what does it mean to be a good leader?

Lydia

In the war-torn Badlands, Lydia’s primary goal is survival. Season 3 finds Lydia in a refugee camp, doing her best to help the people who need it most. When presented with the opportunity to reclaim some of her former power, Lydia is ready to rise to the occasion. But complications arise when a figure from her past returns.

Tilda

After an epic showdown with the Widow that left her bruised and battered, Tilda forges herself a new identity: The Iron Rabbit. Alongside her lover, Odessa, Tilda plays Robin Hood for Lydia’s refugees. But when her mission for good brings her back onto the Widow’s radar, Tilda must decide, yet again, whether to join forces with her mother.

Bajie

In the months following Season 2, Bajie returned to his directionless, debaucherous ways. But when Sunny crosses his path seeking a cure for Henry, Bajie once again teams up with him. Along the way, he finds that the consequences of his call to Azra in Season 2 are greater than he could have ever imagined.

Moon

After losing his hand — and his honor — to Sunny in Season 2, Moon reluctantly joins forces with the Widow in her war against Baron Chau in the hopes of avenging his feud with Sunny.

Pilgrim

When Bajie put out his signal at the end of Season 2, it was Pilgrim who heard the call. The zealous warlord enters the Badlands on a quest to recover a mysterious artifact from Azra that could tip the balance of power — in the Badlands and beyond — forever.

Cressida

Pilgrim’s right hand is Cressida, a powerful and cunning mother figure and lover, and a self-styled prophetess. Adept both spiritually and politically, Cressida counsels Pilgrim on his quest to restore Azra and bring about a new era of peace in the Badlands.

Nix

Nix is one of two teenagers whom Pilgrim loves like his own children, and whose Gift he uses as a weapon. She finds herself torn over the bloody cost of Pilgrim’s plan for a better future.

Castor

Castor is one of two teenagers whom Pilgrim loves like his own children, and whose Gift he uses as a weapon. When his abilities begin to falter, Castor must confront the true cost of Pilgrim’s plan.

Gaius

For years, Gaius Chau has been imprisoned by his older sister, Baron Chau, for liberating her cog slaves. In Season 3, Gaius becomes a reluctant player in his sister’s war against the Widow.

There are also separate in-world, stylized character posters for each of them:

It should be noted that:

• Bajie still has the motorcycle.
• Cressida appears to have taken up residence in the museum (more on that below). Pilgrim’s portrait is also located here.
• Sunny is attacking Pilgrim’s Nomads in the museum. Will the final showdown take place here, or is this just one of many significant battles?
• Gaius is still in head-to-toe purple. Will he become a baron of his own territory, making purple his official color?
• Lydia is on a horse. She’s also frequently shown with that knife (probably the one she got from Sunny) at her side, which may mean she’ll be taking a more active role this season.
• Both M.K. and Tilda are attacking Butterflies. Tilda also has a new weapon.
• The Widow is attacking Chau’s men.

Trailer

The trailer informs quite a bit of what we see in the images that have been released for Into the Badlands season 3, so let’s take a look at it first:

Here are some highlights, in chronological order:

• Nathaniel Moon appears to be The Widow’s new Regent, which he probably agreed to just so he can get revenge on Sunny. The fact that The Widow was able to best this seasoned Clipper must’ve made an impact on him, however, so I wouldn’t be surprised if that breeds genuine loyalty.
• Sunny is definitely wearing The Widow’s colors and using her weapons, but he might just be using them as a disguise to get Henry help. If it’s not a ruse, then I’d be interested to see if (and then how) Sunny and Moon are capable of fighting side by side.
• Pilgrim seems like an interesting character. They arrive in the Badlands and see it as the Promised Land. Cressida wants him to build their kingdom there, and Pilgrim calls himself the Messiah. There’s clearly a religious overtone here, though we don’t know too much about religion in the Badlands, other than what we saw when Lydia returned to her father. This is also interesting considering he’s called a warlord in his bio.
• Chau is being confronted by Pilgrim. She’s a smart and ruthless baron, which means she’ll know when she’s trapped. Does she have a way out, or will she try to use an alliance with Pilgrim to finally defeat The Widow?
• Sunny discovers another clue about Azra on the wall of an abandoned shelter of some sort. Unfortunately, there’s no way of telling what it means, but hopefully he’s with Bajie, who will be able to translate.
• This image fades to the castle on the island that Cressida calls their new kingdom, though we know from previous glimpses of Azra that it looks more like a city skyline. The next scene shows Pilgrim and his followers entering a museum, which may be inside the castle or just clever editing meant to misdirect. Either way, from the images it seems likely that this place is not as abandoned as it first appears.
• The Widow has taken over Quinn and Ryder’s poppy fields, and though we never see her in the trailer, I suspect that Jade is being kept in there somewhere.
• We also see pamphlets flying through the air. It has the image of Azra at the top, and it says, “Follow your path to Pilgrim.”
• Pilgrim speaks to M.K. and tells him, “We will bring hope back to this place,” adding a whispered, “with Azra” that could be from a different scene altogether (the audio didn’t feel like it was from the same spot). At the same time, we see Pilgrim in the museum fighting with what may be some Nomads, as Cressida, Nix, and the others watch. Pilgrim does all of this blindfolded, which means Sunny and the others definitely have their work cut out for them.
• Pilgrim asks M.K. to join his cause, and it does appear as though M.K. agrees. However, we know how good of a heart M.K. has, so hopefully this doesn’t last long once he starts to see through Pilgrim’s plans.
• Someone (possibly Cressida) marks the wall in blood much like Sunny has tattooed his kills on his skin. This is followed by a shot of Cressida opening her eyes amid what looks like an altar.
• We also see Gaius readying his swords, as well as Tilda and Castor both being knocked down in two different scenes.
• The Widow’s army battles Chau’s, and it looks like Lydia is with them on horseback, sporting a crossbow. We know she’s looking to regain some of her power, so it begs the question as to whether she’s become a high ranking officer in The Widow’s army.
• Someone wearing a gas mask and The Widow’s colors then raises a blade to The Widow’s head as another person in similar garb aims a crossbow at her. The person in the closeup could potentially be Tilda, though her hair looks just a little too long for that. Perhaps these are some of The Widow’s warriors who defected and are now looking for revenge? The Widow is rarely caught off guard like this (she does look truly worried), but she’s also extremely resourceful, so I’m sure she’ll be fine.
• M.K. charges at someone while surrounded by Pilgrim’s Nomads (Nix among them).
• Pilgrim pulls on a pair of chains while in the museum, raising Cressida above while Nix and Castor stand guard. This is clearly some sort of ritual, but for what? Does it have something to do with the dark powers, or are they awakening Azra in some capacity? At this point, it could be practically anything.
• M.K.’s powers do return, and it should be noted that he’s wearing the outfit he’s seen sporting in episode 1. However, Into the Badlands has tricked us before with dreams and visions, so this scene may not be as clear as it looks.
• The final shot shows Sunny inside the tower where Bajie activated the signal for help. He looks like his mind is getting blown.
  

  Stills

  New images from the upcoming season are nearly as telling as the trailer. I’ve grouped them together here so we can break down what’s going on with each major set of characters. These come from the show’s website, as well as their Facebook and Twitter pages.

  Sunny

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  This first set of photos appears pretty straightforward and supports what the synopsis says Sunny has been up to — living off the grid and taking care of Henry.

  

  

  

  The next three images show us a bit more of what this season will look like. In the first, Sunny is battling a pair of hooded figures. Their mishmash of materials and lack of official baron colors makes me think they could possibly be Nomads or a separate faction we haven’t met yet. There’s a small chance they could be Chau’s soldiers, but her fighters are usually in very clean, very bright white.

  In the second, Sunny is bloody and there’s a dead body on the couch next to him. From the trailer, we know these are likely Nomads. Though Sunny has struggled with his penchant for violence in the past, it’s obvious he’s willing to do anything to keep his son safe.

  In the last photo, Sunny is wearing The Widow’s colors and carrying a crossbow. We also see this scene in the trailer, but it’s unclear whether he’s actually joined her or if he’s just using the outfit to get Henry to safety.

  Bajie

  

  

  After Henry gets sick, Sunny teams up with Bajie. The first image shows Bajie in The Widow’s colors. This is pretty interesting considering the last time we saw Bajie, he had escaped from The Widow thanks to Waldo and had activated the signal in the tower. Much like Sunny, it’s unclear whether or not Bajie is back with his beloved Flea or if he’s just using the colors as a disguise.

  The second photo might take place at the same time as the one above where Sunny is fighting the hooded figures or it could take place where many of these images take place — in the museum. Either way, he’s out of The Widow’s colors and fighting side by side with his favorite Clipper in the Badlands.

  The Widow

  

  

  These first two photos generally depict The Widow being a baroness. In the first, it looks like she’s strategizing, and in the second she’s on horseback with a flag by her side. Workers can be seen in the background gathering poppies, so perhaps The Widow is just inspecting her new territory, now that she’s taken it over from Quinn and Ryder following their deaths.

  

  

  The next photo depicts The Widow and Chau’s armies clashing, while the one following shows The Widow looking down at the coffins of her fallen Butterflies. We know the war with Chau will take its toll, and this is the price she’s going to pay. But how many warriors is she willing to lose for her cause? How many will continue to fight for her?

  

  With the help of the trailer, we know the two figures fighting at the tower are The Widow and Nathaniel Moon. This is not the same tower that Bajie visited at the end of season 2.

  

  

  The last two photos of The Widow show her squaring off with someone. These two images appear to be from the same scene, and if that’s true, they take place in the museum. The figure The Widow appears to be fighting is Castor, which becomes evident when you look at his own images below (it looks like his outfit and he’s holding the weapons the same way).

  Lydia

  

  Nathaniel Moon has clearly been convinced by The Widow to join her forces. Lydia also appears to be doing well, though she’s not wearing any official colors, which means this scene probably takes place in the refugee camp that was mentioned in her bio.

  It also appears like she’s holding onto Henry, unless all babies are swaddled in identical blankets. Then again, I’d be surprised if Sunny gave up Henry to anyone, including Lydia, and especially in the presence of Nathaniel Moon.

  

  Lydia’s other appearance in these photos shows her in a similar outfit to the one we saw her in while she was on horseback. The dress is obviously fancier than what she’s wearing above, but she’s still not in The Widow’s colors, which means she might be a free agent.

  The figure in purple remains unknown. Gaius is wearing purple in his character bio, but it’s unlikely to be him. This also takes place in the museum, so perhaps it’s one of Pilgrim’s men.

  M.K.

  

  

  In these first two photos, M.K. is squaring off with Nathaniel Moon, who has a new hand, courtesy of The Widow. Despite Moon’s vendetta against Sunny, he’s an incredibly skilled fighter and M.K. would do well to take notes.

  

  The last photo shows M.K. facing himself, which can only mean that he’s in the altered state the Master taught him to enter. We know from the trailer that M.K. does get his powers back, and it’s likely due to Prilgrim’s involvement, though it’s unclear how M.K. ended up back here, especially since he’s wearing the same outfit as he was in his fight with Moon.

  Tilda

  

  

  

  Moon isn’t the only one who’s gotten a makeover. Tilda is looking quite different this season as the Iron Rabbit, the Robin Hood persona she’ll be adapting following her split with The Widow. She’s not sporting her former baroness’ traditional colors, but a much less monochromatic ensemble. The first photo shows her in one of The Widow’s Jeeps, likely the same one she escaped in with Odessa and Bajie. We know from her character bio that Tilda will be in the same refugee camp as Lydia.

  Pilgrim and Cressida

  

  

  

  

  See more

  Get a glimpse of what's to come for the #IntotheBadlands and leap into the 3rd season with this exclusive from @Variety. https://t.co/Dc18M9nUE2 pic.twitter.com/71XbSivrXF

  — Into the Badlands (@IntotheBadlands) March 21, 2018

  I’ve tried to put these images in chronological order, according to what we’ve seen in the trailer, but take this with a grain of salt. The first appears to be when they’re already on the island with the castle, as we see the lake in the background.

  The next is when Pilgrim fights blindfolded against the Nomads. Those who survived that battle are the ones who pledged loyalty to him.

  The next two photos appear to be from the same scene, and I believe it’s about the same time as when Pilgrim is pulling on the chains and raising Cressida in the air.

  Lastly, Cressida is out of her modest garb and in an outfit that’s very similar to the one we see in her character poster. It looks like they’ve made the museum their new home.

  Nix and Castor

  

  See more

  The official Season 3 trailer of #IntotheBadlands premieres today at 2pm est! Get a glimpse of what's to come for the Badlands and the futures of its people pic.twitter.com/ccUkDThyv5

  — Into the Badlands (@IntotheBadlands) March 24, 2018

  These first two images are practically the same, and it’s the moment when Pilgrim is speaking to Chau’s guards, telling them to submit to their Messiah. He is flanked by Castor on the left and Nix on the right.

  

  

  The next photo shows Nix battling Chau’s men — and winning with little to no effort. She’s terrifying enough as is, but her dark eyes due to her activated power increase the terror tenfold.

  She can also be seen standing with what looks like two of Pilgrim’s soldiers.

  

  

  Castor is up next, and it looks like these two images are from the same scene, which appears to take place in the museum. If I’m not mistaken, he’s battling Gaius.

  Gaius

  

  Our last image is centered on Gaius, and it’s quite likely this is actually from the same scene above, where he’s squaring off with Castor. We don’t know much about Gaius at the moment, and who’s side he’ll choose to be on, so I’m not sure if he’s fighting on behalf of his sister, Sunny, The Widow, or himself.

  Additional videos

  We’ve also got some additional promo videos that show us extra footage from season 3, as well as give us some behind-the-scenes information. I’ve noted the important highlights from each:

  

  • This is mostly to highlight the different characters in play this season, but there are a few interesting moments to keep in mind.
  • We see Sunny battling those hooded figures in gray, but I still can’t tell who they are.
  • We’ll get more context for Bajie’s fight scene in a video below.
  • Bajie tosses the compass in the air. The armadillo sigil is seen behind him.
  • Lydia and The Widow are seen walking side by side, perhaps not as equals, but definitely as peers.
  • Pilgrim is the one who catches the compass. I have a very bad feeling about this.
  • M.K.’s eyes go black and we see Sunny and his sword reflected in them. Is this foreshadowing a big showdown between the two friends?

  

  • We’ll be seeing more of the Into the Badlands world in season 3, including new groups we haven’t witnessed before.
  • Sunny’s main goal this season is to protect his son.
  • We’ll see The Widow in a much more human light.
  • Bajie is drinking pretty heavily, and as is his nature, cheating his way to prosperity. Except he’s pretty terrible at it and gets caught, which is why he’s fighting those men in the video above.
  • It’s also worth noting that despite the fact he’s wearing The Widow’s colors, he isn’t hanging out with her followers. He may be in a refugee camp of some sort, but we don’t know if it’s in an official capacity or if he’s in disguise.
  • Moon is trying to re-acclimate to society.
  • Lydia has returned to her father and her father’s people, which may be the refugee camp mentioned earlier.
  • M.K. realizes he’s on his own and has to do everything for himself.
  • We see smoke coming out of his nose and mouth — is he turning into a Gasper, or is this the moment where he enters his own mind to face his dark power?
  • Tilda doesn’t seem to be completely on her own, but she does appear to be the leader of this little band of Robin Hoods who are attacking The Widow’s transports.
  • Everything being said about Pilgrim indicates he might be the most capable villain we’ve seen yet.
  • There are several big questions trying to be answered this season: How do you go about creating a better world for the future? Can our heroes unite against Pilgrim in order to protect their world, as broken as it is? Will Sunny come to terms with his violent past and be human again?

  

  • Pilgrim and Cressida are religious fanatics. Pilgrim only has one truth, and that is Azra.
  • Pilgrim does have some kind of power or enhanced skill, though at the moment it doesn’t appear to be the same as having the Dark Power.
  • We also learn that Pilgrim had both seizures and nightmares. Could these be tied into his power?
  • Cressida is described as an adviser, a sorceress, a Seer, and a weird auntie that you respect but are a little afraid of, too.
  • Nix is a warrior, and the actress portraying her says when we first meet her, she’s very much a part of this cult mentality — indicating that perhaps she’ll lose faith down the line.
  • Nix also has a father/daughter relationship with Pilgrim, but he can also literally control her (meaning her Dark Power).
  • Nix and Castor live together, sleep together, eat together, and fight together. It’s clear that when it comes to fighting, they are very much one mind.
  • Pilgrim has a soft spot for Castor, which will be interesting considering Castor’s bio says his abilities will begin to falter and he’ll realize the true cost of Pilgrim’s plan.
  • The people Pilgrim brings in his caravan are those who have been cast aside and have no one but each other. This will probably form a very strong found family bond, and will undoubtedly draw plenty of people from the Badlands into Pilgrim’s army. M.K., certainly, feels different and alone, so it would be no surprise that he’d consider joining the newcomer’s ranks.

  Will you be watching ‘Into the Badlands’ season 3?