There are many Westworld theories floating around, and while many are correct, those involved with the making of the HBO hit claimed that fans haven’t quite figured out all the secrets yet. One of the biggest mysteries of Westworld revolves around the Man in Black and what might motivate him to be the villain intent on figuring out the deepest puzzles of the park despite Dr. Ford’s suggestion that he stop searching.
Warning: This is a fan theory, and there will be Westworld spoilers from this point forward.
Many Westworld theories point to William as the younger version of the Man in Black, but what if that wasn’t the case? The popular fan theory would mean that we’re all watching multiple timelines at the same time, with the story of Logan and William being roughly a 30-year flashback and the Man in Black’s storyline being the present day or close to it. There is a mountain of evidence pointing to the flashback/timeline theory, and most fans have accepted that there is a time jump in there somewhere and that it will be revealed before the end of the show.
AND… Logan, came back!!! My heart lord!!???? for quality.. Soryy.???? #benbarnes #ep8 #westworld #hbo @benbarnes @WestworldHBO @HBO pic.twitter.com/WBebjVJflB
— Ben Barnes FC (@benbarnesfc_) November 21, 2016
As Romper pointed out with their explanation of this newer theory, there are many clues that actually point to Logan as being the Man in Black instead, and it wouldn’t be too far-fetched if that were true. Here are the reasons why it’s looking more and more like Logan is the true villain of Westworld and William is just his innocent victim.
For starters, the Man in Black wears black. From the beginning of Season 1, when William and Logan were getting ready for their voyage into the park, Logan dressed himself in black almost from head to toe. Meanwhile, William, the constant good guy, opted for a white hat. The imagery is pretty obvious, but it sets them up for a good-guy-versus-bad-guy plot, and Logan is most certainly the bad guy.
Logan came into Westworld having already experienced the theme park, and he wanted to show William all of it. Bustle pointed out a Reddit fan theory that points to Logan as the Man in Black. Logan took part in everything dark and daring, and he already had his fill of the obvious perks of Westworld , including the women in Sweetwater and some of the simpler loops. He pushed William to explore some of the darker and lesser known areas of Westworld with him and often pushed the envelope, showing no regard for the “lives” of the hosts that he killed.
In this beautiful morning, I wish you all a happy day!???? New jacket is wonderful!!???? #benbarnes #logan #ep8 #actor #westworld @benbarnes pic.twitter.com/9L9GoC0tZZ
— Ben Barnes FC (@benbarnesfc_) November 21, 2016
Also, there is a lot of tension between the Man in Black and Dolores. He makes it clear to her that they were never friends, which pretty much rules William out. It also points to Logan as being the ultimate villain of the series because he has a lot of contempt for Dolores and blames her for coming between himself and William.
As he pushes to go further into the trenches of Westworld and to take part in some of the darker loops, William is resistant because he wants to spend time with Dolores and figure out why he is so attracted to her. William wouldn’t be able to honestly tell Dolores that they were never friends, and it seems highly unlikely that he, even in later years, would mishandle her the way the Man in Black did the time that he dragged her by her hair.
In the most recent episode, when the Man in Black told his backstory and explained how he became so obsessed with finding the maze, it became pretty clear that this is an older version of Logan, not William. Logan was always the one with no conscience and an appetite for death and destruction. While it’s clear that Westworld helps reveal someone’s true self, the Man in Black told the story of how he went on a mission to see just how far he could go and just how evil he could be.
@benbarnes I am already missing you???? And really really hope to see you in the next episode of #Westworld ????. #Logan really spices up things???? pic.twitter.com/SufWfW57RL
— Simply me (@Fuggyfury) November 10, 2016
When he recounted murdering Maeve and her daughter years before and feeling nothing, it became clear that the Man in Black is not William turned back. It was someone who has always felt nothing and did whatever they wanted to feed their appetite and ego. That sounds much more like something Logan would do and because of that one scene coupled with all the other little clues that have been dropped since the beginning of the season, my bet is that the Man in Black will turn out to be Logan in some big surprise ending.
One of the biggest clues pointing to the idea that Logan is the Man in Black revolves around the financial backing of the park. As the story has rolled out, we learned that Westworld saw a huge financial crisis some 30 years prior, which would also coincide with the timing that William and Logan were in the park. It’s already become clear that Logan is the one with money when he taunted William about his sister picking him because he was the “safe choice” and how the day he was hired under Logan was the best day of his life. Logan is clearly a very rich man and would have the means to bail out Westworld where William clearly would not.
Now that we all know that Logan isn’t dead, it has become much clearer that he is the one who comes back to Westworld time after time for 30 years because he is the one who is obsessed with finding the maze in the center and figuring out the deeper meaning or a hidden message that the park’s creators may have buried somewhere within Westworld .
see you soon.. a little break.???? #benbarnes #logan #westworld @benbarnes pic.twitter.com/GEbjp9U0Q4
— Ben Barnes FC (@benbarnesfc_) November 22, 2016
Do you believe that William or Logan might be the Man in Black, according to the multiple timeline theories that have been floating around the internet? Be sure to tune into HBO on Sundays at 9/8c, and in the meantime, let us know what you think of this latest theory that seems to be taking off.
[Featured Image by HBO]