‘Westworld’ Season 3 Theory: The Man In Black Is A Hybrid Human

SPOILER ALERT: This article discusses Season 3 of HBO‘s Westworld. Please proceed with caution if you have not yet viewed all available episodes and wish to avoid spoilers.

Ever since HBO showed the post-credits scene involving the Man in Black (Ed Harris) in the Season 2 finale of Westworld, viewers have been trying to work out if this character is still human or not. The latest theory sees him as being a hybrid human and host, according to The Ringer.

Season 2 saw the Man in Black, also known as William, kill his daughter, Emily (Katja Herbers). She then returned in the post-credits scene as a host that was tormenting him about what he had done. Now, moving forward into Season 3, the taunting has continued. Along with his daughter, the Charlotte Hale (Tessa Thompson) host controlled by Dolores (Evan Rachel Wood) also harassed Willam.

Trapped in his house, William continued to be tormented, and many fans are now comparing him to the other hybrid human/host seen in Westworld. In Season 2, James Delos (Peter Mullan) attempted to have his mind implanted into a host body in order to stay alive forever. However, after 149 attempts, this was deemed to be a failure as Delos kept glitching out in a manner similar to that which viewers are now seeing the Man in Black behave.

As The Ringer points out, this could prove that the Man in Black is a hybrid. However, the outlet also notes a major difference. Each time Delos was replicated, he was told that he was a host, whereas William has not been told. This becomes a significant point towards the end of the episode.

After Charlotte/Dolores has William committed, he is visited by an older version of Dolores — the one of which he is most familiar with from the Westworld theme park. During their conversation, they discuss the realities of both their worlds, which culminates with the question by William of, “Am I me?”

“Welcome to the end of the game,” she then responds.

Season 1 of Westworld saw Dolores traveling her own game by way of The Maze, which led her to her own self-realization. This is also what could be happening here with the Man in Black. Rather than being told he is a hybrid host like Delos was, he has come to this conclusion on his own, which could lead to a more stable hybrid creature.

Of course, viewers will have to tune in to future episodes of Westworld in order to find out if this theory is true or not.