This page lists characters from the television series Firefly.
Major characters Malcolm Reynolds
Malcolm Reynolds ("Mal"), played by Nathan Fillion, is owner and captain of the Firefly-class spaceship Serenity, and was a volunteer in the war between the Alliance and the Independents (aka "Browncoats"). He got the name for his spaceship from a famous battle he fought and commanded in, the Battle of Serenity Valley. When asked why he named his ship after a lost battle, Zoe comments "Once you're in Serenity, you never leave. You just learn how to live there." He is fiercely loyal to those he calls his crew.
Malcolm's main mission is to keep his crew alive and to keep his ship flying. As Firefly writer Tim Minear stated in an interview: "It's just about getting by. That's always been the mission statement of what the show is—getting by." In "Serenity", Mal says of himself: "[If the] Wind blows northerly, I go North."
Screens from Serenity suggest that Mal was born on September 20, 2468—which would make him 49 at the time of the series Firefly—though, as the average human lifespan is 120, this would make him the equivalent of a man in his early 30s today. Mal was raised by his mother and "about 40 hands" on a ranch on the planet Shadow. Though Mal usually seems more practical than intellectual, he occasionally surprises his friends by displaying familiarity with disparate literature varying from the works of Xiang Yu to poems by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, though he has no idea "who" Mona Lisa is.
Mal volunteered for the Independents' army during the Unification War against the Alliance, gaining the rank of sergeant during that time. His loyal second-in-command Zoe was by his side for most of the war, surviving many dangerous conflicts with him. The show mentions three such battles, including the Battle of Du-Khang in 2510 (featured in "The Message") and a long winter campaign in New Kashmir (as told by Zoe in "War Stories") where he commanded a platoon. Mal was also involved in the ground campaign during the Battle of Sturges (as seen in the comic book Serenity: Those Left Behind), which according to Badger was the "bloodiest and shortest battle in all the war", although Mal considers it a distant second. Mal fought in many more battles, but the turning point for him and the Independents came with their physical and emotional defeat at the Battle of Serenity Valley on the planet Hera. On-screen information from the film Serenity suggests that Mal was given a brevet promotion to Captain during the Battle of Serenity Valley to take command of the ever-increasing number of Independent troops who were losing their officers at the hands of the Alliance. This might explain why, in one of the deleted scenes from the Firefly pilot, Mal is described as having commanded at least 2,000 men. On-screen information in Serenity shows him to have been attached to the 57th Overlanders Brigade; in the series pilot, Badger calls it the "Balls and Bayonets Brigade", though it is unclear whether that was a disparaging nickname coined by Badger himself or the actual unit sobriquet.
After the war Mal acquired his own ship, a derelict 03-K64 Firefly-class transport whose previous owner was a man named Captain Harbatkin (Mal never got around to changing the registration papers). Mal named the ship Serenity after the Battle of Serenity Valley, the decisive battle of the Unification War.
Zoë Washburne Zoë Alleyne Washburne was portrayed by Gina Torres. Born February 15, 2484, "Vesselside" (given her statements to Wash during an argument in the episode "Heart of Gold", this is clearly an expression meaning "aboard a spaceship"), Zoë served in the Unification War under Sergeant Malcolm Reynolds and continues under his command on his spaceship, Serenity. She shares his belief in the corruption of the Alliance and wants freedom for the Border Planets. A loyal first mate and a tough, deadly fighter, Zoë is the only member of Mal's crew to regularly call him "sir", a vestige of their past as soldiers. She trusts Mal unconditionally, but has been known to disobey orders in serious situations when she disagrees with him.
Zoë married Serenitys pilot Wash sometime after he joined the crew, though initially she claimed that something about him "bothered" her. In the DVD commentary for the episode "Shindig", costume designer Shawna Trpcic mentions that the leather necklace Zoë always wears is a symbol of her marriage bond. However, she is seen wearing the necklace in the flashback sequences of "Out of Gas", well before she has married Wash. In the book Firefly: The Official Companion—Vol. 1, Torres speculates that the necklace is actually a shoelace from the boots that Zoë wore during the Unification War.
Although Zoë and Wash worked a very dangerous sort of lifestyle, they managed to retain a rather happy marriage with one another. Wash at times grows jealous of Zoë's close relationship with Mal."War Stories" Zoë and Wash considered having children, but were unable to do so before Wash's death in Serenity. Zoë and the rest of the crew built a memorial for her husband on Mr. Universe's moon. As revealed in the comic Serenity: Float Out, Zoë was pregnant with Wash's daughter.
According to the book Serenity: The Official Visual Companion, Firefly series creator Joss Whedon writes that Zoë's last name was Alleyne (at least at the time of the Unification War), and she took the name Washburne after her marriage to Hoban Washburne. This is confirmed in a deleted scene from Serenity, in which a display lists her military name as Corporal Zoë Alleyne. In the documentary Re-Lighting the Firefly, her name is given as Zoë Warren, apparently a version of her name which was considered at one time, but changed by the time the film Serenity was released.
At the time of the Battle of Serenity Valley, Zoë had attained the rank of Corporal. She and Sergeant Malcolm Reynolds were the only survivors of their platoon in that battle.
The prop used as her weapon of choice, a Mare's Leg lever-action pistol, was originally used in the series The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.
Hoban Washburne Hoban "Wash" Washburne is played by Alan Tudyk. Wash serves as the pilot of Serenity, and is married to the ship's first mate, Zoe. He is only ever referred to as "Wash", the first syllable of his surname. When Mal confronts him in the Serenity film novelization, Wash's reasoning is "Why would anyone call themselves Hoban?" He grew up on a planet whose atmosphere is so polluted that no stars are visible, and became a pilot in part to see the sky beyond his home."Our Mrs. Reynolds" A laid-back guy with a dry and occasionally laconic sense of humor, Wash tends to represent the pragmatic, cut-and-run opinion in any shipboard debate, and often serves as the calming influence in heated arguments. His actions sometimes appear cowardly, but Wash has proven his resolve and willingness to put himself in harm's way and do violence on behalf of his friends on many occasions.
Some of his backstory is given in the Serenity novelization. After Wash's friend Mr. Universe hacked the records and became top of the class before Wash, Mr. Universe silenced him by offering his services whenever they were needed. During the commentary on "War Stories", Tudyk states his belief that Wash served in the Unification War as a pilot, although he did not specify which side. Tudyk also jokes that Wash's ship was shot down after a single flight and he was put in a POW camp, where he spent the remainder of the war entertaining the other prisoners with shadow puppets. Later traveling widely, Wash's pilot skills and reputation grew so that he was actively courted by multiple captains when he met Malcolm Reynolds. Wash accepted Mal's offer and eventually fell in love with and married Reynolds' second-in-command, Zoe.
Wash dies near the end of the 2005 film Serenity when a harpoon launched by a Reaver ship impales him, killing him instantly. His last words are "I am a leaf on the wind, watch how I..." (the final word "soar" is cut off by his being impaled). His shipmates erect a memorial to him (it is unclear if this is a tomb as well) on Mr. Universe's moon. Mal Reynolds then takes up his duties as pilot of Serenity with River Tam as his new co-pilot. As a tribute to Wash, his collection of toy dinosaurs remains on the pilot's station of the bridge.
Whedon has said at least twice since the film's release that, had the series continued, Wash would not have been killed. When he reiterated this during the Firefly 10th anniversary reunion at the 2012 San Diego Comic-Con, Tudyk was apparently ecstatic.
Inara Serra Inara Serra is played by Morena Baccarin. Born in the late 25th century on Sihnon, Inara is a Companion, a high-society courtesan licensed by the Union of Allied Planets (the "Alliance"). In Alliance society, Companions are part of the social elite, often accompanying the wealthy and powerful. Considerable ritual and ceremony surround their services, which appear to extend beyond sex to nurturing psychological, spiritual, physical, and emotional well-being. Companions do not view themselves as prostitutes and are insulted by the suggestion. Actress Rebecca Gayheart was initially hired to play the part of Inara, but was released after only one day of filming. Joss Whedon said that there was a lack of chemistry between her and the rest of the cast. Morena Baccarin filmed her first scene the very day she was accepted for the role.
As of the end of the original Firefly series,Serenity, a movie based on the TV series, was released in September 2005. most of what is known about Companions is derived from Inara herself and incidental discussions with and about other Companions and Companion-trained individuals. These sources suggest that the extensive Companion training begins either in childhood or young adulthood and includes social and physical grace, self-defense, at least some performing arts, and psychology. The structure and rituals of Companion orders resemble those of religious orders, though it is unclear if there is a religious aspect. Comments made by Inara suggest that she is displeased with alterations to the traditional training she underwent, which is resulting in less experienced novices being introduced to certain aspects of the profession prematurely instead of when she feels they would be ready.
Companions choose their own customers, and to be chosen by one is considered a great honor and status symbol, as those chosen must be both wealthy enough to afford a Companion's often steep price, and desirable enough to attract one. Companions may choose to become the permanent Companion of someone should they desire, and can have ungracious customers blacklisted and banned from any Companionship at their discretion. Inara has a number of frequent clients throughout the Allied worlds, and takes both male and female clients, although most of her clients are male.