John Farson
Encyclopedia
John Farson is a fictional character
from Stephen King
's The Dark Tower series
of novels and comic books. Known as "The Good Man", Farson is the leader of a revolution in In-World who appeals to the common people, wanting to end the training of Gunslinger
s and re-distribute power. His stated ambition is to replace the feudalism
of the In-World's baronies with democracy
. However, his actions and the result of his campaign indicate that his true intentions are far more sinister.
When a door opens up in a nearby rock and Randall Flagg
(Marten) steps out, Farson confronts him and asks him where his oil is. Marten says they must speak of that, among other things (presumably the presence of Roland, Cuthbert, and Alain in Mejis).
During a mission Roland Deschain
, Cuthbert Allgood
and Alain Johns
uncover a plot by the local ranchers to supply oil to Farson. If Farson could refine that oil, he could use it to power ancient machines of war to wipe out the Gunslingers and the larger Monarchy they defended. Luckily, the three are able to burn the oil and keep Farson from getting it. They only postpone the fall of Gilead, however.
Little is revealed about the battle or battles in which John Farson brought down the gunslingers. The last great fight is the battle of Jericho Hill, when all of Roland's old friends die, with him barely escaping with his life. According to the book Wolves of the Calla, the enemy force Roland and his friends faced on Jericho Hill was a "savage remnant of John Farson's army". While Farson's ultimate fate is not yet clear, Roland says in The Waste Lands
that most fled from Farson.
, Roland's nemesis. Specifically, he writes:
There is no other evidence in the story to suggest that the two men are, in fact, one, except that both use the same sigul — the unblinking eye, which is actually the symbol of the Crimson King
. In fact, a line in The Dark Tower suggests that they are two different people.
This would fit more in line with Walter's usual modus operandi
of using a figurehead to rule behind the scenes.
Issue #3 of The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Born clarified this issue by revealing John Farson and Walter are in fact different persons. Surprisingly, Farson is not subservient to Flagg at all, even angrily demanding answers from the wizard.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
from Stephen King
Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...
's The Dark Tower series
The Dark Tower (series)
The Dark Tower is a series of books written by American author Stephen King, which incorporates themes from multiple genres, including fantasy, science fantasy, horror and western. It describes a "Gunslinger" and his quest toward a tower, the nature of which is both physical and metaphorical. King...
of novels and comic books. Known as "The Good Man", Farson is the leader of a revolution in In-World who appeals to the common people, wanting to end the training of Gunslinger
Gunslinger
Gunfighter, also gunslinger , is a 20th century word, used in cinema or literature, referring to men in the American Old West who had gained a reputation as being dangerous with a gun...
s and re-distribute power. His stated ambition is to replace the feudalism
Feudalism
Feudalism was a set of legal and military customs in medieval Europe that flourished between the 9th and 15th centuries, which, broadly defined, was a system for ordering society around relationships derived from the holding of land in exchange for service or labour.Although derived from the...
of the In-World's baronies with democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
. However, his actions and the result of his campaign indicate that his true intentions are far more sinister.
Description
Farson is a tall man, who wears his long black hair in a messy top knot as well as a red mask covering his entire face. Little is revealed of his history before he begins a revolution against the baronies of In-World, except that he began his career as a "harrier [outlaw] who began as a stage-robber in Garland and Desoy." He is first seen in issue #3 of The Gunslinger Born, where he is shown as having conquered the council-seat of one of the baronies of Mid-World, and taking bets on how far he can hit a dead man's head with the broad side of his sword.When a door opens up in a nearby rock and Randall Flagg
Randall Flagg
Randall Flagg is a fictional character created by Stephen King. Flagg has appeared in seven novels by King, sometimes as the main antagonist and others in a brief cameo. He often appears under different names; most are abbreviated by the initials R.F. There are exceptions to this rule; in The Dark...
(Marten) steps out, Farson confronts him and asks him where his oil is. Marten says they must speak of that, among other things (presumably the presence of Roland, Cuthbert, and Alain in Mejis).
During a mission Roland Deschain
Roland Deschain
Roland Deschain of Gilead is a fictional character, the protagonist and antihero of Stephen King's The Dark Tower series. He is the son of Steven and Gabrielle Deschain and is descended from a long line of "gunslingers", peacekeepers and diplomats of Roland's society...
, Cuthbert Allgood
Cuthbert Allgood
Cuthbert Allgood is a fictional character from Stephen King's The Dark Tower series. He is Roland Deschain's childhood friend and a member of his original ka-tet. Cuthbert, often called Bert, is first featured in The Gunslinger, but he does not play a major role in the series until Wizard and...
and Alain Johns
Alain Johns
Alain Johns is a fictional character in Stephen King's Dark Tower series.Alain was a member of Roland Deschain's original ka-tet along with Cuthbert Allgood and Jamie De Curry. In the original version of The Gunslinger, Alain was not mentioned, although Roland recalls having a friend named 'Allen'...
uncover a plot by the local ranchers to supply oil to Farson. If Farson could refine that oil, he could use it to power ancient machines of war to wipe out the Gunslingers and the larger Monarchy they defended. Luckily, the three are able to burn the oil and keep Farson from getting it. They only postpone the fall of Gilead, however.
Little is revealed about the battle or battles in which John Farson brought down the gunslingers. The last great fight is the battle of Jericho Hill, when all of Roland's old friends die, with him barely escaping with his life. According to the book Wolves of the Calla, the enemy force Roland and his friends faced on Jericho Hill was a "savage remnant of John Farson's army". While Farson's ultimate fate is not yet clear, Roland says in The Waste Lands
The Waste Lands
The Waste Lands is the third book of the The Dark Tower series by Stephen King. The original limited edition hardcover featuring full-color illustrations by Ned Dameron was published in 1991 by Grant...
that most fled from Farson.
Connections between Walter and John Farson
King writes in the foreword to Wolves of the Calla that John Farson is another of the identities of Walter o'DimRandall Flagg
Randall Flagg is a fictional character created by Stephen King. Flagg has appeared in seven novels by King, sometimes as the main antagonist and others in a brief cameo. He often appears under different names; most are abbreviated by the initials R.F. There are exceptions to this rule; in The Dark...
, Roland's nemesis. Specifically, he writes:
There is no other evidence in the story to suggest that the two men are, in fact, one, except that both use the same sigul — the unblinking eye, which is actually the symbol of the Crimson King
Crimson King
The Crimson King, also commonly known as Los', is a fictional character created by Stephen King. He is the antagonist in the novel Insomnia the main villain due to a plot twist in Black House and one of the main villains in the latter half of Stephen King's Dark Tower series.-Fictional...
. In fact, a line in The Dark Tower suggests that they are two different people.
This would fit more in line with Walter's usual modus operandi
Modus operandi
Modus operandi is a Latin phrase, approximately translated as "mode of operation". The term is used to describe someone's habits or manner of working, their method of operating or functioning...
of using a figurehead to rule behind the scenes.
Issue #3 of The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Born clarified this issue by revealing John Farson and Walter are in fact different persons. Surprisingly, Farson is not subservient to Flagg at all, even angrily demanding answers from the wizard.