A feudal future where technology is shunned and martial arts rule the Badlands
In short: Five centuries after a global war, the United States has collapsed into a brutal, feudal territory. In this landscape, firearms are forbidden, and power is held by barons who trade in opium and fuel. Warriors known as clippers enforce their will, while a dark, mythical legend looms over the horizon.
Set approximately five hundred years after a catastrophic war, the Badlands occupy a territory between the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains. Society has regressed into a rigid hierarchy where barons maintain monopolies over essential commodities. While electricity and ground vehicles persist, the culture actively rejects firearms, favoring melee weapons and crossbows. Power is maintained by elite, highly trained warriors called clippers, who are forbidden from marrying or having children to ensure their absolute loyalty to their respective barons.
The series, which ran for 32 episodes across three seasons from 2015 to 2019, follows Sunny, a deadly clipper serving the powerful Baron Quinn. As the narrative unfolds, it introduces various factions, including the Widow, a revolutionary baron who seeks to dismantle the feudal system, and the Totemists, a religious movement led by Pilgrim that aims to recreate the mythical city of Azra. The show draws inspiration from the classic Chinese tale Journey to the West, blending high-stakes action with a complex, post-apocalyptic power struggle.
Although the series concluded in 2019, it left behind an expansive lore that creators Alfred Gough and Miles Millar intended to explore further. Plans for a fourth season and a spin-off were ultimately scrapped. The proposed spin-off would have jumped twenty years into the future, focusing on the children of the main characters under the mentorship of the schemer Bajie. Despite its end, the show remains a notable example of genre-bending television, having moved production from Louisiana to Ireland to capture its distinct, gritty aesthetic.
Opens the Intellect+ feed with this card first. Swipe up for the next one.
Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Into the Badlands (TV series)
To cite this card, link to https://intellectplus.co.uk/app/entertainment-into-the-badlands-tv-series.
How we source, check and correct cards: Editorial standards.
General information, not professional advice. Spotted an error? Flag the card or see corrections and complaints.
Intellect Plus is a visual educational discovery platform for exploring fascinating facts and ideas. Brain Food, Not Brain Rot. What is Intellect Plus?
Related
More in TV series · More in Entertainment · Latest · A–Z · All topics
