Darryl

"They want me." - Darryl

Darryl originally worked at the Casino and was noticed by Java, who hired him to play the deceased Zoot to trick the city, as well as furthering Ebony’s delusions planned by Mega and Java. However despite the promise of reward, Mega leaves Darryl for dead in a dump. He is rescued by Slade and taken to Liberty and becomes part of the resistance in taking down Mega.

When the Virus Mark II is released into the City, he escapes on a boat with the Mall Rats. Darryl aids in battling the forces of The Collective. In a fight with the Zootists, Darryl dies from injuries sustained in the battle along with Gel and Jay. They are buried on Eagle Mountain next to Zandra.

Personality

Darryl is a friendly enough person, very human and quite vulnerable. He appears vain at times but this can probably be attributed to a lack of self confidence. He is easily swayed by complements and is deeply hurt by rejection. He longs to be popular and successful, but does not really have a clue about how he will achieve this.

Darryl is something of a sad clown, one minute bragging and milking the applause; the next crying in his drink about the fickleness of the audience. Darryl tends to ‘put his foot in it.’ It is consistent with his character that he went to all the trouble of dressing up and playing the part of Zoot, only to display his “Darryl” tattoo for all to see.

Darryl is easily impressed and led, particularly by seemingly strong characters such as Lex, who to an extent, preys on Darryl’s naivety.

History

Series 5

Darryl wants to be a star and is used by Java and Mega as a Zoot impersonator, seeing as Darryl bears a striking resemblance to Zoot, and this does not go unnoticed, as Mega uses him as well as some holograms to scare most of the city into submission.

But when Darryl gets too focused on fame and power, and is going to go on stage again, Mega ends up zapping him and although he doesn't die, it was enough to convince Ebony that he had.

Darryl is then found by Slade, who followed the two Technos who had taken him away, and takes care of him. Darryl eventually becomes one of the gang at Liberty. He helps Lex in running his virtual Casino in Ruby's Saloon. After Mega's downfall Darryl spends his time at the mall with the Mall Rats. He is last seen on board the boat off to a new tomorrow.

The Tribe: A New World

As far out of his comfort zone as can be expected, Darryl lends his aid to the others in the only way that he knows how – the art of performance. As the tribe descend into despair and anxiety as they are lost out at sea, Darryl continues to entertain the younger members of the tribe, trying his best to keep their spirits up in any way that he can.

It is the closeness within the trawler which sees Darryl begin to experience feelings for Salene, believing her to be his best match out of the members of the group. Salene however, isn’t interested. This doesn’t stop the young man, as he pretends to remain unconscious and injured in the aftermath of the Jzhao Li shipwreck. As events continue, Darryl lends his aid in the fight against the Legion.

The Tribe: A New Dawn

With Lex having firmly set his sights on either Lia or the Priestess, and Salene now becoming an item alongside May, Darryl begins to view Gel in an entirely new light. As the two begin to spend time together during their search of Arthur’s Air Force Base, Darryl starts to contemplate the possibility of something occurring between the two of them. For the first time, he begins to really appreciate her air-head attitude and unique perspective on events. Matched with his driving need to boost their spirits and keep everyone smiling – it seems like an interesting pairing might occur.

But as the fight against the Collective reaches a climax, Darryl is killed protecting the younger members of the tribe in the fight against the Zootists. He is buried on Eagle Mountain next to Zandra.

Gallery

Trivia

• In Series 5 Episode 32, Darryl mentioned that he was from the Demon Dogs. The writers were originally going to dive further with this backstory, but this plot line was abandoned. ^[1]
• Darryl is one of the 3 people to have dressed as Zoot during the show. The others being Bray and Sammy.
• Darryl was voted by fans as 9th Best Hero in a 2015 poll. ^[2]
• Darryl is seen as one of the characters in Paul's reality space in The Tribe: Reunion manga.

References