The Erkstag Warden is a minor antagonist in the 2022 film Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore.
He is the warden of the Erkstag facility, a prison used by German Minister of Magic Anton Vogel to secretly imprison political prisoners, where Theseus Scamander is sent for interfering with Vogel's goals.
He was portrayed by Austrian actor Peter Simonischek.
Biography
The Warden is employed at Erkstag, where he imprisons the inmates in an underground tunnel system to be devoured by a gigantic Manticore. Several infant manticores are also present in the tunnels to attack anyone who enters the tunnel.
The Warden first appears when Newt Scamander arrives at Erkstag to visit his brother Theseus, who was wrongly arrested for trying to apprehend Gellert Grindelwald. He allows Newt to enter the tunnels, giving him a lantern to keep him safe from the Manticore, but insists on confiscating his wand and pets (Pickett the Bowtruckle and Teddy the Niffler). However, the Warden also doubts that Newt will return as the lantern will go out eventually and will not protect him from the baby Manticores.
As the Warden sleeps on the job, Teddy and Pickett escape and steal back Newt's wand. However, Teddy also tries to steal the Warden's tie, waking him up and alerting him to their escape. Newt succeeds in freeing Theseus, only for the Warden to grab a lantern and pursue them. He is unable to prevent their escape, instead laughing when he believes that Newt and Theseus have been killed. His lantern goes out immediately afterwards, ironically leaving the shocked Warden at the mercy of the very Manticore he used to terrorise the inmates.
