His Dark Materials: The 10 Saddest Things About Will

While the story began with Lyra Silvertongue, Will Parry is just as important in the television series His Dark Materials. The mystery and suffering surrounding his parents made Will’s life difficult from a very young age and his life did not get any easier as he grew older.

The television series introduced Will much earlier than the books did, allowing the audience to learn about Will and get invested in his journey at an earlier juncture. Over the course of seasons 1 and 2, viewers were exposed to many sad and difficult things that Will has had to endure and overcome, especially where his family was concerned.

10 Getting His Fingers Cut Off

When Will and Lyra found the captive Giacomo Paradisi in the Tower of Angels, Tullio attacked them, leaving Will with no choice but to defend himself. What Will didn’t know was that Tullio was fighting with the Subtle Knife. When the Subtle Knife cut off two of Will’s fingers, he didn’t know that this was a sign that he had been chosen to become the true bearer of the Subtle Knife.

The knife would only choose a bearer who was worthy. In some ways, it was an honor, but it was also a heavy burden for Will that was made no easier by the gory and painful loss of two fingers.

9 Bullied At School

Will endured a great deal of bullying at school, much of it revolving around his mentally ill mother. Other students would call him a freak and taunt him about his mother’s paranoia and confusion that often caused her to come to the school distressed and insisting she and Will were in danger. He also had to learn to fight and physically defend himself from the other kids.

School could have been a refuge from the difficulties he felt at home, but instead, the bullying made school a lonely and miserable experience for Will. Lyra had her best friend Roger before she ever met Will, but Will didn’t have any friends to help him through his troubles.

8 He Was Blamed For The Spectres Taking Tullio’s Soul

When he came of age and was no longer a child, Tullio was no longer safe from the Spectres. The Spectres devoured his soul, leaving him as nothing but an empty shell of a human being.

Angelica and the other children in Cittàgazze blamed Will and Lyra for this as they were responsible for taking the Subtle Knife from Tullio. Will never wanted to take the Subtle Knife, though. The knife chose Will and he simply defended himself when Tullio attacked. In their grief over Tullio’s fate, Angelica and the other children blamed Will and Lyra and even tried to kill them.

7 Stalked By Dangerous Men

Lord Carlo Boreal was desperate to learn about Will’s father  John Parry and how he crossed between worlds. With Will’s father missing, Boreal focused on Will and his mother, hoping to glean information from them that would help him uncover John Parry’s secrets.

Boreal and the men employed by him stalked Will and his mother Elaine Parry. Elaine was already dealing with mental illness, with her paranoia made even worse by the real threat posed by Boreal and his men. Boreal harassed Elaine for information and his men broke into the Parrys’ home on multiple occasions.

6 Hunted For An Accidental Murder

Boreal and his men crossed the line when they broke into the home of Will and his mother. When Will screamed and rushed at one of the men–Thomas–who was startled, tripped over Will’s cat and fell over the banister to his death.

Thomas’s death was an accident, but nevertheless, Will was blamed for the murder and hunted by the police because of it. Will was no longer safe in his own world as the authorities viewed him as a troubled boy who became a murderer.

5 His Grandparents Tried To Hand Him Over To The Authorities

When Will returned to his world with Lyra, he sought out his paternal grandparents. Instead of helping their grandson, they called Detective Inspector Walters–who was working for Lord Boreal–and told him that Will came to their house.

Will’s paternal grandparents hadn’t been in his life prior to this meeting. Yet, it was still sad to see grandparents trying to hand their grandson over to the authorities, not caring about him or whether he was actually guilty or innocent of the crime he allegedly committed.

4 His Best Friend Was Kidnapped

Will grew up without friends, feeling alone and unloved by everyone except for his mother. When he crossed over from his world to Cittàgazze, though, Will met Lyra. They grew to deeply trust and care for one another and formed a beautiful friendship that both characters sorely needed.

In the season 2 finale, Mrs. Coulter kidnapped Lyra. Will was already struggling with personal tragedy and a burden he didn’t feel equipped to handle, and now he didn’t even have his best friend to comfort or guide him. It was a devastating situation for both Lyra and Will.

3 His Father Disappeared When Will Was A Baby

John Parry disappeared during an Arctic expedition. Will was only a baby at the time and grew up without a father. He did not know that his father had crossed over into other worlds and that he was fighting for a universe where his wife, son, and all living creatures could be free from tyranny and oppression.

John loved his wife and son very much and tried everything in his power to get back to them, but Will grew up without knowing this. All Will had for years were the limited and questionable tidbits of information he got from his mother, video clips filmed before John’s Arctic expedition, and eventually, some letters John wrote before his disappearance. It would be many years before Will learned the truth about his father.

2 Taking Care Of His Mentally Ill Mother Since He Was 7

Elaine Parry suffered from a mental illness that often caused her to be paranoid and confused. Will realized this when he was only 7 years old.  Determined that she wouldn’t be institutionalized and that he wouldn’t be taken from her by social services, the young Will learned to take care of her so they could continue living together. With no other family willing to help, this responsibility fell solely on Will’s shoulders.

His loving devotion to his mother was admirable, as was how he stepped up to the plate in a difficult situation. Yet, it was still sad that so much responsibility and stress was thrust on him at such a young age.

1 His Father’s Death

Shortly after being reunited, John Parry was shot and killed by a Magisterium soldier. He shielded his son from the gunfire and made sure he was shot instead. After years of wondering about his father, Will and his father were finally reunited, only for John to die.

Having saved his son and setting him on his destined path as the bearer of the Subtle Knife, John died at peace with himself. However, Will was once again alone, afraid, and without his father, all while being tasked with taking on the mighty Authority and its formidable forces.

About The Author

Matthew Rudoy
(278 Articles Published)

Matthew Rudoy is a freelance writer who loves to write about his favorite movies and TV shows. In addition to Screen Rant, he also currently contributes to Dork Side of the Force. He has previously self-published two fantasy/sci-fi novels titled CORRUPTION and DESTRUCTION. While his favorite movies and TV shows tend to also fall in the fantasy and sci-fi genres, he enjoys and is open to anything that provides an engaging story, strong character development, and in-depth world-building. Matthew is grateful for the opportunity to write for Screen Rant and looks forward to continue contributing to the site.

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