Mike Flanagan’s Dark Tower Adaption Should Include Aileen Ritter

One of the things that people tend to hone in on for any film or television series adaption of a beloved book is how closely the filmmakers stay faithful to the source material. Fans will wait with bated breath to see every aspect of these adaptions come to life, from the casting of the actors for these beloved characters to how closely the material is adapted from page to screen and so much more. Yet one aspect of an adaption that can sometimes be more fruitful than a straight adaption is the inclusion of new characters that add more depth to the narrative. In the upcoming adaption of Stephen King’s The Dark Tower series, Aileen Ritter is a new character who seems to jump right off the pages of a prequel comic book.

The character is one of the more dynamic and engaging female characters to emerge from the graphic novel adaption of The Dark Tower series. Hailing from the past of series protagonist Roland Deschain, Aileen is a complex character that not only elevates the drama and tension of the final days of Gilead and the gunslingers but also the inner workings of Gilead society before it fell, to begin with. With Mike Flanagan’s adaption of The Dark Tower looming near, now is the perfect time to bring the original comic book character Aileen into the upcoming adaption.

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Aileen Ritter, EXPLAINED

Aileen first splashed into the comic book world and the Dark Tower universe when raiders of nearby land took out her parents, and she was left in the care of her uncle, Cort Andrus. Cort’s character is well-known to many longtime The Dark Tower series fans. Cort is the man responsible for training those who wish to become gunslingers and is the first person Roland defeated in battle to earn his title of gunslinger. This came upon the machinations of Marten Broadcloak, aka Randall Flagg, who orchestrated these events in hopes of Roland being exiled and his future as a gunslinger stopped in its tracks.

While he lost in his fight against a young Roland, Cort was an influential figure in the higher ranks of the gunslingers and taught his niece Aileen all that he knew of combat and defense to keep her protected in an uncertain world. However, his training had an unforeseen outcome for her, as she desired to become the first female gunslinger in Gilead, which went against the long-standing tradition of all-male heroes fighting for Gilead. She became one of the sharpest shooters in the kingdom and not only spent her time dressing like a boy to help train more as a gunslinger but also stole her uncle’s armory key to practice with all the weapons found inside.

She was also fiercely loyal to Roland Deschain, the future hero of The Dark Tower series. Promised to one another as future bride and groom at the annual coming-of-age ceremony, she vows to Roland to follow him on his desired quest to find the Dark Tower at all costs and shares a kiss with him. However, her loyalty comes more so as a gunslinger, as marriage is the last thing she desires. Later, during the fall of Gilead, when Cort is found dying, he makes her vow to take all his lessons and survive in this harsh world. She later helps Roland escape his false imprisonment, escapes with the survivors of Gilead, and joins Roland and the gunslingers in the infamous Battle of Jericho Hill, where she and Roland barely survive. However, after the battle, she would pass away from her injuries as Roland attempted to carry her away from the gruesome battle, and her death marks Roland’s journey as the last of the gunslingers.

Aileen’s Contribution to Roland’s Journey

Aileen’s importance in the story of the Dark Tower is twofold. Firstly, it gives readers a powerful female hero in Roland’s past that not only aids his evolution into the last gunslinger but becomes instrumental in the events that led to Roland and the other gunslingers being forced to flee Gilead and fight in one last stand against their enemies. Her role in that final battle was the ultimate means of embracing her destiny as a gunslinger, in complete defiance of a past marred by ancient traditions for Gilead, and showing her acts of heroism also stood as a last act of rebellion against the hierarchy that ruled her people for so long.

Her character also adds more depth and story to Roland’s history and childhood role in his life pursuing the Dark Tower. In adapting this story for television, time can be spent exploring the intricacies of Gilead and Roland’s life that the original books couldn’t always consider. Being the son of that era’s most potent and well-known gunslinger, Steven Deschain, essentially made him a member of the ruling class at that time, and yet his experiences in Gilead, then later in the Barony of Mejis, and finally through the fall of Gilead all brought him to experience life through many stages that speak to trauma and heartbreak.

Aileen can help touch upon the ancient traditions she faced in Gilead and the two very different paths she and Roland took to becoming gunslingers in the first place. The fact that she survived longer than any other gunslinger save for Roland, even taking a spear to the chest and surviving the battle of Jericho Hill, would create a compelling backstory and flashback material in a season-long look into Roland’s past. Adding this bit of history would be an emotional and mythological dive into the world Stephen King created in The Dark Tower series that fans would be eager to see.

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Stephen King

Birthdate

September 21, 1947

Birthplace

Portland, Maine

Notable Projects

The Shining, Cujo, The Shawshank Redemption, It, Carrie