Introduction: The Intricate Web of Winden
Dark (2017–2020) is a German-language science fiction thriller that became a global phenomenon on Netflix. Set in the fictional German town of Winden, the series follows four interconnected families whose lives are turned upside down when a child disappears, exposing a complex web of time travel, hidden identities, and a decades-spanning apocalypse.
Created by Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese, Dark is revered for its masterful storytelling and meticulous attention to detail. This guide covers the full details of the main cast across different timelines, the visionary creators, and the show’s intricate wiki facts.
👥 The Core Cast: Actors, Characters, and Timelines
The cast is large and complex, with multiple actors playing the same character across different eras. This section is structured to address searches for specific characters and actors at different ages.
The Main Families and Central Characters
| Actor (Young) | Actor (Adult) | Actor (Elder) | Character Name | Role/Affiliation |
| Louis Hofmann | Andreas Pietschmann | Dietrich Hollinderbäumer | Jonas Kahnwald | The Protagonist, known as “The Stranger.” |
| Leá van Acken | Maja Schöne | N/A | Hannah Kahnwald | Jonas’s mother, entangled in multiple affairs. |
| Daan Lennard Liebrenz | Moritz Jahn | N/A | Magnus Nielsen | Oldest Nielsen child. |
| Lisa Vicari | N/A | N/A | Martha Nielsen | Jonas’s love interest, central to the bootstrap paradox. |
| Gina Stiebitz | Julika Jenkins | N/A | Franziska Doppler | The cynical sister of Elisabeth. |
| Paul Lux | Angela Winkler | N/A | Jana Nielsen | Ulrich’s wife, distraught after her brother’s disappearance. |
Key Time Travellers and Antagonists
- Ulrich Nielsen (Police Officer): Played by Oliver Masucci (Adult) and Ludger Bökelmann (Young). Driven to madness by the search for his missing son.
- Claudia Tiedemann (The White Devil): Played by Lisa Kreuzer (Elder) and Julika Jenkins (Adult). The director of the nuclear power plant and the initial master of time travel.
- Noah (The Priest): Played by Mark Waschke. The mysterious, chilling antagonist is guiding Jonas and manipulating the timeline.
🎬 The Creative Team: Creators, Writers, and Vision
The show’s success is inseparable from the tight-knit creative duo who wrote and directed every single episode.
Creators, Writers, and Directors
- Creators/Showrunners: Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese
- The married German duo wrote every episode, and Odar directed every episode, ensuring unmatched visual and narrative consistency across all three seasons.
- Their signature style involves complex plotting, a monochromatic visual palette, and the seamless integration of existential philosophy.
- Production Company: Wiedemann & Berg Television (for Netflix)
The Narrative Structure (The Knot)
- The creators focused the plot around the concept of the bootstrap paradox and the Knot (a closed causal loop in time).
- The three seasons cover the three cycles of time, culminating in the revelation of the Origin World and the need to break the cycle by stopping its creation.
🌐 Dark Wiki: Key Facts, Production, & Success
This section provides key factual data about the show’s history and impact, essential for Wiki-style searches.
| Detail | Information |
| Series Run | December 1, 2017 – June 27, 2020 |
| Seasons | 3 Seasons (26 episodes total) |
| Genre | Sci-Fi, Mystery, Thriller, Time Travel |
| Original Language | German (First German-language Netflix Original Series) |
| Filming Location | Berlin and the surrounding Brandenburg forests/villages (standing in for Winden). |
| Success | Critically acclaimed for its writing, considered one of Netflix’s best and most complex shows. |
