John Druitt

The characters in the Canadian science fiction-fantasy television series ''Sanctuary'' are predominantly "abnormals": advanced humans or creatures, and the show centers on bringing other abnormals to the Sanctuary in the fictional Old City, for the purpose of protecting the public, as well as the abnormals themselves. Most of the Sanctuary team are abnormals, despite looking human: Helen Magnus (Amanda Tapping) has longevity, John Druitt (Christopher Heyerdahl) and Ashley Magnus (Emilie Ullerup) can teleport, and Henry Foss (Ryan Robbins) is a werewolf. Even Will Zimmerman (Robin Dunne) was twice turned to an abnormal temporarily: firstly in the episode "Warriors", then later in the episode "Metamorphosis". Several of the actors who play their respective characters have been nominated for Leo and Constellation Awards.

Main characters

Helen Magnus

Doctor Helen Magnus, played by Amanda Tapping is a 162-year-old teratologist (born August 27, 1850, and sent back in time 113 years.) and head of the Sanctuary in Old City. She was born in England during the Victorian era, and was one of the first female doctors and scientists of the Royal College of Surgeons in London. Her father, Gregory Magnus, taught her about his private research of studying and helping the Abnormals. She later builds the Sanctuary Network in Old City using her father's designs to accommodate the Abnormals. On one hunt, she saves Will Zimmerman during his childhood from a deadly Abnormal, though she is unable to rescue his mother. Decades later, she recruits Will as her protege.

Will Zimmerman

Doctor Will Zimmerman, played by Robin Dunne is a police forensic psychiatrist, who possesses natural empathic abilities and a sense of perception. This trait leaves him unpopular with his bosses, and he is often ridiculed or ignored for theories that are "out of the box". Sometime before the series, his girlfriend, Meg (Kandyse McClure) breaks up with him. Will secretly suffers nightmares due to an encounter with an Abnormal that left his mother dead. While investigating the mysterious deaths of two local police officers, Will is confronted and eventually recruited by Helen Magnus to help treat her patients (specifically those who are difficult to reach emotionally and need to be convinced to trust her). Though highly skeptical of things that science cannot explain, he learns to accept all things extraordinary. He spends his time in the series on his travels with Magnus and the rest of the Sanctuary crew.

Ashley Magnus

Ashley Magnus, played by Emilie Ullerup (webisodes & seasons 1–2) is the daughter of Helen Magnus and John Druitt. After her conception, Helen kept the frozen embryo for over a century. When she could no longer bear the loneliness from her longevity and from losing Druitt, though she is at first unaware of it, she retrieves the embryo. Despite what Ashley lacks in behavioral skills, she more than makes up for it as an expert monster hunter, becoming proficient in using advanced weaponry and technology. Ashley is quite close to her mother and provides a counterbalance to Helen's desire to protect Abnormals, as she normally doesn't hesitate in terminating hostile ones and using whatever methods necessary to capture targets. She is on good terms with Sylvio (known as Ernie in the Web series) and his men, though Helen thinks otherwise. In " The Five", she learns that Druitt is her father (she was made aware of it in the fourth Webisode), and eventually comes to accept it.

In the Season 1 finale " Revelations", Ashley and Henry Foss break into a Cabal weapons facility to retrieve the files relating to "Lazarus", the weapon used to turn Abnormals on Humans, but are captured by the Cabal, who drug her and turn her into an Abnormal, inheriting her father's teleportation abilities. After the two escape, she is forced by Dana Whitcomb who now controls her to steal the vial of Vampire-blood taken by the team to cure the weapon, and escapes to the Cabal facility on Easter Island, where she is formally welcomed to The Cabal. In the season 2 premiere " End of Nights", the Cabal use the Vampire-blood to convert her into a Vampire-hybrid, which apparently destroys her personality. They then use her DNA to create five more hybrids, who start taking down the Sanctuary network. During an attack against the Old City facility, Ashley reasserts her original personality long enough to save her mother, apparently killing herself in the process by teleporting while the EM shield is up with the last hybrid. Magnus believes Ashley survives, but her searches are fruitless, Magnus is forced to accept that she is gone.

Bigfoot

"Bigfoot", also known as big guy or biggie, played by Christopher Heyerdahl, who also plays John Druitt is an intelligent Neanderthal-like species, and a former patient of Dr. Magnus. Before he met Magnus, he liked to scare children. Magnus retrieved him (over fifty years ago) and has said to have removed "more than a few bullets" from him, and when he refused to leave her, she appointed him a place in her staff, where he mostly acts as a butler, chauffeur, body guard and general handy man. He is allergic to flowers. He admits to Will Zimmerman that he once scared him for fun during his childhood. Though he does appear to be afraid of him at first, Will grows to respect and befriend him. In the season 1 finale, he becomes infected with the Cabal bioweapon designed to turn abnormals against humans, and is confined to a cell, with the team hoping that a vial of Vampire blood used to try to stop the weapon would reverse his rampage. In the season 2 premiere, Bigfoot refuses to take the cure Tesla has developed, because taking anything made by humans would be against his people's beliefs, even though he is already an outcast to them. However, he eventually takes the serum to help his friends battle the Vampire-hybrids, after some persuasion by Magnus.

Throughout the series, Bigfoot uses the caveman-like "ack, ack" expression. According to Damian Kindler, Heyerdahl invented it for his character. The expression has made an effect on the crew, who also sometimes uses the impression while on break as communicating each other.

Henry Foss

Henry Foss (referred to as Hank by Kate Freelander), played by Ryan Robbins (seasons 2–4; recurring webisodes and season 1) was found on the Moors as a child by Helen Magnus. (In the webisodes, however, he is the descendant of Gregory Magnus' first weaponsmith.) He is a friend of Ashley and of Bigfoot. He is a self-proclaimed geek in computer science, as well as a weapons designer, including the construction of a short-wave sonic weapon, and often supplies new gear to Ashley for missions, as well as regularly maintaining Sanctuary's defenses such as an EM shield, keeping them working just as well. Like many among the Sanctuary, he is an Abnormal, a werewolf (a class nine hyper-accelerated protean life form or HAP). He took diazepam to suppress his werewolf abilities, but quit the drug upon realizing that his abilities are controllable. He considered surgery from Helen to rid his werewolf side, but ultimately chose to not undergo the surgery. He can transform at will. Until recently, he has been unable to find or communicate with other HAPs. He investigated a werewolf sighting in Northern England and was able to locate a group of HAPs living in a restricted sanitarium and taking medication to suppress their werewolf transformations, believing they will become uncontrolled monsters. He shows them otherwise and begins a romantic relationship with one of them, Erica. His ability has proven useful, including an incident where he is able to harness his power and escape from the Cabal, who plan to turn him into a werewolf permanently.

Actor Ryan Robbins described his role as "by far the easiest to work on", compared to his other prominent roles in television, including Ladon Radim in ''Stargate Atlantis'', and Charlie Connor in ''Battlestar Galactica''. Foss was a recurring character in Season 1, but was upgraded to a main character for Season 2. For his role as Henry Foss in "Edward", Ryan Robbins won a Leo Award for "Best Guest Performance by a Male in a Dramatic Series".

Kate Freelander

Kate Freelander, played by Agam Darshi (seasons 2–3; recurring season 4) is a con-artist with Cabal connection and has a vast knowledge of their tactics and movements. She was born in Mombai but raised in Chicago, and left after her father (who was a safecracker for a gang) was murdered by Jimmy, a former gang member who later assists Magnus. She first appears in the second-season premiere, " End of Nights". She reluctantly switches sides to the Sanctuary after she is head hunted by the Cabal, and assists them combating the Vampire-hybrids. She becomes a member of the Sanctuary, taking over Ashley's duties, and helps recapture an Abnormal she accidentally released that now thinks she is its mother. In an alternate future, she and Will had a son named Magnus Zimmerman, though being in the probable future, their relationship never took place. However she expresses by far the most concern for Will during his disappearance suggesting she has feelings for him. When Will is brought to the edge of death to contact Kali, Kate shows great concern for him, telling him he will return and doesn't give up on him, even when he's apparently gone and is visibly relieved when he returns to life. She also shows great concern for Will in Metamorphosis, and several times appears about to tell him something and then turning away. She is absent for much of season four, having agreed to go underground to help the Hollow Earth Abnormals as they attempt to rebuild their society. This decision is heavily influenced by her blossoming romance with Garris, one of their leaders.

Recurring characters

John Druitt

Montague John Druitt, played by Christopher Heyerdahl (Webisodes, recurring) is the primary antagonist of the opening webisodes and TV pilot. He is a member of "The Five" during the Victorian era and Helen's former lover. As a member of "The Five", he has the ability to teleport at will. However, in one instance, he was taken host by an energy creature, which drives him into homicidal behaviour, and becomes Jack the Ripper, murdering eight prostitutes. He reappears in "Sanctuary for All", where he allows himself to be captured by his daughter, Ashley and brought to the Sanctuary to confront Helen, since he is dying. He sabotages the Sanctuary's defenses and uses his power to put Ashley's life in danger to force Helen to give him her blood, which he says she gave him to save his life once before. She acquiesces, but gives him a poisoned sample; his body becomes unstable and he teleports out. In "The Five", he is revealed to have been revived by fellow "Five" member, Nikola Tesla