The Minor Locke & Key Character Who's More Important Than You Think

While several shows take longer breaks than usual due to the coronavirus pandemic, we'll just have to amuse ourselves with theories and speculation as we wait for new episodes. When it comes to Locke & Key, the newly released comic issue Locke & Key: In Pale Battalions Go #1 offers some insight into a minor character on the Netflix series: Chamberlin Locke.

You may remember that, when Bode used the Ghost Key, he found the ghost of his great-great-grandfather, Chamberlin Locke, in the family cemetery. It was a short scene that illuminated more about Bode's dad than Chamberlin himself, but Bode promised to visit again. So, what can we expect from a future encounter? Well, we can look to the comics for clues.

Despite having a minor role in the Netflix adaptation, Chamberlin has appeared in three of the Locke & Key "Golden Age" series comics. The "Golden Age" series is made up of several stand-alone stories about the Locke family of old, including Chamberlin and his four children, Ian, Jean, Mary, and John. In Locke & Key: Open the Moon, Chamberlin takes his sick son Ian to the moon, using the Key to the Moon, as a way to give him a peaceful afterlife.

Most recently, Chamberlin featured in Locke & Key: In Pale Battalions Go #1, in which his son John attempts to enlist in the army and use the keys to fight in World War I. John is underage, however, so Chamberlin is reluctant to let him go. Using the keys, John manipulates his family and journeys to Europe, where his story will continue in the next issue.

Through the comics and the Netflix series, the character of Chamberlin Locke is slowly forming. He tries to keep his children safe in the comics, though he deals with hard losses. In the show, he is friendly and happy to have new people in Keyhouse. He's interested in answering Bode's questions and telling him more about the Keyhouse and Locke family. In fact, he revealed that others who've died on Keyhouse property have crossed over, but he's elected to stay. Perhaps he's stayed specifically to aid other Locke children. We may see him again in season 2, either teaching Bode more about their family, or helping the boy in some way.