Every Character Who Knew About His Dark Passenger (And How They Found Them)

Although DexterThe killer protagonist has always been careful not to get caught, there have been a number of key characters who find out about Dexter Morgan’s dark side during the series. Dexter Documents the life of Dexter Morgan, a vigilante serial killer who also happens to be the blood spatter analyst for the Miami Metro Police Department. Dexter operates his serial killing unconventionally, sticking to a strict code where he can only kill those who deserve it – confirmed killers who have evaded the justice system.

While trying to appease his dark passenger’s need for blood, Dexter must carefully avoid being caught while on the hunt and after he kills. His most important rule while serial killing is not to get caught, which means not letting anyone know his real identity or acting in a way those around him find suspicious. Apart from his many victims who obviously knew that Dexter was a dangerous killer in their final moments, only a select few characters found out about Dexter’s dark passage. From loved ones to adversaries to new allies, the characters reveal his darkest secret.

Harry Morgan

Played by James Remar

After finding him in a pool of his mother’s blood in a shipping container, police officer Harry Morgan adopted Dexter as his own son. As Dexter grew older, Harry noticed abnormalities in his son, especially his interest in blood, withdrawn attitude and need to kill animals. Realizing that Dexter should be institutionalized or likely end up in prison for murder, Harry decides to use Dexter’s killer affinity for good.

Once Dexter killed his first person (an evil nurse), Harry gave Dexter the “Code of Harry,” which outlined Dexter’s rules for killing, including not getting caught and only killing murderers who escape justice. During this time, Harry saw a therapist who helped “shape” Dexter into the vigilante he was, before it all became too much of a burden.

After physically seeing Dexter murder and dismember one of his victims, Harry became physically ill. Because of what he created in Dexter and what he saw, Harry Morgan ended up committing suicide.

Deborah Morgan

Played by Jennifer Carpenter

In one of the most memorable moments of his secret being revealed, Dexter’s adoptive sister Deb learned Dexter and Harry had been hiding his serial killer from her all her life. Even as an adult, when Debra was Debra’s closest connection, he could never tell her because he didn’t want to offend her with the knowledge and thought that as a police officer she would feel the need to turn him in. Finally, in Dexterseason 6 finale, Debra happened upon Dexter killing the Doomsday Killer in his ritualistic fashion at the church.

At first, Deb didn’t know Dexter was a serial killer and only tried to help cover up his apparent one-time killing. As season 7 progressed, Debra found out that Dexter was a methodical serial killer and that their father helped lead him, causing her to be physically ill. Because Deb loves Dexter so much, she still helps hide his identity, even when it leads her to make the life-altering decision of killing Maria Laguerta.

The guilt of committing a murder of her own ate away at Deb until she eventually reconciled with Dexter. After falling into a coma due to a gunshot wound, Dexter euthanized her in an act of love.

Brian Moser (Ice Truck Killer)

Played by Christian Camargo

Aside from Harry, Brian Moser was the first character to reveal that he knew Dexter Morgan was a serial killer. He was first introduced as Dexter Season 1’s villain, the Ice Truck Killer, under a different alias before revealing he is actually Dexter’s biological older brother. Brian was also in the shipping container when their mother was murdered, but Harry only adopted Dexter.

He kept tabs on Dexter and discovered that his younger brother had also developed an affinity for blood and murderleading Brian to track down Dexter and tease him with crime scenes and images from their traumatic past. After discovering how dangerous Brian is and that he nearly killed Dexter’s sister Deb, Dexter decided to put him down, although Brian’s legacy haunted him throughout the series.

James Doakes

Played by Erik King

Dexter Explains that from the beginning of Dexter Morgan and Sergeant James Doakes working together, the latter always had an open suspicion of the former – mostly just thinking he was weird for being so in blood. Once Dexter’s underwater graveyard of victims is discovered in season 2, the entire police department must search for the Bay Harbor Butcher without realizing that he is working alongside them. While many in the department shoot down such suspicions, Doakes stalks Dexter as he truly believes him to be the killer.

After tracking Dexter to one of his kills, he becomes Dexter’s hostage in a remote cabin. After a few episodes of Dexter keeping Doakes in a cage and revealing his serial killer, Dexter’s girlfriend Lila shows up to kill Doakes herself. Since Doakes had the murder weapons and Dexter’s blood slide box, the department falsely pinned him as the Bay Harbor Butcher.

Purple West

Played by Jaime Murray

Lila is introduced in Dexter Season 2 as Dexter’s patron at Narcotics Anonymous, who invented the phrase “dark passenger” for him. Although he was with Rita, Dexter felt a connection with Lila and the two engaged in an affair. Dexter never actually told Lila about his penchant for serial killing. She Found out when she tracked Dexter’s GPS and found Doakes. Doakes then informs Lila that Dexter is the Bay Harbor Butcher, but the warning has the opposite effect as intended.

Instead of helping Doakes escape so he can bring Dexter to justice, she decides to show her love for Dexter by protecting him. She set fire to the cabin with Doakes inside. In addition to killing Doakes, Lila also tried to kill Rita and her kids to cement her and Dexter’s love. That was enough to make her Dexter’s next target, viz He tracked her down while she was hiding in Paris and killed her.

Miguel Prado

Played by Jimmy Smits

Miguel Prado is introduced in Dexter Season 3 as the DA searches for whoever killed his young brother, who just happened to be Dexter Morgan. While trying to hide his own identity and accidental kill, Dexter went to kill Freebo, suspected of killing Miguel’s brother. however, Miguel grabs him with the murder weapon in his hands. Miguel believes that Dexter killed Freebo in self-defense, and they even become best friends, spending a lot of time together outside of the investigation.

As they grew closer, Miguel found that Dexter had avenged other deaths, eventually revealing to Miguel that he was a serial killer. Miguel becomes Dexter’s sidekick where they find victims together. However, Miguel eventually started using the new skills to kill his personal enemies who were not criminals, including Ellen Wolf, and tried to kill Laguerta. Dexter recognized the monster he created with Miguel and killed him too.

Lumen Pierce

Played by Julia Stiles

Introduced in Dexter Season 5, Lumen Pierce is found by Dexter as a hostage in the home of one of his murderous victims. When Dexter saw Lumen, she knew he had just killed Boyd Fowler. But he knew that he had to save her. Dexter and Lumen team up to hunt down her other torturers in the Barrel Girl gang. Along the way, their dark mission led them to develop a romantic relationship.

Lumen was the first person to whom Dexter could actually reveal his life story, telling her that he killed naturally and that he lived life as a serial killer. She stayed with him throughout the rest of the season until they killed every member of the Barrel Girl gang. However, once she had her revenge and ensured other women would not fall victim to the men, Lumen realized that she did not want to stay in a life of violence and that meant she had to leave Dexter.

Maria Laguerta

Played by Lauren Velez

Although for most of the series, Maria Laguerta was adamant against putting Dexter under suspicion of murder, She deduced that he was the Bay Harbor Butcher himself in season 7 shortly after Deborah also learned the truth about Dexter in season 6. Although everyone else believed that James Doakes was the killer, Laguerta always maintained the innocence of her late friend and this led her to dig deeper, eventually leading her to suspect Dexter.

LaGuerta then stalked Dexter and tried to set him up by catching him at kills, finally finding him in the middle of killing Hector Estrada at the shipping yard. She confronted Dexter before Deb showed up. Deb had to choose between protecting her brother or killing her innocent boss and reluctantly chose the latter. With LeGuerta’s death, she ensured Dexter was safe.

Hannah McKay

Played by Yvonne Strahovski

Hannah McKay is introduced in Dexter Season 7 as the accomplice of a serial killer when she was younger. Dexter then discovers that Hanna has yet to kill, deciding to put her on his table. The moment Hanna discovers that Dexter’s dark passenger is when she wakes up on his tableAlthough instead of killing her, they end up pretty intimate. It’s another moment of Dexter finding kin in someone who understands his dark side.

Dexter tells her that he killsBad people“Which is a description they both agree she fits. Dexter wants to kill Hannah, even when Deb begs him to, because they’re in a romantic relationship. Over the next two seasons, Hanna remains Dexter’s on-and-off girlfriend until he fakes his own death and escapesLeaving his son Harrison Morgan in her care DexterSeason 8 finale.

Isaac Circo

Played by Ray Stevenson

For many Dexter Season 7, the antagonists are a group of Ukrainian mobsters in the Koshka Brotherhood who come to America to find the man who murdered one of their associates, Viktor. Isaac was the leader of his team, and had a personal vendetta over the murder. Isaac proved to be very effective in his work, and soon found that Dexter was the man they were looking for.

However, Isaak learned that Dexter’s murder of Victor was not out of revenge, but was simply a case of Victor’s criminal world intersecting with Dexter’s existence as a serial killer. As someone who acted on love and not reason, Isaac came to an understanding with Dexter. The two strike up a strange friendship of sorts, with Isaac baffled by Dexter’s cluelessness about love and romance. Dexter and Isaac agree to kill Isaac’s mafia acquaintance, however Isaac is fatally wounded by George before Dexter can get to him.

Dr. Evelyn Vogel

Played by Charlotte Rampling

In season 8 of DexterA new psychologist, Dr. Evelyn Vogel, came to Miami to help with the brain surgeon case. She revealed to Dexter that she knew him even if he didn’t know her, as Harry had come to see her in therapy once discovering that Dexter had psychopathic tendencies as a child. Dr. Vogel tells Dexter that she was the one who helped Harry design the “Harry Code” that Dexter lived byWhere she originally suggested using Dexter’s blood affinity for good.

She called herself Dexter’sspiritual mother“How she helped turn him into the moral serial killer he became. Evelyn also reveals that she is the mother of another serial killer who now goes by the name of Oliver Saxon. As Dexter hunted Saxon, he was able to convince Evelyn that her son cannot be reformed, however. Before Dexter can catch the killer, Saxon murders his own mother.

Zack Hamilton

Played by Sam Underwood

Zach was another young psychopathic patient of Dr. Vogel’s. Because of her own son’s crimes, Vogel made it her mission to help young people with homicidal tendencies, hoping that she could lead them on a better path. Zach, she hoped to achieve this by assigning him to Dexter to teach him about the code he used as a killer.

Dexter openly discusses his own Dark Passenger with Zach and develops a mentoring relationship with the young person. Although Zach has a darkness in him, he is shown to have taken to the code well and sees it as a possible way to control that darkness. However, Zach never got the chance to explore this new life as he was Murdered by the serial killer Oliver Saxon aka the brain surgeon To the end of Dexter Season 8.

Angela Bishop

Played by Julia Jones

When the audience is introduced to Dexter in Dexter: New BloodHe is living a new life under a new name and even has a new girlfriend. Angela Bishop is the chief of police in the small community of Iron Lake. Although she may not be a big city cop, She proves to be one of the most intelligent investigators in the series and this leads to her uncovering the truth about Dexter.

After meeting with Miami detective Angel Batista, Angela is able to make the connection that the man she thinks is Jim Lindsay is actually Dexter Morgan. Even more impressively, she is able to piece together the evidence and conclude that he is the real Bay Harbor Butcher. Angela manages to accomplish what no other cop on the show has and arrests Dexter for being a serial killer, though he later escapes.

Harrison Morgan

Played by Jack Alcott

Harrison Morgan appeared on Dexter At different times, but it is when he appeared as a young man in Dexter: New Blood That he gets to know his father’s dark secret. After tracking down his father, Morgan is saved by Dexter from another killer and sees him take the man’s life.. Eventually, Harrison begins to join his father on some of the kills and learns that he has killed hundreds of people.

Harrison sees the code that Dexter lives by and seems to accept it, even though he’s clearly not comfortable with it. However, when Dexter kills an innocent man to escape prison, Morgan begins to see his father simply as a murderer and suggests that he is the reason his mother Rita was killed. In the end, Harrison shoots Dexter to prevent more bloodshed and Angela covers his tracks.

The Dexter prequel could expand the list

After the controversial end of Dexter and the subsequent sequel series Dexter: New BloodThe Dexter Franchise will continue with the new prequel series Dexter: Original Sin. The show will take a look at the early years of Dexter Morgan when he started working with the Miami police department and launched his dark career as a vigilante serial killer. The show will feature many of the same characters from the original series, albeit younger versions, but even with a sequel, It is likely that there will be more people added to the list of people who knew Dexter’s secret.

The show will obviously explore Harry Morgan teaching Dexter his code, but Dexter is also likely to encounter people, both friend and foe, who learn his murderous habits. They will either try to take him down or help to hide his secret. The show will be careful not to suggest anything about Dexter’s established history. The original series made it clear that Dexter had lived a rather solitary life, so it would feel wrong to suddenly introduce a past lover or ally that he had never mentioned before.

however, One key character in the prequel who is most likely to be added to the list of people who know Dexter’s secret is Tanya Martin, Dexter’s boss, played by Sarah Michelle GellaR. With Tanya being one of the few originals Dexter In the prequel series and played by an established actor like Gellar, it seems very possible that Dexter may reveal some dark secrets about her and she may reveal his secrets as well.