The Expanse's 12-Part Sequel Set Up The Main Villain For Seasons 7, 8, And 9

Amazon / courtesy Everett Collection Published Jul 22, 2026, 8:15 PM EDT Dani Kessel Odom (they/them) is an autistic lead writer and TV critic who covers sci-fi shows like Doctor Who and Pluribus, fantasy shows like The Magicians and Percy Jackson, and horror of all kinds. They also cover Marvel and DC TV shows and movies, with a robust knowledge of comic books. Their TV reviews can be found on Rotten Tomatoes. Dani is also part of ScreenRant's books team, using their fiction writing and literature studies as the backbone for their book analyses. They have covered events, such as the Denver Fan Expo. Professionals in the field, such as Damien Leone and Lucy Hale, have shared their articles. Their review of Ponies was quoted in the show's TV trailer. In university, they majored in English Writing with a minor in psychology. They have always had a passion for analyzing TV and movies, even taking filmography and scriptwriting classes in university. They also studied and participated in onstage and onscreen acting extensively from the ages of 7 to 18. Aside from working at Screen Rant, Dani has worked as a freelance editor and writer over the past decade, often in a ghostwriting capacity. Sign in to your ScreenRant account Prime Video’s The Expanse ended with season six, but the exciting sequel, which bridges the gap between Babylon’s Ashes and Persepolis Rising, perfectly sets up the main villain who would have taken center stage in seasons 7, 8, and 9, based on the books. Adapting the sci-fi book series by Ty Franck and Daniel Abraham, The Expanse became one of the best sci-fi shows of the 21st century. Out of 9 books, six were brought to the small screen. The first three were adapted at Syfy, and the next set of three were adapted by Prime Video. Unfortunately, the show was cut off before the final three books could come to life. From a practical perspective, the choice made sense, as the books featured an almost three-decade time jump. However, it doesn’t change that fans were disappointed by the choice not to finish the trilogy. What’s more, audiences missed out on seeing the full scope of Duarte, the most terrifying villain in the franchise. OPA Broadcast · Belt Intelligence How Well Do You Know The Expanse? “Doors and corners, kid. That’s where they get you.” 🚀TheCrewLegitimate salvage ⭕MarsRemember the Cant ⚒TheBeltBeltalowda rise 🌍EarthThe weight of gravity 💎Proto­moleculeIt reaches out LAUNCH THE ROCI → 01 What is the name of the legitimate Martian warship that James Holden and his crew commandeer and rename the Rocinante? We’re asking for the original Martian Congressional Republic Navy designation. ACanterbury BDonnager CTachi DScirocco ✓ Correct! The MCRN Tachi was a Corvette-class fast-attack ship stationed aboard the battleship Donnager. When the Donnager was destroyed, Holden’s crew escaped in the Tachi and renamed her the Rocinante — after Don Quixote’s horse, meaning “no longer a workhorse.” ✗ Airlock breach! The answer is the Tachi. The Canterbury was the ice hauler where Holden worked before its destruction, the Donnager was the massive MCRN battleship that carried the Tachi, and the Scirocco was another MCRN vessel. The Tachi became the Rocinante — the crew’s beloved home for the entire series. NEXT → 02 Which actor plays James Holden, the idealistic captain of the Rocinante who keeps getting the crew into galaxy-shaking trouble by broadcasting the truth? AWes Chatham BSteven Strait CCas Anvar DDominique Tipper ✓ Correct! Steven Strait brought James Holden to life across all six seasons of the show. Strait captured Holden’s transformation from a reluctant XO on an ice hauler to a man carrying the weight of humanity’s future — all while keeping that stubborn moral compass pointed true north. ✗ Airlock breach! The answer is Steven Strait. Wes Chatham played the unforgettable Amos Burton, Cas Anvar portrayed pilot Alex Kamal, and Dominique Tipper was engineer Naomi Nagata. Strait’s Holden served as the moral center of the Rocinante crew through all six seasons of the series. NEXT → 03 The mysterious alien substance called the protomolecule — capable of repurposing any biological matter it touches — was first discovered on which moon of Saturn? APhoebe BTitan CEnceladus DIo ✓ Correct! The protomolecule was discovered on Phoebe, an irregularly shaped moon of Saturn. Scientists at a Protogen research station found it locked in the ice. Phoebe was actually a delivery system — an alien projectile sent billions of years ago, aimed at Earth but captured by Saturn’s gravity instead. ✗ Airlock breach! The answer is Phoebe. Titan and Enceladus are Saturn moons but not where the protomolecule was found, and Io is a moon of Jupiter (though it later becomes a key protomolecule location). Phoebe was actually an alien-built delivery system that Saturn’s gravity intercepted billions of years before humanity arrived. NEXT → 04 Chrisjen Avasarala is a ruthless UN politician known for her elegant saris and devastating profanity. Which Iranian-American actress won acclaim for bringing her to life on screen? ANazanin Boniadi BGolshifteh Farahani CSarah Shahi DShohreh Aghdashloo ✓ Correct! Shohreh Aghdashloo’s Avasarala became one of the show’s most beloved characters, blending razor-sharp political maneuvering with a grandmotherly warmth that made her impossible to predict. Her Oscar-nominated voice and commanding presence made Avasarala iconic — especially when dropping uncensored profanity on Amazon. ✗ Airlock breach! The answer is Shohreh Aghdashloo. Nazanin Boniadi is known for Homeland and Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Golshifteh Farahani for Paterson and Extraction, and Sarah Shahi for Person of Interest. Aghdashloo’s gravelly voice and fierce performance made Avasarala a fan-favorite powerhouse throughout the series. NEXT → 05 The Expanse is based on a book series written under the pen name James S.A. Corey. How many authors actually write under this shared pseudonym? AOne BTwo CThree DFour ✓ Correct! James S.A. Corey is the pen name of Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck. Abraham is an established fantasy and sci-fi author, while Franck was George R.R. Martin’s personal assistant. The “James” comes from James (the first name they agreed on), and “Corey” combines their middle names. ✗ Airlock breach! The answer is two — Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck. Abraham brought decades of sci-fi and fantasy writing experience, while Franck (who was George R.R. Martin’s assistant) created the original Expanse universe as a tabletop RPG setting. Together, they wrote all nine novels and the novellas. NEXT → 06 Amos Burton, the Rocinante’s mechanic, is known for his blunt pragmatism and murky moral code. What is his signature catchphrase when he’s about to do something violent? A“I am that guy.” B“That’s fair.” C“I’m not a murderer.” D“Nothing personal.” ✓ Correct! “I am that guy” is Amos Burton’s chilling warning, usually delivered right before extreme violence. Wes Chatham made the line iconic — when someone asks “Are you the kind of guy who…” and Amos calmly responds, you know things are about to get very bad for somebody. ✗ Airlock breach! The answer is “I am that guy.” While Amos does say “That’s fair” often (usually when accepting harsh truths), his signature pre-violence line is the cold, matter-of-fact “I am that guy.” Wes Chatham delivered it with such understated menace that it became one of the show’s most quotable moments. NEXT → 07 The Expanse originally aired on Syfy before being cancelled after Season 3. A massive fan campaign — including sending a model Rocinante to space — convinced which streaming service to save it for its final three seasons? ANetflix BHulu CAmazon Prime Video DApple TV+ ✓ Correct! Jeff Bezos himself announced the rescue at the 2018 National Space Society conference, reportedly influenced by the fan campaign and his own love of the books. Amazon produced Seasons 4, 5, and 6, giving the show higher production values and uncensored dialogue — much to Avasarala fans’ delight. ✗ Airlock breach! The answer is Amazon Prime Video. The #SaveTheExpanse campaign was one of the most successful fan-driven rescues in TV history. Fans flew a banner over Amazon HQ, sent a model Roci into the stratosphere, and rallied so effectively that Jeff Bezos personally announced the pickup at a space industry event. NEXT → 08 What is the term used by Belters to refer to people from Earth and Mars — the inhabitants of the “inner planets” who exploit Belt resources while Belters struggle to survive? ADusters BWellwallas CSkinnies DInners ✓ Correct! “Inners” is the Belter term for anyone from Earth or Mars, spoken with a mix of resentment and contempt. While “Dusters” specifically refers to Martians and “Wellwalla” is Belter slang for Earthers (gravity well dwellers), “Inners” is the catch-all term for both inner planet populations. ✗ Airlock breach! The answer is Inners. “Dusters” specifically refers to Martians (from the red dust), and “Wellwalla” is Belter slang for Earthers who live at the bottom of a gravity well. “Skinnies” is what Inners sometimes call Belters (due to their elongated frames from low gravity). “Inners” covers both Earth and Mars. REVEAL MY SCORE → Transmission Complete · Intel Decoded Your Belt Rating 🚀 / 8 Rocinante crew — or just another inner? ⤴ RELAUNCH Admiral Winston Duarte briefly appeared in The Expanse season 6, and it’s clear from the moment he appears that something’s suspicious about him. It isn’t clear until the end that he will be the main villain for the rest of the TV show, if it hadn’t ended. The iconic line “You were a useful distraction, but I have gods to kill” makes it clear that he’s got bigger and better plans. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to see his plans onscreen. After The Expanse ended, though, Ty Franck and Daniel Abraham oversaw the creation of the comic book series The Expanse: Dragon Tooth, written by Andy Diggle, that fits within the continuity. In addition to filling in some of the 30-year gap in the book, it sets up Duarte as an even more threatening villain. The Expanse: Dragon Tooth Does More To Set Up Duarte As The Story's Next Major Threat Anyone who has read all The Expanse books knows that Winston Duarte is a Machiavellian dictator of the Laconian Empire by the time the story picks up in the future in Persepolis Rising. However, The Expanse: Dragon Tooth sets his threat up earlier. Dragon Tooth subtly shows him as a puppet master who’s attempting to destabilize the governments for his own gain. He has a covert network of Martian defectors who are infiltrating major parts of the system. He puts people inside the Transport Union so they can track ship movement through the rings. He covertly arms the pirates, allowing his nefarious actions to go undetected. The Rocinante crew discovers this connection through black-market Martian tech and double agents. Duarte’s relationship with Marco Inaros during the Free Navy war is revealed in the story. On top of that, Avasarala is worried about Duarte’s ultimate goal. Every small action sets him up as the major threat that he becomes in the last three books. The storytelling approach also perfectly sets expectations if Prime Video ever decides to pick up the show for the final three books. If they decide never to bring Persepolis Rising, Tiamat’s Wrath, and Leviathan Falls to the screen, The Expanse: Dragon Tooth still expands the understanding of the books and tv show. Duarte Makes Marco Inaros Look Friendly In Comparison If there’s anything to take from The Expanse: Dragon Tooth, it’s that Duarte was playing a long game of chess while everyone else was playing checkers. His ruthlessness, cruelty, and manipulation make Marco Inaros look like a child, which is saying something. What's more, it takes a truly depraved villain to make a mass murderer seem friendly and kind. Duarte doesn’t seem to have any moral weaknesses. The set-up villain is the kind of sinister who creates a crisis just to solve it and look like the hero so he can gain more power. Then he uses the resources and power gained from that to crush everyone. This is shown when he sucks money out of the Sol system, creating a starvation crisis, allowing his burgeoning Laconian Empire to sweep in and save the day. Then the Laconian Empire becomes full-blown evil. He's so much more than just a charismatic terrorist who is looking for attention in The Expanse. Release Date 2015 - 2022-00-00 Network SyFy, Prime Video Showrunner Naren Shankar, Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby Cast Dominique Tipper Naomi Nagata Directors Breck Eisner, Jeff Woolnough, David Grossman, Kenneth Fink, Rob Lieberman, Terry McDonough, Thor Freudenthal, Bill Johnson, David Petrarca, Jennifer Phang, Mikael Salomon, Sarah Harding, Marisol Adler, Anya Adams, Nick Gomez, Simon Cellan Jones Writers Georgia Lee, Robin Veith, Hallie Lambert, Matthew Rasmussen, Ty Franck, Naren Shankar, Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby, Daniel Abraham, Dan Nowak Franchise(s) The Expanse