The Mariner

> *He doesn't have a name, so death can't find him. He doesn't have a home or people to care for. He's not afraid of anything, men least of all. He's fast and strong like the big wind. He can hear 100 miles and see 100 miles underwater. He can hide in the shadow of the noon sun. He can be right behind you and you wont even know it till your dead.*
>
> Enola, 1995 film

## Unknown, nicknamed "Ulysses" by Helen

### Aliases

Ichthy Freak
Gentleman Guppy
Mute-O
Pet Fish
Ulysses

### Relatives

Possibly other mutants such as The Leviathan

## Physical description

### Species

Half human
Half ichtyus sapien

## Appearances

### Portrayed by

Kevin Costner (film)
Various stuntmen (live action stunt show)

### Appears in

1995 film
Live action stunt show
1997 comics and video games
Upcoming series

The **Mariner** is the nameless protagonist of the 1995 Waterworld film, and the central character of the wider franchise. In film he is portrayed by Kevin Costner.

At the end of the film, Helen gives him a name of a great explorer she had read about in an old tale - **Ulysses**.

His story has been continued in a number of mediums, such as the live action stunt show, video games, and a comic book series in which he searches for answers to his origins.

## Personality

The Mariner is a consummate loner. This is perhaps due to the trauma he experienced as a child, or the hostility he has encountered on atolls where 'mutants' are feared. The Mariner only feels a connection towards his trimaran (to the point where he hates anybody else being aboard his ship), and the plants he grows. Being alone for so long has left the Mariner with nothing in the way of politeness or empathy.

The Mariner has a fasciation with the world before the flooding of the world, and is something of a collector. He often explores submerged cities not just for soil to sell in the atolls, but also to salvage keepsakes and trinkets from former civilisation. His collection of pre-flood goods, kept within the interior of his trimaran, is perhaps the greatest in all Waterworld.

The Mariner against character does show that he is capable of human affection when he warms to Helen and Enola. Although their relationships are strained for a long time, he eventually comes to see Helen as a love interest and Enola as a friend.

## Abilities

As a "*Homo Ichtyus Sapien*", the Mariner has all the capability and potential an ordinary man does. At peak physical fitness, the Mariner is very agile and fast-moving even on land, capable of great prowess, stealth and acrobatics.

However, he is even faster underwater, being able to swim and leap out from the water at an astonishing speed, aided by his altered biology and webbed feet.

Perhaps most notably, the gills behind his ears enable him to breathe underwater as easily as he can in the air, and allowing him to stay underwater for very long periods of time. This ability so advanced that the Mariner can even breathe underwater for others, as evidenced when trapped underwater he gives Helen the kiss of life, transferring oxygen to her.

His physiology also seems of a hardier constitution than an ordinary man, since during his deep dives he is able to withstand very strong pressures at deep depths. His eyes are also adapted to allow him to see underwater as well as in the air, and with very little light.

Beyond his physical abilities, the Mariner is an expert in survival skills, navigation, boat handling, construction and maintenance. He is also an expert marksman with either spears, harpoons or firearms, and an adept at tracking and hunting the various sea life of Waterworld.

The Mariner is also experienced in trade and bartering, and can speak both English and Portu-Greek fluently which often aid in this. He will often trade in goods salvaged from the ocean floor, and especially in dirt he is able to bring up the surface and which is keenly sought after by atollers.

## History

### Early History

Little is known of the Mariner's past, although it is known that he was close to his mother. It is implied that his mother was a *Homo Ichtyus Sapien* like him, but his father was human, meaning that the Mariner is a half-breed. His father was cruel and selfish, and mistreated his son. After his mother died, his father kept him tied up with rope on the deck of a ship, using him to catch sea life to eat. Eventually, the Mariner killed his father and took his boat.

After this, the Mariner sailed the endless ocean, constantly trading and obtaining better vessels.

## Behind the scenes

Producion still of the Mariner with bone-stock harpoon gun during the smoker attack on Oasis AtollProduction still of the underwater kissKevin Costner climbing the DeezProduction still, disguised as a smoker
### Film

The 'isotropic gills' behind the Mariner's ears which allow him to breathe underwaterThe Mariner's webbed feetThe Mariner swimming at an extreme speedThe Mariner jumps from the water at high height, taking some smokers by surpriseThe Mariner teaching Enola how to swimThe Mariner's seashell earringMariner on the deck of his shipThe Mariner at the controls of his trimaranThe Mariner on the mast of the trimaranThe Mariner by the harpoon on his trimaranThe Mariner cooking some whalephin meatThe Mariner and the DeaconThe Mariner in his new catamaran with new plants leaving Dryland at the end of the film
### Toys

One of the Mariner action figures of the Waterworld toy line (Bola Attack Mariner)
### Statues

Mariner statue outside the Bejiing francise of *Waterworld: A Live Sea War Spectacular*
### Video games

The Mariner clears out an atoll (Atoll Serina) of smokers in the Sega Genesis / Mega Drive video gameThe Mariner and a Whalephin in the arcade game
### Comics

The Mariner as depicted in the comics on his new trimaran made out of a jet fighterThe Mariner's quest for answers

## Quotes

* *I haven't seen Dryland. And I've sailed further than most men have dreamed.* - to Helen

* *You talk all the time. It's like a storm when you're around!* - to Enola

## Character creation

* Film writer Peter Rader cited *Mad Max: The Road Warrior* and a major influence, and pitched his movie to various Hollywood studios throughout the late 1980s as "Mad Max on water". Concurrently, Rader's protagonist was heavily modelled on Max Rockatansky, with the enigmatic name of **Ice**.
* In Peter Rader's second revised screenplay of 1991, the Mariner was not a mutant but human, although still unusually adept in the water. Also in the original screenplay, he was not nameless and was called **Morgan**. He has a subplot where he is seeking out the pirates who murdered his wife and child, Miranda and Blake, with nothing else driving him but vengeance. However he eventually finds his son, who was spared by the pirate lord Laszlo and raised under the name 'Helmut'. Morgan is able to convince Blake of the truth, Blake turns against Laszlo and father and son are reunited.

## Trivia

* The Mariner's looks different in the *Waterworld: Children of Leviathan* comics books due to Valiant comics not being able to acquire the rights to Kevin Costner's appearance. In fact, The Mariner looks different in all four issues. Although he is generally more muscular and with more hair.
* The book states that the clothes the Mariner wears are many years older than him.

## Behind the scenes

* Film costume designer John Bloomfield acquired 20,000 fish skins from a trader in Florida to make clothing with for the cast and extras. Kevin Costner's outfit was made from a combination of spandex and dolphinfish leather. The fish-skin gloves were not just aesthetic, they were also practical to protect Costner's hands when handling the ropes on the trimaran.

## References

1. ↑ Dialogue spoken between the Mariner and Helen in the novelisation after his trimaran is burned by the Deacon.
2. ↑ Referred to as 'functional isotropic gills' by Gregor
3. ↑ Maelstrom: The Odyssey of Waterworld
4. ↑ Peter Rader's Second Revised Script, 1991
5. ↑ The Making of Waterworld