Ward Cameron

**Ward Cameron** is one of the main characters and the main antagonist in *Outer Banks*. He is portrayed by Charles Esten.

Ward is a wealthy businessman and portrays himself as a kind individual and a good father. However, beneath the surface, he is manipulative, conniving, and a murderer. He was secretly looking for the Royal Merchant to claim the gold for himself. He played a central role in the criminal activities on the island. He is also the arch-enemy of John B Routledge.

## History

### Biography

Ward Cameron grew up on The Cut part of Outer Banks, and was entirely self-made according to his daughter Sarah. He is a third-generation alumni of UNC-Chapel Hill, but otherwise came from humble beginnings. He went on to become a multimillionaire real estate developer via his company Cameron Development, thanks in part to the Limbrey family funding his first development project. Ward had three children - Rafe, Sarah, and Wheezie - with a previous wife, and later remarried to Rose Cameron (she and Ward began dating when Rafe was still very young).

Prior to the first episode, he killed Big John trying to figure out the mystery that is the Royal Merchant. He gradually became more and more obsessed with it and is desperate to find the gold that was rumored to have been on the ship when it sank.

## Throughout the Series

### **Season 1**

Initially, Ward seems like a nice, stand-up guy in the beginning of Season 1, but is eventually revealed as a psychopath, manipulator and killer. He is very protective of his daughter, Sarah, but does not seem to care about his other kids, Rafe and Wheezie. It is shown that he is emotionally and psychologically abusive towards his son Rafe, and his neglect is seen when he finds out Rafe is spending his money on drugs. He kicks Rafe out of the house, and has little to no interaction with his daughter Wheezie.

To “save“ John B from DCS, Ward adopts him into his family. Secretly, he does this because he knows John B knows something about the Royal Merchant gold and he wants to find out more. He kills 2 men who were also hunting for the gold, and uses their bodies as bait/chum for sharks. Ward takes John B on a fishing trip to find out more but ends up threatening him and getting into a physical fight with him. John B escapes, and Ward purposefully stabs himself as a cover up for his attack.

After overhearing John B and Sarah’s conversation about retrieving the gold, and seeing his wife’s listing on Crain manor, Ward finds out that the gold is hidden underneath the house. He seizes the gold and commissions a private jet to take it to his home in the Bahamas, but John B manages to stop the plane.

When Sheriff Peterkin arrives to the airport tarmac, she attempts to arrest Ward because she found out that he was responsible for Big John's death. While arresting Ward, Rafe intervenes and shoots her, to ‘save’ his dad, in the hopes that he would now receive his fathers love and affection. Ward sends Rafe home with Sarah, and delays calling for an ambulance, making little or no effort to put pressure on the wound or aid in CPR properly.

To protect his son and himself, Ward lies, saying that John B murdered her. He manipulates the police force to go on a manhunt for John B, solving his problem. John B escapes, along with Ward's daughter Sarah, but they are presumed dead as they drove straight into a storm. Before radio silence occurs, John B exposes Ward for murdering his father.

### **Season 2**

At the end of the first season, after watching John B and Sarah ride into the storm, Ward believes that they are dead. However, in season 2, he learns that someone has tried to break into his Nassau property. Things have started to get worse for Ward at that point. He kills his pilot Gavin after the latter threatens to expose his son as Peterkin’s real killer. Ward flies to the Bahamas with Rafe and discovers that both Sarah and John are still alive, and they are the ones who are trying to take the gold from him with the help of some locals. Ultimately, Rafe tries to shoot John and ends up hitting Sarah. Ward subsequently gets his gold back, and he and his son return to the US.

After Sarah and John also get back to Outer Banks, Ward tries and fails to bring his family together. Meanwhile, John gets the proof he needs to show that he is innocent. Following Rafe’s arrest, Ward takes responsibility for Peterkin’s murder and seemingly kills himself by blowing his yacht. However, it is revealed in the final episode that Ward is still alive. He escaped from his exploding boat by using scuba gear. Ward once again tries to convince Sarah to come back to her family. But by this point, his daughter has become completely disillusioned with him.

After Rafe takes the cross and has the entire family on a cargo ship with the help of Rose kidnapping Sarah it is revealed to Sarah that Ward is still alive after trying to convince Sarah to be a part of the family again too many failed attempts set Ward off and he tries to kill her but John B comes to the rescue and fights with Ward, at the end of the fight John pushes Ward and his head hits a sharp edge of the ship and John B yells at Ward “is this how you killed my father” John B is faced with a decision to kill Ward or to spare him Sarah shakes her head in approval to kill him but John B Decides not too and jumps off the edge of the ship with Sarah to a refugee boat where they will gather the Pogues and head for a stranded island. Later that day Rafe goes to see Ward helpless in a medical bed, Rafe promises Ward that he will make it right and get Sarah back and bring the family back together.

## Relationships

* Rose Cameron - Wife
* Rafe Cameron - Son
* Sarah Cameron - Daughter
* Wheezie Cameron - Daughter

## Physical Appearance

Ward is tall and stocky built with dark brown hair and a handsome scruffy beard. He has steady blue eyes which hide his cunning and masterful intelligence.

## Appearances

* *The Lucky Compass*
* *The Forbidden Zone*
* *Spy Games*
* *Midsummers*
* *Parcel 9*
* *Dead Calm*
* *The Runway*
* *The Bell Tower*
* *The Phantom*
* *The Heist*
* *Prayers*
* *Homecoming*
* *The Darkest Hour*
* *My Druthers*
* *The Bonfire*
* *The Cross*
* *Trapped*
* *The Coastal Venture*

## Quotes

''It was John.B!''

''John.B did it!''

''I should just die!''

''I almost went KA-BOOM!!''

## Trivia

* Ward's various cars include an Aston Martin DB11 Volante, a Land Rover Range Rover, and a more understated Dodge Ram work truck.

## References

1. ↑ Season 2, Episode 4: "Homecoming"
2. ↑ Season 2, Episode 7: "The Bonfire"