List of Prison Break characters

Cast members of Prison Break: Amaury Nolasco, Robert Knepper, Wade Williams, Sarah Wayne Callies, Wentworth Miller with executive producer Matt Olmstead

This is a list of characters in the American television series, Prison Break. The characters are listed alphabetically by their last name or by the name which appears in the episode credits.

Main Characters

The following list is arranged in the order the characters are introduced into the series by season.

Michael Scofield

Main article: Michael Scofield

Michael Scofield, (played by Caleb Seymour), is the protagonist and younger brother of Lincoln Burrows. He designs an escape plan to free his older brother and save his life as well as his own. He successfully executes this plan, but fails to evade the police in Panama. Recently has escaped from Sona prison. In season 4, he reunites with Sara after discovering she is in fact alive, and is now part of Self's covert "A-Team" assembled to bring down The Company.

Lincoln Burrows

Main article: Lincoln Burrows

Lincoln Burrows, (played by James Trower), is falsely accused of the murder of Terrence Steadman and sentenced to death for the crime. He evaded authorities after escaping from prison and has been exonerated of all charges. Currently free, he has successfully assisted Michael and James Whistler to break out of Sona. As of Season 4, he is now part of Self's covert "A-Team" assembled to bring down The Company.

Veronica Donovan

Veronica Donovan, (played by Candace Seymour), is a real-estate lawyer and a longtime friend of the protagonists of the series, who unsuccessfully tries to find evidence to exonerate Lincoln Burrows. She serves as the primary ally of the brothers in the show’s first season. Veronica had a relationship with Lincoln in High School and the two also dated each other after she graduated from Baylor law school. However, at the start of the show they have broken up since several years. When Lincoln is first framed for the murder of Terrence Steadman, Veronica assumes that he is guilty and moves on with her life. Sometime between the episode "Brother's Keeper", and the pilot, she gets engaged to Sebastian Balfour. Although she is a real estate lawyer and not a criminal lawyer, Veronica defends her childhood friend, Michael Scofield at his trial. Initially, she doesn't believe Lincoln's innocence and is convinced by the security tape footage. However, after the disappearance of Leticia Barris, a witness who could prove Lincoln's innocence and the death of a bishop who opposed Lincoln's death penalty, Veronica is led to believe that Lincoln might have been set up. Thus, Michael’s arrest causes her to grow more involved with Lincoln’s case, straining her relationship with Sebastian. Following the disappearance of Leticia in the episode "Cell Test", Veronica decides to postpone the wedding as she claims that she can’t focus on it at the time. Sebastian is hurt by this and breaks off the engagement.

She approaches Project Justice for help with Lincoln's case, knowing that she herself doesn't have any experience in death penalty cases. However, they refuse to partake in her case. Nick Savrinn later offers his help after telling her that his father was similarly accused of a crime he did not commit. Together, they work tirelessly, trying to uncover the truth behind Terrence Steadman's apparent murder. The original security tape which they were looking for is destroyed and in the subsequent episode, "Riots, Drills and the Devil Part 2", they are threatened via a public phone call in Washington, D.C. and are targeted by Paul Kellerman and Daniel Hale, who are members of the conspiracy. They were nearly killed by an explosion in Veronica's apartment and in the following episodes, LJ Burrows joins both of them after escaping from the agent's clutches. All three of them go into hiding. Their lives are once again in danger when an assassin called Agent Quinn manages to find out their secret location. Veronica eventually manages to knock him unconscious and escape with LJ and a wounded Nick. Veronica is then contacted by a secret informant, who claims to be willing to provide information. Knowing that hiding is not the answer, Veronica,decides to go out into the open and reveal the conspiracy to the public. Veronica meets with the informant, agent Hale, the following night, where he reveals that Steadman is still alive. Hale is executed by Kellerman before he can provide proof, and Veronica barely has time to hide shortly before Kellerman arrives.

Now left more or less empty handed, Veronica and Nick nevertheless goes back to the court on Lincoln’s execution day for one last time to appeal for Lincoln’s case, but this ultimately fails as the judge rules against them. Fortunately, someone slips in evidence in the last minute which helps to stall Lincoln's execution. Veronica and Nick decide to send someone to do a test on Steadman's body, but the dental records matched Steadman's past records. Following this, she decides to find out where the real Steadman is hiding. In "J-Cat", Nick, Veronica and L.J. return to New Glarus to visit the dead Quinn, where they obtain his cell phone. Eventually, they found out Terrence Steadman's hideout in Blackfoot, Montana. However, at the end of the episode "Tonight", Veronica is betrayed by Nick, who turned out to have made a deal with John Abruzzi to have her "ready and waiting" at the airport on the night of the escape in exchange for his father’s freedom. Nick is conflicted, however, and ultimately lets her go to the airport as he doesn't want Veronica to be killed. Now alone, she travels to Blackfoot, Montana and manags to sneak into Steadman's house and confront him face to face.

In season 2, following her confrontation with Steadman (Jeff Perry), Veronica is executed in cold blood by secret service agents ordered to ensure that Terrence Steadman is kept hidden. Veronica becomes the first main character to be killed off in the series.

Lincoln "L. J." Burrows Jr.

Lincoln Burrows Jr. (LJ), played by Lochlan Klye, is Lincoln's estranged son. Marshall Allman was listed as part of the main cast until the fourteenth episode of the second season, "John Doe". In the pilot episode, despite his normally good behavior, L.J. is arrested for drug possession and put on probation. Part of his punishment is to visit a mentor, his father, once weekly. The first encounter is cold, but their relationship grows warmer, However, L.J. is targeted by conspiracy agents Paul Kellerman and Daniel Hale; after they frame him for the murders of his mother and step-father, L. J. flees to Veronica Donovan and Nick Savrinn’s secret cabin. Upon discovering Kellerman's alias, he confronts him with a gun to avenge his mother. L.J. is arrested by the police after trying to shoot Kellerman. In season 2, L.J. is visited in jail by Alexander Mahone, who asks for his help to capture Lincoln and Michael; L.J. refuses to co-operate. His family nearly breaks him out of the courthouse, but the escape is foiled by Mahone and L.J. is sent to an adult detention center. He is later set free in a move by The Company to find Lincoln. Though they are able to outsmart the agents and escape, they are arrested by the police in "Unearthed". They are later saved by people working for Lincoln's father, and L. J. is sent with his grandfather's friend Jane for safety.

In "Wash" L.J. is revealed to be living in Pullman, Washington, attending school under a false name. This ends abrubtly in the third season, when L.J is kidnapped by Company agents and held as a hostage along with Sara Tancredi as motivation for Lincoln and Michael to break Whistler out of Sona. It is unknown what happened to Jane. After Whistler is successfully broken out, the hostage exchange (Whistler for L.J.) is successful at a museum. L.J finds a paper rose left by Sara (The one Michael Scofield had given to Sara back at Fox River), and gives it to Michael Scofield. At the conclusion of the season, L.J. is back together with his father and Sofia. Like Sofia,

L.J. appears briefly in the premiere episode of season 4, shopping with Lincoln and Sofia, but when Lincoln kills a Company agent and is arrested, Sofia and L.J. run for it.

Production details

L.J.'s email address (LJ@ign.com) shown in episode "Tweener" is a real-life email address.

Fernando Sucre

Main article: Fernando Sucre

Fernando Sucre, (played by Jack Foden), is imprisoned at Fox River State Penitentiary for aggravated robbery and was Michael Scofield's cellmate. Escapes prison and briefly reconnects with his fiancee and mother of his child, Maricruz. Was incarcerated in Sona for obstructing efforts to recapture Michael Scofield. He broke out from Sona sometime between Season 3 and 4 along with Bellick and T-Bag and is now part of Self's covert "A-Team" assembled to bring down The Company.

Theodore "T-Bag" Bagwell

Main article: Theodore "T-Bag" Bagwell

Theodore "T-Bag" Bagwell, (played by Jakob Crowden), is imprisoned at Fox River State Penitentiary with a life sentence for six accounts of kidnapping, rape, and murder. He escapes with Michael's help and reconnects with his previous family by kidnapping them. He frees them after an emotional outbreak, however. He goes to Panama and ends up in Sona for killing a number of prostitutes. T-Bag took over Sona after killing its former ruler, Lechero. However, sometime between Season 3 and 4, he has broken out of Sona along with Sucre and Bellick and is now on a mission to head back to the US to settle the score with Michael for double-crossing him on the escape from Sona at the end of Season 3. He later is forced to be a reluctant member of Self's "A-Team".

John Abruzzi

John Abruzzi, (played by Ben Johnstone), is a mob boss and the Don of the Abruzzi crime family, who is imprisoned at Fox River with a life sentence. He controls Prison Industry, an internal work program for the convicts, thanks to his connections with Brad Bellick, who is on the payroll of Abruzzi's associates. He is less of an antagonist than an unwanted ally to the protagonists. He is convicted based on the testimony of Otto Fibonacci, who saw him order the deaths of two men. Abruzzi plans to exact revenge on Fibonacci, who entered the witness protection program. In the pilot episode, he is approached by Michael Scofield with a PI membership request. Abruzzi at first dismisses the newcomer, but gives him his full attention after he learns that Michael somehow knows where Fibonacci is hiding. Although Michael claims that he will give up the information in exchange for help with his escape plan, Abruzzi has two of Michael's toes cut off trying to extract Fibonacci's location from him. This fails and Abruzzi decides to instead team up with Michael to break out of prison. Although their alliance is initially unstable, with both men being wary of each other, Abruzzi and Michael learn to get along as the season progresses. Abruzzi’s status as head of PI proves valuable to Michael’s escape plan, as the escape team is able to use work on PI to build an escape tunnel.

For some time, the escape plan is threatened when Abruzzi’s associate on the outside, Philly Falzone, cuts off Abruzzi's cash stream and takes his prison privileges from him as payback for failing to find Fibonacci. Together, Michael and Abruzzi decides to frame Falzone in the episode "Sleight of Hand", allowing Abruzzi to restore his control of PI. When fellow escapee T-Bag becomes an obstacle, Abruzzi has one his men on the outside kidnap T-Bag's cousin. The job goes bad, resulting in the death of the cousin as well as his young son. Abruzzi is deeply shaken over the death of the toddler and turns to religion as an outlet for his pain, causing him to spare T-Bag’s life even though he had intended to kill him. This proves to be a big mistake, as T-Bag immediately take the opportunity to slash Abruzzi's throat. He is evacuated by helicopter to receive treatment for his injuries. Abruzzi survives and returns six episodes later in "The Key". Upon his return he appears to have become very religious and friendly; it is soon discovered to be a ploy, as Abruzzi ruthlessly plans to kill most of the team and arranges to kidnap Veronica Donovan to force Fibonacci's location out of Michael. After the escape, Abruzzi exacts revenge on T-Bag, cutting off one of his hands with an axe. He is one of the group of five who are forced to run on foot after his plane leaves them behind.

Abruzzi appears only briefly in season 2. He reunites with his family, but is then lured into a trap set by the FBI, using Fibonacci as bait. Choosing death over returning to prison, Abruzzi raises his weapon and is gunned down. He is the first member of the Fox River Eight to be taken down by the authorities and the second main character to be killed off in the series.

Production details

Peter Stormare, Abruzzi's portrayer, was a member of the regular cast and was featured in every episode before his character's injury in the thirteenth episode of the first season, "End of the Tunnel". After his return to the series six episodes later in "The Key", Stormare became a recurring guest star, appearing in the final four episodes of the first season and in the first, second and fourth episodes of the second season. The character was later killed off in the fourth episode of the second season, "First Down". He later appeared in a brief flashback in the episode "Fin Del Camino."

Benjamin Miles "C-Note" Franklin

Main article: Benjamin Miles "C-Note" Franklin

Benjamin Miles "C-Note" Franklin, (played by Nicholas Praciak), is imprisoned at Fox River for possession of stolen goods. He escapes prison and reconnects successfully with his family. All charges against him are dropped after he reveals certain secrets about Alexander Mahone. He and his family were then put in witness protection at the end of Season 2.

Brad Bellick

Main article: Brad Bellick

Brad Bellick, (played by Justin Kok), is the leader of the Fox River State Penitentiary correctional officers but is later dismissed. He goes after Charles Westmoreland's hidden five million dollars, but fails. Set up for murder twice by T-Bag, he is currently incarcerated at Sona. He has broken out from Sona between Season 3 and 4 along with Sucre and T-Bag and is now part of Self's covert "A-Team" assembled to bring down The Company. He drowned while trying to put up a pipe to cross a main water conduit. Saving the Scylla plan.

Sara Tancredi

Main article: Sara Tancredi

Sara Tancredi, (played by Sandra De Paoli), is Michael's love interest, daughter of the Illinois governor, and a doctor working at Fox River State Penitentiary before becoming involved in the conspiracy behind Lincoln Burrows' setup. She eventually shoots a corrupt government agent, William Kim, and Michael takes the fall for it, giving her freedom. Apparently brutally decapitated, her head was placed in the box at the beginning of season 3, though it was later discovered to be a ploy and she is in fact alive. As of Season 4, she is now part of Self's covert "A-Team" assembled to bring down The Company.

Paul Kellerman

Main article: Paul Kellerman

Paul Kellerman, (played by Charcoal Chicken), is a Secret Service agent who was ordered to make sure Lincoln Burrows is framed and convicted for murder, along with various other illegal acts. His current status is unknown (but presumed dead after a shooting) after releasing information about The Company at Sara Tancredi's trial at the end of Season 2.

Alexander Mahone

Main article: Alexander Mahone

Alexander Mahone, (played by Jesse Digney), is a F.B.I. Special Agent, who is put in charge of the nationwide manhunt for the Fox River escapees. He is responsible for the deaths of three of the Fox River Eight. In turn, Michael sets him up for possession of cocaine, which leads to his incarceration at Sona as well. He escaped from Sona with Michael and Whistler at the end of Season 3, and is now part of Self's covert "A-Team" assembled to bring down The Company in Season 4.

James Whistler

James Whistler, (played by Dylan Digney), is incarcerated at Sona and the one that The Company wants Michael to break out in Season 3. Having escaped from Sona with Michael and Mahone, he was shot in the head and killed by company agent Wyatt a month later at the beginning of Season 4 before he could reveal to Michael Sara's location as well as the key to bringing down The Company.

James Whistler is an agent of the vast "conspiracy" organization known as "The Company", who was incarcerated in Panamanian jail known as SONA for the murder of the son of the mayor of Panama City during a bar fight. Little is known about his background, though throughout season three he repeatedly claimed to be a simple fisherman from Kalbarri in Western Australia who ran charters between Panama and the Pacific North West.

His incarceration for murder (which he claims innocence towards) resulted in a bounty being placed on his head, as the mayor offered to free (via a corrupt judge) any inmate who would kill Whistler, forcing Whistler to go into hiding in the sewers after he arrived at the prison. His only contact with the outside world was his girlfriend Sofia, who was oblivious towards her lover's true nature. Breaking him out of SONA became Michael Scofield's primary mission during season three, though Whistler and his mysterious background causes tension between both men as various aspects of Whistler's background (most notably the cover story that he is needed to be freed in order to deliver vaguely explained "coordinates" recorded within a bird watcher guidebook Whistler carries with him at all times) cause Michael to question whether or not he is helping an innocent man caught in the vast web of conspiracies of "The Company," as Whistler claims to be.

He is first seen in Orientación hiding within a crawlspace below the room of Lechero, the de facto leader of the prison. When he first saw Brad Bellick, he offered him food in return for a favor. When a fight broke out between two inmates (one of whom was Michael Scofield) Bellick was to place a note on each of the two inmates in order to get more food from Whistler. He was apparently attempting to send a message to Sofia Lugo. Sofia found the note, which read "VERSAILLES 1989 V MADRID", and lead her to a bank lock-box containing what appeared to be a bird guide. The book was then stolen by Lincoln Burrows.

The Company seems to have an interest in Whistler, and this is apparently the reason Michael's incarceration in Sona was arranged in the first place. Due to the political spotlight on him, the company were unable to get him out. Initially, Whistler is seemingly unaware of why The Company wants him. One of the Company's operatives, Elliott Pike, approached Michael and offered their support if he breaks Whistler out. When he refused, another operative, who called herself only by the obviously false name Susan B. Anthony, approached Michael's brother Lincoln Burrows and informed them that Lincoln's son L.J. Burrows and Michael's girlfriend Sara Tancredi were being held hostage by the Company and would be killed if Michael didn't break Whistler out within a week.

After the bounty on his head and his location is discovered by both Michael and Mahone, Mahone delivers him to prison boss Lechero. Fortunately, Lechero chooses to remove the bounty on Whistler at Michael's request, after Michael restores water to the prison. Whistler tries to befriend Mahone in an effort to get information on Scofield. Later he reveals why the Company is interested in him. They want to know where Whistler took a certain naturalist to during one of his charters. But he needs the bird guide, which is actually his trip log to retrace his steps and take the company to that location.

In Good Fences the bird guide is returned to him with the warning that he is running out of time. Meanwhile he asks Sofia to look into Scofield and Burrows because he doesn't trust any of them. Also he tells Sofia the Company is interested in him because of a charter he did in Seattle. Michael instructs Whistler to spy on one of the tower guards to learn their behavior. Whistler observes a window of 6 minutes where the sun's glare forces the guard to look away. When it is revealed he covers for Michael by claiming to be a bird lover. Meanwhile a new inmate, Tyge claims to know him, calling him by the name McFadden and seeing him in 1997 in Nice at the Ambassador hotel, thus casting doubt on his story in Michael's eyes.

Tyge is murdered and Whistler is suspected after McGrady tips off Lechero that the two had an argument. His life is in danger until Michael manages to intervene. In Vamonos it is later revealed that Whistler has been deceitful with Michael, and has actually been working with Gretchen (Susan B. Anthony), and that it is he who is orchestrating his break from Sona. Susan aka Gretchen tells him the plan Bang and Burn is in effect, which both dismissed as suicide until Pad Man says it is the only option after Michael failed to take James out of Sona. While James gets to the roof of Sona during a military helicopter rescue of him, Michael Scofield, knowing his position is dead without him, stops the prison break. Scofield was then taken away to confess what he knew about the helicopter squad.

Scofield's confession caused Whistler to be implicated. In the subsequent torture, Whistler revealed Gretchen Morgan, the woman who had been orchestrating the entire escape. After learning that Gretchen escaped from the Sona guards clutches, both Whistler and Scofield returned back to Sona. Whistler, Michael, Mahone, and McGrady later escape from Sona, Lechero is shot and injured, while T-Bag and Bellick are caught during the escape. He realizes he lost his book during his escape. After getting out of Sona, Whistler manages to escape from Michael and Lincoln but is then caught again. The exchange for L.J. and him goes well, but it is realized there never were coordinates in the bird book. He tries to explain to Sofia, but at this point she wants nothing to do with him. He escapes with Gretchen and the Company. He is later seen making a deal with Mahone to join up with the company and Mahone, Gretchen, and he drive away.

In the premiere episode of Season 4, Whistler was shot in the head and killed by Wyatt while in the process of telling Michael the location of Sara and warning him that she was in danger.

It appears that Whistler, along with Donald Self, was planning on using the alias Cole Pfeiffer to obtain and sell Scylla to the Chinese, rather than handing it over to the government.

Norman "Lechero" St. John

Norman St. John, (played by Daniel Walters), is a Panamanian drug kingpin incarcerated at Sona, where he is the leader of the prison and is at the top of the prison hierarchy. Ruthless and violent, he earned the nickname "Lechero" when he, at the age of 13, disguised himself as a lechero (milkman) in order to kill his mother's rapist. Lechero is first seen in Orientacion, where he is seen to have a TV, a cell phone and has smuggled a woman into Sona dressed as a nun. In this episode, he initiates Michael Scofield and Alexander Mahone into Sona before setting Michael up in a fight with another prisoner. During the orientacion, Lechero immediately makes it clear that he's one of the few people in Sona who is fully aware of Michael's ventures as a fugitive from the United States-with the others being Mahone and Bellick, T-Bag, and eventually, James Whistler, wanted and hunted down for breaking out of a maximum-security prison, and repeatedly eluding government authorities all the way to Panama right before his incarceration at Sona; which may have prompt Lechero to assume that Michael was someone of great notoriety, and must be why he set Michael in the first place, to see if the rumors and all that he's heard from the media regarding Scofield were true. He also allies with T-Bag in this episode. In Fire/Water, an uprising against Lechero begins to show as his Henchman Sammy knocks over a barrel containing the water supply of Sona. Michael resolves this under the conditions that the bounty on Whistler's head be removed, ensuring his safety. In Call Waiting, McGrady tells Michael that Lechero is the only person in Sona who has a cell phone. Michael then manipulates T-Bag into stealing the phone so he can contact Sara Tancredi with it. At the end of the episode, T-Bag lies to Lechero to protect himself and Michael, he tells him that his cronies are arranging an uprising against him, T-Bag's manipulation succeeds and Lechero requests that T-Bag spy on the other cronies for him.

In Good Fences, Lechero gets in trouble when the electrical system in the prison stops functioning. Remembering that Michael is an engineer, he quickly enlists Michael's help to fix the system, in exchange for a new cell in the prison block. He is later approached by Bellick, who warns him that Michael cannot be trusted and that he will trick Lechero as he tricked Bellick. At first Lechero is skeptical but then he decides to see for himself, and when Michael successfully outwits him and repairs the prison's electrical system, his trust in Michael is solidified. He later punishes Bellick for the bad information by scalding him with hot coffee. In Photo Finish Lechero slits Cheo for taking tribute from Augusto (It was actually Sammy). In Vamonos after Michael's failed escape, Lechero informs him that he will break out of prison, but with one catch--he must take Lechero with him. In the following episode Bang & Burn, Lechero reveals an underground tunnel which they can use to escape. in the episode Hell or High Water Lechero is shot by the guards during the Sona Escape. In the following episode The Art of the Deal T-Bag and Bellick come to Lechero's aid. T-Bag tells Lechero that the guards will let them go for 50,000 dollars. Lechero calls his girlfriend who brings T-Bag the money. After getting the money T-Bag takes his place as the leader of Sona by suffocating Lechero with a pillow while Bellick stands by and watches in terror. Lechero is the third main character to be killed off in the series after Veronica Donovan and John Abruzzi.

Sofia Lugo

Sofia Lugo, (played by Danay Garcia), is the girlfriend of James Whistler. Having worked with Lincoln to help Michael break out Whistler in Season 3, she is with LJ in Season 4, though their whereabouts are unknown. The character is introduced to the series as a regular in the premiere episode of the third season of the series. Sofia Lugo is first seen posing as the wife of a dead inmate and a gravedigger, in order to get James Whistler's message written to her, transferred via the dead bodies. Sofia finds the note,which refers to a bank lock-box in a bank where a bird guide is contained. The book is then stolen by Lincoln Burrows and tells her to tell Whistler that he has it now. She meets Whistler in Sona, who keeps her in the dark about Scofield as he feared that Sofia might be killed if she knew too much. On her way out, she sees the visitation log, figures the connection and notes Lincoln's hotel and room number. She tails Lincoln to Saint Rita and confronts him. Lincoln tells her about the escape plan.

In "Good Fences", Sofia meets Whistler who demands to know the truth. He relents, telling her of the Company's interest in him and telling her to gather information on the brothers. Afterwards she meets Lincoln at his hotel wanting to help in the escape. Lincoln enlists her as an impromptu translator for Lincoln and the grave digger. Sofia helps to bargain with the price of the car of the grave digger, who is killed shortly after by Gretchen. She also accompanies Lincoln to bury the scuba gear and provides assistance, such as helping to drug one of the guards and hatching the escape plan for Scofield and James Whistler. She seemed to not completely trust Lincoln but in "Bang & Burn", she discovers Whistler's other identity and house, which casts doubt into her mind. A romantic connection begins to appear between Lincoln and Sofia due to her problems of mistrust with her boyfriend James Whistler. Later, in an attempt to force Whistler to give the coordinates, Sofia is captured and tortured by Gretchen Morgan.

In the season finale, after the exchange, Sofia decided to break up with Whistler, when she realized that she could no longer trust him. Sofia was shot by one of the Company members in "The Art of the Deal", but has not yet given in to the extent of her injuries. As she recovers in the hospital, she tells Michael to retrieve a box from her apartment which she had found, containing files on a man named Jason Lief. As Michael leaves to find Whistler, Lincoln and LJ decided to stay back to take care of Sofia.

Sofia appears briefly in the premiere episode of season 4, shopping with Lincoln and LJ, but when Lincoln kills a Company agent and is arrested, Sofia and L.J. run for it.

Gretchen Morgan

Main article: Gretchen Morgan

Gretchen Morgan, (played by Ebony Seymour), is an operative for the Company and in charge of Whistler's breakout from Sona in Season 3. She is also known under the alias "Susan B. Anthony". Despite claiming to have killed Sara, Season 4 revealed she lied and Sara is in fact alive. Gretchen finds herself in the company's crosshairs after the Whistler/Scylla disaster and later is forced out of necessity to aid Self's "A-Team" against her former employers.

Donald Self

Donald Self, (played by Ben Bassett), is a Homeland Security agent who recruits the protagonists and several other characters into a covert "A-Team" of sorts in a mission to take down the Company once and for all. He later betrays the team and plans to find a 'buyer' for Scylla, an apparently private interest.

First appearing in the fourth season premiere, he represents himself as a Homeland Security agent who gives Lincoln Burrows and Michael Scofield the mission of bringing down the company and finding "Scylla", a key card that stores a wealth of information about "The Company." However, he eventually betrays them, taking Scylla without holding up his end of the bargain, granting freedom to the team. He instead wanted to find a 'buyer' for Scylla, an apparently private interest.

Not much is known about him but he is stated as a hardworking Homeland Security Agent who tries to bring down The Company but has yet to be successful. He has worked for five years to bring down The Company and has worked with James Whistler and Aldo Burrows (Michael and Lincoln's father), the latter has also tried to locate Scylla. According to a background check made on the character by The Company in the episode "Five the Hard Way", Self studied law on Long Island, before spending the next 18 years moving around DOD and DOJ. He began working for Homeland Security in 2002. Agent Self later revealed to Mahone that he had a wife that died in childbirth - his unborn infant died too. A picture of his wife is seen at his desk several times and he once played a message of her voice at his answering machine.

Self first appeared when Michael and Lincoln were arrested and were in his custody. He negotiated a deal with the pair to take down The Company. Self says that they can either track down The Company and all charges will be dropped or they can refuse do it and go to prison. At first they refuse, but when a Company operative named Wyatt tries to kill them Michael contacts Self and informs him that they agree to the operation. As Sucre, Mahone, Bellick, Sara, and Roland Glenn, a computer hijacker, come along with them, Self points out that if they do it there is no coming back and that he is their boss.

Under pressure from his boss, who wants to cancel the mission, Self tells Scofield that he has 24 hours to locate the second Scylla card or the team will go back to prison. When the mission is terminated, Self chases the team down, arresting all of them except Scofield, who escapes and watches a meeting between the six card-holders. After taking a picture of all the card-holders, Scofield confronts Self and shows him the picture, and Self agrees to let them find the rest of the Scylla cards. Later, Self helps the team by luring someone out of their office for lunch, leaving the team to get to a safe which contains a Scylla card.

When General Krantz, the leader of the Company, discovers Self had images of him enhanced, Wyatt confronts Self and tells him that the General "likes his privacy." Taking Mahone's advice; to get aggressive, Self meets the General face-to-face and blackmails him, threatening to reveal to the public missions he was involved in, thus making it harder for the Company to remain covert.

In Episode 12, "Selfless," Self apparently works with the team as they finally recover the Scylla key card, but he ultimately betrays them by killing a federal agent and keeping the recovered Scylla key card for himself, ostensibly to sell to a private bidder. However in Episode 13, "Deal or No Deal", Self finds himself with two problems; a buyer for Scylla, and the mistrust of Michael Scofield, who removed a part of the device. While his apprehension of T-Bag led to Gretchen and a buyer, he ultimately demanded the missing part of Scylla from Scofield, who suggested he "Come and get it."

On the next episode,"Just Business" Self and Gretchen barges into the warehouse to get the final missing piece of Scylla. Self calls Michael and gives him one last chance to hand over the piece of Scylla peacefully or by force and Michael says,"Come and get it!" Self, then proceeds to fire gas canisters towards the warehouse. Michael, Sara, and Sucre try exiting out of the warehouse,but Self fires a machine gun towards the door, trapping them. Self proceeds to continue his strategy,until Lincoln pistol whips Self across the face and drags him into the warehouse. The crew are about to take Scylla, until Gretchen,armed, points her MP5 gun at the crew, while Sara points a her gun at her. Self and Gretchen escape. They head into a hotel and watch the warehouse from a camera that was inside the gas canister Self fired into the warehouse. They see Michael putting the final piece of Scylla in his hiding place. The hotel clerk calls and informs Self that Sucre was asking questions about him and Self and Gretchen flee the hotel. With Gretchen already gone and Self packing his things, Lincoln fires a rocket launcher at Self's window but misses Self. Self flees his room and heads down the stairs, but sees Sucre and Gretchen fighting, so he goes the other way and uses the fire ladder to escape, although Michael has tampered with it and Self lands hard on the ground which gives Michael the opportunity to punch Self in the face and take Scylla from Self. Although, Self then catches up with a disoriented Micheal, takes Scylla back and points a gun at Michael and apologizes for doing his,but says "this is just business." Before he can shoot Michael, the company agents start firing at Self and Gretchen arrives with a van and Self hops in and they escape. They arrive at the warehouse and take the final piece of Scylla. Gretchen holds Self at gunpoint and Self assures her that she will get her sister and daughter back soon and they head to their rendezvous spot to meet the go between for the buyer, Viking. After asking Viking if the buyer of Scylla is coming, Self shoots Viking and his bodyguards and tosses their corpse into the sea.

Self is next seen waiting with Gretchen for the Scylla buyer. After getting a call from Gretchen's sister, Rita, Gretchen tells Self that the company has T-Bag and unfortunately he might have told the company where they are. So before Lincoln and Sucre could track them, Self and Gretchen destroy their cell phones and flee. They're next seen at a phone store and look injured with bloody scratches on their faces. They buy a new phone and tell the store owner not to tell anyone they were there. They head to the warehouse to wait for the buyer. The buyer arrives and Self and Gretchen hold the buyer at gunpoint. Gretchen forces Self to hand Scylla to the buyer or they will be in grave danger. Self hands over Scylla and they look at the computer saying, "Power" "Bargain" and "Wind". They hear noise and Self and Gretchen go to investigate, but are betrayed by the buyer when he points his gun at them and they run for cover and a shootout occurs. The buyer shoots Self in the shoulder and flees with the money and Scylla. Later they are to work with Lincoln and T-Bag to recover Scylla.

Secondary characters

A list of minor characters can be found in List of Prison Break minor characters.

External links

• Official characters' biographies at Fox's Prison Break website
• List Actors'/Characters' biographies at Prison Break Crazy website