Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist are up against a whole new level of evil in The Defenders, but for the first half of the new series keeps viewers guessing about exactly what these villains want and what they can really do. Though the major antagonist of the series is the lavish Alexandra, played by Sigourney Weaver, the real mystery comes in when we meet her protege, a man known only as White Hat for his choice in accessory. We don't know much about White Hat, but the first four Defenders episodes do give us some answers about him. Spoiler alert: This will include information from episodes 1-4 of The Defenders.
1. He's in charge of recruitment.
We first meet White Hat in Luke Cage's solo storyline, when the Harlem hero is trying to save a rebellious teen named Cole. Cage finds out a number of youths in Harlem have been recruited by White Hat for a mysterious job that pays them well but ultimately spits them out dead. We later see Cole on the other kids in HazMat suits cleaning up a bloody crime scene. Clearly, one of White Hat's jobs is to be sure to cover Alexandra's tracks.
2. He's a finger of The Hand.
In the fourth episode, we finally get some real answers about who the new villains are from Daredevil's mentor Stick. Apparently, White Hat is one of the five fingers of The Hand, the evil organization of mystical ninjas that has come up against Daredevil and Iron Fist already. This means White Hat is one of the most powerful members of this huge group, alongside Alexandra, Daredevil villain Madame Gao, Iron Fist villain Bakuto, and a character we haven't met in the previous series named Murakami.
3. His real name is Sowande.
Stick also reveals the name beneath the hat. Apparently, White Hat's real name is Sowande.
4. He rules over Africa.
Stick goes on to say each finger of The Hand rules over a different continent, and describes White Hat as an African warlord and gunrunner. But now, Alexandra has assembled the fingers in America.
5. He might have more powers than we've seen.
We really haven't seen White Hat showing off any powers or even fighting prowess yet, so it's unclear what exactly makes him so powerful, but Stick does hint at some scary abilities. When Luke Cage mentions he followed White Hat around Harlem, Stick warns him not to follow too closely or the villain could stop his heart.
