Stick

"A warrior, heir to the, baddest of the bad-asses. They knew what they had to do and they did it."

- Stick

Stick is a blind and mysterious martial arts master and a member of the Chaste. Due to the war the Chaste had waged with the Hand, Stick was tasked with finding and training future soldiers, first recruiting Elektra, but when she proved too dangerous to be controlled he abandoned her and trained Matt Murdock instead. Years later Stick recruited Murdock, now working as Daredevil, to seek out and kill the Hand's Black Sky.

With the Hand growing ever stronger, Stick and Elektra attempted once again to recruit Daredevil, but he refused and instead convinced Elektra to change sides. This caused Stick to order Elektra's death, eventually leading to him being captured and brutally tortured by the Hand. Stick was saved by his former pupils, and later witnessed Elektra's death by the Hand leader Nobu Yoshioka, so in response Stick killed him.

Joining the Chaste
"So you had nine whole years of looking at movies, blue skies, up girlies skirts which I never had. I was born blind, you don't hear me whining about it."

- Stick to Matt Murdock

Stick was born blind, but was able to overcome his disability to become a powerful and dangerous warrior. He was recruited by the Chaste and dedicated his life to fighting a centuries old war against the Hand, focusing much of his efforts on recruiting and training new soldiers into the Chaste's army.

Elektra's Struggle
"You said we're going to war." "We are, and they'll be a time and place for you to let yourself loose, but right now the last thing you want is for everybody here to be scared shitless of you. Tame that fire, or they'll tame it for you."

- Elektra and Stick

Seeking to train the perfect soldier from a young age, Stick recruited a young girl named Elektra, who had a great power within her which she did not fully understand. Stick watched as she trained with other members of the Chaste to proved herself to be a remarkable fighter. When Elektra's hands began to hurt Stick called her over and taught her the correct way to throw a punch, insulting her previous technic. Elektra returned to the ring and was observed by Star who spoke to Stick about the young girl's progress. Stick joked that he had found the young girl in a boxer of cracker jacks and Star noted that she would need more training when the war with the Hand finally came. As they were speaking Elektra pinned down her opponent and began hitting him repeatedly without holding back, causing Stick to rush over and pull her away before she beat him to death, ordering her to control her breathing. Taking Elektra to one side Stick spoke to her as she argued that he had ordered her to finish the fight but he made it clear that she could not kill the man as he was on their side for the war, although he admitted the guy was an arsehole. Elektra insisted that it did not feel wrong to kill him and Stick told her that the rage that was inside her was good but she had to learn to control it. Stick promised that she could let loose in the war but not right now as this would result in her scaring away her allies at the Chaste.

Protecting Elektra
"Ellie, I haven't told you everything but someday someone will come for you and everything will change. I'm gonna make that as far off as possible."

- Stick to Elektra

Elektra was later captured by Star when he discovered her cutting the throat of another Chaste soldier during a fight. Stick told Star that Elektra was a Black Sky, a weapon for the Hand which enraged Star and he insisted that Stick had endangered them all. Star drew his sword but Stick ordered him to stop, when Star insisted that Elektra must die Stick promised to take care of it and proceeded to murder Star before freeing Elektra from her cage and taking her away from the Chaste. Stick found an ambassador and his wife who were willing and grateful to adopt Elektra and raise her as their own. When Elektra insisted that she would never be theirs, Stick advised to observe the pair closely and learn everything about them so she could use that to her advantage. When Elektra asked why she could not stay by his side Stick insisted that they would be hunted for the rest of their lives and this was the best way for her to be safe, telling her that he had not yet told her everything about herself. Without going into any detail, Stick told her that somebody would one day come searching for her and change her life forever, which was something Stick was going to protect her from for as long as he possibly could. When Elektra insisted that some day Stick would train another student and forget about her, but he insisted that he would never forget about her. The ambassador and his wife then arrived to adopt Elektra and Stick turned around and walked out the room, leaving her behind to begin her new life.

Meeting Matt Murdock
"What's it gonna be Matty, you going to spend your life crying and rocking yourself to sleep at night or are you going to dig deep and find out what it takes to reshuffle those cards life dealt ya. Your call."

- Stick to Matt Murdock

In his late middle life he was approached by a nun to help Matt Murdock, who had lost his sight in an accident and whose father had recently been murdered by mobsters and whose mother had rejected him shortly afterwards. Stick made sure he would be well paid for his time and went to meet the boy. Murdock claimed that he was losing control over his other senses, Stick knew this to be untrue and demonstrated this by throwing his keys at the boy, who immediately caught them. Stick took Murdock outside and bought him an ice cream, Murdock noted that it was the first time since his father had died that someone had bought him an ice cream. They discussed what the differences were between being blinded as a child and to be born without vision, Stick mocking Murdock for feeling bad about the fact that he lost his sight despite having nine years of vision. Stick showed Murdock how to use his senses to know what was happening around him and what the people near him were feeling. Seeing the potential in the boy, Stick promised to train him.

Training Matt Murdock
"Connection, mind, body." "The mind controls the body, the body controls our enemies, our enemies control jack shit by the time we're done with them." "Right. Fighting is just the start, you have to control your feelings, your deep down inside feelings."

- Stick to Matt Murdock

Over the next few months, Stick taught Matt Murdock how to hone his heightened senses and also how to fight, training him to be a dangerous warrior, intending to recruit him into the Chaste to replace Elektra. Stick's method's were harsh, as he would often beat Murdock up with his superior fighting skills and mock him for failing to win. Stick also continued to push Murdock for an emotional response by talking about his dead father as he believed that Murdock's issue was his uncontrolled rage. He mocked Murdock by reminding him of his father's motto that the Murdock boys never get knocked down during a fight. Throughout the training, Murdock slowly developed his skills and greatly impressed Stick, although Stick never admitted his feelings. Stick became convinced that Murdock would be an ideal warrior in the war against the Hand, if he could control his more sensitive and caring nature. One day after training, Murdock gave Stick a gift of a bracelet made from the ice cream wrapping from their first meeting as a thank you for everything that he had done for him. Stick, disgusted by the weakness this showed in Murdock, crushed the bracelet in his hand and left the boy saying that he needed a "soldier" while Matt wanted a "father", although secretly Stick did however return and kept the bracelet without Murdock's knowledge. They did not see or speak to each other in over twenty years.

Questioning Aito
"おまえの手足を持っており、他の付属がない人は失いたくありません. ブラックスカイはどこなんだ?"

- Stick to Aito

Two decades later, Stick was given the mission to track down a boy known only as Black Sky. To learn the boy's location, Stick found and tortured Aito, a businessman who had connections to the Hand and their current leader, Nobu Yoshioka, who was transporting the boy. Stick first sliced off the man's hand with a sword to intimidate him. Aito provided the information swearing it upon his family. Upon receiving the required information, Stick told him his family were better off without him before decapitating Aito's head and calmly leaving the scene.

Reunion with Murdock
"Why are you here?" "To save you and everyone in the Kitchen from a horrible death, more or less."

- Matt Murdock and Stick

Stick tracked down Matt Murdock, finding him operating as a vigilante in New York City, arriving on the scene just in time to complicate a confrontation between Murdock and Leland Owlsley. The sound of Stick's approach, using his blind man's cane, distracted Murdock long enough for Owlsley to stun him with his taser and make his escape by car. Stick mocked his former student, who was both irritated and confused by Stick's arrival who claimed to be saving the day. Murdock allowed Stick into his apartment, which Stick immediately insulted, mocking him for having silk sheets and claiming that he was keeping soft. Pouring a beer for himself, Stick explained his reasons for arriving in Hell's Kitchen was to hunt down the Hand and his need for Murdock's help, knowing that Nobu Yoshioka was connected to Murdock's enemy Wilson Fisk so he used his connection to his advantage. Murdock agreed under one condition: that Stick was not allowed to kill anyone during the mission, Stick reluctantly agreed although he fully intended to break his promise.

Attack on Black Sky
"Ah, screw it. Ride with me tonight... help me destroy Black Sky, keep it off the streets, and I promise you this... Wilson Fisk will know the taste of fear the day he faces you 'cause he'll know that you kicked the guy he's afraid of right in the nuts."

- Stick to Matt Murdock

Later, the pair arrived on the docks and witnessed Nobu Yoshioka and his men transporting a shipping container. Once they had established how many men Yoshioka had beside him and what weapons they had, Stick sent Murdock down to take out the Hand while Stick prepared his bow and arrow in secret, waiting for the container to be opened to reveal Black Sky within so he could be killed without Daredevil's interference. As soon as the container was opened, Stick took aim and fired his arrow at him, but Murdock deflected the arrow, still refusing to allow Stick to kill anyone during their mission and having discovered that Black Sky was in fact a young boy. This allowed Yoshioka to escape with Black Sky and ordering his men to kill the assassins. While Murdock fought against Yoshioka's men who had been alerted to their presence, Stick was able to follow the car transporting the boy and soon caught up with them, defeating the guards and driving an arrow through Black Sky's heart, killing him. Stick returned to Matt Murdock's Apartment and the pair had a confrontation about what had happened on the docks. Murdock was horrified that Stick was willing to murder a young child however Stick insisted that Black Sky was far more dangerous than just a normal child, something he believed Murdock could not understand because he had become so weak. It soon became clear that Murdock was unsure what had happened after the arrow was fired and Yoshioka escaped, so Stick calmly revealed that he had indeed killed the boy like he had always intended to. Murdock furiously attacked his former mentor, and the pair had a prolonged fight, during which most of Murdock's apartment was destroyed. Stick retained the upper hand for the majority of the fight, but in the end was beaten by his former student who kicked him multiple times in the head. Murdock threw Stick's bag at him and ordered him to leave his home and never return. Stick was however impressed by Murdock's fighting skill and told him there might be hope for him after all, as he walked out of the apartment Stick told him that he could keep the sticks and then left.

Reporting to Stone
"It's done. Black Sky? No longer a threat." "For now. What about Murdock?" "Stubborn. Immature. Still a real pain in the ass." "Will he be ready when the doors open?" "I have no idea."

- Stick and Stone

Stick later spoke to Stone, informing him that Black Sky was dealt with and was no longer a threat to them. Stone then asked him what he thought of Matt Murdock, with Stick calling him stubborn and a pain in his ass, but when Stone asked if Murdock would be ready when the doors opened, Stick simply replied that he had no idea.

Saving Elektra's Life
"Believe it or don't, the fact remains that the city you're sworn to protect is ground zero in a war it doesn't even know is happening, that hole is just the start. So you can kill, die or sit on your arse and watch Hell's Kitchen burn but this war is bigger than you or me or any of our problems."

- Stick to Matt Murdock

Stick followed Daredevil and Elektra when they tracked down one of the Hand's secret bases where they had built a hole which had been dug hundreds of feet through New York City for unknown reasons. The pair were attacked by the ninjas and fought a fierce battle, when Elektra was sliced across the stomach with a poisoned blade Stick charged in to assist, killing two ninjas before dropping the surviving third man down the pit to fall to his death. While one of Stick's soldiers from the Chaste drove them across the city, they were chased down by the Hand soldiers as Murdock tried to stop Elektra's bleeding. Stick's driver managed to evade and run over the ninjas while Stick used a crossbow to shoot them as they attempted to give chase. Murdock insisted that Elektra was dying and needed to get to a hospital but Stick told him that doctors could not help her, only he could. The Hand continued to run after them but Stick's driver eventually managed to outrun them. The group made it back to Matt Murdock's Apartment where Stick ordered Murdock to put the dying Elektra onto the bed so he could treat her near fatal wounds. Stick ordered Murdock to collect the materials he would need to help her as they carried her into the bedroom for care, as Stick mixed the cure from whiskey and backing soda he explained how the toxin was in her bloodstream. As Stick cut open her wound and poured boiling liquid into her flesh as Elektra screamed in agony but eventually this calmed her heart and began to heal her near fatal wounds. Stick had a cup of tea and told Murdock how he'd known Elektra for years, Murdock was furious and demanded answers but Stick insisted that he needed to keep treating her wounds. Once Stick had treated Elektra, Stick explained to him that the Hand, Roxxon and the hole were all connected to his war. When Murdock accused him of being a liar, Stick explained the history of the war between the Chaste and the Hand and how the Hand had found the secret to bring the dead back to life before revealing that Elektra worked for him. Stick later allowed Karen Page to enter the apartment to inform Murdock that Frank Castle was going to court the next day, although Page was distracted by seeing Elektra in Murdock's bed. While Murdock was in court, Elektra got out of bed to speak to Stick, telling him that she wanted to stand with Murdock while Stick insisted that Murdock was soft. Elektra insisted she could change and ordered Stick to leave, at which point Stick slammed his knife onto the table and reminded Elektra that she was a murderer as he walked away.

Betraying Elektra
"Guy once told me there's a power in surrender, in choosing when your times up. But I chose and now that arseholes dead. I want you out of here, if there's going to be a tomorrow for anyone, you got to follow the plan. Go, get me what I need."

- Stick to Quinn

Stick returned to his car and ordered his driver to have him back to the Wall of the Chaste, calling his former allies amateurs. Believing Elektra to now be a threat to him as the Hand would undoubtedly be searching for her, Stick sent Jacques Duchamps to assassinate her. As he waited for work, Stick was informed by Quinn that Elektra had killed Duchamps and was now seeking her revenge against him. As Stick collected his weapons for his battle against Elektra, he told Quinn and another Chaste soldier the story of how a man had tried to convince him about the power of surrender, but Stick had ignored his words and simply killed him. Stick then handed Quinn a scroll and told him to get what he needed, explaining that the future was now in Quinn's hands. Stick chose his sword and sat in waiting for Elektra, slowly sharping the blade until Elektra finally arrived to confront and attempt to kill her former mentor and father figure.

Stick vs Elektra
"Is that the best you can do?" "You haven't seen my best." "Well what are you waiting for? Christmas?"

- Stick and Elektra

Stick began fighting the bloodthirsty Elektra, who remained both powerful and confident as she kicked him across the room. Stick continued to mock and berate his former pupil, demanding to see her best while dodging blows from Elektra's Twin Sai with his katana. As Elektra kicked Stick to the ground she demanded to know why he had tried to kill her but Stick only said that it was a long story which only angered Elektra further as she continued to try to kill him. When Stick managed to pin Elektra on the ground, he attempted to push his sword into her neck, but she held back against the blade and wrapped a rope around Stick's throat in an attempt to chock him, leaving the pair seconds away from killing the other. Before the pair could kill each other, Daredevil arrived and pulled them apart, throwing Stick across the room while telling Elektra that he would not allow her to kill their mutual mentor, while Stick himself continued to insult her while Daredevil demanded he shut his mouth. Stick told Elektra that he should have killed her when she was a child as she had proven to be impossible for him to control. Before the fight could continue, the group were suddenly attacked by a team of Hand ninjas who had been sent by Nobu Yoshioka. The already wounded Stick was separated from Daredevil and Elektra but still continued to fight back for as long as he could. The lights around the room were shut off and in the chaos, the Hand were able to subdue and kidnap Stick, taking him away for questioning.

Kidnapped
"彼が破断するまで我々が継続されます" "Only thing gonna crack tonight, is your skull."

- Hirochi and Stick

Now in the Hand's custody, Stick was tortured by Hirochi and another man, who attempted to get information from him. Despite being beaten, Stick heard Daredevil arrive and fight the Hand ninjas, Stick began advising his former pupil, telling him to listen for the sounds of his attacker's breath, as they were no longer using their swords, knowing that Daredevil would be able to hear him. Hirochi however just assumed that Stick was losing his mind. Running out of patience, Hirochi told the specialist with him to try a new tactic to force Stick to talk. The specialist then took Stick's finger and slowly pushed a long needle inside it, under his finger nail, causing Stick near unbearable pain. As the specialist pushed the needles into each of his fingers, Stick remained strong and refused to speak and instead began laughing hysterically and told them that only their skulls would break. Daredevil then arrived to rescue him and Stick took the chance to rip out Hirochi's throat with his teeth. Daredevil then freed Stick and they prepared to escape, as they stood up Stick leaned on Daredevil for support and told him he did good. As they turned to leave, they were cornered by Elektra, who was still desiring to kill her former mentor. Daredevil defended Stick, even catching one of Elektra's Twin Sai when she threw it at him. Stick admitted that the Hand now had Elektra right where they wanted her just as Nobu Yoshioka arrived and explained to Elektra that she was the Black Sky they had been seeking ever since Stick had saved her. As Yoshioka offered Elektra his sword, Stick told Daredevil that the Chaste had lost the war. Elektra considered the offer, thinking about how Stick had tried to control the power within her for all those years, while Daredevil desperately tried to change her mind. Elektra took the sword from Yoshioka and the Hand bowed to her, confronting Stick for lying to her. Daredevil offered Elektra the chance to kill him, but when she hesitated, he told her to rescue Stick and save her destiny. Stick then used the distraction to stab a ninja in the throat. A fight broke out and Elektra ran to Stick, taking him under her arm and pulling him away from the battle while Daredevil fought against the Hand and Yoshioka. As they ran through the hallways, Stick and Elektra killed any Hand soldier they came across until they had gotten safely away from their attackers. Stick finally collapsed as he continued to suffer from the pain of his torture, with Elektra confronting him, but Stick explained that Daredevil had come not to save him but to stop Elektra from killing him and losing herself.

Defeating the Hand
"This time you piece of shit, stay down."

- Stick to Nobu Yoshioka

Having escaped his kidnappers, Stick was then taken back to Matt Murdock's Apartment where he was tied up to a chair and his wounds were cleaned and treated by Matt Murdock. Stick warned Murdock that the Hand would undoubtedly come for Elektra and would destroy New York City to find her, he went on to explain that the Black Sky within Elektra could not be controlled and had to be destroyed, however Murdock continued to deny the Black Sky's existence and promised to would save Elektra. Stick was later visited by Elektra who asked how he felt about knowing his pupils were going to be the ones fighting his war. While they debated if the decision was a mistake or not, Murdock arrived to collect Elektra for their mission before he was called by Foggy Nelson. Murdock took the call and learned that the Hand had targeted Brett Mahoney at the New York City Police Department looking for files about Daredevil. Murdock and Elektra then left Stick alone in the apartment while they went to investigate. While he was left alone, Stick managed to free himself for his bonds and tracked Daredevil and Elektra to the location of the Hand, who had taken hostages and were preparing to once again capture Elektra. Stick arrived just as the Punisher assisted in the battle and witnessed Daredevil launch Nobu Yoshioka off the rooftop. Yoshioka survived the fall and just as he prepared to walk away, Stick ambushed him to pushed his sword into his heart before slicing his head off. Stick then calmly hid his sword and walked away.

Elektra's Funeral
"Want to say a few words? I don't have any." "God rest her soul, that should be enough."

- Matt Murdock and Stick

The next day, Stick and Matt Murdock were the only attendees for Elektra's funeral, as she had been killed by Nobu Yoshioka during the battle. While Stick paid his respects Murdock told him a story about when they had been dating in college, Stick asked him if all this was worth loving her and Murdock told him that it was. With this Stick told Murdock that he was a tough son of a bitch before walking away to go home.

Personality
"Matty, I'm proud of you."

- Stick to Daredevil

Stick has the appearance of a hard and calculating man. When training Matt Murdock, he told him that the world is a hard place, and that he would have to be ruthless to survive. During the training he was a harsh teacher, and insulted Matt in order for the latter to confront emotions, and how they could damage him. Despite being hard towards Murdock, Stick smiled when the former joked about meditation.

Stick displayed a warrior mentality, as he considered Murdock a soldier and instantly left him when he realized that Matt wanted him to be more like a father for him. Stick later noted to Murdock that his lifestyle was weakening him and that his softness would avoid him in achieving his goals. Stick also frowned upon Murdock's unwillingness to take lives. After Murdock ultimately defeated him in an intense fight, however, Stick seemed to be impressed with his former pupil, and mentioned that there might still be hope for him. While most of the time a grumpy and cynical man,Stick deeply care for his students though he rarely express it as he frequently told Murdock he is proud of him and even secretly kept the bracelet Murdock he gave him for many years despite crushing the bracelet before him,he also told Elektra he would never forget her after they parted ways during Elektra's childhood

Powers

 * Enhanced Senses: Born blind, Stick gained extremely accurate senses through lifelong training. He is able to use his other senses to create a picture of the world around him, giving him radar/sonar-like senses. He taught this method to his student Matt Murdock.
 * Enhanced Hearing: Stick's hearing is highly refined and allows him to identify the people around him. His hearing, however, seems to be somewhat less acute than Murdock's, due to Stick having to ask the latter about the exact number of men that Nobu Yoshioka had brought with him. Nevertheless, his hearing is sharp enough to tell that Murdock had arrived in his location and Hand ninjas were no longer using their swords despite being considerably far away.
 * Enhanced Smell: Stick's olfactory senses are highly refined, allowing him to smell quite a few things that are unnoticed by normal people.
 * Enhanced Taste: Stick can analyze food precisely with his taste, allowing him to pick out every individual ingredient of the ice cream he was eating, including that the several milk types used, that came from three different dairy farms, and that the man who had served him used a certain type of soil in his garden.
 * Enhanced Touch: Stick can feel the presence of those around him supposedly through vibrations and air currents, although the exact nature of his acute sense of awareness is undetermined. He could predict attacks by feeling the air pressure generated from a young Murdock's punches
 * Enhanced Balance: His sense of balance is enhanced, giving him perfect equilibrium, coordination, dexterity, reflexes and agility. When popping a beer, Stick was able to make the cap bounce multiple times, before it ended in the trash can.He also was able to jump down from several feet, landing perfectly and without any injury, kill the Hand ninjas attacking Daredevil and Elektra.

Abilities

 * Master Martial Artist: Stick is a immensely skilled and experienced martial artist, even at the advanced age of 90, he remains an extremely dangerous warrior. Both Matt Murdock and Elektra would later become highly skilled combatants themselves under Stick's tutelage. Using his enhanced senses, Stick is constantly aware of his opponents. Most of the time, Stick uses timing, and only needs a minimum amount of movement to dodge or subdue his opponents with lightning fast reflexes. During an intense one-on-one fight with Murdock, Stick initially appeared to have the upper hand against his former student and mocked Murdock, though Stick did ultimately end up losing the fight. He also held his own during a brief confrontation with Elektra, but was again seemingly defeated before Matt interrupted it.
 * Sword Mastery: Stick is extremely skilled in the use of swords, able to swiftly slice off Aito's hand before the latter could react, and decapitated Nobu Yoshioka in the same manner. He also managed to cut down multiple highly skilled Hand ninjas while saving Daredevil and Elektra.
 * Staff Mastery: Stick is also highly skilled in using sticks in combat. He trained Matt Murdock in stick fighting to impressive skills as well.
 * Master Marksman: Despite his blindness, Stick was shown to be highly skilled with a bow and a crossbow, able to hit Black Sky with an arrow from a considerable distance, and to shoot down multiple Hand ninjas while himself being in a fast-moving car.When popping a beer, Stick was able to make the cap bounce multiple times, before it ended in the trash can.
 * Meditation: Stick uses meditation to improve his physical abilities. He can even heal faster using meditation and claims that meditation is the only reason he is still alive despite his advanced old age. As such, he remains physically stronger and healthier than most elderly people his own age and young adults who are decades younger. This allowed him to survive being brutally tortured by the Hand without giving any information up.
 * Multilingualism: Stick speaks both English and Japanese fluently.

Equipment

 * Katana: used by stick to sever Aito's hand, to cut down many Hand ninjas, and to decapitate Nobu Yoshioka.
 * Bow and Arrow: used by Stick to kill the Black Sky.
 * Crossbow: used by Stick to shoot down multiple pursuing Hand ninjas.

Allies

 * Chaste
 * Elektra † - Pupil
 * Stone - Pupil
 * Star † - Victim
 * Jacques Duchamps †
 * Quinn †
 * Matt Murdock/Daredevil - Pupil
 * Elektra Natchios's Father †
 * Elektra Natchios's Mother
 * Karen Page

Enemies

 * Hand
 * Nobu Yoshioka † - Victim
 * Aito † - Victim
 * Hirochi † - Victim
 * Black Sky † - Victim
 * Specialist - Torturer
 * Leland Owlsley †
 * Wilson Fisk

Trivia

 * In the comics, Stick is the master of an elite order of warriors known as the Chaste, with Stone as his second in command.

Behind the Scenes

 * Showrunner Steven S. DeKnight reported that he was obsessed to get for the role, but that simply didn't work out.