Ichabod Crane (Tom Mison)
First Appearance: “Pilot”
Backstory: The professor of History at Merton College, Oxford enlisted in the Queen’s Royal Regiment to fight the patriots but soon switched sides, becoming a spy for General George Washington. In 1781 on a Hudson Valley battlefield, Ichabod encountered a broadax-brandishing masked man atop a white horse. The man slashed Crane, who ultimately beheaded the Horseman with a sword. Ichabod seemingly died. To save Ichabod’s life, his wife Katrina cast a spell and buried him along with Washington’s Bible. During the battle, Ichabod’s blood merged with the Horseman, linking them. When the Horseman was resurrected, so was Crane.
Can I get a Witness?: The damn sexy hobo awoke in an underground cave 250 years later and found himself in the modern-day village of Sleepy Hollow, population 144,000. Via a vision, he learned that in addition to being a nurse, Katrina was a benevolent witch trapped in a netherworld. Ichabod discovered Washington’s Bible and references that led him to team up with Lieutenant Abbie Mills in order to defeat the Headless Horseman and prevent the End of Days. It was revealed that Ichabod is the First Witness, one of two prophesied in the Book of Revelation to defend humanity from the forces of hell.
Yes, Sire: Ichabod learned that after his burial, Katrina gave birth to a son, Jeremy, who was named after Ichabod’s grandfather. The baby was delivered by Abbie’s ancestor, Grace Dixon. Seeking answers, Ichabod turned to Sin Eater Henry Parrish to reach Katrina in Purgatory. The missus explained that by saving Ichabod’s life, she’d angered members of her coven With the vengeful witches in pursuit, Katrina gave the child to the Dixons for safekeeping.
Something Wicked, This Way Comes: The demon Moloch appeared to Ichabod in a vision and warned that Crane would deliver Abbie’s soul to him. The beast also posed a brainteaser: “The Saint’s name is a sign. When you know my meaning, War will take form. Then the End of Days begins!” Ichabod discovered secret messages in Washington’s Bible that led him to a map he believed would be a weapon in the war against evil and help free Katrina. With a tip-off from undead Andy Brooks, Abbie warned that Moloch would use the map to bring about the End of Days, Crane destroyed it, then secretly used his eidetic memory to recreate it.
Out of this World: When Henry Parrish told Ichabod and Abbie of a prophetic dream about the Horseman of War and Moloch’s plan to give rise to the Apocalypse that day, the partners used the recreated map to reach Katrina in Purgatory. Henry urged the two not to forget each other once they entered the world between worlds. In a gift to Ichabbie shippers, Ichabod took Abbie’s hand as they walked into the netherworld. In Purgatory, Ichabod saw a fraudulent vision of his father (Victor Garber) welcoming him home as a war hero for helping the British win the Revolutionary War. Ichabod had glimpses of Abbie, figured out that he was in a dream and escaped. Ichabod found Abbie and they trekked through a nightmarish landscape until they located Katrina. After all that, Mrs. Crane disclosed that no soul can depart without either being granted forgiveness or having another soul take its place. When Abbie insisted on being the one to make the sacrifice, Ichabod embraced his partner murmuring that he’d return to her. His wife was still in the room, so the whole thing was a bit awkward.
Well, that Backfired: When the Cranes exited Purgatory, they arrived in modern-day Sleepy Hollow where their supposed ally Henry Parrish was waiting for them. After Katrina led them to the four white trees associated with Moloch, Henry bound them to the trees and revealed that utilizing Washington’s map had boomeranged. Henry had used the Cranes’ faith that they could be reunited against them, thus separating the two Witnesses, which enabled him to break the Second Seal. Parrish was just warming up; he dropped the bombshell that he was also the Horseman of War and—waaaait for it— the Cranes’ extremely bitter presumed-dead son Jeremy Crane. Henry gave his mother to the Headless Horseman, bound Ichabod in a grave and broke the seal.
Return Trip: After escaping the pine box, Ichabod was good to his word and quickly found a special key that allowed him to go back to Purgatory and bring Abbie home so she wouldn’t have to wait around as long as poor Katrina did…. Ichabod later attempted to rescue Katrina from the Horseman, but she opted to stay on as a spy. This became a pattern. Ichabod wasn’t happy to hear that his wife and her former fiancé seemed chummy, but the Cranes worked on their marriage. Given the chance to kill his parents, Henry had a change of heart and took out Moloch.
The Task at Hand: Ichabod’s focus on Katrina resulted in him spending less time focused on his Witness duties but he eventually got his head in the game.
Out of Time: Katrina t turned into a major, um, witch. When she crossed over to the dark side and partnered with Henry, the marriage was doomed. Crane gave Abbie his consent to gun down Henry. Kat performed a spell to return to 1781 in order to kill Ichabod but was foiled. With the spell reversed, she wound up back in the present day and attempted to off Abbie. During the ensuing tussle, Ichabod shivved his wife with her own knife. He left town for nine months and lost touch with Abbie, but eventually returned and was duly contrite.
- Distinguishing Features: Ichabod is 6’1″, has blue eyes, brown hair, facial hair, long twitchy fingers and sexy eyebrows.
- Special Abilities: He has an Eidetic memory; speaks Greek, Middle English and other languages, is quite handy with a crossbow and adept at housework.
- Nicknames: Captain America; Tall, dark and British, C-Dawg. (Please don’t refer to him as “Icky.”)
- Lockdown: He was arrested on suspicion of murdering Sheriff Corbin, but was released and remanded to St. Gregory’s for a 72-hour psych evaluation. Abbie got him out the same night. He also spent five days at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center because he attempted to enter the U.S. with restricted material: a stone tablet.
- Living Arrangements: Crane recently moved into Abbie’s new home.
- Past relationships: Mary Wells, Betsy Ross, Katrina Crane
- Current relationship, which is doomed to fail: He went out on a couple of dates with Zoe aka “Crextra” because she’s a random extra shipping herself with Crane.
- Reading list: Twain and Faulkner
- Bragging Rights: With help from Samuel Adams, Ichabod devised the Boston Tea Party as a ruse while he attempted to take a powerful weapon from the Hessians. He was also Benjamin Franklin‘s apprentice though he loathed the man.
- Likes: Waxing poetically about love to Yolanda, the NorthStar employee who helped him figure out how to use a car’s entertainment system; obtaining clothes used for Revolutionary War re-enactments, karaoke with Abbie, donut holes, cappuccino. He enjoys performing household chores for Abbie.
- Dislikes: Waking up in 21st-Century Sleepy Hollow, being buried alive, the preponderance of Starbucks; energy drinks, skinny jeans, the news from Abbie and Captain Irving that his friend Thomas Jefferson fathered children with Sally Hemings, squeaky bananas, apocryphal stories about 18th century figures, Colonial Times restaurant’s puns such as “Eggs Benedict Arnold” and Abbie’s ex-boyfriend Agent Daniel Reynolds.
- Given to: Calling Lieutenant Mills “Leftenant,” romantic tension with Abbie, to whom he often gives lingering side-glances and giving side-eye to Hawley, the angel Orion, and journalist Calvin Riggs when they got close to Abbie, trying new things for Abbie, being baffled by attention from women
Quotes: “First I shot him. But he rose back up. Beheading him seemed the next logical step.”
“Our fates are entwined now.”
“Paul Revere, you rum beggar!”
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Katrina Crane (Katia Winter)
First Appearance: “Pilot”
Maiden Name: Van Tassel
Backstory: Ichabod’s wife, a civilian Quaker nurse in the 37th regiment. Unbeknownst to her husband Ichabod, she spied for General Washington and was a leader of benevolent coven, The Sisterhood of the Radiant Heart. According to a decoy headstone in Sleepy Hollow, she was burned at the stake in 1782. The grave was really a hiding place for the Horseman’s head. Katrina was trapped between worlds.
Present Day: In a vision, Katrina revealed to Ichabod that to save his life she cast a spell on him and buried him in a cave while the Horseman’s body was entombed in the river. Ichabod and the Horseman became linked when their blood merged on the battlefield. The Horseman’s resurrection awoke Ichabod. Mrs.Crane said that the answers to freeing her are in Washington’s Bible. It was revealed that Katrina and Abigail Adams were friends.
Oh, Mother: Members of Katrina’s coven sought to punish her for saving Ichabod’s life and altering the predetermined path. Katrina learned that she was pregnant after she fled to Europe in search of a spell to unbind Ichabod from the Horseman. She returned home and sought sanctuary at Fredericks Manor where Grace Dixon helped deliver the baby, Jeremy, who was named after Ichabod’s grandfather. Unwilling to have her child live as a fugitive, Katrina gave Jeremy to Grace and her husband and never saw the boy again. Katrina was soon banished to Purgatory by the witches known as “The Four Who Speak as One.”
Visiting Day: Needing her help to defeat Moloch’s plan to bring about the Apocalypse, Ichabod and his fellow Witness Abbie Mills used George Washington’s map to enter the netherworld and find Katrina. She noted that a soul can only be released if granted forgiveness or if another soul takes its place. Abbie made the sacrifice to stay. Katrina gave Abbie an amulet to protect her from Moloch and vowed that she’d come back to set Abbie free. Katrina looked uncomfortable as Ichabod made the same promise and took Abbie into his arms before leaving with his wife.
Well, that Backfired: After escaping Purgatory, Katrina ended up In 21st-century Sleepy Hollow with her husband. Katrina met Henry Parrish, found that her powers had somewhat weakened, but led them to the four white trees related to Moloch. Using his own awful powers, Henry pinned the Cranes to the trees and made his true identity known: He is the Horseman of War. It gets worse, he’s also the Cranes’ son, Jeremy. And boy does he hold a grudge. He handed Katrina over to the Headless Horseman, tossed Ichabod into a grave and broke the Second Seal. After Abraham Van Brunt, her ex-fiancé, took Katrina as his captive, Ichabod and Abbie came to her rescue, but she opted to stay with Abraham so she could spy on his nefarious plans.
Family Drama: With help from Henry and a spider filled with Jincan venom, Katrina was unwittingly impregnated as part of a plan to birth Moloch into the world. As usual, Henry and Moloch’s plan was thwarted by Ichabod and Abbie. Katrina briefly reunited with her husband but went back to Abraham to continue spying. Though she seemed to be warming up to her former fiancé, Katrina and Ichabod are gave their marriage another chance. Her son Henry had a the opportunity to kill Katrina, but ended up offing Moloch instead. With the Apocalypse averted, Ichabod and Abbie imprisoned Headless in the hexed cell, but Katrina set him free, which enabled him to avoid being killed by the angel Orion. He skedaddled and didn’t cause any more trouble.
Something Wicked, This Way Comes: Katrina had been acting shady for awhile, things got worse when she met evil warlock, Solomon Kent, who orchestrated the hanging of Katrina’s grandmother in the Salem Witch Trials. When Solomon suggested that her place was on the dark side, Katrina’s eyes glazed over white. That is never a good sign.
Mother and Child Reunion: Henry, who had been missing since the night Moloch died, returned to Katrina and enticed his mother to finally embrace her dark side, raise a coven and rule supreme. She rejected Ichabod’s warning against this plot, effectively ending their marriage. With Ichabod’s blessing, Abbie shot and killed Henry. And enraged Katrina made a cryptic vow that “this time” she would let Ichabod die. Katrina performed a time-travel spell and returned to 1781. She was pregnant with Jeremy and swore that she’d keep him this time.
And in the End: Katrina’s time-travell inadvertently landed Abbie in 1781. Katrina attempted to kill Ichabod, but her spell was reversed. Once she returned to the present, Katrina tried to kill Abbie, Ichabod shivved her. The witch is dead.
Special Abilities: Casting spells, summoning a red hawk and a crow to guide Ichabod, appearing in dreams and visions, levitating flowers and making them change color
- Likes: Displaying cleavage, reality television dating shows, quince tea, whispering
- Dislikes: Being held captive, other women getting too close to her husband — that means you, Abbie.
- Given To: Cryptic warnings, keeping secrets from Ichabod, misplaced faith in Henry
Quote: How am I the only person on this show who never gets a funny line?
(Okay, we made that part up.)
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Henry Parish, The Sin Eater (John Noble)
Alternate Names: Henry Parish, Jeremy Crane, the Horseman of War
First Appearance: “The Sin Eater”
Backstory: Every culture has a version of a Sin Eater, a person with the power to cleanse the wicked of their sins through reaching into their souls and swallowing the sins, ridding them of evil. Jenny Mills knew of sightings in Algeria, Japan, Ghana and the Sin Eater absolving death-row inmates. Their last words were always: “I am sanctified.” Jenny lost track of the Sin Eater for two years.
Present Day: It was discovered that Ichabod Crane’s had a blood connection to the Headless Horseman. Unless the blood tie was severed, Crane would die if the Horseman died and vice versa. Jenny and Lieutenant Abbie Mills found the Sin Eater living under an assumed name in Hartford, Connecticut. He claimed that he was no longer a Sin Eater, but relented to Abbie’s plea. With the connection broken, Crane gained the freedom to fight the Horseman without them dying together.
Crane Family Drama Hour: Upon learning that Katrina had given birth to a son, Jeremy, who was targeted by Moloch, Ichabod again turned to Parrish for help. Despite Henry’s warning that it would bring Ichabod closer to death, he enabled Crane to communicate with his wife in Purgatory….Henry observed that Ichabod and Abbie’s fates were merged before they met. A hesitant Henry agreed to help Ichabod find info on his descendants. He also helped Ichabod to put the Golem, Jeremy’s murderous protector to rest.
Let’s Talk About Hex: Ichabod again turned to Parrish to study the cursed prayer beads Reverend Knapp had used to briefly resurrect George Washington, allowing Washington to leave a map that could help Ichabod fight evil. The hexed beads burned Henry’s hands, but he had a glimpse of Washington’s resurrection and a vision of Father Knapp ferrying Washington’s body to a secret crypt, helping them to find the map.
Psych! Henry told Abbie and Ichabod that he had a prophetic dream about Moloch raising a creature and the Horseman of War riding against a solar eclipse. Parrish concluded that Moloch planned to bring about the Apocalypse that very day, which also happened to the 13th anniversary since the Mills sisters spotted Moloch in the woods. Henry helped Abbie and Ichabod to get to Purgatory. Abbie stayed behind while the Cranes made it to modern-day Sleepy Hollow. Katrina led them to the four white trees the Mills sisters had spotted as teens. Henry bound Katrina and Ichabod to trees and revealed that he’d sent Abbie and Ichabod to the netherworld in order to separate the Witnesses by using their faith against them: The Cranes’ faith that they’d be reunited and Abbie’s faith that she had an important purpose.
Triple Threat: Henry announced that he’s the Horseman of War and also their son, Jeremy Crane. Despite the death hex placed by the Four Who Speak as One, who then confined him to a pine box, Jeremy’s powerful magic brought him back life. After 200 years, he was raised by Moloch. God sent Abbie as a Witness to stop it, but she was not yet strong enough. After dropping that bombshell, he turned Katrina over to the Headless Horseman, banished Ichabod to a grave and broke the Second Seal.
Deal with the Devil: While presenting himself as Captain Irving’s lawyer, he tricked Frank into signing over his soul in blood.
Pregnant Pause: In yet another attempt to raise Moloch, he unleashed a spider filled with poisonous Jincan venom to impregnate Katrina, so that she’d give birth to Moloch. As usual, the plan was foiled, but Eewwww. He still managed to bring a baby Moloch into the world. Demon babies grow up quickly. The overlord was ready to rise.
Giving Notice: After his Horseman of War armor was destroyed by Captain Irving who was wielding the Sword of Methuselah, things got heated with Moloch. Despite Moloch’s order to kill Katrina, Henry killed Moloch. Good riddance.
Starting Over: With demanding boss Moloch out of the way, Henry holed up at a low-rent motel. He gave up his title as Horseman of War and is formulated new plans.
The Son Also Rises: Henry reemerged and persuaded his mother to join him on the dark side. With the use of a cursed bell, they planned to raise a coven and preside over it. With Ichabod’s consent, Abbie fatally shot Henry.
Given to: Resenting his parents, filling out crossword puzzles, tending to plants, paying close attention to train schedules, using aliases, hiding his past, whittling impressive miniatures with a pocket knife.
Notable Victim: Moloch, a group of thugs, whom he killed just by waving a hand.
Quote: “A good puzzle misleads you. It sends you in one direction, fools you into thinking you know what’s going on. But once you’ve discovered the trick, you see that there’s often a hidden meaning.”
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Jeremy Crane (Braden Fitzgerald 12 years old, Danny Rawley 17 years old)
Alternate Names: Henry Parrish, Henry Parish, The Horseman of War
First Appearance: “The Golem”
Backstory: Katrina Crane found out she was pregnant after she cast a spell on Ichabod and buried him to save his life. Her coven set out to punish her for interfering with fate, so she sought refuge at Fredericks Manor where her baby was delivered by Abbie Mills‘ ancestor Grace Dixon. Katrina named the child Jeremy after Ichabod’s grandfather. Shortly after his birth, Jeremy was targeted by Moloch, who sent the evil tree-like Scarecrow after the child. Fearing that her son would have to live as a fugitive, Katrina asked Grace and her husband Joseph to raise the child. Townspeople were afraid of the boy, claiming that he could start fires just by crying. After the Dixons died in a fire, Jeremy was sent to an orphanage where he was mistreated by a priest who beat the boy to rid him of his “affliction.” When a drop of Jeremy’s blood fell on the doll his mother had given him for protection, it summoned the Golem who killed the priest… With no one else to look out for him, Jeremy turned to the murderous Golem as a friend and father figure. When word spread about Jeremy’s growing power, Jeremy and the Golem were hunted. The Golem killed anyone who meant to harm Jeremy. When The Four Who Speak as One found Jeremy, he refused to give up the Golem, so they imprisoned the Golem in the netherworld. Unable to bring a halt to Jeremy’s evil ways, they invoked a hex to stop his heart and buried him in a pine box.
Recent Developments: Ichabod first learned of his child after Abbie had a vision at Fredericks Manor. Searching for answers, he went to the Sin Eater, Henry Parrish and a seemingly reluctant Henry helped Ichabod to communicate with Katrina in Purgatory to learn the truth about their son.
Family Crisis: After Ichabod was able to rescue Katrina from Purgatory, Henry revealed that he is actually their presumed-dead son and the Horseman of War. He waged war against the Witnesses and ended up being killed by Abbie.
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