- "Why? Because the General wanted to see if I could break you, Hyzenthlay. He wanted to see if I could break you into a thousand tiny pieces and then cast you to the wind. And I have to say, it was so disappointingly easy."
Captain Orchis is an officer in Efrafa. He is only mentioned in the novel, but he appears in the Watership Down miniseries as the secondary antagonist.
Personality[]
Captain Orchis is a loyal, sadistic and cruel liar, but he can also be a coward as seen when Campion tells him that he may be his rank equal but isn't equal in fighting. Orchis holds grudges, as when he holds a grudge against Hyzenthlay and Captain Holly for his brothers death.
Book[]
While on Wide Patrol, Captain Orchis found another warren and reported it to General Woundwort, who destroyed it and brought back prisoners. He is not seen at all during the book, it must be assumed he is either dead or retired.
Miniseries[]
Captain Orchis appears in the miniseries, where he has a significantly larger role as the secondary antagonist. He is the brother of Vervain. He is depicted as a light and dark grey rabbit with blue eyes and spiky fur that sticks upon his back, as well as a smaller size and leaner physique than most of the other Efrafans. Another difference between Orchis and the rest of his warren is his almost sociopathic manner and the cunning with which he performs tasks, not relying on brute force to attack or follow his orders.
The Journey[]
His voice is heard yelling "Move!" when an Efrafan buck is running through the warren to tell Woundwort about finding the scent of Hazel's group.
The Raid[]
Orchis with his brother Vervain.
Orchis and his Wide Patrol circle Holly and his group, Orchis, along with his Wide Patrol then capture Captain Holly, Bluebell and Blackberry and take them to Efrafa. He leads them to Vervain, who's yelling at Sainfoin, before leaving the three bucks with Vervain. Orchis is devastated and outraged when his brother Vervain is killed by a train while trying to stop Holly, Bluebell, and Blackberry from escaping.
The Escape[]
- "Captain Campion told me all about you! A little big for a story teller aren't you? You must be very good. Carry on!"
- — Captain Orchis to Bigwig
He is then assigned by General Woundwort to break the spirit of an Efrafan doe named Hyzenthlay who had helped Holly, Bluebell, and Blackberry escape. Orchis summons Hyzenthlay and gives her the offer to spy on the other rabbits who wished to escape Efrafa and gives her time to consider the offer. He later confronts Bigwig, who is working undercover for the Watership Down Warren, over causing a fox to attack Captain Campion's Wide Patrol, even though it was an accident.
Hyzenthlay returns to Orchis and tells him that she will spy for him if the other does have better conditions. However, Orchis orders Hyzenthlay to be executed and sadistically reveals that he already has spies and that he was ordered by General Woundwort to break Hyzenthlay, saying that it was "so disappointingly easy". It is then revealed that another, younger doe named Nettle had been Orchis' spy.
At the execution, Orchis orders Bigwig to kill Hyzenthlay. However, Bigwig refuses to do this and along with Hyzenthlay, Clover, Blackavar and several other rabbits, escape Efrafa and go to Watership Down.
The Siege[]
Orchis participates in the siege of Watership Down and when Captain Campion refuses to take part in anymore killing, General Woundwort orders Orchis to kill him. Captain Orchis tells Campion's bucks to join his battalion but Campion threatens him, Orchis reluctantly backs down, heeding Campion's warnings of not being able to match him in combat.
Captain Orchis is attacked and mauled to death by Bob.
Captain Orchis is loyal to General Woundwort until his death during the siege of Watership Down, blatantly showing his dislike for any Efrafan rabbits that don't completely and immediately follow orders. When Bob is lured to the down by Hazel, Orchis is paralyzed by fear at the sight of the huge dog and is mauled to death as a result.
Gallery[]
Miniseries[]
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3D model[]
