Cardinal Roark

The cardinal who shelters a killer.

Cardinal Patrick Henry Roark is a Catholic cardinal in Frank Miller's Sin City and the brother of Senator Roark. He protects Kevin, the silent serial killer who lives at the Roark family's farm, treats him almost as a son, and takes part in his cannibalistic rituals.

Quick Facts

Family: Brother of Senator Roark
Film portrayal: Rutger Hauer

Lore & Background

Kevin murders prostitutes, mounts their heads on a wall like trophies and eats what is left of them. Roark shelters him, says Kevin confessed to being tormented by guilt over the killings, and at times uses him as his personal assassin. Through the Cardinal, Kevin is also close to the rest of the Roark family, including Roark Junior.

Reader's Guide

In The Hard Goodbye, Marv's hunt for Goldie's killer leads him to Kevin and then to the Cardinal. Marv kills Roark; the story leaves the details unshown but implies his death was gruesome and painful. In the 2005 film adaptation the Cardinal is played by Rutger Hauer.