‘Orange Is the New Black’: Meet Season 6’s New Characters

A trip to Litchfield’s maximum security prison meant the introduction of new characters in Orange Is the New Black season 6.

Spoilers for Orange Is the New Black season 6 are ahead.

When Netflix took subscribers back to Litchfield in Orange Is the New Black season 6, there was a world of change. In the wake of the season 5 riots, which were prompted by the death of Poussey, fan-favorite characters were carted off to their new fates, with some facing lengthier sentences.

While some characters were bussed to different facilities across the country, their absence left just enough room for new characters to be introduced when the remaining characters entered Litchfield Max.

Keep scrolling to see all of the new characters introduced in Orange Is the New Black season 6.

Carol Denning

Queen of Litchfield Max’s C-Block, Carol Denning earned her sentence in prison after she and sister Barbara plotted to kill their younger sister Debbie, a plan that they followed through with by taking their younger sister to a lake and trapping her in a car that they pushed into the body of water.

Despite being literal sisters in crime, their friendliness soon fades once in prison, and Carol becomes one-half of the reason that D-Block and C-Block have been at war with one another for decades.

Carol is also one of two characters that Frieda tries to avoid while in max, the D-Block leader having a long-standing feud with the fan-favorite ever since Frieda became responsible for earning her a lengthier prison sentence when she told higher ups that Carol was planning to kill Barb during an inmate kickball game.

Barbara Denning

Carol’s older sister, Barbara Denning, is ruler of the roost over in D-Block, where her loyal decades-long following has earned her a fearsome reputation.

Holding a long-standing grudge against Frieda for her extended sentence, Barbara manages to put aside her differences with her sister in order to enact a plan of revenge once Frieda returns.

Her struggles with addiction at times threaten her rule, as well as her own drug business within Litchfield max, but she finds guidance and a new grasshopper in the form of new C-Block inmate Nicky Nichols, whose struggles with addiction have been widely showcased throughout OITNB‘s history.

Madison “Badison” Murphy

Madison “Badison” Murphy is C-Block’s second-in-command after head honcho Carol, however, her high ranking comes as a result of her desire to be accepted and Carol’s knowledge that she can use that to her advantage by easily manipulating Badison.

After being bullied in high school and having a violent outburst, Madison was sent to a camp for troubled teens, where she dubbed herself Badison.

Once in prison, and in season 6, she proves herself to be a bully, constantly picking on Piper and Alex.

Dominga “Daddy” Duarte

A member of D-Block, Dominga Duarte, who goes by the moniker Daddy, serves as Barbara’s right-hand man, especially when it comes to her prison drug business. When the new inmates are welcomed into the block, she immediately takes a liking to Daya, accepting her into her ring of inmates known as her “girls.”

Before her time in jail, Daddy trafficked drugs and ran an escort service, however her business endeavors go terribly wrong when one of her girls is discovered dead, presumably murdered by a client.

C.O. Rick Hopper

With 10 years at Litchfield under his belt, C.O. Rick Hopper is the captain of maximum security’s C.O. team. Although he is one of the nicer people among those in charge, he still partakes in Fantasy Inmate.

After starting a budding relationship with Aleida, he finds himself being pulled into the prison drug ring when Aleida begins hiding drugs in containers he takes to work. In an effort to add some excitement to his life, he continues smuggling drugs into the prison even after he discovers Aleida’s behind-the-scenes gig.

Hopper is also responsible for Piper’s early release.

C.O. Tamika Ward

One of the few guards who does not partake in Fantasy Inmate, C.O. ward offers one of the most fascinating characters in season 6 when her relationship with Taystee forces her to re-evaluate her place in the prison power structure.

Prior to becoming a guard at Litchfield, Ward had worked with Tyastee at Storky’s, the two close friends. When she unexpectedly comes face-to-face with Taystee in prison, she struggles with how to treat her former friend. However, by the end of the season, she is seen sitting in the aisles as the verdict is read in Taystee’s murder trial.

C.O. Alvarez

A guard at Litchfield Max, C.O. Alvarez’s biggest duty is acting commissioner of Fantasy Inmate, a secret game among the guards in which they pick their inmates and then earn points for inmate infractions.

Unfortunately, Alvarez is ousted as commissioner when Luschek debuts a new and improved Fantasy Inmate draft that is much more technically advanced that the former version. That doesn’t stop Alvarez from keeping track of his competitions’ points, though.

C.O. Virginia “Ginger” Copeland

A longtime guard at Litchfield Max, C.O. Copeland, dubbed Ginger, does not have a reputation of being violent towards the inmates, but she also doesn’t have a reputation for being particularly nice.

Her competitive spirit and constant ranking at the bottom of the list means that she is willing to do anything to win Fantasy Inmate, including encouraging fights among inmates to win points.

C.O. Hellman

Season 6’s version of C.O. Piscatella, C.O. Hellman lives up to his name. He is the most violent and unforgiving of the new guards, and he is often seen enticing violence. When Daya arrives at maximum security, he uses her new reputation as a guard killer to justify his violence towards her, and after Ruiz and Mendoza fight, he forces them to kiss in the shower as punishment.

Hellman also plays an important role in Barb’s prison drug ring.