Also known as Henry Evans
Played by Ron Glass
First Appearance: Serenity

Shepherd Derrial Book first came aboard Serenity at Eavesdown Docks on Persephone. He wasn’t looking at where the ships were headed — only at the ships themselves. With a little encouragement from Kaylee, he chose Serenity. He told the crew he had just left Southdown Abbey, where he had lived as a Shepherd, a man of faith and quiet conviction.

But from the beginning, there was an air of mystery about him. For a preacher, Book knew far too much about firearms — how to fire them, how to identify them by the marks they left on bodies, and how to shoot with unnerving precision. When Jubal Early was told Book was a Shepherd, he dismissed the idea instantly. And yet, despite the contradictions, Book was kind‑hearted, loyal, and willing to help the crew even when their work strayed far from the legitimate.

The truth of his past was far more complicated.

Born Henry Evans, he grew up under the shadow of an alcoholic, abusive father and eventually ran away from home. Falling into petty crime, he clashed repeatedly with Alliance law enforcement, fighting officers on more than one occasion. A police officer eventually offered him a place with the Independents, and after a close call with the law, Henry agreed.

His assignment was to infiltrate the Alliance and pass information back to the rebels. He was fitted with bionic implants and sent into civilisation under a new identity — one he secured by killing an Alliance officer named Derrial Book and taking his credentials.

Rising quickly through the ranks, Book eventually commanded a major operation. When it failed catastrophically, costing thousands of lives, he was held responsible. Stripped of rank and cast out of the Alliance, he was left with nothing but guilt and the weight of his choices.

After a brutal beating by Alliance soldiers, he found himself wandering the streets, lost and broken. A neon cross glowing in the darkness caught his eye. He followed it. In time, he was ordained as a Shepherd, dedicating himself to faith, service, and the hope of redemption. Eventually, he felt called to return to the wider world — a journey that led him to Serenity.

After leaving the ship, Book founded Haven, a sanctuary for anyone in the Black who needed refuge. He sheltered his former crewmates more than once. When the Alliance finally came for Haven, Book defended it with everything he had. He lived long enough to bring down an Alliance gunship and to say goodbye to the family he had chosen.

APPEARANCES

THE TELEVISION SERIES

• Regular Cast Member [Absent from Ariel]

THE FEATURE FILM

THE COMICS

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