Who Plays Jonas Kahnwald in Netflix’s ‘Dark?’ The Character Explained

The German Netflix series Dark came to an end when its third and the final season premiered on June 27, 2020.

But the mystery drama has still left many fans puzzled. One of the most confusing parts is understanding the different versions of the character Jonas Kahnwald.

Different Versions of Jonas Kahnwald

In the show, Jonas Kahnwald, the son of Michael Kahnwald and Hannah Kahnwald, is one of the main protagonists.

He is seen at four different stages of his life throughout the series: present time Jonas from the year 2019/20,  the older Jonas [also called the Stranger] from the year 2052, the oldest Jonas [also called Adam], presumably from the year 2085, and the child Jonas who is seen before present time Jonas and Marth Nielsen enter the original universe.

Present Time Jonas

Present time Jonas Kahnwald, played by Louis Hofmann, is a teenager studying in the local high school of Winden.

He is first introduced in the series after his father, Michael, dies by suicide. He gets traumatized by the incident because he cannot understand the reason behind his father’s drastic decision.

His condition does not get normal even after several months of therapy sessions. Plus, he also starts having nightmares, stressing him out.

In the show's timeline, on November 5, 2019, Jonas’ confusion and curiosity led him to his father’s workroom, where he hung himself in a belief to find some clue.

He initially finds nothing but some non-understandable paintings. He then notices something at the top of the room, where he finds a map of the Winden caves. That further raises the level of his confusion and curiosity around his father’s death.

A few days later, Jonas receives an anonymous package from his older self, also referred to as the Stranger.

The package contains many spooky things, including a goodbye letter from his father. The letter reveals the real identity of his father — that he was Mikkel Nielsen, who went to the past from 2019 through the time-travel portal.

After that, Jonas visits the Winden caves with the help of the map he earlier discovered before in his father's room. He subsequently travels back in the year 1986 and realizes that time travel exists.

What follows after that is his journey to find the beginning of everything to end all the series of mysterious events happening in Winden town.

Older Jonas or the Stranger

The grown-up Jonas, played by Andreas Pietschmann, is a time traveler who travels through time carrying a large backpack filled with all essential equipment. He is from the year 2052.

He is first seen in the second episode of the first season in 2019 of the show's timeline.

In 2019, he went to meet the present time Jonas when Jonas sits in front of his father’s grave. However, the Stranger does not reveal his real identity at that time.

But when Jonas travels back in 1986 to bring back Mikkel to 2019, the Stranger shows up to stop Jonas. The Stranger reveals that he is his future self, and bringing Mikkel back to 2019 will have deadly consequences. For instance, Jonas would never be born.

The Stranger’s main plan is to close the time travel passage in the Winden caves to prevent any further time travel.

Adam or the Oldest Jonas

Adam, played by Dietrich Hollinderbäumer, is the leader and the controller of the time-traveling group named Sic Mundus Creatus Est.

His name first comes up only in the first episode of season two by teen Noah and adult Bartosz Tiedemann while working inside the Winden Caves. Afterward, his name is frequently spoken by different characters such as Agnes Nielsen, adult Noah, and Claudia Tiedemann.

However, Adam’s first real appearance is only shown in the third episode titled ‘Ghosts.’

Adam is raising war against time and planning for the apocalypse to happen to end the universe.

The young Jonas meets Adam after he travels to the year 1921.

Child Jonas

The role of child Jonas is played by a child actor Jonas Gerzabek. He makes a guest appearance in the final episode of the third season.

He is spending time with his father Michael before the present time, Jonas and Marth Nielsen enter the original universe through the time travel passage.

Catch up on the final season of Dark on Netflix or read our Dark season 3 review to know the fate of these characters!