The Symbolism Behind Kingpin’s White Suit, Explained
Because he looks fabulous in it, duh.
Wilson Fisk (a.k.a. Kingpin) is one of the most feared and powerful crime lords in Marvel history. Kingpin first emerged in Marvel comics as an opponent of Spider-Man. However, he later became known for being the arch-enemy of Daredevil. His cold-blooded criminality, huge muscular build, and ability to stay beyond the reach of the law certainly make him a force to be reckoned with.
While Kingpin has been adapted into numerous forms of media over the years, one of his most popular appearances was in Marvel’s TV series, Daredevil. The series ran for three seasons beginning in 2015, and starred Charlie Cox as Daredevil. Of course, Daredevil’s arch-enemy played a vital role in the series, and Vincent D’Onofrio brought the crime lord to life impeccably.
On the surface, D’Onofrio’s Kingpin is neat, timid, and self-contained. But just under the surface, he harbors barely contained rage that frequently boils over and gives way to extreme violence. If you go even further down, though, we start to see his humanity again. He actually does want to make his city prosper, but his means are through force and crime. D’Onofrio recently reprised his role as Kingpin with a surprise appearance in Hawkeye. In both Daredevil, Hawkeye, and in many other iterations of Kingpin, he boasts a consistent signature style consisting of a white suit and cane.
Why does Kingpin wear white?
The white suit is a central part of Kingpin’s character. In a sense, it’s his costume and one of the iconic looks that make him easily recognizable across media. However, the comic books never quite give a reason for Kingpin’s affinity for white, it is simply part of his look. Additionally, Kingpin doesn’t always wear white. While it’s his traditional look, many artists did depict him in different clothing. Daredevil actually received some flack from fans for waiting quite a while to debut that classic, white suit.
Daredevil chose to hold off until Fisk had fully transformed into Kingpin. The series is a close examination of Fisk’s evolution into the crime lord, and, hence, his suit corresponded to that. Daredevil was always meant to be an origin story and shows how the iconic Kingpin, white suit and all, was created.
Kingpin’s white suit symbolism
Of course, there is more to the white suit than its correspondence to Kingpin’s evolution. There is, indeed, a reason why Kingpin specifically chose white for his crime lord identity, and Daredevil explains it. In Daredevil, we get flashbacks of Fisk’s childhood where he suffered from an abusive father. As a punishment, his father forces him to stare at a white wall and think about what he has done. While 12-year-old Fisk stares at the wall, his father begins beating his mother. Fisk, unable to take it anymore, tears himself from the wall and murders his father with a hammer.
As an adult, it is clear that the white wall had a profound impact on Fisk. As an adult, when he begins his transformation into Kingpin, he exhibits a fixation on the color. In prison, he stares intensely at the white walls of his cell. As a free man, he purchases a white painting from Vanessa and similarly stares at it for long periods of time. His apartment is also painted completely white. It is quite clear that white reminds Kingpin of where he came from.
When he stared at the white wall as a child, it corresponded to his first outburst of rage. White seems to bring him back to that child who decided to act. Additionally, the white reminds him of his father, and how Kingpin strives to be different from him. White brings Kingpin back to the rage that empowers him and reminds him of his identity. The bright, pure color also gives him the false appearance of the “good guy,” in line with Kingpin’s belief that he is doing good and is untouchable.
(featured image: Netflix)
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