Newt

Newt is the boy everyone looks for when the Glade has a problem. He doesn't shout or command: he explains, listens and calms. Thomas Brodie-Sangster plays him with light humor and an attentive gaze, that of someone who has seen too much for his age. Newt has been in the Glade longer than almost anyone, knows how the place works and knows when to look away at a broken rule. He isn't the strongest in the group, but he is the most dependable, and his friendship with Thomas starts in the first days and only grows. Because of him, the Glade still feels like a home.

Newt is the right hand of Alby, the Glade's leader. Calm and fair, he handles the rules, settles fights and welcomes newcomers, Thomas included. When things turn serious, Newt backs the group and helps keep order. He sees a different kind of courage in Thomas and starts defending him against Gally, who distrusts the new kid. During the escape from the maze, Newt is one of the people Thomas trusts most.

In the halls of Janson's shelter and out in the desert, Newt stays beside Thomas and Minho. With no leader's title, he is still the calm friend who holds the group together. When Teresa betrays Thomas, Newt shares his pain without asking questions. The film ends with a smaller group and Newt still standing, ready for the next fight.

In the third film, Newt follows Thomas to the Last City and hides a secret: he is infected with the Flare. He pretends to be fine and fights alongside his friends, but the virus advances. Thomas promises to find the cure, and Newt, who knows what is coming, asks his friend for something hard. His farewell is one of the most remembered moments of the whole trilogy.

In the books, Newt limps after a suicide attempt, revealed in The Death Cure, and his story ends differently than in the film. Dashner's 2020 novella Crank Palace has Newt as its lead. Details in the "What changed on screen" tab of the books saga.