Characters in The Prisoner - Number Six

Number Six

Number Six typically wears a dark brown jacket with off-white piping trim (often mistaken for a black jacket in some lighting conditions, but the original has been seen by fans in Portmeirion in the 1980s and is unfaded dark brown all over), a dark blue rollneck sweater, tan slacks, dark blue boating shoes with white soles, and forsakes his "6" ID badge. There were at least two dark jackets, with slight differences in the cream-coloured piping. Little is known about Number Six's background other than that he fought in a war against Germany and was born on 19 March 1928 (which is also McGoohan's birthday). The flashback setup in "Once Upon a Time" suggests that Number Six was a bomber crewman, most likely with RAF Bomber Command. His seated position relative to the pilot (portrayed in illusion by Number Two) indicates that he was a bombardier/navigator. In the episode "Many Happy Returns" he claims that his name is "Peter Smith" and expects it to appear on his house lease and car log book. In the episode "Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling" the Prisoner, in another man's body, reveals that he was at one point engaged to the daughter of one of his superiors. He refuses to cooperate, despite constant efforts by Number Two to get information from him.

Number Six initially spends his energy seeking ways to escape, and later in the series turns his attention to finding out more about the Village and its unseen rulers. His attempts are easily rebuffed; however, their efforts to extract information necessitate increasingly drastic measures through the course of the series.

The later episodes feature fewer escape bids and more psychological themes such as the nature of power and authority, and their relationship with liberty. His cunning and defiance only increase while in captivity: in "Hammer into Anvil" he reduces Number Two to a mad, paranoid wreck through deception. As the Number Twos become more coercive and desperate, Number Six's behaviour becomes progressively sharp, uncompromising, and eccentric.

Patrick McGoohan has been quoted in an interview in the Summer/Fall 1985 issue of New Video Magazine (Reprinted in The Official Prisoner Companion) as saying he chose '6' because it is the only number that becomes another number when turned upside down. He acknowledged that 1 and 0 achieve the same effect, but said, "6 is far more interesting."