| “ | I got the family ring now, Pops. Yeah, I'm wearing it, and it's my time to step up, okay? | ” |
— Rafe to Ward in The Dark Forest
| ||
Rafe Cameron is one of the main characters and a former antagonist of Outer Banks. He served as one of the two main antagonists (alongside Ward Cameron) throughout the series and is the energy and influence behind majority of the plot in Outer Banks is portrayed by Drew Starkey.
Rafe is the eldest child and only son of Ward Cameron, the older brother of Sarah Cameron and Wheezie Cameron, and the step-son of Rose Cameron.
He was formerly engaged to Sofia, a Pogue and bartender at the Pelican Yacht Club. It isn't disclosed how they met, but they started hooking up and having some kind of relationship, which is shown in the episode Happy Anniversary in Season 3. In Season 4, it appears they have a serious relationship that bloomed sometime after the events of Season 3, and have deep romantic feelings for each other, and Rafe proposes to her with his mother's wedding ring in The Storm. However, in The Blue Crown, when Groff tells him about Sofia's deal with Hollis Robinson, he breaks up with over the phone, and tells her to move out of his house.
Early Life[]
Not much is known about Rafe's early life. At some point during his childhood his stepmother, Rose, implies that Rafe began exhibiting disturbing behaviour around the age of 10, hinting at a possible mental disorder. It is also made clear that he has had a long lasting under toned jealousy for one of his younger sisters, Sarah Cameron, due to the love she receives from Ward.
History[]
Biography[]
Rafe was born in September 19, in 2000, he is Ward Cameron's oldest child, and Sarah Cameron and Wheezie Cameron's older brother. It is not known whether or not Rafe was attending college prior to the events of the series, but he does not appear to be currently enrolled in any educational institution. He has a somewhat strained relationship with his father, although he tries to win his approval.
Rafe is disrespectful and leering towards Sarah, calling her a bitch on multiple occasions, directly and indirectly to his friends. However, he does not display the same behavior to his youngest sister, Wheezie. As a contrast he seems to care for her and want to help her when she asks for it, just as she tries to help him when he needs it.
Rafe struggles with cocaine addiction and is implied to have a troubled past, although much of it has not been specified. It is unknown when his drug abuse began. As the oldest son, Rafe was on track to inherit Cameron Development and shows interest in taking over the company early on, however this is suggested to have been more with the intention of approval from his father, compared to a passion for business.
His reckless behavior and desperation for his father's approval eventually lead him to shoot Susan Peterkin, one of the lead points in the show.
It is unknown what happened to Rafe's biological mother. He has a strained relationship with his stepmother, Rose and evidently calls her by her first name.
Throughout the Series[]
Season 1[]
Throughout Season 1, Rafe is seen most often hanging out with his best friends, Topper and Kelce, doing "kook" activities such as partying in mansions, going to the beach and golfing.
Rafe gets into some trouble with Barry, the town's drug dealer, and he owes him a lot of money. Rafe tries to steal from his father to pay Barry back, but Ward catches him. Ward goes with Rafe to bail him out and warns Barry to back off. Ward then kicks Rafe out of the house.
Rafe squats at an empty house in the meantime, spending his days getting high. When Ward is about to be arrested by Sheriff Peterkin, Rafe shoots her thinking he is protecting his father. Ward then pins the blame for the murder on John B to protect his son. Rafe gets let back into the family home.
During the manhunt for John B, he and Kelce go out looking. When the morning comes Rafe has a panic attack and goes to Barry for cocaine. When Barry doesn't have any Rafe breaks down in tears and attempt to tell Barry about what he has done. Barry suggests Rafe come with him to find John B and claim the reward for his capture, they both go out on their motorbikes to try and find him and deliver him to the police. The pair follow Kiara and JJ to where Luke keeps his boat. After a fight with the Pogues, where Rafe and Barry comes out as the losers, Barry makes it clear to Rafe that "he owns him now" after finding out he killed Sheriff Peterkin.
Season 2[]
In Season 2, Rafe is still trying to get in the good graces of his father — constantly looking for reassurance that he's Ward's favorite. Ward takes Rafe with him to Nassau in the Bahamas where he finds out about the gold and he helps his father to transport it so that it can be sent to a bank in Switzerland. During the transport they are held at gunpoint by Terrance and Cleo, Rafe and Ward find out about Sarah and John B being alive. Rafe accidentally shoots his sister as she and John B steal the truck with the gold in it. This makes Rafe question if there is something wrong with him and he begs his father for help but Ward doesn't listen.
Later in the season, in episode 5, Rafe tricks Sarah into meeting him to talk about what she is going to tell the police about the day Peterkin died. Sarah tells Rafe that she rather see him get the death penalty than John B, she attempts to run away. Rafe catches up with her and tries to drown her. Sarah is moments away from death once again but is saved at the last minute when her former Kook love interest, Topper, arrives out of nowhere to drag Rafe off her. Topper then beat up Rafe and tell him to stay away.
The following morning the police raid Tannyhill searching for Rafe, they have a warrant for his arrest on murder in the first degree for Peterkin. Ward sends Rafe an encrypted message not to come home, and instead sneak out of Tannyhill to meet him at Barry's place where Rafe has spent the night. Ward gives Rafe instructions on how to leave Outer Banks, along with a lot of money. Rafe tells Barry to help him, unknowing that Barry still holds a grudge against Ward. Barry sells Rafe out to the police, Rafe is arrested and put in jail. He is informed by Deputy Plumb that Ward might be joining him there soon as the police are getting ready to go after Ward on murder charges. Ward fakes his own death and leaves behind a recorded video claiming responsibility for the murder of the sheriff, thereby clearing Rafe's name.
Rose informs Rafe that she doesn't have the account for the gold and that they are in a bad place financially, Rafe is then employed by Limbrey to find the Cross of Santo Domingo. After finding the cross Limbrey gets into an argument with her brother, resulting in his death, Rafe then takes the cross and bring it with him on the Costal Venture, a ship chartered by Rose to take the family to Guadeloupe. Rafe suspects that the Pogues are on the ship and as they try to capture the crew Rafe goes off and fight John b. At the same time Pope is trying to get the cross off the ship, but need to release it into the water to save his own life. Rafe grabs the rope holding the cross and with the help of several members of the crew they pull it back up.
Season 3[]
Rafe sets up a meeting with Michel Arnaud who has a buyer interested in the Cross of Santo Domingo. He brings Rafe to Carlos Singh, who wants Rafe’s help to find the treasure of El Dorado.
Rafe doesn’t know how to help Singh locate the treasure, causing him to flee together with Kiara who is also held at Singh's estate. Eventually, he found his way back to Guadeloupe by stealing a tourist's ID and going on a cruise ship. Back in Guadeloupe, he finds that his father is out of his coma and is getting better. Ward asks Rafe to go back to the Outer Banks to sell off their home and businesses, as he wants to set up his family for the future.
Rafe finds out that his father wants to sell his childhood home, Tannyhill, and also donate Cross of Santo Domingo to charity. Rafe makes a deal with Barry to steal the Cross, and melts it down for gold to sell. Ward confronts Rafe about the stolen cross. Rafe declares he is the head of the family now.
Ward tells Rafe he signed papers leaving everything in Rose’s name instead of his. Rafe warns Ward he will go to the police and tell them he’s alive. Ward threatens him back claiming he will tell the police Rafe killed Peterson. Rafe points a gun at Ward but doesn’t shoot. Later, Rafe meets with Barry and makes a plan to have him kill Ward.
Later, Rafe tells Ward to leave town and he declines. Rafe decides to approach Sofia with his troubles and he ultimately tells Barry he changed his mind about killing Ward. Barry says he already found a hitman to kill Ward. Rafe tries to intercept but Ward still gets stabbed in the leg. Rafe brings Ward to the airstrip where his plane is waiting, to get him away before the police arrive. Rafe is last seen covered in his father's blood approached by Sheriff Shoupe.
Season 4[]
Rafe aligns himself with Hollis Robinson, a developer with an interest in Goat Island. Hollis approaches Rafe with a lucrative partnership, offering him $25,000 to help develop the land despite Wes Genrette’s belief that the area is cursed. Though initially hesitant, Rafe sees the deal as an opportunity to gain financial power and control. Rafe’s decision to partner with Hollis puts him in direct conflict with the Pogues, whose property is now at risk due to zoning changes that favor developers like Hollis and Rafe.
Rafe’s ambitions grow as he positions himself as a key player in the Goat Island development scheme, but his relationships also begin to fracture. Sofia, a former ally, overhears Rafe badmouthing her and secretly agrees to work with Hollis behind his back to secure her own interests. Meanwhile, Rafe rejects any personal advances from Hollis, asserting that he’s only in the deal for his benefit and that of Sofia, unaware of her betrayal. This tension underscores Rafe’s increasing isolation, even as he works to consolidate his influence over the island and the surrounding developments. Sofia tries to tell him what's she's done but Rafe cuts her off again and tells her that he doesn't care because he has his own skeletons in the closet. He makes her his fiancée before going off to Morocco.
Rafe’s antagonism toward the Pogues is further fueled by his long-standing rivalry with John B and his disdain for their growing notoriety. His involvement in the Goat Island development and his dismissal of Wes’s curse deepen the rift, placing him in opposition to the Pogues not only personally but also financially.
Season 5[]
TBD
Relationships[]
Sarah[]
Main article: Rafe and Sarah
Rafe and Sarah are siblings and both members of the dysfunctional Cameron family. They have a very chaotic and complex relationship. Rafe is often leering and disrespectful towards Sarah, calling her a bitch more than once, both to indirectly and directly. He is often aggressive towards her and he has threatened her on more than one occasion and he went as far as trying to drown her. Their relationship appears to have been strained since before the events of the show, likely due to the fact that their father usually favors Sarah.
When Rafe found out that Sarah and The Pogues stole from Barry, he expressed concern for her and showed her what Barry did to his him when he owed him money.
A childhood photo of Rafe and Sarah shown in Season 4.
In Season 2, Rafe accidentally shoots Sarah, and he then tells Ward that while he didn't mean to do it, he does not care that he did. He feels that the family is doing better with Sarah out of the picture. After Sarah returns to OuterBanks she keeps in touch with Wheezie, Rafe uses her phone to set up a meeting with Sarah hoping to persuade her to protect him but not telling the police what she saw on the tarmac. When he realizes that Sarah would turn their father and him in if she got the chance, he tries to drown her in a nearby tub of water. In the Season 2 finale, he has the chance to kill her when she was escaping with the Pogues on a boat from the Costal Venture, but he can not go through with it.
Topper[]
Main article: Topper and Rafe
Topper and Rafe were close friends during the time when Topper dated his sister Sarah. They both have a feud against the Pogues and they are frequently seen picking fights with them. Rafe frequently manipulates Topper into joining his violent exploits, such as attacking Pope at the golf course, kicking off a "war" with Pope and JJ featuring retaliation.
When Sarah tells Topper that Rafe is the one that killed Sheriff Peterkin at the end of Season 1, Topper appears to believe her. In season 2, he does not appear to be hanging out with Rafe or their other friend Kelce. Topper discovers Rafe attempting to drown Sarah Season 2 and physically attacks Rafe.
In season 3, they appear to have a cordial relationship, with Rafe warning Topper about romantically pursuing Sarah for his own sake.
Barry[]
Main article: Rafe and Barry
Rafe and Barry have a very chaotic friendship. They met because Barry sells Cocaine to Rafe. The pair eventually became allies, until Barry turned Rafe in to the police at the end of Season 2.
Rafe and Barry are first seen together in the third episode of Season 1 when Rafe bought cocaine from him. Rafe owed him money because he used to sell at parties for Barry. Rafe then tried to repay Barry by offering to sell more cocaine, and allowing Barry to take his bike as colleteral. When Rafe didn't have his money and stated that he needed more time, Barry burned his arm.
In Season 2, Rafe and Barry are still buddies. Rafe needs help with getting the gun that he used to kill Sheriff Peterkin with back, so he goes to Barry for help. The morning after Rafe tried to drown Sarah, he wakes up at Barry's house and reads a text that he got from Ward and learns what had happened while he was gone. Rafe, determined to not be taken alive, attempts to flee the Outer Banks with Barry. However, Barry betrays Rafe by alerting the authorities.
Wheezie[]
Wheezie is Rafe's younger sister. Rafe seems to get along better with Wheezie than with Sarah, most likely due to Sarah being their father's favorite. Wheezie and Rafe have been seen bonding over that fact, Wheezie calling them both "The black sheep of the family".
Sofia[]
Main article: Rafe and Sofia
Rafe gets down on one knee, in 4×9 "The Storm"
Rafe and Sofia's relationship starts out as occasional hookups, but she eventually becomes interested romantically. Rafe also appears to have the same feelings but refuses to admit it face on and open up. When speaking to his Kook friends he refers to her as a Pogue that he wouldn't want to move in with because he has "standards" which she hears, but later tells Sofia that he wants her to be by his side and build a home with her. This puts a strain on their relationship that only she is aware of.
They have a talk in which Sofia tries to come clean to Rafe and he puts his mother's wedding ring on her finger but their engagement is quickly ended when Rafe finds out about her betrayal. Their relationship is complicated due to them coming from different sides of the island. Although it was not shown or clarified whether they still had the same deep romantic feelings they did for each other throughout season 4 in the final episode The Blue Crown in which Rafe broke up with her and called off their engagement, it is assumed that they are still in love with each other and Rafe was furious at her betrayal.
Family[]
- Ward Cameron (Father)
- Rose Cameron (Step-Mother)
- Unnamed Biological Mother
- Sarah Cameron (Younger Sister)
- Wheezie Cameron (Younger Sister)
Personality[]
Rafe is reckless, violent, and unstable. His drug use and other crimes cause other characters to refer to him as a "psychopath." He is a negative influence on Topper and the rest of The Kooks. He is physically aggressive toward those whom he deems a threat, especially The Pogues. He often encourages bad blood between the two feuding groups. He is a cocaine addict and appears to suffer from a untreated form of borderline personality disorder.
After shooting Sarah in season 2, Rafe opens up to Ward Cameron, informing his father that he suffers from intrusive thoughts he cannot control. In response to this, his father tells him to "man up." Rafe also seems to obsessively seek his father's attention and favor, claiming that everything he's done was for him and his family. He needs validation from Ward and uses that to convince himself that his actions aren't wrong. It is said over online speculation that he may have Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) although this isn't confirmed.
Despite his psychotic tendencies, Rafe does show empathy and feels deeply guilty by what he has done, such as crying and apologizing after opening up to Kiara, whom he seems to dislike significantly less than the other Pogues. He's often seen on a verge of a panic attack when he isn't acting out in anger. He's aware that something is wrong with him, saying it multiple times throughout the show, but everybody has been ignoring and avoiding his issues.
Physical Appearance[]
Rafe Cameron has light brown hair and blue eyes. He stands at 6 ft 2, with a toned body and broad shoulders. Like all Kooks, he is usually seen wearing preppy clothes. He tends to change is hair frequently throughout seasons. During season 1, Rafe wore his hair slicked to the side, and was often seen wearing a cap. During Season 2, Rafe wears his hair parted in the middle. During Season 3 and Season 4, he has a buzzcut.
Appearances[]
Season 1[]
Season 2[] |
Season 3[]
Season 4[] |
Quotes[]
Rafe to Sofia: "Before I...Before I took off, I wanted to...say something. It was my mom's. Been in the family forever, so...I know that's some Kook bullshit, but I...I just wanted you to... to have it, before I...I left, so you know we're real."
Rafe to Sofia. "Okay, but listen, there's things about me that you...you don't know. Okay? Way worse than whatever you have to say. I guarantee that. I don't care what you did, okay? I don't care to know. I want to be with you. If you say "yes", there's no more scraping the barrel, old Pogue bullshit. Okay? I want you...I want you to quit your job, and I want you to...to move in with me. Okay? Now we got that sorted, um...Here. I'll be back in a few weeks, alright? Stay at my...stay at our place. Alright? I love you."
Rafe to Topper: "Congrats, pussy, you're officially her bitch."
Rafe (to Groff): "HA! HA! CHECKMATE BITCH!"
Rafe: “I have all these thoughts in my head and I don't know if I can control them. I am afraid of what's going to happen.”
Rafe: "Everybody saying nature is so chill. Everything trying to kill everything else all the time. And everything must kill to live. Killing is nature."
Rafe to Ward: "I think we should kill them all."
Trivia[]
- He is a drug addict, showing usage of mostly cocaine but also weed. Rafe is aware that he has an addiction, he mentions several times that he wants to be a better person and to get clean. [1]
- When he was around the age of 10, he began showing traits of mental health problems.
- Rafe is a member of the golf community in Figure 8, and often golfs with Topper.
- He goes a full season in the second and fourth ones.
- He is the first antagonist turned somewhat anti-hero of Outer Banks.
Gallery[]
.jpg "Rafe and sofia icon ⋆ ˚｡ ⋆୨୧˚ FREE USE -rafecameron -sofia -outerbanks -obx -obx4 (1).jpg (130 KB)"){kind=icon}
References[]
- ↑ My Druthers, 2x06