| Spoiler Alert! This page contains details about the plot which may lower your enjoyment of the books and/or movies. Discretion is advised. |
Assistant Director Janson, also referred to as Rat Man (given to him by Minho), was the highest-ranking official in the organization WICKED under Chancellor Paige. Thomas himself trained Janson after the original Creators were Purged, who states that "he had never seen someone more dedicated to finding a cure." Janson is the main antagonist in both the Maze Runner series, and in the movie series.
Biography
In The Scorch Trials, Janson appeared in the place the Gladers were staying in at the same time as the large pile of food. He was sitting behind a desk, reading, and the Gladers soon discovered that an invisible forcefield blocked them off from him. He told them to wait for the right time. Eventually, he stopped reading and explained the Scorch Trials to them. He then leaves. This is the only time he's encountered in the book.
In The Death Cure, Janson first arrives to free Thomas from his solitary confinement, revealing that that was his third and final Trial and that he was immune to the Flare. He then leads all of the Gladers and Group B to hear who isn't immune to the Flare. He then leads everyone to get the Swipe removed, which would restore their memories and remove them from WICKED's control. Thomas, Newt, and Minho refuse, so he takes them to a room for the night before bringing guards the next morning to force them to undergo the procedure that removes the Swipes. The three escape with the help of Brenda and shoot Janson with a launcher.
In Denver, Janson appears on a monitor of a police drone, requesting that Thomas return to WICKED to complete the final procedure required to create the cure for the Flare, revealing that he is the Final Candidate.
When Thomas returns to WICKED, Janson greets him before informing Thomas that to complete the cure of the Flare, they must dissect his brain. It would be painless, but it would result in Thomas' death. The only thing that saves Thomas is WICKED Chancellor Ava Paige. Janson attempts to kill Thomas, Teresa, Minho, Brenda, and Jorge, and all the other Immunes as they are leaving through the Flat Trans for paradise. Janson realizes that he is showing symptoms of the Flare, which isn't surprising given that he's spent years studying subjects infected with it. He is strangled to death by Thomas. However, he manages to delay Thomas enough to cause Teresa's death; she was crushed by a rock when she tackled Thomas out of the way of the falling rock.Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials
In the Scorch Trials film, Janson appears as the leader of the WCKD facility Thomas and the Gladers are brought into. He greets them and tells them that they are safe from WCKD, The Flare virus and the Cranks and will soon be brought to a safe haven. The boys are glad, except Thomas, who does not trust Janson. Thomas' distrust is strengthened when Janson asks him about his experience with WCKD.
With the help of Aris Jones, one of the many survivors at the facility, Thomas travels through the air vents and is able to overhear a conversation between Janson and WCKD leader Ava Paige, who is alive despite Thomas and the Gladers thinking she is dead. While eavesdropping, Thomas realizes that Janson is working for WCKD and that his friends are to be used for experimentation. Thomas heads back to the Gladers' rooms and he and his friends plan to escape to find the Right Arm, a group of rebels who resist WCKD. During their breakout, Thomas obtains a stun gun which he uses when Janson and his men corner the escapees moments later. He shoots at Janson multiple times, but misses, and the Gladers, including Aris, are able to escape the WCKD facility, with Janson's men on their heels.
When Thomas and his friends are found by Jorge and his gang, one of Jorge's men plans to sell them back to WCKD and makes contact with Janson. Janson arrives at the hideout with a berg and has a WCKD task force storm the place. However, the survivors escape him when Jorge blows up the entire place, killing many of Janson's men.
Janson later returns with a greater force when Teresa calls WCKD and tells them about the Right Arm's location. WCKD is able to overpower the Right Arm which leads to the capture of the rebels and every survivor except Thomas. Ava Paige arrives in a berg and greets Janson, telling him to begin to load the chosen ones into the carrier. When checking if every Glader has been caught, Janson realizes that Thomas is missing. Thomas, who has secretly taken a small bomb and detonator, gives himself up to Janson, who brutally hits him for creating so much trouble. However, Janson is shocked when Thomas pulls out the bomb and declares that he will blow up himself and the other survivors to prevent them from falling into WCKD's hands. However, due to a distraction created by Jorge and his protegee Brenda, The Right Arm is able to free themselves in the erupting chaos and fight back, attacking and killing many WCKD soldiers. When the fighting begins, Paige is brought into her berg to safety along with Teresa, who chose WCKD over Thomas, and the soldiers are able to capture every Glader in their retreat. When Minho is captured by WCKD, Thomas returns to save his friend but is stopped by Janson, who beats him to the ground. Janson draws his gun, proclaiming that it is a waste to spill Thomas' precious blood. He intends to shoot Thomas, who is saved by Brenda, who shoots Janson in the shoulder and provides Thomas with cover while he runs away. Wounded, Janson returns to the berg and is carried away with Paige, Teresa, and the remaining WCKD soldiers.
Maze Runner: The Death Cure
In the Death Cure film, Janson arrives on the scene after Thomas successfully took a train car of Immunes. He tells the soldiers to find them.
When Thomas and Ava Paige are talking about how Thomas' blood is the cure, a gunshot is heard ringing out and Ava is seen with blood soaking her chest, when she falls, Janson is seen with smoke clearing around him, a pistol aimed right at where Ava was standing. He injects Thomas with a dart which knocks him out, saying that he’s too precious to kill. Thomas wakes up in a room strapped to a chair, with Janson and Teresa removing his blood for the serum. Janson reveals that he has caught the Flare, and goes to cure himself with Thomas' blood. Teresa, however, smashes a beaker over his head to knock him unconscious. She undoes one of Thomas' straps, but Janson regains consciousness and attacks her. Thomas gets the other strap undone, and tackles Janson through a glass pane. The two of them fight viciously, and Thomas and Teresa grab the serum and run. Janson shoots at them as they sprint down the hallway. Thomas and Teresa hide in a testing room, where it is revealed that Thomas has been shot. Janson enters and continues to hunt them down. He finds Teresa and is ready to kill her.
Just then, Thomas throws a very heavy object at a large piece of glass, separating two Cranks from a wounded Thomas, Teresa, and Janson. Because of how close Janson was standing, the two Cranks only attack him. He was presumably killed by the Cranks, but if not then definitely killed by the explosion of the building minutes later.
Physical Appearance and Personality
He is described as a thin man, having gray hair, a mole on his cheek, and a rat-like face. He is highly intelligent, but also an enigmatic figure whose loyalty is never truly certain. He has a laid-back demeanor most of the time, but, due to having the Flare, he can become extremely violent and brutal when pushed. He is intensely sadistic when violent, shown by his brutal means of fighting Thomas in their final clash in The Death Cure. In the Death Cure film when Teresa figures out Thomas' blood is the cure for the Flare, Janson then becomes very violent, eventually rolling up his sleeve to show that he was almost fully turned, as well.
Trivia
- Interestingly enough, although it has been said that Thomas trained Janson before he entered the Maze, Janson does not appear in The Fever Code. It is possible that Thomas still trained Janson, but it just was omitted from the book.
Quotes
"Of course you'll experience minor discomfort – it is a surgery." The Death Cure
"It's a package deal, I'm afraid. Take it or leave it." The Death Cure
"Some of you are immune to the Flare. But– some of you aren't. I'm going to go through the list – please do your best to take it calmly." The Death Cure
"You'll all be heroes when this is over." The Death Cure
