Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Succession season 4, episode 9!
Logan Roy is one of the main characters in Succession, and here are the 12 big details about Logan’s backstory that the show has revealed. Although Logan Roy is mostly seen in his later years, the Waystar Royco CEO has a pretty exciting life, with much of the series chronicling the highs and lows of his pre-Succession story. While some of these details are only touched on and other details are fully explored, these plot points are essential to painting a full picture of who Logan Roy is in Succession.
Succession is finally coming to an end, with Succession season 4, episode 10 being the series finale, so it’s time to look back on the life of arguably the series’ most important character, Logan Roy. Logan Roy was a force to be reckoned with, being one of the most fearsome and dangerous characters throughout the first three seasons of Succession. However, Logan began going through an existential crisis in season 4’s first few episodes, although this was interrupted by the death of Logan Roy in Succession season 4, episode 3. So, here’s a timeline of Logan Roy’s life that contains all of the biggest details that have been revealed.
12 Logan Roy Had Two Siblings
Logan Roy was the middle child of three, having an older brother named Ewan and a younger sister named Rose. Although Rose passed away at a very young age, Logan and Ewan grew up together, with Ewan still being alive as of Logan’s death. Although they’re not around much in Succession, Ewan and Rose are two of the most formative people in Logan’s life.
11 Logan Grew Up During WW2
Logan’s childhood was bleak, with the biggest reason behind this being that he grew up in the midst of World War II. Logan was born in Scotland on October 14, 1938, with him only being alive for a few years before the outbreak of WWII. Logan’s childhood was overtaken by the war, with Ewan telling a terrifying story about how the siblings had to hide from German U-boats when they were very young.
10 Logan Grew Up In Poverty Before Moving To Canada
Although Logan Roy died a rich man, he actually grew up in poverty. Logan was born to a widow named Helen Roy, who (due to her financial situation as well as WWII) decided to send her children to be raised in Quebec, Canada. The young children made the overseas journey without their mother, arriving in Canada after a treacherous cross-country journey. Although she was their mother, Helen never seemed to have a great presence in Logan’s life, with him rarely talking about his parents.
9 Logan’s Mother Sent Him To His Uncle To Be Raised
In an attempt to get her children out of poverty and war, Helen gave custody of her kids to Logan’s Uncle Noah and his unnamed wife. The couple lived in Canada where they ran a print shop, while also owning some land and cattle. Logan’s new home in Canada was incredibly different from life with his mother in Scotland, with it being worse in many ways.
8 Logan Was Physically Abused As A Child
Uncle Noah was incredibly abusive to Logan, with him beating the child regularly. Although it is unknown if Ewan got the same treatment, Logan’s childhood abuse is undeniable. Up until his death, Logan’s back is covered with massive scars and burns that came from Uncle Noah’s regular beatings. It isn’t known if Logan escaped his abuser before he was an adult, but the series hints that Logan was raised by Noah for a long amount of time.
7 Logan Believes He Killed His Sister With Polio
At Logan’s funeral, Ewan tells some childhood stories, but none of these memories are fond. Ewan reveals that Rose Roy died of polio at a young age, with the source of the disease being unknown. Despite this, Noah and his wife blamed Logan for giving her polio, leading to many of the beatings. According to Ewan, Logan also blamed himself, internalizing much of his guardians’ abuse. It isn’t known if Logan ever came to peace with this belief before he died, with Rose’s death possibly being what made Logan such a hardened man.
6 Logan Had A Falling Out With His Brother Ewan
Logan and Ewan grew up together, but they had a falling out at some point in their adult lives. It isn’t known exactly what caused the falling out, but it seems like it was the result of multiple conflicts piling up. Logan and Ewan’s different perspectives on capitalism, morals, and the Vietnam War are just some of the ideological wedges that came between them, leaving the brothers to despise each other as elders. Even at Logan’s funeral, Ewan gives a scathing recount of Logan’s life, with this vicious eulogy showing just how far apart the two were.
5 Logan Married Connor’s Mother, Institutionalized Her, & Then Divorced Her
What happened to Connor Roy’s mom is one of Succession‘s biggest mysteries, with it being hinted at throughout the show. Logan married Connor’s mother at an unknown time, with Connor Roy being born. However, Logan later divorced her and had her institutionalized for her mental health issues, with him taking custody of Connor. Logan’s treatment of Connor’s mother drove a wedge between the two, with the other Roy siblings using the fate of Connor’s mom to make fun of their eldest sibling.
4 Logan’s Inner Circle Were The Closest Thing He Had To Friends
Logan Roy was not a man with friends, with his inner circle at Waystar Royco being all he really had. Logan tells Colin Stiles that he is one of his only friends, with him being one of the few people he can be genuine with. Logan has known Frank for over 30 years, with him making Frank Kendall’s godfather and Gerri Shiv’s godmother. Logan seems to have no connections outside of his employees, which is one of the things he struggles with leading up to his death in Succession season 4.
3 Logan Lived In England With Kendall, Roman & Shiv’s Mother (Before Their Divorce)
After getting Connor’s mother institutionalized, Logan married an English aristocrat named Caroline Collingwood. He moved to England to live with her, and the couple had three kids: Kendall, Shiv, and Roman Roy. However, the two had a falling out, leading to their divorce. Logan left Caroline and took the kids to America, with Caroline not attempting to get involved in her children’s lives after the divorce.
2 Logan’s 1985 Waystar Expansion Left The Company A Big Risk
In 1985, Logan Roy hoped to expand Waystar Royco into amusement parks. However, he needed cash – and lots of it. To do this, Logan secretly used his family holding company to take out a loan, something he hid from every board member besides Frank and Gerri. Logan made the risky move to secure the loan against Waystar stock, meaning that the bank can pursue immediate payment in full if Waystar Royco’s stock price ever falls below 130 cents per share. This left the company at a huge risk, with the loan being a problem throughout Succession‘s story.
1 Logan’s Childhood Plays A Big Role In His Succession Arc
Although Logan’s childhood isn’t touched on much, it plays a really big role in his Succession arc. His childhood poverty and relationships with his siblings are what led Logan to be the greedy, hardened man that he was up until his death. The abuse and turmoil that Logan suffered led to him reciprocating that same abuse and turmoil onto his kids, which his kids will in turn pass on to their children. Logan’s arc in Succession is a tragic one, and it all starts with his childhood.
New episodes of Succession air Sundays on HBO.
