There’s nothing quite like a spiked cocaine shipment to completely upend the criminal underworld, and in Gangs of London, people are demanding answers and blood for the devastation it’s caused.

In a world where everyone is out for themselves, fragile alliances give way to brutal betrayals. The only thing you can truly trust is to trust no one. Just ask any of these characters who make up this violent, colourful world.

As chaos reigns, season three also introduces some new faces that could have a huge impact on everything the characters think they know – and the future for everyone involved.

If you need to touch base, here’s all you need to know about this year’s key characters, and who plays them.

Played by: Sopé Dìrísù (Slow Horses, Mr Malcolm’s List)

At one point an undercover cop with a mission to take the drug trade down from the inside, Elliot is now the leader of his own domain within the criminal underworld, complete with his own subordiantes in Saba and Faz. But when a cocaine run he’s in charge of results in hundreds of people dying of a fentanyl overdose, he needs to figure out the culprits quickly or risk his own neck being on the block for this unimaginable tragedy. His investigation results in new alliances and answers to questions he has been searching for from the moment he stepped foot into this world.

Played by: Joe Cole (Skins, Peaky Blinders)

Once a reluctant leader, Sean Wallace is now giving the appearance of a cold and calculated man with a plan – and more than a few secrets he’s willing to weaponise to gain the upper hand. Sure, he may be in prison, but that isn’t going to stop him pulling a few strings to get what he wants, and he has an ace up his sleeve that Elliot will not be too happy about.

Played by: Michelle Fairley (Game of Thrones, Suits)

Marian Wallace has reestablished herself as the powerful matriarch of the Wallace Organisation, stepping into a leading position with Sean now in jail. In Marian’s world, it’s her way or the highway, and she is ruthless when it comes to getting what she wants, regardless of the cost.

Played by: Brian Vernel (The Last Kingdom)

For someone who has had long-held addiction issues, you’d think that being a central player in a drugs organisation would be a recipe for disaster for Billy, especially with brother Sean now in prison and losing a hand thanks to Elliot. But Billy is willing to rise to the challenge, and when he finds a new mentor in the shape of Cornelius Quinn, his capabilities as an enforcer truly come to light.

Played by: Orli Shuka (We Were the Lucky Ones, All The Old Knives)

The powerful boss of the Albanian mafia, Luan is a man on a mission to provide for his wife and children, giving them an affluent life most could only dream of. But when the drug catastrophe hits a little too close to home, his ability to keep a straight head gives way for something more powerful: desperate revenge.

Played by: Lucian Msamati (Game of Thrones, Black Earth Rising)

Ed Dumani is tired of being a lackey within the criminal world and has made some powerful enemies with his power plays over the past two seasons. Determined to re-establish himself as a force to be reckoned with, his cool and calm demeanour hides a menacing attitude from his Old Guard roots – and he’s not afraid to get his hands, or suits, dirty to get what he wants.

Played by: Pippa Bennett-Warner (Chloe, Moonflower Murders)

Now her father’s right-hand woman, Shannon has established her own position within the criminal underworld. Don’t be fooled by her calm and collected demeanour – Shannon is very much her father’s daughter when it comes to wanting power.

Played by: Narges Rashidi (Anatomy of Evil, I Came By)

As the leader of the Kurdish gang, Lale has her hands full at the best of times. After being bitterly betrayed by Sean during season two, she finds herself in an uneasy alliance with people she would rather avoid. Distant and resentful, Lale is out to protect her best interests, no matter who she has to fight on the way.

Played by: Asif Raza Mir (Jaan E Jahan, Sarkar Sahab aka Evicted Lord)

The cruel and twisted heroin dealer is someone who will take any bit of information he has and use it to his advantage in order to get a better foothold in London. Based in Lahore, Asif has international dealings and is becoming increasingly powerful. Those in London may not like him, but they also know they need to keep him on side.

Played by: Jahz Armando

After initially being thrust into this criminal world, Saba has taken to illegal dealings like a duck to water, but that doesn’t mean she suffers fools gladly. She is unafraid to stand up to those above her and doesn’t always fall in line.

Played by: Fady El-Sayed (KAOS, Industry)

The teenage Faz is still new to the game but is loving his new position alongside Elliot and Saba with their own arm of the drug trade. But when things go disastrously wrong, it is up to him to decide where his loyalties truly lie.

Played by: Richard Dormer (Game of Thrones, The Day of the Jackal)

First introduced while running a fairground, Cornelius has bigger connections to the criminal underworld than most around him are aware of. Unrelentingly violent with a short fuse, it doesn’t take much for him to blow up – and God help anyone around him when he does.

Played by: Andrew Koji (Black Doves, Bullet Train)

Mysterious and distant, Zeek doesn’t appear to have any particular allegiance within the criminal underworld – which makes his presence even more menacing. Marching to the beat of his own drum, Zeek is on a very personal mission, and it could spell real trouble for the gangs.

Played by: T’Nia Miller (The Haunting of Bly Manor, The Periphery)

The Mayor of London, Simone has both a personal and professional interest in taking down the gangs once and for all. But Simone has demons of her own, and there are bigger powers at play than she’s aware of. Soon she must make a deal with the devil and get her hands dirty on her mission to clean up the streets.