John "Ace" Merrill

{{Character
|name = John Merrill
|image = <tabber>
|-|Movie=[[File:Acemerrill.jpg]]
|-|Castle Rock=[[File:John Ace Merrill (Castle_Rock).jpg]]
</tabber>
|age = Uncertain (estimated to be about 16 or 17 in The Body)
|gender = Male
|died = 1991
|status = Deceased
|alias = Ace Merrill
|title = John 'Ace' Merrill
|family = Junior Merrill (father), [[Reginald Merrill|Reginald 'Pop' Merrill]] (uncle)<br>[[Chris Merrill]]
|job = Bully gang leader<br>Drug dealer<br>Shop assistant<br>High school student
|home = [[Castle Rock, Maine]]
|loyalty = His gang, [[Leland Gaunt]]
|actor = [[Kiefer Sutherland]] (Stand By Me)<br>[[Paul Sparks]] (Castle Rock)}}'''John "Ace" Merrill''' is the main antagonist in the novella ''[[The Body]]'' from [[Different Seasons]] and the movie ''[[Stand By Me]]''. He's also a secondary antagonist in the novel [[Needful Things]]. Ace lived most of his life in [[Castle Rock, Maine]] (except in Stand By Me, in which Castle Rock is located in Oregon).

Ace is the nephew of [[Reginald Merrill|Reginald 'Pop' Merrill]]. He leads a teenage gang of bullies who torment and terrorize [[Gordon LaChance|Gordie LaChance]], [[Chris Chambers (Stand By Me)|Chris Chambers]], [[Teddy Duchamp]] and [[Vern Tessio]]. His closest friends among his gang are [[Norman "Fuzzy' Bracowicz]] and [[Richard "Eyeball" Chambers]], Chris's older brother. He once had a girlfriend named Betsy Malenfant. 

After being caught by Sheriff [[Alan Pangborn]] for trying to crack the safe in The Mellow Tiger, Ace was sent to [[Shawshank Penitentiary]] for 4 years. After being released in 1989, Ace moved to Mechanic Falls. He got a job at Oxford Plains Speedway as a part-time pit mechanic. In 1991 he was shot and killed by Deputy [[Norris Ridgewick]].

Ace is not to be mistaken for John Merrill, who was mentioned in [[The Tommyknockers]] as the father of [[Ruth Merrill|Ruth Merrill McCausland]].

==''[[Castle Rock (TV Series)|Castle Rock]]''==
John Merrill will be played by [[Paul Sparks]] in Season Two of ''[[Castle Rock (TV Series)|Castle Rock]]''. He will be taking over his uncle [[Reginald Merrill|Reginald's]] criminal business and threatening the fragile peace between [[Castle Rock, Maine]] and [[Jerusalem's Lot, Maine]].
==Physical appearance ==
Ace was described by Gordie to have "sharp, handsome features" during his teenage years. As an adult, Gordie says his attractive looks were "buried in an avalanche of flesh" in his 30s. 


He is played by Kiefer Sutherland in the film, who resembles Ace in the books accurately. 

==Quotes==
*"We're gonna get [[Gordon LaChance|you]] for this."
*"[[Chris Chambers|You're]] dead."
*"What are you gonna do, shoot us all?"
*"This is big time, baby."
*"C'mon kid, you ain't got the sack to shoot a woodchuck." 

==Gallery==
<gallery>
John Merrill.jpeg
ace.jpg
ace155817_std.jpg
aceshot0152.jpg
Ace Merrill image.jpeg
</gallery>

==Appearances==
*''[[Nona]]''
*''[[Needful Things]]''
*''[[The Body]]'' (novel)
*''[[Stand By Me]]'' (film)
*''[[Castle Rock (TV Series)|Castle Rock]]''

==Gallery==
<gallery widths="115" orientation="square">
Ace merril.jpg
Ace Merrill image.jpeg
</gallery>

{{DEFAULTSORT:Merrill, John}}