Leland Gaunt

Leland Gaunt was played by Max von Sydow in Needful Things.

Biography
Leland Gaunt was, for a time, the owner of a shop named "Needful Things" that operated from the small town of Castle Rock, Maine. Gaunt gives people things they really want - needful things - and all he asks in return is a favor or two. These favors, seemingly innocent, ultimately drive wedges between people to create discord and chaos. Eventually his machinations can destroy communities, persuading the citizens of them to assault each other and engage in other acts of violence and destruction.

In reality he is the devil, going from place to place with the purpose of seeding death and destrucion using fears and greed for that purpose and once he can no longer do that, he goes elsewhere for the same reason leaving harmed or destroyed places behind. It is also clear he enjoys all this in full and cannot be killed.

Many of Castle Rock's citizens and a good deal of its infrastructure came out the worse because Gaunt's visit. After he can no longer harm the town thanks to sheriff Pangborn, he promises him he will return one day, as he always does and goes away to pursue his quest.

He also implies to Pangborn, that he will marry his girlfriend, have children and grandchildren and that he will use one of Pamgborn´s grandchildren in the future for his evil deeds.