Ace Merrill

John "Ace" Merrill is a major antagonist of the Stephen King multiverse.

Serving as the main antagonist of the novella The Body, and it's film adaptation Stand By Me, the secondary antagonist of the novel Needful Things, a minor antagonist of the short story Nona, and a supporting character of the Castle Rock TV series. He is also falsely mentioned in the novel Tommyknockers.

Ace is the nephew of Reginald 'Pop' Merrill. He leads a teenage gang of bullies who torment and terrorize Gordie LaChance, 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 nearby 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 McCausland. quotes: We're gonna get you for this." "You're dead." "What are you gonna do, shoot us all?" "This is big time, baby." "C'mon kid, give me the gun before you shoot your foot off, you ain't got the sack to shoot a woodchuck."