Wilhelm (Volker Bruch) is the narrator of the story. He provides the opening monologue for the episodes, and when the plot jumps in time he summarises the developments that happened in the meantime. In the pilot episode he states that he has served in the invasion of Poland as well as in the invasion of France. He is somewhat aware that Charlotte has feelings for him, but tells his brother and other fellow soldiers that he doesn't want to get her hopes up, presumably as he could be killed on the front lines before he could reciprocate.
Wilhelm firmly believes he is bound by honour to fight as a soldier for his home country. Consequently, he is determined to do what he considers his duty as a Wehrmacht officer commanding an infantry platoon and he executes a prisoner in accordance with the Commissar Order. As the war goes on he is awarded the Iron Cross 1st class and promoted to Oberleutnant[8] but the hope for a quick victory evaporates and so does his naïve idealism. Facing the death of his whole platoon to achieve a questionable objective, he walks away from the front line after suffering from a concussion caused by a Panzerfaust anti-tank explosive. He then seeks refuge in a cabin by a lake where he is arrested as a deserter by Feldgendarmerie officers. Instead of being executed, he is placed in a Strafbattalion (Penal Battalion). He is continually broken down further, through the actions of his sadistic platoon leader, and then when he is reunited with Charlotte (as a member of the Penal Battalion), she is incredulous that he is alive. He kills his platoon leader a while later, and escapes with a fellow soldier back to Berlin.
At the series' end, he, Charlotte, and Viktor gather in the rubble of Greta's bar in occupied Berlin, and hold a solemn toast to Greta and Friedhelm.