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Meet the key characters, with insights into their roles, motivations, and relationships—spoiler-free.
Hansel is a young prince with black curly hair and charcoal eyes. He is the twin brother of Gretel. He possesses an impulsive nature that sometimes brings him trouble. Following a traumatic incident at home, he sets out into the world to seek a better life. He cares deeply for his sister and demonstrates quick thinking when pressed by dangerous adversaries.
Gretel is a young princess with hair like spun gold and eyes the color of the sea. She is the more analytical and cunning of the royal twins. When she and Hansel flee their home to escape danger, she relies on her resourcefulness to survive a world filled with dark magic. She is fiercely loyal to her brother and approaches challenges with careful planning.
Twin Brother of Hansel
Daughter of The King of Grimm
Daughter of The Queen of Grimm
Protected by Johannes
Captured by The Baker Woman
Romantic Interest of The Handsome Young Man
Aided by The Stars
Guided by The Ravens
Johannes is an old, hunched servant who has faithfully served the kings of Grimm for generations. He acts as the royal family's most trusted advisor. His profound loyalty drives him to protect the new king at all costs, even when doing so requires breaking rules or keeping secrets. He carries immense guilt and responsibility for the consequences of his protective actions.
Advisor to The King of Grimm
Servant of The Old King of Grimm
Protector of The Queen of Grimm
Guardian of Hansel
Guardian of Gretel
Intercepts Prophecies from The Ravens
Travels with The Ferryman
The King of Grimm is the ruler of the kingdom and the father of Hansel and Gretel. As a young man, he becomes infatuated with the Golden Princess and uses deception to make her his bride. He struggles with the burdens of leadership, loyalty, and guilt. His intense emotions lead him to make desperate choices regarding his own family.
Husband of The Queen of Grimm
Father of Hansel
Father of Gretel
Son of The Old King of Grimm
Master of Johannes
Subject of Prophecy by The Ravens
The Queen of Grimm, originally known as the Golden Princess, is a beautiful royal with a penchant for fine gold. After being courted by the King disguised as a merchant, she agrees to marry him and eventually becomes the mother of twins. She loves her family but faces impossibly difficult positions caused by the curses and heavy consequences surrounding the Grimm throne.
Wife of The King of Grimm
Mother of Hansel
Mother of Gretel
Protected by Johannes
Daughter-in-Law of The Old King of Grimm
Subject of Prophecy by The Ravens
The Ravens are three talking birds who act as observers and messengers in the world of Grimm. They possess deep knowledge of the future, curses, and hidden truths. They frequently appear at critical moments to deliver crucial information. They often bicker among themselves while providing guidance to those who know how to listen.
The Baker Woman is an old woman who lives in a house constructed entirely out of sweets. She offers shelter and seemingly boundless amounts of food to starving children who wander into the forest. She hides a predatory motive beneath her welcoming demeanor. She aims to fatten up her guests.
The Father is a villager who lives with his wife and their seven sons. He is a well-meaning but easily frustrated man who eagerly adopts Hansel and Gretel when they wander into his village. A moment of anger leads him to accidentally curse his own sons. He causes a tragedy he tries to keep secret from his newly adopted children.
The Mother is a villager struggling to raise her seven unruly boys. She is devastated when her sons vanish but agrees to keep the circumstances of their disappearance a secret. She tries to offer a normal home to her newly adopted children despite her deep grief.
The Seven Swallows are seven brothers accidentally cursed by their frustrated father to live as birds. They are trapped far from home in the Crystal Mountain. They wait for someone to show enough courage and make enough sacrifices to rescue them from their avian forms.
The Handsome Young Man is a charming villager with blood-red lips, glittering eyes, and a magical piece of twine that fixes broken things. He easily wins the affection of the village children and catches Gretel's attention with his playful demeanor. He invites her to visit his rotting house deep in the Wood of Darkness.
Romantic Interest of Gretel
The Lord is a wealthy nobleman who provides Hansel with shelter after finding him in the forest. He suffers from a severe gambling addiction that compromises his judgment. In a desperate attempt to hide his losses from his wife, he makes a foolish wager with the devil.
Guardian of Hansel
Opponent of The Devil
The Devil is a powerful, malevolent entity who makes wagers for human souls and spreads curses across the land. He rules over Hell, torturing sinners in pits of fire while guarding his three magical golden hairs. He lives with his grandmother, whose comforting presence provides a rare domestic vulnerability in his household.
The Devil's Grandmother lives in Hell with her grandson. She curls up on the rug to stroke his hair while he sleeps. She provides him with comfort. Her presence reveals a mundane, domestic side to the ruler of the underworld.
Grandmother of The Devil
Impersonated by Hansel
The Ferryman is a cursed individual forced to constantly row a boat back and forth across the river near Hell. He does not know why he is trapped or how to escape his grueling task. He relies on travelers to seek out the answer for him.
The Old King of Grimm is the grandfather of Hansel and Gretel. On his deathbed, he extracts a promise from his faithful servant, Johannes. He orders the servant to protect the new king and hide the portrait of the cursed Golden Princess.
Father of The King of Grimm
Master of Johannes
The Stars are celestial entities that possess magic and a helpful nature. Unlike the cruel sun and the creepy moon, the stars offer Gretel comfort and practical assistance. They give her a magical chicken bone to help rescue the cursed swallows.