Prince Kaelis, who initially seems to be a villain, is a dynamic character embodying State Control of Knowledge and Power while secretly plotting its destruction. As the headmaster of Arcana Academy and a supposed reverse wielder of the Arcana, his name is synonymous with evil. He is initially presented as a ruthless manipulator, orchestrating Clara’s imprisonment and subsequent release solely to test her abilities and secure her as a tool for his own ends. He presents her with a stark choice that defines their initial dynamic: “Thrive in my world or die in yours” (24). This act of control, combined with his reputation for having annihilated an entire noble clan, establishes him as a formidable and cruel figure, the ultimate enforcer of the crown’s tyrannical rule over magic.

Beneath this cold exterior, however, lies a complex and rebellious ambition. Kaelis’s primary motivation is to obtain the mythical World card, not for his father, the king, but to remake the world according to his own design. His disdain for his family and the system they uphold is palpable, particularly in his antagonistic relationship with his brother, Prince Ravin. Kaelis reveals that he, too, has been a victim of the crown’s cruelty, confessing to Clara that he “had [his] own future stolen” when his father forced him to sacrifice his destiny to the Arcanum Chalice (215). This revelation reframes him as something similar to a Byronic hero, a moody and arrogant intellectual who is somehow charming. Kaelis’s tyrannical methods are a means to dismantle the source of his suffering and to establish a better world. His manipulation of Clara, therefore, is a calculated move against his own bloodline.

Kaelis’s relationship with Clara evolves, however, into something far more intricate and emotionally charged. He is drawn to her defiance, skill, and unwavering will, seeing in her a reflection of his own tenacity. His control over her manifests as a possessive, almost suffocating protection, shielding her from external threats while keeping her firmly within his grasp. This possessiveness gradually gives way to a respect and a vulnerable intimacy that neither character seems prepared for. Kaelis is so conflicted by his attraction to Clara that he “cannot tell if it is a delight or a nightmare to want to drown in” her (465). These contradictory feelings are a further indication of how he causes some of Clara’s suffering yet also becomes her protector. The complex dynamic between Kaelis and Clara ultimately challenges their perceptions of power, loyalty, and love.

Prince Ravin, heir to the Oricalis throne and regent of Eclipse City, is an antagonist and, in some ways, a foil to his younger brother, Kaelis. Whereas Kaelis is a figure of shadow and subversion, Ravin represents the overt, rigid authority of the crown. Clad in gold and white, he visually and ideologically contrasts with Kaelis’s dark aesthetic. Their relationship is defined by mutual animosity and a struggle for dominance, with Ravin frequently trespassing into the academy to assert his authority over what Kaelis considers his exclusive domain.

Ravin is portrayed as a staunch legalist who views Clara not as a person but as a problem to be disposed of. Upon discovering her, he commands Kaelis, “Mark her and send her to a mill. Or kill her. Either way, be done” (27). This cold dismissal reveals his adherence to the kingdom’s brutal laws and his lack of empathy for those outside the established power structure. His motivations appear to be rooted in maintaining order and his own political standing. When he is revealed at the narrative’s end to be the Major Arcana Death, his heartless detachment becomes even more severe. Then, declaring Clara fit for the deepest dungeons of Halazar alongside her sister, Arina, Ravin hints that he has a much larger personal agenda at stake, one that is not yet revealed.

Silas is a conflicted ally whose existence represents imprisonment in various forms. As the Major Arcana Chariot, he possesses the power of teleportation but is held captive within the academy, his unique ability to ink his card exploited by the crown. Arina referred to him as “the man in the depths” (173), a title that underscores his entrapment and isolation. His primary motivation is the safety of his family, whom Ravin holds hostage to ensure Silas’s compliance as a mole within Kaelis’s domain. This places him in a morally fraught position, forced to betray people he sympathizes with, like Clara and Arina, to protect his loved ones.

Initially appearing to Clara as a mysterious savior, Silas’s identity as Griv, the man who led her into the trap that resulted in imprisonment, highlights The Lengths to Which People Go to Survive. However, his guilt and genuine connection to Arina lead him to defy Ravin and aid Clara. Along with the schematics for the king’s card box and information on the man’s medical condition, he provides her with a Chariot card for her own protection, an act of trust and rebellion. Silas’s character arc demonstrates the complex compromises that individuals must make to survive under tyranny and the power of human connection to inspire defiance.

The Starcrossed Club is a collective of characters—including the matron Bristara, the bouncer Gregor, the chef Jura, the strategist Twino, and the gardener Ren—who function as Clara’s found family. They represent a pocket of resistance and a community operating outside the crown’s direct control, offering refuge and support to rogue Arcanists. For Clara, the club is her anchor and primary motivation; her fierce loyalty is directed at ensuring their safety and well-being. The club’s physical destruction by city enforcers after her capture underscores the pervasive and violent reach of the state. Despite this, the members provide an emotional and practical support system, as well as an unwavering loyalty to each other.

Bristara, the group’s leader, is a cautious and knowledgeable figure whose authority Clara respects, even when they disagree. It is revealed that Bristara is part of a secret order known as the Worldkeepers, tasked with protecting the world from the misuse of the 21st tarot card. She cautions Clara against pursuing the World, stating, “That is a force not meant for mortal hands” (391). Her clandestine knowledge and connection to Clara’s mother position her as a protector of a hidden history and a power that exists in opposition to the Oricalis regime. When Bristara dies, Clara loses her chance to learn more about the Worldkeepers and her own connection to them as the last person alive who is capable of inking the secret vessel needed to summon the World card.

Luren is the most developed of the group of common-born initiates, beginning as a naive and optimistic young woman who believes in the academy’s meritocracy. Always an optimist, she accepts Clara into their group whole-heartedly, even when others are skeptical. Luren’s positive worldview, however, is shattered by the sudden death of her best friend, Kel, a direct result of her own magic reversing. Her despair is palpable as she laments, “My magic turned on me. I know what happens to Arcanists who have a card reverse…You can’t be trusted to live” (298). Realizing the ramifications of her error, Luren becomes despondent and almost gives up. However, her friends intervene to encourage her to strive for success at the academy, and later, Clara gifts Luren a coin, which saves Luren from being Marked.

As one of a group of common-born initiates, Luren also highlights the theme of Class and Social Mobility Within Elite Systems. Unlike their noble-born peers who have guaranteed placement, the common-born must fight for a limited number of spots in the academy’s houses, forcing them into a precarious alliance. Their collective journey illustrates the immense prejudice and systemic disadvantages faced by outsiders in an institution designed to protect the powerful. However, they form a bond based on mutual support and a shared struggle to survive the academy’s brutal trials.

Although another one of the common-born initiates, Sorza is a Major Arcana, Justice, who develops a bond with Clara. She initially studies Clara with intensity, but she’s kind to her when others are not. On the first day of classes, she is one of the only students willing to sit next to Clara. At one point, Clara considers Sorza to be “a friendly presence” when she’s wary of another attack from Eza. It is also Sorza who stays loyally by Clara’s side when Cael approaches threateningly in the library. Ultimately, she becomes one of Clara’s few true friends at the academy.

Their relationship grows because of their time together in the Sanctum of the Majors, a hidden room within the academy available only to Majors who are learning about their powers. Both Sorza and Clara are tasked with determining how to ink their Major cards and discovering what the requisite cost is. Sorza is dismayed to learn that all the others have already learned these things and notes with discontent that “just like everything else, the nobles start ahead of the rest of [them]” (258). Her comment highlights the class divisions that are rife within the academy, even among the Majors.

One of the antagonists, Eza is a noble-born initiate who takes an immediate disliking to Clara and tries to thwart her every chance he gets. As the Major Arcana Hanged Man, he is a direct rival and a physical manifestation of the cruelty that Clara endured in prison. As the son of Warden Glavstone, his hatred for Clara is deeply personal. He relentlessly torments her, seeing her as nothing more than a “Halazar inmate” and seeking to destroy her to avenge his father and undermine Kaelis. His use of the Hanged Man card to trap Clara in a mental prison demonstrates the psychological aspect of the power struggles within the academy. Ultimately, he loses to Clara when she is selected to House Swords and he is not, despite his earlier alliance with the house. Eza’s anger at not being selected underscores how much he detests Clara, as he attacks her physically before dying at the hands of Emilia.