Dragonkeeper

Long Danzi, who goes by Danzi, is the deuteragonist of the novel and serves as Ping’s mentor figure. He is a Chinese dragon who is characterized as blunt, stubborn, and wise, although all three of these traits make him quite difficult for Ping to deal with at times. He teaches Ping about the world and is deeply caring and protective of both Ping and his egg. However, his desire to see the egg safe leads him astray, and he breaks his trust with Ping despite her status as the legitimate Dragon Keeper. While Danzi’s arc is much less developed than Ping’s, he still grows to trust her more deeply as the narrative progresses, seeing her as the real Dragon Keeper rather than a stand-in to simply help him accomplish his goals.

Danzi’s immense age is vital to his characterization. Just as he takes the appearance of an old human man, he often acts like one. He is usually so sure that his beliefs are correct that he harshly overrules Ping with his self-assurance. At times, he inadvertently treats Ping with condescension; as a dragon, one of the heavenly creatures, he believes it is natural to look down on humans, who have almost always acted to harm him. Danzi learns to trust Ping more when she shows her bravery on the boat and acts to keep the egg safe despite not knowing what it is.

However, Danzi still chooses to side with Wang Cao over Ping at a crucial moment, and this act reveals the latent misogyny in the narrative, for both Wang Cao and Danzi cannot fully believe that a young girl like Ping could be capable of greatness or deserve to inherit the fabled title and bloodline of Dragon Keeper. Yet Danzi’s mistake is short-lived, for he soon reasserts the wisdom he needs to recognize Ping’s true power and capability. He accepts his failures and admits them, including his responsibility for Wang Cao’s death. When he moves on to the Isle of the Blest, this moment marks the standard departure of the mentor figure in the archetypal Hero’s Journey, setting Ping up for a hard but valuable journey as a fully independent protagonist.

Diao, the ruthless dragon hunter, is the primary antagonist in the novel. He has spent most of his life slaughtering the dragons to extinction, seeking to sell their valuable body parts to the highest bidders. Ruthless, greedy, and cruel, Diao has no qualms over harming Ping, a child, in order to get his way. His violent actions highlight the importance of Ping’s commitment to Combating Systemic Exploitation and Cruelty by protecting dragons, for Diao sees the dragons as resources to be exploited rather than as living, sapient beings. His “wild” appearance contrasts sharply with the splendor of the palace and the emperor, and his physical traits directly reflect his personality and worldview. Because the elder emperor (Liu Che’s father) trusts Diao, this bond symbolizes the emperor’s own corruption and his acceptance of violence against dragons, proving that he has betrayed his own heritage.

Diao is a flat character who represents evil and violence and does not grow or change at all. He dies at the end of the novel when Ping uses her qi to push him off the mountain, and his demise makes it clear that his commitment to overt violence and slaughter has led to a just, cosmic punishment. Even his name foreshadows his character and his end; Diao means “wicked” or “tricky,” but it can be translated as “to fall.” This subtle wordplay remains invisible to those without explicit knowledge of Chinese but nonetheless reinforces the idea that Diao’s fate was always to fall to his death. In this light, Ping was simply the instrument that fulfilled his destined end.

Liu Che is a primary character in the novel and a historical figure as well, for Wilkinson’s version is based loosely upon Emperor Wu of Han, the longest-reigning emperor in the Han dynasty, who lived from 156 BCE to 87 BCE. The presence of this historical figure in the novel sets the narrative during 141 BCE, the start of Emperor Wu’s reign, which began when he was 15 years old. Within the context of the novel, the young Liu Che is paradoxically both childish and mature, showing a deep capacity to care for others of lowly status like Ping even as he indulges in a naïve, self-centered view of the world. This self-centeredness, however, is a logical consequence of his extreme privilege as emperor whom the Han culture has deemed to be divine. In this light, Liu Che’s problematic belief that Danzi is his property comes from a long-standing tradition, and from his perspective, he has never been given any reason to see dragons as independent creatures deserving of freedom. Notably, Ping never condemns Liu Che for his anger over losing control of the Imperial dragons; instead, she is simply sad that her choice to free Danzi has caused her to lose the young emperor’s friendship.

Much of Liu Che’s characterization stands in contrast to his father, the cruel emperor who briefly appears at the beginning of the novel. That emperor’s greed and physical lack of health marks him as a stagnant ruler who is uninterested in culture and development. This contrast is meant to reflect the historical Liu Che’s policies, which led to a flourishing of culture, science, and technology in the Han era. In the novel, the fictionalized Liu Che is determined not to be like his father, and his decision demonstrates a degree of maturity even though he childishly believes that maintaining his physical youth will somehow allow him to avoid echoing the mistakes of his father’s reign. Contrary to Liu Che’s belief in the connection between physical youth and moral strength, his superiority over his father is shown in their varying treatment of the lowly Ping. While his father wants Ping executed, Liu Che finds a place for her at his side, treating her fondly and with immense respect. This choice establishes that Liu Che is a better person than his father, but the novel does not reveal how he will continue to develop in the aftermath of Ping’s betrayal.

Wang Cao is a foil to the inexperienced but devoted Ping. Although he is intelligent and kind, he is also ambitious, and he struggles with guilt over his failure to keep Danzi from being held captive by the emperor many centuries ago. Despite being hundreds of years old, the herbalist still struggles with his past in a very human way; he loves Danzi deeply, but he takes actions that risk Danzi’s safety and result in his own tragic death. Wang Cao’s actions show that he has not forgiven himself for allowing Danzi to be taken years ago, even though he “repays” the dragon with money early in the narrative.

Wang Cao’s primary flaw is his refusal to acknowledge Ping’s value and validity in Danzi’s life. Part of this mindset is based on culturally ingrained misogyny; he is startled to realize that the Dragon Keeper is a young girl, since a girl has never held this position before. He also treats her like Danzi’s servant rather than the dragon’s equal. Although Danzi tells Ping at the end of the novel that she is to be like Kai’s mother, Wang Cao’s behavior in earlier chapters gives the false impression that the role of Dragon Keeper is a much lower role. This dynamic reflects his hidden jealousy of Ping and his refusal to accept his own more limited role in Danzi’s life. This flaw leads to his doom because he refuses to acknowledge Ping’s capabilities and asserts himself to be the “true” Dragon Keeper, even going as far as to drug Ping and escape with Danzi.