77 pages • 2-hour read
Neil GaimanA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
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Meet the key characters, with insights into their roles, motivations, and relationships—spoiler-free.
Tristran is a clumsy, daydreaming teenager from the village of Wall who works at Monday and Brown's general store. Raised by Dunstan and his wife, he longs for adventure beyond his ordinary life. He makes an impulsive promise to retrieve a fallen star to win the affections of a local beauty, leading him out of his familiar town.
Son of Dunstan Thorn
Adoptive Son of Daisy Hempstock
Brother of Louisa Thorn
Suitor of Victoria Forester
Traveling Companion to Yvaine
Pupil of Charmed
Employee of Mister Monday
Traveling Companion to Primus
Yvaine is a celestial being who takes human form after crashing to the ground in Faerie. Her injury leaves her vulnerable and initially hostile toward those she encounters. Unaccustomed to the dangers of the earthly world, she relies on a quick temper and cautious instincts to survive.
Primus is the oldest living son of the Master of Stormhold. He is a pragmatic and cautious man who favors steady progress over reckless action. He sets out to find his father's fallen topaz necklace to secure his claim to the throne.
Septimus is a tall, ruthless prince of Stormhold who favors poison as his weapon of choice. He views his family's violent succession traditions as a matter of honor and duty. He actively plots to eliminate his remaining siblings to claim his inheritance.
Son of Lord of Stormhold
Brother of Primus
Brother of Tertius
The Witch-Queen is the eldest of the Lilim, an ancient group of magic users. She uses her last reserves of power to restore her youth so she can hunt down the fallen star. She is cunning and utterly ruthless, focusing entirely on preserving her own existence.
Victoria is considered the most beautiful young woman in the village of Wall. She takes the admiration of others for granted and enjoys the attention she receives from local suitors. She inadvertently sets Tristran's journey in motion when she agrees to a whimsical promise.
Dunstan is a practical young man from Wall who occasionally longs for a more exciting life. He meets an enchanted woman at the Faerie market, leading to an encounter that changes his future. He later settles down to raise a family in his quiet hometown.
Father of Tristran Thorn
Father of Louisa Thorn
Husband of Daisy Hempstock
Romantically Connected to Una
Una is a captive woman bound by a silver chain who works for a demanding witch. She longs for her freedom and awaits a prophecy that might release her. Her brief encounter with a young villager at the market has lasting consequences.
Romantically Connected to Dunstan Thorn
Captive of Madame Semele
The dying ruler of Stormhold maintains his family's brutal traditions until his final moments. He throws his royal topaz necklace out a window, declaring that whichever of his sons recovers it will inherit his crown.
Father of Primus
Father of Septimus
Father of Tertius
Madame Semele is a powerful and deceptive witch who travels through Faerie in a caravan. She frequently disguises herself as a helpless old woman to lower the defenses of others. She uses enchantments and curses to control those around her.
Charmed is a small, hairy inhabitant of Faerie who values hospitality. He knows the traditions of his world intimately and offers guidance to travelers who show him kindness.
Mentor to Tristran Thorn
Acquaintance of Dunstan Thorn
Tertius is one of the three surviving heirs to the Stormhold throne. He attempts to survive the family's deadly traditions but falls victim to his brother's cunning.
Son of Lord of Stormhold
Brother of Primus
Brother of Septimus
Mister Monday is an older gentleman who owns the general goods shop in Wall. He is a respectable and established businessman who wishes to marry the town's most beautiful resident.
Suitor to Victoria Forester
Employer of Tristran Thorn
Daisy is a practical young woman who expects a predictable, traditional life. She lacks patience for romantic whimsy and values stability above all else.
Wife of Dunstan Thorn
Adoptive Mother of Tristran Thorn
Bridget is a local woman in Wall who enjoys the dramatic attention of her suitors. She eventually settles down and raises a family in the village.
Wife of Tommy
Mother of Victoria Forester
Tommy is a determined young man from Wall who fights hard to win the affections of the woman he loves.
Husband of Bridget Comfrey
Father of Victoria Forester
Louisa is Dunstan's daughter who enjoys tormenting her sibling. She represents the grounded, ordinary family life left behind when a quest begins.
Daughter of Dunstan Thorn
Sister of Tristran Thorn
Captain Alberic commands a flying ship that hunts for lightning in the skies of Faerie. He offers safe harbor to weary travelers who cross his path.
Rescuer of Tristran Thorn
Employer of Meggot
Meggot is a helpful crew member on an airborne vessel. He possesses medical knowledge and tends to the injuries of those rescued by his captain.
Subordinate to Captain Johannesburg Alberic
Healer to Tristran Thorn
Brevis is a young boy attempting to provide for his mother. He falls victim to a trickster on the road and is forced into magical servitude.
Captive of The Witch-Queen
The Unicorn is a mythical, resilient creature native to Faerie. It forms a protective bond with those it recognizes as fellow children of the moon.
Protector of Yvaine