The Buried Giant

Kazuo Ishiguro

42 pages 1-hour read

Kazuo Ishiguro

The Buried Giant

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2015

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Character List

Meet the key characters, with insights into their roles, motivations, and relationships—spoiler-free.

Major Characters

Axl is an elderly Briton man who lives an isolated life in a warren carved into a hill. He maintains a deep devotion to his wife, Beatrice, and acts as her primary caretaker and protector as they leave their village to locate their missing son. Despite his advanced age and memory issues, he possesses an unexplained cunning and familiarity with combat tactics that hint at a more active military past.

Key Relationships

Wife of Beatrice

Traveling Companion of Wistan

Protective Companion of Edwin

Vague Acquaintance of Gawain

Guest of Ivor

Father of The Son

Beatrice is an elderly Briton woman afflicted by a mysterious, persistent pain in her side. She frequently initiates interactions with strangers using a disarming, gentle curiosity. She is terrified that the mist causing their amnesia will eventually erase her memory of her love for Axl, making her determined to find their son before all her memories vanish entirely.

Key Relationships

Wife of Axl

Traveling Companion of Wistan

Maternal Figure to Edwin

Traveling Companion of Gawain

Patient of Jonus

Mother of The Son

Wistan is a formidable Saxon warrior tasked with traveling the country on a mission for his king to hunt the she-dragon Querig. Raised and trained by Britons during his youth, he possesses a deep understanding of their customs and military tactics. He takes an immediate interest in the young boy Edwin, recognizing his raw potential and claiming him as an apprentice.

Key Relationships

Mentor of Edwin

Traveling Companion of Axl

Traveling Companion of Beatrice

Rival of Gawain

Enemy of Lord Brennus

Hunter of Querig

Edwin is a twelve-year-old Saxon boy who survives an attack by strange creatures near his village. Because he carries a chest wound from the encounter, his superstitious community turns against him, forcing him to leave. Taken under Wistan's wing, he is eager to prove himself as a warrior but finds himself frequently distracted by a mysterious internal voice he believes belongs to his lost mother.

Key Relationships

Apprentice to Wistan

Traveling Companion of Axl

Traveling Companion of Beatrice

Student of Steffa

Mysteriously Drawn to Querig

Gawain is an elderly, armored knight who formerly served King Arthur. He roams the countryside on his faithful horse, Horace, claiming to be on a quest to locate the she-dragon Querig. He maintains a chivalrous, archaic demeanor and wrestles quietly with the heavy burden of his past military campaigns.

Key Relationships

Rider of Horace

Traveling Companion of Axl

Traveling Companion of Beatrice

Rival of Wistan

Former Loyal Knight of King Arthur

Seeker of Querig

Supporting Characters

Ivor is a Briton man living peacefully among the Saxons in their village. He is hospitable and reflective, offering Axl and Beatrice shelter while sharing his own theories about the collective forgetfulness afflicting the region.

Key Relationships

Host to Axl

Host to Beatrice

Jonus is a wise but physically ailing monk living in a mountain monastery. The locals seek him out for his medical knowledge and spiritual counsel. He holds answers regarding the true nature of the region's afflictions and the political tensions surrounding his brothers.

Key Relationships

Advisor to Beatrice

Physician to Edwin

Fellow Monk of Father Brian

A monk at the mountain monastery who attends to Axl and Beatrice during their stay. He assists them in maneuvering through the complex politics of the religious community, warning them of approaching dangers.

Key Relationships

Guide to Axl

Guide to Beatrice

Fellow Monk of Jonus

The Boatman is a tall man in a thick coat who ferries passengers across the water to an island. He operates under ancient rules, requiring couples to prove the strength of their bond by recounting their most precious shared memories before allowing them to cross together.

Key Relationships

Tormented by Old Woman

Interviewer of Axl

Interviewer of Beatrice

An elderly woman referred to as a "dark widow." She spends her days tormenting the Boatman in his old family home because he previously ferried her husband to the island while leaving her behind to wander alone.

Key Relationships

Tormentor of Boatman

Brief Acquaintance of Axl

A mysterious she-dragon residing in the mountainous terrain of Arthur's Britain. The locals blame her for many of the evils in their region, and her breath is believed to cause the strange amnesic mist that blankets the country.

Key Relationships

Tracked by Gawain

Hunted by Wistan

Mysterious Pull on Edwin

An aged warrior without legs. He serves as a formative figure in Edwin's early life, telling him stories of courage and expressing belief that Edwin is destined to become a great fighter.

Key Relationships

Mentor of Edwin

A powerful lord with deep-seated anti-Saxon sentiments. He deploys soldiers across the region to hunt down Wistan, driven by a humiliating childhood rivalry originating from their shared time in military training.

Key Relationships

Enemy of Wistan

An old, dependable battle horse belonging to Sir Gawain. He accompanies the elderly knight on his long quest across the rugged, mist-covered terrain of Britain.

Key Relationships

Steed of Gawain