The Burning Bridge

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death.

Will is the protagonist of the Ranger’s Apprentice series. He is a 15-year-old boy who became an apprentice Ranger about a year earlier in The Ruins of Gorlan, and he is mentored by Halt, who has become a father figure to him. Will has positive relationships with everyone at Redmont Castle, but he is closest to Alyss, an apprentice Courier and his romantic interest, and Horace, a Battleschool apprentice and his former enemy turned best friend.

As a Ranger, Will is being trained to “carry out clandestine missions, gather intelligence about the kingdom’s enemies and […] lead elements of the army” (23), which includes skills like archery and camouflage, which he uses in the novel. He is depicted as clever, brave, and curious, with characters often praising his qualities despite his youth and lack of experience. Halt, for instance, states that Will “has true courage […]. He can feel fear, he can be afraid. But it doesn’t stop him from doing what he has to” (78).

At the beginning of the book, Will misses his target while he is being attacked by a Wargal and is plagued by guilt and self-doubt.