Line #470 Characters/TheChroniclesOfPrydain


1	For the movie versions, see ''Characters/TheBlackCauldron''.
2
3	[[foldercontrol]]
4
5	[[folder:The Companions]]
6
7	!!'''Taran'''
8
9	The protagonist of the series, Taran is the Assistant Pig-Keeper of Caer Dallben, charged with caring for the oracular pig, Hen Wen. Taran is dissatisfied with this life of tedious drudgery and would prefer to have exciting adventures like his idol, Prince Gwydion. Over the course of the series, Taran is caught up in many battles for Prydain's future, but the heart of the story is more focused on Taran's own personal journey, and he undergoes an enormous amount of CharacterDevelopment as he grows from a boy to a man.
10	----
11	* AesopAmnesia: At the end of ''The Book of Three,'' Taran learns that grand adventures are far more dangerous than he thought and that he was ill-prepared for the trials he had to face, and he much preferred living a peaceful life at Caer Dallben. At the beginning of ''The Black Cauldron,'' he is back to being a HeroicWannabe again. Thankfully, the lessons stick this time.
12	* AscendedFanboy
13	* BeingGoodSucks: Doing the right thing for Taran ''always'' requires sacrifice, and very often demands that he give up the things that are most important to him, often with little thanks or reward. He does it anyway.
14	* ComingOfAgeStory: This series is as much about Taran growing up as it is about cool adventures in a high fantasy world, if not more so.
15	* CoolHorse: Melynlas, the son of Prince Gwydion’s own steed, Melyngar, is gifted to Taran in the first book, and serves his master faithfully for the rest of the series. Melynlas only allows Taran (and sometimes Eilonwy) to ride him.
16	* CoolSword: Dallben gives him one early in the second book. [[WrongGenreSavvy Taran assumes it is enchanted,]] a notion Dallben finds fairly repugnant. Later in the series, Taran [[spoiler:loses this blade and forges his own sword, and eventually earns the right to wield ''Dyrnwyn'' in battle.]]
17	* EarnYourHappyEnding: [[spoiler: After numerous painful sacrifices on his part, including giving up a chance at eternal happiness in paradise, the series ends with Taran marrying Eilonwy and becoming a wise and respected ruler.]]
18	* EmbarrassingMiddleName: His official title is Taran, Assistant Pig-Keeper. However, Hen Wen is a very important pig, and Taran takes great pride in caring for her.
19	* TheEveryman: The only thing a reader can be at all certain of is Taran's ''gender'' because he's given no physical description. There's one reference to him being the same height as Eilonwy in the first book and later it's noted that he's grown taller than her, which could still be almost anything. As a result, he is [[AudienceSurrogate very easy for a young audience to identify with.]]
20	* FearlessFool: In the first book, and to some degree in the second one. However, though he never really loses his gung-ho attitude, he gets a ''lot'' less foolish about it as the series progresses.
21	* FriendToAllLivingThings: While not as blatant as other versions of this trope, Taran is shown on many occasions to have a very strong kinship with animals, especially Hen Wen. He is capable of taming even a savage gwythaint fledgling, and his horse, Melynlas, obeys his commands alone. Even Medwyn is impressed.
22	* GlorySeeker: Early on, Taran wishes to make a name for himself and be a hero. This is a major plot point in the second book.
23	* GuileHero: He spends as much time of the fourth book solving problems through his own cleverness as he does with violence.
24	* HonorBeforeReason
25	* IdiotHero: In the first book, he's a FearlessFool who doesn't know when to shut up, though even then he shows signs that he's smarter than he acts. By the third book he's mostly grown out of this.
26	* JourneyToFindOneself: ''Taran Wanderer''
27	* JumpedAtTheCall: Taran is so eager to join Gwydion on his quest that Gwydion [[FearlessFool questions his sanity.]] He actually ''literally'' jumps -- headfirst into a thorn bush, because he thinks that what's moving in there is a threat to Gwydion's life. It's really only Gurgi, but Gwydion is surprised and impressed by Taran's selfless bravery -- if not by his judgement:
28	-->"You may be many other things, Taran of Caer Dallben, but I see you are no coward. I offer you my thanks."
29	* KidHero: Starts off as this in the earlier books before he grows up.
30	* TheLeader: He leads the group largely by being headstrong in the first book, but his defining leadership trait is charisma, which takes over as early as the second half of ''The Black Cauldron''.
31	* MagneticHero: Taran is amazingly charismatic, a trait that he shows signs of as early as the first book, and his ability to inspire loyalty in his friends is superior to even Gwydion's, a trait which becomes vital when he raises the Army of the White Pig in ''The High King''.
32	* MeaningfulName: He begins calling himself "Taran Wanderer" in the fourth book as he begins to outgrow his former identity.
33	* MuggleInMageCustody: He is the ward of the great enchanter Dallben, whom he regards as his master. Taran has no magical ability of his own and in fact has absolutely no idea why Dallben is the one raising him or where his real parents are; but he has nowhere else to go, and he sincerely loves both Dallben and his other (non-magical) guardian Coll, so he stays. [[spoiler:Only at the end of the series is it finally revealed that Taran was an orphaned infant whom Dallben found and decided to raise in the hopes of fulfilling a great prophecy.]]
34	* ObliviousToLove: From the end of the third book onward, Taran acknowledges his love for Eilonwy. He's completely unconvinced that it's mutual, [[spoiler:right up until his proposal near the end of the final book]]. Eilonwy herself even {{lampshade}}s it.
35	* OpenMouthInsertFoot: A terminal case, especially when dealing with Eilonwy. In any given situation, if it's at all possible to accidentally insult her, Taran will manage it each and every time.
36	* SingleTargetSexuality: Taran doesn't show any interest in anyone other than Eilonwy.
37	* TookALevelInBadass: Taran takes about ''one per book.'' It’s really amazing to see how much he has changed by the end of the series.
38	* TheUnchosenOne: [[spoiler:Subverted. The last chapter of ''The High King'' reveals that he was TheChosenOne the ''whole time''.]]
39	* UndyingLoyalty: To all of the Companions, but most especially Gwydion.
40	* WalkingTheEarth: The fourth book is basically Taran doing a lot of this.
41	* WiseBeyondTheirYears: Far more noticeable in later books, but even in the early books there are signs that Taran is far cannier [[IdiotHero than he seems]].
42	* WrongGenreSavvy: Taran has a few moments of this. In the first book, he assumes that his sword is enchanted. Later, he's surprised that Coll was a hero because of his baldness, and assumes for most of Book 4 that because Eilonwy is a princess, she won't be interested in him.
43
44	!!'''Princess Eilonwy'''
45
46	A princess of House Llyr and the last in a line of powerful enchantresses, Eilonwy was stolen as a child by Queen Achren, who intended to use Eilonwy’s power to conquer Prydain. [[RebelliousPrincess She escapes Achren’s clutches]] and serves as a loyal companion and romantic interest to Taran…[[{{Tsundere}} sort of.]] She is of Taran’s age [[FieryRedhead with red-gold hair]] and has [[TalksLikeASimile very peculiar speech patterns.]] She is quite the ActionGirl, despite the protests from many characters that she should StayInTheKitchen.
47	----
48	* ActionGirl: She is better with a sword than Taran for much of the series.
49	* BarefootLoon: Dallben notes her penchant for going barefoot in ''The Castle of Llyr'', and in ''The Book of Three'', she only wears light sandals. It's likely that this has to do with her eccentric and free-spirited personality.
50	* BattleCouple: With Taran
51	* BowAndSwordInAccord: She uses both weapons with equal deadliness.
52	* CloudCuckoolander: Eilonwy is shown to be rather quirky.
53	* {{Cloudcuckoolanguage}}: [[TalksLikeASimile Her tendency to use peculiar similes and metaphors]] indicates her eccentric personality.
54	* {{Cuckoosnarker}}: While she originally seems to be an airhead and a scatterbrain, she is [[BelligerentSexualTension very snarky towards Taran]]. This is one of the first indications that she is much sharper than she may seem to be (actually one of the series' most intelligent characters).
55	* DitzyGenius: Eilonwy is highly intelligent and better-educated than someone who actually studied to be a bard. She's also a bit airheaded, TalksLikeASimile and often misses social cues.
56	* {{Expy}}: Unbeknownst to most fans, she appears to be based on Princess Diahan from Lloyd's earlier book ''Literature/TimeCat''. Just like Eilonwy, Diahan has red hair and a fiery temper, is something of a {{Cuckoosnarker}}, goes around in sandals, stamps her foot when she's angry with something, and refuses to speak to the main character (with whom she shares considerable ShipTease) when he does something disagreeble... except to remind him, several times, that she's not speaking to him.
57	* FieryRedhead: The narration often identifies her as "Eilonwy of the red-gold hair". (Though in Taran Wanderer she's described as being "golden haired") The supplemental volume ''The Foundling and Other Tales of Prydain'' confirms that she inherited her hair color from her red-headed mother, Princess Angharad.
58	* FullNameUltimatum: "Taran of Caer Dallben, I'm not speaking to you!"
59	* GenerationXerox: Like her mother, she is a redheaded royal with magical abilities, and [[spoiler: falls in love with and marries a commoner.]]
60	* GoGetterGirl: Eilonwy is dedicated to becoming a capable enchantress, and can be somewhat snotty to those she sees as slacking off.
61	* ImpoverishedPatrician: She's an orphan and the kingdom she's heir to is in ruins, which is how she ends up working for a few years as a farm laborer at Caer Dallben. Since her other options are arranged marriage (due to her famous lineage) or being the hostage/prisoner of an evil sorceress (due to her magical powers), Eilonwy doesn't mind the farming at all.
62	* InHarmsWay: She would much prefer to be hiking through the wilderness than stuck at the royal court. She has this reaction upon setting up the party's first camp after starting the trip to King Smoit's castle in ''The High King'':
63	-->Eilonwy happily flung herself to the ground. "It's been long since I slept on comfortable roots and rocks!" she cried. "What a pleasant change from goosefeathers!"
64	* LittleMissBadass: She is very young in the early books.
65	%%* {{Metaphorgotten}}
66	* ModestRoyalty: She never even mentions to Taran that she's a princess -- it's Dallben who informs him.
67	* MotorMouth: Shown to be rather talkative, often beginning a conversation talking about one thing and then switching gears to whatever other subject pops into her head while speaking of the first one.
68	* PeerlessLoveInterest: In the sense that Taran fears he can't ever be good enough for her. In fact, part of what drives him to undertake his quest in the fourth book is his hope that he'll turn out to be of high enough birth that he can ask her to marry him.
69	* PrefersGoingBarefoot: In ''The Castle of Llyr'', Dallben notes her penchant for going barefoot.
70	* PrincessClassic: Eilonwy appears to have become this briefly in the final book, only for she herself to lampshade [[RebelliousPrincess how unnatural it feels]].
71	* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: While her kingdom no longer exists, Eilonwy is not one to stand on the sidelines and twiddle her thumbs.
72	* SingleTargetSexuality: [[spoiler: While she comes close to being betrothed to Prince Rhun, it's more of a possible ArrangedMarriage than anything else, and she doesn't show interest in anyone other than Taran.]]
73	* StayInTheKitchen: [[BerserkButton Don’t tell her to do this.]]
74	* TalksLikeASimile: Eilonwy frequently peppers her speech with metaphors and similies.
75	* TomboyPrincess: Eilonwy would much rather be outside or going on adventures than spending her time on needlework or gossiping with the ladies of the court.
76	* {{Tsundere}}: Acts as a Type A towards Taran.
77	* {{Tykebomb}}: Achren intended her to be this, but Eilonwy proved [[CloudCuckoolander difficult to control.]]
78	* WellExcuseMePrincess: Essentially her relationship with Taran. The two of them are frequently shown clashing throughout the series though tempered with a number of AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther moments.
79
80	!!'''Gurgi'''
81
82	A strange, shaggy forest creature who [[ThirdPersonPerson speaks in third person]] and [[RhymesOnADime uses a lot of rhymes]], Gurgi is neither man nor beast. At first, Gurgi is a [[DirtyCoward miserable coward ]] who flees at the first sign of danger, but as the series goes on he grows to become brave and loyal. He comes to admire Taran for his wisdom, and eventually becomes his closest friend.
83	----
84	* BigEater: If he's not hungry, then something is probably ''seriously'' wrong. He's even given a magical food pouch which never goes empty so as to keep him from begging.
85	* TheChewToy: He tends to get knocked out a lot when the companions are captured.
86	* CowardlyLion: After his friendship with Taran triggers his CharacterDevelopment. He still gets scared, but his instinctive reaction changes from "run away" to "help friends."
87	* DirtyCoward: [[CharacterDevelopment At first.]] Then upgrades to LovableCoward, and then to CowardlyLion.
88	* {{Expy}}: It's hard not to compare Gurgi to a LighterAndSofter version of [[Literature/LordOfTheRings Gollum]], a character that had premiered ten years earlier. Especially given their similar personalities, descriptions, and character arcs.
89	* HyperAwareness: It's downplayed, and not nearly on the level of, say, Adaon, but Gurgi does tend to notice the things that other people miss. Even in the first book, Gwydion comments that Gurgi is a good source of information because he "somehow manages to see most of what happens." When it comes to finding hidden or lost things, it would probably be quicker to count the times Gurgi ''wasn't'' the one who ultimately located them.
90	* TheLancer: Although he's usually dubious and woebegone, not sarcastic.
91	* NonHumanSidekick: It's never really made clear just what Gurgi is, though it's hinted that he's something in-between human and animal. According to Medwyn, "Gurgi's misfortune is that he is neither one thing nor the other, at the moment. He has lost the wisdom of animals and has not gained the learning of men. Therefore both shun him."
92	* RhymesOnADime: A peculiar version, as he doesn't actually speaks in rhyme, but rather peppers his speech with rhymed pairs of words, such as "crunchings and munchings" (meaning food), "smackings and whackings" (meaning a beating) and "sneakings and peekings" (meaning spying).
93	* ThirdPersonPerson: The word "I" does not seem to be in his vocabulary.
94	* TookALevelInKindness: He's introduced as a self-serving nuisance and a DirtyCoward who tries and fails to be wicked and ferocious, and who tends to lapse into self-pity whenever things don't go his way (which is most of the time). Throughout the course of the first book, his developing friendship with the other characters (particularly Taran and Eilonwy) awakens a more noble and selfless side to him, and he ends up a kind and devoted friend and comrade -- and [[UndyingLoyalty the most loyal and steadfast character in the books, bar none]].
95	* UndyingLoyalty: He refuses to be parted from Taran [[spoiler:until the very end of the last book.]]
96
97	!!'''Fflewddur Fflam'''
98
99	A loud-mouthed bard who tells exaggeratedly wild tales of his own acts of heroism, Fflewddur is a good-hearted if overzealous adventurer who frequently accompanies Taran on his quests. It is quickly revealed that he is not actually a real bard, but is actually a [[KingIncognito king who grew bored with life at court and decided to be a bard instead]]. Fflewddur carries a magical harp whose strings snap when Fflewddur [[LieDetector exaggerates a little ]] ''[[LieDetector too ]]'' [[LieDetector wildly]]. (They break often.) It is not all bluster though, as Fflewddur actually ''is'' fairly badass. His catchphrases are "A Fflam is (insert appropriate adjective here)!" and "Great Belin!"
100	----
101	* AnimeHair: He's described as having wild yellow hair that is always sticking up in spikes.
102	* BadassNormal: He has no magical abilities (while he's technically of the Sons of Don, he's from a cadet branch and has no powers) and isn't even a bard. He's a good enough fighter to match up to the Huntsmen of Annuvin.
103	* BoisterousBruiser: He's much better at fighting than he is at being a bard.
104	* BookDumb: He studied to be a bard, but learning the lore was just too much for him. He's much better at WalkingTheEarth, telling extremely tall tales and getting into fights.
105	* BunnyEarsLawyer: He's a bit of an idiot, but he's probably the most skilled warrior in Prydain short of Prince Gwydion.
106	* ChronicHeroSyndrome: Will plunge into danger at the drop of a hat to rescue innocents.
107	* CoolHorse: [[spoiler:The enormous mountain cat, Llyan, eventually adopts Fflewddur and allows him to use her as a mount.]]
108	* HairOfGoldHeartOfGold: As noted above, the narration describes him as having "spiky yellow hair," and while he's a little wayward, he's definitely got his heart in the right place.
109	* InHarmsWay: He's the king of a small drafty castle in a dreary corner of Prydain. He'd much rather be trekking through the wilds than sitting at home doing kingly stuff.
110	* KingIncognito: Though he's not always trying to hide the fact, and he isn't worried about anyone finding out he's royalty; he just generally doesn't act or dress like it.
111	* LargeHam: Whenever he gets going with his boasting.
112	* LieDetector: His harp, although it only detects Fflewddur’s lies. Whenever he lies, a string breaks. The bigger the lie, the more strings break.
113	* MagicMusic: His harp practically plays itself. The music itself has no magical effects, although it does have a charming effect on [[spoiler:Llyan.]]
114	* MasterSwordsman: He really is skilled; Taran mentions that his sword is worth six, at least.
115	* MilesGloriosus: Downplayed. He's very fond of boasting about his heroism and great deeds, but he actually ''is'' a competent and heroic badass. He tends to exaggerate though.
116	* OhMyGods: One of Fflewddur’s favorite expressions is “Great Belin!” Belin is a God of the sun in Welsh Mythology, although in-universe he is referred to as “The King of the Sun.”
117	* OlderSidekick: He's considerably older than Taran but generally defers to his leadership.
118	* RefusedByTheCall: All Fflewddur really wants is to be a bard, but he failed at all the tests, due to his [[ConsummateLiar own ego.]]
119	* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: Ironically, Fflewddur is actually a pretty lousy king and is far more competent as an adventurer.
120	* SelfInsert: Fflewddur's description (unkempt blond hair, thin and gawky, large nose) is a pretty good description of Alexander himself.
121	* SmallNameBigEgo: A mild case; he actually ''is'' brave and competent, but he's always trying to present himself as a lot more heroic, fearless and successful than he really is.
122	* QuirkyBard: Very averted, he’s one of the deadliest fighters in the series. In fact, bards in this setting are universally respected and revered, though not normally for their fighting prowess.
123	* WanderingMinstrel: Decided to be this after he got bored with ruling his small kingdom.
124	* WarIsGlorious: One of the few heroic characters who seems to genuinely enjoy the glory, if not the bloodshed.
125	-->'''Fflewdur''' ''(eyeing his harp cautiously):'' Terrified. Absolutely green.
126	* WildHair: Frequently described as having mane of spiky blond hair.
127	* WrongGenreSavvy: Due to his bardic training, Fflewddur thinks he is clever. It turns out, not so much.
128
129	!!'''Doli'''
130
131	A member of the Fair Folk, Doli is a [[GrumpyOldMan grumpy dwarf]] who complains all the time but secretly has [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold a heart of gold]]. Nevertheless, he tries his hardest to be as disagreeable as possible. He is a skilled warrior and craftsman, and possesses the ability to turn invisible at will, although he hates to do this [[BlessedWithSuck as one of the side effects is an awful ringing in his ears.]]
132	----
133	* AchillesInHisTent: Doli frequently fumes at the companions and vows to stop helping them, but can never bring himself to actually leave them.
134	* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: Throughout the first book, he is infuriated when his attempts to turn invisible fail. Once he masters the ability, he wishes he’d never learned it at all, since it's uncomfortable if not outright painful to use, and the situations he finds himself in keeps requiring him to use it as a scout or infiltrator.
135	* BigDamnHeroes: [[spoiler: Saves the day at the end of the second book.]]
136	* BlessedWithSuck: He possesses invisibility powers, but it is very irritating to use it; specifically, it causes painful ringing in his ears. Also a case of BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor -- he spends most of his time in the first book complaining that he ''can't'' become invisible. Doli is then given said powers by Gwydion as a reward for helping the companions, and spends the rest of the series complaining about it.
137	* TheFairFolk: A much more benevolent example than most.
138	* FieryRedhead: He's described as having "flaming red hair," and the temper to match.
139	* ForcedTransformation: [[spoiler:An encounter with Morda turns him into a frog.]]
140	* GotVolunteered: Doli's lot in life is to do the dirty work no other Fair Folk want to do.
141	* GuestStarPartyMember: Unlike Fflewddur, Gurgi, and Eilonwy, Doli only journeys with Taran for a few chapters in each book (and never appears in ''The Castle of Llyr'').
142	* HaughtyHmph: Used so often that it could be considered Doli's catchphrase.
143	* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: It is pretty clear throughout the series that Doli is extremely fond of his companions, and only pretends to be grumpy to [[TheFairFolk stay in character]].
144	* LuckilyMyPowersWillProtectMe: In the final book, it is implied that [[spoiler:he will die due to exposure to Annuvin, the Land of Death, but his invisibility powers protect him]].
145	* OnlyMostlyDead: He appears to die in the final book. [[UnexplainedRecovery He gets better,]] but at this point many central characters have died and the implication that Doli may have actually died was very real.
146	* OnlySaneMan: Sees himself as this.
147	* OurDwarvesAreAllTheSame: Averted, as he doesn't display any of the stereotypical dwarfy traits other than short stature, StoutStrength, and using an axe.
148	* PhraseCatcher: People tend to call him "good old Doli". He doesn't care for it.
149	%%* TheSixthRanger: Especially in the final book.%%ZCE
150	* StoutStrength: Well, he ''is'' a dwarf.
151	* TheSmartGuy: Perhaps not quite to GeniusBruiser levels, but he's very skillful and competent, and despite his grumblings he tends to give good advice and is usually worth listening to.
152
153	!!'''Prince Gwydion'''
154
155	Gwydion, Son of Don, is the war leader to High King Math and one of the most beloved and universally respected figures in all of Prydain. Taran idolizes him due to the many tales he has heard of Gwydion’s bravery and heroism, however, Gwydion takes no joy in his lifestyle, instead doing it to protect his people. He is very strong, brave, and [[TheWisePrince wise,]] and [[SupportingLeader leads his people in the battle against Arawn.]] He becomes something of a mentor to Taran.
156	----
157	* AboveTheInfluence: After capturing him and imprisoning him in Spiral Castle, Achren attempts to seduce him and turn him into her [[LadyAndKnight black knight]], but he shrugs her off.
158	* AdaptationalHeroism: His namesake from Welsh mythology was undeniably badass, but also a self-serving trickster and troublemaker. Gwydion in the books has no notable negative qualities.
159	* AnimalMotifs: Gwydion is often likened to a wolf.
160	* BadassAndChildDuo: Gwydion and Taran, initially. They soon become BackToBackBadasses.
161	* BigDamnHeroes: Gwydion loves doing this.
162	* BigGood: [[spoiler:After his uncle's death]] in ''The High King'', Gwydion [[spoiler:becomes the High King of Prydain until the end of the book]].
163	* CelibateHero: Never has a love interest or even arranged marriage, despite being first in line for the throne of the High King.
164	* CoolHorse: Melyngar, the mare he always rides.
165	* CoolSword: Taran does not believe a man dressed in rags could be a Prince, until he sees how ornate and finely made Gwydion’s sword is. [[spoiler: He upgrades to a FlamingSword later.]]
166	* {{Expy}}: Of Aragorn especially in ''The Book Of Three'', where he's introduced as a KingIncognito who wields a CoolSword, whose ragged outward appearance masks his inner nobility. His introduction even parallels how the hobbits initially mistrust Aragorn's ragged appearance before coming to see his true worth.
167	* GoodIsNotNice: Only in ''The Book of Three''. Taran falls in with Gwydion when hunting for Hen Wen and Gwydion allows Taran to come with him, but he's obviously not happy about it and voices his annoyance at Taran's clumsiness and lack of caution several times. Taran [[CharacterDevelopment gets better]] though and Gwydion comes to see him as a friend and ally.
168	* GuestStarPartyMember: Unites with Taran & company once or twice per book, but never stays for long, as he's always juggling multiple responsibilities.
169	* HeroOfAnotherStory: It is often implied Gwydion is in the middle of something far more important and awesome elsewhere whenever he appears.
170	* IAmXSonOfY: Often referred to as Gwydion, Son of Don.
171	* KingIncognito: Gwydion generally dresses like a common traveler to disguise his intentions.
172	* LeftForDead: In The Book of Three, was last seen a prisoner inside Spiral Castle right before it collapsed.
173	* MagicKnight: He knows some simple sorcery, but it's generally downplayed since his martial and leadership skills are stronger. In ''The Book of Three'' surviving the dungeon of Oeth-Anoeth gives him additional powers, but these are never alluded to again.
174	* TheMentor: As a mentor who frequently travels with the protagonist. [[spoiler: Unlike most, he lives to the end of the series.]]
175	* ModestRoyalty: So much so that when Taran first meets him, he suspects that Gwydion is lying about his identity, because he doesn't look anything like Taran thinks a prince should.
176	* NotQuiteDead: See LeftForDead entry.
177	* TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou: He has vowed in the first volume that he will face the Horned King, with either one of them dying. He accomplishes this by [[spoiler:learning from Hen Wen [[IKnowYourTrueName the Horned King's true name]] and using it to destroy the villain]].
178	* PapaWolf: To Prydain in general, as the heir of the High King, and Taran and his friends in particular.
179	* RankScalesWithAsskicking: Heir of the High King of Prydain, and one of the most powerful fighters in the series.
180	* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: Nephew of King Math and one of the few with the skills to act openly against Arawn.
181	* ShipTease: There is a surprising amount of this between him and Achren. While Achren is more open about it, often talking about how she offered to make him her consort, Gwydion shows the most concern for her life after she's lost her powers, constantly begging her not to pursue death.
182	* SpeaksFluentAnimal: Can communicate with Hen Wen without using the oracle sticks that Dallben uses.
183	* SupportingLeader: When he isn't a GuestStarPartyMember, it's because he's managing his many other responsibilities.
184	* {{UST}}: Achren would just love to make Gwydion her "consort..."
185	* WarriorPrince: In the Aragorn tradition.
186	* WildHair: It's referred to regularly as adding to his "wolfish" air.
187	* TheWisePrince: He's one of Taran's primary mentors for most of the series.
188	[[/folder]]
189
190	[[folder: Allies]]
191
192	!!'''Dallben'''
193
194	The master of Caer Dallben and the mightiest enchanter in all of Prydain, Dallben is [[BigGood a steadfast ally of the Sons of Don and staunch opponent of Arawn.]] He is very old and wise, and serves as a mentor to the young Taran. He knows much of the happenings across Prydain, but rarely concerns himself with trivial matters, focusing all his attention on watching the movements of Annuvin. He possesses the mystical ''Book of Three'', a tome of mysterious lore, which only he may read from.
195	----
196	* AllPowerfulBystander: Despite being a powerful wizard and opponent to Arawn, Dallben rarely actually uses his powers to help the heroes.
197	* TheArchmage: Known and respected as the most powerful enchanter in Prydain.
198	* BadassTeacher: He mentors Taran, and is ''not'' someone to be trifled with.
199	* BigGood: Shares this duty with High King Math.
200	* BookEnds: Most of the books begin and end with Dallben lecturing Taran about something.
201	* DeadpanSnarker: Usually to Taran, when he’s being particularly childish.
202	%%* EnlightenmentSuperpowers
203	* FamedInStory: As the BigGood of Prydain, he is recognized across the country.
204	* GoodIsNotNice: He is probably Taran’s most outspoken critic.
205	%%* ObstructiveCodeOfConduct
206	* ReallySevenHundredYearsOld: He's stated to be 379 years old in the first book (though as his story in ''The Foundling and Other Tales of Prydain'' reveals, he was artificially aged by reading the Book of Three - it's unknown whether this number is how old he became physically, or if he just stayed as he was after his age-up, and really has been around that long afterwards; it could also be a plain old retcon).
207	%%* SeekerArchetype
208	* SuperpowerLottery: He is the most powerful human in all of Prydain, and (as far as we know) most powerful character flat-out save Orddu, Orwen, and Orgoch.
209	* ThouShaltNotKill: Only "half-truth", according to Dallben. "No man has ever suffered death by my hand, but [[spoiler: those who scorn my spells do so at their own peril."]]
210	%%* TricksterMentor
211
212	!!'''Coll'''
213
214	A farmer who lives at Caer Dallben, Coll's simple appearance belies his prowess as a warrior. In his youth, he marched into many battles, yet found that war was foolish and unfulfilling, and chose to become a farmer instead. He is the original owner of Hen Wen, although he knew nothing of her power until Dallben arrived. He now serves as Taran's surrogate father figure, although when called upon to serve the Sons of Don, he does not hesitate to take up his sword once again.
215	----
216	* AlmightyJanitor: He’s a simple farmer, yet even Gwydion respects and defers to his experience.
217	* BadassNormal: He possesses no powers or enchantments or royal lineage, but he’s still one of the mightiest warriors in Prydain.
218	%%* BewareTheNiceOnes
219	* CallToAgriculture: Much happier in his garden than at war.
220	* TheConfidant: To Taran, especially in the last book.
221	%%* HeroicSacrifice
222	%%* MentorOccupationalHazard
223	* MartialPacifist: Doesn't like or enjoy fighting. Prefers to use his spears to prop up shrubbery. But when he has to take up arms, he's pretty deadly.
224	* NiceGuy: He's always presented as being kind and compassionate to Taran and Eilonwy.
225	%%* OldMaster
226	* ParentalSubstitute: Coll and Dallben technically raised Taran together, but a lot of it fell on Coll.
227	* ResignedToTheCall: He gave up fighting long ago, but will still take up the sword when his allies need him.
228	* RetiredBadass: The man who once fought his way into [[{{Mordor}} Annuvin]] single-handedly to rescue a pig now passes the time by growing turnips.
229	* ShipperOnDeck: Encourages Taran to act on his feelings for Eilonwy.
230	%%* StoutStrength
231
232	!!'''Hen Wen'''
233
234	The oracular pig, Hen Wen, dwells at Caer Dallben, watched over and cared for by Taran and Coll. She does not possess the ability to speak, but may communicate her prophecies using special letter sticks. Due to her abilities, she is greatly respected by Dallben and Gwydion, and Arawn himself once attempted to capture Hen Wen for his own uses.
235	----
236	%%* BabiesEverAfter
237	* BlessedWithSuck: Oracular powers are a heavy burden for a pig.
238	* BroughtDownToNormal: [[spoiler:At the end. She is happier this way.]]
239	* LoyalAnimalCompanion: When Dallben can't get her to oraculate, she'll do it for Taran, her Assistant Pig-Keeper.
240	* NoManOfWomanBorn: Her final prophecy, [[spoiler: "...Night turn to noon and rivers burn with frozen fire ere Dyrnwyn be regained,"]] is originally taken to mean [[spoiler: Dyrnwyn isn't coming back]]. In hindsight, [[ProphecyTwist it was actually a metaphor that the cast didn't get until it happened]].
241	%%* NonHumanSidekick
242	* SpiderSense: She can sense evil, and tends to flip out when she does.
243	* WaifProphet: A non-human example.
244
245	!!'''Kaw'''
246
247	[[TalkingAnimal A talking crow]] who serves as a messenger for the Fair Folk, he later comes into the service of Taran and his companions. He is raucous and playful, although he knows when to take matters seriously.
248	----
249	* TheCavalry: He shows up near the end of the final book, [[spoiler: ''leading an army of crows''.]]
250	* TheGadfly: Whenever things get dull, he'll make trouble for sheer amusement.
251	* GenerationXerox: His father was even worse of a rogue than he was.
252	%%* InstantMessengerPigeon
253	* LoveableRogue: He seems to be considered this in-universe, though most of his thefts and 'jokes' take place off-screen.
254	%%* HulkSpeak
255	* LoyalAnimalCompanion: He really does want to help Taran and the others.
256	%%* NonHumanSidekick
257	* SpeechImpairedAnimal: He generally speaks in one-word sentences.
258	%%* TalkingAnimal
259
260	!!'''Adaon'''
261
262	Son of the chief bard, Taliesin, Adaon is respected for his learning and wisdom but has yet to seek admission to the bardic order. A gifted seer, healer, and [[WarriorPoet warrior,]] he accompanies Taran on his mission in ''The Black Cauldron,'' along with Prince Ellidyr, and serves as a mediator between the two.
263	----
264	* TheAce: A better scout than Gurgi, a better warrior than Ellidyr, a better bard than Fflewddur, a prophet and a CombatMedic. Adaon is a younger Gwydion in terms of ability.
265	* AmuletOfConcentratedAwesome: His brooch, which gives him his prophetic powers and a certain enhancement to his already-excellent wisdom.
266	* CoolHorse: Lluagor, who becomes Eilonwy/Gurgi's steed.
267	* DreamingOfThingsToCome: He has prophetic dreams, though they're usually steeped in symbolism and he isn't always sure what the exact meaning is.
268	%%* TheEmpath
269	* GuestStarPartyMember: He only appears in one book, ''The Black Cauldron,'' but is a prominent character in that book.
270	* HyperAwareness: The only character in the series who thoroughly outclasses Gurgi on this field. Adaon ''notices'' things, both about his surroundings and about the people around him. It turns out that part of this hyper awareness, as well as his prophetic dreams, come from the magical brooch he always wears... but it's made clear that a fair bit of it comes from Adaon himself.
271	* TheMedic: Healing is one of his talents.
272	* MyGirlBackHome: He discusses his fiancée at one point, and [[spoiler:dies by the end of the one book in which she appears]].
273	* NiceGuy: There isn't a mean bone in his body; he treats everyone with kindness and never speaks harshly to anyone.
274	* OnlySaneMan: Feels like this, given that he has to play TeamMom to two HotBlooded young men.
275	* ShootTheMedicFirst: [[spoiler:He doesn't survive long.]]
276	* TeamMom: A male example. Adaon tries to look out for everyone with advice and comfort whenever he can.
277	* TooGoodForThisSinfulEarth: He's an all-around awesome human being, bordering on TheAce at times, so of course he doesn't [[spoiler: survive the search for the Black Cauldron. His death is foreshadowed a few times, like in one of his prophetic dreams... or, following storytelling clichés, [[MyGirlBackHome when he starts talking about his fiancee back home whom he intends to marry]] when he returns to her.]]
278	* WalkingTheEarth: As a bard, he does a lot of this.
279	* WarriorPoet: Prefers to be a poet rather than a warrior, but he's skilled with the sword as well.
280	* WiseBeyondTheirYears: He's only a few years older than Taran and Ellidyr, but acts much more observant and mature than both (not that this is [[IdiotHero particularly]] [[{{Jerkass}} hard]]).
281
282	!!'''Prince Ellidyr'''
283
284	The youngest son of Pen-Llarcau, Ellidyr is a bitter, scornful young prince who looks down on those beneath him in station. Due to his family’s diminishing reputation, he is eager to claim honor and restore his family’s name. He accompanies Taran on his mission in ''The Black Cauldron'', along with Adaon, and becomes a [[TheRival rival]] to Taran.
285	----
286	* BunnyEarsLawyer: Despite his many character flaws, he is a very skilled warrior.
287	* CharlesAtlasSuperpower: For reasons that are never really explained, Ellidyr has phenomenal strength.
288	* CoolHorse: One of the hints that Ellidyr may not be as a big of a jerk as he seems is how loyal the otherwise-intractable Islimach is to him. [[spoiler:To the point that when he dies, she [[TogetherInDeath jumps off the nearest cliff]].]]
289	* DarkerAndEdgier: Compared to Taran’s usual companions who are all unambiguously noble people, Ellidyr is a much darker and more complicated character.
290	* DeathEqualsRedemption: [[spoiler: Along with RedemptionEqualsDeath; the two tropes are closely linked in his case. He willingly sacrifices himself to the Black Cauldron in order to make up for having unwittingly delivered it to the bad guy in the first place -- and to a lesser extent to make amends for having been such a {{Jerkass}}.]]
291	* {{Determinator}}: His most admirable trait. If he sets himself a goal, he ''will'' see it through, no matter the cost.
292	* EverybodyHasStandards: [[spoiler:He steals the Cauldron from the companions and even tries ''to kill them'' to ensure he gets the glory for taking it,]] but he genuinely believes that it should be destroyed and is horrified by [[spoiler: Morgant's]] plans.
293	* FightingYourFriend: Although Ellidyr and Taran are never ''really'' friends.
294	* FoeTossingCharge: Gets an awesome one near the end of the book.
295	%%* GloryHound
296	%%* GuestStarPartyMember
297	* HeadbuttingHeroes: He and Taran are both on the side of good, but that's just about all he and Taran have in common.
298	* HeroicSacrifice: With his arms tied behind his back, and unable to fight or do anything else to repay the debt of servitude he feels he owes Taran, Ellidyr [[spoiler: dashes past all guards, shrugging off injuries, and hurls himself into the Black Cauldron alive, destroying the evil it represents forever at the cost of his own life.]]
299	* HiddenHeartOfGold: ''Very'' deeply hidden, but he does turn out to have a sense of honor, and willing to make amends for his mistakes.
300	* ImpoverishedPatrician: And not happy about it.
301	* IOweYouMyLife: After [[spoiler: his treachery and thirst for glory deliver the Black Cauldron right into the hands of a man who intends to use it to create his own army of Cauldron-born undead monstrosities,]] Ellidyr realizes the depth of his folly, and swears to serve Taran to the best of his ability. [[spoiler: In the end, even unarmed and bound, he finds [[HeroicSacrifice one last way to serve him]], and gives his life for the right reasons.]]
302	* {{Jerkass}}: From teaching 'the pig-boy' some manners to driving off his companions in a paranoid rage, he's rarely anything but derisive and spiteful.
303	* MirrorCharacter: He is deliberately set up as a parallel to Taran.
304	* PrinceCharmless: While Ellidyr is a strong and powerful fighter, he's got a bad attitude and a worse personality, and he rubs everyone else in the group the wrong way.
305	%%* TheRival
306	* RivalTurnedEvil: [[spoiler:Although he does have his limits.]]
307	* RedemptionEqualsDeath: At the end, as Gwydion sadly prepares to honor [[spoiler: the dead traitor Morgant]] for the man he once was, he honors [[spoiler: Ellidyr himself]] for the man he became.
308	%%* SacrificialLion
309	%%* SmallNameBigEgo
310	* SympathyForTheDevil: The youngest of impoverished royalty with too many sons. His family fortune is gone and he feels helpless against the fates, who have condemned him to poverty and mockery. Then, when he finally wins a place in a mission that could bring him immortal glory... he is assigned to 'the reserves' with a failed bard and a pig-keeper.
311	* TogetherInDeath: [[spoiler:His horse commits suicide after her master dies.]]
312	* TokenEvilTeammate: He seems to be this, but it is not so simple.
313
314	!!'''King Morgant'''
315
316	One of the many kings of Prydain. He rides to Gwydion's war council at Caer Dallben and pledges his army in support of capturing the Black Cauldron from Arawn's clutches, [[spoiler:but in truth he seeks the Cauldron for himself. He serves as the hidden half of the BigBadDuumvirate of ''The Black Cauldron'' (the book, not [[WesternAnimation/TheBlackCauldron the movie]]).]]
317	----
318	* BlackAndGrayMorality: [[spoiler:Gwydion uses his fall as an example to teach Taran how fine the line between good and evil truly is.]]
319	* DealWithTheDevil: [[spoiler:Implied. It's indicated that he made a deal with Orddu, Orwen, and Orgoch to learn the secrets of the Black Cauldron (possibly to help the Sons of Don), and that the bargain cost him dearly.]]
320	%%* FaceHeelTurn
321	* FallenHero: [[spoiler:Gwydion mentions that he was once a great ally to them, and that he will honor Morgant for the man he once was.]]
322	* FromNobodyToNightmare: [[spoiler:He's banking on the Black Cauldron enabling this.]]
323	* ARealManIsAKiller: [[spoiler:He tries to impress this upon Taran in the midst of his EvilGloating.]]
324	%%* TallDarkAndHandsome
325	* WeCanRuleTogether: [[spoiler:He tried to pull Taran over to his side with promises of power.]]
326	* WalkingSpoiler: [[spoiler: He is one of villains of the ''The Black Cauldron''.]]
327	* AWolfInSheepsClothing: [[spoiler:More like a Wolf in Wolves' Clothing. It's immediately clear there's ''something'' wrong with Morgant when he arrives at the war council, but it goes unremarked upon until he confirms his FaceHeelTurn.]]
328
329	!!'''Prince Rhun'''
330
331	The Prince of Mona, Rhun is foppish, clumsy, and generally clueless. He is, however, ultimately well-meaning and tries his best even though things never seem to work out for him. He accompanies Taran on his quest on the Isle of Mona.
332	----
333	%%* BookDumb
334	* BornUnlucky: Despite being a prince, the poor guy just can’t catch a break.
335	* TheDitz: Borderline {{Cloudcuckoolander}} at times; he generally doesn't have much of a clue.
336	* DumbassHasAPoint: Occasionally points out obvious things that the other characters have overlooked.
337	* TheFool: Occasionally his clumsiness leads him to remarkably good fortune.
338	%%* GuestStarPartyMember
339	* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler: In the ''High King'', he dies after freeing King Smoit's castle from Magg.]]
340	* TheLoad: In ''The Castle of Llyr'', despite his royalty.
341	* LordErrorProne: [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] by Taran.
342	* NiceGuy: Despite not being terribly useful most of the time, and somewhat of an annoyance with his bumbling cluelessness, there's not a mean bone in his body and he treats everyone with jovial kindness.
343	* PluckyComicRelief: Even the author notes that ''The Castle of Llyr'' is probably the most comedic of the books, and that this is pretty much all down to Prince Rhun.
344	* ThePollyanna: Despite his misfortunes he never loses his bright and sunny attitude, and if he's down it's never for long.
345	* RomanticFalseLead: Rhun’s parents intend for Rhun and Eilonwy to be married, much to Taran’s chagrin. However, Rhun himself is not particularly interested and gladly steps aside when he realizes she’d be much happier with Taran.
346	* SacrificialLion: [[spoiler: His death]] near the beginning of ''The High King'' indicates the raised stakes of that book.
347	* ShelteredAristocrat: He's actually pretty cognizant of this fact and this is why he jumps at the opportunity to help search for Eilonwy after Magg abducts her, to prove himself worthy of his station.
348	* TookALevelInBadass: He seems to have gotten his act together in ''The High King,'' though his cheerful clumsiness remains.
349
350	!!'''King Smoit'''
351
352	The king of Cantrev Cadiffor and its surrounding lands, and an ally of the Sons of Don. King Smoit is always ready to rush to war, but only sets out for good causes.
353	----
354	* BewareTheNiceOnes: He's described as a jolly, fun-loving character in peacetime, and as a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield.
355	* BigEater: If he's not smiting, he's probably snacking.
356	%%* BigFun
357	* BoisterousBruiser: He's loud, booming, and not at all afraid of getting into a scuffle or six.
358	* AFatherToHisMen: Despite his fondness for fighting he's a genuinely good and caring king, who looks after his subjects in peacetime, and his soldiers in wartime.
359	* FieryRedhead: He's a LargeHam with a fiery temper.
360	* PromotionToParent: He tries to take the AFatherToHisMen thing literally and offers to adopt Taran. Taran is flattered, but turns him down.
361	* RankScalesWithAsskicking: He's a BoisterousBruiser and a formidable warrior who can pretty much sweep the floor with anyone.
362	* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Considers the opinions of others and admits his own limitations, though he does need the help of Taran at one time.
363	* StoutStrength: He's a bit chubby, but very muscular and extremely strong.
364	* UglyHeroGoodLookingVillain: Taran initially compares him unfavorably to Morgant due to his appearance. Morgant is handsome and well-spoken, [[spoiler:but morally bankrupt]], while Smoit is fat, unkempt, and loudmouthed, but incorruptible.
365
366	!!'''Gwystyl'''
367
368	A member of the Fair Folk, and agent of King Eiddileg, sovereign of the Fair Folk. While he appears to be a thin and sickly creature, he's surprisingly adept at espionage and infiltration. Doesn't stop him from complaining about it though.
369	----
370	* AirVentEscape: Manages to pull this off ''in a castle''.
371	* AuthorAvatar: Creator/LloydAlexander has admitted that [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gwystyl#cite_ref-Tunnell133_2-1 he based Gwystyl on himself]], unintentionally.
372	* BecomingTheMask: Gwystyl pretends to be less than the very competent operative he is, but at least some of his complaining, hypochondriachal tendencies have become real, due to the negative health effects of living so close to Annuvin for so long.
373	* ComplainingAboutRescuesTheyDontLike: A very rare case of the character being both the complainer ''and'' the rescuer.
374	* TheEeyore: Though, much like Doli, he does seem to hide his real emotions to an extent... he certainly ''pretends'' to be a lot more gloomy and pessimistic than he really is.
375	* HeroicWillpower: How he manages to hold a waystation on the very borders of [[{{Mordor}} Annuvin]].
376	* IncurableCoughOfDeath: Known to fake illnesses to further peoples' misconceptions of him.
377	* IWasJustPassingThrough: His trademark, coupled with ImplausibleDeniability. Despite his protests, he happens to show up at suspiciously convenient times with [[ChekhovsArmoury some very useful equipment]] he doesn't himself need.
378	%%* IronButtMonkey
379	* LetsGetDangerous: When he actually has to, he shows everyone why he's the greatest of the Fair Folk's agents.
380	* ObfuscatingStupidity: Upon first glance, he seems pretty useless, weak and unwilling to help. This is pretty much just a role he adopts, as he's actually far more formidable, and even far more helpful, than he likes to pretend.
381	%%* Really700YearsOld
382	* ReluctantWarrior: He's perfectly capable of causing mayhem...he'd just really rather not. Maybe tomorrow.
383
384	!!'''Glew'''
385
386	A gifted chemist and would-be con-artist; when the companions first encounter him, he'd accidentally managed to turn himself and his cat into giants. He's BroughtDownToNormal and joins the companions on their final adventure, with mixed results.
387	----
388	* ApologeticAttacker: When attempting to cure his gigantism, he finally decides that the cure will require a human being as an ingredient. Both his cowardice and what little decency he has argue against it, but he finally decides that he's going to have to murder somebody.
389	%%* AttackOfTheFiftyFootWhatever
390	%%* BoxedCrook
391	* BroughtDownToNormal: Inverted then played straight, as he goes from a pretty much normal dude to a giant back to a human.
392	* TheComplainerIsAlwaysWrong: Played with; from time to time his complaints are grounded in common sense.
393	* DidntThinkThisThrough: He turned himself into a giant inside a small cave. Nice going...
394	* DirtyCoward: He falls into this role after Gurgi grows out of it.
395	* DrunkWithPower: He gets better, once he's BroughtDownToNormal again.
396	* TheEeyore: As a giant, Glew is miserable, morose, and perpetually unhappy.
397	* ForScience: Very little is made of his motives for his experimenting with potions.
398	* GrassIsGreener: As a young dwarf, Glew only only wanted to be tall. As a giant, he was miserable and could only think of being small again. After being shrunk down to dwarf-size again, he constantly laments how much better things were when he was a giant. Admittedly, his morose giant persona is very different from his prickly dwarf one.
399	%%* GrumpyOldMan: As a dwarf.%%ZCE
400	* ItsAllAboutMe: Utterly ruins a plan Taran and the others come up with (that could have saved the day), and then accuses them of being selfish for not thinking of his lost fortune.
401	* TheLoad: Often shifting into TheMillstone.
402	* MadScientist: An unusually benign version, especially compared to Morda.
403	* TheNapoleon: Often described as being the shortest member of the companions aside from Doli once he's restored to normal.
404	* RememberWhenYouBlewUpASun: He goes out of his way to remind people that he was, in fact, a giant at one point.
405	* RunningGag: Remember when he used to be a giant? If you don't, he'll remind you over and over and over again...
406	* ThrowTheDogABone: [[spoiler: In the end, it's agreed that he did ultimately help save the day, and he gets to join the Sons of Don on their trip to the Summer Lands, where it is said he can grow to the stature of a man if he wishes.]]
407
408	!!'''Llassar'''
409
410	A young shepherd from the Free Commots who convinces Taran to help defend his village from a group of bandits. He later joins Taran's group in order to guide them through the mountains of Annuvin to Arawn's fortress.
411	----
412	* BigBrotherInstinct: He brings this out in Taran.
413	* TheCavalry: Shows up as part of this in ''The High King''.
414	* GuestStarPartyMember
415	* TheMagnificentSevenSamurai: His father talks Taran into becoming a one-man ''Film/SevenSamurai'' for his village.
416	* MisfitMobilizationMoment: He leads the Commotmen to Caer Dathyl in order to repay their collective debt to Taran.
417	* ShesAllGrownUp: Not that much time passes between ''Taran Wanderer'' and ''The High King'', but one of the first things Taran notices about him when they reunite is how he's almost as tall as Taran is now.
418	* TagAlongKid: Taran was once one to Gwydion; now Llassar is one to Taran.
419	%%* TookALevelInBadass
420	* TrainingThePeacefulVillagers
421	* UnexpectedCharacter: He's about the last person you'd figure would show up to help the heroes WalkIntoMordor.
422	* WiseBeyondTheirYears: He's surprisingly understanding of Taran's GeneHunting situation in ''Taran Wanderer''.
423
424	!!'''King Pryderi'''
425
426	A handsome and beloved king and staunch ally of the Sons of Don [[spoiler:... until he [[FaceHeelTurn betrays them]] and sides with Arawn]].
427	----
428	* AnimalMotifs: His emblem is that of a hawk. He also indulges in falconry as a pastime.
429	%%* BrokenPedestal
430	* CavalryBetrayal: [[spoiler:Pulls this off ''masterfully'' at the Battle of Caer Dathyl.]]
431	* DontTouchItYouIdiot: [[spoiler:He fires the ChekhovsGun cocked by Dallben all the way back at the start of ''The Book of Three'' by touching the eponymous book. It doesn't end well for him.]]
432	* FromNobodyToNightmare: [[spoiler:He's the last of a long line of villains seeking to topple Arawn and become the BigBad of Prydain himself.]]
433	* KnightTemplar: Known for wearing his sword unsheathed in wartime and proclaiming that it will not return to its scabbard until he has claimed victory.
434	* LightIsGood: Initially held up as a shining example of heroism. [[spoiler:[[LightIsNotGood Until he actually shows up and helps Arawn]] [[CurbStompBattle curb stomp everyone]]]].
435	%%* NietzscheWannabe
436	%%* SelfDisposingVillain
437	* TheStarscream: [[spoiler:He takes over this role from Achren almost immediately.]]
438	%%* TooDumbToLive
439	%%* TrojanHorse
440	* UglyHeroGoodLookingVillain: The companions are a RagTagBunchOfMisfits, while [[spoiler:Pryderi ranks up there with [[Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire Jaime Lannister]] in terms of handsome villains.]]
441	* WellIntentionedExtremist: [[spoiler:Dallben implies he might actually be trying to save Prydain in his own way, but his methods are simply too evil for ThePowersThatBe to let him go through with it.]]
442
443	!!'''King Eiddilleg'''
444
445	The king of the Fair Folk.
446	----
447	* AdaptationalHeroism: A minor example. In the book, he takes the companions prisoner before having Doli aid them but in the movie he skips right to sending Doli out with them.
448	* FantasticRacism: Not the biggest human fan.
449	* HiddenDepths: He knew what he was doing when he appointed Doli and Gwystyl to their respective positions.
450	* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Goes from taking companions prisoner to having Doli lead his troops to aid Taran.
451	* OurDwarvesAreAllTheSame: Averted even more than with Doli.
452
453	!!'''Orwen, Orddu, and Orgoch'''
454
455	A trio of witches in the Marshes of Morva who tend to finish each other's sentences. They take turns acting as each other and are mentioned as having raised Dallben, whom they refer to as "little Dallben".
456	----
457	* AllPowerfulBystander: They casually reclaim a powerful magical item from [[BigBad Arawn's]] heavily defended fortress, without any fear of retaliation, and essentially concede the idea that they could conquer Prydain themselves any time they felt like it.
458	* BeautifulAllAlong: During the final book, they briefly assume forms of godlike beauty, gently teasing Taran for thinking that they look like old hags ''all'' the time.
459	* CoolOldLady: Once the options of getting turned into animals and/or eaten are off the table, they're actually kind of funny, and they do seem to care about Taran and Dallben as much as they can care about anyone.
460	* EquivalentExchange: Those who dare to brave the Marshes have the opportunity to obtain knowledge, wealth, power, magical items, or some combination of those things from the witches - for a price.
461	-->We never ''give'' anything. Only what is worth earning is worth having. But we shall allow you the opportunity to buy it.
462	** They also fully admit that their prices are based as much on the buyer as on the product. Orddu openly admits they're charging Taran a much lower fee than [[RiddleForTheAges whatever Arawn's price had been]], and that is to ''keep'' the Cauldron (as opposed to loaning it). [[spoiler: Given that the price they're angling for is a magical brooch that Taran is [[AmuletOfDependency becoming dangerously reliant upon]], it's implied that they also want to ensure Taran's growth is entirely his own, not guided by an external force.]]
463	* DoNotTauntCthulhu: The witches can be merciful, especially if you [[MuggingTheMonster legitimately mistook them for normal old women]], but ''never'' antagonize them on purpose. Arawn found this out when he [[ChronicBackstabbingDisorder did his usual thing]] and refused to return the [[ArtifactOfDoom Black Cauldron]] at its agreed upon time, whereupon they retrieved it from him without trouble. Given how little mess they made in doing so, Arawn was ''very lucky'' he didn't end up as an invertebrate.
464	* ExtremeOmnivore: It's implied that they'll eat anything.
465	* GodInHumanForm: It's heavily implied the three witches are more than they seem. The introduction of the third book outright states they have previously been the [[Myth/ClassicalMythology the Fates]], [[Myth/NorseMythology the Norns]], [[Myth/CelticMythology the Triple Goddess]], and possibly others, and their current form is just their latest form.
466	* GreatGazoo: They're less silly than the usual version of the trope, but other than that, they're {{All Powerful Bystander}}s who spend their time in a hut bickering with each other and serving as {{Trickster Mentor}}s to anyone who comes by.
467	%% Zero context* ObfuscatingStupidity[=/=]ObfuscatingInsanity: An unusually blatant example, as while the three ''act'' like silly {{Cloud CuckooLander}}s, their dialogue is so peppered with winks, nudges and [[ShameIfSomethingHappened barely-veiled]] [[BreadEggsMilkSquick threats]] that their visitors tend to play along with their bit more out of (entirely justified) wariness than actually being fooled.
468	* QuirkyHousehold: The three of them raised Dallben. That must've been...interesting.
469	* ShameIfSomethingHappened: Orddu's EstablishingCharacterMoment is to appear [[StealthHiBye in the party's blind spot]] and ask them if, incidentally, they'd enjoy being ''[[ForcedTransformation turned into a toad]] and [[SquashedFlat stepped on]]'', adding that [[FalseReassurance she wouldn't actually step on them because she'd hate the squashiness afterwards]]. The three continue peppering their dialogue with similar statements, ensuring that neither Taran nor his friends forget whom they're dealing with.
470	* StealthMentor: Mixed with TricksterMentor, they serve as this to Taran.
471	* TheWeirdSisters: Mysterious old women who have lived for hundreds of years and are masters of magic.
472
473	!!'''Medwyn'''
474
475	A guardian of animals.
476	----
477	* BarefootSage: He is a wise old man who doesn't wear shoes. May also overlap with EarthyBarefootCharacter, as he is the protector of Prydain's animals and can communicate to them.
478	* {{Expy}}: Of Noah. It's even mentioned at one point that he once rescued two of each animal from a flood. With an ark.
479	* FriendToAllLivingThings: He loves all animals, and they love him in return.
480	%%* WizardBeard
481
482	!!'''Craddoc'''
483
484	A shepherd whom Taran meets on his way to the Free Commots. He claims to be Taran's father, leaving Taran discouraged because he thought that he was of noble birth.
485	----
486	* HandicappedBadass: He leans on a staff, but is still pretty tough.
487	* Luke,IAmYourFather: To Taran. [[spoiler:He's actually not]].
488
489	!!'''Annlaw'''
490
491	A legendary potter in Commot Merin. He gives Taran some lessons.
492	----
493	* FamedInStory: For his artistry, which is top-class.
494	* MeaningfulName: His full name is Annlaw Clay-Shaper.
495	* MentorOccupationalHazard: Taran revisits him in ''The High King''. [[spoiler:Shortly afterwards, raiders attack Merin and kill Annlaw and most of the other residents.]]
496	* NiceGuy: He's very gentle, though not afraid of some BrutalHonesty either.
497	* OldMaster: To Taran for a while.
498
499	!!'''High King Math'''
500
501	The supreme regent of Prydain and one of the two Big Goods.
502	----
503	%%* AllLovingHero
504	* BigGood: Shares this with Dallben.
505	* TheGoodKing: His defining character trait.
506	* KingOnHisDeathbed: Implied in "The High King":
507	-->"Face me, Assistant Pig-Keeper," Math commanded in a quiet voice. "Fear not to see what I myself know. The hand of death reaches towards mine and I am loath not to clasp it. I have long heard the horn of Gwyn the Hunter, that summons even a king to his barrow home."
508	* TheLastDance: [[spoiler: Chooses to face the invincible Cauldron-Born at the fall of Caer Dathyl. This doesn't accomplish anything, but he's a dying old man and chooses to go out with his boots on.]]
509	* MartialPacifist: Stands up to the Cauldron-Born right after expressing his sorrow at all the bloodshed.
510	* PapaWolf: To Prydain as a whole.
511	* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: The wise High King of all Prydain and leader of its defense.
512	* WizardBeard: He's not a wizard but still has quite an impressive one.
513	* WithGreatPower: He notes that a shepherd's staff is easier and in some ways better than a crown: One wears you down, and one bears you up.
514	[[/folder]]
515
516	[[folder: Villains]]
517
518	!!'''Arawn Death-Lord'''
519
520	Arawn Death-Lord is the ruler of Annuvin, the Land of Death, and the EvilOverlord threatening Prydain’s stability. Unlike most Evil Overlords, Arawn is not a ruthless tyrant, but a cunning trickster who manipulates mortals through guile and deceit. Over time, he has stolen away most of Prydain’s greatest treasures and secrets, hoarding them in his fortress. He commands many terrible servants, including [[GiantFlyer the]] [[FeatheredFiend Gwythaints]], [[TheUndead the]] [[NighInvulnerable Cauldron-Born]] and the [[EvilPoacher Huntsmen of Annuvin]].
521	----
522	* AdaptationalVillainy: The Arawn of Welsh legend was honorable and forthright. Here, he's an EvilOverlord with no redeeming qualities. Doubles as EveryoneHatesHades, given his additional SatanicArchetype connotations.
523	* BigBad: Of ''The Book of Three'', ''The Black Cauldron'', and ''The High King''.
524	%%* TheChessmaster
525	* ChronicBackstabbingDisorder: Arawn gained power in the first place by betraying Achren and apparently [[TheOathBreaker hasn't kept a single promise since]]. Everyone who tries to work with him in the series ends up getting screwed over in some way (often fatally). The only exceptions are the marsh witches - Arawn still tries to break his promise to them but [[AllPowerfulBystander they are able to ignore his efforts]].
526	* DealWithTheDevil: Orwen, Orddu, and Orgoch reveal that he made a deal with them to have ("borrow") the Cauldron from them. They never say what price he paid, but they say it was a very steep one.
527	* EvilIsPetty: Arawn doesn't do anything with the treasures and information he has collected over the centuries. He doesn't even allow his servants to do so -- he just hoards all that stuff so no one can have it.
528	* EvilIsNotAToy: Anyone who makes a deal with him ''will'' regret it, and is headed for an early grave once they're of no further use.
529	* TheFaceless: None of the main cast ever sees him undisguised, and when he resumes his true form on death he is face down. Only Achren knows what he really looks like, but she never describes it.
530	%%* EvilOverlord
531	%%* EvilSorcerer
532	%%* LoadBearingBoss
533	* ManipulativeBastard: Notably more so than your average EvilOverlord. While he does have a lot of power and commands many terrible creatures, he's just as likely to use trickery and deceit to reach his goals, playing people's weaknesses against them.
534	%%* MasterOfIllusion
535	* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: Gee, think you should trust someone called "Death-Lord?"
536	* OrcusOnHisThrone: {{Reconstruct\|ion}}ed. Arawn generally acts through proxies and rarely does anything on his own. This ends in Book 5, where it's shown that he can and will get his hands dirty when the reward justifies the risks. [[spoiler: It also shows why he generally doesn't.]]
537	* RankScalesWithAsskicking: [[spoiler:Averted. Arawn is more of a trickster than a fighter.]]
538	* ScaledUp: Arawn turns into a snake. [[spoiler:[[EvilOverlordList It doesn’t help]].]]
539	%%* SquishyWizard
540	* TheStarscream: In the past, Achren was the ruler of Annuvin. Arawn became her consort, then betrayed and deposed her. [[WomanScorned She is not happy about this.]]
541	* VoluntaryShapeshifting: He can take on the shape and form of any person or creature he desires. This is both his greatest strength and his greatest weakness, because while it means he gains all the powers of the creature he changes into, he ''also'' inherits all its weaknesses,
542
543	!!'''Queen Achren'''
544
545	The vain, beautiful Queen Achren was once the ruler of all Prydain. Ages ago, she was betrayed by her subordinate, Arawn, who became the new EvilOverlord. While she continues to serve Arawn, she is obsessed with finding a way to [[TheStarscream reclaim her former power]] and become ruler once again. Although not as powerful as she once was, Achren is still a formidable enchantress, and Gwydion fears her as much as he does Arawn.
546	----
547	* TheBaroness: Definite shades of this.
548	* BeautyEqualsGoodness: When they first meet, Taran assumes Achren must be an ally as she is beautiful and kind. Gwydion warns him that this is a ruse.
549	* BigBad: Of ''The Castle of Llyr''.
550	* BroughtDownToNormal: [[spoiler: She loses her power in the third book.]]
551	* ChewingTheScenery: She is prone to being…overdramatic.
552	* DefrostingIceQueen: [[spoiler:She slowly goes through this following her VillainousBreakdown. Maybe. ]]
553	* EnemyMine: [[spoiler:She assists the companions in bringing down Arawn in the last book.]]
554	* FauxAffablyEvil: Her cordial demeanor only serves to make her more intimidating.
555	* GodSaveUsFromTheQueen: It is often implied she was even ''worse'' than Arawn.
556	* HeelFaceTurn: [[spoiler: Possibly; in the fifth book, it's unclear to what extent she's reformed, but she is nonetheless a valuable ally to the companions during their EnemyMine.]]
557	* LadyOfBlackMagic: A regal queen as well as an enchantress who is as evil as she is beautiful.
558	* NinjaMaid: [[spoiler: She becomes Dallben's maid, for all intents and purposes, after ''The Castle of Llyr'', but ''The High King'' shows that though she's lost her magic, she's lost none of her cunning or physical prowess.]]
559	* OlderThanTheyLook: She looks like a beautiful young woman but…
560	* Really700YearsOld: It is never stated exactly how old she is, but she’s clearly been around a long time.
561	* SaveTheVillain: Gwydion saves her from the [[spoiler: Castle of Llyr.]] She is furious about this at first, but after some convincing, she accepts her defeat [[spoiler: [[HeelFaceTurn and takes refuge at Caer Dallben.]]]]
562	* TheStarscream: Plans to betray Arawn as he betrayed her. [[spoiler: Eventually, she gets even, though ironically it's after she did a HeelFaceTurn anyway.]]
563	* VainSorceress: Her vanity is as strong as her magic--possibly stronger.
564	* TheVamp: She tries to use her feminine wiles on Gwydion more than once. It doesn’t work. She also uses them on Taran, who is about to fall for it when Gwydion warns him.
565	* VillainousBreakdown: [[spoiler:After losing her power at the Castle of Llyr. This sets the stage for her HeelFaceTurn.]]
566	* WomanScorned: Her desire to get revenge on Arawn goes way past obsession…
567
568	!!'''The Horned King'''
569
570	Arawn's mightiest war leader and the primary antagonist of ''The Book of Three'' and of the [[WesternAnimation/TheBlackCauldron film version]] of ''The Black Cauldron'', the Horned King is a bestial man who takes his name from the antlered mask he wears. No one knows his true name. Arawn has imbued him with great power, and he is charged with marshalling the Southern Cantrevs and leading an attack on Caer Dathyl.
571	----
572	* AmbiguouslyHuman: Though he's not a HornedHumanoid like his film counterpart, he has burning eyes, and he comes off too bestial to be human either. There's also the matter of the way he dies when [[spoiler:his name is spoken out loud]].
573	* DefeatEqualsExplosion: [[spoiler: When Gwydion [[IKnowYourTrueName says the Horned King's secret name]],]] the villain starts flaming, with his horns turning crimson and his mask melting. Taran doesn't see anything else before passing out, but the ground tumbles and Eilonwy says afterwards that [[spoiler: there wasn't much left of the Horned King, suggesting that he died in a fiery explosion.]]
574	* TheDragon: He's Arawn's avowed champion until his death.
575	* EvilCounterpart: To [[TheWisePrince Prince Gwydion]]. Gwydion is [[BigGood High King Math's]] war-leader and Prydain's renowned hero, while the dreaded Horned King is [[BigBad Arawn's]] champion at least as powerful as Gwydion. They have AnimalMotifs that turn around the traditional stereotypes of predator and prey. The heroic and wise Gwydion is often compared to [[NobleWolf a wolf]]. The Horned King's antlered mask gives his head a look of a stag, but he -- as Dallben puts it -- sports with death as you might sport with a dog.
576	* TheFaceless: No man has seen the face behind the skull-mask of the Horned King. It's not revealed even during his death.
577	* TheHeavy: Arawn's OrcusOnHisThrone style leads naturally to the Horned King, his general, being the main adversary in Book 1.
578	* HellishHorse: He rides a black and foam-splattered horse.
579	* HornedHumanoid: Averted in contrast to his film counterpart. He wears a mask that has antlers attached to it.
580	* HornsOfVillainy: He's TheDragon of the BigBad and decorates his mask with cruelly-curving antlers.
581	* IKnowYourTrueName: His secret name is the one thing that can destroy him. Only [[spoiler: Hen Wen]] knows it, which is why the Horned King chases her. Once [[spoiler: Gwydion learns the name from Hen Wen, he destroys the Horned King]] by saying the name to him out loud.
582	* InexplicablyAwesome: His MysteriousPast and AmbiguouslyHuman nature make him this trope.
583	* LargeAndInCharge: Though his size is not explicitly compared to his warriors, the writing describes him to be gigantic.
584	* MysteriousPast: Who is the Horned King? How did he come to serve Arawn? Was he [[WasOnceAMan once a normal human]], or is he something else entirely?
585	* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: "The Horned King" does not exactly inspire trust and confidence.
586	* NothingIsScarier: A large part of how terrifying he is comes from how little is known about him.
587	* RedIsViolent: He wears a crimson cloak and his arms are stained red. He's also a fearsome warlord who [[HumanSacrifice burns men alive in a rite of war]] and plans to crush the Sons of Don with the mighty army he has assembled.
588	* SkeletonsInTheCoatCloset: His mask is a bleached human skull.
589	* SilentAntagonist: He has no spoken lines, only outcries of anger or pain.
590	* TheUnReveal: His secret name. Eilonwy asks from Gwydion what it is, but Gwydion just says it must remain a secret and that it wasn't half as pretty as hers.
591	* WouldHurtAChild: He chases after Taran and Eilonwy in the climax, and would have likely killed them if not for [[spoiler:Gwydion]].
592
593	!!'''Magg'''
594
595	The Chief Steward of the House of Mona. He serves as a spy for and [[TheDragon Dragon]] to Achren in ''The Castle of Llyr'', and then to [[spoiler:Arawn]] in ''The High King''.
596	----
597	* TheDragon: To Achren [[spoiler: and later Arawn]].
598	* CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass
599	%%* EvilChancellor
600	* FromNobodyToNightmare: Just like the rest of the BigBadEnsemble, Magg is obsessed with trying to pull this off and unseat Arawn. [[spoiler:[[OutGambitted And just like everyone else, it blows up in his face]] ... literally]].
601	* HeroKiller: [[spoiler:He manages to capture King Smoit's castle and his men kill Rhun in ''The High King'', despite the latter's [[TookALevelInBadass Taking a Level in Badass]].]]
602	* InSeriesNickname: Fflewddur insists on calling him "the Spider". Also frequently referred to as Magg the Maggot.
603	* KarmicDeath: He's obsessed with claiming a crown of his own, eventually sighting in on claiming [[spoiler: Arawn's crown, but when he places the Death Lord's crown upon his head, its power burns him to ashes.]]
604	%%* TheMole
605	%%* ObviouslyEvil
606	* SharpDressedMan: For a time, this is his defining trope.
607	%%* TreacherousAdvisor
608	* AWolfInSheepsClothing: He appears as a doddering overweight busybody, yet he manages to kidnap Eilonwy and spirit her off to Llyr right out from under both Taran and Gwydion's noses.
609
610	!!'''Morda'''
611
612	An old hermit living in the backwoods of Prydain. He also happens to be an EvilSorcerer with a penchant for torturing his victims in cruel and unusual ways.
613	----
614	* AmuletOfDependency: The source of his power.
615	* BigBadEnsemble: In ''Taran Wanderer'' with Dorath.
616	* BlueAndOrangeMorality: Morality just doesn't compute for him.
617	* EvilGloating: His need to explain his backstory to Taran proves to be his undoing.
618	* EvilOldFolks: Like every other villain, plans to become the next evil overlord, despite his age.
619	* EvilSorcerer: Naturally, as an Expy of a classic fairy tale example.
620	* {{Expy}}: Of Koschei the Deathless, though his SoulJar has fewer layers of defense.
621	* ForcedTransformation: He ends up turning Fflewddur and Gurgi into these.
622	* NoManOfWomanBorn: He goes out of his way to let Taran know he's invulnerable to weapons and magic, [[spoiler:so Taran shatters his SoulJar instead]].
623	* SoulJar: His detached [[spoiler: finger bone.]]
624	* TransformationRay: His amulet.
625	* YouKilledMyFather: While he didn't explicitly kill Eilonwy's mother, he did sit back and let her die, then looted her corpse for the hell of it, which is where he found the amulet.
626
627	!!'''Dorath'''
628
629	A wandering bandit and leader of a band of petty thugs who stalk the Free Commots. Like Achren, he is a recurring villain and comes the closest to inflicting real harm on the companions on several occasions.
630	----
631	* AttemptedRape: Threatened, ''extremely'' euphemistically, but never conducted. [[WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids It's a kids' book, remember]].
632	* BigBadEnsemble: In ''Taran Wanderer'' with Morda.
633	* ChekhovMIA: He gets away clean in ''Taran Wanderer'' only to come back [[spoiler:and meet his end]] in ''The High King''.
634	%%* EgomaniacHunter
635	* ExitPursuedByABear: [[spoiler: He's torn limb from limb]] by the series' two resident SavageWolves, Brynach and Briavael.
636	* HoistByHisOwnPetard: He steals Taran's sword, thinking it to be of excellent craftsmanship, [[spoiler:only to have it shattered to pieces by a blade Taran makes for himself]].
637	* KnightOfCerebus: He proves to be this, both thematically for the series, and personally for Taran. After Dorath shows up in the narrative, named characters start dying in droves.
638	* OnlyInItForTheMoney: Claims that he'll do anything for pay. He's happy to KickTheDog for his own amusement, though.
639	%%* RapePillageAndBurn: Dorath's MO.%%ZCE
640	%%* TheSociopath
641	* TermsOfEndangerment: He calls Taran "Lord Swineherd" and Eilonwy "Princess Vixen".
642	[[/folder]]

Context Characters / TheChroniclesOfPrydain