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The Royal Family & Closed Council | Union Military | His Majesty's Inquisition | Nobility & Citizenry of the Union
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Northern Royalty | Logen's Band | Northern Protectorate | The North
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Logen's Band
Logen Ninefingers*
Logen Ninefingers "The Bloody Nine"
POV: The Blade Itself, Before They are Hanged, Last Argument of Kings
- "I've no doubt the world would be a better place if I'd been killed years ago, but I haven't been, and I don't know why."
An aging Northman with a black name and a blacker past. After living a life of senseless violence, Logen tries to turn away from the path he's walked so long only to find, no matter where he goes, he can't easily escape his deeds, or his nature. By the time of Red Country he goes by the name Lamb.
- Awesome Moment of Crowning: After he kills Bethod, Logen becomes the new King of the North. Unfortunately, his rule is short-lived.
- Ax-Crazy: Whenever he's the Bloody-Nine. Not even his allies are safe around him.
- Barbarian Hero: A classic, if gritty example.
- Battle Couple: More like "Battle Friends with Benefits," but he and Ferro Maljinn get into a physical relationship on their journey to the Edge of the World, and they frequently face threats together.
- Became Their Own Antithesis: A rare heroic example. Logen Ninefingers used to be the worst man in the North. By the time of Red Country he's a nonviolent, non-confrontational coward named Lamb... at least until his children are stolen.
- The Berserker: On occasion. Bad occasion. When he becomes the Bloody-Nine he doesn't distinguish friend from foe. All that matters is killing.
- Beware the Nice Ones: Logen is one of the nicest characters in the original trilogy, but he's one of the most feared men in the North for a reason. His Bloody-Nine persona is a dangerous psycho who's a danger to friend and foe alike.
- Blood Knight: A gigantic one when he's the Bloody Nine, though he is much calmer when he is his normal self. At least until it becomes clear that Logen enjoys being the Bloody-Nine. By the time of Red Country he outright admits that he's glad trouble came because it means he gets the opportunity to cut loose again.
- Boring, but Practical: Logen's entire approach to combat and life itself. He avoids conflict, tries not to think too deeply about things he cannot change, keeps a realistic mindset in hardship and believes that simplicity and contentment are more desirable than adventure and glory. His tactics in combat are straightforward and practical, doesn't believe in showing off and will happily pretend to be stupid or cowardly in a fight or a conversation if it gives him the upper hand.
- His weapon, the Maker's Sword, is plain and rough almost to the point of crudeness, but it can cut through stone or steel with ease, and its simplicity suits his fighting style well.
- But Now I Must Go: At the end of Red Country, he realizes that his past as the Bloody-Nine will always put his adoptive children at risk, and decides that the best thing he can do for them is leave.
- Catchphrase: Several. Almost all of them are shown to be inaccurate or delusional over the course of the books.
- "You have to be realistic about these things."
- "You can never have too many knives."
- "Still alive."
- "Say one thing for Logen Ninefingers, say he...*insert relevant trait here.*"
- Combat Pragmatist: During a fight, all Logen cares about is surviving, meaning he'll do whatever it takes to win.
- Cool Sword: Carried the Maker's Sword for a while.
- Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: Outside the North, he comes off to many people as a dim-witted savage. In reality, he's not only a very intelligent and philosophical person, he's quite possibly the deadliest fighter in the series.
- The Dragon: He used to be this to Bethod, as his champion during the early parts of the war.
- Deconstructed Character Archetype: Of the Barbarian Hero, Blood Knight, and The Atoner tropes. Yes, Logen is sympathetic and feels immense regret and shame over his actions as 'The Bloody-Nine', but desiring to change doesn't mean anything if you don't take the steps to change. Once he's given the chance to start anew somewhere, he goes right back to fighting, which eventually leaves him as King before he is deposed.
- The Dreaded: People in the North are terrified of him. By the time of The Heroes, just the rumor of his presence can send Northern warriors fleeing.
- Fatal Flaw: Ultimately, his core flaw is his inability to let go of violence. Logen is smart enough to know how toxic and unhealthy living a life constantly waging war is, but he's truly unable to let go of the violence that brims within him. Every time he's given an out, he keeps doubling down on his violent nature and keeps fighting.
- Also, his trusting nature doesn't do him many favors either.
- The Heart: Despite his incredibly dark and bloody past, Logen adopts this role in Bayaz's group as they make their way to the Edge of the World. While Bayaz and Quai remain distant, Logen tries to inspire camaraderie in the rest of the group. He convinces Ferro to stay and his lessons trigger Jezal's development into a better person.
- Heroes Prefer Swords: Discussed. Logen states that he has no preference in weapons, but Bayaz tells him that Heroes Prefer Swords, so he gives him one.
- I See Dead People: Not "dead people" exactly, but he's one of the only people left in the world who can see spirits, creatures that are otherwise invisible to normal folk. It's one of the reasons Bayaz takes Logen with him on his trip to the Edge of the World.
- Names to Run Away from Really Fast: The Bloody-Nine.
- Nice Guy: For a notoriously ruthless killer and warrior, Logen is actually a pretty personable, nice guy for the most part.
- Outliving One's Offspring: His children with his wife, Thelfi, died during a Shanka raid on his village.
- Papa Wolf: In Red Country, he's adopted three kids: Shy South (who's a grown woman by the time of the story), Ro and Pit. When Pit and Ro are kidnapped, Logen brings his Bloody-Nine persona out of retirement to rip apart anyone who stands between him and his missing kids.
- Psycho Sidekick: Bethod reveals that it was Logen's bloodlust as the Bloody-Nine that forced Bethod's hand to become king. The times when Bethod tried to smooth things over nonviolently were usually sabotaged by Logen killing important people, making peace impossible.
- Retired Monster: By the beginning of the series, Logen is ashamed of his past atrocities and his Bloody-Nine personality. In The Red Country, he goes a step farther by retiring to a farm and changing his name, but he still can't escape the Bloody-Nine.
- Shut Up, Hannibal!: After realizing he's been used by Bayaz, he bluntly refuses to work with him again and tells him to stay the hell away from him.
- The So-Called Coward: As Lamb he becomes a dark take on this. He puts on a cowardly, non-confrontational personality, because if he engages in combat, it tends to bring out a not so nice side of his personality. His adoptive daughter, Shy, not realizing the truth, thinks of him as a coward as a result and is horrified when she finds out differently.
- Superpowered Evil Side: The Bloody-Nine. It's an alternate personality in which he gains seemingly superhuman fighting abilities, yet also goes into a battle lust that causes him to kill just about anything in front of him. Even friends and children. By the start of the series, Logen hates the Bloody-Nine and resists him taking over in anything less than the most extreme circumstances. Although he becomes less resistant as the story goes on..
- Took a Level in Jerkass: Once he becomes King of the Northmen, he becomes more ruthless and violent than he ever was, to the point where he alienates one of the only friends he has left in The Dogman.
- Two Aliases, One Character: In Red Country, he's Lamb. While the book can be enjoyed without knowing this, it's a Late-Arrival Spoiler that is important to understanding his character.
- Uncertain Doom: The original trilogy ends with him escaping an assassination attempt by leaping from a window and plunging to the river far below. The book ends on a cliffhanger as to whether he survived. Years later, he's presumed dead, and Black Dow has taken credit for killing him, but considering the body wasn't found and he managed to survive an earlier plunge in the beginning of the very first story, it's possible he survived. Red Country confirms he's still alive.
- Warrior Poet: Has a bit of a philosophical side.
- We Used to Be Friends: Logen says that you can't truly hate a man without loving him first, and he admits to himself that he did love Bethod before they became bitter enemies.
- Would Hurt a Child: Or, rather, the Bloody-Nine would. During the Battle in the High Places, he kills one of Crummock-i-Phail's young sons.
The Dogman*
The Dogman
Rudd Threetrees
Rudd Threetrees
- Harding Grim: Never took an easy path, if he thought it was the wrong one. Never stepped back from a fight, if he thought it had to be done. I stood with him, walked with him, fought with him, ten years, all over the North. I've no complaints.
An elderly member of Logen's band, a skilled and inspiring leader in his own right.
- Cool Old Guy: Admit it, you want to get drunk and smoke chagga with him.
- Knight in Sour Armor: Has an old-fashioned Northern sense of honor, despite his circumstances.
- The Lancer: He was second to Logen. When Logen seemingly dies, Threetrees takes over leadership of their group.
- The Leader: After Logen is separated from his crew.
- Luckily, My Shield Will Protect Me: He wields a big, round shield in battle along with his sword.
- Old Soldier: The oldest member of the band, but still plenty of fight left in him.
- Sacrificial Lion: He's a major character in the first two books but dies in battle to Fenris the Feared.
- The Strategist: He always spells out the plan.
Black Dow
Tul Duru "Thunderhead"
Tul Duru "Thunderhead"
- Dogman: The Thunderhead was a different animal. Once that big ox got properly riled there was no calming him. Not without ten strong men and a lot of rope.
A giant member of Logen's band, he is extremely tall and strong.
- BFS: He wields an enormous sword that he often rests on his shoulder.
- The Big Guy: His role in the Logen's group of Named Men, being the literal biggest and strongest.
- Big Guy Fatality Syndrome: He's the third member of the band to die. Logan kills him in one of his blackouts during the battle of the High Places.
- Large and in Charge: He's the biggest member of the group and is considered a viable choice to lead it after Threetrees' death, with Tul having lead men in the past.
- Nice Guy: He's not one to use his size to bully others, and is "slow to anger."
- No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: The cause of his death. When Logen is wounded in battle, Tul tries to help him up, not realizing that Logen is in full Bloody-Nine mode and no longer able to distinguish between friends and enemies.
- No Indoor Voice: Has a deep, booming voice, giving him his name.
- Rage Breaking Point: The Dogman muses at one point that Tul Duru is extremely slow to anger, and that's a very good thing for everyone.
- Vitriolic Best Buds: With Dow. With Dow. They argue all the time, and each refuses to follow the other, but when Tul dies, Dow delivers an impassioned eulogy at his funeral.
Harding Grim
Harding Grim
- "Uh."
A laconic member of Logen's band.
- Beware the Quiet Ones: Logen recalls nearly being spitted by Grim with a spear during their duel.
- Captain Obvious: The Dogman notes that, when Grim does choose to speak, it's rarely something profound and usually something that didn't need saying in the first place.
- Catchphrase: "Uh."
- Cold Sniper: A very laconic and stoic archer.
- Deadpan Snarker: On the rare occasions where he does talk, he can be quite snarky.
- Hidden Depths: Speaks fluent Union, for one.
- The Quiet One: He rarely speaks, which is where his name comes from.
Forley the Weakest
Forley the Weakest
- Dogman: He might not have been much at killing, Forley, but he was a damn good boy for stopping those that were from killing each other.
A member of Logen's band, nervous and cowardly but acts to keep the group together and stop them fighting each other.
- Decapitation Presentation: Bethod's son, Calder, has Forley killed out of spite, and one of his lieutenants throws the sack containing his head at Threetrees' feet. Logen's band proceed to kill all of Calder's lieutenants for this.
- Exactly What It Says on the Tin: There's no Ironic Name on display here: he's the weakest member of his tribe, and certainly of the band.
- The Heart: Lousy at winning fights, but excellent at preventing them, which the Dogman notes is a very useful ability.
- No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: With the Shanka advancing and Bethod's army on the move, it's only a matter of time before the Shanka overwhelm the North. Forley volunteers to deliver a warning to Bethod's people about the Shanka since he's the least threatening member of Logen's band, so they're most inclined to listen to him. Not only does Bethod's son, Calder, have Forley killed, it turns out Bethod is working with the Shanka.
- Non-Action Guy: He generally just hides during fights. When he does manage to kill a flathead, it's a matter of celebration.
- Sacrificial Lamb: In-universe; his village sent him to duel Logen as a form of surrender. This turns out to be his role in-story as well.
- The So-Called Coward: Everyone, including himself, considers him a coward due to his Non-Action Guy status. But in the end Forley is willing to risk his life by parlaying with Bethod's people in the hopes of warning the North about a Shanka invasion. He ends up killed for it and Threetrees' remarks at his courage and self-sacrifice at his funeral.
