The characters of The Inkworld Trilogy. Additions welcomed.
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Earth Characters
Mortimer "Mo" Folchart
A bookbinder with the ability to "read" characters from books to life. Meggie's father.
- Action Hero: Is this at the end of Inkspell and during the entirety of Inkdeath, out of necessity because of the enemies that threaten his family and countless innocent people.
- Affectionate Nickname: His wife and daughter call him Mo. His full name is Mortimer.
- An Offer You Can't Refuse: Death’s death with Mo in Inkdeath. He must bring her the Adderhead by springtime or she will kill him, Meggie and Dustfinger instead.
- Babies Ever After: Resa gives birth to her and Mo’s second child months after the events of Inkdeath.
- Badass Bookworm: After undergoing some Character Development and taking on the role of the Bluejay, he gradually becomes more of a badass, including learning his way around a sword.
- Badass in Distress: Is captured by the Adderhead's men in Inkdeath and has to be rescued by Dustfinger and Resa. In The Colour of Revenge he becomes trapped in a painted book as part of Orpheus' revenge.
- Bad Liar: He’s not very good at lying, because his thoughts and emotions tend to show clearly on his face. Resa once said that his face is like an open book.
- Becoming the Mask: Mo becomes the Bluejay, much to the distress of his wife and daughter.
- Beware the Nice Ones: Mo is usually a very nice, goofy and nerdy guy with a kind heart but has a ruthless streak that only grows more noticeable in Inkdeath. However, he is also the one who kills Capricorn when Meggie can’t bring herself to do it, and he deliberately makes the Adderhead rot when he is binding the White Book for him.
- Blessed with Suck: How he views his powers, which robbed him of his wife years ago. He gets over it eventually, but he never reads out loud to Meggie.
- Bookworm: The first book notes that his house is stacked with books and they pile up everywhere. Of course, his job is repairing books, so a love for them is a given.
- Came Back Strong: In Inkdeath, he's revived and is a lot stronger.
- Casting Gag: Brenden Fraser is stated to be the vocal inspiration for him. Not only does he take up that role in the movie but also did the audio book for Inkspell.
- Character Development: Gets a whopping dose, especially in the last book. In the first book, he's a goofy and loving dad, if sad underneath, and while he may be physically imposing, he's a thoroughly nerdy Non-Action Guy. He starts to undergo some alarming changes in book 2, and by book 3 he is a complete badass, and sometimes just an ass. He finally does find a happy medium, though, going back to his old life as much as he can.
- Claustrophobia: Gains a fear of chains and prisons after his time imprisoned in the Castle of the Night.
- Cold-Blooded Torture: Is brutally tortured by Orpheus—to the point of near-suicide—in the Castle on the Lake in Inkdeath.
- Curtains Match the Window: Brown hair and brown eyes.
- Determinator: Refuses to give up even when it seems like finding the White Book and writing the three words in it is a lost cause. Justified as if he gives up he is dead anyway and so are Meggie and Dustfinger, due to the deal Death gave him.
- Driven to Suicide: Almost happens to him in the dungeons of the Castle in the Lake, while he's being tortured by Orpheus.
- Famed In-Story: In Inkspell and Inkdeath, he becomes known as the Bluejay and chooses to literally take up the mantle and become the mask.
- Fire-Forged Friends: With the Black Prince and Dustfinger.
- Happily Married: To Resa, before her disappearance and after her return.
- Heroic BSoD: Has this in a huge way in Inkdeath when he is being tortured by Orpheus.
- Heroic Sacrifice: A non-fatal version. He gives himself up to the Piper in Inkdeath to save the children of Ombra from being sent to the mines.
- Hope Bringer: Is this to the people of the Inkworld who are being terrorised by the Adderhead and his men.
- I Choose to Stay: He grows to love the Inkworld during the three months between Inkspell and Inkdeath and doesn’t want to leave when Resa begs him. When he asks Orpheus to write words that will take his family home to Elinor’s house, he deliberately tells him to write words for Resa and Meggie and not for him.
- Intrepid Fictioneer: Travels into Inkheart in Inkspell, though not of his own volition.
- I Will Wait for You: He never stopped believing that he would one day find his lost wife.
- Meaningful Name: His full name is Mortimer. Becomes very relevant once he becomes a robber and starts killing people nightly. He is also the one who kills Capricorn in Inkheart/the first book.
- Nice Guy: Compared to some of the other heroes - who can at times be petty and selfish - Mo is the straightest example of this.
- Non-Action Guy: Despite being physically imposing (he was noted to be taller than Capricorn, much to the latter's distaste), he is peace-loving and opposed to violence. The sequels have him grow out of this of necessity.
- No One Should Survive That!: As said by multiple characters in Inkspell and Inkdeath, Mo should’ve died from the gunshot wound Mortola gave him. It’s likely the only reason he survived was because Meggie read aloud the words Fenoglio wrote to save him.
- Oblivious to Love: Does not realise that Violante is seriously attracted to him until she offers to make him Prince of Ombra and suggests he send away his wife so that they can be together.
- Papa Wolf: He makes sure not to let anything happen to his daughter.
- Past Experience Nightmare: In Inkdeath, Mo is said to have recurring nightmares. This isn't surprising, considering that he has been shot, imprisoned, threatened, and basically has had his whole life change in the space of a few months. Both he and Resa cannot stand closed spaces after being imprisoned in the Castle of Night.
- Retired Badass: He officially lays his Bluejay role to rest and goes back to being a bookbinder post-Inkdeath.
- Starting a New Life: Eventually settles into a new life in the Inkworld with his family, becoming a famous bookbinder.
- Soulbond: Has one with Dustfinger after he brings him back from the dead. Mo can sense Dustfinger’s presence and telepathically communicate with him, while Dustfinger can read Mo’s heart like a book. It’s unknown whether this connection lasts after the events of Inkdeath.
- Surprise Pregnancy: He and Resa don’t find out about Resa’s pregnancy until they are living in the Inkworld. They are overjoyed about it.
- Tall, Dark, and Handsome: He is one of the tallest characters around, has dark brown hair and handsome features.
- Violently Protective Boyfriend: Kills the Piper after he stabs at Resa-the-bird during the climax of Inkdeath.
Meggie Folchart
Daughter of Mo and Resa, and the hero of the story.
- Blessed with Suck: Like her father, she's a Silvertongue.
- Bookworm: She loves reading so much that she reads by candlelight in the first book.
- Clingy Jealous Girl: A toned-down platonic version. Meggie is shown being jealous of her mother after she comes back because she takes her father’s attention away from her.
- Conditioned to Accept Horror: Or Injustice. Implied to have happened to Meggie during the three months between Inkspell and Inkdeath. Lampshaded by Mo when he asks her if one can get used to the sight of a young boy trapped in a pillory.
- Daddy's Girl: Loves her father dearly and always supports him.
- Demoted to Extra: Always prominent in the plot, Meggie nonetheless diminishes in significance after the first book, going from The Protagonist to Supporting Protagonist. A common criticism of Book 3 is that her only Arc was "choosing between two suitors".
- The Hero: In Book 1, and arguably in Book 2 (which is more of an Ensemble piece). However, she's demoted in Inkdeath.
- In-Series Nickname: Her real name is Margaret, but Mo and everyone else call her "Meggie".
- Kid Hero: She serves as this for the first two books.
- Little Miss Badass: She takes some bold risks with Capricorn and his men.
- Morality Pet: She becomes one for Dustfinger in the first book.
- Strong Family Resemblance: She looks just like her mother.
Dustfinger
A man with the ability to control fire from one of Mo's books. He is drawn to the real world, where he makes his living by busking.
- Adaptation Dye-Job: He’s described as a redhead in the book series, but is made a blond in the film.
- Adaptation Personality Change: In the film, he's more ambitious about getting home than he was in the book. He's given a more villainous air when he tries to get Mo to read him back into the book.
- Anti-Hero: Type IV. He was willing to sell out Mo just to return home. However, he decides to help Mo and Meggie escape after Capricorn betrayed him.
- Back from the Dead: Is brought back from the realm of death by Mo in Inkdeath, after a bargain is reached with Death to let him go. However, there is a catch: if Mo does not kill the Adderhead by writing the special three words into the white book before spring comes, Dustfinger will die at the same time as Mo and Meggie.
- The Big Guy: Somewhat, during the first two books before he ascends to The Lancer.
- Came Back Strong: Dustfinger acquires new abilities to play with fire after returning from death. One, the ability to leave his body at will, comes in handy during the Inkdeath climax.
- Character Development: Starting out as mysterious and decent, but easily scared and cowardish, he starts to grow more of a spine, especially when his daughter's life is on the line.
- Cynical Mentor: To Farid. At first he doesn't even want to have him around, but due to the boys stubbornness he relents and starts tutoring him. He maintains a rough edge and tries his best to hide his growing fondness of him.
- Disappeared Dad: He left two daughters (and his wife, Roxane) behind in the 'Inkworld' when Mo read him out. One has since died of illness.
- Famed In-Story: In his book he is popular for his exceptional skill with fire. They call him Fire-Dancer for good reason.
- Good Scars, Evil Scars: Dustfinger has three scars stretching across his face in books one and two, a result of Basta's deadly jealousy and rage. After he comes back from death, however, his scars have been washed away. Dustfinger comments to Farid that surprisingly enough, Roxane actually seems to miss them.
- Guile Hero: While he usually isn't much of a fighter, Dustfinger is clever and often knows how to play people (especially Basta) to get what he wants.
- Heroic Sacrifice: In the actual story, Dustfinger gave up his life to save Gwin. In Inkspell, he does this to save Farid from being killed by Basta.
- Intergenerational Friendship: He develops a close friendship with Meggie and Farid, both who are young enough to be his children. His relationship with the latter causes him to perform a Heroic Sacrifice.
- I Will Wait for You: In all his time in our world, not once did he forget about Roxane. Well, unless you count his relationship with Resa.
- Like a Son to Me: Dustfinger gradually warms up to Farid and eventually performs a Heroic Sacrifice for him because he can't bare his loss.
- Lovable Traitor: He's a pretty likable guy, even though he turns Mo and Meggie over to the Big Bad. Justified, in that Dustfinger holds no true loyalty towards Capricorn but has been on earth for ten years now and became desperate enough to believe in Capricorn's promise. The moment he breaks his promise to Dustfinger he turns on him and frees the heroes instead.
- Mr. Exposition: He provides his backstory to Meggie with a lot of dialogue.
- Papa Wolf: His main motivation to get back in his story is so that he'll be with his family again. Dustfinger is devastated when he finds out his younger daughter died during his absence and is willing to die in order to protect his elder daughter. He also performs a Heroic Sacrifice for Farid who basically became his adopted son.
- Playing with Fire: Dustfinger is a fire-eater, and as such can play around with fire without getting burnt. He's called the 'Fire-Dancer' in the Inkworld and is held in high regard. After his return from death he gains otherworldly gifts which he uses when he is handling fire.
- Scars Are Forever: Until Inkdeath, where they're erased.
- The Stoic: Dustfinger is usually pretty good at hiding his true feelings from other people. However...
- Not So Stoic: In Inkspell, when Farid is killed, he can´t bear it and exchanges his life for Farid's.
- Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: After his fateful encounter with Basta he has a deep dislike for knives. While he owns one he only ever uses it for slashing tires and threatening people until he can make a run for it.
- Wild Card: Because he keeps to himself and is primarily on his own side, no one knows what to expect from him.
- You Cannot Fight Fate: He tries to divert from his original fate when he reenters the book in Inkspell. He still follows through with his Heroic Sacrifice, only for Farid instead of Gwin.
- It's suggested by Farid in the film adaptation that he does escape this since Gwin isn't there.
Elinor
Meggie's great-aunt, and Resa's aunt. She lives in a grand house in Italy which is filled with priceless and old books.
- Bookworm: She has a wide collection of books and deems every one of them to be extremely valuable.
- Break the Haughty: Goes through this after Capricorn burns her house and precious books down. However, she bounces back.
- Character Development: She starts off as a crabby old woman who lived alone and starts to warm up to her niece's family.
- Deadpan Snarker: Several characters noted her sharp tongue, and Elinor tends to be quite outspoken even in the face of danger and lets everyone have a piece of her mind.
- Defrosting Ice Queen: Starts off as an aloof old lady who wants to be left alone but opens up when she starts to care about her great-niece and her niece’s husband.
- Fire-Forged Friends: With Darius.
- Maiden Aunt: Never married or had children; she is also aunt to Resa.
- Parental Neglect: Her father cared more about books than his family and constantly shut himself up in his library. When he died his daughters barely noticed his absence.
- Properly Paranoid: When Dustfinger agrees to take Meggie to Capricorn's village, Elinor insists that she go with them because she doesn't trust Dustfinger. Turns out she's right, as Dustfinger ends up betraying them to Capricorn.
Farid
A boy Mo read out of The Arabian Nights in Inkheart. Dustfinger took him under his wing and taught him to play with fire.
- Back from the Dead: Is resurrected from the dead after being fatally wounded at the end of Inkspell. However it comes at the cost of Dustfinger's life.
- Hero-Worshipper: He admires Dustfinger a great deal. His devotion to the man causes him to completely ignore Meggie, which leads to their breakup.
- Romantic False Lead: His interactions with Meggie imply that they will eventually develop a romance. As of Inkdeath, they have, but they break it off.
- Took a Level in Jerkass: He becomes significantly unlikeable in Inkdeath after he has started dating Meggie. Rather than devote his attention and devotion to her, he goes after other girls and focuses all his attention on Dustfinger. Unsurprisingly, this leads to Meggie leaving him for Doria.
Teresa "Resa" Folchart
Mo's wife and Meggie's mother who disappeared when Meggie was three years old.
- Absence Makes the Heart Go Yonder: Averted. Even though she is separated from Mo for ten years she never forgets him or moves on from him. She did have something with Dustfinger but she remained emotionally faithful to Mo.
- Babies Ever After: After the events of Inkdeath, she and Mo have a son who remains nameless in the epilogue.
- Claustrophobia: Has a fear of enclosed spaces and prisons after being held captive for so many years.
- Cute Mute: Is a beautiful lady who lost her voice after being read out of the Inkworld by Darius. She regains it when she returns to the Inkworld in Inkspell.
- Dark and Troubled Past: Was trapped in Inkheart because of her husband’s voice, and experienced a lot of pain and hardship during her time away.
- Fire-Forged Friends: With Dustfinger.
- Happy Ending Override: Just because she is finally free and reunited with her family doesn’t mean everything went back to the way it would’ve been if she’d never left. Though Meggie does get to know Resa and likes her, she favours her father a lot more. Their relationship is not as strong as it would’ve been and gets broken after Mo disappears while trying to contact the White Women in Inkdeath, as Meggie blames her for what happened to Mo.
- Happily Married: To Mo, before her disappearance and after her return.
- Intrepid Fictioneer: Travels into Inkheart (voluntarily this time) in the second book, along with Mo, Mortola and Basta in Inkspell.
- I Will Wait for You: She remained faithful to her husband, even when separated from him for years.
- Made a Slave: Was enslaved by Mortola after she was discovered to be a woman.
- Missing Mom: In Book 1, due to having been sucked into "Inkheart" years ago.
- Morning Sickness: In Book 3, because she is pregnant with her and Mo’s second child.
- Shapeshifting: Gains the ability to shapeshift into an animal after she obtains Mortola's berries and puts them in her mouth in Inkdeath. Transformation type, she turns into a swift.
- Sweet Polly Oliver: Disguised herself as a man for years after she was first trapped in the Inkworld.
- Trapped in Another World: Was sucked into “Inkheart” by her husband Mo nine years before the beginning of the series and didn’t have the means to get herself back out. After becoming one of Capricorn’s maids she was eventually read back into the real world by Darius.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Gives one to Mo in Inkdeath.
- Wholesome Crossdresser: Her first time in the Inkworld had her in men's clothing, which is fairly unusual there.
Fenoglio
The author of the in-universe book Inkheart, which he named after the black heart of Capricorn.
- A God Am I: In a sense, he's kind of right. He's created several characters with their own unique backstories and he has designed each of their fates.
- Break the Haughty: He's very conceited and is proud of what his writing has accomplished. However, there are moments where he realizes that he and everyone are in danger because of his work.
- Character Development
- Creator Breakdown: In-universe. He used to be so proud of what he had done as a writer. Once he begins to look at his world, that pride slowly diminishes.
- Heroic BSoD: He descends further into one the more out of control his own story's plot goes.
- Jerkass: At times, and always appropriately called out on it.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: He's a bit selfish, but he cares about his grandchildren and Meggie when they're in danger.
- Mr. Exposition: He happily explains everything he knows about his characters, thus proving to them that he is indeed their creator.
Darius
A shy Silvertongue with a stutter that damages the characters he reads out of books.
- Bookworm: A given; all people with his abilities are shown to be avid book readers.
- Shrinking Violet: Darius is demure and timid.
Orpheus
A passionate Bookworm who uses his abilities for personal advancement.
- A God Am I: Is very egomaniacal when he gets to the Inkworld, even comparing himself to a god.
- A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing: Presents himself as an inoffensive and sensitive Fanboy. He's actually extremely entitled and one of the most dangerous people in the saga.
- Ambiguously Bi: His interest for Dustfinger is very intense and seems romantic in nature. However, when he rejects him and Orpheus arrives in Inkheart he mainly pursues women.
- Camp Straight: Is very fixated on his appearance, decoration and luxury, and he's very flamboyant and a bit feminine, but he only shows explicit love interest for women.
- Casanova Wannabe: Proposes to Violante but is promptly rejected, and is implied to molest his maids.
- The Dandy: As soon as he gets money one of his priorities turns out to be fancy clothes.
- Fanboy: His love for Inkheart and Dustfinger is genuine, and the flip side, like with many real-life fandoms, is his entitlement over his beloved story.
- Green-Eyed Monster: Is jealous of Dustfinger's affection for Farid and purposefully leaves the boy in Earth.
- Homoerotic Subtext: His obsession for Dustfinger and his reaction when he's faced with rejection are much more logical if seen in a romantic light.
- I Just Want to Be Special: He has an overblown ego due to being a Silvertongue and he truly believes that he's superior. Being compared to Meggie infuriates him to no end. He also uses his abilities and knowledge of Earth technology to achieve fame and power once he gets to the Inkworld.
- Inferiority Superiority Complex: He has a very fragile ego and self-image, despite his grandiose demeanour and apparently overblown self-esteem.
- It's All About Me: He's extremely egotistical and self-centered.
- Man of Wealth and Taste: Uses his powers to get power and money, and uses it to buy expensive things.
- Narcissist: The only time he thinks about other people is when he's trying to win their admiration or affection.
- Small Name, Big Ego: He wants recognition for himself and gets very upset if he feels slighted.
- Smug Snake: Although he is a force to be reckoned with, his delusions of grandeur and constant underestimating of his rivals are his greatest weaknesses.
- The Sociopath: Sees other people mostly as props to use for his own ends.
- Technician vs. Performer: Although every Silvertongue must have a genuine love and passion for books to have their power, Orpheus' use of his abilities is extremely technical. He catalogues and registers every word used in the novel to ensure not using out-of-place words and he always makes sure to write everything in the same style, which is partly why he could not introduce himself in the book. On the other side, Meggie's outside-of-the-box thinking and love for writing helps her discover new ways to use her power, without ever checking the original text or even reading the book.
- Villainous Glutton: As his wealth and ego grow, so does his appetite (and girth)
Capricorn and the Fire-Raisers
Capricorn
The Big Bad of Inkheart in a very literal sense.
- Bad Boss: Despite the Fire-Raisers being unshakably loyal to him, Capricorn doesn't give a damn for any of them, stating that they're idiots for being loyal to him in the first place.
- Bald of Evil: In the film, due to having shaved it off. It also shows there that he used to have a Beard of Evil while living in the novel but is clean-shaven in the film itself. It's unclear how much of this holds true in the novel itself.
- Big Bad: Of Inkheart, both the first book and the book within the book.
- Dirty Old Man: Capricorn is implied to be one. When he first sees Meggie after 9 years he remarks that when she's 15 or 16 "She'll be a pretty little thing." Okay a little weird, but that's not all. He then makes a vague comment about how she'll be "useful to have around the place".
Uhhh... useful for what, exactly? But then it gets weirder, Capricorn the mentions that Meggie would have to be fattened up a little. So, this grown man sees a 12-year-old girl and envisions her as a [[
- Expy: Of Adolf Hitler himself, according to
Word of God. Holds true in-story, though it's not stated outright. - Freudian Excuse: It's not used to excuse his actions though, just to explain them. Fenoglio even points out that while it always existed, he deliberately left it out of the story.
- Faux Affably Evil: He can be polite and soft-spoken, but make no mistake, there is very little redeeming about him.
- I Choose to Stay: Unlike Dustfinger, who wants to go back home to his family, Capricorn likes living in the real world, mostly due to their technological breakthroughs.Capricorn: I love this world. Telephones, guns, and- what's that sticky stuff called?
Basta: Duct tape.'
Capricorn: Yes. Duct tape. I LOVE duct tape. - Karmic Death: He's destroyed by his own monster by the end of Inkheart.
- Meaningful Rename: After the constellation he was born under. His birth name is never revealed.
- Only Known by Their Nickname: He underwent a Meaningful Rename, most likely because he wanted to recreate his identity.
- The Sociopath: He's cold and calculative, has no remorse for harming children and makes people bend to his will by using their loved ones.
Basta
One of Capricorn's fire-raisers, often forced to do his dirty work.
- Arch-Enemy: To Dustfinger. They fought for Roxane's affections, only to have Roxane choose Dustfinger over him. He retaliated by cutting up his face.
- The Dragon: To Capricorn in Book 1, to Mortola onwards.
- Dragon Ascendant: Subverted, he doesn't actually lead Capricorn's fireraisers after his demise, due to the fact that most of them perished in Inkheart. He instead acts as The Heavy, in terms of having a more active role on the frontline (compared to Mortola and the Silver Prince.)
- Even Evil Has Standards: Unlike the other Fireraisers, Basta - despite his capacity for evil and cruelty - isn't really a sadist, nor does he Kick the Dog (certainly not For the Evulz). Even Dustfinger acknowledges this. It may explain why he wasn't erased/killed in the first book's climax, as well.
- Hero Killer: In Inkspell, he kills off Cloud-Dancer, and later Farid. The latter is revived only by Dustfinger's Heroic Sacrifice, and he in turn is only revived by Mo Balancing Death's Books and ensuring the Silver Prince dies as part of a bargain.
- Killed Off for Real: For emphasis, he Came Back Wrong in Inkdeath and was then defeated in a way that, at the very least, ensures he's dead for good.
- Knight of Cerebus: With the exception of sequences when he's incapacitated, he raised the threat level considerably. Though he doesn't actually harm anyone in the first book, in the second he kills Cloud-Dancer mid-way through the book, before pulverising Plot Armour by knifing Farid. In the third book, he is brought back by Orpheus as a Night-Mare, and is more dangerous than ever until Dustfinger realises who he really is and uses it to put him down for good.
- Psycho Knife Nut: He really, really likes his knife.
- Start of Darkness: According to Fenoglio, he has one of these, which is actually surprisingly sympathetic.
- Terms of Endangerment: He frequently calls Meggie "sweetheart" in the books. In the film, he mockingly calls her "princess".
- Would Hurt a Child: He's not above hurting Meggie, Farid or Fenoglio's grandchildren.
- You Need a Breath Mint: He chews on mint leaves because a girl he tried to court complained about his breath.
Mortola the Magpie
Keeper of the keys for Capricorn. Oh, and also his mother.
- Berserk Button: Insult her son and you will regret it.
- Big Bad Ensemble: With the Silver Prince in the second and third books, although she verges more on Big Bad Wannabe.
- Disney Villain Death: She averts one in the first book, but she, along with Basta, are killed in the second book.
- In the movie, she's one of the first people to die in the climax.
- Even Evil Has Loved Ones: She loves her son, which is why she assists him in his plans. She also plots her revenge for Capricorn's death.
- Roaring Rampage of Revenge: She wounds Mo for killing her son, Capricorn.
Inkworld Bandits
Roxane
Dustfinger's beautiful wife. Once a minstrel woman, she is now a healer and lives on a farm not far away from Ombra.
- Absence Makes the Heart Go Yonder: By the time Dustfinger finally returns home, he's been gone a decade, and Roxane has a son (by another man) who is nearly that old, so she can't have waited for him very long.
- Dude Magnet: She attracted Basta and Dustfinger's affections prior to her backstory. During the time that her husband is gone, she formed another relationship.
- I Will Wait for You: Somewhat straight. She fell in love with another man in the time that Dustfinger was gone. However, once he returns, she gradually accepts him back.
The Black Prince
A hero in the Inkworld, and Dustfinger's oldest friend. He is the leader of the strolling players and is always followed by his faithful bear.
Doria
A young member of the Black Prince's robber camp.
- Gadgeteer Genius: He's known for his knack for creating devices. It's implied by Fenoglio that he'll grow up to become a famous inventor, with many of his inventions inspired by his wife Meggie's stories about the real world.
- Nice Guy: He's always there when the others need a hand.
- Super-Strong Child: He's often stated to be rather strong for his age, stronger than Farid at least.
Inkworld Royalty
Princess Violante
The princess of Ombra, daughter of the villainous Adderhead and wife of the heroic prince Cosimo. A cold young woman with a love for books and stories.
- Absurdly Youthful Mother: At fourteen, she is the mother of a 5/6 year old. It doesn't add up quite well.
- Daddy's Little Villain: Presented as this to Mo and Meggie, although she strives to be different from her father.
- The Grotesque: Has a facial birthmark that disfigures her face. It disappears in Inkdeath, but it leads to an identity crisis on her behalf.
- Guile Hero: More like a Guile Anti-Hero, but she still tries to do the best for her people trough politics and cunning.
- Hot Guy, Ugly Wife: The scarred Violante was married to the handsome Cosimo.
- Living Emotional Crutch: Brianna is implied to be akin to this for her, and she struggles to keep her emotions in check without her.
- Parental Neglect: Suffered it from her father and now does it to Jacopo.
- Tough Leader Façade: Forces herself to appear emotionless in order to not be seen as fragile.
- Writers Cannot Do Math: She's theoretically fourteen, which means that she must have given birth to her son when she was around nine years old.
- While unlikely, this is possible with early puberty. The youngest mother ever in real life was only five years old.
Prince Jacopo
The heir of Ombra, a cruel and capricious little boy who wants to be respected like his grandfather.
- Enfant Terrible: He is prone to violence and tantrums, and has no qualms about threatening people with torture or death.
- Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas: Jacopo desperately wants love and attention from his mum. Seeing her suffer is one of the things that makes him betray the Adderhead.
- Kids Are Cruel: Jacopo is one of the most petty and violent characters in the saga.
- Parental Neglect: Violante ignores Jacopo as much as she can, focusing on her reading.
Prince Cosimo
The prince of Ombra, who's dead by the time our protagonists get to the kingdom.
- Back from the Dead: But not for long]
- Brainless Beauty: Although he is not dumb per se, he was completely disinterested in any intellectual activity.
- Hot-Blooded: He was quite impulsive and jumped to decisions and actions without thinking them through.
- Parental Neglect: Is implied to have had as little interest in Jacopo as his wife.
Brianna
Violante's maid and best friend, Brianna is the daughter of Dustfinger and fell in love with Cosimo.
- Friend Versus Lover: Brianna is in love with her best friend's husband. Violante is very much hurt by this and is jealous of both Cosimo (who gets time and attention from Brianna) and Brianna (who gets the love from Cosimo Violante could never have).
- Living Emotional Crutch: Was implied to be a downplayed version of this for the quite emotionally stunted Violante, which is why she was so hurt by her affair.
- The Lost Lenore: Cosimo is this for her.
- The Mistress: For Cosimo. They're implied to have had a stable relationship.
- So Beautiful, It's a Curse: Brianna's beauty never ends up helping her, but it does attract trouble.
