This page is for the original literary works by Alexandre Dumas only. Please place character tropes and actors associated with the various adaptations on their respective pages and add them in the index below if necessary.
Adaptations & non-Dumas works:
- The Three Musketeers (2011)
- The Musketeers (2014-2015)
- The Three Musketeers (2023, France)
For an index of the actors and actresses from Three Musketeers media who have their own page on this wiki, see here.
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The Musketeers
D'Artagnan
A young man from Gascony who leaves his family to join the King's Musketeers. He ends up becoming friends with the Three Musketeers and soon joins them on their various adventures and becomes involved with the intrigues of the royal court.
- 10-Minute Retirement: Three times in The Vicomte de Bragelonne. The first time to help reinstate Charles II of England, the second time because King Louis has imprisoned Athos in the Bastille, and the third time when he feels betrayed by the King after the siege of Belle-Ile.
- The Alleged Steed: His yellow horse, which he disposes of as soon as he reaches Paris. It shows up again when Porthos is given an insult by his mistress.
- Almighty Janitor: He's promoted to Captain-Lieutentant (the leader) of the Musketeers at the end of Twenty Years Later. By his return in Le Vicomte de Bragelonne he's lost his promotion due to Mazarin's scheming, but is the leader in all but rank.
- Book Dumb:
- He has no interest in academia, yet he's the group's idea man. The group sometimes goes into dangerous situations without much planning, confident that "d'Artagnan will think of something". And he does.
- As part of his Character Development in the sequels, he seems to have overcome this.
- Catchphrase: "Mordioux!"
- Character Development:
- In the first book he is an ambitious and passionate rookie with a lot of potential. Twenty years of a soldier's life without any promotion or reward and Perpetual Poverty make him very pragmatic, especially when it comes to money, and while he is still loyal to the royal house, he isn't naive about it.
- His Jumped at the Call tendency to fight is gone by the final book. When De Wardes (the son of the man d'Artagnan dueled and tricked in the first book) attempts to cause trouble with Raoul and the others, d'Artagnan steps in to talk things out and avoid any bloodshed.
- Colonel Badass: In The Vicomte of Bragelonne — as a lieutenant and captain of the king's Musketeers he becomes the equivalent of a colonel and major-general of the regular army.
- Dude, Where's My Reward?:
- D'Artagnan has spent twenty years without promotion, despite the queen Anne he and his friends saved becoming the sole ruler of France. He is pretty disgruntled about it.
- At the end of the first sequel, he's promoted to Captain-Lieutenant of the Musketeers. By the next book, he's been demoted as soon as his leverage over Mazarin fades, although he's still their leader in all but name.
- Gold Digger: In a way in Twenty Years After. He's having an affair with his landlady mainly to keep his rent down or free.
- The Hero: He is the main protagonist of the trilogy that starts with him Jumping at the Call and ends with his death.
- Hot-Blooded: He's frequently described as hot-blooded, and his Gascon heritage is blamed. Gascons were the French equivalent of Violent Glaswegian in Dumas' era.
- Jumped at the Call: Leaves home as soon as he is an adult to find his fortune with his sword arm.
- Master Swordsman: By the second book, D'Artagnan is equal to or surpassed his friends; having bested Rouchefort several times in a duel. Heck, even near the age of 50, D'Artagnan's skills have not atrophied one bit.
- The Napoleon: He's described as quite short and thin, but it doesn't seem to bother him. He is extremely Hot-Blooded in the first book, but even in Twenty Years After, when he's matured a lot, he challenges two of his best friends to a duel because they bruised his ego.
- Pint-Sized Powerhouse: Despite the above, D'Artagnan is much stronger than an average man. It's to be expected when one doesn't immediately die from a cannonball to the chest.
Athos, the Comte de La Fère
The oldest of the Musketeers. He is melancholy and stoic yet becomes a sort of father figure to d'Artagnan. He is actually a nobleman and was married to Milady de Winter yet tried (and failed) to hang her after he discovered that she was branded as a thief. He has a son named Raoul in the later books who he is very fond of.
- The Ace: He's essentially the perfect gentleman. He was born into high rank, has impeccable manners, a thorough education, and outstanding skill at arms. However, he also spends a lot of his life squandering his quality due to poor luck and a morose personality. He's also a pretty lousy hangman.
- The Alcoholic: He's almost always Drowning His Sorrows, but Never Gets Drunk (or at least doesn't show it).
- Broken Ace: He's outstanding for his looks, thorough education, martial prowess, and social graces. Unfortunately, he is also a somewhat misogynistic alcoholic with truly terrible luck, though he is less misogynistic than horribly distrustful of women, because he married the patron saint of Bitch in Sheep's Clothing, Milady de Winter. Athos really achieves this status in the later books, when his faith in Royalty is shattered when the king takes his son's fiancee as his mistress.
- Celibate Hero: After his disastrous marriage he absolutely refuses to ever let a woman into his heart again. Twenty Years After shows that one-night-stands are fine however.
- Characterization Marches On: In the first book, he's a snarky Byronic Hero who drinks too much. After his son's birth he straightens up and becomes much more virtuous. His friends consider him the perfect nobleman.
- Drowning My Sorrows: He's prone to this. It's depicted as habitual and inexplicable until he tells his I Have This Friend story.
- Dual Wielding: He's as an accomplished fencer with his left hand as his right, and you knew there was trouble when he'd pick up a second sword.
- He-Man Woman Hater: He has a strong hatred of women, particularly blondes. Having your wife Milady turn out to be a branded thief will do that to a man. She's even worse when they meet again.
- Honor-Related Abuse: Milady hid her branded thief status when they got married. Since marriage to a branded thief disgraced him and his family, he executed her for her betrayal (or so he thought). Unlike most modern examples of this trope Athos isn't portrayed as wrong for doing so and neither does he consider his honor restored by the act. It's shown just how devastated he is for losing his honour and failing his family.
- Impoverished Patrician: He is of a very noble kin, but his earldom is rather poor.
- Innocent Blue Eyes: He has "azure" eyes, presumably as a symbol of his pureness.
- The Lancer: Where d'Artagnan is Hot-Blooded, ambitious, somewhat idealistic and the youngest member of the group, Athos is brooding, apathetic, cynical and the oldest member of the group, about a decade older than him. In the sequel d'Artagnan turns into a jaded pragmatic due to decades of military service away from his friends, while Athos becoming a father and striving to be a good example for his son results in him sometimes falling into Honor Before Reason.
- Lawful Stupid: In the later books displays some elements of this and Honor Before Reason. Even Aramis notes it, telling Athos he'd be a general who only fights by daylight and informs the enemy of the time of the attack.
- Luke, I Might Be Your Father: Possibly to Mordaunt. It would explain why he's so skilled with a sword.
- Magnetic Hero: In Twenty Years After, he and Aramis go to England to help King Charles I while d'Artagnan and Porthos (acting on Mazarin's orders) are supposed to be on Oliver Cromwell's side. It takes Athos one scene to convince d'Artagnan that a true gentleman can only fight on the king's side.
- Never Gets Drunk: He's described as having the capacity of four men, but hardly shows it. It takes a two week binge of ten bottles a day for us to see him unsteady on his feet. Even then, he can tell an I Have This Friend story almost perfectly.
- Never Got to Say Goodbye: He despairs for a moment when Charles' execution goes on anyway, but manages to sneak under the stand and say his goodbyes to the king and receive his last instructions.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Especially if Mordaunt was indeed his son. Despite knowing about Mordaunt in the first book, Athos pretty much ignored the possibility that they were family until it became too late.
- Old Master: By the third book, Athos is this. Despite his advanced age, he can still defeat 8 soldiers in an instant.
- Outliving One's Offspring: He doesn't live long after he hears of his son, Raoul's, death.
- Papa Wolf: In Vicomte de Bragelonne, when Athos learns that the king took his son's beloved Louise as his mistress, he gives the king an epic What the Hell, Hero? Speech.
- Stupid Good: In Twenty Years After, while on the run from the Queen (who wants to throw them in the Bastille), he learns that d'Artagnan and Porthos have already been captured. His response is to go to the Queen and ask her to release them, which — surprise, surprise — leads to him being imprisoned too. (And that's not even mentioning the times he stops his friends from killing the villain.)
- Team Dad: Athos usually has the last word in the group's plans. Every other member looks up to him and values his opinion about them more than everyone else's. Particularly notable with d'Artagnan who is almost a surrogate son for him in the first book.
Porthos, Chevalier, later Baron du Vallon de Bracieux de Pierrefonds
One of the Musketeers. A strong but simple fellow who forms perhaps the emotional core of the Musketeers.
- Big Fun: He starts off the rollicking, boozing, woman-chasing party animal of the Musketeers. As the series wears on, he seems to get physically larger every time he's described, until by the final book, he's practically a giant.
- The Big Guy: His size and strength seems to grow with each book. In the sequels, Porthos has killed full grown fighters and even a bovine with his fists.
- Big Guy Fatality Syndrome: In The Vicomte De Bragelonne: when a massively enormous rock threatens to crush the entire party, guess who's the one to hold it, sacrificing his own life in the process? Obviously, Porthos. Dumas goes one for about half a page then explaining how
no other living human before or after could have managed such a feat. - Boisterous Bruiser: More and moreso as the books go on. Makes sense, since his strength grows too. His boisterousness bites him in the ass once, when his temper allows a cardinal's agent to lure him into duel and Porthos gets run thorough with a sword before he can react. In his next fight he is much more careful and collected.
- Does Not Know His Own Weight: He once destroys a chair just by sitting in it. Made even funnier by his deadpan delivery of "Excuse me, but I need a new chair, I've broken this one".
- Dying Moment of Awesome: At Locmaria in The Man in the Iron Mask - he temporarily holds a huge rock that would have otherwise crushed his compatriots to allow his friends to escape before it kills him. It's not for nothing the chapter called "The Death of a Titan".
- Gold Digger: Seduces and later marries a rich attorney's old wife for her husband's money. (He misses her after she dies, though.)
- I Call It "Vera": In Twenty Years After, his favorite rapier is called "Balizarde", after the hero's sword in The Song of Roland. Which is strange, since Roland wielded Durendal and the word Balizarde never appears in the poem.
- Jumped at the Call: He's overjoyed at the chance to finally receive a noble title. The fact that he's bored out of his mind due to his neighbors being terrified of fighting him doesn't help.
- Load-Bearing Hero: He does this in The Vicomte de Bragelonne, resulting in a Heroic Sacrifice and possibly the first time Aramis ever shed tears.
- Nouveau Riche: His family were commoners only a few generations back. He may be overcompensating just a little bit; in the first sequel part of his motivation is acquiring a barony for his estates to legitimize his wealth.
- The Strength of Ten Men: He's very proud of it, even if he sometimes breaks stuff without meaning to. His father and grandfather were apparently even stronger.
- Stronger with Age: Until his legs decide to have different ideas...
- Took a Level in Badass: Was actually defeated in a duel by Richelieu's men in the first book. By Twenty Years After, he can match Athos and/or Aramis with a sword.
- Unwitting Pawn: It's very unlikely he would have gone along with Aramis' plans in The Vicomte de Bragelonne if he'd known exactly what they entailed.
- The Upper Crass: A gentleman (in the original sense) rather than a commoner, a very straightforward Boisterous Bruiser, and a Nouveau Riche at the end of the first book. However, he longs for some official title, which is the way d'Artagnan gets him to join in his mission. While very friendly and not overly-bright, Porthos is acutely aware that he lacks the refined manners of other noblemen, and so always looks to copy Aramis and Athos' aristocratic attitudes.
Aramis, AKA René d'Herblay
The last of the Musketeers, Aramis originally intended to join the priesthood but ended up as a soldier after he got into a fight with another man. He is scholarly and provides common sense for the other three. In the later books he does become a priest and then later Bishop of Vannes. He also attempts to have Louis XIV replaced with his identical twin brother.
- As the Good Book Says...: He does this almost as a sort of Catchphrase, annoying his friends with his primly Holier Than Thou attitude. In the second book he does it ironically, but after his Face–Heel Turn in the third, the hypocrisy is back.
- Badass Bookworm: Despite being a thorough womanizer and elite soldier, he's also an academic with a passion for the clergy. Unfortunately, as he says himself when a soldier he feels a calling for the clergy and vice versa.
- Badass Decay: Was easily among the best fighters shown in the book. Unlike his friends though, Aramis' age took its toll on him by the third book, not helped by his case of gout.
- The Casanova:
- Mainly in the second book. He is a lover of Madame de Longueville, whose son is heavily implied to be his, and gets it on with his other 'spirit daughters'.
- Ironically, his mistress from the first book becomes the mother of Raoul alongside Athos, and Aramis considers killing her in the final book when she presents a threat to his plans.
- Establishing Character Moment: His backstory as he tells it to d'Artagnan in the first book. After spending most of the first 20 years of his life in a Jesuit college he was gravely insulted by a romantic rival. He then put off his ordination for a year and spent that year learning how to fight (something most noblemen would have been taught from childhood) just so he could kill the guy in a duel. For all his poetry-writing, his Scripture-quoting and his Camp Straight manner, Aramis is not someone you want to cross.
- Evil Jesuit: In the sequels, he becomes a Jesuit priest (and later vicar-general of the order) and turns into a Manipulative Bastard, often working against his former comrades-in-arms.
- Face–Heel Turn:
- In The Man in the Iron Mask, he alone (with Porthos tricked into it as dumb muscle) initiates the plot to replace the King with his long-imprisoned twin brother—which is actually foiled with D'Artagnan's assistance, although Fouquet takes the major credit and thus postpones his downfall by a few days. The point being that it turns out the kingdom is best served by having the original Louis as king, Colbert as finance minister, and D'Artagnan in charge of the army, than it ever would have been served by his brother who, knowing nothing about the state of affairs but what Aramis told him, would have had to rely completely on Aramis and leave the likeable but corrupt Fouquet to embezzle and squander what was left of the treasury, and that D'Artagnan's loyalty to Louis ends up being the right choice, and Aramis's plot therefore makes him a traitor and a true Face Heel Turn since he betrays not only his King but also the whole Musketeers group by an act that he knew neither D'Artagnan nor Athos could be persuaded into, and Porthos only by trickery. And the irony being that Fouquet plays a major role in saving Louis even though he knows Louis is working for his downfall, and it was in his interest to cooperate with the substitution: and Louis's first act after being saved is to dispose of Fouquet in favour of Colbert.
- Part of the point of the book is that some of the older generation (like Athos) believe that a nobleman's duty is to serve the king no matter what. Aramis' actions violate this principle (and he manipulates Porthos into doing the same); d'Artagnan isn't sure what to think about this but ultimately lands on the side of the King.
- Irony: He spends the first book as a musketeer desperately looking for an excuse to put down his sword and become a priest. By the second, he's a successful priest but longs to be a man of action again.
- Laser-Guided Karma: Arguably in the last book. Aramis' plans ultimately fail and force him to retreat from France. Worse, his closest friends all die, with Aramis left to feel guilt for his selfish actions.
- Nun Too Holy: Becomes a male version of this in the second book. He has finally become a priest yet his lifestyle is more of a Musketeer and he even brings his mistresses to his monastic cell.
- Sole Survivor: By the end of The Man in the Iron Mask, the rest of the Musketeers are dead, leaving Aramis as the sole surviving member.
Others
Planchet
D'Artagnan's highly competent valet (and friend), who later retires to open a grocery shop.
- Androcles' Lion: At the end of the book Rochefort helps him to become an army sergeant. In the sequel Planchet returns the favor by staging Rochefort's escape when the latter is moved to prison.
- Cowardly Lion: Complains about getting into danger but gets the job done.
- Friendly Enemy: He and d'Artagnan end up on opposite sides of the Fronde, but work together at times to avoid unnecessary bloodshed.
- Took a Level in Badass: During the time skip between the first and second books, he's served as a non-commissioned officer in the army, become a rich grocer, and in the course of the Fronde becomes one of the main organizers of the barricades. By the final book he's become rich enough to have a country retreat, which he lends to to d'Artagnan and Porthos.
Grimaud
Athos' valet. Athos ordered Grimaud to speak only in emergencies, and he generally only communicates through sign language.
- The Mole: In Twenty Years After he goes undercover as a prison guard to pass the Jail Bake to the Duke of Beaufort.
- Human Pack Mule:
- Odd Friendship: After the rescue plot is revealed, the Duke of Beaufort drops his animosity for Grimaud and instead becomes his friend. By the final book, Grimaud carries on a better rapport with Beaufort than with Athos.
- The Voiceless: As noted, by Athos' command. By the second book Athos has given him leave to speak, but by then he's grown used to being quiet. When he does speak, he's very monosyllabic. When Athos dies in the last book, Grimaud cries without a sound.
Milady de Winter
A seductive spy who works for Cardinal Richelieu. She is involved in first the plot with the Queen's diamonds and then in the assassination attempt on the Duke of Buckingham. She turns out to be Athos' wife who he thought was dead.
- Animal Motifs: Frequently gets compared to a panther, a tigress and a snake.
- Batman Gambit: Her ability to pull off these is what makes her formidable — if she's unable to carry out an assassination she can just get someone else to do it for her. Cardinal Richelieu is the story's specialist.
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: She often sweet talks people into letting their guard down before murdering them.
- Enigmatic Minion: During part 1 she only sporadically appears from time to time doing the cardinal's bidding.
- Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep": She's known as "Milady", which is just French for "my lady". A fitting appellation for The Vamp, but not an actual name. Every other Milady has ever taken in the book is instead an alias. One wonder if she's called that because she's just a Phrase Catcher of that...
- Femme Fatale: One of the best and earliest examples from literature.
- Fleur-de-lis: An important plot point is that Milady has her shoulder branded with a fleur-de-lis, which marks her as a convicted felon.
- Hot for Preacher: She's a nun who has seduced a monk and left the convent, only to abandon the monk to marry Athos, only to abandon him to marry Lord de Winter, whom she poisons. She is not a nice Milady.
- I Have Many Names: She uses or is referred to by the following names throughout the novel:
- Charlotte Backson (the name Milady's brother-in-law, Lord de Winter, attempts to bestow upon her in his plan to banish her to the colonies)
- Anne de Breuil (the name Athos knew Milady by when he met her)
- Comtesse de La Fère (the title and name Milady assumed when she married Athos, who was Comte de La Fère at the time)
- Milady de Winter, Baroness of Sheffield (the general name Milady is referred to throughout the story)
- Lady Clarick (a variation on the previous name; in some English translations, this is translated as Clarisse or Clarice). Athos even makes a sober gibe at that (at least he did in d'Artagnan And Three Musketeers): "So many of you and so few of me..."
- Karmic Death: In Ken Ludwig's stage adaptation, she gets stabbed and killed in a duel with Athos, the man whom she manipulated.
- Knight of Cerebus: In Ken Ludwig’s stage adaptation of the books. Compared to Rochefort and Ravanche, who are a simple Bumbling Henchmen Duo who fail to accomplish much, things become much more serious when Milady is on stage.
- Manipulative Bitch:
- Especially prominent when she manages to persuade John Felton, her jailer, to kill the most powerful man in England, and a good friend of De Winter (Felton's beloved commander officer): the Duke of Buckingham.
- In the movie, De Winter's role is taken by Buckingham himself, which makes Milady's feat even more memorable: she convinced Felton to murder the man who was a father figure to him, as well as his boss.
- Mark of Shame: Milady's fleur-de-lis brand marks her as a criminal. She keeps it concealed by her clothing and will kill anyone who sees it.
- More than Mind Control: She can convince even people who know she's evil to change their minds and do her bidding.
- Taken to such extremes that, while under guard by the musketeers' lackeys, Athos and Lord de Winter immediately change her guards the instant they perceive she has simply spoken to them."Change these lackeys, she has spoken to them. They are no longer sure."
- Taken to such extremes that, while under guard by the musketeers' lackeys, Athos and Lord de Winter immediately change her guards the instant they perceive she has simply spoken to them.
- Naughty Nuns: Was originally a nun but seduced the local priest and persuaded him to rob his church.
- No One Could Survive That!: Athos hangs her and leaves her for dead. Even later, he remains skeptical of the news of her return. The Musketeers have better luck the second time, at the end of the book.
- Off with His Head!: She's beheaded close to the end of the book for the various murders she committed or had done, and her body dumped in a convenient river.
- Poisonous Captive: She seduces her jailer and twists him into an assassin that kills the Duke of Buckingham.
- The Sociopath: Only ever cares about herself, good at manipulating people to serve her needs, doesn't at all mind to murder when it suits her.
- Talking Your Way Out:
- She's imprisoned by the Duke of Buckingham under the care of John Felton, and not only convinces Felton to free her, but also to assassinate the Duke.
- Not long before the execution she talks to her guards. The guards seem unimpressed, but the musketeers take no chances and replace them.
- Later she talks to d'Artagnan and almost convinces him to free her. He has to be restrained.
- The Vamp: She is incredibly beautiful and knows how to use it to manipulate men, up to and including sex if that's what it takes to achieve her goals. Said goals frequently involve murder, with the man getting disposed of once he outlives his usefulness.
- Wounded Gazelle Gambit: She presents herself as the victim of Buckingham's sadism to the fanatical John Felton (a Puritan who thinks Buckingham is a hedonist leading England to its ruin), claiming not only that he kidnapped and raped her, but also branded her so that no one would believe her if she talked.
Madame Constance Bonacieux
D'Artagnan's Love Interest and the Queen's servant who is involved in affair with the Duke of Buckingham. She is also married to Monsieur Bonacieux.
- Damsel in Distress: She gets successfully kidnapped twice, not considering the time d'Artagnan saves her.
- Series Continuity Error: Somehow went from brown-haired in early chapters to blonde near the end. Did they have hair dye in the 17th century?note
- Mal Mariée: She is in her twenties, while her husband, a greedy coward, is in his fifties. She is romantically involved with the much younger d'Artagnan.
Monsieur Bonacieux
D'Artagnan's landlord and the husband of his Love Interest Constance. He gets recruited by the Cardinal who sends him to spy after them.
- The Atoner: In Twenty Years After he is guilt-ridden over his role in his wife's death and wishes only for his sins to be forgiven.
- The Dog Bites Back: After d'Artagnan brags to him about his upcoming date (not realizing Bonacieux knows he is talking about Constance) he takes an active part in her kidnapping.
- Rewarded as a Traitor Deserves: When he unwisely asks the Cardinal for money despite having ceased to be useful for him, the latter promises him his needs will always be taking care of from now on—and throws him into the Bastille.
- Took a Level in Badass: In Twenty Years After, believe it or not. After several years in prison he becomes a Parisian beggar. Not very badass? Except he is the foreman of Parisian beggars who can gather an army of them overnight.
Comte de Rochefort
An agent of Cardinal Richelieu who mocks d'Artagnan's horse and steals his letter at the beginning of the book. He keeps reappearing throughout the novel to make trouble for the Musketeers.
- Aristocrats Are Evil: His name and fanciful style of dress heavily imply that he's an earl or count, and he's one of Richelieu's go-to mooks for dirty work.
- The Bully: Upon first meeting D'Artagnan, he mocks his horse, orders his men to assault the boy after he stands up for himself, and steals his letter to Treville.
- Bumbling Henchmen Duo: In Ken Ludwig’s stage adapation, he forms one with a Canon Foreigner named Ravanche.
- Defeat Means Friendship:
- After d'Artagnan defeats him in several duels at the end of the book, the two become close friends.
- In 20 Years After when they first reunite after years apart, the two are ecstatic to see one another despite the circumstances. When Mazarin makes Rochefort a Reluctant Retiree, the comte uses the opportunity to get his friend the job in his place.
- Good Scars, Evil Scars: He's a villain in the first book and is recognized by his facial scar.
- Nothing Personal: Doesn't really bear ill will toward d'Artagnan, only acting against him to serve the cardinal.
- Obviously Evil: He's described as a pale man with dark hair with a facial scar dressed in purple. Not arbitrary in a narrative sense, as these traits make him easily memorable to d'Artagnan after his attack early in the novel.
- Reluctant Retiree: In Twenty Years After Mazarin refuses his services (and sends him back to prison) because 'You are too old'. After making his getaway, Rochefort is determined to prove him wrong and actively helps his enemies.
Cardinal Richelieu
The scheming minister of Louis XIII who plans to expose the Queen's involvement with the Duke of Buckingham. He organizes the death of Buckingham for the greater good of France. Richelieu is of course an historical figure; the franchise established his fame as a Chessmaster/Sinister Minister Anti-Villain, but the historical Richelieu earned it.
- Anti-Villain: He does have France's best interests at heart.
- Badass Preacher: Priests aren't really supposed to be on the battlefield, but Richelieu makes his own rules. Much of the strategy in the siege of La Rochelle comes from him.
- Benevolent Boss: Once the Musketeers start to see him as a Worthy Opponent. In fact, he's the one who not only gives d'Artagnan a posting in the Musketeers (previously being a member of the elite but slightly less so Kingsguard) but later an officer's commission.
- Churchgoing Villain: First off, he tried to become the Queen's lover. Not only is this adultery (she is married), but as a Catholic priest, Richelieu is supposed to remain celibate. When she rejects him, he plots to turn the King against her by exposing her affair with the Duke of Buckingham. He also wants to start a war between England and France.
- Evil Chancellor: He endeavors to have control over France, but does not want to deal with the tedious parts of ruling and is quite happy to be The Man Behind the Man in regards to the king.
- Graceful Loser:
- After D'Artagnan and friends have defeated his scheme, he acts in the only manner he can, being who he is... he offers D'Artagnan a job. Talent like that shouldn't be wasted. (It is earlier mentioned in the book that the Cardinal is incapable of being vengeful, because the pursuit of vengeance really gets in the way of the pursuit of power.)
- While his scheme is defeated, at best it is a minor inconvenience to the Cardinal who is far too powerful for anything that the Musketeers do to actually harm or seriously affect him and his position. That he offers D'Artagnan a job still counts as this trope, however, as if he wished he could crush the young Musketeer without effort.
- After D'Artagnan and friends have defeated his scheme, he acts in the only manner he can, being who he is... he offers D'Artagnan a job. Talent like that shouldn't be wasted. (It is earlier mentioned in the book that the Cardinal is incapable of being vengeful,
- Historical Villain Upgrade: Discussed and downplayed in Twenty Years After, where the Musketeers view him as a cunning but capable Anti-Villain, contrasting him with the miserly and conniving Cardinal Mazarin.
- Karma Houdini: Despite opposing the Musketeers through most of the first book, winds up just as powerful as he was when the book started. He can even give d'Artagnan a promotion, acknowledging him as a Worthy Opponent.
- Killed Offscreen: His historical counterpart died in 1642, and so this fictional version also dies in the twenty year Time Skip between the first and second installment, naming Mazarin as his successor.
- Pragmatic Villainy: His modus operandi. He's never needlessly cruel nor does things just For the Evulz, but only what is practical to further his power.
- Villain with Good Publicity: Despite his treasonous intent behind closed doors, he's well respected by the public at large, given that he's the head of the staunchly Catholic 17th Century France's church.
- Vow of Celibacy: Being a cardinal and all, he's supposed to be celibate. However, he's revealed to have made unsuccessful advances to the queen, a fact used both to illustrate his character and to add to his motivations (since he's bitter at being rebuffed).
- Wicked Cultured: Just like his Real Life counterpart, he's an outstanding politician and diplomat, hardened veteran, poet and playwright.
- Woman Scorned: A male example; we learn, fairly late on into the story, that one of the reasons he's determined to bring down the Queen is because she rejected his love. (Highly unlikely in Real Life, as we have it well on record that Richelieu disliked Anne as much as she did him.)
Cardinal Mazarin
Jules Mazarin, the prime minister of France during Twenty Years After and the start of Le Vicomte de Bragelonne. Unlike his predecessor Richelieu, he's disliked by almost everyone for his policies and for being an Italian running France in all but full authority, leading to the main conflict in the second book.
- Anti-Villain: He's not as noble as Richelieu, but he is trying to build up France into a strong nation.
- Evil Is Petty: Perhaps his defining trait is that he's miserly and works to stop anyone who slights him.
- Generation Xerox: Like his predecessor, he's a Catholic cardinal working as First Minister, disliked by the Musketeers, and interested in Queen Anne. Subverted in that he's disliked by the people as well for his policies, being a foreigner, and for being miserly. The Musketeers say that Richelieu was a lion, and Mazarin a fox. Also, he's got Anne's affections, unlike Richelieu.
- Killed Off for Real: Already sickly at the start of the third book, he dies at the end of the first section, setting up the political power struggle between Fouquet and Colbert.
- Sinister Minister: He's an antagonist and a cardinal, and romantically involved with Queen Anne. It's suspected by many that the Real Life Mazarin never took vows of chastity and might have even secretly married the Queen.
Louis XIII
The capricious King of France in the first book who wages war against the Protestants at La Rochelle and suspects that his wife is having an affair with the Duke of Buckingham.
Anne of Austria
The Queen of France. She is suspected of having an affair with Buckingham and is nearly brought down by Milady and the Cardinal. After Louis XIII's death, she becomes Queen Regent for her son Louis XIV, ruling jointly with Cardinal Mazarin (who she also marries secretly).
George Villiers, the Duke of Buckingham
The first minister of England who aids the Protestants at La Rochelle. He woos Anne of Austria and, as such, jeopardizes France because this allows Cardinal Richelieu to try and discredit the Queen. Thanks to Milady, he is murdered by John Felton.
- Dead Guy Junior: His son appears in the final volume, and takes after him in some ways.
- Foregone Conclusion: His death in 1628.
- Historical In-Joke: He really was assassinated in Real Life, although not for the reasons mentioned in the novel.
- If I Can't Have You…: He's willing to spark a war if he couldn't have Anne of Austria, the (married) Queen of France. He specifically notes that many thousands of people would be killed in such a war.
Mordaunt AKA John Francis de Winter
Son of Milady and right-hand man of Oliver Cromwell. In Twenty Years After he learns of his mother's murder and goes on to take revenge on the people responsible.
- Antagonistic Offspring: It is hinted that Athos may be his father and Athos suspects as much.
- The Atoner: He attempts it just once, trying to reconcile with his uncle and get his inheritance. When that fails, he goes back to his plans. The next time he sees his uncle is on the battlefield and he shoots him through the heart.
- Avenging the Villain: One of his main goals is to avenge Milady. The other is to avenge himself.
- Bad Habits: Is introduced disguised as a monk. He uses the position to get a confession out of the wounded Executioner of Lille, before tormenting him and killing him.
- Contrasting Sequel Antagonist: Milady is a woman who manipulates or just pays others to do the dirty work for her or uses poison, when she has to do it personally. The one time she gets into a physical confrontation with a man she only survives because d'Artagnan isn't trying to kill her. Mordaunt is a man who kills his targets personally and directly. The one time he tries indirect means it blows up in his face. Literally. Lampshaded by d'Artagnan when he offers the cornered Mordaunt a duel.
- The Farmer and the Viper: After everything Mordaunt has done, including trying to murder the Musketeers literally minutes ago, Athos tries to save him from drowning anyway. So what Mordaunt does? Drags him underwater because this is what his mom would want.
- Knight of Cerebus: Every time he shows up in Twenty Years After, things get dark.
- Manipulative Bastard: Plays nearly everyone to his ends, even Cromwell.
- Roaring Rampage of Revenge: Just about everything he does. Him working for Cromwell in the first place is this too, since he does it because Charles I disinherited him (and his uncle refused to acknowledge him as a relative).
- Stronger Than They Look: Despite the skinny build and sickly look he is strong enough to cut off King Charles' head with a single stroke and go toe-to-toe with d'Artagnan.
- The Ugly Guy's Hot Daughter: Inverted. While not exactly ugly, he looks rather repulsive due to his gauntness and fanaticism, in contrast to his attractive mother.
The Duc de Beaufort
The Duke of Beaufort is a member of the royal family by an illegitimate branch, imprisoned by Mazarin before the start of Twenty Years After. A member of the anti-Mazarin Fronde movement, he escapes with the help of Grimaud on Whitsunday, befriends Athos, and becomes a major figure in the Fronde rebellion. He's also veers on being a Talkative Loon, known for his malapropisms.
- Bunny-Ears Lawyer: He's a malaproping fast talker who can sound quite mad at times. He's also a badass commander and fighter, and immensely popular with Parisians, making him a skilled organizer.
- Heroic Bastard: Sort of. His father was an illegitimate son of Louis XIV's grandfather, making Beaufort part of an illegitimate branch. He's on the side of good though, and capable and assertive.
- Odd Friendship: Really. He talkative and eccentric, a descendant of a previous king, and he shows the most affection for Grimaud, a Silent Snarker servant.
- Warrior Prince: Sort of. He's a duke, not a prince, but he is a member of the royal family, and a capable military commander who joins the fighting, in the books and in Real Life.
Raoul-Auguste-Jules de Bragelonne
Athos's son by Madame de Chevreuse, born a few years after the end of the first book. The official story is that he's an orphan Athos adopted, but the truth is obvious to anyone who sees them together. He grows up to be a perfect gentleman and soldier, but his life is complicated by his love for his childhood friend Louise de La Vallière.
- Age Lift: Inverted. He's 15 in the second book to make him just old enough to join the action. When his age is given in the third book, it would have made him 12 or 13 in his debut.
- Driven to Suicide: He goes to war with the intention of allowing himself to be killed. He succeeds.
- Generation Xerox: From his ace status to his fighting style, he takes after his adopted (and actually biological) father Athos. He also shares a personal problem that haunts him (for Athos, it's Milady, for Raoul, it's not knowing his mother).
- Informed Ability: In the last book he is said to be a great swordsman (de Saint-Aignan is afraid to fight him) but since he never gets to fight anyone we never get to see it.
- Jumped at the Call: Joined the army at 15 and went straight to front lines.
- Mysterious Benefactor: His biological mother Madame de Chevreuse (Aramis's mistress from the first book) becomes this after Athos clues her in on Raoul's identity.
- Unlucky Childhood Friend: He's loved Louise since they were kids, but when they're old enough to marry she falls in love with the King.
Madame de Chevreuse
An exiled friend of Queen Anne and Aramis' mistress, she later has one-night-stand with Athos that results in Raoul.
- The Ghost: In the first book she is frequently mentioned but never appears in person. Lampshaded in Twenty Years After.
- I Have This Friend: How she recounts the adventure 'Marie Michon' had with one country priest.
- Silver Vixen: In Twenty Years After she is old enough to have grandchildren and Athos is worried about Raoul possibly falling for her. Ironically in the next book she turns into the opposite trope.
