Characters / The Wizards of Once

Main Characters

Xar

Xar was a wild young human boy who belonged to the Wizard tribe. He was a cheerful scruff of a boy, with a tremendous quiff of hair shooting upward from his forehead as if it had accidentally come into contact with some invisible vertical hurricane. Xar was the most disobedient boy in the Wizard kingdom in about four generations, and forbidding things only encouraged him.

Xar is one of the two main characters of the series. He is the son of Encanzo the king of wizards, but still magic less at thirteen year old.

• Ain't Too Proud to Beg: Subverted. Xar won't beg for Squeezjoos's life, though he comes close to breaking and confessing who stole the sword when seeing his friend come close to death.
• Ambiguous Disorder: At thirteen, Xar struggles with writing and spelling implies that he’s dyslexic.
• Battle of Wits: With Sychorax in her dungeons. He returns her a tricky bargain.
• Big Ego, Hidden Depths: Xar. A Boisterous Weakling with an Inferiority Superiority Complex.
• Body Snatcher: Xar’s witchstain.
• Chuunibyou: Has shades of this in book 1.
• The Corruption: The witchstain.
• Father, I Don't Want to Fight: Averted, Xar wants to fight the warriors directly, unlike his father.
• Fire-Forged Friends: With Wish, and Bodkin to a lesser extent.
• Girls Have Cooties: Downplayed with Xar. He has female wizard followers and Wish is his closest friend. The idea of romance, however, disgusts him.
• Hidden Heartof Gold: Once Wish and Bodkin become his friends.
• I Just Want to Be Special: Xar wants to gain magic so that he can please his father and his ego. Unfortunately, he gets exactly what he wants.
• It's All About Me: Xar is so full of himself he believes he is The Chosen One.
  • He is notably distraught when he finds out he is not.
  • To make matters worse, he is slowly sliding towards The Unchosen One.
• Karma Houdini: Cheats death Hiccup style.
• Lackof Empathy: At the start of book 1. He gets better.
• The Magnificent: Introduces himself as ‘Xar the Magnificent.’
• Missing Mom: Xar’s mother died when he was a baby.
• Noodle Incident: All his previous ‘adventures’.
• Small Name, Big Ego: Xar calls himself the ‘boy of destiny’ and believes that he will make great things happen. Caliburn hopes that allying with Wish, despite Caliburn's misgivings about the alliance, will temper Xar's ego.
• Sand In My Eyes: Xar is crying over his dying sprite, but still denies it.
  Xar: I am NOT crying, and I will KILL anyone who says I am!
• Sir Swears-a-Lot: Xar curses a lot when he wants to. This being a middle grade book, his curses are all of the Gosh Dang It to Heck! variety.
• Sour Outside, Sad Inside: Downplayed, because Xar is not truly mean, but he definitely behaves less nice than he could to hide the fact that he feels like a disappointment.
• The Trickster: Is Xar ever.
• Tooka Levelin Kindness: A large part of his Character Development.
• Troubling Unchildlike Behaviour: Xar feels ashamed for NOT being able to murder Wish in cold blood. Partially Deliberate Values Dissonance, because their tribes are at war.
• Why Are You Not My Son??

Wish

Warrior princesses, of course, ought to be impressively tall and absolutely terrifying, like Wish’s mother, Queen Sychorax. But Wish was neither scary nor large. Wish had a curious little face that was rather too interested in the world around her and hair that stuck out too wispily, as if she’d accidentally hit some unnoticed bit of static electricity. A black patch covered her left eye.

Wish is one of the two main characters of the books. She is the daughter of iron warrior queen Sychorax, but secretly keeps an enchanted spoon as pet.

• All-Loving Hero: Wish is friendly to everyone. Loves Xar’s snowcats the second she meets them (despite the fact that Xar himself tried to kill her). She adores her mother.
• Disappeared Dad: There’s no mention of what happened to Wish’s dad.
• Even Evil Can Be Loved: Wish loves her mother dearly.
  In most people’s eyes, Wish’s mother, Queen Sychorax, was the most petrifying Warrior leader in the entire western wildwoods, known for her stern punishments, her short temper, and her dungeons of interminable depth.
  In Wish’s eyes, her mother was the most wonderful, beautiful, splendid person in the entire world.
• Eyepatch of Power: It’s revealed that the eye under her eyepatch is a magic eye and only the most powerful enchanters have them.
• Fire-Forged Friends: With Xar and all his companions.
• Heroic Sacrifice: Wish actually dies stopping the ancient Kingwitch from stealing her power and gaining his freedom. Then she manages to put herself back together. It happens again in book two when she seals the Kingwitch away in iron, and Sychorax for the only time ever is relieved that Wish is magic.
• Insistent Terminology: Even after learning of her mother's atrocities, Wish insists that Sychorax isn't "wicked," but rather "mistaken".
• I Owe You My Life: Wish wants to save Squeezjoos because he saved her from the poisonous witch's blood.
• L Isfor Dyslexia: Wish has dyslexia of the non comedic variety.
• Mage Born of Muggles: In book two, it’s revealed that Sychorax was once in love with Encanzo. Apparently Sychorax’s love was so powerful it stuck with her, even after she took a potion to make it stop, and that’s why Wish has magic, even though theres no magic in her family tree.
• Noodle Incident: Wish has a long and regal name no one ever uses.
• Resurrective Immortality: Wish is a Great Enchanter, and can come back to life if she is killed.
• "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Sychorax delivers a particularly painful one to Wish in the beginning of book 2.
  Queen Sychorax: Hair disgraceful, height poor, general Warrior turnout utterly substandard. Spelling appalling, disobedience unspeakable, deportment tragic. Yes, it’s definitely her.
• Spoon Bending: Duh.
  • In book 2 she bends more than spoons.
• Sure, Let's Go with That: When the Witchsmeller in book two nearly sniffs out Wish's magic, Xar happens to be attempting to burgle back his Spelling Book from her but realizes they have to escape together. Wish goes along with it and starts screaming that Xar is kidnapping her. Sychorax follows suit to save Wish from the Witchsmeller's fanatic approach.
• Tomboy Princess: Wish is more likely to get into mischief than indulge in stereotypical girl things.
• Trying Not to Cry: Wish sees crying as a weakness her mother does not approve of, and thus tries to keep her tears to herself.
• The Un-Favourite: Both Wish and Xar to their parents.

Bodkin

Bodkin was an anxious, skinny boy about the same age as Wish. He was finding being the Assistant Bodyguard to the princess really rather testing, because he didn’t like fighting very much, he had an unfortunate tendency to fall asleep in situations of physical danger, and trying to control the uncontrollable little princess was an impossible task.

Bodkin is Wish’s anxious assistant bodyguard. He unwillingly gets dragged into all her adventures.

• Ascended Extra: While never really an extra, the unknown narrator insists that this is a story with two heros, Xar and Wish, and Bodkin isn't one of them. At the end of book three, however, the unknown narrator changes their mind, so one can hope that Bodkin may be given the credit he deserves in the intro to book four.
• Beleaguered Assistant: Bodkin has shades of this. It’s most notable when he’s trying to persuade Wish that keeping an enchanted spoon when their tribe outlaws all things magical is a bad idea.
• Bodyguard Crush: Played with. Bodkin is the one having a one-sided crush and Wish is the one doing the saving.
• Bodyguarding a Badass: Wish is objectively more competent than him.
• Bookworm: Bodkin loves books.
• Fainting: Bodkin has a medical condition that makes him fall asleep in dangerous situation.
• Father, I Don't Want to Fight: Bodkin feels pressured to become a bodyguard, even though he dislikes violence.
• Intelligence Equals Isolation: His classmates don’t want anything to do with him because he got a promotion at only 13.
• Legacy of Service: His family have been bodyguards too.
• Lovable Nerd: Whenever he is not obstructing the adventure by fainting.
• Nervous Wreck: Downplayed with Bodkin, although he is always the cynical one.
• Not What I Signed on For: Every single adventure.
• Servile Snarker: Often replies with a dry comment whenever Wish comes up with another dangerous plan.
• To Be Lawful or Good: Bodkin wrestles with his duty to guard Wish and his need to assist her. He ultimately chooses assisting Wish each time.
• Tooka Level In Badass: A small one.
• Vetinari Job Security: He is the replacement of Wish’s regular bodyguard. While he is on duty, all the shenanigans in book 1 happen.
  • Thanks to Ultimate Job Security he still has his position six months later.

Queen Sychorax

Sychorax was scary. But then she was a very great queen, and as Wish said, maybe great queens HAVE to be scary.

The scary iron Warrior queen and Wish’s mother. She is disappointed in Wish, for a number of reasons, most of them relating to Wish not being a proper Warrior.

• Abusive Parents: Sychorax is emotionally abusive to Wish, to the point of hiding her in a punishment cupboard when the emperor sends "guests". While she does later defend Wish and lies for her to protect her from the Witchsmeller's claims, it still doesn't undo the harm to Wish's self-esteem.
• Addictive Magic: This is how Sychorax sees it.
• Authority Equals Asskicking: Great at swordfighting, archery and the queen.
• Black Widow: Downplayed, as she kills her suitors when she rejects them. The fact that Thunderous Thighs was an Abhorrent Admirer makes her a bit more sympathetic.
• Creepy Souvenir: Has a room full of severed heads in her dungeons. Her beaded necklace could also count as this.
• Cultural Posturing: What she thinks she is doing as Queen.
• Cultured Warrior: Considers herself this. Truth be told, she does keep a tidy castle, has lots of books and wears gold and finery.
• The Dreaded
• Ermine Cape Effect: She is described as beautiful multiple times.
  Queen Sychorax: We are Warriors. And a Warrior should always be well put together, Every hair in place. Every weapon sharpened. Every fingernail shining. Remember that.
• Evil Matriarch
• Face Stealer: Can take her head off like a hat and use someone else’s head.
• Fashionable Asymmetry: Sychorax wears a black pearl from one ear only.
• Faux Affably Evil: She speaks in a soft voice and is (nearly) always polite.
• Foe Romance Subtext: With Encanzo.
• God Save Us from the Queen!: Everyone fears queen Sychorax.
• Human Head on the Wall: Turns out she KEEPS the decapitated heads of the people she beheaded.
• Icy Blue Eyes
• Improbable Aiming Skills: She is a fantastic archer.
• Lady of War: Can sword fight in a long white dress.
• Love Is a Weakness: Her catchphrase as of book 3
• Let Us Never Speak of This Again: At the end of book 1.
• Manipulative Bastard: Has zero qualms about lying and guilt tripping people into doing her bidding.
• Meaningful Name: Sychorax sounds similar to Sycorax, an ancient and powerful witch from Shakespeare’s The Tempest. It also alludes to Sychorax’s desire to use magic.
• Parents as People: Both her and Encanzo. The two of them are the most important secondary characters.
• Past Victim Showcase: Her room full of severed heads and her necklace with beads from men she refused to marry.
• Royal Blood: She values the royal bloodline, and she and Wish are descendants of Brutal the Giant-Killer himself.
• Royals Who Actually Do Something
• The One Thing I Don't Hate About You: She admires Encanzo’s trickery, even though they are officially at war with each other. Doubles as Arson Murderand Admiration because they are rather villainous most time.
• Wicked Cultured: Sychorax is clever, sophisticated and very deadly.

Encanzo the Enchanter

He was such a very powerful Wizard that there was something very scary about him, even when he was just standing there quietly.

Xar’s father and king of wizards. He struggles to be a good parent, as Xar’s disobedience often drives him up the wall.

• Bald Mystic: He is bald on all illustrations, and also the most powerful wizard in the wildwoods.
• Emotional Powers: The buzzing clouds above his head change depending on his mood.
• Entertainingly Wrong: Encaro and the wizards believe that Xar killed the witch in his bedroom. This is entirely logical because they had no idea that Wish sneaked into the fort.
• Foe Romance Subtext: With Sychorax in book 2. They get a bit of Ship Tease at the end, when he gives her a backhanded compliment about her nose and she still calls him by his old name.
• Dating Catwoman: In book 3, Encanzo’s tone becomes significantly flirtier.
• Go to Your Room!: Encanzo sends Xar back to his room bound in magic.
• Hand Blast: He is so powerful he does not need a staff to perform magic.
• Heart Trauma: He removed his own heart from his body and used it to trick the Nuckalavee. How he is still alive without heart in his chest is not explained. A Wizard Did It, literally.
• I Have Many Names: Three as far as we know of, and even more aliases.
• Magic Kiss: His kiss gave Wish her magic powers.
• Parental Favoritism: Looter is Encanzo’s favorite son.
• Parental Neglect: Wheras Sychorax is emotionally abusive, Encanzo borders on this trope. He basically leaves the parenting to Caliburn.
• Parents as People: Both him and Sychorax. The two of them are the most important secondary characters.
• Parting-Words Regret: Encanzo regrets that he sent Xar to his room, while the latter shouted that he wanted a magical child and not him, and then it seems that a witch attacked Xar. When Xar goes missing, Encanzo is worried that his son is dead.
• The Power of Creation:
  Encanzo: It is easy to destroy, but I am not like a Warrior, impressed by destruction. It is far harder to create, and creation is what we Wizards are all about.
• The One Thing I Don't Hate About You: As much as he pretends to dislike Sychorax, he still admires her fighting spirit. He also has a thing for her nose. Doubles as Arson Murderand Admiration because they are rather villainous most time.
• Villain with Good Publicity: While undoubtably less ruthless than Sychorax, he is a tricky king with terrifying magical powers. However, he is not feared.
• Voluntary Shapeshifting: Can turn into a bird at will.
• War Ship: With Sychorax.

Characters from the Wizard Encampment

Caliburn

A raven who is Xar’s mentor and advisor. His task is keeping Xar out of trouble.

• I Just Want to Be Free: Played with on multiple occasions, but ultimately when Encanzo does "free" him and Ariel, they both refuse to leave Xar.
• Indentured Servitude: For unknown reasons Encanzo
  Encanzo: Xar will need you for a little while longer. I will not release you [...] until the boy grows up into a wise and thoughtful adult.
• Meaningful Name: Caliburn sounds similar to Caliban, an indentured man in Shakespeare’s The Tempest.
• Resurrective Immortality: Caliburn is a Great Enchanter too, and has lived previous lifetimes already.
• Old Retainer: Genuinely cares for Xar, and has been around for quite a while.
• Private Tutor: To Xar.
• Two Aliases, One Character: Is casually mentioned in book three to have previously been the Wizard Pentaglion, which does explain why Castle Death has a raven motif.

Squeezjoos

Xar’s slightly stupid young sprite.

• Attention Deficit... Ooh, Shiny!: Has this a lot.
• Cloudcuckoolander
• Funny Animal
• Heroic Sacrifice: Saves Wish from witchblood.
• Plucky Comic Relief: A large part of his role.

Xar’s other magical creatures

Xar: I These are my companions. My wolves, my bear, my snowcats: Kingcat, Nighteye, Forestheart. My bird, Caliburn. My giant, Crusher. And my sprites: Ariel, Mustardthought, Tiffinstorm, Hinkypunk, Timeloss. The hairy fairies, Bumbleboozle and the baby and—

• All Animals Are Domesticated: All creatures obey Xar.
• Free-Range Pets: All Xar’s creatures have a large amount if freedom to roam and fly around.
• Gentle Giant: Crusher, the vegetarian giant who is always distracted by deep thoughts.
• Horseofa Different Color: The Snowcats
• I Just Want to Be Free: Ariel, mostly.
• Indentured Servitude: Ariel, and perhaps all Xar’s other sprites and animals too.
• Loyal Animal Companion: Despite everything, they are this.
• Pet Monstrosity: Have I mentioned the snowcats, wolves and bear?

Looter

Xar’s smug older brother.

• Big Brother Bully: Looter is downright nasty to Xar for no reason, even if he makes a point that Xar is a troublemaker.
• Forced Transformation: Xar accidentally turns his older brother into an imaginary creature in book two due to some magical misfiring. He leaves the instructions to turn him back with Looter before running away with Wish to stop the witches.

Other wizard characters

• The Rival: Swivelli to Encanzo. So far it’s unknown whether he is a serious threat or a Sitcom Arch-Nemesis.
• Pelts of the Barbarian: Played with. Wizards wear long fur coats and are seen as barbarians by the warriors.
  Queen Sychorax: The ignorance of these poor Wizards. We are civilization. We are progress. Look at us. Look at our weapons, our clothes, our tapestries, our furniture. You Wizards, in comparison, are barely better than animals…

Characters from the Warrior Fort

Spoon

A perfectly normal iron dinner spoon... except that it is alive. Wish keeps him as secret pet.

• Animate Inanimate Object
• Head Pet: Likes sitting on Wish’s head.
• Love Triangle: Spoon gets caught in one when a living door key falls in love with him. A fork also takes a shine to the spoon who does not seem to like all the trouble.
• Silent Snarker: Spoon cannot talk, but he has shades of this.
• The Speechless

Wish’s Sisters

Drama and Unforgiving.

• Family Theme Naming: There seems to be a pattern in Sychorax’s daughters names, Wish being the Odd Name Out.

Other warrior characters

• God Save Us from the Queen!: Everyone fears queen Sychorax. Bodkin calls her a terrifying tyrant, and they are too afraid to talk back to her. She removes the heads of people who speak kindly to her, which explains their fear.
  • The soldier who has to inform her of a wizard attack is clearly afraid to do so.
• Greater-Scope Villain: Book Two reveals that Queen Sychorax serves an Emperor who is even more strictly anti-magic than she is.
• Pest Controller: Completely averted with the Witchsmeller.
• Wicked Cultured: The warrior fort in general. Even Xar is secretly impressed.

The rest of the Wildwoods

The Kingwitch

The thing had a nose like a knife, so razor-sharp and pointy at the end that it looked like you could cut onions with it. There were just two black holes instead of eyes on either side, like deep wells with something flinty and slimy as mercury glinting queasily at the bottom of them. The mouth dripping that revolting black saliva from the fangs. Jaws that could unhinge to swallow a deer in one gulp. A body like a human mixed with a panther and those black feathery wings. All in all, the Kingwitch was not a pretty sight.

• Ancient Evil
• Big Bad: He is the King of witches.
• Black Magic
• The Chessmaster: In book 2.
• Sealed Evil in a Can: Was trapped in the stone that takes away magic.
• Resurrective Immortality: The Kingwitch is a Great Enchanter, and can return to life when killed.

Other Witches

• Always Chaotic Evil: Witches are considered to be the ultimate evil beyond redemption. Xar thinks he can use a dead witch's blood to gain powers, but witch's blood is poisonous to magical creatures.
• Ancient Evil
• Black Magic: The witches, obviously.

Characters from Castle Death

Pentaglion, his giant Proponderus and his sprite Eleanor Rose.

• Laser-Guided Karma: Pentaglion, when he stole drood tears.
• Mr. Exposition: Essentially their role.
  • Proponderus telling the story of a silly young wizard and a warrior princess.
• Posthumous Character: Pentaglion died before the end of the events of the books.
• You See, I'm Dying: Proponderus.

Characters from Pook’s Hill

Perdita, Hoola and their students.

• Boarding School: The Wizzwar Outlaws live at Pooks Hill and attend class there.
• Cool Old Lady: Perdita
• Cool School: Even Xar starts to like it.
• Long-Lost Relative: Caliburn forgot he had a sister until the start of book 3.
• Obstructive Bureaucrat: Hoola is rather obsessed with following proper guidelines.
• Old Master: Perdita is over 400 years old and just as powerful as King Encanzo.
• Putting the "Pal" in Principal: Everybody loves Perdita.
• Resurrective Immortality: Perdita has multiple lives.
• Servile Snarker: Hoola has shades of this.
• Supreme Chef: Perdita is a good cook.
• Voluntary Shapeshifting: Perdita can turn into a gigantic bear at will.
• Wizarding School