History Characters / Temeraire

* TheGoodChancellor: To Prince Mianning]], and in a peculiar way, to Laurence, being very high and very trusted in Mianning's counsels (understandably so, given that he was given such a difficult mission) and extremely loyal to both Mianning and Laurence - even if the latter is thoroughly aggrieved at the deception.

* TheUnfavorite: As a first generation aviator with no family to give him influence, he didn't have much chance of promotion in England, hence, the trip to Australia. When he gets promoted to first lieutenant, Temeraire doesn't like him because of Forthing's [[TreacheryIsaSpecialKindofEvil initial treatment of Laurence]] when they first arrived in Australia. Later, when Laurence is reinstated and Forthing is hired on, Temeraire ''still'' dislikes him...because of the ungentlemanly, indeed shabby way he clothes himself.

An albino dragon -- white is the color of death in traditional Chinese culture, and [[AlbinosAreFreaks is considered horribly unlucky]]. Despite being one of the very few Celestials available to the nation, Lien was treated as an outcast... until Yongxing, the future Emperor's brother, took pity on her, and [[UndyingLoyalty the two became inseparable]]. Yongxing could have been Emperor himself...but his love for Lien did not preclude ambition, and he hatched a plan to get Temeraire back so that he could be given to a boy who would become his puppet Emperor. Unfortunately for him, this required a plot to have Laurence killed, which Temeraire of course wasn't going to stand for...

* ActionGirl: She's an excellent captain and good at hand-to-hand combat, too.

* GoodParents: Despite being initially unenthusiastic/ambiguous about motherhood, she's this to her son by [[spoiler: Riley]], by aviator standards. As in, she happily rhapsodises over how her little darling can crawl up Lily's harness about as soon as he can walk, to Laurence's bemused horror, and is determined to keep him with her and in the Corps rather than her letting her sister-in-law take him away to be raised as a proper gentleman.

* HostageSituation: Gets caught in one at the end of ''His Majesty's Dragon'' when Choiseul tries to kidnap her and Lily; it ends with a brawl between him and Laurence, and her clonking Choiseul over the head.

* LadyLooksLikeADude: While none of the female aviators are particularly feminine, Harcourt is the only one who, post-puberty, still passes for a young boy without close inspection.

* TheQuietOne: He doesn't talk much, which makes him almost TheGenericGuy in the first half of the series. Laurence describes him as having a poetic, dreamy air, often lost in his own world.

* OddFriendship: In an odd sort of way she gets on quite well with Wellington, to the point of being VitriolicBestBuds; he respects her abilities and professionalism, and flat out refuses to work with anyone else as a result, while she respects the fact that he's relatively flexible where dragons are concerned (for practical reasons if nothing else) and he treats her as a colleague. The two occasionally commiserate over being told how to do their jobs by [[ExecutiveMeddling politicians who have no idea of their business]].

* DrowningMySorrows: In ''Crucible of Gold'', Laurence notices his face bears the telltale marks of a heavy drinker. Fortunately, he gets better.

* IRegretNothing: When asked directly, he says he would rather have been hanged for doing the right thing ([[spoiler:giving the cure to the French]]) than viewed as a lying coward.
* LockedOutOfTheLoop: Laurence hoped he would be safe if he didn't know what Temeraire and the captain planned; he was wrong.
* ModestRoyalty: He's from a noble family both very old and extremely rich, if the size of the family manor[[note]]built sometime after the Crusades[[/note]] is any indication. You'd never realize it from the way he acts.

* SkilledButNaive: He's a competent aviator but his lack of experience occasionally causes problems in a position of command. When Granby is injured in ''Throne of Jade'' and Ferris as second lieutenant becomes responsible for keeping the crew in line, he has no idea how to stop the aviators from arguing with the sailors; later on, once Granby becomes Iskierka's captain, Laurence worries that his youth will be an issue in a position of command, given that he's only nineteen at this point.
* ThrowTheDogABone: In ''League of Dragons'', Laurence [[spoiler:only agrees to accept command of the allied aerial forces in the eastern front on the condition that Ferris is reinstated to the Corps. This is not just out a general sense of justice but because if Ferris, who was wrongly convicted, was still locked out of the Corps after Laurence, who actually committed the crime, was not merely accepted back but ''promoted'', it would be even more unfair to him. (Laurence attempted something similar to get Ferris his place back in ''Crucible of Gold'', but had much less pull at the time.) In the conflict, Ferris finally earns command of a dragon... in the Prussian air force.)]]

* BloodKnight: Demane is easily provoked, and enjoys combat. Jane notes that this is actually an advantage when properly channeled because Kulingile is the most good-natured and mild-mannered dragon imaginable.

* FallingIntoTheCockpit: Nobody else wanted the seemingly-deformed hatchling.
* HotBlooded: He has a quick temper and a tendency to get into fights if he's not kept busy.

* ParentalSubstitute: He may not show it due to his independent nature, but he deeply if sometimes begrudgingly respects Laurence for the protection and care he offers to him and Sipho. When their captain is [[spoiler:lost at sea and presumed dead]] in ''Blood of Tyrants'', he's worried the other aviators will try to take Kulingile away from him and send him and Demane back to Africa.

* YouCantGoHomeAgain: Laurence feels compelled to keep Demane with him, since he and his brother don't have anything to go back to, in no small part due to the actions of Laurence and the rest of the formation in Capetown.

* NostalgicNarrator: Zigzagged. Sipho writes at length about the adventures of Temeraire, but only in a scholarly context, and he doesn't seem to be the {{Narrator}} proper (not least since he wasn't around for events of the first three books). However, his works overlap with the novels and ''Tongues of Serpents'' is presented as being at least in part his account of the events in the novel, due to his map prefacing the story.

* PutOnABus: He's transferred to the quieter Edinburgh covert after [[spoiler:his grief over losing Obversaria begins to affect his health]], and we don't hear from him again.

* BirdsOfAFeather: Caesar is Rankin in a dragon's body. As is dryly observed by Laurence, the two seem to deserve each other.
* BitchInSheepsClothing: At first, Laurence takes a liking to him because he's the only aviator who acts polite and friendly to Laurence when he first arrives, and he assumes the reason the other aviators avoid Rankin is because they're uncomfortable around someone who acts upper-class. Nope; it's because Rankin abuses his dragon and is a snobby JerkAss to the other captains. The sheep's clothing is entirely off by ''Tongues of Serpents''.
* HairOfGoldHeartOfGold: A direct inversion. He's got golden hair which the dragons admire (even Temeraire admits it's quite nice to look at) but he's also a selfish jerk.
* {{Jerkass}}: He comes from old money and has been raised to believe dragons are inferior to men and are to be bullied and disciplined into submission (an outdated mode of thinking, but one that is still supported by the admiralty). His neglect of his dragon and his refusal to allow anyone to interfere leads to his first dragon, Levitas, almost being left to die alone after being fatally wounded in action. In ''Tongues of Serpents'', he shows up in Australia announcing that [[spoiler:he's to be given a new dragon]]. Fortunately, Caesar is strong-willed enough to have his own opinions, clever enough to manipulate Rankin into giving him what he wants, and materialistic enough that all he really wants is lots of food and treasure and and a wealthy captain who can provide it.

* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: Besides his attitude towards how dragons ought to be treated, there's also his classism towards the other aviators, his racism towards Tharkay and Demane in ''Tongues of Serpents'', and possibly sexism judging by some aspects of his interactions with Harcourt in the first book.

* FunctionalAddict: The Inca give him coca leaves to chew so he doesn't get airsick. From then on and into the next book, he's always looking for some when the situation gets stressful. (Which is all the time.) It doesn't hamper his diplomatic abilities, though.

** He's not afraid of dragons. ''At all''. Most Westerners turn tail and run when they see one; Hammond quite casually talks with Temeraire, going so far as to reprimand him for his less than tactful comments about the Chinese.
** He's also got NervesOfSteel, when it comes to actual combat - as early as ''Throne of Jade'', he throws himself headlong into a fight after he proves unable to persuade Laurence to flee, earning Laurence's immediate respect, and in ''Blood of Tyrants'', he [[spoiler: acts as Laurence's second in a duel, picking up where he left off after Dobrozhnov shoots first, [[TranquilFury never raising his voice]] as he proposes alternating shots, first grazing the man, then shooting him in the chest]].

* NobleBigot: He's not too concerned about the slave trade in ''Crucible of Gold'', and mostly concerned with how Laurence and Temeraire's abolitionist sentiments will affect relations with first the Inca (where the situation is a bit more complicated, and closer to serfdom), and then the Portuguese (where it's classic chattel slavery). However, his motives on both counts are more about pragmatism than any personal bigotry, and he reluctantly concedes on both counts, willingly backing them the whole way throughout their insane escapades, even if he does sometimes regret it. He also becomes accustomed to Churki having adopted him and actually weaponises it, given that the Russians are deeply impressed by his 'courage' in casually riding a heavyweight, solo, without restraints of any kind, and even acts as Laurence's second in a duel, coldly demanding satisfaction when [[spoiler: his opponent fired early, and taking a second round to put a bullet through said opponent's chest, almost killing him]].

In ''Crucible of Gold'', he takes over following Ferris's dismissal from the Corps as Temeraire's First Lieutenant.

* AlwaysSecondBest: Both Laurence and Temeraire consider him to be this to Ferris. Forthing is acutely aware of this, even if Laurence does have the courtesy to try and conceal it, and feels this way himself.

* SuckSessor: Both Laurence and Temeraire consider him this to Ferris, who was a far more competent First Lieutenant and was dismissed for unfair reasons.
* TheUnfavorite: As a first generation aviator, he didn't have much chance of promotion in England, hence, the trip to Australia. When he gets promoted to First lieutenant, Temeraire first doesn't like him because of Forthing's [[TreacheryIsaSpecialKindofEvil initial treatment of Laurence]] when they first arrived in Australia. Later, when Laurence is reinstated and Forthing is hired on, Temeraire ''still'' dislikes him because of the ungentlemanly, indeed shabby way he clothes himself.

A Chinese chef hired by Laurence and Temeraire after the latter develops a taste for cooked food and Chinese Cuisine. In reality, he is an agent of Prince Mianning sent to keep an eye on the duo.

* TheGoodChancellor: To Prince Mianning, and in a peculiar way, to Laurence, being very high in Mianning's counsels (understandably so, given that he was given such a difficult mission) and extremely loyal to both Mianning and Laurence - even if the latter is thoroughly aggrieved at having been so deceived.

* MasterActor: He fools literally ''everyone''.

Second son of Lung Tien Qian, Temeraire was given by the Chinese to the French and then captured in the egg by the English, with whom he serves [[ThisIsMyHuman alongside]] Captain Laurence.

* GreenEyedMonster: To his displeasure, Temeraire keeps losing members of his crew to become captains for newly-hatched dragons, and his narration in ''Victory of Eagles'' shows that he soured quickly to those of Laurence's former crew who chose to take up posts on other dragons rather than rejoining him. He's even more possessive of Laurence, to the point of getting cagey at any other dragon that seeks attention from him.
* TheHero: Since the books start with Temeraire as a hatchling, the books are almost a ComingOfAge story for him. His perspective on the world changes the thinking of many around him, and he's excellent at winning new allies who can help him and Laurence deal with whatever problems happen.

* TheLeader: To his group of friends, despite the fact that initially he's the youngest, not quite the largest (that would be Maximus) or the formal commander (that would be Lily), through sheer force of personality, and an uncharacteristic degree of generosity for such a large dragon. He later turns these, his intellect, and Laurence's example to rouse up the breeding grounds and create his own command when [[spoiler:he thinks Laurence is dead]], and even when [[spoiler:he loses his memory]], Laurence is able to see how other dragons instinctively defer to him.

** The ''Temeraire'' was a French sailing ship which was famously captured by the Royal Navy and put back into service; this has very obvious resonance with our dragon, though this was not Laurence's thought at the time. The ship itself later makes a cameo, saluting its namesake.

** 龍天祥, Temeraire's Chinese name (Lung Tien Xiang by Novik's not-quite-historically-accurate transliteration[[note]]In fairness, nobody really knows which transliteration system would ''be'' appropriate for the time period, but since Novik mixed two of them...[[/note]], Lóng Tiān Xiáng in [[UsefulNotes/ChineseLanguage modern pinyin]]), means "Dragon Heaven Auspicious". While all Celestials go by Lung Tien [Whatever], "auspicious" means "BornLucky" and "promising success." This has certainly proven true for Laurence and England.

* MirrorCharacter: Both he and Lien despise each other, but they're both Celestials who are unusual among their kind (him for fighting and Western upbringing, her for her albinism), both introduce Chinese influenced reforms on dragon treatment and warfare to the West, and both command a significant amount of loyalty from their draconic fellows through sheer force of personality. And as he makes clear, if he was ever to lose Laurence, he would do almost exactly what Lien did.
* {{Omniglot}}: One of the advantages of being a Celestial is that he can pick up languages very quickly. As of ''Crucible of Gold'', he can speak a variety of languages, if not all of them perfectly fluently. He knows English, French, Chinese, Turkish, German, Xhosa, Durzagh (a language of feral dragons), Quechua, and later Russian and presumably a smattering of Japanese.
* RageWithinTheMachine: After visiting China in book 2 and witnessing the equitable treatment of dragons there, fully integrated into human society and accorded all the rights and comforts of people, Temeraire returns intent on improving the lot of dragons in Great Britain. In fact, it becomes one of his defining character traits, and the reputation he develops for it eventually crosses national boundaries.

* SpareToTheThrone: Temeraire is a twin. His brother Lung Tien Chuan was assigned to Prince Mianning, heir apparent to the Chinese throne, and Temeraire packaged off to avoid his becoming a SpannerInTheWorks. (This sticks Temeraire with an IronicName as well.)

* {{Tsundere}}: An extreme type A towards Iskierka; disposed to dislike her from the beginning, given that she 'took' Granby, Temeraire's internal narration is full of belittling comments about her, culminating in ''Crucible of Gold'' where he finally relents and [[spoiler:decides to give her an egg]]. Wounded pride also plays a part. Lien had just revealed [[spoiler:that Celestials cannot cross-breed]], and Iskierka (being the BrattyHalfPint she is) immediately needles him about [[spoiler:his failures in mating]]. His thought process is less that he likes her and more that she's, well, conveniently available. Having said that, he does credit her for the occasions when she pulls her own weight.

* TheUnfettered: Temeraire himself has some qualities of TheUnfettered, although this may be more a case of BlueAndOrangeMorality. He has no sentiment of patriotism [[spoiler: (at least until his CharacterDevelopment in the fifth book)]], no innate drive to be helpful toward humans he's never met beyond mild kindness and good manners, and no particular dislike of France or Napoleon. Like most of the dragons of England, he only helps the British to keep ''his'' humans happy. His efforts to reconcile his attitude and Laurence's for the sake of their friendship gives the series a philosophical aspect.
* WarriorPoet: The tendencies are encouraged by Laurence's then-unusual habit of reading to him, and when he visits China it's set.

An albino dragon -- white is the color of death in traditional Chinese culture, and [[AlbinosAreFreaks is considered horribly unlucky]]. Despite being one of the very few Celestials available to the nation, Lien was treated as an outcast... until Yongxing, the Emperor's brother, took pity on her, and [[UndyingLoyalty the two became inseparable]]. Too bad Yongxing was plotting to have Laurence killed, which Temeraire of course wasn't going to stand for...

* AntagonistInMourning: Her entire reason for hating Temeraire is that she considers him responsible for Yongxing's death. In a drabble from ''Golden Age and Other Stories'', [[spoiler: we see her many years in France's future, looking down at the more-modern city below.]] Despite that:

* BadassBookworm: As a Celestial, Lien was exempt from taking the civil service examination. She took it anyway and became the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhuangyuan zhuangyuan]] of her cohort.

* DefrostingIceQueen: The few brief interactions we see of her with Napoleon suggest that she is beginning to care for him to some degree, if not to the same extent as she has for Prince Yongxing, and stays in Paris to protect his son. Presumably, despite the difference in their goals, she admires humans of great ambition, vision, and ability.

* DragonLady: Taking this trope from the Chinese point of view--fierce, powerful, and ''smart'', she quickly secures an alliance with the person most likely to help her make Laurence and Temeraire's lives an absolute hell. Her battle strategies are extremely effective and while she has little experience she is clearly a student of personal combat as well.

An older Malachite Reaper who acts as the training master for British dragons at Loch Laggan. Unique in the Corps for having ''no'' human "captain" assuring his loyalty.

* TheMentor: Celeritas acts as the tutor for many of Britain's fighting dragons.

* PutOnABus: He drops out of the series after "Empire of Ivory," having gone into retirement during the plague. This might be because the British government finally caught on, although Temeraire feels a personal responsibility for having tricked him when [[spoiler:they steal the cure from Loch Laggan]]; alternately, having borne up under the deaths of his captains, the deaths of so many of his friends (many of whom would likely have been students) during the plague might have convinced him to be shot of the whole business.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Although he trains dragons in the traditional ways, he has no objection to new concepts. He also turns a blind eye, when he feels it necessary.

* TheBigGuy: Maximus takes this position for granted. When he encounters Requiescat in ''Victory of Eagles'', the two almost instinctively come to blows -- not even out of anger, but simply because this is what happens when adult male Regal Coppers first meet. (As Requiescat notes reminiscently, female Coppers are even bigger, but it's "different with girls".) Given Temeraire's presence and their nature as two of the most fundamentally even-tempered dragons in the series, however, it doesn't come to anything. Then, when [[AlwaysABiggerFish Kulingile]] shows up, there's a certain amount of friction, though not over much - he gets a bit grumpy, but since Kulingile has the self-esteem of boiled cabbage and first greets Maximus by anxiously offering him some of his dinner, Maximus quickly thaws.
* BrutalHonesty: He seems to have picked this habit up from Berkley, and sometimes uses it ''on'' Berkley, like when he points out either that Berkley's too fat, or, later, thin and ill himself worrying over the dragon plague.
* GentleGiant: He's absolutely enormous, being perhaps the second biggest dragon in the series after Kulingile, and he's incredibly mild-mannered.

* AwesomeEgo: She's intensely arrogant, but she ''can'' back up her boasts - she's an exceptionally powerful heavyweight dragon, a powerful firebreather, and as even Temeraire begrudgingly acknowledges, a very skilled fighter. She even impresses General Chu, who as a long term veteran of the Chinese armed forces and the Minister of the Imperial Breeding program, is not particularly disposed to be impressed by anything outside of China, to the point where he remarks that while her personality isn't ideal, her abilities make him reconsider his previous beliefs about the suitability of fire-breathers which [[spoiler: leads to his recommendation that her and Temeraire's egg be Mianning's next companion. Of course, Ning has her own opinions]].

* BloodKnight: The only thing she likes better than fighting is looting the prizes she wins by fighting.

** In ''Crucible of Gold,'' Granby finally finds the willpower to put an end to her obnoxious attitude. [[spoiler: He flatly states that, while he loves her, a dragon who won't obey orders is of no use to a loyal captain of the Aerial Corps, and while it breaks his heart he will leave her for another dragon if she doesn't grow up. Iskierka is aghast, but at least tries to be more obliging.]]

* EveryoneHasStandards: Even ''she'' is horrified by her hatchling's behaviour - though probably because the palace that [[spoiler: Ning]] set fire to happened to have Granby in it.

* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: For the most part, she is callous, arrogant, obnoxious, and cares only about herself. However, there is a heart of gold... if buried ''very'' deep down. She really does think she's doing what's best for Granby, and is horrified when he finally really calls her out and lays down the law, and she is extremely protective of her egg.

* LightningBruiser: She's a heavyweight, a powerful firebreather, and nearly as fast as Temeraire, an example in his own right - certainly, she doesn't slow him down.
* MamaBear: Towards her egg by [[spoiler: Temeraire]], though it's used against her. As is not uncommon, this diminishes dramatically the moment said egg hatches, partly because dragonets are quite capable of taking care of themselves, and partly because a) said dragonet is quite capable of burning down ''an entire palace'' as a ''distraction'' within minutes of hatching, b) said palace had Granby in it.

* GeniusBonus: It is ''heavily'' implied that Perscitia has discovered Lobachevskian geometry some time before the year 1815 (possibly as early as 1807) while having no formal mathematical education; in our world, it was only discovered sometime between 1824 and 1830. She does it by proving that Euclid's fifth postulate doesn't logically follow from the first four (you ''can'' assume it to be true, but you can also assume it to be false, leading to an entirely different kind of geometry). If Perscitia hadn't discovered it, two other British dragons (Dulcia and Temeraire) certainly could have, using this same method - the so-called "proof by contradiction".

The first of three eggs sent to Australia to hatch. He was born from Arkady and Wringe, and his assigned and accepted captain is Rankin. Though he's not pleasant, he's more disposed to stand up to Rankin and picked his own name.

Introduced as an egg in the sixth book, a cross between a Chequered Nettle and a Parnassian. At birth he appears to be deformed, but when Demane is allowed to keep him, he not only survives but turns out to be a beast of exceptional size, larger than a Regal Copper, Britain's largest established dragon breed and perhaps the largest flying dragon in the world.

* BigEater: Until he neared his adult size, "I am hungry" was his CatchPhrase.

* LivingGasbag: All dragons have a degree of this thanks to their air sacs, but Kulingile takes it to a bizarre extent as a hatchling - when his air sacs finally inflate properly, he starts ''floating'' and has to be tethered down. This is an immediate sign of just how vast he's going to become, only otherwise being recorded in the largest Regal Copper hatchlings.

* KlingonsLoveShakespeare: She became enamored with the works of William Shakespeare, and when Laurence reveals he knows some of ''Julius Caesar'' demands he teach her every line he knew in English, and not to bother translating it, as she wanted to memorize the play in its original context and meaning. (She is particularly fond of the sound of the phrase "Neither wit nor words nor worth" in English.)

* HeelFaceDoorSlam: At first, Temeraire's behavior during the French retreat making him rich, and his subsequent overtures to them (inviting them to dinner where they are all given prizes and lavish food), seem to have an effect on the Russian heavyweights--they're all more willing to behave and follow his orders if it means treasure. But Vosyem quickly shows that she hasn't really changed when [[spoiler:a carrying-strap becomes uncomfortable, so she simply tears it off and lets the three hundred men she was carrying plummet to their death]].
* ImAHumanitarian: Many Russian dragons, Vosyem among them, do not seem to see humans as people in the same way as dragons of other nations do, and require far less extremity to consider eating people than other dragons would.

* MeaningfulName: A stealth example. Vosyem is an Anglicization of the Cyrillic восемь, Russian for the number eight. This allows readers who know this to infer how Russians think of dragons.

* BlueAndOrangeMorality: Ning has a strange combination of her parents' personalities, being at once patient and farsighted yet impulsive, brilliant and self-possessed and almost amoral yet with a strong sense of ethics. She has an aversion for war but will not hesitate to put the lives of others at risk if it will achieve her goals, while at the same time proving remarkably unwilling to commit herself verbally to a course of action.
* EnfantTerrible: One of the first things she does after hatching is ''burn down a palace'' as a distraction. Even ''Iskierka'' is horrified (though, granted, that was mostly because Granby was in the Palace at the time), and even Granby, long inured to Iskierka's behaviour, refers to her dazedly as a "perfect terror", while Laurence holds out some pity for Mianning, her prospective companion.

* MachiavelliWasRight: In her opinion. Tyranny is perfectly acceptable, so long as she is either the Tyrant or whispering in their ear, as it gets things done quickly. As Temeraire reluctantly acknowledges, she's not entirely wrong - though he agrees with Perscitia's counter-point in favour of democracy (one tyrant may be pro-dragon, but another may be quite different).

* WiseBeyondHerYears: A bit less than a decade old, Temeraire, for all his intellect, is still impatient to get results. By comparison, Ning, at less than a ''year'' old, is already beginning to put together plans that might take a century to come to fruition.

* AntiVillain: Sure, he plans to conquer all of Europe through military force, but he's also genuinely interested in improving the lives of his citizens, and has been steadily granting dragons more and more rights and freedoms ever since [[spoiler: Lien became his ally]]. Although it's strongly implied that politics or PragmaticEvil is behind a lot of these decisions, it is implied to be increasingly sincere, and it causes the British aerial corps to feel certain doubts when the enemy is spearheading a sapient-rights cause they agree with. On a personal level, he deeply cares for his wife despite it being an arranged marriage, and in ''League of Dragons'', [[spoiler:when his palace is burned by Ning, he rushes into the burning building in search of his son, heedless of danger to himself]].
* AppealToNovelty: Laurence accuses Napoleon of being radically progressive. (While Laurence is, of course, [[MyCountryRightOrWrong biased]], it should be pointed out that he himself is an [[SlaveryIsASpecialKindOfEvil abolitionist]], and would himself be considered liberal, if not a far-left progressive, on the political spectrum.) Later on, he admits that he agrees with a very great deal of Napoleon's ideas, he mostly just opposes a) tyranny, b) his ruthless ambition.

* HistoricalVillainUpgrade: Subverted. He is not only a genius military commander but a forward-thinking liberal who has done a great deal for equal rights ([[spoiler:though as mentioned in ''Crucible of Gold'', he has reinstated slavery in at least some French territories after a brief period of abolition]]). He's still at war with Britain, so Laurence and Temeraire oppose him on principle, but Laurence admits to Temeraire (somewhat uncomfortably) that no mere monster could have accomplished what Napoleon has. Excepting his advances in integrating dragons into human society, this is TruthInTelevision.
* TheResenter: Subverted. Temeraire was meant to be Napoleon's dragon, personally, and was only intercepted by Laurence by the vagaries of war; despite this, Napoleon never harps on the issue, nor insinuates that he should like "his" dragon returned to him. In fact, quite the opposite happens: [[spoiler:after his treason, Laurence begs Napoleon to take custody of Temeraire, to save the dragon from imprisonment and punishment.]]
* TheStrategist: While not invincible, he is considered the greatest military genius in the entire world, and has steamrolled army after army during his tenure. This is largely because he's continuously coming up with innovative new strategies and tactics that, by virtue of being innovative and new, cannot be directly countered. He:

** [[spoiler:ties pouches full of fragrant herbs into his horses' bridles, preventing them from smelling dragons and panicking, leading to the first use of cavalry in conjunction with aerial corps in history]]

* WorthyOpponent: By the end of the series, he considers Laurence one due to both his capabilities and his principles, and well into FriendlyEnemies territory, constantly trying to entice him over to his side for both political and personal reasons (an amused Laurence characterises it as a seduction). Indeed, in their final meeting comforts an awkward Laurence - who with Temeraire had captured him - by saying all that he regrets is that they were enemies rather than allies. It can be difficult to gauge his sincerity, as Boney can be histrionic at the best of times, but his respect is at the very least consistent, expressed not only to Laurence but to those around him, and in private when there's no advantage to pretend. For his part, Laurence is less comfortable being the recipient of this goodwill, presumably due to his own humility, but he still has respect for the man's genius and accomplishments.

* TheCoup: the second assassination attempt (that we see) is done by members of the Chinese Conservative party who are upset with Mianning for allying with Britain and seeking to bring China into the global political scene.

* TheQuietOne: despite being a reoccurring character whose support of Laurence is integral to the outcome of the later books, Mianning himself doesn't say much.

* RefugeInAudacity: Twice. The military commander of Danzig sarcastically offers to discuss terms of surrender over dinner if Lefebvre enters alone and unarmed - so he does. He's also noteworthy as the only character to give Lien a playful slap on the butt, a distinction we can safely assume is unique.

* OddFriendship: With Roland, verging into VitriolicBestBuds, on the grounds that she's highly competent, as blunt as he is, and knows exactly what it's like to be lectured and meddled with by idiot politicians who don't know her business. As a result, he refuses to work with any other Admiral of the Air.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Most brass outside the Aerial Corps do not even try to comprehend it, seeing dragons as DumbMuscle and the aviators as the KidWithTheLeash. Wellesley takes the trouble to listen not just to the aviators but to ''the dragons themselves'', and in the process becomes the first ranking officer outside the Corps to treat them as the sentient beings they are. Which is not to say he ''likes'' them; he just won't let common prejudice hinder the war effort (it should also be said that he doesn't like ''anyone'' very much).

* WhatTheHellHero: When Temeraire says that it's all Iskierka's fault for not listening to orders, Wellington roars at him to ''never'' blame subordinates for the failure of an expedition and that it's his own fault for being unable to control her, a sharp and much-needed lesson in leadership.

* TheGoodChancellor: Tswana is a draconarchy ruled by [[SheIsTheKing King Mokhachane]], but Moshueshue is the power behind the throne, and his foremost concern is the welfare of his people.

* NeutralNoLonger: Sometime around the sixth book, Moshueshue brings the Tswana into the wars on Napoleon's side - just for long enough to crush the Portuguese slave-holders of Brazil. After Laurence negotiates a truce by ending the slave trade in Brazil, the Tswana seem sated of war and become a sort of spoiler power. In ''League of Dragons'' [[spoiler:the Tswana prove decisive in the final battle against Napoleon's army, as they believe the French-Incan alliance must be checked so that they can not come back to Africa with aspirations of enslaving the Tswana again]].

* SmugSnake: This is not a particularly flattering depiction of Bligh.

* BoobsOfSteel: She's a formidable close quarters fighter and experienced combat flier, and has the figure to match. While it's elided in particularly regency style by Laurence's perspective, he does note her 'not inconsiderable endowment' which is fairly obvious to even casual observation despite the fact she's wearing men's clothes at the time (unlike Harcourt, who can pass for a young man at even close quarters), and later notes with some mortification the problems of Emily Roland inheriting her mother's figure and quite quickly no longer being able to pass for a boy.

* MakeMeWannaShout: The Divine Wind is a powerful sonic weapon that can shatter buildings and eardrums.

* EvilCounterpart: To Temeraire.

* AwesomeEgo: She's intensely arrogant, but she ''can'' back up her boasts - she's an exceptionally powerful heavyweight dragon, a powerful firebreather, and as even Temeraire begrudgingly acknowledges, a very skilled fighter. She even impresses General Chu, who as a long term veteran of the Chinese armed forces and the Minister of the Imperial Breeding program, is not particularly disposed to be impressed by anything outside of China, to the point where he remarks that while her personality isn't ideal, her abilities make him reconsider his previous beliefs about the suitability of fire-breathers.

* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: For the most part, she is callous, arrogant, obnoxious, and cares only about herself. However, there is a heart of gold... if buried ''very'' deep down. She really does think she's doing what's best for Granby, and is horrified when he finally really calls her out and lays down the law, and she is extremely protective of [[spoiler: her egg]].

* MamaBear: Towards her egg by [[spoiler: Temeraire]], though it's used against her.

* AntiVillain: Sure, he plans to conquer all of Europe through military force, but he's also genuinely interested in improving the lives of his citizens, and has been steadily granting dragons more and more rights and freedoms ever since [[spoiler: Lien became his ally]]. Although it's strongly implied that politics or PragmaticEvil is behind a lot of these decisions, it causes the British aerial corps to feel certain doubts when the enemy is spearheading a sapient-rights cause they agree with. On a personal level, he deeply cares for his wife despite it being an arranged marriage, and in ''League of Dragons'', [[spoiler:when his palace is burned by Ning, he rushes into the burning building in search of his son, heedless of danger to himself]].
* AppealToNovelty: Laurence accuses Napoleon of being radically progressive. (While Laurence is, of course, [[MyCountryRightOrWrong biased]], it should be pointed out that he himself is an [[SlaveryIsASpecialKindOfEvil abolitionist]], and would himself be considered liberal, if not a far-left progressive, on the political spectrum.)

* WorthyOpponent: By the end of the series, he considers Laurence one, almost verging into FriendlyEnemies territory. It can be difficult to gauge his sincerity, as Boney can be histrionic at the best of times, but his respect is at the very least consistent, expressed not only to Laurence but to those around him. For his part, Laurence is less comfortable being the recipient of this goodwill, presumably due to his own humility, but he still has respect for the man's genius and accomplishments.
* YourApprovalFillsMeWithShame: Since [[spoiler:Laurence brought the cure to France]], Napoleon has never missed an opportunity to thank him, be it with words or actions. Whether this is genuine gratitude or an attempt to sow discord among Laurence's allies is left ambiguous. It could easily be both, as he seems quite happy to finally repay a willing Laurence by [[spoiler:commuting Tharkay's sentence for spying from death to imprisonment, at Laurence's request]].

* FourStarBadass: Though she briefly got busted down from her promotion to Admiral in ''Victory of Eagles'' because of sexism and her ties to Laurence, she was quickly reinstated when it became clear she was far and away the best option and Wellington refused to work with any other choice.

* IsThatCuteKidYours: Laurence's parents are under the impression that she is their son's (illegitimate) biological daughter. (Although Lord Allendale seems less angered by it and more exasperated given that Will has been the BlackSheep of the family since he was twelve; why not have a by-blow on top of all of that, as well?) Laurence cannot explain without embarrassing both himself and his father, not to mention revealing a secret of the Aerial Corps, and awkwardly settles on trying to pass her off as the daughter of a Dover gentlewoman whose education he has taken charge of, to little effect, as it just sounds like a euphemism. Later, Lady Allendale sends her jewellery, and he cannot even express in his reply that she received the jewellery without implicating himself even further. Naturally, Jane finds the misunderstanding incredibly amusing.
* ParentalSubstitute: She may consider Laurence "churchy" and "stuffy", but he's the closest thing to a father she's ever had--and like many teenagers, she veers between resentment, admiration, and affection.

* SheIsAllGrownUp: Or rather, she's getting there fast--and causing Laurence a lot of headaches.

* BloodKnight: Demane is easily provoked, and enjoys combat.

* ParentalSubstitute: He may not show it due to his independent nature, but he respects Laurence for the protection he offers to him and Sipho. When their captain is [[spoiler:lost at sea and presumed dead]] in ''Blood of Tyrants'', he's worried the other aviators will try to take Kulingile away from him and send him and Demane back to Africa.

* TheChick: She's not aggressive and often acts as a mediator when Temeraire and the other dragons in formation are getting on each others' nerves for one reason or another.

* TeethClenchedTeamwork: He's usually on Laurence's side, but for pragmatic reasons. He has a grudging respect for Jane Roland (their relationship probably starts in this trope too), but he regards Temeraire as a rabble-rouser and Laurence as a NecessaryEvil.

* TheLeader: To his group of friends, initially despite the fact that he's the youngest, not quite the largest (that would be Maximus) or the leader (that would be Lily), through sheer force of personality, and an uncharacteristic degree of generosity for such a large dragon. Even when [[spoiler: he loses his memory]], Laurence notes how the others instinctively defer to him. He later turns these, his intellect, and Laurence's example to rouse up the breeding grounds and create his own command when [[spoiler: he thinks Laurence is dead]].

An albino dragon -- white is the color of death in traditional Chinese culture, and [[AlbinosAreFreaks is considered horribly unlucky]]. Despite being one of the very few Celestials available to the nation, Lien was treated as an outcast... until a prince named Yongxing took pity on her, and [[UndyingLoyalty the two became inseparable]]. Too bad Yongxing was plotting to have Laurence killed, which Temeraire of course wasn't going to stand for...

* AntagonistInMourning: her entire reason for hating Temeraire is that she considers him responsible for Yongxing's death. In a short "drabble" by the author, [[spoiler: we see her many years in France's future, looking down at the more-modern city below.]] Despite that:

* DefrostingIceQueen: The few brief interactions we see of her with Napoleon suggest that she is beginning to care for him to some degree, even if not to the same extent as she has for Prince Yongxing, and stays in Paris to protect his son. Presumably, despite the difference in their goals, she admires humans of great ambition, vision, and ability.

* OutOfFocus: Despite her stated desire to see Temeraire and Laurence [[ToThePain suffer]], she hasn't done a whole lot in recent books (though her influence on France's dragon breeding techniques is becoming apparent). For the most part, Napoleon drives the plot. In ''Blood of Tyrants'', she's believed to be keeping an eye on Napoleon's newborn son, but in ''League of Dragons'' joins Napoleon in his battles as the situation becomes more desperate towards the end.
* VillainWithGoodPublicity: Her arrival and alliance with Napoleon has revolutionized and improved the lot of every dragon in France, and most of them regard her with hero-worship, calling her the White Queen. This doesn't extend to the humans of France.

An elderly Malachite Reaper who acts as the training master for British dragons at Loch Laggan. Unique in the Corps for having ''no'' human "captain" assuring his loyalty.

* MoralityChainBeyondTheGrave: Celeritas's first two captains, served the Aerial Corps faithfully, so he continues to serve even though, having rejected the captain they proposed for him, he would normally have been retired to the breeding grounds.

* OpenSecret: His role in training is generally known in the Aerial Corps, but kept secret from the other branches of the military (and, as far as possible, from the ObstructiveBureaucrat types in the British government.)
* PutOnABus: He drops out of the series after "Empire of Ivory," having gone into retirement during the plague. This might be because the British government finally caught on, although Temeraire feels a personal responsibility for having tricked him when [[spoiler:they steal the cure from Loch Laggan]]; alternately, having borne up under the deaths of his captains, the deaths of so many of his friends (many of whom would likely have been students) during the plague, he might have decided to be shot of the whole business.

* BewareTheNiceOnes: Among friends and family, Lily is a complete creampuff. In the center of a ground attack formation, she is an unholy terror.

* FluffyTheTerrible: Zig-zagged. Lily ''is'' a huge acid-spitting dragon, but personality-wise she is very sweet and gentle, almost ladylike.

* ElementalPersonalities: Iskierka, the Aerial Corps' first fire-breathing dragon, is HotBlooded and spoiling for a fight even when fresh out of the egg. As a hatchling, she needs to be bodily restrained from flying into combat against dragons hundreds of times her size.
* EnfanteTerrible: She displays bloodthirstiness straight out of the egg, by wanting to kill French dragons attacking.

* InnocentlyInsensitive: In ''Crucible of Gold'', she loudly announces [[spoiler:that Captain Little is Granby's lover]], not understanding that homosexuality is considered a ''crime'' for Britain at the time, nor why a homosexual man would be really unwilling to have sex with a woman.

* GeniusBonus: It is ''heavily'' implied that Perscitia has discovered Lobachevskian geometry some time before the year 1815 (possibly as early as 1807) while having no formal mathematical education; in our world, it was only discovered sometime between 1824 and 1830. She does it by proving that Euclid's fifth postulate doesn't logically follow from the first four (you ''can'' assume it to be true, but you can also assume it to be false, leading to an entirely different kind of geometry). If Perscitia hadn't discovered it, two other British dragons (Dulcia and Temeraire) certainly would have, using this same method - the so-called "proof by contradiction".

* TheSmartGuy: She gives ''Temeraire'' a run for his money; she independently derives the binomial and Pythagorean theorem (and is quite disgusted to learn that they're common knowledge to every mathematician who hasn't been stuck in a damp cave in the Welsh countryside their whole life), and then starts coming up with mathematics that even the well-read Temeraire hasn't previously encountered (in fact, mathematics that ''nobody'' has previously encountered, human or dragon). Moreover, she thinks ahead better than he does, pointing out that eventually, dragons are going to be rendered unnecessary in warfare, and then where will they be?
* TheSoCalledCoward: Almost unique in being a dragon with no hunger for battle, though she has no problem with supporting her allies in ''their'' battles. (It's for the best, as even if she had a lot of fighting spirit she's a slow flyer with very visible coloration.) Since 'war machine' is the only career path allowed to British dragons of her size, she's ''very'' sensitive about her "shortcoming". Temeraire consoles her by pointing out the Chinese example, remarking that she's probably just a naturally scholarly dragon, and sets her to work figuring out how to use cannon.

* MagikarpPower: As a hatchling, his air sacs were so large and uninflated he could barely move, and there were well-founded fears that he would eventually asphyxiate under his own weight. Only Demane would take care of him; the aviators and dragon-surgeon wanted to mercy-kill him, and Laurence's support of Demane was mainly motivated by compassion rather than expectation. Later, it's revealed that the air sacs are so big because he is, at full growth, one of the largest dragons anyone in the cast has ever seen. There's one (known) contender in the Incan Empire of his scale, and the Sui-Riu in the eight book are much larger (though flightless), but he's still larger than any known European dragon.

* DeathGlare: Laurence has a powerful glare, well-used throughout the whole series, that can silence a room, and
which makes men go pale and physically move away.

** This comes squarely into play in the ActionPrologue of the fifth book, where Laurence, aboard the HMS ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Goliath_(1781) Goliath]]'' during a major naval operation, steps in and fights: helping the wounded, manning the guns, repelling the French, and doing basically everything you'd expect of a man who has served aboard her for years -- which, in fact, Laurence has. Despite, again, being an officer of a different branch. [[spoiler:Not to mention, being a ''prisoner'' who was convicted of treason.]]

* TheSmartGuy: She gives ''Temeraire'' a run for his money; she independently derives the binomial and Pythagorean theorem (and is quite disgusted to learn that they're common knowledge to every mathematician who hasn't been stuck in a damp cave in the Welsh countryside their whole life), and then starts coming up with mathematics that even the well-read Temeraire hasn't previously encountered. Moreover, she thinks ahead better than he does, pointing out that eventually, dragons are going to be rendered unnecessary in warfare, and then where will they be?

* AdoptedIntoRoyalty: Celestials are supposed to only be companions to members of the Chinese Imperial Dynasty (the decision to ship an egg to the Emperor of France was highly controversial, driven entirely by political expedience). The Celestial that imprinted on Laurence, a younger scion of an old but middling noble family at best, refuses to be parted from him. Deniably bumping Laurence off is impractically difficult. So guess what finally happens.

* DeathGlare: Laurence has a powerful glare, well-used throughout the whole series, that can silence a room, and which makes men go pale and physically move away.

* ExperiencedProtagonist: Zigzagged. Laurence StumbledIntoThePlot, being in no way trained to be TheKidWithTheLeash for twenty tons of wing, claw and scales. He's also thirty, which is a bit late to be shifting services. That being said, he's been in His Majesty's Navy for ''eighteen years'', and made captain at a relatively young age, likely in his late twenties. The level of discipline the Navy instilled in him causes some adjustment issues when he becomes an aviator, but his leadership is a skill that can be applied anywhere. He's also able to chip in useful naval advice when it's called for, and occasionally moonlights as a skipper (such as late during the naval voyage in ''Throne of Jade'', where he is -- despite being a member of the Aerial Corps -- the most experienced ''sailor'' on active duty, due to Riley, TheCaptain, and Lord Forthing, the NumberTwo, having both come down with something).

** Laurence can be so humble he doesn't understand it's almost a character flaw in him. Beyond his tendency to try RiskingTheKing (see below), he is completely unaware or disdainful of the idea that he is in any way special except to Temeraire and/or as being the companion of a very special dragon. This despite [[spoiler:being a war hero several times over, an adoptive prince of China, helping find the cure to a deadly plague, stopping attempted genocide-by-bioweapon, forging a truce with at least one hostile nation, helping spark at least one civil rights revolution, seeing more of the world in the 19th century than most people in the 21st century do, and winning the admiration of Napoleon twice over.]]

* ScrewTheMoneyIHaveRules: Unsurprisingly, given Laurence's character. [[spoiler:It's one reason he refuses to give up Temeraire to China and Yongxing. When Napoleon offers him political sanctuary and rich rewards for delivering the remedy for the dragon plague to the French, Laurence abhors the notion.]]

* BlingOfWar: At Iskierka's insistence and to his mortification. Granby (or rather Iskierka) owns three or four dress jackets, only one of which he can wear with any sense of humility, because the others are so covered in ludicrous gold frogging, jewels and other massive decorations that they're too heavy to wear.

* ShotgunWedding: Played with: he ''insists'' on marrying [[spoiler:Harcourt]], even though she thinks it's no big deal. Part of it is honour, though there is a degree of pragmatism in it - if the child is a son, he won't get a share in his inheritance. While this doesn't bother [[spoiler: Harcourt]] overmuch, since as the son of a captain, any son of hers would get a captaincy in the Corps, Riley also wants to protect his nieces, as [[HeirClubForMen otherwise the inheritance would default to a distant cousin who wouldn't care for them]], which ultimately sways her.

%%* ActionMom: To Emily.

* IsThatCuteKidYours: Laurence's parents are under the impression that she is their son's (illegitimate) biological daughter. (Although Lord Allendale seems less angered by it and more exasperated given that Will has been the BlackSheep of the family since he was twelve; why not have a by-blow on top of all of that, as well?) Laurence cannot explain without embarrassing both himself and his father, not to mention revealing a secret of the Aerial Corps, and awkwardly settles on trying to pass her off as the daughter of a Dover gentlewoman whose education he has taken charge of, to little effect. Later, Lady Allendale sends her jewelry, and he cannot even express in his reply that she received the jewelry without implicating himself even further. Naturally, Jane finds the misunderstanding incredibly amusing.

* BlackAndNerdy: He takes to scholarly pursuits from a young age and even continues writing and publishing into adulthood, contrasting against his BloodKnight aviator older brother.

* BirdsOfAFeather: Caesar is Rankin in a dragon's body.

* LaserGuidedKarma: In the form of Caesar, who refuses to be treated like a dog, even naming himself. Granby gleefully notes that Rankin is going to have a lot of trouble managing him. (As it turns out, he and Rankin get along well, Caesar able to perform deference while holding his own and Rankin more than able to meet his dragon's material desires while getting a dragon who is obedient and respectful.)

** He's also got NervesOfSteel, when it comes to actual combat - as early as ''Throne of Jade'', he throws himself headlong into a fight after Laurence refuses to flee, earning Laurence's immediate respect, and in ''Blood of Tyrants'', he [[spoiler: acts as Laurence's second in a duel, picking up where he left off after Dobrozhnov shoots first, [[TranquilFury never raising his voice]] as he proposes alternating shots, first grazing the man, then shooting him in the chest]].

* NobleBigot: He's not too concerned about the slave trade in ''Crucible of Gold'', and mostly concerned with how Laurence and Temeraire's abolitionist sentiments will affect relations with first the Inca (where the situation is a bit more complicated, and closer to serfdom), and then the Portuguese (where it's classic chattel slavery). However, his motives on both counts are more about pragmatism than any personal bigotry, and he reluctantly concedes on both counts, willingly backing them the whole way throughout their insane escapades (even if he does sometimes regret it. He also becomes accustomed to Churki having adopted him (and actually weaponises it, given that the Russians are deeply impressed by his 'courage' in casually riding a heavyweight, solo, without restraints of any kind), and even acts as Laurence's second in a duel, coldly demanding satisfaction when [[spoiler: his opponent fired early, and taking a second round to put a bullet through said opponent's chest, almost killing him]].

* AlwaysSecondBest: Both Laurence and Temeraire consider him to be this to Ferris.

A Chinese chef hired by Laurence and Temeraire after the latter develops a taste for cooked food and Chinese Cuisine. In reality, he is an agent of prince Mianning sent to keep an eye on the duo.

* TheLeader: To his group of friends, initially (despite the fact that he's the youngest, not quite the largest - Maximus, or the leader), through sheer force of personality and an uncharacteristic degree of generosity for such a large dragon. He later turns these, his intellect, and Laurence's example to rouse up the breeding grounds and create his own command when [[spoiler: he thinks Laurence is dead]].

* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: As StoryboardingTheApocalypse demonstrates, his would be every bit as methodical and ruthless as Lien's was. In fact, given his personal magnetism, connections to some of the most powerful British dragons, and in-depth familiarity with the British military, it would probably be ''worse''.

* TheUnfettered: Temeraire himself has some qualities of TheUnfettered, although this may be more a case of BlueAndOrangeMorality. He has no sentiment of patriotism [[spoiler: (at least until his CharacterDevelopment in the fifth book)]], no innate drive to be helpful toward humans he's never met, and no particular dislike of France or Napoleon. Like most of the dragons of England, he only helps the British to keep ''his'' humans happy. His efforts to reconcile his attitude and Laurence's for the sake of their friendship gives the series a philosophical aspect.

* MinoredInAsskicking: Direct combat is viewed as beneath Celestials in China, so prior to her encounter with Temeraire, while she had presumably studied it, she had zero experience with it. (She outmaneuvers him in their duel at first, but his cunning and experience begin to tell, and she is unused to pain from combat injuries.) After she allies herself with Napoleon, she quickly revolutionizes warfare tactics in France, refines her Divine Wind, and becomes much more of a martial threat.

* TheBigGuy: Maximus takes this position for granted. When he encounters Requiescat in ''Victory of Eagles'', the two almost instinctively come to blows -- not even out of anger, but simply because this is what happens when adult male Regal Coppers first meet. (As Requiescat notes reminiscently, female Coppers are even bigger, but it's "different with girls".) Given Temeraire's presence and their nature as two of the most fundamentally even-tempered dragons in the series, however, it doesn't come to anything. Then, when [[AlwaysABiggerFish Kulingile]] shows up, there's a certain amount of friction.

* StalkerWithATestTube: She wants an egg by Temeraire that would have both her flames and his Divine Wind. [[spoiler:The result is described more like the plasma breath of a [[WesternAnimation/HowToTrainYourDragon Night Fury]].]]

* TheSoCalledCoward: Almost unique in being a dragon with no hunger for battle, though she has no problem with supporting her allies in ''their'' battles. (It's for the best, as even if she had a lot of fighting spirit she's a slow flyer with very visible coloration.) Since 'war machine' is the only career path allowed to British dragons of her size, she's ''very'' sensitive about her "shortcoming".

* ManipulativeBastard: He's more than willing to feign submissiveness to get exactly what he wants out of Rankin. Since this kind of behaviour is exactly what Rankin wants, it suits both of them quite nicely.
* GoldDigger: He's okay with being Rankin's dragon once he finds out that Rankin is from a rich, important family.

%%* TrademarkFavoriteFood: Cows!

Introduced as an egg in the sixth book, a cross between a Chequered Nettle and a Parnassian. At birth he appears to be deformed, but when Demane is allowed to keep him, he not only survives but turns out to be a beast of exceptional size, larger than a Regal Copper, Britain's largest established dragon breed.

* TheBigGuy: One wonders even how big he would be if he had been given all the food he wanted as a hatchling. His size has made Maximus, the ''previous'' Big Guy, rather jealous: but Kulingile is too easy-going to have a real rivalry with.

* MagikarpPower: As a hatchling, his air sacs were so large and uninflated he could barely move, and there were well-founded fears that he would eventually asphyxiate under his own weight. Only Demane will take care of him; the aviators and dragon-surgeon wanted to mercy-kill him. Later, it's revealed that the air sacs are so big because he is, at full growth, one of the largest dragons anyone in the cast has ever seen. There's one (known) contender in the Incan Empire of his scale, and the Sui-Riu in the eight book are much larger (though flightless), but he's still larger than any known European dragon.

* [[ScrewTheMoneyIHaveRules Screw The Money I have People!]]: Dragons from the Incan Empire value their people above all earthly materials and are ''extremely'' possessive of them. Churki understands money is sometimes a necessity, but it is nothing compared to having a human family, and she berates any dragon who argues otherwise.

* ThisIsMyHuman: Upon learning Hammond isn't properly part of Temeraire's crew, she starts trying to convince him to stay in South America with her where she can take care of him. When he, in desperation, tries to deflect her attention by saying he has a large family in Britain and can't make such a commitment, she decides to go home with him so she can look after all of them.
* WiseBeyondTheirYears: At twenty, Churki is relatively young in dragon years, and for a heavyweight, hasn't come of age yet to be responsible for her own ayllu. Yet she's a veteran soldier and an excellent tactician that can adapt to any given conflict in any situation. She, like her mother, regards the Napoleonic Wars [[SillyReasonForWar as silly and childish]]. In addition, while they remain in South America her knowledge of local botany and natural medicine is unrivaled.

* PolitenessJudo: While frequently as blunt as her mother, she has a remarkable amount of verbal dexterity to call upon when she wants to, likely a product of her time in China as an egg. As is noted more than once, she uses it very effectively to avoid absolutely committing herself to any one course.

* TheSocialExpert: Politically speaking, and she has very few equals, to the point where her father, Temeraire, a MagneticHero in his own right with a knack for winning over his fellow dragons, reluctantly accepts her advice.

* TheSmartGuy: She's scheming and borderline amoral, and an excellent politician. In certain areas, she's smart enough that even her father is reluctantly willing to solicit her advice.
* SocialClimber: Ning is very much interested in finding the position where she can do the most good (from her perspective). Given that she is part-Celestial, and the current Chinese Emperor's companion [[spoiler:was assassinated]], she could easily have herself accepted into the Imperial court despite being so young...except she's not certain China would be the best power to ally herself with.

* TheCharmer: For all the mocking Laurence and Granby do of his habit to try to talk people to his side, he is potrayed as quite possibly the most charismatic man in the entire world. This had allowed him to create one of the most cohesive (and loyal) military forces in the world, several international alliances with anti-western forces and [[spoiler: managed to win the appreciation and loyalty of Lien, a xenophobic Chinese dragon, in a matter of weeks--and it's not merely mutual goals; by late in ''Black Podwer War'' she has started to become fondly protective of him]]. It borders in magic.

* HistoricalVillainUpgrade: Subverted. He is not only a genius military commander but a forward-thinking liberal who has done a great deal for equal rights ([[spoiler:though as mentioned in Crucible of Gold he has reinstated slavery in at least some French territories after a brief period of abolition]]). He's still at war with Britain, so Laurence and Temeraire oppose him on principle, but Laurence admits to Temeraire (somewhat uncomfortably) that no mere monster could have accomplished what Napoleon has. Excepting his advances in integrating dragons into human society, this is TruthInTelevision.
* TheResenter: subverted. Temeraire was meant to be Napoleon's dragon, personally, and was only intercepted by Laurence by the vagaries of war; despite this, Napoleon never harps on the issue, nor insinuates that he should like "his" dragon returned to him. In fact, quite the opposite happens: [[spoiler:after his treason, Laurence begs Napoleon to take custody of Temeraire, to save the dragon from imprisonment and punishment.]]

* WorthyOpponent: By the end of the series, he considers Laurence one, almost verging into FriendlyEnemies territory. It can be difficult to gauge his sincerety, as Boney can be histrionic at the best of times, but his respect is at the very least consistent, expressed not only to Laurence but to those around him. For his part, Laurence is less comfortable being the recipient of this goodwill, presumably due to his own humility, but he still has respect for the man's genius and accomplishments.

* TheUnfettered: Temeraire himself has some qualities of TheUnfettered, although this may be more a case of TrueNeutral or even BlueAndOrangeMorality. He has no sentiment of patriotism [[spoiler: (at least until his CharacterDevelopment in the fifth book)]], no innate drive to be helpful toward humans he's never met, and no particular dislike of France or Napoleon. Like most of the dragons of England, he only helps the British to keep ''his'' humans happy. His efforts to reconcile his attitude and [[LawfulGood Laurence's]] for the sake of their friendship gives the series a philosophical aspect.

Heir to the throne despite being the younger brother of Prince Yongxing, and Laurence's most powerful ally in the Imperial Court (though for his own reasons).

* PrincelingRivalry: With Yongxing.

* SpareToTheThrone: He ''was'' the spare until Yongxing, the elder prince, decided to make Lien his companion. because Lien was seen as a bad omen, she was rejected by the court and going to be sent away until Yongxing accepted her, throwing away his shot at the crown (because nobody wanted a cursed emperor).

Main (human) character and primary narrator. Initially skipper of the HMS ''Reliant'', where Riley was his Second Lieutenant, he became captain of the dragon Temeraire nearly by accident. However, he and Temeraire quickly become inseparable.\\
\\
[[spoiler:In ''League of Dragons'', he is promoted to Admiral, albeit as part of a bargain with him to assist in the final stages of the war, and which Laurence presumes to be moot upon his retirement from the Corps at the end of the book.]]

Lieutenant Granby was initially hostile to Laurence, as he was friends with the aviator chosen by the Corps to perform a hostile takeover of Temeraire's affections. However, once they had flown together in action, they got their bickering sorted out and he became both NumberTwo and close friend to Laurence. In this capacity he also became captain of Iskierka, a fire-breathing Kazilik, in ''Black Powder War.''

[[spoiler:At the end of ''League of Dragons'', he is promoted to Admiral for his actions in the final stage of the war.]]

Half English and half Nepalese, Tharkay is an exceptional guide and translator. Due to the era's views, however, he cannot follow his father into English politics, and feels unwelcome in his mother's nation--and, for that matter, wherever he goes.\\

* ActionMom: To Emily.
* AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther: Her relationship with Laurence comes off as little more than a strong affection on Roland's part, until [[spoiler: Laurence sees in ''Victory of Eagles'' exactly how pained she is by his betrayal. She later lays into him--not for the treason itself, which she approves of, but because he did it in a way that not only ruined the careers and lives of others but left him under a sentence of death]]. In ''League of Dragons'', [[spoiler:they seem to rekindle their relationship after years, and both appear quite content with things as they are]].

He gets dismissed from the Corps in ''Victory of Eagles'', a scapegoat for [[spoiler:Laurence's treason]]. From ''Crucible of Gold'' onwards, he follows Laurence around the world.

In ''Tongues of Serpents'', Demane ends up harnessing Kulingile, unofficially becoming his captain. [[spoiler:By ''League of Dragons'', he is fully promoted by the Corps to captain, complete with his own crew.]]

The commander of the Dover covert in Book 1.\\
\\
After [[spoiler:Obversaria's death between ''Black Powder War'' and ''Empire of Ivory'']], he is put on a quieter post and Roland takes his position.

* ActionDad: In the final book.

Introduced in ''Tongues of Serpents'', he's one of the aviators sent to Australia along with three dragon eggs to start a new covert. \\

* HiddenDepths: Appears to be a mild mannered chef, albeit one who follows his employers across several countries, in and out of captivity, through battles on land, air, and sea. Turns out he's an agent of the Chinese royal family sent to keep an eye on Laurence and Temeraire.
* MasterActor: He fools literally ''everyone.''
* SupremeChef: He's a very talented chef, able to combine seemingly mundane ingredients and produce delicious meals, and even after TheReveal of his true identity, he's willing to cook for Temeraire so long as it is couched in a suitably dignified fashion for both of their stations (i.e. as a personal favour, rather than a menial job).

Wife of the preacher Mr. Erasmus, who along with her husband accompanied Laurence on the Allegiance in "Empire of Ivory." She was formerly a slave, kidnapped from the Tswana people as a child.

An albino dragon--white is the color of death in traditional Chinese culture, and [[AlbinosAreFreaks is considered horribly unlucky]]. Despite being one of the very few Celestials available to the nation, Lien was treated as an outcast... until a prince named Yongxing took pity on her, and [[UndyingLoyalty the two became inseparable]]. Too bad Yongxing was plotting to have Laurence killed, which Temeraire of course wasn't going to stand for...

* TheBigGuy: Maximus takes this position for granted. When he encounters Requiescat in ''Victory of Eagles'', the two almost instinctively come to blows--not even out of anger, but simply because this is what happens when adult male Regal Coppers first meet. (As Requiescat notes reminiscently, female Coppers are even bigger, but it's "different with girls".) Given Temeraire's presence and their nature as two of the most fundamentally even-tempered dragons in the series, however, it doesn't come to anything. Then, when [[AlwaysABiggerFish Kulingile]] shows up, there's a certain amount of friction.

* [[TheFourLoves I Just Want To Be Loved]]: All Levitas ever wanted his whole life was Rankin's affection. Tragic, considering Rankin is a ''complete jerk''.

* [[FieryRedhead Fiery Redscale]]: Her scales are colored red, black and violet.

* PlayingWithFire

* StalkerWithACrush[=/=]StalkerWithATestTube: Wants an egg by Temeraire that would have both her flames and his Divine Wind. [[spoiler:The result is described more like the plasma breath of a [[WesternAnimation/HowToTrainYourDragon Night Fury]].]]
* {{Tsundere}}: Type A to Temeraire, though not as severely as he is to her - she's more [[IncrediblyLamePun fiery]], but he finds her deeply annoying and outright disdains her at times (and, more to the point, holds a significant grudge for her taking Granby).

* TrademarkFavoriteFood: Cows!

* KnifeNut: When push comes to shove, he employs his kitchen knives as weapons --and he's [[HiddenDepths far more proficient with them]] than a simple chef should be.

* {{Badass}}: As much as Temeraire finds the Russian heavyweights disagreeable, he has to admit that they, and in particular Vosyem, are ''very'' good at fighting.

* OfficerAndAGentleman: Laurence is a well-mannered son of a Lord who much enjoys dinner parties and high society, and he also has a reputation as a fighting captain in both Navy and Aerial Corps.
* ParentalSubstitute: To Emily Roland, Demane and Sipho.

* TenMinuteRetirement: He decides to just roll with being in exile and set up a permanent dragon pavilion at the end of ''Tongues of Serpents'' but ''Crucible Of Gold'' opens with him being called back into service.

* DeadpanSnarker: His dry and sarcastic humor initially makes Laurence mistrustful of him.

* NobleBigot: Due to his father owning slaves and several plantations, he's an adamant proponent of slavery. He at one point outright calls a black woman sub-human. Despite this, he's shown to be an otherwise-good person. [[spoiler:At the end of ''Empire of Ivory'', he finally starts to relent on it.]]

* ShotgunWedding: Played with: he ''insists'' on marrying [[spoiler:Harcourt]], even though she thinks it's no big deal.

* OldSoldier: one of the older captains in Lily's formation. There are only "six or seven" Regal Coppers born every generation, so the Corps wants the best of the best as their handlers. Laurence later estimates him as being in his forties.

* ActionMom: [[spoiler:Starting in ''Empire of Ivory'', which sees her increasingly pregnant while running around Africa and getting captured by dragons there]].

* LadyOfWar: Raised and trained to command one of England's most formidable dragons. However, she'd rather be an officer than a gentleman: she finds it difficult, and a bit silly, to mingle with high society.

* HiddenDepths: He's not afraid of dragons. ''At all''. Most Westerners turn tail and run when they see one; Hammond quite casually talks with Temeraire, going so far as to reprimand him for his less than tactful comments about the Chinese.

* LetsGetDangerous: When an attack is imminent, he's not afraid to grab a sword and fight alongside the battle-hardened aviators. In "League of Dragons, after [[spoiler:Dobrozhnov shoots early during the duel and wounds Laurence]], Hammond's reaction is to coldly propose they ''fight to the death.''

* NobleBigot: He's not too concerned about the slave trade in ''Crucible of Gold'', and mostly concerned with how Laurence and Temeraire's abolitionist sentiments will affect relations with first the Inca (where the situation is a bit more complicated, and closer to serfdom), and then the Portuguese (where it's classic chattel slavery). However, he concedes on both counts, reluctantly, and willingly backs them the whole way throughout their insane escapades (even if he does sometimes regret it), becomes accustomed to Churki having adopted him, and even acts as Laurence's second in a duel, coldly demanding satisfaction when [[spoiler: his opponent fired early, and taking a second round to put a bullet through said opponent's chest, almost killing him]].

* TakeAThirdOption: Coaxes a young Russian peasant girl to marry him as opposed to kindly if somewhat disgraced Ferris, who isn't certain he really wants to marry her; or the scummy Russian nobleman, who clearly plans on using her for his own desires before leaving her. He apologizes to Ferris for swooping in as he did, but notes that Ferris is still young and still has many chances ahead of him; Dyhern is an older officer.

* HiddenDepths: Appears to be a mild mannered chef, albeit one who follows his employers across several countries, in and out of captivity, through battles on land, air, and sea. Turns out [[spoiler: he's an agent of the Chinese royal family sent to keep an eye on Laurence and Temeraire.]]

* SupremeChef: He's a very talented chef, able to combine seemingly mundane ingredients and produce delicious meals.

* MilitaryMaverick: In Prussia, he's very skeptical of their dragons' rigid formations, and he has little regard for what the Admiralty thinks. But when he plans tactics on his own and flies in formation with dragons, his ideas are usually quite good.

* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: As StoryboardingTheApocalypse demonstrates, his would be every bit as methodical and ruthless as Lien's was.

* DefrostingIceQueen: The few brief interactions we see of her with Napoleon suggest that she is beginning to care for him to some degree, even if not to the same extent as she has for Prince Yongxing. Presumably, despite the difference in their goals, she admires humans of great ambition, vision, and ability.

* BrutalHonesty: He seems to have picked this habit up from Berkley, and sometimes uses it ''on'' Berkley, like when he points out that Berkley's too thin and ill himself worrying over the dragon plague.

* UndyingLoyalty: Aside from the standard loyalty to his captain, Dyhern, after being reunited with Dyhern thanks to Temeraire's actions, Eroica refers to Temeraire as "best of friends" and swears, when Temeraire has a task to do but Laurence is too unwell to come with him, to look after Laurence as if he were his own captain.

* BreakTheHaughty: In ''Crucible of Gold,'' Granby finally finds the willpower to put an end to her obnoxious attitude. [[spoiler: He flatly states that, while he loves her, a dragon who won't obey orders is of no use to a loyal captain of the Aerial Corps, and while it breaks his heart he will leave her for another dragon if she doesn't grow up. Iskierka is aghast, but at least tries to be more obliging.]]

* StalkerWithACrush / StalkerWithATestTube: Wants an egg by Temeraire that would have both her flames and his Divine Wind. [[spoiler:The result is described more like the plasma breath of a [[WesternAnimation/HowToTrainYourDragon Night Fury]].]]

* MedievalStasis: Unlike other dragons, has perceived how unlikely things are to remain as they are. She points that that guns were invented, and they have gotten better over centuries, and believes that in the future humans will make a cannon that can kill a Regal Copper in flight with a single shot--and then where will dragons be?
* TheSmartGuy: She gives ''Temeraire'' a run for his money; she independently derives the binomial and Pythagorean theorem (and is quite disgusted to learn that they're common knowledge to every mathematician who hasn't been stuck in a damp cave in the Welsh countryside their whole life), and then starts coming up with mathematics that even the well-read Temeraire hasn't previously encountered.

* GentleGiant: Even more than Maximus, he's a big sweetheart.

* MagikarpPower: As a hatchling, his air sacs were so large he could barely move. Only Demane will take care of him; the aviators and dragon-surgeon wanted to mercy-kill him. Later, it's revealed that the air sacs are so big because he is, at full growth, one of the largest dragons anyone in the cast has ever seen. There's one (known) contender in the Incan Empire of his scale, and the Sui-Riu in the eight book are much larger (thought flightless), but he's still larger than any known European dragon.

* ObfuscatingStupidity: While behaving in a somewhat decadent manner, drinking and carousing with outsiders, she is no fool, and when the ''Potentate'' leaves has already initiated the construction of Japan's own naval fleet.

* Badass: As much as Temeraire finds the Russian heavyweights disagreeable, he has to admit that they, and in particular Vosyem, are ''very'' good at fighting.

* CombatPragmatist: On a strategic scale. [[spoiler: Anything it takes to bring victory one step closer, whether it be good (granting pay and rank to dragons) or vile (encouraging Laurence to engage in war crimes) is within his capacity.]]

* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Most brass outside the Aerial Corps do not even try to comprehend it, seeing dragons as DumbMuscle and the aviators as the KidWithTheLeash. Wellesley takes the trouble to listen not just to the aviators but to ''the dragons themselves'', and in the process becomes the first ranking officer outside the Corps to treat them as the sentient beings they are. (Which is not to say he ''likes'' them; he just won't let common prejudice hinder the war effort.)

* ReplacementScrappy: In-universe, both Laurence and Temeraire consider him this to Ferris, who was a far more competent First Lieutenant and was dismissed for unfair reasons.

A Chinese chef hired by Laurence and Temeraire after the latter develops a taste for cooked food and Chinese Cuisine. [[spoiler: in reality, he is an agent of prince Mianning sent to keep an eye on the duo]].

[[spoiler:After her husband is killed, she decides to stay with the Tswana with her children. We later see her in South America working to send escaped slaves to live with the Tswana.]]

* NotSoDifferent: Both he and Lien despise each other, but they're both Celestials who are unusual among their kind (him for fighting and Western upbringing, her for her albinism), both introduce Chinese influenced reforms on dragon treatment and warfare to the West, and both command a significant amount of loyalty from their draconic fellows through sheer force of personality. And as he makes clear, if he was ever to lose Laurence, he would do almost exactly what Lien did.

* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: All signs indicate that he's NotSoDifferent from the honorable, professional soldiers of Prussia and Britain... although he can certainly afford to be reasonable, given his position.

* {{Ambadassador}}: At one point, the delegation comes under physical attack and he urges them all to flee. When Laurence refuses (for fear of losing Temeraire), Hammond [[LetsGetDangerous seizes a sword and helps out]], fighting [[CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass fiercely if without finesse]] and earning Laurence's immediate respect.

* GeniusBruiser: He's one of the smartest people in the series, has a near-uncanny ability to command the respect and allegiance of both humans and dragons, and is also a heavyweight dragon with insane aerial maneuvering ability and a OneHitPolykill BreathWeapon. Piss him off at your peril.

** The ''Temeraire'' was a French sailing ship which was famously captured by the Royal Navy and put back into service; this has very obvious resonance with our dragon, though this was not Laurence's thought at the time.

* {{Tsundere}}: An extreme type A towards Iskierka; Temeraire's internal narration is full of belittling comments about her, culminating in ''Crucible of Gold'' where he finally relents and [[spoiler:decides to give her an egg]]. Wounded pride also plays a part. Lien had just revealed [[spoiler:that Celestials cannot cross-breed]], and Iskierka (being the BrattyHalfPint she is) immediately needles him about [[spoiler:his failures in mating]]. His thought process is less that he likes her and more that she's, well, conveniently available. Having said that, he does credit her for the occasions when she pulls her own weight.
* UndyingLoyalty: Like most dragons, he is [[ThisIsMyHuman deeply protective of his captain]] (and unlike many British dragons this eventually extends to his whole crew) which provides an effective source of both pathos and comedy relief.

* OutOfFocus: Despite her stated desire to see Temeraire and Laurence [[ToThePain suffer]], she hasn't done a whole lot in recent books (though her influence on France's dragon breeding techniques is becoming apparent). For the most part, Napoleon drives the plot. In ''Blood of Tyrants'', she's believed to be keeping an eye on Napoleon's newborn son, but in ''League of Dragons' joins Napoleon in his battles as the situation becomes more desperate towards the end.

* TheBigGuy: Maximus takes this position for granted. When he encounters Requiescat in ''Victory of Eagles'', the two almost instinctively come to blows--not even out of anger, but simply because this is what happens when adult male Regal Coppers first meet. (As Requiescat notes fondly, female Coppers are even bigger, but it's "different with girls".) Then, when [[AlwaysABiggerFish Kulingile]] shows up, there's a certain amount of friction.

* ParentalNeglect: Well, from Levitas' perspective. Dragons regard their riders as most treasured possession or their child or their parent. Rankin treated Levitas quite badly, not that he hated his loyal dragon partner, ''he just didn't care''.

* {{Jerkass}}: For the most part, she is callous, arrogant, obnoxious, and cares only about herself.

* TheSmartGuy: She gives ''Temeraire'' a run for his money; she independently derives the binomial and Pythagorean theorem (and is quite disgusted to learn that they're common knowledge to every mathematician who hasn't been stuck in a damp cave in the Welsh countryside their whole life).

* BirdsOfAFeather: A self-centered whiner who cares mainly about status? Perfect for Rankin!

* LaserGuidedKarma: Rankin's first dragon rejected ''him:'' his second was an ExtremeDoormat. Caesar, on the other hand, is willing to be a companion, but ''refuses'' to be a servant.

* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Even when [[spoiler:it appears England is conspiring to undermine Chinese internal stability]], he's willing to listen to Laurence and Temeraire's defence and even help them look for evidence. He's also wise enough to overcome his own prejudices; when he sees that Iskierka is not only dangerous in a fight because of her breath but because she's a very skilled flyer, despite the conventional wisdom of the Chinese breeding programmes (which he heads up) being that firebreathers are too unbalanced to be graceful in the air, he decides that some changes might need to be made.

* HeelFaceDoorSlam: At first, Temeraire's behavior during the French retreat making him rich, and his subsequent overtures to them ) inviting them to dinner where they are all given prizes and lavish food), seem to have an effect on the Russian heavyweights--they're all more willing to behave and follow his orders if it means treasure. But Vosyem quickly shows that she hasn't really changed when [[spoiler:a carrying-strap becomes uncomfortable, so she simply tears it off and lets the three hundred men she was carrying plummet to their death]].

* JerkAss: Yes. Vosyem lacks even affection for her captain or officers, and Russian dragons (aside from those used by the Cossacks, who have a more a traditional relationship with their beasts) will gladly fight on even if their crew are captured.

* EnfantTerrible: One of the first things she does after hatching is ''burn down a palace'' as a distraction.
* IronicName: She names herself Ning, which according to Temeraire means "tranquility". This is ''after'' she has burned a palace down.
* RedOniBlueOni: Calmly debates the advantages of tyranny with the fiercely democracy-loving Perscitia.

* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: ALthough he trains dragons in the traditional ways, he has no objection to new concepts. He also turns a blind eye, when he feels it necessary.

* FauxAffablyEvil: Although he's on the enemy side, Lefebvre is depicted as a down-to-earth man with a broad sense of humor, particularly when the joke's on him.