History Characters / TheFirstLawTheFirstLaw

* WeaponOfChoice: Averted. He wields the Maker's sword for most of the trilogy, and is fond of knives, but says he has no real preference for a weapon type and is shown fighting with spears, axes, maces, and all manner of ImprovisedWeapon throughout the story.

* CombatPragmatist

* {{Foil}}: To Jezal. Logen is a thoughtful, wise man from a "barbaric" culture, Jezal is an ignorant, arrogant cad of wealth and means from the heart of civilization. Jezal looks down his nose at everyone, Logen strives to empathize with his comrades and gives all enemies due respect as potential threats. Jezal is a coward who puts on a brave face while making excuses, Logen accepts his fears but does what he must in spite of them. By the end of their journey, Jezal [[spoiler: unexpectedly develops an immense respect for the Northman and takes his lessons to heart]].

* {{Gonk}}: Ferro and Jezal, among others, find him ''hideous''. Granted, they're each an UnreliableNarrator, [[note]]Ferro is a hateful, bitter woman who considers all [[FantasticSlur pinks]] unattractive, and Jezal is a vain, arrogant JerkAss who considers all people less handsome than himself, especially Northmen[[/note]] but Logen's flesh from head to toe is absolutely riddled with scars, his nose has been broken multiple times, and the bones and skin of his face have been injured so many times that his facial features appear lumpy and asymmetrical.

* ArcherArchetype: Logen accounts him the best archer he's ever seen... before he met Ferro.

* TheArcher: His primary weapon, as a scout.

* TheArcher: She's an almost impossibly good shot due to her [[spoiler:demon blood]].

* DropTheHammer: His weapon is an enormous war hammer.

* BrilliantButLazy: {{Downplayed}}, but Jezal is a genuinely talented swordsman. He would just rather goof off and play cards with his buddies than actually applying himself. He [[CharacterDevelopment eventually grows out of this]].
* CharacterDevelopment: Arguably the most significant of any of the main characters in the trilogy. He starts off as a shallow, self-centered jackass and ends the original trilogy [[spoiler:a king who cares about his people and tries to look out for their best interests. Unfortunately, given the crapsack nature of the setting, he's a rendered a PuppetKing by Bayaz, and limited in the reforms he wants to make to benefit the Union's people.]]

* {{Foil}}: To Collem West. Collem is a lowborn but honest man who earned his rank through service, is an experienced soldier and commander and has the deepest respect for the common man, while wholeheartedly unimpressed with the airs and games of the elites. Jezal, on the other hand, is a spoiled nobleman who's father bought his commission, is [[spoiler: initially]] a pathetic fighter and inept leader, and treats the poor like dirt while kissing his superiors' asses. Jezal shows off and puts on airs but is ultimately spineless, and Collem is gentle and reasonable but has an ''explosive'' temper when pushed. To drive it all home, Jezal is strikingly handsome and a famous playboy, while Collem has more "common" features, and his hair is thinning with stress.

* BrokenAce: He was a champion swordsman, war hero and renowned ladies man. Now he's a shunned cripple that inspires pity at best, and disgust or fear at worst.

* DeathSeeker: A version. He doesn't go out actively looking for his death, but he'd dearly like someone to kill him. He's positively thrilled when Ferro and [[spoiler:Salem Rews]] hold his life in the palm of their hands and thinks they're about to kill him. He can't stand to lose though...

** Despite being an unrepentant torturer, schemer and misanthrope, Glokta is not at all impressed with the white population's segregation of natives in Dagoska, and privately sympathises with them when dealing with the city council.

* JackBauerInterrogationTechnique: It's his speciality. His victims confess to their crimes, even if they're innocent, after spending some time with him and his instruments.

* MoralityPet: Collem and Ardee West are the only two people Glokta shows consistent kindness to, especially when he finds out Collem didn't abandon him after his mutilation, but was driven away by Glokta's own mother. [[spoiler:Glokta even refuses to murder Ardee, who's presence risks a scandal after she becomes pregnant with Jezal's bastard child. Instead, he marries her to protect her from any attempts on her life by other members of the Closed Council.]]

* MyBelovedSmother: Following his torture, mutilation and crippling, he was returned home to his mother's to heal. Unbeknownst to Glokta, his mother sent away his friend, Collem West, on account of West being lowborn, driving away the only person who hadn't abandoned Glokta and convincing him that he was truly friendless.

* TheToothHurts: Had half of his teeth broken as part of his torture. Its now one of his favourite methods of interrogation.

* VillainousFriendship: His Practicals, Severard and Frost, are the closest thing he has to friends in his line of work. [[spoiler:He takes it hard when he finds out both of them betrayed him, for separate parties and for separate reasons.]]

* BewareTheNiceOnes: He's one of the most noble character in the series, but he has a deadly temper, [[spoiler:and commits cold-blooded murder on Prince Ladisla when he catches him trying to rape Cathil.]]

* MySisterIsOffLimits: He makes no secret he wants Jezel to stay away from his sister. But since this is before his CharacterDevelopment, Jezal doesn't listen. Even after his CharacterDevelopment, he doesn't.
* OnlySaneMan: Played with, as he is this most of the time, but has a terrible temper that sometimes makes him half mad- at one point, in a fit of rage, ''he bites a guy's nose off.''

* {{Foil}}: To Jezal. Logen is a thoughtful, wise man from a "barbasric" culture, Jezal is an ignorant, arrogant cad of wealth and means from the heart of civilization. Jezal looks down his nose at everyone, Logen strives to empathize with his comrades and gives all enemies due respect as potential threats. Jezal is a coward who puts on a brave face while making excuses, Logen accepts his fears but does what he must in spite of them. By the end of their journey, Jezal [[spoiler: unexpectedly develops an immense respect for the Northman and takes his lessons to heart]].

* HeroesPreferSwords: Discussed. Logen states that he has no preference in weapons, but Bayaz tells him that HeroesPreferSwords, so he gives him one.

* MartialPacifist: Has shades of this. With age and experience he's developed a distaste for bloodshed, and would much rather avoid a fight entirely or talk his way out of it. He's far from naive, however, so when a fight is necessary or inevitable, he fight ''savagely'' to end it as quickly and decisively as possible.

* RetiredMonster: By the beginning of the series, Logen is ashamed of his past atrocities and his Bloody-Nine personality. In ''The Red Country'', [[spoiler:he goes a step farther by retiring to a farm and changing his name, but he still can't escape the Bloody-Nine]].

Logen's oldest friend, a Named Man of some repute. He has sharp teeth, a sharp nose and an even sharper sense of smell.

* CowardlyLion: Downplayed. An interesting case as only the Dogman percieves himself as one. By the standards of anyone who isn't a [[NobleSavage Northman]], he'd probably be the most fearless person they'd ever met. But, at the end of ''The Blade Itself'', after [[spoiler: Forley's death]] Dogman muses that he's the coward of the band now. In reality, it's more that Dogman is the OnlySaneMan who is willing to do the right thing unless it is detrimental to his own well-being.

* EstablishingCharacterMoment: Her introductory scene has a Gurkish aoldier she had fatally wounded begging her for a sip of water as he slowly djed in the desert sun. Realizing she has a rare surplus of water, she guzzles it sloppily right in front of him and pours some on her hands and face, but gives him none.
* FantasticRacism: She has no respect or empathy for anyone north of Gurkul, who she derisively calls [[FantasticSlur "pinks"]]. She hates the Gurkish with a burning passion, but she ''did'' suffer much at their hands, and at least still considers them fundamentally human. She sees the Union's atheistic secularism as alien and ignorant, and muses that she wouldn't give a damn if all the pinks in the whole world were conquered amd enslaved so long as the "real people" went free.

* HonorAmongThieves: Introduced burying a couple of her companions, fellow bandits who she generally despised, because you bury your companions when they die.

* BewareTheQuietOnes: Frost doesn't speak much due to his speech impediment, usually reserving his words for either when he has to, or when he can't a resist a joke. [[spoiler:This becomes especially terrifying when Glokta realizes he betrayed him to Sult, at the same time that Frost realizes he's figured it out. Frost snaps Severard's neck without a word before trying to finish off his old boss. When Glokta demands to know why, Frost simply shrugs.]]
* BrainsAndBrawn: Subverted. While Severard is the smirking quipster and Frost is a hulking lisper, Frost shows HiddenDepths in a few occasions, including excellent penmanship and [[spoiler:being a mole for Arch Lector Sult]].

* DissonantSerenity: Frost is always impassive, even during torture sessions, [[spoiler:even when the victim is his a long-time co-worker, Severard]].

* BrainsAndBrawn: Subverted. While Severard is the smirking quipster and Frost is a hulking lisper, Frost shows HiddenDepths in a few occasions, including [[spoiler:being a mole]].

* LaserGuidedKarma: He aides Glokta in his tortures, even complimenting him on his precision in using a meat cleaver to cut off bits off fingers. [[spoiler:When Glokta finds out he's a mole, he uses the cleaver to cut off Severard's own fingers. Glokta even asks if Severard still values his precision.]]

* EarnYourHappyEnding: [[spoiler:After a steady diet of misery and abuse, ends up married to Glokta, ensuring no one will be able to harm her or her illegitimate child, or ever mock or ignore her again.]]

* NonIdleRich: Does everything in her power to support Glokta in his defence of Dagoska.

* TraumaCongaLine: [[spoiler:Glokta exposes her as a traitor and later forces her to work for him as a spy in Styria, where she becomes [[TheEvilPrince Ario's]] mistress. In ''Best Seved Cold'', she's tortured and blackmailed into assisting Monza in Ario's assassination, forcing her to seek protection in the League of Eight in order to escape the wrath of both Glokta and Grand Duke Orso. Fortunately, things start to look a little brighter for her by the time of ''Red Country''.]]

%%%* TheLeader: After Logen splits with his crew.

* CardCarryingVillain: He's a ruthless murderer fond of burning people alive - and he seems to enjoys every minute of it. He also makes lecherous comments that imply there really isn't much he'd balk at.

* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Although his reputation is one of the darkest in the north and he doesn't so much as blink at extreme violence, he has moments of empathy on a few rare occasions, such as [[spoiler: shedding a tear at Forley's funeral and speaking up at Tul Duru's. The latter's death is even implied to be the reason he ultimately betrays Logen]].

* LeeroyJenkins: He has a habit of killing first and questioning afterwards, springing into action before the signal during ambushes and skulking off ahead of his comrades during stealthy tasks. It gives his chiefs no end of frustration.

* PetTheDog: Has a few notable moments, such as his interactions with Forley and West, or his words at [[spoiler: Tul Duru's]] funeral.

A cowardly Named Man in Logen's band.

The first and current King of the Northmen.

* DefiantToTheEnd: [[spoiler:After Logen kills Bethod's champion, Fenris, and advances on him, Bethod doesn't cower or flee. He just keeps mocking Logen and calling him out of his own dark deeds. He keeps insulting him until Logen smashes his head in.]]

* GoodParents: Surprisingly, in later books he comes off as wanting only the best for his sons and doing his best to teach them how to rule.

* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: Zigzagged. He wants to see Logen fight in a war as the Bloody Nine again, but when the Bloody Nine does take over in battle, he ends up murdering one of Crummock's sons. However, afterwards Crummock doesn't seem too shook up about it, and seems ignorant Logen was even the killer. [[spoiler:At least until their final conversation where Crummock flat-out tells Logen he knows he murdered his son and gives him an ImpliedDeathThreat if he ever comes back into Crummock's territory.]]

[[folder:Other Characters: etc.]]

* ChronicBackstabbingDisorder: [[spoiler: It's implied he had a hand in the death of his original mentor, Juvens', and used that death as a pretext to wage war against his second master, Kanedias. Whatever else may have happened, it's confirmed that Bayaz personally murdered his lover, Tolomei, who happened to be Kanedias' daughter, just to cover up his own secrets. He even consigns Yulwei, one of his best friends, to a FateWorseThanDeath just to further his own interests.]]

* EccentricMentor: Serves as one to the main characters, especially to Jezal, who's frequently annoyed by Bayaz' long-winded speeches. [[spoiler: Subverted when he reveals his true colors at the end of the trilogy]]

* OldMaster: He is the First Magy, a very old and commanding man with magical powers than can turn you inside out.

* ButtMonkey: In his first appearance, needs repeated rescuing by the guy he was sent to rescue, and it's all downhill from there. Nobody respects him, his master treats him with contempt, and [[spoiler:he ends up murdered, eaten and impersonated and Bayaz doesn't even care.]]

* TookALevelInJerkass: From the second book onwards, Quai acts more aloof, contemptuous and macabre. He even begins snapping at Bayaz during their lessons. [[spoiler:It turns out this is because it's not Quai at all, but an undead Tolomei impersonating him.]]

One of the Magi.

* EveryoneHasStandards: Yulwei has a lot of moral qualms with Bay's actions, in particular when Bayaz seems to be skirting the Laws of magic without actually breaking them. He disapproves of Bayaz's search for the Seed and his employment of the shady Yoru Sulfur.

* LetsGetDangerous: Normally provides the ComicRelief, but don't let that fool you.

[[/folder]]

* TheFriendNobodyLikes: He's confrontational, loud, nasty and enjoys rubbing people the wrong way just to get a reaction out of them. His team mates plainly state several times he's an ass and don't know why Logen spared him. Subverted, as they clearly care for each other. Dogman shows [[spoiler: genuine grief when he learns Dow is dead]].

* TheFriendNobodyLikes: Among Logen's band. Most members get along well, but Dow's argumentative and biting nature make him exhausting to deal with. Tul Duru, Threetrees and even the Dogman frequently bicker with or criticize him, and Logen admits that he was the only one of the team he was unable to get through to. No one denies he's a good ally to have in a fight, though, and better to have at your side than against you.

* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: He is one of the most feared Named Men in the North because of how ruthless and cruel he can be. He also shows the most emotions whenever a member of the band dies, and is the first to pay his respects on [[spoiler: Cathil's]] grave.

[[Characters/TheFirstLawMagi The Magi]] | [[Characters/TheFirstLawGurkishEmpire Gurkish Empire]] | [[Characters/TheFirstLawStyria Styria]] | [[Characters/TheFirstLawNearAndFarCountries Near & Far Countries]] | [[Characters/TheFirstLawAdua Adua]] | [[Characters/TheFirstLawTheFirstLaw The First Law trilogy]] | ''Characters/BestServedCold'' | ''Characters/TheHeroes'' | ''Characters/RedCountry''-]]]]]

Characters introduced or appearing prominently in Joe Abercrombie's Literature/TheFirstLaw trilogy.

* AsskickingEqualsAuthority: [[spoiler: Becomes King of the Northmen after the trilogy.]]

* DeterminedWidow: Married a far older man to pay off her father's debt, and gradually took over his responsibilities in the Guild of Spicers as his health declined. After his death, she effectively inherited his title as a Magister.

* DeathSeeker: A version. He doesn't go out actively looking for his death, but he'd dearly like someone to kill him. He's positively thrilled when Ferro and [[spoiler:Salem Lews]] hold his life in the palm of their hands and thinks they're about to kill him. He can't stand to lose though...

* BewareTheQuietOnes: Logen recalls nearly being spitted by Grim with a spear during their duel.

* PetTheDog: Has a few notable moments, such as his interactions with Forley and West, or his words at [[spoiler: Threetrees']] funeral.

* SpeechImpediment: Frost has a chronically swollen tongue that causes him to slur his speech.

* PerpetualSmiler: When Sulfur does interact with others, he's always smiling and has a friendly demeanor, with one exception in ''Literature/BestServedCold'' [[spoiler: where Monza angers him enough that he drops the facade and flashes a [[TechnicallyASmile a threatening "smile" of sharp teeth]] and clearly intended to eat her]].

* WasItReallyWorthIt: Asks this at the end of ''The Last Argument of Kings'', brooding over the fact that he is [[spoiler: the last of Logen's crew left alive]] and wondering what it was all for.