Bremen
Allanon's adoptive father, and the man responsible for the creation of the Sword of Shannara in the first place, Bremen is an elderly Druid who becomes aware of Brona's threat before the other Druids. When the Druid Council will not listen to him, Bremen leaves Paranor in disgust, deciding to take matters into his own hands.- Big Good: Fills this role in First King, where he's also the main character. One could contend that in Sword, Elfstones, and Wishsong he's the Bigger Good to Big Good Allanon.
- Failure Knight: Binds himself to the Hadeshorn after failing to kill Brona.
- Jacob Marley Apparel: Always appears in his shroud.
- The Mentor: To Risca, Tay, Mareth, Jerle, and Allanon in turn. It's interesting if only because he's the main character.
- Take Up My Sword: Does this to Allanon, with or without meaning to.
- Unfinished Business: Why he binds himself to the Hadeshorn.
Risca
A Dwarven Warrior Druid, and one of Bremen's closest friends. Bremen sends him to gather the Dwarves against Brona's threat.- Magic Knight: One of the few Warrior Druids left, he channels his magic through his weapons.
- One-Man Army: It takes a veritable army, or a being of Brona's power to make Risca run.
- Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: The Manly Man to Tay's Sensitive Guy (not that they spend a lot of time together).
- Walking Armoury: He's got a Cool Sword, an axe, and Carries A Big Stick. Shades of Garet Jax.
Tay Trefenwyd
Bremen's other ally among the Dwarves of Paranor, Tay is an Elven Druid, whose studies focused mostly on the elements. A close friend of Jerle Shananra, Bremen sends him to warn the Elf King about Brona, and obtain the Black Elfstone.- Becoming the Mask: Has to be very careful of this when he infiltrates the Chew Magna. Subsumed in his worst emotions in order to disguise himself, it would only take one false move to turn him into a genuine monster, instead of just looking like one.
- Dangerous Forbidden Technique: Using the Black Elfstone.
- Driven to Suicide: Kills himself rather than allow the Black Elfstone to subvert him.
- Sadistic Choice: Use the Black Elfstone against the Skull Bearers and be consumed by evil, or die? He chooses both.
- Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: To Risca and Jerle's Manly Men.
- Unlucky Childhood Friend: To Jerle's girlfriend, Preia Starle.
Mareth
A young Druid-in-training, she ends up traveling with Bremen, Risca, and Kinson Ravenlock after the fall of Paranor, aiding in rallying the Dwarves to the cause against Brona, as well as obtaining the aid of Urprox Screl in the forging of the Sword of Shannara and, though it isn't clear at the time, helping him locate his successor in the form of Allanon.
- Action Girl: Not as much as other Brooks heroines thanks to her Dark and Troubled Past, emo-ness, and the dangers of truly unleashing her magic, but she qualifies thanks to the battles she engages in—including the final one with Brona's forces, which nearly annihilates the Dwarves, kills Risca of all people, and almost kills Kinson...but of which she's the only survivor other than Jerle and Bremen.
- Boom Stick: Courtesy of Bremen. It lets her channel her magic without hurting herself.
- Disappeared Dad: Source of much angst...especially when she finds out who he might actually be.
- Emo Teen: At times; not that she doesn't have her reasons.
- Luke, I Am Your Father: Played with. During the course of the journey she is told by a man claiming to be her father that the innate, nearly out-of-control magic she possesses was inherited from him—a Skull Bearer. She has the appropriate reaction, and almost succumbs to a Heroic BSoD until Kinson Ravenlock snaps her out of it. In the end, it is never revealed if this was actually the truth, or part of a trap by the Warlock Lord to ensnare her powerful magic through her longing for her Disappeared Dad; however, Bremen had told already her that he believed her father was most likely a creature of the Warlock Lord in disguise, given her story about her disturbed mother being seduced by a strange man and the fact that she was born with magic.
- Luke, You Are My Father: Initially she believes that Bremen is her dad.
- Power Incontinence: Her main issue throughout the book, solved only when she is given a staff by Bremen to channel it and later when she deals with her issues regarding her parentage.
- Take Up My Sword: Averted when, after the final battle, rather than being the last of the Druids she throws away her staff and chooses to have a normal life with Kinson.
- White Magician Girl: Invokes this appearance wise, but that staff is for a heck of a lot more than healing.
Jerle Shannara
The ultimate grandfather to the whole Shannara line, Jerle makes his first real appearance in this book. Promoted to the kingship when the rest of his relatives are slaughtered, he accompanies his friend Tay on the hunt for the Black Elfstone and is later chosen by Bremen to wield the Sword of Shannara against the Warlock Lord.- Cool Sword: The original wielder of the Sword of Shannara.
- Hero Secret Service: Was the Captain of the Elven Home Guard before the royal family was wiped out.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: His inability to accept his own failures allows Brona to escape, albeit severely weakened.
- What Kind of Lame Power Is Heart, Anyway?: Deliberately invoked. His inability to understand the Sword's power is what ultimately allows Brona to escape.
Preia Starle
- Victorious Childhood Friend: To Jerle
Kinson Ravenlock
Warrior, bodyguard, and Tracker who travels with Bremen, first to the Skull Kingdom, then to Paranor, and finally on a journey to rally the Dwarves and help forge the Sword of Shannara. Falls in love with Mareth and ends up founding the city of Kern. Ancestor of Shirl Ravenlock.- Bodyguard Crush: May play into how he falls for Mareth in the end.
- Determinator: Doesn't come close to death until the final battle, and even then he clings to life despite some rather severe wounds.
