Main Trio
Maddie
A young middle school girl, Maddie O'Niell lives the typical life of an ordinary girl. Until she discovers a beautiful boat in the stream at the bottom of her garden, and upon stepping in, finds herself on an incredible adventure that spans many magical realms.
- Fiery Redhead: Downplayed. Maddie is relatively calm and collected in most situations, but she certainly has a sharp tongue when pushed too far.
- Hate at First Sight: Maddie takes an immediate disliking to Princess Lyra upon meeting her, and the feeling is certainly mutual. The two girls can barely stand to be in the other's presence, which causes constant friction whenever Lyra accompanies the trio on missions.
- Pubescent Braces: Maddie wears a brace on her teeth due to them being slightly crooked, something which Jessica and her lackies, as well as Princess Lyra, mock her for. In Fairy Wishes Isabella the tooth fairy uses her magic to straighten Maddie's teeth so she'll no longer need the brace, much to Maddie's joy.
- Redheads Are Uncool: She's often picked on at school by Jessica Coatsworth and her cronies for having red hair and braces.
- Ship Tease: With Sebastian. While she denies that he's her boyfriend, the two undeniably have a close bond. She has a tendency to blush when complimented by him, gets rather jealous when Princess Lyra tries to weasel her way into the group, and Sebastian in turn always insists on having Maddie by his side during missions. Even when Sebastian becomes an official WishMaster, he still insists on Maddie accompanying him on assignments, holding her hands and reasoning that it wouldn't be the same without her.
Sebastian
The young apprentice of Zenith the WishMaster, Sebastian first crosses paths with Maddie when he moors his boat in the stream near her back garden. When Maddie offers to help him on his wish granting assignment, the two set off for his homeland of Zavania, a magical world where wishes can come true.
- The Apprentice: To Zenith. He becomes an official WishMaster at the end of Princess Wishes, although due to his young age, he's considered a very junior WishMaster.
- Badass Cape: He wears a classy black cape.
- Chick Magnet: Downplayed. Both Maddie and Princess Lyra are implied to have crushes on him, and his good looks are frequently commented on by other characters.
- Deadpan Snarker: He certainly has his moments, particularly when dealing with Zak.
- Doorstop Baby: He was left in a bundle on Zenith's doorstep when he was just an infant, and was subsequently raised by Thirza, Zenith's housekeeper.
- Nice Guy: He's incredibly friendly and kind to everyone he meets, and always sticks up for his friends.
- Tall, Dark, and Handsome: Sebastian is described as being a very pleasant-looking young man with dark hair and a tan complexion.
- Ship Tease: With Maddie. It's implied that Maddie has a crush on him, and the feelings appear to be mutual. Sebastian is always quick to come to Maddie's defense when someone or something threatens her, compliments her very often, and is prone to holding her hand during emotionally charged moments. Thirza even comments in Mermaid Wishes that "His head can be turned by a pretty face", implying that he also harbors a crush on his new friend.
Zak
A snarky raven who accompanies Sebastian on his wish granting missions.
- Animal Companion: He serves as this to Sebastian, and to a lesser extent, to Maddie.
- Clever Crows: Zak is a highly intelligent raven, and his extended social network with other avians around Zavania frequently comes in handy during missions.
- Deadpan Snarker: Zak is easily the most sarcastic of the main trio.
- Shipper on Deck: He likes to tease Sebastian about his insistence on having Maddie join them on wish granting assignments, and lightly teases the pair for their long hug towards the end of Princess Wishes.
The Other Place
Lucy
Maddie's best friend in the real world.
- Nerd Glasses: She wears thick-framed glasses, which earns her taunts from Jessica Coatsworth and her lackies.
- Only Friend: To Maddie, at least in the real world.
- Supreme Chef: She's skilled enough at cooking to win the food technology prize at school.
Jessica Coatsworth
A nasty schoolgirl who frequently bullies Maddie and Lucy for incredibly petty reasons.
- Academic Alpha Bitch: As shown in Princess Wishes, Jessica is a relentless grade-grubber and loves to rub her academic success in people's faces, boasting that she'll receive all the academic awards at the school's prize-giving. She sulks when others are given awards instead of her, and is completely floored when Maddie wins the "Most Outstanding Girl of Her Year" prize.
- Alpha Bitch: Jessica is a snobby, self-centred bully who relentlessly taunts Maddie for nearly everything, but mostly her appearance.
- The Fashionista: She frequently brags about her expensive taste in clothing, and her planned outfit for the school dance in Mermaid Wishes reflects this taste.
- Laser-Guided Karma: She boasts early in the second book about her fancy outfit that she's planning on wearing to the school dance, and about her cute date who will be going with her. At the end of the book, Maddie learns that someone (read: Zak) dumped black ink all over her, ruining her outfit and humiliating her in front of her friends and date.
Zavania
Zenith
Sebastian's master and father figure, and one of the most powerful WishMasters in Zavania.
- Badass Cape: Much like his apprentice, he wears a long black cape.
- Bald Mystic: Zenith is a tall, imposing bald man with steely eyes and a booming voice.
- Parental Substitute: He serves as a father figure to Sebastian, who was left on his doorstep as an infant.
- So Proud of You: When awarding Sebastian his Golden Spurs at the end of Princess Wishes, his expression is one filled with admiration and pride, and he expresses his joy at seeing just how far Sebastian has come as a WishMaster.
- Stern Teacher: He comes across as this towards Sebastian most of the time, however it's clear that all he wants is the best for his young apprentice.
Thirza
Zenith's housekeeper and Sebastian's caretaker since childhood.
- Mama Bear: She treats Sebastian as if he were her own flesh and blood son is constantly worrying about him and his health.
- Parental Substitute: She was the one who discovered Sebastian on the doorstep on Zenith's tower, and took him in to raise as her own.
- Supreme Chef: The meals she prepares are consistently praised by Maddie, particularly her signature strawberry cordial.
- Vocal Dissonance: Thirza is described as a very short and squat older woman, who's frame is rather unmatched by her high-pitched, bell-like voice.
Princess Lyra
The incredibly haughty and self-centered Princess of Zavania, and a frequent source of trouble for the main trio.
- Aesop Amnesia: Lyra seems to have learned to be more polite and humble by the end of Princess Wishes, but by the time the heroes meet her again in Ballerina Wishes, she's back to her typical bratty self. Maddie even lampshades this trope, and Zak blithely remarks that people like her rarely ever change. The character development seems to actually stick by the end of Pony Wishes, however.
- Big Sister Instinct: Age-inverted in Princess Wishes, where she wishes for her older brother Frederick to return home safely. She initially tries to brush it off by stating she's just tired of doing Frederick's royal duties in his absence, but it becomes rather clear as the story progresses that she's deeply worried about him and misses him terribly.
- The Dreaded: Even the mere mention of her name is enough to elicit groans of dread from Maddie and Zak, and even the level-headed Sebastian tries to avoid her if he can help it.
- Hate at First Sight: Lyra immediately dislikes Maddie when they first meet, insulting her appearance and dismissing her as a common peasant. The feeling is certainly mutual, as Maddie instantly finds herself despising the princess after only knowing her for a few minutes.
- It's All About Me: Lyra believes that she's the most important person in Zavania, and expects her every command to be obeyed without question. She tries to forbid Sebastian from using one of his spells to help the sick unicorns, then later demands that he use a spell to serve her immediate wants, rather than focus on the bigger picture. She gets better. Eventually.
- Princesses Prefer Pink: She wears a pink gown, and her ballet dress in Ballerina Wishes is also pink.
- Royal Brat: Princess Lyra is incredibly haughty, rude and self-centred, and doesn't seem to care at all about anyone else besides herself. Maddie flat out calls her the most unpleasant person she's ever met.
- Screw the Rules, I Make Them!: In Unicorn Wishes, when Sebastian points out that keeping a unicorn in captivity is against the law in Zavania, Lyra refuses to acknowledge said law and insists on keeping Peregrine in her stables, stating that laws don't apply to her since she's a royal princess. She's later punished by her father when he finds out about it, ordering her to clean out the stables by herself for a month.
Prince Frederick
Princess Lyra's older brother and the heir to the throne.
- Break the Haughty: His time being held captive in the Sun Goddess's cult seems to have been a humbling experience, turning him from a stereotypical pampered prince to a much more gracious young man.
- Distressed Dude: He goes missing in Princess Wishes, and the main trio's task is to try and find him and bring him home. They find him imprisoned in Sun Mountain, having been captured by the Sun Goddess and forced to work as a slave building her temple.
- Momma's Boy: Frederick is implied to be far closer to his mother than to his father, as the queen always stands up for him, even when he misbehaves.
- Royal Brat: Prince Frederick initially comes across as this in his various descriptions, not to mention his behavior prior to his disappearance in Princess Wishes. It's implied that his increasingly defiant actions, (ie. Dyeing his hair, getting a nose piercing) was a result of Toxic Friend Influence by the Sun Goddess's cult. He becomes a much kinder person after being rescued.
- Took a Level in Kindness: After being rescued from the Sun Goddess' cult in Princess Wishes, Frederick appears to have matured significantly from a pampered Royal Brat to a kinder and more gracious prince.
Antagonists
The Ice Queen
A wicked and cruel sorceress who resides deep in the far north of Zavania. Vain and vindictive, the Ice Queen takes extreme pleasure in abducting wayward youths and forcing them into servitude.
- Beauty Is Bad: The Ice Queen is very beautiful, but is also incredibly cold-hearted and ruthless, to the point where she abducts Peregrine's mother to draw her chariot, and later tries to imprison a servant boy for accidentally bringing her a food she's allergic to. Sebastian notes that the Ice Queen's powers are a lot like her, beautiful, but deadly.
- Big Bad: Of Unicorn Wishes, where she abducts Peregrine's mother Phoebe and forces the unicorn to draw her chariot, and curses the young Peregrine with amnesia so he can't reveal her location. She also serves as the main antagonist of Princess Wishes, having escaped the events of the first book and reinvented herself as the Sun Goddess.
- Disney Villain Death: In Princess Wishes, she barricades herself in her temple when Sebastian uses his final spell to reactivate the volcano she built it in. Prince Frederick claims that she's far too vain to abandon her monument, so it's very likely that she perished within its walls.
- God Guise: She returns in Princess Wishes under the new moniker of the Sun Goddess, having convinced the hermit people living inside Sun Mountain that she is their goddess and that they must obey her.
- God Save Us from the Queen!: The Ice Queen is a cruel sorceress who abducts and imprisons wayward youths in her castle and forces them to do her bidding. It extends further when she takes up the moniker of the Sun Goddess in the third book, where she continues to abduct young people from around Zavania into her cult, including Lyra's own brother, and works them to near death to build her temple. Her sadistic nature is put on full display when the group discovers that the Sun Goddess took a twisted pleasure in working Frederick harder than the other enslaved servants.
- An Ice Person: Her magic is primarily ice-based and she resides in a castle sculpted from ice. She later drops this elemental association after reinventing herself as the Sun Goddess in Princess Wishes.
