Characters in Ranger's Apprentice (series)

People

Will

Will, chosen by Halt to become a Ranger, is an orphan with brown eyes and brown curly hair. He is agile, curious and stealthy. His father, Daniel, was a sergeant in King Duncan's army, and his mother a farmer who died while giving birth to Will. Will's father died during a battle with Wargals to save Halt's life. Will was raised in the ward of castle Redmont. Will soon gets a Ranger horse named Tug, and acquires a dog later in the series. The dog is called several names, such as Blackie, Harley, and Shadow, in which is permanent. Will is the Ranger of Seacliff fief, a small island that is described as a backwater place. He is highly thought of in the Ranger Corps because of training under Halt. As a Ranger, Will carries a longbow, a heavy saxe knife and a short throwing knife. Will is also able to play the mandola. Will is stated as being like a son Halt never had and is his best man at his wedding. In an interview, Flanagan stated that Will is loosely based on his son, Michael. John Flannagan says that he started the series as an inspiration to him.

Halt

Halt is a member of the Ranger Corps, he is small with black-and-gray hair and beard. He is grim and famous throughout the kingdom, (his fame precedes him) though people are often disappointed when they find out that he isn't really the 7 foot tall hero they always thought of. Halt is a superb archer; as demonstrated in his proceedings and uses a massive longbow. Like all rangers his skill with the bow is uncanny, deadly accurate, and devastatingly swift. Halt is fond of Will, and is willing to risk banishment from Araluen and the Ranger Corps to rescue Will. In the third book he creates a fondness towards Horace also, and smiles quite a bit more than regular. It is revealed that he enjoys young company, even if it means a torrent of endless questions. (Seen in his interactions with Will, Horace, and Alyss.) He owns a Ranger horse named Abelard. Halt is the Ranger for Redmont fief, and part of the Rangers senior council, as well as the king's trusted advisor. It should also be noted that he is rather shy around other people. His former apprentice, and now full-fledged Ranger is the humorous sword expert, Gilan. Halt has some skill as a carver and likes to have flowers in his cottage. Halt, like Will and Gilan has an addiction to coffee. Halt hardly ever smiles; instead he raises one of his eyebrows, which Will first mistook as a sign of displeasure. He once defeated Morgorath's army by leading a cavalry charge across a secret ford on the river and into the army's rear. He is a major character in books one, two, three, four and seven, and appears a few times in books five and six.

Horace

Horace is a ward in Castle Redmont with Will, and eventually becomes a Battleschool Apprentice. He is a natural warrior, and although he used to be Will's rival, they soon become best friends. He is tall, with a broken nose and a scar on his cheek. He is the captain of the Araluen Royal Guard Unit B, and is the champion of Princess Cassandra. He is also known as the Oakleaf Knight, and is famous in Gallica, also quite comfortable in female company. Most people think of Horace as a slow thinker, but he just likes to think things through properly. He is very logical and methodical. Horace normally carries a round shield with an oak leaf carving on it, a plain sword, and a heavy dagger. Horace has saved the Royal Princess of Araluen (He and Will have some tension between them about Princess Cassandra) and killed Morgarath in single combat (the duel is described in the second book). Horace plays a large part in most of the books.

Gilan

Gilan is Halt's former apprentice and is the only Ranger who carries a sword. Gilan is tall and humorous, in sharp contrast to his former master. He is also good with dealing with people, making them feel at ease with the tall Ranger. He also tries to cover up fears and worries with more humorous and seemenly uncaring attitude, mainly to calm people down. He is the ranger for Mercic Fief, although he is moved to Norgate in The Siege of Macindaw. He owns a horse named Blaze. Gilan wants to travel with Halt to rescue Will in the third book, but Halt does not allow him to. Gilan is one of the junior Rangers, though one of the best unseen movers. Gilan's father and Halt were good friends, which was why Gilan wanted to become a Ranger. Gilan appears in the first, second, third and seventh books, is mentioned in the sixth book and will appear again in the eighth book.

Erak

Erak is a senior Skandian Jarl in charge of the wolfship, Wolfwind. Later in the series he becomes the Oberjarl. His second in command is Svengal. Erak first appears in the second, third, and fourth books, and in the seventh, he is captured and held at ransom. He is originally seen in the Wargals camp eating meat with Svengal, Nordel and a few other Skandians, who later capture Will and Evanlyn. He is a typical mercenary but he isn't a cold blooded killer like most Skandians. He is a fearsome opponent, and wields a large battle axe.

Cassandra

Will first meets her in Celtica under the name Evanlyn, and she is later revealed to be Princess Cassandra of Araluen. She is pretty, blonde and very brave. She is familiar with politics and military strategies, but not survival skills. Cassandra soon creates a long lasting relationship with Will and Horace. She appears in the second, third, fourth and seventh books.

Morgarath

Morgarath is the former Baron of Gorlan, who is rebelling against King Duncan. He is an expert swordsman and has strange allies (Wargals and Kalkara). His former fief is the ruined Gorlan, and his current domain is the Mountains of Rain and Night. He is tall, pale, and insane, with white hair and a thin voice. He was killed in a swordfight by Horace in the second book.

Alyss

Alyss is a former ward mate of Horace and Will, and a member of the Diplomatic Service, recruited by Lady Pauline in the first book, the Ruins of Gorlan. She is tall, graceful, intelligent, and has always been a friend of Will's. She appears in the first, second, fifth, sixth, and seventh books as a Courier of the King. In the fifth (Sorcerer in the North) and sixth book (The Siege of Macindaw), she is captured by Sir Keren and imprisoned into a high tower, where she is subjected to an enchanting blue stone. She is Lady Pauline's bridesmaid at her wedding in the seventh book.

George

George is Horace and Will's former ward mate, who is now in scribe school. He has appeared solely in the first book, but was mentioned in the seventh book.

Baron Arald

Baron Arald, the Lord of Castle Redmont, is a trusted advisor of the king. He often cracks jokes, but as a baron, is always taken seriously. He is slightly overweight, with a neatly trimmed beard and moustache, but is a capable warrior and has a good grasp of strategies.

Crowley

Crowley is the head of the Ranger Corps and is most likely based in Castle Araluen. He is fond of dogs, and has a hideout, which few know about, among which are Will and Halt. He is briefly mentioned in book one, and has so far appeared in books two through seven, though his appearances in six and seven are brief.

Jenny

Jenny, Will's former ward mate, is apprenticed to the chef Master Chubb. Jenny is pretty, plump, and blonde, and Horace is fond of her in the first book. She is a bridesmaid with Alyss at Lady Pauline's wedding. In the seventh book, Jenny is in love with the Ranger Gilan.

Gundar

Gundar is a Skandian Skirl who appears in the fifth and sixth books. He most likely lives in Northern Skandia. He has a beard, and wields a war-axe.

Malkallam/Malcom

Malcom is an alleged sorcerer who resides in Grimsdell Forest. His house is in the Healer's Clearing, where he treats people's various ailments. He is balding, humorous, and short, with hazel eyes. He was named Malkallam (his real name is Malcom) when, after a healing excersise went wrong, he was wrongly accused of sorcery. Malkallam was a legendary sorcerer of the region with an argument against the Seneschal of Macindaw.

Orman

Orman is the son of the Norgate fief's baron, and cousin to the treacherous Sir Keren. Will and Alyss think him to be the enemy for the main part of 'Sorcery in the North', until the truth is revealed about his cousin.

Lady Pauline

Lady Pauline is in charge of the Diplomatic Corps at Castle Redmont. She is good friends with the Scribemaster and recruited Alyss in the first book. She is a tall and graceful lady and mentor to Alyss. In book seven she marries Halt on the fourteenth of an unknown month.

ir Rodney

Sir Rodney is the battlemaster of Redmont. He is good friends with Halt and Baron Arald of Redmont. He is large and has a broken nose. He favors a battleaxe as a weapon in combat. In the first book he, Baron Arald, Halt, and Will slay the Kalkara. He appears briefly in the second book and fourth books.

Ragnak

Ragnak was the former Oberjarl of Skandia. He appears in books three and four. Ragnak is a large muscular man who died saving Will in the battle against the Temujai, in the fourth book.

Retired Rangers

Geldon

Advisor to Crowley who lives in the castle of Araluen. Gives pointers to Princess Cassandra about unseen movement.

Berrigon

Lost one of his legs in battle against the Skandians. Formely a jongleur.

Bartell

Ranger of Seacliff before Will. In charge of devising tests for apprentices. Now working in the Ranger Archives.

The Horses

Rangers have very good relationships with their horses, and as such, become like brothers to them.

Tug

Tug is a sturdy little pony and is very fond of Will and vice versa. Tug has saved Will's life on many occasions, most prominently the boar hunt in the first book. Also, in the fourth book, Tug was shown to become distressed when Halt and Horace were tracking someone who turned out to be Will. He gets lost in a sandstorm in Arrida during the seventh book, but then Will comes and takes him back after winning a horse race.

Abelard

Abelard is Halt's horse and his name originates from Gallica. Halt, like all Rangers, is very fond of him, and is often seen to be sharing a private joke with the horse, and talking to him. He also states in the third book that ranger horses are only human' with a faint smile on his face.

Kicker

Kicker belongs to Horace and is a tall and musculer bay battlehorse that appears first in book two. Since both horse and rider are tall, Halt, Will and even Gilan have to look up, but only slightly for Gilan. Kicker and Horace both seem to understand each other, but Kicker is not up to any Ranger horse standard. Despite this fact, Horace cares for him and makes sure that Kicker is comfortable wherever he is. He also begins talking to his horse when he rides alone, to which Kicker seems to respond.

Blaze

Blaze is Gilan's horse, and like the Ranger, he is tall and easily amused, even though it's hard to tell with a horse (even a Ranger one). She, like all Ranger horses, will also listen and respond to a single touch or sound. They are quite similar in their personalities. Blaze is a girl, as JF has said so. It's true. He called her a "him" in one of the books by mistake.

Arrow

Arrow is the horse that was lent to Will in Erak's Ransom after he lost Tug. He has very good manners. He dies saving Will from a lion.