List of His Dark Materials and The Book of Dust characters facts for kids

This article lists the main characters from Philip Pullman's popular book series, His Dark Materials and The Book of Dust. These stories follow exciting adventures across different worlds, featuring brave children, powerful adults, and amazing creatures.

Meet the Characters from Northern Lights

Lyra Belacqua: The Girl with the Golden Compass

Lyra Belacqua, also known as Lyra Silvertongue, is the main hero of His Dark Materials and a very important character in The Book of Dust. She is always with her dæmon, Pantalaimon. Dæmons are like a person's soul, appearing as an animal companion.

Lyra is first introduced as a baby in La Belle Sauvage. She is protected by nuns and then raised by scholars at Jordan College. When she leaves, she receives a special device called an alethiometer. This device helps her find answers to any question.

Lyra travels to the far north to find a kidnapped friend. Her journey takes her across many different worlds. She becomes part of a huge war between powerful forces. Lyra is believed to be like Eve from ancient stories. Her actions help stop a special energy called Dust from disappearing from the universe.

Later, Lyra lives at Jordan College and studies at St Sophie's. Pantalaimon settles into the form of a pine marten. In The Secret Commonwealth, Lyra is 20 years old and a university student.

Lord Asriel: Lyra's Adventurous Father

Lord Asriel is a brave and determined member of the English aristocracy. He is Lyra's father. His dæmon, Stelmaria, is a beautiful snow leopard.

Asriel had a relationship with Marisa Coulter, which led to Lyra's birth. A conflict with Mrs Coulter's husband resulted in his death. Asriel was not allowed to see Lyra often, but he cared for her. He made sure she was raised at Jordan College and visited her there. Lyra grew up thinking he was her uncle.

Asriel is described as a tall, strong man with a fierce look. He is very determined and respected in both politics and academics. He is a military leader and a scholar. In Northern Lights, he builds a bridge to another world. There, he gathers an army to fight against a powerful angel called The Authority. Lord Asriel dies alongside Mrs Coulter while fighting Metatron, who was the Authority's main helper.

Marisa Coulter: Lyra's Mysterious Mother

Marisa Coulter (often called Mrs Coulter) is Lyra's mother. She is a very powerful person in the Magisterium, which is the Church's main organization. She started a group called the League of St Alexander and later led the General Oblation Board, also known as the Gobblers. Her dæmon is a golden monkey, whose name is never given in the books.

Mrs Coulter can be very cruel and will do anything to get what she wants. She is graceful and beautiful, using these qualities to trick others. However, when Lyra is in danger, Mrs Coulter suddenly feels a strong motherly love. This love becomes more important than her loyalty to the Church. She then works hard to protect Lyra. She dies with Lord Asriel while fighting Metatron.

Iorek Byrnison: The Armoured Bear King

Iorek Byrnison is a magnificent armoured bear and a loyal friend to Lyra. Armoured bears, called panserbjørne, are like polar bears but are as smart as humans and have thumbs. They do not have dæmons. They believe their special armour, made of meteoric iron, is their soul.

Before the books begin, Iorek becomes friends with Lee Scoresby. Iorek was once the king of the armoured bears in Svalbard. He was exiled after a fight. Humans tricked him, giving him drinks and stealing his armour. Lyra finds him working in a junkyard. She uses her alethiometer to help him get his armour back. After this, he helps Lyra and gives her the name Silvertongue. Lyra helps Iorek win back his throne from Iofur Raknison.

Later, Iorek and his bears move to the Himalayas because of climate changes. There, he meets Will Parry. When Will breaks the Subtle Knife, Iorek is able to fix it without special tools. He and his bears fight with Lord Asriel's army. He also helps Lyra and Will find their lost dæmons. At the end of the story, Iorek returns to Svalbard and rules as king.

John Faa: Leader of the Gyptians

John Faa, also known as Lord Faa, is the respected leader of the western Gyptians. Gyptians are a group of people who live on boats and travel along rivers. Even though he is old, he is a brave fighter and is respected by everyone. He is a good friend of Farder Coram. His dæmon is a black crow.

When the Oblation Board starts kidnapping children, John Faa leads 170 of his men to rescue them. He is hurt in a surprise attack but successfully saves the children Lyra helped free. He brings them back to England. John Faa briefly appears again at the end of The Amber Spyglass. He helps bring Lyra home before the different worlds separate again.

Ma Costa: A Mother's Care

Ma Costa is a Gyptian woman. Her son, Billy Costa, is kidnapped by the "Gobblers" early in Northern Lights. A year before the book starts, Lyra and her friends had taken her family's boat. Despite this, Ma Costa rescues Lyra and takes her to John Faa.

While Lyra is hiding with the Gyptians, she learns that Ma Costa had actually nursed her when she was a baby. Ma Costa's dæmon is a hawk.

Serafina Pekkala: The Wise Witch Queen

Serafina Pekkala is a queen of the witches from Lake Enara. Her dæmon, Kaisa, is a snow goose. She is a close ally to Lyra throughout her journey. She helps Lyra fight at Bolvangar and travels to other worlds. She also tries to heal Will Parry. At the end of The Amber Spyglass, she names Will's dæmon and encourages Lyra and Will's dæmons to return to them.

Serafina says she is over three hundred years old. Before the events of La Belle Sauvage, Farder Coram saved her life. They became lovers and had a son who later died.

Lee Scoresby: The Adventurous Aeronaut

Lee Scoresby is a skilled balloonist from Texas. His dæmon, Hester, is an arctic hare.

Lee first meets Iorek Byrnison when he is twenty-four. In Northern Lights, John Faa hires Lee and the Gyptians to help rescue the kidnapped children. After the rescue, he helps Lyra travel to Svalbard. In The Subtle Knife, he promises to help the witches fight the Magisterium. He sets out to find Stanislaus Grumman. Grumman, also known as Jopari or John Parry, is a shaman. Lee travels with him into the world of Cittàgazze. Lee gives his life fighting soldiers so John Parry can reach his goal.

After their deaths, Lee and Parry fight Spectres when they are released from the Land of the Dead. Lee then allows himself to dissolve. This lets his atoms mix with those of Hester and his loved ones.

Iofur Raknison: The Bear Who Wanted to Be Human

Iofur Raknison is an armoured bear who wants to be like a human. He takes over as king of the armoured bears from Iorek Byrnison. He makes his bears build a stone palace and wear gold and silver decorations, which bears usually dislike. He works with the Magisterium and Mrs Coulter, letting them into his kingdom. In return, he hopes to be baptized as a Christian.

Lyra tricks him into fighting Iorek Byrnison. She convinces him that she is a dæmon and could become his dæmon. Armoured bears are usually hard to trick, but by acting human, Iofur loses this ability. Iorek wins the fight. Iorek's first command is for the bears to get rid of their human-like items and tear down Iofur's palace.

Roger Parslow: Lyra's Best Friend

Roger Parslow is a young kitchen boy and Lyra Belacqua's best friend at Jordan College. Roger's dæmon, Salcilia, often looks like a terrier.

Roger is kidnapped by the General Oblation Board ("the Gobblers"). He is taken to their experimental center in Bolvangar. When Lyra arrives there, he helps her and the other children escape. He then goes with her to see Lord Asriel in Svalbard. Asriel uses Roger to create a bridge between worlds. He does this by separating Roger from Salcilia, which sadly kills Roger. The energy from this separation creates the bridge.

In The Amber Spyglass, Roger appears trapped in the Land of the Dead. Lyra eventually frees him and all the other dead souls. They then merge with the Dust in the living worlds.

Lord Boreal: The Deceptive Gentleman

Lord Carlo Boreal, also known as Sir Charles Latrom in Will Parry's world, is a minor character in Northern Lights but a main enemy in The Subtle Knife. He is an older English man, appearing to be in his sixties. He usually wears light-colored suits and smells sweet.

Lord Boreal first appears at a party hosted by Mrs Coulter. He briefly talks with Lyra. He is also mentioned as being close to Mrs Coulter.

In The Subtle Knife, Boreal watches Lyra at a museum in Will's world. He approaches her, acting like a kind old man. Lyra remembers seeing him before but isn't sure where. Later, he offers Lyra a ride and steals her alethiometer. He tells Lyra and Will they must get the Subtle Knife for him from Cittàgazze to get the alethiometer back. Lyra and Will get the knife and then steal back the alethiometer. They overhear Boreal talking with Mrs Coulter about his life in that world. Boreal later tries to learn about Dust from Mary Malone.

Mrs Coulter poisons Boreal's drink to make him tell her about the Subtle Knife. He dies soon after. His name "Boreal" means "northern." His other name, Latrom, is "mortal" spelled backward.

Farder Coram: The Wise Gyptian Elder

Coram Van Texel is a Gyptian with a beautiful golden-brown cat dæmon named Sophonax. His voice is described as rich and musical. By Northern Lights, he is known as Farder Coram and is a respected, elderly advisor to the Gyptian King John Faa.

Many years before the trilogy, Coram traveled north. He saved the witch Serafina Pekkala from an attack. They became lovers and had a son who died young. After their son's death, Serafina returned to her people, and Coram returned to the Gyptians. In La Belle Sauvage, Coram works for Oakley Street, a secret group against the Church. He gathers information, fights Gerard Bonneville, and warns Malcolm Polstead about a coming flood.

He goes with Lyra to Bolvangar to rescue the kidnapped children. He also helps her learn to use the alethiometer. Coram briefly reappears at the end of The Amber Spyglass. He helps bring Lyra home before the worlds separate again.

Dame Hannah Relf: The Alethiometrist Scholar

Dame Hannah Relf and her marmoset dæmon Jesper are scholars at St Sophia's college. In La Belle Sauvage, she is an alethiometrist and a member of Oakley Street, a secret group against the Magisterium. By Northern Lights, she is the Mistress of St Sophia's college. In The Amber Spyglass, she invites Lyra to study at St Sophia's and learn to read the alethiometer from her.

The Master of Jordan College: Lyra's Protector

The Master of Jordan leads Jordan College, part of Oxford University in Lyra's world. He helps raise Lyra, who is believed to be an orphan. In La Belle Sauvage, he offers Lyra a safe place at the college. In Northern Lights, he tries to poison Lord Asriel to protect Lyra and prevent conflict. In The Amber Spyglass, he offers Lyra a place to live and funding for her education at Jordan.

Meet the Characters from The Subtle Knife

Will Parry: The Bearer of the Subtle Knife

Will Parry is the special person who carries the Subtle Knife. He is a main character in The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass. He is the son of John Parry, an explorer, and Elaine Parry, who struggles with mental health. Will does not remember his father, a former Royal Marine, who disappeared on an expedition. It is later revealed that John Parry entered another world and could not find his way back.

Will becomes Lyra Belacqua's companion and eventually falls in love with her. He becomes the bearer of the Subtle Knife after winning a fight, losing two fingers on his left hand in the process. At the end of the third book, he must leave Lyra and live in his own world. There, he is cared for by Mary Malone and his cat dæmon, Kirjava, which means "mottled" in Finnish.

Dr Mary Malone: The Scientist and Serpent

Dr Mary Malone is a physicist from Will's world. She studies dark matter, which is connected to Dust. She is a main character in The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass. She used to be a nun. In a prophecy about Lyra, she plays the role of the serpent to Lyra's Eve.

In The Subtle Knife, Lyra meets Mary and tells her about Dust. Mary connects Dust to dark matter, calling it Shadows. Lyra shows her how the alethiometer works. Mary then programs her dark matter detector to work similarly. The detector tells her to go through a window into Cittàgazze. She eventually arrives in the world of the Mulefa. There, she builds the Amber Spyglass, which lets her see Dust. She investigates why the trees, important to the Mulefa, are dying. She finds that Dust is no longer falling from the sky but flowing sideways. When Lyra arrives, a conversation with Mary helps Lyra's dæmon settle and Lyra begins to attract Dust. This action stops the loss of Dust and saves the trees, fulfilling the prophecy.

At the end of The Amber Spyglass, the witch Serafina Pekkala helps Mary see her dæmon, which is an alpine chough. Mary offers to help Will when they return to their world.

John Parry: The Explorer and Shaman

Colonel John Parry, also known as Dr Stanislaus Grumman and Jopari, is Will Parry's father and Elaine Parry's husband.

Before the books begin, John Parry was a famous English explorer and a major in the Royal Marines in Will's world. When Will was a child, he went on an archaeological trip to Alaska. He hoped to find a portal to another world. He found it during a blizzard and entered the world of Cittàgazze. His two companions were killed by Spectres. He continued his travels and arrived in Lyra Belacqua's world. There, he met his dæmon Sayan Kötör, an osprey, and took the name Stanislaus Grumman. He became a well-known explorer and studied Dust. He joined the Yenisei tribe and became a shaman, taking the name Jopari. He turned down the love of the witch Juta Kamainen because he still loved his wife.

In The Subtle Knife, Lee Scoresby is sent to find Grumman. He finds him among the Yenisei tribe. Grumman wants to find the person who carries the Æsahættr (the Subtle Knife). Grumman finds Will on a mountain. He heals Will's wound and tells him about the knife's role. As light reveals their faces, they realize they are father and son. Immediately after, John Parry is killed by an arrow shot by Juta Kamainen.

In The Amber Spyglass, after their deaths, he and Lee Scoresby are freed by Lyra and Will from the world of the Dead. They fight in the battle with the Authority before finally dissolving into the universe.

Balthamos: The Sarcastic Angel

Balthamos and his partner Baruch are angels who have rebelled against the Kingdom of Heaven. They want to join Lord Asriel's army and defeat Metatron, who is the acting ruler for The Authority. Balthamos has a sarcastic personality.

Both angels find Will Parry at the end of The Subtle Knife. Because Will carries the subtle knife, they hope to bring him to Lord Asriel. However, Lyra Belacqua has been kidnapped, and Will refuses to go to Asriel until Lyra is found. The angels agree to stay with Will until she is safe. When Baruch is killed in The Amber Spyglass, Balthamos is very sad. He promises to help Will to honor Baruch's sacrifice. When he cannot help, he runs away, feeling guilty. At the end of the book, he fights and kills Father Gomez, an assassin sent to kill Lyra, and then dies himself.

Balthamos and Baruch are lower-ranking angels, so their powers are limited. They appear as glowing human-like shapes, hard for humans to see. They can also change their form. Balthamos uses this to pretend to be Will's dæmon when they are in Lyra's world. They can fly, but their wings are not solid.

Baruch: The Loyal Angel

Baruch and his partner, Balthamos, are angels who have rebelled against the Kingdom of Heaven. They want to join Lord Asriel's army and defeat Metatron, the acting ruler for The Authority. When he was human, Baruch was the brother of Enoch, who later became the angel Metatron.

In The Subtle Knife, he and Balthamos meet Will and Lyra. Since Will and Lyra refuse to go to Lord Asriel right away, Baruch leaves them to bring important information to Asriel. In The Amber Spyglass, he dies while delivering this important message to Lord Asriel.

Chevalier Tialys and Lady Salmakia: Tiny but Brave Spies

The Chevalier Tialys and The Lady Salmakia are Gallivespians. They are spies and companions to Lyra and Will. Gallivespians are tiny human-like beings, about the size of a human hand. They come from a world where humans are at war with them. They serve as spies in Lord Asriel's army. Tialys and Salmakia spy on the Magisterium in Lyra's world. When the Magisterium sends soldiers to capture Lyra, they are ordered to follow them. Gallivespians have poisonous spurs on their feet that can stop a human. They ride special dragonflies.

They first meet Lyra and Will when Lord Asriel's forces arrive at Mrs Coulter's cave. They are ordered to take the children to Lord Asriel. The Gallivespians are forced to go with Lyra and Will when it's clear the children won't go directly to Asriel. They travel together to the land of the dead, helping to bargain with the harpies.

Tialys dies while attacking a cliff-ghast. Lady Salmakia dies soon after, as her short life naturally ends.

Ruta Skadi: The Fierce Witch Queen

Ruta Skadi is the Latvian witch queen and a lover of Lord Asriel. Her dæmon is a bluethroat named Sergi. She is 416 years old in The Subtle Knife and appears in The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass. Her last name, "Skadi," is also the name of a Nordic winter goddess.

She travels with Serafina Pekkala and her companions for part of their journey. She leaves to see the angels and wants to help them because Lord Asriel is with them. She brings news of a mysterious weapon, which turns out to be the Subtle Knife. She is described as very passionate, powerful, and beautiful, with black hair and large black eyes. She wears a crown made of tiger teeth from a tribe that offended her. When it is revealed that Lyra, Asriel and Mrs Coulter's daughter, will be the second Eve, Ruta wishes she had been Lyra's mother.

Father Gomez: The Assassin Priest

Father Gomez is a priest sent by the Magisterium to kill Lyra. The Angel Balthamos kills Gomez before he can reach her. His dæmon is a green-backed beetle. He had spent years doing good deeds to be forgiven for his planned crime of killing Lyra.

Fra Pavel: The Slow Alethiometrist

Fra Pavel Rašek is a representative and alethiometrist for the Consistorial Court of Discipline. He is known for being thorough but slow at reading the truth from the alethiometer. It could take him weeks or months to get an accurate reading. However, he did manage to get useful information for the Court quickly, according to Marisa Coulter. He seems uncomfortable when he finds out things that might go against the Church's teachings. His dæmon is a frog.

Meet the Characters from The Amber Spyglass

The Authority: The First Angel

The Authority was the very first angel to exist. He and the angels he created came from the energy called Dust. He made other angels and humans believe that he was God, the creator of everything. This false claim allowed him to gain power in the Kingdom of Heaven. The angel Xaphania later discovered the truth. He then banished her from the Kingdom, similar to the story of Lucifer. Xaphania and other angels started a rebellion against him. The Authority used several names, including "Yahweh" and "the Almighty."

He ruled his churches and universes from the Clouded Mountain, a floating city believed to be Heaven. As the Authority grew older and weaker, the Mountain became more hidden by clouds.

In his old age, the Authority appointed the powerful archangel Metatron to rule for him. Eventually, Metatron became more powerful than his master. Lord Asriel and his allies, including "fallen" angels like Xaphania, fought against them. They wanted to replace the divine rule with a Republic of Heaven. During the final battle, Metatron ordered the Authority to be taken from the Clouded Mountain. He was trapped in a crystal box, which kept him alive but imprisoned. Lyra Belacqua and Will Parry free him with the Subtle Knife. They don't know he is too weak to survive outside his box. He peacefully dissolves and dies, merging with the universe.

Metatron: The Regent of Heaven

Metatron is the ruler of Heaven and the main enemy in His Dark Materials. Metatron wants to take over from the Authority, destroy Lord Asriel's army, and kill Lyra Belacqua. He has enormous power and can destroy large areas of land. Mrs Coulter pretends to join him, but she secretly works with Asriel to defeat him. Mrs Coulter and Asriel sacrifice their lives to pull Metatron into a deep space between universes. This ensures he can never threaten Lyra again. Like some old stories, he is said to have been the Biblical character Enoch. He appears only in The Amber Spyglass. The name Metatron is from an old Jewish story about an Archangel.

Xaphania: Leader of the Rebel Angels

Xaphania is the leader of the rebel angels who are allied with Lord Asriel in the war against The Authority.

Xaphania first appears in the third book, The Amber Spyglass, at a meeting of Asriel's commanders. Like all angels in the books, she appears glowing and winged. Because of her high rank and great age, she is clearly visible to humans. She appears both ancient and young, kind and strict. Her age and youth are noted by the witch Serafina Pekkala.

The angel Balthamos first mentions Xaphania. He explains to Will Parry that she discovered the Authority had lied about being the original Creator. She was then banished from the Clouded Mountain. This started the first fight against the Kingdom. Xaphania led the rebel angels who helped humans develop their current consciousness about thirty thousand years ago.

Towards the end of the story, after the Authority's forces are defeated, Xaphania explains to Will and Lyra Belacqua that all the windows between worlds must be closed. This is to stop Dust from escaping into the empty space. She also says that the Æsahættr (the Subtle Knife) must be destroyed.

Gracious Wings: The Harpy Who Changed

Gracious Wings, originally called No-Name, is the chief of the harpies who work for the Authority in the Land of the Dead. Before Lyra and Will arrived, she and the other harpies tormented ghosts by reminding them of their mistakes. At first, she wants to attack Lyra and Will. But she later admits that the ghosts' wickedness was the only food the Authority gave her and the other harpies. The Chevalier Tialys and the Lady Salmakia make a deal with her. Instead of wickedness, the ghosts will tell the harpies true stories from their lives. In return, the harpies will take them to the window Will opened into the world of the mulefa. There, the ghosts can peacefully dissolve into particles in the air. The harpies agree because the stories will feed them and they will have an honorable task. After she saves Lyra's life, Lyra names her Gracious Wings.

Meet the Characters from La Belle Sauvage

Malcolm Polstead: The Curious Boy

Malcolm Polstead and his dæmon Asta are eleven years old at the start of La Belle Sauvage. He is the main character of the story. He is described as curious and kind, with a strong build and ginger hair. His dæmon Asta has not yet settled into her final animal form. Malcolm often visits the Priory of Saint Rosamund.

In La Belle Sauvage, Malcolm lives and works with his parents at their tavern. He goes to school locally. The Magisterium tries to influence young children by inviting them to a special club. This club is meant to scare children and make them report on people and events the Church dislikes. Malcolm avoids joining. Malcolm is seen as a helpful and friendly boy who often visits and helps the nuns at the nearby priory. Malcolm becomes very interested in the baby Lyra. He learns that she is being secretly raised by the sisters because of her parents. When Malcolm accidentally meets secret agents from Oakley Street, he starts getting involved in spying. He wants to protect baby Lyra, whom the Church seems to be after.

Lord Asriel visits the priory and asks Malcolm for help to escape capture after seeing baby Lyra. Asriel has Malcolm's canoe improved by Gyptian craftsmen. He gives Malcolm his card, inviting him to call if he needs help. Gyptian Farder Coram warns Malcolm about a coming flood. During the flood, Malcolm goes to the priory to make sure baby Lyra and the sisters are safe. Malcolm rescues Alice and Lyra from being kidnapped by Gerard Bonneville. Malcolm kills the violent Bonneville. He and Alice take baby Lyra to Lord Asriel.

By the time of Lyra's Oxford, Malcolm is a scholar at Jordan College. In The Secret Commonwealth, Dr Malcolm Polstead is a Professor of History at Durham College, Oxford University. Asta has settled as a large ginger cat. Malcolm has been Lyra's tutor. Now, he realizes he is in love with her. Oakley Street sends him to investigate a special rose oil that helps people see Dust.

Gerard Bonneville: The Disgraced Physicist

Dr Gerard Bonneville is a physicist who lost his good name. His dæmon is a hyena. He studied a special energy field called the Rusakov field. He was involved with Marisa Coulter at some point. He was stopped from doing his research on Dust because his work was called against the Church. He wants to get Lyra to trade her for the chance to work on his research again.

Although Bonneville seems charming and handsome, his hyena dæmon looks very different. People find the creature unsettling, and it is aggressive.

In La Belle Sauvage, Malcolm kills Bonneville. Malcolm inherits Bonneville's research notes and an alethiometer. He gives the alethiometer to the Master of Jordan College when Lord Asriel seeks safety for baby Lyra.

Alice Parslow (Mrs Lonsdale): From Girl to Housekeeper

Alice Parslow and her dæmon Ben are 15 years old in La Belle Sauvage. In The Secret Commonwealth, it is revealed that Alice is the same person as Mrs Lonsdale. Mrs Lonsdale is the housekeeper of Jordan College and a minor character in Northern Lights. By that time, she has been married and widowed, and Ben has settled as a terrier.