Wart
Wart is the main character of the story and eventually becomes King Arthur. The foster son of a wealthy lord, he feels frustrated that he will never be a knight like his companion Kay. Under Merlyn's tutelage he learns valuable lessons that make him a suitable future monarch. He is depicted as having altruistic motives, while sometimes being naive about the selfishness of the people around him.
Merlyn
Merlyn is a wizard who educates both Wart and Kay. He is described as being extremely powerful and in possession of many magical abilities. He tries to be a good mentor to Wart and to instill respect and kindness for other people in him.
Kay
Kay is Wart's foster brother and is described as selfish and rude. He is the son of Sir Ector and frequently acts in a way that is petulant and immature. He is a skilled hunter and swordsman and eventually becomes a knight.
Uther Pendragon
Uther Pendragon is Wart's father, the king of England. He dies towards the end of the book and Wart only learns of his parentage after this has occurred.
Sir Ector
Sir Ector is Kay's father and Wart's guardian. He is portrayed as a silly, buffoonish character, who is basically kind but often acts in a pompous and absurd manner. He is also an accomplished knight.
King Pellinore
King Pellinore is a knight and hunter on an obsessive quest to find the Questing Beast. He is goodhearted but comes off as very ridiculous.
Little John
Little John is a seven foot tall giant, known for being one of Robin Hood's Merry Men.
Robin Hood
Robin Hood is the leader of the Merry Men, a band of outlaws who live in the forest near Ector's castle. He is described as being a skilled archer and fighter.
Archimedes
Archimedes is Merlyn's owl.
Marian
Marian is Robin's lover and another skilled combatant in his group.
