foreground, left to right: Lucy Marlowe, Ivy, Rascal, Peony; midground, left to right: Cedric, Sasha, Philomena Vasillia, January Singh, Ana, Tetsu, Broom Girl; stairs, left to right: Hanzi, Martha, Billy; background, left to right: Tobi, Su-Yeong, Seiji Soga, Sylas Dubois; rooftop, left to right: Joe Rothart, Neith Karim, Isra Karim. image source
◊
◊just laid in bed and tried to count how many characters there are in never satisfied.
there are, at least, 66 (sixty six) characters in never satisfied. this excludes bit-part cameos, but does include familiars that haven't spoken. this is......... an insane amount
ensemble casts: not even once
there are, at least, 66 (sixty six) characters in never satisfied. this excludes bit-part cameos, but does include familiars that haven't spoken. this is......... an insane amount
ensemble casts: not even once
— Taylor Robin, Twitter source
Every named character in Never Satisfied, alphabetized by first name. Ages, pronouns, and character songs can be found on the cast page.
open/close all folders
past/current contestants
Ana Ramone
familiar: Merrylegs (golden silk orb-weaver spider) who's missing as of the end of chapter seven
- You act like you're so cool, but I know you've got nothing to back it up. You've never used any magic, you wear glass jewelry, and your eye doesn't match anything you wear! It doesn't even match your cat's! Why are you here? You think you have a chance against a bunch of real magicians? You think you can fake your way through a battle with a husk? You think you can get away with wasting everyone's time?
source
Tropes:
- Amplifier Artifact: Her ruby earrings.
- Badass Cape: Her outfit in the fourth round.
- Color-Coded Characters: Red, like her grandmother.
- Coordinated Clothes: With Merrylegs in the fourth round.
- Establishing Character Moment: Capturing the seagull in the third test. Even though she appears from out of nowhere to snatch up a bird Philly had been about to catch, she expresses no hard feelings and even tosses out a playful "Sorry, Philly, you led it right to me!"
- Symbol Motif Clothing: Squares. This extends to her face shape as well as her ruby earrings.
Broom Girl
familiar: Ferb (Mangalica boar)
- Tetsu: Well, this'll be easy.
Tetsu prepares to shoot Lucy, but is stopped by Broom Girl.
Broom Girl: Mm.
Broom Girl fires her shooter at the spiderwebs suspending Lucy, freeing them.
Lucy: ...?
Broom Girl: Woulda felt bad.
source
Tropes:
- Affectionate Nickname: "Tets" for Tetsu.
- Amplifier Artifact: Her hair clip has two yellow topaz stones.
- Badass Cape: Her outfit in the fourth round. Matches Tetsu's outfit.
- Battle Couple: She and Tetsu paired up in the fourth test round.
- Beware the Quiet Ones: She's shown to hold her own quite impressively against Tetsu, who was trained by Neith Karim, well-known even among the city guard.
- Coordinated Clothes: With Ferb and Tetsu in the fourth round.
- Establishing Character Moment: After the third round concludes, when a group hug breaks out, she asks Lucy if they want a hug too. They decline, so she awkwardly pats them on the head. Then, after Philly invites all the competitors to an impromptu party, she makes a point of asking if Lucy wanted to come along as well before she gets up.
- Official Couple: With Tetsu.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: When she helps Lucy escape being apprehended, she speaks more and longer sentences than at any point previously.
- The Silent Bob: Broom Girl rarely speaks. She communicates mostly through physical gestures, like a thumbs up or a pat on the head, and when she does choose to verbalize, her questions are short and her statements are to-the-point.
- The Stoic: Her expression rarely changes, no matter the situation.
- Uncatty Resemblance: Has the same shaggy hair and bangs as Ferb.
Cedric
familiar: Honey (Flemish Giant rabbit)
- Cedric, wait! Hey! Don't feel too bad, you made it this far! You're, like, eleven, right? The fact that you stuck it out against us teenagers— It's just really impressive!
Tropes:
- Amplifier Artifact: He wears citrine on his belt buckle.
- Child Mage: At eleven years old, he's by far the youngest competitor. Even though he's eliminated in the third round, he outlasted two people several years older than he is, including Seiji.
- Establishing Character Moment: While Philomena and Lucy have a tussle over who should capture the pigeon, he gets out a ladder and pulls out a handful of corn.
- Symbol Motif Clothing: Circles.
January Singh
familiar: Friday (blue jay)
- January: Y'know, maybe we wouldn't be running away if you'd let me get in there.
Tetsu: And what, exactly, do you think you would've done?
January: Fought it, obviously! That's gotta be like, an instant win, right?
Tetsu: With no gems, no backup, and no plan. Yeah, more like an instant death.
source
Tropes:
- Amplifier Artifact: She wears an aquamarine pendant.
- Can't You Read the Sign?: Please no parkour.note
- Color-Coded Characters: Blue, like her mother, twin brothers, and uncle.
- Cool Big Sis: January has four brothers. She loves to roughhouse with the oldest three, and defends Mason from Fred's teasing.
- Coordinated Clothes: Like all guard familiars, Friday has a matching uniform that he shows off in the fourth test.
- Establishing Character Moment: "At least it didn't suffer. I broke my bird's wings."Tetsu: January just caught something too. Or just destroyed someone's property. Hard to tell with her.
- Everyone Can See It: Her crush on Philomena. Teased by both Rascal and Tetsu about it during the fourth test.
- Hot-Blooded: Big time. She's convinced she's the strongest magician to ever live.
- "January just caught something too. Or just destroyed someone's property. Hard to tell with her."
- However she caught the zebra finch in the third test involved breaking its wings.
- She deliberately misused the quartz shooters, explicitly powered down by design to prevent injury, to fire magic shots strong enough to crack tree bark.
- When Rascal complained that she was refusing to shoot an easy target on account of a crush, she suplexed them with no hesitation.
- Once the fourth test concluded, she was raring to confront a husk alone with no backup, no gems, and no plan.
- When Seiji threatened her over her treatment of Sylas, her response was to punch him in the gut, kick him in the face, and stomp on his back before Friday brought her to her senses.
- "January just caught something too. Or just destroyed someone's property. Hard to tell with her."
- Pinocchio Nose: Literally, when she claims her uniform is enchanted with temperature control.
- Symbol Motif Clothing: Diamonds.
- Uncatty Resemblance: Her pigtails look like Friday's wings, and the tuft atop her head resembles his crest.
- Your Approval Fills Me with Shame: Her conversation in chapter five with Magister Lapointe. When asked how she managed to talk Sylas into forfeiting, Lapointe openly praises her for bullying him. January grows more and more visibly uncomfortable as Lapointe pontificates about how Sylas is weak and deserving of the way she treated him.
Lucien "Lucy" Marlowe
familiar: Ivy (white Turkish Angora cat) who's posed as a familiar to both Lucy and Thierry, but is confirmed in later chapters to belong to neither
- Philomena: Gosh, I thought I was the only one. We finally have something in common.
Lucy: ...You've got some nerve.
Philomena: H-huh?
Lucy: You think you're like me? You think we're anything alike?
Philomena: I-I thought—
Lucy: You thought what, that I'd run crying into your arms? That we'd be best friends now? Because you need emeralds? Because your dad is too proud of you? I'd LOVE to have your problems!
source 1, source 2
Tropes:
- Amplifier Artifact: Their earrings are made of glass and serve no functional purpose. When they were younger Rothart attempted to train them using spinel gemstones.
- Affectionate Nickname: The beggar kids call them "Eyepatch".
- Badass Cape: Their outfit in the fourth round.
- Badass Normal: They managed to make it to round five of the competition without any magic at all.
- Color-Coded Characters: Pink, but their achromatic grey eye indicates a lack of magical ability.
- Color-Coded Wizardry: Formerly, anyway.
- Cool Big Sib: To the street kids.
- Condescending Compassion: How they interpret Broom Girl reaching out to them in chapter one.
- And her choosing not to shoot them when they were defenseless.
- Cooldown Hug: From Peony, after they break down and confess they can't use magic.
- Coordinated Clothes: They rarely leave the house without Ivy in a matching outfit.
- Don't You Dare Pity Me!:
- When Broom Girl tries to talk to them in chapter one.
- When Broom Girl convinces Tetsu not to shoot them and Tetsu admits it would have been unsporting to shoot them while they were immobile.
- Establishing Character Moment: The third round of the competition. They oversleep, ignoring the shopping list Rothart left for them in favor of the "way more important" representative competition. They pass the third test by the skin of their teeth, keeping up their transparent bravado the whole way, until it's time to go home and they're left to stew in feelings of inadequacy that are only exacerbated by Rothart belittling them.Lucy: None of them take me seriously [...] Like I'm... Beneath them. Why would I want to have dinner with people like that?
Ivy: I don't—
Lucy: And neither do I! - Fake Wizardry
- The Friend Nobody Likes: Due to their superior act, most of the other competitors ignore or resent them. Only Broom Girl and Philomena make (unsuccessful) attempts to reach out to and connect with them.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Lucy copes with feelings of inadequacy and social isolation by faking a rude, arrogant persona among their peers. Their true nature becomes apparent when they are by themselves or among people they trust, like the beggar children and Ivy.
- Love Triangle: They develop a crush on Tobi when they first meet him, unaware that he's had reciprocated feelings for Su-Yeong for some time. They aren't happy to discover the two are dating.
- Muggle Born of Mages: Although nobody is born with magic, everyone has the capacity to develop magic, and Lucy lacks the telltale black eyes of someone without magic entirely, Lucy confesses to Peony in chapter four that they can't use magic at all. Later in the chapter, Thierry reveals that Lucy has been "borrowing" Ivy when going on errands.
- Power Parasite: Has an ability to not only use other people's magic, but to drain it away entirely.
Philomena "Philly" Vasillia
familiar: Tully (southern long-nosed armadillo)
- Philomena: He doesn't expect me to actually win, does he?
Eudora: Hey, now...
Philomena: No! I won't! January has actual combat training! Tetsu makes everything they do look easy! Lucy wants it the most! Ana has the charisma! They're all so much better suited! And me? I can't even levitate Tully without ten tons of emeralds! I'd make the worst representative! But! I have so many friends now! Friends! That aren't aristocrats! I wouldn't have met them all otherwise. So I guess it's worth it for that? It's the journey, not the destination? 'Cause I'm nowhere near the destination.
source 1, source 2
Tropes:
- Amplifier Artifact: Her emerald earrings, necklace full of emeralds, and the emerald affixed to Tully's forehead.
- Big Beautiful Woman: The distinctly plump Philomena has at least two of the other apprentices crushing on her.
- Boisterous Bruiser: She effortlessly lifts Lucy over her head during the third round.
- Color-Coded Characters: Green.
- Establishing Character Moment: She's the first non-Lucy character whose face we see, and her first line is wondering about where they're at. She also mentions the brand-new dress she got for the occasion, just in time for Lucy to show up and verbally spar with her.
- Graceful Loser: Her fight with January in the fifth test round ends with January knocking her out of the ring after an all-out, sporting duel. It helps that she didn't want to continue in the representative competition anyway.
- Hiding in Plain Sight: The emerald on Tully's forehead. She uses it to power her shooter and end the fourth test.
- Innocently Insensitive: On several occasions:
- She accidentally shoves the dead pheasant in Cedric's face, grossing him out.
- She doesn't realize that she's holding January up from catching up with Sasha to retrieve her hat and busking money.
- She doesn't notice that Lucy's upset by her going on about how overbearing her dad is until they storm out of the bakery.
- She fails to pick up on Tobi's discomfort when she asks him about Su-Yeong not coming into work.
- She tries to bond with Lucy over their shared lack of magical skill, only for them to blow up at her because at least she has a loving, if overbearing, family.
- Love Triangle: While she's not in a relationship with January, she's much more positive towards her advances than Sylas'.
- Meaningful Name: Her first name means "loved" and her last name means "favorite".
- Symbol Motif Clothing: Squares.
Seiji Soga
familiar: Junko (spotted hyena)
Tropes:
- Amplifier Artifact: His red beryl brooch. Hides this around Sasha.
- Angry Collar Grab: To January when she's unapologetic about her treatment of Sylas and asks if he thinks he's pathetic, too. This backfires dramatically.
- Attention Whore: Most prominently in chapter three when he and Sylas pay Philomena a visit. When Philomena orders Sylas to get out of her house, Seiji makes an exaggerated show of asking if he can stay.
- Berserk Button: Don't call Sylas pathetic.
- Childhood Friends: With Sylas.
- Classy Cravat: His outfit in chapter three, and at Lapointe's party on the night of the fourth round.
- Color-Coded Characters: Red, like his mother.
- Creepy Shadowed Undereyes: Of the Exhausted Eye Bags variety. Shared with his mother. Junko's pigmentation evokes a similar look.
- Drama Queen: Although his first impression at the end of chapter two is of a collected schemer, every appearance he's had afterwards has shown his propensity to fall apart like a Jenga tower at the slightest provocation.
- Establishing Character Moment: Only pages after Tobi's explained that people without magic are an underclass, we cut to Sasha meeting up with Seiji, who has the telltale black eyes of a non-magician. He praises her for her thieving skills and has her keep the gold coin she stole, but shrugs off her hopes of spending time together. Once she's gone, he drops his glamour and Junko steps out of the shadows.
- Everyone Can See It: His crush on Sylas.Rin: I don't have to be a detective to figure it out.
- He's Not My Boyfriend: His indignation when Rin calls him out on taking his frustration with having upset Sylas out on January.
- Ironic Name: "Seiji" means "lawful".
- Love Triangle: He's crushing hard on an oblivious Sylas, who's crushing on an uninterested Philomena.
- Obfuscating Stupidity: Although he's been out of the running for the representative competition since the second roundnote , Seiji's magic instructor was betting on him above Sylas, a skilled and aggressive competitor in his own right.
- To a degree, Seiji's carefree demeanor that leads others to take him less seriously is genuine. He's almost always unsuccessful at keeping a straight face and displays a staggering lack of self-awarenessnote . Still, he's a legitimately talented magician, as long as he puts in the effort to be. The biggest reason he was eliminated from the competition is likely his own lack of personal investment.Seiji: It's not like you wanted to be rep. That job blows! Who cares?
- To a degree, Seiji's carefree demeanor that leads others to take him less seriously is genuine. He's almost always unsuccessful at keeping a straight face and displays a staggering lack of self-awarenessnote . Still, he's a legitimately talented magician, as long as he puts in the effort to be
- Scary Shiny Glasses: When January hits his Berserk Button.
- Smug Snake: He tries, anyway. His mother, January, and Sylas independently demonstrate how easy it is to get under his skin.
- Suddenly Shouting: He goes from quietly grilling January to shouting in her face in the span of seconds.
- The Tell: When he's trying to avoid seeming upset, he clasps his hands behind his neck.
- Visible Sigh: When Sylas fails to stay mad at him.
Sylas Dubois
familiar: Fineas and Fenn (two-headed Mexican black kingsnake)
- Fineas: Partnering up? I'm glad we quit, how awkward...
Fenn: We won the lassst game, handily. If Philomena hadn't turned them all against you, they'd be lining up to partner with you. It'sss her fault they treat you like that.
source
Tropes:
- Abusive Parents: His family life wasn't ideal to begin with, but after he was pressured into dropping out of the representative competition, his father outright refused to acknowledge his presence.Sylas: Do you know what my dad said to me when he came home? NOTHING. He didn't say anything! He wouldn't even look at me! I already know he'll never be proud of me but he acted like I don't exist. Ugh! It'd be better if I didn't exist!
- We see Fenn encouraging (and Fineas discouraging) him to say the "Stylas" line.
- Badass Cape: His outfit in the fourth round.Sylas: Maybe you should call me... Stylas.
- Childhood Friends: With Seiji.
- Classy Cravat
- Color-Coded Characters: Purple, like his father.
- Establishing Character Moment: After using Fineas and Fenn to capture the raven, he flippantly offers it to Philomena in exchange for a kiss. When she says no, he shrugs it off with a joke... and immediately teleports behind her to ask if she got it.Sylas: Fine, your loss.
- The Friend Nobody Likes: As Fenn points out, the other apprentices needlessly shun him despite being one of the more competent magicians in the running, easily winning the fourth round by taking out the three most dangerous competitors in seconds.
- Hopeless Suitor: Towards Philomena.
- Love Triangle: He and January are both crushing on Philomena, and while Philomena isn't dating January, she's much friendlier to her advances than Sylas'. To complicate matters further, he doesn't realize Seiji's in love with him and assumes that Seiji confronted January to help improve his odds with Philly.
- Oblivious to Love: "Chin-length black hair, long legs, well-dressed. Every girl you've ever dated or tried to date had that exact look. I'm your best friend, Seiji, I know what you like."
- Purple Is Powerful
- Smug Snake: He tries to play the part, anyway, but despite having a literal two-headed snake as a familiar he mostly comes across as a dork.
- Symbol Motif Clothing: Teardrops.
- Teleport Spam: To ask if Philly got his joke.
Tetsu
familiar: Merlin (common marmoset)
- January: Heh... So... this is how it ends, huh... Two against one... that's hardly any fun at all.
Tetsu: Don't complain. You could've done it too.
source
Tropes:
- Affectionate Nickname: Broom Girl calls them "Tets."
- Amplifier Artifact: Their bracelet full of tanzanites.
- Badass Cape: Their outfit in the fourth round. Matches Broom Girl's outfit.
- Battle Couple: They paired up with Broom Girl in the fourth round.
- Color-Coded Characters: Indigo.
- Coordinated Clothes: With Merlin and Broom Girl.
- Embarrassing Nickname: "Tettles", from Isra.
- Establishing Character Moment: Capturing the bluebird in chapter one. After Lucy and Ivy clumsily lunge at it and into each other, they use their telltale triangular magic to snatch it up, revealing they've been waiting in the tree. Once they've captured it, they politely give Lucy advice, not noticing that Lucy's annoyed at them "rubbing it in" that they've managed to capture the bluebird, and teleport away.Tetsu: I was expecting this to be much more difficult.
- Graceful Loser: They're not happy about having to fight Broom Girl in the fifth round, so the two of them decide that she'll win. Even though they planned to lose, they do a little bit too good of a job taking defeat in stride.
- Official Couple: With Broom Girl.
- Scary Shiny Glasses: When they get intense.
- Symbol Motif Clothing: Triangles. Unique among in-comic magicians in that they incorporate the triangles into their magic as well.
kids ( 14 and under)
Abel Singh
familiar: Mark (yellow-crested cockatoo)
Tropes:
- Child Mage
- Color-Coded Characters: Blue, like his mother, twin brother, and older sister.
- Establishing Character Moment: The scene with the Singh family at the beginning of chapter five. January shows off to her twin younger brothers, and they and their twin familiars loudly egg her on.
Billy
Tropes:
- Affectionate Nickname: "Eyepatch" for Lucy.
- Barefoot Poverty: In chapter four. He's the only one of the street kids in chapter two who has shoes.
- Establishing Character Moment: Chapter two. He spends most of the chapter being quiet, only doing things with his twin, and shyly says he doesn't know how to talk to grown-ups who aren't Tobi.
- Rock–Paper–Scissors: How the kids decide things among themselves.
Emilia Dubois
familiar: Rusko (wolverine)
- Garbage or not, it makes for good target practice. Now scram, or I'll use you next.
source
Tropes:
- Abusive Parents: Although Sylas seems to be the main target of their father's mistreatment so far, she still lives in the Dubois household and is unusually violent for a ten-year-old.
- Annoying Younger Sibling: To Sylas. Seiji only eggs her on.
- Amplifier Artifact: Uses a pink spinel confirmed via
Word of God. - Child Mage
- Color-Coded Characters: Pink.
- Establishing Character Moment: Building a dummy version of a monster her uncle killed for target practice, and nearly carelessly hitting her own brother.Emilia: Hah-hah, oh my gosh! You— you should have seen your faces!
Fred Singh
Tropes:
- Establishing Character Moment: We first see him as January heads out to the guard station with his youngest brother Mason in a headlock. January grills him over the appropriateness of the way he's been lashing out, and he reluctantly agrees to apologize.
- Muggle Born of Mages: He's the only member of the Singh household who hasn't developed his magic. January seems to expect him to get a familiar any day, though.
Hanzi
- Ha... ha... I want two longbreads, Eyepatch.
source
Tropes:
- Affectionate Nickname: "Eyepatch" for Lucy.
- Barefoot Poverty
- Establishing Character Moment: He's one of the first beggar kids we see, and acts as a Lucy Lookout for the group.
- Rock–Paper–Scissors: How the kids decide things among themselves.
Mark Singh
familiar: Abel (yellow-crested cockatoo)
Tropes:
- Child Mage
- Color-Coded Characters: Blue, like his mother, twin brother, and older sister.
- Establishing Character Moment: The scene with the Singh family at the beginning of chapter five. January shows off to her twin younger brothers, and they and their twin familiars loudly egg her on.
Martha
Tropes:
- Affectionate Nickname: "Eyepatch" for Lucy.
- Barefoot Poverty
- Establishing Character Moment: Chapter two. Like her twin, she spends much of the chapter being quiet, tagging along with him wherever he goes.
- Rock–Paper–Scissors: How the kids decide things among themselves.
Mason Singh
familiar: Moxie (daschund)
Tropes:
- Child Mage
- Color-Coded Characters: Green, like his father.
- Establishing Character Moment: We first see him in chapter five with Fred holding him in a headlock and teasing him as Moxie tries ineffectively to get him to let go.
Peony
- Lucy! You're not useless! You're nice and pretty and-and! I don't care if you can't do magic! That's not why I like you! And I can't do magic either! But-but— You still like me! So it... it isn't fair to not like yourself!
source
Tropes:
- Affectionate Nickname:
- "Eyepatch" for Lucy.
- "Susu" for Su-Yeong, who in turn calls her "Pea" and "Sweetpea."
- Barefoot Poverty
- Cooldown Hug:
- To Lucy, after they confess that they can't use magic and see themselves as useless.
- When she finds Su-Yeong in chapter six.
- Interrupted Cooldown Hug: To Su-Yeong, in chapter four. Su-Yeong tells Peony that Philomena is the reason she's a husk, and Philomena shoots Peony, sending her and Lucy to the beach.
- Dark and Troubled Past: She's the only one of the kids Tobi knows who doesn't have a place to go at night, and refuses to talk about her family.
- Establishing Character Moment: During chapter two, she's the most cautious of the kids. She's frequently shown poking her head out to watch the others without actually venturing into the marketplace on her own, and most of her lines are words of caution.
- Rock–Paper–Scissors: How the kids decide things among themselves.
Rascal
- So hitting that girl from behind is off limits but it's fine if it's that guy. Okay.
source
Tropes:
- Affectionate Nickname: "Eyepatch" for Lucy.
- Barefoot Poverty
- Establishing Character Moment: During chapter two, they're the most adventurous of the kids. They get the first turn to go up to Lucy, and we get several shots of their gleeful, starstruck expressions.
- Rock–Paper–Scissors: How the kids decide things among themselves.
Sasha
Tropes:
- Barefoot Poverty: Like the other street kids, though she has foot wrappings.
- Establishing Character Moment: Sasha's introduced as an outsider to the group of non-magician kids, addressing them as "you lot" and presenting herself as tougher and more independent than the others. She openly sets up a divide between the others and herself as being on "team Tobi" and "team Seiji", respectively, and leaves in a huff to steal some money.Sasha: We've all got empty stomachs! Ugh! Cowards, the lot of you! You can't just wait on handouts! You've got to take whatever you can!
- Limited Wardrobe: Uniquely among the cast, Sasha has only ever been shown in one outfit. The most variation we see from her is the presence and absence of accessories such as a jacket, a glove, or January's hat.
- Precocious Crush: On Seiji.
noncompeting teens (15-19)
Franco Vasillia
familiar: Rosie (Cavalier King Charles spaniel)
Tropes:
- Color Coded Magic: Reddish orange.
- Establishing Character Moment: He breathlessly interrupts Philomena's lesson to deliver news of Sylas at the door. Although he's present for the entire scene, he quietly hangs back.
Su-Yeong
familiar: none, though she sports goat-like attributes and would have had a Valais Blackneck goat confirmed via Word of God
- She has no conception of how people outside her little bubble feel. Or what's at stake for them when things go wrong. Nothing gets through that thick skull of hers unless you spell it out, and even then she'll just hear what's easiest. I hate her, and even now I want to burn her house down. It's taking all my self-control not to do that, so we're not going to talk about her. I want to know what you're going to do with me. How are you going to keep me from doing that? I don't want to be told not to worry about it, or that everything will be fine.
source 1, source 2
Tropes:
- Amplifier Artifact: Inverted with the ruby earrings Isra gives her. Since, as a husk, she's already overpowered compared to an average magician, a magical focus serves to draw magic away from her person and into a safer receptacle.
- Animal Motifs: Goats. It's more overt with Su-Yeong than with other magicians since she's a husk.
- Beast Woman: As a husk, her transformation into an incredibly powerful goat monster is triggered by anger.
- Berserk Button: Anything to do with Philomena.
- Less obviously, city guards.
- Childhood Friends: With Tobi.
- Color-Coded Characters: Red.
- Cooldown Hug: When Peony and Tobi find her in chapter six, she gets a hug from both of them. Tobi's is enough to calm her down into her tier two form.
- Interrupted Cooldown Hug: After she recognizes Peony in chapter four, they're about to hug it out. Philomena shoots Peony before they can.
- Establishing Character Moment: For the first half of chapter four, we get intermittent glimpses of a red goat monster stalking the woods, muttering Philomena's last name to herself. After Lucy's breakdown and rant at Philomena, the goat monster reveals herself in full, delivering an impassioned speech about how much she resents her.Su-Yeong: Just look at her... she's never suffered a day in her life. Never worked for anything. I want to see her cry. And I know... so do you... Let me help. I was like you... weak, alone... but now, together... We'll make her pay.
- Expy: She's got a red color scheme, sports curly goat horns, and talks about how she and Lucy will "make her pay." Aradia, is that you?note
- The author has further clarified that even though she's an angry goat girl, they never particularly cared for Aradia.
- The author has further clarified
- Walking Spoiler: To a degree. Although she's mentioned by name at the start of chapter three, we don't get the context for her situation until the midpoint of chapter four and chapter six.
Tobi
- Tobi: So... did something happen? They look pretty worried about you.
Lucy: Oh... They... um. They're not worried about me. They're just waiting for me to go back to the market and get food for them. That's all.
Tobi: C'mon... They adore you. I can't count the times they've come and told me how cool and nice you are. Magicians... don't care about us. We're invisible to them without a familiar at our side... But you see us. That means a lot to the kids. And me.
source 1, source 2
Tropes:
- Because You Were Nice to Me: Lucy develops a crush on him nearly immediately when he asks if they're okay. When he tells them, in no uncertain terms, that the street kids admire them for more than just their ability to sneak them food, and that he appreciates that as a magician they take the time for people without magic, it's enough to lighten their mood for the rest of the day.
- Tobi himself has a fair amount of this towards Joe Rothart. When Peony tells him about Su-Yeong's condition, he seeks Joe out. Even when he thinks that Joe's forgotten him, he's (correctly) convinced that Joe will help him.
- Childhood Friends: With Su-Yeong.
- Cool Big Bro: Lives in San Carlucco and helps the street kids when Lucy isn't around.
- Dark and Troubled Past: As a non-magician in a setting where magic is the norm, Tobi's used to being overlooked. He keeps a pet rat as a fake familiar to help, but he's still acutely aware of being, in his own words, invisible to magicians without a familiar by his side.
- He, Su-Yeong, and Morgan grew up on the street as non-magicians with only each other to rely on — he even draws a direct comparison between Peony not having a place to stay at night and his living conditions when he was younger.
- Morgan and Malliet being killed in a house fire by a husk shortly after Morgan began his apprenticeship left lasting effects on Tobi, as he was convinced Morgan had simply stopped caring about him and Su-Yeong.
- Philomena getting Su-Yeong fired only cemented his feelings of powerlessness in conflicts with magicians. Not knowing Philly believes Su-Yeong quit of her own accord, he sees her asking him if Su-Yeong's come back yet as a sign she simply doesn't care about their plight enough to do anything to help.
- Early-Bird Cameo: On the chapter two cover.
- Establishing Character Moment: Throughout chapter two, the street kids mention him as someone who looks out for them. We finally see him when Lucy has a quiet breakdown under his doorstep and the beggar kids call for his help. Even though he only knows Lucy through what the kids have told him, he earnestly tells them how much they mean to the kids, and by extension to him. His gentle demeanor, sincerity, and quiet humor charm Lucy, and they're immediately cheered up.Tobi: Magicians... don't care about us. We're invisible to them without a familiar at our side... But you see us. That means a lot to the kids. And me.
- Love Triangle: Although he freely extends kindness to Lucy when they're having a breakdown, he's had reciprocated feelings for Su-Yeong for quite some time.
- Parental Substitute: Raises Peony with Su-Yeong.
adults (20+)
Ambrose Dubois
familiar: Leopold (black panther)
Tropes:
- Amplifier Artifact: Wears a pair of amethyst rings.
- Color-Coded Characters: Purple, like his nephew and brother.
- Purple Is Powerful
Antoine Dubois
familiar: unnamed vulture
- Sylas: Everybody cares, Seiji. Do you have any idea how much pressure I'm under? You know what my dad said to me when he came home?
Seiji: Uh...
Sylas: NOTHING. He didn't say anything! He wouldn't even look at me! I already know he'll never be proud of me, but he acted like I don't exist.
source
Tropes:
- Amplifier Artifact: A teardrop-shaped brooch.
- Abusive Parents: After Lapointe tells him what happened during the fourth test, he blatantly ignores Sylas. Sylas takes this treatment poorly, but has already come to expect some level of disdain:Sylas: I already know he'll never be proud of me but he acted like I don't exist.
- Beard of Evil: Unlike his son, he sports a beard.
- Color-Coded Characters: Purple, like his son and brother.
- Establishing Character Moment: His first line has him goading Magister Lapointe over her frustration before he knows the reason for it. When she tells him Sylas forfeited the competition, he hisses in anger and uses magic to drain the life from a nearby vase of flowers.
- Symbol Motif Clothing: Teardrops, like his son.
- Vampiric Draining: To a vase of flowers when Lapointe informs him of Sylas dropping out.
Mom Dubois
familiar: unnamed white python
Tropes:
Dad Singh
familiar: unnamed dog
Tropes:
- Color-Coded Characters: Green, like his youngest son.
Dad Vasillia
familiar: Bruno (capybara)
- January: Well, hey, what about you, huh? That costume looks pretty authentic.
Philomena: Oh! Um, well... it... is... authentic... My dad had it custom made for me... Before I told him I needed it.
source
Tropes:
- Amplifier Artifact: A pendant.
- Color-Coded Characters: Teal.
- Establishing Character Moment: The first time we see him, he comes out to remind Philomena of her magic lesson. Upon noticing the dirt on her skirt, he immediately uses magic to remove it. When she grumbles that she could've done that herself, he laughs it off.Philomena: I'm not a kid, y'know!
Dad Vasillia: Haha... of course not. Of course not. - Uncatty Resemblance: His and Bruno's mustaches.
Dr. Cynthia Brandt
familiar: Curie (jewel beetle)
Tropes:
- Amplifier Artifact: A brooch and pair of earrings.
- Color-Coded Characters: Green.
- Character Overlap: The fourth full Riverside Extras cameo.
Lady Derry Lake
familiar: Sabine (ermine)
Tropes:
- Amplifier Artifact: Earrings.
- Character Overlap: Like the other proctors, she's a cameo from Riverside Extras.
- Color-Coded Characters: Red.
- Crystal Ball: She's shown scrying on the island where Su-Yeong's hiding after the disastrous fourth round with a color-coded seeker stone.
- Establishing Character Moment: The way she introduces the rules of the fourth test. She's rather cavalier about the quartz shooters, which can be easily used to cause injury despite being designed to avoid it, and about the test itself encouraging backstabbing and taking out grudges.
- Official Couple: With Lady Ophelia.
Lady Eudora
familiar: Whiskers (tiger)
- Philomena: Why is it so hard...
Eudora: If I had a silver for every time I heard that. You're still learning.
source
Tropes:
- Color-Coded Characters: Orange.
- Establishing Character Moment: Her lesson with Philomena. She's patient with Philomena's lack of magical skill, and with Philomena's anxieties about the contest as a whole.
- Pregnant Badass
- Uncatty Resemblance: Her freckles, eyes, and lips make her look like Whiskers, and the grey streaks and twin tufts in her hair evoke her stripes and ears.
Dr. Isra Karim
- Joe: Dr. Karim is the expert, nobody knows as much about husks as her.
Isra: Aw, Joe... And please, call me Isra!
Joe: If there's anyone in the city who could help you, it's them.
Isra: Oh~! I'm so excited to meet you! You have no idea how happy I am that you're here!
Su-Yeong: I think I have some idea...
source
Tropes:
- Animal Motifs: Despite not being a magician, nearly everything she owns is calico-themed, after Gateau.
- Embarrassing Nickname: She calls Tetsu "Tettles".
- Establishing Character Moment: In chapter two, she hears Philomena and January enter the bakery and immediately comes out to say hello. She's very affectionate to everyone present, especially Tetsu.
- Happily Married: To Neith.
- Official Couple: With Neith.
Magister Fidelia Lapointe
familiar: Duchess (ocelot)
- Do you know why he did that? Because he's weak. What kind of representative would he be if he can't take negative pressure? It's a public position. It isn't for the faint-hearted. If he can't handle a boat full of children heckling him, he wouldn't last a second in front of a city crowd. He's a coward, plain and simple, and I should have known better than to waste my time with these spoiled, aristocrat boys. They've never worked a day in their lives, of course they'd be useless brats.
source
Tropes:
- Amplifier Artifact: A pendant.
- Big Bad
- Character Overlap: Formerly. Prior to the mid-2018 edits, she was a cameo of Madeline Oceana of the Roses in Riverside Extras. Corny edited all of her appearances and mentions in a series of mid-2018 edits to prevent reader confusion.
- Color-Coded Characters: Pink.
- Devil in Plain Sight: Lapointe makes no attempt to hide her manipulative tendencies, explicitly saying she would have preferred Yvette to continue being the representative because she was easier to control. Most people who work with her (such as Joe Rothart and Rin Soga) are well aware of her nature, but unable to do anything about it because of Lapointe's high post in the government.
- Establishing Character Moment: The first time she's mentioned, both Seiji and Sylas immediately put their guards up. Seiji grouses that he can't wait for her to die and that being her "favorite" did him little good. When we finally see her in person, she's lounging on a sofa as a servant pours tea for her. She opens the lesson by delivering a backhanded compliment to both of them at the same time, then grouses about how annoying it is that Eudora resists her manipulation.Lapointe: Before we begin, I'd like to congratulate you, Mr. Dubois, for carrying on to another round. I'm still disappointed in you, Mr. Soga, for failing in the second round. I expected you to last longer than him.
- Evil Mentor:
- Before canon, to Yvette. Possibly as a result, Yvette went missing and is presumed dead.
- In canon, to Seiji and Sylas, at least until they're both disqualified from the representative competition.
- As of chapter five, to January. She starts out sickly sweet, but quickly ramps up the pressure once January wins the representative competition.
- Faux Affably Evil: She affects a polite demeanor in public and when talking to January, but as soon as she no longer needs to put up a charming front, she's quick to turn nasty.
- Ironic Name: Fidelia. Although she isn't married or in a public relationship, she's seeing Sylas' father behind closed doors.
- Manipulative Bastard: She openly praises Yvette for being "open to her experienced guidance" while literally conjuring an illusion of her dancing on her puppet strings. She has high hopes for Sylas to replace her as representative, and when those don't pan out due to him forfeiting, she wastes no time sinking her claws into January instead.
- The Mistress: To Lord Dubois.
- Power Hair
Joseph "Joe" Rothart
familiar: Romeo (hamster)
- Tobi: Please, I need your help. You... You probably don't remember me, but... I was Morgan's friend. I know you're close to Dr. Malliet. There's a husk trapped on the island, and... Please... She's all alone out there! Only the Magister's Ladies or a guard can get through the seal, and —
Joe: Tobi. Of course I'll help you. I'll do whatever I can.
source 1, source 2, source 3
Tropes:
- Amplifier Artifact: A single aquamarine earring. In his youth, he had a matched set.
- Because You Were Nice to Me: He and Malliet helped Tobi and Su-Yeong out in the past, leaving such a strong impression on Tobi that even when he thought Joe had forgotten about him he sought him out to help rescue Su-Yeong from being killed.
- Color Coded Magic: Blue, like his sister, niece, and two of his nephews.
- Establishing Character Moment: We're introduced to him in a station full of city guards and their canine familiars, grinning sunnily at January with his hamster familiar on his shoulder.
- Official Couple: With Dr. Malliet, at least five years ago. Then Malliet turned into a husk and faked his death.
Lela Ramone
familiar: unnamed albino gila monster
Tropes:
- Amplifier Artifact: A pendant.
- Color-Coded Characters: Red, like her youngest granddaughter.
- Establishing Character Moment: We see her in the marketplace with Ana, cheerfully gossiping in Spanish about the passersby. When Ana starts digging into Lucy, she's amused at first, but quickly notices the disconnect between Lucy's behavior and Ana's account of it.
Mom Singh
familiar: unnamed hen
Tropes:
- Animal Motifs: She's a mother hen.
- Color-Coded Characters: Blue, like her daughter and twin sons.
Neith Karim
familiar: Muffin (bobcat)
- Tetsu's been trained by Neith freaking Karim. She was deadly on the guard. I heard she could kill husks by herself.
Tropes:
- Color-Coded Characters: Purple.
- Establishing Character Moment: When Isra rushes out to gush over Philomena, January, and Tetsu, Neith follows her more calmly.
- Eyes Always Shut
- Happily Married: To Isra.
- Official Couple: With Isra.
- Purple Is Powerful
- Uncatty Resemblance: Neither she nor Muffin have ever opened their eyes.
Lady Ophelia Banksly
familiar: Simon (boa constrictor)
Tropes:
- Amplifier Artifact: Earrings.
- Character Overlap: Like the other proctors, she's a cameo from Riverside Extras.
- Color-Coded Characters: Blue.
- Establishing Character Moment: Proctoring the third test. She's businesslike and to-the-point and has little patience for wasting time.
- Official Couple: With Lady Derry.
Rin Soga
familiar: Wolfe (black wolf) up through the end of chapter eight when she was shot and absorbed by Rin
- Rin: Seiji, what have I told you about— What happened to your face?!
Seiji: Singh did it.
Rin is indignant for a single panel, but pauses to think.
Rin: ... Did you deserve it, Seiji?
Seiji stands up halfway, equally indignant. Rin sighs, resting her face on her hand. Seiji sits back down, averting his gaze.
Seiji: ... No comment.
source 1, source 2
Tropes:
- Amplifier Artifact: Dangling cylindrical earrings.
- Badass Cape: On her uniform.
- Color-Coded Characters: Red, like her son.
- Creepy Shadowed Undereyes: Of the Exhausted Eye Bags variety. Shared with her son.
- Early-Bird Cameo: She and her familiar appear at Lapointe's party at the end of chapter four, though we only see them from behind.
- Establishing Character Moment: When she summons January to the guard station, we first see her talking to Joe. She's centered in the panel and wearing a different uniform than the other guards, and January immediately falls over herself to salute her. She takes January being starstruck in stride, and conducts the rest of the scene in a businesslike manner.Despite her obvious distaste for Lapointe, she stresses that it won't do to displease her.Seiji: She can find it herself, can't she?
Rin: Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize how busy you were, Seiji.
Seiji: ... Fine. - Meaningful Name: "Rin" means "stern, cold, or severe".
- Reasonable Authority Figure:
- Contrasted with Magister Lapointe, she brings up January's reputation as a way to get her to calm down.
- She effectively deals with her son's unreasonable behavior without falling back on Because I Said So on multiple occasions.
- Uncatty Resemblance: Her familiar, an otherwise all-black wolf, is going grey to the same degree as she is. They also make intensely similar facial expressions.
Siobhan Teterya
familiar: unnamed black bear
Tropes:
- Amplifier Artifact: A yellow brooch.
- Call-Back: Philomena mentions Cedric's chef mentor at the end of chapter one. Siobhan herself appears in person at the beginning of chapter seven.
- Character Overlap: Like the other proctors, she's a cameo from Riverside Extras.
- Establishing Character Moment: Proctoring the fifth test. She cheerfully introduces herself and invites everyone to her restaurant... then aggressively lays down the brutal test rules.
Thierry Rothart
familiar: none but was formerly a peacock
- Thierry: Of all the irresponsible, foolish things you've done... And that ridiculous outfit! What do you have to say for yourself?! Tell me what happened! Look at her! I never should have let you borrow her so often. You're grounded. You leave only for my errands and nothing else. And furthermore—
spoiler:Ivy: Thierry.
source
Tropes:
- Abusive Parents: Not by blood, but he treats Lucy with neglect at best and with self esteem-undermining haranguing at worst. Much like the silent treatment Sylas received from his father, Rothart failing to check up on Lucy's welfare even after Ivy told him what happened left Lucy convinced he wished Su-Yeong had killed them.
- Amplifier Artifact: A sapphire necklace and quite a few rings. He uses them for the same purpose Su-Yeong does: to vent excess power.
- Animal Motifs: Peacocks.
- Color-Coded Characters: Blue.
- Crystal Ball: Shown scrying on Joe, Su-Yeong, Tobi, and Peony at the end of chapter 6.
- Establishing Character Moment: When Lucy comes home, he's immediately critical of them. Before they have a chance to say a single word, he grills them for not having gone shopping and orders them to make dinner.Thierry: Lucien. Your hands are empty, aren't they?
Lucy: Ha ha, well, about that, sir! I actually—
Thierry: Please. No excuses. I should have known better than to simply leave a note. You're forgetful. Just start on dinner. - Official Couple: With Joe, until he faked his death.
- Power Limiter: He's bedecked in sapphire jewelry to keep himself in lower husk tiers. He regularly vents the power that builds up despite this into Ivy.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Ivy takes him to town for his treatment of Lucy immediately after the chapter seven intermission.Thierry: I don’t need you to tell me to clean my room, cat.
Ivy: Apparently you need me to tell you how to raise your child, Thierry.
Thierry: What?
Ivy: When’s the last time you said anything nice to Lucy? Complimented them? Thanked them? Anything?
Thierry: Where’s this coming from all of a sudden?
Ivy: Sudden? They told me today they think you’d rather they were dead!
Thierry: WHAT?! Of all the audacious, ungrateful-– After everything I did for them?! After everything I gave up? They would be dead if it weren’t for me!
Ivy: Look at yourself, Thierry. You keep slipping further away from who you used to be.
Thierry: That man is gone.
[…]
Thierry: I’m sorry that I lost my temper. What were we talking about, again?
Ivy: Lucy.
Thierry: What did they do this time?
Ivy: Huff… this is exactly the problem. You always assume the worst of them, or punish them for nothing. You can’t keep blaming them for what they did as a child. They don’t remember doing it. They don’t even remember who they were when they did it. No more than you seem to, sometimes. - Uncatty Resemblance: Invoked. Although he's a peacock husk, his "old man" glamour gives him shiny white hair similar to Ivy's, and his tinted cyan shades evoke her unique eye design.
Yvette Malliet
familiar: Piper, a frog
- Lapointe: Anyone would be better than Eudora. If only Yvette was still the representative...
Seiji: She wasn't that great, considering she up and disappeared. Pro'lly ate it.
Lapointe: No. She was perfect. Young, powerful. Open to my experienced guidance. So easy to work with. Not like Eudora. She's always been headstrong. Dangerously independent.
source
Tropes:
- Color-Coded Characters: Blue.
- Posthumous Character
- The Faceless: Has never been shown without her helmet.
spoiler characters
Dr. Thierry Malliet
familiar: none, formerly a peacock
- Isra going on about husks... she reminds me so much of him. They could talk for hours and hours about their ideas and new theories...—Joe
Tropes:
- Faking the Dead: Turned into a husk and burned down his own house, taking his apprentice with him.
- Motor Mouth: Implied by Joe to share this trait with Isra.
- Official Couple: With Joe, until he turned into a husk and faked his own death.
- Walking Spoiler: His last name isn't even mentioned during book one.
Morgan Lapointe
familiar: unknown
- Su and I were like that too, growing up. We only had each other. Well... and Morgan, 'till his magic came in... I guess Pea kinda reminded us of him.—Tobi
Tropes:
- Amplifier Artifact: Implied to have been pink spinel indicted by this scene [1] between Lucy and Thierry post-accident.
- Child Mage: Grew up on the streets with Tobi and Su-Yeong until manifesting magic sometime before the house fire five years ago.
- Faking the Dead: Isn't actually dead and now lives as Lucy Marlowe.
- Riches to Rags: Morgan is the bastard child of Antoine Dubois' affair with Fidelia Lapointe. Despite being born to two powerful individuals, Morgan spent several years on the streets with only Tobi and Su-Yeong for company.
- Walking Spoiler: The name "Morgan" isn't even mentioned during the entirety of book one.
