The Neverending Story characters
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Bastian Balthazar Bux - our main protagonist of the story.
Bastian is a shy and bookish boy around 12 years old.
His family is still mourning the death of his mum.
One day as he runs and hides from a group of school bullies, Bastian comes across an antique bookstore. Inside the owner a Carl Coreander is seen reading a book. He is drawn to this curious-looking book titled - The Neverending Story - and takes it for himself.
Upon reading the book, he reads about the world's plight and finds himself literally be drawn into the story, as Bastian in the end is the only one who can to save the world of Fantasia and to give its empress a new name.
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Barney Bux - Bastian's father.
A dental technician by profession.
Sadly following the death of his ex- wife
Barney moved back into the family home care for Bastian, however, since the separation Barney had become distant from his son, and didn't know quite what to do as a father.
This soon starts to change when he and Bastian are reunited at the end of the book.
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Carl Conrad Coreander - book store owner.
Carl is a seemingly grouchy old man, and a little set in his ways and views of the world and the people in it.
He meets Bastian early on in the story, Bastian entering his store to hide from a group of school bullies.
Both he and Bastian share the oddity of triple letter initials.
Coreander was in the middle of reading - The Neverending Story - when Bastian entered his store.
In the end, the novel makes it clear that Mr. Coreander is one of the few humans who has been to Fantasia and returned. He and Bastian come to a better understanding of one another, and share tales of their adventures to one another in the world of Fantasia.
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Characters of Fantasia -
The Messengers -
Gluckuk - he is a Winzling, a race of tiny humans.
Gluckuk ride the Corrum, a series of racing snail, his Corrsum is called Deep-Ween.
Whoosh Woozool - he is a Nighthob.
Nighthobs live in the east of Fantasia.
The Nighthob's ride on a bat-like creature, the Stariy. Whoosh had long developed a liking and companionship with his Stariy, Tiloo.
Pyornk Rachzark - a Rockbiter.
Rockbiters' are large creatures made completely of stone. The Rockbiter species are named due to their diet consisting of only rocks and earth-based materials.
Pyornk rides a stone vehicle, and is asked by his race to travel to the Ivory Tower where he must inform the Childlike Empress, the ruler of all Fantasia about the force called the Nothing.
Later in the story, Pyornk on his mission to bring survivors to the Ivory Tower is found by Atreyu saddened looking down at his hands, he wasn't strong enough to save the other messengers from the Nothing.
Blubb, a will-o'-the-wisp.
Will-o'-the-Wisp are from the southern reaches of Fantasia. These are beings of no true gender, made up of pure light and energy.
All four messengers had been sent by their respective races to travel to the Ivory Tower and to ask the Childlike Empress for help against the Nothing's destructive forces.
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Cairon - An herald of the Childlike Empress, a member of the Zetour race.
On the clear instructions of the Childlike Empress, Cairon travels to the Grassy Ocean in search of Atreyu.
Standing before the boy, Cairon asks Atreyu to undertake a great mission to learn how to rid Fantasia of the Nothing.
Cairon passes the Auryn onto Atreyu, to show all of Fantasia that Atreyu is on the errand of the empress.
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The Childlike Empress - The monarch of all Fantasia.
The empress resides in the citadel called the Ivory Tower, the tower is truly the heart of the realm.
The Empress appears as an indescribably beautiful young girl, and seems to be no older than ten, yet in truth she is much older than the oldest resident of Fantasia. She as snow-white hair and her eyes are the colour of gold, wearing a silver gown.
At the time of the story, the empress lies dying of an unknown illness, this is grave news for the whole of Fantasia, as if she dies all in the world would die on with her.
With her court and world in fear, Cairon the empress' herald is asked to seek out Atreyu, a member of the Grassy Ocean tribe, where he sends Atreyu on a great quest.
Atreyu's true mission is to draw into Fantasia the namer, the sole person who can give the Childlike Empress a new name and in turn stop the power and force called The Nothing.
The amulet known as the Auryn is her emblem, and those who wear it are her representatives.
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Atreyu - is the protagonist in the world of Fantasia.
Atreyu is a young native Greenskin, a race of warriors who live out in the Grassy Plains and the hunters of the great Purple Buffalo.
Atreyu's father is killed soon after his birth by a Purple Buffalo.
His name means "son of all" in his native language.
He is summoned by the Childlike Empress to embark on a "Great Quest" to save the land of Fantasia.
He is given the amulet of the Childlike Empress by Carion stating "Whoever wears The Auryn is an Herald of the Childlike Empress."
Atreyu sets out on his mission riding on the back of his horse, Artax.
During the long events of the quest to find a namer, his travels lead him across all corners of Fantasia. He meets many creatures, including Morla the Ancient One, who explains the true history of the Childlike Empress; her lifetime is not measured in years, but by names. Morla stated that the empress must be in need of a new name, and that the weakening of the empress has allowed the "Nothing" to appear in Fantasia. Morla also states that the Southern Oracle may be the only being in all of Fantasia that knows the location of the namer.
And Falkor the luckdragon, who helps Atreyu on his quest by saving Atreyu from Gmork's attack and carrying him on his back to the Southern Oracle Yuliya - the living statue.
Yuliya states the name for the Childlike Empress can only be found in the imagination of a human child.
Bastian, all the while reads Atreyu's story in the real world, experiencing everything Atreyu does and goes through on his great quest, including his love for Artax and the sorrow the Greenskin goes through when Artax drowns in the Swamp of Sadness.
In the end this proves to have been Fantasia's solution and the Empress' cure, bringing Bastian to Fantasia to give the Empress a new name.
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Bar'ral - Bark Treoll.
Bar'ral is a walking living tree, amongst the oldest and wisest of creatures in Fantasia.
Bar'ral knows the Nothing is coming, and that he had aided other Bark Treoll to escape.
Atreyu wishes to see the Nothing for himself, and with Bar'ral's help he climbs a tree, once at the top Atreyu sees for himself the actual effect of the Nothing's power on Fantasia.
Bar'ral advises Atreyu to visit Morla - The Ancient One.
And once Atreyu climbs down, he sadly finds that Bar'ral had been taken by the Nothing.
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Morla - The Ancient One.
Morla is a giant turtle and amongst the oldest living Fantasian.
Morla dwells amidst the Swamps of Sadness.
Because of her size, she is mistaken for a mountain known as, "Tortoise Shell Mountain."
Morla has been alone with herself for far too long that she's separated herself into two distinct identities and often talks to herself, calling herself "old woman."
A Bark Treoll by the name of Bar'ral tells Atreyu that he can find Morla at the top of the mountain and that Morla may know the answer to the Childlike Empress' illness.
Once Atreyu stands before Morla and asks for her aid, either due to her own long life or to the fact she dwells in the Swamps of Sadness she has a melancholy mindset; showing indifference when hearing of the fate of Fantasia and her own true survival.
Reluctantly, she eventually informs Atreyu that the Empress needs to be given a new name. When asked by Atreyu who can give the Empress her new name Morla said that she does not know, and points Atreyu to Yuliya the Southern Oracle.
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Falkor - luckdragon.
Falkor solely believes that luck is a wonderful thing.
Falkor came from Sky Haven, a cloud-like land that floats above Fantasia itself and this is where Luck Dragons live.
This luckdragon is an incredibly optimistic, sophisticated, dignified, friendly, helpful and very wise being of Sky Haven. His attitude purely comes from his good and well natured heart.
He gives advice of hope and luck to people when it appears all hope is lost.
Falkor loves to have friends, he is loyal and will not betray you. And due to his kind and open nature, Falkor hates making enemies and a person/beings actions have to be pretty bad to be classed as his enemy.
Falkor has a graceful elongated body, the dragon is covered with white fur and pearly whitish-pink scales; with a long white mane and bushes of white hair on his tail that glitter pink when caught by light. He has a dragon head with eyes of ruby-red.
He walks on his four paws that carry his vast weight.
Falkor like other luckdragon's will spend most of his existence flying in the skies of Fantasia and can even sleep while flying. Falkor's ability to fly comes from his constant motion and literally swims through the air. He prefers to have as much open space as possible rather than be cooped up in a building, regardless of how spacious it may be.
Falkor has no need to eat nor drink, he gains his life energy from taking in air and heat through his scales.
Falkor is brought to Atreyu due to the wish and need of hope, when trapped in the Swamp of Sadness and about to be attacked by Gmork the servant of the Nothing; and aids Atreyu after this in his quest to save Fantasia and to stop the Nothing.
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Engywook and his wife Urgl are gnomes.
They have come to live close to the location of the Southern Oracle, due to Engywook's lifelong research and study of the Southern Oracle Yuliya and the gates that lay before her. Engywook hopes one day to publish his findings. However, he has not yet ventured into the heart of the Southern Oracle.
Engywook is a rather excitable and slightly proud old man.
Engywook stands approximately 3 feet tall. He wears a carved root for a hat, brown robes made from withered leaves, and large eyeglasses.
His features are described as being sharp and angular. Engywook is bald, with an onion-sized head, and a nearly toothless mouth. He has a heavy Irish accent.
Engywook's favourite food is Urgl's own frog and lizard puree soup.
Urgl, his wife is a potions brewer, and has studied all forms of healing in Fantasia.
The two often argue, Engywook referring to Urgl as "wench!"
Engywook can observe the Riddle Gate, also known as the Sphinxes, from his telescope on a hilltop overlooking the first gate.
Urgl helps heal Atreyu, and once healed Engywook instructs him about the gates that lead to the Southern Oracle.
As Atreyu looks through Engywook's telescope, he gets to bare sight of the Sphinx Gate. Engywook tells Atreyu that a person has to have a pure heart if they are to pass the first gate, for if they have the tiniest shred of doubt, they will suffer.
Engywook also tells Atreyu of the next gate, stating this is the hardest gate yet, as most people cannot handle being confronted by their true selves.
Engywook tells Atreyu about the third gate, and that this gate has no true key to open it with; and that only their one true question can aid them to open this last gate.
Finally the gnome states that those who return from Yuliya have never been able to tell him what the oracle herself looks like.
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Yuliya - the Southern Oracle.
A legendary and mysterious being, Yuliya is truly all-knowing; having the answers to nearly all questions in Fantasia. Many creatures in Fantasia have tried to visit the oracle for her wisdom, but few succeed in getting through all three gates and as such it is a great mystery who or what Yuliya truly is.
She is in fact an incorporeal entity; depicted as a disembodied female voice.
The ancient, giant turtle, Morla tells Atreyu that Yuliya is the only one who knows who can give the Childlike Empress a new name and prevent her from dying.
Yuliya as constructed three gates/trials that all comers must pass through before the can speak with her -
The first gate is the Gate of the Great Riddle, which consists of two Sphinxes, who face one another. If the riddle is answered incorrectly then the Sphinxes cast punishment; freezing on the spot and doomed to the individual to remain, until the true riddle can be solved.
The second gate is the Magic Mirror Gate, which is a large, circular, moon-like mirror. Rather than reflecting an actual physical appearance, the mirror reflects the absolute truest nature of the observer. This often frightens people into running away or drives them mad. To pass through this gate, a person must work up the courage to pass through their own true image and self. Atreyu sees Bastian reading the Neverending Story, demonstrating that it is not merely a "story" and terrifying Bastian.
The third gate is the No-Key Gate, which is a keyless door made of a strange and enchanted wood that is, due to Yuliya's spell, physically indestructible, but reacts to a person's will. Only when a person has forgotten all other questions and seeks to find the answer to one, will they be able to enter.
Atreyu passes through all three gates and comes to hear Yuliya's voice, Atreyu learns that the only who reads the story can be the one who names the Childlike Empress or the power of the Nothing will take all of Fantasia.
As Atreyu makes his way back to Falkor the Southern Oracle is attacked by the power of the Nothing and disappears.
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Villains -
Gmork - the servant of the power behind the Nothing.
In appearance he is a large, wolf-like creature with short blackish-blue fur, with green beast-like eyes, sharp fangs and capable of human speech.
Atreyu finally meets Gmork, Atreyu hides his name from this creature; Gmork talks about his own quest, the quest to halt the one called Atreyu and to stop the reader from giving out the Childlike Empress' new name, but he lost the boy in the Swamp of Sadness.
Gmork explains to Atreyu the true nature and purpose of the Nothing, and that a Fantasian who enters it, becomes a lie in the human world.
Atreyu then reveals his identity, which causes Gmork to laugh and comes to strike down Atreyu and leave him for the Nothing. Atreyu stands before Gmork as he dies trapped in crushing chains.
As Atreyu approaches the dead wolf, the carcass grabs Atreyu in its jaws, which, ironically, prevents Atreyu from succumbing to the overpowering urge exerted by the Nothing. He is freed from Gmork's grip by Falkor, who escapes with him to the Ivory Tower.
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The Nothing - An entity that can destroy any world or realm.
Once the Nothing as taken all of Fantasia the realm of fantasy and make-believe it can move onto the real world.
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