The Sword of Shannara Character List

The list for order of appearance has only the characters that had an physical part in the story, not the people that were mentioned only in passing (such as Mirianna Ohmsford - Par and Coll's mother); these will be indicated by italics in the alphabetically-ordered list.

Order of Appearance | Alphabetical Order

Flick Ohmsford: A Valeman and Shea's brother, he was the first person to meet Allanon, who informed him and Shea of the looming danger to the Four Lands. After Allanon left Shady Vale, Flick and Shea met Balinor, and after Balinor left, Flick and Shea finally left as well after seeing a Skull Bearer. They fled first to Leah, where they persuaded Menion to join their cause, and from there they went to Culhaven. After forming a small company to search for the Sword, they journeyed to Paranor; along the way they were trapped in the Pass of Noose, attacked by a giant creature of flesh and metal, and forced to bypass an entire army of Gnomes worshipping their gods in the Pass of Jade, then went with Allanon to the Hadeshorn, made it past the Hall of Kings, and finally, at the Dragon's Teeth, lost Shea. At Paranor, Flick became separated from the rest of the company as he watched Allanon do battle with the Skull Bearer; this separation proved to be useful, however, as Flick prevented himself from getting trapped in the room where the Sword of Shannara was supposed to be. After the others were rescued and had successfully escaped from Paranor to go their separate ways, Flick and Menion accompanied Allanon on a quest to find the missing Shea. While searching for him, they stumbled upon the Northland army, at which point Flick dressed up as a Gnome, went into the camp, discovered that the Elven King Eventine Elessedil was being held prisoner there, and rescued him. He then rode to the Westland to seek out Jon Lin Sandor and to bring the Elven army to Callahorn. Having brought the army there, he stayed with the Elves until the end of the war, at which point he finally returned home to Shady Vale.
Allanon: The last Druid and Bremen's son, he came to Flick and Shea in Shady Vale to inform them of the looming danger to the Four Lands. However, he was forced to leave abruptly due to news that the Warlock Lord would attempt to take over Paranor, and arrived in Culhaven weeks later, having failed to secure the Keep. He became the leader of the little company to search for the Sword and led them to Paranor. Along the way, the company was trapped in the Pass of Noose because of Gnome Hunters; wanting to prevent another trap, Allanon left the company and scouted ahead for danger, leaving white pieces of cloth for safe trails and red pieces for trails that should be avoided. Due to an intelligent creature switching his signs, the company went down the wrong path and was attacked by that creature, all without Allanon knowing. He found them days later with a group of Stors in hand and took them to Storlock. After everyone rested, they continued on their journey to Paranor, with Allanon leading them to the Hadeshorn, where he spoke to the shade of Bremen, then past the Hall of Kings, where Allanon battled the Valg, then through the Dragon's Teeth, where Shea was lost. Knowing they still had to secure the Sword of Shannara, he took them to Paranor, fought with a Skull Bearer in Paranor's furnace, and rescued the company from the Keep where they had been trapped. Because the Sword had not been there, Allanon realized that the only hope for the Four Lands now was to prepare for the oncoming war; thus, he sent Durin and Dayel to the Westland, Hendel to the Eastland, Balinor to Callahorn, and with Menion and Flick he went to search for the missing Shea. Later, upon seeing the Northland army north of Callahorn, he sent Menion to Callahorn to warn Balinor of the army's proximity, then sent Flick, dressed up as a Gnome, into Brona's army to see what he could find out. Flick was able to rescue Eventine, so, leaving the Valeman in the company of the Elves, Allanon traveled to the Northland in an attempt to find Shea and to advise him on using the Sword. He was able to project into Shea's mind enough to give him hope, and after the destruction of Brona Shea ran into Allanon while fleeing Skull Mountain. Allanon stayed with him long enough to answer a few questions about the Sword of Shannara, then, as Shea fell asleep, he disappeared - possibly back to Paranor, where he could indulge in the Druid Sleep.
Curzad Ohmsford: Shea and Flick's father, he ran an inn in the Vale and also knew of Allanon and Balinor, though he never knew about his sons' quest for the Sword of Shannara until the very end.
Shea Ohmsford: A Valeman and Flick's half-Elven brother, he was the person Allanon had come looking for. According to Allanon, he was heir to the Sword of Shannara and the last descendent of Jerle Shannara - the other heirs were killed by Skull Bearers, and it was only because he was half-Elven that they did not catch him. Allanon also told him that he must use the Sword against Brona, the Warlock Lord, else he would take over the Four Lands and the world would be plunged into an era of darkness. After the Druid left Shady Vale, Flick and Shea met Balinor, and after Balinor left, Flick and Shea finally left as well after seeing a Skull Bearer. They fled first to Leah, where they persuaded Menion to join their cause, and from there they went to Culhaven. After forming a small company to search for the Sword, they journeyed to Paranor; along the way they were trapped in the Pass of Noose, attacked by a giant creature of flesh and metal, and forced to bypass an entire army of Gnomes worshipping their gods in the Pass of Jade, then went with Allanon to the Hadeshorn, made it past the Hall of Kings, and finally, at the Dragon's Teeth, lost Shea when he fell off a cliff. Shea ended up being washed onto the Rabb Plains and into the hands of Gnome Hunters, who marched him into the Northland to take him to the Warlock Lord. They never made it, however, because Panamon Creel and Keltset raided the Gnome party, took the Elfstones, and rescued Shea. Shea persuaded them to accompany him to Paranor, planning along the way to somehow get the Elfstones back, but they never made it that far, as a Skull Bearer set upon them. It managed to slash up Panamon before Shea managed to get the Elfstones back and destroy it. Afterward, Shea told Panamon and Keltset the story of Allanon and his quest for the Sword of Shannara, and from then on they were committed to his cause and resolved to retrieve the Sword. It was at this point where they encountered Orl Fane, who managed to get on Panamon's bad side and yet still escape - with, as they discovered later, the Sword of Shannara in tow. They gave chase, going through a wall of darkness along the way, which they got out of only because of Shea's Elfstones. Finally, they found him when a band of Trolls caught them, as they had captured Orl Fane as well. The Trolls told Shea that he would kill the Warlock Lord and took him to Orl Fane, where he finally laid hands on the Sword of Shannara. Brona then approached him, but Shea was able to first use the magic on himself and discover what it really was - the power of truth - then, with this knowledge, along with Allanon's urging, was able to destroy Brona with it. After the Warlock Lord was eliminated, Skull Mountain began to collapse, so Shea, Panamon, and Keltset had to flee for their lives. Shea managed to escape safely and be found by Allanon, though he lost the Elfstones along the way. Allanon stayed with him long enough to answer a few questions about the Sword of Shannara, then, as Shea fell asleep, he disappeared, making Shea the last man to see Allanon until fifty years later. Shea returned with Flick to Shady Vale, where, weeks later, Panamon came to them and returned the missing Elfstones.
Balinor Buckhannah: The prince of Callahorn, he came to Shady Vale after Allanon left to warn the Valemen once again of the impending danger and of the Skull Bearers. He went back to Culhaven afterward, where he became part of the small company that would look for the Sword of Shannara. The company journeyed to Paranor; along the way they were trapped in the Pass of Noose, attacked by a giant creature of flesh and metal, and forced to bypass an entire army of Gnomes worshipping their gods in the Pass of Jade, then went with Allanon to the Hadeshorn, made it past the Hall of Kings, and finally, at the Dragon's Teeth, lost Shea. At Paranor, they found the room where the Sword was being held, except it turned out the Sword wasn't there at all, and they were trapped in the room until Allanon freed them. After being rescued, Balinor went back to Callahorn with Durin and Dayel to command the Border Legion and to give other nations enough time to prepare for Brona's attack. Upon returning to Tyrsis, however, the three were seized and locked in a dungeon below the palace at Palance's orders. Hendel tried to rescue them, but ended up getting trapped himself, and it was Menion Leah who freed the four later. Stenmin's treachery was exposed at that point, but he got away after murdering Palance. Palance's death, combined with Ruhl Buckhannah's, made Balinor King of Callahorn, and so he was able to reactivate the Border Legion and prepare the city for the Warlock Lord's assault. Balinor remained King of Callahorn until his death many years later and was considered to be the greatest king the Borderlands ever had. He was also the last Buckhannah.
Menion Leah: A Highlander and the prince of Leah, Shea and Flick came to him, asking for his aid in reaching Culhaven. He helped them, though they ended up getting separated along the way; Menion actually ran into a Siren and had to be rescued by Hendel. After Hendel brought him safely to Culhaven, he became part of the small company that would look for the Sword of Shannara. The company journeyed to Paranor; along the way they were trapped in the Pass of Noose, attacked by a giant creature of flesh and metal, and forced to bypass an entire army of Gnomes worshipping their gods in the Pass of Jade, then went with Allanon to the Hadeshorn, made it past the Hall of Kings, and finally, at the Dragon's Teeth, lost Shea. At Paranor, they found the room where the Sword was being held, except it turned out the Sword wasn't there at all, and they were trapped in the room until Allanon freed them. After being rescued, Flick and Menion accompanied Allanon on a quest to find the missing Shea. However, they encountered the Northland army along the way, so Allanon sent Menion to Callahorn to warn Balinor of the army's position. While Menion journeyed to Tyrsis, he saved Shirl Ravenlock, whom he later fell in love with, from Stenmin; in addition, he helped in the evacuation of Kern. The rescue of Shirl got himself into Palance's good graces once arriving at the city. Stenmin tried to kill him, but he caught the mystic in time and was able to use him to release Balinor, Durin, Dayel, and Hendel. During the battle of Tyrsis, he and Hendel realized that Stenmin was going to betray the city and reached the passageway to the dungeons just in time for Menion to behead the mystic and to prevent the Northland army attacking the city from within. After Brona's destruction, Menion saw Flick and Shea safely back to Shady Vale, then returned to Leah. Though it is not entirely certain what happened to him after that, it is presumed that he eventually married Shirl.
King of the Silver River: A being living since the time of Faerie, he saved Shea and Flick from a Skull Bearer that was hunting them at the edge of the Black Oaks. He told them to sleep, and as they slept, magically moved them from the Black Oaks to Culhaven, considerably shortening their journey.
Hendel: A Dwarf from Culhaven, he saved Menion from the Sirens in the Battlemound Lowlands and became part of the small company that would look for the Sword of Shannara. The company journeyed to Paranor; along the way they were trapped in the Pass of Noose, attacked by a giant creature of flesh and metal, and forced to bypass an entire army of Gnomes worshipping their gods in the Pass of Jade (where Hendel created a distraction so the Gnomes wouldn't notice the others), then went with Allanon to the Hadeshorn, made it past the Hall of Kings, and finally, at the Dragon's Teeth, lost Shea. At Paranor, they found the room where the Sword was being held, except it turned out the Sword wasn't there at all, and they were trapped in the room until Allanon freed them. After being rescued, Hendel went to Culhaven to see what help he could get from the Dwarves, then went to Tyrsis in an attempt to free Balinor, Durin, and Dayel, though he ended up getting himself trapped in the process and had to be saved by Menion later. During the battle of Tyrsis, Hendel and Menion realized that Stenmin was going to betray the city and reached the passageway to the dungeons just in time for Menion to behead the mystic and to prevent the Northland army attacking the city from within. However, Hendel was killed in the scuffle that preceded Stenmin's death, though he brought many men down with him as he died.
Pahn: One of the Dwarves in the search party looking for Menion.
Durin: An Elf and a cousin of Eventine, he became part of the small company that would look for the Sword of Shannara. The company journeyed to Paranor; along the way they were trapped in the Pass of Noose, attacked by a giant creature of flesh and metal, and forced to bypass an entire army of Gnomes worshipping their gods in the Pass of Jade, then went with Allanon to the Hadeshorn, made it past the Hall of Kings, and finally, at the Dragon's Teeth, lost Shea. At Paranor, they found the room where the Sword was being held, except it turned out the Sword wasn't there at all, and they were trapped in the room until Allanon freed them. After being rescued, Durin went with Dayel and Balinor to Tyrsis; from there the two Elves had planned to return to the Westland to bring the Elven army, except upon arriving at Tyrsis, the three were seized and locked in a dungeon below the palace at Palance's orders. Hendel tried to rescue them, but ended up getting trapped himself, and it was Menion Leah who freed the four later. Durin saved Balinor's life at the gatehouse during the battle of Tyrsis. After Brona's destruction, Durin and Dayel returned to Beleal, their home in the Westland.
Dayel: An Elf and Durin's younger brother, he became part of the small company that would look for the Sword of Shannara. The company journeyed to Paranor; along the way they were trapped in the Pass of Noose, attacked by a giant creature of flesh and metal, and forced to bypass an entire army of Gnomes worshipping their gods in the Pass of Jade, then went with Allanon to the Hadeshorn, made it past the Hall of Kings, and finally, at the Dragon's Teeth, lost Shea. At Paranor, they found the room where the Sword was being held, except it turned out the Sword wasn't there at all, and they were trapped in the room until Allanon freed them. After being rescued, Dayel went with Durin and Balinor to Tyrsis; from there the two Elves had planned to return to the Westland to bring the Elven army, except upon arriving at Tyrsis, the three were seized and locked in a dungeon below the palace at Palance's orders. Hendel tried to rescue them, but ended up getting trapped himself, and it was Menion Leah who freed the four later. Durin stood on the Bridge of Sendic along with Janus Senpre and Menion during the battle of Tyrsis. After Brona's destruction, Durin and Dayel returned to Beleal, their home in the Westland, where Dayel would finally be reunited with his beloved Lynliss.
Bremen: Once a Druid who had participated in the Second War of the Races, he became a shade to which Allanon came and asked him for help. He prophesized that one member of Allanon's company would not reach the far side of the Dragon's Teeth, and yet that member would be the first to lay hands on the Sword of Shannara within two dawns. He was also Allanon's father.
Valg: A serpentine monster whose name came from the Gnome word for "death", it guarded the Assembly of the Hall of Kings. Allanon, Menion, and Balinor fought against it when it attacked them. It is unknown whether it lived or died, though it had been severely injured after the battle.
Brona: Also known as the Warlock Lord, he was once a Druid who studied at Paranor. However, he insisted on studying magic, which was frowned upon; rather than stop, he left with a band of his followers and the Ildatch and subverted himself in the use of the magic. In the First War of the Races, of which he was the perpetrator, he commanded an army of Men to go against the other races. In the Second War of the Races, he commanded an army of Trolls, Gnomes, and Skull Bearers, seeking once more to conquer all of the Four Lands. There was only one thing that could destroy him, and that was the truth about himself: in the face of it, he could not survive. However, this did not come to pass in the Second War, because Jerle Shannara, the Elf who carried the Sword of Shannara into battle against the Warlock Lord, did not have enough faith in the magic of the sword and instead used it as a physical weapon, which destroyed Brona's physical body, but no more. However, in the aborted Third War of the Races, Shea Ohmsford was able to wield the Sword properly and destroy him for good.
Panamon Creel: An honorable thief with a piked hand who saved Shea from the Gnomes while raiding them. After rescuing the Valeman, Panamon planned to take the Elfstones and sell them for a bit of money, but Shea persuaded them to accompany him to Paranor, planning along the way to somehow get the Elfstones back. However, they never made it that far, as a Skull Bearer set upon them on the way. It managed to slash up Panamon before Shea managed to get the Elfstones back and destroy it. Afterward, Shea told Panamon and Keltset the story of Allanon and his quest for the Sword of Shannara, and from then on they were committed to his cause and resolved to retrieve the Sword. It was at this point where they encountered Orl Fane, who managed to get on Panamon's bad side and yet still escape - with, as they discovered later, the Sword of Shannara in tow. They gave chase, going through a wall of darkness along the way, which they got out of only because of Shea's Elfstones. Finally, they found him when a band of Trolls caught them, as they had captured Orl Fane as well. The Trolls told Shea that he would kill the Warlock Lord and took him to Orl Fane, where he finally laid hands on the Sword of Shannara after Panamon knocked the Gnome out. The thief witnessed the death of Orl Fane as well as the destruction of the Warlock Lord. Once Brona was destroyed, Skull Mountain began to collapse, so Shea, Panamon, and Keltset had to flee for their lives. Panamon broke a limb along the way and, not being able to go on any longer, lagged behind and was believed to have died. This assumption proved to be false, however, as Panamon appeared in Shady Vale weeks later to return to Shea the missing Elfstones.
Keltset Mallicos: A mysterious and mute Rock Troll who traveled with Panamon and helped him save Shea from the Gnomes while raiding them. While Panamon made most of the decisions concerning what to do with the Valeman, Keltset watched from the sidelines and added a comment only when necessary. When the Skull Bearer attacked them while they were on their way to Paranor, it recognized Keltset somehow before Shea killed it with the Elfstones. Afterward, Shea told Panamon and Keltset the story of Allanon and his quest for the Sword of Shannara, and from then on they were committed to his cause and resolved to retrieve the Sword. It was at this point where they encountered Orl Fane, who managed to get on Panamon's bad side and yet still escape - with, as they discovered later, the Sword of Shannara in tow. They gave chase, going through a wall of darkness along the way, which they got out of only because of Shea's Elfstones. Finally, they found him when a band of Trolls caught them, as they had captured Orl Fane as well. The Trolls put Keltset on trial, having found him in the company of Men, but it was revealed that he was the bearer of the Black Irix. He thus earned their trust and was able to tell them about Shea's quest; the Trolls then told Shea that he would kill the Warlock Lord and took him to Orl Fane, where he finally laid hands on the Sword of Shannara. Keltset witnessed the death of Orl Fane as well as the destruction of the Warlock Lord. Once Brona was destroyed, Skull Mountain began to collapse, so Shea, Panamon, and Keltset had to flee for their lives. Keltset sacrificed himself to save the others, bracing himself beneath a huge piece of rock that had threatened to block the way. The mountain collapsed onto him and he was buried there.
Orl Fane: A mad Gnome who was caught by Keltset and was constantly raving about the Sword of Shannara. He remained in the company of Shea, Keltset, and Panamon for a brief amount of time before he escaped, prompting his former captors to pursue him. He was caught by a band of Trolls after passing through a wall of darkness and was locked up; he clutched the Sword to him the whole time. When Shea came, Panamon knocked out the Gnome, enabling Shea to take the Sword and use it against the Warlock Lord. In an attempt to stop Shea from using it, Brona commanded the Gnome to take the Sword from Shea's hands while the magic was activated; however, the truth it showed to him was too much to bear, and he was thus killed.
Sheelon: A captain of the Border Legion, Balinor went to him first when he first returned to Tyrsis. However, Palance locked him up, though when Balinor became King, he was released. During the battle of Tyrsis, Sheelon was killed by Stenmin's men while guarding the gatehouse.
Palance Buckhannah: Balinor's mad younger brother who was being manipulated by Stenmin, he locked Balinor, Durin, and Dayel at the mystic's urging, believing them to be responsible for the disappearance of Shirl. He would often speak with Balinor, sounding confused, but still needing to find the truth. It was he who disbanded the Border Legion, believing in a policy of non-involvement in the affairs of the other races. When Menion came to rescue Balinor and the others and revealed Stenmin's treachery, Stenmin stabbed him with a dagger; he died at dawn a few days later.
Stenmin: An evil mystic that was using Palance to gain power, he poisoned Palance against Balinor and made him mentally unstable by feeding him drugs and the like. He also tried kidnapping Shirl to use as leverage, though that did not work out because Menion saved her. Later, he tried to kill Menion but was again thwarted, as Menion woke up in time to prevent this. However, he did succeed in killing Palance after his true colors were revealed and promptly hid somewhere in the city where he could not be found. Finally, he was going to betray Tyrsis by letting the Northlanders into the city via the dungeons below the palace, but once again, Menion caught him in time and beheaded him before he could do any more harm. As it turned out, he was working for Brona the whole time.
Shirl Ravenlock: The princess of Kern, she was kidnapped by Stenmin to use as a hostage but was saved by Menion Leah. She was there during the evacuation of Kern and was one of the last people to leave. In Tyrsis, she was unable to do very much, although she was able to talk to Palance and later, after his death, serve as some comfort for Menion, whom she later married after the destruction of the Warlock Lord.
Janus Senpre: A lieutenant commander of the Legion in Kern, he aided in planning and carrying out the evacuation of Kern. At Tyrsis, he sought out Fandwick and Ginnisson and reassembled key members of the disbanded Legion and seized the gates and army barracks. After this, he was promoted to full commander in recognition of his stand at Kern and the recapture of Tyrsis. He was placed in charge of the defense of Tyrsis.
Fandrez: A veteran of the Legion who aided in planning out the evacuation of Kern.
Eventine Elessedil: The youngest and most loved Elven King since Jerle Shannara, he and his Elven Warriors were given the task of securing Paranor and the Sword. Having failed at this when Brona took over, they continued to hold the southern stretch of the Streleheim. However, the Warlock Lord's army attacked Eventine's men, and Eventine himself was took prisoner. He remained this way until Flick Ohmsford, disguised as a Gnome, came in to save him. Once free, he and his army marched to Tyrsis to aid the Bordermen in defeating Brona's army.
Fandwick: A Legion commander who helped Senpre recapture Tyrsis. During the battle of Tyrsis, he and Acton were in command of the left defensive flank; after Acton's death, he was the only one in command. He was killed in battle a day after Acton.
Ginnisson: A red-haired Legion commander who helped Senpre recapture Tyrsis. He died on the third day of the battle of Tyrsis while trying to hold the Inner Wall.
Acton: A cavalry commander unmatched by any other man on horseback who had been locked up by Palance. On the first day of the battle of Tyrsis, he was killed by a stray arrow through the throat while returning from his command on the left defensive flank.
Messaline: A Legion commander who had been locked up by Palance; he was severely wounded during the battle of Tyrsis but was the only commander out of the original four from Tyrsis to survive.
Jon Lin Sandor: Eventine's personal advisor, he was the Elf Flick went looking for after he had rescued Eventine. He and the king carried out the attack on the Northlanders' siege machines while waiting for the rest of the Elven army to arrive.
Breen Elessedil: Eventine's younger brother and next in line for the throne should Eventine die, he went back to Arborlon in Eventine's place to mobilize the Elven army and to bring it to Tyrsis to aid the Bordermen.

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