A Cycle of the West · Character

Crazy Horse

An undefeated Oglala war chief whose name rides every wind of the frontier as he leads his starving people down to the soldier's town at Robinson.

major

Also known as Young Crazy Horse, the mad Sioux

First appearance: The Song of the Indian Wars

As a major figure in A Cycle of the West, Crazy Horse is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Crazy Horse is depicted as a key Sioux leader, instrumental in the victory at the Little Bighorn and later killed while resisting capture.

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Crazy Horse is the last great Sioux, a giant shrunken to the size of any sergeant as he dismounts before the silent double row of soldiers and the glint of steel. His people straggle in with twice a thousand beggars, ponies cheating the crows, famine making a grisly jest of their pride, while the whole frontier reads ten thousand hoofs into his every silence. His coming-in marks the pivot of the later cycle, where the wild rebellion of the spring yields to the slow arithmetic of hunger and surrender.

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Character Web

29 connections

A slice of how Crazy Horse sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Rivalry
Friendship
Other

Character groups

Key Figures in Conflict
Major Figures of the Indian Wars
Protagonist
Ashley Expedition Members

+24 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Rising action.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Closing

This is the story's dramatic climax because it marks the psychological and emotional peak of despair for the S…

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Relationships

Spotted Tail
rivalry · negative
Crazy Horse and Spotted Tail are rivals within Lakota leadership, representing different… How this plays out →
Red Cloud
friendship · positive
Spotted Tail
rivalry · negative
Crazy Horse and Spotted Tail are rivals within Lakota leadership, representing different… How this plays out →
Red Cloud
friendship · positive

Spotted Tail
Crazy Horse and Spotted Tail are rivals within Lakota leadership, representing different strategies toward white encroachment.
Red Cloud
Crazy Horse and Red Cloud are allies and fellow Lakota war leaders, united in resistance against U.S. expansion.
Spotted Tail
Crazy Horse and Spotted Tail are rivals within Lakota leadership, representing different strategies toward white encroachment.
Red Cloud
Crazy Horse and Red Cloud are allies and fellow Lakota war leaders, united in resistance against U.S. expansion.

Relationship notes

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In the story

Crazy Horse appears across 10 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

The Song of the Indian Wars
Crazy Horse is depicted as a key Sioux leader, instrumental in the victory at the Little Bighorn and later killed while resisting capture.
The Song of the Indian Wars
Portrayed as a lean, fierce warrior with wizard eyes and a haggard face, he leads the charge with the cry 'There never was a better day to die!' and inspires the Sioux.
III: The Council on the Powder
Mentioned among the great warriors present, though his thunder is yet to come.
VIII: The Yellow God
Mentioned as one of the strong-hearted Sioux leaders shepherding their people on the Tongue and Powder rivers, resisting alien ways.
IX: The Village of Crazy Horse
The young Oglala leader, described as slender and mysterious, with a spiritual aura. He refuses the government's ultimatum, restrains his warriors from a rash attack, and leads with wisdom and restraint.
X: The Sun Dance
His name is a rallying cry; his town is the subject of spreading tales.
The Seventh Marches
Leads the Sioux forces in the Battle of the Rosebud, driving Crook back.
XII: High Noon on the Little Horn
Rides a white-faced roan, inspiring the Sioux with his lean, swift fighting spirit and the cry 'There never was a better day to die!'
XIII: The Twilight
Grows distant and brooding, refusing Dull Knife's plea for help; later, out of powder, agrees to surrender.
XIV: The Death of Crazy Horse
The last great Sioux, surrenders at Fort Robinson, grows sad and despondent, is tricked and killed.

Chapter companion notes

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See Crazy Horse in The Song of the Indian Wars