# Balan — Idylls of the King character guide

> Balan in Idylls of the King by Alfred, Lord Tennyson.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Balan Pellam

**First appearance:** 0006-balin-and-balan

## Snapshot

Balin's brother, a knight bound to him by blood and by a fate that will bring their swords together in the dark.

## Who they are

Balan shares Balin's fierce lineage and the same doom that clings to their house, and the two brothers are drawn through the Idylls on converging paths they cannot see. Their bond is the story's starkest emblem of loyalty turned against itself, since neither knows the other's face when the moment comes. Balan matters because his fate with Balin shows how the Round Table's violence can consume even those who love each other most.

## In the story

### [Balin and Balan](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/idylls_of_the_king_se/chapters/balin-and-balan)

Balin's brother, a knight who quests for the Wood-devil and is fatally wounded by Balin in their unrecognized combat.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/idylls_of_the_king_se/characters/balan
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/idylls_of_the_king_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/idylls_of_the_king_se/characters