Character guide

Tarzan

major

Also known as Tarzan of the Apes, the Apes, the swift Tarzan

Tarzan enters Minuni as a giant among tiny, sword-bearing warriors, and his instinctive courtesy—kneeling to press a pygmy prince's fingers rather than kiss them—wins him allies instead of chains. Reduced in stature by Zoanthrohago's arts, he must navigate a world where his legendary physical power no longer guarantees survival, and where every gesture carries political weight. His refusal to grovel, even as a slave, sets the tone for the escape plots and uneasy friendships that drive the middle of the book.

Komodoflorensal

major

Also known as Prince Komodoflorensal, XVI Komodoflorensal

Reduced to a numbered green-tunic slave in Veltopismakus, Komodoflorensal conceals a reputation as the finest swordsman among all the warlike clans of Trohanadalmakus. He matches Tarzan's escape schemes with clever deceptions—convincing their captors that the ape-man speaks a private language—and seizes a rapier from a drunken noble the instant one is within reach. His loyalty to Tarzan is complicated by his love for Uhha, a tension that sharpens every plan they make together.

Uhha

major

Also known as beautiful Uhha, little Uhha, Little Uhha, the missing Uhha

Uhha's childhood legends cast Tarzan as a devil to be feared, but the man she actually fled with—Esteban Miranda—bolts up trees at the first hint of danger, and her fear curdles into undying hate. She weighs escape against the terror of facing the jungle alone, and her savage little brain insists on revenge before she goes. Her disappearance and her knowledge of the impostor's fraud ripple through the plot, linking the jungle strand to the Minunian one.

Esteban Miranda

major

Also known as Esteban, Miranda, IV Esteban Miranda

Miranda passes himself off as the River Devil to a superstitious Minunian girl, but his habit of bolting for the nearest tree whenever lions or black men-beasts appear has already betrayed him to Uhha. Stronger than she is and willing to use force, he keeps her close less as a companion than as a shield he can shove aside in a race for safety. His fraud creates the confusion of identity that shadows Tarzan's own struggles in Minuni.

The Woman

major

Also known as the woman, The woman

Janzara corners Tarzan with a demand for love and, when he answers that he loves another, her face softens into a promise of help—then drops him through a hidden floor into darkness. Her passion is possessive and theatrical, and she cannot conceive of a man who would spurn a princess of Veltopismakus. Her betrayal forces Tarzan's companions to improvise a rescue and raises the stakes of every alliance he has built.

Kalfastoban

supporting

Also known as the Vental, Kalfastoban Vental, the surly Kalfastoban, Vental, The Vental

Kalfastoban cannot imagine a man who does not speak his own tongue, and he sets Komodoflorensal to test Tarzan with gibberish precisely to prove the point. When the ape-man nods at the nonsense, Kalfastoban scratches his head and admits ruefully that the Zertalacolol has a language after all. His petty authority and wounded pride make him a persistent, low-grade antagonist in the quarry chapters.

Zoanthrohago

supporting

Also known as Fetch Zoanthrohago, Zoanthrohago Zertol, Zertol, the Zertol, The Zertol, Noble Zoanthrohago

Zoanthrohago belongs to the Zertol, one of the higher castes of Veltopismakus, and his authority is such that armed warriors escort captives to his presence for judgment. He is drawn into the schemes of Komodoflorensal, who claims to serve him while secretly using that pretense to keep Tarzan safe. His decisions about the two strangers set the course for their early survival inside the miniature city.

Janzara

supporting

Also known as Veltopismakus, the Princess Janzara, The Princess Janzara of Veltopismakus, the infuriated Janzara, The Princess Janzara

Janzara wields the privilege of royal blood in Veltopismakus and expects her desires to be honored without question. When Tarzan refuses her love and admits he loves another, her wounded pride curdles into vengeance, and she lures him toward a hidden trap beneath her chamber floor. Her volatile obsession transforms a potential ally into one of the ape-man's most personal threats.

Talaskar

supporting

Also known as XIII As Talaskar

Talaskar toils among the slaves of the Veltopismakusian quarry, where her beauty draws the predatory attention of the warrior Kalfastoban. She defends Tarzan when he strikes down Caraftap, and her visible admiration for him deepens both his loyalty to her and the danger she faces. Her plight drives Tarzan and Komodoflorensal back into the quarry on a rescue that tests their nerve and friendship.

Elkomoelhago

supporting

Also known as King Elkomoelhago

Elkomoelhago governs the densely packed domes of Veltopismakus, where hundreds of thousands live under the rigid caste system of warriors, slaves, and nobles. His interest in the remarkably large prisoner known as Zuanthrol brings Tarzan into the heart of the royal dome and its intricate politics. The king's whim shapes the ape-man's fortunes, placing him at the mercy of a court where every courtesy conceals a calculation.

Caraftap

supporting

Caraftap is a favored slave of the warrior Kalfastoban, and his resentment of the newcomer Zuanthrol curdles into open violence when he sees Talaskar's admiration for the ape-man. Tarzan hurls him to the floor, an act witnessed by a passing guard and reported to Kalfastoban, who retaliates with threats against both Tarzan and the girl. Caraftap's petty jealousy thus ignites the chain of events that binds Tarzan's fate to Talaskar's.

Obebe

supporting

Also known as Obebe the cannibal

Obebe rules a cannibal village where his daughter Uhha chats with a friend about ornaments and young men while her father sleeps within his hut. The ordinary rhythms of village life — gossip, coiffures, courtship — play out against the grimmer backdrop of Obebe's reputation and appetites. His presence anchors the opening African sequences, grounding Tarzan's world in a landscape both familiar and menacing.

Khamis

supporting

A witch doctor or leader among the native tribes whose dealings with Tarzan test whether cunning or the ape-man's jungle instinct will prevail.

Zuanthrol

supporting

Also known as this Zuanthrol

The name Tarzan must wear like a second skin among the Minunians, a slave whose silence hides a mind already plotting escape.

Vestako

supporting

Also known as the oily Vestako

An oily Minunian courtier whose smooth manners and shifting loyalties make him as dangerous in the palace as any blade.

The Officer

minor

Also known as the officer, The officer

An unnamed officer, possibly in a military or guard capacity.

Gofoloso

minor

A Minunian character, possibly a noble or advisor.

Adendrohahkis

minor

Also known as King Adendrohahkis

A king among the tiny people, ruling a faction.

Numa

minor

The lion, a recurring jungle predator encountered by Tarzan.

The River Devil

minor

Also known as The River Devil, the River Devil, The Devil, Devil

A mythical or real creature feared in the jungle.

The Alalus

minor

Also known as the Alalus, Alalus

A primitive human-like creature encountered by Tarzan.

The Third Woman

minor

Also known as The Third Woman

A mysterious woman among a group, possibly linked to the main plot.

Lady Greystoke

minor

Also known as Lady Greystoke

Tarzan's wife, mentioned but not heavily featured in this book.

The First Woman

minor

Also known as The First Woman, The First Woman he had been unconscious, XII The Son of The First Woman

A woman among a group, possibly a mother figure.

The Young Alali

minor

Also known as the young Alali, the Alali

A young member of the Alali, a primitive tribe.

Korak

minor

Also known as Korak the Killer

Tarzan's son, mentioned but not a major presence in this book.

Klamataamorosal

minor

A Minunian character with a minor role.

Prince Zoanthrohago

minor

Also known as Prince Zoanthrohago, Zoanthrohago

A prince among the Zertols, a minor noble.

Gefasto

minor

A Minunian character, likely a warrior or official.

The Witch Doctor

minor

Also known as The witch doctor, the witch doctor

A native witch doctor, often opposing Tarzan.

Usula

minor

A native character, possibly a warrior or guide.

Zertolosto

minor

Also known as the resourceful Trohanadalmakusian, Trohanadalmakusian, the Trohanadalmakusian Zertolosto, the Trohanadalmakusian, the Zertolosto, A Trohanadalmakusian

A resourceful Trohanadalmakusian, a member of a rival tiny nation.

Ska

minor

Also known as VIII Ska, VI Ska

A Minunian character, possibly a ruler or noble with multiple designations.

Aoponato

minor

Also known as Slave Aoponato

A slave among the Minunians, with a minor role.

Hamadalban

minor

A character among the tiny people, possibly a leader.

Bara

minor

A native or jungle character, briefly mentioned.

Flora Hawkes

minor

Also known as Flora

A female character, possibly a love interest or ally.

His Master

minor

Also known as his master

An unnamed master, possibly referring to a servant's owner.

Oratharc

minor

A Minunian character, possibly a warrior or noble.

Sabor

minor

A lioness, a jungle predator encountered by Tarzan.

Lord Greystoke

minor

Also known as Greystoke

Tarzan's title, used occasionally in the narrative.

Throwaldo

minor

A Minunian character, possibly a warrior.

Thagosoto

minor

A Minunian character, briefly mentioned.

Meriem

minor

A female character, possibly from Tarzan's past.

The Zertalacolols

minor

Also known as the Zertalacolols, The Zertalacolols

A group of tiny people, possibly a tribe.

Torndali

minor

A Minunian character with a minor role.

Makahago

minor

A Minunian character, briefly mentioned.

The Waziri

minor

Also known as the Waziri, A Waziri

Members of the Waziri tribe, allies of Tarzan.

The Big Bwana

minor

Also known as the Big Bwana, The Big Bwana

A term for a white hunter or leader, possibly Tarzan.

John

minor

A minor character, possibly a servant or traveler.

Paul D'Arnot

minor

Also known as Paul D’Arnot

A French officer and friend of Tarzan, briefly mentioned.