# Ghek — The Chessmen of Mars character guide > Ghek in The Chessmen of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs. **Role:** supporting **Also known as:** Ghek the kaldane **First appearance:** 0004-iii-the-headless-humans ## Snapshot A kaldane of Bantoom — a bodiless brain commanding a rykor body — whose curiosity about human emotion makes him an unlikely ally to Tara. ## Who they are Ghek belongs to a race that has abandoned individual feeling for cold collective efficiency, his kind treating their own bodies as disposable mounts. Exiled or estranged from that logic, he becomes fascinated by Tara's fear, courage, and grief, emotions his people consider defects. His strangeness makes him both threatening and pitiable, and his gradual loyalty gives the story one of its most unsettling and affecting partnerships. ## Relationships ### [Tara of Helium](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_chessmen_of_mars_se/characters/tara_of_helium) _psychological_ Ghek, a kaldane, is fascinated by Tara's human emotions and becomes her devoted, almost obsessive companion. ### [Gahan of Gathol](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_chessmen_of_mars_se/characters/gahan_of_gathol) _friendship_ Gahan and Ghek become uneasy allies, with Ghek aiding Gahan in his quest to rescue Tara. ### [Luud](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_chessmen_of_mars_se/characters/luud) _rivalry_ Ghek rebels against Luud, the tyrannical kaldane ruler, leading to a conflict for control of Bantoom. ### [A-Kor](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_chessmen_of_mars_se/characters/a_kor) _friendship_ A-Kor and Ghek form an unlikely alliance, working together to help Tara and Gahan. ### [O-Tar](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_chessmen_of_mars_se/characters/o_tar) _rivalry_ Ghek opposes O-Tar's cruelty and works against him to free Tara and undermine his rule. ### [Luud](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_chessmen_of_mars_se/characters/luud) _rivalry_ Ghek rebels against Luud, the tyrannical kaldane ruler, leading to a conflict for control of Bantoom. ### [Tara of Helium](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_chessmen_of_mars_se/characters/tara_of_helium) _psychological_ Ghek, a kaldane, is fascinated by Tara's human emotions and becomes her devoted, almost obsessive companion. ### [Gahan of Gathol](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_chessmen_of_mars_se/characters/gahan_of_gathol) _friendship_ Gahan and Ghek become uneasy allies, with Ghek aiding Gahan in his quest to rescue Tara. ### [Tara of Helium](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_chessmen_of_mars_se/characters/tara_of_helium) _psychological_ Ghek, a kaldane, is fascinated by Tara's human emotions and becomes her devoted, almost obsessive companion. ### [Gahan of Gathol](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_chessmen_of_mars_se/characters/gahan_of_gathol) _friendship_ Gahan and Ghek become uneasy allies, with Ghek aiding Gahan in his quest to rescue Tara. ### [A-Kor](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_chessmen_of_mars_se/characters/a_kor) _friendship_ A-Kor and Ghek form an unlikely alliance, working together to help Tara and Gahan. ### [O-Tar](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_chessmen_of_mars_se/characters/o_tar) _rivalry_ Ghek opposes O-Tar's cruelty and works against him to free Tara and undermine his rule. ## In the story ### [The Chessmen of Mars](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_chessmen_of_mars_se/chapters/the-chessmen-of-mars) A Kaldane who becomes intrigued by Tara and aids her. ### [Captured](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_chessmen_of_mars_se/chapters/iv-captured) Not directly present, but the Kaldanes (including Luud and Moak) are of the same species as Ghek. ### [V: The Perfect Brain](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_chessmen_of_mars_se/chapters/v-the-perfect-brain) Ghek is the kaldane who captured Tara; he explains the nature of kaldanes and rykors, and shows a rare hint of kindness by warning her not to antagonize the others. ### [VI: In the Toils of Horror](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_chessmen_of_mars_se/chapters/vi-in-the-toils-of-horror) Explains the origin of the rykors; shows concern for Tara's health; communicates her needs to Luud. ### [Close Work](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_chessmen_of_mars_se/chapters/viii-close-work) The kaldane who betrays Luud, kills him with a dagger, and guides the escape, transferring to a powerful rykor. ### [IX: Adrift Over Strange Regions](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_chessmen_of_mars_se/chapters/ix-adrift-over-strange-regions) Abandons his rykor to conserve vitality, crawls about the flier, and later explores a hole near the city. ### [X: Entrapped](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_chessmen_of_mars_se/chapters/x-entrapped) Attempts to defend Tara but is persuaded to surrender; accompanies her into Manator. ### [XI: The Choice of Tara](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_chessmen_of_mars_se/chapters/xi-the-choice-of-tara) Captured alongside Tara, he is sentenced to the pits until the next games. ### [XII: Ghek Plays Pranks](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_chessmen_of_mars_se/chapters/xii-ghek-plays-pranks) Imprisoned in the pits, Ghek uses his kaldane abilities to survive without air, retrieves the key to his fetter, and explores the ulsio burrows beneath Manator. ### [XIII: A Desperate Deed](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_chessmen_of_mars_se/chapters/xiii-a-desperate-deed) Mentioned as the kaldane who has seemingly performed impossible feats, causing suspicion among the Manatorians. ### [XIV: At Ghek's Command](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_chessmen_of_mars_se/chapters/xiv-at-ghek-s-command) The kaldane prisoner; dragged before O-Tar and accused of using strange powers to deceive warriors. ### [XV: The Old Man of the Pits](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_chessmen_of_mars_se/chapters/xv-the-old-man-of-the-pits) Hypnotizes O-Tar to save his friends, then is returned to the pits. ### [Another Change of Name](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_chessmen_of_mars_se/chapters/xvi-another-change-of-name) Emerges from an ulsio burrow to assist Turan and A-Kor. ### [XX: The Charge of Cowardice](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_chessmen_of_mars_se/chapters/xx-the-charge-of-cowardice) Mentioned as having left Gahan; not directly present in this chapter. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_chessmen_of_mars_se/characters/ghek - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_chessmen_of_mars_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_chessmen_of_mars_se/characters