# Richard Hannay — The Thirty-Nine Steps character guide

> Richard Hannay in The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan.

**Role:** major

**Also known as:** Hannay, Mr. Hannay, Mr. Richard Hannay

**First appearance:** 0002-i-the-man-who-died

## Who they are

A restless mining engineer newly returned to London, he trades dull peace for a dead man's notebook and a countrywide manhunt.

## Relationships

### [Sir Walter Bullivant](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_thirty_nine_steps_se/characters/sir_walter_bullivant)

_professional_

Bullivant is a senior intelligence officer who trusts and relies on Hannay for critical missions.

### [Mr. Scudder](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_thirty_nine_steps_se/characters/mr_scudder)

_friendship_

Scudder confides in Hannay about the conspiracy, creating a bond of trust and urgency.

### [Sir Harry](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_thirty_nine_steps_se/characters/sir_harry)

_friendship_

Sir Harry is a friend and ally who helps Hannay evade capture and provides support.

### [Ned Ainslie](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_thirty_nine_steps_se/characters/ned_ainslie)

_friendship_

Ned Ainslie is a trusted friend of Hannay who assists him during his flight from enemies.

### [Sir Walter Bullivant](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_thirty_nine_steps_se/characters/sir_walter_bullivant)

_professional_

Bullivant is a senior intelligence officer who trusts and relies on Hannay for critical missions.

### [Mr. Scudder](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_thirty_nine_steps_se/characters/mr_scudder)

_friendship_

Scudder confides in Hannay about the conspiracy, creating a bond of trust and urgency.

## In the story

### [The Thirty-Nine Steps](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_thirty_nine_steps_se/chapters/the-thirty-nine-steps)

The protagonist who decodes the thirty-nine steps and participates in the final confrontation.

### [The Man Who Died](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_thirty_nine_steps_se/chapters/i-the-man-who-died)

The narrator and protagonist, a bored colonial returning to London, who becomes embroiled in Scudder's conspiracy.

### [The Milkman Sets Out on His Travels](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_thirty_nine_steps_se/chapters/ii-the-milkman-sets-out-on-his-travels)

Decides to continue Scudder's work, disguises himself as a milkman, and flees to Scotland.

### [The Adventure of the Literary Innkeeper](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_thirty_nine_steps_se/chapters/iii-the-adventure-of-the-literary-innkeeper)

Narrator and protagonist; travels north, studies Scudder's cipher, and escapes from the inn by stealing a car.

### [IV: The Adventure of the Radical Candidate](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_thirty_nine_steps_se/chapters/iv-the-adventure-of-the-radical-candidate)

Deciphers Scudder's notebook, realizes the true scale of the plot, steals a car, evades police, and gains Sir Harry's trust and assistance.

### [The Adventure of the Spectacled Roadman](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_thirty_nine_steps_se/chapters/v-the-adventure-of-the-spectacled-roadman)

Disguises himself as the roadman Alexander Turnbull to avoid capture.

### [VI: The Adventure of the Bald Archaeologist](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_thirty_nine_steps_se/chapters/vi-the-adventure-of-the-bald-archaeologist)

Hannay spends the night on the hillside, evades a search party, and is captured by the bald archaeologist.

### [The Dry-Fly Fisherman](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_thirty_nine_steps_se/chapters/vii-the-dry-fly-fisherman)

Narrator and protagonist; meets Sir Walter, travels south in disguise, and encounters the fisherman.

### [The Coming of the Black Stone](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_thirty_nine_steps_se/chapters/viii-the-coming-of-the-black-stone)

Now a free man, Hannay feels a restless conviction that he is still needed to thwart the Black Stone.

### [The Thirty-Nine Steps](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_thirty_nine_steps_se/chapters/ix-the-thirty-nine-steps)

Takes charge of the investigation, recalls Scudder's clue, and leads the effort to decode the location.

### [X: Various Parties Converging on the Sea](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_thirty_nine_steps_se/chapters/x-various-parties-converging-on-the-sea)

Hannay is the protagonist, investigating the house at the thirty-nine steps and grappling with self-doubt.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_thirty_nine_steps_se/characters/richard_hannay
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_thirty_nine_steps_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_thirty_nine_steps_se/characters