Jane and the Dragon/Characters

Jane Turnkey

Jane is a 12-year-old squire training to be the first female knight. Originally born into a middle-class family and destined for a life as a lady-in-waiting, she yearns to "battle fire-breathing dragons." Upon hearing that the prince has been kidnapped by one such creature, Jane sets out to slay the dragon and rescue the prince -- only to find that the dragon is the friendly sort and only took the prince in hopes that he would decipher the runes painted on his cave walls. Jane and the dragon (creatively named "Dragon") become fast friends, and she promises to help him decipher the runes instead. For her courage in saving the young prince, she is allowed to train to be a knight under Sir Theodore.


 * Cannot Tell a Joke
 * Can't Get Away with Nuthin': Jane usually behaves morally, but the few times where she's been excessively aggressive toward Gunther, Sir Theodore has always been there to see it and chide her for it afterward. Gunther is usually allowed to harass her without punishment.
 * This is likely because Jane is specifically Sir Theodore's charge.
 * Celibate Hero: According to Word of God, Jane is aware of Jester's feelings for her but doesn't want romance to get in the way of her training to be a knight.
 * Cool Sword: Jane's sword, which she found in Dragon's cave, is the only kind capable of piercing dragon skin. It's also equipped with a runic puzzle that seems to have interesting effects if the correct runes are aligned.
 * Deadpan Snarker
 * Dragon Rider
 * Fiery Redhead
 * Green Eyed Red Head
 * Fragile Speedster: She usually relies on nimbleness during her sparring matches with Gunther.
 * Redheaded Hero

Dragon

A 300-year-old dragon that lives in a cave on a neighboring mountain. Dragon and Jane become best friends after she storms his cave to rescue the kidnapped prince. Dragon has quite a sense of humor, enjoys teasing Jane and her friends, and is the source of most of the series' comic relief. However, he is also fiercely loyal to Jane and never hesitates to defend her when she's in trouble, whether that involves interfering with sparring matches in her favor (much to her chagrin), flying to a mountain to rescue her despite being ill, or threatening a character with physical harm if he doesn't reciprocate her supposed feelings for him (also to her chagrin). He has a bit of a superiority complex about being a dragon and refers to humans as "shortlives."


 * Boisterous Bruiser
 * Breath Weapon: As a medieval dragon, Dragon can breathe fire, although this depletes his ability to fly.
 * Cannot Tell a Joke
 * Deadpan Snarker
 * Everything's Better with Cows: Dragon seems to think so. He even counts cows in his sleep instead of sheep.
 * Gasshole: His flight and fire abilities are fueled by the stored gas from the vegetables he consumes. (See Our Dragons Are Different below.) He also seems to burp and fart a lot as well which double qualifies him for this example. He even does it for fun sometimes.
 * He became an even bigger one in knight light after eating several carrot pastries giving him an upset stomach and constant gas.
 * Last of His Kind: Possibly.
 * Our Dragons Are Different: Dragon's ability to fly in spite of his short wingspan is explained as the result of storing methane gas from the vegetables he eats in two sac-like organs in his body. He can inflate these organs to give himself added lift.
 * Parental Abandonment: Dragon is an orphan and had to teach himself to fly, among other survival skills.

Jester

Jester, whose real name he keeps a secret, is the 14-year-old royal court jester. His duties include dancing, singing lais, and entertaining the denizens of the castle with his quick wit (although many of his jokes fly over their heads). He has a close friendship with Jane and is even revealed to harbor romantic feelings for her. Jester's cleverness sometimes helps her get out of tough situations.


 * Darkskinned Blonde: Though the hair is a bit hard to see with his hat on, and he's only dark-skinned in comparison to the others.
 * Deadpan Snarker
 * Non-Action Guy: According to Word of God, Jester originally fantasized about becoming a knight but gave up his armor to Jane when he realized that he would never be as brave as she was.
 * Plucky Comic Relief: As a career.
 * Roma: Jester's family is a band of traveling gypsies, which explains his darker skin in comparison to the other characters.
 * The Smart Guy

Gunther Breech

Gunther is Jane's 14-year-old fellow knight-in-training and bitter rival. Gunther is a competent (though very smug) squire and usually relies on his strength to best Jane in their sparring matches and other contests. When this fails, he falls back on more underhanded means, usually at the urging of his merchant father. In spite of this, Gunther is shown to have a conscience and usually ends up acting morally by the end of the episode. He trains under the knight Sir Ivon.


 * Absentee Actor: Gunther is completely absent from several episodes. This could be justified in that he often does chores for his father and could be helping him with merchant affairs away from the castle.
 * Foe Yay: Many fans ship Jane and Gunther. One episode has the two awkwardly dealing with rumors that they're in love.
 * Ineffectual Loner
 * Jerk with a Heart of Gold
 * Meaningful Name: "Gunther" means "warrior or battler."
 * Missing Mom: Gunther's mother is missing from the series, and Word of God says that he doesn't even know who she is or if she's even alive.
 * The Rival
 * "Well Done, Son" Guy

Rake

13-year-old Rake is the royal gardener. Meek and introverted, he devotes himself to his craft and is enthusiastic about all things green. Rake and the royal cook, Pepper, are openly affectionate, making them the only official couple among the main characters.


 * Non-Action Guy
 * Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: Rake is terrified of stairs. Of course, Dragon takes advantage of this for a prank by flying him to the top of the castle while he sleeps.

Pepper

12-year old Pepper is the royal cook. She is ever-cheerful and believes there's nothing better than a group of friends enjoying a good meal together. Pepper is openly affectionate with Rake the gardener.


 * Bottle Fairy: She shows signs of it from time to time.
 * Cheerful Child
 * I Want Grandkids: She wants children. LOTS of children. Part of her romantic fantasies even.
 * Raven Hair, Ivory Skin
 * Stay in the Kitchen: It is literally her job.
 * Stealth Pun: According to Word of God her given name was Verbena, but everyone calls her "Pepper." Fitting since her last name is Salter.

Smithy

The 14-year old blacksmith. His actual name is Jethro. Smithy is one of the more mature characters and has a soft spot for animals, especially pigs. He has a pig (also creatively named "Pig") of his own that he claims to care for as much as Jane cares for Dragon. Like Jane and Gunther, Smithy is subordinate to Sir Theodore and Sir Ivon.

"Jane: But Smithy, how different could Dragon be? They both have four legs and a head and a tail.
 * Deadpan Snarker: Jane asks Smithy, an expert on horses, to help diagnose Dragon's sickness. Smithy is initially reluctant, which leads to this exchange:

Smithy: Right. And wings."


 * Estrogen Brigade Bait: If this Troper didn't know it was a children's show, she'd say this was a primary purpose for this character.
 * The Quiet One

Sir Theodore

Jane's mentor, a wise, aging knight who is tasked with giving the young squires instruction along with Sir Ivon. He is a stern teacher and doesn't accept any deviation from the knightly code or any hint of disloyalty to the King. Sir Theodore is shown to have great faith in Jane's abilities but is certainly not beyond doling out punishment that he feels is needed.


 * Ancestral Weapon: The sword of Sir Theodore's dragon-slaying ancestor. Like Jane's sword, it is capable of piercing dragon skin. Dragon ends up destroying it.
 * Sins of Our Fathers: Sir Theodore's ancestors were dragon slayers. He goes to great lengths to apologize to Dragon, who very nearly takes out his fury on him before ultimately accepting his apology.
 * The Obi-Wan

Sir Ivon

Gunther's mentor, a portly knight with a thick Scottish accent. In contrast to Sir Theodore, he is boisterous, excitable, clumsy, and short-tempered. He also has less of a moral backbone than his colleague and is shown accepting bribes from Gunther's father to help Gunther excel at his training. Sir Ivon has a fascination with fighting and weapons and is often seen building bigger and more brutal tools of war, though none of them work.


 * Large Ham
 * Ted Baxter
 * The Munchausen: Sir Ivon tells fanciful stories about his heroic adventures, fierce battles, and courtship that often contradict themselves. Jane suspects none of them are true.

King Caradoc

The King of Kippernia. As the ruler, his word is above law, though he tries to maintain a semblance of fairness when dealing with his subjects. King Caradoc is especially protective of his children, Cuthbert and Lavinia.


 * Dead Guy, Junior: A variation. After his brother and the original heir Caradoc died, he adopted his name.
 * Trademark Favorite Food: He is quite fond of cabbages.
 * Ugly Guy, Hot Wife
 * Younger Than They Look: Word of God states that the King is 30 years old. Whether this is a typo or the stress of ruling has caught up to him, he sure doesn't look it.

Queen Gwendolyn

The Queen of Kippernia. She occasionally appears in the series, usually only to tend to the children. She may have had a hand in getting the King to accept the idea of allowing Jane to train as a knight.


 * Ugly Guy, Hot Wife: Guess which one she is!

Prince Cuthbert

The eight-year-old heir to the throne. He was born a sickly child and quickly came to expect the devotion and attention he got from his parents and the court staff long after he got better. Cuthbert resented the birth of his sister, since it took attention away from him. In the series, he is portrayed as a surly and selfish boy who, like his sister, is used to getting his way. Because of this, he is often made fun of by Dragon (though never to his face). He has a soft spot for animals.


 * Bratty Half-Pint: Like Lavinia, getting special treatment is a way of life for Cuthbert.
 * Younger Than They Look: Cuthbert looks more like a deformed midget than a young boy. It's likely the animators tried a little too hard to make him look like his father.
 * It's possible his odd looks come from a combination of having been sickly and looking like his father. Being sickly can mess with a child's looks.

Princess Lavinia

The King's six-year-old daughter. Lavinia, like most six-year-olds, is curious and meddlesome, loves to play, and has a knack for getting into trouble. She idolizes Jane, who has a talent for communicating with her even through her wild flights of fancy. Lavinia often uses her status as royalty to get the other denizens of the castle to play with her.


 * Bratty Half-Pint: She is a princess and is used to getting her way. She's probably portrayed more sympathetically than most, however.

Magnus Breech

Gunther's father, also known as "The Merchant." He is the only true villain on the show, and his presence usually signals some devious scheme is incoming. Greedy and unscrupulous, he has a sharp eye for opportunities to either make money, help his son cheat at his knightly tasks, or get Dragon banned from the castle. The absence of his wife is one of the unexplained mysteries of the series. Since he reacts angrily whenever Gunther asks about her, it can only be assumed that he was somehow involved in her death or abandonment.


 * Abusive Parents: The fact that Gunther always looks petrified when he sees his father suggests he's probably been on the receiving end of some verbal or even physical abuse.
 * Corrupt Corporate Executive: The Merchant is the medieval equivalent of this.
 * Fat Bastard
 * Meddling Parents
 * Tough Love: Without the love.