The Coral Island characters

Appears from the start

The fifteen-year-old narrator, drawn to the sea from childhood and serving aboard the vessel that is wrecked in the Pacific. He is observant and conscientious, though less decisive than Jack, and records both the pleasures of island life and the violence he encounters beyond it.

First appears in chapter 2

The oldest of the three castaways, about eighteen, whose courage, physical strength, and practical knowledge make him their informal leader. He devises tools and shelters from the scant material that survives the wreck and is quick to protect his companions.

First appears in chapter 2

The youngest castaway, about fourteen, talkative and inclined to jokes even in danger. His spirits balance Jack's seriousness and Ralph's reserve, while his loyalty makes him a dependable member of the trio.

First appears in chapter 18

A powerful Pacific island chief whom the boys first encounter when rival groups land on their island. He is a commanding figure among the visitors and accepts the castaways' intervention in the conflict.

First appears in chapter 18

A young island woman traveling with Tararo's party when conflict reaches the coral island. The three castaways help protect her during the violence on shore.

First appears in chapter 23

A seasoned member of the pirate crew that carries Ralph away. Although implicated in the crew's crimes, he shows Ralph a rough kindness and increasingly recoils from the violence around him.

First appears in chapter 23

The brutal commander of the pirate schooner that reaches the coral island. He holds Ralph aboard and leads raids against Pacific communities, ruling his crew by appetite and force.

First appears in chapter 33

A Christian teacher working among the Pacific islanders whose arrival brings a new moral and religious influence into the boys' conflict with Tararo.