The Tale of Despereaux characters

Appears from the start

An unusually small castle mouse born with open eyes and very large ears. Despereaux disappoints his family by loving music, stories, light, and a human princess instead of learning to fear people and search for crumbs.

First appears in chapter 7

The human princess of the castle. Pea is grieving for her mother when Despereaux first approaches her, and she responds to the tiny mouse's courtesy and devotion with gentleness rather than fear.

First appears in chapter 2

Despereaux's father and a member of the castle's mouse community. Lester believes strongly in mouse rules and is alarmed by his youngest son's lack of ordinary fear.

First appears in chapter 2

Despereaux's French mother, who is given to dramatic declarations and regrets having produced such a small, unconventional child. Her concern for appearances makes it difficult for her to defend him from the mouse community.

First appears in chapter 5

One of Despereaux's older siblings. Furlough tries to teach him proper mouse behavior and is horrified to discover him speaking to Princess Pea, an offense the mouse council treats as grave.

First appears in chapter 11

The formal leader of the castle mice, responsible for enforcing their laws. He presides over Despereaux's hearing and treats contact with humans as a threat to the entire community.

First appears in chapter 12

The mouse who marks condemned mice with red thread before they are sent to the dungeon. Hovis carries out his office but shows Despereaux a measure of compassion absent from the council's judgment.

First appears in chapter 7

Princess Pea's father, left rigid with grief after the queen's death. He tries to remove the causes of his pain by outlawing soup, spoons, rats, and other reminders throughout the kingdom.

Also known as Roscuro

First appears in chapter 16

A young dungeon rat whose name means light. Unlike other rats, Chiaroscuro is fascinated by brightness and dreams of living above, a desire his fellow rat Botticelli regards as weakness.

First appears in chapter 17

An old, sophisticated dungeon rat who teaches Roscuro that a rat should prize darkness and the suffering of others. He uses a heart-shaped locket taken from a prisoner as a tool for his cruel games.

First appears in chapter 28

A neglected girl sold by her father to a man she calls Uncle in exchange for a few ordinary goods. Repeated blows to her ears have left Miggery hard of hearing, and a glimpse of Princess Pea gives her the fixed dream of becoming a princess herself.

Also known as Uncle

First appears in chapter 25

The man who acquires Miggery from her father and uses her as an overworked servant. He is not her relative, and his frequent blows contribute to her hearing loss.

First appears in chapter 15

The jailer of the castle dungeon, who survives its darkness by following a rope that guides him back toward the stairs. Gregory responds to Despereaux's presence and story with unexpected mercy.

First appears in chapter 43

The castle cook, whose work has been diminished by the king's ban on soup. She is intimidating to a mouse, but the chance to make soup again awakens her generosity as well as her pride in her craft.

First appears in chapter 20

Princess Pea's mother, remembered for her kindness and her particular love of soup. Her sudden death leaves both the king and the princess governed by grief and helps shape Roscuro's fate.