The Thief Lord characters

Appears from the start

A twelve-year-old orphan who runs away with his little brother to prevent their aunt from separating them. Prosper is protective, cautious, and troubled by the stealing that supports their new friends in Venice, but he will risk his own safety to keep Bo from being taken away.

Also known as Boniface

Appears from the start

Prosper's five-year-old brother, lively, trusting, and fascinated by Venice. Their aunt wants to adopt Bo without Prosper, so the brothers flee together. Bo's openness makes strangers like him quickly, but it also makes hiding him from the detective searching for them difficult.

Appears from the start

The private detective hired to find Prosper and Bo in Venice. Victor is methodical and skilled at disguises, though less severe than the boys expect. He keeps two pet tortoises in his office and becomes increasingly concerned with the children's welfare rather than merely completing his assignment.

Appears from the start

Prosper and Bo's wealthy aunt, who hires Victor to search Venice after the brothers run away. Esther wants the charming younger Bo as her child but regards Prosper as difficult and intends to place him elsewhere, the proposed separation that caused their flight.

Appears from the start

Esther's husband, who accompanies her to Victor's office. Less forceful than his wife, Max participates in the search for the two boys and in the plan to take Bo into their home.

Also known as The Thief Lord

First appears in chapter 3

The masked leader of the children sheltering in an abandoned cinema. Scipio arrives at night with valuables he says he has stolen from Venice's grand houses, and his daring stories have made him a hero to the group. He insists on handling dangerous work himself and promises that no adult will control them.

Also known as Caterina

First appears in chapter 2

The only girl in the group living at the Star-Palace cinema. Hornet earned her nickname from her sharp temper, but she is also an attentive reader and a protective older presence for Bo. She is skeptical when a plan seems likely to endanger the younger children.

First appears in chapter 2

A small, restless member of the cinema gang, recognizable by his spiky hair and quick enthusiasm. Riccio knows Venice's streets and joins the group's schemes with little hesitation, helping turn the abandoned theater into a workable home.

First appears in chapter 2

A tall, resourceful boy in the Star-Palace group, with a strong interest in boats. Mosca helps obtain supplies, guard the hideout, and navigate the canals, giving the children practical support beyond Scipio's stolen goods.

First appears in chapter 5

A dishonest antiques dealer who buys the objects Scipio brings to his shop. Barbarossa uses his knowledge and adult authority to pay the children far less than their goods are worth, while remaining one of their few ways to turn valuables into food and rent-free survival.

First appears in chapter 18

A Venetian photographer whose house contains the wooden wing that the children have been commissioned to steal. Ida is direct, independent, and more sympathetic to the young intruders than they expect.

Also known as The Conte

First appears in chapter 12

A mysterious older man who offers the Thief Lord a large payment to steal a wooden lion's wing from a Venetian house. Renzo claims a personal connection to the wing and is unusually secretive about why he wants it recovered.

First appears in chapter 27

Scipio's wealthy and controlling father, owner of a grand Venetian home. He treats his son as an embarrassment to be disciplined and expects obedience, providing a stark contrast to the independent figure Scipio presents to the other children.