Twenty Years After characters

First appears in chapter 2

Once the ambitious Gascon newcomer among the four friends, D'Artagnan is now an experienced officer still waiting for the advancement he believes his service deserves. Cardinal Mazarin recalls him for confidential work as unrest gathers around the regency.

First appears in chapter 4

Queen regent for her young son Louis XIV, governing France after her husband's death. Her authority depends heavily on Mazarin, while noble and parliamentary opposition challenges both the minister and the court.

Also known as Cardinal Mazarin

Appears from the start

The Italian-born cardinal who succeeded Richelieu as France's chief minister and dominates the regency of Anne of Austria. Cautious, calculating, and widely resented, he seeks reliable agents as the movement called the Fronde gathers strength.

First appears in chapter 4

The young king of France, still a child under his mother's regency. Political factions struggle around his throne, and the safety and movement of the royal household become central concerns as Paris grows unstable.

First appears in chapter 3

D'Artagnan's old adversary and eventual comrade from the earlier adventures, now confined in the Bastille. Their unexpected reunion gives D'Artagnan a source of information about the altered political world around Mazarin.

Also known as Abbé d'Herblay

First appears in chapter 10

Formerly one of the king's musketeers, Aramis has entered the Church and lives as the polished Abbé d'Herblay. His ecclesiastical appearance conceals continuing political interests and the same guarded independence D'Artagnan remembers.

Also known as Monsieur du Vallon

First appears in chapter 12

The former musketeer has become a wealthy landowner through marriage and now lives in substantial comfort. Porthos remains immensely strong, loyal to D'Artagnan, and eager for the noble title that would complete his rise in the world.

Also known as Comte de la Fère

First appears in chapter 15

Retired from military life under his noble name, Athos lives quietly on his estate and devotes himself to the education of Raoul. His calm authority is unchanged, but his political judgment does not automatically align with D'Artagnan's new duty.

Also known as Vicomte de Bragelonne

First appears in chapter 15

A courteous young nobleman raised under Athos's care. Raoul has been trained to combine courage with restraint and is now ready to begin military service among the younger generation of France's nobility.

First appears in chapter 16

A high-born prisoner held at Vincennes and a popular focus for opposition to Mazarin. Confident that help will reach him, he maintains his spirits while his guards try to prevent communication and escape.

First appears in chapter 18

Athos's old servant, still remarkable for carrying out complicated instructions with very few words. He enters Vincennes in a humble disguise as part of the patient preparations surrounding Beaufort's imprisonment.

First appears in chapter 30

The exiled queen of England and sister of the late Louis XIII. With her husband Charles I threatened by civil war, she seeks help in France despite her own poverty and the French court's reluctance to oppose England's Parliament.

First appears in chapter 45

A grave young Englishman serving the Parliamentary cause. His journey through France has a private purpose connected with the fate of his mother, and his controlled manner conceals an intense determination to punish those he holds responsible.

First appears in chapter 50

King of England during the civil war with Parliament. Defeated but still resolved to preserve his crown and honor, he receives the service of Athos and Aramis as the struggle around him approaches its final stage.

First appears in chapter 55

A leading commander of the English Parliamentary forces. Disciplined, politically shrewd, and formidable, he employs Mordaunt and stands at the center of the power closing around Charles I.