The 39 Clues/Characters

You know the drill. This is a listing of characters for The 39 Clues. Beware of unmarked spoilers!

Note: Due to the official status of Vespers Rising as Book 11 of the first series, that book is considered part of the first series. Characters that debut after its publishment are placed in the folder for the Sequel Series, and characters that debut before its publishment are placed in the other folders.

Dan Cahill

 * Annoying Younger Sibling: Starts out as this.
 * : While escaping the
 * Break the Cutie: The events of the first series are what do this, but the effects aren't completely visible until the second series.
 * Brother-Sister Team: With Amy.
 * Character Development: As Amy thinks to herself in Into the Gauntlet.
 * Green Eyes
 * Hair of Gold: Has dark blonde hair.
 * Parental Abandonment: His and Amy's parents were killed in a house fire.
 * Photographic Memory: As Amy notes, it isn't completely effortless. He holds his breath to make sure he'll remember.
 * Sibling Yin-Yang: With Amy. Dan is hyperactive and excitable whereas Amy is shy and withdrawn.

Amy Cahill

 * All Girls Want Bad Boys: For Ian
 * Badass Bookworm: She starts off very easy on the "badass," heavy on the "bookworm," but then undergoes a lot of Character Development.
 * Brainy Brunette: She has reddish-brown hair.
 * Character Development
 * Girl Next Door: Has the personality of one, but is the main character (or, one of them) herself.
 * Green Eyed Red Head
 * Sibling Yin-Yang: With Dan. Amy is shy and withdrawn, whereas Dan is hyperactive and excitable.
 * Shrinking Violet: In the beginning. By the last book, she's overcome a lot of it.
 * The Smart Girl

Nellie Gomez

 * Chekhov's Skill: Has many talents that come in handy during the clue hunt.
 * Contrived Coincidence: Nellie's learned so many things that help the Cahills on their quest.
 * Although near the end of the series it's revealed that
 * Cool Big Sis
 * Drives Like Crazy
 * The European Carry All: She says she signed on as an au pair and not a nanny, despite the fact that the former is basically just Gratuitous French for the latter.
 * Mama Bear: Though her relationship with Amy and Dan becomes more reminiscent of a sibling bond, this still applies.
 * Spicy Latina: Part Mexican.

Saladin
The Cahills' pet Egyptian Mau. Originally belonged to Grace Cahill.


 * Cool Cat
 * Team Pet
 * Trademark Favorite Food: He loves red snapper.

Ian Kabra
Ian is introduced as Natalie's handsome, scheming older brother, befitting his status as a high-ranking Lucian. Like his sister, he joins the clue hunt on orders from his mother, whom he follows blindly. In The Sword Thief,


 * Abusive Parents
 * Badass in a Nice Suit
 * Brother-Sister Team: With Natalie.
 * Eyes of Gold: Has amber eyes.
 * Evil Brit
 * Handsome Devil
 * at the end of Book 10.
 * I Was Only Pretending to Like You: Pulls this on Amy...until it's revealed that he really does have a crush on her.]]
 * Mommy's Little Villain:
 * My Beloved Smother Isabel is very controlling, but not in the least loving. Ian might apply as a Momma's Boy.
 * The Beautiful Elite
 * The Proud Elite: He's dark, described as very good-looking, and is extremely full of himself. He starts off pretty evil,.
 * Tall, Dark and Handsome
 * Tall, Dark and Snarky
 * The Rival: He and Natalie are a Brother-Sister Team like Amy and Dan, but with more money and resources. Ian is Amy's age, and Natalie is Dan's.
 * : In the Sequel Series, Cahill vs. Vespers
 * Screw the Rules, I Have Money: Where to begin...
 * Spoiled Brat
 * Smug Snake
 * Stalker with a Crush: Operation Trinity shows him watching Amy come home from school via a surveillance camera.
 * "Well Done, Son" Guy: He's kind of a sucker for his mother's good opinion.
 * "Well Done, Son" Guy: He's kind of a sucker for his mother's good opinion.

Natalie Kabra
Ian's younger sister who is just as scheming as he is. She dislikes doing dirty work and aspires to please her mother in every way. She starts out as a Rich Bitch but by the end of the series


 * Afraid of Blood
 * Annoying Younger Sibling: To Ian, occasionally.
 * Break the Haughty:  had its worst effects on Natalie.
 * Brother-Sister Team: With Ian.
 * Evil Brit
 * Eyes of Gold: Has amber eyes.
 * The Fashionista: Natalie is always whining about something spoiling her designer clothes.
 * Mommy's Little Villain:
 * Rich Bitch
 * The Beautiful Elite
 * The Rival
 * Screw the Rules, I Have Money: Throughout the series.
 * Spoiled Brat
 * Screw the Rules, I Have Money: Throughout the series.
 * Spoiled Brat

Alistair Oh
A South Korean businessman hailing from Seoul, Alistair made his fortune from selling the microwavable burrito. But by the time of the series his money is running out and he swaps the million dollars for a hint to the first clue. He is an Ekaterina. Throughout the series often offers to help Amy and Dan, but they are openly distrustful of him: because not only does he seem fond of double-crossing them,


 * Cool Old Guy
 * Heel Face Revolving Door
 * Inscrutable Oriental: Alistair is always polite, even at the worst of times.
 * Obfuscating Stupidity
 * The Obi-Wan: Has some shades of this. Sometimes.
 * What Do You Mean It's Not Awesome?: He invented the microwavable burrito.
 * What Do You Mean It's Not Awesome?: He invented the microwavable burrito.

Irina Spasky
""You are afraid of everything except what you should fear.""

A Lucian ex-KGB agent who agrees to change the one million dollars for a hint to the first clue at Grace's funeral. Throughout the series Irina works behind the scenes, following Amy and Dan and threatening people with her poisons. By the time the sixth book rolls around, however, it's revealed there's way more to her than we originally thought.


 * Blondes Are Evil:
 * Dark Action Girl
 * Love Triangle: Hinted with her and
 * Hidden Depths: And wouldn't ya know.
 * Incredibly Obvious Tail
 * Perfect Poison
 * Rogue Agent: Says her. She works for Isabel.
 * Russian Girl Suffers Most:
 * Perfect Poison
 * Rogue Agent: Says her. She works for Isabel.
 * Russian Girl Suffers Most:

Jonah Wizard
International hip-hop sensation and teen idol, Jonah fits very nicely into the family's Janus branch. His mother is the famous Cora Wizard, who set up his career. Jonah joins the clue hunt to please her. At the beginning he is only concerned about his public image, but after he befriends Dan in The Emperor's Code this begins to change.


 * Chekhov's Skill: Who knew his love of Shakespeare would seriously come in handy
 * Damn, It Feels Good to Be a Gangster!: Even though he lives in a nice, comfortable home in Beverly Hills.
 * Everything Sounds Sexier in French: He can speak it.
 * Fan Girl: Has plenty. Everywhere.
 * Idol Singer
 * Jerkass --> Jerk with a Heart of Gold
 * Jive Turkey
 * Momma's Boy
 * Teen Idol
 * "Well Done, Son" Guy: He wants his mother's approval.

The Holts
A Tomas family consisting of Eisenhower Holt, his wife Mary-Todd, and their children Hamilton, Madison, and Reagan, the Holts excel at everything athletic but are not the brightest crayons in the box. Out of the five of them, Hamilton is the most sympathetic, and is the one who forms alliances with Amy and Dan.


 * Badass Family: You know it.
 * The Big Guys: The whole family.
 * Character Development: By the end of Into the Gauntlet, Eisenhower has seriously undergone this.
 * Dumb Muscle: But sometimes, they might surprise you.
 * Geek: Hamilton knows a lot about computers.
 * Genius Bruiser: Hamilton has a talent with computers and did well on his SATs
 * Happily Married: Einsenhower and Mary-Todd.
 * Meaningful Name: Eisenhower and his children are named after presidents of the United States.
 * Theme Twin Naming: Madison and Reagan.

The Starlings
Genius thirteen-year-old triplets who turn down their three million dollars in favor of the Clue Hunt. All three are Ekaterina. They don't stick around, however --  Out of the three it's Sinead who we get to see the most of


 * Brainy Brunettes: Have auburn hair.
 * Break the Haughty:
 * Teen Geniuses: All three of them.
 * Sibling Team
 * Theme Triplet Naming: Ned, Ted, and Sinead
 * Put on a Bus: Well, really more like an ambulance.
 * Put on a Bus: Well, really more like an ambulance.

Grace Cahill
Beatrice's younger sister,, Hope's mother, and Amy and Dan's grandmother, she was one of the last genuinely nice Cahills. After she dies of sickness she chooses some of her relatives, the ones most likely to succeed in the clue hunt, and offers either one million dollars or a hint to the first clue to them. Amy and Dan really were her favorites, and they spent almost every weekend with her.


 * Badass Grandma
 * Chekhov's Classroom / Someday This Will Come in Handy: The little tidbits of information she gives Amy and Dan help in the clue hunt.
 * Death By Origin Story: Her death kicks off the series.
 * : Averted.

Arthur and Hope Cahill
Amy and Dan's parents. They died in a fire  and were avid   clue hunters. Arthur was the one who got Eisenhower expelled from West Point Military Academy.


 * Capulet Counterpart: Arthur was born Arthur Trent and was
 * Death By Origin Story
 * Hot Mom / Hot Dad
 * Parental Abandonment

The Man In Black/

 * The Men in Black: Is referred to as one throughout the series all the way until Book 9.
 * Right Hand Versus Left Hand:
 * The Stoic: Was this in his younger years.

Isabel Kabra

 * Bitch in Sheep's Clothing / Wounded Gazelle Gambit:
 * Evil Brit
 * Evil Matriarch
 * Eyes of Gold: Has amber eyes like her children.
 * The Fake Cutie
 * The Fashionista: She can have you murdered and look good doing it.
 * Hot Mom: Isabel is said to be very beautiful. (But psychopathic.)
 * Faux Affably Evil
 * Tall, Dark and Bishoujo
 * "Well Done, Son" Guy: To Ian and Natalie.
 * : Amy and Dan towards Isabel (along with others).
 * But she takes the chief blame for
 * : Amy and Dan towards Isabel (along with others).
 * But she takes the chief blame for
 * But she takes the chief blame for

Cora Wizard
Jonah's mother.


 * "Well Done, Son" Guy: To Jonah.

Broderick T. Wizard
Jonah's father.


 * Character Tics: His BlackBerry is perpetually in his hands.

Shep Trent

 * Surfer Dude

Nataliya Ruslanova Radova

 * Double Agent: For

Kurt

 * Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: The book seemed to be setting him up as a possible love interest for Amy, however he's never heard from again.
 * One-Shot Character
 * Smart People Play Chess

Beatrice Cahill
Grace's  older sister, an eccentric old woman who could care less about the Cahill family history.


 * Elderly Blue Haired Lady
 * Crazy Cat Lady: She has a thing for ceramic cats.
 * Maiden Aunt: She would fit the trope if Amy and Dan were remotely fond of her.
 * You Gotta Have Blue Hair
 * You Should Have Died Instead: Actually feels this way towards

Evan Tolliver
Introduced in Vespers Rising as a boy who goes to school with Amy and Dan. In The Medusa Plot, he has been  for several months. After the Cahills fend off an attack by the Vespers in full view of Evan, he becomes understandably confused, and gets even more confused and upset when Amy cuts off contact with him in fear of him finding out about her family history. Eventually, however, Evan does find out about the Cahill story, as a result of his immediately being able to identify the obscure type of cell phone that Vesper One is using. Also because of this, Evan is invited to join Ian and Sinead at the Cahill Command Center, and helps them do research to aid Amy and Dan in their missions around the world. Evan is still helping the Cahills in A King's Ransom and The Dead of Night, and is becoming increasingly worried about Amy.


 * Adorkable: At least to his girlfriend, who thinks of him as being this.
 * Blue Eyes
 * Brainy Brunette
 * Geek: He knows a lot about computers and technology.
 * Nice Guy: And seeing who he's up against, this gives him a distinct disadvantage.
 * Smart People Wear Glasses
 * Stalker with a Crush: Shows shades of this in The Medusa Plot after, going so far as to sneak onto the grounds of Grace's mansion to find out what's going on. This behavior stops once
 * Taking the Bullet: Tries to do this for Amy when Vespers stop the schoolbus and confront the Cahill siblings in the beginning of The Medusa Plot. Rather oddly subverted, as by this time Amy has gone through Character Development and proceeds to kick the gun out of the man's hand and hold off the attackers with her martial arts skills.
 * Understanding Boyfriend

Casper Wyoming
A character, not the place. A Vesper who was named after a city where his parents robbed a bank. He's proud of that.


 * For the Evulz

Cheyenne Wyoming
Like her twin, Casper, Cheyenne is a character not to be confused with the city. She's not as bad as her brother, but still pretty dangerous.


 * Master of Disguise

Atticus Rosenbloom
A genius eleven-year-old friend of Dan's.


 * Black and Nerdy

Jake Rosenbloom
The older brother of Atticus.


 * Big Brother Instinct: His display of this for his little brother is what causes Amy to decide he isn't so bad, after all.
 * Third Option Love Interest: For