Mortal Instruments/Characters

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


A listing of characters that appear in Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments series. Beware of unmarked spoilers!

Clare is also publishing a prequel series, The Infernal Devices. Check out that character sheet, too.

Clarissa "Clary" Fray

Clary's was perfectly content with living life with her overprotective mother and geeky best friend. But her normal life is turned upside down she starts seeing things other people can't. When she comes home one evening to find her apartment sacked, her mother missing, and a demon in the room, she is thrust into the world of the Shadowhunters. Which sucks, considering she was totally unprepared for it. And if that wasn't enough, she might be the only one who can stop the impending war.

Tropes that apply to Clary:

  • Action Girl: She has her moments.
  • Angel Unaware: Unintentional, as Valentine didn't know Jocelyn was pregnant when he experimented on her with angel's blood.
  • Betty and Veronica: Simon and Jace respectively.
  • Bio Augmentation: Valentine unknowingly added angel's blood to her before she was born.
  • Brother-Sister Incest: Jace and Clary, when it is revealed that they were both Valentine and Jocelyn's children.
    • Subverted when it turns out that they aren't even related.
      • Played straight with Sebastian Verlac/Jonathan.

Simon: "So, Jace isn't your brother, but you HAVE kissed your brother."

Jace Wayland

Sarcastic, cynical, and a ladies' man, Jace seems like the archetypal Byronic Hero. But it's not like that arrogance is unfounded - Jace is widely renowned as one of the best - if not the best - Shadowhunters of his age. He lives with the Lightwoods at the Institute, and is, for some reason, incredibly attracted to Clary.

Tropes that apply to Jace:

Jace: "De ce crezi ca va ascultam conversatia?"/"Why do you think I was listening to your conversation?"
Sebastian: "M-ai urmarit de când ai ajuns aici. Nu-mi dau seama daca nu ma placi ori daca esti atât de banuitor cu toata lumea.” / "You've been watching me since you got here. I can't tell if you don't like me or you're just this suspicious of everyone."

Simon Lewis

Clary's best (and probably only) friend, Simon, along with her, inevitably discovers the world of the Shadowhunters - something he then becomes a part of when he gets turned into a vampire.

Tropes that apply to Simon:

  • Adorkable
  • Adrenaline Makeover: After getting Turned into a vampire and everything, Isabelle notes he's gotten more attractive.
  • The Archer: Simon is a fantastic shot, thanks to years at camp training. He uses it to slay the Greater Demon Abbadon and saves Alec's life while he's at it.
  • Anguished Declaration of Love: To Clary before the sunlight hits his body and he realizes that he can walk in daylight.
  • Betty and Veronica: The Betty to Jace's Veronica.
  • Birds of a Feather: Seemingly with Maia.
  • Blood Lust: After he becomes a vampire, he needs blood. Badly. After he is imprisoned by Inquisitor Aldertree, the latter tries to starve him to death to find out the secret of his being able to walk in daylight.
  • Boy Next Door
  • Deadpan Snarker: One of the snarkiest in the books. And that's saying something.
  • Distinguishing Mark: The ability to walk in sunlight, nicknaming him "Daylighter" and the Mark of Cain, though he later loses the latter.
  • Fish Out of Water: Clary and Simon are not hardened Shadowhunters or Downworlders like the rest of the cast. In Simon's case, however, he does get turned into the latter.
  • Geek: Big time.
  • In-Series Nickname: Daylighter for that unique, annoying detail about being a vampire that can walk around in sunlight. Thanks, Jace's angel blood.
  • Jewish and Nerdy
  • Mark of the Beast: The Mark of Cain, which dates way back to the book of Genesis. Subverted in that Clary puts it on him to save his life. It actually comes in handy several times during the fourth book, as anybody who tries to lay hands on him gets punishment laid down on them sevenfold. In book five, the angel Raziel removes the Mark of Cain when Simon summons him, in exchange for a heavenly sword to sever the bond beyond Jace and Johnathan/Sebastian.
  • Megane: Although he doesn't need his glasses after he gets Turned.
  • Muggle Best Friend: To Clary after she finds out she's a Shadowhunter. Eventually subverted when he gets turned into a vampire.
  • Nice Jewish Boy: He has to be in order to be the Betty.
  • Not Growing Up Sucks: He is dismayed at being sixteen forever, saying that it's one thing to be frozen at twenty-five but looking how he is he is never going to grow into his features. Or get a drink. And there's the fact that he's going to far outlive his friends.
  • Not Listening to Me, Are You?: Often pulls this on Clary when she's daydreaming.
  • Operation: Jealousy: He hangs around Isabelle to make Clary jealous.
  • Only Friend: Possibly to Clary.
  • Only Sane Man: Recognized that loving Clary was a dead end, and had enough self-respect to let her go and move on to Isabelle and Maia. Yes, at the same time. Yes, they find out. He seems to be together with Isabelle at the end of the fourth book, though.
  • Our Vampires Are Different: Thanks to him drinking Jace's blood (which contained angel blood) he can walk in sunlight.
  • Plot Armor: You didn't really think that whole vampire fiasco would kill him off, did you?
  • Post-Kiss Catatonia
  • Romantic Runner-Up
  • Ship Tease: With Isabelle and Maia.
  • Slashed Throat: In City of Ashes, Valentine does this to collect Simon's blood.he gets better.
  • Token Minority: He's Jewish. This is especially hard for him once he becomes a vampire.
  • Too Dumb to Live: The incident with the vampires in City of Ashes may count. After ingesting a tiny bit of Raphael's blood, he believes he is turning into a vampire and goes there at night, alone, to be sure. Naturally they nearly rip him to shreds, but Raphael keeps him alive for Clary's sake. Then he gets turned into a vampire.
  • Unlucky Childhood Friend: For Clary.
  • Walking the Earth: He's scared he's going to end up doing this, with the Mark of Cain and everything. Good for him the angel Raziel removes it

Isabelle "Izzy" Lightwood

Alec's younger sister, Isabelle is beautiful, confident, and dangerous - she is an accomplished Shadowhunter, after all. Being the middle child, Isabelle is rebellious and attention-seeking. The snobbish, Fantastic Racism she seems to hold against non-Shadowhunters, as well as the Ice Queen persona she upholds, starts to crumble once she meets Clary and Simon.

Tropes that apply to Isabelle:

Alexander "Alec" Lightwood

The eldest Lightwood sibling, who is shyer, snarkier, and generally less welcoming, but his Ice Lord persona crumbles faster.

Tropes that apply to Alec:

Valentine Morgenstern

The Big Bad of the first three books.

Tropes that apply to Valentine:

Valentine: My son. My boy.

  • Deadpan Snarker
  • Even Evil Has Loved Ones: He does seem to care for Jace, in a way, as well as Clary, Jocelyn, Sebastian / Jonathan and even Luke in his own twisted way.
  • Dead Person Impersonation: He killed Michael Wayland and his infant son (using that baby to make Jocelyn believe her son Jonathan was dead) and took over Michael Wayland's identity while raising Jace (who was Stephen Herondale's son. It's complicated.
  • Faking the Dead: While posing as Michael Wayland he faked his own death to strengthen Jace.
  • Happily Married: Surprisingly, to Jocelyn, for a few years before everything starts getting worse.
  • Hannibal Lecture: Is irritatingly fond of this.
    • Shut UP, Hannibal: In the third book, he actually uses a rune to avoid this - ie. he can monologue without interruption. Clary manages to foil him by writing in the dirt.
  • Hunting Accident: Kind of. He never intended to murder Lucian, just get him bitten by a werewolf. Then he hands him a dagger and asks him to kill himself.
  • Killed Off for Real: Thank you, Raziel.
  • Jace I Am Your Father: It's a lie, although to be fair he did raise Jace while under the guise of Michael Wayland.
  • Magnificent Bastard
  • Meaningful Name: "Morgenstern" means "morning star" - signifying, of course, Lucifer.
  • Never Found the Body: After his ship is destroyed - which naturally means that he's still up and kicking. That is, until he gets stabbed by the angel Raziel in the City of Glass, is cremated and has a funeral. He is dead for good. Unlike his other son.
  • "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Oh my god, Valentine gives so many of these during the series.
  • Well-Intentioned Extremist: Unfortunately, his plan to reform the Clave to protect against demonic threats involves raising a massive demon army and slaughtering them all.

Luke Garroway / Lucian Graymark

A close friend of Jocelyn's and Honorary Uncle to Clary, Luke might be more part of the Shadowhunters' world than he lets on.

Tropes associated with Luke:

Clary: Disgustingly in love.

Jocelyn Fray (née Fairchild)

Clary's overprotective mother.

Tropes associated with Jocelyn:

  • Action Mom
  • Convenient Coma: Jocelyn induces a coma on herself to avoid anyone squeezing information out of her about the whereabouts of the Mortal Cup. The only person who knew how to revive her aside from the warlock that cast the spell was an old acquaintance, who gets killed early on in the third book.
  • Comatose Canary
  • Fiery Redhead
  • Hidden Badass: Under the Overprotective Mom stance, Jocelyn was a powerful, talented Shadowhunter who plotted to overthrow her husband during the Uprising. Not to mention she ran away from Valentine to prevent his turning Clary into a "monster" like he did Jonathan.
  • Green Eyed Red Head
  • Hooked Up Afterwards: With Luke. They planned to get married in City of Fallen Angels but the marriage was postponed indefinitely, with Jace's possession by Lilith and subsequent disappearence.
  • Hot Mom: Jocelyn is said to be beautiful: tall and willowy, with sharp features.
  • It Was a Gift: The tarot cards she gave Dorothea which contained the Mortal Cup.
  • Overprotective Mom
  • The Runaway

Maryse Lightwood (née Trueblood), Robert Lightwood, and Max Lightwood:

The Lightwoods run the New York Institute, where Clave meets are frequently held. Max is Isabelle and Alec's younger brother.

Tropes associated with the Lightwood family:

Hodge Starkweather

The tutor at the Institute, who taught Alec, Jace, and Isabelle everything they needed to know about Shadowhunting.

Tropes associated with Hodge:

Magnus Bane

The campy, effeminate High Warlock of Brooklyn.

Tropes associated with Magnus:

Maia Roberts

A member of the downtown werewolf pack, Maia's had a rough life. Her brother abused her, and her ex-boyfriend hit her and eventually turned her into a werewolf. She seems to be getting along fine though.

Tropes associated with Maia:

Raphael Santiago

Current leader of the New York vampire clan (although he asserts that he's merely leading in someone [1]'s stead.)

Tropes associated with Raphael:

Aline Penhallow

A family friend of the Lightwoods.

Tropes associated with Aline:

  • Lipstick Lesbian Heavily implied in the third book. Although she is seen kissing Jace, she tells Clary later it was merely a test to see if any guy was "her type". Confirmed in book five, where she appears with her girlfriend, Helen Blackthorn, and it's revealed she came out the closet, inspired by seeing Alec do so.
  • Foil: To Isabelle.
  • Rape as Drama: The poor girl was nearly raped by a demon.
  • Romantic False Lead

Sebastian Verlac / Jonathan Christopher Morgenstern

Aline's cousin. Which, of course, is false.

Tropes associated with Sebastian:

Imogen Herondale / The Inquisitor

Tropes associated with the Inquisitor:

Amatis Herondale (née Graymark)

An ex-Shadowhunter residing in Idris, who turns out to be Luke's sister.

Tropes associated with Amatis:

  • Happily Married: To Stephen Herondale, for like a few years, until...
    • Toilet Seat Divorce: Not played for laughs, and the divorce actually did happen. Valentine convinced Stephen to divorce her on the grounds that she had "undesirable family connections" - ie. her brother was turned into a Downworlder, and Valentine does not like Downworlders.
  • Long-Lost Relative: To Luke, more or less, although it's more of the fact that they're estranged siblings and Luke's afraid that she'd blame him for her divorce.

Camille Belcourt

Magnus's vampire ex. No, really.

Tropes associated with Camille:

Jordan Kyle

The newest member of Simon's band, Kyle seems like your typical nice guy (although Clary describes him as superhot). He's a member of the local Wolf Guard as well as Maia's ex-boyfriend who turned her into a werewolf.

  • The Atoner: He does seem to sincerely regret what he did to Maia, and only picked Simon as an assignment so he could get close to her.
  • Chekhov MIA: He was mentioned back in City of Ashes as Maia's ex-boyfriend who turned her into a werewolf and disappeared for nearly two years.
  • Crazy Jealous Guy: To Maia, as explained in the backstory.
  • Does This Remind You of Anything?: Simon says that he grows weird plants on his balcony. He then follows it up by claiming they aren't drugs. The plants turn out to be wolfsbane.
  • Ho Yay: With Simon.
  • Nice Guy
  • Only One Name: Simon asks why his name is listed as just Kyle even on his apartment door. It turns out Kyle is his surname and his first name is Jordan, which he hid so that Maia wouldn't find out.
  • Our Werewolves Are Different
  • Psycho Ex Boyfriend: To Maia, although he regretted it.
  • Stalker with a Crush: Has some shades of this towards Maia Roberts.

Lilith

Yes, that Lilith. Big Bad of the second trilogy.

  1. Camille's