The 39 Clues/Characters
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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.
Main Characters
Dan Cahill
A description of the character goes here.
- Annoying Younger Sibling: Starts out as this.
- Badass Driver: While escaping the Janus hideout.
- 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 Dan is hyperactive and excitable whereas Amy is shy and withdrawn.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
A description of the character goes here.
- 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 Amy is shy and withdrawn, whereas Dan is hyperactive and excitable.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
A description of the character goes here.
- 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 Grace knew she'd end up being their nanny one day, so she paid for plenty of Nellie's learning (such as being trilingual and knowing how to fly a plane).
- 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.
Enemies in the Clue Hunt
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, he plays on Amy's crush on him and uses her and Dan to get the Clue and leaves them for dead in a cave. This leaves him with a nagging feeling of guilt which culminates in his and Natalie's abandoning the Kabra family at the end of the series.
- Abusive Parents
- Badass in a Nice Suit
- Brother-Sister Team: With Natalie.
- Eyes of Gold: Has amber eyes.
- Evil Brit
- Good Feels Good
- Handsome Devil
- Heel Face Turn: 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: Until the last book.
- 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, but turns out to have hidden morals.
- 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.
- Token Evil Teammate: 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.
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 she and Ian realize that they were following Isabel mostly out of fear and leave the Kabras once she is thrown in prison.
- Afraid of Blood
- Annoying Younger Sibling: To Ian, occasionally.
- Break the Haughty: Isabel drinking the Lucian serum 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.
- Good Feels Good
- Heel Face Turn: In the tenth book.
- Mommy's Little Villain: Until the last book.
- Rich Bitch
- The Beautiful Elite
- The Rival
- 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, he was there on the night of the fire that killed their parents.
- Cool Old Guy
- Heel Face Revolving Door
- Inscrutable Oriental: Alistair is always polite, even at the worst of times.
- Never Found the Body: The Sword Thief: While escaping a cave in Korea. Amy and Dan seem genuinely grieved by his death - until they find his glove and realize that he must have left them.
- Obfuscating Stupidity
- The Obi-Wan: Has some shades of this. Sometimes.
- What Do You Mean It's Not Awesome?: He invented the microwavable burrito.
Irina Spasky
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"You are afraid of everything except what you should fear." |
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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: Until her Heel Face Turn and subsequent death.
- Dark Action Girl
- Dead Little Sister: Dead son.
- Love Triangle: Hinted with her and Vikram and Isabel Kabra - and she was the Romantic Runner-Up.
- Heel Face Turn: Genuinely wants to help Amy and Dan by In Too Deep. That doesn't end up too well for her.
- Hidden Depths: And wouldn't ya know.
- Incredibly Obvious Tail
- Killed Off for Real
- Perfect Poison
- Rogue Agent: Says her. She works for Isabel. Look where that got her.
- Russian Girl Suffers Most: She lost Vikram to Isabel, lost her son, was treated as a servant by Isabel, and finally dies in a fire when Isabel sees it a bother to rescue her.
- Sacrificial Lion
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 because she wants the master serum for herself. 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. Because of his concern of what other people think of him, he doesn't let anyone know about his secret love of Shakespeare's works.
- Chekhov's Skill: Who knew his love of Shakespeare would seriously come in handy in the gauntlet?
- 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. He was the one who went into the gauntlet, and as such the rest of the family was taken hostage by Isabel Kabra.
- 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 -- In the very first book they are severely injured and hospitalized by a blast set up by the Holts for Amy and Dan. They don't appear again until Book 10, wherein it's shown that Ted was blinded by the blast and can only see light and dark, whereas Ned frequently has migraines that interrupt his ability to think. Out of the three it's Sinead who we get to see the most of because she was the least injured.
- Brainy Brunettes: Have auburn hair.
- Break the Haughty: Sinead after the explosion.
- Disability Superpower: Hinted at. They decline the offer of the serum even though it could cure their injuries because they want to develop something that would help other people suffering from the same thing.
- 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.
Other Major Characters
Grace Cahill
Beatrice's younger sister, Fiske's older 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 by extension the gauntlet, 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. She was a Madrigal.
- 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.
- Middle Child Syndrome: Averted.
Arthur and Hope Cahill
Amy and Dan's parents. They died in a fire set by Isabel Kabra (accompanied by Alistair, Irina Spasky, Cora Wizard, and Eisenhower Holt and his wife) after they refused to share information and were avid Madrigal clue hunters. Arthur was the one who got Eisenhower expelled from West Point Military Academy.
- Capulet Counterpart: Arthur was born Arthur Trent and was a Vesper. He stopped his Cahill-hating ways once he married Hope Cahill.
- Death by Origin Story
- Hot Mom / Hot Dad
- Parental Abandonment
- Not Quite Dead: Arthur, as of The Dead of Night.
The Man In Black/ Fiske Cahill
Beatrice and Grace's younger brother.
- The Men in Black: Is referred to as one throughout the series all the way until Book 9.
- Right Hand Versus Left Hand: Amy and Dan initially see him as an enemy, but realize that they're playing on the same team.
- The Stoic: Was this in his younger years.
Isabel Kabra
A description of the character goes here.
- Big Bad
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing / Wounded Gazelle Gambit: Her ticket out of prison is starting an organization dedicated to global disaster relief.
- 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
- Kill'Em All: Her plan on Easter Island.
- Tall, Dark and Bishoujo
- "Well Done, Son" Guy: To Ian and Natalie.
- With Great Power Comes Great Insanity: After she drinks the Lucian part of the master serum (giving her ultimate intelligence and strategic skills) it's hinted she finally snaps.
- You Killed Our Parents: Amy and Dan towards Isabel (along with others).
- But she takes the chief blame for acting like a cocky idiot and burning the house down recklessly, along with threatening their child.
Other Minor Characters
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.
William McIntyre
A description of the character goes here.
Shep Trent
A description of the character goes here.
Nataliya Ruslanova Radova
A description of the character goes here.
- Double Agent: For the Madrigals.
Kurt
A description of the character goes here.
- 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
Lester
A description of the character goes here.
Beatrice Cahill
Grace's and Fiske's older sister, an eccentric old woman who could care less about the Cahill family history. It's revealed in the "Black Book of Buried Secrets" that this is only so because she couldn't handle the pressure put on by her sister and brother, who excelled in all the tests.
- 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 Fiske, because their mother died giving birth to him.
Characters Exclusive to the Sequel Series, Cahills vs. Vespers
Evan Tolliver
Introduced in Vespers Rising as a boy who goes to school with Amy and Dan. In The Medusa Plot, he has been dating Amy 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 Amy cuts off contact with him due to problems with the Vespers, going so far as to sneak onto the grounds of Grace's mansion to find out what's going on. This behavior stops once Ian explains the Cahill-Vesper conflict to him.
- 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.
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.
Atticus Rosenbloom
A genius eleven-year-old friend of Dan's.
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 Amy Cahill.
- Back to The 39 Clues