The Dresden Files/Characters/The White Council

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


Donald Morgan

"No. I would rather be dead - do you hear me? Be dead than have you use black magic on my behalf."

A high-ranking member of the Wardens, skilled swordsman and battle wizard, Morgan is introduced as the magical equivalent of a parole officer - his job is to keep an eye on Harry and execute him if he shows signs of having gone back to his warlock ways, a duty Morgan pursues with gusto. Later on that role takes a backseat to his mastery of battlefield combat as the Wardens go to war.

  • All Love Is Unrequited: Towards Luccio.
  • Badass: Despite his jerkish personality, the man is admittedly awesome. He charged without blinking at a zombie dinosaur, got within mere yards of killing the King of the Red Vampires singlehandedly (and carved his way through several Red Court lords in the process), and killed an Eldritch Abomination by luring it into a nuclear testing site.
  • Berserk Button: If you value your life, don't hurt Anastasia.
  • The Cavalry: In Storm Front.
    • And subverted in Dead Beat.
  • Determinator: More than anything else, this is where Morgan's character stems from. At the end of Turn Coat, Harry comes to realize that this is what made Morgan into the man he is. Despite everything that has happened to him over his life, and despite all the losses and pain he endured, Morgan never gave in.
  • Dishing Out Dirt: Is demonstrated in Dead Beat.
  • Enemy Mine: In Turn Coat, he immediately runs to Harry because he figures nobody will look for him under the care of someone with whom he shares a certain amount of mutual loathing.
    • More importantly He understands that, of all people, Harry understands what it means to be wrongfully accused.
  • Good Is Not Nice: Morgan would never even consider using dark magic or breaking the Council's laws. Doesn't mean he isn't a huge Jerkass to Harry.
  • I Need a Freaking Drink: With a little Even Inspector Javerts Have Standards. After Molly's trial in Proven Guilty, where Morgan would have been Molly's executioner, he went back to the White Coucil headquarters and got himself massively drunk.
  • Inspector Javert: To the core. Inverted in Turn Coat where he is the one on the run.
    • And even then he continues to play the role with Molly, though it turns out she deserved it.
    • Shortly before his death in Turn Coat, he does finally admit that his pursuit of Harry was unjustified. Or at least, as close as someone as stiff-necked as him can come to admitting it.
  • Jerkass: He seems to enjoy stalking Harry just a little too much.
  • Knight in Sour Armor: Still very much a believer in fighting the the good fight, but spending more than a century doing so has left him a very tired and bitter man.
  • Magic Knight: As are most Wardens, up until Dead Beat.
  • Nuke'Em: Morgan had problems with a skinwalker about fifty years before. They're basically minor dark gods that eat magic. So Morgan lured it into a nuclear testing ground and stepped into the Nevernever as the bomb went off. Bad. Ass.
  • Obstructive Zealot: He regularly ignores Harry's attempts to explain the situation; at one point he even yelled, "No! You lie!"
  • Pet the Dog: A few times here and there. These moment are always very, very subtle.
    • Though there was a very clear one in the first book. Morgan could have easily stood by and let Harry die in the burning house, but he came in, rescued Harry, and then admitted to the White Council that he was wrong in that specific case. He may not like Harry, but he's not without honor.
  • Principles Zealot: His faith in the Laws of Magic and the senior council. He's mentioned to basically be The Merlin's protege because of this.
  • Redemption Equals Death: He dies shortly after finally making peace with Harry. Or as close to it as he's capable of
  • Shockwave Stomp: Is seen to do this in Dead Beat.
  • Sleep Cute: Well... not cute. But the impression of him sleeping is less Jerkass and more "Holy hell, this man has had a rough life."
  • The Stoic: Is this when he's not trying to kill someone.
  • Suspiciously Specific Denial: His immediate knee-jerk denial of Harry mentioning the Black Council or a White Council traitor immediately clues Harry in to the fact that Morgan and possibly the Merlin have considered the possibility of a traitor but won't publicly admit it due to the backlash.
  • Zen Survivor
  • Weapon of Choice: Morgan carries a massive broadsword forged by Luccio to break enchantments.
  • Well-Intentioned Extremist
  • Windmill Crusader: Believes wholeheartedly that Harry is a black magic time-bomb waiting to go off. Harry's opinion of him softens ever-so-slightly once he realises Morgan honestly believes this and isn't hounding him because he's a jerk.
  • Wouldn't Hurt a Child: Even he was sickened by the idea that he'd have to kill Molly Carpenter.

Ebenezar McCoy

"I told you long ago that being a real wizard means sacrifice. It means knowing things no one else does. I told you that it meant you might have to act upon what you knew, and knew to be right, even though the whole world set its hand against you. Or that you might have to do horrible, necessary things."

An elderly wizard, homesteader from somewhere in Missouri, and the newest and youngest member of the White Council's Senior Council. Harry's mentor and teacher after Justin DuMorne's death. Also the Council's Blackstaff - the one White Council Wizard in the world authorized to use Black Magic without consequence.

  • Artifact of Doom / Artifact of Death: The Blackstaff
  • Badass Grandpa: Ebenezar looks like what he is - a farmer from Middle-of-Nowhere, USA. Elderly, mostly bald, drives a beat-up old pickup. He's also one of the most dangerous combat wizards alive.
    • And he actually is Harry's grandfather.
  • Berserk Button: Don't threaten Harry. Or he'll drop a satellite on you.
  • Big Damn Heroes: He turns up to even the odds as Harry and team face off against pretty much the entire Red Court at the climax of Changes. He brings the Grey Council with him.
  • Black Magic: As the Council's Blackstaff, he's allowed to use it. At one point he casually kills about a hundred people at once with a single act of will. Then, he did it again.
  • Colony Drop: In Death Masks, he rips a decommissioned Soviet satellite out of orbit and drops it on top of a castle owned by a Red Court Duke who threatened Harry.
  • Good Is Not Nice: "Turn on the TV."
  • Luke, I Am Your Father: In Changes, we learn that he's actually Harry's maternal grandfather.
  • The Mentor
  • Necessary Evil: His role as Blackstaff.
  • Papa Wolf: The reason for the aforementioned Colony Drop. Also almost literal, but he's Grandpapa Wolf.
  • Person of Mass Destruction: The New Madrid Earthquake, the Tunguska incident and the eruption of Krakatoa were all Ebenezer putting the smackdown on deserving parties.
  • Poisonous Friend: To the White Council and especially Harry, since if you threaten either one, he'll blow you up. Literally.
  • Really Seven Hundred Years Old: Fought in the French and Indian War.
  • Sawed-Off Shotgun: Like Harry, he tends to lug one of these around with him. Not that he usually needs it.
  • There Is No Kill Like Overkill: Again, see aforementioned Colony Drop.
  • Weapon of Choice: Ebenezar normally uses a staff carved from an oak tree struck by lightning on his farm. But when shit really hits the fan, he pulls out the Blackstaff, which allows him to work Black Magic without going insane.
  • "Well Done, Son" Guy
  • What the Hell, Hero?: Harry takes the fact that Ebenezar uses Black Magic without repercussion, was under orders to kill him if he even got out of line during his apprenticeship, and killed dozens of Duke Ortega's human slaves with the Colony Drop poorly. They eventually reconcile, but it was very uncomfortable for a while.

Joseph "Injun Joe" Listens-To-Wind

One of the wizards on the Senior Council, genuine Illinois medicine man and an old friend of McCoy's. In addition to talking to animals and being able to transform, he's also the White Council's medical expert and goes back to medical school every ten years or so to stay up-to-date.

Rashid the Gatekeeper

A member of the White Council who covertly aids Harry and is generally mysterious. Usually wears a cowl, and has powers of precognition. His precise job on the Senior Council is not explained, but he appears to have a great deal of knowledge regarding Outsiders.

  • Badass Grandpa: Being on the Senior Council alone makes him pretty powerful, but Rashid is still extremely powerful even by their standards.
    • Word of God says that while Rashid isn't the most powerful, he is the most dangerous. And that he was the one who took down Abdul Alhazred (the author of the Necronomicon).
  • Cool Old Guy: Of all of the Senior Council, save Ebenezar and Listens-To-Wind, Rashid is most often a friend and ally to Harry, if distantly.
  • Cryptic Conversation: By nature. Rashid can see across time and into the future, but he has to pick his words very carefully when warning people of what is coming. If his words or actions alter the future too much, it may result in a paradox that backlashes against him, possibly driving him insane or ripping apart reality. As a result, his warnings and actions tend to cryptic or limited in immediate utility.
    • In the comments in the RPG rulebook, Harry muses that he expects Rashid would answer like this even if you asked him something as mundane as "What would you like on your pizza?"
  • Dark Is Not Evil: He goes around in a Black Cloak with a deep hood, but seems to be a pretty decent guy.
  • Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep": He's referred to as "the Gatekeeper" much more than "Rashid."
  • Eyepatch of Power: One of his eyes is replaced by a silver orb.
  • In the Hood
  • The Quiet One
  • Reasonable Authority Figure: Notably, even the Merlin defers to him where he'd back down to nobody else, and Rashid is perfectly willing to listen to Harry's explanations.
  • Secret Test of Character: To Harry in Summer Knight. Rashid also accepts personal responsibility and would have killed Harry on the spot if he failed the test, as it would have the same result in the long run.

Anastasia Luccio

The Commander of the Wardens, Morgan's teacher. Was forcibly transferred to a much younger woman's body by Corpsetaker in Dead Beat. Became briefly romantically involved with Harry over the events of Small Favor and Turn Coat. In Turn Coat, it was revealed that she was an unwilling mole in the White Council, as being transferred to a younger body made her less resistant to mind-altering magics.

  • Anti-Magic: She made the spell-cutting silver Warden swords, at least before her little accident.
  • Bi the Way: Outright said to be this when she was younger by Lara,who wastes no time asking whether she'd like to revisit old times
  • Brainwashed and Crazy: Mind-controlled by Peabody into killing LaFortier, and also was mind-controlled into being attracted to Harry in order for the traitor to keep tabs on him.
  • The Captain: The current commander of the Wardens, and her official title is "Captain."
  • Frickin' Laser Beams: Her choice of offensive spell is usually a needle-thin beam of pure intense heat that Harry eventually learns how to use in Changes. Luccio's is the superior version as Harry mentions right after using it that if it were used in the real world,he wasn't sure whether he could actually pull it off. Also when ever she uses it he always ends up gushing about much it conserves energy and how intense it is.
  • Grand Theft Me: How she ended up in her current body.
  • Kill It with Fire: See above
  • Lady of War
  • Magic Knight
  • Quickly-Demoted Woman: Subverted. Although she now is much less effective in combat, she retains her rank and uses her knowledge to good effect in a less-physical position. Plus "much less effective in combat" still leaves her capable of kicking a lot of ass.
  • Really Seven Hundred Years Old: Was born in the 1700s. Currently has the body of a twenty-five year old.
  • Weak but Skilled: By necessity. Ever since being transferred to her younger body, Luccio's talents have suffered as her new body doesn't have the potential for magic that her older one possessed. That being said, she is still incredibly powerful and a masterfully-skilled fighter, and makes use of her reduced talents to impressive effect. Even with a modest magical talent now, Luccio can produce deadly beams of precise energy or wide area-effect illusions. Harry states in Changes even with the obvious decrease in power he still wouldn't want to fight her.

Carlos Ramirez

The regional commander of the Wardens on the West Coast, barely out of his apprenticeship. He loves to make jokes about his own awesomeness and popularity with the ladies.

  • Badass: He has guts, and not only in combat situations; he called the Merlin senile to his face.
  • Big Brother Mentor: What Dresden is essentially to him, a wise, more powerful ally that isn't afraid of making fun of him.
  • The Casanova: Well, he says so, anyway.
  • Fire-Forged Friends
  • Have I Mentioned I Am Sexually Active Today?: He won't shut about his talents with the ladies. He's a virgin. Harry, naturally, finds this hilarious.
  • Improbable Age: There's no way he would hold the rank he does at his age if a) he wasn't really good, and b) most of the other Wardens hadn't gotten killed off in Dead Beat.
  • Kill It with Water: He uses water-based magic, as opposed to Harry's fire and force. Fun fact - in this universe, water-magic associated with entropy and "cleansing" and is capable of offensive disintegration
  • First-Name Basis: "Everyone else who lets me ride on their dinosaur calls me Carlos."
  • Hero of Another Story: Being the senior Warden and commander in Los Angeles, he sees almost as much action as Harry, on top of being an active participant in the war. In White Night, Harry notes that Ramirez's gear is as battered and battle-scarred as his own, despite the difference in age.
  • Leeroy Jenkins: In Changes. Made a well-intentioned but really poorly timed rebellion against authority, sending the White Council into chaos and ensuring that Harry was facing a The Only One situation.
  • Magic Knight
  • A Man Is Not a Virgin: Despite what he says, he's a virgin. He's still badass.
  • Ted Baxter: He really is pretty damn badass, but he's prone to making jokes about his prowess in everything that exaggerate it to the point of ridiculousness.
  • Tricked-Out Gloves: Wears a gauntlet with Olmec or Aztecan pictoglyphs to focus his water magic
  • Weak but Skilled: You don't need a lot of force with particle beams.
    • That, and almost everyone looks Weak but Skilled next to Harry "Powerhouse Slob" Dresden.
  • Weapon of Choice: Ramirez carries a Desert Eagle and a willow sword, with the latter being an Anti-Magic Warden blade.

Ancient Mai

Another member of the Senior Council. Dedicated to maintaining the appearance of stability in the White Council. Little else is known.

  • Cool Old Lady
  • Miniature Senior Citizens: Harry describes her as 'tiny'.
  • Never Mess with Granny: At one point in Turn Coat, Ancient Mai is observed with the toughest and most experienced Wardens available. One of them is holding her umbrella.
    • In that same scene, Harry lets a tiny detail slip, and Ancient Mai uses this information to effortlessly deduce several things about the situation, none of which are good for Harry. To quote Harry, "The only thing worse than scary is smart and scary."
  • Support Party Member: While she can probably kick a large amount of ass if required to,WordOfJim implies she is this to the Senior Council being less of a physical fighter.

Arthur Langtry, The Merlin

The leader of the White Council, and by extension the most powerful and skilled wizard alive. Unfortunately for Harry, he has taken a dislike to him as a rebellious upstart and possible warlock, and Harry in turn considers him a crotchety old man unable to come to terms with the changing world. Along with Morgan, he's one of the primary reasons for Harry's troubled relationship with the Council.

  • Badass Grandpa: Once held off an entire army of Red Court vampires and outsiders with one on-the-fly ward, preventing the complete destruction of the White Council and Wardens in a devastating ambush.
    • Also gave us the line:

Rashid, please move forward and prevent it from disintegrating me, if you please.

  • Big Good: While he rather dislikes Harry, and is generally a jerk, he seems almost singlemindedly devoted to protecting the world from the dangers of Black Magic and whatever monsters may threaten it.
  • Deadpan Snarker: "Egad Dresden, what gave you that idea?"
  • Enemy Mine: He doesn't like Harry at all. This didn't stop him from recognizing in Turn Coat that the guy who makes a living as a private investigator might have the best chance of rooting out The Mole.
  • Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep": Usually he's just "The Merlin."
  • Heel Face Turn: of a sort. In the earlier books Harry depicts him as Head-in-The-Sand Management, trying to avoid war with the Red Court vampires. By Changes, however, when Cristos' faction is pushing for peace, the Merlin is among those who recognizes that this really is going to be a war of annihilation, and he's determined to fight it through.
    • Fridge Brilliance sets in when you realize that with Peabody's mind-altering spells gone, Merlin's thinking a bit more clearly.
  • Jerkass: He was going to have Molly executed just to spite Harry and keep his mantle of authority unchallenged.
  • Knight Templar: In a quiet, politician-y way.
  • Let's Get Dangerous: The Merlin is initially seen by Harry only as a political schemer and power-grubber, but shows off some serious badassery in Dead Beat where he blocks the Red Court's (and that's "Court" as in "all of them") advance with a single, threshold-less on-the-fly ward. At the end of Turn Coat, the Merlin creates a ward to contain a malicious non-corporeal entity, formulates a battle-plan, adds 3D visual aids and telepathically communicates it to the 200 or so other wizards in the room. In 3 seconds. In pitch dark. Without losing his cool for an instant.
  • Obstructive Bureaucrat
  • Villains Out Shopping: More Jerkass than villain, but at one point Harry is a bit nonplussed by seeing The Merlin doing something as mundane as making a sandwich.

Martha Liberty

One of the members of the Senior Council, Liberty is an ally of Harry's, though rarely seen. Relatively little is known about her compared with other members of the Senior Council.

  • Reasonable Authority Figure: She's willing to listen to Harry and Ebenezar, and if her brief scene in Summer Knight is anything to go by, anyone who comes before her while she's acting as a judge.

Samuel Peabody

A clerical wizard with borderline obsessive-compulsive disorder, which makes him ideal for his job as the Council's senior paper-pusher. Records Council meetings and handles a wide range of extremely sensitive documents. Also, a member of the Black Council.

  • Almighty Janitor: His entire job involves pushing paper around and taking notes, making him a minor but important functionary. He's not a slouch in actual combat either; he's an effective combat wizard, a good hand with a knife, and a dangerous expert in mind-control magic.
  • Anti-Magic: Surprisingly adept at countering spells. He deflects most of Harry's spells while he's attempting to run him down.
  • The Dog Was the Mastermind: Important he might be, but he's still a very minor functionary.
  • Early-Bird Cameo: Peabody has made numerous minor appearances in earlier books, always as a minor background character. For example, he's the one who took notes on the Council meeting in Summer Knight, wrote Die Lied der Erlking, was present at Molly's trial in Proven Guilty, and so on.
  • Mind Control
  • Mind Rape
  • The Mole
  • Smug Snake
  • Your Head Asplode: In Turn Coat, Morgan double-taps him at point blank range. Not much is left.

Grigori Cristos

The newest member of the Senior Council, who forced the Merlin to appoint him lest he take roughly a third of the Council and secede from the whole. Ambitious, aggressive, and dangerous, Cristos has both Harry and Ebenezar convinced that he is an agent of the Black Council. Or just stupid.

Justin Du Morne

Harry's and Elaine's adoptive father, first mentor and Warden turned Warlock. He was raising Harry to become one of his enforcers but was killed in self-defense by Harry. He also took Bob after Kemmler's final death.

  • Evil Mentor: To Harry and Elaine
  • Mind Control: What he did to Elaine and planned to do to Harry.
  • Obviously Evil: In the RPG, Harry states that the fact that Du Morne only dressed in black silk and leather and carved the end of his staff into a cobra should have rung an alarm bell or two.
  • Parental Substitute: For Harry and Elaine
  • Pet the Dog: Giving Harry a baseball glove and playing catch with him.
    • Subverted for readers who remember how Harry got his shield training. Then it's just a depressing Call Forward.
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