Legendary

Jacks, otherwise known as the Prince of Hearts, takes on the role of Elantine’s Heir, which grants him power within the Empire. He is an immortal Fate, but Tella’s first impression of him is as an untidy royal who has “spent centuries practicing disinterest,” and she observes that “[e]ven his rumpled velvet tailcoat appeared bored as he lounged against the plush leather seats” (74). By invoking an impression of “centuries of disinterest,” Garber foreshadows Jacks’s developing role in the novel, hinting that he contains depths that render him far more significant than a spoiled nobleman. His character is further complicated when he reveals himself as Tella’s “friend,” the one who helped her and Scarlet escape their father and attend the previous Caraval in the first novel. Now, he demands the payment that Tella agreed to provide: Legend’s name. However, he also changes the terms and demands that Tella deliver Legend himself rather than just his identity. 

Garber also complicates Jacks’s role in the novel by providing him with aspects of multiple character archetypes. His primary role is that of the antagonist, for he forces Tella to act against the man she unwillingly loves, Dante/Legend. On a broader scale, Jacks’s goal is to release the other Fates so that they can all regain their full power and reclaim the world for themselves. On the surface, he professes not to care about anyone because he does not know how to love. However, this statement is not entirely accurate, because Tella becomes his weakness. Though he resists revealing his change in character, he betrays his romantic interest in Tella by acting out of passion rather than indifference, unwittingly falling in love with her and thereby losing his direct supernatural power over her.

Dante, also known as Legend, is the second of the two male main characters. He takes on the role of Elantine’s Lost Heir and becomes the ruler of the Empire after the empress dies. When Tella first sees Dante in the morning after their spontaneous romantic interlude, she describes his appearance as “a dark head of hair, bronzed skin, a scarred wrist, and a boy’s hand covered with a black rose tattoo” (12). Though all characters receive adequate descriptions, Garber describes Dante with a depth that foreshadows his role—in particular, his black rose tattoo foreshadows the revelation that he is the mysterious Legend who runs Caraval. Garber also complicates Dante’s character by bestowing a veneer of innocence upon him; the youthful hand does not inherently align with the true power that Legend possesses. Garber therefore implies that despite Dante’s immense power, he maintains a youthful innocence that encourages fun, and it is also possible that Dante remains naive despite his power and cannot see the world for what it truly is because he possesses the power to reshape the world as he desires for the purposes of Caraval.

Dante’s fantastical role imbues him with many attributes of the stereotypical magician, and he remains largely enigmatic throughout the novel. Dante secretly displays his power frequently, such as when he makes “the lost stars return” and “[dance] into new constellations” that form the “symbol of Caraval” (104). He has the power to change the world, but he is corrupt enough that others see him as a potential antagonist. This dynamic is revealed when Jacks asserts that if Legend gains complete control of the Fates’ power, he would be a worse villain than the Fates ever could be. However, Dante also displays characteristics of the Lover archetype. Although he endeavors to remain aloof, he responds to his passion for Tella and risks losing his goals for her sake.

Scarlet is Tella’s sister and a previous participant in Caraval. Garber explicitly states that Scarlet is “the overly cautious sister” (17). Her wary nature often manifests as she endeavors to protect Tella from Caraval’s wonders and from the looming threats of Elantine’s Heir. Because Scarlet is the protagonist of the first novel, Caraval, Garber takes little time to describe or develop her here.

Unlike the novel’s primary characters, Scarlet fulfills a simpler role in the overarching narrative of Legendary. Scarlet functions primarily as a caregiver, just as she did in Caraval when she made personal sacrifices to protect her sister. Now, she deals with Jacks to protect those she cares about and to seek out others whom she believes to have been wronged by Legend. Whereas Tella is adventurous and ambitious, Scarlet is content with a quieter life and minimal excitement. She has little personal ambition and only acts in others’ best interests. Despite her caregiving role, Scarlet still shows complex emotions, especially concerning specific characters, such as Legend, Jacks, and her mother—all of whom she believes to have wronged either herself or Tella in some way. Scarlet therefore embodies The Power of Familial and Romantic Relationships, for she cannot allow those who threaten or endanger her and her sister to go unchallenged.