Alexander "Alex" Rider is a
title character
The title character in a narrative work is one who is named or referred to in the title of the work. In a performed work such as a play or film, the performer who plays the title character is said to have the title role of the piëce. The title o ...
and the
protagonist
A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a ...
of the ''
Alex Rider
''Alex Rider'' is a series of spy novels by the English author Anthony Horowitz. The novels revolve around the teenaged spy Alex Rider and are primarily aimed towards young adults. The series comprises 14 novels, as well as seven graphic ...
'' novel series by
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies.
* British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
author
Anthony Horowitz
Anthony John Horowitz (born 5 April 1955) is an English novelist and screenwriter specialising in mystery and suspense. His works for children and young adult readers include the '' Alex Rider'' series featuring a 14-year-old British boy who spi ...
. He has also been featured in three
short stories
A short story is a piece of prose fiction. It can typically be read in a single sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the old ...
written by Horowitz based in the same
canon
Canon or Canons may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Canon (fiction), the material accepted as officially written by an author or an ascribed author
* Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture
** Western canon, th ...
as the series; ''
Secret Weapon'', ''
Christmas at Gunpoint'' and ''
Incident in Nice''.
Alex is a boy who works for
MI6
The Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), commonly known as MI6 ( Military Intelligence, Section 6), is the foreign intelligence service of the United Kingdom, tasked mainly with the covert overseas collection and analysis of human intelligenc ...
, the
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies.
* British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
international intelligence service. When fourteen years old, Alex was forced into this occupation after MI6 noticed Alex's many talents. He has not only worked for MI6, but also the
CIA
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA; ) is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States tasked with advancing national security through collecting and analyzing intelligence from around the world and ...
,
SCORPIA (in ''Scorpia''), and the
Australian Secret Intelligence Service
The Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS ) is the foreign intelligence agency of the Commonwealth of Australia, responsible for gathering, processing, and analysing national security information from around the world, primarily throug ...
(in ''Snakehead'').
In the film adaption of ''
Stormbreaker
''Stormbreaker'' is a young adult action-adventure book written by British author Anthony Horowitz and is the first novel in the ''Alex Rider'' series. The book was released in the United Kingdom on 4 September 2000, and in the United States ...
'', Alex Rider was portrayed by
Alex Pettyfer
Alexander Richard Pettyfer (born 10 April 1990) is an English actor and model. He appeared in school plays and on television before being cast as Alex Rider, the main character in the 2006 film version of '' Stormbreaker''. Pettyfer was nominat ...
, and in the
Amazon Prime
Amazon Prime (styled as prime) is a paid subscription service of Amazon which is available in many countries and gives users access to additional services otherwise unavailable or available at a premium to other Amazon customers. Services inclu ...
TV series
A television show, TV program (), or simply a TV show, is the general reference to any content produced for viewing on a television set that is broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, and cable, or distributed digitally on streaming platf ...
, he is portrayed by
Otto Farrant
Otto Farrant (born 13 November 1996) is an English actor. He is best known for his portrayal of the titular character in Amazon Prime's spy thriller series ''Alex Rider'' (2020–2024). He previously had supporting television roles in '' The Whi ...
.
Development
Horowitz came up with the idea for the series when he thought about creating a
teenage
Adolescence () is a transitional stage of human physical and psychological development that generally occurs during the period from puberty to adulthood (typically corresponding to the age of majority). Adolescence is usually associated with ...
equivalent of
James Bond
The ''James Bond'' franchise focuses on James Bond (literary character), the titular character, a fictional Secret Intelligence Service, British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels ...
.
He initially considered several possible names for the character before finally settling on Alex Rider. Rider's last name comes from the
Bond girl
A Bond girl is a character who is a love interest, female companion or (occasionally) an adversary of James Bond in a novel, film, or video game. Bond girls occasionally have names that are double entendres or sexual puns, such as Plenty O' ...
Honeychile Rider from the novel ''
Dr. No''.
Alex was originally to have had dark hair, but after Horowitz saw several surveys that said teenage girls preferred
blonde
Blond () or blonde (), also referred to as fair hair, is a human hair color characterized by low levels of eumelanin, the dark pigment. The resultant visible hue depends on various factors, but always has some yellowish color. The color can be ...
boys, he created him as fair haired instead.
About the character
Alex was born on February 13, 1987. The book series originally happens during 2001, making him fourteen. Before Alex became involved with MI6, he wanted to be a professional football player, but now is unsure of what he wants to do when he finishes school. Alex once joked that he wanted to be a train driver. He has stated many times that he is not interested in becoming a full-time MI6 agent.
Alex's
athletic talents greatly assist him during his missions many times: for example, in ''
Point Blanc
''Point Blanc'' is the second book in the ''Alex Rider'' series, written by British author Anthony Horowitz. The book was released in the United Kingdom on September 3, 2001 and in North America on April 15, 2002, under the alternate title ''P ...
'' he snowboards down a mountain on an
ironing board to escape Point Blanc Academy, in ''
Skeleton Key
A skeleton key (also known as a passkey) is a type of master keying, master key in which the serrated edge has been removed in such a way that it can open numerous Lock and key, locks, most commonly the warded lock. The term derives from th ...
'' he scuba dives into Skeleton Key, in ''
Scorpia'' he
base jump
BASE jumping () is the recreational sport of jumping from fixed objects, using a parachute to descend to the ground. BASE is an acronym that stands for four categories of fixed objects from which one can jump: buildings, antenna (radio), antenna ...
s into a factory, in ''
Ark Angel
''Ark Angel'' is the sixth book in the ''Alex Rider'' series written by British author Anthony Horowitz. The novel is a spy thriller which follows the attempt by the title character, Alex Rider, to stop the space hotel Ark Angel from destroyin ...
'' he walks between two apartment buildings on a
tightrope
Tightrope walking, also called funambulism, is the skill of walking along a thin wire or rope. It has a long tradition in various countries and is commonly associated with the circus. Other skills similar to tightrope walking include slack rope ...
and in ''
Snakehead'', he kayaks down a river on a makeshift kayak.
As the series progresses, Alex becomes more skilled at spying. He later pursues Damian Cray alone after MI6 refuse to investigate him, and is recruited by the CIA in the United States, and later by the ASIS in Australia although in each case only for specific missions.
Physical appearance
Alex is described as a boy with 'the body of an athlete'. He also has fair blonde hair and 'serious dark eyes', and weighs 110 pounds. He is also said to attract many girls.
Relationships
Jack Starbright
One of Alex's closest friends is
Jack Starbright. With his uncle having been away on secret missions for MI6 much of the time, Alex has spent a lot of time with Jack. Alex met Jack when she came from
America
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
to study law in London, and being employed by his uncle as a housekeeper and to watch over Alex, who was seven years old at the time. She has known Alex for seven years. After Ian died, Jack became Alex's guardian. Even though it was originally her job to care for Alex, they have grown attached and their relationship has become very personal. However, as Alex's MI6 life starts to take a toll on him, it also places somewhat of a strain on their relationship - Jack is always very worried and upset that Alex's life is constantly being put in danger. In ''
Scorpia Rising'', Jack learns that her father is sick and needs someone to look after him. Jack decides that she needs to tell Alex that she must leave in order to care for her father, but she first decides to accompany Alex to Egypt for his mission. After the two are captured by Razim's men, Jack comes to experience, for the first time, what it has been like for Alex on a mission. She attempts to escape, and nearly succeeds, but Razim is merely using her for his "measurement of pain" experiment, and has Julius Grief detonate a bomb on the Land Rover she is driving, killing her instantly. Alex's grief is enough to cause him to black out, and Razim "may even have to create a second scale of measurement" for the amount of emotional pain Alex felt. However, Jack is revealed to be alive in the following novel ''
Never Say Die'', as her death was faked by other members of Scorpia as part of their plans to set up a complex hostage situation involving taking a school bus of wealthy children prisoner, with Alex eventually managing to rescue her.
Sabina Pleasure
Throughout the novels,
Sabina Pleasure becomes one of Alex's closest friends. The two first met while working as
ball boys
Ball boys and ball girls, also known as ball kids, are individuals, usually human youths, but sometimes dogs, who retrieve and supply balls for players or officials in sports such as association football, American football, bandy, cricket, tenn ...
/girls at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships and they quickly became good friends. Sabina soon became suspicious when Alex had to leave the Championships early, and more so when Sabina saved Alex's life, and Alex then disappears on a mission for several weeks. Alex's constant disappearances place a real difficulty on their relationship, and when Sabina finally finds out the truth about Alex, things turn out differently for them. Alex's relationship with Sabina takes a turn during their first holiday in Cornwall, when the two share a slight kiss one night. The next day they went out for a surfing trip, when Alex is knocked out by a massive wave and Sabina gives him CPR. Sabina soon leaves
Britain
Britain most often refers to:
* Great Britain, a large island comprising the countries of England, Scotland and Wales
* The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, a sovereign state in Europe comprising Great Britain and the north-eas ...
to live in
America
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
. Although Alex suspects he will never see her again, she later sends him a card when Alex is in the hospital after being shot by a
sniper
A sniper is a military or paramilitary marksman who engages targets from positions of concealment or at distances exceeding the target's detection capabilities. Snipers generally have specialized training and are equipped with telescopic si ...
. She shows up at the end of ''
Snakehead'' to have dinner with him. She then invites him to celebrate New Year with her family in Scotland, where the plot of ''
Crocodile Tears'' begins and also shares another kiss with him, hinting that her feelings for him may still exist. In ''
Scorpia Rising'', Alex and Sabina are revealed to be in a relationship, and struggling with the long distance between them. At the end of the book, after the apparent death of Jack while on a mission in Egypt, Sabina's family become his new legal guardians. By the start of ''Never Say Die'', Alex and Sabina remain friends, but are no longer a couple as Sabina is now interested in a basketball player at her new school; in ''
Nightshade Revenge'', Sabina tells Alex that her family is moving back to London and she was never actually involved with the basketball player, implying that she wants to get back together with Alex.
Mrs. Lale "Tulip" Jones
When Alex first meets Alan Blunt,
Mrs. Jones is introduced as his deputy when she briefed him for his first mission. Mrs. Jones is very sympathetic to Alex, and offers reassurance when Alex is uneasy about what is required to do for his missions. She shows great concern for Alex's situation – often protesting that he is not to be used again, but all the while admitting that he is useful to MI6. She shows signs of great attachment to Alex, of an almost motherly kind. Mrs Jones also had two children which were taken from her, which could contribute to why she has so much sympathy for Alex. In
''Scorpia'', Alex breaks into her apartment with the intent of assassinating her, after Scorpia manipulate him into believing that she ordered the assassination of his father, but changes his mind at the last moment even without learning that she actually helped his father fake his death. She eventually takes over Blunt's job at the end of ''Scorpia Rising'', swearing that Alex will never return to MI6 again.
In ''Never Say Die'', Mrs. Jones meets Alex in France, where he has been flown by her Egyptian counterpart Colonel Manzour, on the hunch that Jack is (correctly) still alive. She believes that Alex is becoming addicted to danger, and tells him to stop. At the end of the novel, she tells Alex that if he wishes to be involved in missions, he can join; if he refuses of his own accord, she assures him that his wishes will be respected.
In ''Nightshade'', it is revealed that the two children Alex saw in the photograph in Mrs. Jones' apartment when he was sent to kill her in ''Scorpia'' are in fact her son and daughter, William and Sofia. She reveals that their father (and her husband, from whom she is estranged but not legally separated) was "Hans Meyer", a Russian deep cover agent disguised as a German writer; when Blunt told her of "Hans'" true allegiance, she telephoned him and told him that she knew. He fled the country, abducting William and Sofia (who were six and four, respectively) in the process. She believed that she had lost her children forever, until the assassination of MI6 agent "Pablo" in
Rio showed that Sofia was involved in the man's death; although she escaped, she was photographed. Alex goes undercover at the criminal group "Nightshade" in Crete, and discovers that William and Sofia, along with twenty-one other children, are the organisation's assassins. By the novel's end, Alex manages to reunite Sofia with her mother, for deprogramming, and Mrs. Jones hints that she may end up recruiting Alex to MI6 properly in the future. In ''Nightshade Revenge'', Alex is able to recover William as well, and at the end of the novel Mrs. Jones resigns from MI6 to look after her children, actively ending Alex's involvement with MI6.
Yassen Gregorovich
Alex first met the Russian contract killer who killed his uncle on Herod Sayle's ground during his mission in ''
Stormbreaker
''Stormbreaker'' is a young adult action-adventure book written by British author Anthony Horowitz and is the first novel in the ''Alex Rider'' series. The book was released in the United Kingdom on 4 September 2000, and in the United States ...
''. At the time, Alex originally vows to kill him. Later, during the events of ''
Eagle Strike'', it is revealed that Gregorovich worked with Alex's father John 15 years prior. When Gregorovich's hireling captures Alex, Gregorovich is able to arrange for Alex to do
bullfighting
Bullfighting is a physical contest that involves a bullfighter attempting to subdue, immobilize, or kill a bull, usually according to a set of rules, guidelines, or cultural expectations.
There are several variations, including some forms wh ...
instead of being shot directly, leading to Alex being able to escape. At the end of the novel, when Damian Cray (the man who hired Gregorovich) orders him to kill Alex, he refuses and is shot and killed. Before dying, Gregorovich tells Alex that he worked with his father and to go to Venice and find Scorpia to find his destiny.
Tom Harris
Tom Harris is Alex's best friend at Brookland High School, first introduced in ''Scorpia'', where he and Alex are on a school trip (UK edition) or holidaying by themselves in Venice (US edition). Tom's parents were going through an unpleasant divorce, and Tom was weary of their squabbling, so he went on the school trip as an escape, despite his lack of interest in actually visiting museums and other places that their teachers took them to (UK edition). In the US edition, he was invited to a holiday in Naples, Italy by his brother Jerry, and gladly accepted, bringing Alex along. In Venice he witnesses Alex stop a burglary, and creates a diversion which allows Alex to enter Casa'Vedova. Tom then becomes Alex's closest ally and confidant, learning about his friend's secret work for MI6 and aiding him further.
Tom's loyalty to Alex is unquestionable: in ''Crocodile Tears'', Tom helps Alex escape from Leonard Straik's guards, and covers for his friend during a roll call and his subsequent return to the group. In ''Scorpia Rising'', Tom is hit by a bullet (revealed to be a setup to get Alex to work for MI6 again), and in ''Nightshade'' Tom acts as go-between to Jack when Alex is on the run. In ''Nightshade Revenge'', Tom is abducted by Nightshade to coerce Alex into breaking their teenage operative Freddy Grey out of prison; Freddy then proceeds to execute Tom in front of Alex, driving Alex into a blind fury, although it is later revealed that Freddy secretly slipped Tom a piece of chest armor to absorb the bullet, implying and later revealing that Alex has successfully turned Freddy.
Appearances
Novels
*''
Stormbreaker
''Stormbreaker'' is a young adult action-adventure book written by British author Anthony Horowitz and is the first novel in the ''Alex Rider'' series. The book was released in the United Kingdom on 4 September 2000, and in the United States ...
'' (September 4, 2000)
*''
Point Blanc
''Point Blanc'' is the second book in the ''Alex Rider'' series, written by British author Anthony Horowitz. The book was released in the United Kingdom on September 3, 2001 and in North America on April 15, 2002, under the alternate title ''P ...
'' (September 3, 2001) (''Point Blank'' in the United States)
*''
Skeleton Key
A skeleton key (also known as a passkey) is a type of master keying, master key in which the serrated edge has been removed in such a way that it can open numerous Lock and key, locks, most commonly the warded lock. The term derives from th ...
'' (July 8, 2002)
*''
Eagle Strike'' (April 7, 2003)
*''
Scorpia'' (April 2, 2004)
*''
Ark Angel
''Ark Angel'' is the sixth book in the ''Alex Rider'' series written by British author Anthony Horowitz. The novel is a spy thriller which follows the attempt by the title character, Alex Rider, to stop the space hotel Ark Angel from destroyin ...
'' (April 1, 2005)
*''
Snakehead'' (October 31, 2007)
*''
Crocodile Tears'' (November 12, 2009)
*''
Scorpia Rising'' (April 5, 2011)
*''
Russian Roulette
Russian roulette () is a potentially lethal game of chance in which a player places a single round in a revolver, spins the cylinder, places the muzzle against the head or body (their opponent's or their own), and pulls the trigger. If the ...
'' (October 1, 2013)
*''
Never Say Die'' (June 1, 2017)
*''
Secret Weapon'' (April 4, 2019)
* ''
Nightshade
Solanaceae (), commonly known as the nightshades, is a family of flowering plants in the order Solanales. It contains approximately 2,700 species, several of which are used as agricultural crops, medicinal plants, and ornamental plants. Many me ...
'' (April 2, 2020)
* ''Nightshade Revenge'' (September 27, 2023)
Graphic novels
*''
Stormbreaker: The Graphic Novel'' (July, 2006 - UK) (October, 2006 - USA)
*''
Point Blanc: The Graphic Novel'' (September 2007 - UK) (December, 2007 - USA)
*''
Skeleton Key: The Graphic Novel'' (September 2009 - UK) Was released in USA
*''
Eagle Strike: The Graphic Novel'' (2011- UK) Was released in USA
*''
Scorpia: The Graphic Novel''
*''
Ark Angel: The Graphic Novel''
Supplementary books
*''Alex Rider: The Gadgets'' (October 17, 2005) (mentioned only)
Short stories
*''
Alex Rider: Secret Weapon'' (February 9, 2003)
*''
Alex Rider: Christmas at Gunpoint'' (January 1, 2007)
*''
Alex Rider: Incident in Nice'' (November 9, 2009)
Films
*''
Stormbreaker
''Stormbreaker'' is a young adult action-adventure book written by British author Anthony Horowitz and is the first novel in the ''Alex Rider'' series. The book was released in the United Kingdom on 4 September 2000, and in the United States ...
'' (July 21, 2006) (''Alex Rider: Operation Stormbreaker'' in North America)
Video games
*''
Alex Rider: Stormbreaker'' (September 25, 2006)
Film
In the 2006
''Stormbreaker'' film directed by
Geoffrey Sax
Geoffrey Sax (sometimes credited as Geoff Sax) is a British film and television director, who has worked on a variety of drama productions in both the United Kingdom and the United States.
Life and career
He began his directing career in the l ...
, Alex Rider is played by
Alex Pettyfer
Alexander Richard Pettyfer (born 10 April 1990) is an English actor and model. He appeared in school plays and on television before being cast as Alex Rider, the main character in the 2006 film version of '' Stormbreaker''. Pettyfer was nominat ...
, a
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies.
* British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
actor
An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...
. Pettyfer was chosen from 500 hopefuls for the role of Alex.
Pettyfer was fifteen years old at the time of the film's shooting, a year older than his character.
Anthony Horowitz
Anthony John Horowitz (born 5 April 1955) is an English novelist and screenwriter specialising in mystery and suspense. His works for children and young adult readers include the '' Alex Rider'' series featuring a 14-year-old British boy who spi ...
, who was the
screenwriter
A screenwriter (also called scriptwriter, scribe, or scenarist) is a person who practices the craft of writing for visual mass media, known as screenwriting. These can include short films, feature-length films, television programs, television ...
for the film as well as the author of the novels, recommended Pettyfer to play Alex Rider after seeing him in
Tom Brown's Schooldays
''Tom Brown's School Days'' (sometimes written ''Tom Brown's Schooldays'', also published under the titles ''Tom Brown at Rugby'', ''School Days at Rugby'', and ''Tom Brown's School Days at Rugby'') is a novel by Thomas Hughes, published in 18 ...
. Horowitz gave Pettyfer intense guidance on becoming the character of Alex Rider, expressing him and bringing his athletic talents, intellect and charm to the screen. Pettyfer undertook
martial arts
Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defence; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; ...
training with
Hong Kong
Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...
martial arts choreographer
Donnie Yen
Donnie Yen Chi-tan ( zh, c=甄子丹, p=Zhēn Zǐdān, j=, first=j; born 27 July 1963) is a Hongkongers, Hong Kong actor, filmmaker, martial artist, and action director. He is the recipient of various accolades, including three Golden Horse Fi ...
, as well as horseback riding.
Pettyfer did most of his own
stunts in the film, and underwent major physical preparation for the role.
Television series
In 2019, ''
Deadline Hollywood
''Deadline Hollywood'', commonly known as ''Deadline'' and also referred to as ''Deadline.com'', is an online news site founded as the news blog ''Deadline Hollywood Daily'' by Nikki Finke in 2006. It is updated several times a day, with en ...
'' reported that
Otto Farrant
Otto Farrant (born 13 November 1996) is an English actor. He is best known for his portrayal of the titular character in Amazon Prime's spy thriller series ''Alex Rider'' (2020–2024). He previously had supporting television roles in '' The Whi ...
would be playing the character in the upcoming
''Alex Rider'' television series, which was produced by
Eleventh Hour Films and
Sony Pictures Television
Sony Pictures Television Inc. (abbreviated as SPT) is an American television production company, production and broadcast syndication, distribution studio. Based at the Sony Pictures Studios complex in Culver City, California, it is a division o ...
.
During the production of the first series, Farrant was 22 years old while playing the high school-age character.
References
Sources
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
External links
*
*
Alex Rider at KidsReadsEvaluation of Alex Rider character*
Alex Pettyfer Interview about Alex RiderAnthony Horowitz/Alex Pettyfer interview"Riders On The Storm" - Alex Rider at Findarticles*
Article on Anthony Horowitz's views on Alex in an interview with Times Online
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rider, Alex
Alex Rider
Fictional characters with post-traumatic stress disorder
Fictional English people
Fictional karateka
Fictional MI6 agents
Literary characters introduced in 2000
Male characters in film
Male characters in literature
Orphan characters in literature
Orphan characters in television
Teenage characters in film
Teenage characters in literature