Carl Conrad Coreander
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There are many characters in the 1979 novel ''
The Neverending Story ''The Neverending Story'' () is a fantasy novel by German writer Michael Ende, published in 1979. The first English translation, by Ralph Manheim, was published in 1983. It was later adapted into a film series and a television series. Plot T ...
'' by
Michael Ende Michael Andreas Helmuth Ende (12 November 1929 – 28 August 1995) was a German writer of fantasy and children's fiction. He is known for his epic fantasy '' The Neverending Story'' (with its 1980s film adaptation and a 1995 animated television ...
and its film and television adaptations.


Bastian Balthazar Bux

Bastian Balthazar Bux is described as a lonely boy, about 10 or 12 years old, who is raised by his father and still mourning the sudden death of his mother (she died of an unspecified illness). He is considered a dreamer, who is shunned by other children due to his immense imagination. During a visit to an antique bookstore, he steals a curious-looking book titled ''The Neverending Story'', and upon reading it finds himself drawn into the story. Halfway through the book, Bastian becomes a character in ''The Neverending Story'', in a world called Fantastica (also called "Fantasia" in the films). As the story progresses, Bastian slowly loses his memories of the real world as his wishes carry him throughout Fantastica and change him into a different person. Deluded by the witch Xayide, Bastian moves to the Ivory Tower and tries to have himself proclaimed Emperor. The ceremony is interrupted by Atreyu, who is nearly killed by Bastian. Eventually, Bastian realizes that he is beginning to lose himself, and starts a desperate quest for his one true desire. In the end, he forgets his name. With the help of Falkor and Atreyu, he manages to return to the human world with the capability of loving, and brings the Water of Life to his father, curing him of his melancholy. Bastian and Coreander exchange tales of their adventures in Fantastica, and Coreander reveals that a person can return to Fantastica as many times as they can think of new names for the benevolent Childlike Empress. In the
Hallmark A hallmark is an official Mark (sign), mark or series of marks struck on items made of metal, mostly to certify the content of noble metals—such as platinum, gold, silver and in some nations, palladium. In a more general sense, the term ''Wikti ...
miniseries ''Tales from the Neverending Story'', it is mentioned to Xayide, by the Great Turtle (Morla), that Bastian is not the only chosen one. The identity of the other child remains unclear throughout the remainder of the series, until Bastian is tricked upon rereading a chapter (after Xayide had caused her own demise by reading from the book) by his classmate Fallon, with whom he had started to bond. Thus, he finds out that Fallon is the other "Chosen One". Bastian has been portrayed by five different actors: * 1984:
Barret Oliver Barret Spencer Oliver (born August 24, 1973) is an American photographer and a former child actor. He is best known for his role as Bastian Balthazar Bux in the film adaptation of Michael Ende's novel '' The Neverending Story'', followed by roles ...
in ''
The NeverEnding Story ''The Neverending Story'' () is a fantasy novel by German writer Michael Ende, published in 1979. The first English translation, by Ralph Manheim, was published in 1983. It was later adapted into a film series and a television series. Plot T ...
'' * 1990:
Jonathan Brandis Jonathan Gregory Brandis (April 13, 1976 – November 12, 2003) was an American actor. Beginning his career as a child model, Brandis moved on to acting in commercials and subsequently won television and film roles. Brandis made his acting debut ...
in '' The NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter'' (J. Michael Haney, Jr. as Young Bastian) * 1994: Jason James Richter in '' The NeverEnding Story III'' * 1995: Christopher Bell provided the voice of the character in ''
The Neverending Story ''The Neverending Story'' () is a fantasy novel by German writer Michael Ende, published in 1979. The first English translation, by Ralph Manheim, was published in 1983. It was later adapted into a film series and a television series. Plot T ...
'' animated series * 2001:
Mark Rendall Mark Rendall (born October 21, 1988) is a Canadian film, television and voice actor whose roles include the lead in the 2004 film, '' Childstar'' and Mick in season 1 of the Canadian television drama series ''ReGenesis''. He played Bastian Bux i ...
in ''
Tales from the Neverending Story ''Tales from the Neverending Story'' is a single-season TV series that is loosely based on Michael Ende's 1979 novel ''The Neverending Story'', produced (in Montreal, Quebec, Canada between December 2000 and August 2002) and distributed by Muse En ...
''


Atreyu

Atreyu (German spelling: Atréju) is the protagonist of the mysterious book that Bastian reads. He is a young green-skinned warrior from the Grassy Plain. His parents were killed by a Purple
Buffalo Buffalo most commonly refers to: * True buffalo or Bubalina, a subtribe of wild cattle, including most "Old World" buffalo, such as water buffalo * Bison, a genus of wild cattle, including the American buffalo * Buffalo, New York, a city in the n ...
soon after he was born, and his entire village raised him. His name means "son of all" in his native language. He is summoned by the Childlike Empress to save the land of Fantasia by finding a cure for her illness and given AURYN, an amulet that makes whoever wears it the Childlike Empress'
herald A herald, or a herald of arms, is an officer of arms, ranking between pursuivant and king of arms. The title is commonly applied more broadly to all officers of arms. Heralds were originally messengers sent by monarchs or noblemen ...
. During the quest to find a cure, he meets Falkor the luckdragon, who becomes his steed after the death of his horse Artax. Bastian, reading Atreyu's story in the real world, experiences everything Atreyu does; this proves Fantasia's solution and the Empress' cure, in bringing Bastian to Fantasia to give the Empress a new name. Atreyu plays a prominent role in the second half of the novel, as Bastian travels Fantasia far and wide as its savior. They quickly become friends, but as Bastian continues to use AURYN, he becomes arrogant and gradually loses his memories. When Bastian has lost even his name, Atreyu and Falkor offer favorable testimony to the powers in AURYN, who allow Bastian's return to the human world. With their friendship restored, Atreyu promises to finish the stories Bastian has begun in Fantasia. In the 1984 film ''
The Neverending Story ''The Neverending Story'' () is a fantasy novel by German writer Michael Ende, published in 1979. The first English translation, by Ralph Manheim, was published in 1983. It was later adapted into a film series and a television series. Plot T ...
'', the character of Atreyu is played by
Noah Hathaway Noah Leslie Hathaway (born November 13, 1971) is an American actor and a former teen idol. He is best known for his roles as Atreyu in the 1984 film ''The NeverEnding Story (film), The NeverEnding Story'' and for portraying Boxey on the original t ...
. His skin is ultimately not olive green as described in the novel; though it was attempted to do this through makeup, it never made it to the final production. As such, his people were ultimately called the Plains People instead of Greenskins. The character returns in '' The NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter'', played by
Kenny Morrison Kenny Morrison is an American actor, who began his career as a child actor. Morrison took over the role of Atreyu in '' The NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter''. His first role was as Tom McKaskel in the TV movie '' The Quick and the Dead'', ...
. In the 1995 animated show ''
The Neverending Story ''The Neverending Story'' () is a fantasy novel by German writer Michael Ende, published in 1979. The first English translation, by Ralph Manheim, was published in 1983. It was later adapted into a film series and a television series. Plot T ...
'', Atreyu (voiced by
Dominic Zamprogna Dominic Zamprogna (, ; born April 21, 1979) is a Canadian television actor and voice artist. He is perhaps best known for his roles on the television series '' Edgemont'', ''Battlestar Galactica'' and ''General Hospital''. Early life Zamprogna w ...
) has a younger sister named Saiya (voiced by Ashley Taylor Tickell) and his outward appearance has been patterned after Noah Hathaway from the first film, although this version has green skin like his novel version. In the 2001
Hallmark Channel Hallmark Channel is an American cable television network owned by Hallmark Media, a subsidiary of Hallmark Cards. The channel broadcasts family-oriented general entertainment programming, including television series and made-for-TV movies. ...
miniseries In the United States, a miniseries or mini-series is a television show or series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. Many miniseries can also be referred to, and shown, as a television film. " Limited series" is ...
, ''
Tales from the Neverending Story ''Tales from the Neverending Story'' is a single-season TV series that is loosely based on Michael Ende's 1979 novel ''The Neverending Story'', produced (in Montreal, Quebec, Canada between December 2000 and August 2002) and distributed by Muse En ...
'', he is portrayed by
Tyler Hynes Tyler Hynes is a Canadian actor. Early life Hynes was born in Toronto, Ontario, and grew up on a ranch outside Ottawa. He began acting professionally at the age of eight. Career Hynes got his professional start at the age of eight during a 7 ...
and the character's people are called the Woodland People. He is shown to have a romantic relationship with a young aviator called "Fly Girl", and to be something of a village innocent.


Carl Conrad Coreander

Carl Conrad Coreander (German spelling: Karl Konrad Koreander) is a cantankerous bookseller; Bastian finds and steals ''The Neverending Story'' from his store. The novel states that Mr. Coreander is one of the few humans who has been to Fantasia and returned. He and Bastian come to a better understanding and share stories of their adventures with each other. Coreander is portrayed by Thomas Hill in the first film, and was the only actor who reprised his role in the second film; in the third film, he is played by
Freddie Jones Frederick Charles Jones''Births, Marriages & Deaths Index of England & Wales, 1916-2005.''; at ancestry.com (12 September 1927 – 9 July 2019) was an English actor who had an extensive career in television, theatre and cinema productions for ...
. In the cartoon series, Coreander is voiced by
Chris Wiggins Christopher John Wiggins (January 13, 1931 – February 19, 2017) was a Canadian actor. Career Wiggins was born January 13, 1931, in Blackpool, England. He started out as a banker in his home country before he began his acting career in Canada ...
. In the 2001 television series, ''
Tales from the Neverending Story ''Tales from the Neverending Story'' is a single-season TV series that is loosely based on Michael Ende's 1979 novel ''The Neverending Story'', produced (in Montreal, Quebec, Canada between December 2000 and August 2002) and distributed by Muse En ...
'', portrayed by John Dunn-Hill, he functions in a double role as a wizard in Fantasia wherein he is called "the Curiosity". In the third film, his wife Mrs. Coreander appears, portrayed by Shirley Broderick.


The Childlike Empress

The Childlike Empress (German: Die Kindliche Kaiserin) is the monarch of Fantasia, who resides in the capitol called the Ivory Tower (German: ''der Elfenbeinturm'') in the heart of the realm. Although she is nominally the ruler of Fantasia, she rarely interacts with the outside world. Should she die, Fantasia and all Fantasians would cease to exist. The amulet known as AURYN is her emblem, and those who wear it are her representatives. As explained by Morla the Aged One, her lifetime is not measured in years, but by names, which only the imagination of a human child can give her. When she begins to need a new name, she begins to fade away, causing the Nothing to appear in Fantasia. She sends Atreyu on the Great Quest, which brings Bastian to Fantasia, and Bastian gives her the name of Moon Child, which restores Fantasia. The Empress' description is that of an indescribably beautiful young girl, appearing no older than ten, yet much older than the oldest Fantasians. Her hair is snow-white, as is her gown, and her eyes are the color of gold, earning her the title Golden-Eyed Commander of Wishes. The role was portrayed by
Tami Stronach Tami Stronach (born July 31, 1972) is an actor, dancer, filmmaker, and professor. A childhood performance as the Childlike Empress in the 1984 film ''The NeverEnding Story'' led to a record deal and music video in Germany. After receiving in ...
in
Wolfgang Petersen Wolfgang Petersen (14 March 1941 – 12 August 2022) was a German film and television director, screenwriter, and producer. His international breakthrough was the 1981 war film (1981), which earned him Academy Award nominations for Best Directo ...
's 1984 adaptation, by
Alexandra Johnes Alexandra Johnes (born December 3, 1976) is an American documentary film producer and former actress. As a producer, Johnes is known for films including '' The Square'', '' Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson'', and '' Doubletime ...
in '' The NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter'' (1990) and by
Julie Cox Julie Cox is an English actress. She played Princess Irulan in the Sci Fi Channel's 2000 miniseries ''Frank Herbert's Dune'' and its 2003 sequel, ''Frank Herbert's Children of Dune''. She also played The Childlike Empress in '' The Neverendi ...
(apparently as an adolescent) in '' The NeverEnding Story III'' (1994). In the films, her hair is dark, rather than white, and in the first film, she is dressed like a bride. In the 1995 cartoon series, the Childlike Empress has golden hair, wears a green gown, and is voiced by
Lisa Yamanaka Lisa Jai Yamanaka is a Canadian actress. She is known as the voice of Wanda Li in ''The Magic School Bus'' and Yoko in ''Timothy Goes to School''. Yamanaka is also known for her work on ''Babar'' and ''Resident Evil 2''. She is also credited as Li ...
. The episode "Missing Memories" reveals that the Empress is essentially the equivalent of the
Fisher King The Fisher King (; ; ; ) is a figure in Arthurian legend, the last in a long line of British kings tasked with guarding the Holy Grail. The Fisher King is both the protector and physical embodiment of his lands, but a wound renders him impoten ...
to Fantasia; when Xayide finds crystals representing the Empress's memories in the Minroud Mine, shattering these crystals not only removes the Empress's memory of the subject depicted, but erases them from Fantasia itself. After Bastian drives Xayide out of the Mine before she can shatter the Empress's memory of him, he restores the Empress's memories by telling her of his own memories of Fantasia. In the 2001 television series ''
Tales from the Neverending Story ''Tales from the Neverending Story'' is a single-season TV series that is loosely based on Michael Ende's 1979 novel ''The Neverending Story'', produced (in Montreal, Quebec, Canada between December 2000 and August 2002) and distributed by Muse En ...
'', the Empress, again depicted with dark hair, was played by Audrey Gardiner. In the series, she is a sister to Xayide, a ruler of Dark City.


The Nothing

The Nothing is a supernatural force who appears in the novel ''The Neverending Story'' and its adaptations. The Nothing is described as a formless entity that is composed of human negative emotions (such as disillusionment, disbelief and humans' lack of imagination) in the real world and as a result the entity negates the existence of things and people in Fantasia. While the novel describes him as a formless being, the film adaptation depicts him as a raging storm. The Nothing employs his servant named Gmork to kill the boy who searches the cure for Childlike Empress. The Nothing engulfs Fantasia, but is recreated by Bastian after giving the new name for Childlike Empress and the Nothing is dispelled for good. In the 1995
animated series An animated series, or a cartoon series, is a set of Animation, animated films with a common title, usually related to one another. These episodes typically share the same main heroes, some different secondary characters and a basic theme. Series ...
, the Nothing is combined with Gmork and is depicted as a black hole with evil red eyes. In the 2001 live-action TV series, ''
Tales from the Neverending Story ''Tales from the Neverending Story'' is a single-season TV series that is loosely based on Michael Ende's 1979 novel ''The Neverending Story'', produced (in Montreal, Quebec, Canada between December 2000 and August 2002) and distributed by Muse En ...
'', the Nothing appears as a weapon in the chest that is used by the sorceress Xayide, who uses it to erase the places in the Fantasia, and transform its people into brainwashed Drones.


Engywook and Urgl

Engywook (German: Engywuck) and his wife Urgl are a quarrelsome pair of
gnome A gnome () is a mythological creature and diminutive spirit in Renaissance magic and alchemy, introduced by Paracelsus in the 16th century and widely adopted by authors, including those of modern fantasy literature. They are typically depict ...
s who live close to the Southern Oracle. Engywook is a research
scientist A scientist is a person who Scientific method, researches to advance knowledge in an Branches of science, area of the natural sciences. In classical antiquity, there was no real ancient analog of a modern scientist. Instead, philosophers engag ...
who has studied the Southern Oracle and her three gates for most of his life but has never entered any. His wife Urgl often gets in his way while brewing potions in a large cauldron for healing wounded people. Engywook can observe the Riddle Gate, also known as the Sphinxes, from his telescope on a hilltop overlooking the first gate. In the book, Urgl removes poison from Atreyu and Engywook instructs him about the three gates that lead to the Southern Oracle. This scene is portrayed in the 1984 film. In the first film, Engywook is played by
Sydney Bromley Sidney Charles Bromley (24 July 1909 – 14 August 1987GRO Register of Deaths: AUG 1987 18 2293 WORTHING - Sydney Charles Bromley DoB = 24 Jul 1909 aged 78), credited as Sydney Bromley, was an English character actor. He appeared in more than s ...
and Urgl is played by
Patricia Hayes Patricia Lawlor Hayes (22 December 1909 – 19 September 1998) was an English character actress. She is best known for playing the titular Edna in the ''Play for Today'', ''Edna, the Inebriate Woman'' (1971), for which she won the British Ac ...
. In the third film of the series, Engywook (played by
Tony Robinson Sir Anthony Robinson (born 15 August 1946) is an English actor, author, broadcaster, and political activist. He played Baldrick in the BBC television sitcom ''Blackadder'' and has presented many historical documentaries, including the Channel ...
) and Urgl (played by
Moya Brady Moya Brady (born 8 September 1962) is an English actress. Her roles include Breda McQueen on the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'' from 2018 to 2020. Brady grew up in the seaside town of Blackpool, Lancashire, England. She has appeared in a ...
) have moved to a forest and still argue continuously. The house is stepped on by Bastian during his return trip to Fantasia, although it is then completely destroyed by the Nasties. The two go with Bastian, Falkor, and Bark Troll to find the Empress for help, but are stranded on Earth and arrive in
Alaska Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...
, where they mail themselves to the others and return home, their house rebuilt. In the 1995 cartoon series, Engywook and Urgl are voiced by
Wayne Robson Wayne Robson (April 29, 1946 – April 4, 2011) was a Canadian television, stage, voice, and film actor known for playing the part of Mike Hamar, an ex-convict and sometime thief, on the Canadian sitcom '' The Red Green Show'' from 1993 to 2006, ...
and
Barbara Bryne Barbara Bryne (1 April 1929 – 2 May 2023) was a British-American actress of film, theatre and television. Onstage she appeared in comedy, dramatic and musical production of Broadway and studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA). Li ...
.


Falkor

Falkor (German: ) is a companion of Atreyu and Bastian. He is the only Luck
Dragon A dragon is a Magic (supernatural), magical legendary creature that appears in the folklore of multiple cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but European dragon, dragons in Western cultures since the Hi ...
(German: ) to appear, although five others are mentioned in passing. He helps Atreyu find a cure for the Empress after escaping the web of Ygramul the Many. The original name is derived from the Japanese . It was changed in the English translation because the pronunciation of the original name is similar to the English f-word when Americans try to pronounce it. Personality-wise, Falkor is optimistic, friendly, dignified, helpful, and wise, trying to help Bastian remember to "never give up and good luck will find you". Falkor appears much like a
Chinese dragon The Chinese dragon or loong is a legendary creature in Chinese mythology, Chinese folklore, and Chinese culture generally. Chinese dragons have many animal-like forms, such as Bixi (mythology), turtles and Chiwen, fish, but are most commonly ...
but whereas on the cover of the book, Dan Craig illustrated Falkor as
lion The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'', native to Sub-Saharan Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body (biology), body; a short, rounded head; round ears; and a dark, hairy tuft at the ...
-like; in the 1984
film adaptation A film adaptation transfers the details or story of an existing source text, such as a novel, into a feature film. This transfer can involve adapting most details of the source text closely, including characters or plot points, or the original sou ...
of the novel, Falkor is
dog The dog (''Canis familiaris'' or ''Canis lupus familiaris'') is a domesticated descendant of the gray wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it was selectively bred from a population of wolves during the Late Pleistocene by hunter-gatherers. ...
-like with white fur, pearly white scales that glitter pink,
ruby Ruby is a pinkish-red-to-blood-red-colored gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum ( aluminium oxide). Ruby is one of the most popular traditional jewelry gems and is very durable. Other varieties of gem-quality corundum are called sapph ...
-colored eyes, and is pleased by affectionate scratchings behind his ear. Luckdragons possess neither immense physical strength nor great magical talents, though they can exhale blue fire. Their only distinctive ability is incredible luck in everything they do, as shown when Falkor locates and rescues his companion after being lost in a violent, blinding storm. Luckdragons never stop drawing air and heat through their scales, which makes eating unnecessary and makes submersion in water deadly to them. Luckdragons are capable of sleeping while flying and prefer to occupy as much open space as possible. Falkor is wise, optimistic, dignified, and a friendly sophisticated being from Fantasia. He gives advice to people when they have lost hope in many things they set out to do whether in a quest for what they seek or in some cases people and beings have given up altogether and lost faith. Mostly during the Nothing's destruction of Fantasia, he helps Atreyu along the way of his quest to stop The Nothing. Falkor's attitude purely comes from his heart, and his openness to making friends means a lot to everyone he encounters, into which Falkor in return treasures every friendship he has. Falkor only makes enemies of those who threaten his friends or Fantasia. The only thing in Fantasia known to have been hostile to Falkor is Gmork. He does not like to be alone, preferring close company with friends he knows will not betray his open heart. He watches and shelters the injured, as he did Atreyu after rescuing him from the Swamps of Sadness. In the first film, Falkor is voiced by
Alan Oppenheimer Alan Oppenheimer (born April 23, 1930) is an American actor. He has performed numerous roles on live action television since the 1960s and has had an active career doing voice work since the 1970s. Early life Oppenheimer was born in New York ...
. In the second, he is voiced by an uncredited Donald Arthur. In the third film, he is portrayed by Gord Robertson and voiced by
William Hootkins William Michael Hootkins (July 5, 1948 – October 23, 2005) was an American actor. He was best known for supporting roles in Hollywood blockbusters such as ''Star Wars'', ''Raiders of the Lost Ark'', and ''Batman''. Early life Hootkins was born ...
. In the cartoon series, Falkor is voiced by Howard Jerome. In the episode "To Save Falkor" he becomes sick due to Bastian's cold, forcing Bastian to find a cure before he fades away. It was noted in "The Race for the Ivory Tower" that Falkor was forbidden to take part in The Race because his exceptional speed and luck would be too unfair to the other competitors. In the TV series ''
Tales from the Neverending Story ''Tales from the Neverending Story'' is a single-season TV series that is loosely based on Michael Ende's 1979 novel ''The Neverending Story'', produced (in Montreal, Quebec, Canada between December 2000 and August 2002) and distributed by Muse En ...
'', one Luckdragon appears in the episode where he delivers supplies to the Tatterdemalions. When Atreyu finds Luckdragon crashing in the snow, he discovers that the Luckdragon is actually an aircraft piloted by a woman named Fly Girl, who was searching for Falkor, the actual Luckdragon who disappeared decades ago. The real Falkor is later revealed to be a prisoner in the Dark City by Xayide, but he is later freed by Atreyu and Fly Girl. In contrast to the novel and its adaptations, Falkor does not speak in the series. Bavaria Film Studios retains a "side view Falkor" which tourists can climb and ride. The prop is the last remaining version of Falkor from the original film and was used for blue-screen side angle shots.


Gmork

Gmork is the servant of the power behind the Nothing. He is a
werewolf In folklore, a werewolf (), or occasionally lycanthrope (from Ancient Greek ), is an individual who can shapeshifting, shapeshift into a wolf, or especially in modern film, a Shapeshifting, therianthropic Hybrid beasts in folklore, hybrid wol ...
(German: ''Werwolf'') and his appearance in the book is that of a large,
wolf The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the grey wolf or gray wolf, is a Canis, canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of Canis lupus, subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, includin ...
-like creature with night-black fur and capable of human speech, but the film gives him blue-black fur and luminous green
cat The cat (''Felis catus''), also referred to as the domestic cat or house cat, is a small domesticated carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species of the family Felidae. Advances in archaeology and genetics have shown that the ...
-like eyes, as well as more fangs than an ordinary wolf would have. He, and other dual-natured creatures like him, are able to travel between worlds, changing into a Fantastican or a human depending upon the world. Atreyu finally meets Gmork in Spook City, where he is chained, and Atreyu employs the name Nobody to hide his identity in shame of his failure to complete his quest. Gmork confesses that he has been hunting a boy sent on a quest by the Childlike Empress to find her a new name, but lost him early on. He then met the Princess of Darkness, Gaya, who upon hearing of his mission to help the Nothing, chained Gmork with an unbreakable chain and leapt into the Nothing, leaving him to starve. Gmork explains to Atreyu the nature of the Nothing, and that a Fantastican who enters it, must become a lie in the human world. Eventually, Gmork reveals the name of the boy he is pursuing, and Atreyu reveals his identity, which causes Gmork to laugh until he finally succumbs to starvation. As Atreyu approaches the dead wolf, the carcass grabs Atreyu in its jaws, which, ironically, prevents Atreyu from succumbing to the overpowering urge exerted by the Nothing to throw himself into it. He is freed from Gmork's grip by Falkor, who escapes with him to the Ivory Tower. In the film, Gmork almost manages to kill Atreyu in the Swamps of Sadness, but Atreyu is saved by Falkor. Their meeting in Spook City occurs in the film as well, where Gmork attacks Atreyu, impaling himself on an improvised stone knife held by the young warrior. In the cartoon series, Gmork has a
werewolf In folklore, a werewolf (), or occasionally lycanthrope (from Ancient Greek ), is an individual who can shapeshifting, shapeshift into a wolf, or especially in modern film, a Shapeshifting, therianthropic Hybrid beasts in folklore, hybrid wol ...
-like appearance and is voiced by
Don Francks Don Harvey Francks (February 28, 1932 – April 3, 2016), also known by his stage name Iron Buffalo, was a Canadian actor, musician and singer. Early life Don Harvey Francks was born on February 28, 1932, and was adopted shortly after his bir ...
. In the Hallmark mini-series ''
Tales from the Neverending Story ''Tales from the Neverending Story'' is a single-season TV series that is loosely based on Michael Ende's 1979 novel ''The Neverending Story'', produced (in Montreal, Quebec, Canada between December 2000 and August 2002) and distributed by Muse En ...
'', portrayed by Edward Yankie, Gmork is a shapeshifter in the service of Xayide. He also has the ability to travel between worlds. In fact, at the beginning of the series, he causes the death of Bastian's mother, Laura Mackenzie Bux, under the appearance of red-eyed Groenendael (a variety of a
Belgian Shepherd The Belgian Shepherd (), also known as the Belgian Sheepdog () or the Chien de Berger Belge, is a Belgian breed of herding dog of medium size. It is bred in four distinct varieties based on coat type and colour: the long-haired black Groenen ...
). Later on, he assumes the identity of Mr. Blank, a substitute teacher in Bastian's school. When in Fantasia, Gmork does mostly take on the form of a human with canine features. His role also changes from more menacing at the beginning to that of more comical underling, after being punished by Xayide for his inability to steal the book from Bastian. At the end of the series, he is assumed to be shot with an arrow by Atreyu, but his fate remains unclear.


Grograman

Grograman (German: Graógramán), also known as The Many Colored Death (German: Der Bunte Tod), is the guardian of Goab, the Desert of Colors, which exists in a
symbiosis Symbiosis (Ancient Greek : living with, companionship < : together; and ''bíōsis'': living) is any type of a close and long-term biological interaction, between two organisms of different species. The two organisms, termed symbionts, can fo ...
with Perilin the Night Forest. He appears in the form of a huge
lion The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'', native to Sub-Saharan Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body (biology), body; a short, rounded head; round ears; and a dark, hairy tuft at the ...
, who changes colors to suit the color of sand under his feet and changes all life around him into sand. Grograman turns into an
obsidian Obsidian ( ) is a naturally occurring volcanic glass formed when lava extrusive rock, extruded from a volcano cools rapidly with minimal crystal growth. It is an igneous rock. Produced from felsic lava, obsidian is rich in the lighter element ...
statue at night to allow the growth of Perilin. Grograman is the first creature Bastian meets upon his arrival in Fantastica. Bastian is protected from the effect of Grograman's death aura by Auryn and is thus the first living being ever to make friends with him. Grograman is the first one who teaches Bastian something of the nature of Fantastica and he gives Bastian his magic sword Sikanda. One night, Bastian is called away. He promises to return but is ultimately unable to keep his promise. In the animated series, Grograman (voiced by Gary Krawford) is a fire lion who burns down Perilin to protect Fantastica from being overrun by its roots and branches. He is later captured by Xayide and freed by Bastian.


Morla

Morla, also known as The Ancient One (German: Die Uralte), is a giant
turtle Turtles are reptiles of the order (biology), order Testudines, characterized by a special turtle shell, shell developed mainly from their ribs. Modern turtles are divided into two major groups, the Pleurodira (side necked turtles) and Crypt ...
who lives in the Swamps of Sadness: as the oldest living Fantastican, she has grown indifferent to the fate of Fantastica and her own survival. Reluctantly, she informs Atreyu that the Empress needs a new name and points Atreyu to the Southern Oracle. In the book and film, Morla has an allergy to youth (Atreyu) and sneezes violently in his presence. The film's version also knows nothing about the illness of the Empress but sends Atreyu directly to the Southern Oracle. Robert Easton voiced her character in the 1984 film. In the cartoon series, Morla is voiced by
Pam Hyatt Pamela "Pam" Hyatt (born April 9, 1936) is an American-born Canadian actress. Career Pam is best known for voicing Noble Heart Horse in 1986's '' The Care Bears Movie II: A New Generation'' and the voice of Kaede in the English version of '' I ...
. In the TV series ''
Tales from the Neverending Story ''Tales from the Neverending Story'' is a single-season TV series that is loosely based on Michael Ende's 1979 novel ''The Neverending Story'', produced (in Montreal, Quebec, Canada between December 2000 and August 2002) and distributed by Muse En ...
'', Morla is voiced by Robert Jadah.


The Old Man of Wandering Mountain

The Old Man of Wandering Mountain (German: Der Alte vom Wandernden Berge) is an elderly chronicler (German: ''Chronist'') whose chronicle contains all events in Fantastica. He lives alone in an egg-shaped home on top of the Wandering Mountain, which can be found only by chance or fate. The Old Man appears in the story when the Childlike Empress is forced to use drastic measures to make Bastian fulfill his part in the story. As she approaches his mountain, the Old Man tries to dissuade her from entering to the point of insulting her. On her request, the Old Man reads from his chronicle (starting with Bastian entering the bookstore). As he reads, all events happen again and as they happen again, he writes them down again beginning a vicious circle of eternal repetition which drives Bastian into calling out the Empress' new name. It is told in the book (Atreyu says it) that the Old Man is from the same nature of the Childlike Empress (whatever this nature is, nobody knows and is never explained) because he is the opposite of her in everything (the Empress herself says). Indeed, he is an unfriendly, grim, ugly, old man who lives lonely, far from everywhere, in an eternal wandering abode that can only be found by chance, while she is a nice, sweet, beautiful, young girl who lives surrounded by a court in a tower located at the very center of Fantastica, that can be found by desire. The Old Man writes everything about Fantastica but doesn't care for anything at all, while Empress cares for all of Fantastica but doesn't write at all. The Old Man ultimately does not appear in the first film, and his appearance in the third film differs drastically from the novel. He possesses the Great Book which can seemingly write the future on its own accord. He dwells in a hidden crystal cave where he can see outside events using a magic mirror. He is visited by the Childlike Empress and her guard Big Head, who remain with him until the end of the Nasty crisis. In this film, he grovels before the Empress and sees it as an honor that the monarch would visit him.


Pyornkrachzark the Rock-Biter

Pyornkrachzark (German: Pjörnrachzarck) is a Rockbiter (German: ''Felsenbeißer'', also spelled ''Felsenbeisser''), a large creature made of stone. The Rockbiter species are named due to their diet of rocks and earth-based materials. The Rockbiter seen in the film particularly has a liking for limestone. In the novel and the first film, the Rockbiter appears early among the messengers sent to see the Childlike Empress at the Ivory Tower during the Nothing crisis. In the first film, he ultimately reappears, encountered by Atreyu. He has lost faith in himself after failing to save his travelling companions from the Nothing, and advises Atreyu to flee. Near the end of the film, he and his two traveling companions wave at Bastian as he flies by on Falkor. In the second and third films, Rockbiter's wife appears in the third film and his son appears in the second and third. Rockbiter Junior is the same size as a human and is rather gluttonous and playful. He is sent to Earth during a wish overload caused by Bastian, Falkor, Bark Troll, Engywook, and Urgl. He is later saved from falling to his death by Falkor and they are reunited with Bastian. Rockbiter and his wife nearly split due to the absence of their son and the further effects of the Nasties, who are in possession of the book and Auryn, but the family is reunited at the end of the film. Rockbiter also sings a rather corrupt version of '' Born To Be Wild'' by Steppenwolf. In the cartoon series, Mr. and Mrs. Rockbiter are voiced by
Harvey Atkin Elliot Harvey Atkin (18 December 1942 – 18 July 2017) was a Canadian actor. He was best known for his roles as Morty Melnick in ''Meatballs'', Sergeant Ronald Coleman in '' Cagney & Lacey'', and for voicing King Koopa in '' The Super Mario Bro ...
and
Jayne Eastwood Jayne Eastwood (born December 17, 1946), also credited as Jane Easton or Jane Eastwood, is a Canadian actress and comedian. She is best known for her film roles as Anna-Marie Biddlecoff in '' Finders Keepers'' (1984), Judy the Waitress in '' The ...
while Rockbiter Junior is voiced by
Lisa Yamanaka Lisa Jai Yamanaka is a Canadian actress. She is known as the voice of Wanda Li in ''The Magic School Bus'' and Yoko in ''Timothy Goes to School''. Yamanaka is also known for her work on ''Babar'' and ''Resident Evil 2''. She is also credited as Li ...
.


Gluckuk

Gluckuk (German: Ückück) is a Tiny Man (''Winzling'') riding a racing snail (''Rennschnecke''). He was sent by his race to see the Childlike Empress at the Ivory Tower during the Nothing crisis. In the film, he is called Teeny Weeny and portrayed by
Deep Roy Gurdeep "Deep" Roy (born Mohinder Purba; 1 December 1957) is a Kenyan-British actor, puppeteer and stuntman. At tall, he has often been cast as diminutive characters, such as Teeny Weeny in '' The NeverEnding Story'', all the Oompa-Loompas in ...
. In the cartoon series, Gluckuk and his racing snail are voiced by John Stocker.


Vooshvazool

Vooshvazool (German: Wúschwusul) is a Nighthob (''Nachtalb'') who rides on a
bat Bats are flying mammals of the order Chiroptera (). With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most birds, flying with their very long spread-out ...
. He was sent by his race to see the Childlike Empress at the Ivory Tower during the Nothing crisis. In the 1995 cartoon series, the Nighthob is voiced by Adrian Truss.


Blubb

Blubb is a
will-o'-the-wisp In folklore, a will-o'-the-wisp, will-o'-wisp, or ; ), is an atmospheric ghost light seen by travellers at night, especially over bogs, swamps or marshes. The phenomenon is known in the United Kingdom by a variety of names, including jack-o'- ...
(German: ''Irrlicht'') sent by his race to see the Childlike Empress at the Ivory Tower during the Nothing crisis. In the cartoon series, Blubb is voiced by John McGrath.


The Southern Oracle

The Southern Oracle (German: Das Südliche Orakel), also known as Uyulala (''Uyulála''), is a mysterious all-knowing
oracle An oracle is a person or thing considered to provide insight, wise counsel or prophetic predictions, most notably including precognition of the future, inspired by deities. If done through occultic means, it is a form of divination. Descript ...
guarded by three magical gates. She is depicted as a disembodied female voice who speaks in rhymed speech and otherwise sings ceaselessly to maintain her existence. To speak with Uyulala, one must pass through the three gates: * The ''first gate'' is the Great Riddle Gate, which consists of two
Sphinx A sphinx ( ; , ; or sphinges ) is a mythical creature with the head of a human, the body of a lion, and the wings of an eagle. In Culture of Greece, Greek tradition, the sphinx is a treacherous and merciless being with the head of a woman, th ...
es who face one another. Those caught between their gaze are frozen on the spot and doomed to remain until they solve every riddle in the world or until they die. * The ''second gate'' is the Magic Mirror Gate, a moon-like mirror that reflects the truest nature of the observer. This often frightens people into retreat or hysteria, but the observer, to pass this gate, must walk through its reflection. * The ''third gate'' is the No-Key Gate, an indestructible keyless door that responds to a person's will. Only by losing the desire to enter may one get it to open. Once past, Atreyu learns the reason why the Childlike Empress is ill and what he must find in order to restore her health. Uyulala is then quiet and the Southern Oracle with its three gates is silently destroyed by the Nothing. Passing through the first two gates causes Atreyu to first lose all fear, and then all memory of himself. This allows him to open the No-Key Gate, where Bastian's voice keeps Atreyu from wandering. The film version of the Southern Oracle shares the generalities, but the first gate judges whether the person attempting to pass through it "feels his own worth"; if the person is doubtful of its ability to pass through safely, the two Sphinxes incinerate the visitor. The second gate is a mirror-like, located in a snowy wilderness and there is ultimately no third gate. The Oracle itself is ultimately two blue glowing Sphinxes like the yellow sphinxes at the first gate and speaks in prose. As with the novel, the Oracle crumbles and dies after revealing the cure for the Childlike Empress' condition. In ''
Tales from the Neverending Story ''Tales from the Neverending Story'' is a single-season TV series that is loosely based on Michael Ende's 1979 novel ''The Neverending Story'', produced (in Montreal, Quebec, Canada between December 2000 and August 2002) and distributed by Muse En ...
'', a hero must pass through the Riddle Gate, which tests his confidence in himself. He must then answer a riddle and pass through a mirror that displays the necessary thing he needs. In the case of Atreyu, he lands in a library owned by the wizard nicknamed "the Curiosity" who teaches him to read. Thereafter, he passes through a glass door on which the name Uyulala is inscribed, to find the Oracle much as she is described in the novel. In the series, Uyulala is voiced by Jane Wheeler. In ''
The Neverending Story ''The Neverending Story'' () is a fantasy novel by German writer Michael Ende, published in 1979. The first English translation, by Ralph Manheim, was published in 1983. It was later adapted into a film series and a television series. Plot T ...
'' cartoon series, the Southern Oracle is depicted as two sphinxes facing each other and are voiced by Ellen-Ray Hennessy.


Xayide

Xayide (German: Xayíde) is an evil
sorceress A sorceress is a female practitioner of sorcery (disambiguation), sorcery. Other uses include: Film * Sorceress (1982 film), ''Sorceress'' (1982 film), a fantasy film directed by Jack Hill * Sorceress (1987 film), ''Sorceress'' (1987 film) releas ...
who appears later in the book after Bastian enters the world of Fantasia. Xayide lives in a castle that is shaped like a hand, called Horok the Seeing Hand, because its multitude of windows appears like human eyes. Xayide's most striking physical features are her heterochromatic red and green eyes. She can control anything empty, and thus she employs guards that are made of empty suits of plate armour. She presents to Bastian a warm and worshipping exterior, in the hope to herself replace the Childlike Empress as ruler of Fantasia. Realizing she cannot defeat Bastian by force, she persuades him to invade the Ivory Tower. After losing Bastian, she is crushed to death by her iron minions who resist her wanting magic. Xayide is portrayed by actress and model Clarissa Burt in '' The NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter'', which is loosely based upon the second half of the novel. In the adaption, she is the personified avatar of an entity similar to the Nothing, called the Emptiness, which is born of the dying imagination of the collective human species. In both media, she gives Bastian the belt Ghemmal, which turns its wearer invisible and was intended to spy on Atreyu. She manipulates Bastian by convincing him that he fulfills own wishes, while at the same time taking away his memories. She meets her end in the film when Bastian uses his last wish to give her a sense of compassion, whereupon she destroys herself to amend the damage done by her. Xayide is the main villain in the 1995 cartoon series, voiced by Janet Laine-Green. In the show, she wears green robes with an eye mask with yellow slits. In the miniseries ''
Tales from the Neverending Story ''Tales from the Neverending Story'' is a single-season TV series that is loosely based on Michael Ende's 1979 novel ''The Neverending Story'', produced (in Montreal, Quebec, Canada between December 2000 and August 2002) and distributed by Muse En ...
'', portrayed by Victoria Sanchez, Xayide is the Childlike Empress' sister and the ruler of a Dark City. Jealous of her sister, she intends to conquer the whole Fantasia and enslave all its inhabitants. She is also aware of the existence of the magical book ''The Neverending Story'' and sends Gmork (and later a female Fantasian) to retrieve the book. At the end of the series, she dies when she reads a book, turning herself into a dust, although it is implied that she might be alive after Bastian and Coreander notice that Bastian's classmate and another "Chosen One" named Fallon went to Fantasia to seek her.


Iron minions

Xayide has made use of minions made of armor and resemble empty suits of armor. In the second film, these creatures were called "Giants" because of their towering size and possess a horned crustacean-like appearance and lobster-like claws. When Bastian wishes for Xayide to have a heart, the giants are destroyed alongside their mistress. It took 19 men from Munich in Germany to portray these giants. In the cartoon series, the Giants appear as foot soldiers of Xayide. In the live-action series, the Giants are replaced by Dark Knights, a hollow armours that are magically enchanted by Xayide.


Ygramul

Ygramul The Many (German: Ygramul, die Viele) is a creature that lives in the land of Dead Mountains. She is portrayed as a
shapeshifter In mythology, folklore and speculative fiction, shapeshifting is the ability to physically transform oneself through unnatural means. The idea of shapeshifting is found in the oldest forms of totemism and shamanism, as well as the oldest exist ...
, who often takes the form of a giant
spider Spiders (order (biology), order Araneae) are air-breathing arthropods that have eight limbs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude spider silk, silk. They are the largest order of arachnids and ran ...
and builds webs to catch its prey. The creature is actually composed of many little
hornet Hornets (insects in the genus ''Vespa'') are the largest of the Eusociality, eusocial wasps, and are similar in appearance to yellowjackets, their close relatives. Some species can reach up to in length. They are distinguished from other Vespi ...
-like
insect Insects (from Latin ') are Hexapoda, hexapod invertebrates of the class (biology), class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body (Insect morphology#Head, head, ...
s who share a single hive mind. Ygramul's poison is deadly and kills within one hour, but grants the victim the ability to teleport to any location within Fantastica before succumbing to its effects. In the novel, this poison is the means by which Atreyu travels to the home of Engywook and Urgl, near the Southern Oracle. At this point in the story Falkor the luckdragon is introduced; he is caught in Ygramul's web, and also uses the power of Ygramul's poison to follow Atreyu. The lingering effects of the poison are nursed out of the two by Urgl, while Engywook, a scholar of the Southern Oracle, instructs Atreyu on the challenges he is to encounter within the Oracle's demesne. In ''
The Neverending Story ''The Neverending Story'' () is a fantasy novel by German writer Michael Ende, published in 1979. The first English translation, by Ralph Manheim, was published in 1983. It was later adapted into a film series and a television series. Plot T ...
'' cartoon series, Ygramul is shown in her spider form and is voiced by
Marilyn Lightstone Marilyn Lightstone (born 28 June 1940) is a Canadian stage, film and television actress and writer. Early life and education Born in Montreal, Quebec, Marilyn Lightstone graduated from Baron Byng High School in 1957. She went on to attend M ...
. In "To Save Falkor", Bastian encounters Ygramul in the Dead Mountains while looking for a cure for Falkor's illness.


Bastian's dad

Bastian's dad (portrayed by
Gerald McRaney Gerald Lee McRaney (born August 19, 1947) is an American television and film actor. McRaney is best known as one of the stars of the television shows ''Simon & Simon'', '' Major Dad'', ''Promised Land'' and '' House of Cards''. He most recently s ...
in the first film,
John Wesley Shipp John Wesley Shipp (born January 22, 1955) is an American actor known for his various television roles. He played the lead Barry Allen on CBS's superhero series ''The Flash'' from 1990 to 1991, and Mitch Leery, the title character's father, on ...
in the second film, and Kevin McNulty in the third film) is described to have grown distant from his son after the death of his wife, although this changes when he and Bastian are reunited at the end of the book. In the second film, Bastian's father is given the first name Barney Bux and follows Bastian's journey by reading the book and reunited with his son at the conclusion of the film. In the third film, he appears to have no memories of reading the book. He marries a woman named Jane Baxter and thus gains a new family, along with a daughter named Nicole who plays a main role in the third film. In the cartoon series, Bastian's dad (using the name Barney Bux from the second film) is voiced by
Geoffrey Bowes Geoffrey Bowes (born May 15, 1956) is a Canadian actor.Gaetan Charlebois and Anne Nothof"Bowes, Geoffrey" ''Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia''. He is most noted for his performance in the 1979 film '' Something's Rotten'', for which he received a Geni ...
. In the 2001 TV series, ''
Tales from the Neverending Story ''Tales from the Neverending Story'' is a single-season TV series that is loosely based on Michael Ende's 1979 novel ''The Neverending Story'', produced (in Montreal, Quebec, Canada between December 2000 and August 2002) and distributed by Muse En ...
'', Bastian's dad is renamed Michael Bux, portrayed by Noël Burton. Michael is a lawyer who divorced his wife Laura Mackenzie Bux one year prior to the events of the series. After Laura's death in a car crash (caused by Gmork), Michael starts a relationship with a realtor named April Jones, who is secretly a Fantasian in disguise, sent by Xayide to steal ''The Neverending Story'', a magical book in possession of Michael's son Bastian. In one episode, he is approached by Gmork (a Fantasian disguised as a substitute teacher Mr. Blank) who hires him to be his lawyer. After Mr. Blank threatens to Bastian at school, Bastian tells his father about his threats, and Michael rejects Blank's offer.


Bastian's mom

Bastian's mom is an unseen character in ''The Neverending Story'' novel. She is Bastian's mother and a wife of Bastian's dad. The novel states that she died sometime prior to the events of the novel. Her death causes her husband to distance himself from his son, but this later changes when Bastian and his father reunite at the end of the book. Bastian's mother briefly appears in the flashback scene of '' The NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter'', portrayed by Helena Michell. In the 2001 TV series, ''
Tales from the Neverending Story ''Tales from the Neverending Story'' is a single-season TV series that is loosely based on Michael Ende's 1979 novel ''The Neverending Story'', produced (in Montreal, Quebec, Canada between December 2000 and August 2002) and distributed by Muse En ...
'', Bastian's mother is renamed Laura Mackenzie Bux, portrayed by Jane Wheeler. She is an ex-wife of Michael Bux and appears briefly in the beginning of the series where she dies in the car crash caused by Gmork, a Fantasian who disguised himself as a black dog with red eyes and later appeared as a substitute teacher in Bastian's school.


Bark Troll

Bark Troll is an anthropomorphic
tree In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, e.g., including only woody plants with secondary growth, only ...
-creature supporting character and friend of Bastian who appears in ''
The Neverending Story ''The Neverending Story'' () is a fantasy novel by German writer Michael Ende, published in 1979. The first English translation, by Ralph Manheim, was published in 1983. It was later adapted into a film series and a television series. Plot T ...
'' cartoon and the third film which is based on the characters as they appeared in the animated series. He is loosely based on three characters of a species called bark trolls, which appeared to advise Atreyu about the Nothing. In the third film, Bark Troll is performed by Kaefan Shaw and voiced by
William Hootkins William Michael Hootkins (July 5, 1948 – October 23, 2005) was an American actor. He was best known for supporting roles in Hollywood blockbusters such as ''Star Wars'', ''Raiders of the Lost Ark'', and ''Batman''. Early life Hootkins was born ...
. In the 1995 cartoon series, Bark Troll is voiced by Richard Binsley and serves as Bastian's occasional companion.


Nimbly

Nimbly is a character who appears in ''The Neverending Story'' novel. In the book, he is a Fantastican creature that looks like a rabbit having feathers instead of fur. Nimbly appears in '' The NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter'', portrayed by Martin Umbach. In the film, he is a bird-like creature and a henchmen of Xayide, who sends him on a task to falsely befriend Bastian and get him to make wishes with the Auryn. During their quest, after Atreyu is accidentally killed by Bastian in a fight, he realizes that Xayide wants to destroy Bastian and changes the side, thus helping Bastian on how to reach the Silver City and revealing his lost memory to him. Nimbly appears in the animated series ''
The Neverending Story ''The Neverending Story'' () is a fantasy novel by German writer Michael Ende, published in 1979. The first English translation, by Ralph Manheim, was published in 1983. It was later adapted into a film series and a television series. Plot T ...
'', voiced by
Neil Crone Neil Crone (born May 29, 1960) is a Canadian actor and writer. He is known for portraying Fred Tupper in '' Little Mosque on the Prairie'', Jerry Whitehall in '' Cube 2: Hypercube'' and the voices of Gordon, Diesel 10 and Splatter in ''Thomas an ...
.


Cairon

Cairon the Black Centaur (German: Caíron, der Schwarz-Zentaur) is a
herald A herald, or a herald of arms, is an officer of arms, ranking between pursuivant and king of arms. The title is commonly applied more broadly to all officers of arms. Heralds were originally messengers sent by monarchs or noblemen ...
of the Childlike Empress and in-between bearer of Auryn who passed it to Atreyu. In the novel, he appears as an elderly black
centaur A centaur ( ; ; ), occasionally hippocentaur, also called Ixionidae (), is a creature from Greek mythology with the upper body of a human and the lower body and legs of a horse that was said to live in the mountains of Thessaly. In one version o ...
with his lower half with the striped pattern of a
zebra Zebras (, ) (subgenus ''Hippotigris'') are African equines with distinctive black-and-white striped coats. There are three living species: Grévy's zebra (''Equus grevyi''), the plains zebra (''E. quagga''), and the mountain zebra (''E. ...
. In the first film, he appears as a tall-headed
humanoid A humanoid (; from English ''human'' and '' -oid'' "resembling") is a non-human entity with human form or characteristics. By the 20th century, the term came to describe fossils which were morphologically similar, but not identical, to those of ...
and is portrayed by
Moses Gunn Moses Gunn (October 2, 1929 – December 16, 1993) was an American actor of stage and screen. An Obie Award-winning stage player, he is an alumnus of the Negro Ensemble Company. His 1962 off-Broadway debut was in Jean Genet's ''The Blacks,'' and ...
. In the TV series, ''
Tales from the Neverending Story ''Tales from the Neverending Story'' is a single-season TV series that is loosely based on Michael Ende's 1979 novel ''The Neverending Story'', produced (in Montreal, Quebec, Canada between December 2000 and August 2002) and distributed by Muse En ...
'', Cairon is portrayed by
Tyrone Benskin Tyrone Benskin (born 29 December 1958) is an English-Canadian actor, theatre director and politician. He was elected Member of Parliament in the Jeanne-Le Ber riding, in Montreal, Quebec, in the 2011 Canadian federal election and served as an ...
. By his name and status of a
centaur A centaur ( ; ; ), occasionally hippocentaur, also called Ixionidae (), is a creature from Greek mythology with the upper body of a human and the lower body and legs of a horse that was said to live in the mountains of Thessaly. In one version o ...
and physician, Cairon is an allusion to the mythological Greek
Chiron In Greek mythology, Chiron ( ; also Cheiron or Kheiron; ) was held to be the superlative centaur amongst his brethren since he was called the "wisest and justest of all the centaurs". Biography Chiron was notable throughout Greek mythology for ...
.


Dame Eyola

Dame Eyola (German: Dame Aiuóla) is a
plant Plants are the eukaryotes that form the Kingdom (biology), kingdom Plantae; they are predominantly Photosynthesis, photosynthetic. This means that they obtain their energy from sunlight, using chloroplasts derived from endosymbiosis with c ...
taking the form of a motherly woman who lives in the House of Change, who cares for Bastian.


The Four Heroes

The Four Heroes are swordsmen who appear in the second half of the novel, said to be the bravest and strongest warriors in all of Fantastica, who participate in a tournament in the Silver City of Amarganth. One is identified as Hero Hynreck (or ''Huunreck''), who is infatuated with Princess Oglamar; the other three, Hykrion, Hysbald and Hydorn, accompany Bastian on his journey and swear allegiance to him. They are often portrayed as cheerful beings, but when Bastian decides to make himself an emperor, they get drunk and become useless. They survive the battle against Atreyu's rebellion but lose track of Bastian, and go their separate ways to look for him. The Four Heroes ultimately do not appear in the film adaptations of the novel. Hykrion, Hysbald and Hynreck appear separately in episodes of the ''
Tales from The Neverending Story ''Tales from the Neverending Story'' is a single-season TV series that is loosely based on Michael Ende's 1979 novel ''The Neverending Story'', produced (in Montreal, Quebec, Canada between December 2000 and August 2002) and distributed by Muse En ...
'' television series: "The Gift of the Name", "Home Sweet Home", "Badge of Courage" and "Deus Ex Machina". They are portrayed by Jasson Finney, Fernando Chien, and Marcel Jeannin, respectively.


Ilwan

Ilwan (''Iluan'') is a blue
genie GEnie (General Electric Network for Information Exchange) was an online service provider, online service created by a General Electric business, GEIS (now GXS Inc., GXS), that ran from 1985 through the end of 1999. In 1994, GEnie claimed around ...
with a
bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class (biology), class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the Oviparity, laying of Eggshell, hard-shelled eggs, a high Metabolism, metabolic rate, a fou ...
's
beak The beak, bill, or rostrum is an external anatomical structure found mostly in birds, but also in turtles, non-avian dinosaurs and a few mammals. A beak is used for pecking, grasping, and holding (in probing for food, eating, manipulating and ...
in place of his nose and mouth. Ilwan appeared in the novel where he became one of Bastian's closest servants but was killed during the battle for the Ivory Tower.


Querquobad

Querquobad, the Silver Sage is the ruler of the silver ship city of Amarganth, which was built by the Acharis and swims on a lake made by their tears.


Large Head

Large Head is a character who appears in '' The NeverEnding Story III'' (portrayed by Thomas Petruo) and the 1995 animated series (voiced by Colin Fox). In both versions, he is a human with a large forehead and works as an advisor to the Childlike Empress. In the cartoon, he and Bastian do not often see eye to eye. They once worked together to solve the attacks on a mountain path by a mountain creature. Also in the cartoon, he has a wife who is called Mrs. Large Head, voiced by
Kay Tremblay Kay Tremblay (13 March 1914 – 9 August 2005) was a Canadian film actress, also appearing on television and theatre. She was best known for her Gemini Award-winning role of Great Aunt Eliza on ''Road to Avonlea''. Biography Born in Scotland, sh ...
.


Shadow Goblin

Shadow Goblin (voiced by
Benedict Campbell Benedict Campbell (born June 12, 1957) is a Canadian actor whose work has consisted primarily of providing voices for television cartoons, video games and acting on stage, particularly at Canada's Stratford Festival between 1965 and 2000. Early in ...
) is a character in the animated series who is the master thief of Fantasia. The Shadow Goblin wants nothing more than to become the richest creature in Fantasia.


Vermin

Vermin (voiced by
Len Carlson Len Carlson (September 2, 1937 - January 26, 2006) was a Canadian voice actor who voiced various characters on many animated television series from the 1960s to the 2000s, an occasional live-action TV actor, and a Kraft Canada TV pitchman during ...
) is a
bat Bats are flying mammals of the order Chiroptera (). With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most birds, flying with their very long spread-out ...
-winged
rat Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents. Species of rats are found throughout the order Rodentia, but stereotypical rats are found in the genus ''Rattus''. Other rat genera include '' Neotoma'' (pack rats), '' Bandicota'' (bandicoo ...
and Shadow Goblin's minion in the cartoon series. His job is to spy across Fantasia for things his boss might steal. He mostly thinks about food, rather than riches.


Shexper

Shexper is recalled as a past traveller to Fantastica in Chapter 18, from whom Hykrion, Hysbald and Hydorn learned a song ( "When that I was a little tiny boy, With Hey, Ho, the wind and the rain..."). The name may be a mispronunciation of "
Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...
".


Smerg

Smerg (''Smärg'') is a
dragon A dragon is a Magic (supernatural), magical legendary creature that appears in the folklore of multiple cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but European dragon, dragons in Western cultures since the Hi ...
created by Bastian for Hynreck to slay and prove his worthiness to Princess Oglamar. He has the tail of a
scorpion Scorpions are predatory arachnids of the Order (biology), order Scorpiones. They have eight legs and are easily recognized by a pair of Chela (organ), grasping pincers and a narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward cur ...
, back legs of a
grasshopper Grasshoppers are a group of insects belonging to the suborder Caelifera. They are amongst what are possibly the most ancient living groups of chewing herbivorous insects, dating back to the early Triassic around 250 million years ago. Grassh ...
, body of a rat, and wings of a
bat Bats are flying mammals of the order Chiroptera (). With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most birds, flying with their very long spread-out ...
, with the heads of an old man and old woman instead of eyes. He appears in the second film as a normal dragon when Bastian wishes him into existence (as in the novel). He was ultimately meant to be a new steed to carry Bastian to Horok Castle, but it didn't go well and attacked him. Bastian and Atreyu follow Smerg to Horok Castle where it was destroyed by its defenses.


Threehead

Threehead is a three-headed knight and Xayide's servant in the 1995 animated series, voiced by James Rankin. Each of his personalities are represented by a different head that pops up depending on his mood. The blue-haired head is his happiness and loyalty, red-haired his sadness and fear, and green-haired his anger and envy.


Tri-Face

Tri-Face (portrayed by Christopher Burton) is a three-faced scientist who is Xayide's servant in the second film. Each face represents a part of his personality and spins into place depending on his mood. This character is based on a figure from the novel named ''Four-Quarters Troll'' (''Vier-Vierteltroll'') or ''Temperamentling'', who becomes a member of Bastian's entourage.


Yikka

Yikka (''Jicha'') is a female
hinny A hinny is a domestic equine hybrid, the offspring of a male horse (a stallion) and a female donkey (a jenny). It is the reciprocal cross to the more common mule, which is the product of a male donkey (a jack) and a female horse (a mare). ...
who acts as Bastian's steed during the second half of the novel. She is quite faithful to him, but under Xayide's influence, Bastian allows her to leave his side to start a family with an attractive male
pegasus Pegasus (; ) is a winged horse in Greek mythology, usually depicted as a white stallion. He was sired by Poseidon, in his role as horse-god, and foaled by the Gorgon Medusa. Pegasus was the brother of Chrysaor, both born from Medusa's blood w ...
.


Yor

Yor is the picture miner of Yor's Minroud, a mine from which he excavates dream pictures (which make up the soil of Fantastica), who helps Bastian find his lost dream. In the 1995 animated series, Yor is voiced by William Colgate.


Slip

Slip is a character who appears in '' The NeverEnding Story III'', portrayed by
Jack Black Thomas Jacob "Jack" Black (born August 28, 1969) is an American actor, comedian, and musician. He is known for roles in family and comedy films, in addition to his voice work in animated films. His awards include a Children's and Family Emmy ...
. Slip is a leader of Nasties, a group of bullies who frequently bully Bastian in the high school. After they are expelled from the school by janitor, they follow Bastian to bookstore owned by Mr. Coreander. Bastian escapes from them by using ''The Neverending Story'' to transport in Fantasia. Slip and his group find the book as well and use it to bombard Fantasia with fireballs and a storm. They later steal the magical amulet Auryn that was used by Bastian's stepsister Nicole Baxter. With Fantasia under the Nasties' control, the inhabitants of their realm become corrupted, which also affects the human world. Bastian manages to get Auryn and ''The Neverending Story'' book from the Nasties, and he and Nicole manage to return Fantasia and human world in normal state. Bastian later discovers that Slip and his group have turned into friendly classmates and are no longer bothering him.


Artax

Artax is a Fantastican horse and Atreyu's best friend who appears in ''The Neverending Story'' novel and its adaptations. In the novel and its 1984 film adaptation Artax and Atreyu go in search for a cure for the Childlike Empress in Fantasia. Artax dies in the Swamp of Sadness, but is brought to life when Bastian recreates Fantasia. Artax also appears in '' The NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter'', the 1995
animated series An animated series, or a cartoon series, is a set of Animation, animated films with a common title, usually related to one another. These episodes typically share the same main heroes, some different secondary characters and a basic theme. Series ...
(voiced by
Don Dickinson Don Dickinson (born December 27, 1947) is a Canadian writer and actor, born in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. He was a shortlisted nominee for the Governor General's Award for English-language fiction at the 1991 Governor General's Awards for his ...
) and 2001 live-action series ''
Tales from the Neverending Story ''Tales from the Neverending Story'' is a single-season TV series that is loosely based on Michael Ende's 1979 novel ''The Neverending Story'', produced (in Montreal, Quebec, Canada between December 2000 and August 2002) and distributed by Muse En ...
''. In the live-action TV adaption, unlike novel and 1984 film adaptation, Artax dies when he drinks the Fountain of Nectar in the abandoned City of Old Emperors, where he becomes an ice sculpture. Artax is presumably restored to life following defeat of Xayide by Bastian and his friends at the end of series.


Gaya

Gaya, the Princess of Darkness is an unseen character in ''The Neverending Story'' novel. She was the ruler of Spook City, a home where various monsters lived, such as vampires, ghosts, and zombies. She is mentioned by Gmork when talking to Atreyu. Gmork reveals to him that once he arrived in Spook City, she initially treated him nicely and he was infatuated with her. Gaya soon learned that Gmork is the servant of the Nothing (who intends to destroy Fantasia), and she chained him to the rock to prevent him to complete his mission. Gaya however succumbed to the magical lure of the Nothing, went insane, and committed suicide by jumping into it. Gaya appears in the animated series ''
The Neverending Story ''The Neverending Story'' () is a fantasy novel by German writer Michael Ende, published in 1979. The first English translation, by Ralph Manheim, was published in 1983. It was later adapted into a film series and a television series. Plot T ...
'', voiced by
Annick Obonsawin Annick Obonsawin (born October 12, 1983) is an Abenaki Canadian actress. Career Obonsawin has played roles in many children's shows such as Inez in ''Cyberchase'' and Skunk in '' Franklin''."Banker quit her job for Superman Dreaming up a career i ...
. In the episode "Spook City", Gaya, a little spook, meets Bastian in the Forbidden Forest and begs him to liberate her brother Meeka (voiced by
Dov Tiefenbach Dov Yosef Tiefenbach (born December 8, 1981) is a Canadian actor and musician. Life and career Tiefenbach was born on December 8, 1981, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He is of Jewish background. He began his acting career at the age of 12, startin ...
) who was captured in Spook City by Gmork and the necromancer.


Fantastican creatures

The following is a list of creatures who appear in ''The Neverending Story'' novel and its media adaptations: * Acharis are
worm Worms are many different distantly related bilateria, bilateral animals that typically have a long cylindrical tube-like body, no limb (anatomy), limbs, and usually no eyes. Worms vary in size from microscopic to over in length for marine ...
-like creatures so ashamed by their own ugliness that they hide underground and constantly cry. Their acidic tears eat away the soil around them, allowing them to mine Fantastican silver, which they use to construct beautiful buildings. Bastian pities them and transforms them into the Shlamoofs: anarchistic, clown-faced butterfly-like creatures who destroy all of the work they did as Acharis. They pursue Bastian and demand that he becomes their leader, but they are driven off by Atreyu and Falkor. Acharis appear in the
animated series An animated series, or a cartoon series, is a set of Animation, animated films with a common title, usually related to one another. These episodes typically share the same main heroes, some different secondary characters and a basic theme. Series ...
adaptation, in the episode "The Tears of Sadness", where Xayide uses their tears to poison the Fountains of Life and water in Fantasia, to petrify anyone who drinks water or merely looks at it. Bastian meets Engywook and Urgl who prepare for him a potion to counter this curse. They confront Xayide, but drop the potion in the fountain as she hurls an explosive beam. This transforms the Acharis into the ever-laughing Shlamoofs and dispels the curse, which forces Xayide to retreat. * Blondycats are feline creatures with shaggy blonde fur, no bigger than a five-year-old child. One Blondycat appears in the animated series adaptation, voiced by John Stocker. * Four Winds
Giant In folklore, giants (from Ancient Greek: ''wiktionary:gigas, gigas'', cognate wiktionary:giga-, giga-) are beings of humanoid appearance, but are at times prodigious in size and strength or bear an otherwise notable appearance. The word ''gia ...
s are four giants who guard the winds of Fantastica. They constantly fight with each other, which causes the separation of Atreyu and Falkor in the novel. The four of them by name are: Lirr, the black North Wind; Sheerek, the sulfur-yellow South Wind; Baureo, the leaden-gray East Wind; and Mayestri, the fiery-red West Wind. Uncharacteristically silenced by AURYN, it is through the Wind Giants that Atreyu learns that Fantastica has no boundary. In the film, they are ultimately replaced by the Nothing. In the animated series, the South Wind, West Wind, East Wind, and North Wind Giants are voiced by
Dan Hennessey Daniel Robert Hennessey (September 11, 1942 – November 13, 2024) was an American-born Canadian voice actor. He was perhaps best known for voicing Brave Heart Lion in the ''Care Bears'' franchise. In addition to his well-received voice work ...
,
Benedict Campbell Benedict Campbell (born June 12, 1957) is a Canadian actor whose work has consisted primarily of providing voices for television cartoons, video games and acting on stage, particularly at Canada's Stratford Festival between 1965 and 2000. Early in ...
,
George Buza George Buza is an American and Canadian actor who is best known for voicing Beast (Dr. Hank McCoy) in '' X-Men: The Animated Series'' and ''X-Men '97''. Personal life Born in Cleveland, Ohio, he moved to Toronto, Ontario, as a young man and be ...
, and Susan Johnston, respectively. * Greenskins, also known as the Grass People, are Atreyu's people. The Greenskins are a folk of hunters and gatherers with a culture and lifestyle very similar to the North American
Plains Indians Plains Indians or Indigenous peoples of the Great Plains and Canadian Prairies are the Native American tribes and First Nations peoples who have historically lived on the Interior Plains (the Great Plains and Canadian Prairies) of North ...
. As their name implies, their skin is of an olive-green hue, and their hair is blueish-black. Their home is the Grassy Sea, a vast prairie in an undisclosed part of Fantastica bordered by the Silver Mountains range. * Iceheads are a race of creatures which reside in the Mountains of Fate where the Childlike Empress encounters the Old Man of Wandering Mountain. They are described as giant
humanoid A humanoid (; from English ''human'' and '' -oid'' "resembling") is a non-human entity with human form or characteristics. By the 20th century, the term came to describe fossils which were morphologically similar, but not identical, to those of ...
s covered in (or made of) ice who move so slowly that a single footstep takes years to complete. As a result, they are fairly isolated even from their own kind and more so from any other living creature in Fantastica. Their original German name - Eisbolde - is an amalgam of the German words "Eis" (ice) and "
kobold A kobold (; ''kobolt'', ''kobolde'', cobold) is a general or generic name for the household spirit (''hausgeist'') in German folklore. It may invisibly make noises (i.e., be a poltergeist), or helpfully perform kitchen chores or stable work. ...
". * Nighthobs are nocturnal humanoids that live in the southern regions of Fantastica. They have sharp features, wild hair, and wear drab clothing. Nighthobs are known to employ large
bat Bats are flying mammals of the order Chiroptera (). With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most birds, flying with their very long spread-out ...
s that they fly much like a hang glider. The most notable of the Nighthobs is Vooshvazool, who was sent on the mission to the Ivory Tower. * Rockbiters are large rock creatures that eat rocks and delight in different geological varieties. Rockbiters are often seen riding stone bicycles. Despite their gargantuan size and intimidating appearance, Rockbiters are generally kind and concerned with the well-being of Fantasticans smaller than themselves. * Sassafranians are a race of humanoids who are born elderly. Their physical age regresses as they advance in years, and they die when they reach infancy state. * Tinys are a race of tiny people that ride on racing
snail A snail is a shelled gastropod. The name is most often applied to land snails, terrestrial molluscs, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs. However, the common name ''snail'' is also used for most of the members of the molluscan class Gas ...
s. They are quite sophisticated, but due to their size, they live in trees, erecting entire villages whose dwellings are connected by a huge number of ladders, slides, and stairways. * Twee is a
hippopotamus The hippopotamus (''Hippopotamus amphibius;'' ; : hippopotamuses), often shortened to hippo (: hippos), further qualified as the common hippopotamus, Nile hippopotamus and river hippopotamus, is a large semiaquatic mammal native to sub-Sahar ...
-like creature with red and white stripes, whose forequarters and hindquarters tend to run independently of each other. * Yskálnari are a race of humanoid people living at the edge of a sea of mist, which can be navigated only by boats fashioned from special reeds and which are propelled by willpower. In the animated series, the Yskálnari are depicted as
seal Seal may refer to any of the following: Common uses * Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly: ** Earless seal, also called "true seal" ** Fur seal ** Eared seal * Seal ( ...
-like humanoids manning conventional wooden ships which can navigate the Mist Sea. The following creatures appear in the first film in the Childlike Empress' throne room when Cairon mentions her illness and are unnamed: * Big-Headed Rock Creatures are made of rock that have big heads. * Bird Humans are a race of
bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class (biology), class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the Oviparity, laying of Eggshell, hard-shelled eggs, a high Metabolism, metabolic rate, a fou ...
-headed humans. * Elephant-Headed Creature is a humanoid
elephant Elephants are the largest living land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant ('' Loxodonta africana''), the African forest elephant (''L. cyclotis''), and the Asian elephant ('' Elephas maximus ...
. * Four-Faced People are a race of humans who have four faces. * Monkey-Headed Creature is a creature with a
monkey Monkey is a common name that may refer to most mammals of the infraorder Simiiformes, also known as simians. Traditionally, all animals in the group now known as simians are counted as monkeys except the apes. Thus monkeys, in that sense, co ...
head. * Palm-Topped Creatures are humanoids with
palm tree The Arecaceae () is a family of perennial, flowering plants in the monocot order Arecales. Their growth form can be climbers, shrubs, tree-like and stemless plants, all commonly known as palms. Those having a tree-like form are colloquially c ...
-like growths on top of their heads. * Three-Headed Creature has an unspecified head, a
wolf The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the grey wolf or gray wolf, is a Canis, canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of Canis lupus, subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, includin ...
head, and a
goat The goat or domestic goat (''Capra hircus'') is a species of Caprinae, goat-antelope that is mostly kept as livestock. It was domesticated from the wild goat (''C. aegagrus'') of Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the ...
head. * Two-Faced People are a race of humans with two faces that have two noses, two mouths, and three eyes.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Neverending Story Lists of literary characters
Neverending Story ''The Neverending Story'' () is a fantasy novel by German writer Michael Ende, published in 1979. The first English translation, by Ralph Manheim, was published in 1983. It was later adapted into a film series and a television series. Plot Th ...
The Neverending Story