Saint Dane

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Saint Dane is a fictional character and main villain in the Pendragon series. He is an evil Traveler who wants to break down Halla so he can rebuild it in his own design. However, he is from no territory but is in fact from Solara, the birthplace of all of Halla. Saint Dane has the ability to transform into any person, any animal and/or creature, and several other forms including becoming "smoke". His main features are his cold, icy blue eyes. He also has ghostly white skin and long gray hair, though in Black Water, whilst he is growing stronger, his hair burns, making him bald with five red scars on his head, and his eyes change from cold blue to nearly white. He always wears a dark, Asian-looking suit. He has been involved in the deaths of many important characters, including: Osa, Uncle Press, Spader's father, Seegen, Loor (temporary), and Remudi, the Traveler from Ibara.

Saint Dane is cruelty personified. He usually makes a complicated plan before attempting to overthrow a territory. He does not fear death or suffering, but enjoys the suffering of others. He often tricks Bobby into causing the territory to lean towards chaos, and almost never personally affects the territory. He also has the power to manipulate people only with his mind. He cannot be killed by ordinary means. Press tells Bobby he can only die when he believes he has won, which Bobby finally understands at the end of Raven Rise.

Disguises

Saint Dane assumes many alter-egos, of which some are his own creations and others people whom he has killed in order

Merchant of Death

The Police Officer

Uses this form to try to prevent Bobby from becoming a Traveler and makes a homeless person kill himself. He is unmasked by Uncle Press.

Mallos

A highly ranking knight in service of Queen Kagan on the territory of Denduron. Queen Kagan believed that he had come from another part of Denduron. Throughout the story it seemed that he had been gaining her trust long before the start of the book. He is tall, having black hair and icy blue eyes. In this form, Saint Dane brought cruelty upon the tribe Milago, forcing them to haul from mines large quantities of the gemstone glaze. If the amount of glaze was not sufficient, a chosen Milago would be thrown into a hole to die.

Figgis

A merchant/entrepreneur on the territory of Denduron. He is short, scruffy-looking, old, wears an eye patch, and wears green braided rings on each finger. In this form, Saint Dane supplies the Milago with the explosive mineral tak, so that they may revolt against their Bedoowan oppressors. It is later revealed that Figgis was a real person on Denduron, but in setting traps for protection of the underground vein of tak sprung his own trap, killing himself. Saint Dane then assumed his identity.

The Lost City of Faar

Zy Roder

A pirate on the territory of Cloral. He is considered to be handsome, having long blonde hair and icy blue eyes. In this form, Saint Dane attacks the water-borne of Grallion, and also launches an attack on the underwater city of Faar. He is the captain of a ship employing weapons that use pressurized water as a projectile.

Po Nassi

An agronomer (botanist) on the territory of Cloral. In this form, appearing as a slender woman, Saint Dane assists in producing the poisonous fertilizer that threatens all of Cloral's crops.

The Aquaneer

Saint Dane uses this form to escape capture by Bobby and Spader.

Benn Spader (Vo Spader's Father)

Saint Dane briefly uses this form to distract Spader and escape.

The Never War

Esther "Harlow" Amaden

A gorgeous singer having soft brown eyes, dwelling in 1937 New York City, who manipulates the gangster Max Rose. Esther appears friendly to Bobby at first; later, Bobby discovers that 'she' is Saint Dane when he learns that the name "Esther Amaden" produces no results in a 52nd-century database.

Gangster

Thug in the employment of criminal Winn Farrow. Directs two other gangsters into firing their guns down the flume, killing Press.

Ludwig Zell

Saint Dane used this form for only a day, having murdered the true Zell to stop him sending the Hindenburg back to Germany.

The Raven

An animal form used by Saint Dane. Saint Dane has used it to fly after jumping out of a window, and to escape the greenhouse in the gar city of Black Water. In The Rivers of Zadaa, he uses it twice to escape Kidik Island, and to travel away from the Berkshire Mountains on Earth. It has been implied that in Book 7, Saint Dane and Nevva Winter use this form to escape, but they are never seen doing so. In The Pilgrims of Rayne, Saint Dane uses this form several times near the end of the book. It is implied to be the namesake of the cult "Ravinia".This is Saint Dane's (and Nevva Winter's) most commonly used form.

The Reality Bug

Cowboy

During Bobby's first jump in the virtual reality system "Lifelight" with Aja Killian's Reality Bug, Saint Dane becomes a part of the Wild West. This is shown to be a figment of Bobby's imagination.

Dr. Kree Sever

Used this form to secure the final destruction of Veelox, and to taunt Bobby Pendragon at the end of the book. As Dr. Sever, Saint Dane ordered the re-opening of Lifelight, encouraging further decadence.

Black Water

Timber

A highly ranking member of the Council of Klee on Eelong. At one point, he is the leader of the said Council, in which position he orders the attack on the gar city of Black Water. In doing this, he broke the rules of Halla by bringing ten tanks of the deadly Cloral poison to Eelong to slay every last gar in the world, hoping therefore to destroy the klees, who depended on the gars for their livelihood. Bringing the poison from Cloral starts Bobby's thinking that if Saint Dane can break the rules, so can the Travelers.

Yorn

Saint Dane's first venture into mimicking an acolyte. In this form, Saint Dane takes the form of a klee. It is also in this form that Saint Dane kills Seegen by giving him a poisoned apple. Using this form, Saint Dane tricks Bobby into leading him to Black Water. It is not known when, where, or how the real Yorn died; but Saint Dane is assumed to have killed him.

a little girl

This form is of a young human girl who has blonde hair and blue eyes. Saint Dane uses this form to witness the turning point of Eelong and to taunt Bobby into going to Zadaa; therefore bringing Mark and Courtney back home. Their passage destroyed Eelong's flume, trapping Vo Spader and Gunny Van Dyke on Eelong and killing the Traveler Kasha.

The Rivers of Zadaa

Ghee Warrior

On Zadaa, Saint Dane transforms into a Batu warrior and attacks Bobby. During the fight, Bobby frightens Saint Dane by threatening to revive Veelox; this leads the demon to attempt outright killing, which is halted by the Batu prince Pelle a Zinj. Bobby notes that in his rage, Saint Dane says that he made a promise to destroy Halla. It is unknown what he meant by this, or to whom he promised it, though this person may be himself. This fight antagonizes Bobby into becoming a warrior. Also in this form, Saint Dane witnesses the death of Pelle a Zinj. When Bobby is about to leave through the flume, Saint Dane appears in this form and kills Loor with a sword, only to be killed himself by Bobby and immediately revived.

Whitney Wilcox

A teenager on the territory of Second Earth. In this form, Saint Dane appears to Courtney Chetwynde and gradually seduces her. Whitney has access to a jet black sedan which he uses to antagonize Courtney, although she does not recognize him until he steps out of the car, having driven her to a near-death accident.

Smoke

Saint Dane uses the form of a cloud of black smoke to escape from death on several occasions, notably in Books 6 and 9.

Andy Mitchell

Andy Mitchell is a school bully who later becomes friends with Mark Dimond to gain his trust. Saint Dane uses this form in a years-long method of separating Mark and Courtney.

The Quillan Games

Mr. Kayto

A Trustee, or shareholder, of the Blok Company on Quillan. Very opulent. Having killed its original, Saint Dane uses this form to manipulate the games by first bringing Veego and LaBerge from Veelox and then 'suggesting' Bobby into the games.

Challenger Green

The champion Challenger in The Quillan Games. He appears muscular but short, with long red hair. Kills Jen Remudi, the Traveler of Ibara, during a Tato match. He appears to be very hot-headed, and will do anything to win a game. Challenger Green is later defeated by Bobby, who is Challenger Red, in the same sport.

Andy Mitchell

Andy Mitchell convinces Mark Dimond to travel to First Earth after his parents are killed to save them by making an invention called Forge, which, if placed in First Earth, is over sixty years ahead of its time and would destabilize human history.

The Pilgrims of Rayne

Sixth Officer Hantin

A minor character and one of Saint Dane's disguises to watch the events unfolding between Courtney and Mark on First Earth. Dodger, the bellhop and acolyte who helps Courtney find Mark, gives him a beating when Dodger breaks Courtney out of prison. Later, it is revealed that Dodger stole the gun with which Courtney would have shot Mark, therefore completing Mark's history on First Earth (as revealed by the computer history on Third Earth); another part of Saint Dane's plan.

Taxi Driver

In the form of Andy Mitchell, Saint Dane traps Courtney and Dodger in the taxi. He sinks it into the water and escapes by turning into smoke.

Raven Rise

Eugene

A supposed follower of Alexander Naymeer.

Dado

Saint Dane becomes a Dado to make himself a less obvious target during the Bronx Massacre.

In all of the books, it is told that Saint Dane's true eye color, which is variously described as "icy blue", "lightning white", or a solution of the two, is the clue used to identify him. Early alter-egos appear to naturally possess this color, though concealment of it is shown eventually to be possible. As Timber and later as the Batu warrior, Saint Dane reveals it purposely and only to Bobby, as if to taunt him.

Soldiers of Halla

Himself

Transforms into the one form he chooses to be.

History

Not much is known about Saint Dane's past, although it is known that he made a promise to destroy Halla before the events of the series. He has also been involved in all the territorial affairs before the novels begin, having been Mallos, Figgis, Po Nassi, Andy Mitchell, and Timber for much time before the events of the series. Nevva Winter reveals that he has done this by choosing the time whereat he arrives in the Territory.

During The Merchant of Death, he appears in a subway station to frighten Bobby by influencing a homeless bystander into committing suicide and shooting at Bobby and Bobby's Uncle Press. Afterward Saint Dane went to the town Stony Brook, where he appeared to Mark as Andy Mitchell. Saint Dane continued to appear as Mitchell throughout the events of the first book.

While he was on Denduron, he appeared as Mallos and Figgis and used these forms to manipulate both sides of the upcoming war so that he could have the Milago discover the use of the explosive 'tak' and use the newly found weapon as a way to take control of the entire territory, thus bringing himself one step closer to the Convergence (which was revealed until later on in the series). He was stopped by Bobby when Bobby destroyed all of the known tak veins (until in book 8 when he unearths a new bigger vein), thus saving Denduron. Saint Dane then fled to Cloral. On Cloral, he is twice called a "demon", and the epithet is later used throughout the series to indicate him, both in the narration and the dialogue.

In all subsequent stories, he takes one form or two to make mischief among the people of the territories. Often this involves setting one group of people to war against the other, or in some other ways causing havoc and confusion while blinding people to true social problems. His role is comparable to that of the serpent in the Garden of Eden, in that he uses people's weaknesses to confuse them into destroying themselves. Because of the discrepant passages of time between territories, as well as the necessity-based action of the flumes, he might be in one territory and spend years there or decades in one form, only to appear on another territory at precisely the opportune moment. His ally Nevva Winter has mentioned the ability to choose when she arrives on a territory by flume, an ability that she shares with Saint Dane.

Saint Dane professes to believe that he is working in the best interest of Halla, building a "better" Halla where the strong and exceptional rule and the weak are ruled over or eradicated. These beliefs form the core of the Ravinia cult, which he formed through his servants Nevva Winter and Alexander Naymeer. It is not known whether he truly believes this, or whether he merely uses this story as a front for other goals.

Although he is usually engaged in battling the Travelers, Saint Dane has shown a more reasonable side of his personality. On several occasions in The Quillan Games, The Pilgrams of Rayne, and Raven Rise, he has had philosophical discussions about the nature of Halla and the war with Bobby. At these times, he has shown himself to be more human, possessing emotions and arguments supporting his position. It is possible that these are strategy by which to trick Bobby into fulfilling his (Saint Dane's) designs, though they may in fact reflect Saint Dane's true beliefs.

In "The Soldiers of Halla" Uncle Press eventually explains that Saint Dane was an old spirit of Solara who became impatient with mankind's imperfections, and believed that he could make the universe better by taking down the existing structure of Halla and establishing a new one under his control. To justify his beliefs, he frequently tricks the people of Halla toward destruction; as time goes on, Saint Dane becomes so obsessed with proving his point that he begins to enjoy causing pain and suffering. All of his power relies on those who fall to him, and their collective energies are stored in a "dark" version of Solara that Saint Dane created for himself. His ultimate plan was Ravinia, a multi-dimensional extreme-Social Darwinist cult that aims for the "worthy" people of Halla to crush the "unworthy," who Saint Dane blames as the cause of Halla's inherent weakness. The structure of Ravinia under Alexander Naymeer parallels Nazism under Adolf Hitler, instead of a swastika, the Ravinians are united by the symbol of a pentagram, the same one that marks the flumes. After Saint Dane loses against Bobby Pendragon on Third Earth, the remaining Ravinians freely choose to abandon Saint Dane, causing him to lose all of his remaining power and to fade into nothingness. This ends the philosophical dispute between Bobby and Saint Dane by proving that the people of Halla are innately good, and Saint Dane's beliefs were ultimately wrong.