Antagonist

Character Role Analysis

The German Army

The antagonist is the character who really gets on the protagonist's nerves in a major, enmity-inducing way. While many of Deryn and Alek's struggles are internal—against gender expectations, societal pressures, and family feuds—they both have one major external enemy: the German Army. The Germans are coming after the Leviathan because they're at war with Britain, and they're coming after Alek with the goal of mopping up his parents' marriage once and for all.