Way of the Peaceful Warrior Characters

Iron WillThe quality that really stands out in our protagonist, Dan Millman, is his will (or perseverance: see Theme 5). Socrates says of Dan:“I didn't decide to teach you because of any unique c...

Goofy GusUnconventional, humorous, insulting, magical, ninja-y—this guy, Socrates or Soc for short, is really the heart of the book. Sure, Dan is the most important character in that he's the one...

Love Will Tear Us ApartJoy is the uber-love interest in the novel. (Linda gets second place, and Susie gets third.) It's love at first sight (2.56). Joy is one of Socrates' former students, and a p...

This dude is a chef who used to be Socrates' personal attendant and cook. Socrates trained him into peaceful warriorhood, similar to how Dan is being trained during the novel. Joseph specializes in...

Linda is the redhead whom Dan takes a liking to the first time he sees her at the gym (5.164). They date and start getting pretty serious and all, despite Dan's busyness what with his Socrates trai...

Susie is Dan's, well, not quite girlfriend… but lady friend who pays him amorous visits (as Dan describes their nights together) at the opening of the novel. Despite an exception or two, Dan incr...

She's the nurse who treats Dan at the hospital for his mononucleosis. Her role is to tempt Dan into breaking his no-sex discipline. When they first meet at the hospital, Dan flirts with her—perha...

This is the guy who drives a Cadillac into Dan (4.11). Thanks George. We know nothing about the Cadillac-driver other than he has a horrified face when he sees the collision coming, so we guess he...