His protagonists inspire children to be brave and to stand up for themselves, while each of his villains inspires a thrill of horror and fear. Roald Dahl’s most popular characters include Matilda Wormwood, Willy Wonka, the Grand High Witch, and the Big Friendly Giant.
Matilda Wormwood
Matilda Wormwood is a highly intelligent 5-year-old girl with a superpower: the ability to move objects with her mind. However, her true superpower lies in her ability to stand up against her bullies and fight for all the right things. Matilda has a strong moral compass guiding her in all of her actions as she takes justice into her own hands.
Much like Roald Dahl’s other protagonists, Matilda is a young girl with an extraordinary ability to fight against the adults in her life, until she has restored justice in the world. Further, Matilda, a hungry-for-knowledge bibliophile, is also a character that reminds children of the power of books. The film adaptation of ‘Matilda’ by Danny DeVito introduces some of people’s favorite Roald Dahl characters in a charming and imaginative way.
Miss Honey
Miss Honey is the sweet and gentle teacher at Matilda’s school. She is one of Matilda’s favorite teachers, and for good reason. She not only recognizes the potential within students but also pushes them to reach greater heights. However, Miss Honey is a character who has received great injustice at the hands of the villainous Miss Trunchbull. Miss Honey is, therefore, Matilda’s primary motivator, both in terms of school and in terms of her supernatural abilities.
Miss Honey’s pathetic condition drives Matilda to seek justice, thereby allowing her to demonstrate to her audience what it means to stand up to bullies. Miss Honey is also the character that teaches Matilda patience, love, and compassion, all of which had been completely lacking in her childhood until she went to school.
Willy Wonka
Willy Wonka is the eccentric chocolatier from ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.’ The infamous owner of the Chocolate Factory is a genius inventor, highly whimsical in his behavior, and full of life and energy. This Roald Dahl character represents a fanciful life, one that most children aspire to lead. His intelligence makes him an extraordinary man with a surprising charisma about him that captivates children’s attention.
However, Willy Wonka is also arrogant and stubborn at the same time. He is unable to handle criticism and continuously brags about himself and his factory. He is an attention-seeking man wearing flamboyant clothes to match his over-the-top attitude. Therefore, Willy Wonka is a highly compelling character with multi-dimensional qualities.
The BFG
The BFG, or the Big Friendly Giant, is one of the most memorable characters that Roald Dahl has ever created. He is the only giant in Giant Country who refuses to eat children. Despite being 24 feet tall, he is the runt of the litter and is constantly bullied by the other kid-eating giants. However, this does not prevent him from being kind-hearted and generous as he vows to protect Sophie from the other giants.
The BFG is highly sensitive and not afraid to show his emotions, crying whenever he hears a sad story. He is also brave as he stands up to his neighbors and brings an end to their nefarious activities. He is honest and altruistic, making him a favorite among children.
Grandmother
The grandmother from ‘The Witches’ is one of the most supportive family members that Roald Dahl has ever created. She loves and cares for her grandson through thick and thin and imparts wisdom that stays with her grandson for the rest of his life. The grandmother is also a character of immense agency as she helps her grandson bring down the old witch order by hatching an ingenious plan and helping her grandson carry it into action.
Mr. Fox
Mr. Fox is the titular character from ‘Fantastic Mr. Fox’. He is an anthropomorphized Fox, often acting like a human and wearing human clothes. He is extremely intelligent, using his intellect to steal chickens from the farmers above his home (Bean, Bunce, and Boggis) to feed his family.
Mr. Fox is a family man and puts the needs of his wife and babies before himself. He is also highly social and can converse with other animals in their own languages. Mr. Fox is innovative in his methods of thievery, constantly outwitting the farmers with his ideas. However, Mr. Fox has a deterring flaw, which is that he is overconfident. This leads the farmer to discover his home. However, Mr. Fox learns from his mistakes, and using his brilliant mind, he is once again able to win against the farmers.
The Grand High Witch
The Grand High Witch is the ruthless villain from ‘The Witches’. She is described as being the most powerful being in the world and is the highest power among the witch order. She is bloodthirsty, dangerous, cruel, and unfazed in the face of murder and death. She loves to be feared and routinely kills a witch in all of her meetings to keep the witches fearful of her at all times.
The Grand High Witch hates children and has captured and tortured thousands of children across the world over the years. In the story, she continues to plot ways to torture even more children. She is haughty, cunning, clever, and impatient. As a leader, she does not care how her orders are carried out as long as she gets her way. Anjelica Huston brings the character to life in the 1990 movie adaptation by Nicolas Roeg.
Miss Trunchbull
Miss Trunchbull is the treacherous villain of ‘Matilda.’ She is the principal at Matilda’s school and terrorizes the children daily. Much like the other villains of Roald Dahl’s stories, Miss Trunchbull is an adult who hates children and lords her power over them.
She is a highly compelling character with a rich backstory. Not only does she terrorize children, but she has also gravely wronged Matilda’s favorite teacher, Miss Honey. The character, therefore, introduces a spark within Matilda to right the perceived wrongs. The Trunchbull, as she is often called, has a large personality that is difficult to overlook, making her one of the most memorable villains that Roald Dahl has ever created.
Danny
Danny, from ‘Danny, the Champion of the World,’ is a model son. He is a kind, loving, and caring boy who adores his father. He is highly respectful towards others and speaks gently. Danny is also an eager learner, picking up all the tricks of the trade his father tells him about. The apple truly does not fall too far from the tree in Danny’s case, as he loves mechanics and poaching, just like his father.
Danny is also a courageous character, as he takes on a class battle in his small town. He is intelligent and inventive, coming up with a clever plan to exact revenge upon the wealthy brewery owner, Mr. Hazell.
FAQs
Who is the main character in Roald Dahl?
The main character in Roald Dahl’s novel, ‘Matilda,’ is a 5-year-old girl called Matilda. She is a genius girl capable of reading at college level when she is merely 5 years old. She also has the power of telekinesis and can, therefore, move objects with her mind. The main character in Roald Dahl’s ‘George’s Marvellous Medicine,’ on the other hand, is George, a highly imaginative and inventive boy who concocts medicines with magical properties.
What are two memorable characters by Roald Dahl?
Two memorable characters by Roald Dahl are Matilda and Willy Wonka. Matilda is a 5-year-old girl with above-average intelligence and superpowers. She does not let anything stand in her way as she fights for the things she believes in. Willy Wonka is the popular chocolate maker in ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.’ He is a highly whimsical and eccentric character who is renowned for his lively, energetic, and bizarre personality. In the story, Willy Wonka introduces five golden tickets to his renowned chocolate factory, and Charlie Bucket is one of the five children who find the tickets.
Who are the characters in Roald Dahl?
The characters in Roald Dahl’s books are mostly children, who are the protagonists of the story, while the villains are child-hating adults. James, for instance, is the main character of ‘James and the Giant Peach,’ while the villains of the story are his hateful aunts, Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker. The children are given a great amount of agency and a good sense of righteousness, thereby allowing them to fight against various injustices. Most of the villains in his novels are treacherous, terrorizing, and tyrannical. They are seemingly impossible to fight against but have fatal weaknesses that the protagonists take advantage of in their fight against evil.
What type of character is Roald Dahl himself?
Roald Dahl had a multidimensional personality. He is the author of numerous beloved children’s books that are all rooted in a strong sense of morality. The books serve to provide children with a sense of agency in a world where they are not allowed much freedom and independence. However, Roald Dahl is also considered misogynistic by several people, including the publisher Puffin, due to the manner in which he has portrayed women. He has also received a great amount of criticism for his anti-Semitic comments.
