Arlen Bales
The Painted Man, who fights demons bare-handed
6 books · 2008 to 2023First appears in The Warded ManIn Peter V. Brett's Demon Cycle, demons rise from the ground every night, and people survive only behind magical wards. Arlen Bales, a boy who refuses to hide, becomes the Painted Man.
Best estimate, compiled from series guides, publisher descriptions and reviews where available, and from memory otherwise. Book level only, not chapter level. Minor includes cameos and brief references. Each book carries a confidence rating in its tooltip. The Warded Man was published in Britain as The Painted Man.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Click a name to follow that character from book to book, or a book title to see its cast.
Each series in publication order, with its lead characters. Where the story runs in a different order, switch to Story order. Crossover books are marked and listed under their main series. Use My books to track what you have read.
8 recurring and key characters, with the book each one first appears in.
The Painted Man, who fights demons bare-handed
6 books · 2008 to 2023First appears in The Warded ManHerb gatherer and healer
5 books · 2008 to 2017First appears in The Warded ManJongleur whose music charms demons
5 books · 2008 to 2017First appears in The Warded ManKrasian warlord
4 books · 2010 to 2017First appears in The Desert SpearJardir's wife and dama'ting
4 books · 2010 to 2017First appears in The Desert SpearArlen's childhood friend, later wife
5 books · 2008 to 2017First appears in The Warded ManArlen's son
1 book · 2023First appears in The Desert PrinceLeesha's child
1 book · 2023First appears in The Desert Prince