Warning: This article contains major spoilers. Please proceed with caution.
"I believe the main thing we ought to be blaming ourselves is for letting Sandwich boss us around instead of doing what we think is right, using him as an excuse to kill one another. At the end of the day, we're the ones holding the sword."- Gregor, speaking to Ares
Gregor is the titular character and main protagonist of The Underland Chronicles series. Proclaimed as "The Warrior" of Bartholomew of Sandwich's prophecies, he was the hero of the underground city of Regalia, though he was not fond of this title and eventually abandoned it after the war against the Bane. He was bonded to Ares, before the latter was killed by the Bane.
Appearance[]
Gregor is not described with much detail other than the fact that he is both tall and lanky. In The Code of Claw, however, Gregor's skin is described as being absolutely riddled with scars from all his time in the Underland.
Luxa comments that Boots' skin "must require much light" and that she has never seen a human with brown eyes before. Later on, it is stated that both Lizzie and Boots have brown hair. Additionally, in Gregor the Overlander, two rats named Fangor and Shed comment that Gregor looks very similar to his father, saying that their "shade" matches. Based on these hints, it can be assumed that Gregor most likely possesses dark skin, dark hair, and brown eyes.
Personality[]
Gregor is a well-behaved kid. He is extremely family-oriented, taking up much of the burden after his father went missing and going on Sandwich's quests in order to ensure their safety. He is quiet and not particularly outgoing at school, which leads to others believing he is stuck up. Despite being empathetic, however, Gregor is sometimes quick to anger, oftentimes butting heads with Luxa and Ripred. He can also be a bit of a hypocrite, though he is quick to recognize this and improve his behavior. Despite being a rager, Gregor detests fighting and tries to avoid it as much as possible.
History[]
Gregor lives in an apartment in New York City with his mother, Grace, his father, grandmother, and two sisters, Lizzie and Boots.
Exactly two years, seven months, and thirteen days prior to the events of Gregor the Overlander, Gregor's father mysteriously disappeared. Being eight years old at the time, Gregor remembered the frantic calls to the police, who had then implied his father had simply ran off with another woman. As time went on, Gregor tried to do what was best for his family, despite his young age, bringing it upon himself to bare much of their burden.
Biography[]
Gregor the Overlander[]
Gregor is the Warrior of Sandwich's Prophecies and the foretold savior of the Underland.
In Gregor the Overlander, the first book, he succeeds in rescuing his dad from captivity and wiping out the entire rat army, along with King Gorger, by leaping fearlessly off a cliff and taking the Gnawers with him.
At the last minute, Ares, Henry's bat, saves Gregor from the fall.
Later, as Ares is put on trial for letting his bond die, Gregor bonds to him to save his life.
Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane[]
Months later, Gregor and Boots visit Central Park to go sledding, where the latter is suddenly kidnapped by a group of crawlers. Gregor immediately descends into the Underland, where he reunites with his friends and learns of The Prophecy of Bane, which warns of Boots' death and a giant white rat, the Bane, bringing the end of the Underland. Determined to protect his sister, Gregor and a group of questers set out on an adventure across the Waterway, in order to find and kill the Bane before the gnawers can kill Boots.
After surviving an island of flesh-eating mites, a giant squid attack, and a whirlpool, the party arrives at the Tankard, the entrance to a large maze known as the Labyrinth, where the Bane is supposedly hiding. While at the Tankard, the party is attacked by a pack of serpents, leading to the loss of Luxa, Aurora, Boots, and Temp. Gregor, deeply effected by Boots' death, forces Howard and Andromeda to take Mareth, who was knocked unconscious during the serpent attack, home while Twitchtip guides him and Ares to the Bane. Finally, after having to leave Twitchtip behind due to her injuries, Gregor and Ares find the Bane, only to discover that he is still a baby.
Unable to kill the pup, Gregor decides to entrust him to Ripred, hoping that the latter will be able to raise him well. After returning to Regalia, however, Gregor and Ares are immediately put on trial for treason. Fortunately, Nerissa, now queen, spares them, believing that they did the right thing. Soon thereafter, Boots is returned by a group of crawlers. They then learn that Luxa, Aurora, Boots, and Temp survived the serpents and made it to the Labyrinth, before being attacked by the gnawers. After escaping to the Dead Lands with Boots, Temp then begged an unnamed moth to take her to the crawlers. The moth agreed, but when the crawlers went to look for Temp, he was nowhere to be found. So, with the hope of the others' potential survival, Gregor reluctantly returns to the Overland.
Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods[]
After waiting months for word on Luxa and his friends, Gregor finally receives a call for help from Vikus, telling him that The Prophecy of Blood has come. After learning that Ares has the plague, Gregor becomes determined to travel back to the Underland. Gregor's mother, however, refuses to let him go until Ripred tells them that Gregor and Boots are only needed for a brief meeting. She finally relents, on the condition that she can attend the meeting with them. While there, however, an infected bat crashes in and ultimately infects Gregor's mother.
Desperate to save her and his friends, Gregor sets out to find the cure, which is believed to be in the Vineyard of Eyes, located in the center of a dense jungle. Once he and the other questers arrive at the edge of the jungle, they encounter a troubled man named Hamnet, his Halflander son, Hazard, and their hisser companion, Frill. Hamnet then guides the party through the jungle and after managing through poison arrow frogs, intense hunger and thirst, carnivorous plants, and quicksand, the questers discover Luxa and Aurora, alive and living with a colony of nibblers. After healing Aurora, they all continue to the Vineyard of Eyes, where they are soon attacked by a colony of cutters. During the fight, the cure is destroyed and Hamnet and Frill are killed.
The survivors believe that all hope is lost until Temp suggests that the Vineyard wasn't the cradle. Gregor and his friends then come to the frightening conclusion that the cradle for the cure is actually in Regalia. After racing back to the kingdom, they discover that their theory was correct and that Solovet was the one to create the plague, intending to use it as a biological weapon to kill the gnawers. The cure is quickly distributed, but Gregor soon learns that it will be months until his mother will be well enough to return home. So, with his family in desperate need of help, Gregor finally tells Mrs. Cormaci about the Underland.
Gregor and the Marks of Secret[]
Gregor begins to frequently visit his friends and mother in Regalia. In Gregor and the Marks of Secret, Luxa receives a signal for help from her mouse friends. Many signs point to one thing: the Nibblers are in great peril. Luxa and Gregor journey back to the jungle to discover that the colony of Nibblers originally residing there have vanished. On an unauthorized quest, they set out to find what has happened to all of the Nibblers. Gregor and Luxa discover that the Bane has escaped from Ripred's care and is rallying the rats, stirring up a war; intending to kill all the Nibblers. Luxa declares war on the rats after witnessing them kill hundreds of her friends- Howard, Luxa, and their bonds stay to fight the army while Gregor returns to Regalia with the wounded and young.
Gregor and the Code of Claw[]
Gregor is worried about his friends in the Firelands runs off with Ares to help fight. After the battle, Gregor flies back with Luxa, who is desperately ill. When he returns, he is shut in the dungeon for disobeying Solovet's orders. During his time spent locked away, he discovers he is able to use echolocation, and continues to practice it in the darkness. When he is finally recovered, he finds that he is being released because Solovet has discovered his secret- he is in love with Luxa.
Regalia falls under attack. The rats have allied with the Diggers, colossal moles who can dig through stone, leaving the palace, Regalia's only stronghold, vulnerable. The Code of Claw is broken with the help of Lizzie, Gregor's younger sister. In the last battle at the Plain of Tartarus, Gregor finally vanquishes the Bane--but in the process, Ares, his bond, is killed. Gregor believes he is dying, only to wake up in a hospital, covered in wounds. During a peace offering between the humans and the rats, Luxa bonds with the thought-to-be-dead Ripred, and calls for the rats help to defeat the rallying army of Cutters. Gregor and his family return to the Overland to discuss their life plans- whether to stay in New York or move away to Virginia forever.
Skills and Abilities[]
- Echolocation: Like the vast majority of the creatures in the Underland, he can locate objects by determining the time for an echo to return and the direction from which it returns.
- Rager: As a rager, he is a natural-born fighter and killer. On the other hand, it can become difficult for him to regain his control during a fight.
- Saxophone: He plays the saxophone, occasionally alongside his father, and once performed at Carnegie Hall with his classmates.
- Swordsmanship: He is well versed in sword fighting.
Relationships[]
Luxa[]
Luxa is Gregor's love interest and best friend.
Ares[]
Ares was Gregor‘s bond and they were extremely close as a result.
Quotes[]
Main Page: Gregor/Quotes
Trivia[]
- Gregor's name means "vigilant, a watchman." This is ironic, considering that in the Prophecy of Bane, Gregor fell asleep while on watch, leading to the squid attack.
- He was said to be the "only trainee capable of keeping up with Mareth" when it came to running exercises.
- Gregor is technically considered a prince to the crawlers, due to Boots being called, "The Princess." He, unlike his sister, is not fond of the title.
- When Suzanne Collins was asked if she is anything like Gregor, she said that they both want to do the right thing but sometimes have trouble figuring out what that is.
- Although he does not have a canon last name, many fans refer to him as "Gregor Campbell," taking inspiration from the popular television series "Supernatural."