A Guide to Lunar Chronicles Character Traits

I’ve been getting lots of questions lately about what my characters look like—even down to specifics, like how tall they are. For ease of use and to encourage all ye fanartists (and maybe inspire some of you for the Design a Sticker contest!), here are the character profiles that have been living in my Lunar Chronicles folder for many years.

 

If you notice anything that does not fit with what is written in the books, and you can point to a specific passage that contradicts what I have here, please feel free to mention it in the comments. Some times things change during writing, and it’s been a long time since I compared these profiles to the books.

 

If you would like to see inspiration photos that I’ve used, check out my Lunar Chronicles Pinterest Board here: http://www.pinterest.com/marissameyer22/the-lunar-chronicles

 

 

***PROFILES INCLUDE SPOILERS FOR THE FIRST THREE BOOKS ***

 

 

CINDER (LINH CINDER)

Birth date/place: Luna; December 21, 109 T.E., Sagittarius

Age: 16

Race: Lunar (mixed ethnicity—Asian/Caucasian?, tan skin, even more tan from walking everywhere)

Eye color: brown

Hair color/style: straight, fine, brunette, just below shoulders; often wears messy ponytails

Build: 5’8”, slender, few curves, almost boyish

Glamour: similar to Channary’s, breathtaking, she’s tempted to hide her cyborg parts but tries to fight it

Style of dress: comfortable and utilitarian

First book: cargo pants, T-shirts, dirty gloves, boots, messenger bag, occasional tool belt

Ball: Peony’s silver dress, Pearl’s white velvet boots that lace over the ankles, stained white silk gloves with seed pearls on hem that Kai gave her Prison: White cotton jumpsuit, bulky and loose, no shoes

Gloves: Cinder wears gloves exclusively for first book, usu. work gloves, but also thinner cotton gloves when not working. Kai gives her above-the-elbow white silk gloves with seed pearls on the hem for the ball

 

Cyborg characteristics: “Her control panel, her synthetic hand and leg, wires that trailed from the base of her skull all the way down her spine and out to her prosthetic limbs. The scar tissue where flesh met metal. A small dark square in her wrist—her ID chip, the metal vertebrae along her spine, or the four metal ribs, or the synthetic tissue around her heart (two chambers made primarily of silicon mixed with bio tissue), or the metal splints along the bones in her right leg. Ratio: 36.28%.”

 

Has a latch in the back of her head that opens, revealing control panel beside brain (no brain tissue can be seen behind it).

 

Can’t blush because it keeps her from overheating, but she can sweat. Can’t cry because tear ducts replaced with prosthetic eyes.

 

Prostheses: steel in first book. Left leg to mid-thigh (calf includes hollow compartment), left ankle attached via screws and red and yellow (and multicolored) wires; left hand to wrist.

 

New limbs (beginning at end of book one): new hand and foot. Plated with 100% titanium, fingers include: flashlight, stiletto knife, projectile gun, screwdriver, universal connector cable. Twelve tranquilizer darts are stored in palm.

 

Mannerisms: She has a nervous tick of fiddling with the hems of her gloves to make sure her metal hand is always covered. She also has a bad habit of pushing her hair out of her face when her hands are filthy, leaving grease stains on her forehead. She is ambidextrous. Often twirling tools in her fingers. Bites insides of cheek.

 

 

 

KAI (KAITO, CROWN PRINCE OF THE EASTERN COMMONWEALTH)

Birth date/place: New Beijing, Eastern Commonwealth; 7 April 108 T.E.; Aries

Age: 18

Race: Earthen/Asian

Eye color: copper-brown

Hair color/style: shaggy, straight black hair worn past ears, slicked back for formal occasions

Build: 5’11”, slender/borderline lanky

Style of dress: Suits and dress-shirts, although would rather be in jeans and Ts. Probably has a stylist telling him what to wear. For formal occasions, traditional mandarin-style silk shirts with fine embroidery and embellishments. Gray-hooded sweatshirt (incognito).

Physical characteristics: Handsome with angled, sharp facial features and “admirable” lips, smells faintly of soap

Mannerisms: Scratches at neck and ear when tongue-tied; ears turn red first when he blushes; quick to smile (looks for the humor in everything); yanks hand through hair when overwhelmed. Hands in pockets.

 

 

 

SCARLET BENOIT

Birth date/place: Rieux, France, European Federation, 17 August 108 T.E., Leo

Age: 18

Race: Caucasian

Eye color: big brown eyes

Hair color/style: curly/unruly ginger-red hair to mid-back

Build: 5’6”, curvy

Style of dress: jeans and a red hoodie that her grandma gave her, clashes with her hair which is part of the reason why she likes it.

Characteristics: full lips, lots of freckles

Mannerisms: tries to make herself look bigger/stronger with folded arms, wide-leg stances, etc. Frank and abrupt, has a tendency to act first and think later.

 

 

 

 

WOLF (ZE’EV KESLEY)

Birth date/place: Luna, Nov. 4, 102 T.E., Scorpio

Age: 23

Race: Lunar (olive-toned skin—think Middle Eastern)

Eye color: strikingly bright green, thick eyelashes

Hair color/style: messy brown hair that tends to spike in all directions, refuses to be tamed

Build: 6’4”, super muscular

Style of dress: loose gray pants (almost like sweats), plain t-shirts or tanks, barefoot whenever possible, otherwise comfortable leather boots [wears military uniform when not “undercover”]

Other characteristics: tattoo “LSOP962” on left forearm; sharp canine teeth; covered in scars and wounds, some recent, some faded, including a bad gouge on his left arm from wrist to elbow, and more on his left temple and lips.

Mannerisms: protective stance, tense shoulders like he’s always ready to fight, often flexing fingers and making fists, snarling, trouble holding eye contact, shy around people, high metabolism, fidgety and constantly pacing, always hungry

 

 

CRESS (short for CRESCENT MOON)

Birth date/place: Luna, July 18, 110 T.E., Cancer

Age: 16

Race: Lunar (pale skin, Caucasian)

Eye color: bright blue

Hair color/style: honey blonde, insanely long at start of novel: “longest, waviest, most unruly mess of tangled blonde hair imaginable. The golden nest around her head was tied in a big knot over one shoulder, and cascaded in a jumble of braids and snarls, wrapping around one of the girl’s arms before descending out of the screen’s view.” Later cut above shoulders with a knife, so very ragged/blunt throughout Book Three.

Build: 5’0”, petite and slender

Face: sweet, heart-shaped with freckles across nose and cheeks, dimples, giddy smile

Style of dress: worn day dresses in satellite, no shoes (while on satellite)

Mannerisms: Always fidgeting with hair, toys and sucks on it, wraps it around wrists (when long). Tries to make herself smaller/invisible. Would sooner hide than fight. Flighty and nervous around people. Draws strength from overactive imagination.

 

 

 

 

THORNE (“CAPTAIN” CARSWELL THORNE)

Birth date/place: American Republic, May 22, 106 T.E., Gemini

Age: 20

Race: Earthen (Caucasian)

Eye color: blue

Hair color/style: short brown hair, usually with product (always wants to look his best), clean-shaven (after free from prison at least)

Build: 6’0”, broad-shouldered and strong, but not as muscular as Wolf

Style of dress: well-dressed, button-up dress-shirts with rolled sleeves or slim-fitting sweaters, vests, loves his leather jacket, prefers the “dressy” military uniforms to the utilitarian ones.

Mannerisms: checking that his hair is okay, admiring every woman he sees, whistling, making light of the situation. Cocky swagger. Flirtation smiles and raised eyebrows. Still labeled a “cadet” in military (though deserter), but insists on being called Captain.

 

 

 

 

PRINCESS WINTER HAYLE-BLACKBURN

Birth date/place: Luna, 3 January 109 T.E., Capricorn

Age: 17

Race: Lunar (black)

Eye color: golden-brown with flecks of gray around the pupils

Hair color/style: black, tight corkscrew curls, just below shoulder-length, very thick

Build: 5’9”, slender but with enviable curves, extremely graceful limbs, long neck

Face: high cheekbones, full red lips, delicate nose, ridiculously long eyelashes—the kind of face that is difficult to look away from; three scars on her right cheek, like teardrops from the corner of her eye to her chin; known as the most beautiful girl on Luna

Style of dress: sophisticated and conservative, both flowy skirts and pants but always feminine, likes to wear pastels and light colors, silvers, gauzy fabrics, etc.

Mannerisms: gentle and graceful, but crazy, whimsical voice and flighty gestures, almost skips when she walks, has a tendency to wander off, comfortable around people (except Lunar aristocracy) but has a habit of getting into their personal space and making them uncomfortable. Playful.

 

 

 

 

JACIN CLAY: royal guard; personal guard and pilot for Sybil.

Birth date/place: Luna, 8 July 107 T.E., Cancer

Age: 19

Race: Lunar (Caucasian)

Eye color: blue-gray

Hair color/style: blonde-white hair that falls in straight locks passed his chin, sometimes pulls into a ponytail

Build: 6’2”, muscular, graceful from combat training

Style of dress: official uniform of Lunar guards

Mannerisms: rigid, tense posture; confident and capable—rarely second guesses himself; makes few hand gestures—always trying to go unnoticed; usually quiet but harsh when he does talk; abrasive personality; will do anything to protect the ones he truly cares about