The Unwanteds Wiki
Register
Advertisement

SPOILER WARNING!
This article contains heavy discussion of plot details from the newest Unwanteds Quests books. You are at risk of major spoilers if you haven't read up to the newest installment in the series. Be careful!

Alexander ("Alex") was the main protagonist of the original Unwanteds series, and was the twin brother of Aaron Stowe. He was declared Unwanted and purged from Quill after an unspecified number of infractions. He had a talent for art. He later became the head mage of Artimé.

Personality

Alex is a hardworking leader, despite claiming otherwise, who is often selfless and empathetic. Alex really cares about people in trouble[1], and isn't afraid to risk things to help others. He tries to help others even when he can't, though he struggles with his own emotions and telling others how he's actually feeling. He can be rash to others at times, and can be oblivious to how others are feeling, especially when it comes to romance. Alex is very forgiving and gives many second chances, even when it ends up harming him. Gunnar says that his heart gets in the way sometimes.[2] Pan says that he's too trusting.[3]

Ms. Octavia and Aaron both say that he makes things overly complicated a lot of the time.[4]

Alex never fully recovers from the rules and expectations put on him during his childhood in Quill. He struggles with feeling good enough, and really just feeling in general.[5] He thinks that this is what makes him want to prove something now[6], and so he is terrified of failing.[7] Sky says that he's probably the biggest perfectionist in the world, and that he thinks that someday, when everything in his life is perfect, he will never fail at anything.[8] Alex immediately backs this up by thinking that every decision is "all-important and absolutely crucial," and that doing things right is just part of his job.[9] He cites his position as head mage as one of his reasons for this feeling, as well as his upbringing.[5]

He matures over the course of the series, but becomes more angry and sad when he loses the ability to use his left hand in Island of Dragons. He argues that his left arm, which gives him his ability to draw and cast spells, makes him the person that he is.[10] He says that he'll never be what he was[11], and even considers his younger self to be an entirely different person.

Appearance

Alex has long[12][13][14], curly[12][15][16][17][13][18][19][14], dark brown hair[15][16][17][19] with warm, chocolate brown eyes.[20][21][22][23][24] His keeps his hair longer than Aaron's.[14] When Kaylee is trying to guess his ancestry, she describes him as kind of ambiguous; she guesses his mother is from northern Africa or somewhere tropical, like Tahiti.[25] His father is potentially from Southern European descent, somewhere like Italy[26], and Alex looks more like him.[27]

At the end of Island of Fire, he starts wearing Mr. Today's magical robes constantly.[14] He has a scar on his chest from an almost lethal scatterclip.

"...the boy with the kind brown eyes..."
― The Unwanteds, "Defense" (197)
"...while his mirror image absorbed the insults, his deep chocolate eyes changing from anger, to hurt, to pity."
― The Unwanteds, "Together Again" (268)
"The wind had twisted Alex’s dark brown hair into tangled curls...It was getting long, and Alex had good reason for not cutting it."
― The Unwanteds: Island of Silence, "Exposed" (2)
"In fact, Alex’s deep brown eyes held none of the warmth they’d held a few moments earlier..."
― The Unwanteds: Island of Silence, "The Way It Is with Twins—Threedux" (381)
"Sometimes he leaned his head of dark tangled curls or pressed a dirty cheek against the pane..."
― The Unwanteds: Island of Fire, "The Death Farm" (1)
"He opened his lanky arms awkwardly and hugged her."
― The Unwanteds: Island of Fire, "Exodus" (40)
"His clothes were ragged and dusty, his face smudged with dirt, his hair a tangled nest of dark brown curls."
― The Unwanteds: Island of Fire, "A Little Help" (56)
"...help him put the robe on. It was a bit too long, a bit too wide, but it draped nicely."
― The Unwanteds: Island of Fire, "Where You First Saw Me" (88)
"...and then at Alex, whose long dark ringlets were tangled once again..."
― The Unwanteds: Island of Fire, "The Long Night" (368)
"She looked into his eyes, so brown and earnest."
― The Unwanteds: Island of Fire, "A Promise" (422)
"After tripping a few times on the long hem, Sky took the robes and tailored them to fit him."
― The Unwanteds: Island of Fire, "Back to Normal" (425)
"Alex opted for a single pirate eye patch as his mask, which wouldn’t clash with his brightly colored robe. He sat at his dressing table combing his hair and trimming the ends of it with a magical finger scissors he created on the spot for such an occasion. He wanted his hair to look nice and fresh, as it had grown into long waves by now."
― The Unwanteds: Island of Fire, "Masquerade" (430)
"He pushed his shock of wet curls out of his eyes."
― The Unwanteds: Island of Legends, "The Big Cat's Worst Nightmare" (278)
"The boys resembled their fair-skinned, dark-haired father..."
― The Unwanteds: Island of Graves, "Tiny Personalities" (28)
"You’re sort of ambiguous. Maybe southern Europe, like Italy."
― The Unwanteds: Island of Dragons, "The Dragon's Triangle" (82)
"His brown eyes flared."
― The Unwanteds Quests: Dragon Captives, "A Fight" (13)
"He ripped his hand through his dark brown tangles."
― The Unwanteds Quests: Dragon Captives, "A Fight" (16)
"Alex was rarely seen without the colorful robe of the head mage. He wore his dark brown wavy hair longer than Aaron, who kept his cropped short."
― The Unwanteds Quests: Dragon Captives, "Living Life in Peace" (54)
"His face was scruffy..."
― The Unwanteds Quests: Dragon Bones, "Continuing Clashes" (157)
Note: Please look at Aaron and Mr. Stowe's pages as well, as Alex looks similar to them.

History

Alex was born and raised in Quill's Necessary quadrants with his twin brother, Aaron. When Alex was ten years old, his parents told him that he would be an Unwanted.[28][6] He gained many infractions even after learning this, including on That Day In The Rain When They Were 10, when he and Aaron were caught drawing in the mud with a stick.[29] Alex encouraged Aaron to draw a house at his example, but their father mixed the two up, and Alex accepted the infraction.

Relationships

Aaron Stowe

Aaron is Alex's twin brother, and the two are "irrevocably tied together."[30] They can physically feel when the other dies or is almost dead.[31][32][33] They are close growing up, and Alex takes one of Aaron's infractions. The two become enemies after Aaron becomes high priest of Quill, and Aaron tries to kill him. After Island of Graves, Aaron seriously changes, and the two become much closer again. Alex is secretly jealous of Aaron's magical abilities, but keeps that to himself, and acknowledges that Aaron is an important part of his team.

Simber

Alex and Simber don't start off as being close, but after Alex's first near-death experience in the first battle between Quill and Artimé, the cat seems more eager to watch out for Alex. After Alex starts training to become head mage, Simber is readily available to chat with Alex, and makes this point clear. The first time the two really work together is on their way to Warbler to look for Lani and Samheed, where Simber encourages Alex to take charge and be a leader. Alex is devastated when Simber falls into the ocean, and it's one of his main worries when Artimé is restored. The two share a lifelong bond, becoming very close friends and working well together. Alex is one of the only people Simber lowers his gruff persona for. Simber maintains his distance out of fear that Alex will become to reliant on him, just in case something does happen to him again.[34] Florence notes that the two rarely fight with each other.[34] When Alex dies, Simber is heartbroken, and it makes him think about how he's going to lose a lot of the mortal people around him someday.

Meghan Ranger

Meghan is Alex's best friend. He witnessed her infraction and the two were always close. He knows that she would always stand up for him.[35] After her death, he wonders if he'll ever get used to her not being around.[35]

Lani Haluki

Lani is Alex's best friend, and was at one point a love interest. The two often argue, but work well together. In the first book, Lani and Alex really do not get along, despite the seemingly mutual crushes between the two. Lani is rude and doesn't hide that she's in Magical Warrior Training, which hurts Alex as he still hasn't gotten moved up yet. She repeatedly teases him and bullies him with magical spells that he can't defend himself against, leading him to hiding in his room the majority of the time. Although their relationship improves towards the end of the first book, it goes back downhill once Alex is offered the head mage position. He gets distant, and when he finally tells his friends that he was offered the job and refused it, Lani gets upset, because she thinks that she would be a good fit for the job. The two stay distant until Alex rescues her and Samheed from Warbler Island, at which point they stay friends.

Samheed Burkesh

Samheed and Alex knew each other back in their days at Quill, having been classmates. The two didn't get along in the beginning of the first book, being rivals of sorts but after setting aside their differences and communicating, the two become very close friends almost instantly. Samheed quickly becomes one of the people Alex deeply trusts. The two tend to playfully fight and tease each other no matter the occasion.

Sky

Sky is Alex's partner in the books. She helped him restore Artimé and the two went on many adventures together. They struggle to communicate and argue a lot, they're really awkward, but they can reliably fight side by side. If Alex had to choose anyone to spend a few days alone with on a boat, it would definitely be Sky.[36]

Fifer and Thisbe

Alex struggles with the responsibility of raising his sisters on top of his head mage duties. The two are very naturally gifted, and it makes Alex worried for the safety of himself and others. He doesn't fully believe in them, and is upset when they leave to help the young dragons. He cares about them and wants to protect them, and even goes on the quest to save Thisbe. He and Fifer are close at the end of Dragon Bones.

Other Notable Relationships

Mr. Today becomes a mentor figure in Alex's life, and he's very upset by his death. Ms. Octavia is Alex's art teacher, who he becomes very close with over the course of the series. Florence is one of Alex's statue friends, who protects him and helps him run Artimé. Alex is friends with the majority of the other Unwanteds and people from other islands. Alex had a poor relationship with his parents, and wasn't all that sad when they died.[37]

Quotes

"Wishing with all his might that he could just go back to Quill, where he wouldn’t have expectations or dreams or hopes or imagination or responsibilities at all. He could just be. Not have everyone angry with him. Not be the only one who didn’t succeed."
― The Unwanteds, "Secrets and Secret Places" (124)
"You taught us that we shouldn't hide. You taught us that we have the right to exist and live freely! You saved us, and we have to save Artimé—that's the price we pay for getting a second chance to live."
― The Unwanteds: Island of Silence, "A Grave Danger" (158)
"Great protuberating conch shells!"
― The Unwanteds: Island of Fire, "Magnify, Focus, Every One" (60)
"Nobody here is going to make fun of you for crying—we're all pretty good at it."
― The Unwanteds: Island of Graves, "Back to Artimé" (423)
"Cripes."
― The Unwanteds: Island of Dragons, "Henry Finds a Purpose" (35)
"This is going to be our most difficult battle yet, by far. And I honestly don't know how we're going to get through it. But I won't quit, and I won't surrender, and I won't back down, not for anything or anyone, no matter what they do to me. I guess I just wanted you all to know that. You mean very much to me, all of you. And today I'm fighting for you."
― The Unwanteds: Island of Dragons, "Meeting of the Minds" (260-261)

Abilities/Weaknesses

Alex is very talented when it comes to anything art-related. He creates a 3-D door, an incredibly difficult piece of artwork, during his first year in Artimé. Eventually, his artistic talents are so great that he makes a 3-D drawing of one of the young dragons. Unfortunately, he loses this ability after his left arm is paralyzed in Island of Dragons.

Alex couldn't see the not-so-secret-hallway when he first arrived in Artimé, but gained the ability after 6 months of living there. This was before he started his Magical Warrior Training.

Alex is an amazing fighter, but is particularly good at designing new spells. He creates one of the most popular and deadly spells in Artimé: heart attack. With a little help from Sky, he also created the Hurricane Chant used to remove the hurricane from the Island of Shipwrecks.

Trivia

  • Alex's name means "defender of men," likely because of his head mage position and his natural leadership skills.
  • Alex is left-handed (until Island of Dragons), but multiple covers depict him using his right hand to cast spells.
  • Alex is the least magical out of his siblings, being unable to see the not-so-secret-hallway at the beginning of the series while the rest of them can with no training. He also has no special magical abilities, besides being good at casting spells.
  • No, Alex cannot fix his left arm with magic. He could add a third arm somewhere using the same spell as the young dragons' wings, but Artimé is not progressed enough to amputate and replace limbs magically.[38]
  • Alex eats rice with a fork.
  • Alex is 100% sure that he would not want to be saved if it meant he would live forever.[39]
  • His favorite meal is a thick seafood chowder with a slice of fig-jam toast, which he took a liking to because of Fifer.[40]

Gallery

Official Artwork

Disclaimer: While these artworks are official, there are many differences in how the characters are portrayed compared to their book descriptions. Many of the official artworks are whitewashed or otherwise incorrect. While they can be used as reference for fan artworks, they are not an accurate representation of how the characters may actually look.

Fan Artwork

All artwork is used with permission from the artists.

Disclaimer: The wiki works to show artwork that matches how the characters are described in the books, but interpretations may vary from artist to artist.

References

  1. The Unwanteds: Island of Graves, "But First, a Pit Stop" (385)
  2. The Unwanteds: Island of Graves, "A Trip to the Ancients Sector" (451)
  3. The Unwanteds: Island of Dragons, "A Brother's Love" (190)
  4. The Unwanteds: Island of Dragons, "Contemplating Flight" (139)
  5. 5.0 5.1 The Unwanteds: Island of Graves, "Circling" (301)
  6. 6.0 6.1 The Unwanteds: Island of Graves, "Back to the Island" (318)
  7. The Unwanteds: Island of Graves, "Circling" (300)
  8. The Unwanteds: Island of Graves, "Regrets" (290)
  9. The Unwanteds: Island of Graves, "More Regrets" (296)
  10. The Unwanteds: Island of Dragons, "Facing the Truth" (476)
  11. The Unwanteds: Island of Dragons, "Proper Paths" (498)
  12. 12.0 12.1 The Unwanteds: Island of Silence, "Exposed" (2)
  13. 13.0 13.1 The Unwanteds: Island of Fire, "Masquerade" (430)
  14. 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 The Unwanteds Quests: Dragon Captives, "Living Life in Peace" (54)
  15. 15.0 15.1 The Unwanteds: Island of Fire, "The Death Farm" (1)
  16. 16.0 16.1 The Unwanteds: Island of Fire, "A Little Help" (56)
  17. 17.0 17.1 The Unwanteds: Island of Fire, "The Long Night" (368)
  18. The Unwanteds: Island of Legends, "The Big Cat's Worst Nightmare" (278)
  19. 19.0 19.1 The Unwanteds Quests: Dragon Captives, "A Fight" (16)
  20. The Unwanteds, "Defense" (197)
  21. The Unwanteds, "Together Again" (268)
  22. The Unwanteds: Island of Silence, "The Way It Is with Twins—Threedux" (381)
  23. The Unwanteds: Island of Fire, "A Promise" (422)
  24. The Unwanteds Quests: Dragon Captives, "A Fight" (13)
  25. The Unwanteds: Island of Dragons, "The Dragon's Triangle" (83)
  26. The Unwanteds: Island of Dragons, "The Dragon's Triangle" (82)
  27. The Unwanteds: Island of Graves, "Tiny Personalities" (28)
  28. The Unwanteds, "The Purge" (2)
  29. The Unwanteds, "How" (205)
  30. The Unwanteds: Island of Graves, "A Momentary Lapse of Judgment" (2)
  31. The Unwanteds: Island of Graves, "A Momentary Lapse of Judgment" (3)
  32. The Unwanteds: Island of Graves, "A Momentary Lapse of Judgment" (4)
  33. The Unwanteds: Island of Graves, "Heading for Home" (379)
  34. 34.0 34.1 The Unwanteds: Island of Graves, "The Plan" (52-53)
  35. 35.0 35.1 The Unwanteds: Island of Graves, "An Unsettling Feeling" (11)
  36. The Unwanteds: Island of Graves, "A Journey Begins" (249)
  37. The Unwanteds: Island of Graves, "Heading for Home" (378)
  38. https://www.goodreads.com/author/767547.Lisa_McMann/questions "I suppose he could make a third arm and attach it to himself somewhere (remember, he attached wings where there were none), but he couldn't replace the injured arm magically. Medically, the people of Artimé just aren't advanced enough to do some sort of amputation and magical replacement of an actual limb."
  39. The Unwanteds: Island of Graves, "A Rough Night" (159)
  40. The Unwanteds: Island of Graves, "Circling" (306)


Advertisement