Thus Spoke Zarathustra · Characters
Character guide
Key figures in Thus Spoke Zarathustra by Friedrich Nietzsche.
Zarathustra
major
Also known as IV Zarathustra, Thereafter Zarathustra, Zarathustra the godless, O Zarathustra, The Leech
The protagonist who descends from his cave to teach the Superman and the will to power.
The Superman
supporting
Also known as Superman
The idealized future being Zarathustra proclaims as humanity's goal.
Life
supporting
A personified female figure who dances and converses with Zarathustra.
The Tarantulas
minor
Also known as Tarantulas, Lo
Symbolic spiders representing vengeful preachers of equality.
The Priests
minor
Also known as those priests, The Priests
Religious figures Zarathustra criticizes for their otherworldly teachings.
The Ugliest Man
supporting
A nihilistic figure who killed God out of pity and seeks Zarathustra.
The Magician
supporting
A deceptive performer who mimics spiritual suffering for effect.
The Voluntary Beggar
supporting
A former rich man who now lives among cows preaching contentment.
The Shadow
supporting
A wanderer who follows Zarathustra, representing rootless skepticism.
The Soothsayer
supporting
A prophet of nihilism who predicts the death of all meaning.
The Conscientious in Spirit
minor
A scientific thinker who values truth above all, even painfully.
The Pope Out of Service
supporting
A retired pope who mourns the death of God and seeks Zarathustra.
The Wanderer
minor
Zarathustra's self-reflective aspect during his solitary journeys.
The Higher Men
supporting
A group of flawed seekers invited to Zarathustra's cave for teaching.
The Ass
minor
A donkey worshipped by the Higher Men in a parody of religious ritual.
The King of the Isle
minor
A ruler who abdicated to seek wisdom from Zarathustra.
The Leech
minor
A man obsessed with studying leeches as a metaphor for conscience.
