Baruch

A low-ranking rebel angel, partner of Balthamos and brother of the man who became Metatron.

Baruch is an angel in Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials, the partner of the angel Balthamos. Both are in rebellion against the Kingdom of Heaven and want to join Lord Asriel's army of angels to overthrow Metatron, the acting Regent of The Authority. As a human, Baruch was the brother of Enoch, who later became the angel Metatron.

Quick Facts

Kind: Angel
Partner: Balthamos
Brother: Enoch, later the angel Metatron

Lore & Background

The two angels find Will Parry at the end of The Subtle Knife and, because he is the bearer of the subtle knife, hope to take him to Lord Asriel. Will refuses to go until the kidnapped Lyra Belacqua has been found, and the angels agree to accompany him until then. In The Amber Spyglass Baruch is killed while carrying important information to Lord Asriel. Balthamos, stricken with grief, promises to help Will in every way he can to honour Baruch's sacrifice.

Reader's Guide

Balthamos and Baruch are angels of low rank, and their abilities are limited. They appear as luminous, almost transparent humanlike forms that are barely visible to human eyes, even at night. In the television series Baruch is played by Simon Harrison in the third series, in which Alarbus, an Angel loyal to the Authority, murders him. Nigel Carrington plays Baruch in the 2001 audiobook of The Amber Spyglass.