Will Parry

The boy from our world who becomes the bearer of the Subtle Knife.

Will Parry is one of the two central protagonists in Philip Pullman's trilogy His Dark Materials, appearing alongside Lyra Belacqua. He first enters the story at the start of The Subtle Knife as a twelve-year-old boy living in Winchester with his mother, Elaine, and their cat, Moxie. Introduced as a self-assured and serious child who has looked after his mentally ill mother for years, Will is drawn into a journey between worlds while searching for clues about his father. He meets Lyra in the empty city of Cittàgazze, where they team up to uncover mysteries regarding Dust and his missing father. Will eventually takes possession of the Subtle Knife, using its power to aid Lord Asriel in his war against the Authority.

Quick Facts

First

The Subtle Knife

Last

The Amber Spyglass

Creator

Philip Pullman

Portrayed by

Dominic Cooper (stage play); Amir Wilson (TV series)

Voice

Steven Webb
Peter England
Daniel Anthony

Family

John Parry (father); Elaine Parry (mother)

Partner

Lyra Belacqua

Lore & Background

Will is described as having straight black eyebrows, dark hair, and a strong, jutting jaw, with a stocky, muscular build for his age. His eyes are so dark and fierce that most characters avoid looking directly into them. His father, John Parry, a former Royal Marine, vanished on an expedition to the Arctic when Will was just one year old. Will discovers that his father had actually found a window to Cittàgazze but became trapped in another world, unable to return. Physically, Will bears the 'mark' of the Subtle Knife: the loss of the little and ring fingers of his left hand. He is exceptionally independent, courteous, and possesses a strong moral compass, evidenced by his insistence on paying for food and clothes taken from Cittàgazze.

Reader's Guide

He is quieter and more serious than Lyra, often standing up for himself and refusing to be spoken down to. His relationship with Lyra deepens significantly in The Amber Spyglass; in the world of the Mulefa they realise their love for each other while sharing fruit given to them by Mary Malone, and Dust stops escaping and begins to fall upon the world again. Will's dæmon, Kirjava, possesses an unusual ability to travel far from her human, which she uses to punish Will and Lyra for abandoning them in the Land of the Dead before eventually reconciling with them.

Did You Know?

Will's daemon, Kirjava, was previously invisible and lived inside him until he separated from it in the Land of the Dead.
The name 'Kirjava' means 'mottled' in Finnish, a name given by the witch Serafina Pekkala.