Last Duel tells a gripping tale from medieval France. Marguerite accuses Jacques Le Gris, her husband’s old buddy, of a terrible crime. Themes of justice, loyalty, betrayal swirl around as these three face off in a fierce duel. It’s intense, dramatic and a bit messy- just like life, right?

Meet the characters from The Last Duel

Sir Jean de Carrouges

Okay, Jean is the kind of guy who wears his honor like armor — literal armor sometimes, and also like a grumpy sweater he refuses to take off. He’s fierce, competitive, and incredibly proud, always ready to charge at an insult or a slight, which is both noble and kind of exhausting to watch. Deep down he’s wounded and a little paranoid, like a man who needs to prove himself twice a day, though he’ll also show up with flowers? maybe not flowers, more like a weirdly practical gift — a sharpening stone. He’s heroic in that old-school tragic way, and yes he hates being outmaneuvered, even when he’s the one doing the loudest scheming.

Jacques Le Gris

Jacques is slipperier than you expect — charming, smooth, almost annoyingly easygoing until you realize he’s been three moves ahead the whole time. He’s clever, sexually magnetic, and annoyingly competent at everything from jousting to sweet-talk; sometimes you love him, sometimes you want to throttle him, which is kind of the point. There’s this undercurrent of mischief — he’s generous and funny but also has this habit of smiling when things go sideways, which is either sinister or just mischievous, I can’t decide. He reads poetry and probably has a soft spot for stray cats, or maybe that was a rumor someone started because he’s flattering.

Marguerite de Carrouges

Marguerite is fierce but not flashy — she’s this quietly volcanic presence who doesn’t ask for mercy and rarely gets it, and you just want to stand up every time she speaks. She’s loyal to the bone, sharp-eyed, and morally stubborn, with a dignity that translates into stubbornness more than anything else. Also she hums to herself while embroidering and keeps a locket with a questionable picture inside (I may be making that up but it feels right). She can be heartbreakingly vulnerable and ferociously resolute in the same breath, which makes her the emotional gravity of the whole thing.

Nicole de Carrouges

Nicole is the kind of person who survives by being quietly clever — not flashy, just steady, smart, and observant in a way that sneaks up on you. There’s an inner strength there like a coiled spring, and she notices details everyone else misses which is both practical and kind of poetic. She’s private, maybe stubbornly so, and has this mischievous little smile when she knows something you don’t; also allegedly hoards spices, but that could be gossip. She feels like the unexpected backbone of a story, the one who keeps things honest without needing an audience.

Pierre d’Alençon

Pierre is a bit of a wild card — ambitious and sometimes cocky, but also annoyingly insecure under the surface, like he’s always trying to prove an invisible point to someone. He wants respect and title but also gets in over his head, making choices that are brave in a moment and then deeply regrettable the next, which is very human. He’s impulsive, brash, and suspiciously sentimental about certain tiny things — a childhood toy? a bad poem? — so don’t be surprised if he quotes obscure lines at awkward times. He’s fun to watch because he’s unpredictable: valiant one minute, foolish the next, but never boring.

King Charles VI

Oh man, Charles is tragic and weird and oddly sympathetic — a ruler who alternates between regal command and unsettling fragility, sometimes charming, sometimes distant. There’s this historical weight to him: brilliant snapshots of authority mixed with inexplicable moments of confusion, like a candle that flickers in the wind but refuses to go out. He collects strange whims — rumor has it he once rode through town in odd costumes? — and can be whimsically cruel or tender depending on the day, which makes him fascinating and terrifying. He’s the kind of monarch you can’t ignore, the kingdom’s weird, fragile nerve center, and honestly, you keep thinking you understand him and then you don’t.