Joran

Joran
Biographical Information
Age	14 (Six of Crows duology) 16 (King of Scars duology)
Physical Information
Gender	Male
Hair Color	Blonde
Eye Color	Blue
Affiliation
Nation	Fjerda
Occupation	Drüskelle Bodyguard to Prince Rasmus
Organizations	Drüskelle
Appearances
First seen	Crooked Kingdom
Last seen	Rule of Wolves

Joran is a Fjerdan drüskelle and Rasmus Grimjer's bodyguard.

Biography

Crooked Kingdom

Six months before Kuwei Yul-Bo's auction, Joran became part of the drüskelle order. He was taught that Matthias Helvar was a traitor and had been part of the heist on the Ice Court.

Joran is among the drüskelle present at the Church of Barter for the auction. He stands in the first row, glaring fiercely at Matthias, but eventually looks away. Later, when Matthias exits the hospital, Joran detains him in the street and aims a pistol at him, charging Matthias with treason. Although Matthias agrees to walk back to the church with him, Joran accuses him of lying and shoots him in the stomach. Matthias makes it back to Nina Zenik before dying from his wound.

Rule of Wolves

Following the auction, Jarl Brum punished Joran for disobeying his commander, making him train to become Prince Rasmus Grimjer's bodyguard. Two years later, after Rasmus collapses at Heartwood and is helped by Hanne Brum and Nina Zenik, Joran tells them that the prince has requested their presence. He leads them to Rasmus and stands at attention during the meeting.

Joran later summons Hanne and Nina to meet Rasmus at a different party. Then, at the hunt, Joran asks Rasmus what would become of those who worship the Saints, only for Rasmus to dismiss them. After Agathe Grimjer stops the prince from joining the hunt himself, Rasmus takes his anger out on his bodyguard. He strikes Joran with a crop and taunts him before leaving. Joran begs Nina not to let Brum see him injured.

In the Ice Court's drüskelle sector, Joran secretly prays to the Saints. Nina accidentally runs into him and claims that Brum had told her to meet there. However, she spots Joran's altar, and the two of them begin to discuss the Saints. Joran helps her escape in return for Nina's agreement not to tell Brum.

Once Joran finds himself alone with Nina at the ball, he thanks her for not revealing his secret. Nina tries to reassure him, but Joran refuses to believe that there is hope for him. He tells her that he had killed an unarmed man and left him to die—not knowing of the close relationship Nina had with Matthias. Nina immediately threatens him, and when Rasmus and Hanne return, Joran covers by saying that he had wrongly presumed upon her.

At Leviathan's Mouth, Rasmus requests to speak with Hanne alone. However, Joran witnesses as Rasmus slaps Hanne, then collapses as he unwittingly becomes a victim of Hanne's powers. Joran runs for help and returns to see Hanne's corpse.

Joran takes the prince's side in Os Kervo after the battle ends. Back at Leviathan, Joran appears content for the first time, later shooting Brum three times to protect the prince.

Personality and traits

"I want to be... good. Soldiers aren't good. They're loyal. They're brave." — Joran, Rule of Wolves

As a young teenager, Joran is quick to act against what he believes to be wrong, although his anger prevents him from making fully rational decisions. However, after killing Matthias, Joran begins to hide his emotions from others. He later admits that he is afraid of everything, and he feels that there is no hope for him.

Physical description

"One boy glared at him from the first row, quivering with fury, eyes like glaciers, hair so blond it was nearly white. What wounds had his commanders exploited to put that look in his eyes?" — Matthias's first encounter with Joran, Crooked Kingdom

Joran has blue eyes and his hair is ice-white. At the auction, he wears a gray uniform, and Matthias does not believe him to be more than fourteen. When he meets Hanne and Nina two years later, Joran is sixteen and appears tall for his age.

Relationships

Rasmus Grimjer

"Joran is two years younger than I am, barely sixteen, but he is taller and stronger than I’ll ever be. He can carry me up a flight of stairs as if I weighed no more than kindling. And to my great shame, he’s had to do so more than once." — Rasmus discussing his reliance on Joran, Rule of Wolves

Joran was Rasmus's bodyguard for two years, and Rasmus trusted him with his life. However, Rasmus was often cruel to Joran—taunting and hitting him whenever he felt like it. Joran tells Nina that Rasmus was testing his strength, but nobody would stop him due to his status.

Appearances

• Crooked Kingdom
• Rule of Wolves