Corwin of Amber

Corwin Of Amber

Corwin, a Prince of Amber, is the main character in the first five books of Roger Zelazny's Chronicles of Amber. He is the second son of Oberon and Faiella, and the father of Merlin. Within the novels, much of the plot action centers around Corwin and his family as they plot against one another conspiring to become the King of Amber.

In the first book of the series, Nine Princes in Amber, Corwin is identified as the eldest heir to the throne who has a legitimate claim. His older brother Eric, while born to the same mother, is technically a bastard because at that time Oberon and Faiella were unmarried. All other older siblings are either excluded on other technicalities or dead. Corwin's eldest brother, Benedict, has made it clear that he absolutely does not want the throne and prefers to be General of the Armies of Amber, although because of Benedict's supreme prowess in all manner of combat, he would be completely unchallenged if he wanted the throne. The matter of succession is hotly contested within the family, particularly during the prolonged absence of Oberon, and loyalties were constantly shifting amongst the undecided.

Corwin has dark hair and green eyes. His colours are black and silver (alternately gray), and his symbol is a silver rose. Corwin's favoured weapon is his sword Grayswandir, and his use of magic is extremely limited. While a few of his siblings exceed him in certain skills, at arms (Benedict), strength (Gérard), and magic (Brand, Fiona, Bleys), Corwin is well-balanced in most and is the best leader of them all. He also exemplifies stamina throughout the series.

Corwin is a quick and strategic thinker. Like his brothers and sisters, he boasts remarkable endurance and regeneration abilities, even more so than his siblings. While Corwin acts with a strong personal code of honor, he is also extremely practical; he will not engage in a fight of principle unless he believes he has a chance to win, and he is perfectly willing to employ subterfuge to defeat an opponent.