Kvothe is the novel’s protagonist and, for most of the novel, narrator. He is described as having “true-red hair, red as flame. His eyes were dark and distant” (2). He is slender, with lean muscle. The reader sees two versions of Kvothe in the novel. The first is the older man in the novel’s present who serves as an innkeeper and exists in the book’s frame narrative. The second is the 15-year-old student and lutist who has already built a reputation for academic, musical, and magical excellence. The two Kvothes are immediately at odds with each other for their outlooks on life and goals.

Past Kvothe learns to navigate the world as he is forced to leave his home at the University after some unfortunate drama with fellow student Ambrose. His travels give him a worldliness that many of his compatriots lack, as he is forced to find his own way in the world as he attempts to win a wealthy patron. During his efforts, Kvothe learns as an arcanist and as a fighter through repeated trials. He further adds to his moral code, pursuing his curiosities and protecting those weaker than himself.