Main Characters

is the main protagonist of the series. A 16-year-old Shadowhunter who was brought up as human by her mother for protection. She is a little over 5 feet tall and has wavy red hair. She is an artist, and is in love with Jace Wayland, even though for much of the series they believe they are siblings. Much of the series is focused on Clary's quest to help her mother while adjusting to her new life as a Shadowhunter. She has the ability to create new runes after being experimented on by her father who put angel blood in her system.

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(also called Jonathan Christopher, and in the end Jace Lightwood) is another major character in the series. An orphaned Shadowhunter who lives with the Lightwoods at the Institute in New York City. He is said to be the best Shadowhunter of his age, having been trained severely by his father prior to his death. He is described as having golden hair, eyes, and skin, as well as having scars all over his body from countless fights. He has a peculiar star-shaped scar on his shoulder, which is revealed later in the series as a marker of having direct contact with an angel, and also as an indication that he was part of the Herondale bloodline. Clary describes him as having the face of an angel, or a painting of an angel, with a sharp profile and features. His good looks make him popular with girls, although he has never had a serious relationship. He is sometimes very arrogant and fractious, but is a very kind, passionate, and thoughtful person underneath, as well as having an unusual, very cynical sense of humor. He falls in love with Clary early on, but is tormented by the belief that Clary is his sister all throughout the series. Some chapters in the series follow Jace exclusively, revealing the frustrated, lonely personality that he compensates for by lashing out at others. It is later discovered that he is neither Valentine's or Michael Wayland's son, but he was the son of Stephen and Céline Herondale. When an eight-months-pregnant Céline committed suicide, Hodge cut the baby out of her and Valentine raised him separately, with the help of Hodge. Jace, like Clary, has as a result of Valentine's experiments more angel blood in him than the average Shadowhunter, which gives him the ability to jump supernaturally high. Jace is stabbed in the heart and killed by Valentine in City of Glass, but Clary, through the Angel Raziel, brings him back to life.

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Clary's formerly-human, vampire best friend, who has been in love with her for several years. In City of Ashes, he is stabbed in the throat by Valentine, which is very nearly the cause of his death; however, he is saved by Jace soon after, who allows Simon to drink his blood and heal. After that event, because of the components of Jace's blood, he is able to be in direct sunlight without any damage. Because of this, he is called a "Daylighter". Simon is described as having dark hair with a crude haircut, pretty brown eyes, and crooked glasses. His physical looks are improved when he becomes a vampire, and his skin becomes paler and his eyes blacker, as well as losing the necessity of glasses. He has a witty, sarcastic sense of humor, as well as being eclectic because of his obsession with video games and his ever-shifting band. Simon and Jace make fast enemies in the City of Bones; however, some time after Simon has Turned, he and Jace form a grudging, unusual friendship in the recognition that they both have a similar interest: protecting Clary. He is the central character in Cassandra's Clare upcoming installment to the series, City of Fallen Angels.

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the oldest of the Lightwood children, a Shadowhunter and Isabelle's brother. Alec believes he is in love with Jace, but can never reveal his true feelings. He also strikes up a secret relationship with Magnus Bane, which he makes public in City of Glass. He is described as having dark hair and blue eyes, and he is usually very quiet, but protective of his siblings. His preferred weapon is the bow, but he has been known to use a feather staff.

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Alec's sister, a beautiful and obnoxious Shadowhunter. She seems to have difficulty with romantic relationships, gravitating towards boys whom her parents disapprove of and quickly losing interest in them. Her favorite weapon is her whip which has caused the death of countless demons. Her attitude softens as the books continue, and it is revealed that she is very protective of both Alec and Jace, as well as being consumed with guilt when her little brother Max is killed. Isabelle is described as being stunningly beautiful, with long, charcoal-colored hair, shapely legs, and a slim waist. In the series, she has short flings with Simon and a fey knight called Meliorn.

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(Lucian Graymark), Clary's mother's best friend, once a Shadowhunter, now a werewolf. He was once one of Valetine's best friends, but they became enemies when Valentine handed him a dagger and suggested it may be better if he killed himself. Luke proves to be the stern but loving father figure of Clary, and is fond of Simon and Jace as well. In the end of City of Glass, he and Clary's mother end up falling for each other after Luke confesses his love of many years for her. 

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The High Warlock of Brooklyn, homosexual and in love with Alec. He is described as looking around the age of nineteen, but is really seven hundred years old, as said in City of Glass, with flamboyant clothes and hair. He is described as "a sexy, sexy warlock." He becomes a friend to the protagonists as the books unfold. In City of Glass, he asks Clary to find The Book of White for him after impersonating Ragnor Fell, who is presumably dead. He is also the person responsible for erasing all of Clary's early memories of Shadowhunter and demon encounters.

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the books' main antagonist. A powerful and evil Shadowhunter. He turns up after several years when he was supposedly dead and attempts to steal the Mortal Cup from Jocelyn. He is also the real father of both Sebastian and Clary, and experimented on both of them, as well as Jace. Consumed by the belief that he must purify the Shadowhunter race and convinced of the righteousness of his cause, there is nothing he will not do to eradicate the earth of Downworlders. Joining forces with the demons, he has his son Jonathan, who is half demon and half shadow-hunter, destroy the defenses surrounding Alicante, which then allows his demon army to attack Alicante. In the end, when he kills his "son", Jace, he is in turn killed by the angel Raziel in compensation for his selfish deeds.

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