Main characters

Notes about the main characters help to establish relationships in the story and are useful for introductory and follow-up discussion, drama, and other creative activities.

Kirikou

Kirikou is a tiny boy who knows exactly what he wants even before his birth. He is independent, selfless and brave. He is determined to fight Karaba, the dreaded sorceress, even though he is always being told that he is too little or too young. Being so small also means that he can get to places where other bigger, older people can't go. He wants to help the villagers, but at the same time he is determined to discover why exactly Karaba is so wicked. He wants to look further than the scared villagers dare, and find his own answers to his own questions. The name 'Kirikou' has a meaning it derives from West Africa and means 'great spiritual purpose'. As he runs around on his quest, he wears no clothes except for when he must disguise himself.

Karaba

Karaba is powerful and wicked. The Wise Man of the Mountain says of her, 'Karaba doesn't like children, despises women, hates men and wishes upon them as much suffering as possible'. She lives outside the village in a giant hut where she is surrounded by her servant fetishes. By the end of the story we understand that something terrible happened to her when she was attacked, and she will be evil until someone can pull a thorn from her back. She is very beautiful, and covered in gold and jewels.

Kirikou's mother

Kirikou's mother is a young, proud woman. Like her son, she is thoughtful and open-minded. She fully accepts how independent Kirikou is, despite how young he is. Nevertheless, she is his mother and, despite her quietness, she will always be there when Kirikou needs her. Like the other women in the village, her hair is braided and she wears a simple skirt.

Kirikou's uncle

Kirikou's uncle is the only man still left in the village, after all the others have vanished. He tries to be brave when he sets out to fight her, but is very glad when Kirikou tells him to go back to the village. The uncle is no hero he does what is asked of him and never questions anything.

The Wise Man of the Mountain

The Wise Man of the Mountain is Kirikou's noble grandfather. He is gentle, patient and forgiving. He has lived a long time and knows many things although he does not pretend to know everything, unlike the scared, superstitious old man who lives in the village. He wears a long white robe and has a white beard.

The fetishes

The fetishes are fearless robot slaves of various shapes and sizes who serve Karaba. They live with her and obey her orders without question, whether she asks them to act as lookout, set a hut on fire or kill Kirikou. The word 'fetish' comes from the Portuguese who used it to describe the figures of gods worshipped by the West Africans they met when they first travelled to Africa. At the end of the film it turns out that these fetishes are actually the village men who have been put under a spell by Karaba.

The animals

The animals are typical of those found in Africa: hoopoes, zorils, ground squirrels, warthogs and snakes. None of them speak they move and act like real animals, whether they're running, flying, or letting off terrible smells!