Who Are The Main Characters In Undergrowth?

Undergrowth has this fascinating cast that feels like a mix of gritty realism and surreal fantasy. The protagonist, Liora, is a botanist with a haunted past—she sees plants 'whispering' to her, which everyone dismisses as trauma-induced hallucinations until she stumbles into the titular Undergrowth, a sentient forest dimension. Then there's Kael, her ex-military brother who tags along purely to protect her but ends up grappling with his own loyalty when the forest starts 'rewriting' his memories. The antagonist, Vesper, isn't your typical villain; she's a former researcher who merged with the Undergrowth and now sees its expansion as ecological salvation, even if it erases human cities. The dynamic between these three is messy and morally gray, which makes every confrontation hit harder.

What really sticks with me is the forest itself as a quasi-character—it’s neither good nor evil, just hungry, and its eerie 'ambassador,' a shapeshifting entity called the thicket Prince, steals every scene it’s in. The way the story plays with perception (are the characters being manipulated, or is the forest genuinely trying to communicate?) makes the whole thing feel like a dark folktale spun into a psychological thriller.

Three words: Liora, Kael, Vesper. But honestly, the Undergrowth itself feels like the main character—it’s this looming, poetic monstrosity that reshapes everything around it. Liora’s journey from skeptic to believer (or is she just losing her mind?) is gripping, especially when she starts hearing the forest ‘sing.’ Kael’s the grounded one, but his slow unraveling as the forest messes with his head is brutal to watch. Vesper’s the tragic figure; you almost root for her until she casually sacrifices a town to ‘feed’ the Undergrowth. The Thicket Prince? Pure chaos in the best way—imagine a trickster god made of twigs and bad decisions.

Liora’s the heart of Undergrowth—imagine someone equal parts brilliant and broken, her hands always stained with soil and her notebooks filled with sketches of plants that shouldn’t exist. Kael’s the skeptic, all practicality and worn-out boots, but his arc from 'this is nonsense' to 'okay, maybe the trees are plotting' is low-key hilarious. Vesper’s the wild card; she’s like if a climate activist went full supervillain but with terrifyingly good points. The supporting cast shines too, like the snarky mycologist Dr. Hale who gets dragged into the chaos and the aforementioned Thicket Prince, who’s equal parts charming and nightmare fuel.

The beauty of the characters lies in how their flaws drive the plot. Liora’s obsession with proving the forest’s sentience blinds her to its dangers, Kael’s protectiveness borders on control, and Vesper’s idealism twists into fanaticism. Even minor characters, like the villagers who worship the Undergrowth as a god, add layers to the conflict. It’s rare to see a story where everyone’s motivations make sense, even when they’re at each other’s throats.