The Best Friend

The narrator’s oldest friend – and in many ways, his greatest obstacle. Not through malice, but through the quiet weight of complacency.

Traits

• Has known the narrator since pre-school
• Uninspired, or simply content with life in Checker Town
• Makes fun of the narrator’s ambitions, driven by his own insecurity
• Ultimately ends up aligned with the Rival, though for different reasons

Background

Growing up together in Checker Town, he and the narrator were inseparable. But where the narrator looks outward toward Chess City, the Best Friend looks inward – comfortable with what is, skeptical of what could be. When the narrator is sent away, he and the Rival form an unlikely team, each taking in one of the dogs left behind.

Role in the Story

The Best Friend represents the pull of staying put – the voice that says the dream isn’t worth chasing. His presence gives the narrator’s journey its emotional stakes: leaving means leaving him behind too.

Art

Illustration coming soon.