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The Last Hero

The Last Hero

By&
FantasyGraphic Novels
Pages
176
Published
2002
Language
English

Synopsis

Cohen the Barbarian is the oldest living hero on the Disc and he has decided it is time to give fire back to the gods — literally. With his Silver Horde of elderly warriors, Cohen plans to trek to the hub of the Disc and return the first fire ever stolen, taking with him the world's first bard to record it. The explosion will destroy the world. Sam Vimes, Leonard of Quirm, and Rincewind are sent to stop them — but nobody is quite sure that Cohen is wrong. An illustrated novella by Paul Kidby, first published 2001.

Prose complexity
6/10

Vibe

FunnySatiricalAdventurousEmotional
QuestSacrificeReluctant HeroAnti-Hero

Genres

Fantasy Graphic Novels High Fantasy Comic Fiction Humor

About the author

T
Terry Pratchett

Terry Pratchett (1948–2015) was an English author best known for the Discworld series, a sequence of forty-one comic fantasy novels set on a flat world carried through space on the backs of four elephants standing on a giant turtle. Across four decades, the Discworld grew from a parody of sword-and-sorcery fantasy into one of the most sustained works of social satire in English literature, examining politics, religion, science, gender, race, capitalism, and the nature of stories themselves. Pra...

Characters

Cohen the BarbarianProtagonist

The oldest living hero on the Disc — nearly ninety, mostly toothless, still genuinely dangerous — on a final, grandiose quest to die well.

RincewindSupporting

Sent on an impossible mission to stop Cohen, and not at all surprised to find himself doing so.

Leonard of QuirmSupporting

A polymath inventor — the Disc's Leonardo da Vinci — pressed into designing a flying machine to intercept Cohen in time.

Sam VimesSupporting

Along for the mission whether he wants to be or not, increasingly aware that Cohen may have a point.

Carrot IronfounderssonSupporting
All characters in The Last Hero

Frequently asked questions

  • When was The Last Hero published?

    First published in October 2001 by Victor Gollancz. It is the twenty-seventh Discworld novel and the seventh (final) Rincewind book — presented as a lavishly illustrated short novel with artwork by Paul Kidby.

  • Who illustrated The Last Hero?

    Paul Kidby, who became Pratchett's preferred Discworld illustrator after Josh Kirby's death in 2001. The Last Hero was published as a large-format illustrated novel, featuring full-colour artwork throughout.

  • What is Cohen's plan?

    Cohen and the Silver Horde intend to trek to the Hub — the centre of the Disc — and return the fire that Prometheus originally stole from the gods. In Discworld cosmology, returning fire to the gods with a large enough explosive would destroy the Disc. Cohen considers this a heroic ending.

  • What is the Silver Horde?

    The Silver Horde is Cohen's gang of very old (but extremely dangerous) surviving barbarian heroes — men who should have died gloriously decades ago but were too competent. They are collectively the most lethal group of senior citizens on the Disc.

  • Who is Leonard of Quirm?

    Leonard of Quirm is the Disc's analogue to Leonardo da Vinci — a polymath genius who fills notebooks with inventions that terrify Vetinari and who is kept under comfortable house arrest for the safety of everyone. He is a recurring minor character across the series.

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