The characters / Recurring character

Roland Deschain

Roland Deschain is recorded in 11 distinct stories.

Reveal identity notes · spoilers

These narrative scenes depict the gunslinger of Gilead and his continuing companions Eddie, Susannah and Jake. His full name and Gilead origin recur in the introductions; The Little Sisters of Eluria identifies its injured gunslinger by the same full name. Tower VII explicitly says Roland was once Will Dearborn, the alias used in the Mejis story in Wizard and Glass.

Also recorded as Roland, Sai Deschain, Will Dearborn.

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Stories and supporting passages

Black House

Mentioned in the story

Read the passage Spoilers · Story context

“I thought Roland was the last. So the stories say.” “He has made at least three others,” Parkus tells her. “I’ve no idea how that can be possible, but I believe it to be true. If Roland were still alone, the Breakers would have toppled the Tower long since.

Gunslinger discussed by Sophie and Parkus in connection with the Tower.

Black House ↗ (paid link) By Stephen King and Peter Straub

Insomnia

Mentioned in the story

Read the passage Spoilers · Story context

… Patrick Danville’s answer to his mother’s second question was lost in the rising storm of applause: Him’s name is Roland, Mama. I dream about him, sometimes. Him’s a King, too.

Patrick names the figure in his drawing as Roland and says he dreams about him. The Dark Tower later explicitly recounts this exact Patrick drawing as showing its gunslinger Roland.

Insomnia ↗ (paid link) By Stephen King

The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger

Appears in the story

Read the passage Spoilers · Story context

Brown offered his hand and the gunslinger shook it. The dweller nodded to the southeast. “Walk easy. Long days and pleasant nights.” “May you have twice the number.” They nodded at each other and then the man Allie had called Roland walked away, his body festooned with guns and water.

The scene directly calls the departing gunslinger Roland after his account of Tull; it is inside the revised novel narrative, not its introduction.

The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger ↗ (paid link) By Stephen King

The Dark Tower II: The Drawing of the Three

Appears in the story

Read the passage Spoilers · Story context

The creature immediately stopped and raised its claws into its own peculiar version of the Honor Stance again. This wave was bigger. Roland began to drag himself up the slope of the strand again, and when he put out his hands, the clawed creature moved with a speed of which its previous movements had not even hinted.

Roland physically struggles on the shore while the lobstrosity attacks; the surrounding scene identifies him as the gunslinger after the encounter with the man in black.

The Dark Tower III: The Waste Lands

Appears in the story

Read the passage Spoilers · Story context

Roland had been shooting for more years than the beautiful brown-skinned woman in the wheelchair would believe. He had corrected her at first simply by watching her aim and dry-fire at the targets he had set up. She learned fast. Both she and Eddie learned fast.

Roland teaches Eddie and Susannah and goes with Susannah to the clearing, continuing the group from The Drawing of the Three.

The Dark Tower III: The Waste Lands ↗ (paid link) By Stephen King

The Dark Tower IV: Wizard and Glass

Appears in the story

Read the passage Spoilers · Story context

But Will Dearborn of the Inner Baronies didn’t ask her about her schooling or family or friends (the most common way of approaching any romantic rivals, she had found). Will Dearborn simply walked along beside her, one hand wrapped around Rusher’s bridle, looking off east toward the Clean Sea.

Tower VII explicitly says Roland was once Will Dearborn, the alias used in the Mejis story in Wizard and Glass.

The Dark Tower IV: Wizard and Glass ↗ (paid link) By Stephen King
Read source context Spoilers · Story context

Reviewed narrative excerpt depicts this character in the story.

The Dark Tower IV: Wizard and Glass ↗ (paid link) By Stephen King

The Dark Tower V: Wolves of the Calla

Appears in the story

Read source context Spoilers · Story context

Reviewed narrative excerpt depicts this character in the story.

The Dark Tower V: Wolves of the Calla ↗ (paid link) By Stephen King

The Dark Tower VI: Song of Susannah

Appears in the story

Read source context Spoilers · Story context

Reviewed narrative excerpt depicts this character in the story.

The Dark Tower VI: Song of Susannah ↗ (paid link) By Stephen King

The Dark Tower VII: The Dark Tower

Appears in the story

Read source context Spoilers · Story context

Sai is an honorific; the responding gunslinger is explicitly Roland in VII and the narrating young Deschain in Wind.

The Dark Tower VII: The Dark Tower ↗ (paid link) By Stephen King
Read source context Spoilers · Story context

Tower VII explicitly says Roland was once Will Dearborn, the alias used in the Mejis story in Wizard and Glass.

The Dark Tower VII: The Dark Tower ↗ (paid link) By Stephen King

The Little Sisters of Eluria

Appears in the story

Read the passage Spoilers · Story context

Farther down the aisle on this side, perhaps a dozen empty beds away from the boy and Roland Deschain, the gunslinger saw a third inmate of this queer infirmary. This fellow looked at least four times the age of the lad, twice the age of the gunslinger.

Reviewed narrative excerpt depicts this character in the story.

The Little Sisters of Eluria ↗ (paid link) By Stephen King Collected in Everything’s Eventual

The Wind Through the Keyhole

Appears in the story

Read the passage Spoilers · Story context

That made most of them laugh. “Sai Deschain,” Wegg said, “puttin drink in these fellers ain’t a good idea.” But I thought it was. I motioned Kellin Frye to me and dropped two gold knucks into his hand. His eyes widened. “You’re the trail-boss of this herd,” I told him.

Sai is an honorific; the responding gunslinger is explicitly Roland in VII and the narrating young Deschain in Wind.

The Wind Through the Keyhole ↗ (paid link) By Stephen King
Read the passage Spoilers · Story context

Roland gave him nothing, so Eddie looked back at the old man, shrugged, and grinned. “Little of both, I guess. I’m Eddie Dean, of New York. This is my wife, Susannah. And this is Roland Deschain. Of Gilead.” The riverman’s eyes widened. “Gilead that was? Do you say so?”

Reviewed narrative excerpt depicts this character in the story.

The Wind Through the Keyhole ↗ (paid link) By Stephen King