Yakari

Concept

Characters

• Yakari: the main character. He is a little Sioux boy and has the ability to talk with animals; this gift was given by Great Eagle, Yakari's totem. Unlike the other young boys, Yakari rejects the use of weapons; he is also the only Sioux in the comic whose name does not mean anything further.
• Rainbow : A Sioux girl and Yakari's best friend. She knows of and genuinely admires his special ability, and often accompanies him on his adventures, and learns the ways of healing from Yakari's mother.
• The-One-Who-Knows : chief and shaman of Yakari's village, and one of the first persons to understand that Yakari has a rare gift. He is the oldest and wisest man in the village. In the cartoon, he is known as Wise One.
• Buffalo Seed : A Sioux boy and rivaling friend of Yakari's, who dreams of becoming the greatest hunter. He is more aggressive than Yakari, and shows an interest in martial sports. He often wears only a loincloth and despite his age, is possibly the best archer in Yakari's village.
• Slow Caribou : A man from Yakari's village. As his name points out, he is very slow, always roving about in a half-sleeping pace. In the cartoon, he is called Slow Strider.
• Broth Eye : A man from Yakari's village. He is extremely lazy and unfit, and spends the day lying in front of his tipi and smoking his pipe. In the cartoon, he is called Eyes-Always-Shut, because every time he is seen he is taking a nap, and often someone steps on his belly.
• Tranquil Rock : A sage from Yakari's village.
• Bold Gaze : Yakari's father. At first quite skeptical about his son's claims that he can talk to animals, he is eventually convinced that his son does indeed have a special gift.
• Braid Night : Yakari's mother, who is skilled in healing lore. In the cartoon she is called Midnight Braids.
• Taut Bow : A cruel and arrogant wandering warrior who is obsessed with hunting and bringing down the rarest and most unusual of animals. He has clashed with Yakari on several occasions and considers him to be his most personal enemy. In the cartoon, he is called Quick Bow.
• Moon-Spirit : A crone who heals animals.

• Little Thunder : A white-and-black dappled Pinto pony stallion, who is Yakari's steed and closest friend. He refuses to wear a saddle or reins, so Yakari rides him bareback.
• Double-Tooth : A beaver and artist.
• Tilia : A young beaver, practical joker and adventurer.
• Wild Rose Plant : A beaver, and Tilia's mother.
• Rough Bark : A beaver, and Tilia's father.
• Thousand Mouths : A beaver and builder.
• Wood of a Bed : A beaver and a serious sleeper.
• Flying Squirrel: A young flying squirrel and one of Yakari's friends.
• The Grizzly: Originally a savage rogue bear who terrorized the animals of the Great Plains, he has since learned humility and is now one of Yakari's friends.
• Snowball : A young white bear who has suffered the stigma of being different until he makes a friend in Yakari. He has twice been targeted by Drawn Bow, who collects the furs of white animals, and saved by Yakari both times.
• Carcajou: A belligerent wolverine who acts as a recurring antagonist for Yakari, and tried several times to eat his beaver and flying squirrel friends. He mellows out a bit after Yakari helps him on a few occasions.

• Great Eagle : A great bald eagle and Yakari's totem who aids Yakari with his wisdom and advice, and is the one who gave Yakari the gift of talking to animals.
• Nanabozo : A rabbit capable of doing magical feats, and Rainbow's totem. He has revealed himself to Rainbow and Yakari on numerous occasions and taken them on educative journeys, including a trip into prehistoric times.

  Albums

Original French versions

1. Yakari
2. Yakari et le bison blanc
3. Chez les castors
4. Yakari et Nanabozo
5. Yakari et le grizzly
6. Le secret de Petit Tonnerre
7. L'étranger
8. Au pays des loups
9. Les prisonniers de l'île
10. Le grand terrier
11. La toison blanche
12. Yakari et le coyote
13. Yakari et les seigneurs des plaines
14. Le vol des corbeaux
15. La rivière de l'oubli
16. Le premier galop
17. Le monstre du lac
18. L'oiseau de neige
19. La barrière de feu
20. Le diable des bois
21. Le souffleur de nuages
22. La fureur du ciel
23. Yakari et les cornes fourchues
24. Yakari et l'ours fantôme
25. Le mystère de la falaise
26. La vengeance du carcajou
27. Yakari et Longues-Oreilles
28. Le chêne qui parlait
29. Le réveil du géant
30. Le marcheur de nuit
31. Yakari et les Appaloosas
32. Les griffes de l'ours
33. Le marais de la peur
34. Le retour du lapin magicien
35. L'escapade de l'ourson
36. Le lézard de l'ombre
37. Le mangeur d'étoiles
38. Yakari et la tueuse des mers
39. Le jour de silence
40. L'esprit des chevaux
41. Le fils de l’aigle
42. ''La colère de Thathanka''

    English versions

1. Yakari and Great Eagle, 2005,
2. Yakari and the White Buffalo, 2005,
3. Yakari and the Beavers, 2006,
4. Yakari and the Grizzly, 2006,
5. Yakari and the Stranger, 2007,
6. Yakari in the Land of Wolves, 2008,
7. Yakari: The Island Prisoners, 2009,
8. Yakari and the White Fleece, 2010,
9. Yakari and the Coyote, 2011,
10. Yakari: The River of Forgetfulness, 2012,
11. Yakari and Nanabhozo, 2013,
12. Yakari: Little Thunder's Secret, 2014,
13. Yakari: The Great Burrow, 2015,
14. Yakari: Lords of the Plains, 2016,
15. Yakari: The First Gallop, 2018,
16. Yakari: The Lake Monster, 2019,
17. Yakari: The Snow Bird, 2020,
18. Yakari: The Wall of Fire, 2020,
19. Yakari: The Devil of the Woods, 2021,
20. Yakari: The Cloud Maker, 2023,
21. Yakari: Fury From The Skies, 2023,
22. Yakari and the Pronghoms, 2024,

    Adaptations

Audio

Television series

Animated film

Musical

Video game

Theatre tour

Toy figures