Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death, child death, substance use, mental illness, and graphic violence.

Roland Deschain is the protagonist of the novel and series. The man introduced to audiences in The Gunslinger is still on the same quest at the beginning of The Dark Tower, but he is a very different man from the one who began his journey. Over the course of the previous novels, the archetypal lone gunslinger has built meaningful relationships with unexpected people. By the end of the novel, even Roland wonders whether his quest to reach the Dark Tower is as worthy as his experiences with his ka-tet. While his quest for the Tower has given his life direction, he understands, his relationship with the ka-tet has given his life meaning: The journey, as suggested by the pre-coda finale, is more important than the destination.

Roland’s time in the “real world”—i.e., the one familiar to readers—provides a setting for his humanity to shine through. Here, Roland interacts with “normal” people, and his interactions with them are largely personable.