Kaz Brekker

Kaz Rietveld was born in a rural town in Kerch, the younger son of a farmer. After his father's death, he and his older brother Jordie moved to Ketterdam with their inheritance, only to be swindled by the con man Jakob Hertzoon. Jordie died of the plague, and young Kaz was left alone on the streets. He spent weeks trapped in the Reaper's Barge with his brother's corpse, an experience that left him with a pathological aversion to touch. He clawed his way up from the Barrel's lowest depths, eventually taking control of the Dregs and earning the nickname Dirtyhands for doing whatever it takes to survive.[edit]

Kaz is cold, calculating, and ruthlessly pragmatic. He treats every situation as a chess game, always thinking several moves ahead. His trauma has made him obsessive about control and incapable of physical intimacy without panic. He projects an image of invulnerability, but underneath he harbors deep guilt over Jordie's death and a fierce loyalty to his crew. He despises the merchant class and will go to any lengths to achieve his goals, yet he draws the line at harming children.[edit]

In Six of Crows, Kaz assembles a crew for an impossible heist: breaking into the Ice Court in Fjerda to rescue Bo Yul-Bayur and steal the formula for jurda parem. He succeeds but loses his cane and nearly his life. In Crooked Kingdom, after Jan Van Eck betrays the crew and captures Inej, Kaz orchestrates an elaborate revenge scheme. He manipulates the Merchant Council, fakes his own death, and ultimately bankrupts Van Eck while freeing Inej. By the end, he has become a powerful figure in Ketterdam's underworld, and though he still cannot touch Inej, he admits his feelings for her, promising to find a way to heal.[edit]

Kaz Brekker quickly became one of the most popular characters in YA fantasy after the release of Six of Crows. Readers praise his complexity, moral ambiguity, and the slow-burn romance with Inej. He consistently ranks high in fan polls and has inspired a massive amount of fan art, cosplay, and fan fiction. Freddy Carter's portrayal in the Netflix adaptation was widely acclaimed for capturing both Kaz's coldness and his hidden vulnerability.[edit]