2001: A Space Odyssey Characters

David Bowman is the first mate of the Discovery One. For much of the novel, Bowman is unaware of the ship’s true purpose: to investigate Iapetus for signs of alien life. However, after Hal… read analysis of David Bowman (The Star-Child)

HAL 9000, the onboard artificial intelligence computer of Discovery One, is a sophisticated and supposedly infallible computer program designed to operate the ship and communicate with its occupants. Apart from his robotic personality, Hal… read analysis of Hal

Moon-Watcher is a man-ape in prehistoric Africa. Starving alongside his tribe, he relies on meager scavenged berries for sustenance while facing nightly predator threats. Despite signs of dawning intelligence in Moon-Watcher, harsh conditions impede their… read analysis of Moon-Watcher

Heywood Floyd serves as the Chairman of the National Council of Astronauts, entrusted by the U.S. President to investigate the recently discovered TMA-1. During his journey from Earth to the moon, Floyd marvels at… read analysis of Heywood Floyd

One-Ear is the leader of the Others, the rival tribe to Moon-Watcher’s. At the outset of the novel, he and Moon-Watcher’s tribes, while confrontational, are unable to do real harm to one another. This… read analysis of One-Ear

Dr. Dimitri Moisevitch, a tall, blonde man, is one of Dr. Heywood Floyd’s closest friends. Due to Dimitri’s work in the U.S.S.R. Academy of Science, Floyd, an American, is unable to share details pertaining to… read analysis of Dr. Dimitri Moisevitch

The weaver is one of the aliens responsible for creating the original monoliths. Having transcended his material form, he now exists in the form of radiation. When Bowman encounters the weaver’s mind during his… read analysis of The Weaver

Ralph Halvorsen is the Administrator of the Southern Province of the moon. As such, he oversees the Clavius Base and all its outgoing missions, including those to Tycho Crater, the site of TMA-1. More… read analysis of Ralph Halvorsen