The central protagonist of the story, Taran is a farmhand in his early teens with a secret destiny, but all he knows is that he must make horseshoes and feed and clean a magical pig. His humble origins are a trope seen in other heroes’ journeys, such as that of Westley, the farmhand turned hero in A Princess Bride.

At the beginning of the novel, Taran dreams of being a great warrior, and he allies himself with the hero Gwydion, with whom he ventures into Prydain. He acquires a motley collection of misfits who join him on his quest to find Hen Wen and warn the Sons of Don about an impending attack.

Taran’s early attempts at heroism are self-conscious, overly dramatic, and generally ineffective. His newfound friends Eilonwy, Fflewddur, and Gurgi teach him about teamwork, leadership, and humility. Taran learns that heroes must endure great losses and sorrows before they can earn their accolades. On his return to Caer Dallben, Taran tells Dallben that he has failed as a hero, but Dallben assures him that he performed much better than he supposes, and that heroism takes many forms.