Odd Thomas

Bronwyn Llewellyn, better known as Stormy, is Odd’s girlfriend and soul mate. She is a major supporting character in the story and serves as a moral focal point for Odd. After her death during the novel’s climax, their eventual reunion in the afterlife becomes Odd’s primary goal. She is a round character and is somewhat dynamic, although not as much as Odd.

Several years before the beginning of the book, she and Odd received a fortune that said they would be “together forever.” She was abandoned by her parents at a young age and was adopted by a wealthy couple. However, her adoptive father sexually molested her until she reported him to her social worker and was removed from his care. This trauma left her fearing intimacy, particularly sexual intimacy, which is a source of tension in her and Odd’s relationship. However, their relationship is still strong. Their unwavering and unconditional love is central to the story. Stormy offers solace and encouragement as Odd grapples with his supernatural abilities and confronts malevolent forces. This steadfast love supports the novel’s central theme of Earthly Sacrifice in the Name of Love. Stormy’s character also serves to complement Odd’s. Her outgoing nature balances out his more introspective and reserved personality. She also serves as his representation of happiness, normalcy, and a brighter future. Her death at the end does not change this symbolism but transforms it. Odd closes the book by saying that everything he will do moving forward is to prove he is worthy of eternity with her in the next world.

Wyatt Porter is a supporting character in the novel. He is the chief of police in Pico Mundo and is one of the few people who knows about Odd’s abilities. He receives help from Odd on some cases, though he is often frustrated by the complications of using supernatural help to solve crimes. His suggestions that Odd should join the police force are always rejected due to Odd’s aversion to guns and his desire to stay out of the limelight. Throughout the story, Odd keeps him apprised of his suspicions regarding the tragedy coming to Pico Mundo. He is a round character but is not dynamic.

The central aspect of Porter’s character is his role as the protector of Pico Mundo. As the chief of police, he takes his duty seriously and is deeply committed to the safety of the town’s residents. This dedication leads the Satanists Varner and Eckles, who got positions in the local police force, to decide he needs to be removed: With him out of the way, the Pico Mundo police would lack their head. They call him on his private line and shoot him several times on his porch. While they fail to kill him, he is in critical condition for the story’s climax and unavailable to help Odd. His impact on Odd is also critical, as he is one of Odd’s mentors and father figures. Their relationship is built on mutual respect and trust. Porter’s presence is a stabilizing force, and his absence in the story’s darkest moments raises the stakes.

P. Oswald Boone, or Little Ozzie, is a successful mystery writer and local celebrity in Pico Mundo. He crossed paths with Odd when he served as the judge in an essay contest for the local high school, which Odd won. While he is dismayed by Odd’s lack of ambition, he still serves as a mentor figure for him and is one of the few who knows about his powers. Little Ozzie is a minor supporting character in the story but serves a unique role in the narrative. Because Odd Thomas is an autobiographical story written after the events it depicts, the “present” version of Odd writes many asides into the text. Many of these regard Little Ozzie, often in the form of warnings to keep the story from becoming too dark. Ozzie is the one who encouraged Odd to write the story in the first place to find catharsis after the shooting and Stormy’s death.

While Chief Porter is more straightforward and traditional, Little Ozzie symbolizes unconventional kindness and acceptance in Odd’s life. He is described as very heavyset and eccentric. He possesses a sixth finger on his left hand, is distraught over the loss of the giant cow sign decorating the exterior of his home, inserts quotes from famous literary figures into his speech, and has a cat named Terrible Chester. This contrasts with Odd’s father, who tries to be conventionally attractive but only seeks to further his own ends. Ozzie highlights the importance of looking beyond surface impressions to discover genuine goodness.

The Fungus Man’s real name is Robert Thomas Robertson, better known as Bob Robertson. He is introduced at the Pico Mundo Grille, surrounded by bodachs. While Odd initially suspects him to be the reason they are swarming the town in such large numbers, and, therefore, the one responsible for the coming tragedy, this is a misdirection on Koontz’s part. Unlike Varner and Eckles, Robertson is incompetent. The text hints at this through his unsteady appearance and Odd commenting that his name didn’t sound like one that would belong to a murderer. While Robertson admires the killers for whom he created a shrine in his study, he only desires to be a murderous Satanist like the others. The others gave him all of the “trophies” Odd finds in his casita, such as the jar of teeth and the women’s breasts in the freezer. They took an interest in him because of his money, which he used to fund the weaponry they needed for their planned massacre in Pico Mundo. After Odd catches onto him, they murder him and attempt to use his body to frame Odd. While in life he was unfocused and not much of an actual threat, he becomes dangerous after his death. Instead of haunting his killers, he follows Odd, his anger leading him to become a poltergeist. The appearances he makes at the church and Little Ozzie’s house come after he is one of the restless dead. He is not particularly round or dynamic, although he does show some change throughout the novel.