Dan Torrance is the main character and co-protagonist of Doctor Sleep. Dan is in middle age when the story begins, still affected by the traumatic events he and his mother experienced in The Shining. Dan has a temper which often manifests while he drinks. However, he does not drink only from alcohol use disorder, but because alcohol mutes the potency of his shining—the ability that grants him a heightened awareness of the supernatural. The shining also allows the spirits from the Overlook Hotel to return to his life as an adult.

Dan’s use of the shining has given him the nickname of Doctor Sleep. He has a gift for helping people die safely, in peace, and without fear. He extends this gift to a former antagonist, an abusive hospice worker. Dan’s awareness of cyclical violence, and history’s tendency to repeat itself, help him to break the cycle and improve the lives of others in ways that eluded his father.

Dan is clever and caring but treats others better than he treats himself. He is a talented hospice worker but grapples with constant self-loathing and shame. There is a gulf between who he wants to be, and who others observe: “There was a second Dan inside.