D’Artagnan is the central protagonist of the novel. He is a country boy who dreams of becoming a member of the King of France’s most elite military unit, the Musketeers. When d’Artagnan first arrives in Paris, he has a chip on his shoulder because he knows he must prove that despite his relative poverty, lack of connections, and lack of experience, he is worthy of being respected. He escalates any perceived slight to a duel, which gives him the opportunity to show off his physical prowess with a sword and his radical confidence. Despite these physical skills, however, d’Artagnan is an innocent who has yet to learn the intrigues and power plays that dominate court life.

He befriends three Musketeers, Athos, Porthos, and Aramis, who fundamentally change the course of his life. The Musketeers show him how to have a sense of humor about gallantry and pride, and how to form a cohesive and loyal unit. Although d’Artagnan is not yet a Musketeer, he takes on missions that endanger and challenge him. His first mission elevates his status dramatically: In England, the enemy of France, he must retrieve evidence of an affair between the French Queen Anne and the English Duke of Buckingham.