Living being in The Oz Series
the soldier with the green whiskers
Also known as a soldier before the door, the green-whiskered soldier, a very tall soldier, the green soldier.
A tall soldier who once wore green whiskers as the doorkeeper of the Palace of Oz; has since shaved off his beard and risen from a private to Chief General of the Royal Armies of Oz.
Appears in 11 chapters, first in chapter 11, last in chapter 84.
This encyclopedia covers chapters 1 to 100 of the story and shows the world as it stands at chapter 100, so it contains spoilers up to that point. To read it spoiler free, one chapter at a time, open the interactive codex.
What the story establishes
| Affiliation | In the service of Princess Ozma, the Ruler of the Emerald City and the Land of Oz, as Chief General of her Royal Armies. (as of ch. 84) |
| Appearance | A tall soldier in a Captain-General's uniform; no longer wears the green whiskers (beard) of his earlier days, having shaved them off long ago. (as of ch. 84) |
| Being nature | An ordinary human soldier (a green-skinned inhabitant of the Emerald City). |
| Body conditions | A very tall soldier with long green whiskers that fall quite to his knees. |
| Conflict | No longer the ruler's sole soldier: he is now one of the twenty-eight officers of the Royal Army of Oz under the Tin Woodman, so his former burden as the city's only defender no longer applies. (as of ch. 86) |
| Current goal | To perform his duties as Chief General of the Royal Armies, welcoming the Wizard and Zeb back to the Emerald City and affirming loyalty to Princess Ozma. (as of ch. 84) |
| Dialogue style | Polite, brisk, and official; speaks in courteous, functional messages befitting a doorkeeper-messenger. (as of ch. 11) |
| Equipment | Carries a green whistle to summon palace servants and a long gun — though the gun is unloaded, for fear of accidents, and he has forgotten where he hid the powder and shot. (as of ch. 32) |
| Gender identity | man (as of ch. 11) |
| Health condition | Sound and composed, presenting himself in a full Captain-General's uniform with no sign of distress. (as of ch. 84) |
| Is alive | yes (as of ch. 11) |
| Maturation stage | Adult |
| Motive | To serve Princess Ozma and uphold her rule, unwilling to see the people parted from their beloved Princess. (as of ch. 84) |
| Personality | Dutiful, courteous, and mild-mannered; a conscientious functionary who politely does as he is bidden. (as of ch. 11) |
| Quirks | No longer wears green whiskers, having shaved them off long ago; formerly known for the long green beard that gave him his nickname. (as of ch. 84) |
| Referential profile | masculine (as of ch. 11) |
| Sex profile | male (as of ch. 11) |
| Skills | Delivering messages to Oz and escorting visitors through the Palace to the Throne Room. (as of ch. 11) |
| Social status | Risen from a private to Chief General of the Royal Armies of Oz, wearing a Captain-General's uniform. (as of ch. 84) |
| Special capabilities | None shown; an ordinary palace soldier who guards the door and carries messages to and from Oz. |
| Status | Now the Chief General of the Royal Armies of Oz, present in a Captain-General's uniform to welcome the Wizard and Zeb back to the palace. (as of ch. 84) |
Relationships
- subordinate to → Scarecrow ch. 18The green-whiskered Soldier, once the Scarecrow's sole Royal Army, has since risen to Chief General of the Royal Armies and now serves under Princess Ozma, the current ruler of the Emerald City.
- subordinate to → Oz ch. 15The green-whiskered soldier served under Oz as his palace guard and messenger; with Oz now departed the Emerald City, that service is at an end, and the soldier is summoned before the Scarecrow, the new ruler, to give advice.
- defeats ← General Jinjur (ended) ch. 32Confronted by the Royal Army of Oz, Jinjur calls his bluff over his unloaded gun and routs him; the soldier flees toward the palace, leaving the city to her.
- warns → Scarecrow (ended) ch. 33The Soldier bursts breathless into the courtyard to warn the Scarecrow that the Emerald City has been conquered by a regiment of girls.
- communicates with → Oz (ended) ch. 11The green-whiskered soldier carries the travelers' message to Oz, speaking to him from behind his screen; he relays that Oz will grant an audience, one visitor alone each day, and later describes Dorothy's silver shoes and the mark on her forehead, which persuade Oz to admit her.
- commands ← Scarecrow (ended) ch. 33The Scarecrow gives the Soldier a string of crisis orders — to bar the palace doors and windows, fetch the Saw-Horse from the treasury, and bring a clothesline to lash the escapees together.
- communicates with → Scarecrow (ended) ch. 18Summoned before the throne, the soldier advises the Scarecrow and Dorothy that no one but Oz has crossed the desert, and that Glinda the Witch of the South may know a way.
- communicates with → Dorothy (ended) ch. 11The green-whiskered soldier carries the party's message to Oz and relays his answers, telling Dorothy that Oz will grant audiences one at a time, and later explaining how her silver shoes and the mark on her forehead persuaded Oz to admit her.
- warns → Dorothy (ended) ch. 18The soldier warns Dorothy that the road south to Glinda is full of dangers — wild beasts in the woods and a race of queer men who dislike strangers crossing their country.
- provides service → Dorothy's Traveling Party (ended) ch. 15–19The green-whiskered soldier lets the travelers in, carries their news to Oz, and comes to fetch them to the Throne Room at the appointed hour.
- threatens → General Jinjur (ended) ch. 32The Soldier with the Green Whiskers levels his long gun at Jinjur and cries 'Halt!', though the gun proves to be unloaded.
- communicates with ← Guardian of the Gates (ended) ch. 11At the Palace door the Guardian of the Gates announces the arriving strangers to the green-bearded soldier, telling him they demand to see the Great Oz; the soldier answers that he will carry their message to Oz.
- communicates with → Jack Pumpkinhead (ended) ch. 30The soldier examines Jack, tells him the green spectacles are the local fashion that will keep him from being blinded by the city's glare, and then leads him into the Emerald City and the palace.
- commands ← Oz (ended) ch. 17Oz orders the soldier with the green whiskers to fetch a big clothes basket, which Oz then fastens to the balloon as its gondola.
- communicates with → Oz (ended) ch. 15The green-whiskered soldier has the news carried straight to Oz that Dorothy and the travelers have returned after destroying the Witch, and later delivers the Scarecrow's threatening message.
- guards → Palace of Oz (ended) ch. 15–33No longer the personal gatekeeper, the formerly green-whiskered soldier now guards the palace as Chief General of Ozma's Royal Armies, standing among the officers of her court.
- commands ← Scarecrow (ended) ch. 31The Scarecrow commands the Soldier with the Green Whiskers to search among his people for someone who speaks both the Gillikin and Emerald City languages and bring that person to him at once.
- communicates with ← Dorothy's Traveling Party (ended) ch. 19The travelers shake hands in farewell with the green-whiskered soldier, who has walked with them as far as the city gate.
- communicates with → Guardian of the Gates (ended) ch. 30The Guardian summons the soldier and asks what to do with the puzzling visitor; the soldier decides Jack must be taken to His Majesty the Scarecrow and tells the Guardian to fit him with spectacles.
- communicates with ← Jack Pumpkinhead (ended) ch. 30Jack talks with the Soldier with the Green Whiskers, who inspects him and explains why he must wear spectacles; Jack agrees to have them tied on and is then escorted into the palace.
From the text
“Step inside,” answered the soldier, “and I will carry your message to him.”Chapter 11
“That is His Majesty’s business,” returned the soldier. “I have troubles enough of my own. All outside troubles must be turned over to His Majesty.”Chapter 30
“No; for fear of accidents. And I’ve forgotten where I hid the powder and shot to load it with.”Chapter 32
There was a soldier before the door, dressed in a green uniform and wearing a long green beard.Chapter 11
the abrupt entrance of the Royal Army of Oz, who came flying in without his hat or gun, his clothes in sad disarray and his long beard floating a yard behind him as he ran.Chapter 33
"Yes," said the soldier; "but I shaved them off long ago, and since then I have risen from a private to be the Chief General of the Royal Armies."Chapter 84
See the soldier with the green whiskers chapter by chapter in the interactive codex →