Yvaine

"At least I am alive. I was lucky to have fallen in Faerie. And I think I was probably lucky to have met you."

―Yvaine (novel)

Yvaine is a fallen star and one of the main protagonists of Stardust. In Faerie, stars are living creatures.

Biography

Early life

Yvaine was an evening star, who loved to observe the actions of humans down below. She lived in the sky along with her mother and extended family for hundreds of years. According to the novel, she has a beautiful voice and tells Tristan that she loved to sing with her sisters. In the film, she claims that she thought love was unconditional. She said that the only thing that made watching Earthlings bearable was that hope and love were always around.

Personality

When Yvaine is first found by Tristan, she is unwilling to travel due to her broken leg. As her legs heals and she and Tristan evade the Witch Queen, they gradually fall in love.

Appearance

Yvaine is a very beautiful young woman with hair so fair it is almost white. When she is first found by Tristan, she is wearing a dress of periwinkle blue silk.

History

Book

Yvaine is knocked from the heavens by the Power of Stormhold, a topaz that marks its bearer as the ruler of the land, and her leg is broken from the fall.

Unbeknownst to Yvaine, a young man named Tristan vows to bring her to his beloved in exchange for her hand in marriage. Elsewhere, three ancient and mighty witches known as the Lillim learn of the fallen star and set out to find her so they can consume her heart and become young again.

Tristan soon finds Yvaine after using a Babylon Candle and is surprised to find that the star is actually a young woman. Yvaine hurls mud at him and continuously insults him. Tristan resolves to take her to Victoria anyway, tying her to him with a magical silver chain.

The next morning, Tristran tells Yvaine about his promise to Victoria and his intention to bring Yvaine to her. Tristran makes Yvaine a simple crutch to help her walk as her broken leg hinders her movement. They arrive at a clearing where they witness a fight between a lion and a unicorn over a golden crown. Yvaine asks Tristran to help the Unicorn when the Lion was about to kill it. Tristran, remembering the old nursery rhyme, The Lion and The Unicorn, picks up the crown and gives it to the Lion. With the crown upon its head, the Lion slips away into the forest. Tristran and Yvaine spend the night at the clearing beside the wounded Unicorn. Yvaine escapes on the Unicorn when Tristran leaves in search of food.

In the mountains, the witch-queen transforms her chariot into an inn to catch Yvaine, who is coming her way. She turns the goat into a man, and the goat who used to be Brevis into a girl. Yvaine falls for the trap, and the witch-queen is preparing to carve out her heart when Tristran and Primus, who have also been attracted by the inn, arrive. The witch-queen decides to delay killing Yvaine until she has dealt with the two unwanted guests. She attempts to poison Tristran while he is tending to the horses, but the unicorn, which is also lodged in the stable, warns him just in time. He rushes back to the inn, but is too late to warn Primus. However, he is able to rescue Yvaine by forming a makeshift candle from the remnants of the magical candle he had obtained earlier.

Tristran and Yvaine escape the witch-queen, but find themselves in an almost equally perilous situation. They walk past many scenes in the light of the candle, but eventually end up stranded on a cloud, miles above Faerie. They are rescued by the crew of a passing airborne ship. Tristran expresses regret for chaining Yvaine up. The star reveals that while Tristran no longer intends to force her to accompany him to Wall, the custom of her people dictates that, because he has saved her life, she is nonetheless obliged to follow him.

Upon parting company with the ship and its crew, Tristran and Yvaine set off for Wall, and, after several adventures, encounter Madam Semele. Because of the witch-queen's curse, Madam Semele is unable to see Yvaine, but she agrees to transport Tristran the rest of the way to Wall, as she is on her way to the market herself. Tristran obtains a promise from Madam Semele that he will not be harmed, will receive board and lodging, and will arrive at Wall in the same manner and condition in which he departed. This promise, however, does not prevent her from transforming him into a dormouse for the duration of the journey. The star also rides on Madam Semele's wagon, unbeknownst to the old woman.

Yvaine, Tristran (now returned to his human form), Madam Semele and the witch-queen all arrive at the Wall market. Tristran leaves Yvaine and crosses back into Wall, to tell Victoria that he has returned with the star. Meanwhile, Yvaine realises she has fallen in love with Tristran and, if he fulfills his promise to bring her to Victoria, she will not only lose him to another woman, but upon leaving Faerie, will be transformed into a piece of rock.

Tristran returns to Yvaine at the fair. She is delighted to learn that Victoria is to be married to someone else, and Tristran reveals that he returns her love for him.

Una seeks out Tristran and Yvaine and reveals her true identity as Lady Una, only daughter of the Eighty-First Lord of Stormhold, and Tristran's mother, and thus Tristran is rightfully the last male heir of Stormhold. She instructs Tristran to ask Yvaine for the topaz she carries, and through its magic the power of Stormhold passes to Tristran. However, he declines to immediately return to Stormhold, leaving Lady Una to reign in his stead while he and Yvaine travel around Faerie. But before Yvaine and Tristran can set off on their journey, an impossibly aged hag turns up wishing to speak to Yvaine. She reveals herself as the witch-queen, but Yvaine, no longer fearful, tells her the good news that she has given her heart to Tristran. The witch-queen claims she'd have done better to give it to the Lillim, since Tristran is sure to break it as all men do. The witch-queen then leaves them forever.

Many years later, Tristran and Yvaine finally return to Stormhold, and Tristran assumes his duties as the Lord of Stormhold. When he eventually grows old and dies, Yvaine continues to reign as the immortal ruler of Stormhold.

Film

In the film, Yvaine "gives" her heart to Tristan and after 80 years of ruling they ascend to the heavens forever.

Relationships

Tristan Thorn

Tristan and Yvaine do not begin on good terms and for much of their initial time together they argued. However, on their journey together they begin to fall for one another and eventually marry. Yvaine glows brighter when Tristan is by her side, and his love helped her find her strength to defeat Lamia.

Captain Shakespeare

Shakespeare becomes a friend and ally to Tristan and Yvaine. He gifts Yvaine new clothes, and teaches her how to dance and play the piano. Yvaine is surprised when Captain Shakespeare reveals that he knows what she is but is reassured when he promises that no harm will befall her. It was during this time on the Caspartine that Yvaine was very happy for the first time on Earth.

Trivia

Anne Hathaway, Scarlett Johansson, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Jessica Alba all turned down the role of Yvaine.
Sarah Michelle Gellar was originally offered the role of Yvaine, but turned it down to spend more time with her husband, Freddie Prinze, Jr.