Tars Tarkas | |
Race: | Green Martian |
Status: | Alive |
Other Information | |
Residence: | Thark, on Barsoom |
Occupation: | Warrior |
Marital Status: | Single |
Relationships | |
Allies: | John Carter, Sola |
Enemies: | Tal Hajus |
Family: | Loas (mate); Sola (daughter) |
Behind The Scenes | |
Portrayer: | Willem Dafoe |
Tars Tarkas is a Green Martian Thark with an unusual amount of compassion and sympathy that does not otherwise exist in his race. He becomes an ally of John Carter, partially due to John Carter hearing the story of Loas, his only love, and the daughter he had with his her.
History[]
John Carter (2012)[]
Tars Tarkas first appears shortly after John's arrival, finding the Thern medallion that transported him to Barsoom. Traveling with a contingent of soldiers to the Thark hatcheries, he tries to talk with Carter in Barsoomian, believing Carter's name is "Virginia" in the process. When seeing his incredible jumping ability, he chooses to take him back to his village alive. Carter's stubbornness proves difficult in selling his usefulness to the village until Carter gradually picks up the ability to speak Barsoomian and makes a daring attack on the Zodangan fleet to rescue Dejah Thoris. In honor of his success Tarkas gives John Carter the title of Dotar Sojat or "His Right Arms". Carter still refuses to be a soldier for any particular cause and after discovering he seeks to steal back the medallion and put Sola in danger of blasphemy for entering and potentially desecrating the local temple (Temple of Issus), allows Carter and Thoris to leave, taking Sola with them to keep her from execution while allowing her to make a pilgrimage to the Barsoom afterlife along the river Issus.
When Carter later returns to build an army to take out Zodanga and stop a final assault on Helium, he finds Tars Tarkas has been overthrown by Tal Hajus and imprisoned and set for execution by the White Apes in the arena. Carter and Sola manage to awaken his broken spirit and upon killing the White Apes and Hajus, Carter rallies the Tharks together to assault Zodanga. Upon finding the city has been mostly emptied and the warriors on their way to Helium, Carter is forced to fly alone until the Tharks lead by Tarkas and Sola decide to break their flying taboo and follow him. They succeed in defeating Sab Than and the Zodangans, as well as banishing Matai Shang for good, saving Deja, Barsoom and creating a new alliance between the Tharks and the Red Martians to help Barsoom down the line.