Brian (played by Rick Hearst) is a protagonist in Brain Damage.
Brian is the central protagonist, a man who becomes host to the English-speaking parasite Aylmer after a mysterious illness. Addicted to Aylmer's hallucinogenic fluid, he initially acts unconsciously while it kills victims, then knowingly helps it hunt. He ultimately tries to warn Mike and Barbara, survives an overdose, and dies by suicide. Barbara (played by Jennifer Lowry) is a protagonist in Brain Damage.
Barbara is Brian's girlfriend, whose concern grows as his addiction isolates him from ordinary life. After Mike and Barbara begin a relationship, Brian attempts to warn them away from Aylmer. Barbara follows him onto the subway to confront him, where Aylmer kills her, making her death a decisive tragedy for Brian. Mike (played by Gordon MacDonald) appears in Brain Damage.
Mike is Brian's brother and one of the people worried by Brian's increasingly strange and isolated behavior. He begins a relationship with Barbara, intensifying Brian's emotional collapse. After Brian's apparent suicide, Mike joins the police at the apartment building and helps break down Brian's door. Morris (played by Theo Barnes) appears in Brain Damage.
Morris is Brian's neighbor and the previous owner of Aylmer. He explains that the parasite has passed through hundreds of owners since the Middle Ages and warns Brian that feeding it human brains will make it impossible to resist. Later, he tries to reclaim Aylmer at gunpoint and ultimately crushes it during an injection. Aylmer (played by John Zacherle) appears in Brain Damage.
Aylmer is a worm-like parasite that speaks perfect English and controls Brian through a euphoric fluid injected into his brain. It demands that Brian take it for walks so it can kill and consume victims, including the Night Watchman and Barbara. Aylmer manipulates Brian's addiction until Morris crushes it, causing Brian's fatal overdose. Police (played by Don Henenlotter) appears in Brain Damage.
Martha (played by Lucille Saint-Peter) appears in Brain Damage.
Martha is Morris's wife and participates with him in the attempt to take Aylmer back from Brian. She is present when they hold Brian at gunpoint, but Aylmer attacks the couple and feeds on their brains. Her role connects Morris's past ownership of Aylmer to the violent final confrontation. Night Watchman (played by Bradlee Rhodes) appears in Brain Damage.
The Night Watchman is a victim encountered while Brian is under Aylmer's hallucinogenic influence. Aylmer kills and devours his brain in a junkyard while Brian is incoherent and unaware of the surrounding world. His murder helps reveal the parasite's lethal feeding behavior and the consequences of Brian's addiction.
Brain Damage (1988) character relationship network mapped with AI analysis. Explore the connections, alliances, and conflicts between characters.
Characters
Brian
(played by Rick Hearst) — protagonist
Brian is the central protagonist, a man who becomes host to the English-speaking parasite Aylmer after a mysterious illness. Addicted to Aylmer's hallucinogenic fluid, he initially acts unconsciously...
Barbara
(played by Jennifer Lowry) — protagonist
Barbara is Brian's girlfriend, whose concern grows as his addiction isolates him from ordinary life. After Mike and Barbara begin a relationship, Brian attempts to warn them away from Aylmer. Barbara...
Mike
(played by Gordon MacDonald) — supporting
Mike is Brian's brother and one of the people worried by Brian's increasingly strange and isolated behavior. He begins a relationship with Barbara, intensifying Brian's emotional collapse. After Brian...
Morris
(played by Theo Barnes) — supporting
Morris is Brian's neighbor and the previous owner of Aylmer. He explains that the parasite has passed through hundreds of owners since the Middle Ages and warns Brian that feeding it human brains will...
Aylmer
(played by John Zacherle) — supporting
Aylmer is a worm-like parasite that speaks perfect English and controls Brian through a euphoric fluid injected into his brain. It demands that Brian take it for walks so it can kill and consume victi...
Police
(played by Don Henenlotter) — minor
Martha
(played by Lucille Saint-Peter) — supporting
Martha is Morris's wife and participates with him in the attempt to take Aylmer back from Brian. She is present when they hold Brian at gunpoint, but Aylmer attacks the couple and feeds on their brain...
Night Watchman
(played by Bradlee Rhodes) — supporting
The Night Watchman is a victim encountered while Brian is under Aylmer's hallucinogenic influence. Aylmer kills and devours his brain in a junkyard while Brian is incoherent and unaware of the surroun...
Canonical Relationships
Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.
Police → Brian
(Professional Investigators)
The police arrive at the apartment building and break down Brian's door with Mike.
Morris → Martha
(Family Husband And Wife)
The plot identifies Martha as Morris's wife during their attempt to reclaim Aylmer.
Morris → Aylmer
(Temporal Former Host)
Morris states that he was the previous owner of the parasite and had given it the name Aylmer.
Brian → Mike
(Family Brothers)
The plot explicitly identifies Mike as Brian's brother, and Mike later joins the police when they enter Brian's room.
Brian → Barbara
(Romantic Boyfriend And Girlfriend)
Barbara is identified as Brian's girlfriend and becomes worried as he isolates himself.
Brian → Aylmer
(Power Host And Parasite)
Aylmer inhabits Brian's body and injects fluid directly into his brain, making Brian dependent on it.
Barbara → Mike
(Romantic Partners)
When Brian returns to the apartment, he discovers that Mike and Barbara have begun a relationship.
Story Dynamics
Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.
Mike → Police
(Alliance Cooperator)
Mike joins the police when they break down Brian's door at the apartment building.
Brian → Night Watchman
(Narrative Indirect Complicity)
Brian is unaware of the world around him while Aylmer uses his body during the attack on the night watchman.
Aylmer → Night Watchman
(Conflict Murderer And Victim)
Aylmer kills and devours the night watchman's brain in a junkyard while Brian is under the juice's influence.
Aylmer → Barbara
(Conflict Murderer And Victim)
Barbara follows Brian onto the subway, where Aylmer kills her.
Martha → Brian
(Conflict Captor)
Martha participates with Morris in holding Brian at gunpoint to take Aylmer back.
Morris → Brian
(Narrative Warning Figure)
Morris confronts Brian outside the apartment and explains Aylmer's history and the danger of feeding it human brains.
Story Analysis
A man becomes enslaved by a brain-eating parasite whose addictive fluid destroys his relationships, morality, and body.
