Character Relationship Map: The Zigzag Kid

Characters

• Nono (played by Thomas Simon) — protagonist
• Gaby (played by Jessica Zeylmaker) — supporting
• Felix Glick (played by Burghart Klaußner) — supporting
• Lola Ciperola (played by Isabella Rossellini) — supporting
• Zohara (played by Camille De Pazzis) — supporting
• Inspector Leroy (played by Gérard Meylan) — supporting
• Uncle Sjmoel (played by Eric de Kuyper) — supporting

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Nono → Inspector Leroy (Professional Investigation Contact) — Inspector Leroy participates in tracing Nono, Felix, Lola, and Zohara's family.

  After learning that Felix is with Nono, Nono's father asks Inspector Leroy for help with the investigation.

• Nono → Uncle Sjmoel (Family Uncle And Nephew) — Uncle Sjmoel represents the feared alternative home prepared for Nono.

  After Nono's rebellious incident, his father decides to send him to live with his strict uncle, Uncle Sjmoel.

• Nono → Zohara (Family Mother And Son) — The search for Zohara becomes Nono's search for his own origins.

  Nono investigates the mother whom his father refused to discuss, and the later revelation identifies Zohara as that deceased mother.

• Felix Glick → Zohara (Family Father And Daughter) — Zohara's death is a central reason for Felix's investigation.

  Felix reveals that Zohara was his daughter and explains that she died by suicide.

• Nono → Felix Glick (Professional Student And Teacher) — Felix trains Nono in criminal thinking as part of his inspector education.

  Nono discovers that Felix Glick is the teacher selected to train him to think like an excellent criminal.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Felix Glick → Inspector Leroy (Conflict Investigation Opponent) — Leroy's investigative role places him on the opposing side of Felix's secret mission.

  Inspector Leroy is brought into the investigation after Nono's father learns that the legendary criminal Felix is traveling with Nono.

• Nono → Lola Ciperola (Narrative Investigation Subject) — Lola becomes an investigative link in the search for Zohara's truth.

  The investigation leads Nono and Felix to Lola before proceeding to Zohara's family.

• Felix Glick → Lola Ciperola (Unknown Object-Linked Associates) — Lola is connected to Felix's mission through the sought-after shawl.

  Felix's mission with Nono involves Lola Ciperola's famous red shawl.

• Nono → Gaby (Social Household Companion) — Gaby serves as a reassuring maternal presence in Nono's home life.

  Gaby is officially Nono's father's secretary but practically part of the household, providing Nono with warmth and companionship.

Story Analysis

A rebellious boy's secret journey becomes a painful investigation into his mother's identity and the family's long-suppressed grief.

Plot Progression

1. A House Without Answers — Nono grows up without his mother and is trained by his father to become an inspector. Gaby offers emotional warmth, but Nono's rebellion leads to the threat of being sent away.
2. The Secret Train Test — A confidential letter reveals that Nono's journey is a test for his Bar Mitzvah. He follows a password-based search and identifies Felix Glick as his hidden teacher.
3. The Criminal's Mission — Felix recruits Nono for a mission involving Lola's red shawl and the golden lightning bolt. Their disguised travel through France turns the lesson into a personal investigation.
4. The Cost of Truth — Nono learns that he misunderstood the journey and was meant to go to his uncle. Felix pressures him to continue by promising clues about his mother.
5. Zohara's Final Secret — The investigation reaches Lola and Zohara's family, while Inspector Leroy becomes involved. Felix reveals Zohara's death, forcing Nono to confront years of silence.