Character Relationship Map: Tracker

Characters

• Arjan (played by Ray Winstone) — protagonist

  A skilled Afrikaner tracker and former Boer War commander who is coerced into hunting a Māori fugitive in New Zealand but eventually turns against the British forces to help him escape.

• Kereama (played by Temuera Morrison) — protagonist

  A Māori harpooner falsely accused of murder who flees into the wilderness, becoming the central fugitive whose fate drives the narrative and Arjan's moral transformation.

• Bryce (played by Andy Anderson) — supporting

  A civilian tracker hired by the British garrison to assist in pursuing the fugitive Kereama.

• Saunders (played by Mark Mitchinson) — supporting

  A prejudiced British sergeant-major who falsely accuses Kereama of murder and relentlessly pursues him with orders to kill.

Canonical Relationships

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

• Arjan → Bryce (Professional Tracking Rival) — The two trackers compete over reading Kereama's trail.

  Bryce and Arjan disagree over Kereama's direction, and Arjan takes a different path before surprising and capturing Kereama.

Story Dynamics

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

• Kereama → Bryce (Conflict Pursuit Target) — Bryce's professional assignment makes Kereama the object of his pursuit.

  Bryce is hired as a civilian tracker to assist the British garrison in pursuing Kereama.

• Kereama → Saunders (Conflict False Accuser's Target) — Saunders's prejudice and false accusation drive Kereama into flight.

  Saunders becomes angry over Kereama's presence with a white woman, fights him, and later blames Kereama for the accidental death of one of Saunders's...

• Arjan → Saunders (Conflict Former War Opponent) — Their shared wartime history creates immediate hostility and recognition.

  Saunders recognizes Arjan as a former opponent from the Second Boer War and arrests him upon his arrival in Auckland.

• Arjan → Kereama (Conflict Reluctant Hunter) — Arjan begins as Kereama's reluctant pursuer and captor.

  Arjan accepts a reward to track Kereama after Kereama is accused of murder. He captures Kereama and initially refuses to release him.

Story Analysis

A former enemy transforms from paid hunter into secret protector while exposing the violence of colonial justice.

Plot Progression

1. A Fugitive's False Accusation — Arjan arrives in Auckland and is recognized by Saunders. Kereama is attacked, falsely blamed for a death, and forced into the wilderness.
2. The Reluctant Tracker — Arjan accepts a reward to pursue Kereama alongside Bryce and the soldiers. He captures Kereama but begins confronting the moral similarities between them.
3. Mercy Beneath Pursuit — Kereama escapes and is recaptured, while Arjan secretly gives him a means of escape. Arjan then abandons the company and begins misleading the pursuit.
4. Sanctuary in the Mountains — Arjan follows Kereama to a sacred mountain place and prays for his dead family. An injury leaves Kereama trapped as the soldiers close in.
5. The Finger and the Escape — Kereama refuses armed resistance, so Arjan stages his death at a waterfall. Kereama survives and escapes by ship, while Arjan bears the missing finger used in the deception.