Captain Kindly

Summary

Captain Kindly is a Malazan officer whose name is deeply ironic — he is the most humorless, rigidly disciplined, and socially obtuse officer in the Bonehunters army. Paired with his long-suffering subordinate Lieutenant Pores, Kindly provides some of the series' most reliably funny comic relief. Their relationship — a captain who takes everything literally and a lieutenant who survives through elaborate schemes and desperate humor — is one of the great recurring comedy duos of the Malazan series.

Arc by Book

Book 4: House of Chains

Captain Kindly commands the 2nd Company of the Ashok Regiment. His reputation for inflexible discipline, obliviousness to social cues, and complete absence of humor is already well-established. Lieutenant Pores serves under him, developing increasingly creative ways to cope with Kindly's impossible demands.

Books 6-10: The Bonehunters through The Crippled God

Kindly continues serving through the later books, rising in responsibility. His unshakeable composure and rigid adherence to duty make him paradoxically effective in crisis situations — while others panic, Kindly simply continues issuing orders with the same deadpan intensity he applies to everything.

The Kindly-Pores dynamic persists throughout, providing consistent comic relief during the darkest stretches of the march to Kolanse. Pores's increasingly desperate attempts to avoid Kindly's assignments and Kindly's complete obliviousness to Pores's scheming form a running joke that spans thousands of pages.

Key Relationships

• Lieutenant Pores — his subordinate, partner in reluctant comedy
• Tavore Paran — the Adjunct he serves
• Sinn — the fire mage placed under his supervision

Appearances

See Also

• Bonehunters — the army Kindly serves in
• Brotherhood — the Kindly-Pores dynamic