Towerpedia:Eddie Dean

Edward Cantor “Eddie” Dean is a fictional character in author Stephen King's The Dark Tower series. Eddie is the first of three Roland draws to himself to help him on his quest and the first of the ka-tet to perish on the journey.

Early Life

Eddie is raised mainly by his brother, Henry, which causes him a lot of emotional problems in his adulthood, due in part to the fact that his mother never let him forget that Henry gave up a lot of opportunities to be his guardian. While basically untrue, this feeling that Eddie has somehow cheated his brother out of a life is the source of a lot of Eddie’s emotional stumbling blocks.

Henry is also responsible for Eddie’s introduction to heroin, a drug that quickly consumes a great deal of his life. At one point the brothers’ roles are reversed, and Eddie takes care of Henry, who is further into his addiction.

The Door

Eddie first encounters Roland on a flight from the Bahamas to New York. Eddie is attempting to smuggle cocaine on the flight to exchange for the heroin he and his brother need. Roland helps Eddie get past customs and hand the drugs over to Enrico Balzar. Eddie discovers his brother has been killed by Balzar’s men and decides to follow Roland through the door.

Life in Mid-World

Eddie quickly falls in love with Odetta Holmes when Roland brings her through the door to his world. After Odetta and Detta merge, Eddie takes the woman they have become, Susannah, as his wife. He is happy to have someone to take care of, and is very devoted to her.

Roland soon discovers Eddie’s main talent is running his mouth. Eddie is possessed of a quick wit and the propensity to argue, and the more ridiculous he finds a situation, the stronger his urge to comment on it. This talent comes in handy against Blaine the Mono, when Eddie confounds the train with his nonsense jokes.

Death

Eddie is shot in the head by Pimli Prentiss after the assault on Blue Heaven. He takes hours to die; his last words to Roland are to thank him, and call him father.

New York

Eddie returns to the series one last time in a series of dreams Susannah has. In them, he is bringing her hot chocolate and trying to tell her how to come back to him. Eventually Susannah figures out the message and the two are reunited.

Original artwork by Darkthoughts

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References

Furth, Robin. Stephen King’s The Dark Tower: The Complete Concordance. Scribner, 2006. ISBN 0743297342

King, Stephen. The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower, Book I) Viking Adult, 2003. ISBN 0670032549

King, Stephen. The Drawing of the Three (The Dark Tower, Book II). Viking Adult, 2003. ISBN 0670032557

King, Stephen. The Waste Lands (The Dark Tower, Book III). Viking Adult, 2003. ISBN 0670032565

King, Stephen. Wizard and Glass (The Dark Tower, Book IV). Viking Adult, 2003. ISBN 0670032573

King, Stephen. Wolves of the Calla (The Dark Tower, Book V). Donald M. Grant/Scribner, 2003. ISBN 1880418568

King, Stephen. Song of Susannah (The Dark Tower, Book VI). Donald M. Grant/Scribner, 2004. ISBN 1880418592

King, Stephen. The Dark Tower (The Dark Tower, Book VII). Donald M. Grant/Scribner, 2004. ISBN 1880418622

Vincent, Bev. The Road to the Dark Tower: Exploring Stephen King’s Magnum Opus. New American Library, 2004. ISBN 0451213041

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