Carter and Tars Tarkas

This flow follows the gradual formation of trust between Carter and Tars Tarkas, culminating in a friendship that changes Thark politics.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

A Peaceful First Approach

An Encounter Without a Common Language Weapons laid aside Tars Tarkas approaches Carter unarmed and offers a metal armlet as a gesture of peace. Carter reads the gesture through familiar human customs and accepts it. Cautious trust Their first connection rests on visible action rather than shared speech. Carter’s willingness to respond without panic gives the two a basis for later dealings.

Respect in Combat

Strength Earns Attention A fight before witnesses Carter strikes a Thark who treats him roughly, then demonstrates his remarkable jumping ability. The warriors value the force and nerve behind these actions. Regard with limits Tars Tarkas begins to treat Carter as a significant fighter, but the relationship remains shaped by rank and spectacle. Genuine friendship has not yet replaced the Tharks’ combat-based code.

A Lesson in Kindness

Practical Compassion Mounts respond differently Carter trains his thoats with patience after establishing clear limits. Their new willingness to follow him astonishes the Thark warriors. Tars Tarkas learns Tars Tarkas asks how Carter achieved the result and observes the method. The lesson suggests that care can be effective in a martial society without requiring a rejection of strength.

A Rescue Returned

Friendship Proven Under Fire Tars Tarkas falls Surrounded by Warhoon fighters, Tars Tarkas falls and faces death before Carter can reach him. Carter steps between the attackers and his former captor. A new understanding They fight shoulder to shoulder until the Warhoons retreat. Tars Tarkas tells Carter that he has learned there is such a thing as friendship, turning an idea into an experience he cannot dismiss.

Leadership Shared

A Political Friendship Trust in counsel Carter speaks before the Thark council and urges Tars Tarkas to rule in place of Tal Hajus. Tars Tarkas accepts the challenge and wins leadership through combat. A common purpose The new Jeddak listens to Carter’s proposal to rescue Dejah Thoris and ally with Helium. Their friendship now influences the fate of entire communities, not just the two men.

Carter’s capture near the Green Martian incubator

During Carter’s first days in Korad

During the Tharks’ stay at Korad

During the battle between the Tharks and Warhoons

After the defeat of Tal Hajus