Valeria

Valeria is introduced as a figure of legend, a woman whose reputation precedes her so thoroughly that even the seasoned thief Subotai gasps in recognition at her name. She is a warrior, a thief, and a queen of brigands, a woman who operates alone in a world of men, dismissing her former band as "fools and cowards all." Her significance in the narrative is twofold: she is the catalyst for Conan's emotional awakening, the first person to breach the walls of his barbaric solitude, and she is the instrument of his salvation, dying to shield him from a death-blow and then returning from the grave to ensure his victory. Her story is one of fierce independence, passionate love, and ultimate sacrifice, a counterpoint to the monstrous femininity that Conan encounters elsewhere and a testament to the power of a love that transcends death itself.

Identity and Introduction

Valeria first appears not in the flesh but in the moonlight, a vision of lethal grace materializing from the shadows of the Tower of the Black Serpent. She is clad in an abbreviated suit of black leather over tight undergarments of black silk, her sun-bronzed limbs bare and endowed with steely strength. Her blonde hair is bound back by rings of ebony, a sombre metal band protects her brow, and her arsenal is as practical as it is deadly: a knotted length of silken cord, a three-pronged grappling hook, and a curved knife almost as long as a sabre strapped against her thigh. When she senses Conan's presence, her blade hisses from its sheath to point at his chest, her eyes cutting through the darkness like a cat's. This is no damsel in distress but a professional, a woman who has come alone to rob the serpent's tower, a feat that even the most hardened thieves would not dare. Her identity is confirmed when she gives her name, and Subotai's reaction—"Not the Valeria?"—cements her status as a legend among the lawless. She is, as Subotai explains to Conan, "a very queen of thieves," a woman whose fame has spread across the lands.

Life and Plot Trajectory

Valeria's trajectory is one of deliberate isolation shattered by an unexpected bond. She arrives at the tower alone, having rejected her own band of brigands for their cowardice, and she initially treats Conan and Subotai as rivals rather than allies. Yet the shared peril of the tower forges a partnership, and after their successful theft of the great gem, she joins them in their celebration. In the tavern, she is wary and mistrustful, clutching her purse of gold coins stamped with the profile of Osric, King of Zamora, and eyeing the crowd of whores, highwaymen, and mercenaries with suspicion. When Subotai asks how she intends to spend her share of the fortune, her answer is guarded, a reflection of her self-reliance. It is only with Conan that she drops her guard. Their relationship begins with a bargain, a price she names for her continued aid, and it culminates in a night of passion by the firelight, a moment of raw, unfiltered connection that stands in stark contrast to the monstrous encounter Conan had with the witch. In that moment, she whispers a warning, a prophecy of the danger that awaits him in Shadizar of Zamora, the crossroads of the world, a place where only fools seek their own death.

Key Actions and Objectives

Valeria's primary objective is survival and profit, the twin goals of any thief. She seeks to plunder the Tower of the Black Serpent, a feat she is prepared to undertake alone, and she is equally pragmatic about disposing of her gains, having already sold the stones she prised from the tower's battlements. Her skills are those of a professional: she is a climber, a fighter, and a tactician, her curved blade as useful for throwing as for thrusting. Yet her most significant action is not one of theft but of sacrifice. When Thulsa Doom, standing on a hill with his lieutenant Rexor, stretches a living serpent into an arrow and shoots it straight for Conan's heart, Valeria does not hesitate. She leaps, making herself a living shield to protect the man she loves. The envenomed arrow tip enters her breast and comes to rest protruding between her slender shoulder blades. It is an act of pure, instinctive love, a choice that elevates her from a mere accomplice to a tragic heroine. Her death is not the end of her agency, however. In Conan's final battle against Rexor, when he is bleeding and too weak to stand, a radiant Valeria appears beside him, arrayed in shimmering armour with lustrous blonde hair floating beneath a winged helmet of unearthly metal. She stays Rexor's killing blow with her fiery sword, whipping her blinding blade across his unguarded eyes, and then vanishes, leaving only a fading ghostlike glory against the sky.

Relationships and Conflict

Valeria's relationships are defined by a stark contrast between her professional wariness and her personal devotion. With Subotai, she shares a camaraderie of thieves, a mutual respect born of shared risk and reward. With Conan, her relationship deepens into something far more profound. She is the first woman to truly reach him, to break through the wall of his barbaric reserve, and her love is fierce and unconditional. This is made explicit in her whispered vow after the wizard's magic drives off the clutching hands of death: "My love is stronger than death.... Were I dead and you in peril, I would return from Hell itself to fight beside you." This vow is not mere rhetoric; it is a promise she fulfills. Her conflict is not with Conan but with the forces that threaten him, primarily Thulsa Doom and his lieutenant Rexor. She is the antithesis of the monstrous women Conan has faced, such as the Hyperborean warrior-woman and the witch who transformed into a serpentine demon. Where those women are defined by their predatory sexuality and their ultimate destruction, Valeria is defined by her loyalty and her sacrifice. She is a warrior whose power is not a threat to Conan but a shield for him.

Change and Ending

Valeria's arc is one of transformation from a solitary, self-reliant thief to a self-sacrificing lover. Her death is the pivotal moment of her story, a choice that redefines her legacy. She does not die in vain; her sacrifice gives Conan the will to fight on, and her supernatural return in his moment of greatest peril ensures his survival. The vision of her, laughing and radiant, asking him "Cimmerian, do you want to live forever?" is a moment of profound emotional and spiritual significance. It is a reminder of her love, a challenge to his will, and a final gift of protection. After she vanishes, Conan remembers her words, and they steel him for the fight ahead. Her ending is not one of simple tragedy but of transcendence. She is the embodiment of the book's central theme that love is stronger than death, a force that can reach beyond the grave to alter the course of fate. Her final act is not her death but her return, a testament to the power of her devotion and a fitting end for a queen of thieves who became something far greater.

Narrative Role and Evaluation

Valeria serves as the emotional heart of the narrative, the human connection that grounds Conan's epic quest for vengeance. She is the counterpoint to the cold, inhuman sorcery of Thulsa Doom, a figure of warmth and passion in a world of darkness and cruelty. Her presence elevates Conan's story from a simple tale of revenge to a tragedy of love and loss. She is also a subversion of the monstrous-feminine trope that pervades the book. While the witch and the Hyperborean warrior-woman are destroyed by Conan, their power linked to their sexuality and their bodies, Valeria is a warrior whose power is celebrated and whose sacrifice is honored. She is not a threat to be overcome but a partner to be cherished. Her death and resurrection are the narrative's most powerful moments, and her whispered vow—"My love is stronger than death"—becomes the book's most resonant refrain. She is, in the end, more than a character; she is the proof of the book's central thesis, that the steel within a man, or a woman, is what truly matters, and that love, not steel, is the strongest force of all.