Captain Archibald Haddock

When Captain Haddock makes his debut in The Crab with the Golden Claws, he makes quite an impression. First, he nearly puts an end to Tintin by burning the oars of their lifeboat to keep warm. As if that weren’t enough, he cracks Tintin over the head with a bottle as he’s piloting an aircraft, causing it to crash in the desert. Despite this inauspicious beginning, the captain goes on to become Tintin’s closest friend.

As the stories progress, Captain Haddock proves himself to be much more than a clumsy, hotheaded sea captain with a colourful vocabulary. He is clearly a highly competent mariner and navigator, and his years of experience on the high seas prove invaluable in numerous adventures, including The Red Sea Sharks.