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Kaz Brekker, the 17-year-old leader of the Dregs, is the cold, calculating mastermind of the heist who skillfully manipulates dire circumstances to his advantage while privately struggling with the emotional scars of his traumatic origin story, which he takes great pains to conceal.
- Biography
- Personality and Traits
- Physical Description
- Skills and Abilities
- Equipment
- Relationships
- Appearances
- Etymology and Translations
- Behind The Scenes
- Trivia
Born Kaz Rietveld, he was raised on a farm near Lij with his father and older brother Jordie Rietveld. When Kaz was nine, their father died in a plough accident. Jordie sold the farm and took Kaz to Ketterdam, where he intended for Kaz to attend school. Several days after their arrival in the city, Kaz and Jordie went to the East Stave to watch str...
Kaz is cold-hearted, ruthless, and well-known for being willing to do any job, no matter the danger or violence involved, so as long as it will make him a good deal of money. This trait and his various egregious actions have earned him the nickname "Dirtyhands", a reputation he draws upon to intimidate his opponents. Kaz is manipulative and connivi...
Kaz has pale skin and dark hair trimmed short on the sides. According to Inej, his eyes are the color of bitter coffee or strong tea in sunlight. He has a sharp jawline, a narrow face, and a lean, muscular build. On his right arm, Kaz has two tattoos: the Dregs' crow and cup on his forearm, and on his bicep a black R for 'Rietveld', his original su...
Kaz is skilled at lockpicking, card tricks, and sleight of hand. These abilities are so complex that Matthias often calls him demjin, meaning demon. He is privy to information of just about anyone and anything in the city, due to Inej's stealth abilities and his considerable influence over Ketterdam. His sleight of hand skills has been shown many t...
Kaz uses a cane with a crow's head handle, due to a broken leg that failed to heal properly. The cane is lead-lined and Fabrikator-made to enhance the weight of its swing, allowing Kaz to use it as a lethal weapon.He also carries at least two knives, not including a small oyster shucking knife hidden in his coat sleeve.
Inej Ghafa
Inej and Kaz worked together in the Dregs for nearly two years before the Ice Court job and are each the person that the other trusts most. After several near-death encounters, they gradually acknowledge their feelings for one another, inching closer and closer to a romantic relationship. However, the trauma of their pasts makes an intimate relationship extremely difficult. Still, Kaz makes particular effort to prevent harm coming to Inej and to do right by her, even if he believes she deserv...
Jesper Fahey
After Inej, Jesper is the second closest person to Kaz. Kaz shares with Jesper more details about his schemes than he does with most members of the Dregs (although not as much as he tells Inej and never the full details). However, Kaz's trust is shattered when he learns Jesper's indiscretion led to Pekka Rollins ambushing them at the harbor. As punishment, Kaz hides key details of his plan, including disguising Wylan as Kuwei, from the sharpshooter. Jesper spends most of Crooked Kingdomtrying...
Kaz took his own surname, Brekker, from a piece of machinery in the Ketterdam harbor. "Brekker" is similar to breker, which means "breaker" in Dutch (the language Kerchis based on)."Kaz" means "a flaw", "an imperfection", or "a defect" in both Slovak and Czech."Kaz" also means "a goose" in Turkish."Kaz" sounds similar to "kaas" which means "cheese" in Dutch (the language Kerch is based on). While this has no relevance to the story, it is a popular topic of memes in the fandom.Kaz's injured leg, chronic pain, and use of a cane is based on Leigh Bardugo's experiences with osteonecrosis.
Leigh has stated that Kaz thinks that “trans women are women" and by extension, supports LGBTQ+.Kaz has PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) because of his traumatic experiences after Jordie died, which is shown through his constant flashbacks when undergoing contact with human flesh. This w...Kaz's astrological sign is Capricorn.According to Leigh Bardugo, Kaz is a Slytherin.The novel’s protagonist, Kaz is a 17-year-old lieutenant in Ketterdam’s Dregs gang. He wears dark, austere clothing and always wears gloves and carries a cane with a crow’s head on it. He’s known as Dirtyhands, as he has a reputation for being ruthless and a monster—he has no qualms about using violence or blackmail.
Kaz Brekker is the leader of the Dregs, a gang in Ketterdam. He is a mastermind and a criminal prodigy, known for his cunning and ruthlessness.
Per Haskell is the elderly leader of the Dregs gang. His main interest is building model ships, so Kaz effectively runs the gang. Haskell still takes a cut of all Kaz’s earnings, however, and he…
As it turns out, Kaz is in fact the culprit. He returns to his office, where Inej has come with a lead on a job with a big payout, a million kruge worth. A wealthy merchant by the name of Dreesen is looking for a crew willing to cross the Fold into east Ravka and bring back something.
People also ask
Why is Kaz a good leader?
Why is Kaz a good character?
Why do you love Kaz?
Why does Kaz lead the heist?
Who is Kaz Brekker?
What do you like most about Kaz?
Everybody else has pretty much summed up why I love Kaz. He’s strong, ruthless, clever, badass, but also completely human. He cares deeply about his crew, but anybody else doesn’t matter to him. He has more depth or nuance than other morally grey or ruthless characters. He’s smart, not whiny or annoying.
