Cusi, the protagonist of Secret of the Andes, is a young boy living in isolation in a remote valley. He is a shepherd, tending to his llamas in the care of the elderly Chuto, who has raised him since he was a small child. Described as inquisitive and observant, Cusi often watches the outside world from afar, staring longingly at the family living in a nearby valley.

At the core of Cusi’s character is a profound yearning for connection and identity. Despite his outward contentment with the life of a llama herder, his curiosity about the world beyond his valley grows as he encounters signs of human life. These brief glimpses stir a sense of longing for something more—a family, a sense of belonging, or perhaps the answer to who he truly is. Cusi’s journey is also an inward quest to understand his heritage, particularly as his golden earplugs hint at a destiny larger than the simple life he knows. While he longs to explore the world outside of his valley, he is hesitant to fully leave behind the life he has known with Chuto. This hesitancy reflects his uncertainty about what he truly seeks—whether it is a family or simply an understanding of his place in the world.