Lyra, the protagonist, is the precocious 11-year-old daughter of Lord Asriel and Mrs. Coulter. Her daemon Pantalaimon takes many forms since Lyra has not yet gone through puberty. She loves Pan deeply and has a genuine love of life and others. She gets along with others as easily as she gets into trouble. Although she is young and does not know many things, Lyra makes it her business to learn and can be savvy when the situation calls for it.

Even though there is a clear class difference between Lyra, who was raised among scholars at a college at the University of Oxford, and the gyptian children she plays with, Lyra does not perceive this in a negative way and gains street smarts from her engagement with so many different kinds of people. She has an adventurous spirit—she constantly longs to go north—and even though she contradicts many stereotypes of young girls, she also demonstrates a willingness to explore her femininity with Mrs. Coulter while holding onto her ruggedness. Lyra has an ability to read social situations, and she shows exemplary kindness toward others, like Tony and Iorek. She is driven by a strong sense of right and wrong, despite many adults’ attempts to negotiate values.