A 19-year-old college student, Lyra Kane is the principal protagonist of The Grandest Game. She has “dark hair, amber eyes in a heart-shaped face, [and] golden-tan skin” (74). Lyra’s motivation for playing the Grandest Game demonstrates her deep love for family. In addition, she loves solving puzzles, as she demonstrates when she takes the multiple choice test for a class she isn’t even attending. She’s a level-headed competitor and a sharp observer of those around her: For example, she doesn’t panic when she finds notes with her father’s name (the intent of which was to fluster her), instead simply asking questions and carefully observing people’s answers. Lyra is unusual in that she doesn’t form visual memories easily; instead, she tends to process the world through her other senses, often gathering information through movement and touch.

Lyra recently recovered memories of witnessing her father die by suicide when she was a small child, and these flashbacks upended her life. Her independence and protectiveness are evident in her choice to keep these memories a secret from her family, despite the extreme distress they cause her. The trauma led her to discard her former identity as a dancer and take up long-distance running instead because running distracts her from her feelings.