Alex Stowe is the novel’s protagonist and one of the eponymous Unwanteds. As a child, he sketched a picture of a house in the dirt using a stick. This display of artistic creativity was a death sentence in his home state of Quill. He was deemed Unwanted and sent to the Death Farm as part of an annual Purge. Unbeknownst to the people of Quill, a magical world existed on the other side of the Death Farm’s iron gate. Alex finds himself (and the other Unwanteds) in Artimé, a hidden kingdom created by the mage Mr. (Marcus) Today. Alex’s journey takes him from being an unwanted son to a powerful magician, helping the people of Artimé fight back against Quill’s authoritarian power. Alex learns to embrace his creative side and becomes a skilled artist. His skills in painting, sculpting, and drawing improve rapidly, and Alex proves to be very adept at magic. Alex’s artistry and magic are inextricably linked. 

A key part of Alex’s identity is the bond he shares with his twin brother Aaron. Both boys showed evidence of artistry when they were young, but Alex took the blame for his brother’s behavior, thus saving Aaron from supposed death.