Carl is a 27-year-old boat mechanic who used to be in the Coast Guard. He is physically fit and repeatedly states that he does not like drama. When he finds out that his girlfriend Beatrice is on a trip with her ex-boyfriend, he immediately breaks up with her. While Carl’s relationship with Donut is initially presented as a convenience, the novel reveals that Carl loves the cat and never intended to leave her with Beatrice. One of Carl’s most defining character traits is his loyalty to others, especially those he feels responsible for protecting. In the harsh world of the dungeon, he struggles with the moral implications of protecting people who seem destined to die, but as his conduct with the Meadow Lark party shows, he cannot abandon innocent people. The dungeon is the ultimate bully, and Carl hates bullies.

Carl’s hatred of bullies also causes him to view Borant Corporation and the Syndicate as a group of bullies picking on weaker creatures. Carl does not want the cruelty of the dungeon to rob him of his ability to care for others. He finds the murderous actions of Frank and Maggie to be reprehensible, and their casual violence illustrates a path that Carl chooses not to take.