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Nemo, the antagonist in the novel, is one of the most mysterious characters in Western literature. Verne reveals very little of his past, which frustrates both Aronnax and readers. Readers get scraps of information and hints that add up to little understanding. Readers know that Nemo keeps a portrait of a beautiful young woman and her children in his cabin. It is revealed that Nemo pillages sunken ships to amass the fortune that it costs to maintain his vessel, yet readers understand that he was infinitely wealthy and powerful before he built the Nautilus because of how costly it was to build. Readers see that Nemo is arrogant, considering himself law and judge and his word as the last word in all situations. Over the course of the novel, readers learn that hatred and vengeance drive Nemo because he has seen his family perish. In addition, Nemo directs this hatred toward the nation represented by the warship at the end. It’s clear that Nemo feels deeply because he sobs when his crewman dies and when he sinks the approaching warship.

Despite all this, readers don’t learn much more about Nemo. He is a mystery. His full and/or real name is never revealed. Verne never says anything about Nemo’s parents, his childhood, what shaped his twisted personality, or what country he has lost. Verne also doesn’t reveal how Nemo was educated, who the people are in the portrait, or how he convinced his ten crew members to join him in his bizarre life. Readers don’t even know how long Nemo has been on the Nautilus or how many other lives he has taken.

Nemo does not change in the novel, but he does reveal more of himself as it progresses. At first, he doesn’t even reveal that he understands English or French. It appears he only understands the strange made-up language spoken by himself and his crew. Nemo, for the most part, does not reveal any emotion. In the end, when he orders a ship and crew sunk when he could easily outrun it, Nemo reveals his truest, darkest self. Perhaps he is asking forgiveness when he sobs in front of the portrait of his family, but more likely, his tears simply express longing and pain.

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