In Greek mythology, Neoptolemus was the son of Achilles who fought at Troy after his father’s death.
Neoptolemus was also called Pyrrhus, a name associated with his reddish hair. According to later parts of the Trojan War tradition, the Greeks brought him to Troy because a prophecy said the city could not be captured without Achilles’ offspring taking part.
Ancient accounts give him a prominent role in the war’s final stages. He is traditionally credited with killing King Priam during the sack of Troy and with taking Andromache, Hector’s widow, as a captive. These episodes belong mainly to the wider post-Homeric tradition rather than to the Iliad itself.
Neoptolemus is sometimes confused with Achilles, but he is a separate generation of hero. The name Pyrrhus can also refer to later historical figures, including King Pyrrhus of Epirus.