In “The Chronicles of Amber,” the protagonist who wakes in a hospital with amnesia is Prince Corwin of Amber.
The opening novel, “Nine Princes in Amber,” introduces him under the name Carl Corey. He awakens in a New York hospital or clinic with no memory of his identity, escapes, and begins investigating the people and circumstances surrounding him. His search gradually reveals that he belongs to an immortal royal family from Amber, the one true world behind countless parallel “shadows.”
Corwin is the main character of the first five Amber novels. His memories and abilities return after he walks the Pattern, a powerful labyrinth whose influence allows Amber’s princes to travel through Shadow. He is a skilled fighter, strategist, poet, and claimant to Amber’s throne, though his family’s succession struggle is filled with betrayal.
A common mix-up is naming Oberon, Amber’s king and Corwin’s father, or Random, Corwin’s younger brother. Benedict is another sibling, famous for his martial skill. Corwin’s preferred sword is Grayswandir, but the hospital mystery identifies the protagonist himself.