In “The Maze Runner,” the protagonist is a teenage boy named Thomas.
Thomas awakens inside a metal elevator with almost no memories, knowing only his first name. The elevator delivers him to the Glade, an enclosed settlement occupied by boys called Gladers. Surrounding them is a shifting maze filled with deadly Grievers, and the group’s survival depends on mapping the maze and discovering an escape route.
Thomas quickly becomes central to the mystery because he shows unusual determination and eventually becomes a Runner, one of the boys who explores the maze. He also has a prior connection to WICKED, the organization conducting the trials, though he does not initially remember it. Teresa’s arrival and the changing behavior of the maze further tie Thomas to the experiment.
Alby is the Gladers’ initial leader, Newt is his second-in-command, and Minho is Keeper of the Runners. They are major characters, but none is the protagonist. The 2009 novel was followed by “The Scorch Trials” and “The Death Cure,” with Thomas remaining the central character of the original trilogy.