What is the name of the protagonist in Nolan's film Memento?

The protagonist of Christopher Nolan’s Memento is Leonard Shelby. Played by Guy Pearce, Leonard is a former insurance investigator who cannot form new long-term memories after a traumatic attack. He tries to identify the person responsible for his wife’s death while constantly losing track of newly learned information.

To compensate, Leonard builds a demanding external memory system. He takes Polaroid photographs, writes notes to himself, and tattoos crucial conclusions onto his body. These tools appear objective, but the film shows that their meaning depends on what Leonard chooses to record and how he interprets it. His condition makes both the character and the audience uncertain about what can be trusted.

Memento’s structure mirrors Leonard’s experience. The color scenes are presented largely in reverse chronological order, while black-and-white scenes proceed forward in time. The two patterns eventually meet, revealing how memory, identity, and self-deception shape the story. Natalie, Teddy Gammell, and Sammy Jankis are important characters or figures in Leonard’s investigation, but none is the protagonist.