Who is the protagonist of the epic Ramayana?

Rama is the protagonist of the Hindu epic Ramayana.

The Ramayana follows Rama, prince of Ayodhya and the seventh avatar of the deity Vishnu. After his stepmother Kaikeyi invokes a promise from King Dasharatha, Rama accepts fourteen years of exile in the forest. His wife Sita and brother Lakshmana accompany him, beginning the chain of events that drives the epic.

The central conflict arises when Ravana, the rakshasa king of Lanka, abducts Sita. Rama allies with Sugriva and the vanara army, including the devoted Hanuman, and eventually confronts Ravana. Rama’s return to Ayodhya and coronation are celebrated in traditions associated with Diwali, while his birth is commemorated during Rama Navami.

Rama is also called Ramachandra and is revered as maryada purushottama, often translated as the ideal or exemplary man. Shiva, Arjuna, and Krishna are important Hindu figures, but they belong to other myths: Arjuna and Krishna are especially central to the Mahabharata, while Shiva is a major deity rather than the Ramayana’s protagonist.