Atreyu (German: Atréju) is the second main character and protagonist in The Neverending Story.
He is a Greenskin warrior from the Grassy Ocean in Fantastica.
Novel
Upon discovery that the Empress is dying, Atreyu the boy warrior, is summoned to find a cure. The Empress gives the AURYN to To Atreyu, a powerful medallion that protects him from all harm. At the advice of the giant turtle, Morla the Aged One, Atreyu sets off in search of an invisible oracle known as Uyulala, who may know the Empress' cure. In reaching her, he is aided by a luckdragon named Falkor, whom he rescues from the monster 'Ygramul the Many'. By Uyulala, he is told the only thing that can save the Empress is a new name given to her by a human child, who can only be found beyond Fantastica's borders.
As Falkor and Atreyu search for the borders of Fantastica, Atreyu is flung from Falkor's back in a confrontation with the four Wind Giants and loses AURYN in the sea. Atreyu lands in the ruins of Spook City, the home of various wicked creatures. Injured by the fall and stranded in the dangerous city, Atreyu finds the wolf G'mork, chained and near death, who tells him that all the residents of the city have leapt voluntarily into The Nothing. There, thanks to the irresistible pull of the destructive phenomenon, they have become lies in the human world. The wolf also reveals that he is a servant of The Manipulators, the force behind The Nothing. They wish to prevent the Empress's chosen hero from saving her. G'mork then reveals that when the princess of the city discovered his treachery against the Empress, she imprisoned him and left him to starve to death. When Atreyu announces that he is the hero G'mork has sought, the wolf laughs and succumbs to death. However, upon being approached, G'mork's body instinctively seizes Atreyu's leg in his jaws. Meanwhile, Falkor retrieves AURYN from the sea and arrives in time to save Atreyu from the rapid approach of The Nothing.
Falkor and Atreyu return to the Childlike Empress, who assures them they have brought her rescuer to her—Bastian. But, Bastian decides to take over Fantastica for himself, and yet he is stopped by Atreyu, whom Bastian grievously wounds in battle.
The NeverEnding Story (1984)
Atreyu in the first film.
Atreyu was played by Noah Hathaway in the first film.
Atreyu was told to go on a quest to save the Childlike Empress from death. After reaching the Swamps of Sadness, Atreyu's horse, Artax, drowned in the swamps, leaving Atreyu disconsolate. Morla, a giant turtle, told Atreyu to go to the Southern Oracle, but it was 10,000 miles away. Atreyu nearly drowns in the swamp but is saved by Falkor the Luckdragon. Explaining that he was carried 9,891 miles while unconscious, Falkor encouraged Atreyu to go through the Sphinx Gate. As a knight was killed, Atreyu made it through safely. He then reached the next gate, actually seeing Bastian, a boy who was reading the book. Reaching the Southern Oracle, they told Atreyu to give the Empress a name. They also stated, while collapsing, and later, dying, that only a human child can give the Empress the name. As Falkor and Atreyu flew over The Nothing, an unknown storm of some sort separated them. Atreyu then encountered the Gmork, a wolf that was sent to kill Atreyu. Admitting that he was the warrior, Atreyu killed the wolf with a stone slab, using it as a knife. Atreyu got blown away, and was saved by Falkor at the last second. Admitting grief to the Empress, the Nothing destroys the Ivory Tower, and knocks Atreyu unconscious. He was last seen riding Artax, who survived.
Trivia
The makeup team on The Neverending Story planned to paint Noah Hathaway green just as Atreyu is in the book, but the effect didn't work, so they went without it. Hathaway later said, "It wasn't believable. I looked like fungi!"