Aladdin in Rise of the School for Good and Evil: Character Analysis
Overview: The Boy Who Started a War Between Brothers
Aladdin of Shazabah is the unlikely catalyst for the entire conflict in Rise of the School for Good and Evil. A street thief who dreams of marrying the Sultan's daughter, he wins a magic lamp through loaded dice, only to be swept into the School for Good and Evil on Kidnapping Night. Placed in the Good school against the School Masters' initial judgment, he wishes for Princess Kyma's love—a wish that backfires spectacularly, making the muscular Ever Hephaestus fall for him instead. His story, as the framing note makes clear, is where the tale of the School Masters begins: “If not for a boy named Aladdin, the School for Good and Evil might never have started kidnapping Readers like you.” His actions set in motion the Storian's first tale about the brothers themselves, and his presence becomes the wedge that drives Rhian and Rafal apart.
Aladdin is not a hero in the traditional sense. He is selfish, dishonest, and desperate for validation, yet he also demonstrates a capacity for genuine connection and growth. His arc moves from a boy who believes the lamp will grant him worth to one who learns that love and friendship cannot be wished into existence. By the end of the novel, he has helped rescue Kyma, stolen the Storian, and played a key role in the battle against Vulcan—though his personal journey remains tied to the larger question of what it means to be Good or Evil.
Plot Role: The Catalyst for the School Masters' Fall
Aladdin's function in the narrative is twofold. First, he is the student whose classification as Good overrides the School Masters' initial judgment, sparking Rafal's resentment and Rhian's determination to prove the Pen right. The Storian switches his name from the Evil list to the Good roll, and Rafal immediately sees this as an insult to his authority. This single act sets up the brothers' ideological conflict: Rhian trusts the Pen, while Rafal believes in his own judgment.
Second, Aladdin's wish on the cursed lamp—a wish that makes Hephaestus fall in love with him—becomes the subject of the Storian's first tale about the School Masters themselves. The Pen writes: “Once upon a time, there were twin School Masters, Good and Evil, whose love kept the world balanced. But then one day, a student arrived who would change everything between them.” Aladdin is that student. His presence forces the brothers to confront their own bond, and Rafal's meddling—returning the lamp, moving up the Snow Ball—escalates into a full-blown schism.
Aladdin also serves as a pawn in the brothers' game. Rhian tries to turn him Good by influencing Kyma's perception; Rafal tries to prove him Evil by sabotaging his wish. Aladdin's own agency is limited at first, but he gradually takes control of his story, culminating in his decision to steal the Storian and offer it to the Pirate Captain in exchange for help rescuing Kyma. By the end, he is no longer a passive victim but an active participant in the fight against Vulcan.
Motivations and Traits: The Thief Who Wants to Be Worthy
Aladdin's primary motivation is a desperate need for respect. He is known in Mahaba Market as a thief, cheat, and loiterer, and he resents his family's tailoring shop because it offers no path to the princess and crown he dreams of. He tells himself that “sometimes you have to take shortcuts” to earn money, status, and a name. This rationalization drives his early actions: he uses loaded dice to win the lamp, and he plans to use the genie to force Kyma's love.
Yet Aladdin is not purely selfish. He shares a stolen tart with a stray dog and helps a girl with her homework, though he dismisses these as insignificant. He insists he is neither Good nor Evil, but the narrative suggests he is morally fluid—capable of both kindness and deceit. His cockiness is a mask for deep insecurity. When the red-haired boy tells him he has no chance with Kyma, Aladdin's immediate reaction is to want to win her without the lamp, because he needs to prove his own worth.
His fear of connection is revealed in the Wish Fish challenge. When the fish initially show him as Sultan with the lamp, they revise the image to show him as an old man with Hephaestus. Aladdin is horrified, but the Good School Master praises the wish as a true Ever's soul. This moment suggests that beneath his greed, Aladdin's deepest desire is for love and companionship—something he has never allowed himself to want.
Chronological Arc: From Market Thief to Reluctant Hero
Aladdin's arc can be traced through several distinct phases.
The Market and the Lamp (Chapters 1–2): He skips work, overhears Salim and Aseem discussing the magic lamp, and wins it through a rigged dice game. He hides it under his bed, dreaming of wishes for wealth and power. His mother's scolding about Kidnapping Night reminds him of the School for Good and Evil, but he believes the lamp will make him greater than any School Master.
The Abduction and Placement (Chapters 3–4): A shadow with blue eyes drags him from his home, and a bird-like creature carries him through thunderclouds. He fears he is Evil when he sees the School for Evil, but the bird drops him on the Good side. He feels the lamp in his pocket and smiles, believing his luck has changed. The School Masters discuss his unexpected placement, with the Storian overruling their judgment.
The Wish and Its Backfire (Chapters 5–8): At the assembly, Aladdin tries to show Kyma the lamp, but she dismisses him. He threatens to turn everyone into frogs, and Rafal confiscates the lamp. That night, Aladdin sneaks into Evil's wing, retrieves the lamp, and wishes for Kyma to fall madly in love with him. The genie—a snake—grants the wish, but it backfires: Hephaestus falls in love with Aladdin instead. At the Supper Hall, Hephaestus publicly asks Aladdin to the Snow Ball, and Aladdin reluctantly agrees after a hunger strike.
The Struggle and Growth (Chapters 10–12): Aladdin fails multiple challenges because he is distracted by the curse. In the Wish Fish challenge, his revised wish reveals his true desire for connection. In the Frog Kiss challenge, he fails because he fears kissing a frog in case it is Hephaestus. Dean Mayberry tells him his wish revealed a deeper truth about his fear of connection. Aladdin decides to get to know Hephaestus, and they begin a genuine friendship.
The Snow Ball and the Fallout (Chapters 13–15): Rafal moves up the Snow Ball to prevent Aladdin from earning Kyma's love. At the ball, Aladdin confesses the truth to Hephaestus, who dismisses it and insists his feelings are real. They dance, and Kyma dances with Aladdin, saying Hephaestus is not her true love. As she moves to kiss him, lightning strikes, and a train derails toward her. Aladdin shoves her aside and is struck. Hephaestus, now free of the spell, punches Aladdin. The chapter ends with Rhian discovering Rafal's disappearance.
The Larger Conflict (Chapters 1–9 of the second part): Six months later, Aladdin and Kyma are a couple. Aladdin becomes involved in the conflict between Rhian and Rafal, eventually helping to rescue Kyma from Vulcan's tower. He steals the Storian and offers it to the Pirate Captain in exchange for help. He participates in the battle against Vulcan, and at the end, he is present when Marialena is transformed into Maleficent.
Relationships: The People Who Shape Him
Kyma: Aladdin's obsession with Kyma drives his initial wish. She is dismissive of him at first, but after the Wish Fish reveals his true desire, she begins to see him differently. At the Snow Ball, she tells him he has made the best of an impossible situation and that she admires his openness to where a story takes him. By the end, they are a couple, though their relationship is tested by the larger conflict.
Hephaestus: The curse makes Hephaestus fall in love with Aladdin, but their relationship evolves into genuine friendship. Hephaestus's detailed knowledge of Aladdin's habits—his lip-chewing, his cheese sandwiches, his funny run—shows that he has been paying attention. Aladdin learns to value this connection, and even after the curse lifts, Hephaestus's punch at the Snow Ball suggests a real emotional investment.
The School Masters: Rhian and Rafal both see Aladdin as a pawn. Rhian tries to turn him Good by influencing Kyma; Rafal sabotages his wish to prove him Evil. Aladdin is largely unaware of their machinations until later, but his actions—stealing the Storian, helping the pirates—directly affect their conflict.
Rufius: Aladdin's roommate helps him make chocolates for Hephaestus and spreads word around school. Rufius's failure in the Wish Fish (wishing for a bakery) contrasts with Aladdin's revised wish, highlighting Aladdin's deeper need for love.
Key Decisions and Consequences
The Loaded Dice (Chapter 1)
Aladdin cheats to win the lamp. This decision sets everything in motion, but it also reveals his willingness to take shortcuts. The men's grins as he walks away suggest they may have set him up, implying that the lamp was never meant to be his.
The Wish for Kyma's Love (Chapter 6)
Aladdin wishes for Kyma to fall madly in love with him. The consequence is immediate: the curse makes Hephaestus fall for him instead. This backfire forces Aladdin to confront the idea that love cannot be forced, and it leads to his eventual friendship with Hephaestus.
Confessing to Hephaestus (Chapter 14)
At the Snow Ball, Aladdin confesses that he stole the lamp and wished for Kyma's love, but the genie was cursed. Hephaestus dismisses the confession, insisting his feelings are real. This honesty, though risky, deepens their bond and earns Aladdin admiration from the other Evers.
Stealing the Storian (Chapter 6 of the second part)
Aladdin steals the Storian and offers it to the Pirate Captain in exchange for help rescuing Kyma. This decision puts him at odds with Rhian, who believes the Pen chose him, but it ultimately helps the group retake the school from Vulcan.
Shoving Kyma Aside (Chapter 14)
When the train derails toward Kyma, Aladdin shoves her aside and is struck. This selfless act, though impulsive, demonstrates his growth from a selfish thief to someone willing to sacrifice for another. It also breaks the curse, freeing Hephaestus.
Themes and Symbols
Aladdin embodies the theme of identity and moral fluidity. He is neither Good nor Evil, and his placement in the Good school is a mistake according to the School Masters. Yet his actions—both selfish and selfless—show that morality is not fixed. The Storian's decision to classify him as Good suggests that the Pen sees potential for growth, not just inherent nature.
The theme of love as the essence of Good is central to Aladdin's arc. His Wish Fish reveals that his deepest wish is for connection, not wealth or power. The Good School Master praises this wish, implying that love is what makes a soul Good. Aladdin's eventual friendship with Hephaestus and his relationship with Kyma demonstrate this principle in action.
The balance of Good and Evil is disrupted by Aladdin's arrival. His classification as Good tips the scales, and Rafal's meddling to prove him Evil leads to the brothers' conflict. The Storian's tale about the School Masters themselves is a direct consequence of Aladdin's presence, and it sets up the prophecy that one brother will kill the other.
The lamp and the genie are symbols of temptation and the danger of shortcuts. Aladdin believes the lamp will give him worth, but it only causes chaos. The snake genie, with its red eyes and hissing voice, suggests a darker magic than Aladdin expects. The Wish Fish and the Frog Kiss challenge are symbols of self-knowledge: they force Aladdin to confront his true desires and fears.
Five Book-Specific Questions and Answers
1. Why does Aladdin wish for Kyma's love instead of wealth or power?
Aladdin's wish for Kyma's love stems from his need for validation. He believes that winning the princess will prove his worth to the world, making him “wanted and valued, not just in the minds of others, but also in his own.” The lamp is a means to an end: he wants respect, and Kyma's love is the ultimate symbol of that respect.
2. What happens when the wish backfires, and how does Aladdin react?
The wish makes Hephaestus fall in love with Aladdin instead of Kyma. Aladdin is initially horrified and tries to avoid Hephaestus, but he eventually confesses the truth at the Snow Ball. Hephaestus dismisses the confession, and Aladdin begins to accept the situation, leading to a genuine friendship.
3. How does the Wish Fish challenge reveal Aladdin's true nature?
The fish initially show Aladdin as Sultan with the lamp, but they revise the image to show him as an old man with Hephaestus. This revision suggests that Aladdin's deepest wish is for love and companionship, not wealth. The Good School Master praises the wish, indicating that this desire for connection is what makes him Good.
4. What role does Aladdin play in the conflict between Rhian and Rafal?
Aladdin is the catalyst for the conflict. His classification as Good overrides the School Masters' judgment, and his wish on the lamp becomes the subject of the Storian's first tale about the brothers. Rafal's meddling to prove Aladdin Evil escalates the tension, and Aladdin's later actions—stealing the Storian, helping the pirates—directly affect the outcome of the battle against Vulcan.
5. How does Aladdin change by the end of the novel?
Aladdin grows from a selfish thief who relies on shortcuts to a boy who values genuine connection. He learns that love cannot be forced, and he develops a real friendship with Hephaestus. He also demonstrates selflessness by shoving Kyma aside to save her from the train. By the end, he is a more mature person, though he remains morally ambiguous, as shown by his willingness to steal the Storian for his own purposes.
For a deeper exploration of the novel's ending and the fate of the School Masters, see the ending explained page. For more on the themes that shape Aladdin's journey, visit the balance of Good and Evil and brotherhood and betrayal analyses.