Suni Character Analysis in The Poppy War

Suni is a member of the Cike; he channels the Monkey God, who allows him to fight with inhuman strength and ferocity. Of all the Cike, he’s perhaps the least stable: he regularly hears voices (presumably that of his god or others), and Altan must work hard to calm him down. It’s generally accepted that soon, Suni will be immured in the Chuluu Korikh for others’ safety.

Suni Character Timeline in The Poppy War

The timeline below shows where the character Suni appears in The Poppy War. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Identity, Cultural Trauma, and Coming of Age Theme Icon

Addiction, Drugs, and Control Theme Icon

...them to leave her alone. Just then, the door to the canteen opens to reveal Suni, another Cike who’s massive and looks unwell. Unegen explains that Suni channels the Monkey God... (full context)

Altan leaps at Suni as Unegen turn into a fox and slips away to safety. Altan and Suni fight,... (full context)

Dehumanization and the Horrors of War Theme Icon

...prison before being offered a position with the Cike. Baji was also in Baghra, and Suni, Ramsa says, is nice when his god isn’t “fucking with his head.” Ramsa has no... (full context)

...and Altan crouch in the mud, waiting to light off Ramsa’s bombs. Rin, Baji, and Suni have all taken drugs; Altan doesn’t need drugs to call the Phoenix. The Federation fleet... (full context)

...at them. The boats are now burning, and Federation soldiers bail into the marsh, where Suni and Baji kill them quickly and brutally. A few soldiers break and run to where... (full context)

...As soon as he’s gone, Baji and Ramsa begin joking about Altan’s seriousness. Listening to Suni speak, Rin privately wonders at Altan’s bravery, putting his life in danger to talk Suni... (full context)

...she manages to kill it. Rin stabs the dog, just wanting to hurt something, until Suni grabs and holds Rin tight. Enki bandages Rin’s dog bites and Rin resumes the search... (full context)

...on Speer. She needs to know that the world will keep turning after this horror. Suni points her toward the library, and Rin finds Altan sprawled in a corner, shirtless. His... (full context)