Dejah Thoris is a princess of the city-state of Helium on the planet Mars (called Barsoom by its inhabitants) in the John Carter series of novels by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Dejah Thoris is a member of the Martian race of red men. In time, she becomes John Carter's wife. The couple produce a son--Carthoris--and daughter Tara. In the first book, A Princess of Mars, Burroughs describes John Carter's first sight of Dejah Thoris: And the sight which met my eyes was that of a slender, girlish figure, similar in every detail to the earthly women of my past life... Her face was oval and beautiful in the extreme, her every feature was finely chiseled and exquisite, her eyes large and lustrous and her head surmounted by a mass of coal black, waving hair, caught loosely into a strange yet becoming coiffure. Her skin was of a light reddish copper color, against which the crimson glow of her cheeks and the ruby of her beautifully molded lips shone with a strangely enhancing effect.She was as destitute of clothes as the green Martians who accompanied her; indeed, save for her highly wrought ornaments she was entirely naked, nor could any apparel have enhanced the beauty of her perfect and symmetrical figure.In the book the father of Dejah Thoris is Mors Kajak, jed of Lesser Helium. Her grandfather is Tardos Mors, jeddak (ruler) of Helium. But in the movie they skip a generation and Tardos Mors is her father and there is no mention of Mors Kajak. No harm done, though!In the movie Dejah Thoris is a warrior/scientist who is about to solve the mystery of the 9th ray to the consternation of Matai Shang. She is pretty fiesty, is an excellent fighter and disbelieves and mistrusts John Carter when she first encounters him although she marvels at his strength and leaping ability. As she gets to know him better, her position toward him softens and they soon develop feelings for each other.In an effort to end the bloodshed between Helium and Zodanga, her father arranges for her to marry Sab Than, Jeddak of Zodanga which displeases her greatly. Initially she flees to avoid that fate but eventually and reluctantly agrees to save her people. Matai Shang, however, wants to do her in as she is close to solving the mystery of the power of the therns.