He appears at first as a cold-hearted and seemingly unapproachable person, domineering to his servants and stern to his peers and niece. He shows little emotion, though several times throughout the story he displays sadness and regret for what is necessary, and in the end he shows his love for his child and his former lover, Marisa Coulter, appearing particularly angry when he thinks that fate has brought him Lyra to use as his "sacrifice" to bridge worlds. John Faa also refers to help that Asriel has given to the gyptians in the past, including defending the gyptian way of life in Parliament and diving into fierce waters to rescue drowning men. In "La Belle Sauvage" Asriel repays Malcolm Polstead for the loan of his canoe by arranging for it to receive a thorough make-over by gyptian boat-makers to make it a sturdier vessel, and later trusts Malcolm to guard Lyra until he can arrange suitable long-term protection for her.