Del Tarrant

Del Tarrant is a Blake's 7 character. 
He is skilled pilot and former Federation Space Captain. He joins the Liberator crew at the beginning of series 3, having deserted from the Federation, replacing Jenna as the pilot and Blake as Avon's chief rival for control of the Liberator (something the Big Finish audio 'Incentive' picks up on). 
In series 4, he assumes more of a follower role, allowing Avon to lead. While his idealism is central to the conflict between the two characters, it also affords Avon some tactical advantages. He sometimes uses Tarrant's headstrong approach to distract the enemy while he finds a more devious solution. Despite their conflicts, Tarrant goes out of his way on a number of occasions to save Avon's life. He bullies Vila in several series 3 episodes, although fandom has exaggerated this behaviour until it defines him.
Tarrant is intelligent, cunning and worldly and can be arrogant and impulsive. He is also heroic and idealistic, however. When the Liberator is being pulled into a black hole, he stops Avon from abandoning the ship on the idea that "we all go together." Avon says of him: "Tarrant is brave, young, handsome - there are three good reasons for anyone not to like him."
Perhaps because of these qualities, Tarrant has a number of ill-fated love affairs, particularly in series 3, including with Servalan. His brother Deeta (also played by Steven Pacey) is killed in the episode 'Death-Watch'. Fandom often assumes that Dev Tarrant (who is shown betraying Blake in episode 1, 'The Way Back') is some relation of Tarrant's - this may give Blake a reason to distrust Tarrant in Post Gauda Prime scenarios, accurately (i.e. he may be a Federation spy) or inaccurately.
 
Tarrant is probably the most disliked Blake's 7 character (perhaps even more so than Blake). 
Conversely (perhaps partly motivated by the hate) he has many fans who strongly and positively about him. Such fans are often, though not always, Avon/Tarrant shippers. During the late 1990s/early 2000s, a group of Tarrant fans identified themselves as the Tarrant Nostra. 
 
Fans known for being particularly pro-Tarrant:
* Pat Jacquerie
* Cami
* Lexa Reiss
* Sheila Paulson
* Manna
* Monica Mitchell
* Leigh Moto'oka & Carol McCoy (editors of On the Wing)
* Elviaprose
* Unsentimental Fool
* S.P.I.T. - an organization for Steven Pacey fans to get to know each other.
== Tarrant Ships==
===Avon/Tarrant===
Avon/Tarrant fics are often optimistic and deal with an egalitarian relationship between the two. Often Avon may have had a previous relationship (or Tarrant will believe he has) with Blake. Influential A/T stories by Pat Jacquerie mean that the pairing gets even more brothel stories and Matriarchal Society Made Them Do It scenarios than the fandom average.
===Tarrant/Dayna===
Far less popular than A/T, Dayna/Tarrant is also usually upbeat, with the two joking with and insulting each other. It may involve an action-adventure plot, or some other excuse for Dayna to make something explode. There is semi-canonical evidence for this pairing in the episode 'Ultraworld' where Aliens Made Them Do It (or almost).
===Tarrant/Vila===
Tarrant/Vila may be featured as a secondary pairing in Blake/Avon or Avon/Vila fics (where Vila ends up with Avon). It is generally not an angsty pairing.
===Other Tarrant Ships===
There are relatively few other Tarrant ships - Tarrant/Servalan is effectively canon and sometimes makes an appearance in fics that also include Avon/Servalan. 
Some early fic pairs Tarrant with Jarvik.
Regarding the Travis/Tarrant pairing, a fan in 1994 wrote: 
==Tarrant Tropes==
===His Teeth===
Tarrant and his amazing teeth were a common topic. 
Too big, too white, too bright.
File:Southernseven3-11.jpg|from Southern Seven #3, artist is Leah Rosenthal
File:Southernseven5-1-4.jpg|from Southern Seven #5, part 1, artist is "Picasso"
==Fan Comments==
===1990===
===1993===
===1994===
===1995=== 
===1997===
===2001=== 
==Fanworks==
 
=== Tarrant-centric zines===
* Angelfood (Avon/Tarrant) 
* Southern Comfort (multi-pairing zine, including many notable A/T fics)
* G.R.O.T. (Get Rid of Tarrant) 
* On the Wing (Tarrant-centric APA zine)
===Example Fanfiction===
 
* Love and Necessary Discipline by Susan R. Matthews. Avon & Tarrant, domestic abuse, (1986) (gen)
* Groff's Wife by Hafren. Avon & Tarrant (2007) (gen)
* There was a light the last time we spoke by Clocketpatch Tarrant backstory/integration with the Liberator crew. (2014) (gen)
===Avon/Tarrant Fanfiction===
* Duty by Pat Jacquerie, the author's first A/T, highly influential (1996)
* A Marketable Commodity by Pat Jacquerie
* Bondmate by Dorian Gale (Not available on line, published in Southern Comfort 6.5)
* Night series by Paula (Not available on line, published in Southern Comfort 6.5, 9.5, and 10.5)
* Mice and Men by Mistral. One fan describes this as "as the Tarrant rapes-Avon-rapes-Tarrant-rapes-Avon story"Review posted by Sandy Hereld to Lysator on March 6, 1994
* A Federation Officer by Executrix. Tarrant as secret traitor.
* Blood and Shadows by Salome. Executrix's Crack Van comment on this fic suggests that BUARA had a Tarrant-based form "BABYT" - Bind and Bugger Young Tarrant
More at the Favourite Avon/Tarrant stories page on Hermit.org
===Other Tarrant Pairings===
* The Nothing That Is by Lexa Reiss. Gen dealing with Tarrant's life in FSA, with Tarrant/Travis, Tarrant/Kyera, Tarrant/OC. (1994)
* Path of Thorns by Mitzi Tick and Felicia Adams. Vila/Tarrant, slave fic, fuck or die (1999)
* The Last Best Hope and The Long Way Back (primary pairing B/A, but Tarrant/OC is a major part of the second - Tarrant depicted quite negatively)
* Privilege by Susan Cutter. Young Tarrant & Travis; rape & rape recovery (2001)
===Vids===
===Sample Fanart===
Tarrant is a relatively popular character in fanart - excluding Avon, Blake or Vila, he appears more than anyone else. In some fanart, particularly if it is heavily stylised (and/or nude), it can be difficult to distinguish between Tarrant and Blake. 
File:Fifthseason3-8.jpg|from Fifth Season #3, artist is Pat Cash (1984)
File:Enarrareb7spec-11.jpg|from Enarraré, artist is Sonja Van den Ende (1989)
File:Enarrareb7spec-13.jpg|from Enarraré, artist is Kathryn Andersen (1989)
File:Southernseven6-6.jpg|from Southern Seven #6, artist is S. Hayman (1991)
File:Southern5-2-22.jpg|from Southern Seven #5, part 2, artist is Theresa Buffaloe (1989)
File:The World Turned Upside Down-7.jpg| from The World Turned Upside Down (1987), artist is T.J. Burnside
File:Rebeldestinies1-9.jpg| from Rebel Destinies #1 (1994), art by Leigh Moto'oka
File:Rebeldestinies1-6.jpg| from Rebel Destinies #1 (1994), art by Leigh Moto'oka
File:Rebeldestinies1-8.jpg| from Rebel Destinies #1 (1994), art by Marian Mendez
File:Southerncom7-5-7.jpg| from Southern Comfort #7.5 (1993), art by Randym
File:Rebeldesiresback.jpg| from Rebel Desires (1995), a portrayal of Avon/Tarrant, art by Randym
File:Forbiddenzone1inside3.jpg|from Forbidden Zone #1, art by Tristine 
File:Otherside4.jpg|from The Other Side #4, by Lana Brown. One fan described this image as "Tarrant looking Too Pretty To Live"
File:Allourtomorrows.jpg|from All Our Tomorrows, art by Tim Pieraccini
 
File:Complex14back.jpg|from Southern Seven #1 (1986), reprinted in B7 Complex #14 (1988), artist is Sheila Paulson 
File:Angelfood3.jpg| from Angelfood), the artist is Randym, a portrayal of Avon/Tarrant
File:SoConine6.png| a portrayal of Avon and Tarrant, the artist is Randym
File:B7 flotsam.jpg|from The Flotsam Chronicles, art by Leah Rosenthal
File:Loveandsacback.jpg| the back cover of Love and Sacrifice which had a B/A front, Tarrant and Vila, art by Phoenix
File:Mayking.jpg|from May King, art by Whitby27
File:Forbiddenzone1inside2.jpg|from Forbidden Zone, a rare Tarrant/Jarvik image, art by Tristine 
==Meta==
==Other Resources==
* Avon and Tarrant (meta) by Marian de Haan
==References==
Category:Blake's 7 Characters