Millie Chen

**Millie Chen** was a supporting protagonist of the North Star and a close friend of Sophie Scott. A British-Chinese girl who is shown as being highly intelligent, Millie grew up in Sunderland from Hong Kong migrant parents. She made friends with Sophie at college as both girls understood each other when others couldn't. She was protective of Sophie amidst bullying from Bertha Bagshaw. However, an attack by a Redcap pulled Millie into Sophie's quest to become The North Star. After the two briefly fell out over disagreements about William Parker-Fulton, Sophie saved Millie again from Big Kev and promised to her mother she would look after her as they journeyed together. In doing so, Sophie's faithfulness to Millie led her to be fully anointed The North Star, and the two went on together with Micky White to ultimately defeat Glanfeoil.

## Biography

### Early life

Millie Chen was born in Sunderland to parents from Hong Kong. The family lived in the suburb of Seaburn. Her parents had high expectations of her and expected her to study extensively, leading her to become very smart. They were hesitant for her to mix with the local population in turn, which led to an identity conflict between them and a conflict over her "belonging."

### At College with Sophie

Millie met Sophie Scott while studying for their A-levels at St. Genesius Catholic School. Because of the difficulties she faced from her father, Millie and Sophie bonded as two friends who could truly understand and relate to each other, and committed to similar things. Millie subsequently became a protector of Sophie as she experienced bullying from Bertha, and someone she could lean on.

### Redcap Attack

After Sophie discovered the North Star stone and experienced her first Redcap attack at the Barnes Burn, she decided to confide to Millie in what happened at the Holy Trinity Church courtyard, only for Bertha to antagonize them and the same monster to re-emerge. The Redcap injured Bertha and nearly killed Millie, until Sophie fought back with her powers for the first time and destroyed it. Following this, Millie eventually decided to join Sophie on her quest to discover what was going on and joined her at Foxy Island with Micky. After a brief argument with Micky White, who she did not like at the time, Millie was captured by the Redcaps before Sophie saved her a 2nd time. She then helped her rescue schoolboy Matthew James.

### Fallout over Fulton

After Sophie was suspended from school amidst the incidents with Bertha and on Foxy Island, she suddenly found unusual support from local politician William Parker-Fulton, who Millie loathed due to his racist overtones. With Sophie feeling she needed any support she could get, the two girls fell out on Roker Beach, with Millie vowing to carry on life as normal, even as Sophie was being targeted by police as a fugitive by David Simm

### The Promise

However, she would soon find this was not possible. After a tense conversation with her mother, Millie was targeted by two of Tony Radcliff's goons, Big Kev and Shane Bates, who wanted to capture her as leverage for finding Sophie. They physically attacked her, forcing her to flee into Mere Knolls Cemetery. However, Sophie sensed something was wrong and rushed to the scene to save her, where the two girls made up. After facing fury from Millie's mother over the incident, Sophie pledged to protect Millie no matter what as she supported her on her quest.

### Finding the Caenterstaff

Heading to the city of Durham, the trio searched the Cathedral only to be targeted by armed police in an ambush. The officers attempted to shoot Millie, but Sophie intervened and saved her, taking the bullet. The fulfillment of the promise of sacrifice led Viviane to ultimately anoint her as the North Star, granting her sacred armour and thus setting her firmly on her quest.

### Captured by Fulton

After the trio headed to Northumberland to search Holy Island, Millie was again captured by William Parker-Fulton and demanded her life in exchange for the Caenterstaff, forcing Sophie to surrender the artefact much to her dismay. With Sophie in a state of depression over her perceived family, Millie ultimately come to terms in her relationship with Micky White, and the two understood each other for the first time in an intimidate conversation in the guesthouse.

### Saving Sunderland

Millie subsequently joined Sophie and Micky as they returned to Sunderland, and helped Sophie defeat the army of Redcaps and ultimately defeat Glanfeoil. After their respective triumph and life returning to normal, both Sophie and Millie were accepted into Durham University, starting a new chapter in their lives.

## Concept and design

The character of Millie Chen was created to reflect the influence of Asia in the producer, T.J Oswald's, life and in particular, the clash of values and perspectives between such and life in Sunderland. Through her background, Millie is immune to the right wing fervor which sweeps the city in the form of William Parker-Fulton, making her untainted and also a good role for Sophie in her own academic ambitions. It also creates a character contrast with Micky White which in turn, helps his own development.