Amos Burton

Major
First seen · Book 1 · Ch. 1

Amos Burton is a major character in The Expanse (Book 1).

Gender: male
Age: late 30s
First appears: Book 1 · Ch. 1
Books: 2

Amos Burton is the Rocinante's hulking Earther mechanic, a 120-kilo man whose easy grin hides a capacity for sudden, unapologetic violence. In Leviathan Wakes he is Naomi's loyal assistant engineer, survives the destruction of the Canterbury, and carries heavy weapons through the crew's escalating crises, even fighting on a healing broken leg. In Caliban's War his dark childhood comes into view as he throws himself into finding Praxidike Meng's abducted daughter Mei. He protects Prax through the Io rescue and personally executes the Protogen collaborator Carlos Strickland, showing both his fierce protectiveness toward the vulnerable and his blunt moral code.

Description

A massive pale-skinned Earther man of 120 kilos with a big burly build, thick meaty arms, beefy hands and a broad wide face that can hold a neutral expression or turn demonic under low lights. His head is shaved completely bald except for a ring of stubble around the bald spot, and he wears perpetually filthy shining coveralls while often carrying heavy slug throwers, assault rifles or ammunition belts slung over his shoulders. This gives him the complete look of a formidable, no-nonsense mechanic who moves with confident power even when sporting a temporary limp from a healed leg fracture. A broad-shouldered human man with a mostly bald head, wearing a gray jumpsuit several sizes too small, with Tachi embroidered on the back.

Connections

Family & partnersFriends & mentorsRivals

Alex Kamalcrewmate
Amos shares an easy, familiar rapport with the pilot while maintaining the Rocinante together, and he is delighted to reunite with him.
Chrisjen Avasaralacrew ally
Amos helps protect the crew during the crisis that Avasarala's mission sponsors, including keeping Prax under control.
James Holdenconflicting source relationships
Amos starts as a crewman working alongside Holden during ship operations. By Caliban's War he has become Holden's trusted crewmate on an informal, loyal crew. He shields Holden from danger and bluntly calls him a poor criminal but a good captain.
Mei Mengconflicting source relationships
Driven by his own abused childhood, Amos vows to find Mei and kill her abductors. After her rescue, Mei adores him, and he responds with patient warmth.
Naomi Nagataconflicting source relationships
Amos begins as Naomi's assistant engineer, deferring to her as 'Boss'. Their bond deepens into profound mutual trust. She depends on him to have her back and challenges his violence, and he opens up to her about his past.
Praxidike Mengprotector
Amos takes the desperate botanist under his wing. He restrains Prax when needed but ultimately arms him so he can be present for his daughter's rescue.
Roberta Drapermission commander
Bobbie commands Amos during the Io extraction, and the two build a mutual respect for each other's competence.
CS
Carlos Stricklandexecutioner
Amos rejects Strickland's excuses as a Protogen collaborator and executes him.

Story so far

BOOK 1Leviathan Wakes
- Serves as assistant engineer under Naomi Nagata, whom he calls 'Boss'
- Survives the loss of the Canterbury alongside Holden, Naomi and Alex
- Becomes a core crew member and heavy-weapons carrier of the Rocinante
- Carries on through combat and crises while limping from a healed leg fracture
BOOK 2Caliban's War
- Confides in Naomi about his traumatic past and vows to find Mei Meng
- Becomes Prax's protector, and later arms him for the rescue of his daughter
- Draws the marines' attention away from Holden aboard the Somnambulist
- Joins Bobbie Draper's Io extraction to rescue the abducted children
- Kills Carlos Strickland after Prax declines to take revenge