Vishravas and Kaikesi are the parents of Ravana, Kumbhakarna, Vibhishana, and Shurpanakha. Kaikesi was a rakshasi chosen by her father Sumali to marry the sage Vishravas.
Mandodari was Ravana's chief queen and mother of the mighty warrior Indrajit and the valiant Aksha Kumar. She repeatedly counseled Ravana to return Sita and avoid war with Rama, but her warnings went unheeded.
Indrajit was Ravana's chief warrior and most formidable champion during the war for Lanka, deploying illusion warfare and divine weapons against Rama's army.
Kumbhakarna fought loyally for his brother Ravana during the war against Rama, despite having advised Ravana that abducting Sita was wrong.
Ravana came to Kishkindha seeking battle, but Vali seized the demon king under his arm and flew across the four oceans during his evening sandhya prayers, humbling Ravana so thoroughly that the two swore a pact of friendship and mutual non-aggression.
Hanuman infiltrated Lanka as Rama's messenger, burned the city with his flaming tail, and fought Ravana's forces throughout the war.
Ravana invaded heaven and defeated Indra in battle, capturing him and holding him prisoner until Brahma intervened for Indra's release.
Kartavirya Arjuna seized Ravana at the banks of the Narmada, binding the ten-headed king of Lanka with his thousand arms and holding him captive in Mahishmati until Pulastya secured his grandson's release.
Ravana overthrew his half-brother Kubera, seizing Lanka and the Pushpaka Vimana by force.
Lakshmana cut off Shurpanakha's nose after she attacked Sita, provoking Ravana's wrath and the abduction of Sita. Lakshmana fought Ravana's forces throughout the war at Lanka.
Ravana abducted Rama's wife Sita and held her captive in Lanka. Rama assembled an army of vanaras, invaded Lanka, and killed Ravana in single combat to rescue Sita.
Ravana abducted Sita from Dandaka forest and held her captive in Lanka's Ashoka grove, demanding she become his queen. Sita refused him throughout her captivity.
Vibhishana implored Ravana three times to return Sita and avert destruction, but Ravana struck him with his foot and banished him as a traitor — driving Vibhishana across the ocean to Rama's camp, where he revealed Lanka's defenses and Ravana's weaknesses.
Rama killed the demon king Ravana with a Brahmastra-charged arrow in single combat at Lanka, fulfilling the purpose of his incarnation as Vishnu's seventh avatar.
Ravana killed the vulture king Jatayu, who tried to prevent Ravana from carrying Sita to Lanka. Jatayu survived long enough to tell Rama which direction Ravana had flown.
Ravana seized Lanka from his half-brother Kubera and ruled it as the capital of his demon empire until his defeat by Rama.
Brahma granted Ravana a boon of near-invulnerability after Ravana performed extreme penance for ten thousand years. The boon made Ravana unconquerable by gods and demons, but not by humans or animals.
Ganesha disguised himself as a Brahmin boy and tricked Ravana into setting down the Atmalinga he had obtained from Shiva. The lingam became rooted in the earth at Gokarna, thwarting Ravana's plan to make Lanka invincible.
Ravana forced Maricha to disguise himself as a golden deer to lure Rama away from Sita, enabling the abduction. Maricha had warned Ravana against provoking Rama.
Ravana mocked Nandi's monkey-like face at the gates of Kailash, and Nandi cursed him that monkeys born of divine power would destroy his kingdom and lineage.
Ravana was an ardent devotee of Shiva who composed the Shiva Tandava Stotram. He once attempted to uproot Mount Kailash, and Shiva pinned him beneath it until his hymns of devotion earned release.
Shurpanakha's encounter with Rama and her disfigurement by Lakshmana drove her to urge Ravana to abduct Sita, setting the central conflict of the Ramayana in motion.
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