Zikali is a powerful and enigmatic fictional wizard in the adventure novels of Sir H. Rider Haggard, most notably appearing in the Allan Quatermain series. He is a recurring character who plays a central role in the Zulu trilogy (Marie, Child of Storm, and Finished). His primary storyline involves his long-term plot to destroy the royal Zulu House - specifically the line of Senzangacona and King Cetewayo - in revenge for a past wrong. Famously known as "The Opener of Roads," and the "Thing-that-should-never-have-been-born" (due to being a dwarfi) Zikali is a highly feared and intelligent witch doctor who lives in a hidden place known as the Black Kloof. He is described as having the stature of a child, a large head, and white hair, yet possesses a firm, unwrinkled face, leading to speculation about his unnaturally long age. He appears or is mentioned in Marie (1912), Child of Storm (1913), Finished (1917), She and Allan (1921), and Heu-Heu (1924), serving as a bridge between the historical/adventure aspects of the Zulu novels and the supernatural elements in Haggard's broader work.