The Once-Ler

The Once Ler is the villain protagonist of Dr. Seuss' The Lorax. He is a man who came to a bright and magical forest of "Truffula Trees" long ago to set up a business making garments called "Thneeds" out of the trees' fluffy foliage. The titular Lorax appears from the stump of the first tree he chops down and insists that he stop, but the Once Ler dismisses him, saying that he has only chopped down one tree out of thousands and is doing no harm. However, the Thneed business quickly grows in size and popularity and more and more trees are cut down to make more of them as the shop grows into a factory, and the forest starts to become more and more damaged and polluted, driving off the creatures that live there. The Lorax continues begging the Once Ler to stop and showing him the damage he is doing, but is still ignored. Eventually, all the Truffula Trees are gone and so are all the animals, and since no more Thneeds can be made, the Once Ler's business ends. As the very last Truffula Tree is cut down, the Lorax "lifts" himself into the air and vanishes, having nothing left to protect, and leaves behind only a stone platform with the word "UNLESS" on it.

Years later, the Once Ler is an old man living all alone in what used to be the Truffula forest, and has come to regret his actions. A young boy comes wandering to his house, and after telling his story to him, the Once Ler gives the boy the very last Truffula seed in existence, telling him that if he plants it and takes care of it, the forest, the animals and the Lorax may eventually return.

Most of the Once Ler's body is never shown throughout the book. Only his hands and eyes are ever seen. This was done so he could be seen as more of an abstract prsonification of corporate greed. However, in the upcoming animated Lorax film, he will be shown fully, at least as a young man in the flashback that comprises most of the story.