Who is Ghatotkacha?

Born in the forest

After escaping the burning house of lac, the Pandavas fled into a forest ruled by the rakshasa Hidimba. He sent his sister Hidimbi to kill them, but she fell in love with Bhima instead. Bhima killed her brother, and with Kunti’s blessing married Hidimbi. Their son was born the same day and grew up almost at once: Ghatotkacha, a giant with a head as smooth as a pot, which is what his name means.

Bhima and the Pandavas moved on, but Ghatotkacha promised to come whenever his father called.

The loyal son

He kept that promise. During the exile he carried Draupadi and the Pandavas over mountains when they were too tired to walk. When the war came, he fought for the Pandavas with all the powers of his people: illusion, flight, and terrifying size.

How Ghatotkacha’s story ends (spoilers)

On the fourteenth night of the war, the fighting carried on in the dark, when rakshasa powers grow stronger. Ghatotkacha tore through the Kaurava army until Karna had only one weapon left that could stop him: a divine spear from Indra that could be used only once, and that he had been saving to kill Arjuna.

Karna threw it, and Ghatotkacha fell, growing as he died so that his huge body crushed part of the enemy army. Krishna, watching, was relieved: Arjuna was now safe.