Vitalis, a traveling street performer and central figure in the narrative, purchases Rémi from Jérôme Barberin for 40 francs to train him as an apprentice. Once a celebrated Italian opera singer known as Carlo Balzani, he sheds his identity after age-related vocal decline forces him to evade public attention, adopting the name Vitalis. Leading a troupe of three dogs—Capi, Zerbino, and Dolce—and a monkey named Joli-Cœur, he sustains their nomadic life through performances.

Balancing sternness with compassion, Vitalis mentors Rémi, teaching him literacy, harp-playing, and survival skills. His integrity surfaces when he defies Garofoli, a cruel exploiter of children, refusing to abandon Rémi despite threats of exposure. This choice forces both into winter’s brutality without shelter, leading to Vitalis’s fatal hypothermia.

Interactions with his troupe reveal layered traits: the wolf-attack deaths of Zerbino and Dolce and Joli-Cœur’s pneumonia underscore their fragile existence. After the monkey’s death, Vitalis replaces him with a less disciplined successor, retaining the name. Though initially transactional toward Rémi, his protective instincts emerge through loyalty to the boy and animals.

Later adaptations, like the 2018 film, reimagine him as a virtuoso violinist who shields Rémi from institutionalization, yet preserve his core arc—concealed past, mentorship, and sacrifice. Posthumous revelations during a police inquiry unmask his Carlo Balzani identity, resolving his aversion to former fame. His journey with Rémi, marked by transient warmth amid adversity, molds the boy’s resilience and ethics, cementing Vitalis’s role as a pivotal influence.