Herbert West is a central character in the story "Herbert West: Re-Animator". He is a deranged scientist with a talent for reanimating dead tissue through the use of a concoction he developed known as "necroplasm". Despite his amoral nature, Herbert is a genius, and his discoveries and abilities make him a central figure in medical science. He is known for his obsession with reanimating the dead and his disregard for the safety of those around him.