With the start of Book XIV the narrative reverts to Parzival, so that we are justified in treating the concluding Books under the heading of narrative action concerned with the hero. Although Gawan may still be involved in this action (this is particularly true of the first encounter in this chapter), the narrator makes it clear at the close of Book XIII that in returning to the as yet unnamed Parzival he is once more taking up the proper theme of his work (678,30: an den rehten stam diz mœre ist komn). Similarly, when at the close of the work the narrator sums up the course of action which reaches its climax in these three closing Books he sees it naturally in terms of Parzival (827,6f. and 17f.), by contrast with which Gawan fades from view without any express mention (cf. 822,2ff.). The first encounter (between Parzival and Gawan) thus acts as a bridge, taking the action back from Gawan to the world of Parzival, so that it is expressly in the hero's world that we now have to consider the problem of recognition.

As on earlier occasions, the narrator makes use of linguistic ambiguity to signal the implications of the action.