The protagonist in Freak the Mighty is actually the amalgamation of two characters: Max and Kevin. Kevin, of course, is the small, intelligent child with many birth defects who always puts himself into imaginary worlds in order to get by. Max is the large, strong boy who has Kenny "Killer" Kane as a father and is always accused of having less than average intelligence. Together they make up the protagonist: Freak the Mighty. (The two create this term when Max puts Kevin on his back in order to escape their first small conflict against Tony's gang.) Although there are many smaller conflicts in the book, the two major ones are discussed below.
The first conflict of note is that of Freak the Mighty vs. Kevin's deformity. The two combat this issue through the creation of their dual character, "Freak the Mighty." For example, as Max and Kevin try to escape from Tony D. and his gang (which is one of the smaller conflicts in the book), we can see the creation of the dual character of Freak the Mighty. Max puts Kevin on his back in order to help him get around. Together (with Kevin's brain and Max's brawn), the two escape Tony D. and do many things.
Another important conflict of note is between Freak the Mighty and the villain of the novel. I would call this conflict Freak the Mighty vs. Max's father. The darkness of Kenny "Killer" Kane envelopes the entire novel, but comes to a head near the end when Kenny kidnaps Max on Christmas Eve. With the help of both Loretta Lee (who cuts Max free) and Kevin (who squirts Kenny with "acid"), Max is freed from his predicament. As a result, Kenny "Killer" Kane is put back in jail where he belongs.
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