Feyre is a 19-year-old human huntress who serves as the sole financial and practical provider for her impoverished family. Desperation hardens her personality, leaving her deeply insecure about her self-worth and suspicious of others. She harbors a deep-seated hatred and fear of faeries due to centuries of human-faerie conflict, though she secretly maintains a passion for painting that connects her to her emotions.

Tamlin is the High Lord of the Spring Court, an ancient and powerful High Fae possessing shape-shifting abilities. He struggles with the burden of protecting his people from a mysterious blight that forces his entire court to wear permanent masks. Though initially brusque and intimidating, he provides generously for those under his protection and attempts to atone for his family's dark history.

Rhysand is the dark-haired High Lord of the Night Court. He wields immense telepathic power and presents a cruel, arrogant exterior to the rest of Prythian. He operates with ambiguous motives, alternating between protecting Feyre and using her to taunt his enemies in a dangerous political game.

Amarantha is the self-appointed Faerie Queen of Prythian and a former general for the King of Hybern. She holds a vicious hatred for humans and rules the faerie courts with sadistic cruelty. She maintains her dominance by hoarding the power of the High Lords and forcing their obedience through blackmail and torture.

Lucien is a High Fae and the youngest son of the High Lord of the Autumn Court. He serves as Tamlin's emissary after fleeing his abusive family following the murder of his lesser faerie lover. He bears a facial scar and a magical metal eye from a past violent encounter, and uses biting sarcasm to mask his loyalty and grief.

Nesta is Feyre's eldest sister. She responds to the family's loss of fortune with vanity and sharp cruelty, refusing to help with household chores and demanding Feyre's earnings. Beneath her cold exterior, she possesses an unusually strong will and a calculating mind that resists supernatural influence.

Elain is Feyre's middle sister. She is gentle and focuses on bringing beauty to their impoverished life by growing flowers, remaining oblivious to the harsh realities of their situation. She lacks practical survival skills and relies entirely on Feyre to stay alive.

Once a wealthy merchant, Feyre's father lost his fortune and had his legs crippled by ruthless creditors. He is largely passive and ashamed of his physical inability to provide for his daughters, placing the entire burden of their survival on his youngest child.

Alis is a lesser faerie serving as a maid and caretaker at Tamlin's estate. Her true physical form includes bark-like skin and tree characteristics. She provides Feyre with vital historical context and practical rules for surviving in the dangerous faerie world.

Andras is a faerie from the Spring Court who crosses the border wall disguised as a massive wolf. His intentional sacrifice at Feyre's hands serves as the inciting incident that forces her relocation to Prythian.

Isaac is a young human man from Feyre's village. He engages in a purely physical, emotionless relationship with Feyre, offering her a brief distraction from her difficult daily life before she is taken to Prythian.

The Suriel is an ancient, dangerous lesser faerie bound by old magic to answer the questions of anyone who captures it. It provides Feyre with critical information about the High Lords and the political situation threatening Prythian.

Clare is a human girl from Feyre's village. Feyre uses Clare's name as an alias when confronted by Rhysand, inadvertently drawing Amarantha's lethal attention to Clare and her family.

Jurian was a human warrior during the ancient war between humans and faeries. After he betrayed and murdered Amarantha's sister, Amarantha preserved his consciousness inside her jewelry to torment him eternally.