The Corporal is a French colonial soldier and the enigmatic leader of thirteen enlisted men who orchestrate a massive mutiny. By simply urging his fellow soldiers to lay down their weapons, he brings the war on the western front to a sudden halt. He preaches a message of peace and class solidarity, arguing that enlisted men share more in common with one another than with the commanding officers who send them to die. His calm demeanor and powerful influence terrify the military establishment.

The Marshal serves as the supreme commander of the French Army and the living embodiment of the military officer class. Born into wealth and political privilege, he attended a prestigious academy and carries the expectations of the entire nation. He views the sudden armistice as an existential threat to the military structure and collaborates with allied and enemy generals alike to crush the rebellion and restore the status quo.

The Runner is a British soldier who intentionally requested a demotion from officer to private. Driven by deep empathy for the men in the trenches, he despises the hypocrisy of the commanders who treat soldiers as disposable assets. He actively investigates the mysterious peace movement and attempts to spread its message across the heavily fortified front lines.

Marthe is a resilient French woman who travels to the chaotic town of Chaulnesmont to advocate for her imprisoned family. She bears the heavy burden of caring for her mentally disabled sister and running a farm in the heavily contested St. Mihiel region. She refuses to submit to military authorities or patriarchal expectations, demanding basic respect in a society ravaged by war.

General Gragnon is a career military officer who rose from an orphanage to command a regiment of 3,000 men. When his soldiers institute an unplanned armistice, he feels personally attacked and humiliated by their disobedience. He aggressively petitions the high command for permission to execute his entire regiment in order to restore his damaged pride.

David Levine is an eighteen-year-old Second Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force who desperately craves military glory. Having just graduated from flight school, he fears the sudden truce will rob him of his chance to fly a combat mission. His naive belief in the honor of war clashes heavily with the cynical maneuvers of the high command.

Tobe Sutterfield is an African American minister who previously worked as a groom for an American oil baron. He travels through the European warfront spreading a quiet message of peace and class solidarity. He shares a long history with a mysterious racehorse and serves as a vital source of information for the Runner.

The Private is an enigmatic soldier and former groom who once traveled across America with a stolen three-legged racehorse. He holds significant influence among the enlisted men and maintains a mysterious connection to the sudden mutiny on the front lines.

The Quartermaster General is a tall Norman man and an old military academy classmate of the Marshal. He initially viewed his friend as a figure capable of saving humanity but grows increasingly cynical as the military conspires to crush the mutinous soldiers. He serves as the moral conscience that the military establishment ignores.

Marya is the mentally disabled half-sister of the Corporal. She relies entirely on Marthe for her survival and travels with her family to the prison camp to seek news of her brother. Her presence highlights the vulnerability of civilians caught in the crossfire of the war.

The Corporal's Wife is a former sex worker who remains fiercely loyal to her husband. She endures the hostility of the townspeople to stand near the prison camp and support him during his confinement.

The German General is a high-ranking officer who strictly adheres to his nation's martial codes. He meets with the Allied commanders to negotiate an end to the mutiny, prioritizing the continuation of the war over the lives of his soldiers.

Bridesman is a British RAF pilot and a close comrade to Levine. He views the strange pause in the war with more cynicism and acceptance than his eager young friend, understanding that the high command is orchestrating events beyond their control.

The Sentry is a brutal British private who inexplicably controls the life insurance policies of his battalion. He violently rejects the Runner's attempts to organize a peaceful march into no-man's land, preferring the grim certainty of his current existence.

Polchek is one of the thirteen soldiers imprisoned for orchestrating the mass mutiny along the western front. He grows visibly nervous and loses his appetite during the men's final meal together.

Pierre Bouc is a relatively new addition to the Corporal's inner circle of thirteen men, caught up in the military's swift crackdown on the rebellion. He struggles to maintain his composure during interrogations.

General Lallemont is a French corps commander who orders Gragnon to launch a doomed offensive. He strategically shifts blame onto his subordinate to protect his own position within the military hierarchy.

The Priest is a clergyman tasked with visiting the Corporal to offer spiritual guidance and pressure him into accepting the military's terms. His encounter with the Corporal causes a severe crisis of faith.

Dumont is Marthe's husband. He runs a farm situated precariously close to the battle lines and constantly worries about the permanent destruction of his land by artillery shells.

The Jockey is a twelve-year-old boy who accompanies Sutterfield and the Private as they evade authorities across the United States. He quickly adapts to new environments, even learning French when they cross the ocean.

Lapin is a condemned criminal arrested for a botched robbery resulting in murder. He eagerly explains his desperate attempts to reach Paris to anyone who will listen.

Horse is a condemned criminal imprisoned with Lapin who refuses to speak any word other than "Paris," reflecting a singular, broken focus.

Buchwald is an American soldier assigned a covert task by the military command to quietly resolve the issue of General Gragnon. He leads a small team to carry out orders outside standard military protocol.

Philip Manigault Beauchamp is an African American undertaker drafted into the military and handed a secretive, violent assignment by the commanding officers.

The Iowan is a young, naive American soldier who promised his fiancée he would map his journey through France, only to be caught up in a grim military cover-up that shatters his innocence.