Red Peter is a former ape from the Gold Coast of Africa who now considers himself human. He works tirelessly to abandon his ape identity and attains the education level of an average European man. He operates out of a pragmatic desire for a physical "way out" rather than an ideological demand for freedom. He meticulously imitates human behavior to survive, adopting habits like drinking wine and smoking a pipe, and maintains a remarkably calm view of his former captors.

Hagenbeck is the leader of the European hunting expedition that shoots and captures Red Peter on the Gold Coast of Africa. He commands the steamship where his crew first cages and observes the ape. In the present, he maintains a surprisingly amicable dynamic with his former captive, and the two occasionally share wine together.

Peter is a trained ape who died shortly before Red Peter arrives in Europe. The hunting expedition gives his name to their new captive after noticing a red scar on the captive's cheek.