Dagny is the Vice President in Charge of Operations at Taggart Transcontinental, essentially running the family railroad despite her brother's position as president. She is determined, fiercely hardworking, and comfortably operates in the traditionally masculine sphere of business and industry. She values competence and productivity above all else, driving her to build the Rio Norte line using the controversial new Rearden Metal.

Hank Rearden is a dedicated, self-made steel tycoon who began working in the industry at age 14. He has spent a decade developing Rearden Metal, a revolutionary alloy that faces immediate political and social backlash. Despite his immense productivity and wealth, he is isolated in his personal life, surrounded by family members who treat him with thinly veiled contempt and manipulate his sense of duty.

John Galt is a shadowy figure whose name has become a common rhetorical question symbolizing hopelessness in a stagnating economy. He operates quietly behind the scenes, meeting with key individuals and orchestrating a widespread strike among the nation's most brilliant producers. He possesses an uncompromising belief in the moral right of creators to withhold their labor from a society that exploits them.

Jim is the President of Taggart Transcontinental, holding his position through family inheritance rather than personal merit. He frequently relies on political maneuvering, influence peddling, and government regulations to stifle competition and mask his own incompetence. He resents his sister Dagny's genuine capability while simultaneously taking public credit for her successes.

Francisco is the immensely wealthy heir to the global d'Anconia copper empire. To the public, he appears as a careless, hedonistic playboy who is deliberately mismanaging his family's vast fortune. Beneath this deceptive facade, he is a brilliant thinker who holds deep philosophical convictions and maintains complex, hidden motivations regarding the ongoing economic collapse.

Lilian is Hank Rearden's wife, a woman who relies heavily on social standing and the approval of intellectuals. She actively works to undermine her husband's confidence and self-worth, using guilt and emotional manipulation to control him. She aligns herself with individuals who despise capitalist productivity, actively mocking Hank's achievements to her high-society peers.

Eddie is a dedicated, earnest employee at Taggart Transcontinental and a childhood friend of both Dagny and Francisco. He possesses a strong moral compass and a deep loyalty to the railroad, often functioning as Dagny's most trusted subordinate. Unbeknownst to him, his regular venting sessions in the company cafeteria provide vital information to the organizers of the ongoing strike.

Philip is Hank Rearden's younger brother who lives on Hank's financial support while simultaneously disparaging his brother's capitalist worldview. He aligns himself with collectivist ideologies and views Hank's wealth as something owed to society, frequently complaining about his brother's lack of social conscience.

Cheryl is an earnest, ambitious young woman who initially believes the public narrative that Jim Taggart is the brilliant mind behind the John Galt line. She marries Jim seeking a partner of high moral and intellectual standing, only to slowly realize the massive difference between his public persona and his true, manipulative nature.

Dr. Stadler is the head of the State Science Institute and a formerly revered scientific mind. He has compromised his intellectual integrity in exchange for government funding and social prestige, allowing his institution to be used for political bullying. His compromises eventually tie him to catastrophic government initiatives.

Dr. Ferris is a cynical, obsequious member of the State Science Institute who openly rejects the concept of individual genius. He uses his position to enforce government mandates, utilizing blackmail and intimidation to control productive individuals, eventually creating the Ferris Persuader device to extract compliance.

Nicknamed the "Wet Nurse" by mill workers, Tony is a young, college-educated government official initially steeped in collectivist rhetoric. As he spends time observing the concrete reality of Rearden's mills and the competence of the workers, he slowly begins to respect their methods and questions his own political conditioning.

Ragnar is a philosopher-turned-pirate who actively fights the looter government by sinking their ships and seizing their stolen assets. He operates on a strict moral code, viewing his piracy as a necessary restitution to return wealth to the productive individuals from whom the government extorted it.

Elliot Wyatt is a brilliant, fiery industrialist whose oil fields have reinvigorated the economy of Colorado. He is fiercely independent and refuses to allow his immense productivity to be drained by opportunistic Washington politicians, prompting him to take drastic action when new, exploitative bills are passed.

Ken Danagger is an honest, hardworking coal mine owner who operates strictly on a basis of fair trade and mutual respect. He quietly defies new government regulations to continue supplying his friend Hank Rearden, recognizing the inherent injustice of the system before eventually being approached by the destroyer.

Originally Hank Rearden's representative in Washington, Wesley Mouch quickly betrays his employer to climb the political ladder. He rises to become the top coordinator of the Bureau of Economic Planning and National Resources, utilizing his newfound power to pass sweeping, restrictive directives that strangle industrial innovation.

Orren Boyle is the head of Associated Steel, a businessman who relies entirely on political favors and cronyism rather than producing a quality product. He uses his friendship with Jim Taggart to secure contracts he cannot fulfill, representing the corrupt inefficiency of the looter economy.

Quentin is a brilliant, independent scientist working as a security guard in an abandoned university so he can secretly use its laboratories. He values his own intellectual freedom above institutional prestige, making him a prime target for both Dagny's industrial ambitions and the ongoing strike.

Owen Kellogg is a highly capable young employee at Taggart Transcontinental whom Dagny intends to promote. His sudden, unexplained resignation early in the story serves as one of Dagny's first clear indicators that the nation's most intelligent workers are deliberately disappearing.

Jeff Allen is a dignified man experiencing homelessness who previously worked at the Twentieth Century Motor Company. Despite his poverty, he maintains a deep respect for hard work and provides Dagny with crucial historical context regarding the origins of the phrase "Who is John Galt?"

Mr. Thompson is the Head of State, a politician desperate to maintain control over a rapidly collapsing nation. He relies on compromises and public relations over firm principles, frequently attempting to negotiate with striking producers while failing to understand their fundamental moral objections to his regime.