Sethe is a formerly enslaved woman residing near Cincinnati, Ohio. She bears a "tree" of whipping scars on her back from her time at Sweet Home plantation. Fiercely independent and resilient, she works at Sawyer's Restaurant to support her remaining family while repressing traumatic memories of her past and the extreme lengths she went to in order to protect her children from slavery.

Beloved is a mysterious young woman of about nineteen or twenty who arrives at 124 seemingly out of nowhere. She acts younger than her age, exhibits a demanding attachment to Sethe, and possesses unexplainable knowledge of Sethe's personal history. Her sudden appearance upends the household dynamics and challenges the residents' attempts to move on from their pasts.

Denver is Sethe's youngest daughter and the only child remaining at home. Raised in total isolation from the local Black community, she spends her time in a protective ring of boxwood bushes and relies heavily on her mother and the supernatural presence in their house. She is initially deeply fearful of outsiders but possesses a sharp intelligence and a strong desire to be needed.

Paul D is a formerly enslaved man who survived Sweet Home plantation, a brutal prison farm in Alfred, Georgia, and service in the Civil War. He copes with his severe trauma by emotionally locking his memories in a tobacco tin in his chest. Seeking a place to finally settle, his reunion with Sethe forces him to confront the agonizing memories he has spent years trying to suppress.

The schoolteacher is Mrs. Garner's brother-in-law who assumes control of the plantation. He brings a cold, pseudo-scientific brutality to the farm, treating the enslaved people as subjects for his racist biological research. He calculates human lives entirely in terms of property value and enforces strict, dehumanizing discipline.

Grandma Baby Suggs is Halle's mother, a woman whose freedom was purchased by her son's extra labor. In her free years in Ohio, she served as a community preacher who hosted feasts and taught Black people to love themselves. Heartbroken by the betrayals of her community and the tragedies of her family, she eventually retreated from public life entirely.

Halle is Sethe's husband and Grandma Baby Suggs's youngest child. He is characterized by his intense devotion to his family, working extra hours for five years to buy his mother's freedom. He goes missing around the time Sethe escapes from Sweet Home, leaving his fate and mental state a lingering question for his wife.

Stamp Paid is a formerly enslaved man who dedicates his life to helping fugitives reach safety in the North. Born Joshua, he changed his name after surviving immense personal degradation under his former enslaver. He operates ferries across the river and serves as a vital moral compass and messenger within the Black community.

Ella is a prominent member of the local Black community who assists runaway enslaved people. She holds strong opinions about community standards and actively participates in the social isolation of Sethe following the tragedy at 124, though she maintains a capacity for practical intervention when circumstances demand it.

Amy is a young, malnourished white servant fleeing her own cruel employer in search of a better life in Boston. She encounters Sethe during her escape and provides crucial medical care and companionship, assisting Sethe during a critical moment of survival.

Mr. Garner runs Sweet Home with a philosophy he considers enlightened, boasting that he raises his enslaved workers as men rather than animals. While he avoids the explicit physical torture favored by others, he maintains absolute ownership over his workers, leaving them unprepared for the extreme violence that follows his death.

Edward Bodwin is an elderly white Quaker abolitionist who owns 124 Bluestone Road and provides employment to formerly enslaved people. He views himself as a benevolent protector of the local Black community, though his understanding of their deep trauma remains fundamentally limited by his position.

Sixo is a fiercely independent enslaved man at Sweet Home who maintains his own cultural practices and regularly walks thirty miles to see his romantic partner. He actively plans an escape from the plantation and refuses to let the schoolteacher break his spirit.

Lady Jones is a local woman who runs informal reading and writing lessons for the children in the community. She provides Denver with a brief window into normal childhood socialization before community gossip drives the girl back into isolation.