Jean is the devoted patriarch of the Buddenbrook family and head of their trading firm. He embodies the traditional values of 19th-century bourgeois society, constantly prioritizing the firm's wealth and social reputation over individual desires. A deeply religious man, he approaches business cautiously and views his family members as links in an ongoing historical chain that must be protected at all costs.

The eldest son of Jean and Bethsy, Thomas is destined to inherit the leadership of the family firm. He possesses a blend of pragmatic business intelligence and a deep-seated sense of duty to the Buddenbrook name. Although he experiences extravagant impulses and aesthetic appreciation, he consistently subordinates his personal fulfillment to the demands of social stature and commerce.

Tony is the spirited, pretty daughter of the Buddenbrook household. She possesses lively gray-blue eyes and a strong sense of pride in her family's aristocratic standing. She constantly experiences tension between her natural desire for personal freedom and her ingrained belief that she must sacrifice her happiness to secure the family's position in society.

Christian is the second son of Jean and Bethsy, distinguished by his eccentricity and love for the theater. He lacks the discipline required for trade, preferring to spend his time on storytelling, mimicry, and socializing. His erratic behavior and eventual physical ailments create persistent friction between him and his business-minded brother.

Born into the wealthy Kröger family, Bethsy is the elegant matriarch of the Buddenbrook household. She mediates the differing lifestyles of her austere husband and her luxury-loving relatives. She maintains the family's social standing with practiced grace, eventually turning toward deep religious devotion as the years pass.

Hanno is a delicate, sensitive child with soft brown hair and a quiet disposition. He inherits his mother's profound love for music and theater, showing little interest in the commercial ambitions his father holds for him. His artistic temperament isolates him from the practical demands of his school and family life.

Gerda is an elegant and pale student from Amsterdam who later marries Thomas. She brings a significant dowry and striking looks to the household, but her defining characteristic is her passionate dedication to modern music. Her artistic temperament and preference for composers like Wagner set her apart from the pragmatic, business-minded world of her in-laws.

Bendix is a businessman from Hamburg who courts Tony with dramatic declarations of love. He sports long, tawny side-whiskers and a rosy complexion. He presents an outward image of upper-class respectability and success, aligning perfectly with the Buddenbrook family's expectations for a suitable match.

Morten is a medical student in Göttingen and the son of a working-class harbor pilot. He holds progressive, egalitarian ideals and belongs to a student fraternity that advocates for social justice. His intellectual curiosity provides a sharp contrast to the conservative values of the upper-class merchants Tony is accustomed to.

Alois is a portly Bavarian hops merchant with a walrus-like mustache. His down-to-earth demeanor and heavy regional dialect present a comical contrast to the refined, austere manners of the northern German Buddenbrooks. He offers a simpler, less pretentious approach to life and business.

Erika is the daughter of Tony and Bendix. She physically resembles her father, which constantly reminds her mother of the past. She grows up under the heavy influence of her family's expectations regarding marriage and social status, mirroring her mother's trajectory.

Hugo is a confident, self-made man with rough manners that clash slightly with the Buddenbrooks' high society standards. As a successful insurance executive, he appears to be a practical and stable match for Erika, promising financial security for the next generation.

Clara is the youngest Buddenbrook sibling, marked by a frail physical constitution and an austere personality. She displays a natural inclination toward religious introspection rather than the worldly social climbing favored by her mother and older sister.

The original patriarch of the household, Johann Senior built the family firm alongside his father. He is a pragmatic, confident businessman who lived through the Napoleonic era and maintains a firm grip on the family's financial assets, resolutely denying his estranged son a share of the estate.

Gotthold is Johann Senior's eldest son from a brief first marriage. He lives estranged from the main branch of the family because he married a shop owner's daughter, a union that fell below the Buddenbrooks' strict social standards.

Kai is a young boy from a waning aristocratic lineage who forms a deep bond with Hanno. He provides Hanno with his only close companionship, offering a quiet refuge from the harsh expectations of their teachers and peers.

Ida is the loyal governess to the Buddenbrook family. She cares for multiple generations of the family's children, enforcing discipline and acting as a steadfast presence in the household's daily routines over many decades.