Yadriel is a 16-year-old transgender Latinx boy living in East Los Angeles. Born into a traditional brujx community, he possesses the magical ability to see and communicate with spirits. Desperate to prove his gender and abilities to his unaccepting family, he performs a secret ritual to become a brujo, which inadvertently leads him to summon a teenage ghost. He takes great care with his appearance, wearing dark clothing, thick eyebrows, combat boots, and a chest binder to feel comfortable in his own body.

Julian is a loud, energetic sixteen-year-old who recently died and becomes tethered to the human world. He attends the same high school as Yadriel, where rumors circulate about his tough exterior and supposed gang ties. Despite his reputation, he is fiercely loyal to his chosen family and refuses to pass into the afterlife until he ensures his friends are safe from whatever killed him.

Maritza is Yadriel's fifteen-year-old cousin and best friend. As a vegan bruja, she refuses to use animal blood for traditional healing magic, leaving her powers relatively dormant. She circumvents these limitations by learning to forge portaje daggers from her Haitian father, actively defying the gendered expectations of her community. She wears her hair in pastel-pink and purple curls.

Catriz is Enrique's older brother and Yadriel's uncle. He wears his long black hair in a knot and has traditional jade plugs in his ears. Because he was born without magic, he was denied the brujo coming-of-age ceremony and cannot lead the community. This lack of power makes him an outcast among the brujx, allowing him to sympathize with Yadriel's feelings of isolation.

Enrique is Yadriel's father and the highly respected leader of the East Los Angeles brujx community. He carries a large hunting knife portaje and takes his responsibilities seriously, working to protect his people from external threats like deportation. He loves his children but holds strict traditional views, refusing to recognize Yadriel as a boy.

Lita is Yadriel's grandmother and the spiritual authority of the brujx families. She is a short woman with a strong Cuban accent who frequently smells of Royal Violets. She shows her affection by cooking traditional foods and healing community members. Despite her deep love for Yadriel, she struggles with his transition and frequently uses his deadname.

Rodrigo, known as Rio, is Julian's older brother. He is tall and broad, wearing a large Santa Muerte tattoo and mechanic coveralls. A former gang member, Rio now acts as the sole guardian for Julian and serves as a surrogate father figure for his brother's friends. He frequently opens his small apartment to the teenagers, offering them a safe place to sleep.

Flaca is a teenage girl and a core member of Julian's tight-knit friend group. She is openly transgender and was kicked out of her family's home as a result. Her fearlessness in expressing her gender identity at school served as an early inspiration for Yadriel.

Luca is the youngest member of Julian's chosen family. He suffers from extreme anxiety stemming from an abusive home life, where his parents force him to sleep outside. Eager to fit in, he briefly joined a gang before Rio helped him escape. He is highly observant and perceptive.

Miguel is Yadriel's 28-year-old cousin. He works as an active brujo, carrying a dagger portaje to help sever malicious spirits from the living world. His abrupt, violent death sets off a panic among the East Los Angeles brujx, prompting an immediate search.

Rocky is a teenage girl who belongs to Julian's core group of friends. She currently lives in a group home and relies heavily on her friends for stability and support. She identifies as gay and is highly protective of the other group members.

Omar is a teenager who relies on Julian and Rio for housing and support. Following the deportation of his parents, he moved into Rio's small one-bedroom apartment. He is fiercely defensive of his remaining chosen family.

Lady Death is the central deity of the brujx religion. She grants the community their magical abilities, deciding who receives the power to heal or guide spirits. She trapped the jaguar god Bahlam in the underworld centuries ago and dictates the rules surrounding life, death, and the passing of spirits.

Diego is Yadriel's older brother. He is an officially recognized brujo who successfully completed his coming-of-age ceremony. He carries a dagger portaje and performs the traditional male duties of releasing spirits into the afterlife, fulfilling the expectations that Yadriel struggles to meet.

Claudia is Miguel's mother and a member of the brujx community. She relies on the traditional healing magic of other community members to pull away the intense grief she experiences following her son's sudden and violent passing.