Adam is an American lawyer traveling aboard the ship The Prophetess away from his home and family. He harbors conventional 19th-century views on race and civilization, though his observations of cruelty begin to trouble his conscience. His physical health deteriorates during the voyage due to an unknown tropical illness.

Robert is a young, bisexual English musician estranged from his wealthy family. Confident and financially destitute, he seeks to establish himself by offering his services as an amanuensis to a famous composer in Belgium. He writes regular letters to his close friend detailing his social and romantic exploits.

Luisa is a young journalist in 1975 California working for a gossip magazine called Spyglass. She feels driven to live up to the legendary reputation of her late father, an esteemed investigative reporter. She actively seeks out a major story regarding the safety of a local nuclear power plant.

Timothy is an aging, financially insecure British publisher living in contemporary London. He maintains a culturally elitist demeanor to mask his precarious career. Fleeing violent creditors, he seeks refuge with his brother, only to find himself unexpectedly confined to a restrictive retirement home.

Sonmi~451 is a cloned human engineered to work grueling shifts at a fast-food restaurant called Papa Song's. She exists in a highly corporatized future Korea where clones are treated as disposable laborers. She gradually acquires unauthorized self-awareness and historical education.

Zachry is a member of a primitive tribe called the People of the Nine Valleys, living long after a global collapse. He holds deep superstitions and fears a malevolent spirit, navigating a dangerous landscape continually threatened by rival tribes.

Rufus spans two timelines, starting as a young man receiving intimate correspondence from an erratic musician. Decades later, he is an elderly scientist working at a California nuclear power plant. He harbors deep concerns about the facility's safety and decides to become a whistleblower.

Dr. Goose is an English physician claiming to treat London nobility, currently traveling across the Pacific to escape scandalous rumors. He befriends Adam Ewing aboard The Prophetess and takes charge of Ewing's medical care when the American lawyer falls ill.

Meronym belongs to the Prescients, a technologically advanced society that occasionally visits the postapocalyptic Hawaiian islands to trade. She stays in Zachry's home to study his people's customs. She carries advanced devices and possesses knowledge about the world before the collapse.

Vyvyan is an aging, legendary English composer living in exile in Belgium. He suffers from syphilis, which hinders his ability to physically write music. He hires a young amanuensis to help him transcribe his ideas but tightly controls the credit for their joint compositions.

Autua is an enslaved Moriori man who suffers under the colonial system in the Pacific. Desperate to escape his brutal conditions, he stows away in Ewing's cabin aboard The Prophetess and pleads for the American's help to secure a position as a working sailor.

Joe is the head of security for the Seaboard corporation in 1975 California. Approaching retirement, he wrestles with his conscience as his employers demand ruthless tactics to protect their nuclear reactor project from journalists.

Bill Smoke is a cold, highly efficient assassin employed to protect corporate interests. He tracks individuals who pose a threat to the nuclear power plant, driving a dusty black Chevy and operating with complete ruthlessness.

The Archivist is a government official tasked with recording the confession of a rebellious clone. As a pureblood human, the Archivist initially holds strict prejudices against clones but engages in a lengthy, philosophical dialogue that challenges these preconceptions.

Jocasta is the elegant, coolly courteous wife of the aging composer Vyvyan Ayrs. She engages in affairs to cope with her husband's illness and manipulative behavior, becoming romantically entangled with his new young assistant.

Mrs. Noakes is the intimidating, authoritative manager of Aurora House, a nursing home. She strictly enforces the facility's rules, confiscates residents' belongings, and uses severe punishments to maintain order.

Hae-Joo is a student in future Korea who introduces Sonmi~451 to the broader society outside her university confinement. He escorts her through the city, exposing her to media, culture, and the harsh realities of the corporatized world.

Isaac is a scientist working at the HYDRA nuclear power plant. He possesses a copy of a highly sensitive safety report and struggles with the moral implications of keeping quiet about the facility's fatal design flaws.

Old Georgie is a mysterious, malevolent spiritual entity in the postapocalyptic world. He appears to individuals in moments of vulnerability, whispering cruel taunts and urging them toward violence or cowardice.

Yoona is a clone worker who begins demonstrating advanced, unauthorized intelligence. She introduces her peers to concepts like secrets and the outside world, sparking the initial desire for freedom in her fellow workers.

Eva is the daughter of Vyvyan Ayrs and Jocasta. She initially displays a cold demeanor toward her father's new employee, though she later becomes the object of his intense infatuation.

Ernie is a fellow resident at Aurora House who resents the oppressive management. He collaborates with new arrivals to plot clandestine strategies for escaping the facility.