Xavier is a 42-year-old homicide detective working for the Kripo in a 1964 alternative-history Berlin. A former U-boat commander, he holds the honorary rank of Major in the SS but privately questions the Nazi Party's authoritarian control. He lives alone following his divorce, dedicating his time to solving murders while avoiding the political maneuvering of his superiors.

Charlie is a 25-year-old American journalist living in Berlin. Born to a German actress and a US government official, she uses her heritage to secure a work visa in the tightly controlled country. She possesses a sharp, curious mind and refuses to back down when confronted by the city's restrictive authorities.

Globus is a physically imposing lieutenant-general in the SS, described as having the battered face of an ex-boxer. He operates under direct orders from the highest levels of the state security apparatus. He relies on brute force, fear, and intimidation to control the police force and bury politically sensitive investigations.

Jaeger is a 50-year-old Kripo investigator and March's partner. He is a large, physically imposing man who publicly aligns himself with the Party to protect his wife and four daughters. While he shares some of March's private reservations about the Gestapo, he prioritizes his family's safety over political resistance.

Pili is March's 10-year-old son, living with his mother and her new partner. He is an enthusiastic member of the Pimpfs, the preparatory organization for the Hitler Youth. He fully absorbs the state-sponsored teachings, causing a severe ideological divide between him and his skeptical father.

Buhler is a retired government official who worked in Krakau during the war. He lived a secluded life in a large, unkempt house before his body was discovered in the water. His sudden death, initially ruled an accidental drowning, serves as the catalyst for March's investigation into the past actions of retired state secretaries.

Nebe is the head of the Kripo detective force in Berlin. He resents the Gestapo's constant interference in his department's affairs. He attempts to protect his detectives from political fallout while carefully managing his own position within the dangerous hierarchy of the SS.

Krebs is a young, polite, but heavily indoctrinated Gestapo commander. He serves as Globus's right-hand man, executing his aggressive orders while maintaining a more intellectual, composed demeanor than his brutish superior.

Stuckart is a retired lawyer who served in the Ministry of the Interior. Known for his work drafting racial laws in the 1930s, he recently lived in a heavily secured apartment. His sudden death shortly after Buhler's deepens the mystery surrounding the retired government officials.

Luther is a retired Foreign Office worker who served in the 1940s. Following the deaths of his two former colleagues, he goes missing from his Berlin home. He desperately seeks asylum, attempting to leverage old documents to secure safe passage out of the country.

Klara is March's ex-wife and Pili's mother. She fully conforms to the expectations of the Party's Women's League. She harbors deep resentment toward March for his lack of ideological commitment and his failure to advance politically within the SS.

Jost is a young cadet at the SS training academy who would rather study literature than serve in the military. He discovers Buhler's body during a morning run but hesitates to share the full truth about what he saw due to the severe punishments for non-conformity.

Halder is a historian working at the Reichsarchiv and a former friend of March from their time in the war. He possesses extensive knowledge of government bureaucracy and assists March by searching the massive archival records to trace the victims' pasts.

Heydrich is the ruthless head of the entire police and SS force in Germany. Operating largely behind the scenes, he directs the Gestapo's aggressive tactics to suppress any investigations that threaten to expose old state secrets.

Henry is a staff member at the US Embassy in Berlin. He maintains a cautious approach to diplomatic relations during a tense cold war environment. He is hesitant to involve the embassy in local police matters without concrete proof of political value.

Erich is Klara's new boyfriend who works for the Gestapo. He openly criticizes March's lack of Party loyalty and uses his access to state files to reinforce his authority in Pili's life.

Eisler is an SS surgeon working with the Kripo to determine causes of death. He conducts the initial autopsy on Buhler, providing March with the baseline medical facts of the drowning.

Zaugg is a wealthy Swiss banker operating in Zürich. He manages a highly secretive system of safety deposit boxes established during the war, strictly adhering to client privilege when questioned by investigators.

Koth is the head of fingerprinting for the police force and an old friend of March. Despite having a heavy workload, he agrees to check criminal records after hours to help identify the body from the lake.

Fiebes heads the sexual crimes division of the Kripo. He manages files detailing racial laws and illicit relationships, providing March with background information on Stuckart's past complaints.

Stiefel is a former bank robber whom the police occasionally utilize for his specialized skills. He is brought in to quietly crack a safe during March's unauthorized search of a crime scene.