Hari Seldon is an elderly mathematician and psychologist who invents the science of psychohistory. He leads the massive Seldon Project on the galactic capital of Trantor, employing thousands of scholars. He operates with strict logic and maintains a cool-headed personality, even when facing trial for treason against the Galactic Empire.

Salvor Hardin is the politically astute mayor of Terminus City. He oversees the practical governance of the planet while the Foundation's scholars focus solely on their academic encyclopedia project. Hardin possesses a deep understanding of human nature and consistently prefers subtle diplomacy over physical conflict.

Limmar Ponyets is a guild trader who operates in the outlying systems. He prioritizes his financial bottom line and trading success over strict adherence to Foundation regulations. When his friend faces execution, Ponyets travels to Askone, where he must use his commercial instincts to negotiate a difficult diplomatic situation.

Hober Mallow is a Master Trader from the planet Smyrna. Large in stature and highly intelligent, he operates with a confident and chatty demeanor. Mallow takes assignments to spy on Outlander planets for the Foundation, relying on trade and economics rather than religious influence to build connections.

Gaal Dornick is a freshly minted doctor of mathematics from a provincial planet. He travels to the crowded, metal-covered capital city of Trantor to join the Seldon Project. His innocent awe of the Empire contrasts with his quick intellectual grasp of psychohistory.

Prince Regent Wienis is the ambitious and aggressive uncle of the Anacreonian king. He acts as the true ruler of Anacreon while his nephew waits to come of age. He resents the Foundation's power and plots to conquer Terminus to secure high technology for his own royal house.

Lewis Pirenne is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Foundation. He is a devoted scholar who focuses entirely on completing the Encyclopedia. He stubbornly ignores the brewing military crises around Terminus, trusting blindly in the Emperor's protection.

Chancellor Lord Dorwin is a foppish, elegantly groomed imperial ambassador. He speaks with an affected accent and prefers debating old theories over conducting original scientific research. He represents the fading high culture and bureaucratic inefficiency of the Galactic Empire.

Sef Sermak is a Terminus City Councilman and a leader in the Action Party. He speaks out aggressively against the government's foreign policy. He advocates for a militant approach to diplomacy, believing the Foundation should arm itself rather than appease its neighbors.

King Lepold I is the teenage heir apparent to the throne of Anacreon. He is an expert hunter but possesses little aptitude for leadership. Easily led and somewhat cowardly, he defers to his uncle's authority while nursing anxieties about the Foundation's religious power.

Jorane Sutt is the mayoral secretary of Terminus City and a shrewd political operator. He firmly believes in using the Foundation's invented religion as a tool of statecraft. Sutt operates behind the scenes to manage foreign policy and maintain the power of the priesthood.

Linge Chen is the Chief Commissioner of Public Safety and the de facto ruler of the galaxy. He wields immense power over the Galactic Empire. Chen offers Hari Seldon a choice between execution and exile to a remote planet.

Lors Avakim is a tall, gaunt man who serves as legal counsel and messenger for Hari Seldon. He utilizes recording devices that block government eavesdropping to communicate securely during times of legal peril.

Yohan Lee is the trusted deputy and assistant to Mayor Salvor Hardin. He manages intelligence gathering and security for the mayor's office, expressing frequent concern over the threat of political coups.

Poly Verisof is the Foundation's ambassador to Anacreon and the high priest of its engineered religion. He manages the delicate diplomatic balance on the planet while organizing the local priesthood.

Admiral Prince Lefkin is the son of Prince Regent Wienis. He serves as an officer in the Anacreonian navy, tasked by his father to lead a military strike against the Foundation.

Theo Aporat is the religious supervisor aboard the Anacreonian flagship. As a high priest trained by the Foundation, he wields immense spiritual authority over the ship's crew and the technological functions of the vessel.

Eskel Gorov is a Foundation diplomat sent to Askone to establish a priest-controlled trading system. His efforts violate local religious bans on advanced technology, resulting in his arrest and a death sentence.

Pherl is a young, practical Askonian nobleman from a powerful family outside the ruling Five Tribes. He is ambitious but cautious, fearing the wrath of his planet's anti-technology citizenry if he associates too closely with the Foundation.

The Grand Master is the aging, irritable ruler of Askone. A pious follower of his planet's anti-technology religion, he oversees the punishment of foreign trespassers while secretly harboring a fascination for wealth.

Asper Argo is the Commdor and dictator of the Korellian Republic. He despises the Foundation's priests but desires the wealth that their advanced technology brings. He rules with a tight grip and maintains a strained, bitter relationship with his wife.

Commdora Licia is the pale, severe wife of the Korellian dictator. Trapped in an arranged marriage, she is highly ambitious and urges her husband to wage war against the Foundation to elevate their standing with the imperial viceroy.

Publis Manlio serves as the Foundation's foreign secretary and high priest. He works closely with the mayoral secretary to manage the spread of the Foundation's religion across Outlander planets.

Jaim Twer is presented as a leader in the movement to get traders onto the Council. He accompanies Hober Mallow on an investigative mission to the Korellian Republic, though his lack of basic Foundation knowledge raises questions about his true background.

Ankor Jael is the retired education minister of Terminus. He serves as an experienced political advisor, warning younger politicians about the ruthless tactics of the established Council members.

Onum Barr is an elderly patrician on the barren planet of Siwenna. He lost his social standing and family due to an imperial viceroy's political machinations, leaving him willing to assist foreign investigators.

Anselm haut Rodric is a military veteran and royal envoy from Anacreon. He represents his kingdom's aggressive expansionist goals and attempts to negotiate terms of taxation and protection with the Foundation's scholars.

Lewis Bort is the second-in-command of the Action Party. He conducts reconnaissance on foreign planets to gather intelligence on the Foundation's religious operations and political influence.

Jord Fara is a member of the Foundation's Board of Trustees. Like his colleagues, he relies heavily on the wisdom of the past, hoping that Hari Seldon's recorded messages will solve the planet's political crises.

Jerril is an undercover imperial agent operating on Trantor. He poses as a friendly local to monitor arriving visitors and gather information on the subversive activities of the Seldon Project.