Gild functions as the novel’s deuteragonist—second most important character—and serves as an overt subversion of the monstrous helper archetype found in the original Rumpelstiltskin fairy tale. Initially introduced as a mysterious, magical boy who appears in Serilda’s prison cell, Meyer presents him as a compassionate, lonely youth rather than a grotesque trickster. His true identity is that of the forgotten prince of Adalheid, cursed by the Erlking to be trapped within the castle walls with no memory of his past.

Gilds many names highlight his fragmented identity and his isolation. The Erlking refers to him as “the poltergeist” (67), a title Gild embraces to mask his identity and torment his captor with pranks, highlighting his aptitude for Finding Agency Within Restrictive Boundaries. To the people of Adalheid, who benefit from the golden trinkets he leaves for them annually, he is the benevolent “Vergoldetgeist,” or Gilded Ghost. His primary characteristic is a deep-seated loneliness born from centuries of imprisonment without genuine human contact. This isolation is shattered by Serilda’s arrival, his first interaction with a living mortal. He observes that she is “so … so … Warm” (96), a simple word that encapsulates the impact of her vitality in his world of ghosts and cold-hearted dark ones.

Gild’s magical ability is central to his character, but he views it as a burden rather than a gift. He can spin almost any material into gold, a power blessed by Hulda, the god of labor. However, he tells Serilda, “It is not a gift, but a curse” (215), because the power invites exploitation and greed. His magic requires payment to maintain balance, a rule he adheres to when helping Serilda. He uses his ability to secretly benefit the town of Adalheid, an act of quiet rebellion and a way to maintain a connection to the world from which he is barred. This generosity positions him as a character defined by kindness and a desire for justice, contrasting sharply with the Erlking, who seeks to use the same magic for conquest and control.

Gild’s development is a journey of rediscovery, spurred by his relationship with Serilda. Her stories and her presence in the castle begin to unlock the forgotten truths of his past. The locket and ring she gives him as payment are, unbeknownst to either of them, his own family heirlooms, triggering a sense of familiarity that he cannot initially place. Through Serilda’s storytelling, the history of Adalheid and the tragedy of the royal family are revealed, culminating in the revelation that he is the cursed prince. This knowledge provides him with an identity and a purpose beyond being the castle’s resident poltergeist. His growing love for Serilda transforms him from a passive, prank-loving spirit into a determined protector, willing to defy the Erlking to keep her safe.

The Erlking, or Erlkönig, is the primary antagonist, a static and round character who embodies a form of beautiful, charismatic evil that epitomizes the novel’s thematic examination of The Façade of Beauty and the Nature of Monstrosity. As the leader of the Wild Hunt and king of the dark ones, he is a figure of immense power and supernatural terror. Meyer introduces him as “beautiful and terrible at once” (30), establishing the central duality of his character. His physical perfection, with silver-tinted skin and ice-colored eyes, masks a deeply cruel and sadistic nature, presenting villainy as an internal corruption hidden behind a pleasing veneer. He rules his court through fear and absolute control, treating both the living and the dead as possessions to be commanded or discarded at his whim.

The Erlking is driven by an obsessive love for his deceased paramour, the huntress Perchta, and a bottomless desire for revenge against the prince, Gild, who killed her centuries ago. This quest for vengeance informs his most monstrous acts, including the massacre of the Adalheid royal family and the curse placed upon Gild to erase his memory and trap him in solitude. His actions are part of a long, calculated game of torment. He collects trophies from his hunts, displaying the taxidermied heads of magical creatures in his halls, and he views souls, including those of the children he murders, as acquisitions for his court. This collector’s mentality extends to Serilda—he desires her not for who she is, but for the magical gift she possesses.

The Erlking’s pursuit of spun gold reveals his ultimate ambition: absolute power. He uses the magical gold to forge chains capable of binding and one of the gods during the Endless Moon in order to demand a wish and return Perchta from the underworld, an act that would unleash untold cruelty upon the world. He is a master manipulator, using bargains and threats to control those around him, including his final, twisted proposal to make Serilda his queen—a strategic move to claim her unborn, magically blessed child as his own heir and as a future gift for his lost love.

Serilda’s father, Goodman Moller, is a significant minor character whose actions in the past are the catalyst for the novel’s central conflict. He is a kind, gentle, and deeply anxious man who has raised Serilda alone after the mysterious disappearance of his wife. His defining trait is his protective love for his daughter, which often manifests as worry and a reliance on superstition. It is his desire for a family that leads him to accept a wish from a wounded god, inadvertently causing Serilda to be blessed by Wyrdith, the trickster god of stories and lies.

Serilda’s origin story reveals her father to be more courageous than his anxious demeanor suggests, but also naive to the transactional and often cruel nature of old magic. Though he loves Serilda’s stories, he is also terrified by them and struggles to believe her, as shown when he dismisses her true encounter with the hunt, saying, “You very nearly had me fooled, yet again” (44). His inability to distinguish her truths from her lies ultimately leaves her isolated with her dangerous secrets. His tragic fate, being lured into the Wild Hunt and transformed into a monstrous nachzehrer, underscores the Erlking’s cruelty and the inescapable dangers of their world.

Manfred is a minor character who serves as the Erlking’s ghostly coachman and attendant. Marked by the chisel perpetually lodged in his eye, he is a physical representation of the unending suffering of the castle’s spirits. He performs his duties with a calm, almost bored indifference, having served his tyrannical master for centuries. His demeanor is surly and his words are often curt, yet he shows moments of subtle sympathy toward Serilda. He warns her that the Erlking “does not favor mercy” (78) and later explains the predatory nature of the king’s games by comparing him to a cat toying with a mouse. Manfred’s role is primarily functional, acting as a messenger and guide, but he also embodies the hopelessness of the Erlking’s court. He is a prisoner, bound to the king’s will, and his weary resignation highlights the eternal, inescapable nature of the curse that binds all the ghosts of Adalheid.

The five schoolchildren of Märchenfeld—Anna, Fricz, Nickel, Hans, and Gerdrut—function as a collective group of minor characters. They are Serilda’s only friends and represent the innocence and acceptance she is denied by the adult villagers. They adore her stories, providing her with a willing and uncritical audience that allows her to exercise her narrative gift without judgment. It is their innocent observation that her storytelling is like spinning something beautiful from nothing—a metaphor that undergirds the novel’s central motif of spinning straw into gold. Their distinct personalities, from Anna’s adventurousness to Hans’s seriousness, create a found family for Serilda. Their tragic fate is a direct result of the Erlking’s cruelty. He targets them specifically because he knows they are precious to Serilda, murdering four and keeping their ghosts as a cruel gift for his new queen. Their transformation from living children into ghostly servants marks a turning point for Serilda, fueling her rage and solidifying her resolve to defy the Erlking.