John is a 76-year-old Congregationalist minister who has lived almost his entire life in the small town of Gilead, Iowa. Suffering from a failing heart, he writes an extended letter to preserve his memories and thoughts for his young son. He is a scholarly, deeply reflective man who finds profound joy in the physical beauty of the world. Despite his religious devotion, he struggles with feelings of jealousy and a lack of forgiveness toward his friend's son, Jack.

Jack is the 43-year-old prodigal son of Robert Boughton, who gave him the exact namesake of John Ames. He possesses a deceptively quiet, preacher-like demeanor that masks a history of causing heartache for his family. He often walks around town alone, bearing an exhausted and lonely appearance. He seeks out John for conversation, testing the older man's patience with theological questions and unreadable intentions.

Lila is a serious, soft-spoken woman who arrives in Gilead with very little education and a secretive past. She begins attending church services, eventually caring for John's gardens before proposing marriage to him. She works diligently to improve her reading and writing skills so she can properly educate their son once John passes away.

Robert Boughton is a retired Presbyterian minister and John's closest lifelong friend. A widower suffering from severe arthritis, he relies on his daughter for daily care. He favors Jack over all his other children, maintaining a blind, unconditional love for him that often frustrates John.

John's Father served as a minister in Gilead before eventually leaving the town for the Gulf Coast. He preaches pacifism and believes peace justifies itself, placing him in direct opposition to his own father's militant views. He values broader life experiences and eventually expresses disappointment that John never left their small hometown to pursue larger ambitions.

John's Grandfather was an itinerant preacher and militant abolitionist who settled in Kansas to support armed uprisings before the Civil War. He claims to be guided by divine visions and possesses a wild, afflicted appearance, heightened by the loss of his right eye during his service as a Union Army chaplain. He acts on his literal interpretation of scripture, occasionally stealing items to give to the poor.

John's Son is a six-year-old boy with fair skin and straight dark hair. He shares his mother's serious disposition, leading the older men in town to affectionately call him "Deacon." He tends to be shy around large groups of children but enjoys quiet activities at home, like playing with his cat or tossing a baseball in the yard.

Edward is John's older brother, who was sent to study in Germany with funds collected from the church congregation. Instead of returning as a great preacher, he comes back an atheist. He views Gilead as a backwater town but continues to send money back to the church every year to repay his educational debts.

Glory is Robert Boughton's daughter who has returned to her childhood home in Gilead. She serves as the primary caretaker for her ailing father, managing the household and keeping the older men informed of family news.

Della is a former schoolteacher from St. Louis and the daughter of an African American minister. She faces severe societal discrimination and disapproval from her own family due to her relationship choices. She hopes to find a safe place where she can live in peace.

Robert Boughton Miles is a young boy living away from Gilead. He represents a complicated future and is the subject of much anxiety regarding his safety and societal acceptance.

Louisa was John's first wife. She died during childbirth along with their infant daughter, an event that plunged John into a decades-long period of intense loneliness and quiet grief.

Angeline is the infant daughter of John and Louisa. She died alongside her mother, leaving John without a family for most of his adult life.

Tobias is a young Lutheran boy living in Gilead. He serves as the primary playmate for John's shy son, engaging in typical childhood games like throwing rocks and having sleepovers.