Jonathan is a young, inquisitive seagull who values the art and joy of flight above simple survival. His relentless drive to push his physical limits isolates him from his community, eventually leading to his banishment. Driven by a desire for perfection, he learns advanced flying techniques and studies the nature of limitless existence.

Fletcher is an enthusiastic and skilled young bird who becomes Jonathan's first student upon his return to Earth. Like Jonathan, he is an Outcast driven by a love of aerobatics. He harbors deep anger toward the flock that exiled him, and this resentment makes it difficult for him to accept his mentor's lessons about forgiveness.

Chiang is the wise and compassionate Elder Gull of an enlightened flock. Unlike earthly leaders who enforce strict rules, he uses his experience to help younger birds fulfill their potential. He possesses the ability to travel instantaneously across distances and teaches his students about the infinite nature of existence.

Sullivan is an intelligent, good-natured gull who initially serves as a flight instructor before becoming a peer to Jonathan. He spends his days practicing and teaching newly arrived birds. Though cautious about Jonathan's desire to return to Earth, he remains a supportive friend.

An ordinary member of the Earth Flock who believes a seagull's only purpose is to eat and survive. He strictly follows the flock's rules, urging his son to abandon his flying experiments and focus on practical matters like scavenging for food.

A traditional seagull who worries about her son's unusual behavior. She cannot understand why he refuses to conform to the flock's expectations and wishes he would stop isolating himself for the sake of flying.

A handicapped seagull living on Earth who desires to take to the sky despite his physical limitations. He asks Jonathan for help learning to fly. When he succeeds, his flight encourages other hesitant birds to join the lessons.