Jude is an orphaned working-class boy residing in the rural village of Marygreen. Raised by his great-aunt, he toils in her bakery and apprentices as a stonemason while harboring deep academic aspirations. Captivated by the distant university town of Christminster, he dedicates his spare time to teaching himself Latin and Greek. His immense compassion and idealistic nature frequently place him at odds with the harsh realities of Victorian social constraints.

Sue is Jude's cousin, an intellectually independent and free-spirited woman working in Christminster. Characterized by her delicate, ethereal beauty and agnostic views, she actively rejects traditional Victorian moral strictures. Despite her modern sensibilities and intellectual curiosity, she is anxious about societal expectations regarding physical intimacy and traditional marriage.

Richard is the Marygreen schoolmaster who initially inspires young Jude by leaving for university in Christminster. Over time, he abandons his ambitious academic dreams and settles into a humble teaching career. Though he holds a traditional societal role, his surprising willingness to respect individual autonomy distinguishes him from his conservative peers.

Arabella is a practical, sensual pig farmer's daughter from the rural working class. She relies on her physical charms and cunning to secure stability, acting purely on survival instincts rather than romantic idealism. Her grounded, materialistic approach to life creates an immediate contrast to the more ethereal and intellectual characters in Jude's orbit.

Little Father Time is the son of Jude and Arabella, initially raised in Australia before being sent to live with his father in England. He earns his moniker due to his unsettlingly mature, pale countenance and profoundly melancholic demeanor. From a very young age, he carries an immense weight of despair, reflecting the instability and hardships of his family's unconventional living situation.

Drusilla is Jude's great-aunt and a fiercely independent baker in the village of Marygreen. Stoic and pragmatic, she took Jude in after his parents died but frequently complains about the responsibility. She serves as the custodian of the Fawley family history, constantly issuing blunt warnings to Jude about their family's historical failures in marriage.

Vilbert is a wandering charlatan who travels the countryside selling fake medicines and tonics. Opportunistic and self-serving, he strikes a deal with a young Jude to provide grammar books in exchange for advertising his wares, only to conveniently forget his end of the bargain.

Gillingham is a friend and confidant to Richard Phillotson. He acts as the voice of conventional morality, consistently advocating for traditional family structures and warning his friend against actions that might threaten his social standing.

Mrs. Edlin is a loyal, widowed friend of Drusilla Fawley who becomes a supportive figure for Sue Bridehead. She possesses a grounded, traditional perspective but remains a compassionate presence through the various domestic upheavals in the Fawley family.

Cartlett is an Australian hotel manager who becomes Arabella Donn's second husband. He provides Arabella with the financial and social security she prioritizes over romantic passion.

Mr. Troutham is a strict farmer in Marygreen who briefly employs young Jude. When he discovers Jude allowing birds to eat his crops out of pity, he beats the boy and fires him, demonstrating the harshness of rural labor.

Miss Fontover is Sue Bridehead's rigid and devout landlady in Christminster. Her strict religious mores force Sue to disguise her secular, pagan statues as Christian saints to avoid eviction.