Born near Salamanca to a poor family, Lázaro is a young boy forced into servitude to survive. He starts his journey as a naive child but quickly learns he must rely on trickery and street smarts to secure food. He adapts to extreme hardship and changing social environments as he moves between different employers.

Lázaro's first master earns money by reciting prayers for vulnerable townspeople. He is street-smart and observant despite his lack of sight. He subjects his young servant to severe physical punishments and starvation, forcing Lázaro to learn harsh survival skills.

A clergyman who becomes Lázaro's second master. He guards a locked chest of communion bread while offering his servant only one onion every four days. He acts outwardly pious while privately hoarding resources.

A petty nobleman who maintains the visual illusion of wealth. He refuses to accept paid employment because he believes physical labor contradicts his inherited social status. He lives in an empty house without food, completely reliant on his servant's begging to eat.

A powerful local church figure who helps his protégé establish a comfortable adult life. He arranges a marriage between Lázaro and his maid, offering material comfort in exchange for social compliance.

A member of the Order of Mercy who prefers worldly activities over his monastery duties. He spends his days visiting people and walking at a frantic pace.

A charismatic peddler who sells papal pardons to local townspeople. He uses bribes, flattery, and theatrical public events to convince the public to purchase his religious documents. He is highly persuasive and an expert at manipulating crowds.

Lázaro's father operates a watermill on the Tormes river. He is arrested for taking grain from customers' sacks and eventually dies serving a gentleman in a military campaign.

Lázaro's mother takes jobs cooking and washing clothes at an inn to survive. She forms a relationship with a stable worker to help support her family but is ultimately forced to give up her eldest son due to extreme poverty.

A Black stableman who becomes Lázaro's stepfather. He brings food and firewood to the family but faces brutal legal punishment when his employer discovers he has been taking stable supplies to support them.

The young child of Antona and Zaide. He is cared for by his older half-brother. He notices physical differences at a young age and becomes afraid of his own father's dark skin.

A maid in the archbishop's household who marries Lázaro. Her marriage brings material comfort to her household, though she becomes defensive when local townspeople spread rumors about her connections to her employer.

An unnamed official or judge addressed directly in the prologue. This figure expects a written account of Lázaro's life story and represents the wealthy class.

A traveling craftsman who arrives at a clergyman's door. He accepts a stolen loaf of bread as payment to fashion a replacement key for a locked food chest.

A local law enforcement officer who gambles and fights with the Seller of Indulgences. He publicly accuses the salesman of forgery, leading to a dramatic confrontation during a church service.

A painter of tambourines who briefly employs a young servant to mix his paints. He provides adequate shelter and food during their working arrangement.

A clergyman at the cathedral who offers a young man his first formal job. He provides a donkey and buckets for selling river water throughout the city.

An officer of the law who hires a young man for civil enforcement. He works a physically dangerous profession and suffers a severe beating while chasing fugitives at night.