Jenna is a thirteen-year-old girl with strawberry red hair and green eyes. Her mother vanished after a tragic incident at their family's elephant sanctuary ten years ago. Jenna refuses to believe her mother would willingly abandon her and actively pursues cold leads, searching the internet and reading old journals. She currently lives with her grandmother and spends all her free time investigating the mystery.

Serenity is a flamboyant psychic with cotton-candy pink hair. She formerly enjoyed a successful career and a television show until a highly publicized, incorrect prediction ruined her reputation. Having lost contact with her spirit guides, she struggles financially and emotionally. She grudgingly agrees to help Jenna, hoping the investigation might restore her lost abilities.

Virgil is a borderline alcoholic who wears his thinning hair in a buzz cut to appear tough. Ten years ago, he was the junior police officer assigned to the fatal incident at the Metcalf elephant sanctuary. He carries heavy guilt for closing the case without finding Alice. Operating under the name Vic, he takes Jenna's case as a chance to finally uncover the truth.

Alice is a dedicated researcher with red hair and green eyes. She spent years in Botswana studying the complex grieving rituals of wild elephants. She joined Thomas in New England to help run his elephant sanctuary, applying her academic background to the captive animals. She vanished under mysterious circumstances when her daughter was just three years old.

Thomas is a trained neurobiologist who establishes and manages an elephant sanctuary in New Hampshire. He possesses a boyish charm that initially attracts Alice, but he struggles with severe bipolar disorder. His manic episodes result in erratic behavior and grandiose plans for the sanctuary, while his depressive phases make him volatile.

Nevvie is a middle-aged woman with a background working in the circus. She has dedicated her life to elephant care and acts as the senior authority on the animals at Thomas's sanctuary. She is deeply loyal to Thomas but frequently disagrees with Alice's more academic approach to managing the herd.

Grace is Nevvie's daughter and Gideon's wife. Small, blond, and ethereal, she possesses a surprising physical strength necessary for handling the daily demands of elephant care. She carries deeply held personal secrets, specifically regarding her inability to have children, which places quiet strain on her marriage.

Gideon is a massive, African-American man who exudes a calm, gentle strength. He handles the most demanding physical tasks at the elephant preserve. Married to Grace, he finds himself increasingly drawn to Alice, creating a complex web of loyalty and guilt among the sanctuary staff.

Maura is an elephant at the New England sanctuary who experiences a traumatic stillbirth. Her intense and prolonged grieving process becomes the focal point of the sanctuary staff's attention. Alice documents her behavior closely, leading to severe disagreements with Nevvie over how to best manage the animal's distress.

Tallulah is a DNA analyst who assists Virgil with his private investigation. She runs swab tests and analyzes biological evidence recovered from the decade-old crime scene, providing the trio of investigators with crucial scientific data.

Neo is a native ranger in Botswana who assists Alice during her early career in Africa. He provides crucial supplies and advice when Alice attempts to save a starving, orphaned elephant calf. Working closely together in the wild, the two form an intimate bond.

Lesego is an orphaned elephant calf rescued by Alice and Neo in Botswana. Named a word meaning "lucky" in the local language, she requires round-the-clock care. Her survival teaches Alice early lessons about attachment and the intense emotional bonds elephants form with their caregivers.

Lucinda is one of Serenity's spirit guides, appearing as an elderly Black woman. She helps Serenity navigate the spiritual realm and build her reputation as a psychic. She abandons Serenity when the psychic becomes too focused on fame and television awards.

Desmond is Serenity's second spirit guide, characterized by his snarky demeanor. Like Lucinda, he plays a crucial role in Serenity's rise to fame but leaves her when she allows her ego to interfere with her true gifts.