Jean Valjean is a former tree-trimmer who spends nineteen years in the Bagne of Toulon for stealing a loaf of bread and attempting to escape. Released with a yellow passport that marks him as a former convict, he finds himself ostracized by society. Possessing immense physical strength and a deeply scarred psyche, he searches for a way to rebuild his life and fulfill a promise to become an honest man. He frequently changes identities to stay ahead of the law while dedicating himself to charitable acts.

Javert is a rigid, dogmatic police inspector who views the law in absolute terms. Born inside a prison to criminal parents, he actively rejects his background by dedicating his life to the strict enforcement of social order. He lacks empathy for the poor or desperate, believing that criminality is a permanent stain and that no one can truly change. His primary mission becomes the capture of Jean Valjean.

Cosette is the young daughter of Fantine. Placed in the care of the Thénardiers, she is forced to work in harsh conditions and endures severe physical and emotional abuse. Dressed in rags and treated as a servant, she retains a quiet, resilient innocence. She eventually leaves the inn to grow up in Paris under the overprotective guardianship of Jean Valjean, developing into a gentle young woman curious about the outside world.

Marius Pontmercy is a young, passionate student caught between different political and familial loyalties. Raised in a conservative upper-class household, he eventually learns the truth about his estranged father's military service under Napoleon. This discovery prompts Marius to abandon his comfortable life, plunging him into voluntary poverty. He studies law and associates with radical revolutionaries while searching for his political identity.

Thénardier is an intensely greedy and corrupt innkeeper who eventually loses his business and relocates his family to a squalid Parisian tenement under the alias Jondrette. He represents a total lack of morality, taking pleasure in swindling and abusing those around him. Unlike the characters who turn to crime out of desperation, Thénardier operates out of pure selfishness and opportunism, viewing everyone he meets as a potential target for a scam.

Fantine is a beautiful, working-class orphan who works as a seamstress in Paris. After a cruel abandonment by her wealthy lover, she is left to raise her daughter Cosette alone. Desperate to provide for her child, she entrusts Cosette to an innkeeper and finds work in a factory. Societal prejudice and economic hardship continually push her into more desperate situations, forcing her to sacrifice her health and personal safety to meet the financial demands of her daughter's guardians.

Charles-François-Bienvenu Myriel is the 75-year-old bishop of Digne. He comes from a wealthy family but lives in radical simplicity, donating his expansive residence to the local hospital and giving away nearly all his income to the poor. He firmly believes in treating every person with equal respect and rejects societal prejudices. His only remaining luxury is a set of silver cutlery and candlesticks, which he uses to host anyone who knocks on his door.

Madame Thénardier is the cruel, spiteful wife of Monsieur Thénardier. She actively participates in swindling their patrons and enthusiastically directs her malice toward Cosette. She spoils her own daughters while turning Cosette into a household servant, punishing the young girl for her own amusement. Like her husband, she eventually moves to the Parisian slums after their inn fails, continuing a life of poverty and petty crime.

Eponine is the eldest daughter of the Thénardier family. Once pampered as a young girl, she grows up in a squalid Parisian tenement after her family loses their inn. She wears ragged clothes and speaks with a coarse voice while assisting her father in writing fraudulent charity petitions. Despite her grim circumstances and involvement in her family's criminal plots, she develops an unrequited affection for her neighbor, leading her to make choices that diverge from her father's pure selfishness.

Gavroche is the young son of the Thénardiers. Abandoned by his parents, he lives completely independently as a street urchin, finding shelter inside a hollow elephant statue near the Bastille. Despite his reliance on begging and petty theft to survive, he possesses a strong internal moral compass, often sharing what little he has with children who are even more destitute than he is. He involves himself enthusiastically in the student uprisings.

Enjolras is a charismatic, commanding young student who leads the Friends of the ABC, a secret radical society. He is completely dedicated to the ideals of equality and radical revolution. He views his political cause with absolute seriousness, rejecting distractions and striving to inspire his fellow students to take up arms against the monarchy. He serves as the primary tactical leader when the students build their barricade.

Monsieur Gillenormand is a fiery, 90-year-old bourgeois man with superficial tastes and a quick temper. He is a staunch supporter of the French monarchy and firmly rejects the political changes brought about by the Revolution and Napoleon. He frequently clashes with his grandson over ideology, using his financial leverage and stern demeanor to exert control, though he privately harbors a deep affection for his family.

Georges Pontmercy is a proud colonel who fought in Napoleon's army. Following the return of the monarchy, he is placed under house arrest and forced to surrender custody of his son to his royalist father-in-law. He lives quietly, making secret trips to Paris just to catch a glimpse of his boy. His dying wish instructs his son to find and reward a man who supposedly saved his life on the battlefield.

Tholomyès is a wealthy, pompous middle-class student living in Paris in 1817. He enjoys a casual romance with Fantine, viewing the relationship strictly as a temporary, youthful distraction. Arrogant and quietly obsessed with his own social status, he orchestrates a callous prank to abandon Fantine and her friends, entirely unconcerned with the consequences of his actions.

Fauchelevent is an elderly man who faces certain death when his cart collapses on him. After being rescued by the town's mayor, he finds employment as a gardener at the secluded Petit-Picpus convent in Paris. He wears a bell on his leg to warn the nuns of his presence. He later repays the man who saved his life by providing him with sanctuary and employment.

Mabeuf is a mild-mannered former church warden with a deep love for his book collection. He provides Marius with crucial information regarding his father's true devotion. As the years pass, Mabeuf falls into extreme poverty, struggling simply to afford food. Radicalized by his desperate circumstances, he eventually joins the young students during the public uprisings.

Courfeyrac is a radical student and a core member of the Friends of the ABC. He serves as a welcoming presence to new members, assisting Marius during his early days of poverty and offering practical assistance. He fights enthusiastically alongside his peers when the political unrest breaks out into open conflict.