Sheriff Ed Tom Bell of Terrell County, Texas, is an old-fashioned, honest lawman who has held his position since he was twenty-five. A decorated World War II veteran, he deeply values his community and feels personally responsible for the citizens under his protection. He struggles to understand the increasingly violent and ruthless nature of modern criminals, specifically the brutal drug trade spilling into his jurisdiction.

A thirty-six-year-old welder and Vietnam War veteran who served as a sniper. Wily, confident, and resourceful, he lives in a trailer park with his young wife, Carla Jean. While out hunting, he makes a fateful decision to take millions of dollars from the scene of a botched drug deal, trusting his tactical skills to outsmart whoever comes looking for the cash.

Carla Jean is the nineteen-year-old wife of Llewellyn Moss, having married him when she was only sixteen. She is smart, mature beyond her years, and completely trusts her husband's capabilities. Besides managing their household, she patiently cares for her difficult, ailing mother.

A psychopathic and remorseless hitman hired to recover the missing drug money. Armed with a captive bolt stunner used in slaughterhouses and a suppressed shotgun, he views his victims with cold detachment. He operates by a warped, fatalistic code of honor, asserting that people's fates are predetermined by their choices.

Loretta is the kind, generous, and devoutly religious wife of Sheriff Bell. She frequently cooks for and converses with the county jail prisoners, earning their respect and long-term admiration. She acts as a sounding board for her husband, offering a quiet refuge without sitting in judgment or forcing advice upon him.

An ex-military colonel who works as a confident, pragmatic hitman. He is hired by a powerful employer to stop Chigurh, whom he views as a loose cannon operating outside the accepted rules. Wells is methodical and believes he understands the limits of his violent profession, trusting his rational approach to neutralize the chaotic threat.

A deputy working under Sheriff Bell in Terrell County. He assists Bell in surveying crime scenes, tracking vehicles on horseback, and trying to make sense of the escalating violence in their normally quiet jurisdiction.

Another of Sheriff Bell's deputies. He handles logistical law enforcement duties and reports crucial forensic information, such as autopsies detailing the unusual wounds found on the killer's victims.

Sheriff Bell's uncle and a former deputy who served alongside Bell's grandfather. Confined to a wheelchair after being shot in the line of duty, he remains remarkably free of bitterness. He provides common-sense advice and historical perspective to his nephew.

The sheriff of Sonora, who is left reeling after a violent attack in his jurisdiction. He works cooperatively with Sheriff Bell, sharing information and expressing profound distress over the new breed of criminals they are facing.

Carla Jean's elderly mother, who suffers from cancer. She complains frequently about her situation and constantly expresses her disapproval of Llewellyn, requiring heavy assistance to travel.

An older veteran who expresses immense pride in Llewellyn's military service as a sniper in Vietnam. He observes the sharp differences between the societal support given during World War II and the harsh reception Vietnam veterans faced upon returning home.

A fifteen- or sixteen-year-old runaway girl attempting to hitchhike to California. She is observant and recognizes Llewellyn is in trouble, but she accepts his financial help and shares a meal with him as she tries to start her life over.

A high school student from Odessa who witnesses a severe car crash and opportunistically steals from the scene. Uncooperative and defiant, he refuses to give Sheriff Bell any useful information beyond the bare minimum found in the police report.