Little Georgie is a youthful, energetic young rabbit whose innocence and resilience reflect the broader community on the Hill. He is optimistic and confident in his survival skills, though his youthful enthusiasm sometimes leads to carelessness. His instinct to adapt and compose hopeful songs contrasts with the cautious anxiety of the older animals.

Father Rabbit is a courtly Southern gentleman originally from the Kentucky Bluegrass region and the patriarch of his family. He acts as a de facto leader among the animals, enforcing community traditions and maintaining a dignified, optimistic outlook. He treats survival as a matter of discipline and proper breeding, serving as a counterbalance to the community's general anxiety.

Mother Rabbit is a chronic worrier who serves as the historical memory for her family, constantly mindful of past atrocities and hazards. Her deep maternal love fuels her anxiety over dogs, cats, traps, and moving vans. She represents the collective vulnerability and trauma of an animal community that has endured years of scarcity and danger.

Uncle Analdas is Mother Rabbit's elderly, cynical uncle who serves as the community's living archive. Having witnessed cycles of prosperity and decline, he views the arrival of humans with deep-seated mistrust and pragmatic caution. Despite his initial reluctance and poor hygiene, he joins the family on the Hill in pursuit of better food and company.

The Man is one half of the new occupants moving into the long-neglected estate on the Hill. He spends his time reading and demonstrates a deliberate, considerate approach to the local wildlife. His refusal to use fences, traps, or poison baffles the local laborers but signals a potential shift in the relationship between the human and animal residents.

The Lady moves into the Big House alongside her husband, bringing an immediate sense of care to the property. She actively defends the animals, going so far as to throw a rock at a threatening dog to protect the local wildlife. Her gentle demeanor provides the animals with their first concrete evidence of human kindness.

Porkey the Woodchuck is a grumpy, stubborn individualist whose burrow sits dangerously close to the Big House. Thin and hungry from a lean winter, he prioritizes his comfort and fiercely resists Father Rabbit's demands that he relocate for the safety of the wider community.

Willie Fieldmouse acts as the community's primary scout and messenger, providing crucial intelligence about the humans' activities. As a small but vital link in the communication network, he spends his evenings spying from the windowsills of the Big House.

The Mole is a blind, subterranean resident of the Hill who relies entirely on his friend Willie to understand events above ground. He demonstrates fierce loyalty and deep emotion, reacting destructively to the estate's lawns when he believes his friend is in danger.

Phewie the Skunk provides a pragmatic, food-motivated perspective on the new arrivals. Uninterested in the vegetable gardens that occupy the other animals, his primary standard for judging human character is the accessibility and quality of their discarded food.

The Gray Fox is one of the wilder, more dignified leaders of the animal community. Characterized by his polite speech and cunning nature, he helps maintain order and enforce the group's traditions during times of uncertainty.

The Red Buck is a stately and authoritative figure who serves as a key leader on the Hill. He helps preside over community ceremonies like Dividing Night and uses his imposing presence to maintain order when panic threatens the animals' social structures.

Tim McGrath is a local plowing man and handyman hired to maintain the estate's grounds. He represents traditional, aggressive agricultural practices, advocating for fences and traps to manage wildlife, and he remains baffled by the new residents' passive approach.

Louie Kernstawk is a mason hired to repair the stonework around the Big House. Like Tim McGrath, he is accustomed to controlling nature through force and constructs various projects around the estate that the animals view with intense suspicion.

Mr. Muldoon is an enormous, striped, gray cat belonging to the new occupants. Despite the natural terror his species inspires among the smaller animals, his stiff movements, worn teeth, and general lethargy make him an unthreatening presence on the property.

Sulphronia is the stout cook employed at the Big House. Her presence in the kitchen and her generous disposal of high-quality scraps quickly endear her to the foraging animals, particularly the local skunks.

Hazel is the adult daughter of Mother and Father Rabbit. She briefly returns to the family burrow with her three noisy children to assist her parents during a period of deep distress and grief.