Riddley is a 12-year-old boy living in the post-apocalyptic society of Inland. Following his father's sudden death in an excavation accident, Riddley inherits the respected title of connexion man, requiring him to interpret the government's puppet shows for his village. He is one of the few people who can read and write. He tries to manage his sudden thrust into adulthood while dealing with the suspicion of his neighbors and an unusual bond with a pack of wild dogs.

Abel is the prime minister of Inland and the leader of the ruling government, known as the Ram. He travels from town to town staging puppet shows that disseminate state ideology and encourage people to settle into farming lifestyles. He harbors a dangerous ambition to locate sulfur and resurrect the destructive nuclear technology of the 20th century. He uses violence and intimidation to maintain his political authority.

Lissener is the Ardship of Cambry and the leader of the Eusa folk. He is blind and born with a disfigured mouth. The Ram government systemically imprisons and tortures him and his people, blaming them for the world-ending mistakes of their ancestors. He understands the landscape of Inland perfectly without sight and possesses a strong desire to free his people from their violent persecution.

Ernie Orfing serves as the deputy prime minister of Inland under Goodparley. During the state-sponsored puppet shows, he stands beside the booth acting as the narrator and interacting with the characters. He questions the government's pursuit of dangerous pre-apocalyptic technology, putting him at odds with his superior's intense ambitions.

Brooder is Riddley's father and the village's official connexion man. He reads and writes, passing these rare skills down to his son. He delivers simple, unassuming interpretations of the government's plays that subtly alter the community's behavior. A tragic accident involving a collapsed crane kills him, leaving his son an orphan.

Eusa is a mythological and historical figure who serves as the central character in the Ram's religious propaganda. Based on a 20th-century scientist, the stories claim he invented the nuclear bomb by splitting the "Littl Shynin Man" and destroyed the old world. His narrative is used to teach citizens the dangers of scientific progress and intellectualism.

Lorna is an elderly, wise woman living in Riddley's village. She acts as a historian and spiritual guide, maintaining the oral traditions and folktales of their people. She officially initiates Riddley as the new connexion man by cutting ceremonial lines into his belly.

Belnot Phist works at Widders Dump directing the breakdown of recovered technology. He becomes the subject of widespread suspicion, with rumors painting him as a leader working against the Ram. Goodparley targets him due to these rumors.

Granser is an old charcoal burner who lives isolated in the woods. He possesses forgotten knowledge about chemicals, specifically sulfur. In his youth, he took in an orphaned Goodparley but subjected the boy to severe abuse, sparking a lifelong enmity between them.

Fister is an older man in Riddley's village who remembers the days before the community settled into a farming lifestyle. He tries to offer practical advice to Riddley following the boy's failed first interpretation of the Eusa show.

Durster is a superstitious worker on the Widders Dump excavation team. He antagonizes Riddley by claiming the wild dogs are drawn to the boy because of Brooder Walker's death. This accusation leads to a physical fight between the two before tragedy strikes.