Alina is a powerful Grisha known as the Sun Summoner, capable of creating and weaponizing light. She begins the story physically drained and trapped below the earth, struggling to regain her abilities without natural sunlight. Orphaned at a young age, she carries a heavy responsibility for her fractured country alongside a lingering psychic connection to her worst enemy.

A terrifyingly powerful Grisha who summons shadows and creates violent monsters from darkness. He usurped the Ravkan throne by force and now hunts his remaining enemies across the country. Haunted by an isolating past, he desires absolute control over Ravka and insists that only the Sun Summoner truly understands his burden.

Mal is a non-magical tracker and soldier in the Ravkan First Army who grew up in the same rural orphanage as the Sun Summoner. He possesses exceptional outdoor survival skills but feels severely out of place among elite Grisha and royalty. He firmly protects his allies while repressing his own desires out of a sense of unworthiness.

The surviving son of the Ravkan King and Queen, currently operating from a hidden mountain fortress called the Spinning Wheel. He commands a fleet of flying airships and relies on military strategy rather than magic. He proposes a marriage of convenience to unify their fractured country under his rule.

The blunt, cantankerous former instructor of the Grisha trainees at the Little Palace. Like her son, she possesses the rare ability to summon shadows. She carries the heavy burden of her family's ancient history and strictly drills her students to push beyond traditional magical limits.

A minor Grisha with the ability to alter physical appearances. Once a beautiful servant at the Little Palace, she suffered severe physical trauma at the hands of her former master. She uses her surviving skills to aid the rebellion while carrying deep emotional scars from her time serving the royal family.

A cunning religious leader who commands an underground following of zealots. He actively confines the Sun Summoner below the surface under the guise of keeping her safe. He intends to use her status as a revered holy figure to build a fanatical army under his direct control.

A brilliant but socially awkward Grisha inventor. He crafts specialized tools, weapons, and medical salves for the rebellion forces. His scientific mind makes him a crucial asset in countering the dark magic employed by the usurper king.

The deposed monarch of Ravka, currently sheltering with his son's military forces. He is a callous ruler who freely exploited his power over those serving in his palace, demonstrating absolutely no remorse for his past actions.

A fierce Grisha warrior who uses dual weapons. Initially suspected of serving the religious zealots underground, she actively proves her loyalty to the Sun Summoner's cause by operating as a dedicated scout and fighter for the group.

A large, formidable Grisha warrior. Like his sister, he abandons the religious zealots to follow the true Sun Summoner, utilizing his massive physical strength and combat skills to protect the group during their travels.

A Grisha soldier deeply traumatized by previous violent conflicts. His emotional instability slows the group down during their arduous journey, causing others to view him as a distinct liability in a high-stakes war environment.

An ancient and legendary sorcerer known for creating incredibly powerful magical artifacts. His dangerous experiments with creation and resurrection frightened his village, leading to a tragic family history that continues to shape the present day.