Joan is an able-bodied, 17-or 18-year-old country girl from Domrémy who dresses in practical soldiers' clothing with cropped hair. She claims to hear the voices of saints providing her with direct instructions from God to drive the English out of France. Exceptionally plainspoken and pragmatic, she possesses natural charisma and a clear tactical mind that frequently confounds the aristocratic men around her. She views all people as individuals equally subject to God's authority, often addressing high-ranking noblemen by familiar nicknames.

Charles VII is the 26-year-old heir to the French throne whose royal legitimacy is publicly questioned by his own mother. He is heavily in debt, physically unimposing, and generally apathetic toward the ongoing war with England. Despite his childish demeanor and fear of battle, he possesses a certain sharp intelligence and cheeky humor. He hopes to use Joan's holy reputation to validate his royal bloodline rather than purely for military gain.

Cauchon is the Bishop of Beauvais, a man in his sixties who politically supports the English claim to France. Unlike the virulent English nationalists, Cauchon is a measured and earnest churchman who genuinely fears that Joan's proto-Protestant beliefs threaten the unity and authority of the Catholic Church. He views her as a dangerous heretic because she trusts her own individual judgment over the established clerical hierarchy. He insists on proper legal and theological procedures rather than immediate political execution.

Known as the Bastard of Orléans, Dunois is a 26-year-old, highly capable French military commander. He loves warfare and respects physical courage, immediately recognizing Joan's bravery when she arrives at his camp. However, he approaches military strategy with extreme caution and logistical pragmatism, doubting the true divinity of Joan's voices. He composes poetry in his spare time and appreciates the beauty of the natural world.

The Earl of Warwick is a powerful English nobleman who views the war in strictly secular and political terms. He dismisses claims of witchcraft and instead recognizes Joan as a highly capable military threat and a dangerous ideologue. Warwick fears that Joan's support for a divinely absolute monarch will strip feudal aristocrats of their land and power. He operates with cold calculation, prioritizing his class interests over theological disputes.

Stogumber is an English chaplain defined by his virulent, almost irrational nationalism. He despises the French and refuses to believe that an English army could be defeated by conventional military means, aggressively classifying Joan as a witch. His hatred is driven entirely by his loyalty to England rather than by theological doctrine or class interests, making him the most openly violent of Joan's political enemies.

Baudricourt is a practical, easily irritated French military squire. He initially views Joan as a ridiculous peasant and attempts to intimidate her into returning to her father's farm. However, his realistic assessment of the demoralized French army leads him to gamble on her inspiring rhetoric, and he eventually provides her with her initial military outfitting.

The Archbishop is a high-ranking French church official who approaches religion as a tool for political control. He views miracles not as supernatural events, but as any occurrence that successfully increases the faith of the common people. He considers ancient philosophers and scientific thinkers superior to saints, yet he recognizes the practical value of Joan's pious effect on the royal court.

Trémouille is the Lord Chamberlain of the French court and the former commander of the army. He is a wealthy, arrogant nobleman who uses the Dauphin's massive financial debts to bully and control the young heir. He strongly opposes giving Joan any military authority, viewing her as an irritating peasant who threatens his own influence over the French forces.

The Inquisitor represents the judicial arm of the Catholic Church. He is a measured, experienced legal official who fears that even honest and virtuous individuals like Joan can accidentally destroy social order through their heresies. He focuses strictly on the theological crime of pride—specifically, an individual trusting their own judgment over the collective wisdom of the Church.

Known as Bluebeard for his distinctively dyed facial hair, Gilles de Rais is a young, cynical nobleman at the Dauphin's court. He switches clothes with the Dauphin to test whether Joan can miraculously identify the true royal heir, treating the encounter as an amusing parlor game.

La Hire is a French military captain who becomes deeply frightened and superstitious after Joan accurately predicts the death of a foul-mouthed soldier. He quickly becomes an ardent believer in her saintly powers and abandons his own habit of swearing out of fear of divine punishment.

A knight nicknamed Polly, Poulengey is captivated by Joan's natural charisma and faith. Recognizing the desperate state of the French war effort, he argues that the military needs a mad person to inspire the troops, volunteering to pay for her horse and escort her to the Dauphin.

Ladvenu is an earnest monk who attempts to persuade Joan that her voices belong to evil spirits. He demonstrates a degree of compassion and theological engagement, acknowledging the practical worldly sense in some of her answers, but he remains bound by his duty to the Inquisition.

D'Estivet serves as the prosecutor for the Church's inquiry. He maintains strict procedural focus and views Joan's practical attempts to escape imprisonment as overt acts of heresy, adhering rigidly to the technical definitions of ecclesiastical law.

The timid servant of Robert de Baudricourt. He believes entirely in Joan's supernatural presence, blaming the castle's lack of eggs on her waiting at the gates and reporting the sudden influx of eggs once her demands are met.

A young boy serving Dunois at Orléans. He possesses a child's excitement for capturing birds and acts as a sounding board for his master's poetic musings and frustrations over the wind.