Tess is a beautiful, intelligent, and highly responsible 16-year-old girl from a modest farming family. Burdened by her parents' carelessness, she frequently acts as a surrogate parent to her younger siblings. Her life changes drastically when her father discovers an ancient aristocratic lineage, resulting in pressure for her to seek financial help from the wealthy d'Urberville family. She possesses a deep connection to the natural world and a rigid sense of moral duty that often causes her to internalize blame for events outside her control.

Alec is a wealthy, spoiled young man whose merchant family purchased the aristocratic d'Urberville name to elevate their social standing. He manages the family estate on behalf of his blind mother. Accustomed to using his financial privilege to overcome any obstacle, he views working-class women as disposable targets for his amusement. He sets his sights on Tess the moment she arrives at his property and persistently ignores her boundaries.

Angel is the youngest son of a conservative clergyman. Rejecting his family's expectation that he enter the church or academia, he chooses to study agricultural farming instead. He prefers the company of rural laborers, viewing them as authentic and intimately connected to nature. He meets Tess at Talbothays Dairy and quickly idealizes her as a flawless, rustic maiden.

John is a poor peddler and farmer living in the village of Marlott. Diagnosed with a serious heart condition, he frequently prioritizes drinking at the local pub over his work responsibilities. When a local parson informs him of his descent from the noble d'Urberville line, he develops an inflated ego that further damages his family's meager finances.

Joan is Tess's mother, a superstitious and practical woman overwhelmed by the demands of raising a large family in extreme poverty. She lacks a formal education and relies heavily on folklore and naive optimism. Seeing Tess's physical beauty as the family's greatest asset, she aggressively orchestrates the plan to send her daughter to the wealthy d'Urberville estate.

Parson Tringham is a local clergyman with a hobby of genealogical research. He casually addresses John Durbeyfield with an aristocratic title, treating the man's descent from Norman nobility as a matter of harmless historical trivia. He remains completely unaware of the destructive chain reaction his discovery causes for the Durbeyfield family.

Abraham is one of Tess's younger brothers. He relies heavily on his sister's care due to their parents' frequent negligence. He accompanies Tess on the early morning journey to the Casterbridge market, a trip that ends in a devastating accident for the family.

Liza-Lu is Tess's younger sister. Growing up in the crowded Marlott cottage, she assists with the younger children and helps manage the household when their parents fail to do so. She physically resembles Tess but retains a protected innocence that Tess works hard to preserve.

Sorrow is Tess's infant son, born following her time at the d'Urberville estate. His arrival causes local gossip and brings intense social stigma upon Tess. Despite the difficult circumstances of his birth, he is fiercely loved by his mother, who worries intensely about his spiritual salvation when his health fails.

Prince is the Durbeyfield family's aging draft horse. He represents the family's primary means of earning a living through the transport of agricultural goods. His exhaustion during a late-night drive to market leads to a fatal collision with a mail-carriage, plunging the family into deep financial distress.

Mrs. d'Urberville is Alec's elderly, blind mother. She lives on the lavish family estate and occupies herself entirely with the care of her pet birds. Because of her physical blindness and isolation from the rest of the estate, she remains completely ignorant of her son's predatory behavior toward the young women she employs.

Car Darch is a boisterous village woman from the area surrounding the d'Urberville estate. Known for her rough manners and heavy drinking, she instigates a conflict with Tess on the road home from Chaseborough after an embarrassing accident with spilled syrup angers her.

Richard Crick is the master of Talbothays Dairy. He is a cheerful, fair-minded employer who manages a bustling and highly productive farm. He provides a welcoming environment where his workers can earn a living in relative peace, far from the harsh judgments of outside society.

Marian is a hardworking dairymaid at Talbothays Dairy. She is physically robust and capable of enduring grueling agricultural labor. Along with her friends, she harbors a deep infatuation for Angel Clare, but she remains fiercely loyal to Tess, eventually sharing difficult winter labor with her on a different farm.

Izz is another dairymaid employed at Talbothays Dairy. She is practical and observant, quietly accepting her lower social status while working hard in the milking sheds. Though she loves Angel Clare, she honestly admits to him that her feelings could never match the intensity of Tess's devotion.

Parson Clare is Angel's father, a strict and highly principled clergyman. He holds rigid expectations for his sons to pursue religious or academic careers. He dedicates his life to converting sinners, viewing his religious duty as absolute, though he struggles to understand Angel's secular choices.

Felix is one of Angel's older brothers. He works as a clergyman and fully embraces the conservative, middle-class values of his upbringing. He views the working-class villagers with distinct snobbery, actively worrying that Angel is losing his social graces by associating with rural laborers.

Cuthbert is an academic and the second of Angel's older brothers. Like Felix, he is deeply entrenched in the social expectations of his family's status. He prioritizes propriety and formal education, looking down on anything that deviates from established institutional norms.

Mrs. Brooks is the landlady of an expensive inn called The Herons in the fashionable town of Sandbourne. She is observant and naturally curious about her wealthy guests. Her tendency to eavesdrop on tense conversations ultimately pulls her into the dramatic events unfolding in her establishment.