The unnamed, solitary dictator of a Caribbean territory whose immense, unchecked authority causes him severe paranoia. He is an aging man of average physical stature, often remembered wearing an unmarked denim uniform with a gold spur on one boot. Because he relies on mythmaking and brutal control to sustain his position, he increasingly isolates himself in a ruined palace filled with livestock, birds, and a sycophantic entourage of military officials.

The minister of defense, commander of the presidential guard, and director of state security services. He is missing his right arm, which he lost in an explosion while protecting his leader. He manages the day-to-day operations of the regime and holds a massive concentration of authority within the government.

A former sex worker who raised her son alone before his rise to absolute rule. She outright rejects the extravagant lifestyle forced upon her, preferring to clean the palace herself, paint cheap wooden birds, and live frugally alongside the household staff. She maintains a living link to the dictator's humble origins.

A con man who shares a striking physical resemblance to the dictator, down to the matching lines on his palms. He is forced to undergo painful physical alterations, including having his feet flattened and drinking turpentine to forget how to read, to serve as the dictator's permanent body double.

A young woman considered a beauty queen in her impoverished, working-class neighborhood. Her simple request for public utilities draws the obsessive attention of the dictator. She wants nothing to do with the lavish gifts and extreme neighborhood renovations forced upon her by the regime.

A religious missionary who catches the dictator's attention and is shipped to the presidential palace in a pine box marked as fragile goods. Stripped of her religious vows and forced into a relationship with the dictator, she slowly learns to wield his immense political influence for her own comfort.

The only child formally recognized by the dictator, named after a biblical title meaning God is with us. Appointed as a Major General at birth, he is dressed in full military regalia and paraded through society as the regime's young, heavily protected heir.

An aristocratic, well-dressed mercenary who appears spontaneously at the palace alongside his Doberman. Known as Nacho, he offers his services to the dictator and operates with ruthless efficiency, constructing brutal interrogation facilities to root out the regime's enemies.

One of the original military generals who survives the violent purge of the government following the Federalist War. After hiding for years, he is captured but spared due to the dictator's superstitious awe of his prowess, remaining in the palace as a fiercely loyal servant.

A Catholic official tasked with researching the background of the dictator's mother for potential sainthood. He meticulously works past the regime's fabricated stories to uncover historical documents regarding the family's true, unvarnished origins.

A newly married woman whose home is violently invaded by the dictator. Her assault occurs in the regime's early predatory days, completely upending her life.

A newlywed husband whose life is upended when the dictator breaks into his home. His existence is viewed as a threat simply because the dictator desires his wife.