Amadou is a fifteen-year-old boy from Mali who is enslaved on an isolated cacao farm. He has grown hardened over his two years in captivity, focusing entirely on survival and meeting his daily harvesting quota to avoid severe beatings. He bears the heavy responsibility of keeping his little brother safe, often acting harsh or distant to mask his constant fear. He suppresses his memories of home and his guilt over their situation to endure the daily brutality of the plantation.

Khadija is a thirteen-year-old girl who is unexpectedly brought to the all-male cacao farm. The boys quickly nickname her "wildcat" due to her fierce spirit and continuous escape attempts. She comes from an educated, urban background in Abidjan, which contrasts sharply with the impoverished, rural upbringings of the other enslaved children. She completely disrupts the camp's grim routine by refusing to accept captivity.

Seydou is an eight-year-old boy from Mali and the youngest worker trapped on the cacao farm. He relies heavily on his older brother for protection and guidance in an environment that forces him to grow up far too quickly. He misses his family back home and longs to be trusted with more independence, often seeking ways to prove he can handle the dangerous manual labor required of them.

Moussa is one of the three brutal bosses running the isolated cacao farm. He uses violence, fear, and psychological manipulation to keep the young workers subdued and ensure they meet their harvesting quotas. He specifically exploits family bonds, using threats against vulnerable children to keep older workers in line, though he occasionally displays confusing moments of basic care to maintain his labor force.

Yussuf is a young boy enslaved on the cacao farm alongside Amadou and Seydou. Unlike many of the hardened children who have given up on caring for others, he retains a sense of compassion. He occasionally risks the bosses' wrath to assist his fellow captive workers or offer a soft word of comfort.

Abdraman is a boy enslaved on the same harvest team as Amadou and Yussuf. He endures the grueling daily labor of the cacao plantation, doing whatever he must to survive the severe conditions and meet the bosses' demands.

Mrs. Kablan is Khadija's mother, who lives in the city of Abidjan. She works as a journalist investigating important stories, a profession that places her and her family in the crosshairs of powerful interests seeking to silence her work.

Oumar is a pisteur, or truck driver and buyer, who transports harvested cacao seeds from isolated farms to larger facilities. He navigates the corrupt agricultural supply chain while harboring private objections to the unpaid labor practices he witnesses on the farms.

Moke is Amadou and Seydou's grandfather, who lives in their impoverished home village in Mali. Desperate for financial help, he allowed the boys to leave home in search of paying work, entirely unaware of the horrific reality they would face on the Ivory Coast.

Auntie is a relative of Amadou and Seydou who lives in their home village in Mali. She represents the familiar domestic life the boys left behind when they traveled across the border seeking employment.