Naia is a detective in Copenhagen's Major Crimes Division. Dissatisfied with the homicide squad's outdated methods and tedious casework, she actively seeks a transfer to the National Cyber Crime Centre (NC3). She strictly separates her demanding police work from her personal life as a single mother.

Mark is a Europol liaison officer who has been abruptly reassigned to Copenhagen's Major Crimes Division pending an evaluation for disciplinary issues. He maintains a disheveled appearance and views his new position as a temporary punishment. He prefers to rely on psychological intuition over standard police procedure, putting him at odds with the local force.

Rosa serves as the Danish Minister for Social Affairs. She returns to parliament determined to reclaim her political career and project strength to the press following a severe family tragedy. In private, she quietly struggles to function in her missing daughter's packed-up bedroom and faces targeted harassment from anonymous sources.

Steen is an architect and the husband of Rosa Hartung. Unable to move past his daughter's disappearance without a body, he secretly drinks miniature bottles of alcohol in his car to cope. He initiates legal proceedings to have his daughter declared dead in a desperate attempt to force his family to move forward.

Simon serves as the head of the Forensics Department for the Copenhagen police. He processes brutal crime scenes, isolates partial fingerprints, and identifies the specific components of the chestnut dolls left near the victims. He readily accommodates requests for obscure forensic experiments from the investigative team.

Linus is a young man incarcerated in a secure psychiatric facility in Slagelse. A year before the current murders, he confessed to killing Kristine Hartung, though he never led police to her remains. He closely tracks true crime cases through teletext systems from inside the facility.

Nylander is the beleaguered head of the Major Crimes Division. Facing budget cuts and intense political pressure, he prioritizes the public image and bureaucratic survival of his department. He values procedural containment and views rogue investigations as a dangerous liability.

Tim is a senior detective in the Major Crimes Division and a representative of the department's old guard. Having built his reputation on securing Linus Bekker's confession in the high-profile Hartung case, he is intensely proud of his record and aggressively defensive against anyone who questions its validity.

Laura is a 37-year-old nurse and widowed mother living in a quiet suburban neighborhood. She becomes the first victim in a string of gruesome modern-day murders. Her brutal death, accompanied by a small chestnut doll left at the scene, sparks the central police investigation.

Hans Henrik is Laura Kjær's live-in boyfriend. Following her murder, his lack of a solid alibi and his defensive reactions make him an immediate suspect for the police. He maintains a facade of an idyllic, happy relationship while concealing his private activities.

Magnus is Laura Kjær's nine-year-old son who wakes up to an empty house the morning of her murder. Traumatized and quiet, he refuses to speak with most authorities until Hess builds a careful rapport with him through their shared knowledge of video games.

Anne is a wealthy woman living in a palatial mansion who secretly prepares to leave her husband and take her daughters to safety. Her desperate attempt to escape her domestic situation is brutally interrupted when a predator breaches her home.

Erik is a wealthy, privileged CEO living in an affluent enclave. Obsessed with his public image and indulging in secret affairs, he remains completely disconnected from his family's reality. His careless attitude draws police suspicion when his wife disappears.

Kristine is Rosa and Steen Hartung's twelve-year-old daughter who vanished a year before the main events of the story. Officially declared murdered despite her body never being found, her case is thrust back into the spotlight when her partial fingerprint is discovered on evidence left at fresh crime scenes.

Gustav is the younger child of Rosa and Steen Hartung. Living in the shadow of his sister's tragic disappearance, he struggles with his father's secret drinking and the tense, mournful atmosphere inside his home.

Le is Naia Thulin's young daughter. She represents Thulin's anchor to domestic life, frequently asking questions about their living situation and occasionally breaking through the strict boundaries her mother sets between work and home.

Sebastian is Thulin's casual boyfriend. He desires a more serious, traditional relationship and frequently invites Thulin and her daughter into his family's life, advances that she consistently deflects to maintain her independence.

Frederik is a political advisor working for the Minister for Social Affairs. He manages logistics, public relations, and security protocols for Rosa Hartung, attempting to shield her from aggressive press inquiries regarding her personal life.