Inspector Tom Waaler serves as the primary antagonist and a foil to Harry Hole. On the surface, he is the model officer: decorated, successful, disciplined, and widely respected within the department, described as one of its “two star players” (12). This pristine public image, however, is a carefully constructed facade that conceals his true nature as a ruthless murderer and the leader of a clandestine network of vigilante cops and arms smugglers.

Waaler represents a perversion of justice, one who believes the legal system is inadequate and has appointed himself judge, jury, and executioner. His worldview is articulated when he attempts to recruit Harry, arguing that his brand of extralegal violence is a more effective form of justice. This is further revealed when he confesses to executing the neo-Nazi Sverre Olsen, framing it as a necessary act of retribution for a colleague’s death. He justifies his actions by stating, “I gave Sverre Olsen the punishment he deserved” (102). This statement encapsulates his belief that his judgment supersedes the law.

Waaler’s psychological motivations are rooted in a self-aggrandizing messiah complex. In a lengthy monologue, he recasts his working-class background and his father’s struggles into a mythic narrative of building cathedrals, framing his criminal enterprise as a noble, albeit bloody, endeavor to impose order on a corrupt society. This grand vision is a rationalization for his ambition and violence (and also turns out to be mostly lies). He is methodical, calculating, and adept at manipulating the police bureaucracy to protect himself and discredit Harry. Unlike Harry’s chaotic and emotional pursuit of truth, Waaler’s corruption is cold, organized, and systemic. His ultimate defeat comes not from institutional oversight but from Harry’s personal and violent intervention. Waaler dies without experiencing any character growth or development.

Wilhelm Barli is the secret antagonist of the novel, a character whose true role is revealed in the final act. Initially presented as the grieving husband of a missing person, Barli is a successful and theatrical producer who masterfully embodies the theme of The Facade of Normalcy and Hidden Depravity. His public persona is that of an emotional, slightly flamboyant artist, devastated by the disappearance of his wife, Lisbeth. This performance is so convincing that it deceives both the police and the reader, making the revelation of his guilt all the more impactful.

Barli’s motivation is not the random, ritualistic impulse of a typical serial killer but a deeply personal and meticulously planned act of vengeance against his wife and her former lover, Sven Sivertsen. After discovering letters that confirmed their affair, his love curdled into an elaborate, murderous hatred. His profession as a stage director is a potent metaphor for his role in the narrative; he treats the series of murders as a theatrical production, complete with staging, props (the diamonds), a recurring motif (the pentagram), and a designated villain (Sivertsen). The geometric precision of the Devil’s Star plot, which maps the murder locations onto a perfect pentagram connecting his home to Sven’s mother’s house, showcases his obsessive and creative intellect. He explains his philosophy to Harry, stating, “If there is no happy ending, I make one” (218), a motto that reveals his godlike belief in his own power to script reality, even through murder.

Barli is a round and dynamic character whose transformation from victim to perpetrator drives the novel’s central mystery. His ultimate goal is not simply to kill Sivertsen but to frame him for the murders, thereby condemning him to a life of suffering in prison, a fate Barli considers a more fitting revenge than death. Although Barli had the opportunity to kill Harry and conceal his crimes, he opts not to do so and instead dies by suicide. This resolution hints that he does feel some remorse for his crimes and does not truly want to live now that his wife is gone.

Beate Lønn is a key supporting character and one of Harry Hole’s few trusted allies in the Crime Squad. Working in the forensics department, she is a static but round character who represents a methodical, evidence-based approach to police work that contrasts with Harry’s intuitive style. Despite her quiet and unassuming demeanor, Beate is highly competent and passionate about her work. She acts as a bridge between Harry and the formal police investigation, often providing him with crucial forensic data that supports his unconventional theories. Her loyalty to Harry is steadfast, even when it puts her at odds with superiors like Tom Waaler, with whom she reveals she once had a “brief fling” (21). This past relationship adds a layer of personal tension to her interactions with Waaler and reinforces her decision to trust Harry. While she is often a voice of caution, urging Harry to follow procedure, she increasingly comes to respect his gut feelings, demonstrating a willingness to bend the rules when the situation demands it. Her character highlights the necessity of combining both intuitive and scientific methods to solve complex crimes.

Bjarne Møller is Harry’s direct superior and functions as a classic mentor and protector archetype. As Chief Inspector of the Crime Squad, he is constantly caught between the rigid hierarchy of the police force and his loyalty to his most brilliant but problematic detective. Møller understands Harry’s exceptional talent but is also acutely aware of the institutional chaos unleashed by Harry’s alcohol addiction and insubordination. His frequent stomach pains are a physical manifestation of the stress of managing Harry and navigating the department’s internal politics, particularly the tension between Harry and the highly regarded Tom Waaler.

Despite repeated threats to fire Harry, Møller consistently shields him from the worst consequences of his actions, demonstrating a “perverse penchant for putting his head on the block” (14) for him. This protective instinct stems from both a personal affection for Harry and a pragmatic recognition of his indispensable skills as an investigator. Møller represents the weary but fundamentally decent face of the institution, a man struggling to maintain order while allowing for the necessary chaos that genius often entails.

Rakel and her son, Oleg, are central figures in Harry’s personal life, representing the stability, love, and domestic normalcy that he struggles to maintain. Rakel, Harry’s lover, is an intelligent and perceptive woman who understands him deeply. She is unwilling to tolerate his self-destructive behavior. She serves as a moral anchor, recognizing that his relentless pursuit of Tom Waaler has become a destructive quest for revenge. Her decision to leave him creates a significant emotional crisis for Harry and raises the personal stakes of his professional conflicts.

Oleg, Rakel’s young son, looks up to Harry as a father figure. Their bond is genuine, and Harry’s desire to protect Oleg provides him with a powerful, albeit complicated, motivation. The kidnapping of Oleg by Tom Waaler in the climax represents the ultimate violation, where Harry’s professional and personal worlds collide with devastating consequences. At the end of the novel, Rakel expresses willingness to reconcile with Harry, showing that she has accepted the complexities of his nature but still loves him.

Vibeke and Anders are the downstairs neighbors whose discovery of dripping water initiates the investigation into Camilla Loen’s death. They serve as minor but important characters who introduce the theme of The Facade of Normalcy and Hidden Depravity. Vibeke’s past experience as a cook allows her to identify the coagulated lumps dripping from her ceiling as blood, a crucial detail that prompts the call to the police. She is portrayed as worldly and intuitive, and her interactions with Harry provide him with early insights.

Anders, her partner, is her foil. He is ascetic, religious, and judgmental, exuding a quiet intensity that makes him an early, albeit false, suspect. Their strained relationship, marked by unspoken tensions and Anders’s controlling nature, contributes to the novel’s atmosphere of concealed secrets lying just beneath the surface of ordinary domestic life.