Mr. Hooper is a 30-year-old bachelor and the parson of Milford, Massachusetts. He is known as a gentlemanly person who dresses with neat clerical presentation, and he previously held a reputation as a good but unenergetic preacher. His sudden decision to wear a black veil covering all but his mouth and chin drastically alters his interactions with the townspeople, making him an object of fear and constant gossip.

Elizabeth is Mr. Hooper's fiancée and one of the few townspeople initially brave enough to confront him about his new appearance. She cares deeply for him but also worries about earthly concerns such as reputation and the scandalous rumors circulating through Milford. She desires a normal life and struggles to understand his commitment to the veil.

Reverend Clark is a young minister who interacts with Mr. Hooper. He represents the clergy's traditional view of reputation and sin. He approaches Mr. Hooper with a conventional understanding of religion, worrying about how the veil might blacken a seemingly pure life.

The town physician is a rational observer among the residents of Milford. Unlike the superstitious or purely fearful townspeople, he attempts to analyze the psychological impact of the parson's veil, noting that men are sometimes afraid to be alone with themselves.

A resident of Milford who shares the town's profound unease regarding Mr. Hooper's new appearance. She expresses a deep, instinctual fear of the veil, illustrating the visceral reaction the congregation has to the sudden change in their religious leader.

Goodman Gray is a resident of Milford who witnesses Mr. Hooper's first appearance in the black veil. He represents the town's immediate confusion and rejection of the anomaly, quickly concluding that the parson has lost his mind.

An older, prominent member of the Milford congregation. Before the veil, he regularly hosted Mr. Hooper for Sunday dinner. His sudden withdrawal of this hospitality illustrates the immediate social ostracization the minister faces from the community's elite.

The church sexton is among the first to notice Mr. Hooper's veil as the parson arrives for Sunday services. He establishes the initial connection between outward appearance and godliness, doubting that the good minister could truly be hiding behind the black cloth.