Edwin is a 20-year-old orphan training to work as an engineer in Egypt. He is engaged to Rosa Bud due to a childhood arrangement made by their deceased fathers. He often feels frustrated by his predetermined path and behaves arrogantly toward people he considers outsiders, particularly Neville Landless.

Jasper is a man in his mid-twenties working as the choirmaster at Cloisterham Cathedral. He outwardly presents as a respectable citizen and a loving uncle to Edwin, but he secretly despises his job and harbors a deep, obsessive infatuation with Rosa Bud. He regularly consumes opium and spends his nights exploring the dark, hidden areas of the cathedral.

Crisparkle is an Anglican clergyman who serves as a minor canon at Cloisterham Cathedral. He lives with his mother and maintains a positive, active presence in the community. He generously takes on the role of guardian and mentor to the newly arrived Landless siblings, defending them against local prejudice.

Neville is a young orphan who grew up in the British colony of Ceylon under the care of a cruel stepfather. He moves to Cloisterham to study under Reverend Crisparkle. He is intelligent and deeply loyal to his sister, but he struggles to control his temper and immediately clashes with Edwin Drood.

Rosa is a young orphan living at the Nuns' House boarding school in Cloisterham. She is beautiful and appears sheltered, but she possesses a quiet intelligence and a strong desire for autonomy. She feels deeply uncomfortable with her predetermined engagement to Edwin and lives in fear of her music teacher, John Jasper.

Helena is Neville's twin sister, having survived the same difficult childhood in Ceylon. She is incredibly resilient, possessing greater self-control and strategic judgment than her brother. She immediately notices Jasper's inappropriate interest in Rosa and positions herself as Rosa's fierce protector.

Grewgious is an eccentric but deeply loyal London lawyer who serves as Rosa's legal guardian and the executor of her trust. He secretly loved Rosa's mother and channels that enduring affection into protecting Rosa. He provides her with honest legal advice regarding her engagement.

Durdles is a stonemason who specializes in gravestones and tombs around the Cloisterham Cathedral. He knows the crypts and underground chambers better than anyone else. He hires a young boy named Deputy to throw stones at him to keep him moving when he wanders late at night.

Mr. Sapsea is an auctioneer who eventually becomes the Mayor of Cloisterham. He is a pompous, self-important man who frequently jumps to conclusions based on his own prejudices. He aligns himself with Jasper and readily casts suspicion on outsiders.

Princess Puffer is an elderly woman who operates a London opium den. She possesses knowledge about Jasper's hidden habits and the secrets he mutters while under the influence. She takes a secretive interest in his activities and occasionally follows him to Cloisterham.

Dick Datchery is a mysterious new arrival in Cloisterham who rents rooms from the Topes. He immediately takes an intense interest in Jasper's routines and local events. He keeps a strange tally system using chalk marks to track his secretive observations.

Deputy is a young, impoverished boy in Cloisterham who earns money by throwing stones at Durdles to wake him up or guide him home. He becomes an inadvertent witness to Jasper's nighttime movements and is terrified of the choirmaster following a violent encounter.

Tartar is a former Navy man who lives in the same London building as Neville Landless. He maintains his lodgings with immaculate, ship-like precision. He eagerly assists Crisparkle and Grewgious in their efforts to protect Rosa from Jasper's harassment.

Mr. Honeythunder is a loud, domineering man and the brother of Mrs. Crisparkle's sister. He acts as the legal guardian to Neville and Helena Landless. He considers himself a philanthropist but behaves with incredible rudeness and is quick to presume the worst of his wards.

Mrs. Crisparkle is the elderly mother of Reverend Crisparkle, sharing a home with him in Cloisterham. She is highly protective of her son's reputation and expresses immediate mistrust of Neville Landless, relying heavily on local gossip and prejudice.

Mr. Tope is a verger at the Cloisterham Cathedral. He manages the practical affairs of the church and interacts regularly with the clergy and choirmaster. He and his wife rent out lodgings attached to Jasper's home.

Mrs. Tope is married to the cathedral verger and helps manage their property in Cloisterham. She assists in caring for Jasper when he is unwell and provides local context to newcomers looking for lodging.

Mr. Bazzard is Mr. Grewgious's quiet and gloomy assistant in London. He handles administrative tasks for the law office and serves as an official witness for legal transactions regarding Rosa's trust.

Miss Twinkleton is a teacher and the headmistress of the Nuns' House boarding school in Cloisterham. She acts as a maternal figure for the young women in her care and eventually travels to London to serve as Rosa's companion.

Mrs. Billickin is Bazzard's cousin who runs a boarding house in London. She provides furnished rooms for Rosa and Miss Twinkleton, though she frequently clashes with the headmistress over household management.

The Dean is a high-ranking ecclesiastical official at the Cloisterham Cathedral. He represents the established authority of the church in the small community and interacts with Jasper and the minor clergy.