Arthur Gordon Pym is a sixteen-year-old boy from a respectable New England family who harbors a fierce desire to explore the sea. Possessing a mischievous streak and a comfort with deception, he sneaks away from his family to stow away on a whaling ship. He spends his early journey trapped in the ship's hold, oscillating between dreams of adventure and severe physical distress.

Augustus is Pym's eighteen-year-old best friend and the son of a respected sea captain. He fills Pym's head with wild stories of ocean voyages and actively arranges the stowaway plot on his father's ship. He is fiercely loyal to Pym, risking his own safety to smuggle food and water into the ship's hold during a violent uprising.

Too-wit is the chief of the Indigenous people on the island of Tsalal. He presents himself as an eager and generous host, inviting the white sailors into his village and agreeing to trade local sea cucumbers for European goods. He commands total respect from his people and conducts diplomatic meetings with the visiting captain.

Dirk Peters is a remarkably strong crew member on the Grampus of white and Upsaroka Indigenous descent. Standing under five feet tall with an incredibly muscular build, he wears a bear skin over his head and possesses a ferocious appearance. Despite his intimidating looks, he exhibits unexpected kindness and becomes a steadfast protector to the young stowaways.

Richard Parker is a sailor on the Grampus who initially joins the mutinous faction before begging for mercy and aligning with the loyalists. Once accepted into their group, he proves to be a capable and enthusiastic worker when preparing the damaged vessel for an approaching storm.

Captain Guy is the urbane and experienced commander of the Jane Guy. While he treats his passengers with great kindness and oversees a capable crew, he lacks the relentless, driving energy that characterizes other maritime explorers.

Captain John Barnard is Augustus's father and the seasoned commander of the Grampus. His career at sea provides the initial inspiration for Pym's maritime fantasies.

Tiger is Pym's faithful Newfoundland dog. Secretly smuggled aboard the Grampus by Augustus, the dog provides Pym with crucial comfort and delivers a vital warning message while the boy is trapped in the dark.

The ship's cook is a highly aggressive and ruthless sailor who commits numerous murders during the mutiny. He leads a faction of the crew that wishes to abandon their original voyage and turn the Grampus into a pirate vessel.

Nu-Nu is a villager from Tsalal who is forced into a canoe as a hostage by fleeing sailors. He possesses an intense, inexplicable terror of anything white.

A sailor on the Grampus who dies suddenly after consuming a glass of grog. His corpse becomes central to a superstitious ruse designed to frighten the remaining mutineers.

Mr. Poe is a fictionalized editor who encourages Pym to publish his unbelievable survival narrative. He suggests presenting the true story under the guise of fiction to make it acceptable to the public.