Gretel is an 11-year-old Jewish girl passing as a Christian to survive the Nazi occupation. With her blond hair and blue eyes, she easily blends into the local population, though she remains highly vigilant. She carries the heavy responsibility of protecting her younger brother in an unforgiving winter environment and often assumes the role of leader.

Hansel is an energetic 7-year-old boy struggling to adapt to his false identity. His dark hair and eyes make it harder for him to conceal his Jewish heritage from the occupying forces. Despite the constant danger surrounding him, he retains a childlike curiosity and a deep desire for social connection.

An elderly woman living alone in the forest, Magda faces suspicion from local villagers due to her Roma ancestry. Though she initially refuses to shelter the fleeing children out of self-preservation, she eventually takes them in and secures forged identification for them. She acts as both a protector and a reluctant teacher.

A Jewish engineer and secular intellectual who regrets his inability to protect his family using reason and education alone. He reluctantly agrees to leave his children in the woods to increase their chances of surviving the winter. Searching for a way to fight back against the occupation, he offers his mechanical skills to local resistance fighters.

A pragmatic and hardened woman who has already lost a husband and infant to the war. She makes the agonizing choice to separate the family to give everyone a viable chance at survival. Joining a partisan group, she channels her accumulated grief into armed resistance against the Germans.

An arrogant SS officer obsessed with genetic purity, order, and discipline. He evaluates the village children to determine if they meet his strict standards for relocation to Germany. His fixation on perfection and authority poses a severe threat to everyone living in Piaski.

A warm, pregnant young woman whose husband was taken by Russian forces. Her cheerful disposition provides a rare source of comfort to those hiding in the forest. She faces intense, unwanted scrutiny when high-ranking German officials take an interest in her physical appearance.

A quiet woodsman who prefers the company of wild animals to village society. He acts as a guide to the local flora and fauna for the children. His deep affection for Nelka pushes him into dangerous situations as he tries to protect her from occupying forces.

A battle-scarred German veteran assigned to oversee the village of Piaski. Frustrated by his administrative post, he dislikes the bureaucratic zealotry of his superiors and frequently drinks to manage his resentment. He processes the children's forged ration documents while harboring his own doubts about their identities.

The village priest who maintains a hidden Roma lineage and a secret family. He procures forged identification papers and photographs to help disguise the Jewish children as Christians. He lives in constant fear of his secrets being discovered by the occupying forces.

A devoted female aide to the SS officer. She assists in physically examining the villagers and ensuring her superior's orders are executed with cold precision.

The leader of a partisan resistance group operating in the Polish forests. He cautiously accepts new recruits who can provide mechanical skills or combat readiness to aid in their sabotage efforts.

An orphaned village girl living with her aunt and uncle. She disobeys strict familial instructions in order to secretly play with the new boy from the forest.

A Polish clerk working under German authority. He quietly observes the power struggles between the occupying officers while safely processing their paperwork.

An angry and embittered villager living in Piaski. He holds deep resentment toward the occupying forces after losing his best friend and his handicapped brother to Nazi violence.