The Governess is the twenty-year-old daughter of a poor country parson who accepts her first job at the isolated Bly estate. Taking on full authority over her young charges, she is eager to please her absentee employer and protect the children. She is highly imaginative and sensitive, bringing a fierce determination to fulfill her duties as she perceives them.

Mrs. Grose is the stout, respectable housekeeper at the Bly estate who serves as the primary caretaker of the children before the new governess arrives. Because she cannot read, she depends heavily on the governess to interpret letters and external communications. As a steadfast presence in the household, she readily listens to the governess's fears and offers her loyal support.

Miles is a ten-year-old orphan who lives at the Bly estate under the supervision of the new governess. He possesses extraordinary physical beauty and a charming disposition, leading the adults around him to associate his appearance with absolute purity. An early letter arriving from his boarding school indicates his unexplained expulsion, casting a quiet shadow over his angelic demeanor.

Flora is an eight-year-old orphan living at the country estate. She radiates a sweet disposition and an otherworldly beauty that instantly disarms her anxious new caretaker. She spends her days exploring the grounds, playing by the pond, and demonstrating an unnatural perfection that the governess eventually views with suspicion.

Peter Quint is the deceased former valet to the children's uncle who resided at Bly before his fatal fall on the ice. He is described as having bright red, close-curling hair and a pale face. Remembered by the housekeeper as an improper man who took liberties with the household, his lingering presence at the estate terrifies the new governess.

Miss Jessel is the former governess at Bly who died under unstated circumstances before the story begins. She is remembered by Mrs. Grose as a respectable lady who allowed the valet to debase her. Her somber, mourning-clad figure haunts the grounds of the estate, focusing her attention specifically on young Flora.

Douglas is a gentleman who introduces the main narrative by sharing a manuscript he kept locked away for decades. He met the author when he was a university student and she worked as his sister's governess. He acts as the custodian of the story, building anticipation among his listeners before reading the chilling account aloud.

The Prologue's Narrator is an unnamed guest at a Christmas Eve party who listens intently to Douglas's setup of the tale. Intrigued by his friend's hesitation and the mystery surrounding the manuscript's author, the narrator eventually receives the physical document and creates the exact transcript that forms the novella.

The Uncle is a wealthy, handsome bachelor who serves as the absentee guardian for his orphaned niece and nephew. He enjoys an indulgent life in London and has zero interest in raising children or managing domestic affairs. He hires the new governess with the strict stipulation that she assume supreme authority at Bly and never bother him with problems.