Polynices is the exiled son of Oedipus. He arrives in the town of Inachus after his brother denies him his rightful, alternating turn on the Theban throne. Though capable of compassion and deeply devoted to his new wife, he carries the heavy taint of his family's blood guilt and a burning desire to reclaim his homeland by force.

Eteocles is the current ruler of Thebes who refuses to step down after his agreed-upon year of rule concludes. He masks his deep internal insecurities and cowardice with tyranny, demanding total loyalty from a fearful populace. He attempts to portray himself as a victim of his brother's aggression while aggressively maintaining absolute power.

The former king of Thebes who blinded himself after unknowingly fulfilling a tragic prophecy by killing his father and marrying his mother. He harbors deep resentment toward his sons for neglecting him in his ruined state. His bitter curse against them sets the epic's central conflict into motion.

A monstrous Fury from the Underworld tasked with avenging sins committed against the family. She eagerly brings madness and violent conflict to the Theban royal house. Faster than Jupiter's thunderbolt, she represents a chaotic infernal power that revels in interfamilial bloodshed.

A fierce warrior exiled from Calydon who forms an immediate, powerful bond with Polynices in Argos. He serves as Polynices's most loyal envoy and fiercely martial supporter. He wears the tusks and bristles of the Calydonian boar and refuses to back down from political or physical challenges.

The elderly, benevolent king of Inachus and leader of the Argive forces. Guided by a prophecy from Apollo, he marries his daughters to the exiled heroes Polynices and Tydeus. He frequently struggles with hesitation, torn between the aggressive pressures of his allies and his own desire to avoid a disastrous war.

The supreme king of the gods who intends to punish the royal houses of Thebes and Argos for their past crimes. He operates as an autocratic force in heaven, bullying the other gods into compliance with his destructive plans. His desire for a catastrophic war aligns perfectly with the dark curses of the Underworld.

The queen of the gods and Jupiter's wife. She holds great affection for the city of Argos and harbors a deep hatred for Thebes due to Jupiter's past infidelity there. She tries to intervene on behalf of the Argive heroes when possible, though she is largely constrained by Jupiter's absolute will.

The god of wine and patron deity of Thebes, born to the Theban princess Semele. He attempts to protect his city and his followers from the encroaching Argive army, using his influence over nature to create a massive drought to hinder their march.

The oracular god worshipped fiercely by the citizens of Inachus. He is a fickle deity who issues the prophecies that set Adrastus on his path. He shows particular favor to the seer Amphiaraus, manipulating events on the mortal plane to grant him temporary glory.

The aggressive god of war, deployed by Jupiter to whip the mortals into a frenzy. He eagerly spreads strife, hunger, and panic across the countryside, ensuring the conflict between Argos and Thebes reaches a violent, chaotic peak.

A devout Argive seer and priest of Apollo. Despite seeing terrifying omens indicating a disastrous outcome, he is manipulated into joining the expedition by his ambitious wife. He marches with the Seven out of a sense of patriotic duty, knowing the dark fate that awaits the army.

A massive, fiercely aggressive warrior among the Seven. Known for his wild arrogance and absolute disdain for the gods and their omens, he actively mocks prophecy and relies entirely on his own physical strength. He wears a helm decorated with a giant and wields a massive spear.

A powerful hero leading Dorian troops as one of the Seven. He is noted for his immense physical strength and his fierce loyalty to his fellow warriors on the battlefield. He distinguishes himself in the funeral games by throwing an impossibly heavy discus.

A strikingly beautiful, young Arcadian warrior and the son of the huntress Atalanta. Inexperienced but eager for glory, he marches to war against his mother's wishes. He prefers his weapons for their aesthetics over their utility and enters the conflict wearing woodland finery.

The mother and wife of Oedipus, heavily burdened by the monstrous nature of her family tree. She desperately attempts to act as a peace-maker between her warring sons, visiting the Argive camp to appeal to their sense of shared blood and attempting to halt the conflict.

The daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta. She possesses a compassionate nature and stood by Polynices when he initially lost the throne. She watches the gathering forces with dread, deeply distressed by her brothers' hatred and the inevitable bloodshed.

The sister of Eteocles and Polynices, betrothed to a Theban named Atys. Like her sister Antigone, she is trapped by her family's terrible history and suffers the emotional toll of the impending siege, experiencing terrifying dreams about her future.

The daughter of Adrastus who marries the exiled Polynices. She is deeply devoted to her husband and worries constantly about his safety. She innocently wears the cursed necklace of Harmony at her wedding, setting a dark omen over the union.

A Theban courtier and advisor with his own political ambitions. He fiercely criticizes Eteocles for bringing the war to their city and suffers immense personal grief over his family's involvement in the conflict, which hardens him into a cruel leader when he eventually assumes power.

The young son of Creon. He receives a chilling prophecy that demands a terrible price for the salvation of Thebes, placing him directly in the center of the gods' destructive plans. He embraces his fate with a desire for martial and civic glory.

The neighboring king of Athens, renowned for his heroic deeds and nobility. He leads an army bearing a shield with his own image and serves as a powerful arbiter of justice when the grieving Argive women arrive at his city seeking his help to bury their dead.

The famous blind seer of Thebes. At Eteocles's command, he performs dark necromantic rites in a frightening forest to summon ghosts from the Underworld and divine the outcome of the war. He relies on his daughter to describe the visions he conjures.

The daughter of Tiresias. She assists her blind father in performing underworld rites, describing the terrifying visions of the dead so he can interpret their meaning for the Theban king.

The infant prince of Nemea, cared for by the enslaved Hypsipyle. His tragic encounter with a sacred snake causes the Argive army to halt their march and hold elaborate funeral games in his honor, serving as a dark omen for the war.

A former princess of Lemnos who now lives as an enslaved nurse to the infant Opheltes. She harbors a tragic past, having secretly saved her father during a mass slaughter on her home island before being captured by pirates. She inadvertently endangers her young ward while distracted by the Argive heroes.

The greedy wife of the seer Amphiaraus. Consumed with envy for Argia's cursed necklace, she accepts it as a bribe from Polynices to force her unwilling husband into joining the war effort, despite knowing it will doom him.

The goddess of war and wisdom. She operates as Tydeus's patron deity, attempting to protect him on the battlefield and interceding with Jupiter to secure him immortal glory, until his behavior repulses her.

The terrifying king of the Underworld who judges the dead without pity. He is highly suspicious of his Olympian brothers and fiercely protective of his dark domain when the natural order is violated by mortals dropping into hell alive.

The daughter of Adrastus and sister to Argia. Following Apollo's prophecy, she marries the exiled hero Tydeus in Argos, tying her fate to the impending civil war.

A local priest and the father of the infant Opheltes. He initially avoids the Argive army due to a bad omen but reacts with extreme, violent fury when he learns his child was left unattended and killed by a snake.

A famous huntress from the wilderness and a devotee of the virgin goddess Diana. She races through the forest attempting to stop her young son from joining the war, keenly aware of his inexperience. She is haunted by nightmares predicting his doom.