Dalinar is the King of Urithiru and the leader of the human coalition on Roshar. He is a Bondsmith Knight Radiant bound to the powerful Stormfather spren. Haunted by traumatic memories of his past as a brutal military commander, he now seeks to broker peace and find a solution to defeat the god Odium without further violence.

Kaladin is a highly skilled soldier who has recently stepped down from his leadership of the Windrunner order to focus on mental health. He acts as an informal therapist for other characters, utilizing his deep empathy born from years of trauma and survivor's guilt. He travels to Shinovar on a mission to investigate an erratic Herald.

Szeth is a master swordsman and former assassin who was once forced into servitude. He is a Skybreaker Knight Radiant undertaking a pilgrimage to his homeland of Shinovar. He carries intense guilt over his past actions and constantly seeks clear definitions of right and wrong, preferring to follow orders rather than trust his own judgment.

Odium is the god of unbridled passion and hatred. He commands the Fused and other dark forces in a millennia-long conflict against the human coalition on Roshar. His power has recently been taken over by a new avatar, Taravangian, making him a terrifyingly logical and strategic threat who seeks to conquer the entire universe.

Shallan is a Lightweaver Knight Radiant with the power to create complex illusions. She developed multiple alter-egos (Veil, Radiant, and Formless) to cope with a deeply traumatic childhood. She works to dismantle a dangerous inter-world crime syndicate known as the Ghostbloods while searching for the prison of an ancient spren.

Adolin is a high prince of Alethkar and a legendary duelist. Unlike his brother and father, he is not a Knight Radiant, but he possesses a profound connection to his Shardblade. He leads the desperate defense of the city of Azimir against overwhelming enemy forces, driven by a deep need to atone for past battlefield failures.

Rlain is a Parshendi man who broke away from Odium's forces to join the human coalition. He is a Truthwatcher Knight Radiant. Despite facing prejudice, he remains dedicated to his mission and joins Shallan's expedition into the Spiritual Realm to find a dangerous, ancient spren.

Navani is the Queen of Urithiru and a brilliant scholar who engineers magical devices known as fabrials. She accompanies Dalinar into the Spiritual Realm to uncover the true history of their world. She is fiercely protective of her family and actively works to outmaneuver the forces of Odium.

Jasnah is the Queen of Alethkar and an Elsecaller Knight Radiant. She is a renowned scholar who operates strictly on utilitarian philosophy, believing in doing the most good for the greatest number of people. She leads the defense of Thaylen City and engages in high-stakes intellectual debates with enemy forces to protect her people.

Renarin is Dalinar's youngest son and a Truthwatcher Knight Radiant. Quiet and highly perceptive, he joins Shallan on a dangerous mission into the Spiritual Realm. He struggles with social interactions but finds deep comfort in his relationship with Rlain.

Taravangian is a former human king who has successfully taken on the mantle and power of the god Odium. He operates with cold, ruthless logic and is determined to conquer Roshar and the wider universe to impose his own absolute version of peace and order.

Wit (also known as Hoid) is an ancient, world-hopping wanderer who assists the human coalition on Roshar. He provides cryptic warnings, historical artifacts, and vital information to leaders like Dalinar and Kaladin, using his deep knowledge of the universe's mechanics to guide them.

Venli is a Parshendi woman and Knight Radiant who leads a faction of renegades seeking to escape the cycle of war. A former scholar, she uses her deep understanding of Parshendi rhythms and songs to navigate the Shattered Plains and form an alliance with the massive native chasmfiends.

Sylphrena, often called Syl, is an honorspren bonded to Kaladin. She provides him with his Radiant powers and acts as a constant, optimistic presence, helping him solve puzzles and fighting by his side when necessary.

Pattern is a Cryptic spren bonded to Shallan. He assists her in creating the complex lightweavings necessary for her espionage work against the Ghostbloods.

Testament is a "deadeye" spren who was bonded to Shallan when she was a young child. She was gravely injured when Shallan unknowingly rejected their bond, and her current broken state is a physical manifestation of Shallan's childhood trauma.

Maya is a "deadeye" spren bonded to Adolin Kholin as his Shardblade. Though ancient oaths were broken by her previous Radiant, she is slowly recovering her awareness and voice thanks to Adolin's profound respect and care for her.

The Stormfather is a massively powerful spren closely tied to the god Honor. He is bonded to Dalinar Kholin. He frequently attempts to block Dalinar from viewing certain ancient visions, fearful of what the truth regarding Honor's past actions might reveal.

Cultivation is one of the three god-like beings on Roshar. She operates from the shadows, making long-term plans to counter Odium's forces. She advises Dalinar to study history before his final confrontation.

Gavinor is the young grandson of Dalinar and Navani. While observing his grandparents, he is accidentally pulled into the Spiritual Realm, where he falls prey to Odium's manipulations and is subjected to traumatic, out-of-context visions of his family's past.

Ishar is an ancient Herald residing in Shinovar. He is reported to be behaving erratically and experiencing delusions of godhood, prompting Dalinar to send Kaladin to offer him therapeutic assistance before he causes a massive catastrophe.

Nale is an ancient Herald and the patron of the Skybreaker order. After centuries of trauma, he has placed his absolute faith in strict laws and the orders of his peer Ishar. He clashes violently with Kaladin over their differing philosophies on morality and personal choice.

Mraize is a high-ranking operative in the Ghostbloods, an inter-world crime syndicate. He was Shallan's former mentor but is now her direct antagonist as they race to locate the prison of an ancient Unmade spren in the Spiritual Realm.

Iyatil is Mraize's boss and a leader within the Ghostbloods. She possesses powerful Surgebinding abilities and directly attacks Shallan's forces, utilizing psychological manipulation and anti-magic weapons.

Sigzil is the highest-ranking Windrunner following Kaladin's resignation. He struggles with imposter syndrome as he commands a desperately outnumbered human force against Odium's armies on the Shattered Plains.

Moash is a former member of Kaladin's bridge crew who betrayed the human coalition to fight for Odium. Equipped with gemstone eyes that grant him special vision and armed with anti-magic weapons, he is a deadly threat to his former friends on the battlefield.

Yanagawn is the young Emperor of Azir. Elevated to the throne from a previous life as a thief, he lacks traditional military education but possesses sharp instincts. He forms a close bond with Adolin while learning battle strategy during the brutal defense of his capital city.

Ba-Ado-Mishram is a powerful Unmade spren associated with Odium who was imprisoned centuries ago by the Knights Radiant. She is the target of a high-stakes search in the Spiritual Realm, as multiple factions race to locate her hidden prison.

12124 is a highspren bonded to Szeth. Much like his Radiant, 12124 is torn between following the strict orders of his superiors and trusting his own instincts, leading him to quietly seek therapeutic advice from Kaladin.

Elid is Szeth's older sister. She is deeply resentful of Szeth, blaming him for the hardships that fell upon their family when he was forced into military training as a child.

Fen is the Queen of Thaylenah. She works closely with Jasnah to defend Thaylen City from Odium's forces, though she constantly worries that her city's recovering infrastructure will not withstand another massive attack.

Lift is a teenage Knight Radiant who frequently uses her abilities to sneak around and gather information. She disguises herself to cover for absent leaders and actively searches the tower for her lost pet bird.

Zahel is an ardent and a legendary swordmaster who trained many members of the Alethi royal family. He is secretly held captive and tortured for his magical abilities by Ghostblood operatives until he is discovered by Lift.

El is a high-ranking Fused commander appointed by Odium to lead the armies attacking the Shattered Plains. He attempts to negotiate with dissenting Parshendi forces to bolster his army's strength.