Burma Jones
An African American porter at the Night of Joy, his face is constantly hidden behind space-age sunglasses and a cloud of smoke. Working for well below the minimum wage, he remains at the Night of Joy only because he fears he will be arrested for vagrancy if he is unemployed.
Claude Robichaux
A grandfather of six, he is convinced that communists are taking over the country. When Patrolman Mancuso attempts to arrest Ignatius, Claude sticks up for him and ends up arrested himself. Later in the novel, he becomes a potential husband for Mrs. Reilly.
Darlene
B-Girl at the Night of Joy, she dreams of becoming an exotic dancer. She has a pet cockatoo that plays a prominent role in her stripper routine, since it has been trained to rip her clothes off of her.
Dorian Greene
An elegant, young homosexual who runs a vintage clothes shop in the French Quarter. He buys Mrs. Reilly's hat early in the novel. Later, we learn that he throws extravagant parties. Ignatius tries to recruit him and his friends to infiltrate the armed forces and highest levels of government--so that war would be replaced with orgies.
Dr. Talc
A renowned lecturer on British history, he actually knows very little about the subject. He formerly taught both Ignatius and Myrna Minkoff, and Ignatius has sent him a number of letters threatening bodily injury for his fraud.
Frieda Club, Betty Bumper, and Liz Steele
Rowdy lesbians who live in Dorian Greene's building. Always looking for a brawl, they assault Mancuso early in the novel, and they are the cause of the French Quarter brawl at the climax of the story.
George
A young teen with oiled hair and flamenco boots, he serves as a delivery boy for Lana Lee's pornography ring.
Gus Levy
Owner of Levy Pants. He tries to dissociate himself from the business as much as possible, spending most of his time at race tracks, sporting events, and spring training camps.
Ignatius J. Reilly
The story's protagonist, he is a behemoth of fat and flatulence. A medieval man at heart, Ignatius loathes everything modern or commercial. He is a constant observer, recording his own peculiar version of history on Big Chief tablets. Ignatius is also quite lazy, and he would prefer to spend most of his time at home in bed or in front of the television. Yet, when his mother crashes her Plymouth into a building, Ignatius is forced to enter the working world in order to help pay off the debt.
Lana Lee
The owner of the Night of Joy, she rules the club with an iron fist. Ignatius refers to her as the "Nazi Proprietress." She is also the mastermind behind the largest high school pornography ring in the city.
Miss Annie
The nosy neighbor of the Reillys, she constantly complains about the noise coming from the Reilly residence.
Miss Trixie
The old, senile assistant accountant at Levy Pants, she has only two desires in life: an Easter ham (since she was never given the Thanksgiving turkey her employer promised her) and retirement. Mrs. Levy will not let her retire, however, believing that Miss Trixie needs to feel that she is wanted.
Mr. Clyde
Owner of Paradise Vendors, Incorporated. He hires Ignatius to push a hotdog cart. Later, due to insufficient profits, he decides to assign Ignatius to the French Quarter and has him dress as a pirate in an attempt to improve business.
Mr. Gonzalez
The loyal and hardworking office manager at Levy Pants. Despite the fact that he is quite impressed with Ignatius as an employee, Ignatius decides to lead the factory workers in a revolt against him.
Mr. Palermo
Foreman of the Levy Pants factory. A drunk.
Mr. Watson
Owner of Mattie's Ramble Inn (a combination bar and grocery store), he gives Jones the idea of sabotaging the Night of Joy.
Mr. Zalatimo
A tall man with long black hair. Mr. and Mrs. Levy think he looks like a gangster. He replaces Ignatius in the filing department after the failed Crusade for Moorish Dignity. Mr. Gonzalez says that he seems loyal, though he has a problem alphabetizing.
Mrs. Levy
Gus Levy's wife. She took (but failed) a correspondence course on psychology. She insists that Miss Trixie be kept employed (despite Miss Trixie's repeated requests for retirement), believing that Miss Trixie needs to feel wanted. Her favorite activities are making her husband miserable and writing to her two daughters, Susan and Sandra, to tell them of all the terrible things their father has done--thereby turning the girls against him.
Mrs. Reilly
Ignatius's mother. She loves her son but frequently complains that after all the money she spent on his education, he has not made anything of himself. No stranger to alcohol--her drink of choice is muscatel.
Myrna Minkoff
Ignatius refers to her as the "minx." She is a Jewish beatnik from New York, whom Ignatius met in college. She believes that sex is the answer to many of life's problems, and she often accuses Ignatius of having homosexual tendencies. Throughout the novel, she corresponds with Ignatius by mail, and she serves as the motivation for many of his actions, as he tries to get even with the minx for her latest effrontery.
Patrolman Mancuso
An inept, yet hardworking, police officer who suspects Ignatius of being a pervert and who attempts to arrest him. His sergeant, frustrated with his incompetence, punishes him by forcing him to wear a new costume each day. If he does not apprehend a suspicious character soon, he will be thrown off the force.
Santa Battaglia
Patrolman Mancuso's aunt, she becomes Mrs. Reilly's friend and bowling partner. She decides to play matchmaker in setting up Mrs. Reilly with Claude Robichaux, and she is the primary proponent of Ignatius being committed at Charity Hospital.
Sergeant
Patrolman Mancuso's boss who, out of frustration with Mancuso's ineptitude, forces him to wear ridiculous costumes and to spend long days sitting in the bus station bathroom. He threatens to kick Mancuso off the force if he does not shape up.
Timmy
Friend of Dorian Greene who dresses up like a sailor. He gets chained and shackled to the wall at Dorian's party.
