Santiago Nasar
the protagonist of the story who is killed the day after the wedding between Angela Vicario and Bayardo San Roman. The story is centered around his death and the events leading up to it. He is accused by Angela Vicario of taking her virinity, but no evidence backs this up.
Angela Vicario
the bride of Bayardo San Roman, who accuses Santiago Nasar of taking her virginity. After being returned home on her wedding night, she discovers that she's in love with Bayardo, and, later on, begins sending him one letter a week for 17 years.
Pedro Vicario
one of Angela's twin brothers. He was in the army before the time the novel is set, and after prison he reenlisted and eventually disappeared in enemy territory. Pedro originally came up with the plan to kill Santiago Nasar, but after the mayor, Colonel Aponte, disarmed them and sent them home, he was ready to give up on the plan.
Pablo Vicario
the older twin by six minutes, he developed a sort of younger-brother complex after Pedro returned form the army. Pablo was the one who took command after Pedro wanted to stop the murder plot. He marries Prudencia Cotes after he is acquitted of the murder and released from prison.
Bayardo San Roman
the mysterious man who marries Angela Vicario and then returns her when he discovers that she wasn't a virgin. Bayardo is the son of General Petronio San Roman, a famous civil war general, and Alberta Simonds, who many considered the most beautiful woman in the Antilles. The family is extremely wealthy, and Bayardo came to town with the sole purpose of finding a bride.
Placida Linero
Santiago Nasar's mother. She is well-known in the town for being adept at interpreting people's dreams, but failed to notice the bad omen of birds in Santiago Nasar's in the days before his death.
Purisma del Carmen
more often referred to as Pura Vicario, she is Angela's mother. She beats Angela for two hours when Bayardo returns her to the family house. She is a blood relative of the narrator's.
Poncio Vicario
Angela Vicario's father. He is blind, a result of his working as a goldsmith.
Maria Alejandrina Cervantes
A local and well-respected prostitute, she is a good friend of both the narrator's and Santiago Nasar.
Ibrahim Nasar
Santiago's father who came over with the other Arab immigrants and died before the story began. Santiago is said to be a lot like his father.
Victoria Guzman
a servant in the Nasar household. She was seduced at a young age by Ibrahim Nasar, and is worried that her daughter, Divina Flor, will fall into the same problem with Santiago.
Clotilde Armenta
the proprietress of the milk shop that Pedro and Pablo Vicario wait in before killing Santiago. She tries to warn Santiago of the danger, by telling a number of different people to warn him, his mother, the local priest, and the mayor, but all of her attempts fail.
Don Rogelio de la Flor
Clotilde Armenta's husband who doesn't believe her that the Vicario brothers are actually planning on killing Santiago. He dies of shock (probably a heart attack) after watching the murder.
Divina Flor
the daughter of Victoria Guzman. Santiago grabs her "whole pussy" as he leaves; her mother is afraid that she'll fall under his trap like she did with his father.
Cristo Bedoya
one of Santiago's best friends. He spent all night and morning with Santiago, and then tried to warn him once he found out about the murder plot, but couldn't find him. He's also a good friend of the narrator.
Luis Enrique
the narrator's brother, who partied at Maria Cervantes's brothel and then serenaded with the narrator, Santiago Nasar, and Cristo Bedoya. Supposedly, Pedro and Pablo Vicario told them their plan to kill Santiago, but he was too drunk to remember.
Margot
the narrator's sister, who invites Santiago to breakfast the morning of his murder. She seems to have a crush on Santiago, and thinks that Flora Miguel is a very lucky woman.
Father Amador
the local priest, who is warned about the murder plot by Clothilde Armenta, but then forgets in the panic of the bishop's visit. He also performs the autopsy while the doctor is out of town.
Dr. Dionisio Iguaran
the local doctor, who would have performed the autopsy had he been in town. He was present when Xius sold Bayardo San Roman his old house, and thinks that Xius died of a broken heart from selling it.
Colonel Lazaro Aponte
the mayor of the town. He takes away the first two knives that the twins have, and sends them home, but refuses to arrest them, so they come back. He also goes into the social club to check on dominoes night instead of finding Santiago and warning him about the murder plot.
Faustino Santos
a butcher friend of the Vicario brothers, who warns a local policeman of their plan.
Officer Leandro Pornoy
the officer that Faustino warned of the plan. He passes along the information to Colonel Aponte, the mayor.
General Petronio San Roman
Bayardo's father, who was a hero of the civil wars of the past century.
Alberta Simonds
Bayardo's mother. She's considered to be one of the prettiest women in the Antilles.
Prudencia Cotes
Pablo Vicario's fiancee and later, wife. She told the narrator that she wouldn't have married him if he hadn't acted like a man and killed Santiago.
Yamil Shaium
a friend of Ibrahim Nasar, who immigrated to the town with him. He tried to protect Santiago by warning Cristo Bedoya, but it was too late. He then led the group of Arabs that chased the Vicario twins into the church.
Flora Miguel
Santiago's fiancee who gives him back all of his letters that he wrote her when she hears about the murder plot. She believes that the Vicario brothers won't kill Santiago, but make him marry Angela to give back her honor.
Nahir Miguel
the wise-man of the village, and Flora's father. He offered Santiago refuge after realizing that Santiago had no idea why the twins wanted to kill him. He also offered Santiago the use of his rifle, but Santiago refused both.
the widower Xius
the man who Bayardo San Roman bought their house from. Angela called his house the prettiest in the town, so Bayardo paid him way more money than it was worth. However, Xius died two months later, out of "tears bubbling in his heart" from having to sell his wife's old house.
Investigating Magistrate
the judge the investigated the murder. His name isn't known, just that he had a passion for literature, and that what bothered him most about the murder was the absolute lack of evidence that Santiago had, in fact, taken Angela's virginity.
Mercedes Barcha
the narrator's fiancee and, eventually, wife. He proposed to her at Bayardo and Angela's wedding festivities.
Indalecio Pardo
a friend of Santiago Nasar's. The Vicario twins essentially challenged him to warn Santiago, but he was too afraid when it came down to it.
