Orual
Orual is the main character in the novel and she is also the narrator of the story. Orual begins writing her story when she is close to death but she recalls all her life and her experiences. The reason why she wanted to write in the first place was because she felt the need to express her anger against the Gods that in her opinion made her life harsh from birth. While Orual was born as a member of the royal family, she suffered all her life because he was ugly. She was then told constantly by her father and by those around her that she is worthless because she does not fit in with the rest of her sisters and because no one would ever want to marry her. Orual grow up blaming the Gods for her physical appearance and her hatred becomes even more pronounced when her little sister is taken away from her and sacrificed to the God of the Mountain. Despite hating the Gods, Orual also fears them and she feels that she will be one day punished for the feelings of hatred she has towards them. Because of this, towards the end of her life, Orual tries to make things better by writing in a positive way about the Gods.
Psyche
Psyche is the King’s daughter from his second marriage. Psyche’s mother died during childbirth so Psyche was raised almost entirely by Orual who loved her more than anything else and by the Fox. From an early age, Psyche was extremely beautiful and kind and when she grew up, the people in her father’s Kingdom began to worship her like she was a goddess. This enraged the Priest at the temple of Ungit who claimed that she must be sacrificed to the God of the Mountain. Scared, her father agreed and Psyche agreed to go as well, thinking that it was her destiny to become a God’s wife. Towards the end, Psyche is rewarded by being transformed into a Goddess after completing a series of various tasks.
The Fox
The Fox is an important character in the novel and he is the girl’s mentors. The Fox is a Greek slave bought by the King and the reason he was bought was because the King wanted to have a tutor for his future son. When the King fails to produce a son, the Fox becomes a predominant figure in the girl’s lives and he is the only father figure they knew because the King was too preoccupied with other things. The Fox is the King’s advisor for a while and then, after he dies, he becomes Orual’s mentor and closest friend. Even after Orual releases him, he still decides to remain by her side until he dies.
Redival
Redival is the name given to Orual’s sister and she is the middle child in the royal family. Before the both of Psyche, Redival is the most beautiful daughter of the King and she is the one who is considered as being the most beautiful princess. After Psyche is born, Redival is pushed to the side and she starts engaging in inappropriate behavior with her father’s guards. Redival is married to the King of Phars in the end and when her sister sees her again she notes that Redival lost the beauty she had in her youth.
The King
The King is Redival’s, Orual’s and Psyche’s father in the book. The king is obsessed with the fact that he does not have a male heir and he feels that his position is threaten by his lack of male heir. He is cruel to the girls and does not stop himself from sacrificing his own daughter to strengthen his position as a king.
Batta
Batta is the King’s girl’s nurses who appears for a few chapters. Batta is a cruel woman who does not have any type for affection for the girls and he doesn’t hesitate to punish them and scare them with different tales about what will happen to them if their father remarries.
Bardia
Bardia is the King’s head of guardians and he is the one who accompanies Orual when she goes searching for her sister. After the King dies, Bardia becomes one of Orual’s advisors and closest friends. Bardia dies after years of serving his Queen and after his death his widow tells the Queen that she was one of the reasons why he died.
Ansit
Ansit is Bardia’s wife and the mother of his children. Ansit resented Oural for keeping her husband away from her and she always felt as if she was betrayed by her husband.
The God of the Grey Mountain
The God appears in various forms but he appears in physical form only once when he appears before Orual. He is described as being a cruel God but he does appear to have some form of affection for Psyche.
The Priest of Ungit
The Pirest of Ungit is described as being a deeply religious man, devoted to the Goddess he serves. When Psyche begins to be treated as a Goddess, the priest feels threatened and he claims that the Goddess is mad and that the only thing that can calm the Goddess is if they sacrifice a person to the Goddess. The person chosen as a sacrifice is Psyche.
