William Munny
A former thief as well as a notorious gunfighter, famed for his vicious and unrestrained disposition especially after he’s had a drink. All this is past though as he has left this former way of life when he got married, renouncing thievery, violence, and even strong drink. When he is first introduced in the film he is clearly a mere ghost of his former self: exhausted, filthy from chasing after his pigs, and miserable from realization that he is all but financially ruined because he is obviously not cut out for farm life. When he is approached by The Schofield Kid to help him earn a bounty of $1,000 he initially refuses, reasoning that most of the fight has gone out of him. He eventually agrees to take part in the venture out of desperation. He nearly dies during the mission but he recovers fully, and in the process seemingly regaining the cold-blooded ferocity in combat that he was so feared for.
Little Bill Daggett
The uncompromising but efficient sheriff of Big Whiskey, Little Bill, initially at least, seems like a sensible person. His behavior is genteel, downright friendly when need be, and takes great pains to obey the letter of the law. This persona however is completely fabricated; truth is Bill Daggett is raging, psychopath, who has no compunctions about using violence--often excessive violence--to enforce the rule of law. Provided that his authority is unchallenged he can maintain the veneer of civility. Once his authority is questioned though he immediately transforms into a violent brute.
The Schofield Kid
A young, brash, alleged gun fighter, the Schofield Kid is precisely what his name suggests: a kid with a Schofield pistol, nothing more, nothing less. It is soon discovered that his supposed exploits and adventures are all tall tales; the Kid, as it turns out has never killed anyone and is all bluster. Upon actually managing to kill a man he nearly has a nervous breakdown, swearing to never touch another firearm again.
English Bob
English Bob is a legendary gunfighter, much like Munny is. Bob picks up news of the bounty and comes to Big Whiskey, with his lackey biographer. He's very proud of his skills with his pistols and very protective of his guns. Little Bill confronts Bob about his guns and promptly disarms him, but he is searched once more because Bill is aware of a tiny derringer pistol secreted in his boot. Bob brazen disregard for Big Whiskey’s “no firearms” law causes Bill to fly into a mad rage and he proceeds to beat him nearly to death.
Ned Logan
Ned Logan is Will Munny’s former partner in crime and good friend, and much like Will he has taken a more quiet, bucolic life. When he is called out of “retirement” though he willingly comes along seeing it as an opportunity to break the monotony of farm life. Unlike Will though Ned was never truly a cold-blooded killer and there were certain lines he wasn’t willing to cross. Little Bill makes an example of Ned who flogs him then publicly executing him then leaving his body out on the street as a macabre warning to those who would violate his statutes.
W.W. Beauchamp
An alleged biographer, Beauchamp is a sycophant, hanging around people that he believes to be “heroes embodying the spirit of the West.” He is a writer of clichéd, exaggerated interpretations of life in the Wild West. He is first introduced to viewers hanging around English Bob. When Little Bill savagely thrashes Bob within an inch of his life and in the process reveals himself as the brutal tyrant that he truly is, Beauchamp then starts hanging Little Bill, whose adventures/atrocities he then decides to pen. He is reticent man, afraid of confrontation and completely unprepared when the veneer of the noble gunfighter drops from his supposed “heroes of the Wild West.”
The Prostitutes
The prostitutes that work at Greely's are the first characters viewers encounter in the film and collectively, they are a force to be reckoned with. After Delilah is mutilated, the women pool their resources to put a sizable bounty together and send word that anybody who manages to kill the perpetrators gets their $1,000, no questions asked. This bounty serves as the catalyst for all the major events in the film.
Skinny Dubois
Skinny, the owner of the saloon in Big Whiskey, first appears to the viewer as a savior to the prostitutes, especially to Delilah and Strawberry Alice, as he holds a gun to Quick Mike's head when they're getting beaten up. We then learn he isn't as kind as we thought when Little Bill Daggett turns up to discuss the incident. Skinny insists that the two cowboys shouldn't be charged with assault, but instead with property damage. He refers to Delilah as "damaged property" and "nobody's gonna pay good money for a cut up whore". Skinny goes on to demand that he gets a pay-out in ponies. He meets his demise when William Munny shoots him in one of the final scenes for displaying Ned Logans' body on his porch.
Strawberry Alice (Key Prostitute)
Strawberry Alice is seen as a leader among the prostitutes. When Delilah gets beaten, she runs to her rescue. In the cultural context of Unforgiven, she is seen to contrast with the typical gender role stereotype we see in the society of the movie. She defends Delilah in front of Little Bill, claiming Delilah "didn't know no better". She becomes even more angry when she is told there is no harsh punishment for Quick Mike and Davy Bunting and says "that's all they got after what they done?" She is also the key driving force over getting William Munny to kill the men.
