| | | Book One: Wishbone |
1 | Ruby | Bell | Colored girl being raised by White folks. |
| Papa | Bell | Ruby's grandfather. |
| Ephram | Jennings | The man who loved Ruby since childhood. |
| Miss | Philomena | Store owner. Aka: Miss P. |
| Chauncy | Rankin | One of the Rankin brothers. |
| Gubber | Samuels | Ephram's friend. |
| Celia | Jennings | Ephram's older sister. |
| Omar | Jennings | Celia and Ephram's father. Aka: Reverend Jennings. |
| Clancy | Simkins | Ephram's neighbor. |
| Rupert | Shankle | Ruby's neighbor. |
| Glister | | Ephram's neighbor. |
| Baby Girl | Samuels | Gubber's cousin. |
| Supra | Rankin | The Rankin boys' mother. |
| Charlie | | Glister's son. |
2 | Otha Beatrice | Jennings | Celia and Ephram's mother. Aka: Otha Daniels. |
| Margaret | Wilkins | Ruby's friend. Aka: Maggie. |
| Beulah | Wilkins | Maggie's mother. |
| Samella | | One of Beulah's daughters. |
| Rooster | | Chauncy's younger brother. |
| Tanny | | Ruby's friend. |
| Ma | Tante | Witch doctor. |
| Clem | | Gubber's Uncle. |
| | | Dyboù - an evil force out of the conjure world |
| Miss | Barbara | Hostess at THE FRIENDS' Club. |
3 | Joshua | | Pastor at In-His-Name Holiness Church. |
| Mo | Perty | One of the town folks. |
| Bessie 1 | | Mo's wife. |
| Junie | Rankin | Chauncy's great-uncle. |
4 | Ed | Bloom | Owner of Bloom's Juke. |
| Shep | Bloom | Ed's brother. |
| Mrs. | Gregory | One of the town folks. |
| K.O. | Charles | Celia's ex-boyfriend. |
| Mabel | | One of Bloom's Juke prostitutes. |
| Pete | | One of Bloom's Juke's customers. |
| Girdie | Bell | Youngest of the Bell girls. |
| Charlotte | Bell | Ruby's mother. |
| Neva Annetta | Bell | Eldest of the Bell girls. |
| Jeb | | K.O.'s brother. |
| Mister | Bell | Bell girls father. |
| Peter | Leech | Viceroy of the First National Bank. |
| Julie | Leech | Peter's wife. |
| Lucy | Levy | Julie's mother. |
| Jeffrey | Levy | President of First National Bank. |
| George | Levy | Town sheriff. |
| Claud | Jackson | The man who lost his cattle. |
| Edwin | Shephard | Shephard's Mortuary owner. |
| Sheriff | Junior | George's son. |
5 | Gregory | Corso | Poet. |
| Robert | Motherwell | Painter. |
| Charlise | Gladdington | Ruby's handler. |
6 | Verde May | Rankin | Supra's daughter. |
| Percy | Rankin | Chauncy's brother. |
| Moss | Renfolk | One of the town folks. |
| Lem | | One of Bloom's Juke's customers. |
7 | Millie | | Chauncy Rankin's horse. |
| | | Book Two: Two Bits |
9 | Billy | | Costume designer. |
| Jonah | | Station master. |
10 | Melonie | Rankin | Celia's opponent's daughter. |
| May | | The Pastor Joshua's wife. |
| Mercy | Polk | Aka: Mother Mercy. |
12 | Hubert | Malloy | Fur merchant. |
| Bea | | Hubert's daughter-in-law. |
| Sherman | Monty | The owner of Monty's delicatessen. |
| Mr. | Moskowitz | Ruby's neighbor. |
| Abby | Millhouse | Page Three's bouncer and the club manager's best friend. |
| Grandma | Silvia | The woman who ran a children's boarding school in Neches. |
| Tippy | | Ruby's great-uncle. |
| Pete | | Tippy's dog. |
13 | Righteous | Polk | One of the church sisters. |
| Tressie | | Moss Renfolk's wife. |
| | | Book Three: Revelations |
15 | Sarah | Geoffrey | Ephram's childhood crush. |
| Taylor | | K.O.'s older brother. |
| Lily | | Sarah Geoffrey's cousin. |
| Charles | | Percy's brother. |
16 | Sister | Thelma | Supra Rankin's husband's lover. |
| Salvation | | Righteous Polk's sister. |
| Honey | | Righteous Polk's daughter. |
| Reverend | Swanson | The reverend who got Honey pregnant. |
| Bessie 2 | | Junie's wife. |
| Petunia | | Junie's sister. |
| Sim | Rankin | One of the Rankin brothers. |
17 | Dr. | Tully | Doctor from Beaumont. |
| Marilyn | Daniels | Otha's mother. |
| Minister | Bowing | The minister who married Otha and Reverend Jennings. |
| Paula | Renfolk | Miss Barbara's maid. |
| Deacon | Marcus, | Man who always bought his wife a
flower bouquet on Fridays. |
| Penter | Rankin | One of the Rankin brothers. |
| Dr. | Glass | Otha's doctor. |
20 | Master | Gibbs | Cotton field owner. |
| Miss | Sybil | The laundress. |
| Ernest | Meagers | Sofia's lover. |
| Sofia | Jennings | Reverend Jennings mother. |
| Betty | | Ten year old girl. |
21 | Minnie | Hardy | K.O.'s cousin. |
| Grace | | Righteous Polk's cousin. |
| Peter | Green | One of Miss Barbara's clients. |
| Gertie | Renfolk | One of the choir members. |
22 | Mr. | Rankin | Supra's husband. |
| Sorrell | Wilkins | One of the town folks. |
| Mr. | Simpkins | One of the town folks. |
| Mandy | | Petty's seven-month-old son. |
| Clara | | Moss Percy's wife. |
| Evelyn | | K.O.'s wife. |