A former convict from Safety - the Union's prison island - who counts everything and has strict rules about how things must be done. Friendly is one of the most consistently surprising characters in the series: apparently simple, actually precise, occasionally terrifying. He appears first in Best Served Cold as part of Monza's crew and recurs across the standalones. His comfort with violence and his discomfort with social interaction are presented without judgment and without explanation, and the result is one of Abercrombie's most original supporting characters.

A brilliant, paranoid, self-important poisoner hired by Monza for her revenge mission. He insists on the scientific basis of his work and despises being called a sorcerer. His vanity and suspicion make him a volatile ally.

Morveer's young, pretty, deceptively innocent-looking apprentice poisoner. Her nimble hands and forgettable face serve her well in the trade, though her loyalty to her master has limits.

A Northman who tries to go south and be a better man - to leave the violence of the North behind and become something else. He fails, but the manner of his failure and what it costs him make him one of the most interesting characters in the series. Shivers appears first in Best Served Cold as Monza's hired muscle and grows into a recurring presence across the standalones and Age of Madness, each appearance showing him further from who he wanted to be. His arc is the purest expression of the series' central theme: people do not change, and the things that happen to them tend to make them more themselves rather than less.

A red-haired Practical assigned to work with Glokta later in the story. Her loyalties and motives are not immediately clear.