The First Child of the Dead Seed - the leader of the Tenescowri, the Pannion Seer's army of starving peasant cannibals. Anaster was born of a mother raped by an undead soldier and carries a connection to death that defines his terrible authority over the desperate masses who follow him.

Lord of Moon's Spawn and leader of the Tiste Andii, an ancient people of darkness who have outlasted most of what they once cared about. Anomander Rake is among the most powerful beings in the Malazan world, carrying a sword called Dragnipur whose nature is itself a kind of story. He is defined by the combination of immense power and genuine weariness, and by a code whose contours become clearer across the sequence.

A Bridgeburner sergeant known for his nervous disposition and perpetual anxiety. Despite his anxious nature, Antsy is a competent soldier and a reliable member of the Bridgeburners.

A young fisher's daughter from a coastal village who was possessed by the god Cotillion and used as an instrument of assassination before being encountered by the Bridgeburners. Apsalar is defined by the difficulty of reclaiming an identity after it has been occupied by something else, and by skills she did not choose and cannot entirely discard.

A prehistoric Ay (great wolf) accompanying Toc the Younger. Linked to Togg and Fanderay through Toc's visions, with deep T'lan Imass associations.

A High Alchemist and one of the senior members of Darujhistan's T'orrud Cabal. Baruk is defined by the tension between his considerable power and his institutional caution - he is capable of decisive action but prefers to understand a situation fully before committing to it.

A necromancer of considerable power and refined tastes who travels with his partner Korbal Broach. Bauchelain is urbane, intellectual, and entirely amoral - he pursues knowledge of death and undeath with the detachment of an academic, indifferent to the suffering his studies require.

A Thelomen High Mage in service to the Malazan Empire. Bellurdan is a giant of a man, towering over ordinary humans, and a powerful practitioner of magic. The partner of Nightchill and a soldier-mage whose particular bond with her shapes a great deal of how the Siege of Pale and its aftermath play out for him.

A Bridgeburner soldier with a talent for remaining unnoticed. Blend can fade into backgrounds and shadows with an almost supernatural ability, making her invaluable for reconnaissance and surprise.

The Mortal Sword of the Grey Swords and their military commander. Brukhalian is a formidable warrior and a devout servant of Fener, leading the defence of Capustan with tactical skill and unwavering faith.

A caravan guard and acquaintance of Gruntle who has fallen into alcoholism after personal tragedy. Buke's experiences during the journey to Capustan force a reckoning with his own despair.

A Barghast shoulderman (shaman) of the White Face clan and Hetan's brother. Cafal is thoughtful and spiritual, providing magical support and counsel to the Barghast forces.

The warlord commanding the principal military alliance opposing the Malazan Empire on Genabackis, Caladan Brood is a figure of immense physical power who carries a hammer said to be capable of ending the world. He is deliberate, patient, and possessed of a strategic intelligence that has kept a coalition of disparate forces functioning across years of war.

A nobleman of Darujhistan who has fallen on hard times. Once a man of wealth and standing, Coll lost his estates through political machinations and now spends his days drinking at the Phoenix Inn. Despite his decline, he retains his honour and proves himself a loyal friend when it matters most.

An ancient Great Raven and the matriarch of the murder of Great Ravens allied with Anomander Rake and the Tiste Andii of Moon's Spawn. Crone serves as Rake's messenger and scout, carrying intelligence across vast distances. She is cunning, sarcastic, and fiercely intelligent, often providing sardonic commentary on the affairs of mortals and gods alike.

The creator of the sword Dragnipur and father of Lady Envy - an Elder God of immense and considered power whose own history with the blade he forged is one of the things the long arc of the Book of the Fallen takes its time to set out.

The High Fist commanding the Malazan forces on Genabackis, Dujek Onearm is one of the empire's most capable military commanders - trusted by his soldiers rather than, necessarily, by his empress. He operates at the intersection of military necessity and political reality, aware that the orders he receives and the situation on the ground rarely align.

Long-suffering manservant of the necromancers Bauchelain and Korbal Broach. Reluctant participant in their schemes, with a fondness for rustleaf and a tragicomic stoicism.

The ruler of the Malazan Empire, Laseen came to power through the Claw and has maintained that power through a combination of political ruthlessness and calculated distance from the empire's military campaigns. She is one of the sequence's most deliberately ambiguous figures - her decisions cause enormous suffering, and the sequence neither excuses nor simply condemns her.

A sapper and one of the Bridgeburners' longest-serving members, Fiddler is defined by a sardonic pragmatism that functions as both coping mechanism and genuine philosophy. He is exceptionally good at his work and exceptionally tired of the circumstances that require it. His card readings recur across the sequence as moments of unwanted clarity.