Pierre: The main male character. Starts out as an oaf but goes through profound changes.

Count Bezukhov: Pierre’s father. Rich and old.

Andrei: Pierre’s best friend. Has unreasonably high ideals for achieving glory and having people love him.

Lise: Andrei’s wife. Pregnant with their son, Nikolenka.

Baron Bolkonski: Andrei’s father. Insufferably overbearing.

Marya: Andrei’s sister. Religious. Devoted to their father, Baron Bolkonski.

Mademoiselle Bourienne: Marya’s attendant.

Butler Tikhon, Overseer Alpatych, Dron: Andrei’s servants.

Natasha: The main female character. Very passionate. Always surprising.

Sonya: Natasha’s best friend and cousin, an orphan who lives with the family.

Nicholas: Natasha’s brother, who wants to be a hero. Learns the true meaning of courage.

Denisov: Nicholas’s boss.

Petya: Natasha’s young brother. Sweet and impetuous. Eventually goes to war.

Count and Countess Rostov: Natasha’s lovely parents. The count may fritter away his wife’s money, but he is good at being happy.

Boris: The social climber. Smarmy and shallow.

Widow Drubetskoy: Boris’s mother, who helps him in his social climbing.

Baron Vasili: The bad guy.

Helene: Baron Vasili’s naughty daughter. A femme fatale.

Anatole: Baron Vasili’s naughty son. A seducing Casanova.

Hippolyte: Another son.

Julie: Rich heiress. Pen pal of Marya (Andrei’s religious sister).

Dolokhov: The psycho. A terrible friend but a great soldier.

Platón: The noble peasant. Understands the joy of simply being alive.

Anna Palovna: Socialite hostess.

Napoleon: The enemy.

Général Murat: One of Napoleon’s many generals.

General (later promoted to Marshal) Kutuzov: The wise Russian military leader.

Marshal (later demoted to General) Barclay de Tolly: Kutuzov’s boss (later replaced by Kutuzov).

Major Bagration: Kutuzov’s main general.

General Pfuel: Smart general with a lot of plans that never work out.

General Raevsky: Showy general willing to sacrifice his sons for glory.

Artillery Captain Tushin: Hardworking but under-valued.

The Tzar: Head of Russia.

Secretary of State Speransky: A reformer of government with a cold and artificial manner.

Mayor Rastopchin: The foolish mayor/governor of Moscow.

Vereshchagin: Political prisoner.