A
Adie
The Bone Woman, a blind woman with one foot who lives near the boundary surrounded by bones of creatures. She helps heal Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander and Chase after they are struck by underworld beasts, and instructs Richard and Kahlan on how to cross King's Port.
Mother Confessor Kahlan Amnell
The last surviving Confessor and the most powerful of her kind. She crossed through the boundary from the Midlands, pursued by assassins, seeking the great wizard to appoint a Seeker. Confessors possess a magical power activated by touch that takes away a person's free will, making them completely devoted to the Confessor. This power makes them feared and unable to have relationships, as passion would release their magic. Kahlan becomes close friends with Richard Cypher and serves as his guide through the Midlands.
Elder Arbrin
One of the six elders of the Mud People.
B
Bill / Innkeeper Bill
An innkeeper in South Haven who helps Richard and Kahlan escape from a quad attack and brings their unconscious friends up the back stairs.
The Bird Man
The true leader of the Mud People who can call birds. He has the power to call gatherings and name people as Mud People.
Chase Brandstone
A boundary warden and friend of Richard who patrols the boundary to ensure people stay away for their own safety. Boundary wardens are sovereign and follow only the true Seeker's orders. Chase is heavily armed, skilled in combat, and fiercely loyal. He pledges his life to Richard when he learns Richard is the Seeker, and guides the group to King's Port, the dangerous pass through the boundary. He is married to Emma and has a daughter named Lee.
Emma Brandstone
Chase's wife who tends to Richard's wounds and provides provisions for the travelers.
Lee Brandstone
Chase and Emma's daughter who takes care of Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander's cat.
Elder Breginderin
One of the six elders of the Mud People.
Brophy
A wolf who was once a man, changed by a wizard after Kahlan's Confessor touch proved his innocence of a false accusation. He follows and protects Kahlan.
C
Elder Caldus
One of the six elders of the Mud People.
Carl
A boy who is manipulated and killed by Lord Darken Rahl in a dark ceremony to travel the underworld.
Cat
A nightwisp—a magical creature of light that guided Kahlan through the boundary. Nightwisps can only be seen at night and cannot survive away from their kind.
Chandalen
A member of the Mud People tribe.
Regina Clark
A survivor at Horner's Mill who tells Richard and Kahlan about the attack.
Constance
A Mord-Sith who helps Denna train Richard. She is even more cruel than Denna and reports Denna to Lord Darken Rahl for being too lenient.
George Cypher
Richard's father who was killed by Lord Darken Rahl. He rescued the Book of Counted Shadows and brought it to Westland, having Richard memorize it before burning the book.
First Councilor Michael Cypher
Richard's older brother who becomes first counselor of Westland, giving him authority over all of Westland. He has a strained relationship with Richard and shows little concern for finding their father's killer. Michael forbids Richard from participating in the official search, leaving Richard to investigate alone. He calls in all boundary wardens to serve as his personal guards.
Richard Cypher
A woods guide from Westland who is grieving his murdered father, George Cypher. Richard is named as the Seeker by First Wizard Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander and wields the Sword of Truth. He memorized the Book of Counted Shadows as a child before his father burned the book. Richard becomes friends with Kahlan Amnell and embarks on a quest to stop Lord Darken Rahl from opening the Boxes of Orden. His brother is First Councilor Michael Cypher.
D
Lieutenant Delis
A lieutenant in the story.
Denna
A Mord-Sith sent by Lord Darken Rahl to capture and train Richard. Mord-Sith are women trained through brutal methods to control magic and torture people using an Agiel. Denna wears red leather so blood won't show. She gains control of the Sword of Truth's magic, using it to break Richard's spirit. Despite her cruelty, she develops a complex relationship with Richard, and he learns about the horrific training she endured to become Mord-Sith.
E
F
Frank
A character in the story.
G
Bradin Gadding
A character in the story.
Gregory
A character in the story.
Wizard Giller
A wizard who helps Rachel by giving her a magical talking doll named Sarah for comfort. He steals the last box of Orden from Queen Milena, replacing it with a fake, and hides the real box inside a loaf of bread using magic. He instructs Rachel to take it to safety and wait for him. Giller is captured and tortured by Lord Darken Rahl but uses wizard's fire to die before revealing the box's location.
H
Elder Hajanlet
One of the six elders of the Mud People.
J
James
The court artist who draws keeper's spells. He draws a spell on a bridge that traps Richard, and dies when Richard breaks the spell.
Jenkins
A character in the story.
John
A calthrop—a shape-shifting creature—who pretends to be a friend of Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander to lure Richard and Kahlan into a trap.
K
Lady Kyley
A lady in the story.
L
M
Queen Milena
The ruler of Tamarang who holds one of the boxes of Orden. She serves a "drink of enlightenment" and rules with harsh policies.
N
General Demmin Nass
Lord Darken Rahl's commander and right hand who leads a quad attack against Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander, Kahlan, and Chase. He is killed by Kahlan in the Con Dar.
Nissel
A Mud People healer who treats Kahlan's wounds.
P
Q
R
Rachel
Princess Violet's playmate who is constantly mistreated at Queen Milena's castle—slapped, her hair chopped unevenly, and locked in a box at night. Wizard Giller gives her a magical talking doll named Sarah for comfort. Rachel helps Wizard Giller hide the last box of Orden inside a loaf of bread and bravely escapes the castle with it, eventually giving it to Richard and his companions.
Lord Darken Rahl
The son of Panis Rahl and ruler of D'Hara who has taken over the Midlands through manipulation and fear, outlawing magic and fire. He seeks the three Boxes of Orden, which grant immense power if opened correctly on the first day of winter. Rahl can use both additive and subtractive magic, making him extremely dangerous. He uses anthropomancy (reading entrails of living victims) to divine answers and travels the underworld using dark ceremonies. His followers hunt Kahlan, and he needs the Book of Counted Shadows to know which box to open.
Panis Rahl
The ruthless ruler of D'Hara who conquered all of D'Hara and then turned his attention to the Midlands. He used shadow people and magic in his war, which led to the creation of the boundaries separating the three lands.
Randy
Innkeeper Bill's son who helps with the horses and assists in escaping from a quad attack in South Haven.
Queens' Lancer Reid
A Queens' Lancer in the story.
S
Samuel
Shota's companion and the former Seeker, deformed by the magic of the Sword of Truth. He attacks Richard trying to steal the sword.
Elder Savidlin
A Mud People hunter who befriends Richard and is later named an elder. He is married to Weselan and has a son named Siddin.
Scarlet
A red dragon, the largest, smartest, and most dangerous type of dragon. Red dragons are fiercely independent and would rather die than be ruled. Scarlet's egg was stolen by Lord Darken Rahl, who uses it to control her and force her to serve him. She makes a bargain with Richard: he will help her retrieve her egg, and in return she will fly him around for six days to help find his friends and stop Rahl.
Shar
A character in the story.
Shota
The Witch Woman who lives at Agadon Reach, a dangerous place protected by magical creatures. She can create powerful illusions and see possible futures. Shota knows where the last box of Orden is located and reveals important truths to Richard through prophecies and warnings. She can appear in different forms, including as people from Richard's memories. Her companion is Samuel, the former Seeker. She warns Richard never to return to Agadon Reach.
Siddin
Elder Savidlin and Weselan's young son who is taken by Lord Darken Rahl but later rescued and returned to the Mud People.
Elder Surin
One of the six elders of the Mud People.
T
Silas Tannic
A character in the story.
Elder Toffalar
The eldest elder of the Mud People who attacks Kahlan and is killed by her Confessor power.
V
Princess Violet
Queen Milena's daughter who mistreats Rachel. She orders executions and threatens Rachel with her doll.
W
Queens' Lancer Walcott
A Queens' Lancer in the story.
Weselan
Elder Savidlin's wife and Siddin's mother among the Mud People.
Z
First Wizard Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander
The First Wizard who has been Richard's friend and mentor since childhood, teaching him about plants and herbs. He lives in Westland in hiding. Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander names Richard as the Seeker and gives him the Sword of Truth. He is a powerful wizard who can use both wizard's fire and other magical abilities. He explains the Wizard's First Rule: people are stupid and will believe what they want to believe, or what they fear is true.