The protagonist of the novel, a retired civil servant living in St. Petersburg who is filled with resentment and despair. He is both incisive and bitter, reflecting deeply on the reasons for his social alienation.
A young prostitute who becomes involved with the Underground Man. She represents hope and genuine emotion amidst the bitterness of the protagonist's life.
A former schoolmate of the Underground Man, he symbolizes the ordinary values of society that the protagonist despises.