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Characters

William "Will" Halloway

Born one minute before midnight on October 30, Will is described as having done "only six years of staring." (He is described having White-Blonde hair with eyes "as clear as summer rain".) Will is naturally obedient and wary to get involved in difficult situations; nonetheless, he takes on an active role in fighting the carnival's evil power.

James "Jim" Nightshade

Born one minute after midnight on October 31, Jim is brooding and brash, acting as a foil for Will's cautiousness and practicality. (He is described having wild and tangled chestnut brown hair.) Jim especially wants to become older, which makes him vulnerable to the carnival's temptations, but is ultimately saved by his friendship with Will.

Charles Halloway

A middle-aged man who starts out in the novel as a quiet and unhappy man, not very close to his son, but eventually gains self-awareness and faith while up against the carnival (defeating the "Wax Witch" and "Jed/Mr. Dark"), and becomes a fighter in his right by the end of the novel, along with gaining the admiration, love, and friendship of his son.

G. M. Dark

A sinister man who bears tattoos all over his body for each person seduced by the carnival into work with the freaks. Mr. Dark initially holds sway over the other main characters, but his power weakens when Charles uses happy emotions against him, something he cannot comprehend or withstand. Dark's background is a mystery, although he refers to being brought up through strict religious upbringing. When asked if he read the Bible, he replies "I've had every page, line and word read at me, sir!".

J. C. Cooger

Dark's partner in running the carnival, Mr. Cooger is a fierce red-headed man who is first seen repairing the carousel, before catching and terrifying Will and Jim until Dark intervenes. In the guise of her twelve-year-old nephew he is able to persuade Miss Foley to come to the carnival. The tables are turned on him, however, when Will increases the speed of the carousel as he is riding it to such an extent that he becomes an ancient crone. He later crumbles into dust when the freaks drop him while trying to escort him back to the carousel during the climax of the book. Like Mr. Dark his background is unknown.

The Dust Witch

A blind soothsayer with a sixth sense and the ability to perform many magic feats, the Witch is portrayed as one of the carnival's most dangerous members. However, her increased sensitivity to the presences and emotions of other people make her vulnerable to blissful feelings. Charles uses this weakness to kill her with a bullet carved with a smile.

Miss Foley

A fifty-year-old schoolteacher of Will and Jim. Much like the other victims of the carnival, Miss Foley wished to become young again. However, when she got her wish, she became a frightened little girl who was found by Will and Jim, crying under a tree. It is not stated in the novel what happened to Miss Foley at the end; the best theory is that she ran away with the freaks as the carnival collapsed.

The Skeleton

An extremely thin, skeleton-like, creature who is one of the more frequently appearing Freaks. Like all the other Freaks, he formerly desired to be younger and was eventually tricked into being recruited into the carnival. The Skeleton appears to be one of the more loyal freaks as, near the book's end, he takes the time to carry the recently deceased and youthened Mr. Dark with him after all the other Freaks ran away. He is last seen walking away into the hills that border the town.

Tom Fury/Dwarf

A lightning rod salesman who is turned into an insane dwarf by the carnival and is recruited into it, with no memories of his former life.