The Outsiders S. E. Hinton

Greasers

• Ponyboy Curtis: The narrator and the youngest Curtis brother, Ponyboy is 14 years old, and gets good grades and runs track. He is the most sensitive of the greasers (besides Johnny), and enjoys reading books.
• Sodapop "Soda" Curtis: The middle Curtis brother, 16 years old, a popular high school dropout who works at a gas station. He is often described as being attractive and comedic, the reason for his popularity.
• Darrel "Darry" Curtis: The oldest Curtis brother, 20 years old, who has been caring for his brothers since their parents died in a car crash. He is the unofficial leader of the gang.
• Johnny Cade: Ponyboy's best friend. 16 years old, who is extremely quiet and lives with his alcoholic, neglectful, and abusive parents
• Dallas "Dally" Winston: A 17-year-old juvenile delinquent, he is the roughest and most volatile of the greasers, but cares more about Johnny than he does anyone else. He lived on the streets of New York City for three years. Carries an unloaded firearm.
• Keith "Two-Bit" Mathews: A wise-cracking kleptomaniac.
• Steve Randle: Sodapop's best friend since grade school.
• Timothy "Tim" Shepard: Leader of another greaser gang: an organized downtown one. He is also a friend of Dally's.
• Curly Shepard: Tim Shepard's younger brother, mentioned as a friend of Ponyboy's.
• Sandy: Sodapop's disloyal girlfriend, who eventually leaves him.

Socs

• Sherri "Cherry" Valance: Attends the same high school as Ponyboy. Bob's girlfriend.
• Robert "Bob" Sheldon: Considered the leader of the Socs. Cherry's boyfriend who is stabbed and killed by Johnny.
• Randy Adderson: Bob's best friend and Marcia's boyfriend.
• Marcia: Cherry's best friend and Randy's girlfriend.
• Paul Holden: Darry's old friend from high school.
• David: A member of the Socs who tries to drown Ponyboy in the fountain.

Other characters

• Jerry Wood: The schoolteacher responsible for the children who were in the seemingly abandoned church.
• Mr. Syme: Ponyboy's English teacher who assigns him a theme to write that becomes the story of the novel itself.