Alexander "Alec" Ramsay - the red-headed young man is the main character in Walter Farley's books. Alec has a passion for horses and has a close bond with his stallion, the Black, that no one can explain or understand, even Alec himself.
Henry Dailey - a retired race-horse trainer and close friend to Alec. A forgotten jockey legend, Henry's career is revived after teaming with Alec to train the Black. Henry later trains many of Hopeful Farm's racehorses.
Charles Volence - owner of Sun Raider, and accompanies Alec and Henry on their first trip to Arabia.
Tony - an Italian immigrant who owns the carthorse gelding, Napoleon, and works as a vegetable salesman in New York City's smaller streets. Both Tony and Napoleon forge a close bond with the Black and a close friendship remains between Tony, Alec, and Henry throughout the series. Napoleon becomes the Black's constant companion.
Mr. and Mrs. Ramsay - Alec Ramsay's supportive parents. Mr. Ramsay has a more prominent role in the books than his wife, later helping to run Hopeful Farm's business affairs. He is described as tall and good-featured. Mrs. Ramsay is described as plump and kind. In the film adaption, Mr. Ramsay is on the doomed ship with Alec, but is drowned. Mrs. Ramsay is slender and has a slightly edgier personality than her book counterpart.
Steve Duncan - the young man who discovers the red stallion, Flame on an island and later trains and races him in a match race. He and Alec meet in The Black Stallion Challenged, but his friendship with Alec is complex, due to an obvious competition between the two, and Steve's jealousy towards Alec. Steve is a slightly unhappy, easily annoyed character who Alec strives to befriend but is unable to get past Steve's rather strange personality.
Phil "Pitch" Pitcher - Steve's long-time friend, an amateur archaeologist. He is comparable to Henry in several ways, but Alec describes him as looking more tired and less happy.
Abu Ja' Kub ben Ishak - a Sheikh, and Shêtân's (the Black) original owner and breeder. Abu was killed when the Black threw him during a training workout, dying from his injuries.
Tabari - Sheikh Ishak's beautiful daughter, whose friendship with Alec is complicated and ever-changing. Tabari Ishak sent Alec a letter describing how Abu had perished and that her father had willed Shêtân (the Black) to Alec. He is shocked to read, "but for that, we would have destroyed him". She owns her purebred Nejdi horse, Jôhar.
Abd-al-Rahman - a younger Sheikh from a kingdom near Abu's. He later marries Tabari and allows her a great deal of independence despite the attitudes and expectations of the time.
Ibn al Khaldun - a fat, wrinkled, one-armed man who travels on the same plane as Alec, Henry, and Volence on their first trip to Arabia. Alec is suspicious of him wanting to do away with the Black.
Raj - brother of Abd-al-Rahman, and friend of Alec Ramsay who lives in Arabia.
Pam Athena - a girl who proved to be an excellent jockey and good worker to Hopeful Farm, and loosened the hardened jockey Alec. She was romantically involved with Alec up until her death in a car accident. Walter Farley based the character on his own daughter and wrote the book that features Pam's death, The Black Stallion Legend, in grief of his daughter's death.
Joe Russo - a boy who helped Alec and the Black.
