Gerda
Gerda acts as the main protagonist of The Snow Queen story, and is the playmate - and later lover - of Kai. From the beginning she is presented as an emblem of innocence and purity, with a strong sense of perseverance as she makes a trek through the seasons to bring Kai home from the wrath of the Snow Queen. Indeed, it is her innocence that eventually protects her, as she is given the sympathy of angels, who help her enter the Snow Queen's icy palace. By the end she is a grown woman, but retains her child-like heart.
Kai
Kai of The Snow Queen is the playmate of Gerda, who is inflicted with a splinter of the Devil's mirror that causes him to lose his former innocence and take on an insolent and cynical view of the world. He is then stolen, and somewhat seduced, by the Snow Queen and enters her palace where he gradually loses his memory and humanity. He is rescued by Gerda, and the two return home as adult lovers.
The Snow Queen
The Snow Queen is the eponymous antagonist of The Snow Queen story, and acts as symbol of heartlessness and an embodiment of winter. She steals away Kai and further diminishes his innocence. She is also glamorous and seductive, shown through her repeated kissing of Kai and her "white fur-coat". Some critics argue that the character is based around the real life Jenny Lind, an opera singer who was a friend of Anderson but did not like him romantically.
The Devil
A relatively minor character, who establishes the mythology and symbolism of The Snow Queen with his mirror that shatters onto the world and causing its victims to become heartless and cynical. He is both the background and catalyst to the story, establishing the themes of innocence (and the loss of it).
Bae
A reindeer who helps Gerda to reach the Snow Queen's palace. He is somewhat patriotic, acting a symbol of Lapland (in Finland) which is his spiritual and actual home. We first meet Bae under the captivity of the Little Robber Girl, stripped of his identity and merely a possession. The girls sympathy for the plight of Gerda eventually frees him, allowing him to return to Lapland.
The Grandmother
A symbol of maternal love and wisdom, informing Gerda and Kai of the stories of the snow queen, providing exposition for much of the plot. Thus she acts as an element of the "meta-fiction" of the story, acting as both character and storyteller. Towards the very end of the tale, she reads a section from the Bible (Matthew 18:3) which emphasizes the need for innocence in God's eyes:
"Unless ye become as little children, ye cannot enter the kingdom of heaven."
The Old Woman's Who Understood Witchcraft
A character in The Snow Queen who straddles the lines of an antagonist. She is the foil of the Snow Queen, taking Gerda under her wing and smothering her with love and wishing for her to stay forever. However, through her witchcraft, she also forces Gerda into a world of ignorance, causing her to forget temporarily about her quest to save Kai. She is strongly associated with the seasons of spring and summer, existing in a world of excess with a house dominated by exuberant flowers.
The Ugly Duckling
The eponymous character of The Ugly Duckling: a swan that is born in a family of ducks, and is ostracized due to his perceived physical unattractiveness. He then ends up in the house of an old women but is similarly harassed by her cat. The end of the character arch finishes with the "ugly duckling" becoming a beautiful swan, finally finding acceptance when he meets a flock of swans.
The Little Mermaid
The Little Mermaid, the youngest of the mermaid princesses, is portrayed as a girl who longs to be with her prince. She will do anything to be with the prince that she saved from the shipwreck. The little mermaid is a risk taker and this is shown when she leaves the ocean, the only home she has ever known, to try to make a total stranger fall in love with her. Even though the love she has for him is one sided, she continues to love him even after he marries another woman. This is shown when she cannot bring herself to stab him, even if it means that she will turn into sea foam.
The Sea Witch
Contrary to the Disney and popular retellings of the Little Mermaid, the sea witch is not evil, nor is she a villain. She simply makes her living by selling her potions. Even though the payments that she requires are severe, such as the little mermaid's voice and her sister's hair, what they get in return is something that is greatly needed to them.
The Little Mermaid's Sisters
The Little Mermaid's six sisters are portrayed as loving, devoted, and obedient. They are generally happy with living as mermaids and seem to be fairly two-dimensional characters. However, when their youngest sister runs into trouble, as she cannot make the prince fall in love with her, they show courage by going to the sea witch and bargaining their hair for the knife.
