Sophie Hatter
Sophie is the protagonist of the novel and has lots of ambitious ideas that she puts to the back of her mind because she is the eldest of the three Hatter sisters and knows the eldest is always destined for...nothing at all. She is defiant though, and sets out to seek her fortune not as a pretty young girl but as a creaky old crone after the Witch of the Waste has cursed her. She is essentially very nice, sweetly helping the trapped dog and the broken scarecrow, but her niceness also causes a problem if not-niceness is actually required, such as when she lets Miss Angorian into the house in an effort to prove she is too nice to be jealous of Howl's interest in her. Sophie is in love with Howl even if she won't admit it. She is a loyal family member and loves her sisters although she has judged her stepmother harshly and tried to make amends for that. Sophie is a character whose happy ending is well-deserved and appreciated by the reader.
Wizard Howl
Welshman Howell Jenkins (also known by the more magical last name of Pendragon) comes from a pleasant and normal family on the Wales-England border and in the earthly world is a good uncle and frustrating brother. He graduated from university with a good degree in witchcraft and went on to become a wizard working in a magical land from which he could still come and go. As Wizard Howl he is rather timid and not entirely happy about becoming the King's Magician but he is an honorable person and does what he has been paid for. He is a womanizer and tends to like the chase more than the capture of the female in question's heart, Sophie being the only girl he remains interested in. Howl is aware that his magic can be used for. Ad as well as good and does not want that to happen which is why he is anxious for the contract between himself and Calcifer to be broken. He puts his own life in jeopardy for Calcifer and turns out to be a thoroughly decent man at the end of the day.
The Witch of the Waste
The Witch of the Waste has been largely dormant for fifty years which is why it is such a shock to find her evil active again, although it seems likely that she is now under the control of her fire demon. She is ancient but continues to make herself appear younger. She also seems to out-maneuver Howl alarmingly often and is generally one step ahead of the game. Although she cursed Sophie and turned her into an old woman, she did not intend to as it was Sophie's sister Lettie whom she was jealous of and angry with. Despite a fierce battle the Witch is killed at the close of the novel.
Calcifer
Calcifer is a fire demon and he is bound by contract to work for Howl. He is a well-intentioned demon as he has no desire to become Howl's master as the Witch's fire demon has become over her, and this is why he wants the contract to be broken. Although he feels he is kept in the grate against his will, once he is released he finds that he actually likes living with Howl, he just wants it to be his choice to do so and not his contractual obligation. Calcifer is a courageous demon and protects Howl and his group. He is the main example of the fire theme that goes throughput the book and also the best example of its symbolic nature as when his life starts to ebb away there is barely a flicker of flame from him, but when life is strong in him so are the flames.
Michael
Michael is Howl's apprentice wizard and became this by accident simply by turning up one day and then never really leaving. He is in love with Sophie's sister Martha who is pretending to be her sister Lettie. He is a decent wizard but is becoming more confused by the more complicated spells and often gets them wrong. He is loyal to Howl and grows to like Sophie over time although he finds her a nuisance when she first moves in. He also finds her a useful ally in convincing Howl to stay in the area as he does not want to move far away from his Lettie. Most of the truly disastrous spells are Michael's, such as the spell to make things bigger that grows Howl's blue suit to the size of the house.
Miss Angorian
Miss Angorian appears to be a school teacher who accidentally get hold of one of Howl's spells instead of his nephew's poetry homework. She is strikingly pretty and he likes her immediately; she becomes more attractive to him the more she is immune to his advances. She seems to always be looking for him and this turns out to be because she is the Witch's fire demon in pleasant-looking human form and has found Howl's own family in an effort to draw him out of his castle and into her trap. She has a stone heart and is truly evil.
Lettie Hatter
The real Lettie Hatter is the second of the sisters and not content with her apprenticeship at Cesari's bakery because she wants to learn magic, so she changes identities with her youngest sister, Martha, and learns some basic spells. She is phenomenally pretty and has a myriad of suitors. She worries about Sophie and tries to find a way of protecting her while trying to break the enchantment the Witch has put on her.
Martha Hatter
Martha is the youngest Hatter sister and therefore the one who is predestined to make a success out of her life. She does not want to learn magic and lives working in the bakery where she catches the eye of apprentice Michael and they fall in love quickly. Despite being Fanny's natural daughter she is harsh on her mother and misreads her intentions. Martha reveals to Michael that Sophie is her sister and is really the catalyst for the whole story of the enchanting coming out.
The King
The King has lost his brother, Prince Justin, and wants Howl to find him because he knows he is a talented wizard and also that he is a good man. He is also a sharp judge of character and this enables him to rule successfully.
Percival
Percival is a hybrid constructed by the Witch of the Waste and comprises parts of both Prince Justin and Wizard Suliman. He first meets Sophie in the form of a dog who is trapped in a hedge. He also takes on the form of several other breeds of dog.
Prince Justin
Prince Justin is the King's brother and was kidnapped by the Witch after he went to search for Suliman and turned into Percival and the wooden scarecrow. He is important to the novel because it is the search for him that enables Howl and Sophie to vanquish the Witch once and for all.
Fanny Hatter
Fanny is Sophie and Lettie's step-mother, and Martha's real mother, but to her credit treats all the girls the same and does not play favorites. She works hard in the hat shop but after Mr Hatter dies she has trouble making ends meet so sends the younger two girls into apprenticeships, training Sophie to inherit the ship one day. After Sophie disappears, Fanny has no reason to keep the shop and sells it. She falls on her feet and marries a very wealthy and very kind man but never stops searching for Sophie and even puts up a reward for informs about her.
The Scarecrow
The scarecrow is able to move at will and is made from parts of Suliman and parts of the Prince. Although he scares Sophie initially he manages to appear far less frightening at his second attempt to get in the castle.
Mrs Pentstemmon
Mrs Pentstemmon is the woman from whom Howl and Suliman both learned magic; both were apprentices under her tutelage. She was killed by the Witch of the Waste.
