Sadako Sasaki
Sadako Sasaki is an 11 year old Japanese girl who loves running more than anything else in the world. When the atom bomb dropped Sadako was just a baby, but now, a decade later, she has been diagnosed with leukemia, or 'the atom bomb disease. Her dream of running is cut short, and even though she is dying, she holds out hope that she will be cured, because of a legend she heard, that if a person folds 1,000 paper cranes, any one wish they have will be granted. Over the course of the book she folds the cranes, but doesn't finish in time, and unfortunately dies at the end of the book.
Chizuko
Chizuko is Sadako's best friend from school. She goes to visit Sadako in the hospital and she is the one to tell Sadako about the legend of the paper cranes and gives Sadako the origami paper to start her cranes. She is described in the book as being kind and caring and is always there when Sadako needs her.
Oba Chan
Sadako's grandmother who was killed when the atom bomb dropped on Hiroshima. Sadako and her family pray to her for protection from diseases and harm.
