The Pevensie Siblings
Raised in London, evacuated to the Dorset countryside, and reaching adulthood in Narnia, they are the four main characters. In one chapter, Father Christmas arrives to endow those present (three Pevensies and two beavers) with a feast, weapons, and magical items. After the restoration of Narnia, a Tetrarchy is established with the four siblings as the rulers.
- Lucy Pevensie is the youngest Pevensie child and, in some respects, the primary protagonist of the story. She is the first to discover the land of Narnia when she finds her way through the magical wardrobe in the Professor's house. When Lucy tells her three siblings, they don't believe her: Peter and Susan think she is just playing a game while Edmund persistently ridicules her about it. She is later crowned Queen Lucy the Valiant.
ENDOWMENTS: a cordial with curative powers and a dagger
- Edmund Pevensie is the second-youngest of the Pevensie children. He has a bad relationship with his siblings, is known to be a liar and a bully, and singles out Lucy as his favourite target. In Narnia he meets the White Witch, who plies him with enchanted Turkish delight, drink, and smooth talk. Lured by the White Witch's promise of power and an unlimited supply of the magical treats, Edmund betrays his siblings. He eventually regrets his actions and repents. After he helps Aslan and the good denizens of Narnia defeat the White Witch, he is crowned and named King Edmund the Just.
- Susan Pevensie is the second-oldest of Pevensie children. She does not believe in Narnia until she actually goes there. Along with Lucy, she accompanies Aslan on the journey to his apparent self-sacrifice and secretly witnesses the horrific event. Tending to his carcass, she removes a muzzle from him to restore his dignity and oversees a horde of mice who gnaw away his bonds. She then shares the joy of his resurrection and the endeavor to bring reinforcements to a critical battle. She is crowned Queen of Narnia alongside Lucy and pronounced Queen Susan the Gentle.
ENDOWMENTS: a horn with the power to summon help in times of danger and a bow&arrows
- Peter Pevensie is the eldest of the Pevensie siblings. He judiciously settles disputes between his younger brother and sisters, often rebuking Edmund for his attitude. At first, Peter disbelieves Lucy's stories about Narnia, but changes his mind when he sees it for himself. He is hailed as a hero for the slaying of Maugrim and for his command in the battle to overthrow the White Witch. He is eventually crowned High King of Narnia and dubbed King Peter the Magnificent.
ENDOWMENTS: A kingly sword and a red/gold shield with a crest showing a lion
At the Country Home
The house that shelters the Pevensie children is run by a Professor, staffed by servants, and frequently toured by historians.
- The Professor is a kindly old gentleman who takes the Pevensie children in when they are evacuated from London. He is the first to believe that Lucy did indeed visit a land called Narnia. He tries to convince the others logically that she didn't make it up. the book hints that he knows more of Narnia than he lets on. He is identified in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader as Professor Kirke, and appears as a young boy, Digory Kirke, a main character in the prequel, in which he witnesses Aslan's creation of Narnia. Although never explicitly stated, there are minor parallels between himself and Aslan on the smaller scale of the house in Dorset; in that he is rarely seen, can be sought for impartial wisdom, provides a sense of stability, and sometimes cannot be found.
- Mrs. Macready is the housekeeper for the Professor and takes it upon herself to guide the tour groups. Although never explicitly stated, there are minor parallels between herself and the White Witch, albeit on the smaller scale; for example, she effectively rules the country house in the absence of the Professor (terrifyingly so in the imagination of a young girl torn from her home and mother). The Pevensies certainly see her as an antagonist and dub her "The Macready". She is stated to be not very fond of children, imposes strict rules on their behavior, and disturbs their peace with the tours.
Narnians
The magical land of Narnia is populated by talking animals, mythological species, and sentient flora.
- Aslan, a lion, is the rightful King of Narnia and other magic countries. He sacrifices himself to save Edmund, but is resurrected in time to aid the denizens of Narnia and the Pevensie children against the White Witch and her minions. As the "son of the Emperor beyond the sea" (an allusion to the first person of the Holy Trinity in Christianity (the Father) Aslan is the all powerful creator of Narnia. He is the deity that links all created worlds together and is thus all knowing, all present, and all powerful.
- The White Witch is the land's self-proclaimed queen and the primary antagonist of the story. She tyrannizes Narnia through her magically imposed rule. Her spell on Narnia has made winter persist for a hundred years with no end in sight. When provoked, she turns creatures to stone with her wand. She fears the fulfillment of a prophecy that "two sons of Adam and two daughters of Eve" (meaning humans; two male, two female) will claim the right to rule and supplant her. She is usually referred to simply as "the White Witch" but her actual name, "Jadis," appears in one proclamation in this book. Lewis later wrote a prequel to include her back-story and account for her presence in the Narnian world.
- Tumnus, a faun, is the first individual Lucy meets in Narnia. Tumnus befriends Lucy, despite the White Witch's standing order to turn in any human found in Narnia. He initially plans to obey the order but, after getting to like Lucy, he cannot bear to alert the Witch's forces. He instead escorts her back towards the safety of her own country. His good deed is later given away by Edmund who innocently tells the White Witch that Lucy mentioned meeting a faun. The witch orders Tumnus arrested and turns him to stone, but he is later restored to life by Aslan.
- Mr and Mrs Beaver (named, of course, for their species) are friends of Tumnus. They play host to Peter, Susan, and Lucy and lead them to Aslan.
ENDOWMENTS: contract repairs to the dam they call home and a new sewing machine
- A Dwarf serves the White Witch. He's never named in the book but called Ginabrik in the film, where he has a more significant role.
- Maugrim (Fenris Ulf in most American editions) the wolf is the chief of the White Witch's secret police. She sends him to hunt down the Pevensie children. He tries to kill Susan who flees and sees to the safety of others. She sounds her horn. Peter answers the call and slays Maugrim.
- Giant Rumblebuffin is a character who is turned to stone by the White Witch. Aslan restores him to life by breathing on him. Although slightly dim-witted, he is very kind. His significant contribution is to break down the gate of the Witch's castle to let the rescued Narnians out, and also to crush some of her army.
