Saichi Sugimoto: A former soldier known as "Sugimoto the Immortal" for his incredible resilience. Asirpa: Sugimoto's partner, a wise Ainu girl knowledgeable in culture and hunting. Yoshitake Shiraishi: The "Escape King" capable of breaking out of any prison. Genjiro Tanigaki: A former First Class Private of the 7th Division and a loyal man from a Matagi background. Chikapasi: An Ainu boy traveling with Tanigaki and the others. Ryu: Nihei's former hunting dog, a clever and loyal Ainu dog.

Tokushiro Tsurumi: A charismatic Lieutenant of the 7th Division, skilled in intelligence and manipulation. Hyakunosuke Ogata: A sniper with terrifying accuracy (later defects). Hajime Tsukishima: A stoic Sergeant and Tsurumi's right-hand man who handles logistics and combat. Otonoshin Koito: A young Second Lieutenant and practitioner of Jigen-ryu who fanatically worships Tsurumi. Tokishige Usami: A First Class Private with insane loyalty and high tracking abilities. Kohei Nikaido: A soldier obsessed with revenge against Sugimoto; he lost his twin brother Yohei in battle. Mokutaro Kikuta: A Special Sergeant Major who returned to duty after recovering from wounds in the Russo-Japanese War. Rikimatsu Ariko: A First Class Private of Ainu descent, skilled in mountain search and rescue.

Tetsuzo Nihei: A solitary hunter with his own strict philosophy. Kazuo Henmi: A serial killer who finds pleasure in killing others and being killed himself. Maiharu Gansoku: A master pickpocket who loves physical communication through fistfights. Botaro the Pirate: A great thief who excels in underwater combat and dreams of building his own kingdom. Kiichiro Wakayama: A yakuza boss in a deep relationship with his subordinate Tatsuya Nakazawa. Yasaku Edogai: A taxidermist and twisted genius who fashions clothing out of human skin. Wanichiro Sekiya: A mad former veterinarian who tests the will of God through poisoning. Heita Matsuda: A master gold panner suffering from multiple personality disorder. Keiji Ueji: A persistent thrill-seeker who carved unique tattoos all over his face and body. Michael Ostrog: A foreign death row inmate who terrorized Sapporo by mimicking Jack the Ripper.

Wilk (No-Face): Asirpa's father and the man imprisoned in Abashiri who gave the convicts their tattoos. Kiroranke: An old friend of Wilk and a former anti-government guerrilla from Russian territory. Inkarmat: A mysterious Ainu woman skilled in fortune-telling who follows Wilk's trail. Sofia: The leader of a Far Eastern revolutionary organization who fought alongside Kiroranke and Wilk for the modernization of the Russian Empire. Vasily: A sniper from the Russian Border Guard obsessed with a fateful duel against Hyakunosuke Ogata. Enonoka: A Karafuto Ainu girl who supports the journey by driving a dog sled. Huci: Asirpa's grandmother and a village elder who lives by traditional customs.