Amir

• The story's narrator and protagonist.
• Born into a privileged Pashtun family
• Grows up in Kabul, Afghanistan
• His mother died in childbirth
• Bookish, thoughtful, and not athletic.
• Constantly trying to earn his father's approval
• Jealous when his father pays more attention to Hassan.
• Still, Amir is close to his servant and playmate Hassan.

Hassan

• The son of Ali
• Also a servant at Baba's house
• Fiercely loyal, Hassan is Amir's constant companion.
• Although born with a harelip, he is unselfconscious and known for his easy smile.
• Illiterate but endowed with a sharp native intelligence
• Hassan is strong, athletic, and courageous.
• He is also deadly with a slingshot and the best kite runner in Kabul.

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Baba

• Amir's father.
• He is a wealthy and well-respected man
• Loves to entertain in his lavish house in the exclusive Wazir Akbar Khan neighborhood.
• Baba wishes Amir were braver and stronger and that he could openly express his love for Hassan.

Ali

• Hassan's father.
• Ali is a Hazara
• Baba's father took in when his parents were killed.
• He grew up alongside Baba just as Hassan did alongside Amir.
• Ali has a crippled leg and paralysis in his lower face muscles
• The neighborhood children ridicule him.
• He is as devoted and loyal as his son.  

Rahim Khan

• Baba's closest friend
• Amir and Hassan's confidant.
• He has an uncanny way of knowing what people are thinking and how to speak to them.
• He encourages Amir to be a writer by giving him a notebook
• He summons Amir back to Afghanistan to atone for his and Baba's sins.

Assef

• An older bully who also comes from a privileged family
• Son of a German mother and an Afghan father.
• Assef is a racist with a fascistic streak.
• He admires Hitler, and even gives Amir a biography of Hitler as a birthday present.
• Assef believes Afghanistan should be "purified" of the Hazara ethnic group
• After an encounter with Amir and Hassan in which Hassan forces Assef to retreat with his slingshot, Assef vows revenge.