Charles Forestier was in the same cavalry unit as George Duroy in North Africa, and becomes his career sponsor. He is a successful journalist in Paris whose wife takes Duroy in hand both professionally and socially, but she rebuffs Duroy's sexual advances until after Forestier's death.

Clotilde de Marelle is a friend of the Forestiers. Her husband is often away and she becomes George Duroy's main adulterous lover.

The Comte de Vaudrec is a long time friend and sponsor of Madeleine Forestier. Although it is never clarified, there is perhaps some close romantic or family tie behind their relationship. She may be an unacknowledged daughter of the count or a old lover.

George Duroy is a scoundrel who rises to become editor in chief of a major French newspaper, La Vie Française. He comes from nothing, knows little, honors less, and believes in nothing apart from advancing his own career, usually through more powerful women. He represents the vacuousness of post-revolutionary middle-class culture.

Madeleine Forestier is the wife of Charles. Upon his death, she marries Duroy and continues to sponsor his rise by editing or ghostwriting his articles and introducing him to the politically powerful. She becomes disillusioned with Duroy and takes a lover. Duroy is resentful, as always, and takes a lover himself out of spite.

Monsieur Laroche-Mathieu is Madeleine Forestier's lover. He is a successful politician that owes much of his success to her patronage and the influence of the newspaper La Vie Française.

Rachel is a Parisian prostitute friend of Duroy's that he turns to in hard times.

Monsieur Walter owns the newspaper, La Vie Française, and acts as its chief editor.

Virginie Walter is the newspaper owner's wife and later becomes yet another of Duroy's lovers.

Suzanne Walter is their young daughter. She later becomes Madame Du Roy.

Norbert de Varenne is an old and world-weary man of letters who is a well-compensated writer at the newspaper.