The central character, Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, initially commands respect and interest, which soon transform into fascination and horror. He isn't a fully-developed literary figure but rather a grotesque antihero, driven by an obsessive quest for scents. Without a scent of his own, he concocts various fragrances to control others. Eventually, he learns to extract the aromatic essence from living beings, capturing the pure beauty from women who inspire love. After Grenouille is apprehended for the murder of numerous young women, Suskind severs any empathetic connection, making readers no longer wish for Grenouille's escape or survival. He breaks free from his captors by overwhelming them with a scent that incites an orgy of love. At this moment, he resembles Prometheus, creating a divine spark, a self-made deity, yet he is filled with disgust and loathing for humanity. Lacking his own identity, he seeks death at his birthplace, where people, driven mad by his aroma, ultimately consume him.

The other characters serve merely as tools for Grenouille's objectives; they either offer him a role or provide a setting where he can learn a skill or showcase his abilities. There is no motivational interaction between them or with Grenouille. These characters include the orphanage mistress Madame Gaillard, the tanner Grimal, the perfumer Guiseppe Baldini, and the amateur Enlightenment philosopher Marquis de La Taillade-Espinasse.