Kiyoaki

Kiyoaki, the protagonist in Spring Snow, embodies elegance and extraordinary beauty, traits that seem to foreshadow his tragic fate. His intensely sensitive nature, combined with an inclination towards melancholy, draws him to Satoko, who matches him in grace. Kiyoaki harbors disdain for the crudeness and rude vitality of the adults and peers that surround him. His inevitable demise at the age of twenty becomes a testament to his aesthetic sensibility; it ensures the preservation of his essential monomania. Kiyoaki's early death encapsulates the theme of youth intertwined with the inevitable decay of beauty, reflecting Mishima’s own preoccupations with physical perfection and the dread of growing old.

Isao

In the subsequent volume, Isao is characterized by his remarkable physical prowess in kendo and his veneration of traditional Japanese ideals. Drawing parallels to Mishima himself, particularly towards the latter part of his life, Isao’s narrative underscores a deep-rooted commitment to purity. His untimely demise guarantees that his ideals remain untainted by the compromises of life. Isao's story resonates with Mishima's ideal of the manly warrior, culminating in his own life with the ritual of seppuku.

Ying Chan

The third reincarnation appears in the form of the Thai princess, Ying Chan. She is perceived primarily through Honda's fascination with her exotic and enigmatic dark beauty. Her premature death due to a snakebite retains the essence of an eroticized demise, a motif central to Mishima’s own life and literary work. Ying Chan's brief life and tragic end reinforce the theme of transcendent beauty thwarted by mortality.

Toru

Toru, the final youthful character, is fixated on clarity and perceives himself as special, believing he can see through the world's superficial realities. Mishima hints at ambiguity in Toru’s character by suggesting he may be a false incarnation, symbolizing the degeneration of both soul and body with age. Toru’s obsession with understanding and uniqueness reflects a deeper existential crisis, mirroring the philosophical undertones common in Mishima's narratives.

Honda

Honda emerges as a central figure throughout the cycle of novels, with his perspective gradually taking precedence. His journey from a diligent young man and devoted friend in the first novel to a cynical and morally decayed elder in the fourth illustrates Mishima’s belief that individuals become less admirable as they age. Honda’s faith in reason and logic is continually challenged by each reincarnation he encounters. Through Honda, Mishima explores the theme of aging and the loss of youthful ideals, possibly projecting his own fears of growing old. Honda’s reflection at forty-six, when he perceives himself as someone who has "lived too long," echoes Mishima’s own life, as the author chose to end his life at forty-five.