The characters in Tarzan of the Apes are largely stereotypes of the elements found in any adventure story—action hero, villains, romantic heroine, romantic opposition, and comic distractions.

Tarzan, of course, is the principal action hero. He is much stronger than most men and more highly skilled as a fighter. These traits come naturally to one who grows up in a world in which survival requires him to make up for the differences between his body and those of the animals around him. He also exhibits great intelligence, inquisitiveness, and moral rectitude, and he uses these traits to overcome his physical inferiority among the jungle animals.

Villainy is well-distributed, providing an ever-changing set of challenges to his growing abilities. The child Tarzan has the apes Kerchak and Tublat to harry and torment him and his adoptive mother Kala. The adolescent Tarzan has the bully Terkoz to worry about. The newly independent Tarzan has to combat the natives who kill Kala and later torture d’Arnot. After being introduced to civilization, he has Canler to counter. Subsequent novels continue to provide him with scores of varied villains with which to contend.

There are two heroines, the ape Kala, who adopts Tarzan and protects him through the early years when he is puny and retarded relative to all the surrounding youngsters, and Jane, the romantic heroine for the last half of Tarzan of the Apes and the rest of the many Tarzan novels. William Clayton provides the honorable romantic opposition, while Professor Porter and Jane’s servant are the comic distractions.

Tarzan of the Apes represents the classic "noble savage" narrative—a concept prevalent in Romantic literature of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries that associates inherent goodness with a lack of exposure to the corruptive elements of civilization. Burroughs believed that humanity had compromised its moral values in its quest for material wealth. In his jungle realm, Tarzan experiences a level of freedom unattainable for those confined by societal expectations.

The Tarzan series serves as escapist literature in multiple ways. When the books were first published, they provided readers with a temporary respite from the grim realities of two world wars and the Great Depression. Even today, the novels celebrate a heroic individual's victory over society's conventional and superficial constraints. Tarzan is both a theme and a character in these stories. His grace, speed, strength, and skill are matched by his cleverness and ingenuity, allowing readers to relate to his dual feelings of frustration with and affection for humanity.

Burroughs's works frequently revisit simple yet powerful themes. Chief among these is the power of love, exemplified by the perfect physical and mental connection between Tarzan and Jane Porter. His love for her tempers his wildness, while her love for him awakens some natural instincts suppressed by society. Burroughs also critiques the destruction of nature by humans and the cruelty of hunting.

Most of Burroughs's characters are easily identifiable stereotypes, ranging from the unfortunately comedic Black servants and brutal villains to the extraordinarily beautiful women, kind but weak-willed men, and noble heroes, natives, and animals. However, Tarzan transcends these stereotypes to become an archetype of the heroic male figure. Throughout the series, Burroughs emphasizes Tarzan's godlike attributes and centers the plots on his efforts to rescue and protect others.

Jane Porter embodies the typical Burroughs heroine. Her remarkable beauty is described with the vague, sentimental, and suggestive language characteristic of pulp magazines: at nineteen, with long blonde hair and a "lithe, young form," she often holds her hands "tight against her rising and falling bosom." As a suitable partner for the jungle god she loves, Jane possesses the strength and composure to withstand the numerous abductions and near-death experiences she encounters throughout the series. In Tarzan of the Apes, she shoots a lioness, is kidnapped by a great ape, and maintains her composure when left alone in the jungle. A woman of action, she seldom faints or displays other weaknesses typical of pulp fiction's beleaguered heroines; she remains level-headed at all times and upholds a standard of conduct equal to Tarzan's own.