The protagonist of Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo is a stubborn, impatient, and fear-driven character who represents power, toxic masculinity, and traditional values. He is ashamed of his father, Unoka, because Unoka was constantly in debt to others and lived a financially unsuccessful life. This shame drives Okonkwo’s attitude and fear of failure. Okonkwo desires to be as unlike his father as possible.

This sets up Okonkwo’s tragic flaw and role as a tragic hero. He is a powerful and successful man, but he rejects of his father’s kindly and calm traits. This causes him to mistreat his son and family, react aggressively instead of thoughtfully, and to view sensitivity as weakness. Okonkwo is described as “a man of action, a man of war.” He is intimidating, with a large body and a certain way of walking and breathing that suggests personal prowess. However, Okonkwo has a stammer, and when he is unable to express himself with words, he resorts to violence.

Unlike his father, Okonkwo is successful. He becomes the “greatest wrestler in the nine villages” and a wealthy farmer. He has three wives and two titles in his village, Iguedo, of the clan Umuofia. Okonkwo also demonstrates his skill and power in two intertribal wars. When he was young, Okonkwo gained a high and revered position within Umuofia through his many achievements. Okonkwo’s hardworking nature is influenced by his father’s inability to leave him anything, such as a farm, a title, or a young wife. Okonkwo had to work on his own to achieve success, engaging in sharecropping and taking care of his mother and siblings when his father wouldn’t.

Okonkwo treats each of his children differently. He is often disappointed in and rough with his eldest son, Nwoye, whereas he appreciates his daughter Ezinma’s keen understanding. Okonkwo also inwardly cares for Ikemefuna, who was traded to the village of Umuofia to stop a war. With Ikemefuna under his care, Okonkwo allows him to act much like his son, although Okonkwo never shows the boy outward affection. To Okonkwo, affection is weakness. When the village elders decide to sacrifice Ikemefuna, they tell Okonkwo not to take part in the killing. However, Okonkwo kills Ikemefuna himself.

Since Okonkwo is defined by his flaws and fears, he is driven to kill Ikemefuna out of fear of showing weakness. This shows how Okonkwo is willing to commit moral wrongs at whatever cost in order to be different from his father. Still, Okonkwo feels guilt over this action, even if only for a short time. Later on, at the funeral of the village’s eldest man, Ogbuefi Ezeudu, Okonkwo’s gun accidentally explodes and kills one of Ogbuefi’s sons. Killing a clansman, even accidentally, is considered a major crime win Umuofia. Okonkwo has no choice but to go into exile for seven years. Okonkwo then leaves with his family and returns to his motherland of Mbanta.

After Okonkwo is banished, he loses his hope and ambition. His desire to become one of the lords of the clan is ruined, and Okonkwo feels that he has nothing to strive for. Uchendu, Okonkwo’s elderly uncle who helps him live in Mbanta, chastises Okonkwo for this attitude, and Okonkwo slowly begins to live as he used to. However, things in the area are changing, and Christian missionaries have come to the villages and converted some of the local people. The entrance of white men into Okonkwo’s world confuses him, and he rejects the new religion and decides the missionaries are crazy. However, his son Nwoye converts to Christianity and leaves Okonkwo, his mother, and his siblings. Okonkwo is ashamed of this and realizes that Nwoye is like his grandfather Unoka. Okonkwo believes it is his fault for raising Nwoye with too much “fire,” as Nwoye has been pushed to become the “ashes.”

Okonkwo carefully plans his return to Iguedo, but despite all his efforts, he finds that his village, and Umuofia in general, has changed. The missionaries have built trading stores and a jail, among other things. In doing so, they take the attention of the people away from Okonkwo’s return. Okonkwo’s hope of returning to power and greatness is dashed, and he is disappointed by the village’s decision not to fight against the white men.

When tensions build, the nine villages meet to discuss starting a war against the white men. Okonkwo kills one of the messengers of the white men in his anger and hatred. As a result, the men of the villages become even more conflicted instead of banding together. Okonkwo, realizing the fate of his village is to be taken over, kills himself. In Igbo society, committing suicide is a desecration to the earth and to the clan. Okonkwo ends up following the path of his own father, whose death was also shameful. Okonkwo wished to be a hero and a great man of his clan. However, his death is not only tragic, but also highlights the tragedy of the end of a pre-colonized Africa and the beginning of a colonized Africa.

Nwoye is the son of Okonkwo’s first wife. Within the family hierarchy, this positions Nwoye as the highest ranking and eldest son. Nwoye, like Unoka, serves as a foil to Okonkwo’s character. Nwoye often does not exhibit the supposedly manly qualities that his father values. Instead, he shares similarities with the kinder, gentler Unoka. He is sensitive, troubled by some Umuofian practices, and drawn to music, hope, and the poetry of the new religion, Christianity.

As a young boy, Nwoye is frequently a target for Okonkwo’s harsh criticism. He tries to please his father but often fails. His behavior and interests, which Okonkwo considers feminine, remind Okonkwo of his own father. Nwoye, then, represents Okonkwo’s failings as a father. This bothers Okonkwo, and he tries to teach Nwoye and Ikemefuna about yams, which are a symbol for manliness, prestige, and respect. When Nwoye does not quickly understand how to farm yams, Okonkwo becomes frustrated and disappointed in Nwoye. He lashes out at Nwoye verbally, even while understanding how difficult it is to farm yams.

Nwoye also exemplifies the familial aspect of Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart. In contrast to Okonkwo, Nwoye creates bonds with his family, especially with Ikemefuna. Nwoye also prefers his mother’s folktales to Okonkwo’s violent war stories. Although Nwoye is negatively affected by Okonkwo’s rough treatment of him growing up, Ikemefuna, whom Nwoye develops a close relationship with, helps him. It is Nwoye’s brotherhood with Ikemefuna that helps Nwoye emulate the masculine traits that Okonkwo prefers.

However, Nwoye is on the brink of separation from not only his father but also his culture. Nwoye is disturbed by some of the practices of his clan, specifically the casting off of infant twins into the Evil Forest. He feels something “snapping” inside of him when he hears the twins crying in the forest, and he again feels a “snapping” when he sees Okonkwo return home after killing Ikemefuna. These two instances are the start of Nwoye’s separation from his father and his clan.

After moving to his father’s motherland, Mbanta, Nwoye is influenced by the kindness the Christian missionaries display. He leaves his father and family to be a part of the new religion, and he promises himself that he will go back to his mother and siblings, convert them, and take them away from Okonkwo. Okonkwo’s lack of hesitation in disowning Nowye highlights how poor their relationship is. When Okonkwo reflects on Nwoye’s actions, he views himself as “living fire” and Nwoye as “ash,” a metaphor that exemplifies his belief that Nwoye is weak. Near the end of Things Fall Apart, Nwoye takes on the name Isaac as a symbol of his conversion to Christianity and goes to study in Umuru.

Obierika is Okonkwo’s closest friend; knew Okonkwo’s father, Unoka; and understands Okonkwo’s background. Unlike Okonkwo, Obierika is reflective and thoughtful. He often provides commentary on Okonkwo’s actions and on life in Umuofia. These characteristics make Obierika a foil to the more impulsive Okonkwo. Obierika is less driven to prove himself than Okonkwo, which allows him to see things more clearly. However, Okonkwo rarely heeds Obierika’s advice.

Although Obierika is sympathetic to Okonkwo’s depression over Ikemefuna, he still rebukes Okonkwo for his part in the killing. Obierika detests violence, condemning the ritualistic killing. While Obierika values tradition, he also knows that Okonkwo’s role in Ikemefuna’s death was unnecessary.

Obierika gives insight into many events in the novel. He discusses the changes the white missionaries bring and the Igbo traditions of of gift-giving and mysticism. For instance, part of Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart is devoted to the cultural tradition of marriage. Obierika’s daughter is married off, and he negotiates a bride price and his daughter’s uri, a type of marital celebration. Obierika invites Okonkwo to attend these important celebrations, highlighting their friendship and Obierika’s respect for Okonkwo.

While Okonkwo is exiled, Obierika helps the other clansmen burn down Okonkwo’s hut and farm, as is tradition following a banishment. Obierika visits Okonkwo in Mbanta, informs Okonkwo of news from Umuofia, and grows some of Okonkwo’s yams for him in Iguedo to sell to sharecroppers. Obierika brings these profits to Okonkwo when he visits Mbanta. During Okonkwo’s banishment, Obierika tells him the rumors about the white men and missionaries coming to the villages. The next time Obierika visits, he tells Okonkwo that the missionaries have taken over Iguedo. He tells Okonkwo that Nwoye has converted to the missionaries’ religion. Obierika’s observations during these tumultuous changes are level-headed. He serves as a balance to Okonkwo’s often violent decisions and Okonkwo’s wish to go to war with the white men.

Okonkwo, at the end of his seven-year banishment, asks Obierika to build new huts for him for his return, representing the trust between the two. Near the end of Things Fall Apart, Obierika is angry and confused about Okonkwo’s death. He berates the white men who come to help bury Okonkwo, saying that Okonkwo “was one of the greatest men in Umuofia. You drove him to kill himself; and now he will be buried like a dog.” Obierika can’t finish his sentence and his emotions take over. Obierika’s show of emotion illustrates the many changes that white men have brought. Here, the established “manliness” of not crying or showing grief is overturned.

Ikemefuna is a boy from the village of Mbaino. He is taken when he is young to the village of Umuofia—both as a political trade to avoid war and as repayment for the death of an Umuofian girl. Although Ikemefuna belongs to the entire clan of Umuofia, he is placed under Okonkwo’s care for three years, as decided by Umuofia’s elders.

Ikemefuna does not understand why he was taken. He does not know that his father killed a girl  from Umuofia. He was too surprised to say goodbye to his family before he was taken away.

Despite this tragic beginning, Ikemefuna fits in well with Okonkwo’s family and grows very close to Nwoye, who regards him as the brother he never had. Ikemefuna begins to call Okonkwo his father, and he slowly forgets his previous life.

After three years, the Oracle orders Ikemefuna’s sacrifice. Ikemefuna does not understand what is happening, and Okonkwo tells him he is being returned to his old family in order to avoid scaring him. Ikemefuna believes this right up until his death; he is first cut down by one of the clansmen and then killed by Okonkwo.

Okonkwo’s father, Unoka, was a gentle and idle man who was fond of playing music. A foil to Okonkwo, Unoka was not a successful or respected man. He played music well and was able to weave and tell creative folktales. This is in direct contrast to Okonkwo’s rejection of music and insistence on only telling cold and gory war stories. Unoka’s draw to music and storytelling highlight his sensitive and creative nature that Okonkwo so despises.

The beginning of Things Fall Apart shows Unoka interacting with a debtor, who refuses to break a kola nut with him. The refusal to break the kola nut means that the debtor has no respect for Unoka despite his old age, which generally garners respect in Igbo society. Furthermore, Unoka’s tendency to beg for money from the people of the village demonstrates his lack of riches. The clan respects wealth, but as Unoka has none and is in debt, the clan disrespects him. Unoka was never very good at keeping a farm or caring for his children and wives, either; Okonkwo ends up doing this work for him from a young age, which only increases Okonkwo’s resentment toward his careless father.

Although Unoka lacks the respect of his clan, his nature shows that he is happier than Okonkwo, who is dogged by a fear of never being good enough. Unoka shows no fear or worry and lives gently and kindly. If it were not for Unoka’s complete lack of “manliness” within the story, Okonkwo would not be as driven to differentiate himself from his father, who was often called agbala (meaning “woman”) by the clansmen.

Unoka, unlike Okonkwo, had little control over his chi, or his personal god. Because he was unable to shape or control his chi, Unoka was viewed as an “ill-fated man.” Unoka was affected by ill fate not only with his land but also in his death. Unoka died of “the swelling,” which is considered an abomination to the “goddess of the earth.” Due to this, Unoka was taken to the Evil Forest to die alone and without a burial, a shameful death in the village of Umuofia. Additionally, Unoka dies before paying off his debt, another mark of shame.

Although Unoka is only briefly present in Things Fall Apart, his careless and lazy nature affects and drives Okonkwo to act aggressively and to never accept failure. The relationship between Unoka and Okonkwo represents a clash between father, son, and cultural expectations. Unoka does not live up to expectations and brings his family shame even in death. Furthermore, it is Unoka’s miscommunication and negligence that pushes Okonkwo away from him.

Important female characters are Okonkwo's second wife, Ekwefi, and her only surviving child, Ezinma. Ekwefi was to have been the first wife, but he was too poor to marry her; after two years, she left her husband for him. As her babies die one after another, and she has to come to terms with the knowledge that she is the victim of an ogbanje, she not only gains stature through her suffering but is important because she is the only other character in the book besides Ikemefuna who brings out the gentle side in Okonkwo's nature. As the mother of the magical Ezinma, she is also a sort of heiress to the spiritual life of the tribe, which while apparently maledominated is utterly dependent on the female Earth Goddess. She, along with her daughter, is the prototype for later, more complexly drawn and central female characters, like Beatrice in Anthills of the Savannah (1987).

Chielo is the revered priestess of Agbala, the Oracle of the Hills and the Caves. Outside of her sacred duties, Chielo is a widow with two children and a close friend to Ekwefi. Her dual identity as both a spiritual leader and an ordinary woman underscores the blend of tradition and daily life in the Igbo community. Chielo's actions, such as taking Ezinma to the oracle's cave, reflect her significant influence and role in clan decisions, including warfare. Her character illustrates the profound respect and power afforded to spiritual leaders in Igbo society.

Reverend James Smith succeeds Mr. Brown as the head of the Christian mission in Umuofia. Unlike his predecessor, Smith is inflexible and fervent in his beliefs, viewing Igbo customs as sinful and incompatible with his Christian teachings. His approach alienates the local population and escalates tensions between the community and the church. Under his leadership, members like Enoch are encouraged in their zealous actions, leading to significant cultural clashes. Smith's tenure exemplifies the cultural insensitivity and dogma that accompany colonial missionary efforts.

Mr. Brown is the first white missionary to establish a foothold in Umuofia. His approach is marked by respect and understanding of the local traditions, allowing him to gain the clan's trust. Mr. Brown focuses on education, encouraging the tribe to send their children to his school, which facilitates a peaceful introduction to Christianity. His health eventually forces him to leave, but not before laying the foundations for a successful mission. Mr. Brown's legacy is one of moderation and dialogue, contrasting sharply with the more rigid methods of his successor.

The District Commissioner represents the British colonial authority in Umuofia. His presence and actions exemplify the dismissive and superior attitude of colonial powers towards indigenous cultures. His planned book, "The Pacification of the Primitive Tribes of the Lower Niger," epitomizes the reductive and imperialist perspectives of the era, reducing complex cultural narratives to simplistic accounts. The Commissioner’s role underscores the larger themes of cultural misunderstanding and domination present in the narrative.

Uchendu is Okonkwo’s maternal uncle and a wise elder in the village of Mbanta. During Okonkwo’s exile, Uchendu provides refuge and counsel, helping Okonkwo and his family adjust to life away from Umuofia. His wisdom and guidance emphasize the importance of maternal kinship and offer a counterbalance to Okonkwo’s rigid masculinity. Uchendu's character illustrates the communal support structures within Igbo society and offers a voice of reason amidst the turmoil of cultural transition.

Nwakibie is a prosperous man in Umuofia who holds the second highest title in the clan. He is instrumental in Okonkwo’s rise to wealth, providing him with yam seeds to start his farm. Nwakibie exemplifies the traditional values of hard work and success, serving as a model of achievement within the community. His support of Okonkwo at the beginning of his career underscores the interconnectedness of personal ambition and communal support in Igbo society.

Ogbuefi Ezeudu is the oldest and most revered elder in Umuofia, a man with impressive titles and respect. He delivers the critical message to Okonkwo regarding the Oracle's decree to kill Ikemefuna, warning Okonkwo not to participate in the boy’s death. Ezeudu's death is a pivotal moment, marking the end of an era of traditional authority in Umuofia. During his funeral, Okonkwo accidentally kills Ezeudu’s son, leading to his exile. Ezeudu’s life and death underscore the significant cultural shifts occurring within the community.

Mr. Kiaga is an Igbo convert and interpreter for the Christian missionaries. Tasked with establishing a foothold in Mbanta, he becomes a central figure in the church’s local affairs. Mr. Kiaga's inclusive approach, particularly his acceptance of the osu, or outcasts, into the church, demonstrates his commitment to the Christian message of acceptance and equality. His leadership plays a crucial role in stabilizing the church community during a time of transition and tension.

Enoch is a fervent convert to Christianity, known for his extreme acts under Reverend Smith’s encouragement. His most notorious deed is unmasking an egwugwu, a revered ancestral spirit, an act considered a grave offense in Umuofia. This single act ignites conflict between the villagers and the missionaries, representing the broader cultural and religious tensions faced by the community. Enoch's actions symbolize the destructive potential of fanatical belief when unchecked by cultural understanding and respect.

Okonkwo’s first wife, commonly known as Nwoye’s mother, is a figure of quiet strength and wisdom. She skillfully navigates the dynamics of a polygamous household, using her position to maintain peace and harmony among her co-wives and children. Her stories, rich with emotions like compassion and empathy, offer a stark contrast to the rigid masculinity embodied by Okonkwo. Her capacity for understanding and creating harmony within her family highlights the often-overlooked resilience and influence of women in Igbo society.

Ojiugo is Okonkwo's youngest wife, whose youthful negligence provokes Okonkwo’s wrath, leading him to break the sacred Week of Peace. This incident results in punishment from the priest of the earth goddess, illustrating Okonkwo’s struggle to balance personal impulses with the community's spiritual laws. Ojiugo’s character, although minor, serves as a catalyst for exploring the themes of tradition and discipline within the familial and spiritual spheres of Igbo life.

Obiageli is Okonkwo’s first wife’s daughter.

Nkechi is Okonkwo’s third wife’s daughter. 

Anasi is the first wife of Nwakibie.

Akunna is a respected man from a nearby village, who engages in religious discussions with Mr. Brown. Through their dialogues, Akunna helps Mr. Brown to understand Igbo beliefs and practices, fostering a mutual respect that aids in the peaceful coexistence of the two cultures. Akunna’s character highlights the potential for dialogue and understanding between different worldviews, illustrating the complexities of cultural exchange in a colonial context.