Greasers

 Ponyboy Curtis: The narrator and the youngest Curtis brother, Ponyboy is 14 years old, and gets
good grades and runs track. He's the most sensitive of the greasers (besides Johnny), and enjoys
reading books.
 Sodapop "Soda" Curtis: The middle Curtis brother, 16 years old, a popular high school dropout
who works at a gas station. He's often described as being attractive and comedic, the reason for
his popularity.
 Darrel "Darry" Curtis: The oldest Curtis brother, 20 years old, who has been caring for his
brothers since their parents died in a car crash. He is the unofficial leader of the gang.
 Johnny Cade: Ponyboy's best friend. 16 years old, who is extremely quiet and lives with
his alcoholic, neglectful and abusive parents.
 Dallas "Dally" Winston: A 17-year-old juvenile delinquent, he is the roughest and most volatile
of the greasers, but cares more about Johnny than he does anyone else. He lived on the streets
of New York City for three years. He points an unloaded gun at the police and gets shot and
killed after Johnny's death.
 Keith "Two-Bit" Mathews: A wise-cracking kleptomaniac.
 Steve Randle: Sodapop's best friend since grade school.
 Timothy "Tim" Shepard: Leader of another greaser gang: an organized downtown one. He is also
a friend of Dally's.
 Curly Shepard: Tim Shepard's younger brother, mentioned as a friend of Ponyboy's.
 Sandy: Sodapop's disloyal girlfriend, who eventually leaves him.

Socs
 Sherri "Cherry" Valance: Bob's girlfriend, attends the same high school as Ponyboy.
 Robert "Bob" Sheldon: Considered the leader of the Socs. Cherry's boyfriend who is stabbed and
killed by Johnny.
 Randy Adderson: A friend of Bob's and Marcia's boyfriend.
 Marcia: Cherry's best friend and Randy's girlfriend.
 Paul Holden: Darry's old friend from high school.
 David: A member of the Socs who tries to drown Ponyboy in the fountain.

Other characters
 Jerry Wood: The schoolteacher responsible for the children who were in the seemingly
abandoned church.
 Mr. Syme: Ponyboy's English teacher who assigns him a theme to write that becomes the story of
the novel itself