Apart from Harry Haller, the central characters in Steppenwolf are Hermine, Pablo, Maria, and the various Immortals. Since the story is surreal, each character represents one or more idea. Pablo acts as a kind of master of ceremonies at the Magic Theatre, which he claims as his own; Hermine helps Haller to understand and express his human side when she promotes the affair between him and Maria. The Immortals—including, in lesser roles, Wagner and Brahms—try to instruct Haller in the ways in which he should interpret and live his life. Thus, the laughter which Mozart urges on Haller is really part of an overall philosophy that the novel promotes.

There are few secondary and tertiary characters in the novel. The Narrator, whose preface opens the book, provides an introduction to the main character and places him in a clear context: "Haller belongs to those...