The characters
Rand built her novels around characters who embody ideas. Grouped by book.
Night of January 16th
- Karen Andre
Defendant
We the Living
- Kira Argounova
Protagonist
- Leo Kovalensky
Kira's lover
- Andrei Taganov
Communist officer
Anthem
- Equality 7-2521
Narrator
- Liberty 5-3000
The Golden One
The Fountainhead
- Howard Roark
Protagonist, architect
- Peter Keating
Architect, Roark's foil
- Ellsworth Toohey
Antagonist, critic
- Dominique Francon
Columnist, Roark's lover
- Gail Wynand
Newspaper publisher
- Henry Cameron
Roark's mentor
Atlas Shrugged
- John Galt
Inventor, leader of the strike
- Dagny Taggart
Railroad executive
- Hank Rearden
Steel industrialist
- Francisco d'Anconia
Copper heir
- Ragnar Danneskjold
Philosopher turned pirate
- James Taggart
President of Taggart Transcontinental
- Eddie Willers
Dagny's assistant
- Hugh Akston
Philosopher