Most recent updates made on 7 December 2007.

This is an expansion of the forum thread, link, listing all the significant characters on the show and a brief description of what we know about them as of the most recent episode. This means that this is chock-full of spoilers, and should not be read by anyone who hasn't seen all the episodes or doesn't want to find out about character developments outside of the pacing of the show itself.

OK, with that caveat, here's the list, divided into three sections: characters with powers, characters without powers, and deceased characters. I've included only significant and/or recurring characters. Characters who had powers before the current generation are marked with an asterisk.

CHARACTERS WITH POWERS
* Takezo Kensei(*) - English expatriate who lived in feudal Japan as ronin, first of the heroes (regeneration)
* Hiro Nakamura - office drudge (temporal manipulation)
* Peter Petrelli - nurse (power chameleon)
* Claire Bennet - high school student, Nathan's bastard daughter (regeneration AND blood that heals others)
* Micah Sanders - orphan (machine empathy)
* "the Haitian"(*) - rogue agent working undercover to overthrow the Company (memory leech AND power nullification field)
* Matt Parkman - policeman (telepathy)
* Sylar - psychopathic murderer (instant learning)
* Soccer-playing boy in India - street kid (dreamwalker)
* Meredith Gordon (*) - Claire's biological mom (pyrokinetic)
* Hana Gitelman - mystery woman appearing out of nowhere (mental wifi)
* Claude (*) - drifter, Mr. Bennet's ex-partner (invisibility)
* Molly Walker - little girl with genetic disease (instant person locator)
* Maya Herrera - central-american runaway, Alejandro's twin (aura of darkness)
* Monica Dawson - Micah's cousin, fast food restaurant clerk (instant kinetic mimicry)
* West - Californian slacker/high school student (flight)
* Bob (*) - high-level executive in the Company (Midas touch)
* Elle - Bob's daughter/henchman (electrical discharge)
* Maury Parkman (*) - Matt's father, opportunist (telepath)


SIGNIFICANT CHARACTERS WITHOUT POWERS
* Mohinder Suresh - geneticist (no obvious powers, but genetically engineered by his father to heal a rare genetic disease)
* Mr. Noah Bennet - rebellious ex-Company executive (global resources/connections, knows some of what is going on)
* Ando - fan of Niki's, Hiro's coworker (no obvious powers)
* Angela Petrelli - Nathan and Peter's mom, Claire's grandmother, colluding with Linderman (no obvious powers)
* Lyle - Claire's adopted brother (no obvious powers)
* Mrs. Bennet - slightly vacuous dog breeder, Noah's wife, Lyle and Claire's mom (no obvious powers)
* Janice - Matt's ex-wife, pregnant adulterer (no obvious powers)
* Audrey - FBI agent (no obvious powers)
* Kimiko Nakamura - Hiro's older sister, shrewd businesswoman (no obvious powers)
* Deirdre - Niki's friend (no obvious powers)
* Brody - date rapist, quarterback, memory wiped by Haitian (no obvious powers)
* Hope - Nevada showgirl, crook (no obvious powers)
* Caitlin - Irish barmaid, Peter's love interest (no obvious powers)
* Yaeko - feudal love interest for both Hiro and Takezo (no obvious powers)
* Heidi - Nathan's wife (no obvious powers)
* Nana Dawson - Monica and Micah's grandmother (no obvious powers)
* Damon Dawson - Micah's cousin, Monica's kid brother (no obvious powers)


DECEASED CHARACTERS
* Chandra Suresh - Mohinder's father (no obvious powers) KILLED BY SYLAR
* Shanti Suresh - Mohinder's older sister, key to Chandra's research into 'evolved humanity'. Died from the same genetic disease suffered by Molly. DECEASED
* Arthur Petrelli (*) - successful lawyers, Angela's husabnd, Peter and Nathan's father (unknown powers) DECEASED
* Charles Deveaux (*) - wealthy old man, owner of the Deveaux building (no obvious powers) DIED OF NATURAL(?) CAUSES
* Isaac Mendez - painter (precognition) KILLED BY SYLAR
* Simone Deveaux - Isaac's former girlfriend, Peter's girlfriend (no obvious powers) SHOT
* Eden - agent who reported to Mr. Bennet (persuasion) SUICIDE
* Jackie - cheerleader rival of Claire's (no obvious powers) KILLED BY SYLAR
* Charlie - waitress (total recall) KILLED BY SYLAR
* Dale (*) - machinist/mechanic (enhanced hearing) KILLED BY SYLAR
* Zane Taylor - schlub (liquefaction) KILLED BY SYLAR
* Mr. Linderman (*) - extremely wealthy, eccentric megalomaniac, influential part if not head of an international conspiracy/agency (growth/healing field) HOLE PHASED IN BRAIN
* D.L. Sanders - Micah's dad, Niki's husband (phasing) SHOT
* Thompson - Mr. Bennet's/the Haitian's superior in the Linderman organization (no obvious powers) SHOT BY NOAH
* Ted Sprague - weaselly widower (radiation emission) KILLED BY SYLAR
* Kaito Nakamura - Hiro's father, highest level operative in Mr. Linderman's organization (no obvious powers, but knew most of what's happening) THROWN OFF OF THE DEVEAUX BUILDING BY TAKEZO
* Candice - Thompson's Company flunky (improved illusions) HIT WITH A BLUNT OBJECT By SYLAR
* Ricky - Caitlin's brother, bar owner, crook (no obvious powers) ELECTROCUTED BY ELLE
* Victoria - Company employee/genetic engineer (no obvious powers) SHOT IN THE BACK BY TAKEZO
* Alejandro Herrera - central-american runaway, Maya's twin, tried to keep Maya safe (absorbs <Maya's> power) STABBED BY SYLAR
* Nathan Petrelli - politician (flight) SHOT
* Niki Sanders - internet sex worker (Jessica, alternate personality: brawler) EXPLODED, BURNED, CRUSHED