The novel has a range of major and minor characters, each with a backstory which, in some cases, is deliberately vague with the intent of intensifying a sense of mystery. While many of the characters bear the names of Hindu gods, wear similar clothing, and carry items that the gods are traditionally depicted with (such as Kali's necklace of skulls), they are never intended to be interpreted by the reader as Hindu gods; they are humans masquerading as gods in order to secure power. To devout Hindus the novel may appear to be blasphemous, but Zelazny was respectful of Hinduism and had clearly read widely in the subject.
The gods live in Heaven, an artificial plateau in the polar regions "where only the mighty might make their home." It is covered by a giant dome for defense and weather control. Heaven is divided into the Celestial City and the Forest of Kaniburrha.
Major characters
- Sam is one of the original colonists of the planet. He thus belongs to the group who are known as the First, a diminishing group of people. As Sam says, "All the rest are dead, or are gods". He himself had been a god, styling himself Kalkin. Thanks to his several lives and exploits, he is known by many names, such as Maitreya, Lord of Light, Manjusri of the Sword, Binder of Demons and so on. His major contribution to the ascendancy of the Gods was his use of what he termed electrodirection, or mental control of electromagnetics, to control and destroy or bind the natives of the planet, who were beings of pure energy known to men as demons. Eventually disillusioned by the rise of the Gods, he retires to the life of Prince Siddhartha, until he finally rebels. In doing so, he creates more legends, and gains more names, including Buddha, The Enlightened One, Tathagatha, Mahasamatman or Great-Souled Sam etc. After an episode of 'demonic possession' by one of the planet's original inhabitants, he becomes capable of self-propelled flight, and his 'mind' can exist outside his body, even if it is killed.
- Yama, the God of Death, begins as Sam's enemy, but later becomes his chief ally. He is a third generation colonist with an unusual history. A juvenile scientific genius, he was mortally injured in an accidental explosion, so that he had to be quickly reincarnated into the first available body, which happened to be a middle-aged male. He therefore was "old before he was young," and did not have the same outlook as someone who has "known first love in the days of spring." He is a "master of arms, master of sciences," who has created much of the new technology behind the power of the Gods' regime. He also has the power of the death gaze , which allows him to kill by looking his victim in the eyes. Asked by Sam how he can bear to serve a "bunch of drunken body changers" he puts forth a "higher cause" rationale. However he also is emotionally involved with Kali, and eventually revolts as a result of her betrayal. Ganesha assesses him as "too serious, too conscientious," and "emotionally unstable."
- Kali, Goddess of Destruction, also known as Durga , consort of Kalkin, and Candi the Fierce , is another of the First . Over the centuries, she has been Sam's lover, companion, wife, comrade-in-arms, and finally enemy. She yearns for the days when the planet was still wild and unconquered. As Sam warns Yama, who loves her, she loves only "those who bring her gifts of chaos". Like Yama, she has the death-gaze power, along with many others only hinted at. She also carries a weapon, the skull-wheel, which is some kind of ultrasonic emitter that causes confusion and oblivion, even to the demons.
- Tak, of the Bright Spear, is a former demigod exiled to the world as an ape, as punishment for trying to help Sam while he was in captivity. He is also Sam's son, possibly of Sam's original body, a fact of which Sam may not be aware. Tak is very philosophical and practical, once rationalizing that when people have many bodies, biological parenthood becomes meaningless. However, he seemingly helps Sam exactly because of that connection between them.
- Kubera is Yama's friend and companion in an order of the Gods called the Lokapalas . No matter how he is reincarnated, his body always runs to fat. He is however, shrewdly intelligent and a master technologist, surpassing Yama in some areas. He has the unusual ability to invest inanimate objects with emotion and feelings, which he uses to create the Pavilion of Silence at Worldsend , a structure at the far end of the place known as Heaven in which rooms are dedicated to emotions such as Despair, Heartbreak, and Fear. This is a place of retreat for the Gods. After centuries of idleness as a God he eventually breaks with the rest and helps Sam.
- Ratri, Goddess of the Night is Kubera's friend who is drawn into the conflict, not altogether unwillingly. She too is disgusted by the treatment Sam received in Heaven, and goes to Kubera after she witnesses Brahma's last twitches when he is poisoned. Eventually she helps Kubera escape Heaven with Sam. Her power is to cast Night across any area, which is used in the Battle of Keenset. After that battle, because she is judged to have been merely weak-willed in helping Sam, she is expelled from Heaven to wander the world in bodies that can not express her powers, or her beauty. In spite of this she can occasionally summon the strength to become the Goddess whose "radiance drives out the dark" . In character terms she provides an emotional counterweight to Yama's hatred and Sam's zeal.
Minor characters
- Jan Olvegg, also known as Olvagga , or Janaveg , or Janagga , is another one of the First . In fact, he was the Captain of the colonists' ship. Sam encounters him in exile while still contemplating his own rebellion. He identifies himself to Olvegg with "It's a long way to Tipperary". Olvegg, who at first cannot recognize Sam because of his changing of bodies, brings Sam up to date on the rise of the Gods since Sam retired, and thus precipitates Sam's campaign. He is later captured by, and agrees to fight for, Nirriti the Black. Nirriti remembers that Olvegg was a Christian, although far less fanatical than Nirriti in spreading his faith.
- Rild, later called Sugata , is introduced as an assassin and master swordsman, a holy disciple of Kali. He is sent to kill Sam while Sam is reviving Buddhism by playing the Buddha, but instead becomes a convert to Buddhist philosophy and eventually attains true enlightenment. This has some similarities to the tale of Angulimala.
- Trimurti, composed of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, rule in Heaven. However, Brahma is weak-spirited, mostly concerned with his manliness, since he was originally a woman named Madeleine. Shiva is an "old warhorse" whose main power is a trident made by Yama, which can kill or disintegrate. Shiva also uses the "Thunder Chariot" a jet-powered aircraft. Vishnu, the Preserver, was the architect of the place called Heaven, but is a passive god who goes along with Brahma's machinations, which in turn seem to be driven by the influence of Kali and Ganesha.
- Ganesha is a manipulator, an insider, the self-styled power behind the throne. He pushes the other Gods to consolidate their power, even to the extent of persuading them to allow Sam to preach while held captive in Heaven, hoping to tempt sympathizers into revealing themselves. As the power of the Gods wanes, he tries to maintain his position by betraying them to Nirriti. Asked if he trusts Ganesha, Nirriti replies "Yes, but I would give him his silver afterward", a clear reference to Judas Iscariot, Nirriti being a Christian. He dies in the final battle.
- Agni, God of Fire, is a fearsome character armed with a wand that emits the Universal Fire , which destroys anything it touches. He and Yama were friends prior to Yama joining Sam. The wand itself can only be held by wearing a special outfit and glove, presumably to protect the holder. He also has goggles that enable him to see in infra-red and ultra-violet radiation, and for immense distances. It is said he scarred the faces of the moons with his wand, while standing on the ground. The original Agni replaces Shiva after the latter was killed by Sam, and was replaced himself by subsequent 'lesser' Agnis who died one after another.
- Taraka, Lord of the Rakshasa, is a demon, an energy being. Like the rest of his kind he was bound by Sam in the early days, but is set free by Sam as part of a bargain to marshal the demons to oppose the gods. Taraka deceives Sam and possesses his body after his release, resulting in Sam and Taraka simultaneously living in Sam's body. However the end result is that Sam's 'flame' is strengthened, allowing him to survive death, while Taraka only develops a sense of guilt. Taraka is killed by Yama's death gaze in the final battle, despite Sam's warnings.
- Nirriti the Black was originally Renfrew, the chaplain of the colonists' ship. A staunch Christian, he is disgusted by the ascendancy of Hinduism on the planet and eventually sets himself up with an army of zombie soldiers to conquer and convert the planet. (Nirriti is portrayed as a solo megalomaniac, opposed to the pantheon of the Gods.) This character is deeply ironic, a Christian who comes to be known as "The Dark Lord", leader of an army of "Soulless Ones" who have no will of their own but kneel to accompany him in his prayers when so ordered. His final irony is to die in the arms of the false Buddha, Sam. As he dies, he asks for Sam's blessing, which is freely given.
- Mara, Lord of Illusion, can project illusions across great distances, a power that the Gods use both for entertainment and in battle. He is the one God who can stand against Sam and Yama at Keenset where both exert their full powers, being able to misdirect their attacks. Likewise he frustrates Sam's attempt to escape Heaven by confusing him as to the way out of the dome. Despite this his character is not much in evidence in the novel, only his actions. In the first story he appears in disguise attempting to find out what Yama is doing, but when confronted, apparently unable to use his powers of illusion effectively against Yama within a limited space, the Death God breaks his neck, thus killing him.
- Krishna is seen only briefly, and as two different characters. He is characterized as a lord of music and dance, and he wields a power of divine drunkenness. He has enormous charisma. Krishna is mostly an apolitical libertine, but was said to be a deadly wrestler who "broke the black demon Bana" during the battles between the colonists and the native inhabitants of the planet, which suggests that he was one of the First. Eventually, disgusted by the abusive practices of the Gods, he joins Sam's efforts to overthrow them. A 'false Krishna' also is mentioned, as when the original Krishna went missing a replacement was found.
