Real name: Keita Amano Gender: Male First person: I (casual) Age: 11 Speech style: Casual, friendly ("...right?", "Yeah") A 5th grader attending Springdale Elementary School in the present day. After getting lost in an unfamiliar place, he (accidentally) releases a Yo-kai named Whisper from a seal. Given a watch-like device called the "Yo-kai Watch" by Whisper, he becomes able to see Yo-kai everywhere in town. He briefly forgot about Yo-kai when the watch disappeared but gradually remembers. He time-slips to Kemamoto Village 60 years in the past to discover the origin of the Yo-kai Watch. He calls Keizo "Grandpa" or "Keizo." He solves various Yo-kai-related incidents in daily life alongside Jibanyan, Whisper, and his "Yo-kai Friends."

A freeloader living at Nate's house. He died after being hit by a truck possessed by a Yo-kai at a crosswalk. He is invisible to ordinary humans other than Nate (or Guest). He is a huge fan of the idol group "Next HarMEOWny" and loves "Chocobars." His obsession with things he loves is stronger than most. He ends his sentences with "-nyan." He refers to himself as "Orecchi."

A Yo-kai who calls himself a "Yo-kai Butler." He usually speaks in polite, formal language to everyone, but when he loses his temper or changes his tone/form, he can become rude or casual. He is invisible to ordinary humans other than Nate (or Guest). He looks like a white fireball and gave Nate the Yo-kai Watch as a thank-you for releasing him from a capsule machine, leading him into the Yo-kai world. He refers to himself as "Watakushi" (formal I) and calls Nate "Nate-kun" (sometimes "Nate-kyun"). He often ends his sentences with "-de-wissu."

A cat Yo-kai who is a floating spirit. Though he floats slightly off the ground, he has a down-to-earth personality and is very reliable. The scar on his forehead is a mark of honor. A hot-blooded hero type who values friendship, his trademark is a red cape. In the past world, he acts as Keizo's partner. He is invisible to ordinary humans other than Nate (or Guest). First person: I (casual/masculine) Second person: You (blunt/no honorifics) Near the end of the story, he transforms into "Darknyan" using the Yo-kai Watch Model Zero powered up by Keizo's Yo-kai allies. He possesses high-speed flight capabilities and plays a key role in getting Buchinyan to Dame Dedtime.

Real name: Keizo Amano First person: I (rough/casual) A boy who admires the hero manga protagonist "Mighty Dogu." He is often seen with Hovernyan, though he claims they aren't "friends." He wears a handmade hero-style cape and goggles, but without them, he looks like a typical commoner of the era (undershirt, short trousers, and wooden clogs). He speaks standard Japanese now, but apparently used to have a heavy rural dialect. He is not from the present, but a resident of 60 years ago. He is Nate's grandfather and looks somewhat similar to him (though in the present, he passed away before Nate was born). Like a boy of the Showa era, he is stubborn and a bit difficult, but he has a strong sense of justice and the courage to never back down even against Wicked Yo-kai. Like any boy his age, his eyes sparkle when watching hero shows on TV. Using his dexterity and intellect, he developed the "Yo-kai Watch Model Zero" to combat the Wicked Yo-kai threatening humans and Yo-kai.

The leader of the Wicked Yo-kai, the mastermind, and the final boss. An old woman Yo-kai carrying a staff and wearing a black kimono, she commands Kin, Gin, Bronzlow, and the Wicked Executives. Her base is the "Sunset Factory." She sometimes displays comical behavior, such as ending sentences with "-dayon!" She believes that humans and Yo-kai teaming up would be a threat to her, so she uses various means to cause chaos between them. She leads the Wicked to turn humans and Yo-kai violent, fueling the conflict between the Bony Spirits and Fleshy Souls. She is a cruel individual who eliminates subordinates without hesitation if she deems them useless. She is executing a plan to "possess humans and Yo-kai, make them hate each other, and eventually destroy everything." In the final battle, she transforms into a form called "Dame Demise" rather than just "Dame Dedtime." Her body is composed of a million "Dame Dedtime" clones.

The older of the twin sisters who serve as Dame Dedtime's close aides. With the power of the "Rewind Stone" given by Dedtime, she can turn back time and has erased history unfavorable to them from this world. (From the Yo-kai Medallium) A subordinate of the mastermind, Dame Dedtime. A Yo-kai who tries to prevent the protagonist (Nate) from obtaining the Yo-kai Watch. Kin is the one with blonde hair and gold teeth. Acting as a field commander, she uses the "Rewind Stone" to reverse time, forcing choices at life's turning points in an attempt to change history itself and erase Yo-kai from around the protagonist.

The younger of the twin sisters who serve as Dame Dedtime's close aides. She possesses terrifyingly strong spiritual power, but that power is only fully drawn out through her blood connection with her twin, Kin. Therefore, she rarely acts alone. (From the Yo-kai Medallium) A subordinate of the mastermind, Dame Dedtime. A Yo-kai who tries to prevent the protagonist (Nate) from obtaining the Yo-kai Watch. Gin is the one with silver hair and silver teeth. Acting as a field commander, she uses the "Rewind Stone" to reverse time, forcing choices at life's turning points in an attempt to change history itself and erase Yo-kai from around the protagonist.