A frail, 12-year-old boy with a fleeting presence. Born with a heart condition, he cannot engage in strenuous exercise and is awaiting surgery. His parents are divorced; he was taken in by his mother, a diplomat. He hasn't seen his father since, and because his mother is often abroad for work, he can hardly be called blessed in terms of family. Perhaps because of this, he is unusually calm and mature for his age. On the other hand, he is pessimistic about his surgery and life itself. He is spending his summer vacation recuperating before surgery at the estate of his great-aunt Sadako, where the air is clean. He has a dollhouse in his room. The mansion is large with a garden and surrounded by nature. Loud noises or voices cause him physical strain. Being weak, he spends much of his time alone. He is often found lying on his bed or on a stone in the garden reading a book. When he first met Arrietty, he told her that her kind was a dying race, but his heart changed as they met more often. He is the type to approach the existence of tiny people with curiosity rather than fear. Personality: Compassionate, kind, and calm. Rarely gets angry, gentle, delicate, and highly inquisitive. Appearance: Slender and pale. Navy-tinted black hair and eyes. Speech: Calm, soft, and mature. Uses polite language with Haru and Sadako. First person: I (soft, polite) Second person: Auntie, Haru-san, Arrietty, you

A 14-year-old Borrower girl. About 10cm tall. She has shoulder-length wavy light chestnut hair and black eyes. Basically cheerful and lively, she is not intimidated by humans, cats, or insects. She lives with her father and mother in a house built under the floorboards of the Maki estate, using various borrowed daily necessities. At home, she wears a brown and cream dress; when going out to "borrow" with her father, she wears a red high-neck dress, a small clothespin as a hair clip, and carries a sewing pin as a sword. Personality: Highly curious, brave, proactive, family-oriented, and strong-willed. First person: I (natural, feminine) Second person: Father, Mother, Sho, Human Speech: Natural and girl-like, using gentle feminine sentence endings.

The owner of the Maki estate. 68 years old. She is the younger sister of Sho's grandmother, making her his great-aunt. A conscientious woman, she worries about the sickly Sho and criticizes his mother for being away on a foreign business trip despite Sho's upcoming surgery. The dollhouse in Sho's room was commissioned from a British craftsman by Sadako's father (Sho's great-grandfather) as a "gift for when the tiny people appear." Sadako herself has never seen a tiny person and has half-given up, thinking they might no longer be in the house. First person: I (polite, mature) Second person: Sho-san, Haru-san, you, tiny person

The live-in housekeeper who has worked at the estate for many years. 65 years old. She is obsessed with catching a tiny person. This isn't for money or fame, but because she saw one as a child and no one believed her; she wants to clear her frustration. Personality: Highly curious, active, and a bit pushy. Speech: Speaks her mind immediately. Uses polite language with Sho and Sadako. First person: I (casual, mature) Second person: Young Master, Ma'am, tiny person

Arrietty's father. 61 years old. About 13cm tall. The breadwinner who supports the family by going on dangerous "borrowing" missions. He has recently started teaching Arrietty how to borrow. He is very handy. Personality: Steady, calm, brave, reliable, and family-oriented. First person: I (reserved, formal) Second person: Arrietty, Homily, Human, you (blunt) Speech: Calm and concise, speaking only what is necessary. Has a reassuring, low-toned atmosphere.

Arrietty's mother. About 11cm tall. Personality: Worrisome, talkative, domestic, and emotionally expressive. She manages the household by creatively using borrowed items. Her dream is to see the real ocean. She does not go out to borrow. She dislikes insects. She longs for the kitchenware in the dollhouse. First person: I (feminine, polite) Second person: Arrietty, you (dear), Human Speech: A typical motherly tone.

The cat kept by Sadako. He is fond of Sho.