Beowulf - The Hero in this Anglo - Saxon epic. He fights Grendel, Grendel's mother , and a dragon. Beowulf goes on to be crowned king before he is killed by the dragon.
The Dragon - The dragon attacks the countryside, angered at the fact that someone has taken a cup away from his hoard of treasure. The battle with the dragon marks the ending of the epic, as this is where Beowulf suffers his fatal injuries, which kill him.
Grendel - Grendel is descended of Cain. He targets Heorot Hall- the hall of the Geats. Grendel is defeated once in for all once he battles Beowulf and has his arm ripped off.
Hrothgar - King of the Danes, and leader of Heorot Hall. Hrothgar can be seen as sort of a father figure to Beowulf.
Grendel's Mom - Desires Vengeance for the killing of her son. To achieve this, she steals a warrior from Herot Hall. She dies when Beowulf dives into her home and uses his sword to kill her.
Wiglaf - When all the other warriors turn and run, Wiglaf proves his loyalty. He is the only one to follow Beowulf and fight the dragon. Wiglaf is able to return and tell the tale of the battle.