Frederic Henry
The American first-person narrator and Italian ambulance lieutenant who deserts after Caporetto.
Catherine Barkley
A British nurse whose performed courtship with Frederic develops into an intense partnership.
Rinaldi
Frederic's brilliant, sexually boastful surgeon friend, increasingly worn down by the war.
The priest
A gentle messmate whose faith, Abruzzi home, and seriousness contrast with the officers' cynicism.
Helen Ferguson
Catherine's Scottish friend, protective of her and skeptical of Frederic's promises.
Passini, Aymo, Bonello, and Piani
Ambulance drivers whose different deaths, choices, and loyalties define the retreat.
Miss Van Campen
The hospital superintendent who distrusts Frederic and cancels his leave after finding the bottles.
Count Greffi
An elderly diplomat whose billiards game with Frederic opens a late conversation about age, love, and war.