The Consul
Former Hegemony diplomat and descendant of Siri and Merin Aspic. He presents himself as a neutral observer but has committed the act that helped open the Time Tombs.
Father Lenar Hoyt
Young Catholic priest carrying two cruciform parasites, one linked to him and one to Paul Duré. He seeks release from their pain.
Father Paul Duré
Jesuit archaeologist exiled for falsifying evidence. His encounter with the Bikura and cruciform transforms the idea of resurrection into horror.
Colonel Fedmahn Kassad
Celebrated FORCE soldier whose relationship with Moneta ties erotic desire, temporal manipulation, and mass violence together.
Moneta
Mysterious woman who meets Kassad across simulations and time. She is allied with the Shrike and may be guiding him toward a future war.
Martin Silenus
Ancient, wealthy, profane poet trying to complete the Hyperion Cantos. He believes the Shrike may be both his subject and his muse.
Sol Weintraub
Jewish scholar and father of Rachel. He opposes the divine command in his dreams yet carries his daughter toward the only power that might save her.
Rachel Weintraub
Archaeologist afflicted with the Merlin sickness after entering the Sphinx. She ages backward while losing memories in reverse order.
Brawne Lamia
Private investigator who uncovers TechnoCore conflict. She carries Johnny's stored consciousness and is pregnant with his child.
Johnny
Cybrid reconstruction of the poet John Keats. His investigation of his own missing memories reveals that the Core has plans centered on Hyperion.
Het Masteen
Templar captain of the Yggdrasill and a chosen pilgrim. He disappears before telling his story.
The Shrike
Four-armed metallic being associated with the Time Tombs, temporal distortion, the Church of the Final Atonement, and the Tree of Pain. Its origin and purpose remain uncertain.
Meina Gladstone
Chief Executive of the Hegemony. She authorizes the pilgrimage while managing the Ouster crisis and the unstable alliance with the TechnoCore.
King Billy
Patron of the artists' colony on Hyperion. He recognizes the moral danger in Silenus's relationship to the Shrike and attempts to destroy the poem.
Siri and Merin Aspic
Lovers separated by relativistic time during the construction of Maui-Covenant's farcaster. Their tragedy becomes the source of the Consul's hatred of the Hegemony.
Spoiler Warning
The section summaries below reveal every pilgrim's confession, the nature of Rachel's illness, Johnny's death, the Consul's betrayal, and the novel's unresolved ending. Hyperion is organized around a framing pilgrimage and six completed tales; Het Masteen disappears before telling the seventh.