Complete Kite Runner character list

Ali

• Hassan's father and Baba's servant. A kind and humble man, Ali suffers from partial paralysis and a limp due to polio. He raises Hassan with deep affection despite the hardships he faces as a Hazara.

Dr. Amani

• A doctor in Pakistan who provides medical assistance to Amir when he is injured.

Amir

• The protagonist of The Kite Runner. A privileged Pashtun boy in Kabul who struggles with guilt and redemption, particularly regarding his friendship with Hassan. Later, he seeks atonement by rescuing Sohrab.

Raymond Andrews

• A U.S. embassy official in Pakistan who initially seems unhelpful when Amir tries to adopt Sohrab. Later, it is revealed he is grieving the loss of his own daughter.

Assef

• A sadistic bully and later a high-ranking Taliban official. He is obsessed with ethnic cleansing and inflicts suffering on others, particularly Hassan and Sohrab. He serves as the primary antagonist of the novel.

Baba

• Amir's father, a wealthy and well-respected businessman in Kabul. Baba has strong moral values but struggles to express his love to Amir. He harbors a deep secret about Hassan's true parentage.

Daoud Khan

• The first president of Afghanistan after overthrowing the monarchy in 1973. His rule marks the beginning of instability in Afghanistan.

Mrs. Dobbins

• A teacher at Amir's school in America.

Dr. Rasul

• A beggar Amir meets in Kabul who was once a literature professor and knew Amir's mother.

Faruq

• A taxi driver in Pakistan who helps Amir navigate his journey.

Dr. Armand Faruqi

• A doctor who treats Amir's injuries after his brutal confrontation with Assef.

Farzana

• Hassan's loving and devoted wife, Sohrab's mother. She shares Hassan's kindness and ultimately meets a tragic fate at the hands of the Taliban.

Mullah Fatiullah Khan

• A religious leader who teaches Amir and other boys about Islam.

Kaka Hamayoun

• Amir's uncle who helps him and Baba when they arrive in the United States.

Hassan

• Amir's loyal friend and half-brother. A kind-hearted Hazara boy known for his incredible kite-running skills. His tragic fate is a driving force in Amir's story of redemption.

Kaka Sharif

Sharif - A relative of Soraya's family who helps Amir navigate the U.S. immigration process when he tries to bring Sohrab to America.

Kamal

• One of Assef's followers who later becomes a victim of violence himself. His tragic death highlights the cycle of suffering in Afghanistan.

Kamal's father

• A grieving man who loses his son and ultimately takes his own life in despair.

Karim

• A truck driver who smuggles Amir and Baba out of Afghanistan.

Dr. Kumar

• A plastic surgeon who operates on Hassan's cleft lip, a gift from Baba.

King Nadir Shah

Nadir Shah - A former king of Afghanistan who was assassinated, leading to political instability.

Dr.Nawaz

• A doctor in Peshawar who cares for Sohrab after his suicide attempt.

The Nguyens

Nguyens - The Vietnamese couple who own a convenience store in America. Baba's reaction to them refusing his check reflects his struggle with his loss of power and status in exile.

Omar

• A minor character, one of Amir's classmates.

Rahim Khan

• Baba's close friend and Amir's mentor. He encourages Amir's writing and later reveals the truth about Hassan's parentage, setting Amir on his path to redemption.

Dr. Rosen

Rosen - A fertility specialist Amir and Soraya consult when they struggle to conceive.

Rostam (Sohrab, Rakhsh)

• Characters from Shahnameh, a Persian epic. The tragic story of Rostam and Sohrab parallels Amir's relationship with Sohrab in the novel.

Saifo

• A kite maker in Kabul who provides kites for Amir and Hassan.

Sakina

• A former servant of Baba's household who helped deliver Amir as a baby.

Sanaubar (Sasa)

• Hassan's mother, who initially abandons him but later returns to care for Sohrab. She seeks redemption for her past mistakes.

Dr. Schneider

• A doctor in America whom Baba refuses to see because he is Russian, highlighting Baba's deep resentment towards the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

Sharif

• Soraya's uncle who plays a role in Sohrab's immigration process.

Sofia Akrami

• Amir's mother, who was a respected university professor before her death during childbirth.

Sohrab

• Hassan's son, named after the tragic hero in Shahnameh. Traumatized by the Taliban's cruelty, Sohrab is eventually rescued by Amir and taken to the U.S.

Iqbal Taheri

• Soraya's strict and traditional father, a former Afghan general who struggles with his new life in exile.

Khala Jamila Taheri

• Soraya's warm and caring mother, who supports Amir and Soraya's marriage.

Soraya Taheri

Taheri - Amir's wife, who struggles with societal expectations and past mistakes. She is supportive of Amir's journey and helps raise Sohrab.

Ahmad Zahir

Zahir - A famous Afghan singer whose music represents a connection to Afghan culture and nostalgia for Amir.

Zaman

• The orphanage director in Kabul who, out of desperation, hands over children to the Taliban, highlighting the dire conditions under Taliban rule.