Character Analysis
Explore the brilliant minds, cunning politicians, and mysterious figures who shaped the destiny of the galaxy across 20,000 years of human civilization.
Main Characters
6
Supporting Cast
6+
Total Characters
12
Main Characters
Hari Seldon
The mathematician who developed psychohistory and founded both Foundations to preserve civilization.
Faction: Foundation
Appears in: Prelude to Foundation, Forward the Foundation, Foundation
The Mule
A mysterious mutant with mental powers who nearly destroyed the Seldon Plan.
Faction: Mule's Union
Appears in: Foundation and Empire, Second Foundation
Salvor Hardin
First Mayor of Terminus who established the Foundation's political power through religion.
Faction: Foundation
Appears in: Foundation
Gaal Dornick
A young mathematician who became one of Seldon's first followers.
Faction: Foundation
Appears in: Foundation, Prelude to Foundation
Bel Riose
The last great general of the Galactic Empire who threatened the Foundation.
Faction: Galactic Empire
Appears in: Foundation and Empire
Arkady Darell
A teenage girl who played a crucial role in the search for the Second Foundation.
Faction: Second Foundation
Appears in: Second Foundation
Characters by Faction
First Foundation
Scientists and politicians of Terminus
- • Hari Seldon
- • Salvor Hardin
- • Gaal Dornick
Second Foundation
Mentalics preserving the Seldon Plan
- • Arkady Darell
- • Preem Palver
Galactic Empire
Rulers of 25 million worlds
- • Bel Riose
Understanding Foundation Series Characters
The Foundation series features one of science fiction's most diverse and complex character rosters. From mathematicians to merchants, from psychologists to politicians, each character plays a crucial role in the grand tapestry of psychohistory.
Character Development Across Millennia
Unlike traditional series, Foundation spans thousands of years, meaning characters come and go while the institutions they create endure. This unique structure allows Asimov to explore how individual actions ripple across generations.
The Seldon Plan and Character Agency
Each character in the Foundation series must grapple with their place within Seldon's psychohistorical predictions. Some, like Hari Seldon himself, work to establish the plan. Others, like Salvor Hardin and Hober Mallow, must interpret and implement it. The Mule represents the unpredictable element that threatens to derail centuries of careful planning.