The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India composed by Veda Vyasa. At its heart lies the epic struggle between the Pandavas and the Kauravas. The central characters include the five Pandava brothers—Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula, and Sahadeva—along with their wife Draupadi. On the opposing side, the hundred Kaurava brothers are led by the elder brother, Duryodhana. However, the Mahabharata is richly populated with other notable figures including Krishna, Bhishma, Drona, Karna, Kunti, Dushasana, Kripa, Dhritrashtra, Gandhari, Shakuni, Ashwatthama, Balarama, Subhadra, Vyasa, Abhimanyu, Pandu, Satyavati and Amba.

The Mahabharata manuscripts exist in numerous versions, wherein the specifics and details of major characters and episodes vary, often significantly. Except for the sections containing the Bhagavad Gita which is remarkably consistent between the numerous manuscripts, the rest of the epic exists in many versions. The differences between the Northern and Southern recensions are particularly significant, with the Southern manuscripts more profuse and longer. The manuscripts found in the North and South India have "great divergence" in details, though the thematic essence is similar. Scholars have attempted to construct a critical edition, relying mostly on a study of the Bombay edition, the Poona edition, the Calcutta edition and the south Indian editions of the Mahabharata manuscripts. The most accepted version is one prepared by scholars led by Vishnu Sukthankar at the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, preserved at the Kyoto University, the Cambridge University and various Indian universities.

This list follows the Critical Edition of the Mahabharata, but may have characters exclusive to a particular recension.

Adhiratha was the foster-father of Karna. According to the Bhagavata Purana, Adhiratha was descended from Yayati and therefore was related to Krishna. He was also the descendant of Romapada, the king of Anga and brother-in-law of Dasharatha's descendant Shighra, king of Ayodhya. His wife was Radha and their biological sons were Shatrunjaya and Chitrasena.

Adrika was an apsara, who was cursed to become a fish and only to be liberated when she gives birth to a human. Adrika, as a fish, lived in the river Yamuna. Once she came in contact with the semen of Uparichara and impregnated herself. After 10 months, some fishermen caught her, cut open her womb and found two children—Matsyagandha and Matsya. After the incident, Adrika was liberated from her curse and returned to heaven.^{[page needed]}

Alambusha was a Rakshasa. In the Kurukshetra War, he fought from the Kaurava side. During the war, he defeated Iravan, son of Pandava prince Arjuna. Later on the 14th day of Kurukshetra war, Alambusha was killed by Bhima's son, Ghatotkacha.

He was a demon and friend of another demon named Alambusha. He and Alambusha were killed by Bhima's demon son Ghatotkacha during the Night war on the fourteenth day of the war.

The chief maid of Ambika was sent by Ambika and Ambalika to Maharishi Vyasa. From their union, Vidura was born.