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Bezukhov Family and Associates
Pierre Bezukhov
Count Pyotr "Pierre" Kirillovich Bezukhov
The illegitimate son of Count Bezukhov. A freethinking, sometimes reckless, man capable of decisive action and great displays of willpower when circumstances demand it. Unexpectedly inherits his father's title, estate, and fortune, becoming one of the richest men in Russia.- Author Avatar: Pierre is a lot like Tolstoy himself. He definitely looks like him, with his awkwardness and heavyset frame, but more important, Pierre is a way for the author to ask a lot of deep questions about what it's all about (besides the hokey-pokey, of course).
- Awful Wedded Life: His marriage to Hélène is a terrible one, since it's based entirely on lust, with no love or any other emotions involved.
- Bastard Angst: Pierre's the bastard of one of the wealthiest, most powerful counts of Russia, who, upon his death, legitimizes him. He was educated in Paris and came back with very liberal ideas that make him a big outsider in the Russian aristocratic circles, who were already side-eyeing him for being illegitimate in the first place.
- The Brute: Served this role while in Anatole's gang, as his heavyset body type made for good muscle.
- Character Development: Pierre's is a long arc. He becomes more likable and heroic when Tolstoy begins to reshape him mid-novel into a sort of reluctant hero, who goes off to war and starts to participate despite himself, who saves the lives of a French officer and a little girl even though he actually is trying to assassinate Napoleon, and who finally gets it together enough to start pursuing Natasha.
- Character Shilling: The narration and the characters like to remind us of how good-natured he is.
- Classical Anti-Hero: Pierre has none of the defining characteristics that would endear him to us or impress us with his power and skill — instead, he's a wishy-washy fat man who spends most of his time agonizing about philosophy only to be totally carried away by craziness — like the idea that he is somehow destined to be Napoleon's anti-anti-Christ. In addition, he is weak-willed and easily browbeaten by those around him.
- Desperately Looking for a Purpose in Life: Pierre is a perpetual seeker and is constantly trying to make himself a better man. He tries out almost every approach that philosophers have advocated as a way to live life.
- Distracted by the Sexy: His wife Hélène is so crazily hot that he can't think straight around her.
- Heroic Bastard: Pierre is the bastard son of Count Bezukhov and he's progressive, generous, and good-natured.
- The Hedonist: In the beginning, Pierre is totally a slave to physical pleasure, getting wasted with his friends and, it's implied, visiting brothels.
- Misery Builds Character: It's only when Pierre is a lowly prisoner, stripped of all his wealth, his possessions, and even of the basics of human existence, that he finally figures out the meaning of life – at least for himself. What does he figure out? That happiness can only come from within, and that it involves a combination of an appreciation for how good it is to be alive and a belief in God.
- Nice Guy: As we are frequently reminded.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Pierre tries out religion and mysticism and becomes a Freemason. He really tries to commit himself to this order, and there are some things the Freemasons advocate that seem to really click for him. But everything he tries to do to follow Masonic rules ends up failing: his attempts to liberate his serfs end up a sad mess, for example.
- The Only One Allowed to Defeat You: Pierre goes crazy and thinks it's his destiny to assassinate Napoleon.
- The Philosopher: Likes to wax poetic about the state of society.
- Royal Bastard: He's the bastard son of one of the wealthiest, most powerful counts of Russia, who, upon his death, legitimizes him.
- Stout Strength: At one point picks up a table and nearly throws it at his wife.
- Third-Option Love Interest: To Natasha. After her brief tryst with Anatole wrecks her engagement to Andrei, he comforts her and realizes he loves her. They are married by the distant finale.
- This Is My Name on Foreign: He's called "Pierre", the French form of the name Peter/Pyotr.
- Ugly Guy, Hot Wife: He's stout, awkward, fat, and clumsy, but is railroaded into marrying Hélène, one of the most beautiful women in Russia.
- Unexpected Inheritance: He was a favorite of his father's, but no one expected him to get legitimized and inherit the title.
Count Bezukhov
Count Kirill Bezukhov
Pierre's father and very wealthy aristocrat who served in Catherine II's court.- We Hardly Knew Ye: The first we hear of him, he's dying, and his death comes very early in the story, making Pierre one of the most powerful men in Russia.
Bolkonsky Family and Associates
Nikolai Bolkonsky
Prince Nikolay Andreevitch Bolkonsky
Patriarch of the Bolkonsky family, a former war veteran turned eccentric recluse.- Abusive Parents: He's not at all kind to his daughter Marya, being a Control Freak and frequently making untoward remarks about her appearance and intelligence.
- Pint-Sized Powerhouse: A renowned war vet, but described as short and rather ugly.
- Twitchy Eye: A habit of his. The other characters aren't sure if it's just him or some sort of mental disease.
Andrei Bolkonsky
Prince Andrei Nikolayevich Bolkonsky
Son of famed general Nikolai Bolkonsky, brother to Marya, and best friend to Pierre. Disillusioned with his marriage and lifestyle, Andrei goes off to war hoping to find glory and purpose.- Awful Wedded Life: Can't stand his wife, even though he insists she's nothing to complain about. The narration makes it clear that he finds her vapid, shallow, and histrionic, traits he finds very tiresome.
- Desperately Looking for a Purpose in Life: Like Pierre, Andrei is unfulfilled with St. Petersburg society. Unlike Pierre, he signs up for the army to solve this.
- Glory Seeker: His original attitude in military service, culminating in a Self-Destructive Charge at the battle of Austerlitz.
- Intelligence Equals Isolation: On one hand, he finds enough people hating him just because he's competent, diligent, and sharp. On the other hand, his intelligence makes a lot of the socializing he has to do as a noble an authentic pain in the neck, which he doesn't bother to hide very well.
- Internal Reformist: Falls in with Speransky's liberalizing programs, at least for a while.
- Not Quite Dead: Everyone thought Andrei died at Austerlitz, but he makes quite the impressive comeback. It doesn't stick the second time.
- Proud Warrior Race Guy: Initially believes that joining the army and fighting for the fatherland is seen as one of the best ways to achieve fame and glory. Barely surviving Austerlitz flips this worldview around.
- The Stoic: Andrei is unhappy with his life but doesn't show it, keeps the people he cares about at a distance, and rarely emotes. He admires Pierre for his attempts to find purpose and admires Natasha for her innocent joy.
Lisa Bolkonskaya
Princess Elisabeta "Lisa" Karlovna Bolkonskaya
Wife to Andrei and a society favorite. Nicknamed "The Little Princess".- Awful Wedded Life: She can't figure out why her husband hates her.
- Broken Record: Her husband notes that she uses the same lines over and over with different audiences, to keep them entertained.
- Death by Childbirth: She dies giving birth to Andrei's son, just as he comes back from war.
- Socialite: Thrives in salons and in the company of others.
Marya Bolkonskaya
Princess Marya Nikolaevna Bolkonskaya
Sister to Andrei, and a deeply religious woman who has resigned herself to an unmarried life with her elderly father.- Adaptational Attractiveness: Marya is described as plain, but with beautiful eyes. Adaptations rarely pay attention to this.
- The Caretaker: To her aging father, in his remote country estate, and also to Andrei's son Nikolai when Andrei dies.
- Extreme Doormat: Marya takes her father's abuse as quietly as she can, and devotes herself to assisting him in his old age.
- Nephewism: Raises Andrei's son Nikolai after Andrei dies and she marries Nikolai Rostov.
- Pet the Dog: During the better times of their friendship, Marya consoles Mademoiselle Bourienne in times of sorrow.
- A Saint Named Mary: Marya is a notably religious woman and a devoted daughter and sister.
- What Beautiful Eyes!: She's described to have beautiful eyes, which act as a counterpoint to her ugliness.
Rostov Family and Associates
Ilya Rostov
Count Ilya Rostov
Patriarch of the Rostov family. He's a kind and loving father, and is generous to a fault, frequently living beyond the family's means.- Large Ham: He's a very funny and entertaining example.
- Life of the Party: Loves to hold parties and invite lots of people to dinner.
- Nice Guy: Rostov is charming, generous, and approachable.
Nikolai Rostov
Nikolai Ilyich Rostov
The oldest Rostov son, Nikolai is a hardcore patriot who loves his emperor and embraces his military career without reservations.- Childhood Marriage Promise: He's got one with Sonya, but he tends to dither about his feelings for her.
- Character Development: Starts the novel as a carefree jock-type, but after his family falls into bankruptcy and he has to financially support his mother and sister, he's forced to grow up a bit.
- The Gambling Addict: Nikolai loses an obscene amount of moneynote to Dolokhov at cards, which doesn't help the family's suffering finances at all.
- Horrible Judge of Character: Trusts Dolokhov and considers him a good friend, despite several indications to the contrary.
- Marry for Love: Disagrees with his mother's attempts to get him to marry a rich girl, citing this trope. He eventually marries Marya, who is both loving and very rich.
Natasha Rostova
Natalya "Natasha" Ilynichna Rostova
Rostov's youngest daughter and a good friend of Pierre. Natasha starts the novel as a teenager who resolves to find happiness and true love.- All Girls Want Bad Boys: Natasha is seduced by "Bad Boy" Anatole, causing her to break off her engagement with Andrei and also to very nearly elope with Anatole. Though Anatole's plans are foiled, it does succeed in permanently wrecking Natasha's relationship with Andrei.
- Best Friends-in-Law: With Marya. While Natasha never marries Marya's brother Andrei, they do bond in their grief over his death, and Marya later marries Natasha's brother Nikolai.
- Betty and Veronica: The Archie in this situation. Compare her straightforward courtship with the upstanding Andrei versus her quick seduction by the rakish Anatole. Circumstances prevent her from ending up with either, and she eventually marries Pierre.
- Break the Cutie: Getting involved with the Kuragin siblings turns her from a naive ingenue to a miserable young woman.
- Defiled Forever: When word of her alleged affair with Anatole gets around, her engagement ends and she's considered a ruined woman.
- Driven to Suicide: Attempts to kill herself after her engagement is broken by drinking arsenic, but she gets better.
- Dude Magnet: Pierre, Andrei, Anatole, and even Denisov are attracted to her.
- Fallen Princess: Near the end of the novel, she's lost her engagement to Andrei, her father and brother are dead, and her family's finances and reputation are in shambles. She does eventually marry Pierre, so it's assumed that this is mitigated by the end.
- Formerly Fit: She's gone to seed in the distant finale.
- Genki Girl: Starts out as a young girl whose vivacity and cheer can brighten up any room.
- The Ingenue: Natasha is a naive, romantic young maiden.
Petya Rostova
Pyotr "Petya" Ilyich Rostova
Youngest of the Rostov siblings and eager to follow in his older brother's martial footsteps.- Boom, Headshot!: In his final engagement, dies due to an unlucky musket shot to the side of his cranium.
- From the Mouths of Babes: Makes the occasional precocious comment on Nikolai's relationships with women.
- Glory Seeker: Has always wanted to become a soldier since childhood and becomes one later on.
- Pet the Dog: During his service in the military, he often gives gifts to his fellow soldiers who are often of lower station.
Sonya Rostova
Sofia "Sonya" Alexandrovna Rostova
An orphaned cousin of the Rostovs, who has been living with them since childhood.- Childhood Marriage Promise: She and Nikolai promised to marry each other in their youth.
- The Confidant: To Natasha, regarding her romantic affairs. She's been around since childhood, so she's Natasha's sister, cousin, best friend, and companion all at once.
- I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: Sonya releases Nikolai from their engagement so he can marry Princess Marya, despite loving him dearly herself.
- Kissing Cousins: She's a cousin to the Rostovs, and falls in love with Nikolai.
- Old Maid: Implied to be her eventual fate, since Nikolai marries Marya and she becomes a caretaker to their family. She is even referred to as a "sterile flower".
- Psychic Dreams for Everyone: Sonya dreams of Prince Andrei lying down in bed in a rickety house, and that's where he dies.
- Spanner in the Works: Deliberately foils Natasha's elopement with Anatole by informing the household staff about it and having them intercept him.
Marya Dmitriyevna Akhrosimova
Relative of Count Rostov and matchmaker. Rude but respected and feared.
- The Matchmaker: Her role.
- Stern Teacher: Acts very much like one — to full-grown adults, as well.
Kuragin Family and Associates
Vassily Kuragin
Prince Vassily Kuragin
A nobleman related to the dying Count Bezukhov through his wife. When Pierre is named his successor, Kuragin seeks to further his family's position by marrying him to his daughter Hélène.- Passed-Over Inheritance: He had hoped to benefit from old Count Bezukhov's death, but since the money, title, and estates all go to Pierre, Kuragin figures he can just become richer by proxy by becoming an in-law.
- Opinion Flip Flop: When Kutuzov is appointed as army chief by the Emperor, Vasily sings the general's praises despite slagging him at a previous gathering.
- Social Climber: Vasily railroads Pierre into marrying his daughter because of the money this will bring.
Anatole Kuragin
Anatole Vasilyevich Kuragin
Son of Prince Vassily, a handsome, hedonistic, charismatic soldier.- An Arm and a Leg: Loses part of his leg after the Battle of Borodino.
- Brother–Sister Incest: Implied to be having an incestuous affair with his sister Hélène.
- The Casanova: He's a well-known womanizer whose first interaction with a semi-main character is Mme. Bourienne, a maid at Prince Bolkonsky's house, while Anatole was there to court the prince's daughter Marya. He later marries the daughter of a Polish farmer in exchange for room and board during one military campaign, and then, just for fun, sets out to marry-and-kidnap Natasha Rostov.
- It's All About Me: Anatole never thinks of the effect his actions will have on other people, and refuses to consider the consequences of eloping with Natasha, especially when he's already married.
- Shotgun Wedding: While travelling, he had something going on with a Polish farmer girl, which her father found out about, and there went his freedom. Well, technically anyways.
Hélène Kuragina
Yelena "Hélène" Vasilyevna Bezukhova nèe Kuragina
Daughter of Prince Vassily, a beautiful socialite. She marries Pierre for his fortune.- Awful Wedded Life: She and Pierre dislike each other, and it shows in their interactions.
- Brother–Sister Incest: Implied to be having an incestuous affair with her brother Anatole.
- Gold Digger: Pretty much marries Pierre solely for the vast fortune he inherited from his father.
- Feigning Intelligence: Acquires a learned reputation, albeit falsely. According to Pierre, at least.
- Head-Turning Beauty: Always described as very beautiful, and has a string of affairs as a result. Her beauty makes grown men weep and young boys lock themselves in bathrooms.
- Karmic Death: She repeatedly cheats on her husband. The "polite" cause of her death is of a heart condition, but is heavily implied to be a botched abortion.
- This Is My Name on Foreign: She's addressed as "Hélène", when the Russian version of the name is 'Yelena/Elena'.
- World's Most Beautiful Woman: Famed all throughout Russia for her beauty and is considered the most beautiful woman ever born.
Anna Pavlovna
Anna Pavlovna Scherer
A lady-in-waiting to the empress and friend of the Kuragins.- Gossipy Hens: Will occasionally comment on a character's affairs at her parties.
- The Matchmaker: Instrumental in securing Pierre's marriage to Hélène.
- Socialite: One of the most established hostesses in Russian high society.
Drubetskoy Family and Associates
Boris Drubetskoy
Boris Drubetskoy
Son of Anna Mikhailovna and childhood friend to the Rostovs. At times put off by his mother's blatant social-climbing, but often benefits from it.- Delusions of Eloquence: Speaks in unintelligibly mangled French to impress a girl.
- Foil: To childhood friend Nikolai. While Nikolai starts the book well-off and impetuous, Boris is poor and methodically fights to establish a career for himself.
- Nobility Marries Money: His family are impoverished patricians, and he himself marries Julie Karagina for her great fortune.
- Social Climber: Rises up the ladder, eventually earning a position on the Tsar's staff. He ends the book having done reasonably well for himself, as he marries a rich heiress.
Anna Mikhailovna
Princess Anna Mikhailovna Drubetskaya
Boris's mother, a woman from an illustrious family who has nonetheless ended up poor. She's made it her mission to see him in a secure, wealthy position in society.- Impoverished Patrician: She's nominally a princess, but has somehow ended up poor.
- Social Climber: Will take every opportunity to better herself and Boris in the eyes of her social superiors.
Russian Military
General Kutuzov
General Mikhail Ilarionovich Kutuzov
Russian general throughout the book. His diligence and modesty eventually save Russia from the Great Man.- The Cassandra: Claims that participating in the Battle of Austerlitz is a bad idea. Russia does so anyway, gets its ass handed to it by the French, and Napoleon invades Austria. Oh, well!
- Cincinnatus: Invoked. Emperor Alexander did not want Kutuzov to become Field Marshal during Napoleon's invasion, and many aristocrats in his court maneuvered behind Kutuzov's back to have him ousted after the danger was past. Kutuzov just liked to read novels though.
- Four-Star Badass: Played with. He's ranked general, but is old, fat, and blind in one eye — certainly not someone seeing the front lines anytime soon. Nevertheless, he's the wisest of all the Tsar's military advisers, and his perseverance eventually pays off.
- Historical Domain Character: General Kutuzov
was a real Russian general during the Napoleonic wars. - Only Sane Man: During the 1805 campaigns, he's the only one to suggest that retreating from the French might be the best option. He's right, but that's not what happens.
- The Strategist: One of the best at strategy on the Tsar's military staff. While everyone rares to fight the French head-on, Kutuzov consistently insists on strategic retreats.
Feodor Dolokhov
Feodor Ivanovich "Fedya" Dolokhov
A cold, almost psychopathic man, he is a noted duelist and drinker, but is caring for his disadvantaged family.- The Barnum: Swindles Nikolai into an excessive gambling debt because Sonya turned down his marriage proposal.
- Gentleman Ranker: Has been temporarily demoted to the ranks due to his disgraceful behaviour.
- Icy Blue Eyes
- Karma Houdini: Ends the book none the worse for wear, although he accepts fault for some of his actions and makes amends with Pierre.
- Morality Pet: His mother and sister are this for him, they're two of the very few people he cares about.
- Noodle Incident: At one point has adventures in Persia, though they're never really explained.
- Professional Gambler: One of his main sources of income.
- Screw the Rules, I Have Connections!: His superior officers cut him a lot of slack because he's got friends in high places.
- Sociopathic Soldier: His psycho behaviour lands him in a lot of trouble.
- Übermensch: Of The Unfettered variety. Is unaffected by social conventions, rank, power, and so on; he's very much his own man, and follows his own rules.
Vaska Denisov
Vasilly "Vaska" Denisov
Russian military officer and friend to Nikolai.- The Alcoholic: He sure drinks a lot.
- The Captain: Starts the book off as one.
- Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: It would be tempting to write Denisov off as a useless fop after hearing his accent. His guerilla raids on Napoleon's supply lines prove otherwise. Denisov is probably the most competent Russian officer in the book.
- Cultured Badass: Kicks ass in both the dance floor and on the battlefield.
- A Father to His Men: Denisov is willing to risk trial and imprisonment for stealing badly-needed supplies for his troops.
- Funetik Aksent: He has a stghrange tic of pghronunciation, though it may just be an attempt at imitating French pronunciation when speaking Russian (very fashionable at the time).
Captain Tushin
Artillery commander of a battery in the center of Russian lines at Schöngrabern.
- Bunny-Ears Lawyer: Despite his eccentricities, he boldly keeps his guns pouring fire on the enemy even when they are almost overrun.
- Dissonant Serenity: Keeps a calm, smiling demeanor despite the tide of battle turning heavy.
- Manly Tears: Brought to silent tears by a story of Andreis.
Other Characters
Napoleon Bonaparte
Emperor Napoleon I of France
A "Great Man" par excellence and commander of the army that invades Russia.- Affably Evil: Magnanimous to the foes he defeats in his quest to dominate Europe.
- Historical Domain Character: One of the most famous historical figures, his eastern campaigns are depicted in the novel.
- Malicious Misnaming: Characters who call him by his old Italian name "Buonaparte" generally hold a negative opinion on the man.
- Villain with Good Publicity: Along with French culture, popular among Russians. Gets Averted later on as his invasion draws closer to Moscow.
Count Speransky
Count Mikhail Mikhailovich Speransky
Internal Reformist under Emperor Alexander I of Russia that Andrei comes into correspondence with.- Annoying Laugh: His high-pitched laughing grates on Andrei's nerves.
- Historical Domain Character: His proposed reforms can be considered the start of Russian liberalism.
- Resigned in Disgrace: Mentioned in passing in the novel, Speransky eventually falls out of favor around the time of Napoleon's invasion.
Platon Karataev
Platon Karataev
A kindly peasant man Pierre meets during the French invasion of Russia.- Foil: Irrepressibly optimistic and carefree, compared to Pierre, who's been down in the dumps for some time when he meets him. In a more general sense, he's a counterpoint to the stuffy Russian aristocracy that Pierre has long since tired of.
- Heroes Love Dogs: Accompanied by a little dog to emphasize his kindhearted personality.
- Meaningful Name: Lives simply and with a great appreciation for life, and his existence serves as a sort of answer to Pierre's book-long ruminations on life and contentment. Wonder which Greek philosopher his name reflects?
