Note: names here are, of course, given family name first. Also, beware of spoilers, there are a couple. Information more closely follows the manga.

"'Dou pinku' ja nakute 'bara iro.' Kirei na iro da yo, boku wa eranda nda kara."
"It's not 'light pink.' It's 'rose color.' It's a beautiful color, and that's why I chose it."

Tenjou Utena, the heroine of Saitou Chiho's Shoujo Kakumei Utena. Her parents died when she was young; at the beginning of the manga series, she lives with her aunt, Yurika. Utena is a very ... strong person, who is not at all afraid to speak or act as she pleases; a good example of this is her "rose-colored" highly modified school uniform, which is basically a boy's uniform jacket with short shorts. Not to mention rebuffing Touga's advances.

For the past six years she's gotten letters stamped with a rose seal, but this seventh letter is different. This year the letter says "This year for sure I will meet you." Seven years ago, wandering the streets in shock at her parents' deaths, Utena fell through a hole in a fence into a river and was saved by a prince who wiped away her tears and gave her a ring with a rose seal, telling her that if she never loses her strength or nobility, they may one day meet again. Her friend Kaidou isn't convinced that this was more than a hallucination ... until he sees Utena's prince rescue her when she falls into the same river, trying to save a girl that reminded her of herself when she was little. With Kaidou's help, Utena learns that her "pero-pero-kun" is waiting for her ... at the exclusive private school Ohtori Gakuen in Hou'oushi, both city and school named after the mythical phoenix. Utena goes to Ohtori to seek out her prince. "But the road will be hard," as they say ... and first, she has to deal with a certain "very strange" student council! Her family name, Tenjou, means "the heavens above." Utena ... means ... I'm not sure, actually. Either "Anthy" or "Utena" means flower but not in Japanese ^^;

"Watashi wa 'BARA no hanayome' desu kara, Diosu no ken go to kettou ni katta anata no mono desu."
"Because I am the 'rose bride,' I, along with the Sword of Dios, belong to you who won the duel."

Himemiya Anshi is the quiet, submissive Bride of the Rose, and according to the will of the End of the World, belongs to the winner of the duels. Within this meek schoolgirl lies a hidden inner strength. Anshi "steps out of her role" twice during Saionji's duel with Utena (and gets viciously bitch-slapped for it): the first time she wishes Utena luck, and the second time she tries to stop the duel because Utena "really doesn't seem to know anything" about the duels, or anything. Apparently, she's afraid to see Utena hurt; she covers her eyes just before Utena manages to win. But these are exceptions. Generally, she follows the will of the winner of the duels, and her enthusiasm somewhat startles Utena ... especially when she tries to take off Utena's jacket and hang it up. (Picture a smiling Anshi taking the jacket from behind a wide-eyed Utena ... maybe it has something to do with that t-shirt she's wearing under it? ^^; ) In the anime she says she goes along with the duelling for the same reason Utena wears her uniform: because she likes it. But can this be the real reason? Later in the series, we learn she is completely devoted to her older brother, Akio. Anshi's family name, Himemiya, is written with kanji that both mean "princess."

"Masaka. 'Sekai no hate' ga kimeta koto da."
"No. It's what 'the end of the world' has decided."

Kiryuu Touga is Ohtori's seitokai-chou, student council president. Capable of being absolutely cool, indifferent, and imperious, he follows the will of the End of the World to the letter. (No pun intended ^^; ) He also seems to have this thing about Utena; at least, there's the card he sends her before the dance party and the abruptly stolen kiss in the manga rose garden ... At least in the anime, he's also manipulative, playing with her mind to soften her up before duelling her ... and winning because Utena wouldn't want to hurt Touga if he even might be her prince. Despite all this, he really does love Utena. Ah well, he gets what's coming to him. <evil grin> His name ... took three dictionaries (^^;), but it should be something like "winter bud of a live paulownia," which is apparently some sort of "Chinese figwort tree" with fragrant violet blossoms o_o

"Oooooooo ho ho ho ho ho ho ho!"

Nanami is Touga's younger sister. She has a bit of a "big brother" complex in the anime ... and in the manga ... kwa ha ha, rejoice Nanami-haters, 'cause she ain't in the manga. She only pops up once; Utena finds a picture of Touga and Nanami in Touga's house while she and Miki are poking around.

Kaoru Miki is a well-known pianist and fencer who competes on national levels, as well as a genius. He is adored by the girls of Ohtori, especially the upperclasswomen who think he's cute. Though he is a member of the Seitokai, he has no interest in dueling for the Rose Bride; he dislikes it.

Kaoru Kozue

"Nani ... shiteta no yo ima aniki ni ... "
"What ... were you doing now ... to my brother!?"

Kozue is Miki's twin sister, and happily replaces Nanami (for a time) as the manga's psycho-bitch character. She, too, has a "big brother" complex, and can't stand to see him being adored and fawned on by other girls, literally chasing them off. She

Ohtori Akio

"Ima ya, boku wa Outori Gakuen no rijichou desu kara ne. Boku wa zettai no RUURU desu."
"It's because I'm the head of Ohtori Academy's board of directors. I'm the absolute rule."

Akio is the rijichou of the Academy as well as the show's major male sex symbol. He is quite striking. He explains to Utena that his name means "Lord of the Evening", and is a double-entendre for "Lucifer" (yes, he actually says this!). Akio and his car ... he gives Utena a ride. He gives Utena ... quite a bit, actually ^^; He appears in manga #3(?) and you see a lot of him for the rest of the series. Akio isn't all what he appears to be, though ...

Mikage Souji

"Boku ga shiranai koto wa nani mo arimasen. Saa ... hanayome no tokoro e kannai shimasu."
"There is nothing I do not know. So ... I shall lead you to where the Bride is."