King Ludwig II

The hero of the story is the young King of Bavaria. He came to the throne much too young --only eighteen-- and feels unprepared for it. He dislikes the growing wars in his country and is naive enough to accept the people who wish to dispose of him, such as Holnstein, into his castle. At times, he can act very happy, staging plays for his pleasure, riding with his advisors, and taking delight in sharing his life with his best friend and lover, Hornig. At other times, he can be extremely moody, tormented and sensitive, as if the world were chasing him to a corner. Anger often takes over him after his grievings are done and he tends to act irrationally. Still, most of the times he is only a young dreamer who wishes to rule in peace and enjoy the beauty of life through music, art, and the sound company Hornig brings him. 

Richard Hornig

Ludwig's royal stable boy, upon meeting the King, Hornig became the only other person --that other being his cousin, Elizabetha-- Ludwig holds dear to his heart. He is shy, quiet, and very often bears sadness in his face. He cares for the King and senses the man who surround him are driving him mad. Sometimes, he worries that Ludwig will lead himself to his own destruction, but still he is willing to sacrifice his own happiness in order to bring Ludwig out of the pain. He truly loves the King and shares his dreams and wishes, which both share through the diaries they keep, to which Hornig holds the secret key. Hornig is very loyal and strong, and is the only person that holds Ludwig safe from the madness and despair that threaten to swallow him.

Count Maximilian von Holnstein

A shady and somewhat shoddy character, Holnstein is equal parts comedy relief and unmistakable threat. A member of the political group whose aim is to dethrone Ludwig on charges of insanity, Holnstein uses his position as the King's Oberstallmeister (keeper of the royal horses) as a means to spy on and report the King's so-called insanity. A worldly man, Holnstein loves Munich's beer halls and women. For all his craftiness, though, when Hornig's life is threatened by a maddened horse Holnstein is one of the first to react in favour of saving the younger man, whom he teasingly refers to as fraulein or young lady. Holnstein first appears on the scene in the story "Valhala no Shishiya" (The Messenger from Valhala), found in volume 2.

Albert Niman

Historically, Niman was a young opera singer whom Ludwig had once seen perform as Lohengrin in Wagner's opera of the same name. The young King considered Niman the perfect incarnation of his childhood hero. In You's manga, though, Niman, who first appears in volume 2, seems to be supernatural. Only Ludwig sees him and he disappears mysteriously if anyone comes into the room he is in. He is certainly a mysterious character, serving both as Ludwig's lover and conscience. In the third and last volume of Ludwig II, it is Niman who brings about the King's demise. 

Elizabetha

Ludwig's elder cousin and Empress of Austria, she shares a special relationship with Ludwig, whom she has known since childhood. A beautiful, independent woman, she is one of the few --excepting Hornig-- who truly understands Ludwig's eccentricity and boyish behaviour. Elizabeth's life is marked by tragedy, though. Her lover, Hanz, a rough commoner who can only break into her rooms at night in order to see her, is shot to death by Ludwig's men on the night of a royal party. Only a few years later, her beloved cousin would also die after being sent to an asylum. 

Princess Sophie Charlotte

The young, mischievous princess of Bavaria, Elizabeth's younger sister, and Ludwig's cousin, Sophie has been promised in marriage to Ludwig. She is truly in love with the King and cannot understand why he doesn't seem to genuinely return that love. His behaviour towards her is more of a brotherly nature than that of a future husband. At the coaxing of Sophie's brother, Gakl, Ludwig begins to appear in public with her, but while at Ludwig's palace one day she discovers the King and Hornig locked in a passionate kiss. This revelation shocks and saddens Sophie, but she bears no grudges against either Hornig or Ludwig. Her parting from Ludwig is without regrets. She only appears in volume 1's "Maboroshi no Himegimi" (The Fantasy Princess). 

Prince Luitpold

Ludwig's uncle and Prince Regent of Bavaria. A small group of politicians, historically lead by Minister President Lutz (who is still to make an actual appearance in You's manga), are seeking to prove Ludwig's so-called insanity in order to give Luitpold the throne. You presents Luitpold as a weak, frightened old man who jumps at shadows, particularly those cast by Count Maximilian von Holnstein. 
 

Maria

An original character introduced by You in "Yuushiyuu no Sigfried," a story found in volume 2, Maria is a maid at Ludwig's castle. She has a vivacious, spunky attitude that often gets her into trouble with her overseers. Still, although her life is often hard, Maria finds solace and happiness in Hornig, who treats her with kindness. She markedly dislikes Count Varicourt for being both supremely snobby and rude to Hornig. Sadly, she is somewhat neglected in the third volume, and only re-appears to comfort Hornig. 

Crown Prince Rudolph

Prince Rudolph, Ludwig II's nephew, makes his first appearance in the first story found in volume 3: "Sabaki no Kashinoki" (more or less The Oak of Judgement). He is a brash young man who doesn't hesitate to call his uncle "the Blue Moon King" to his face. Nevertheless, he is soon charmed by the King's mysterious charm and forms a strange bond of understanding with Hornig. He is tipped off by the Freemason Society as to an assassination attempt on Ludwig's life during a private performance of Lohengrin, and the young man accompanies his uncle to the performance in hopes of guaranteeing his uncle's safety. Rudolph, though, only appears in "Sabaki no Kashinoki," and we never see him again. 
 

Joseph Kaintz

A young opera singer, Joseph is invited to sing at Ludwig's palace, a request that both thrills and frightens the young man. For starters, Ludwig likes to hear music as early as 2 am... and Joseph also thinks of Ludwig as the "Demon King of the Night" when he first meets him. Joseph is a vivacious, spunky young man. During his brief appearance he serves as comedy relief, chattering and yawning through his early morning performances. Yet his precense also presents warning signs of Ludwig and Hornig's fragile relationship. Like Rudolph, though, he only appears in "Sabaki no Kashinoki". 

Count Varicourt

Ludwig's newest lover in volume 2, Varicourt is a pompous, vain, and jealous young man. He becomes so jealous of Hornig's place in the King's heart that he poisons one of the King's favourite horses, causing it to go wild, and then settles back to observe as the maddened horse almost kills Hornig. Maria finds the poison he uses in his bedroom, though, and sweetly informs him that his plan almost killed Ludwig himself --who rushed in heroically to save the stubbornly loyal Hornig-- and could have cost him much more than he had planned. He only appears in volume 2. 
 
 

Prince Taxis

One of Ludwig's lovers, he plays Lohengrin for the young King, to the disconcertment of Ludwig's court. Presumably as eccentric as Ludwig himself, Taxis nevertheless soon realizes that Hornig has replaced him in the eyes of the King and leaves the palace. Taxis appears only in "Aoki Tsuki Kage no Kyo Ou" (The Mad King of the Blue Moon's Shadow) and "Maboroshi no Himegimi," both found in volume 1. 
 
 

Fritz Hornig

Hornig's older brother. Unlike the younger of the two, Fritz spends most of his time frequenting the famous beer halls of Munich, where he revels amidst beer and women. A lazy, crafty young man, he is apparently jealous of his brother's position at the King's palace and attempts a robbery, which fails. Humiliated, he returns to his beer halls, but a somewhat different man. He only appears in the story "Aoki Tsuki Kage no Kyou Ou."