Laura Palmer: The prom-queen whose murder prompted the entire television series. Slowly, as the series unfolds it becomes clear that Laura was hardly the good girl that many thought she was. When looking on the sunny side of things, Laura helped Johnny Horne (the retarded son of local mogul Ben), tutored Jocelyn Packard in English, organized and helped Norma Jennings run the local Meals-on-Wheels program. At the same time Laura was into nose candy. To quote Albert Rosenfeld "The girl had a habit." She was dating the captain of the football team, Bobby Briggs, as well as pouty biker bad-boy James Hurley. She also is said to have had affairs with Ben Horne, Jacques Renault and Leo Johnson. More on Laura can be found in the general description of the show and Fire Walk With Me.
	Leland Palmer: The Father of Laura and husband of Sarah Palmer, Leland is a local attorney whose primary (if not sole) client is Benjamin Horne. After learning about the death of his daughter Leland grieves beyond repair, dancing to those songs he and Laura formerly cut a rug to, most notably "Pennsylvania 6-5000." Later, after he commits a murder in the season finale of the first season, Leland's hair turns white and he is in a much more upbeat and musical mood.
	Sarah Palmer: Mother of Laura Palmer and wife of Leland, Sarah's primary role in the series is as a psychic of sorts. When the agents come to interview Sarah, Leland remarks that she has had two visions, pointing to the fact that this power of hers is new, something that came with the passing of her daughter. However, there are other hints that suggest Sarah has perhaps had psychic powers for her whole life but only spoke of her visions once it seemed they would assist in the solving of her daughter's murder (or at least when the visions were so disturbing that she had to do everything in her power to stop them from recurring).
	Madeline Ferguson: Cousin of Laura Palmer, she comes to town after Laura's murder and perhaps outstays her welcome. Shortly after her arrival she teams up with Donna Hayward and James Hurley in an attempt to solve the murder based on information Donna has accumulated on her own. Madeline begins to come between Donna and James (primarily because she looks almost exactly like Laura Palmer).

Dr. Hayward: Though the population of Twin Peaks is well into the 60 thousands, it seems that Doc Hayward is perhaps the only physician in town. He delivered Laura and did the post-mortem on her as well. He works with the police and was there when the body was first identified. He also made the trip to Jacques and Leo's cabin in the woods. A man who is extremely well versed in the history of the town, Doc Hayward seems loved by all and seems to love all, except Benjamin Horne.

Donna Hayward: Daughter of Doc Hayward, Donna is a champion student at Twin Peaks High School. The best friend of Laura Palmer, her insight into Laura's dark side seems contradictory in the television show and in Fire Walk With Me. Shortly after Laura's death Donna takes on a bit of a dark side of her own, parting ways with her boyfriend from the football team, Mike, and linking up with James Hurley and later Harold Smith, the king of all agoraphobes.

	Ben Horne: Ben is the proud owner of half the town, including the Great Northern Hotel, Horne's Department Store, and One Eyed Jack's (a brothel on the Canadian side of the border). The major project that Ben is working on at the outset of the series is the Ghostwood Estate Project. Ben Plans to build an enormous country club and housing complex that will cause for the leveling of a good portion of the remaining forest and the land where the Packard Saw Mill currently sits. Though married with two children, Ben is also in romantic entanglements with Catherine Martel, Jocelyn Packard, Mrs. Hayward, and Blackie (the head mistress of One Eyed Jack's). Benjamin later goes insane and thinks he General Lee in the Civil War.
	Jerry Horne: The younger brother of Benjamin Horne, Jerry serves as an assistant and PR man for the most part. Jerry's part is primarily comic relief although it is clear that Jerry knows all of the dirty dealings in which his brother is involved, he just doesn't have the head for business.
	Audrey Horne: The most beautiful woman in the all the Pacific Northwest, Audrey Horne is the daughter of Ben Horne and heir to his fortune. Because of her father's cruel treatment Audrey immediately believes that her father has something to do with the death of Laura Palmer. Shortly after the arrival of Dale Cooper -whom she falls head over heels for-Audrey begins to conduct an investigation of her own and is nearly killed in the process.

James Hurley: A very poor attempt at James Dean, Hurley is a sensitive biker boy who was sneaking around with Laura behind Bobby Briggs' back. Hurley soon falls for Donna and then Maddie. Poor James, it seems everybody around him is leaving or dying… poor James. He contributes basically nothing to the show's major plot-line or with Donna's mini-investigation.

Bobby Briggs: Captain of the football team and the official boyfriend of Laura Palmer, Bobby Briggs was also seeing Shelley Johnson, wife of Leo and his former classmate. Bobby is running drugs through Twin Peaks High School, distributing from Leo Johnson (unbeknownst to Shelley of course). Though a bit of a tough guy, Bobby has a strong romantic and sweet side which shows itself most prominently in his relationship with Shelley, a bit in his therapy with Dr. Laurence Jacoby, and later when he speaks with his father -and attempts to kiss Audrey.

	Jocelyn Packard: The widow of Andrew Packard, Catherine's brother and the former owner of the saw mill, Jocey seems like nice girl, but it is clear that she is as dirty as any of the wealthy members of the town. It is soon revealed that Jocey paid Hank Jennings to kill her husband and that she plans to sell the mill land to Benjamin Horne and to return to Hong Kong with her earnings. Jocey is also dating Sheriff Harry S. Truman and a good friend to Pete Martel, but in the end that doesn't seem to cut it, does it?
	Catherine (Packard) Martel: The wife of Pete Martel and sister-in-law to Jocey Packard, Catherine has her share of secrets as well. She is also planning to unload the saw mill and to undercut its value so that she and Benjamin Horne can swoop in and Jocey can pay for what she did to Catherine's brother (which we later learn is a far more intricate plot).
	Pete Martel: One of the most honest characters in the entire series, Pete suffers the poor fate of finding Laura's body. Pete's life is a delicate balance between making "2x4's and 4x2's," fending off Catherine's attacks, and fishing. Pete later proves himself to be one of the country's best chess-player.

	Special Agent Dale Cooper: Dale is the FBI Agent who assigned to Laura's case because of Teresa Banks (whose case has striking similarities to Laura's) and because Ronette Pulaski wandered over state lines. Dale, a bit of a mystic, brings with him unconventional investigative techniques, a love for small town life, and a troubled past. Since Dale is psychically connected to the case, it makes him the perfect investigator in some ways, although legally he may be crossing lines with the ways that the pursues things.
	Sheriff Harry S. Truman: The head of the Twin Peaks Police Department and a member of the Bookhouse Boys, a secret society that looks after the well-being of the town. Harry is a straight shooter and seems to be a tad too naïve for the town; he is entirely unaware of what is going on right under his nose. However, when it is needed, Harry is willing to crack down with the full strength of the law. He is many times the perfect partner for Cooper because his two feet are firmly planted on the ground. Harry is having a very quiet affair with Jocelyn Packard.
	Hawk: Hawk is the Native American member of Harry's troop. Hawk is more on the ball than anybody else when it comes to the spiritual side of these cases. He is less naïve than Harry and in awe of Dale's know-how. In many ways Hawk is like the grandfather from The Lost Boys, he knows way more than he is letting on.
	Andy: The most sensitive of the Twin Peaks police, Andy is a bit of an idiot, but he makes up for that with heart. He and Lucy are having an affair that becomes muddled by local men's fashion salesman, Dick Tremain.
	Lucy: The receptionist of the Twin Peaks Sheriff Station, Lucy's brainpower matches that of Andy's. There are two times that she is able to help with the case, but she is otherwise an inept source of comic relief.
	Albert Rosenfeld: Albert is another G-Man whose reputation is for attitude even though he is a highly resourceful man. He makes enormous headway with Laura's post-mortem, shattering what results Doc Hayward was able to collect. However, Albert's attitude gets him in a bit of trouble with Harry Truman and has to hand over the body a bit early. Later, Albert does loosen up a bit and he is able to admit that he loves Harry Truman, and that only Dale and his spiritual approach will be able to capture BOB.

	Big Ed Hurley: Big Ed is a good friend of Harry's and he helps the law enforcement gang out when they need him; he's a Bookhouse Boy. He is the husband of Nadine Hurley, the uncle of James Hurley, the owner of Big Ed's Gas Barn, and also having a secret affair with Norma Jennings.
	Nadine Hurley: The wife of Ed Hurley, Nadine is a one-eyed lunatic who is obsessed with inventing a pair of perfectly silent drape-runners. Her insanity persists throughout the show until she recovers from a suicide attempt believing that she is back in high school.
	Norma Jennings: Norma is the owner of the RR Diner, the wife of Hank Jennings-who murdered Andrew Packard-and the secret lover of Ed Hurley. Norma is a mother of sorts to Shelley Johnson and a pillar of the community, serving some of the best damn coffee and pie around.
	Shelley Johnson: Shelley is a waitress at the RR Diner who dropped out of high school shortly after marrying Leo, her abusive husband. She is secretly having an affair with Bobby Briggs which is perhaps the only positive portion of her life.
	Leo Johnson: A truck driver who is more often than not away from home, Leo is the abusive husband of Shelley, and one of the primary suspects in Laura's murder. Leo is running drugs through the high school and is also a hit-man of sorts for Ben Horne.
	Dick Tremain: Dick Tremain is the third side to the Andy-Lucy-Dick love triangle. He is the head of Horne's Men's Fashion Department and later the organizer of the Miss Twin Peaks Pageant.

	The Log Lady: After losing her husband in a fire, Marilyn, "The Log Lady," found a piece of wood through which she is able to conduct psychic energy. While she maintains that she is not psychic, she is able to deliver some of the most important clues in the mystery when people only trust in her log and ask it.
	Major Briggs: Major Briggs is Bobby's father and works for the military on project blue book (even though it has been shut down). During the course of the series Briggs serves as someone who is able to serve as a bit of a moral pillar as well as someone who is able to prove with empirical evidence that Dale Cooper is not crazy. Something really is going on out there in the woods.
	Dr. Laurence Jacoby: Laura's psychiatrist as well as great admirer, Jacoby is initially considered a suspect in Laura's murder, but it is clear that he was only looking out for her safety. Jacoby also serves as psychiatrist to Johnny Horne, Benjamin Horne, the Briggs Family, and the Palmers.

	Mike: Mike is sometimes known as the One Armed Man. Mike and Bob were reportedly spiritual lovers and killers together, but he tore his arm off (which becomes the dancing dwarf) and he turned over a leaf and began to hunt Bob rather than kill as his companion.
	Bob: The spirit that possesses people and forces them to kill, Bob is responsible for two murders and one attempted murder-although more are implied. Catching people with his death bag, it seems the victims of Bob are not only subjected to brutal torture and murder, but are condemned to spend a portion of their life after death in the Black Lodge.