He is a nobleman who hates the glamorous salons and superficial bureaucrats of Moscow and prefers to spend his time on his estate, working with the land, the people, and scientific theories. He dreams of a clean and sublime moral world; to this end, he has made his love for Kitty his most sacred goal. When Kitty initially rejects him, he falls into a depression and turns to philosophical analyses on the existence of the Russian peasant and nature. He tries to understand the abyss between the man who works the land and the machines and Western systems. His greatest torment throughout the novel is his lack of faith; just as he perceives death with horror, he questions what he is living for. Eventually, he marries Kitty and embarks on a new life; however, he finds his true enlightenment not in books, but by discovering God and inner love through the simple sentences of an ordinary peasant. He is a mental and spiritual projection of the author.
He belongs to a deep-rooted family of the Moscow gentry but lost his parents at a very early age. He grew up with his brother Sergey and his tragic elder brother Nikolay, adopting Western science and naturalistic doctrines at university; however, these doctrines could not satisfy his desire for life, family love, and the longing to find the truth.
He is large, muscular, with thick legs and sun-tanned, dark red skin. He has striking bright, well-meaning eyes that are very easily angered and saddened. He mostly does not care about his attire, preferring to wear peasant vests, sheepskins, or simple cotton clothes in the countryside.
Nikolay Levin
His poor older brother, whose illness and misery he cannot bear to look upon, and whose death causes him metaphysical shocks when confronted with its reality.
Aleksey Vronski
His enemy, who snatched away his wife Kitty; he detests Vronsky's lifestyle, yet feels cheapened by his comfortable self-confidence.
Kiti Şçerbatskaya
His pure-hearted beloved wife, who carries the meaning of his life, whom he worships like a goddess, and who tolerates all of his awkwardness.
Stepan Oblonski (Stiva)
His sincere friend, with whom he enjoys spending time and who calms him down, despite his criticism of Stiva's moral indifference.
Sergey İvanoviç Koznişef
His older brother, whom he feels has always belittled him due to their differing opinions, and whom he inwardly resents for his artificial intellectualism.