“They're coming for me!”
The story's protagonist. A freshman at Tokyo Denki University. More than a little eccentric, Okabe - aka Okarin - fancies himself a mad scientist on a quest to overthrow the shadowy Organization and plunge the world into chaos. He likes to talk to himself on his phone, give people nicknames, and rant about conspiracies, but seems blessedly unaware of the strange looks this behavior attracts.
Okabe leads the Future Gadget Laboratory, a small group consisting of himself and his (only) two friends. They spend their time inventing useless gadgets and giving them "cool" names.
“I want to crack your skull open and stick electrodes in your hippocampus.”
A girl genius who graduated from university at the age of seventeen. Her research on the brain's memory retention system has earned critical acclaim in the scientific community
Her accomplishments in spite of her youth have exposed Kurisu to the jealousy of those who consider themselves her betters. As a result, she has adopted an acerbic attitude that functions to hide her vulnerabilities. At heart, Kurisu is a very curious girl who loves science and can't resist an interesting experiment. She occasionally makes statements - for example, that data collection should be considered before a subject's privacy - that have led Okarin to dub her a fellow mad scientist. Kurisu does not approve.
“Mayushii is Okarin's hostage. I belong here ♪”
A sixteen-year-old girl who has been friends with Okarin since childhood. Mayuri is a cheerful, carefree, optimistic girl who always wears a bright smile. She's not much for science talk, but as long as everyone's having fun, it's okay with her.
Mayuri dislikes conflict. Any tension between her friends will put a frown on her face. She wishes that she could do more to keep things upbeat, but she lacks the ability to diffuse arguments before they begin.
Mayuri was very fond of her late grandmother, from atop whose shoulders she often watched the night sky. Even now, she sometimes reaches up as if to touch the stars, a habit Okarin has dubbed "Stardust Handshake." This behavior occurs without warning, even in the middle of a conversation, and often continues for minutes at a time.
“I'm not a kid! I'm a warrior!”
A friendly, athletic girl who loves cycling and works part-time at the Braun Tube Workshop below the lab. Suzuha often comes across as overly familiar, but in truth she maintains a carefully measured distance from everyone. When something captures her interest, however, Suzuha's personality changes dramatically and she becomes aggressive and relentless.
Suzuha dislikes asking others for help, and will not reveal her own problems to anyone unless absolutely necessary. She also has a tendency to use uncommon words in casual conversation, possibly on purpose.
“P-pleased to meet you.”
Mayuri's classmate. Soft-spoken, gentle, and polite to everyone, Luka is the very model of traditional Japanese femininity -- except that he's a guy. Luka is extremely shy and has difficulty asserting himself, which coupled with his trusting nature makes him easily influenced by Okarin's delusions. Currently, Okarin has Luka convinced that he is destined to protect Akiba from great evil. He calls Okarin "master" and obeys him in all things.
Mayuri has been trying to get Luka to cosplay for years, but he is much too shy to dress up in public, especially in girl's clothes.
“You'll never beat Faris, nyan!!”
A high school girl who works with Mayuri at MayQueen+Nyan2, a maid cafe in Akiba. Faris is her professional name.
Faris is a playful girl who knows exactly how to wrap men around her finger. She speaks only NyanNyanian, a sickeningly cute variety of catspeak. She claims to have a special ability called Cheshire Break, which allows her to read your mind and manipulate your emotions.
Although she hides it well, Faris is extremely devoted to her father.
“It's hacker, not hacka!”
Okarin's classmate and friend since high school. Itaru -- aka Daru -- is a hardcore otaku whose tastes range from anime girls to maid cosplayers and beyond. He speaks in memes and can't resist using sexual innuendo whenever he gets the chance. His skills as a hacker and programmer are invaluable to Okarin's efforts, though he responds to most of Okarin's requests with mild disdain. At the same time, he trusts Okarin as a close friend.
“...Hi.”
A part-time editor whom Okarin encounters in Akiba. Moeka is practically glued to her phone and cannot function without it. Even when face to face, she prefers to communicate by email. This annoys Okarin to no end.
She is searching for the legendary retro PC known as the IBN 5100.