Characters


 * Some main characters important to the novel... (images from the movie //Bladerunner//)**

**R****ick Deckard:** The main protagonist of the novel; Deckard is a bounty hunter assigned to the "retirement" of rogue androids. He lives with his wife Iran and their electric sheep. Rick was originally in possession of a real sheep but it died soon after it was given to him. His character is flawed in that he tries to pass off his electric sheep as real to his neighbors so he can fit into society and be considered "well-off". He obsesses over purchasing animals to the point that he risks his entire financial situation on buying a goat. Rick goes through a transformation in character and so he is dynamic. Initially he feels that androids are mere machines and he seems to be in denial that what he does is "murder". But while hunting down Nexus-6's on his list he eventually begins to feel empathy even for the androids - despite their lack of empathy and also by sleeping with the android Rachael Rosen. This brings about the question in Deckerd as to whether man can feel empathy for a supposedly non-living thing or something fake and whether what he is doing is wrong. In the end he somewhat grudgingly kills the remaining androids then adopts what he believes is a real toad only to find out it is indeed synthetic. Regardless he remains devoted to it showing that his empathy is not reserved for living things and that androids, in a way, do have some meaning and thus a life to humans.
 * Prima****ry Characters**


 * [[image:http://www.devo.com/bladerunner/sector/1/pics/sebastian.jpeg width="178" height="153"]]J. R. Isidore:** The secondary protagonist to the novel; Isidore is a "chicken-head", someone who has been severely affected by the radiation on Earth. Having failed the I.Q. test necessary to reach the colonies in space, he is forced to stay on Earth as a synthetic animal repairmen. He lives alone in his abandoned tenement building watching Buddy Friendly and joining with Mercer, until a young woman moves in downstairs. Isidore, tired of being alone, decides to try and make friends with the young woman, who calls herself Pris Stratton. Pris turns out to be an android - though J. R. does not recognize her as one, in fact he has trouble telling the difference between real and fake animals even at his job, thus J.R. has a lack of prejudice towards the androids. When Pris' friends come to stay with her J.R. treats them as friends even though they are the remaining wanted Nexus-6 types. J.R. wants to help the androids because he believes they are his friends - however their lack of empathy disturbs him. He eventually fails to protect the remaining androids from Deckard not understanding why he and androids should not be able to coexist.

**Rachael Rosen:** A young, female, Nexus-6 android created by the Rosen company and implanted with false memories to make her believe she is actually a human. She fails Deckard's Voigt-Kampf test and she finds out about her true nature as an android. Later on she offers to help Deckard nail the wanted Nexus-6 types, stating she would have valuable knowledge on them and that Deckard would likely be killed if he did not enlist her aid. Deckard angrily dismisses her aid out of mistrust. Eventually Deckard decides to have sex with Rachel out of Phil Resch's suggestion, to see if he cannot shake the empathy he feels towards androids and also so she can help him take the remaining three out. Rachel tells him not to think about it too much and so Deckard ends up feeling even more confused over his duties. Rachel is reluctant to help Deckard now because one of the Nexus-6's is a copy of her. Deckard continues on without Rachel against her discretion in killing them. This causes her to go to Deckard's house and push his goat off of his roof so he will have to depend on a fake animal again.


 * Pris Stratton:** Rachael's Nexus-6 twin and Isidore's neighbor. She is very reluctant to receive aid from Isidore but concludes his being a "chicken-head" makes him harmless and maybe even useful. She shows herself to be very unsympathetic towards Isidore and his plight and more confused by his attempt at helping her. She is even sometimes cruel, talking down to Isidore as if he is not even in the room and also mutilating a spider he had found in the hall - merely because it's eight legs seemed illogical to her.


 * Tertiary Characters:**


 * Iran Deckard:** Rick's wife. She seems to stay at home all day with not much to do and is dependent upon the mood organ and joining with Mercer. However recently she has decided to feel deep depression. Her relationship with Deckard is strained and she wants a real animal for them to have. Even though Deckard unwittingly brings home a fake toad to replace the goat they lost, Iran understands the thought and importance behind it and orders fake flies for it because she realizes Deckard is devoted in feeling for something.


 * Phil Resch:** A cynical bounty hunter part of the android run department Deckard is brought to. Unlike Deckard Resch has no problems with taking out Androids and never thinks twice before doing it. He fails to understand Deckard's dilemma and whether he is actually human is brought into question. Surprisingly he passes the Voigt-Kampf test despite his android like traits. He shows Deckard that everything is not as it seems, even humans can be robotic.


 * [[image:http://www.devo.com/bladerunner/sector/1/pics/roy.jpeg width="117" height="144"]] Roy Batty:** The leader to the Nexus-6's escaped on Earth. He is the mastermind behind the plot to escape and shows a natural leadership. His band seems to consider each other a family of sorts contrary to how androids should feel towards their own kind. However he still shows large amounts of apathy and suggests rather frankly that they kill Isidore. He is described as fanatical and wants to set up a sort of communal experience similar to Mercerism but for androids. His "wife" is very much his opposite seemingly showing some tolerance and compassion towards Isidore. Deckard remarks when he kills Pris, Roy, and Irmgard: "so the one loved the chicken-head and the other two loved each other. Fine." Showing the Nexus-6's are a very different breed of android and that they are perhaps closer to humans in some aspects.