Character	Description
Ponyboy Curtis	Ponyboy (Pony) Curtis is the 14-year-old narrator of the story and a member of the greaser gang. He's the youngest brother of Darry and Soda. Read More
Johnny Cade	Johnny Cade is a 16-year-old member of the greaser gang who is fearful ever since he was brutally beaten by the Socs four months previously. He knifes Bob, a Soc, to defend Ponyboy. Read More
Dally Winston	Dally (Dallas) Winston is a 17-year-old member of the greaser gang who is the most hardened criminal of the bunch. He is shot and killed by the police after robbing a grocery store. Read More
Darry Curtis	At 20 Darry (Darrel) Curtis is the oldest member of the greaser gang and the oldest brother of Ponyboy and Soda. Ever since their parents died, he works two jobs and cares for his brothers as head of the family. Read More
Soda Curtis	Soda (Sodapop) Curtis is almost 17 years old. He's a member of the greaser gang and the middle brother of Darry and Ponyboy. Read More
Cherry Valance	Cherry Valance is one of the two Soc girls that Ponyboy and Johnny meet and befriend at the drive-in movie theater. Cherry is Bob's girlfriend, but she tries to help the greasers after Bob's death. Cherry and Marcia are the only females who actually appear in scenes within the story, rather than just being discussed by the boys. Read More
Two-Bit Mathews	At 18, Two-Bit Mathews is the second oldest greaser. He still attends high school, having been left back, and prefers to shoplift rather than get a job. Read More
Randy Adderson	Randy Adderson is a Soc boy who is in the Mustang with Bob the night Bob is stabbed. He is also Marcia's boyfriend, and he forges a relationship with Ponyboy that isn't hostile.
David	David is a Soc boy who is in the Mustang with Bob the night Bob is stabbed. He holds Ponyboy's head under the water at the fountain in the park and almost drowns him.
Evie	Evie is Steve's girlfriend. Evie is discussed but never actually appears in a scene.
Paul Holden	Darry's former friend and football teammate, Paul Holden, becomes Darry's opponent at the rumble.
Marcia	One of the two Soc girls that Ponyboy and Jonny meet and befriend at the drive-in movie theater, Marcia is Randy's girlfriend. Cherry and Marcia are the only females who actually appear in scenes within the story, rather than just being discussed by the boys.
Buck Merril	In his mid-20s, Buck Merril is Dally's rodeo partner. He raises quarter horses, fixes races, and bootlegs.
Steve Randle	Steve Randle, the 17-year-old car genius, is a member of the greaser gang and Soda's best friend. Of all the greaser gang members, Steve gets the least amount of time on the pages of the book.
Sandy	Sandy is Soda's girlfriend, whom he wants to marry. When she later gets pregnant by another boy, Soda still wants to marry her, but she refuses the offer and goes instead to live with her grandmother in Florida. Sandy is discussed but never actually appears in a scene.
Bob Sheldon	A leader of the Soc boys, Bob Sheldon is Cherry's boyfriend and has a drinking problem. His aggression toward the greasers provokes Johnny to knife and kill him in order to defend Ponyboy.
Tim Shepard	Tim Shepard is the head of another greaser gang, and Ponyboy sees him as a "real" hood, but he can always be counted on to support the greasers whenever necessary.
Sylvia	Sylvia is Dally's girlfriend, but Dally breaks up with her for two-timing him while he was in jail. Sylvia is discussed but never actually appears in a scene.
Mr. Syme	Mr. Syme is Ponyboy's English teacher who, in lieu of failing Ponyboy, assigns him a semester composition on any subject of Ponyboy's own choice.
Jerry Wood	Jerry Wood is one of the teachers chaperoning the school picnic at the abandoned church. He rides to the hospital in the ambulance with Ponyboy, who is injured while saving the children from the burning church.

The Outsiders

How to Cite This Study Guide

MLA

APA

Chicago

Characters

The Outsiders | Characters