* Serena van der Woodsen: A beautiful, wealthy socialite who returns to Manhattan after spending a year at boarding school.
* Blair Waldorf: Serena's best friend and the queen bee of the Upper East Side.
* Chuck Bass: A wealthy and charming playboy who is Blair's on-again, off-again boyfriend.
* Nate Archibald: A kind and loyal young man who is friends with Serena, Blair, and Chuck.
* Dan Humphrey: A lonely and introspective outsider who falls for Serena.
* Jenny Humphrey: Dan's younger sister who wants to become part of the Upper East Side social scene.
Recurring Characters:
* Vanessa Abrams: Dan's best friend and a talented artist.
* Olivia Burke: A wealthy and ambitious young woman who becomes Chuck's love interest.
* Dorota Kishlovsky: Blair's loyal maid who is like a mother to her.
* Eleanor Waldorf: Blair's mother, a former fashion designer who is now a socialite.
* Cyrus Rose: Blair's father, a wealthy businessman and former politician.
* Lily van der Woodsen: Serena's mother, a former model who is now an art curator.
* Rufus Humphrey: Dan and Jenny's father, a former rock musician who now owns a record store.
* Alison Humphrey: Dan and Jenny's mother, a former actress who died when Dan was young.
* Bart Bass: Chuck's father, a wealthy and powerful businessman who died when Chuck was young.