This is a list of characters that appear in James Fenimore Cooper's third novel The Pioneers. The chapter in parentheses, at the end of each entry, indicates where the character is first introduced or significantly described.

Aggy

• Aggy (Agamemnon) — Richard Jones' black slave. As a Quaker, Temple himself cannot own slaves. (Ch. 1)

Bumppo

• Nathaniel (Natty) Bumppo — main character of all the the Leatherstocking Tales. Goes by the names of Leather-Stocking, Hawkeye, Deerslayer, and Pathfinder, depending on the book. During the period covered in The Pioneers, he was 68 years old. (Ch. 1)

Chingachgook

• Chingachgook or John Mohegan — Native American companion of Natty Bumppo.

Doolittle

• Squire Hiram Doolittle — co-architect of Judge Temple's house (Ch. 3)

Edwards

• Oliver Edwards — young traveller who is accidentally shot by Judge Temple

Effingham

• Edward Effingham — aristocratic boyhood friend of Marmaduke Temple. (Ch. 2)
• Major Effingham — Edward's father. (Ch. 2)

Grant

• Rev. Mr. Grant — the local divine (Ch. 4)
• Miss Louisa Grant — daughter of Rev. Mr. Grant (Ch. 19)

Hartmann

• Major Hartmann —

Hector and Slut

• Hector — Natty Bumppo's old hound. (Ch. 1)
• Slut or the slut — Natty Bumppo's female hound. (Ch. 1)

Jones

• Squire Richard (Dick, Dickon) Jones — Judge Temple's cousin and co-architect of his house. Named county sherriff by Judge temple. (Ch. 3)

Kirby

• Billy Kirby — This fellow, whose occupation, when he did labor, was that of clearing lands, or chopping jobs, was of great stature, and carried in his very air the index of his character. (Ch. 17)

Leather-Stocking

• Leather-Stocking — one of the various aliases of Natty Bumppo. (Ch. 1)

Lippet

• Mr. Lippet — lawyer.

Milligan

• Milligan — a man whose leg was amputated by Dr. Todd (Ch. 6)

Mohegan

• John Mohegan or Indian John — Christian name of Chingachgook (Ch. 1)

Penguillan

• Benjamin Penguillan (Ben Pump) — (Ch. 5)

Pettibone

• Remarkable Pettibone — spinster housekeeper for Judge Temple. (Ch. 5)

Le Quoi

• Monsieur Le Quoi — a French refugee. (Ch. 4)

Temple

• Elizabeth (Bess) Temple — Judge Temple's daughter. (Ch. 1)

• Judge Marmaduke Temple (called cousin 'Duke by Richard Jones) — a major character in The Pioneers, based on Cooper's real-life father Judge William Cooper, founder of Cooperstown, New York. (Ch. 1)

Todd

• Doctor Elnathan Todd — physician. (Ch. 6)
• Ichabod Todd — Dr. Todd's father. (Ch. 6)