The Hodgeheg has a small cast of characters. Dick King-Smith keeps the focus tightly on Max and his family, making the hedgehog world feel complete and real.
Max is the young hero of the story — curious, brave and determined. He is unusual among the hedgehogs because he refuses to accept that the road cannot be crossed. When he is hit by a car and his speech becomes muddled, it does not dim his determination at all. His persistence and observation eventually solve the problem that has killed so many of his kind.
Pa is wise and experienced. He loves his family and worries about their safety. He knows how dangerous roads are — he has seen too many hedgehogs killed. His caution is sensible, but it also means he has stopped looking for solutions. He represents the kind of careful, experience-based wisdom that keeps you alive but also keeps you stuck.
Ma is warm and loving. She is worried about Max's safety and upset when he is injured. She provides the emotional warmth at the heart of the family. She is proud of Max when he succeeds.
Max's brothers and sisters are ordinary hedgehogs — curious about Max's adventures but not inclined to take the risks he takes. They benefit from Max's discovery at the end.
The humans in the story are seen entirely from the hedgehogs' point of view — as large, fast-moving creatures who control the road. They are not given names or personalities: they are simply part of the dangerous landscape Max must understand and navigate.