A revolutionary student club. In French, the letters "ABC" are pronounced identically to the French word abeissés, "the abased".
Bahorel – A dandy and an idler from a peasant background, who is known well around the student cafés of Paris.
Combeferre – A medical student who is described as representing the philosophy of the revolution.
Courfeyrac – The centre of the Friends. He is honourable and warm, and is Marius' closest companion.
Enjolras – The leader of the Friends. A resolute and charismatic youth, devoted to progress.
Feuilly – An orphaned fan maker who taught himself to read and write. He is the only member of the Friends who is not a student but a workingman.
Grantaire – An alcohol drinker with little interest in revolution. Despite his pessimism, he eventually declares himself a believer in the Republic, and dies alongside Enjolras.
Jean Prouvaire (also Jehan) – A Romantic with knowledge of Italian, Latin, Greek, and Hebrew, and an interest in the Middle Ages.
Joly – A student of medicine who has unusual theories about health. He is a hypochondriac and is described as the happiest of the Friends.
Lesgle (also Lègle, Laigle, L'Aigle [The Eagle] or Bossuet) – The oldest member of the group and the son of a man who was granted a dukedom by Louis XVIII after helping him into a carriage. Considered notoriously unlucky, Lesgle started balding aged twenty-five. It is Lesgle who introduces Marius to the Friends.
Minor