Character List and Analysis
Minor Characters
Harriet Vanger
The grand-niece of Henrik Vanger, Harriet Vanger disappears as a 16-year-old girl to start a new secret life away from the abuses of Gottfried Vanger and Martin Vanger, her father and brother.
Hans-Erik Wennerstrom
The ruthless CEO of the Wennerstrom Group, Hans-Erik Wennerstrom is willing to use illegal and sometimes violent means to protect his wealth from reporters such as Mikael Blomkvist and Erica Berger. In the end, Wennerstrom is exposed as a crook and murdered.
Martin Vanger
Current CEO of the Vanger Corporation and grand-nephew of Henrik Vanger, Martin Vanger comes across as fumbling and polite. Secretly, Martin Vanger is a serial murderer and rapist of women.
Nils Bjurman
Guardian of Lisbeth Salander after earlier caretaker Holger Palmgren suffers a stroke, Bjurman takes advantage of his control of Salander and violently rapes her, for which she exacts cruel revenge.
Cecilia Vanger
Niece of Henrik Vanger, daughter of Harald Vanger, and sister to Anita and Birger Vanger, Cecilia Vanger is a school principal who is separated from her violent husband and who starts a brief love affair with Blomkvist.
Dragan Armansky
Head of Milton Security, Dragan Armansky hires Lisbeth Salander as an investigator and feels fatherly toward her, knowing a little bit of her troubled past from his friend, Holger Palmgren.
Dirche Frode
Henrik Vanger's lawyer and confidante, Dirche Frode serves as a go-between for Vanger and Blomkvist after Vanger suffers a heart attack.
Robban Lindberg
An old college friend of Blomkvist, banker Robban Lindberg serves as Blomkvist's anonymous source in Blomkvist's initial investigation of Wennerstrom.
Holger Palmgren
Salander's original guardian and friend to Dragan Armansky, Holger Palmgren helps Lisbeth Salander become independent by encouraging Armansky to hire her at Milton Security.
Gottfried Vanger
Deranged alcoholic, murderer, and rapist of women who initiates his son, Martin into the practice; Gottfried Vanger is killed by his daughter Harriet after he rapes her.
Anita Vanger
Niece of Henrik Vanger, daughter of Harald Vanger, and sister to Cecilia and Birger, Anita Vanger is Harriet's closest friend. Anita helps Harriet escape from her brother in the early 1960s.
Detective Gustaf Morell
Original investigator of Harriet's disappearance, Detective Morell assists Blomkvist in his new investigation of Harriet's disappearance.
Christer Malm
Designer and co-owner of Millennium, Christer Malm supports Blomkvist's decisions about the investigative financial publication and helps him convey these decisions to colleague Erika Berger, who's not always willing to go along with them.
Janne Dahlmann
Managing editor for Millennium, Janne Dahlmann is also a leak who reveals Millennium's business to Wennerstrom until he's found out by Berger, Malm, and Blomkvist, at which point he jumps ship to work directly for Wennerstrom.
Harald Vanger
Henrik's brother and father to Birger, Cecilia, and Anita, Harald Vanger is a former Nazi-sympathizer and anti-Semitic who lives as a hermit because of his hateful and spiteful nature.
Isabella Vanger
Widow of Gottfried Vanger and mother to Harriet and Martin, Isabella Vanger is a grumpy, private old lady who doesn't like Blomkvist's investigation and who turns a blind eye to Gottfried's crimes.