Tristram Shandy's father, a retired businessman with a penchant for intellectual pursuits and abstract discussions, whose obsession with theories often leads to neglect of practical matters.

Tristram's uncle, a former soldier with an innocent and benevolent nature, who becomes absorbed in recreating the battle during which he was wounded, often missing the nuances of social interactions.

The local clergyman and a jovial character, who serves as a confidant to the Shandy family and provides important metafictional commentary in the novel.