Molly is the first-person narrator and protagonist of Skeleton Man. She is a sixth grader of Mohawk descent who demonstrates her quick wit and physical bravery throughout the novel. Molly is an only child to parents who have no other family. Although Molly describes herself as being overly melodramatic and wildly imaginative, those two traits prove to be life-saving as the book moves on. Molly has been named for Molly Brant, an 18th-century Mohawk woman who supported the British in the American Revolution. Molly Brant was noted by her contemporaries as brave, intelligent, and crafty, and Bruchac’s protagonist displays many of the same traits. Over the course of the novel, Molly learns to pay heed to her intuition and dreams as a means of solving problems, and she uses these skills to investigate her parents’ disappearance. She also learns that the traditional stories of her culture can teach important lessons. Finally, Molly grows in courage, bravery, and resilience, learning to rely upon her own ingenuity to escape difficult situations.

The mysterious man who claims to be Molly’s great-uncle is the antagonist and villain of the novel. He is old and stooped, and his frame is so thin that his bones show through his skin.