History Characters / PerdidoStreetStation

* ReformedButRejected: He becomes a more heroic character as the novel moves along, and even manages to become one of the most steadfast and loyal friends to Isaac. But then [[spoiler:Isaac and his crew find out what Yagharek did and abandon him. He is left to make a new life for himself, alone.]]

* SerialKiller: It's revealed that [[spoiler: he is the Eyespy Killer]]. He has a strange eye condition which causes his eyes to rot and [[BodyHorror fall out of his sockets]]. So he [[spoiler: has political rivals murdered, and takes out their eyes to use, before dumping them.]]

* TheSociopath: He's a truly heartless individual who doesn't care who he hurts as long as he keeps his power. Even him trying to deal with the slake-moth situation is an attempt by him to cover his own ass after he careless allowed the slake-moths into the city.

* BlueAndOrangeMorality: The Iron Council has no concept of emotions, which gives it a very different world-view from other sentient beings.

* AmbiguousSituation: Yagharek's crime is danced around throughout the novel, only to be revealed [[spoiler:by the victim of his crime to be rape.]]

The main protagonist of the novel. He is a well known 'rogue scientist’ who specializes in Crisis Theory, his part in the story comes when he [[spoiler: inadvertently releases a horrifying monstrosity on New Crobuzon.]]

* TheAtoner: Becomes this after he [[spoiler: accidentally unleashes the slake-moths on New Crobuzon.]]

* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: He finds a small grub which he takes on for study. Then, whoops: [[spoiler: turns out the grub was of an extremely dangerous AnimalisticAbomination that comes to threaten the whole city.]]

A major character in the novel, and Isaac's love interest. She is [[spoiler: kidnapped by the ruthless crime boss Mr. Motley and eventually becomes partially lobotomized by the slake moths by the end of the story.]]

* ButtMonkey: Not a lot goes right for our poor friend Lin. She gets kidnapped, beaten, has her wings and one of her eyes gouged out, and [[spoiler: becomes a borderline vegetable by the end of the novel.]]
* FatalFlaw: Curiosity, which leads her to [[spoiler: look at the slake-moth and cause her to become permanently brain damaged.]]
* TooDumbToLive: Sure, Lin. Why not create a sculpture for the city's most notorious mob boss? That [[SarcasmMode definitely won't bite you in the ass later.]] Also, why not [[spoiler: look at the beast who your boyfriend had ''clearly'' instructed you not to look at]]. Definitely not stupid at all.
* YankTheDogsChain: When she’s kidnapped by Motley, she’s assumed dead. But it turns out she’s alive! Only to [[spoiler: get attacked by a slake moth and be rendered a vegetable.]]

A major character of the novel, and an exiled member of the garuda people. He has lost his wings after an unspecified crime that he committed before the events of the novel, [[spoiler: it is revealed to be rape, or something akin to rape.]]

* AmbiguousSituation: Yagharek's crime is danced around throughout the novel, only to be revealed by the victim of his crime to be [[spoiler: rape...or at least something akin to rape]]. But it's never made clear because of the [[BlueAndOrangeMorality different cultural views]] of the garuda if Yagharek actually committed the crime, or if the crime he committed was akin to it.

* BrokenAngel: Yagharek's quest to fly again kickstarts the main plot. [[spoiler: The ending breaks him even further]].
* FireForgedFriends: With Isaac, but ultimately subverted once [[spoiler: Isaac finds out what his crime was.]]

* RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil: Deconstructed, as Yagharek's crime can't be translated between cultures, and ultimately Isaac is unable to pass judgement except through his own lens, which breaks Yagharek further.
* ReformedButRejected: He becomes a more heroic character as the novel moves along, and even manages to become one of the most steadfast and loyal friends to Isaac. But then [[spoiler: Isaac and his crew find out what Yagharek did and abandon him.]] He is left to make a new life for himself, alone.

* SheWhoFightsMonsters: Becomes much more jaded and more willing to take life as the story moves along, she even considers this very point when [[spoiler: looking for someone to sacrifice to Isaac's Crisis Engine]].
* StraightGay: Played with. It's never outright said, although it may be a case of HideYourLesbians. She has a 'good' reason: New Crobuzon is not, to put it mildly, rainbow-friendly.

* CrazyPrepared: He brings along mercenaries to help them [[spoiler: take out the slake-moths]]. Not that it does much good, but it's the thought that counts.

* FriendInTheBlackMarket: Initially downplayed, but ultimately played straight once he is strung along on Isaac's quest to [[spoiler: destroy the slake-moths.]]

* DirtyCoward: A more sympathetic portrayal of this trope. He considers himself one, though his [[spoiler: ratting Isaac out]] has more to due with his concern over the [[spoiler: slake-moths]]

* EvilOldFolks: He's described as an older man, but he's undoubtably a smug, unpleasant JerkAss whose irresponsibility in [[spoiler: selling the slake-moths to Motley]] sets off the second half of the plot.

* AGodAmI: His followers certainly think so...
* AmbiguousSituation: Is the [[AIIsACrapshoot AI A Crapshoot?]] Is it a [[TheSpock Spock]] who operates entirely on logic and let Isaac [[spoiler: cut off its control of the slake moth trap]] because it knew it needed his help still? Is it [[NotSoStoic more attached to New Crobuzon and information collecting than it lets on]]? Since it factors into the ending of the story only indirectly, the answer is left to the reader's imagination.

* TheSpock: Deconstructed. Isaac realizes that he can't fully trust The Construct Council, as it is a machine that operates completely on logic and the objective, as thus it can't feel emotion. Isaac decides to not take the risk of allowing it to betray him if it feels it is necessary for its objective.

* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: The Weaver is a...strange and eccentric fellow to say the least.

* GiantSpider: It's most common form.
* LightningBruiser: he can literally shift through time and space to deliver crushing attacks. He's more than capable of fighting multiple Slake Moths at once

* TooDumbToLive: Sure, Lin. Why not create a sculpture for the city's most notorious mob boss? That [[SarcasmMode definitely won't bite you in the ass later.]] Also, why not [[spoiler: look at the beast who your boyfriend had '''clearly''' instructed you not to look at]]. Definitely not stupid at all.

* IntrepidReporter:

* FauxAffablyEvil: Despite his…[[EldritchAbomination appearance]] and reputation, he seems like a nice enough guy. But it’s an act to hide what he truly is: a vicious, cold blooded monster who would happily risk the city’s safety to make a buck.

* DeadpanSnarker:

* SleazyPolitician:

* BodyHorror:

* RapeIsASpecialKindofEvil: Deconstructed, as Yagharek's crime can't be translated between cultures, and ultimately Isaac is unable to pass judgement except through his own lens, which breaks Yagharek further.