Gerald
Gerald is the main character in Forged by Fire. Gerald is a kid with a troubled past and a troubled future. Born in Cincinnati and raised by his drug abusing mother Gerald was never put on the right foot. It did not help that Gerald's dad left before he even got to know him. When Gerald was only three his mom left and he caught the house on fire with a lighter. After that his mom was put into custody, and he lived with his Aunt Queen for a few years. Gerald gets along great with his Aunt Queen until she dies putting him back into his mom's custody. From there on Gerald has problems with his abusive father and his helpless mother. His only friend in the world seems to be his step-sister Angel.
Monique
Monique is Gerald's drug abusing mother. After being sent to jail for abandonment, Monique finds a new husband in the abusive Jordan Sparks. She pretends not to see any of the dreadful things that are being done to her children. Monique tries so hard to get Gerald to love her again, but she cannot seem to get through to him.
Angel
Angel is Gerald's step-sister. When Monique went to jail it turns out she was pregnant with Angel. She then decided that of all the people it could have been that Jordan Sparks was her father. It turns out Jordan was not her real father but he liked to say that to give him an excuse to molest Angel. Angel is an exceptional dancer which is her way of coping with Jordan and her life.
Jordan
Jordan is of no blood relation to either Gerald or Angel. He has a short fuse and does not mind hitting the children or Monique. It doesn't help that Jordan is an alcoholic and therefore cannot hold a job. To get away he enjoys molesting Angel and hitting his wife Monique. He does not seem to mess with Gerald though, out of some sort of twisted respect maybe.