I Am Not an Animal - Characters & Cast

Philip is motivated by a desire to maintain the sophisticated, orderly lifestyle he believes is his birthright. He seeks to understand the new world through the lens of his academic knowledge, which consistently fails him, forcing him to confront the uselessness of his cultivated identity.

Philip, a thoroughbred horse, begins as the de facto leader of the group, embodying their pompous and out-of-touch intellectualism. His arc is one of disillusionment. Initially confident in his superior intellect, he is repeatedly humbled by the real world's indifference to his knowledge of fine arts and literature. He never fully sheds his arrogance, but by the end of the series, his certainty is shattered, replaced by a weary resignation as he accepts a quiet, meaningless existence over a struggle he cannot win.

Mark is motivated by base desires and a pragmatic, if selfish, approach to survival. He is less concerned with maintaining their former lifestyle and more focused on immediate gratification and pointing out the flaws in everyone else's plans.

Mark, a sparrow, is the most cynical and world-weary of the group, often mocking Philip's pomposity and the absurdity of their situation. He is the first to grasp the grimness of their new reality. His arc is less about transformation and more about the hardening of his pre-existing cynicism. While the others struggle with disillusionment, Mark is already there. His journey is about finding small, selfish ways to survive in a world he already despises.

Winona is driven by a deep-seated desire for connection, family, and a return to a sense of normalcy. She is the emotional core of the group, constantly trying to keep their spirits up and find a positive path forward.

Winona, a pit bull, is the most compassionate and optimistic of the animals, desperately trying to see the best in their situation and in the humans they encounter. Her arc is a tragic journey from hopeful idealism to heartbreaking reality. Her deepest desire is to have children, a wish that is cruelly twisted when she sees her 'replacement' in the lab has successfully done so. She ends the series as a broken idealist, her optimism crushed by the world's harshness.

Hugh's motivations are simple and immediate: satisfying his sexual urges and seeking pleasure. He is a creature of pure id, offering a comic foil to the others' complex, overwrought anxieties.

Hugh, a Japanese macaque, is driven primarily by his libido and a childlike lack of impulse control. His arc is flat, serving as a constant source of base, animalistic comedy that contrasts with the group's intellectual pretensions. He doesn't develop so much as he simply reacts to new stimuli with the same primitive urges. His presence constantly reminds the group, and the audience, of the animal nature they are trying to suppress.

Kieron is motivated by a burning desire for revenge against the animals he feels abandoned him. He is also manipulated by the scientists at Vivi-Sec UK, acting as their unwilling assassin.

Kieron is a cat who is left behind during the initial escape, his head kept alive by machines. He is later grafted onto a gorilla's body and sent to hunt down the others. His arc is one of pure revenge. Having been abandoned by the group, his former camaraderie curdles into a murderous rage, making him the series' primary antagonist. He represents the dark side of the vivisection experiment—a creature twisted by science and consumed by bitterness.