Arav Chowdhary as Bhishma: the son of King Shantanu and the goddess Ganga, who is the revered grandsire of the Kuru dynasty, bound by a vow of celibacy and lifelong loyalty to Hastinapur. Despite his support for the Pandavas, his vow binds him to the Kaurava side, ultimately leading him to become the commander-in-chief of their forces in the Kurukshetra War. To bring originality, Chowdharry avoided watching past portrayals, focusing instead on Bhishma’s emotional conflicts, humility and transformation from a young prince to an aged, revered elder. As the character aged, Chowdharry refined his voice, posture, and expressions.
Sayantani Ghosh as Satyavati: a fisherwoman who marries King Shantanu after securing a promise that her future son will inherit the throne. Satyavati rises to become the matriarch of the Kuru dynasty and is the great-grandmother of the Pandavas and Kauravas. Discussing the prominence of Satyavati’s character in the series, Ghosh stated that while many associate the Mahabharata solely with the Pandavas and Kauravas, it also encompasses deeper narratives, such as Satyavati’s, which are crucial to the epic yet often overlooked.
Aryamann Seth as Vichitravirya: King Shantanu and Queen Satyavati's son, Chitrangad's younger brother and Ambika and Ambalika's husband.
Aparna Dixit as Ambika: Vichitravirya's first wife, Dhritarashtra's mother and grandmother of Kauravas.
Thakur Anoop Singh as Dhritarashtra: the blind king of Hastinapur, who is the husband of Gandhari and father of the hundred Kauravas. Singh viewed Dhritarashtra as a multifaceted character torn between his duties as a king and his affections as a father. Understanding the complexities of playing a blind character, Singh dedicated himself to mastering the nuances required for the role, emphasising the importance of body language and expressions in conveying emotions without the use of sight.
Praneet Bhat as Shakuni: the prince of Gandhara, who acts as the cunning strategist behind the plans of his nephew, Duryodhana, driven by a deep-seated grudge against the Kuru kingdom for forcing his sister, Gandhari, into marriage with a blind prince. Bhat’s portrayal was shaped by his distinctive interpretation of the character, including the characters appearance and mannerism. Rather than depicting Shakuni as a mere villain, Bhat saw him as a devoted brother seeking retribution for the injustices faced by his family.
Riya Deepsi as Gandhari: the princess of Gandhara and the wife of Dhritarashtra, who blindfolds herself as a mark of wifely devotion. Despite her virtues, she is unable to guide her sons, the Kauravas. Initially offered the role of Madri, 17-year-old Deepsi was ultimately cast as Gandhari, despite concerns about her age. Deepsi found the role challenging as it concealed what her family and friends considered her most beautiful feature. Relying on body language to convey emotions, she credited her four years of theatre experience for helping her adapt to the role’s complexities.
Arpit Ranka as Duryodhana: the eldest of the hundred Kaurava brothers, and Kuru Kingdom’s crown prince, whose desire for power, pride and enmity with the Pandavas fuels the Kurukshetra War. Transitioning to television, Ranka was initially hesitant to accept the role of Duryodhana but was convinced by the show's creator, Siddharth Kumar Tewary, after understanding the project's grandeur. He described Duryodhana as a powerful character with depth, stating, "I think Duryodhan is the most powerful character of Mahabharat, and I feel that I have certain qualities of Duryodhana. Whatever Duryodhan has done he has a reason for that. Maybe I would have reacted the same way like Duryodhan."[15] Alam Khan portrays young Duryodhana.
Suhani Dhanki as Bhanumati: wife of Duryodhana who is head of the Kauravas and mother of Laxmankumar and Laxmana.
Nirbhay Wadhwa as Dushasana: the second of the Kauravas, who serves as Duryodhana’s brother and loyal follower, infamous for his role in Draupadi’s humiliation.
Sandeep Arora as Vikarna: a Kaurava prince, notable for opposing Duryodhana during the cheer haran. Raj Anadkat played young Vikarna.
Mansi Sharma as Rajmata Ambalika: Vichitravirya's second wife, Pandu's mother and grandmother of the Legendary five Pandavas.
Arun Singh Rana as Maharaj Pandu: The younger brother of Dhritarashtra, who became the king of Hastinapura due to former's blindness, until his renouncement of the throne. Pandu's inability to have children led him to seek the intervention of the gods, who granted him sons through his wife Kunti, making him the acknowledged father of the Legendary five Pandavas.
Shafaq Naaz as Maharani Kunti "Pritha": the mother to the Pandavas who possesses a divine boon allowing her to invoke gods to bear children. Before her marriage, she uses it to bear Karna and Eklavya, and later, at the request of her husband Pandu, she invokes the gods to bear Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva. After the death of Pandu, Kunti raises her sons equally, ensuring their unity. Naaz found aspects of the role personally relatable, particularly in terms of emotional depth, patience, and understanding, considering herself as the modern version of the character. Despite being 20 years old at the time, her performance was noted for capturing the character’s maturity.
Aham Sharma as Karna: the premarital son of the sun god Surya and Kunti, the mother of Eklavya and The Legendary five Pandavas, who is abandoned at birth and raised by a charioteer Adhiratha. Despite his exceptional archery skills, he is denied opportunities due to his perceived low birth, but finds acceptance in Duryodhana, who crowns him king of Anga. Karna becomes the rival of Arjuna, even after learning he is the Pandavas' elder half-brother. Cast later than others, Sharma deeply immersed himself in Karna’s struggles, finding emotionally intense scenes, like his final conversation with Kunti, particularly draining. Sharma saw Karna as a resilient figure who never wavered in his beliefs despite social rejection.
Kunal Jaisingh as Eklavya: the premarital son of the water god Varuna and Kunti, the mother of Karna and The Legendary five Pandavas, who is abandoned at birth and raised by Nishada King Hirayandhanus. Despite his exceptional archery skills, Drona asks his right thumb as Guru Dakshina. He is loyal to King Jarasandha.
Pooja Sharma as Samragyi Draupadi "Krishna" "Yagyaseni" "Panchali" "Agnisuta" "Madri" "Sairindhri" "Mahabharati": The princess of Panchala, who becomes the common wife of the five Pandava brothers, daughter-in-law of Kunti by marrying Kunti's sons The Pandavas and later the empress of Indraprastha, and subsequently, the Kuru Kingdom. Born from fire, she is prophesied to bring upheaval to the lands of Aryavarta, and her life is marked by hardships, including the cheer haran (disrobing episode) where she is humiliated in the court of Kuru Kingdom. The event becomes one of the catalysts for the great war. Sharma described the character as a "strong, just, dignified woman with a strong sense of self". She found the role physically and emotionally demanding, especially the cheer harana episode. She also highlighted how this version deeply explored Draupadi’s bond with Krishna, a dynamic which was just merely established in previous adaptations. Despite the challenges, she found the experience enriching and transformative, stating, "Draupadi's character was powerful for me and it made me strong".
Vidyut Xavier portrays Karna's son, Vrishasena.
Yagya Saxena as Eklavya's son.
Rohit Bhardwaj as Yudhishthira: the eldest Pandava, born to Kunti and Pandu through the god Dharma, and a paragon of justice. He becomes the emperor of Indraprastha and later the Kuru kingdom. Bhardwaj appreciated portraying Yudhishthira as a ruler who maintains patience and composure, navigating complex emotions while asserting his rightful place as king, fully aware of his capabilities, and striving to validate them through his principles.
Saurav Gurjar as Bhima: the second Pandava, born to Kunti and Pandu through the wind god Vayu. He is known for his strength and fiery nature, who ultimately kills all the Kauravas in the war. Initially selected for the role due to his physique rather than acting experience, Gurjar participated in acting workshops to develop his skills and researched about his character. Gurjar also noted his background in combat sports facilitated the execution of intense fight sequences.
Vaishnavi Dhanraj as Hidimbā: A Rakshasi and the first wife of Bheema and mother of Ghatotkacha and grandmother of Barbarik, Anjanaparvana and Meghavarna and great grandmother of Sarvaga.
Ketan Karande as Ghatotkacha: Bheema and Himdimbā's son, Ahilwati's husband, father of Barbarik, Anjanaparvana and Meghavarna and grandfather of Sarvaga who was killed by Karna during the war.
Vashu Chauhan as Barbarik: Ghatotkacha and Ahilawati's first son.
Akbar Ali as Anjanaparvana: Ghatotkacha and Ahilawati's second son.
Ashish Sharma as Meghavarna: Ghatotkacha and Ahilawati's third son.
Miraj Joshi portrays Bhima and Draupadi's son Sutasoma.
Shaheer Sheikh as Arjuna: the third of the five Pandava brothers, who is third son of Queen Kunti with King Pandu, a master archer and a warrior of great skill and integrity. His internal conflicts are often guided by Krishna to help him fulfil his duty and uphold dharma, particularly in the Kurukshetra War, where Krishna imparts the Bhagavad Gita. Sheikh underwent significant physical and mental preparation and emphasised the depth of his engagement with the character's internal struggles, which made the role "emotionally draining" and the pressure of playing the character was initially overwhelming and pushed him beyond his limits. He also described the experience as more than just acting, saying, "It wasn’t just about acting—it was about embodying the essence of a hero who represents strength, honor, and devotion".
Soumya Singh portrays Arjuna and Draupadi's son Shrutakarma
Vin Rana as Nakula: the fourth Pandava, who is known for his beauty, healing abilities, housekeeping and skill in swordsmanship. Nakula is born to Kunti and Pandu through Chandra (Moon God).
Devish Ahuja portrays Draupadi and Nakula's son Satanika.
Lavanya Bhardwaj as Sahadeva: the fifth Pandava, who is born to Kunti and Pandu through Shani (Karna God). He is notable for his wisdom and healing abilities.
Rudhraksh Jaiswal portrays Draupadi and Sahadeva's son Suhotra.
