Black Beauty is the protagonist and narrator of the novel. He is a handsome and elegant black horse with “a sweet good-tempered face and such a fine intelligent eye” (17); his appearance is so aesthetically appealing that it earns him the name Black Beauty, and is noted by many characters throughout the plot. Black Beauty comes from a good pedigree of notable horses: his mother tells him that, “your father has a great name in these parts, and your grandfather won the cup two years at the Newmarket races” (4). In addition to his handsome appearance, Black Beauty is hard-working, loyal, and brave. He often comments on wanting to do his best, and please people; for example, after John urges him to run as fast as possible to get to the doctor, “I wanted no whip nor spur, and for two miles I galloped as fast as I could lay my feet on the ground” (63).

Because the plot follows the entirety of his life, readers see how Black Beauty’s character is formed and developed during his early life. Black Beauty takes to heart messages from his mother, such as her advice to “do your best wherever it is, and keep up your good name” (12), and he is also shaped by the shrewd practices of his first master.