diff --git a/crates/schema/database/mysql_queries/src/queries/characters/delete_character.rs b/crates/schema/database/mysql_queries/src/queries/characters/delete_character.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2e2a2735dc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/schema/database/mysql_queries/src/queries/characters/delete_character.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+use sqlx::pool::PoolConnection;
+use sqlx::MySql;
+
+use tokens::tokens::characters::CharacterToken;
+
+/// Soft-delete a character by setting deleted_at to NOW().
+///
+/// This is idempotent — calling it on an already-deleted character is a no-op.
+pub async fn delete_character(
+  character_token: &CharacterToken,
+  connection: &mut PoolConnection<MySql>,
+) -> Result<(), sqlx::Error> {
+  sqlx::query(
+    r#"
+UPDATE characters
+SET deleted_at = NOW()
+WHERE token = ?
+  AND deleted_at IS NULL
+    "#,
+  )
+      .bind(character_token.as_str())
+      .execute(&mut **connection)
+      .await?;
+
+  Ok(())
+}
diff --git a/crates/schema/database/mysql_queries/src/queries/characters/get_character_by_token_including_deleted.rs b/crates/schema/database/mysql_queries/src/queries/characters/get_character_by_token_including_deleted.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4a43c35e50
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/schema/database/mysql_queries/src/queries/characters/get_character_by_token_including_deleted.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+use sqlx::pool::PoolConnection;
+use sqlx::{FromRow, MySql};
+
+use tokens::tokens::characters::CharacterToken;
+use tokens::tokens::users::UserToken;
+
+/// Minimal character record for ownership and deletion checks.
+#[derive(Debug, FromRow)]
+pub struct CharacterOwnershipRecord {
+  pub token: CharacterToken,
+  pub maybe_creator_user_token: Option<UserToken>,
+  pub is_active: bool,
+  pub is_deleted: bool,
+}
+
+/// Look up a character by token, including soft-deleted records.
+///
+/// Returns `None` if the character does not exist at all.
+pub async fn get_character_by_token_including_deleted(
+  character_token: &CharacterToken,
+  connection: &mut PoolConnection<MySql>,
+) -> Result<Option<CharacterOwnershipRecord>, sqlx::Error> {
+  let result = sqlx::query_as::<_, CharacterOwnershipRecord>(
+    r#"
+SELECT
+  token,
+  maybe_creator_user_token,
+  is_active,
+  (deleted_at IS NOT NULL) as is_deleted
+FROM characters
+WHERE token = ?
+    "#,
+  )
+      .bind(character_token.as_str())
+      .fetch_optional(&mut **connection)
+      .await?;
+
+  Ok(result)
+}
diff --git a/crates/schema/database/mysql_queries/src/queries/characters/mod.rs b/crates/schema/database/mysql_queries/src/queries/characters/mod.rs
index fbac52e67f..bcf9dd693e 100644
--- a/crates/schema/database/mysql_queries/src/queries/characters/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/schema/database/mysql_queries/src/queries/characters/mod.rs
@@ -1,2 +1,4 @@
 pub mod batch_lookup_characters_by_token_for_prompting;
 pub mod create_pending_character;
+pub mod delete_character;
+pub mod get_character_by_token_including_deleted;
diff --git a/crates/service/web/storyteller_web/src/http_server/endpoints/characters/delete_character_handler.rs b/crates/service/web/storyteller_web/src/http_server/endpoints/characters/delete_character_handler.rs
index 6ef15cccc8..23bcff002f 100644
--- a/crates/service/web/storyteller_web/src/http_server/endpoints/characters/delete_character_handler.rs
+++ b/crates/service/web/storyteller_web/src/http_server/endpoints/characters/delete_character_handler.rs
@@ -2,11 +2,15 @@ use std::sync::Arc;
 
 use actix_web::web::{Json, Path};
 use actix_web::{web, HttpRequest};
+use log::{info, warn};
 
 use artcraft_api_defs::characters::delete_character::{DeleteCharacterPathInfo, DeleteCharacterResponse};
 use tokens::tokens::characters::CharacterToken;
+use mysql_queries::queries::characters::delete_character::delete_character;
+use mysql_queries::queries::characters::get_character_by_token_including_deleted::get_character_by_token_including_deleted;
 
-use crate::http_server::common_responses::common_web_error::CommonWebError;
+use crate::http_server::common_responses::advanced_common_web_error::AdvancedCommonWebError;
+use crate::http_server::web_utils::user_session::require_user_session_using_connection::require_user_session_using_connection;
 use crate::state::server_state::ServerState;
 
 /// Delete a character.
@@ -25,9 +29,61 @@ use crate::state::server_state::ServerState;
   )
 )]
 pub async fn delete_character_handler(
-  _http_request: HttpRequest,
-  _path: Path<DeleteCharacterPathInfo>,
-  _server_state: web::Data<Arc<ServerState>>,
-) -> Result<Json<DeleteCharacterResponse>, CommonWebError> {
-  todo!()
+  http_request: HttpRequest,
+  path: Path<DeleteCharacterPathInfo>,
+  server_state: web::Data<Arc<ServerState>>,
+) -> Result<Json<DeleteCharacterResponse>, AdvancedCommonWebError> {
+
+  let character_token = &path.character_token;
+
+  // --- Auth ---
+
+  let mut mysql_connection = server_state.mysql_pool.acquire().await?;
+
+  let user_session = require_user_session_using_connection(
+    &http_request,
+    &server_state.session_checker,
+    &mut mysql_connection,
+  ).await?;
+
+  let user_token = &user_session.user_token;
+  let is_mod = user_session.is_mod();
+
+  // --- Look up the character (including deleted) ---
+
+  let character = get_character_by_token_including_deleted(character_token, &mut mysql_connection)
+      .await?
+      .ok_or_else(|| {
+        warn!("Character not found: {}", character_token);
+        AdvancedCommonWebError::NotFound
+      })?;
+
+  // Already deleted — return success idempotently.
+  if character.is_deleted {
+    info!("Character {} is already deleted", character_token);
+    return Ok(Json(DeleteCharacterResponse { success: true }));
+  }
+
+  // --- Ownership check ---
+
+  let is_owner = character.maybe_creator_user_token
+      .as_ref()
+      .map(|owner| owner == user_token)
+      .unwrap_or(false);
+
+  if !is_owner && !is_mod {
+    warn!(
+      "User {} attempted to delete character {} owned by {:?}",
+      user_token, character_token, character.maybe_creator_user_token,
+    );
+    return Err(AdvancedCommonWebError::NotAuthorized);
+  }
+
+  // --- Soft delete ---
+
+  delete_character(character_token, &mut mysql_connection).await?;
+
+  info!("Character {} deleted by user {}", character_token, user_token);
+
+  Ok(Json(DeleteCharacterResponse { success: true }))
 }