diff --git a/test_msgs/include/test_msgs/message_fixtures.hpp b/test_msgs/include/test_msgs/message_fixtures.hpp
index f2f98e7d..b4679826 100644
--- a/test_msgs/include/test_msgs/message_fixtures.hpp
+++ b/test_msgs/include/test_msgs/message_fixtures.hpp
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ get_messages_primitives()
     auto msg = std::make_shared<test_msgs::msg::Primitives>();
     msg->bool_value = false;
     msg->byte_value = 0;
-    msg->char_value = '\0';
+    msg->char_value = 0;
     msg->float32_value = 0.0f;
     msg->float64_value = 0;
     msg->int8_value = 0;
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ get_messages_primitives()
     auto msg = std::make_shared<test_msgs::msg::Primitives>();
     msg->bool_value = true;
     msg->byte_value = 255;
-    msg->char_value = '\x7f';
+    msg->char_value = 255;
     msg->float32_value = 1.125f;
     msg->float64_value = 1.125;
     msg->int8_value = (std::numeric_limits<int8_t>::max)();
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ get_messages_primitives()
     auto msg = std::make_shared<test_msgs::msg::Primitives>();
     msg->bool_value = false;
     msg->byte_value = 0;
-    msg->char_value = 0x0;
+    msg->char_value = 0;
     msg->float32_value = -2.125f;
     msg->float64_value = -2.125;
     msg->int8_value = (std::numeric_limits<int8_t>::min)();
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ get_messages_primitives()
     auto msg = std::make_shared<test_msgs::msg::Primitives>();
     msg->bool_value = true;
     msg->byte_value = 1;
-    msg->char_value = '\1';
+    msg->char_value = 1;
     msg->float32_value = 1.0f;
     msg->float64_value = 1;
     msg->int8_value = 1;
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ get_messages_static_array_primitives()
     auto msg = std::make_shared<test_msgs::msg::StaticArrayPrimitives>();
     msg->bool_values = {{false, true, false}};
     msg->byte_values = {{0, 0xff, 0}};
-    msg->char_values = {{'\0', '\x7f', '\0'}};
+    msg->char_values = {{0, 255, 0}};
     msg->float32_values = {{0.0f, 1.125f, -2.125f}};
     msg->float64_values = {{0, 1.125, -2.125}};
     msg->int8_values = {{
@@ -206,7 +206,7 @@ get_messages_dynamic_array_primitives()
     auto msg = std::make_shared<test_msgs::msg::DynamicArrayPrimitives>();
     msg->bool_values = {true};
     msg->byte_values = {0xff};
-    msg->char_values = {'\x7f'};
+    msg->char_values = {255};
     msg->float32_values = {1.125f};
     msg->float64_values = {1.125};
     msg->int8_values = {(std::numeric_limits<int8_t>::max)()};
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ get_messages_dynamic_array_primitives()
     auto msg = std::make_shared<test_msgs::msg::DynamicArrayPrimitives>();
     msg->bool_values = {{false, true}};
     msg->byte_values = {{0, 0xff}};
-    msg->char_values = {{'\0', '\x7f'}};
+    msg->char_values = {{0, 255}};
     msg->float32_values = {{0.0f, 1.125f, -2.125f}};
     msg->float64_values = {{0, 1.125, -2.125}};
     msg->int8_values = {{
@@ -271,8 +271,7 @@ get_messages_dynamic_array_primitives()
     for (size_t i = 0; i < size; ++i) {
       msg->bool_values[i] = (i % 2 != 0) ? true : false;
       msg->byte_values[i] = static_cast<uint8_t>(i);
-      // TODO(mikaelarguedas) only ascii chars supported across languages
-      msg->char_values[i] = static_cast<char>(i % (1 << 7));
+      msg->char_values[i] = static_cast<char>(i % (1 << 8));
       msg->float32_values[i] = 1.125f * i;
       msg->float64_values[i] = 1.125 * i;
       msg->int8_values[i] = static_cast<int8_t>(i);
@@ -336,7 +335,7 @@ get_messages_bounded_array_primitives()
     auto msg = std::make_shared<test_msgs::msg::BoundedArrayPrimitives>();
     msg->bool_values = {{false, true, false}};
     msg->byte_values = {{0, 1, 0xff}};
-    msg->char_values = {{'\0', '\1', '\x7f'}};
+    msg->char_values = {{0, 1, 255}};
     msg->float32_values = {{0.0f, 1.125f, -2.125f}};
     msg->float64_values = {{0, 1.125, -2.125}};
     msg->int8_values = {{
diff --git a/test_msgs/src/test_msgs/message_fixtures.py b/test_msgs/src/test_msgs/message_fixtures.py
index 5fa870fd..9856dd95 100644
--- a/test_msgs/src/test_msgs/message_fixtures.py
+++ b/test_msgs/src/test_msgs/message_fixtures.py
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ def get_msg_static_array_primitives():
     msgs = []
     msg = StaticArrayPrimitives()
     msg.bool_values = [False, True, False]
-    msg.char_values = ['\0', '\x7f', '\x00']
+    msg.char_values = [0, 255, 0]
     msg.byte_values = [bytes([0]), bytes([255]), bytes([0])]
     msg.float32_values = [0.0, 1.125, -2.125]
     msg.float64_values = [0.0, 1.125, -2.125]
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ def get_msg_dynamic_array_primitives():
     msg = DynamicArrayPrimitives()
     msg.bool_values = [True]
     msg.byte_values = [bytes([255])]
-    msg.char_values = ['\x7f']
+    msg.char_values = [255]
     msg.float32_values = [1.125]
     msg.float64_values = [1.125]
     msg.int8_values = [127]
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ def get_msg_dynamic_array_primitives():
     msg = DynamicArrayPrimitives()
     msg.bool_values = [False, True]
     msg.byte_values = [bytes([0]), bytes([255])]
-    msg.char_values = ['\0', '\x7f']
+    msg.char_values = [0, 255]
     msg.float32_values = [0.0, 1.125, -2.125]
     msg.float64_values = [0.0, 1.125, -2.125]
     msg.int8_values = [0, 127, -128]
@@ -245,8 +245,7 @@ def get_msg_dynamic_array_primitives():
     msg = DynamicArrayPrimitives()
     msg.bool_values = [i % 2 != 0 for i in range(size)]
     msg.byte_values = [bytes([i % (1 << 8)]) for i in range(size)]
-    # TODO(mikaelarguedas) only ascii chars supported across languages
-    msg.char_values = [chr(i % (1 << 7)) for i in range(size)]
+    msg.char_values = [i % (1 << 8) for i in range(size)]
     msg.float32_values = [float(1.125 * i) for i in range(size)]
     msg.float64_values = [1.125 * i for i in range(size)]
     msg.int8_values = [int_from_uint(i, 8) for i in range(size)]
@@ -302,7 +301,7 @@ def get_msg_bounded_array_primitives():
     msg = BoundedArrayPrimitives()
     msg.bool_values = [False, True, False]
     msg.byte_values = [bytes([0]), bytes([1]), bytes([255])]
-    msg.char_values = ['\0', '\1', '\x7f']
+    msg.char_values = [0, 1, 255]
     msg.float32_values = [0.0, 1.125, -2.125]
     msg.float64_values = [0.0, 1.125, -2.125]
     msg.int8_values = [0, 127, -128]
diff --git a/test_msgs/src/test_msgs/service_fixtures.py b/test_msgs/src/test_msgs/service_fixtures.py
index 56c2f47c..e6c16a4b 100644
--- a/test_msgs/src/test_msgs/service_fixtures.py
+++ b/test_msgs/src/test_msgs/service_fixtures.py
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ def get_msg_primitives():
     req = Primitives.Request()
     req.bool_value = False
     req.byte_value = bytes([0])
-    req.char_value = '\x00'
+    req.char_value = 0
     req.float32_value = float(0.0)
     req.float64_value = float(0.0)
     req.int8_value = 0
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ def get_msg_primitives():
     resp = Primitives.Response()
     resp.bool_value = False
     resp.byte_value = bytes([0])
-    resp.char_value = '\x00'
+    resp.char_value = 0
     resp.float32_value = float(0.0)
     resp.float64_value = float(0.0)
     resp.int8_value = 0
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ def get_msg_primitives():
     req = Primitives.Request()
     req.bool_value = True
     req.byte_value = bytes([1])
-    req.char_value = '\x01'
+    req.char_value = 1
     req.float32_value = float(1.125)
     req.float64_value = float(1.11)
     req.int8_value = 1
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ def get_msg_primitives():
     resp = Primitives.Response()
     resp.bool_value = True
     resp.byte_value = bytes([11])
-    resp.char_value = '\x11'
+    resp.char_value = 11
     resp.float32_value = float(11.125)
     resp.float64_value = float(11.11)
     resp.int8_value = 11