History Characters / GremlinsMogwaiAndGremlins

* WeakenedByTheLight: Like all Mogwai and Gremlins, bright light is very painful for Gizmo, and direct sunlight will kill him.

* MsFanservice: Greta is this for the gremlin side to outright parody, she's even introduced this way.

* InterspeciesRomance: She's a gremlin who falls in love with a man.

* TheComicallySerious: Any humor derived from his scenes come his clear annoyance at everything around him.

* TheComicallySerious: Any humor derived from his scenes come his clear annoyance at everything around him.

* ForTheEvulz: Him menacing Kate and Marla [[spoiler: in his spider form]], and he has many, many {{sadist}}ic moments which could be interpreted as this or ForTheEvulz.

* BornAsAnAdult: Mogwai and Gremlins that get wet give birth to offspring that immediately grow to their full-size upon birth and are then completely independent, already able to think as well as possessing certain knowledge, and can immediately have offspring of their own. Furthermore, Gremlins that get wet give birth to full-grown Gremlins rather than to Mogwai.

!!!'''Voiced by:''' Creator/HowieMandel, Ilene Keys (Singing voice), AJ [=LoCassio=] (''Secrets of the Mogwai'')

* AffablyEvil: Despite their clownish antics and love of pop culture, the Gremlins have a sadistic streak a mile wide. However, [[LetsGetDangerous the comical mischief goes out the window when they're sufficiently angered]], as demonstrated by the Gremlin who nearly strangles Mrs. Peltzer to death for killing three of its siblings, and by Stripe, who stops fooling around after Billy blows up the rest of the horde and simply tries to kill him with increasingly lethal weapons.

* AffablyEvil: Despite their clownish antics and love of pop culture, the Gremlins have sadistic streak a mile wide. However, [[LetsGetDangerous the affability goes out the window when they're sufficiently angered]], as demonstrated by both Stripe and the Gremlin who nearly strangles Mrs. Peltzer to death for killing three of its siblings.

* BornAsAnAdult: Mogwai and Gremlins that get wet give birth to offspring that immediately grow to their full-size upon birth and are then completely independent, already able to think as well as possessing certain knowledge, and can have offspring of their own. Furthermore, Gremlins that get wet give birth to full-grown Gremlins rather than to Mogwai.

* BornAsAnAdult: Gremlins that get wet give birth to full-grown Gremlins rather than to Mogwai.

* LastOfHisKind: [[spoiler:She is the only surviving gremlin after all the other ones get wiped out]].

* BigBad: Stripe was the leader of the Gremlins in the first movie.

* NoSongForTheWicked: When the hoard was watching ''WesternAnimation/SnowWhiteAndTheSevenDwarfs'', he was the only one who didn't sing along with the film and was fine with leaving the theater to get more snacks, which was what allowed him to escape the theater explosion.

The main antagonists of the franchise, Gremlins are a species of small, extremely mischievous and aggressive goblin-like monsters noted for their chaotic behavior and dangerous reproductive habilities. They are also quite good at messing with technology which they often use for their advantage. They spawn whenever a Mogwai gets wet with water, and Mogwai themselves turn into Gremlins when they are fed after midnight.

* AllThereInTheManual: A prologue in the first film's novelization explains that Mogwai were originally created to be perfect companions and ambassadors of peace on the universe by an alien scientist named Mogturmen, but unfortunately, with the sole exception of Gizmo himself, many of them turned out to be rambunctious and hostile to their masters, not to mention their evolution into even worse creatures. Gizmo was sent to Earth in stasis in an escape pod which landed somewhere on our planet and he was found by Mr. Wing at some point of his life, who adopted him. Of course, this is all retconned by ''Secrets of the Mogwai'', where they are the product of a bet between creation gods.
* AlwaysChaoticEvil: All of them solely exist to cause as much destruction and havoc as possible. Only Gizmo and possibly Greta and Lenny are the only friendly ones. Even the Brain Gremlin wants to use his newfound intelligence to help his brethren to destroy humanity and take over the world. According to ''Secrets of the Mogwai'', this is because of a curse that makes any new Mogwai spawn destructive tricksters for the first century of their life, and Gizmo is exempt due to being the original.

** Played straight then subverted in the first movie's novelization. Conversations between Gizmo and Stripe reveal that the one shred of decency that all Mogwai retain is the inability to perform or even visualize harming another of their own kind. Once they transform into Gremlins however, that goes right out the window.

* BizarreAlienBiology: Their biology doesn't follow the conventions of known science. Exposure to water causes mogwai and gremlins to reproduce asexually, they still show physical and psychological differences that would otherwise imply genetic diversity, eating at a certain time of the day causes them to pupate and metamorphosize, and sunlight is fatal to them. Oh, and they appear to be capable of reincarnating as well, as dead gremlins can be reborn from a drenched mogwai.
* BodyHorror: Their reproduction. As Mogwai, they simply expel little furballs from their backs which quickly become new mogwai should they get wet, but this is still a fairly painful process. As Gremlins, however, things get worse, as huge, blister-like protrusions containing smaller gremlins which develop quickly begin spreading on their back in a far more excruciating manner. George, Lenny and Daffy even pass out in the second movie as they give birth to more of their kind.
* BornAsAnAdult: Gremlins that get wet give birth to full-grown gremlins rather than mogwai.

* CreepyChild: Mogwai, which are arguably a Gremlin's larval/juvenile stage. Even from a young age, they already display the psychopathic tendencies of their adult counterparts. It's eventually explained in ''Secrets of the Mogwai'' that a curse causes all newly spawned Mogwai to be destructive tricksters for the first century of their lives. Their valley is inhabited by an entire village of peaceful Mogwai who have outgrown their destructive tendencies.

* ExplosiveBreeder: Easily their most dangerous trait, mogwai and gremlins alike can give birth to more of themselves by getting wet.
* ExpressiveEars: Mogwai and gremlins both have large, movable ears inspired by tarsiers, used as a means of conveying emotion that their faces couldn't and establishing a physical link between the two.
* FunPersonified: A much darker example than most. According to Noggin, a Gremlin's mind is constantly focused on one thing: having fun. Their idea of fun of course being wanton destruction and chaos. Notably, this focus gives Claw the concentration to expertly use the Knife of Creation the moment she gets her hands on it despite her typically erratic behavior.

* ImmortalityInducer: Episode 3 of ''Secrets of the Mogwai'' confirms that Gizmo and the other mogwai are essentially immortal as long as they aren’t injured badly. As a result, there is a previously unrevealed rule that if one eats a mogwai (provided that it hasn’t eaten after midnight), that person gains the creature’s immortality. Green’s plan is to capture the mogwai and auction them off to those desiring immortality, using water to make more.

* ManiacMonkeys: Mogwai look very simian and they're cruel little sociopaths. They become worse when they become gremlins, though once that happens, it's more of a case of ReptilesAreAbhorrent.
* MeaningfulName: Mr. Wing, being Chinese, was correct with naming the species [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mogwai_(Chinese_culture) Mogwai]]. 魔怪 meaning "demon" or "evil spirit"? Check. Reproduction triggered by the coming of rain? Check.
* MetamorphosisMonster: Once a Mogwai has eaten after midnight (or more accurately, when the moon is at its highest), it will encase itself in a slimy cocoon and emerge as a full-grown gremlin.

* PetTheDog: Awful as they are, in the first film they did get rid of the cat lady Mrs Deagle who was frankly a female Ebeneezer Scrooge and a deleted scene from ''The New Batch'' shows the Gremlins freeing multiple captive animals at the Clamp Tower's lab while yelling at them to "Go! Go!". In the final film, the Vegetable Gremlin doesn't seem to mind when a freed squirrel munches on the veggies growing on his head, implying the little monsters released the animals offscreen. In addition, when Grandpa Fred does his report on the gremlins, none of them try to attack him at all, implying they do not hurt those who aren't afraid of them or, most likely, they think it's more fun to let him report them to the world unobstructed.

* SecretTestOfCharacter: According to ''Secrets of the Mogwai'', they were created as part of a bet between Chinese creation deities to test the hearts of humans. One created Gizmo, the original mogwai, while the other created the three rules needed for his care. Of course it wasn’t long before humans started breaking these rules. Thus, it is said that only a pure-hearted person can be trusted with a Mogwai.

* ZergRush: The Gremlin's true threat. Individually, when compared to a human, they aren't anything too threatening. They may be strong and have fierce claws and fangs, but a human can overpower them if need be. Lynn Petlzer dispatches three all by herself, and Daniel Clamp is able to overcome one that attacks him eventually. However, once they become a horde that is when they become truly dangerous and are able to bring about real havoc and chaos.

Gizmo is an adorable Mogwai who Rand Peltzer buys from Mr. Wing (or rather, his nephew) to give to Billy as a pet. Completely peaceful and friendly, Gizmo is accidentally splashed with water and spawns a batch of other Mogwai, who then turn into Gremlins, leading to the chaos around Kingston Falls. The Gremlins themselves despise Gizmo and bully/torture him any chance they get, most likely because he refuses to transform and remains peaceful towards humans.

* ApocalypseMaiden: Gizmo is capable of unleashing a horde or infinitely replicating terrors that could bring about the end of the world if left unchecked not that he has any say in the matter or any control over the process and it goes without saying he doesn’t like doing it. He himself, however, is sweet and docile.

* BewareTheNiceOnes: After being abused by Mohawk (who later turns into a half spider monster) all through the second movie, Gizmo creates a makeshift bow and then slays him with flaming arrows. Billy even says, "I guess they pushed him too far".

* BreakoutCharacter: Invoked, after a fashion. In the shooting script (which was the result of many other drafts from the original script), Gizmo and Stripe were the same character. Steven Spielberg thought Gizmo was too cute to turn into a monster, so he insisted that Gizmo and Stripe be different characters and Gizmo remain his cute and cuddly self through the entire film. Once the studio executives saw Gizmo in the film for the first time, they began to realize they'd have a [[TheMerch merchandising dream on their hands]]. He also got more screentime in the sequel as a result.

* TheDogBitesBack: Gizmo gets fed up of Mohawk's abuse in the second film, and goes all Franchise/{{Rambo}} on his enemy.
* DrivesLikeCrazy: Finds a toy car in the department store, Gizmo's starts tearing around in it to look for Stripe, ending with a SloMoBigAir jump.

* IKnowMortalKombat: He appears to learn his most badass skills just by seeing them in action on TV. In the first film, Gizmo really gets into a race car show, and later on drives a toy car to catch up with Stripe. Then in the second film, he watches some ''Franchise/{{Rambo}}'' and from it learns how to make his own bow and arrows.

* OffingTheOffspring: All the gremlins are functionally Gizmo's children and descendants, including Stripe/Mohawk, whom he personally kills in both movies.

* TookALevelInBadass: In the sequel, when he decides to go Rambo on Mohawk. this is usually what happens after they’ve used as a punching bag by the films villains and they’ve basically had enough as Popeye the sailor man once said.

* UniformityException: He apparently has one among the Mogwai, as demonstrated in the first movie. Unlike all the Mogwai which spawn from him in that movie (which look identical and metamorphose into the standard Gremlin design, except for Stripe's titular hair in both forms), Gizmo has a white patch over his right eye.
* WeakButSkilled: Gizmo is no match for a gremlin in a straight-up fight, but he's intuitive enough to beat them through more clever means. Just ask Stripe and Mohawk, both of whom are slain by him.
* WeakenedByTheLight: Like all mogwai and gremlins, bright light is very painful for Gizmo, and direct sunlight will kill him.
* WhiteSheep: Gizmo is among few "eternal" mogwais with a good-natured personality, as all others are mischievous at best or sadistic and hell bent on evolving into gremlins at worst.

The de facto leader of the gremlins in the first film, Stripe is a sadistic, maniacal monster who enjoys carnage and torturing Gizmo. He is killed thanks to Gizmo.

* AbusiveOffspring: He along with his fellow Mogwai hate Gizmo and try to kill him alongside his friends despite originating from the former.

* AxCrazy: While all the gremlins are more or less like this they're actually more like deranged tricksters and pranksters. Stripe is the only one who is more willing to commit murder.
* BadPeopleAbuseAnimals: He strings Barnie up with Christmas lights and hangs him from the porch at night, nearly causing him to freeze to death. And this was when he was still just a Mogwai! What's worse, Barnie wasn't exactly presenting any kind of threat to his dominance, nor was he stealing Billy's spoils from Stripe like Gizmo was.
* BigBad: Stripe was the leader of the gremlins in the first movie.

* ColonelBadass: For what it's worth, Stripe is a merciless but effective leader who leads his gremlin army to a great many a spoil, and might genuinely care about preserving their species at large. This aspect is lost with Mohawk, who is more of a self-serving loner.
* DecompositeCharacter: Meta-example. In early scripts, Gizmo was supposed to get wet and turn into Stripe but they thought it would confuse audiences and he was split into two different characters.

* EvilCounterpart: To Gizmo. Unlike him he's not only frightening but also pure evil.

* ExplosiveBreeder: [[spoiler:When he jumps into a swimming pool, he creates more gremlins]].
* FamilyUnfriendlyDeath: [[spoiler:His death is the most graphic and unpleasant.]]
%%* ImMelting: [[spoiler:The most horrific case of this.]]
* JumpScare: [[spoiler:After his body is reduced to a rotting corpse and he falls into the fountain and Billy checks to see if he's truly dead, Stripe's skeletal remains leap out at him and falls to the floor before melting away completely]].

* LastVillainStand: Inverted. Even though he was the last of the gremlins remaining, all he needed to do was find water and he could spawn a new army.
* MetamorphosisMonster: Him and the rest of the gremlins.
* NoSongForTheWicked: When the hoard was watching ''WesternAnimation/SnowWhiteAndTheSevenDwarfs'', he was the only one who didn't sing along with the film, and was fine with leaving the theater to get more snacks, which was what allowed him to escape the theater explosion.

* OneWingedAngel: Starts as a mogwai similar to Gizmo then gets wet and turns into a gremlin.
* {{Sadist}}: He surely loves hurting others and killing even more than the other gremlins.
* SayMyName: Whenever he about to confront them, Stripe will frequently snarl a mocking "Billy!" or "Gizmo!"
* SerendipitousSurvival: By leaving the movie theater in order to break into the department store for more snacks, Stripe ended up escaping the explosion Billy set up which destroyed the other gremlins, [[YourPrincessIsInAnotherCastle which unfortunately prolonged the heroes' clash with him]].
* UniformityException: Stripe can be distinguished from the standard design of his compatriots by the stripe of white hair on his head, both as a Mogwai and a gremlin.
* VileVillainSaccharineShow: He's significantly more evil than the standard gremlins (Stripe is one of the only ones who outright wields a gun against the heroes), and he still has his comedic moments.

Gremlin from ''Gremlins 2'' that has a Mohawk, and downs a chemical that turns him into a half gremlin half spider monster.

* ContrastingSequelAntagonist: Mohawk may be a reincarnation of Stripe, but differs quite a bit from his predecessor. Stripe looks the same as other gremlins but with a furry mohawk on his head and is a rather effective yet cold-hearted leader who wanted to take over Kingston Falls with his gremlin army. Mohawk looks much more demonic, with his scaly skin and fleshy crest, and is also much more sadistic and demented when it comes to torturing Gizmo, but doesn't really care about invading a city or leading other gremlins and instead prefers to cause mayhem on his own.

* ForTheEvulz: Him menacing Kate and Marla [[spoiler:in his spider form]], and he has many, many {{sadist}}ic moments which could be interpreted as this or ForTheEvulz.
* GiantSpider: [[spoiler:Mohawk transforms into a gremlin-drider after consuming a laboratory serum]].

* KillItWithFire: [[spoiler:How Mohawk eventually dies]].
* NonStandardCharacterDesign: As a mogwai, he has his tuft of hair, black spots on his fur and sharp teeth. As a gremlin, he has a lionfish-like fin across his back, a wattle and his skin and overall appearance are much more scaly and reptilian.
* ObviouslyEvil: Even as a mogwai, everything about Mohawk just screams bad news. His fur is dark, his ears look like horns, his teeth are razor sharp, and his expression is locked in a seemingly permanent PsychoticSmirk. There's nothing cuddly about him, and he's every bit as sadistic as a mogwai as he is as a gremlin.
* OneWingedAngel: Firstly turns from a mogwai into a gremlin and secondly his [[spoiler:mutant spider-hybrid form.]]
* SpiderPeople: [[spoiler:Mohawk, after ingesting some spider mutagen chemicals, becomes a monstrous centaurine creature with a gremlin upper body mounted on a spider's torso.]]

* DyingVocalChange: After being electrocuted to the point of being little more than a melting corpse, Brain's voice reverts back to the nasal, primitive sounding tone that he was before he gained his intelligence, with his final words simply have him croaking out one final "New Yooork..." before he collapses and dies.

* NoSongForTheWicked: When the hoard was watching ''WesternAnimation/SnowWhiteAndTheSevenDwarfes'', he was the only one who didn't sing along with the film, and was fine with leaving the theater to get more snacks, which was what allowed him to escape the theater explosion.

* NoSongForTheWicked: When the hoard was watching ''WesternAnimation/SnowWhiteAndTheSevenDwarves'', he was the only one who didn't sing along with the film, and was fine with leaving the theater to get more snacks, which was what allowed him to escape the theater explosion.

* MeaningfulName: Mr. Wing, being Chinese, was correct with naming the species [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mogwai_(Chinese_culture) Mogwai]]. 魔怪 meaning "demon" or "evil spirit"? Check. Reproduction triggered by the coming of rain? Check.

* BilingualBonus: He can be heard calling Mr. Wing "bàba" at the end of the first film, which is Chinese for "father/dad."

* SerendipitousSurvival: By leaving the movie theater in order to break into the department store for more snacks, Stripe ended up escaping the explosion Billy set up which destroyed the other gremlins, which unfortunately prolongued the heroes' clash with him.

* CatchPhrase: "Bright light" in the first movie. It ends up becoming a ChekhovsGun to save the day.

The Mogwai and Gremlins characters appearing in ''Film/{{Gremlins}}'', ''Film/Gremlins2TheNewBatch'', and ''WesternAnimation/GremlinsSecretsOfTheMogwai''.

!!!'''Appears in:''' ''Film/{{Gremlins}}'' | ''Film/Gremlins2TheNewBatch'' | ''WesternAnimation/GremlinsSecretsOfTheMogwai''

!!!'''Appears in:''' ''Film/{{Gremlins}}''

The defacto leader of the gremlins in the first film, Stripe is a sadistic, maniacal monster who enjoys carnage and torturing Gizmo. He is killed thanks to Gizmo.

!!!'''Voiced by:''' Creator/HowieMandel, AJ [=LoCassio=] (''Secrets of the Mogwai'')

* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: He's Spike from the first movie back again for all intents and purposes.

* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: Hes Spike from the first movie back again for intents and purposes.