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* JerkassBall: In ''The Jungle Movie'' it's ''she'', not Bob who forgets Helga's name, referring to her as "the other one".
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* InkSuitActor: Minus the exaggerated features, Big Bob looks a lot like his voice actor, Maurice LaMarche without his glasses.
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* InkSuitActor: Minus the exaggerated features, Big Bob looks a lot like his voice actor, Maurice LaMarche Creator/MauriceLaMarche without his glasses.
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* AdaptationDyeJob: He has gray hair in the series, but in the movie his hair is brown. It's back to gray in ''The Jungle Movie'' and he has acquired a bald spot as well.
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* AdaptationDyeJob: He has gray hair in the series, but in the movie ''Hey Arnold! The Movie'' his hair is brown. It's back to gray in ''The Jungle Movie'' and he has acquired a bald spot as well.
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[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tumblr_liyq0b3ktb1qfd7xg_2931.jpg]]
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[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tumblr_liyq0b3ktb1qfd7xg_2931.org/pmwiki/pub/images/big_bob.jpg]]
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* InkSuitActor: Minus the exaggerated features, Big Bob looks a lot like his voice actor, Maurice LaMarche
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* InkSuitActor: Minus the exaggerated features, Big Bob looks a lot like his voice actor, Maurice LaMarcheLaMarche without his glasses.
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Changed line(s) 218 (click to see context) from:
* AdaptationDyeJob: He has gray hair in the series, but in the movie his hair is brown. Maybe he decided to dye it for some reason?
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* AdaptationDyeJob: He has gray hair in the series, but in the movie his hair is brown. Maybe It's back to gray in ''The Jungle Movie'' and he decided to dye it for some reason?has acquired a bald spot as well.
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* InkSuitActor: Minus the exaggerated features, Big Bob looks a lot like his voice actor, Maurice LaMarche
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* AmbiguouslyGay: During the show's initial run. "Arnold's Thanksgiving" makes it obvious to anyone paying attention that one of his two "friends", Peter, is actually his partner (and that his mother disapproves of the relationship), but in a ''very'' subtle way (it was a kids' show in TheNineties). Peter seeing off Mr. Simmons on his trip to San Lorenzo in ''The Jungle Movie'' was a ''lot'' more explicit about it.
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* ChuckCunninghamSyndrome: She does not appear alongside her husband during the boarding house scenes in ''The Jungle Movie''.
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* BeenThereShapedHistory: He single-handedly won the Battle of the Bulge for the Allies by giving the Panzer division tainted meat.
* UnreliableNarrator: He has a tendency to exaggerate, though "Veteran's Day" and "The Journal" show that's not always the case.
* MamaBear: In ''The Jungle Movie'', when she learns Arnold is in danger, she suits up and intends to get to San Lorenzo.
* AdultFear: "The Journal" shows they moved back home due to fear of baby Arnold getting hurt in the jungle. They also freak when Arnold wanders off at the park and climbs to the top of a slide, which Miles describes as the scariest thing he's ever experienced.
* AmusingInjuries: Miles is frequently injured during the course of his adventures.
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* PapaWolf: In the Thanksgiving episode, Bob is ready and prepared to take out the tank to find the missing Helga.
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* PapaWolf: PapaWolf:
** In the Thanksgiving episode, Bob is ready and prepared to take out the tank to find the missingHelga.Helga.
** In ''The Jungle Movie'', when Olga says one of La Sombra's men mistreated her, Bob chases after the guy to beat him silly.
** In the Thanksgiving episode, Bob is ready and prepared to take out the tank to find the missing
** In ''The Jungle Movie'', when Olga says one of La Sombra's men mistreated her, Bob chases after the guy to beat him silly.
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* ParentalFavoritism: She clearly favors Olga, though it doesn't come up as often as with Bob.
* ParentalNeglect: Neglects Helga due to both favoring Olga and her drinking. When she actually tries to step up, Helga is rather incredulous.
* ParentalNeglect: Neglects Helga due to both favoring Olga and her drinking. When she actually tries to step up, Helga is rather incredulous.
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** "The Jungle Movie"--goes completely insane [[spoiler:once the class is captured by the bad guys and it's up to the kids to bust themselves out.]]
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* DaddyHadAGoodReasonForAbandoningYou: [[spoiler:They both left to help cure a deadly illness sweeping throughout the population of the South American country, particularly that of a secretive tribespeople who have helped them throughout the years who they owe their lives to.]] As Miles had written in his journal, they expected the trip to be a short one...
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* DaddyHadAGoodReasonForAbandoningYou: [[spoiler:They both left to help cure a deadly illness sweeping throughout the population of the South American country, particularly that of a secretive tribespeople who have helped them throughout the years who they owe their lives to.]] As Miles had written in his journal, they expected the trip to be a short one...one, [[spoiler:as they hadn't expected to contract the illness themselves and become comatose for nine years]].
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* OnlyMostlyDead: [[spoiler: The reason why they never returned is because they caught the sleeping sickness before they could cure it and have been comatose for nearly a decade. Arnold, along with Gerald and Helga, finish the process and reawakens all of the adults in the Green-Eyed village, including Miles and Stella themselves.]]
to:
* OnlyMostlyDead: [[spoiler: The reason why they never returned is because they caught the sleeping sickness before they could cure it and have been comatose for nearly a decade. Arnold, along with Gerald and Helga, finish the process and reawakens reawaken all of the adults in the Green-Eyed village, including Miles and Stella themselves.]]
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* OnlyMostlyDead: [[spoiler: The reason why they never returned is because they caught the sleeping sickness before they could cure it and have been comatose for nearly a decade. Arnold, along with Gerald and Helga, finish the process and reawakens all of the adults in the Green-Eyed village, including Miles and Stella themselves.]]
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** Full circle in ''The Jungle Movie''. While still a bit cold towards Helga, he not only doesn't hesitate to [[spoiler:fly to San Lorenzo with Miriam, Phil and Gertie to help save the kids from La Sombra]] but calls Phil and Gertie by their real names instead of a pejorative. Though he does sarcastically ask "you're still alive".
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* VagueAge: In one episode he mentions that he wasn't yet born in 1949, but in another he's shown as an adult father during the fall of Saigon in 1975. It's possible that he was in his early 20s at the time however.
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* ArtEvolution: Her hair switched from brown to gray and she eventually gained glasses.
to:
* ArtEvolution: Her hair switched from brown to gray and she eventually gained glasses.glasses, mostly as a sign to indicate she was getting older.
* ChristmasCake: She's implied to be one. During the Valentine's Day episode, one student asks what will happen to them if they never find someone to love and they spend the rest of their lives alone. Miss Slovak flatly responds they'd be her.
* ChristmasCake: She's implied to be one. During the Valentine's Day episode, one student asks what will happen to them if they never find someone to love and they spend the rest of their lives alone. Miss Slovak flatly responds they'd be her.
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* KickTheDog: She has a rather cruel moment in "Spelling Bee" when talking about how Arnold and Helga will be competing in the city wide spelling bee, which she caps off by telling Helga "Don't spend all that prize money in one place." ''While Arnold is right in front of her''. It's even worse because Arnold reacts exactly as you'd think he would after hearing his teacher more or less say he's gonna lose.
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* NeverMyFault: A common complaint about Oskar's character (InUniverse and out) is how he never tends to take responsibility for his actions and he constantly sees himself as a victim. This is even focused on in the episode "Oskar Gets a Job" when Oskar claims that he wants to make changes for his life for the better, only for him to constantly make excuses for himself on why he can't (or refuses to). Oskar eventually gets called out on this by Arnold, Susie, Ernie, and Mr. Hyunh.
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-> '''Voiced by''': TressMacNeille
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-> '''Voiced by''': TressMacNeille
by''':\\
TressMacNeille\\
Francesca Marie Smith (young Gertie in "Girl Trouble")
TressMacNeille\\
Francesca Marie Smith (young Gertie in "Girl Trouble")
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* ManlyTears: Prone to this on many occasions such as when Mr. Hyunh reunites with his daughter or when Abner returns to Arnold after running away.
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** "Buses, Bikes, and Subways"--doesn't double-check his head count and is totally oblivious to the fact that two of his students are missing until the bus is back home.
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** "Buses, Bikes, and Subways"--doesn't double-check his head count and is totally oblivious to the fact that two of his students are missing until the bus is back home. Keep in mind that said students aren't exactly known for being quiet.
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* OddFriendship: With Martin Johanssen. The two seem to get along just fine and Martin never shows any annoyance to Phil's many {{Cloudcuckoolander}} moments.
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* YouGottaHaveBlueHair: Her hair has a purple-ish tint.
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* YouGottaHaveBlueHair: Her hair has a purple-ish tint.tint, though it's probably supposed to be grey.
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* ThoseTwoGuys: Can be this to Phil on some occasions.
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* AccidentalMisnaming: Keeps getting Arnold's name wrong in "Full Moon".
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** In "Full Moon", he gives Arnold detention for refusing to rat on Harold, Sid and Stinky for mooning him. He even threatened to put it on his permanent record. Would have too had the trio not confessed at the last moment.
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** In "Full Moon", he gives Arnold detention for several weeks for refusing to rat on Harold, Sid and Stinky for mooning him. He even threatened to put it on his permanent record. Would have too had the trio not confessed at the last moment.
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* AManIsNotAVirgin: In one episode he mentions that he didn't have his first date until he was 23, which would make him a late bloomer to say the least.
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* AManIsNotAVirgin: In one episode "Full Moon" he mentions that he didn't have his first date until he was 23, which would make him a late bloomer to say the least.
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* SiblingRivalry: Stems from an incident in their childhood with their pet dog Pooter. Pooter crawled through a hole under the fence, ran away and was killed by a car. Both Phil and Mitzi blamed each other for Pooter's death and as a result, the two didn't speak to each other for over sixty years. Mitzi returned to the Boarding House to try and make peace, but all they did was argue and play mean-spirited pranks on each other. As always, Arnold convinces them to reconcile.
to:
* SiblingRivalry: Stems from an incident in their childhood with their pet dog Pooter. Pooter crawled through a hole under the fence, ran away and was killed by a car. Both Phil and Mitzi blamed each other for Pooter's death and as a result, the two didn't speak to each other for over sixty seventy years. Mitzi returned to the Boarding House to try and make peace, but all they did was argue and play mean-spirited pranks on each other. As always, Arnold convinces them to reconcile.
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Trivia trope(s).
* ChildhoodFriendRomance: With Gertie, as "Girl Trouble" reveals they knew each other as children and are now an elderly married couple.
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* AffectionateNickname: Phil tends to address her as Pookie.
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* AffectionateNickname: Phil tends to address her as Pookie."Pookie".
* ChildhoodFriendRomance: With Phil, as "Girl Trouble" reveals they knew each other as children and are now an elderly married couple.
* HeterosexualLifePartners: It's implied that she and Mitzi were this as kids (and still so as adults, from the looks of it). Given [[LovingBully what Gertie was like as a kid]], one can only imagine what kind of hilarious hell these two put Phil through in their youth.
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--> '''Phil''': Aw, Pookie. No one wants to see ''that''.
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* HairstyleInertia: Though her hair color has changed, Mitzi keeps the same hairstyle from her youth.
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* SiblingRivalry: Stems from an incident in their childhood with their pet dog Pooter. Pooter crawled through a hole under the fence, ran away and was killed by a car. Both Phil and Mitzi blamed each other for Pooter's death and as a result, the two didn't speak to each other for over sixty years. Mitzi returned to the Boarding House to try and make peace, but all they did was argue and play mean-sprited pranks on each other. As always, Arnold convinces them to reconcile.
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* NiceHat: She wears a cheetah-patterned hat.
* SiblingRivalry: Stems from an incident in their childhood with their pet dog Pooter. Pooter crawled through a hole under the fence, ran away and was killed by a car. Both Phil and Mitzi blamed each other for Pooter's death and as a result, the two didn't speak to each other for over sixty years. Mitzi returned to the Boarding House to try and make peace, but all they did was argue and playmean-sprited mean-spirited pranks on each other. As always, Arnold convinces them to reconcile.
* SiblingRivalry: Stems from an incident in their childhood with their pet dog Pooter. Pooter crawled through a hole under the fence, ran away and was killed by a car. Both Phil and Mitzi blamed each other for Pooter's death and as a result, the two didn't speak to each other for over sixty years. Mitzi returned to the Boarding House to try and make peace, but all they did was argue and play
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--> '''Mr. Hyunh:''' This lint. ''Your lint''! I cannot keep cleaning up after you! I am ''not your mother''! ({{beat}}) ''I'm not his mother!''
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* AesopAmnesia: In "Quantity Time", Bob learns of Helga's misery, promises to be a better father to her, but is back to ignoring her in his next appearance.
* AesopAmnesia: In "Quantity Time", Bob learns of Helga's misery, promises to be a better father to her, but is back to ignoring her in his next appearance.
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-> '''Voiced by''': Creator/KathSoucie
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-> '''Voiced by''': Creator/NikaFutterman
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-> '''Voiced by''': Rick Fitts
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-> '''Voiced by''': Dan Butler
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* WordOfGay: Craig Bartlett confirmed that Mr. Simmons is in fact gay, but they could never outright say it on a children's show. There are little hints thrown around, such as his effeminate personality and his "friend" Peter in "Arnold's Thanksgiving".
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* AManIsNotAVirgin: In one episode he mentions that he didn't have his first date until he was 23, which would make him a late bloomer to say the least.
* AManIsNotAVirgin: In one episode he mentions that he didn't have his first date until he was 23, which would make him a late bloomer to say the least.
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-> '''Voiced by''': Creator/TressMacNeille
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* AbusiveDad: Emotionally to both daughters, but in completely different ways. One is constantly pressured to be perfect, the other is often ignored and neglected.
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* AbusiveDad: Emotionally Never physically, but emotionally abusive to both daughters, but in completely different ways. One is constantly pressured to be perfect, the other is often ignored and neglected.
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* ToiletHumor: Downplayed, but heavily implied. Raspberries or watermelon will have him on the toilet for hours.
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* GenerationXerox: In "Girl Trouble," it's shown that she and Phil had a relationship very similar to Helga and Arnold when they were younger. As part of the gag, Gertie in the flashback is voiced by Helga's voice actress.
to:
* GenerationXerox: In "Girl Trouble," it's shown that she and Phil had a relationship very similar to Helga and Arnold when they were younger. She even called him "Chin Boy" in the same way Helga calls Arnold "Football Head." As part of the gag, Gertie in the flashback is voiced by Helga's voice actress.
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* {{Tsundere}}: In her youth, she acted mean to mask her feelings for Phil.
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* {{Tsundere}}: In her youth, she acted mean to mask her feelings for Phil.Phil, just like Helga does.
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* AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther: Has these moments with Suzie every so often.
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* HateSink: To an extent, being a lazy selfish freeloader who even Arnold can barely tolerate half the time. Downplayed as almost every episode featuring him as a major character has him reveal that he can be good when he wants to be.
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* AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther: Has these moments with Oskar every so often.
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* PetTheDog: He does occasionally have genuinely loving moments with both his daughters and his wife every now and then.
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[[center: [-[[Characters/HeyArnold Main Character Index]] | [[Characters/HeyArnoldArnoldShortman Arnold Shortman]] | [[Characters/HeyArnoldHelgaGPataki Helga G. Pataki]] | [[Characters/HeyArnoldStudentsOfPS118 Students of P.S. 118]] | [[Characters/HeyArnoldStudentsOfPS118MrSimmonsClass Mr. Simmons' Class]] | [[Characters/HeyArnoldStudentsOfPS118OtherStudents Other Students]] | [[Characters/HeyArnoldTheAdults The Adults]] | '''The Adults: Part One''' | [[Characters/HeyArnoldTheAdultsPartTwo The Adults: Part Two]] | [[Characters/HeyArnoldOtherKids Other Kids]]]]-]
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[[center: [-[[Characters/HeyArnold Main Character Index]] | [[Characters/HeyArnoldArnoldShortman Arnold Shortman]] | [[Characters/HeyArnoldHelgaGPataki Helga G. Pataki]] | [[Characters/HeyArnoldStudentsOfPS118 Students of P.S. 118]] | 118: [[Characters/HeyArnoldStudentsOfPS118MrSimmonsClass Mr. Simmons' Class]] | Class]], [[Characters/HeyArnoldStudentsOfPS118OtherStudents Other Students]] | [[Characters/HeyArnoldTheAdults The Adults]] | '''The Adults: Part One''' | '''Part One''', [[Characters/HeyArnoldTheAdultsPartTwo The Adults: Part Two]] | [[Characters/HeyArnoldOtherKids Other Kids]]]]-]
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[[center: [-[[Characters/HeyArnold Main Character Index]] | [[Characters/HeyArnoldArnoldShortman Arnold Shortman]] | [[Characters/HeyArnoldHelgaGPataki Helga G. Pataki]] | [[Characters/HeyArnoldStudentsOfPS118 Students of P.S. 118]] | [[Characters/HeyArnoldTheAdults The Adults]] | '''The Adults: Part One''' | [[Characters/HeyArnoldTheAdultsPartTwo The Adults: Part Two]] | [[Characters/HeyArnoldOtherKids Other Kids]]]]-]
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[[center: [-[[Characters/HeyArnold Main Character Index]] | [[Characters/HeyArnoldArnoldShortman Arnold Shortman]] | [[Characters/HeyArnoldHelgaGPataki Helga G. Pataki]] | [[Characters/HeyArnoldStudentsOfPS118 Students of P.S. 118]] | [[Characters/HeyArnoldStudentsOfPS118MrSimmonsClass Mr. Simmons' Class]] | [[Characters/HeyArnoldStudentsOfPS118OtherStudents Other Students]] | [[Characters/HeyArnoldTheAdults The Adults]] | '''The Adults: Part One''' | [[Characters/HeyArnoldTheAdultsPartTwo The Adults: Part Two]] | [[Characters/HeyArnoldOtherKids Other Kids]]]]-]
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[[center: [-[[Characters/HeyArnold Main Character Index]] | [[Characters/HeyArnoldArnoldShortman Arnold Shortman]] | [[Characters/HeyArnoldHelgaGPataki Helga G. Pataki]] | [[Characters/HeyArnoldStudentsOfPS118 Students of P.S. 118]] | [[Characters/HeyArnoldTheAdults The Adults]] | '''The Adults: Part One''' | [[Charcters/HeyArnoldTheAdultsPartTwo The Adults: Part Two]] | [[Characters/HeyArnoldOtherKids Other Kids]]]]-]
to:
[[center: [-[[Characters/HeyArnold Main Character Index]] | [[Characters/HeyArnoldArnoldShortman Arnold Shortman]] | [[Characters/HeyArnoldHelgaGPataki Helga G. Pataki]] | [[Characters/HeyArnoldStudentsOfPS118 Students of P.S. 118]] | [[Characters/HeyArnoldTheAdults The Adults]] | '''The Adults: Part One''' | [[Charcters/HeyArnoldTheAdultsPartTwo [[Characters/HeyArnoldTheAdultsPartTwo The Adults: Part Two]] | [[Characters/HeyArnoldOtherKids Other Kids]]]]-]
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[[center: [-[[Characters/HeyArnold Main Character Index]] | [[Characters/HeyArnoldArnoldShortman Arnold Shortman]] | [[Characters/HeyArnoldHelgaGPataki Helga G. Pataki]] | [[Characters/HeyArnoldStudentsOfPS118 Students of P.S. 118]] | [[Characters/HeyArnoldTheAdults The Adults]] | '''The Adults: Part One''' | [[Charcters/HeyArnoldTheAdultsPartTwo The Adults: Part Two]] | [[Characters/HeyArnoldOtherKids Other Kids]]]]-]
----
[[foldercontrol]]
[[header:Shortman Family]]
[[folder:Grandpa Phil]]
!!Phillip "Steely Phil" Shortman
[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/nickelodeonheyarnoldgrandpaphil_650x1081.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"Never Eat Raspberries"'']]
-> '''Voiced by''': Creator/DanCastellaneta
Arnold's paternal grandfather/ParentalSubstitute.
----
* AnnoyingYoungerSibling: He acts like a pest to his older twin sister when she comes over to visit. This lowers after Arnold helps him and Mitzi make peace.
* BadassGrandpa: Defeated Big Bob on in the Parent's Day episode. Also a decorated World War II veteran, even if [[UnreliableNarrator he didn't really beat up Hitler (it was actually Goebbels)]]. It is also said that he can bench 210 lbs, even at his old age and is as healthy as a man decades his junior.
* BelligerentSexualTension: He and Gertie often got into spats when they were younger.
* CassandraTruth: In "Girl Trouble," he flat-out tells Arnold that Helga constantly teases him because she likes him. Arnold naturally doesn't believe him.
* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: His eccentricity is not to the extent of his wife, but some episodes play this up to the hilt, such as in "Summer Love", where he believed himself stranded on a deserted island and confused a flock of ducks for his ancestors.
* CloudcuckoolandersMinder: He tends to keep Pookie's antics from causing too much trouble when he isn't being weird himself.
* CompetitionFreak: He can get obsessively competitive on occasion, especially when his rival Rex Smythe-Higgins I and his old friend Jimmy Kafka are around.
* CoolOldGuy: He's nothing if not a great parent for Arnold, and he's more than willing to bend over backwards to help his grandson.
* GenerationXerox: "Girl Trouble" reveals Phil was teased by Gertie the same way that Arnold is teased by Helga. "Snow" also seems to imply that he had a similar relationship with his grandfather that Arnold has with him.
* GenreSavvy: He often describes the plot templates in play.
* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: At least half the instances of it in this show come from him (the other half from Helga). Chief among them being that he's named after a type of dildo.
* GrumpyOldMan: He is not usually portrayed as grouchy, but he has shown shades of being irritable on a few occasions, usually when he is annoyed with the boarders.
* NoodleIncident: Phil was apparently an acrobat in a Russian circus at one point.
* ObfuscatingStupidity: Feigns idiocy on occasion, most notably in a flashback to his days in UsefulNotes/WorldWarII where he tricks a group of Germans who had captured him into eating spoiled meat.
-->"It was then I realized that if I let the Major think he was smarter than me I could make him do anything I wanted..."
* SavvyGuyEnergeticGirl: The Savvy Guy to Pookie's Energetic Girl. While he can be a little ditzy as well sometimes, she's this ten times more than him.
* SitcomArchNemesis: He holds a mutual grudge with Rex Smythe-Higgins I. Big Bob can also be this from time to time.
* ThoseTwoGuys: Despite how much he hates Oskar, the two have many scenes together throughout the series.
* VocalEvolution: His voice sounded more raspy and forced in the first few episodes. In the original pilot, Dan's voice sounded similar to what it would post-vocal evolution, but was more shaky.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Grandma Pookie]]
!!Gertrude "Gertie" (aka Pookie) Shortman
[[quoteright:225:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/grandma_gertie_2627.png]]
-> '''Voiced by''': TressMacNeille
Arnold's paternal grandmother.
----
* AffectionateNickname: Phil tends to address her as Pookie.
* BelligerentSexualTension: Before they became lovers, she picked on Phil when they were kids.
* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: Pretty much embodies the trope of having odd beliefs and habits as she's often seen acting like a different stock character, such as a cowgirl or a karate master.
* CoolOldLady: She's respected for being fun-loving for her age.
* GenerationXerox: In "Girl Trouble," it's shown that she and Phil had a relationship very similar to Helga and Arnold when they were younger. As part of the gag, Gertie in the flashback is voiced by Helga's voice actress.
* GirlishPigtails: In her youth, she had pigtails.
* LetsGetDangerous: She saves the day when even Arnold fails. For example repairing the underground or stopping Bob's bulldozer.
* LovingBully: In her youth, she picked on Phil because she loved him.
* NakedPeopleAreFunny: In "Summer Love", she ends up slipping out of her bathing suit after encountering some naturists, much to their horror. She is later seen walking with some surfers [[HandOrObjectUnderwear using a surfboard to cover her body]].
--> '''Phil''': Aw, Pookie. No one wants to see ''that''.
* NeverMessWithGranny: She's a black belt in karate and capable of rescuing a mistreated sea turtle and repairing the subway.
* ObfuscatingInsanity: There are rare times where she behaves in an odd fashion - only to then imply it was just an act.
* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: Usually referred to as "Grandma," "Pookie" or other nicknames. Her first name is mentioned as part of the GenerationXerox twist in "Girl Trouble."
* OOCIsSeriousBusiness:
** In "Parents Day," she acts like her usual fun-loving, crazy self. After seeing Arnold so depressed over his ParentalAbandonment, however, she snaps out of the role she was playing and acts far more subdued.
** Played for laughs during a heat wave; Arnold notes that the heat's ''so'' bad that even his grandmother is acting normal. [[spoiler:Her wearing scuba gear and walking around like she does it every day when it starts raining is a sign that everything is going to be fine]].
* SavvyGuyEnergeticGirl: The Energetic Girl to Phil's Savvy Guy. While he can be a little ditzy as well sometimes, she's this ten times more than him.
* ScatterbrainedSenior: She is pretty much insane. Unlike most instances of this trope, played for laughs rather than drama.
* {{Tsundere}}: In her youth, she acted mean to mask her feelings for Phil.
* YouGottaHaveBlueHair: Her hair has a purple-ish tint.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Miles and Stella]]
!!Miles and Stella Shortman
[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/miles_stella_arnold_4802.png]]
->'''Voiced by''': Craig Bartlett (show creator) and Antoinette Stella (an episode writer)
Arnold's long missing parents.
----
* AdventurerArchaeologist: Perhaps to make them not be exactly like Indiana Jones they aren't Archaeologists, but have other jobs that would mean they might spend most of their time in a South American rainforest. But they still manage to rescue an artifact from a Jungle Pirate anyway.
* BattleCouple: If Phil's stories and Miles' journal is to believed, they fought side by side a lot.
* BirdsOfAFeather: How they met. Miles overheard Stella talking about the clouds looking like ships.
* BrainyBrunette: Stella has brown hair and is a Doctor/Scientist in botany.
* DaddyHadAGoodReasonForAbandoningYou: [[spoiler:They both left to help cure a deadly illness sweeping throughout the population of the South American country, particularly that of a secretive tribespeople who have helped them throughout the years who they owe their lives to.]] As Miles had written in his journal, they expected the trip to be a short one...
* HappilyMarried: They were very happy together.
* ParentalAbandonment: Both left Arnold to be looked after by his Grandparents to depart on an important mission (though they did expect to come back).
* ScreamingBirth: To give Stella her dues she may have been angry at the time, but she manages to keep it together rather well for a woman [[spoiler:giving birth in remote Jungle Temple whilst a ''volcano is erupting all around her!'']].
* WhipItGood: Miles is extremely proficient with a whip, using it to tether two cable-cars together at one point to stop one from falling.
* WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes: Miles ''really'' hates spiders.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Aunt Mitzi]]
!!Mitzi Shortman
[[quoteright:200:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mitzi_0.jpg]]
-> '''Voiced By''': Phyllis Diller
Phil's estranged twin sister and Arnold's great aunt.
----
* AnnoyingYoungerSibling: Although they're twins, Mitzi was born first and Phil certainly fills this role during their interactions.
* DeadpanSnarker: You'd have to be to deal with Phil's insane behavior.
* HeterosexualLifePartners: It's implied that she and Gertie were this as kids (and still so as adults, from the looks of it). Given [[LovingBully what Gertie was like as a kid]], one can only imagine what kind of hilarious hell these two put Phil through in their youth.
* SiblingRivalry: Stems from an incident in their childhood with their pet dog Pooter. Pooter crawled through a hole under the fence, ran away and was killed by a car. Both Phil and Mitzi blamed each other for Pooter's death and as a result, the two didn't speak to each other for over sixty years. Mitzi returned to the Boarding House to try and make peace, but all they did was argue and play mean-sprited pranks on each other. As always, Arnold convinces them to reconcile.
* OneShotCharacter: Only appears in "Grandpa's Sister".
[[/folder]]
[[header:Sunset Arms Boarding House Tenants]]
[[folder:Oskar]]
!!Oskar Kokoshka
[[quoteright:150:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/oskar_kokoshka_362.png]]
-> '''Voiced By''':\\
Steve Viksten (''WesternAnimation/HeyArnold'')\\
Creator/WallyWingert (''The Jungle Movie'')
A lazy con artist and Suzie's husband.
----
* AnnoyingLaugh: Eh heh heh heh!
* ButtMonkey: He quite frequently ends up suffering some misfortune. He largely deserves it, too.
* FamousNamedForeigner: He's named after a real life [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oskar_Kokoschka Austrian painter]].
* FunnyForeigner: Mentioned in one episode as hailing from the former Czechoslovakia.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: He's selfish, lazy, and leeches off his wife. However, in the episode where he's forced to look after Baby Oscar, whom he initially resents but grows protective over, and there are times he feels guilty about leeching off Suzie.
* LazyBum: When he finally does get a job delivering papers with Arnold's help, he's too lazy to even do that, making up excuses so that Arnold does it instead of him. It gets to the point that ''even [[NiceGuy Arnold]]'' calls him a "huge loser".
* LazyHusband: Lives off his wife ''and'' still expects her to do all the housework.
* ManChild: Lazy and childish, Oskar often neglects responsibility.
* MailmanVsDog: He is chased and bitten by a small chihuahua while delivering newspapers.
* NeverLearnedToRead: It's eventually revealed that he's illiterate. Arnold volunteers to teach him how to read.
* UglyGuyHotWife: The ugly guy to Suzie's hot wife.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Suzie]]
!!Suzie Kokoshka
[[quoteright:100:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/suzie_kokoshka_9426.png]]
-> '''Voiced By''': Mary Scheer
Oskar's loving wife who puts up with his laziness.
----
* NoAccountingForTaste: Although she fights with Oskar often and has kicked him out on more than one occasion, she always seems to forgive him, only to have him make the same mistakes again.
* OddFriendship: With Miriam in "Summer Love", since they both have {{Jerkass}} husbands who would rather be anywhere but with them.
* ParentingTheHusband: Often does this to Oskar as he leeches off of her and gambles often. Suzie is the sole source of income, and is run ragged by her childish husband.
* SatelliteLoveInterest: She doesn't have much of a personality of her own, other than to serve as Oskar's wife.
* UglyGuyHotWife: Hot wife to Oskar's ugly guy.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Ernie]]
!!Ernie Potts
[[quoteright:220:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ernie_potts_6222.png]]
-> '''Voiced By''': Dom Irrera
A short man who works as a demolition expert.
----
* BigOlUnibrow: Like many other characters, he has a big unibrow.
* FieryRedhead: Male example of a redhead prone to petulance, although he is mostly bald.
* FirstNameBasis: Unlike most of the other boarders, Arnold calls him Ernie in later seasons, although he does call him Mr. Potts early on.
* HotBlooded: He's very emotional.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Despite his short fuse, he's a legitimately good guy. Notably, he's the only one who cried when Grandpa Phil appeared to be dying in "Family Curse" (Arnold didn't because he didn't believe in the titular curse while Gertie was being...well, Gertie).
* TheNapoleon: Shorter than Arnold, but very passionate about the demolition business.
* TinyGuyHugeGirl: He develops a crush on a very tall model named Lola, and the two even date until they had a falling out due to Lola being uncomfortable with their difference in height, though she apologizes, and they remain friends at the end of the episode.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Mr. Hyunh]]
!!Mr. Hyunh
[[quoteright:200:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mr__hyunh_1024.png]]
-> '''Voiced By''':\\
Baoan Coleman (''Hey Arnold!'')\\
Creator/WallyWingert (''The Jungle Movie'')\\
Music/RandyTravis (singing voice in "Mr. Hyunh Goes Country")
An immigrant from Vietnam and a pretty nice guy.
----
* CharacterizationMarchesOn: Mr. Hyunh is initially a stereotypical, high-tense Asian man who mostly panic and tends to yell the same thing over and over whenever there's trouble. Early into the show, this aspect of his character is lessened as they make him into more of a character and less of a stereotype.
* DaddyHadAGoodReasonForAbandoningYou: Gave up his then two-year-old daughter to soldiers who were airlifting civilians to safety during UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar, so that she would be safe and have a better life. The only reason he couldn't go with her was that the soldiers could only take one person with them.
* DarkAndTroubledPast: When he was in Vietnam, he decided to give up his daughter to soldiers so she could be safe from the Vietnam War. After the said war, he went to America to search for her. But all attempts ended unsuccessful.
* {{Determined Widow}}er: Back in Vietnam, he was raising Mai all by himself, his wife nowhere to be seen. (It's possible she fell victim to DeathByChildbirth, but this is never confirmed.) After he comes to America, he spends a good amount of time searching for his daughter.
* FunnyForeigner: In earlier episodes where he would shout the same word over and over.
* HiddenDepths:
** Though he comes off as a somewhat overdramatic FunnyForeigner in most episodes, some (in particular the ChristmasEpisode) where he has ADayInTheLimelight, show him to be more insecure and worried about his situation.
** There's the episode where it's revealed he sings ''amazingly'' as a country artist. So much that Gerald was able to profit off of him for the episode before Hyunh chose "The Simple Things" of his life instead of the limelight.
** He can play cello, guitar and trumpet quite well.
* ItsPronouncedTroPay: His name is pronounced "Win". Though the boarding house residents never have any trouble with this, people who don't know him occasionally pronounce it "Hee-yun". One guy even pronounced it as "Hoon" in "Mr. Hyunh Goes Country".
* LargeHam: How he responds to frustrating situations.
--> '''Mr. Hyunh:''' This lint. ''Your lint''! I cannot keep cleaning up after you! I am ''not your mother''! ({{beat}}) ''I'm not his mother!''
** In "The Vacant Lot", he was this at the end, shouting "Play ball!" 10 times in a row.
-->'''Mr. Hyunh:''' Play ba-all! Play ball! Play ba-all! Play ball! Play ba-all! Play ball! Play ba-all! Play ba-all! Play ball! Play ba-all!
-->'''Grandpa Phil:''' WILL YOU BE ''[[PunctuatedForEmphasis QUIET?!]]''
** And the time he dressed up as Juliet in order to help Romeo Arnold learn his lines in "School Play". He even lampshades it in this episode:
-->'''Mr. Hyuhn:''' I'm very dramatic!\\
'''[[DeadpanSnarker Grandpa Phil]]:''' That's a ''polite'' word for what you are...
* LastNameBasis: Even the ''adults'' at the Sunset Arms call him Mr. Hyunh.
* OnlyOneName: See LastNameBasis above.
* PapaWolf: He gave his daughter to soldiers during the Vietnam War because she would be safer.
* SingingVoiceDissonance: He has a heavy Vietnamese accent when talking, but sings like Music/RandyTravis.
[[/folder]]
[[header:Pataki Family]]
[[folder:Big Bob]]
!!Robert "Big Bob" Pataki
[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tumblr_liyq0b3ktb1qfd7xg_2931.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"This never would've happened to Olga"'']]
-> '''Voiced by''': Creator/MauriceLaMarche
Father of Helga and Olga. Runs a local business aptly named "Big Bob's Beepers".
----
* AesopAmnesia: In "Quantity Time", Bob learns of Helga's misery, promises to be a better father to her, but is back to ignoring her in his next appearance.
* AbusiveDad: Emotionally to both daughters, but in completely different ways. One is constantly pressured to be perfect, the other is often ignored and neglected.
* AccidentalMisnaming: Consistently calls Helga by her sister's name, and almost always gets Arnold's name wrong (the only time he didn't was during Arnold's dream in "Married"). He also forgets Phoebe's name in "Quantity Time."
* AdaptationDyeJob: He has gray hair in the series, but in the movie his hair is brown. Maybe he decided to dye it for some reason?
* BigOlUnibrow: Where Helga gets hers from.
* ButForMeItWasTuesday: In the movie, Bob is asked by Nick if he knows anything about a "football-headed kid", to which he replies he doesn't. Arnold is the only kid he's antagonized several times who fits the description (his most notable moment being in "Parents Day"), but to Bob, Arnold means nothing to him beyond an insignificant pest.
* CompetitionFreak: "Parents Day" and "Grudge Match" show us that he's at his jerkiest when he's competing against someone.
* DependingOnTheWriter: Abusive {{jerkass}} or simply an ignorant boor who just doesn't understand how much trouble he's caused for his family? The latter characterization [[CharacterizationMarchesOn became steadily more common from Season 2 and onward]]. In the first season, he was portrayed as almost devoid of redeeming qualities; although he welcomed Arnold and Gerald to the Patakis' barbecue in "Roughin' It" at Helga's request and generally tried to get along with the kids until all of his high-tech equipment broke, leaving Bob miserable.
* TheDragon: To Scheck in the movie, in order to build a bigger Big Bob's Beepers. Though he defects from Scheck once he finds out that [[spoiler:he's getting only 49% of the income.]]
* EducationPapa: Most of the pushing towards excellence that Olga received came from Bob's end, as he was the one who made it a big deal that she win so many awards and trophies, while Miriam just provided commentary. In the early seasons he even tried to shape Helga into following Olga's path.
* FatBastard: He has a gut and acts like an asshole.
* FirstNameBasis: Helga calls him "Bob" rather than "Dad" more often than not. Though to be fair, he really doesn't deserve the respect most of the time.
* {{Gasshole}}: He belches and breaks wind on occasion.
* GoshDangItToHeck: Tends to say "Mother Hubbard," "Mother Goose," "Mother Scratcher," and "Heck".
* HateSink: Serves as an intentionally unlikable character in most of his appearances, with "Parent's Day" being the most infamous example.
* HeelRealization: "Big Bob's Crisis has Bob suffer a near-death experience where he relives the horrible things he did that day (denying an old lady a refund, firing a worker for no good reason and violently tossing him out of the store, and denying money to an orphan girl) and it's then when he realizes what a monster he is. He spends the rest of the episode trying to become a nicer man, only to end up becoming a hippie-like ExtremeDoormat. Helga talks him out of it by the end of the episode.
* HumiliationConga: Basically any episode that accentuates his JerkAss qualities ends with him getting a solid block of hilarious karma dropped on his head.
** Helga was so disturbed by the "Orphan boy" line (see below) that during a gladiator-style event, she told Phil what Big Bob's weakspot was (his ankles), which sent Big Bob into a tub of gelatin - costing him the event and the overall win.
** "Roughin' It" is another good example, where he ends up alone in his RV stuck with sunburn, swamped with bugs, and itching from poison ivy (not to mention having been electrocuted by his own faulty products earlier) while everyone else enjoys camping the old fashioned way.
** He goes through another in "Summer Love". He sits in a lounge chair, gets sunburned, and has no one to take care of him, not even his wife whom he neglects. When he tries getting out of the house, he irritates his sunburn and gets a defeating blow from Miriam.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: While he rarely shows it, he does love and care about Helga, and in some instances can help out other characters when needed. They even hint that he does care about his wife as well, especially in "Summer Love" when she told him about another man teaching her "the Watoosy".
* KickTheDog: His "orphan boy" line (referring to Arnold) in "Parents Day". It's so mean and insensitive that it would qualify as a MoralEventHorizon if he'd said it directly to Arnold (as it stands, he was talking to Helga and was just characteristically loud and uncaring about anyone else overhearing).
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: In the HalloweenEpisode he was legitimately horrified when he realized he just attempted to murder Helga [[ItMakesSenseInContext thinking she was an alien]], calling himself a monster.
** More so in ''Big Bob's Crisis'' after having a heart attack. It was actually gas.
* NotSoDifferent: Helga gets her more abrasive personality traits from Bob, which allows them to bond in several episodes.
* PapaWolf: In the Thanksgiving episode, Bob is ready and prepared to take out the tank to find the missing Helga.
* ParentalFavoritism: To Olga to the point that she would rather be neglected to avoid having to live up to his standards.
* ParentalNeglect: To Helga to the point of ignoring her existence when Helga was about to go to pre-school.
* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: Like Helga, he often calls Mr. Simmons pejorative names like "throw pillow" and "tea cozy", suggesting he's homophobic.
* SitcomArchNemesis: Phil, as highlighted in "Parent's Day" and "Grudge Match".
* TherapyIsForTheWeak: Courtesy of "Helga on the Couch". Though he's also afraid that she'll reveal something that will get them into trouble.
-->"I don't want you blabbin' to some school shrink. We Patakis don't talk about things. We sweep 'em under the rug."
* TookALevelInKindness:
** "Big Bob's Crisis" was all about Bob realizing his high-stress life made him obnoxious, cruel and abusive to those around him - though he initially overcompensates by uprooting the entire family and becoming an ExtremeDoormat, it ends with him deciding that he can be his old self while still being a little kinder and a little less stressed.
** DoubleSubverted in the movie (which takes place after "Big Bob's Crisis"). He's all for getting rich off of the destruction of the neighborhood, until he finds out [[spoiler: that Scheck's getting 51% of his company. He later beats up Vermicelli and offers to help Phil and the boarders to stop the bulldozers.]]
* UglyGuyHotWife: While not quite hot, Miriam is definitely better looking than him.
* WeWantOurJerkBack: "Big Bob's Crisis" has him take a kinder, simpler, less-stressful approach to life after a gas attack scare (previously thought to be a heart attack). When he begins to give up all of their modern conveniences (and she sees how others start to walk all over him), Helga tells him that she relies on him being the tough, take-charge man she knows he is. After some soul-searching, Bob decides that he can be that man and still take time away to unwind.
* WouldntHurtAChild:
** He may be a {{Jerkass}} like his daughter and use verbal abuse, but Bob draws the line when it comes to physically harming a child. In the Halloween episode he almost had Helga killed when he thought she was an alien, until he learns that the "alien invasion" was just her in costume for a theme party - at which point he was ''very'' distraught.
** Also happens in "Save the Tree" when he refuses to bulldoze the kids' favorite tree because his own kid is up there.
* WhyCouldntYouBeDifferent: To Helga, as he often pressures her to be more like Olga, which Helga is not interested in doing.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Miriam]]
!!Miriam Pataki
[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/last_friday_night.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350: ''"I need a smoothie."'']]
-> '''Voiced by''': Creator/KathSoucie
Mother of Helga and Olga, Miriam is a depressed, constantly sleepy, seemingly ditzy housewife with an addiction to "smoothies" (WordOfGod confirms that all of these are signs that Miriam is an alcoholic, with "smoothies" as a cover-up for booze). It's not uncommon to find her sleeping in strange places. However, she can be very competent and intelligent, but unfortunately it seems that being married to Big Bob has really brought her down.
----
* AesopAmnesia: "The Beeper Queen" has Miriam temporarily fill in for Bob at the Beeper Emporium. Not only does she do a better job at running the store than Bob, but she becomes a workaholic instead of an alcoholic and ends up mistreating Helga. After having a MyGodWhatHaveIDone moment, she apologizes to Helga, quits her job and promises to be a better mom. Yet she returns to being the same useless, drunken waste that she was before in subsequent appearances.
* TheAlcoholic: The show indicates she drinks a lot of "smoothies", but her slurred speech and forgetfulness imply "smoothie" is just a term for alcohol to get past the radar.
* AlcoholicParent: While they couldn't state it outright (since ''WesternAnimation/HeyArnold'' is still a kids' show, despite the myriad of adult themes), Miriam is obviously a heavy drinker, with the show using smoothies as a metaphor for booze (Nevermind the fact that some alcoholic drinks ''do'' exist as smoothies — piña coladas, hurricanes, daiquiris, etc.) If you look closely when she grabs some ingredients for her "smoothies", she grabs a bottle of Tabasco sauce and if "The Patakis" was made, it is informed she would be attending AA.
* AllGirlsLikePonies: In "Road Trip," she reveals to Helga that when she was a kid, she wanted to learn to ride horses, but her dad refused to let her, fearing she'd get hurt. Her response to this, surprisingly enough, was to [[spoiler: become a champion mechanical bull-rider.]]
* ArtEvolution: Her dress was green in the first two seasons, but was switched to mauve in season 3.
* BlindWithoutThem: Implied during the few times she loses her glasses or is shown without them.
* BrokenAce: Implied by several episodes. She was a world-class swimmer, bull rider and is shown to be a very competent business woman when she temporarily takes Bob's place at the Beeper Emporium. However, somewhere down the line she seemed to have stopped giving a damn and became a "smoothie" addict.
* DarkSkinnedBlonde: She gets a pretty epic tan in "Summer Love."
* TheDitz: As a result of her drinking problem, she tends to be rather spacey and slow-witted.
* DrinkOrder: Her preferred drink is a "smoothie".
* DrivesLikeCrazy: Due to her drinking, Miriam has had her license revoked. When she took over for Bob's beeper store and drove Helga to school, all the kids were worried that Miriam was driving again (meaning that the kids know that Helga's mom is either a DrunkDriver or just a very, very bad one).
* FirstNameBasis: Much like Bob, Helga calls her "Miriam" rather than "Mom" more often than not.
* HiddenDepths: She was once a world-class swimmer, won a bull-riding competition as a girl, and can run the family business better than Bob can if she wanted to.
* HollywoodToneDeaf: Helga is clearly annoyed by Miriam's terrible, off-key karaoke in "Road Trip". Though that might just be due to the "smoothies" since she can at least carry a tune during her commercial shoot in "The Beeper Queen".
* HypocriticalHumor: Calls Helga 'weird' in one episode when she hears Helga manically laughing in her StalkerShrine.
* INeedAFreakingDrink: She'll occasionally say that she needs a "smoothie".
* MamaBear: In the Thanksgiving episode, Miriam is on the phone with the police and ''demands'' that they help find Helga. Note, this is one of the ''few'' times Miriam ever sounds angry.
* {{Meganekko}}: She wears glasses.
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: In "The Beeper Queen", she is devastated when she realizes she's been neglecting Helga for her new job.
* NoAccountingForTaste: It's never explained why she married a jerkass like Bob, only that she regards it to be the moment that ruined her life.
* OddFriendship: Develops one with Suzie in "Summer Love" when their husbands leave them.
* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: Anytime she stops talking in her usual slow, monotone fashion, expect something serious to have happened.
* UglyGuyHotWife: "Hot" is a bit of a stretch, but the few times that she's not hammered, she looks pretty good and she definitely seems out of Bob's league.
* VerbalTic: Often speaks in a slow, drawling voice. Justified as Craig Bartlett has revealed that Miriam is an alcoholic.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Olga]]
!!Olga Pataki
[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/olga.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"Lila may be my little sis, but she'll never be my baby sister"'']]
-> '''Voiced by''': Creator/NikaFutterman
-->''"[[Characters/HeyArnoldHelgaGPataki You]] must think I'm lucky. All the attention I get from them? I have to perform all the time like some kind of wind-up doll. I get really sick of it. You're lucky they don't even notice you."''
Helga's older sister and the parental favorite, much to Helga's dismay (and Olga's too, as revealed in "Olga Comes Home"). At first glance, Olga appears perhaps too perfect: Successful, pretty, smart, and sweet and kind to everyone. But she's actually dangerously neurotic, melodramatic and out of reality, due to having to constantly live up to her parents' (well, her father's, anyway) constant attention and ridiculously high standards.
----
* AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther: Every single episode she appears in shows that she and Helga care for each other more than they lead on.
* BareYourMidriff: Her default outfit shows her navel off a bit.
* TheBGrade: Hasn't received an A- since third grade. In the "Olga Comes Home" episode, she cried for days in bed because she saw a B+ on her report card. Turns out, it was Helga who intercepted her report card and changed her grade out of jealousy.
* BrokenAce: She seems to be perfect at everything, but underneath her [[StepfordSmiler façade]] she's incredibly broken due to her father's absurdly high standards for her.
* CoolBigSis: In the aptly-named episode "Big Sis", she becomes one to Lila through volunteer work. With her biological sister Helga, however...not so much, but only because Helga can't stand her. However, Olga's come through for Helga on several occasions. Averted in the episode where Olga becomes a teacher's assistant- she proceeds to tell ''the whole class'' that Helga used to wet the bed, [[WhatTheHellHero then gives Helga a detention when she lashes out at all the teasing that follows.]]
* CuteButCacophonic: When she cries, it can get pretty grating.
* DarkSkinnedBlonde: She's noticeably tanner than Helga and her parents.
* DramaQueen: Even the slightest unpleasant event is enough to make her bawl like a baby.
* ExtremeDoormat: She doesn't even tell her parents how she really feels about the high expectations she's felt she needs to live up to.
* {{Flanderization}}: Olga started out as an overachieving drama queen that would ''actually be treated like Helga if she wasn't successful and understood Helga's plight'' to.... just a content, overachieving drama queen and shows no signs of hating it.
* FoolishSiblingResponsibleSibling: {{Deconstructed|Trope}} with Helga. Olga is the Responsible Sibling -- she's an ace student who is friendly to everyone (making her well-liked not only by her parents, but all of Helga's classmates), but she reveals to Helga that she's a StepfordSmiler who is always trying to keep up her "perfectness" because of the extremely high standards her parents expect her to meet, especially her father, and almost married a con man after only dating for a few weeks. Her younger sister, Helga, is the Foolish Sibling -- she cares very little for her academics [[BrilliantButLazy even though she's proven to be quite intelligent]], while also usually showing little to no respect for her family, peers, or just about anyone in general (this leads to her being TheFriendNobodyLikes except for Phoebe and [[DependingOnTheWriter occasionally]] Arnold). However, [[FreudianExcuse the reason for her gruff personality]] comes from growing up in a dysfunctional household with both of her parents neglecting her in favor of Olga, making it clear to Helga at an early age that she's the unfavorite child.
* FragileFlower: Her response to anything stressful is to freak out and burst into tears.
* FriendToAllChildren: Regardless of what Helga thinks, her schoolmates love Olga.
* GoGetterGirl: A deconstruction. While Olga has good leadership skills and regularly gets straight As in college, she is held to extremely high expectation by her parents. Also, she is driven to a mental breakdown over a B grade (which Helga forges, mind you).
* HairDecorations: Wears a black hairband.
* HotTeacher: When she becomes Mr. Simmons' teaching assistant, most of the male students have the hots for her.
* NervousWreck: Underneath her [[PuritySue "perfect girl"]] [[StepfordSmiler façade]], she's even more screwed up than Helga.
* NiceGirl: She's cordial to everyone and shows no contempt toward anyone.
* ParentalFavoritism: On the good end of it, which turns out to [[DeconstructedTrope not be so good for her, in reality]].
-->'''Olga:''' You must think I'm lucky, all the attention I get from them. I have to perform for them all the time like some kind of wind-up doll. I get really sick of it. You're lucky they don't even notice you.
* ThePerfectionist: She doesn't take it well when she does less than a perfect score, mainly because of Bob's high standards for her.
* SiblingYinYang: Olga gets all of the attention and would like to be left alone, while her sister Helga is constantly ignored and would like some adoration from her parents.
* StepfordSmiler: Type A. She pretends to be happy around her family, when deep down, she's constantly stressed out from her parents' high standards.
* StrongFamilyResemblance: She looks like a younger, prettier version of Miriam.
* TheUglyGuysHotDaughter: Unlike Helga, she's lucky to have gotten her mother's genetics.
* UnknownRival: She genuinely has no idea Helga has been competing with her for her whole life, and seems genuinely ''shocked'' when Helga tells Olga she can't stand her.
* VocalEvolution: Her voice was slightly lower and less prissy sounding in "Olga Comes Home" than it would be later on.
* ZettaiRyouiki: Wears thigh-high socks to match her plaid skirt.
[[/folder]]
[[header:Johanssen Family]]
[[folder:Martin]]
!!Martin Johanssen
[[quoteright:160:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/martin_johanssen.jpg]]
-> '''Voiced by''': Rick Fitts
The father of Gerald, Jamie O and Timberly. A business man who once served in the military during the Vietnam war.
----
* NinetiesHair: Has a hi-top fade like his son, but a more realistic looking one.
* CuttingCorners: His main characteristic is his obsession with saving money, especially in the early seasons. It's part of the reason why Gerald briefly moved into the boarding house in "Gerald Moves Out".
* DeskJockey: In the Veteran's Day episode, he and Phil tell stories about their time in Vietnam but Gerald is disappointed to learn he was only a paper pusher. However, it is revealed he saved the life of a helicopter pilot named Miller. They meet again at the Vietnam War Memorial and Miller personally thanks him for saving his life.
* WellDoneDadGuy: He was visibly saddened when he thought that Gerald was disappointed at him for not being a "true" veteran.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Mrs. Johanssen]]
!!Mrs. Johanssen
[[quoteright:145:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mrs_johanssen.jpg]]
->'''Voiced by''': Shari Belafonte
The mother of Gerald, Jamie O and Timberly. Works as a cashier at a grocery store.
----
* FlatCharacter: She's Gerald's mom and she works at a store. That's about it. We don't even know her name.
* NoNameGiven: Unlike her husband, her first name is never stated.
[[/folder]]
[[header:Staff of P.S. 118]]
[[folder:Mr. Simmons]]
!!Mr. Robert Simmons
[[quoteright:250:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/robert_simmons_5146.png]]
-> '''Voiced by''': Dan Butler
Fourth grade teacher at P.S. 118 starting in the second season, replacing the original LivingProp, Miss Slovak. Thinks of everyone and everything as "special".
----
* AdultsAreUseless: Specifically in the episode "Girl Trouble" when he doesn't punish Helga for bullying Arnold, yet he punishes ''Arnold'' for fighting back. Other examples include:
** "Buses, Bikes, and Subways"--doesn't double-check his head count and is totally oblivious to the fact that two of his students are missing until the bus is back home.
** "The Flood"--allows students to run riot for 3/4 of the episode and then tries to [[spoiler: climb up a ladder during the storm for help, and ends up falling into several feet of water, meaning the kids have to save his butt.]]
** "Aptitude Test"--mixes up two of the eponymous tests; doesn't bother to recheck the folders.
** "On the Lam"--doesn't know his science closet was raided until informed on the evening news.
* BaldOfAwesome: His faults aside, he's an awesome teacher and is balding.
* CampGay: A toned down version of this, as while he's confirmed to be gay, he's not overtly effeminate.
* CoolTeacher: He can be this when he's not being useless. In fact, his premiere episode, "New Teacher," was all about the kids realizing this after they gave him a hard time.
* ImagineSpot: In "Principal Simmons", Mr. Simmons imagines what the school would be like if he was the principal, which features the kids all beings friends with each other, Helga and Brainy walking together with their arms around each other, Wolfgang giving Eugene a piggyback ride, Harold becoming smart, the kids eating healthy food and happy to be the principal's helper.
* InkSuitActor: A very glaring example on a show with otherwise very outlandish character designs; Simmons strongly resembles his voice actor, Dan Butler.
* NiceGuy: One of the nicest adults in the series.
* NonStandardCharacterDesign: Considerably less cartoony-looking than the other characters due to being based on a real person.
* ObliviousToHisOwnDescription: He is the only one who doesn't recognize his own CatchPhrase in Helga's parody.
* OnlyOneName: It is strongly implied, but never explicitly stated, that his first name is Robert (in the Thanksgiving episode, he wrote a play that was based on his own life; we meet every character from the play in person later on except for the one named Robert).
* SelectiveEnforcement: In the episode "Girl Trouble," Helga relentlessly torments Arnold throughout the episode, and eventually Arnold gets sick of it and throws paint on her in retaliation. Mr. Simmons does nothing about Helga's bullying, but punishes Arnold for dumping paint, vocally expressing his disappointment in him. Unfortunately, this is often TruthInTelevision.
* ShipperOnDeck: "Principal Simmons" implies that he thinks Helga and Brainy would make a good couple.
* WideEyedIdealist: His ImagineSpot in "Principal Simmons" is a good example of how needlessly optimistic he can be.
* WordOfGay: Craig Bartlett confirmed that Mr. Simmons is in fact gay, but they could never outright say it on a children's show. There are little hints thrown around, such as his effeminate personality and his "friend" Peter in "Arnold's Thanksgiving".
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Principal Wartz]]
!!Principal Rur Wartz
[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/wartzz.jpg]]
-> '''Voiced by''': David Wohl
As you may have guessed, he's the principal of P.S. 118 and he's known to be harsh but has reasons to be. Throughout the show, Wartz often is seen taken punishments too far, even by following teachers but he has toned this down after realizing when he sees how the others handle order.
----
* AManIsNotAVirgin: In one episode he mentions that he didn't have his first date until he was 23, which would make him a late bloomer to say the least.
* AmbiguouslyGay: In "Sid's Revenge," he is shown to have a male roommate who cooks for him. (The man is seen in the kitchen next to a bag labeled "Hospital Home Meal Service," and he later calls Wartz "Mr. Wartz," so he was more likely just a hired cook.) He also has decidedly un-manly interests such as playing with figurines and following pop idols. He seems to get a bit of ShipTeasing with Mr. Simmons on occasion, such as when they went out karaoke singing together and dancing the tango together in "April Fool's Day". On the other hand, Big Bob mentions a Mrs. Wartz in "Arnold's Halloween", but she is never seen.
* DeanBitterman: One episode has Mr. Simmons call him out for being too strict of a principal. And another has him suspend Arnold for two days because he told him he was being too unfair to Harold (and to add insult to injury, ''school wasn't even in session'').
* DisproportionateRetribution:
** In "Suspended" where Arnold begs him to let Harold come back to school and Arnold gets suspended for two days.
** In "Full Moon", he gives Arnold detention for refusing to rat on Harold, Sid and Stinky for mooning him. He even threatened to put it on his permanent record. Would have too had the trio not confessed at the last moment.
** In "Sid's Revenge" he gave Sid detention for bringing fake vomit to school that he tripped over (and Sid didn't even do it). And again for ''bringing a bar of soap to school.''
* HiddenDepths: The aforementioned karaoke scene shows that he's a pretty good singer.
* InherentlyFunnyWords: Much humor is derived from him saying "slippage" in "Teacher's Strike", to the point that the credits to that episode are a StupidStatementDanceMix of all the times he says it.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: He’s harsh at times but he’s willing to negotiate if the situation can be resolved.
* LastNameBasis: His first name is never spoken, but a FreezeFrameBonus in "Pre-teen Scream" shows that the return address on the envelope of his fan letter to singer, Ronnie Matthews, reveals his full name as "Rur Wartz".
* ManChild: Shown to be rather immature as he is seen playing with toys at his work desk and sending fan mail to teen singing sensation, Ronnie Matthews.
* NotSoAboveItAll: Despite trying to put up the appearance of a stern, no-nonsense diciplinarian, he's not above playing with toys and shaking his groove thing while belting out some campy 70's karaoke.
* PetTheDog: He can be reasoned with, even letting a kid off the hook depending on the situation. He also has a set of toy animals on his desk in order to calm down and/or reduce the stress on any meeting he may have.
* ProperlyParanoid: Even if the kids have no interest in misbehaving, Wartz is often like this.
* SternTeacher: As a DeanBitterman like principal, he can be pretty strict at times, but can be a reasonable person when it comes down to it.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Miss Slovak]]
!!Miss Slovak
[[quoteright:200:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/miss_slovak.jpg]]
-> '''Voiced by''': Creator/TressMacNeille
The original teacher of Arnold's class. She was replaced by Mr. Simmons in Season 2.
----
* AmbiguouslyGay: She's an older unmarried woman who leaves her job as a teacher to pursue a career as a professional golfer (a common lesbian stereotype is that they love golf).
* ArtEvolution: Her hair switched from brown to gray and she eventually gained glasses.
* FlatCharacter: The reason why she was PutOnABus and replaced is because Craig Bartlett didn't think she was a very interesting character.
* LastNameBasis: We never find out her what her first name is.
* PutOnABus: She retires from teaching at the beginning of Season 2 to pursue a career in professional golf. However, due to Nick holding back a few episodes from Season 1 that were later aired in Season 2 (and one in season ''3''), she continued to make a few appearances after Mr. Simmons was introduced, creating continuity problems.
[[/folder]]
----
[[foldercontrol]]
[[header:Shortman Family]]
[[folder:Grandpa Phil]]
!!Phillip "Steely Phil" Shortman
[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/nickelodeonheyarnoldgrandpaphil_650x1081.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"Never Eat Raspberries"'']]
-> '''Voiced by''': Creator/DanCastellaneta
Arnold's paternal grandfather/ParentalSubstitute.
----
* AnnoyingYoungerSibling: He acts like a pest to his older twin sister when she comes over to visit. This lowers after Arnold helps him and Mitzi make peace.
* BadassGrandpa: Defeated Big Bob on in the Parent's Day episode. Also a decorated World War II veteran, even if [[UnreliableNarrator he didn't really beat up Hitler (it was actually Goebbels)]]. It is also said that he can bench 210 lbs, even at his old age and is as healthy as a man decades his junior.
* BelligerentSexualTension: He and Gertie often got into spats when they were younger.
* CassandraTruth: In "Girl Trouble," he flat-out tells Arnold that Helga constantly teases him because she likes him. Arnold naturally doesn't believe him.
* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: His eccentricity is not to the extent of his wife, but some episodes play this up to the hilt, such as in "Summer Love", where he believed himself stranded on a deserted island and confused a flock of ducks for his ancestors.
* CloudcuckoolandersMinder: He tends to keep Pookie's antics from causing too much trouble when he isn't being weird himself.
* CompetitionFreak: He can get obsessively competitive on occasion, especially when his rival Rex Smythe-Higgins I and his old friend Jimmy Kafka are around.
* CoolOldGuy: He's nothing if not a great parent for Arnold, and he's more than willing to bend over backwards to help his grandson.
* GenerationXerox: "Girl Trouble" reveals Phil was teased by Gertie the same way that Arnold is teased by Helga. "Snow" also seems to imply that he had a similar relationship with his grandfather that Arnold has with him.
* GenreSavvy: He often describes the plot templates in play.
* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: At least half the instances of it in this show come from him (the other half from Helga). Chief among them being that he's named after a type of dildo.
* GrumpyOldMan: He is not usually portrayed as grouchy, but he has shown shades of being irritable on a few occasions, usually when he is annoyed with the boarders.
* NoodleIncident: Phil was apparently an acrobat in a Russian circus at one point.
* ObfuscatingStupidity: Feigns idiocy on occasion, most notably in a flashback to his days in UsefulNotes/WorldWarII where he tricks a group of Germans who had captured him into eating spoiled meat.
-->"It was then I realized that if I let the Major think he was smarter than me I could make him do anything I wanted..."
* SavvyGuyEnergeticGirl: The Savvy Guy to Pookie's Energetic Girl. While he can be a little ditzy as well sometimes, she's this ten times more than him.
* SitcomArchNemesis: He holds a mutual grudge with Rex Smythe-Higgins I. Big Bob can also be this from time to time.
* ThoseTwoGuys: Despite how much he hates Oskar, the two have many scenes together throughout the series.
* VocalEvolution: His voice sounded more raspy and forced in the first few episodes. In the original pilot, Dan's voice sounded similar to what it would post-vocal evolution, but was more shaky.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Grandma Pookie]]
!!Gertrude "Gertie" (aka Pookie) Shortman
[[quoteright:225:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/grandma_gertie_2627.png]]
-> '''Voiced by''': TressMacNeille
Arnold's paternal grandmother.
----
* AffectionateNickname: Phil tends to address her as Pookie.
* BelligerentSexualTension: Before they became lovers, she picked on Phil when they were kids.
* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: Pretty much embodies the trope of having odd beliefs and habits as she's often seen acting like a different stock character, such as a cowgirl or a karate master.
* CoolOldLady: She's respected for being fun-loving for her age.
* GenerationXerox: In "Girl Trouble," it's shown that she and Phil had a relationship very similar to Helga and Arnold when they were younger. As part of the gag, Gertie in the flashback is voiced by Helga's voice actress.
* GirlishPigtails: In her youth, she had pigtails.
* LetsGetDangerous: She saves the day when even Arnold fails. For example repairing the underground or stopping Bob's bulldozer.
* LovingBully: In her youth, she picked on Phil because she loved him.
* NakedPeopleAreFunny: In "Summer Love", she ends up slipping out of her bathing suit after encountering some naturists, much to their horror. She is later seen walking with some surfers [[HandOrObjectUnderwear using a surfboard to cover her body]].
--> '''Phil''': Aw, Pookie. No one wants to see ''that''.
* NeverMessWithGranny: She's a black belt in karate and capable of rescuing a mistreated sea turtle and repairing the subway.
* ObfuscatingInsanity: There are rare times where she behaves in an odd fashion - only to then imply it was just an act.
* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: Usually referred to as "Grandma," "Pookie" or other nicknames. Her first name is mentioned as part of the GenerationXerox twist in "Girl Trouble."
* OOCIsSeriousBusiness:
** In "Parents Day," she acts like her usual fun-loving, crazy self. After seeing Arnold so depressed over his ParentalAbandonment, however, she snaps out of the role she was playing and acts far more subdued.
** Played for laughs during a heat wave; Arnold notes that the heat's ''so'' bad that even his grandmother is acting normal. [[spoiler:Her wearing scuba gear and walking around like she does it every day when it starts raining is a sign that everything is going to be fine]].
* SavvyGuyEnergeticGirl: The Energetic Girl to Phil's Savvy Guy. While he can be a little ditzy as well sometimes, she's this ten times more than him.
* ScatterbrainedSenior: She is pretty much insane. Unlike most instances of this trope, played for laughs rather than drama.
* {{Tsundere}}: In her youth, she acted mean to mask her feelings for Phil.
* YouGottaHaveBlueHair: Her hair has a purple-ish tint.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Miles and Stella]]
!!Miles and Stella Shortman
[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/miles_stella_arnold_4802.png]]
->'''Voiced by''': Craig Bartlett (show creator) and Antoinette Stella (an episode writer)
Arnold's long missing parents.
----
* AdventurerArchaeologist: Perhaps to make them not be exactly like Indiana Jones they aren't Archaeologists, but have other jobs that would mean they might spend most of their time in a South American rainforest. But they still manage to rescue an artifact from a Jungle Pirate anyway.
* BattleCouple: If Phil's stories and Miles' journal is to believed, they fought side by side a lot.
* BirdsOfAFeather: How they met. Miles overheard Stella talking about the clouds looking like ships.
* BrainyBrunette: Stella has brown hair and is a Doctor/Scientist in botany.
* DaddyHadAGoodReasonForAbandoningYou: [[spoiler:They both left to help cure a deadly illness sweeping throughout the population of the South American country, particularly that of a secretive tribespeople who have helped them throughout the years who they owe their lives to.]] As Miles had written in his journal, they expected the trip to be a short one...
* HappilyMarried: They were very happy together.
* ParentalAbandonment: Both left Arnold to be looked after by his Grandparents to depart on an important mission (though they did expect to come back).
* ScreamingBirth: To give Stella her dues she may have been angry at the time, but she manages to keep it together rather well for a woman [[spoiler:giving birth in remote Jungle Temple whilst a ''volcano is erupting all around her!'']].
* WhipItGood: Miles is extremely proficient with a whip, using it to tether two cable-cars together at one point to stop one from falling.
* WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes: Miles ''really'' hates spiders.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Aunt Mitzi]]
!!Mitzi Shortman
[[quoteright:200:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mitzi_0.jpg]]
-> '''Voiced By''': Phyllis Diller
Phil's estranged twin sister and Arnold's great aunt.
----
* AnnoyingYoungerSibling: Although they're twins, Mitzi was born first and Phil certainly fills this role during their interactions.
* DeadpanSnarker: You'd have to be to deal with Phil's insane behavior.
* HeterosexualLifePartners: It's implied that she and Gertie were this as kids (and still so as adults, from the looks of it). Given [[LovingBully what Gertie was like as a kid]], one can only imagine what kind of hilarious hell these two put Phil through in their youth.
* SiblingRivalry: Stems from an incident in their childhood with their pet dog Pooter. Pooter crawled through a hole under the fence, ran away and was killed by a car. Both Phil and Mitzi blamed each other for Pooter's death and as a result, the two didn't speak to each other for over sixty years. Mitzi returned to the Boarding House to try and make peace, but all they did was argue and play mean-sprited pranks on each other. As always, Arnold convinces them to reconcile.
* OneShotCharacter: Only appears in "Grandpa's Sister".
[[/folder]]
[[header:Sunset Arms Boarding House Tenants]]
[[folder:Oskar]]
!!Oskar Kokoshka
[[quoteright:150:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/oskar_kokoshka_362.png]]
-> '''Voiced By''':\\
Steve Viksten (''WesternAnimation/HeyArnold'')\\
Creator/WallyWingert (''The Jungle Movie'')
A lazy con artist and Suzie's husband.
----
* AnnoyingLaugh: Eh heh heh heh!
* ButtMonkey: He quite frequently ends up suffering some misfortune. He largely deserves it, too.
* FamousNamedForeigner: He's named after a real life [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oskar_Kokoschka Austrian painter]].
* FunnyForeigner: Mentioned in one episode as hailing from the former Czechoslovakia.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: He's selfish, lazy, and leeches off his wife. However, in the episode where he's forced to look after Baby Oscar, whom he initially resents but grows protective over, and there are times he feels guilty about leeching off Suzie.
* LazyBum: When he finally does get a job delivering papers with Arnold's help, he's too lazy to even do that, making up excuses so that Arnold does it instead of him. It gets to the point that ''even [[NiceGuy Arnold]]'' calls him a "huge loser".
* LazyHusband: Lives off his wife ''and'' still expects her to do all the housework.
* ManChild: Lazy and childish, Oskar often neglects responsibility.
* MailmanVsDog: He is chased and bitten by a small chihuahua while delivering newspapers.
* NeverLearnedToRead: It's eventually revealed that he's illiterate. Arnold volunteers to teach him how to read.
* UglyGuyHotWife: The ugly guy to Suzie's hot wife.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Suzie]]
!!Suzie Kokoshka
[[quoteright:100:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/suzie_kokoshka_9426.png]]
-> '''Voiced By''': Mary Scheer
Oskar's loving wife who puts up with his laziness.
----
* NoAccountingForTaste: Although she fights with Oskar often and has kicked him out on more than one occasion, she always seems to forgive him, only to have him make the same mistakes again.
* OddFriendship: With Miriam in "Summer Love", since they both have {{Jerkass}} husbands who would rather be anywhere but with them.
* ParentingTheHusband: Often does this to Oskar as he leeches off of her and gambles often. Suzie is the sole source of income, and is run ragged by her childish husband.
* SatelliteLoveInterest: She doesn't have much of a personality of her own, other than to serve as Oskar's wife.
* UglyGuyHotWife: Hot wife to Oskar's ugly guy.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Ernie]]
!!Ernie Potts
[[quoteright:220:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ernie_potts_6222.png]]
-> '''Voiced By''': Dom Irrera
A short man who works as a demolition expert.
----
* BigOlUnibrow: Like many other characters, he has a big unibrow.
* FieryRedhead: Male example of a redhead prone to petulance, although he is mostly bald.
* FirstNameBasis: Unlike most of the other boarders, Arnold calls him Ernie in later seasons, although he does call him Mr. Potts early on.
* HotBlooded: He's very emotional.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Despite his short fuse, he's a legitimately good guy. Notably, he's the only one who cried when Grandpa Phil appeared to be dying in "Family Curse" (Arnold didn't because he didn't believe in the titular curse while Gertie was being...well, Gertie).
* TheNapoleon: Shorter than Arnold, but very passionate about the demolition business.
* TinyGuyHugeGirl: He develops a crush on a very tall model named Lola, and the two even date until they had a falling out due to Lola being uncomfortable with their difference in height, though she apologizes, and they remain friends at the end of the episode.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Mr. Hyunh]]
!!Mr. Hyunh
[[quoteright:200:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mr__hyunh_1024.png]]
-> '''Voiced By''':\\
Baoan Coleman (''Hey Arnold!'')\\
Creator/WallyWingert (''The Jungle Movie'')\\
Music/RandyTravis (singing voice in "Mr. Hyunh Goes Country")
An immigrant from Vietnam and a pretty nice guy.
----
* CharacterizationMarchesOn: Mr. Hyunh is initially a stereotypical, high-tense Asian man who mostly panic and tends to yell the same thing over and over whenever there's trouble. Early into the show, this aspect of his character is lessened as they make him into more of a character and less of a stereotype.
* DaddyHadAGoodReasonForAbandoningYou: Gave up his then two-year-old daughter to soldiers who were airlifting civilians to safety during UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar, so that she would be safe and have a better life. The only reason he couldn't go with her was that the soldiers could only take one person with them.
* DarkAndTroubledPast: When he was in Vietnam, he decided to give up his daughter to soldiers so she could be safe from the Vietnam War. After the said war, he went to America to search for her. But all attempts ended unsuccessful.
* {{Determined Widow}}er: Back in Vietnam, he was raising Mai all by himself, his wife nowhere to be seen. (It's possible she fell victim to DeathByChildbirth, but this is never confirmed.) After he comes to America, he spends a good amount of time searching for his daughter.
* FunnyForeigner: In earlier episodes where he would shout the same word over and over.
* HiddenDepths:
** Though he comes off as a somewhat overdramatic FunnyForeigner in most episodes, some (in particular the ChristmasEpisode) where he has ADayInTheLimelight, show him to be more insecure and worried about his situation.
** There's the episode where it's revealed he sings ''amazingly'' as a country artist. So much that Gerald was able to profit off of him for the episode before Hyunh chose "The Simple Things" of his life instead of the limelight.
** He can play cello, guitar and trumpet quite well.
* ItsPronouncedTroPay: His name is pronounced "Win". Though the boarding house residents never have any trouble with this, people who don't know him occasionally pronounce it "Hee-yun". One guy even pronounced it as "Hoon" in "Mr. Hyunh Goes Country".
* LargeHam: How he responds to frustrating situations.
--> '''Mr. Hyunh:''' This lint. ''Your lint''! I cannot keep cleaning up after you! I am ''not your mother''! ({{beat}}) ''I'm not his mother!''
** In "The Vacant Lot", he was this at the end, shouting "Play ball!" 10 times in a row.
-->'''Mr. Hyunh:''' Play ba-all! Play ball! Play ba-all! Play ball! Play ba-all! Play ball! Play ba-all! Play ba-all! Play ball! Play ba-all!
-->'''Grandpa Phil:''' WILL YOU BE ''[[PunctuatedForEmphasis QUIET?!]]''
** And the time he dressed up as Juliet in order to help Romeo Arnold learn his lines in "School Play". He even lampshades it in this episode:
-->'''Mr. Hyuhn:''' I'm very dramatic!\\
'''[[DeadpanSnarker Grandpa Phil]]:''' That's a ''polite'' word for what you are...
* LastNameBasis: Even the ''adults'' at the Sunset Arms call him Mr. Hyunh.
* OnlyOneName: See LastNameBasis above.
* PapaWolf: He gave his daughter to soldiers during the Vietnam War because she would be safer.
* SingingVoiceDissonance: He has a heavy Vietnamese accent when talking, but sings like Music/RandyTravis.
[[/folder]]
[[header:Pataki Family]]
[[folder:Big Bob]]
!!Robert "Big Bob" Pataki
[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tumblr_liyq0b3ktb1qfd7xg_2931.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"This never would've happened to Olga"'']]
-> '''Voiced by''': Creator/MauriceLaMarche
Father of Helga and Olga. Runs a local business aptly named "Big Bob's Beepers".
----
* AesopAmnesia: In "Quantity Time", Bob learns of Helga's misery, promises to be a better father to her, but is back to ignoring her in his next appearance.
* AbusiveDad: Emotionally to both daughters, but in completely different ways. One is constantly pressured to be perfect, the other is often ignored and neglected.
* AccidentalMisnaming: Consistently calls Helga by her sister's name, and almost always gets Arnold's name wrong (the only time he didn't was during Arnold's dream in "Married"). He also forgets Phoebe's name in "Quantity Time."
* AdaptationDyeJob: He has gray hair in the series, but in the movie his hair is brown. Maybe he decided to dye it for some reason?
* BigOlUnibrow: Where Helga gets hers from.
* ButForMeItWasTuesday: In the movie, Bob is asked by Nick if he knows anything about a "football-headed kid", to which he replies he doesn't. Arnold is the only kid he's antagonized several times who fits the description (his most notable moment being in "Parents Day"), but to Bob, Arnold means nothing to him beyond an insignificant pest.
* CompetitionFreak: "Parents Day" and "Grudge Match" show us that he's at his jerkiest when he's competing against someone.
* DependingOnTheWriter: Abusive {{jerkass}} or simply an ignorant boor who just doesn't understand how much trouble he's caused for his family? The latter characterization [[CharacterizationMarchesOn became steadily more common from Season 2 and onward]]. In the first season, he was portrayed as almost devoid of redeeming qualities; although he welcomed Arnold and Gerald to the Patakis' barbecue in "Roughin' It" at Helga's request and generally tried to get along with the kids until all of his high-tech equipment broke, leaving Bob miserable.
* TheDragon: To Scheck in the movie, in order to build a bigger Big Bob's Beepers. Though he defects from Scheck once he finds out that [[spoiler:he's getting only 49% of the income.]]
* EducationPapa: Most of the pushing towards excellence that Olga received came from Bob's end, as he was the one who made it a big deal that she win so many awards and trophies, while Miriam just provided commentary. In the early seasons he even tried to shape Helga into following Olga's path.
* FatBastard: He has a gut and acts like an asshole.
* FirstNameBasis: Helga calls him "Bob" rather than "Dad" more often than not. Though to be fair, he really doesn't deserve the respect most of the time.
* {{Gasshole}}: He belches and breaks wind on occasion.
* GoshDangItToHeck: Tends to say "Mother Hubbard," "Mother Goose," "Mother Scratcher," and "Heck".
* HateSink: Serves as an intentionally unlikable character in most of his appearances, with "Parent's Day" being the most infamous example.
* HeelRealization: "Big Bob's Crisis has Bob suffer a near-death experience where he relives the horrible things he did that day (denying an old lady a refund, firing a worker for no good reason and violently tossing him out of the store, and denying money to an orphan girl) and it's then when he realizes what a monster he is. He spends the rest of the episode trying to become a nicer man, only to end up becoming a hippie-like ExtremeDoormat. Helga talks him out of it by the end of the episode.
* HumiliationConga: Basically any episode that accentuates his JerkAss qualities ends with him getting a solid block of hilarious karma dropped on his head.
** Helga was so disturbed by the "Orphan boy" line (see below) that during a gladiator-style event, she told Phil what Big Bob's weakspot was (his ankles), which sent Big Bob into a tub of gelatin - costing him the event and the overall win.
** "Roughin' It" is another good example, where he ends up alone in his RV stuck with sunburn, swamped with bugs, and itching from poison ivy (not to mention having been electrocuted by his own faulty products earlier) while everyone else enjoys camping the old fashioned way.
** He goes through another in "Summer Love". He sits in a lounge chair, gets sunburned, and has no one to take care of him, not even his wife whom he neglects. When he tries getting out of the house, he irritates his sunburn and gets a defeating blow from Miriam.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: While he rarely shows it, he does love and care about Helga, and in some instances can help out other characters when needed. They even hint that he does care about his wife as well, especially in "Summer Love" when she told him about another man teaching her "the Watoosy".
* KickTheDog: His "orphan boy" line (referring to Arnold) in "Parents Day". It's so mean and insensitive that it would qualify as a MoralEventHorizon if he'd said it directly to Arnold (as it stands, he was talking to Helga and was just characteristically loud and uncaring about anyone else overhearing).
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: In the HalloweenEpisode he was legitimately horrified when he realized he just attempted to murder Helga [[ItMakesSenseInContext thinking she was an alien]], calling himself a monster.
** More so in ''Big Bob's Crisis'' after having a heart attack. It was actually gas.
* NotSoDifferent: Helga gets her more abrasive personality traits from Bob, which allows them to bond in several episodes.
* PapaWolf: In the Thanksgiving episode, Bob is ready and prepared to take out the tank to find the missing Helga.
* ParentalFavoritism: To Olga to the point that she would rather be neglected to avoid having to live up to his standards.
* ParentalNeglect: To Helga to the point of ignoring her existence when Helga was about to go to pre-school.
* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: Like Helga, he often calls Mr. Simmons pejorative names like "throw pillow" and "tea cozy", suggesting he's homophobic.
* SitcomArchNemesis: Phil, as highlighted in "Parent's Day" and "Grudge Match".
* TherapyIsForTheWeak: Courtesy of "Helga on the Couch". Though he's also afraid that she'll reveal something that will get them into trouble.
-->"I don't want you blabbin' to some school shrink. We Patakis don't talk about things. We sweep 'em under the rug."
* TookALevelInKindness:
** "Big Bob's Crisis" was all about Bob realizing his high-stress life made him obnoxious, cruel and abusive to those around him - though he initially overcompensates by uprooting the entire family and becoming an ExtremeDoormat, it ends with him deciding that he can be his old self while still being a little kinder and a little less stressed.
** DoubleSubverted in the movie (which takes place after "Big Bob's Crisis"). He's all for getting rich off of the destruction of the neighborhood, until he finds out [[spoiler: that Scheck's getting 51% of his company. He later beats up Vermicelli and offers to help Phil and the boarders to stop the bulldozers.]]
* UglyGuyHotWife: While not quite hot, Miriam is definitely better looking than him.
* WeWantOurJerkBack: "Big Bob's Crisis" has him take a kinder, simpler, less-stressful approach to life after a gas attack scare (previously thought to be a heart attack). When he begins to give up all of their modern conveniences (and she sees how others start to walk all over him), Helga tells him that she relies on him being the tough, take-charge man she knows he is. After some soul-searching, Bob decides that he can be that man and still take time away to unwind.
* WouldntHurtAChild:
** He may be a {{Jerkass}} like his daughter and use verbal abuse, but Bob draws the line when it comes to physically harming a child. In the Halloween episode he almost had Helga killed when he thought she was an alien, until he learns that the "alien invasion" was just her in costume for a theme party - at which point he was ''very'' distraught.
** Also happens in "Save the Tree" when he refuses to bulldoze the kids' favorite tree because his own kid is up there.
* WhyCouldntYouBeDifferent: To Helga, as he often pressures her to be more like Olga, which Helga is not interested in doing.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Miriam]]
!!Miriam Pataki
[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/last_friday_night.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350: ''"I need a smoothie."'']]
-> '''Voiced by''': Creator/KathSoucie
Mother of Helga and Olga, Miriam is a depressed, constantly sleepy, seemingly ditzy housewife with an addiction to "smoothies" (WordOfGod confirms that all of these are signs that Miriam is an alcoholic, with "smoothies" as a cover-up for booze). It's not uncommon to find her sleeping in strange places. However, she can be very competent and intelligent, but unfortunately it seems that being married to Big Bob has really brought her down.
----
* AesopAmnesia: "The Beeper Queen" has Miriam temporarily fill in for Bob at the Beeper Emporium. Not only does she do a better job at running the store than Bob, but she becomes a workaholic instead of an alcoholic and ends up mistreating Helga. After having a MyGodWhatHaveIDone moment, she apologizes to Helga, quits her job and promises to be a better mom. Yet she returns to being the same useless, drunken waste that she was before in subsequent appearances.
* TheAlcoholic: The show indicates she drinks a lot of "smoothies", but her slurred speech and forgetfulness imply "smoothie" is just a term for alcohol to get past the radar.
* AlcoholicParent: While they couldn't state it outright (since ''WesternAnimation/HeyArnold'' is still a kids' show, despite the myriad of adult themes), Miriam is obviously a heavy drinker, with the show using smoothies as a metaphor for booze (Nevermind the fact that some alcoholic drinks ''do'' exist as smoothies — piña coladas, hurricanes, daiquiris, etc.) If you look closely when she grabs some ingredients for her "smoothies", she grabs a bottle of Tabasco sauce and if "The Patakis" was made, it is informed she would be attending AA.
* AllGirlsLikePonies: In "Road Trip," she reveals to Helga that when she was a kid, she wanted to learn to ride horses, but her dad refused to let her, fearing she'd get hurt. Her response to this, surprisingly enough, was to [[spoiler: become a champion mechanical bull-rider.]]
* ArtEvolution: Her dress was green in the first two seasons, but was switched to mauve in season 3.
* BlindWithoutThem: Implied during the few times she loses her glasses or is shown without them.
* BrokenAce: Implied by several episodes. She was a world-class swimmer, bull rider and is shown to be a very competent business woman when she temporarily takes Bob's place at the Beeper Emporium. However, somewhere down the line she seemed to have stopped giving a damn and became a "smoothie" addict.
* DarkSkinnedBlonde: She gets a pretty epic tan in "Summer Love."
* TheDitz: As a result of her drinking problem, she tends to be rather spacey and slow-witted.
* DrinkOrder: Her preferred drink is a "smoothie".
* DrivesLikeCrazy: Due to her drinking, Miriam has had her license revoked. When she took over for Bob's beeper store and drove Helga to school, all the kids were worried that Miriam was driving again (meaning that the kids know that Helga's mom is either a DrunkDriver or just a very, very bad one).
* FirstNameBasis: Much like Bob, Helga calls her "Miriam" rather than "Mom" more often than not.
* HiddenDepths: She was once a world-class swimmer, won a bull-riding competition as a girl, and can run the family business better than Bob can if she wanted to.
* HollywoodToneDeaf: Helga is clearly annoyed by Miriam's terrible, off-key karaoke in "Road Trip". Though that might just be due to the "smoothies" since she can at least carry a tune during her commercial shoot in "The Beeper Queen".
* HypocriticalHumor: Calls Helga 'weird' in one episode when she hears Helga manically laughing in her StalkerShrine.
* INeedAFreakingDrink: She'll occasionally say that she needs a "smoothie".
* MamaBear: In the Thanksgiving episode, Miriam is on the phone with the police and ''demands'' that they help find Helga. Note, this is one of the ''few'' times Miriam ever sounds angry.
* {{Meganekko}}: She wears glasses.
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: In "The Beeper Queen", she is devastated when she realizes she's been neglecting Helga for her new job.
* NoAccountingForTaste: It's never explained why she married a jerkass like Bob, only that she regards it to be the moment that ruined her life.
* OddFriendship: Develops one with Suzie in "Summer Love" when their husbands leave them.
* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: Anytime she stops talking in her usual slow, monotone fashion, expect something serious to have happened.
* UglyGuyHotWife: "Hot" is a bit of a stretch, but the few times that she's not hammered, she looks pretty good and she definitely seems out of Bob's league.
* VerbalTic: Often speaks in a slow, drawling voice. Justified as Craig Bartlett has revealed that Miriam is an alcoholic.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Olga]]
!!Olga Pataki
[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/olga.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"Lila may be my little sis, but she'll never be my baby sister"'']]
-> '''Voiced by''': Creator/NikaFutterman
-->''"[[Characters/HeyArnoldHelgaGPataki You]] must think I'm lucky. All the attention I get from them? I have to perform all the time like some kind of wind-up doll. I get really sick of it. You're lucky they don't even notice you."''
Helga's older sister and the parental favorite, much to Helga's dismay (and Olga's too, as revealed in "Olga Comes Home"). At first glance, Olga appears perhaps too perfect: Successful, pretty, smart, and sweet and kind to everyone. But she's actually dangerously neurotic, melodramatic and out of reality, due to having to constantly live up to her parents' (well, her father's, anyway) constant attention and ridiculously high standards.
----
* AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther: Every single episode she appears in shows that she and Helga care for each other more than they lead on.
* BareYourMidriff: Her default outfit shows her navel off a bit.
* TheBGrade: Hasn't received an A- since third grade. In the "Olga Comes Home" episode, she cried for days in bed because she saw a B+ on her report card. Turns out, it was Helga who intercepted her report card and changed her grade out of jealousy.
* BrokenAce: She seems to be perfect at everything, but underneath her [[StepfordSmiler façade]] she's incredibly broken due to her father's absurdly high standards for her.
* CoolBigSis: In the aptly-named episode "Big Sis", she becomes one to Lila through volunteer work. With her biological sister Helga, however...not so much, but only because Helga can't stand her. However, Olga's come through for Helga on several occasions. Averted in the episode where Olga becomes a teacher's assistant- she proceeds to tell ''the whole class'' that Helga used to wet the bed, [[WhatTheHellHero then gives Helga a detention when she lashes out at all the teasing that follows.]]
* CuteButCacophonic: When she cries, it can get pretty grating.
* DarkSkinnedBlonde: She's noticeably tanner than Helga and her parents.
* DramaQueen: Even the slightest unpleasant event is enough to make her bawl like a baby.
* ExtremeDoormat: She doesn't even tell her parents how she really feels about the high expectations she's felt she needs to live up to.
* {{Flanderization}}: Olga started out as an overachieving drama queen that would ''actually be treated like Helga if she wasn't successful and understood Helga's plight'' to.... just a content, overachieving drama queen and shows no signs of hating it.
* FoolishSiblingResponsibleSibling: {{Deconstructed|Trope}} with Helga. Olga is the Responsible Sibling -- she's an ace student who is friendly to everyone (making her well-liked not only by her parents, but all of Helga's classmates), but she reveals to Helga that she's a StepfordSmiler who is always trying to keep up her "perfectness" because of the extremely high standards her parents expect her to meet, especially her father, and almost married a con man after only dating for a few weeks. Her younger sister, Helga, is the Foolish Sibling -- she cares very little for her academics [[BrilliantButLazy even though she's proven to be quite intelligent]], while also usually showing little to no respect for her family, peers, or just about anyone in general (this leads to her being TheFriendNobodyLikes except for Phoebe and [[DependingOnTheWriter occasionally]] Arnold). However, [[FreudianExcuse the reason for her gruff personality]] comes from growing up in a dysfunctional household with both of her parents neglecting her in favor of Olga, making it clear to Helga at an early age that she's the unfavorite child.
* FragileFlower: Her response to anything stressful is to freak out and burst into tears.
* FriendToAllChildren: Regardless of what Helga thinks, her schoolmates love Olga.
* GoGetterGirl: A deconstruction. While Olga has good leadership skills and regularly gets straight As in college, she is held to extremely high expectation by her parents. Also, she is driven to a mental breakdown over a B grade (which Helga forges, mind you).
* HairDecorations: Wears a black hairband.
* HotTeacher: When she becomes Mr. Simmons' teaching assistant, most of the male students have the hots for her.
* NervousWreck: Underneath her [[PuritySue "perfect girl"]] [[StepfordSmiler façade]], she's even more screwed up than Helga.
* NiceGirl: She's cordial to everyone and shows no contempt toward anyone.
* ParentalFavoritism: On the good end of it, which turns out to [[DeconstructedTrope not be so good for her, in reality]].
-->'''Olga:''' You must think I'm lucky, all the attention I get from them. I have to perform for them all the time like some kind of wind-up doll. I get really sick of it. You're lucky they don't even notice you.
* ThePerfectionist: She doesn't take it well when she does less than a perfect score, mainly because of Bob's high standards for her.
* SiblingYinYang: Olga gets all of the attention and would like to be left alone, while her sister Helga is constantly ignored and would like some adoration from her parents.
* StepfordSmiler: Type A. She pretends to be happy around her family, when deep down, she's constantly stressed out from her parents' high standards.
* StrongFamilyResemblance: She looks like a younger, prettier version of Miriam.
* TheUglyGuysHotDaughter: Unlike Helga, she's lucky to have gotten her mother's genetics.
* UnknownRival: She genuinely has no idea Helga has been competing with her for her whole life, and seems genuinely ''shocked'' when Helga tells Olga she can't stand her.
* VocalEvolution: Her voice was slightly lower and less prissy sounding in "Olga Comes Home" than it would be later on.
* ZettaiRyouiki: Wears thigh-high socks to match her plaid skirt.
[[/folder]]
[[header:Johanssen Family]]
[[folder:Martin]]
!!Martin Johanssen
[[quoteright:160:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/martin_johanssen.jpg]]
-> '''Voiced by''': Rick Fitts
The father of Gerald, Jamie O and Timberly. A business man who once served in the military during the Vietnam war.
----
* NinetiesHair: Has a hi-top fade like his son, but a more realistic looking one.
* CuttingCorners: His main characteristic is his obsession with saving money, especially in the early seasons. It's part of the reason why Gerald briefly moved into the boarding house in "Gerald Moves Out".
* DeskJockey: In the Veteran's Day episode, he and Phil tell stories about their time in Vietnam but Gerald is disappointed to learn he was only a paper pusher. However, it is revealed he saved the life of a helicopter pilot named Miller. They meet again at the Vietnam War Memorial and Miller personally thanks him for saving his life.
* WellDoneDadGuy: He was visibly saddened when he thought that Gerald was disappointed at him for not being a "true" veteran.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Mrs. Johanssen]]
!!Mrs. Johanssen
[[quoteright:145:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mrs_johanssen.jpg]]
->'''Voiced by''': Shari Belafonte
The mother of Gerald, Jamie O and Timberly. Works as a cashier at a grocery store.
----
* FlatCharacter: She's Gerald's mom and she works at a store. That's about it. We don't even know her name.
* NoNameGiven: Unlike her husband, her first name is never stated.
[[/folder]]
[[header:Staff of P.S. 118]]
[[folder:Mr. Simmons]]
!!Mr. Robert Simmons
[[quoteright:250:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/robert_simmons_5146.png]]
-> '''Voiced by''': Dan Butler
Fourth grade teacher at P.S. 118 starting in the second season, replacing the original LivingProp, Miss Slovak. Thinks of everyone and everything as "special".
----
* AdultsAreUseless: Specifically in the episode "Girl Trouble" when he doesn't punish Helga for bullying Arnold, yet he punishes ''Arnold'' for fighting back. Other examples include:
** "Buses, Bikes, and Subways"--doesn't double-check his head count and is totally oblivious to the fact that two of his students are missing until the bus is back home.
** "The Flood"--allows students to run riot for 3/4 of the episode and then tries to [[spoiler: climb up a ladder during the storm for help, and ends up falling into several feet of water, meaning the kids have to save his butt.]]
** "Aptitude Test"--mixes up two of the eponymous tests; doesn't bother to recheck the folders.
** "On the Lam"--doesn't know his science closet was raided until informed on the evening news.
* BaldOfAwesome: His faults aside, he's an awesome teacher and is balding.
* CampGay: A toned down version of this, as while he's confirmed to be gay, he's not overtly effeminate.
* CoolTeacher: He can be this when he's not being useless. In fact, his premiere episode, "New Teacher," was all about the kids realizing this after they gave him a hard time.
* ImagineSpot: In "Principal Simmons", Mr. Simmons imagines what the school would be like if he was the principal, which features the kids all beings friends with each other, Helga and Brainy walking together with their arms around each other, Wolfgang giving Eugene a piggyback ride, Harold becoming smart, the kids eating healthy food and happy to be the principal's helper.
* InkSuitActor: A very glaring example on a show with otherwise very outlandish character designs; Simmons strongly resembles his voice actor, Dan Butler.
* NiceGuy: One of the nicest adults in the series.
* NonStandardCharacterDesign: Considerably less cartoony-looking than the other characters due to being based on a real person.
* ObliviousToHisOwnDescription: He is the only one who doesn't recognize his own CatchPhrase in Helga's parody.
* OnlyOneName: It is strongly implied, but never explicitly stated, that his first name is Robert (in the Thanksgiving episode, he wrote a play that was based on his own life; we meet every character from the play in person later on except for the one named Robert).
* SelectiveEnforcement: In the episode "Girl Trouble," Helga relentlessly torments Arnold throughout the episode, and eventually Arnold gets sick of it and throws paint on her in retaliation. Mr. Simmons does nothing about Helga's bullying, but punishes Arnold for dumping paint, vocally expressing his disappointment in him. Unfortunately, this is often TruthInTelevision.
* ShipperOnDeck: "Principal Simmons" implies that he thinks Helga and Brainy would make a good couple.
* WideEyedIdealist: His ImagineSpot in "Principal Simmons" is a good example of how needlessly optimistic he can be.
* WordOfGay: Craig Bartlett confirmed that Mr. Simmons is in fact gay, but they could never outright say it on a children's show. There are little hints thrown around, such as his effeminate personality and his "friend" Peter in "Arnold's Thanksgiving".
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Principal Wartz]]
!!Principal Rur Wartz
[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/wartzz.jpg]]
-> '''Voiced by''': David Wohl
As you may have guessed, he's the principal of P.S. 118 and he's known to be harsh but has reasons to be. Throughout the show, Wartz often is seen taken punishments too far, even by following teachers but he has toned this down after realizing when he sees how the others handle order.
----
* AManIsNotAVirgin: In one episode he mentions that he didn't have his first date until he was 23, which would make him a late bloomer to say the least.
* AmbiguouslyGay: In "Sid's Revenge," he is shown to have a male roommate who cooks for him. (The man is seen in the kitchen next to a bag labeled "Hospital Home Meal Service," and he later calls Wartz "Mr. Wartz," so he was more likely just a hired cook.) He also has decidedly un-manly interests such as playing with figurines and following pop idols. He seems to get a bit of ShipTeasing with Mr. Simmons on occasion, such as when they went out karaoke singing together and dancing the tango together in "April Fool's Day". On the other hand, Big Bob mentions a Mrs. Wartz in "Arnold's Halloween", but she is never seen.
* DeanBitterman: One episode has Mr. Simmons call him out for being too strict of a principal. And another has him suspend Arnold for two days because he told him he was being too unfair to Harold (and to add insult to injury, ''school wasn't even in session'').
* DisproportionateRetribution:
** In "Suspended" where Arnold begs him to let Harold come back to school and Arnold gets suspended for two days.
** In "Full Moon", he gives Arnold detention for refusing to rat on Harold, Sid and Stinky for mooning him. He even threatened to put it on his permanent record. Would have too had the trio not confessed at the last moment.
** In "Sid's Revenge" he gave Sid detention for bringing fake vomit to school that he tripped over (and Sid didn't even do it). And again for ''bringing a bar of soap to school.''
* HiddenDepths: The aforementioned karaoke scene shows that he's a pretty good singer.
* InherentlyFunnyWords: Much humor is derived from him saying "slippage" in "Teacher's Strike", to the point that the credits to that episode are a StupidStatementDanceMix of all the times he says it.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: He’s harsh at times but he’s willing to negotiate if the situation can be resolved.
* LastNameBasis: His first name is never spoken, but a FreezeFrameBonus in "Pre-teen Scream" shows that the return address on the envelope of his fan letter to singer, Ronnie Matthews, reveals his full name as "Rur Wartz".
* ManChild: Shown to be rather immature as he is seen playing with toys at his work desk and sending fan mail to teen singing sensation, Ronnie Matthews.
* NotSoAboveItAll: Despite trying to put up the appearance of a stern, no-nonsense diciplinarian, he's not above playing with toys and shaking his groove thing while belting out some campy 70's karaoke.
* PetTheDog: He can be reasoned with, even letting a kid off the hook depending on the situation. He also has a set of toy animals on his desk in order to calm down and/or reduce the stress on any meeting he may have.
* ProperlyParanoid: Even if the kids have no interest in misbehaving, Wartz is often like this.
* SternTeacher: As a DeanBitterman like principal, he can be pretty strict at times, but can be a reasonable person when it comes down to it.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Miss Slovak]]
!!Miss Slovak
[[quoteright:200:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/miss_slovak.jpg]]
-> '''Voiced by''': Creator/TressMacNeille
The original teacher of Arnold's class. She was replaced by Mr. Simmons in Season 2.
----
* AmbiguouslyGay: She's an older unmarried woman who leaves her job as a teacher to pursue a career as a professional golfer (a common lesbian stereotype is that they love golf).
* ArtEvolution: Her hair switched from brown to gray and she eventually gained glasses.
* FlatCharacter: The reason why she was PutOnABus and replaced is because Craig Bartlett didn't think she was a very interesting character.
* LastNameBasis: We never find out her what her first name is.
* PutOnABus: She retires from teaching at the beginning of Season 2 to pursue a career in professional golf. However, due to Nick holding back a few episodes from Season 1 that were later aired in Season 2 (and one in season ''3''), she continued to make a few appearances after Mr. Simmons was introduced, creating continuity problems.
[[/folder]]
