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Changed line(s) 113 (click to see context) from:
* CharacterizationMarchesOn: In his first episode, he was a jerk ''and'' an idiot. In later appearances, he's a total sweetie. [[DumbIsGood And an idiot]].
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* CharacterizationMarchesOn: In his first episode, he was a jerk ''and'' an idiot. In later appearances, he's a total sweetie. [[DumbIsGood [[KindheartedSimpleton And an idiot]].
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Moved to Trivia page
Changed line(s) 248 (click to see context) from:
* ActorAllusion: Emily describes a tattoo she has of Sally from Nightmare Before Christmas that the actress actually has in real life [[https://twitter.com/itslauraspencer/status/530586521116901376 here]]
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added actor allusion in regard to Laura Spencer's tattoos that her character emily describes she has.
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* ActorAllusion: Emily describes a tattoo she has of Sally from Nightmare Before Christmas that the actress actually has in real life [[https://twitter.com/itslauraspencer/status/530586521116901376 here]]
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->''"I was watching the DiscoveryChannel and they said if you cut a Starfish in half it will just come back to life."''
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->''"I was watching the DiscoveryChannel Creator/DiscoveryChannel and they said if you cut a Starfish in half it will just come back to life."''
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* HiddenDepths: While he is hopelessly unable to grasp the actual science, he still shows an interest in what the guys are doing and apparently watches the DiscoveryChannel from time to time. He is also very knowledgeable about the designing and creation of restaurant menus.
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* HiddenDepths: While he is hopelessly unable to grasp the actual science, he still shows an interest in what the guys are doing and apparently watches the DiscoveryChannel Creator/DiscoveryChannel from time to time. He is also very knowledgeable about the designing and creation of restaurant menus.
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Corrected name
Changed line(s) 117 (click to see context) from:
* KindheartedSimpleton: Simple-minded in nearly every regard, Zach is arguably the nicest person in the series and never once acts malicious or rude towards Penny or the guys. Even ''Sheldon'' starts to restrain himself when Zach makes dense comments, simply because the guy is just too nice and friendly to be mean or blatantly condescending to.
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* KindheartedSimpleton: Simple-minded in nearly every regard, Zach Zack is arguably the nicest person in the series and never once acts malicious or rude towards Penny or the guys. Even ''Sheldon'' starts to restrain himself when Zach Zack makes dense comments, simply because the guy is just too nice and friendly to be mean or blatantly condescending to.
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* NiceGuy: Got upset when he realized the others were mocking him, but [[EasilyForgiven quickly forgave them]] when [[TastesLikeFriendship offered some Milk Duds]]. It's one of the main reasons the guys don't mind having Zach around, and he's incredibly earnest when it comes to their similar nerdy interests.
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* NiceGuy: Got upset when he realized the others were mocking him, but [[EasilyForgiven quickly forgave them]] when [[TastesLikeFriendship offered some Milk Duds]]. It's one of the main reasons the guys don't mind having Zach Zack around, and he's incredibly earnest when it comes to their similar nerdy interests.
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* JerkWithHeartOfGold: From season 5 onwards he TookALevelInKindness and becomes a genuinely good friend to Sheldon and the others.
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* JerkWithHeartOfGold: JerkWithAHeartOfGold: From season 5 onwards he TookALevelInKindness and becomes a genuinely good friend to Sheldon and the others.
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Changed line(s) 27 (click to see context) from:
* CharacterizationMarchesOn: In earlier episodes, he was a CoolLoser contrast to the group, but was able to successfully flirt with and ask Penny out, and in his first appearance even ''Sheldon'' thought Stuart was cooler than Leonard ("Stuart is taller, artistic, self-employed and, most significantly, he gets 45 percent off comic books"). Over time he became a StrawLoser who is even more pathetic and helpless than the main guys, to point he lives in the store due to financial problems and his poverty and depression becoming a RunningGag. At least some of this could be described as a falling out over how his relationship with Penny ended and a series of soul-crushing problems that killed his self-esteem. His social skills fluctuate depending on the episode, [[OvershadowedByAwesome among the main characters]] he's fairly pathetic but in the real world he's slightly better.
to:
* CharacterizationMarchesOn: In earlier episodes, he was a CoolLoser contrast to the group, but was able to successfully flirt with and ask Penny out, and in his first appearance even ''Sheldon'' thought Stuart was cooler than Leonard ("Stuart is taller, artistic, self-employed and, most significantly, he gets 45 percent off comic books"). Over time he became becomes a StrawLoser who is even more pathetic and helpless than the main guys, to point he lives in the store due to financial problems and his poverty and depression becoming a RunningGag. At least some of this could be described as a falling out over how his relationship with Penny ended and a series of soul-crushing problems that killed his self-esteem. His social skills fluctuate depending on the episode, [[OvershadowedByAwesome among the main characters]] he's fairly pathetic but in the real world he's slightly better.
* TallDarkAndHandsome: He's ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin, played by the tall, dark-haired Brian Smith and considered very good-looking in-universe.
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* TheAtoner: Shows signs. He invited Sheldon and his friends to a party -- and when Sheldon actually shows up, Wheaton gave Sheldon a signed action figure to make up for not showing up at the ''Franchise/StarTrek'' convention Sheldon went to as a child. [[spoiler: Of course, [[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration Brent Spiner]] ended up inadvertently ruining the gesture by opening said action figure]], but at least Wheaton is off Sheldon's ArchEnemy list. He later seemed to be on good terms with him at Howard's Bachelor Party. He later appears at on Sheldon's 'Fun with Flags' webshow, unintentionally causing trouble with Sheldon's relationship to Amy, ending with Sheldon throwing up in his rosebush. He's still friends with Sheldon as of the Season 7 finale.
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* TheAtoner: Shows signs. He invited Sheldon and his friends to a party -- and when Sheldon actually shows up, Wheaton gave Sheldon a signed action figure to make up for not showing up at the ''Franchise/StarTrek'' convention Sheldon went to as a child. [[spoiler: Of course, [[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration Brent Spiner]] ended up inadvertently ruining the gesture by opening said action figure]], but at least Wheaton is off Sheldon's ArchEnemy list. He later seemed to be on good terms with him at Howard's Bachelor Party. He later appears at on Sheldon's 'Fun with Flags' webshow, unintentionally causing trouble with Sheldon's relationship to Amy, ending with Sheldon throwing up in his rosebush. He's still friends with Sheldon as of the Season 7 finale.in later seasons.
* JerkWithHeartOfGold: From season 5 onwards he TookALevelInKindness and becomes a genuinely good friend to Sheldon and the others.
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* NiceCharacterMeanActor: In the show's universe, Wheaton is a selfish, scheming mastermind SitcomArchnemesis who orchestrated the first break-up between Penny and Leonard just to beat Sheldon's team at bowling -- a far cry from his character on ''[[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration Star Trek]]'' (which is how Sheldon initially knew of him).
** MeanCharacterNiceActor: Which in turn results in this, since in real life Wheaton is known to be a nice guy.[[note]]Because of this, Wheaton's Law (originally "Don't be a dick") was refined to "Don't be a dick, but it's okay to play one on TV.[[/note]]
** MeanCharacterNiceActor: Which in turn results in this, since in real life Wheaton is known to be a nice guy.[[note]]Because of this, Wheaton's Law (originally "Don't be a dick") was refined to "Don't be a dick, but it's okay to play one on TV.[[/note]]
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* NiceCharacterMeanActor: In the show's universe, universe (his early appearances), Wheaton is a selfish, scheming mastermind SitcomArchnemesis who orchestrated the first break-up between Penny and Leonard just to beat Sheldon's team at bowling -- a far cry from his character on ''[[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration Star Trek]]'' (which is how Sheldon initially knew of him).
** MeanCharacterNiceActor: Which in turn results in this, since in real life Wheaton is known to be a nice guy.[[note]]Because of this, Wheaton's Law (originally "Don't be a dick") was refined to "Don't be a dick, but it's okay to play one on TV.[[/note]]him). Later on, he becomes Nice Character Nice Actor.
** MeanCharacterNiceActor: Which in turn results in this, since in real life Wheaton is known to be a nice guy.[[note]]Because of this, Wheaton's Law (originally "Don't be a dick") was refined to "Don't be a dick, but it's okay to play one on TV.[[/note]]
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* KickTheDog[=/=]PetTheDog[=/=]ShootTheShaggyDogStory: One of the first things she does is bail out of her first coffee date with Raj, which sends him into depression. [[TheAtoner She later tracks him down to apologize]] and explains that she has trouble talking with people. In the Season 6 finale, [[spoiler:she breaks up with him via a text message.]]
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* KickTheDog[=/=]PetTheDog[=/=]ShootTheShaggyDogStory: KickTheDog: One of the first things she does is bail out of her first coffee date with Raj, which sends him into depression. [[TheAtoner She later tracks him down to apologize]] and explains that she has trouble talking with people. In the Season 6 finale, [[spoiler:she breaks up with him via a text message.]]
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->'''Played by:''' Creator/StephenHawking
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* EveryoneLovesBlondes: Raj was immediately attracted to her. He even describes her as "the strong, sexy angel I can’t stop thinking about". Also Zack's reaction the first time he meets her was "You’re hot. You seeing anybody?"
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* EveryoneLovesBlondes: Raj was is immediately attracted to her. He even describes her as "the strong, sexy angel I can’t stop thinking about". Also Zack's reaction the first time he meets her was is "You’re hot. You seeing anybody?"
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* BettyAndVeronica: In season 9 she becomes the Betty in a LoveTriangle with Raj and his new potential girlfriend, Claire.
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----
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[[folder: Claire]]
->'''Played by:''' Alessandra Torresani
Another potential love interest for Raj, introduced in season 9.
----
* TheBartender: She works as a bartender, but she's also a screenwriter.
* BettyAndVeronica: The Veronica to Emily's Betty for Raj's Archie.
* EveryoneLovesBlondes: Raj was immediately attracted to her. He even describes her as "the strong, sexy angel I can’t stop thinking about". Also Zack's reaction the first time he meets her was "You’re hot. You seeing anybody?"
* TakeThat: She thinks Disney/{{Frozen}} sucks and gets more credit than it deserves.
[[/folder]]
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* TheObiWan: Referenced by name, Sheldon tries to be strong about it like Luke but comes to realize via Proton as his SpiritAdvisor that pushing away the people who care about him won't make it easier to deal with the death of loved ones.
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Changed line(s) 138 (click to see context) from:
-->'''Howard:''' What if I were to introduce you to ''[holds up five-dollar bill]'' the man who freed your people?[[note]]Abraham Lincoln, whose likeness is portrayed in thew five-dollar bill, signed the Emancipation Proclamation, officially abolishing slavery of the black people[[note]]\\
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-->'''Howard:''' What if I were to introduce you to ''[holds up five-dollar bill]'' the man who freed your people?[[note]]Abraham Lincoln, whose likeness is portrayed in thew five-dollar bill, signed the Emancipation Proclamation, officially abolishing slavery of the black people[[note]]\\people[[/note]]\\
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Changed line(s) 27 (click to see context) from:
* CharacterizationMarchesOn: In earlier episodes, he was a CoolLoser contrast to the group, but was able to successfully flirt with and ask Penny out. Over time he became a StrawLoser who is even more pathetic and helpless than the main guys, to point he lives in the store due to financial problems and his poverty and depression becoming a RunningGag. At least some of this could be described as a falling out over how his relationship with Penny ended and a series of soul-crushing problems that killed his self-esteem. His social skills fluctuate depending on the episode, [[OvershadowedByAwesome among the main characters]] he's fairly pathetic but in the real world he's slightly better.
to:
* CharacterizationMarchesOn: In earlier episodes, he was a CoolLoser contrast to the group, but was able to successfully flirt with and ask Penny out.out, and in his first appearance even ''Sheldon'' thought Stuart was cooler than Leonard ("Stuart is taller, artistic, self-employed and, most significantly, he gets 45 percent off comic books"). Over time he became a StrawLoser who is even more pathetic and helpless than the main guys, to point he lives in the store due to financial problems and his poverty and depression becoming a RunningGag. At least some of this could be described as a falling out over how his relationship with Penny ended and a series of soul-crushing problems that killed his self-esteem. His social skills fluctuate depending on the episode, [[OvershadowedByAwesome among the main characters]] he's fairly pathetic but in the real world he's slightly better.
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* AscendedExtra[=/=]DemotedToExtra: Began to become a more prominent character and was even briefly promoted to main credits, but faded away again when her character proved uninteresting outside of her rivalry with Sheldon.
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* AscendedExtra[=/=]DemotedToExtra: AscendedExtra: Began to become a more prominent character and was even briefly promoted to main credits, but faded away again when her character proved uninteresting outside of her rivalry with Sheldon.Sheldon. She's eventually PutOnABus after season 2.
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* CastingGag: Sara Gilbert and Johnny Galecki were married on ''Series/{{Roseanne}}'', Leslie happened to be the first girl of any significance in Leonard's life on the show (aside from Penny).
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* CastingGag: Sara Gilbert and Johnny Galecki were married on ''Series/{{Roseanne}}'', Leslie happened to be the first girl of any significance TheBusCameBack: Reappears for Sheldon's birthday in Leonard's life on the show (aside from Penny)."The Celebration Experimentation".
* {{Jerkass}}: Generally has an unpleasant attitude, especially when she is around Sheldon.
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** TheBusCameBack: Reappears for Sheldon's birthday in "The Celebration Experimentation".
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* TheStoic: She keeps a very straight face most of the time when she isn't being seductive or trying to humiliate someone
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* TheStoic: She keeps a very straight face most of the time when she isn't being seductive or trying to humiliate someonesomeone.
* TookALevelInKindness: By the ninth season she is shown to have matured so that she does not feel a need to insult Sheldon.
* TookALevelInKindness: By the ninth season she is shown to have matured so that she does not feel a need to insult Sheldon.
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Changed line(s) 41 (click to see context) from:
* StarvingArtist: An interesting case. While he's a graduate of the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design, we never really saw him make any work of art in the series, his main source of income is his comic book store. But if you think about it, it is possibly due to the low (not to mention irregular) pay of an artist and his inability to make a big break in the industry (like Penny) which forced him to become an comic book shop owner to make ends meet in the first place. Not that he really earns a lot, though, his poverty being a RunningGag in the series.
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* StarvingArtist: An interesting case. While he's Stuart is a graduate of the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design, we never really saw him Design and is a talented illustrator, considering the quite stunning sketch of Penny he did back in season one. However, he does not make any work of art in money from his artwork, the series, comic book store being his main primary source of income is his comic book store. But if you think about it, it is possibly due to the low (not to mention irregular) pay of an artist ([[PerpetualPoverty and his inability to make a big break in the industry (like Penny) which forced him to become an comic book shop owner he's even barely able to make ends meet in the first place. Not that he really earns a lot, though, his poverty being a RunningGag in the series. meet]]).
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* StarvingArtist: An interesting case. While he's a graduate of the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design, we never really saw him make any work of art in the series, his main source of income is his comic book store. But if you think about it, it is possibly due to the low (not to mention irregular) pay of an artist and his inability to make a big break in the industry (like Penny) which forced him to become an comic book shop owner to make ends meet in the first place. Not that he really earns a lot, though, his poverty being a RunningGag in the series.
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Changed line(s) 136 (click to see context) from:
-->'''Howard:''' What if I were to introduce you to ''[holds up bill]'' the man who freed your people?\\
to:
-->'''Howard:''' What if I were to introduce you to ''[holds up five-dollar bill]'' the man who freed your people?\\people?[[note]]Abraham Lincoln, whose likeness is portrayed in thew five-dollar bill, signed the Emancipation Proclamation, officially abolishing slavery of the black people[[note]]\\
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Changed line(s) 57 (click to see context) from:
* CastingGag: Sara Gilbert and Johnny Galecki were married on ''{{Roseanne}}'', Leslie happened to be the first girl of any significance in Leonard's life on the show (aside from Penny).
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* CastingGag: Sara Gilbert and Johnny Galecki were married on ''{{Roseanne}}'', ''Series/{{Roseanne}}'', Leslie happened to be the first girl of any significance in Leonard's life on the show (aside from Penny).
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* DumbassHasAPoint: Asks Leonard and Howard if they should be worried about the military applications of their project. They were, but had brushed aside the complaints until he reminded them.
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** TheBusCameBack: Reappears for Sheldon's birthday in "The Celebration Experimentation".
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Changed line(s) 163,164 (click to see context) from:
* Troll: Partakes in this with glee. In a particularly glorious moment, he struts into the theater for the Star Wars premiere in full Star TREK attire, complete with Vulcan ears.
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* Troll: {{Troll}}: Partakes in this with glee. In a particularly glorious moment, he struts into the theater for the Star Wars premiere in full Star TREK attire, complete with Vulcan ears.
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* Troll: Partakes in this with glee. In a particularly glorious moment, he struts into the theater for the Star Wars premiere in full Star TREK attire, complete with Vulcan ears.
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Changed line(s) 157 (click to see context) from:
* JerkWithAHeartOfJerk: In his early appearances, he lied about his grandmother dying to win a card game, cheated the gang out of there movie seats (after literally hours of waiting in line) and managed to convince Penny to break up with Leonard so he could win a bowling match. However he stopped being this after his HeelFaceTurn.
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* JerkWithAHeartOfJerk: In his early appearances, he lied about his grandmother dying to win a card game, cheated the gang out of there their movie seats (after literally hours of waiting in line) and managed to convince Penny to break up with Leonard so he could win a bowling match. However he stopped being this after his HeelFaceTurn.
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Changed line(s) 90 (click to see context) from:
* {{Jerkass}}: Not always (see Took a Level in Jerkass) but he certainly qualifies at times and when he does he becomes the most despicable person in the whole show. He regularly goes out of his way to act as obnoxious as possible towards others including rubbing his success and failures in there face. He never misses a chance to mock, insult or humiliate Sheldon. He's also very perverted and misogynist to the point he makes pre-character development Howard look like a perfect gentleman. He's even able to sometimes surpass Sheldon in this regard.
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* {{Jerkass}}: Not always (see Took a Level in Jerkass) but he certainly qualifies at times and when he does he becomes the most despicable person in the whole show. He regularly goes out of his way to act as obnoxious as possible towards others including rubbing his success and their failures in there their face. He never misses a chance to mock, insult or humiliate Sheldon. He's also very perverted and misogynist to the point he makes pre-character development Howard look like a perfect gentleman. He's even able to sometimes surpass Sheldon in this regard.
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Changed line(s) 20,21 (click to see context) from:
->''"Okay, if you are going to question the importance of [[RobertDowneyJr an actor's]] signature on a plastic helmet from [[Film/IronMan a movie]] based on [[IronMan a comic book]] then ''our lives'' have no meaning!"''
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->''"Okay, if you are going to question the importance of [[RobertDowneyJr [[Creator/RobertDowneyJr an actor's]] signature on a plastic helmet from [[Film/IronMan a movie]] based on [[IronMan a comic book]] then ''our lives'' have no meaning!"''
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Changed line(s) 27 (click to see context) from:
* CharacterizationMarchesOn: In earlier episodes, he was a CoolLoser contrast to the group, but was able to successfully flirt with and ask Penny out. Over time he became a StrawLoser who is even more pathetic and helpless than the main guys, to point he lives in the store due to financial problems and his poverty and depression becoming a RunningGag. At least some of this could be described as a falling out over how his relationship with Penny ended and a series of soul-crushing problems that killed his self-esteem. His social skills have started to come back in "The Bakersfield Expedition" where he chats up the girls while trying to recommend comics for them and repeatedly berates his male customers for leering at them.
to:
* CharacterizationMarchesOn: In earlier episodes, he was a CoolLoser contrast to the group, but was able to successfully flirt with and ask Penny out. Over time he became a StrawLoser who is even more pathetic and helpless than the main guys, to point he lives in the store due to financial problems and his poverty and depression becoming a RunningGag. At least some of this could be described as a falling out over how his relationship with Penny ended and a series of soul-crushing problems that killed his self-esteem. His social skills have started to come back in "The Bakersfield Expedition" where he chats up fluctuate depending on the girls while trying to recommend comics for them and repeatedly berates his male customers for leering at them.episode, [[OvershadowedByAwesome among the main characters]] he's fairly pathetic but in the real world he's slightly better.
Changed line(s) 30 (click to see context) from:
* {{Flanderization}}: He was originally just a very normal guy who successfully asked Penny out. It was a key plot point that in terms of being a decent, normal guy he was virtually identical to Leonard. While he remained a friendly guy he later gained some neurotic ticks, low self-esteem and has a lot more trouble talking to women than before. The change can probably be explained that "nice, normal guy" doesn't leave things too open for comedy and they wanted him to stand apart from Leonard. It's implied in the show that he hit a string of bad relationships in addition to financial problems ''and'' health issues. Getting crushed by Penny (who said Leonard's name while they were making out) in addition to living in the comic book store probably destroyed his self-esteem.
to:
* {{Flanderization}}: He was originally just a very normal guy who successfully asked Penny out. It was a key plot point that in terms of being a decent, normal guy he was virtually identical to Leonard. While he remained a friendly guy he later gained some neurotic ticks, low self-esteem and has a lot more trouble talking to women than before. The change can probably be explained that "nice, normal guy" From a writing standpoint, the original characterization doesn't leave things too open for comedy and they wanted him to stand apart from Leonard. It's implied in In the show that itself it's implied he hit a string of bad relationships (including getting crushed by Penny) in addition to financial problems ''and'' health issues. Getting crushed by Penny (who said Leonard's name while they were making out) in addition The season nine episode "The Perspiration Implementation" has him admit that as he goes on longer without a relationship (and can't hold on to living in the comic book store probably destroyed his self-esteem.pets [[BlackComedy due to them committing suicide]]), makes him become more desperate.
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Changed line(s) 26 (click to see context) from:
* ButtMonkey: Everything he says is [[TheEeyore depressing.]] His idea of being "cocky" is to claim that he's "unobjectionable." He can be stood up by a stray cat.
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* ButtMonkey: Everything he says A very overplayed gag, where every second sentence is him stating how [[TheEeyore depressing.]] depressing]] and unfortunate his life is. His idea of being "cocky" is to claim that he's "unobjectionable." He can be stood up by a stray cat.
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* FreakyIsCool: She likes watching horror movies because watching people get cut up turns her on. It's also the reason why she's a dermatologist, as that's the only job which she can legally cut people up.
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* CatchPhrase: "Dumbass....."
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* CatchPhrase: "Dumbass....."Dumbass..."
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'''Zack:''' ''[genuinely confused]'' [[LogicBomb Then who are you talking to?]] ...babe?
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'''Zack:''' ''[genuinely confused]'' [[LogicBomb Then who are you talking to?]] ... babe?
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->''"We're '''all''' pathetic and cweepy and can't get girls. That's why we battle wobots."''
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* BunnyEarsLawyer: Has something of a fratboy personality and often crude and obnoxious but is every bit a genius as the rest of the cast. When competing for tenure he also turns up the charm and is apparently great with kids.
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* BunnyEarsLawyer: Has something of a fratboy personality and often crude and obnoxious but is every bit a genius as the rest of the cast. When competing for tenure he also turns up the charm and is apparently great with kids.kids (he doesn't know why, but he makes them "waugh and waugh and waugh!").
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** He has problems with L-s, too.
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* MeanCharacterNiceActor: Which in turn results in this, since in real life Wheaton is known to be a nice guy.[[note]]Because of this, Wheaton's Law (originally "Don't be a dick") was refined to "Don't be a dick, but it's okay to play one on TV.[[/note]]
to:
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Changed line(s) 156 (click to see context) from:
* JerkWithAHeartOfJerk: In his early appearances, he lied about his grandmother dying to win a card game, cheated the gang out of there movie seats (after literally hours of waiting in line) and managed to convince Penny to break up with Leonard so he could win a bowling match. However he stopped being this after his HellFaceTurn.
to:
* JerkWithAHeartOfJerk: In his early appearances, he lied about his grandmother dying to win a card game, cheated the gang out of there movie seats (after literally hours of waiting in line) and managed to convince Penny to break up with Leonard so he could win a bowling match. However he stopped being this after his HellFaceTurn.HeelFaceTurn.
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[[foldercontrol]]
[[folder:Stuart Bloom]]
!!Stuart Bloom
[[quoteright:180:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Stuart_884.png]]
->'''Played by:''' Kevin Sussman
->''"Okay, if you are going to question the importance of [[RobertDowneyJr an actor's]] signature on a plastic helmet from [[Film/IronMan a movie]] based on [[IronMan a comic book]] then ''our lives'' have no meaning!"''
The owner of the comic book store [[LocalHangout the guys frequent]], he is one of the few geeky individuals on the show who is otherwise not a supergenius like the others.
-----
* AmbiguouslyBi: In Season 6, Stuart has apparently been without a date for so long that after an awkward moment with Raj, who later asks him if he wants to hang out sometime, Stuart comments to himself that he ''could'' do worse. He also admits that Thor is "hot".
* AscendedExtra: He has been hanging around the group since Season 2, showing up a couple of times a year but never really significant. Season 6 practically upgrades him to main cast, at the least supported by WordOfGod that he will have an expanded role. While he didn't stay in the main cast listings for long, unlike Leslie Winkle he still shows up more often than before and usually with a significant role involved.
* ButtMonkey: Everything he says is [[TheEeyore depressing.]] His idea of being "cocky" is to claim that he's "unobjectionable." He can be stood up by a stray cat.
* CharacterizationMarchesOn: In earlier episodes, he was a CoolLoser contrast to the group, but was able to successfully flirt with and ask Penny out. Over time he became a StrawLoser who is even more pathetic and helpless than the main guys, to point he lives in the store due to financial problems and his poverty and depression becoming a RunningGag. At least some of this could be described as a falling out over how his relationship with Penny ended and a series of soul-crushing problems that killed his self-esteem. His social skills have started to come back in "The Bakersfield Expedition" where he chats up the girls while trying to recommend comics for them and repeatedly berates his male customers for leering at them.
* TheChewToy: His life is essentially one misfortune after another.
* TheEeyore: Often comments on how pathetic his life is.
* {{Flanderization}}: He was originally just a very normal guy who successfully asked Penny out. It was a key plot point that in terms of being a decent, normal guy he was virtually identical to Leonard. While he remained a friendly guy he later gained some neurotic ticks, low self-esteem and has a lot more trouble talking to women than before. The change can probably be explained that "nice, normal guy" doesn't leave things too open for comedy and they wanted him to stand apart from Leonard. It's implied in the show that he hit a string of bad relationships in addition to financial problems ''and'' health issues. Getting crushed by Penny (who said Leonard's name while they were making out) in addition to living in the comic book store probably destroyed his self-esteem.
* HeterosexualLifePartners: Interesting in that one of the goals of Season 6 was to have him develop this relationship with Raj, after Howard getting married he could no longer be Raj's "wingman." They are almost never seen separate from each other and there is plenty of HomoeroticSubtext going around.
* HiddenDepths: He is a pretty talented artist.
* NiceGuy: Despite his oddities, Stuart is a very friendly guy and is always willing to help someone out, be it with selecting a comic book or needing a little bit of an emotional boost. He also feeds stray cat, which is quite heartwarming when you consider his financial situation.
* OvershadowedByAwesome: He actually went to the Rhode Island School of Design, a fairly prestigious school and he thus has some genuine skills in art and the average of students accepted into RSID is a B+. But he hangs around Sheldon, who dismisses it as equally ridiculous as Howard's Masters degree from MIT.
* PerpetualPoverty: How little profit the comic book store makes has become Stuart's RunningGag. Among other things, he's mentioned having to sleep in the store, going without meat, and having to shower at Leonard and Sheldon's apartment.
* RecurringCharacter: One of the most frequent recurring characters in Seasons 2-5. In Season 6, he was promoted to series regular, only to be "demoted" back to a frequently recurring character.
* ReplacementGoldfish: Raj basically befriends him to fill the void left by Howard being in space. See SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute.
* RomanticFalseLead: Dates Penny and Amy for one episode each, both of which force Leonard and Sheldon to reconsider their relationship with those girls.
* ShipperOnDeck: In "The Mother Observation", he admits to shipping Leonard and Penny, saying that each has made the other a better person, and calling them "the best couple I know." (To which Amy and Bernadette react indignantly.)
* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: Serves to fill Howard's spot while he's in space. Sheldon even ''calls'' him, "Fake Wolowitz" at one point.
* ThrowTheDogABone: Kind of a meta-example, ever since Season 3 most of his humor comes from his low self-esteem, poverty, neurosis, medical issues, and even feeling a little lonely despite seeing him with anonymous, nameless friends. While most of that is still his main comedic thrust, as he has become a more prominent character in Season 6, this results in the audience seeing him as having a tight group of friends (the main characters) that invite him to activities and treat him well, Sheldon's jerkass nature notwithstanding. At the end of Season 7, after his comic shop is burned down, Howard offers him a job at taking care of his mother. To everyone's surprise, Stuart likes it.
* UnluckyEverydude: Compared to the other characters, Stuart seems to have ''very'' bad luck. As noted above, his financial situation is almost always precarious at best and the burning down of his beloved comic book store nearly breaks the poor guy. It isn't until he starts caring for Mrs. Wolowitz, a fairly well-paying job Stuart actually enjoys, that his luck finally appears to be turning around.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Leslie Winkle]]
!!Leslie Winkle
[[quoteright:180:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/leslie_4234.jpg]]
->'''Played by:''' Sara Gilbert
->''"You put electrodes in a rat's brain and give him an orgasm button he will press that thing until he starves to death."''
A fellow physicist at the university, she has brief romantic relationships with Leonard and Howard, and an intellect and attitude to rival Sheldon. She never passes up a chance to insult him.
-----
* AscendedExtra[=/=]DemotedToExtra: Began to become a more prominent character and was even briefly promoted to main credits, but faded away again when her character proved uninteresting outside of her rivalry with Sheldon.
* BerserkButton: She will do anything to show up Sheldon if he's mentioned.
* BrainyBrunette: Leslie is the first major female example of this until Amy and Alex come along in later seasons.
* CastingGag: Sara Gilbert and Johnny Galecki were married on ''{{Roseanne}}'', Leslie happened to be the first girl of any significance in Leonard's life on the show (aside from Penny).
* CatchPhrase: "Dumbass....."
%% * TheComicallySerious
* DeadpanSnarker: Most of her lines consist of her snarking at Sheldon.
* {{Meganekko}}: Mostly because SmartPeopleWearGlasses. The first {{Meganekko}} to appear on the show before Amy and Bernadette are introduced.
* PutOnABus: Her appearances decrease rapidly once Amy and Bernadette join the cast as regulars. When Leonard turns up at her apartment in Season 3 he mentions that they hadn't spoken in a while, possibly [[JustifiedTrope justifying]] her absence, as it implies that she might have left the university for a new job (since they were lab-mates in the first couple of seasons and would have seen each other at work even if they didn't socialise any more).
* ReallyGetsAround: Leonard describes her as "using sex as a stress release" and she at one point mentions "waking up on a futon with a bunch of guys I don't know".
* ShipTease:
** She and Leonard have hooked up twice, though the first time was purely for the sex, and there have been other hints when they're separated.
** Later she dated Howard for a while, making her the fifth woman to sleep with Howard without being paid.
* SitcomArchnemesis: She strongly dislikes Sheldon and considers him an "arrogant, misogynistic East-Texas doorknob". When she insulted his intelligence, he came to hate her, considering her his "archenemy".
* TheSmartGirl: While most of the characters on the show are very brilliant, Leslie is possibly the only one (along with Amy) who can be considered Sheldon's intellectual equal.
* StaticCharacter: Despite showing a deal of potential as a foil or rival for Sheldon, and amassing a significant fanbase in her own right, the writers never really let her grow from sporadic nemesis. WordOfGod says this was because the writing team found it difficult to expand her character beyond her rivalry with Sheldon.
* TheStoic: She keeps a very straight face most of the time when she isn't being seductive or trying to humiliate someone
* WorthyOpponent: She's as intelligent as Sheldon and their mutual dislike for one another matches them very well in some competitive situations.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Barry Kripke]]
!!Barry Kripke
[[quoteright:180:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Barry_Kripke_6708.jpg]]
->'''Played by:''' John Ross Bowie
->''"We're '''all''' pathetic and cweepy and can't get girls. That's why we battle wobots."''
Another rival at the university, he and Sheldon do not get along well at all. Kripke is defined by a speech impediment in being unable to pronounce R's, substituting the sound of a W, making him unable to say his own name properly.
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* AlwaysSomeoneBetter: If he's featured in an episode, by the time it ends, he'll have faced at least one of the guys and come out the winner. Most prominent when they face him in a ''Series/BattleBots'' fight, as their robot did well destroying a toaster oven while Kripke's robot "Had angry sex with a Camry!" It could be argued that Barry is the "smartest" character in the series, being the academic equal of Sheldon and a capable engineer (demonstrated with the robot battle); in a sixth season episode, when both have similar proposal for a reactor, Sheldon admitted without any pressure that the Kripke's work was a lot better.
* BunnyEarsLawyer: Has something of a fratboy personality and often crude and obnoxious but is every bit a genius as the rest of the cast. When competing for tenure he also turns up the charm and is apparently great with kids.
* CasanovaWannabe: He tries hitting on Penny in the most obnoxious way, prompting Howard to quip "I'm looking pretty good right now, aren't I?"
* ElmuhFuddSyndwome: He doesn't pwonounce his R's w-ight. And just look at his name.
* FriendlyEnemy: DependingOnTheWriter he is on decent terms with the group as a whole but often ends up as the villain of an episode. Played with when Sheldon believed he held power over the use of the University's supercomputer, thus spent time developing a Friendship Algorithm to become friends with him.
* TheGamblingAddict: Implied, given he willingly went to Sheldon's party only because there's going to be a raffle.
* {{Jerkass}}: Not always (see Took a Level in Jerkass) but he certainly qualifies at times and when he does he becomes the most despicable person in the whole show. He regularly goes out of his way to act as obnoxious as possible towards others including rubbing his success and failures in there face. He never misses a chance to mock, insult or humiliate Sheldon. He's also very perverted and misogynist to the point he makes pre-character development Howard look like a perfect gentleman. He's even able to sometimes surpass Sheldon in this regard.
* LastNameBasis: Nearly always referred to by his last name.
%%* OohMeAccentsSlipping: He's been slipping up quite a bit.
* ProfessionalButtKisser: Not often demonstrated but comes out whenever a promotion of some sort is available at the university.
-->'''Kripke:''' If any of you need my nose, you will find it firmwy wodged in the collwective wectums of the tenure committee.
* RecurringCharacter: He's one of the series' longest running regulars and usually appears at least once or twice per season, although some feature him much more than that.
* TheRival: To Sheldon, being that they both have massive egos and typically get into prank wars or competitions with each other. In his introductory episode, he seemed to be rivals with Howard, given they were both engineers. But in general he is more often a co-worker the group only ''sometimes'' doesn't get along with rather than anything malicious involved, he doesn't quite fit the role of a SitcomArchNemesis.
* TookALevelinJerkass: {{Zigzagged}} When he first appeared Barry though arrogant and jerkish, Barry didn't seem a particularly bad guy, just another scientist on an opposing team. Since then however he's gone back and forth from being a FriendlyEnemy, and a very unpleasant man who seems to exist just to bully Sheldon and rub his failures in his face. One episode took this to whole new level by revealing he regularly embezzled the university, by applying for grants to investigate things he knew he couldn't prove, meaning he is free to spend the money on things for himself.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Zack Johnson]]
!!Zack Johnson
[[quoteright:180:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Zack-Johnson_2685.png]]
->'''Played by:''' Brian Smith
->''"I was watching the DiscoveryChannel and they said if you cut a Starfish in half it will just come back to life."''
A brief boyfriend of Penny's who becomes friends with the guys. Hopelessly stupid, thinking that bouncing a laser off the moon would be a danger ''to the moon'', he is otherwise a decent guy.
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* BrainlessBeauty: Male version, he's outright described as being very handsome by everyone, and is as thick as two short planks.
* CharacterizationMarchesOn: In his first episode, he was a jerk ''and'' an idiot. In later appearances, he's a total sweetie. [[DumbIsGood And an idiot]].
* DumbIsGood: Incredibly dense, but is very open and friendly with the guys.
* HiddenDepths: While he is hopelessly unable to grasp the actual science, he still shows an interest in what the guys are doing and apparently watches the DiscoveryChannel from time to time. He is also very knowledgeable about the designing and creation of restaurant menus.
* KindheartedSimpleton: Simple-minded in nearly every regard, Zach is arguably the nicest person in the series and never once acts malicious or rude towards Penny or the guys. Even ''Sheldon'' starts to restrain himself when Zach makes dense comments, simply because the guy is just too nice and friendly to be mean or blatantly condescending to.
* LiteralMinded: When having gotten in a fight, he knocks on her door...
-->'''Zack:''' Come on babe, open up.\\
'''Penny:''' I'm not talking to you!\\
'''Zack:''' ''[genuinely confused]'' [[LogicBomb Then who are you talking to?]] ...babe?
* NiceGuy: Got upset when he realized the others were mocking him, but [[EasilyForgiven quickly forgave them]] when [[TastesLikeFriendship offered some Milk Duds]]. It's one of the main reasons the guys don't mind having Zach around, and he's incredibly earnest when it comes to their similar nerdy interests.
* NotSoDifferent: Raj bonds with him after realizing that Zack is a comic book aficionado.
* OddFriendship: While the guys initially made fun of his stupidity, they quickly ended up befriending him due to their love of comic books. They continued to hang out even ''after'' Penny had broken up with him.
* RomanticFalseLead: A rather triumphant example, as he slowly bonded with the rest of the main characters despite largely being there to provoke some awkwardness between Leonard and Penny. He avoids the traps of being either too obnoxious (wondering why Penny is bothering with him) or being too decent of a guy (making him seem too appealing) by making it so that he and Penny did not have a whole lot of chemistry, so the focus was on the awkwardness and not worrying about hurting his feelings. The fact he was also pretty funny made him something of an EnsembleDarkhorse, and not just for {{Shipping}} reasons.
* SarcasmBlind: To the point that Sheldon seems like an expert.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Althea]]
!!Althea
->'''Played by:''' Vernée Watson
->''"I'm sorry, we don't have a code for 'robot hand grasping a man's penis.'"''
Desk nurse at the local hospital, who has to deal with/knock sense into the guys whenever their [[ZanyScheme Zany Schemes]] land them there. Also appears in the very first scene of the pilot as the receptionist at the sperm bank Leonard and Sheldon go to.
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* ComicallySmallBribe: She turns one down offered by Howard:
-->'''Howard:''' What if I were to introduce you to ''[holds up bill]'' the man who freed your people?\\
'''Althea:''' Unless my people were freed by Benjamin Franklin[[note]]100 dollar bill[[/note]] and his five twin brothers, you are wasting your time!
* DeadpanSnarker: ''Everything'' she says is snarky. It's what makes her so memorable as a character, despite having only four appearances (so far).
* SassyBlackWoman: Oh so much. She's 100% willing to call the guys out on their stupidity and loads on the sass while doing it.
* WomenAreWiser: When Howard comes in with the robot hand stuck on his privates, Althea immediately finds the solution that could have saved him a lot of embarrassment: simply turning the robot off and then on again.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Wil Wheaton]]
!!Wil Wheaton
[[quoteright:180:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/wil_4222.jpg]]
->'''Played by:''' Creator/WilWheaton
->''"Don't worry, it [being Sheldon's mortal enemy] doesn't take up too much of your time."''
A local celebrity and perpetual rival to Sheldon, after an incident where he bailed out on a Franchise/StarTrek convention Sheldon suffered great things to attend.
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* AdamWesting: Takes it to a new art form.
* ArchEnemy: Sheldon considers him this in his earlier appearances, owing to his failure to attend a Comic-Con convention a number of years previous, which Sheldon attended in hopes of an autograph. They eventually become friends though.
* TheAtoner: Shows signs. He invited Sheldon and his friends to a party -- and when Sheldon actually shows up, Wheaton gave Sheldon a signed action figure to make up for not showing up at the ''Franchise/StarTrek'' convention Sheldon went to as a child. [[spoiler: Of course, [[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration Brent Spiner]] ended up inadvertently ruining the gesture by opening said action figure]], but at least Wheaton is off Sheldon's ArchEnemy list. He later seemed to be on good terms with him at Howard's Bachelor Party. He later appears at on Sheldon's 'Fun with Flags' webshow, unintentionally causing trouble with Sheldon's relationship to Amy, ending with Sheldon throwing up in his rosebush. He's still friends with Sheldon as of the Season 7 finale.
* BeardOfEvil: Has stubble, but still keeps it after he stops being evil.
* EvilGloating: Gloats that being Sheldon's archnemesis means he lives in Sheldon's head ''rent free''.
* HeelFaceTurn: He eventually goes back on his original jerkish behaviour and forms a friendship with not just Sheldon, but all the others. See TheAtoner.
* {{Jerkass}}: Originally he was a very big jerk being willing to lie through his teeth to win a contest, and exploit his celebrity status just to spite Sheldon, but he grew out of it in Season 5.
* JerkWithAHeartOfJerk: In his early appearances, he lied about his grandmother dying to win a card game, cheated the gang out of there movie seats (after literally hours of waiting in line) and managed to convince Penny to break up with Leonard so he could win a bowling match. However he stopped being this after his HellFaceTurn.
* KarmaHoudini: Regardless of the episode and what he does specifically, Wheaton typically causes trouble for the group and specifically Sheldon and never gets any retribution. He breaks up Leonard and Penny to win a bowling match and wins. There's a certain part of the fandom that wants Penny to figure out he did it on purpose and get her revenge.
* ManipulativeBastard: In his early appearances. He deliberately starts an argument between Penny and Leonard so that his bowling team can beat Sheldon's.
* NiceCharacterMeanActor: In the show's universe, Wheaton is a selfish, scheming mastermind SitcomArchnemesis who orchestrated the first break-up between Penny and Leonard just to beat Sheldon's team at bowling -- a far cry from his character on ''[[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration Star Trek]]'' (which is how Sheldon initially knew of him).
* MeanCharacterNiceActor: Which in turn results in this, since in real life Wheaton is known to be a nice guy.[[note]]Because of this, Wheaton's Law (originally "Don't be a dick") was refined to "Don't be a dick, but it's okay to play one on TV.[[/note]]
* TookALevelInKindness: He's not as antagonistic as he was in earlier seasons. He seems to have dropped his feud with Sheldon as well.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Alex Jensen]]
!!Alex Jensen
[[quoteright:211:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/download_3_1737.jpg]]
->'''Played by:''' Margo Harshman
->''"All I know is that corduroy makes too much noise. If you'll excuse me I have to go find quieter pants."''
A grad student Sheldon hires as an assistant. Friendly with the group, she is at least somewhat capable of dealing with her boss' many eccentricities. Which gets harder to do as time goes on.
----
* BrainyBrunette: Smart enough to earn Sheldon's regard.
* ButtMonkey: Only natural since she has to be Sheldon's assistant.
* LoveAtFirstSight: Raj immediately gets a crush on her, though as usual he is incapable of talking to her.
* PuppyDogEyes: Which make Sheldon's abominable treatment of her more annoying.
* ShipTease: Between her and Leonard. Alex obviously has a crush on him and keeps hitting on him, which he didn't realize at first.
* TomboyishName: Along with the requisite gender confusion when Amy learns Sheldon's new assistant Alex is female. Penny laughs hysterically when Amy gets worried about the implications: "He didn't tell me Alex was a girl." "[[{{Asexual}} Maybe he didn't notice]]."
* UnknownRival: To Penny. Alex obviously likes Penny's boyfriend.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: After the Valentine's Day episode "The Tangible Affection Proof", she makes no more appearances. It's possible that after taking so much of Sheldon's crap that she quit.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Lucy]]
!!Lucy
->'''Played by:''' Kate Micucci
[[quoteright:196:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/images76_4705.jpg]]
A timid girl Raj met at a [[{{Irony}} "Lonely Hearts"]] valentines party. She is painfully awkward and shy but tries to get through her neurosis by going outside her comfort zone.
----
* {{Adorkable}}: In a way only Kate Micucci can pull off. She's extremely shy and awkward, but Raj genuinely likes her looks and personality. They spend one date night just texting, and both love it.
* BrokenBird: After some prodding she confessed she was broken and simply not comfortable around people.
* KickTheDog[=/=]PetTheDog[=/=]ShootTheShaggyDogStory: One of the first things she does is bail out of her first coffee date with Raj, which sends him into depression. [[TheAtoner She later tracks him down to apologize]] and explains that she has trouble talking with people. In the Season 6 finale, [[spoiler:she breaks up with him via a text message.]]
* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: She receives a brutal one from Penny, who calls out her habit for bailing too quickly [[spoiler:in her relationship with Raj.]] Penny even flat-out calls her "a bad person."
* ShrinkingViolet: To the point where it destroys her relationship with Raj. Her anxiety is so terrible that she literally can't handle being around more than one person at a time and panics ''every'' time Raj attempts something outside of her comfort zone.
* WhamEpisode: The Season 6 finale, when [[spoiler:she breaks up with Raj, curing him of his selective mutism.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Janine Davis]]
!!Janine Davis
[[quoteright:237:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/janine-davis_466.jpg]]
->'''Played by:''' Regina King
The Human Resources director at [=CalTech=] and on the tenure committee. Given the quirks of the main characters, she finds herself having to counsel them often on what is and is not appropriate behavior in the workplace. She was very familiar with Howard before he got married.
----
* FacePalm: Especially when having to deal with [[NoSocialSkills Sheldon]].
* ShipTease: Raj has expressed some attraction to her (thus also making it somewhat TokenShipping), although it is greatly one sided.
* SurroundedByIdiots: Has frequent run-ins with the guys, in particular Sheldon, who somehow manages to stumble blindly into incredibly racist comments without meaning to.
* TokenMinority: Certainly notable among the recurring characters (the show has had plenty of minority characters but besides Raj they haven't been more than one episode). Sheldon also tends to single her being black as a character trait, not understanding why ''Series/{{Roots}}'' may not be an appropriate or insightful gift to give her.
* YourCheatingHeart: Her husband apparently left her for an undergrad student.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:"Professor Proton"]]
!!Arthur Jefferies/"Professor Proton"
->'''Played by:''' Bob Newhart
->''"If I had known people would be calling me "Professor Proton" into my 80's, I wouldn't have quit smoking."''
A children's [[EdutainmentShow science show]] host 30 years ago, he was invited by Sheldon to perform a "birthday party" science demonstration for the group. He is bitter that despite being a degree'd professional with a Ph'D in physics, none of his later work was taken seriously because he was a kids show host. He appreciates the attention and respect Sheldon and Leonard give him, though is easily annoyed with Sheldon's hero worship. He passed away after several appearances in the show, but continued to manifest as a SpiritAdvisor to Sheldon.
----
* CoolOldGuy: Once you get past the grumpiness, he is very friendly.
* DirtyOldMan: Downplayed. He obviously enjoys hanging around Penny more than the guys, but he isn't quite creepy about it.
* GrumpyOldMan: Overall bitter about life and his age, not helped by Sheldon's obnoxiousness.
* RealisticDictionIsUnrealistic: As per being played by Bob Newhart.
* TheObiWan: Referenced by name, Sheldon tries to be strong about it like Luke but comes to realize via Proton as his SpiritAdvisor that pushing away the people who care about him won't make it easier to deal with the death of loved ones.
* OldShame: [[invoked]] Has regrets over his career path after doing the show, while Leonard and Sheldon help him see many modern scientists were inspired by his work as kids.
* ScrewPolitenessImASenior: Generally good-natured, he can get grumpy.
* SitcomArchNemesis: With Series/BillNyeTheScienceGuy.
-->'''Bill Nye:''' Wow, Arthur Jeffries. It's an honor to meet you. My show never would have happened without yours.\\
'''Arthur Jeffries:''' That's what I told my lawyers.
* SpiritAdvisor: After he died, he showed up in Sheldon's dream. Both he and the manifestation of Arthur are trying to figure out what he must be coming back to help Sheldon with.
* StylisticSuck: His show was pretty silly, but it seemed a lot of its charm was how annoyed he was with the writing.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Emily Sweeney]]
!!Emily Sweeney
->'''Played by:''' Laura Spencer
Raj's love interest, starting Season 7. Seemingly an OfficialCouple with him as of Season 8.
-----
* CuteButPsycho: She's very lovely, but has a rather disturbing side as well. She once remarked she became a dermatologist because it's a line of work where she's allowed to cut people. It could have been a morbid sense of humour, but it's a bit scary. She has a tattoo of Sally from Nightmare Before Christmas on her shoulder blade because she likes the fact she's covered in scars and can pull her own limbs off and sew them back on.
* ForgottenFirstMeeting: She and Howard first met on a blind date. Apparently, Howard had a stomach problem that ended in her toilet being clogged, and him sneaking out the bathroom window in embarrassment. Thus, he was nicknamed "[[EmbarrassingNickname Clogzilla]]".
* HospitalHottie: She's a Dermatologist and very attractive, though we mostly see her outside of the workforce so her primped appearance is justified.
* IvyLeagueForEveryone: She went to Harvard.
* LoveInterest: She contacted Raj over online dating site and he immediately developed a crush on her.
* MeaningfulName: Let's see. She likes to cut people up, and her name is [[Theatre/SweeneyToddTheDemonBarberOfFleetStreet Sweeney]].
* NiceGirl: She appears to be a nice lady, acting very friendly and accepting towards Raj and the others.
* NightmareFetishist: Has confessed that gory movies turn her on.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Stephen Hawking]]
The world famous physicist himself. First featured when Howard was assigned to help maintain his communication and life support systems when he visited the university, he has since made irregular cameo appearances.
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* AsHimself: It's the real Stephen Hawking.
* DeadpanSnarker: He has a ''mean'' wit.
--> '''Sheldon:''' Buh-buh-but there has to be a mistake! I don't make mathematical errors!\\
'''Hawking''': Are you saying that ''I'' do?
* LivingLegend: The guys, being scientists themselves, naturally admire his genius and absolutely squee over him when he appears at Caltech for the first time. Even Sheldon craves his approval.
* SitcomArchnemesis: To an extent, he does antagonise Sheldon, however Sheldon idolises him so it's solely one sided.
* {{Troll}}: He loves antagonizing and mocking Sheldon. In "The Troll Manipulation" he justifies it as "if you were sitting in a chair for forty years, you'd get bored, too."
-->'''Hawking:''' What do Sheldon Cooper and a black hole have in common? ...They both suck... ''[{{beat}}]'' ...neener, neener."
[[/folder]]
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[[foldercontrol]]
[[folder:Stuart Bloom]]
!!Stuart Bloom
[[quoteright:180:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Stuart_884.png]]
->'''Played by:''' Kevin Sussman
->''"Okay, if you are going to question the importance of [[RobertDowneyJr an actor's]] signature on a plastic helmet from [[Film/IronMan a movie]] based on [[IronMan a comic book]] then ''our lives'' have no meaning!"''
The owner of the comic book store [[LocalHangout the guys frequent]], he is one of the few geeky individuals on the show who is otherwise not a supergenius like the others.
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* AmbiguouslyBi: In Season 6, Stuart has apparently been without a date for so long that after an awkward moment with Raj, who later asks him if he wants to hang out sometime, Stuart comments to himself that he ''could'' do worse. He also admits that Thor is "hot".
* AscendedExtra: He has been hanging around the group since Season 2, showing up a couple of times a year but never really significant. Season 6 practically upgrades him to main cast, at the least supported by WordOfGod that he will have an expanded role. While he didn't stay in the main cast listings for long, unlike Leslie Winkle he still shows up more often than before and usually with a significant role involved.
* ButtMonkey: Everything he says is [[TheEeyore depressing.]] His idea of being "cocky" is to claim that he's "unobjectionable." He can be stood up by a stray cat.
* CharacterizationMarchesOn: In earlier episodes, he was a CoolLoser contrast to the group, but was able to successfully flirt with and ask Penny out. Over time he became a StrawLoser who is even more pathetic and helpless than the main guys, to point he lives in the store due to financial problems and his poverty and depression becoming a RunningGag. At least some of this could be described as a falling out over how his relationship with Penny ended and a series of soul-crushing problems that killed his self-esteem. His social skills have started to come back in "The Bakersfield Expedition" where he chats up the girls while trying to recommend comics for them and repeatedly berates his male customers for leering at them.
* TheChewToy: His life is essentially one misfortune after another.
* TheEeyore: Often comments on how pathetic his life is.
* {{Flanderization}}: He was originally just a very normal guy who successfully asked Penny out. It was a key plot point that in terms of being a decent, normal guy he was virtually identical to Leonard. While he remained a friendly guy he later gained some neurotic ticks, low self-esteem and has a lot more trouble talking to women than before. The change can probably be explained that "nice, normal guy" doesn't leave things too open for comedy and they wanted him to stand apart from Leonard. It's implied in the show that he hit a string of bad relationships in addition to financial problems ''and'' health issues. Getting crushed by Penny (who said Leonard's name while they were making out) in addition to living in the comic book store probably destroyed his self-esteem.
* HeterosexualLifePartners: Interesting in that one of the goals of Season 6 was to have him develop this relationship with Raj, after Howard getting married he could no longer be Raj's "wingman." They are almost never seen separate from each other and there is plenty of HomoeroticSubtext going around.
* HiddenDepths: He is a pretty talented artist.
* NiceGuy: Despite his oddities, Stuart is a very friendly guy and is always willing to help someone out, be it with selecting a comic book or needing a little bit of an emotional boost. He also feeds stray cat, which is quite heartwarming when you consider his financial situation.
* OvershadowedByAwesome: He actually went to the Rhode Island School of Design, a fairly prestigious school and he thus has some genuine skills in art and the average of students accepted into RSID is a B+. But he hangs around Sheldon, who dismisses it as equally ridiculous as Howard's Masters degree from MIT.
* PerpetualPoverty: How little profit the comic book store makes has become Stuart's RunningGag. Among other things, he's mentioned having to sleep in the store, going without meat, and having to shower at Leonard and Sheldon's apartment.
* RecurringCharacter: One of the most frequent recurring characters in Seasons 2-5. In Season 6, he was promoted to series regular, only to be "demoted" back to a frequently recurring character.
* ReplacementGoldfish: Raj basically befriends him to fill the void left by Howard being in space. See SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute.
* RomanticFalseLead: Dates Penny and Amy for one episode each, both of which force Leonard and Sheldon to reconsider their relationship with those girls.
* ShipperOnDeck: In "The Mother Observation", he admits to shipping Leonard and Penny, saying that each has made the other a better person, and calling them "the best couple I know." (To which Amy and Bernadette react indignantly.)
* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: Serves to fill Howard's spot while he's in space. Sheldon even ''calls'' him, "Fake Wolowitz" at one point.
* ThrowTheDogABone: Kind of a meta-example, ever since Season 3 most of his humor comes from his low self-esteem, poverty, neurosis, medical issues, and even feeling a little lonely despite seeing him with anonymous, nameless friends. While most of that is still his main comedic thrust, as he has become a more prominent character in Season 6, this results in the audience seeing him as having a tight group of friends (the main characters) that invite him to activities and treat him well, Sheldon's jerkass nature notwithstanding. At the end of Season 7, after his comic shop is burned down, Howard offers him a job at taking care of his mother. To everyone's surprise, Stuart likes it.
* UnluckyEverydude: Compared to the other characters, Stuart seems to have ''very'' bad luck. As noted above, his financial situation is almost always precarious at best and the burning down of his beloved comic book store nearly breaks the poor guy. It isn't until he starts caring for Mrs. Wolowitz, a fairly well-paying job Stuart actually enjoys, that his luck finally appears to be turning around.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Leslie Winkle]]
!!Leslie Winkle
[[quoteright:180:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/leslie_4234.jpg]]
->'''Played by:''' Sara Gilbert
->''"You put electrodes in a rat's brain and give him an orgasm button he will press that thing until he starves to death."''
A fellow physicist at the university, she has brief romantic relationships with Leonard and Howard, and an intellect and attitude to rival Sheldon. She never passes up a chance to insult him.
-----
* AscendedExtra[=/=]DemotedToExtra: Began to become a more prominent character and was even briefly promoted to main credits, but faded away again when her character proved uninteresting outside of her rivalry with Sheldon.
* BerserkButton: She will do anything to show up Sheldon if he's mentioned.
* BrainyBrunette: Leslie is the first major female example of this until Amy and Alex come along in later seasons.
* CastingGag: Sara Gilbert and Johnny Galecki were married on ''{{Roseanne}}'', Leslie happened to be the first girl of any significance in Leonard's life on the show (aside from Penny).
* CatchPhrase: "Dumbass....."
%% * TheComicallySerious
* DeadpanSnarker: Most of her lines consist of her snarking at Sheldon.
* {{Meganekko}}: Mostly because SmartPeopleWearGlasses. The first {{Meganekko}} to appear on the show before Amy and Bernadette are introduced.
* PutOnABus: Her appearances decrease rapidly once Amy and Bernadette join the cast as regulars. When Leonard turns up at her apartment in Season 3 he mentions that they hadn't spoken in a while, possibly [[JustifiedTrope justifying]] her absence, as it implies that she might have left the university for a new job (since they were lab-mates in the first couple of seasons and would have seen each other at work even if they didn't socialise any more).
* ReallyGetsAround: Leonard describes her as "using sex as a stress release" and she at one point mentions "waking up on a futon with a bunch of guys I don't know".
* ShipTease:
** She and Leonard have hooked up twice, though the first time was purely for the sex, and there have been other hints when they're separated.
** Later she dated Howard for a while, making her the fifth woman to sleep with Howard without being paid.
* SitcomArchnemesis: She strongly dislikes Sheldon and considers him an "arrogant, misogynistic East-Texas doorknob". When she insulted his intelligence, he came to hate her, considering her his "archenemy".
* TheSmartGirl: While most of the characters on the show are very brilliant, Leslie is possibly the only one (along with Amy) who can be considered Sheldon's intellectual equal.
* StaticCharacter: Despite showing a deal of potential as a foil or rival for Sheldon, and amassing a significant fanbase in her own right, the writers never really let her grow from sporadic nemesis. WordOfGod says this was because the writing team found it difficult to expand her character beyond her rivalry with Sheldon.
* TheStoic: She keeps a very straight face most of the time when she isn't being seductive or trying to humiliate someone
* WorthyOpponent: She's as intelligent as Sheldon and their mutual dislike for one another matches them very well in some competitive situations.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Barry Kripke]]
!!Barry Kripke
[[quoteright:180:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Barry_Kripke_6708.jpg]]
->'''Played by:''' John Ross Bowie
->''"We're '''all''' pathetic and cweepy and can't get girls. That's why we battle wobots."''
Another rival at the university, he and Sheldon do not get along well at all. Kripke is defined by a speech impediment in being unable to pronounce R's, substituting the sound of a W, making him unable to say his own name properly.
-----
* AlwaysSomeoneBetter: If he's featured in an episode, by the time it ends, he'll have faced at least one of the guys and come out the winner. Most prominent when they face him in a ''Series/BattleBots'' fight, as their robot did well destroying a toaster oven while Kripke's robot "Had angry sex with a Camry!" It could be argued that Barry is the "smartest" character in the series, being the academic equal of Sheldon and a capable engineer (demonstrated with the robot battle); in a sixth season episode, when both have similar proposal for a reactor, Sheldon admitted without any pressure that the Kripke's work was a lot better.
* BunnyEarsLawyer: Has something of a fratboy personality and often crude and obnoxious but is every bit a genius as the rest of the cast. When competing for tenure he also turns up the charm and is apparently great with kids.
* CasanovaWannabe: He tries hitting on Penny in the most obnoxious way, prompting Howard to quip "I'm looking pretty good right now, aren't I?"
* ElmuhFuddSyndwome: He doesn't pwonounce his R's w-ight. And just look at his name.
* FriendlyEnemy: DependingOnTheWriter he is on decent terms with the group as a whole but often ends up as the villain of an episode. Played with when Sheldon believed he held power over the use of the University's supercomputer, thus spent time developing a Friendship Algorithm to become friends with him.
* TheGamblingAddict: Implied, given he willingly went to Sheldon's party only because there's going to be a raffle.
* {{Jerkass}}: Not always (see Took a Level in Jerkass) but he certainly qualifies at times and when he does he becomes the most despicable person in the whole show. He regularly goes out of his way to act as obnoxious as possible towards others including rubbing his success and failures in there face. He never misses a chance to mock, insult or humiliate Sheldon. He's also very perverted and misogynist to the point he makes pre-character development Howard look like a perfect gentleman. He's even able to sometimes surpass Sheldon in this regard.
* LastNameBasis: Nearly always referred to by his last name.
%%* OohMeAccentsSlipping: He's been slipping up quite a bit.
* ProfessionalButtKisser: Not often demonstrated but comes out whenever a promotion of some sort is available at the university.
-->'''Kripke:''' If any of you need my nose, you will find it firmwy wodged in the collwective wectums of the tenure committee.
* RecurringCharacter: He's one of the series' longest running regulars and usually appears at least once or twice per season, although some feature him much more than that.
* TheRival: To Sheldon, being that they both have massive egos and typically get into prank wars or competitions with each other. In his introductory episode, he seemed to be rivals with Howard, given they were both engineers. But in general he is more often a co-worker the group only ''sometimes'' doesn't get along with rather than anything malicious involved, he doesn't quite fit the role of a SitcomArchNemesis.
* TookALevelinJerkass: {{Zigzagged}} When he first appeared Barry though arrogant and jerkish, Barry didn't seem a particularly bad guy, just another scientist on an opposing team. Since then however he's gone back and forth from being a FriendlyEnemy, and a very unpleasant man who seems to exist just to bully Sheldon and rub his failures in his face. One episode took this to whole new level by revealing he regularly embezzled the university, by applying for grants to investigate things he knew he couldn't prove, meaning he is free to spend the money on things for himself.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Zack Johnson]]
!!Zack Johnson
[[quoteright:180:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Zack-Johnson_2685.png]]
->'''Played by:''' Brian Smith
->''"I was watching the DiscoveryChannel and they said if you cut a Starfish in half it will just come back to life."''
A brief boyfriend of Penny's who becomes friends with the guys. Hopelessly stupid, thinking that bouncing a laser off the moon would be a danger ''to the moon'', he is otherwise a decent guy.
-----
* BrainlessBeauty: Male version, he's outright described as being very handsome by everyone, and is as thick as two short planks.
* CharacterizationMarchesOn: In his first episode, he was a jerk ''and'' an idiot. In later appearances, he's a total sweetie. [[DumbIsGood And an idiot]].
* DumbIsGood: Incredibly dense, but is very open and friendly with the guys.
* HiddenDepths: While he is hopelessly unable to grasp the actual science, he still shows an interest in what the guys are doing and apparently watches the DiscoveryChannel from time to time. He is also very knowledgeable about the designing and creation of restaurant menus.
* KindheartedSimpleton: Simple-minded in nearly every regard, Zach is arguably the nicest person in the series and never once acts malicious or rude towards Penny or the guys. Even ''Sheldon'' starts to restrain himself when Zach makes dense comments, simply because the guy is just too nice and friendly to be mean or blatantly condescending to.
* LiteralMinded: When having gotten in a fight, he knocks on her door...
-->'''Zack:''' Come on babe, open up.\\
'''Penny:''' I'm not talking to you!\\
'''Zack:''' ''[genuinely confused]'' [[LogicBomb Then who are you talking to?]] ...babe?
* NiceGuy: Got upset when he realized the others were mocking him, but [[EasilyForgiven quickly forgave them]] when [[TastesLikeFriendship offered some Milk Duds]]. It's one of the main reasons the guys don't mind having Zach around, and he's incredibly earnest when it comes to their similar nerdy interests.
* NotSoDifferent: Raj bonds with him after realizing that Zack is a comic book aficionado.
* OddFriendship: While the guys initially made fun of his stupidity, they quickly ended up befriending him due to their love of comic books. They continued to hang out even ''after'' Penny had broken up with him.
* RomanticFalseLead: A rather triumphant example, as he slowly bonded with the rest of the main characters despite largely being there to provoke some awkwardness between Leonard and Penny. He avoids the traps of being either too obnoxious (wondering why Penny is bothering with him) or being too decent of a guy (making him seem too appealing) by making it so that he and Penny did not have a whole lot of chemistry, so the focus was on the awkwardness and not worrying about hurting his feelings. The fact he was also pretty funny made him something of an EnsembleDarkhorse, and not just for {{Shipping}} reasons.
* SarcasmBlind: To the point that Sheldon seems like an expert.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Althea]]
!!Althea
->'''Played by:''' Vernée Watson
->''"I'm sorry, we don't have a code for 'robot hand grasping a man's penis.'"''
Desk nurse at the local hospital, who has to deal with/knock sense into the guys whenever their [[ZanyScheme Zany Schemes]] land them there. Also appears in the very first scene of the pilot as the receptionist at the sperm bank Leonard and Sheldon go to.
-----
* ComicallySmallBribe: She turns one down offered by Howard:
-->'''Howard:''' What if I were to introduce you to ''[holds up bill]'' the man who freed your people?\\
'''Althea:''' Unless my people were freed by Benjamin Franklin[[note]]100 dollar bill[[/note]] and his five twin brothers, you are wasting your time!
* DeadpanSnarker: ''Everything'' she says is snarky. It's what makes her so memorable as a character, despite having only four appearances (so far).
* SassyBlackWoman: Oh so much. She's 100% willing to call the guys out on their stupidity and loads on the sass while doing it.
* WomenAreWiser: When Howard comes in with the robot hand stuck on his privates, Althea immediately finds the solution that could have saved him a lot of embarrassment: simply turning the robot off and then on again.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Wil Wheaton]]
!!Wil Wheaton
[[quoteright:180:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/wil_4222.jpg]]
->'''Played by:''' Creator/WilWheaton
->''"Don't worry, it [being Sheldon's mortal enemy] doesn't take up too much of your time."''
A local celebrity and perpetual rival to Sheldon, after an incident where he bailed out on a Franchise/StarTrek convention Sheldon suffered great things to attend.
-----
* AdamWesting: Takes it to a new art form.
* ArchEnemy: Sheldon considers him this in his earlier appearances, owing to his failure to attend a Comic-Con convention a number of years previous, which Sheldon attended in hopes of an autograph. They eventually become friends though.
* TheAtoner: Shows signs. He invited Sheldon and his friends to a party -- and when Sheldon actually shows up, Wheaton gave Sheldon a signed action figure to make up for not showing up at the ''Franchise/StarTrek'' convention Sheldon went to as a child. [[spoiler: Of course, [[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration Brent Spiner]] ended up inadvertently ruining the gesture by opening said action figure]], but at least Wheaton is off Sheldon's ArchEnemy list. He later seemed to be on good terms with him at Howard's Bachelor Party. He later appears at on Sheldon's 'Fun with Flags' webshow, unintentionally causing trouble with Sheldon's relationship to Amy, ending with Sheldon throwing up in his rosebush. He's still friends with Sheldon as of the Season 7 finale.
* BeardOfEvil: Has stubble, but still keeps it after he stops being evil.
* EvilGloating: Gloats that being Sheldon's archnemesis means he lives in Sheldon's head ''rent free''.
* HeelFaceTurn: He eventually goes back on his original jerkish behaviour and forms a friendship with not just Sheldon, but all the others. See TheAtoner.
* {{Jerkass}}: Originally he was a very big jerk being willing to lie through his teeth to win a contest, and exploit his celebrity status just to spite Sheldon, but he grew out of it in Season 5.
* JerkWithAHeartOfJerk: In his early appearances, he lied about his grandmother dying to win a card game, cheated the gang out of there movie seats (after literally hours of waiting in line) and managed to convince Penny to break up with Leonard so he could win a bowling match. However he stopped being this after his HellFaceTurn.
* KarmaHoudini: Regardless of the episode and what he does specifically, Wheaton typically causes trouble for the group and specifically Sheldon and never gets any retribution. He breaks up Leonard and Penny to win a bowling match and wins. There's a certain part of the fandom that wants Penny to figure out he did it on purpose and get her revenge.
* ManipulativeBastard: In his early appearances. He deliberately starts an argument between Penny and Leonard so that his bowling team can beat Sheldon's.
* NiceCharacterMeanActor: In the show's universe, Wheaton is a selfish, scheming mastermind SitcomArchnemesis who orchestrated the first break-up between Penny and Leonard just to beat Sheldon's team at bowling -- a far cry from his character on ''[[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration Star Trek]]'' (which is how Sheldon initially knew of him).
* MeanCharacterNiceActor: Which in turn results in this, since in real life Wheaton is known to be a nice guy.[[note]]Because of this, Wheaton's Law (originally "Don't be a dick") was refined to "Don't be a dick, but it's okay to play one on TV.[[/note]]
* TookALevelInKindness: He's not as antagonistic as he was in earlier seasons. He seems to have dropped his feud with Sheldon as well.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Alex Jensen]]
!!Alex Jensen
[[quoteright:211:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/download_3_1737.jpg]]
->'''Played by:''' Margo Harshman
->''"All I know is that corduroy makes too much noise. If you'll excuse me I have to go find quieter pants."''
A grad student Sheldon hires as an assistant. Friendly with the group, she is at least somewhat capable of dealing with her boss' many eccentricities. Which gets harder to do as time goes on.
----
* BrainyBrunette: Smart enough to earn Sheldon's regard.
* ButtMonkey: Only natural since she has to be Sheldon's assistant.
* LoveAtFirstSight: Raj immediately gets a crush on her, though as usual he is incapable of talking to her.
* PuppyDogEyes: Which make Sheldon's abominable treatment of her more annoying.
* ShipTease: Between her and Leonard. Alex obviously has a crush on him and keeps hitting on him, which he didn't realize at first.
* TomboyishName: Along with the requisite gender confusion when Amy learns Sheldon's new assistant Alex is female. Penny laughs hysterically when Amy gets worried about the implications: "He didn't tell me Alex was a girl." "[[{{Asexual}} Maybe he didn't notice]]."
* UnknownRival: To Penny. Alex obviously likes Penny's boyfriend.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: After the Valentine's Day episode "The Tangible Affection Proof", she makes no more appearances. It's possible that after taking so much of Sheldon's crap that she quit.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Lucy]]
!!Lucy
->'''Played by:''' Kate Micucci
[[quoteright:196:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/images76_4705.jpg]]
A timid girl Raj met at a [[{{Irony}} "Lonely Hearts"]] valentines party. She is painfully awkward and shy but tries to get through her neurosis by going outside her comfort zone.
----
* {{Adorkable}}: In a way only Kate Micucci can pull off. She's extremely shy and awkward, but Raj genuinely likes her looks and personality. They spend one date night just texting, and both love it.
* BrokenBird: After some prodding she confessed she was broken and simply not comfortable around people.
* KickTheDog[=/=]PetTheDog[=/=]ShootTheShaggyDogStory: One of the first things she does is bail out of her first coffee date with Raj, which sends him into depression. [[TheAtoner She later tracks him down to apologize]] and explains that she has trouble talking with people. In the Season 6 finale, [[spoiler:she breaks up with him via a text message.]]
* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: She receives a brutal one from Penny, who calls out her habit for bailing too quickly [[spoiler:in her relationship with Raj.]] Penny even flat-out calls her "a bad person."
* ShrinkingViolet: To the point where it destroys her relationship with Raj. Her anxiety is so terrible that she literally can't handle being around more than one person at a time and panics ''every'' time Raj attempts something outside of her comfort zone.
* WhamEpisode: The Season 6 finale, when [[spoiler:she breaks up with Raj, curing him of his selective mutism.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Janine Davis]]
!!Janine Davis
[[quoteright:237:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/janine-davis_466.jpg]]
->'''Played by:''' Regina King
The Human Resources director at [=CalTech=] and on the tenure committee. Given the quirks of the main characters, she finds herself having to counsel them often on what is and is not appropriate behavior in the workplace. She was very familiar with Howard before he got married.
----
* FacePalm: Especially when having to deal with [[NoSocialSkills Sheldon]].
* ShipTease: Raj has expressed some attraction to her (thus also making it somewhat TokenShipping), although it is greatly one sided.
* SurroundedByIdiots: Has frequent run-ins with the guys, in particular Sheldon, who somehow manages to stumble blindly into incredibly racist comments without meaning to.
* TokenMinority: Certainly notable among the recurring characters (the show has had plenty of minority characters but besides Raj they haven't been more than one episode). Sheldon also tends to single her being black as a character trait, not understanding why ''Series/{{Roots}}'' may not be an appropriate or insightful gift to give her.
* YourCheatingHeart: Her husband apparently left her for an undergrad student.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:"Professor Proton"]]
!!Arthur Jefferies/"Professor Proton"
->'''Played by:''' Bob Newhart
->''"If I had known people would be calling me "Professor Proton" into my 80's, I wouldn't have quit smoking."''
A children's [[EdutainmentShow science show]] host 30 years ago, he was invited by Sheldon to perform a "birthday party" science demonstration for the group. He is bitter that despite being a degree'd professional with a Ph'D in physics, none of his later work was taken seriously because he was a kids show host. He appreciates the attention and respect Sheldon and Leonard give him, though is easily annoyed with Sheldon's hero worship. He passed away after several appearances in the show, but continued to manifest as a SpiritAdvisor to Sheldon.
----
* CoolOldGuy: Once you get past the grumpiness, he is very friendly.
* DirtyOldMan: Downplayed. He obviously enjoys hanging around Penny more than the guys, but he isn't quite creepy about it.
* GrumpyOldMan: Overall bitter about life and his age, not helped by Sheldon's obnoxiousness.
* RealisticDictionIsUnrealistic: As per being played by Bob Newhart.
* TheObiWan: Referenced by name, Sheldon tries to be strong about it like Luke but comes to realize via Proton as his SpiritAdvisor that pushing away the people who care about him won't make it easier to deal with the death of loved ones.
* OldShame: [[invoked]] Has regrets over his career path after doing the show, while Leonard and Sheldon help him see many modern scientists were inspired by his work as kids.
* ScrewPolitenessImASenior: Generally good-natured, he can get grumpy.
* SitcomArchNemesis: With Series/BillNyeTheScienceGuy.
-->'''Bill Nye:''' Wow, Arthur Jeffries. It's an honor to meet you. My show never would have happened without yours.\\
'''Arthur Jeffries:''' That's what I told my lawyers.
* SpiritAdvisor: After he died, he showed up in Sheldon's dream. Both he and the manifestation of Arthur are trying to figure out what he must be coming back to help Sheldon with.
* StylisticSuck: His show was pretty silly, but it seemed a lot of its charm was how annoyed he was with the writing.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Emily Sweeney]]
!!Emily Sweeney
->'''Played by:''' Laura Spencer
Raj's love interest, starting Season 7. Seemingly an OfficialCouple with him as of Season 8.
-----
* CuteButPsycho: She's very lovely, but has a rather disturbing side as well. She once remarked she became a dermatologist because it's a line of work where she's allowed to cut people. It could have been a morbid sense of humour, but it's a bit scary. She has a tattoo of Sally from Nightmare Before Christmas on her shoulder blade because she likes the fact she's covered in scars and can pull her own limbs off and sew them back on.
* ForgottenFirstMeeting: She and Howard first met on a blind date. Apparently, Howard had a stomach problem that ended in her toilet being clogged, and him sneaking out the bathroom window in embarrassment. Thus, he was nicknamed "[[EmbarrassingNickname Clogzilla]]".
* HospitalHottie: She's a Dermatologist and very attractive, though we mostly see her outside of the workforce so her primped appearance is justified.
* IvyLeagueForEveryone: She went to Harvard.
* LoveInterest: She contacted Raj over online dating site and he immediately developed a crush on her.
* MeaningfulName: Let's see. She likes to cut people up, and her name is [[Theatre/SweeneyToddTheDemonBarberOfFleetStreet Sweeney]].
* NiceGirl: She appears to be a nice lady, acting very friendly and accepting towards Raj and the others.
* NightmareFetishist: Has confessed that gory movies turn her on.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Stephen Hawking]]
The world famous physicist himself. First featured when Howard was assigned to help maintain his communication and life support systems when he visited the university, he has since made irregular cameo appearances.
-----
* AsHimself: It's the real Stephen Hawking.
* DeadpanSnarker: He has a ''mean'' wit.
--> '''Sheldon:''' Buh-buh-but there has to be a mistake! I don't make mathematical errors!\\
'''Hawking''': Are you saying that ''I'' do?
* LivingLegend: The guys, being scientists themselves, naturally admire his genius and absolutely squee over him when he appears at Caltech for the first time. Even Sheldon craves his approval.
* SitcomArchnemesis: To an extent, he does antagonise Sheldon, however Sheldon idolises him so it's solely one sided.
* {{Troll}}: He loves antagonizing and mocking Sheldon. In "The Troll Manipulation" he justifies it as "if you were sitting in a chair for forty years, you'd get bored, too."
-->'''Hawking:''' What do Sheldon Cooper and a black hole have in common? ...They both suck... ''[{{beat}}]'' ...neener, neener."
[[/folder]]
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