History Characters / ThePhantomTollbooth

The main character; a young boy who was bored with his life before discovering the tollbooth.

* HiddenDepths: Despite being a fool, he does have some intellectual traits such as being able to count to a high number of trillions and fractions, ([[DownplayedTrope though he fails to realize that there are even higher numbers in even that]]) and through this, it's implied rather being naturally idiotic he has [[BrillaintButLazy latent potential for being much more knowledgeable but would rather not apply himself- thus setting himself for failure due to learning more and whenever he finds something outside of his limited knowledge, he's downfounded each time]].

* FunnyAnimal: Is an insect, but he walks on two legs and wears clothes.

* MrViceGuy: While his intentions are noble and he wouldn't actively hurt someone, he's very self-centred and tends to brag.

* SiblingRivalry: Resents his brother due to them arguing over whether words or numbers were more important.

* AnthropomorphicPersonfication: How the movie depicts them. Rather than being two women who have traits of reason and rhyme, they are heavily implied to be the concepts of Rhyme and Reason in the form of colored silhouettes that happen to look like princesses.

* PrefersGoingBarefoot: The illustrations of the book depict them barefoot. However, this is somehow subverted, as one of the illustrations does depict them wearing shoes.

* FamilyUnfriendlyDeath: In the film, he [[DrivenToSuicide kills himself via melting alive rather than admit to an idea]] and [[DyingVocalChange his voice gets gradually distorted into an evil tone as he dies]].

* AnthropomorphicPersonfication: How the movie depicts them. Rather than being two women who have traits of reason and rhyme, they are heavily implied to be the concepts of Rhyme and Reason in the form of colored silhouettes that happen to look like princess.

* NonIndicativeName: Aside from the allusion to the saying "rhyme and reason", Rhyme doesn't have much to do with rhyming.

* TheFaceless: Their faces are not shown in the movie.

[[folder:The Know-it-All]]

[[folder:The Two-Faced Hypocrite]]

* TalkingAnimal: Can talk, but apart from his size, isn't anthropomorphic.

* {{Hypocrite}}: As pointed out by Milo, he and the Mathemagician have sworn to never agree with each other... even though that in itself is technically agreeing (albeit to disagree).

* TheBlank: Has no face.
** The 1970 adaptation has this trait, but also gives him indications of eyebrows to show off his true malicious intent and allow for some emotion.

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: He disappeared the moment the Terrible Trivium is defeated, presumably he fused with the other demons into the final one.

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: It disappeared the moment the Terrible Trivium is defeated, presumably it fused with the other demons into the final one.

* BreathOfFire: Does this whenever it makes a sound, which hints at its demonic nature.

* EyePop: Has this perpetually, giving it an unnerving appearance.

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: They disappeared the moment the Terrible Trivium is defeated, presumably they fused with the other demons into the final one.

* FusionDance: Of the remaining demons, creating a large purplish-blue draconic beast.

* FauxAffablyEvil: As the above indicates, their lazy demeanors to seemingly help Milo from worrying too much about everything are shown to be a facade as they're shown to be sinister and very intent on keeping Milo from doing anything.

* ArtisticLicenseBiology: In the movie, he stings the Humbug but survives.

* DoesNotLikeShoes: The illustrations of the book depict them barefoot. However, this is somehow subverted, as one of the illustrations does depict them wearing shoes.

* MeaningfulName: The "short" in his name makes sense because he isn't very tall.

* FamilyUnfriendlyDeath: In the film, he [[DrivenToSuicide kills himself via melting alive rather than admit to an idea]] and [[DyingVoiceChange his voice gets gradually distorted as he dies]].

* SapientEatSapient: Eats humans, but it's not [[ImAHumanitarian cannibalism]] since he himself isn't a human.

* SmallNameBigEgo: The essential aspect of his character, he talks himself to be a bigger threat than he is, but is actually small and harmless. Unlike most examples, he's willing to admit this, but [[EvilIsPetty but that doesn't stop him from attempting to harassing the heroes with his fellow demons anyway]]/

* EyesDoNotBelongThere: Has eyes on its rear end.

[[folder: The Final Demon]]
The fusion of the remaining demons. Only seen in the movie.

!!Other Places
[[folder:Tock]]
A literal watchdog; i.e. a dog with a watch built into his body. He likes being productive and hates it when people waste time.

-> '''Film'': Quite correct. The Terrible Trivium. Demon of petty tasks and worthless jobs. Ogre of wasted effort. And friend to lazy and foolish people everywhere.
-> '''Book''': I am the Terrible Trivium. Demon of petty tasks and worthless jobs. Ogre of wasted effort. And monster of habit.

* OurGiantsAreBigger: Is a giant who eats humans and can melt.

* AdaptationalVillainy: In the book, they were just a bunch of boring {{Lazy Bum}}s. In the movie, they actively want to make Milo stop doing anything.

* KidHero: He's only about ten, but he still manages to save the princesses.

* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: He has a petty rivalry with his brother, but he also invites the heroes to dinner despite them having been jailed and tells them to be optimistic.
* SiblingRivalry: He resents his brother due to them arguing over whether words or numbers were more important.

* AnimalsNotToScale: He's about the size of a soccer ball.

* TalkingAnimal: He can talk, but apart from his size, he isn't anthropomorphic.

* DarkIsNotEvil: She has a gloomy name and wears black, but she's nice to the protagonists and even has "Not-So-Wicked" in her title.

* InsaneTrollLogic: He accuses people of forgetting his birthday when they don't know him, of being guilty because they were holding the word "guilty", etc.

* TheNapoleon: He's very short and quick to assume someone is guilty.

* GoodWithNumbers: He likes calculating numbers and believes the world should work in terms of math.

* GoodWithNumbers: He likes to calculate statistics.

* PowerIncontinence: He has X-ray vision but can't turn it off, causing him to bump into things.

* SpellMyNameWithAThe: He has four titles, that all have "The" in them.

* TheBlank: He has no face.
* TheBore: He makes people do boring things like moving a pile of sand one grain at a time.
* MeaningfulName: He gets his name from his enjoyment of having people do trivial things.
* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: He has "terrible" in his name.

* CharacterTics: He blows his nose, polishes his glasses, and straightens his tie a lot.

* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: He's just as insincere as his name suggests.

* OurGiantsAreBigger: He's a giant who eats humans and can melt.
* SapientEatSapient: He eats humans, but it's not [[ImAHumanitarian cannibalism]] since he himself isn't a human.

* TooUnhappyToBeHungry: He refuses to eat if he's scared.
* WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes: He's afraid of ideas.

* CardCarryingVillain: He outright admits to wanting to be a demon.
* FunWithHomophones: He will interpret "sense" as "cents" and do other such misinterpretations.
* TheGadfly: He likes to annoy everyone by misinterpreting what they say.

* PunnyName: He's a pun on [[BlatantLies threadbare excuses]], and he himself wears threadbare clothes.

* MeaningfulName: He gets his name from looking grotesque and having exaggerated features.

* AmbiguousGender: It's only briefly seen, so we don't know its gender.
* CanonForeigner: It never appeared in the book.
* EyesDoNotBelongThere: It has eyes on its rear end.
* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: It has "horrible" in its name.
* PunnyName: It has eyes on its butt, which is a pun on the word "hindsight".

* PunnyName: It literally has two faces.

* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: Is just as insincere as his name suggests.

* OurGiantsAreBigger: Is a giant who eats humans and can melt.

* TooUnhappyToBeHungry: Refuses to eat if he's scared.

* CardCarryingVillain: Outright admits to wanting to be a demon.

* TheGadfly: Likes to annoy everyone by misinterpreting what they say.

* MeaningfulName: He got his name from looking grotesque and having exaggerated features.

* AmbiguousGender: Is only briefly seen, so we don't know its gender.
* CanonForeigner: Never appeared in the book.

* PunnyName: His name is a portmanteu of "mathematician" and "magician".

* CharacterTics: He blows his nose, polish his glasses, and straightens his tie a lot.

An old woman who calls herself the "Not-so-Wicked Which", because her former job was to determine ''which'' words to use. However, she got fired after becoming "miserly" and allowing fewer and fewer words to be used.

* JerkassWoobie: InUniverse, he's a woobie but he's so beat-up looking that Milo feels sorry for him.