History Characters / TheUsualSuspects

* DamnItFeelsGoodToBeAGangster: Most of his personal effects are solid gold.

!!Others

[[folder:Dave Kujan]]
!!Dave Kujan
!!!'''Played By:''' Creator/ChazzPalminteri

->''You know the first thing they teach you in the academy? How to spot a murderer.''

* AntiHero: UnscrupulousHero. He may have a strong sense of justice and have a great dedication to stopping crime, but he's a violent {{Jerkass}}, blackmails people, plants false evidence, is obsessive towards a man who is trying to go straight and assaults unarmed suspects.
* BreakTheHaughty: [[spoiler:His constant taunting of Verbal's stupidity comes back to bite him big time when the TwistEnding arrives.]]
* FatalFlaw: His insistent on believing that Keaton and ''only'' Keaton could have been the mastermind of the heist allows [[spoiler:Söze to walk out of his office a free man.]]
* GoodIsNotNice: He's technically on the side of good, wanting to put criminals in jail and keep the streets safe. He's still an asshole.
* GutFeeling: He believes he already knows what happens and tries to get Verbal to confirm his suspicions. Early in the film, Verbal encourages this behavior by sarcastically asserting that, when a cop thinks the brother did it, he's usually going to be right.
* HeroAntagonist: He is this to [[VillainProtagonist Verbal]] [[ConMan Kint]]. Trying to get him to spill the whole story and bring down Keyser Söze.
* InspectorJavert: He's obsessed with arresting cop-turned-criminal Keaton. Trouble is, while there's little doubt that Keaton is a thief and murderer, he seems to be genuinely trying to go legitimate at the start of the movie. But Kujan's dogged pursuit lets Keaton's potential business partners know about his criminal background, torpedoing his career and sending him back to a life of crime. In Kujan's interactions with Verbal, we also see he's willing to break the law himself (including issuing death threats) if it means catching Keaton, and is so focused on that goal that he ignores any explanation that doesn't paint Keaton as the criminal mastermind behind everything. [[FatalFlaw This final detail]] is [[spoiler:what allows Verbal's lie to ultimately work - just tell him "Dean Keaton is Keyser Soze" and he will buy everything else hook, line, and sinker.]]
* JackBauerInterrogationTechnique: A [[IncrediblyLamePun Verbal]] take on this trope. He constantly threatens and blackmails Verbal into telling him what he wants to know. Becomes physical when he throws him on the ground and wordlessly threatens to beat him up.
* {{Jerkass}}: He thinks Verbal is stupid and is overly rough on him. [[spoiler:Then comes TheReveal...]]
* KickTheDog:
** He humiliates Keaton during his dinner with his potential business associates by arresting him with a large group of agents and mentioning his criminal past. This also ruins Keaton's reputation.
** There's also his haughty and borderline abusive behavior towards Verbal during his interrogation.
* MeaningfulName: His name is pronounced exactly like "coullione", an extremely vulgar french word for idiot.
* OhCrap: [[spoiler:His reaction at the end of the film when he realizes that Verbal's entire story was fabricated for his own benefit, and that Verbal himself is the true Keyser Söze.]]
* PetTheDog: A minor example when he helps Verbal light his cigarette near the beginning of the film.
* PoliceBrutality: Fiercely tosses Verbal to the ground in a fit of anger.
* RabidCop: Has a short temper and has an obsession with Dean Keaton, even if he's trying to pull a HeelFaceTurn.
-->"Not from ''me'', you piece of shit! ''There is no immunity from me.''"
* SecretTestOfCharacter: Agent Kujan tells Verbal that the best way to weed out a professional criminal is round up five guys and place them in a room together. An innocent man will be constantly fretting about what might happen, while the guilty party is going to be calm, trying not to give anything away, and resting as much as possible so he can be sharp when the police question him. [[spoiler:Hockney, who is revealed after the fact to be responsible for hijacking the truck from the start of the movie, is the only one not freaking out during the prison scene, and even starts getting upset at how worked up Fenster is.]]
* SmugSnake: A heroic version. [[spoiler:[[UnderestimatingBadassery His gross underestimation of Verbal]] and his overconfidence in his own intelligence proves to be his undoing.]]
* TooCleverByHalf: He condescendingly tells Verbal Kint, the prisoner he is interrogating, that Kujan is smarter than him, that Verbal is stupid, a cripple, weaker than the criminals he associated with, and that Verbal will not be free until he will tell Kujan exactly wants he wants to know. Cue BreakTheHaughty at the TwistEnding.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Mr. Kobayashi]]
!!Mr. Kobayashi
!!!'''Played By:''' Creator/PetePostlethwaite

->''[[WhamLine I work for Keyser Söze]].''
----

[[folder:Jack Baer]]
!!Jack Baer
!!!'''Played By:''' Creator/GiancarloEsposito

* GoodIsNotNice: While not as bad as Kujan in that regard, he's extremely brusque and dismissive of the hospital staff unless he gets what he wants. He's also dedicated to finding out the truth.
* JurisdictionFriction: Averted. While the FBI and Customs could clash over investigation of the fire and possession of witness Verbal Kint, he cooperates with Kujan's investigation.
* UnwittingPawn: He's the one who brings in the name "Keyser Söze", who Verbal is afraid to even talk about. [[spoiler:Or so he wants Kujan to think.]]

[[folder:Edie Finneran]]
!!Edie Finneran
!!!'''Played By:''' Suzy Amis

* IronLady: In a court or other legal setting she's tough and no-nonsense; she was quickly able to force the NYPD to release Keaton and the other suspects, for example, and her immediate impulse is to push for further legal retribution. [[BeneathTheMask She shows a softer side when she's around Keaton]].
* MealTicket: Hockney (and probably some of the other suspects) thinks of her as being one for Keaton.
* SpannerInTheWorks: Kobayashi mentions that his plan was to recruit the Suspects right after the interrogation and lineup, but Edie was a little too effective in securing Keaton's release, forcing Kobayashi to wait for another opportunity to blackmail the Suspects.
* StuffedInAFridge: Her death is revealed as a WhamLine for Verbal, which so devastates him that he finally turns on Keaton. [[spoiler:It's of course later revealed that he actually ordered her murder]]. She was the only main character killed [[KarmicDeath who was not involved in any criminal activity]], and her death serves no point beyond facilitating Verbal's VillainousBreakdown.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Sgt. Jeff Rabin]]
!!Sgt. Jeff Rabin
!!!'''Played By:''' Creator/DanHedaya

->''I'm telling you, this guy is protected from on high by the prince of darkness''.

* AgentScully: Doesn't believe Kujan's ideas at what really happened at the pier, and he's also skeptical of Baer when he brings up Keyser Söze, though he does allow them to pursue their theories.
* ArcWords: After Kujan has finished interrogating Verbal, and he and Rabin are sitting in Rabin's office:
-->'''Kujan:''' Man, you're a slob.\\
'''Sgt. Rabin:''' Yeah, but it all has a system, Dave. It all makes sense when you look at it right. You gotta stand back from it, you know?
** [[spoiler:It's when Kujan does start to look at it right that he discovers TheReveal that Verbal cribbed a lot of his story from the bulletin board behind Rabin's desk, and that Verbal is Keyser Söze]].
* JurisdictionFriction: Averted - he's reluctant to let Kujan question Verbal, but not because he doesn't want Customs getting involved; he just thinks Kujan isn't going to get anything out of Verbal.

[[folder:Redfoot the Fence]]
!!Redfoot the Fence
!!!'''Played By:''' Creator/PeterGreene

* BitchInSheepsClothing: When we first meet him, he seems like an amiable enough guy, carrying out the deal with minimal fuss, and setting up the main characters with another job. When that job turns into an utter shitstorm, however, Redfoot makes it clear that he really couldn't care less about the mess they've landed themselves in, and throws his cigarette in [=McManus'=] face for good measure.
* OnlyOneName: It's not made immediately clear whether Redfoot is his actual name, or some kind of alias. [[spoiler:It turns out it's neither -- Kint picked up his name from a newspaper clipping on the wall while spinning the story to Kujan]].
* UnwittingPawn: It turns out that he was hired by Kobayashi to set the main characters up with a job that was destined to go wrong, with the intention of having Redfoot testify against them if it came to that.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: He's never seen or mentioned after Kobayashi's introductory scene, but given Söze's habit of pulling a YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness on his subordinates, his survival chances probably aren't good. [[spoiler:Assuming he ever actually existed in the first place]].

!!Michael [=McManus=] (Creator/StephenBaldwin)

!!Dean Keaton (Creator/GabrielByrne)

!!Fred Fenster (Creator/BenicioDelToro)

* SacrificialLion: According to Benicio Del Toro, Fenster is this.

!!Todd Hockney (Creator/KevinPollak)

!!Roger "Verbal" Kint (Creator/KevinSpacey)

!!Keyser Söze [[spoiler:(Kevin Spacey)]]

!!Dave Kujan (Creator/ChazzPalminteri)

!!Mr. Kobayashi (Creator/PetePostlethwaite)

!!Saul Berg (Carl Bressler)

!!Jack Baer (Creator/GiancarloEsposito)

!!Edie Finneran (Suzy Amis)

!!Sgt. Jeff Rabin (Creator/DanHedaya}

!!Redfoot the Fence (Peter Greene)

* LawmanGoneBad: Keaton used to be a cop, but since then has been a career criminal for a long time.

* DirtyCop: His backstory is one of a sheriff turned crook.

** He humiliates Keaton during his dinner with his potential business associates by arresting him with a large group of agents and mentioning his criminal past. This also ruins his reputation.

* MealTicket: At least Hockney thinks of her this way.

* TheSkeptic: Doesn't believe Kujan's ideas at what really happened at the pier, and he's also skeptical of Baer when he brings up Keyser Söze, though he does allow them to pursue their theories.

* OnlyOneName: We never find out if Redfoot is his actual name, or some kind of alias. [[spoiler:It turns out it's neither -- Kint picked up his name from a newspaper clipping on the wall while spinning the story to Kujan]].

!!Redfood the Fence (Peter Greene)

-->'''[=McManus=]''': Don't move. Press 20, do it now.

* ItsPersonal: [[spoiler: Wants revenge on Kobayashi after Fenster's death.]]

-->'''[=McManus=]''': ''(with finger gun)'' Gimme your fuckin' keys, you fuckin' cocksucker motherfucker-[[{{Angrish}} aaaaaahhhhh]] ''([=McManus=] starts wagging his head in all directions, his tongue lolling around)''

* MauveShirt: Despite wearing a physical RedShirt in his opening scene, Fenster is one of the main characters [[spoiler: until he is killed at the end of the second act.]]

* {{Jerkass}}: The biggest one of the group. Constantly criticizing others and insulting them. Verbal even [[LampshadeHanging Lampshades]] this.
--> '''Verbal''': "Without a doubt, the one guy who didn't give a fuck about anybody."

* ActuallyIAmHim: [[spoiler: Possibly the most famous example in film history, if not pop culture in general]].

* BitchInSheepsClothing: While a criminal, Verbal comes across as a fairly, mild-mannered and ultimately harmless person. [[spoiler: In reality, he is Keyser Söze]].

* TheDogWasTheMastermind: [[spoiler: Exploits Kujan's belief that Keaton was Keyser Söze by playing up his physical and mental capabilities]].

* FourTemperamentEnsemble: Phlegmatic. The most calm and rational member of the group, and also the most easy going. [[spoiler: Or so he seems.]]

* RidiculouslyAverageGuy: He's an average, unassuming guy who you'd almost forget about if you were in a room with. [[spoiler: He's also the main villain of the film]].

* TheBadGuyWins: [[spoiler: He successfully manages to escape the police as Verbal by making up almost the whole story of what happened.]]

* CallingCard: Two GangstaStyle gunshots to the head. This is how he kills Keaton, Arturro, [[spoiler: and Edie]]. The killing of Saul Berg [[{{Foreshadowing}} foreshadows]] TheReveal.
* CardCarryingVillain: [[spoiler: Most of his dialogue is describing what a terrifying, unstoppable monster he is]].

-> ''You know the first thing they teach you in the academy? How to spot a murderer.''

* SmugSnake: A heroic version. [[spoiler: [[UnderestimatingBadassery His gross underestimation of Verbal]] and his overconfidence in his own intelligence proves to be his undoing.]]

* NoNameGiven: [[spoiler: No ''real'' name, in any case. Kint took the name "Kobayashi" from the bottom of a coffee mug.]]

* BeardOfEvil: He's got a beard and is a diamond[[spoiler: really heroin]] smuggler.

* StuffedInAFridge: Her death is revealed as a WhamLine for Verbal, which so devastates him that he finally turns on Keaton. [[spoiler: It's of course later revealed that he actually ordered her murder]]. She was the only main character killed [[KarmicDeath who was not involved in any criminal activity]], and her death serves no point beyond facilitating Verbal's VillainousBreakdown.

-->'''Kujan''': Man, you're a slob.\\
'''Sgt. Rabin''': Yeah, but it all has a system, Dave. It all makes sense when you look at it right. You gotta stand back from it, you know?
** [[spoiler:It's when Kujan does start to look at it right that he discovers TheReveal that Verbal cribbed a lot of his story from the bulletin board behind Rabin's desk, and that Verbal is Keyser Soze]].

* TheSkeptic: Doesn't believe Kujan's ideas at what really happened at the pier, and he's also skeptical of Baer when he brings up Keyser Soze, though he does allow them to pursue their theories.

* TheDragon: To Keyser Söze, of TheConsigliere type. He handles the day-to-day business for Söze and occasionally the dirty work, such as [[spoiler: murdering Fenster.]] He must be very valuable to Söze, [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness since Söze usually has henchmen who are no longer useful to be murdered]].

* BitchInSheepsClothing: While a criminal, Verbal comes across as a fairly, mild-mannered and ultimately harmless person. [[spoiler: In reality, he is Keyzer Söze]].

* FramingTheGuiltyParty: [[spoiler:In a similar example to ''Literature/AndThenThereWereNone'', he includes himself on a list of transgressions the Suspects have committed against Keyzer Söze.]]

* BadBoss: His minions are disposable.

* GoodIsNotNice: He's technically on the side of good, wanting to put criminals in jail and keep the streets. safe. He's still an asshole.

* JurisdictionFriction: Averted - he's reluctant to let Kujan question verbal, but not because he doesn't want Customs getting involved; he just thinks Kujan isn't going to get anything out of Verbal.

* InspectorJavert: He's obsessed with arresting cop-turned-criminal Keaton. Trouble is, while there's little doubt that Keaton is a thief and murderer, he seems to be genuinely trying to go legitimate at the start of the movie. But Kujan's dogged pursuit lets Keaton's potential business partners know about his criminal background, torpedoing his career and sending him back to a life of crime. In Kujan's interactions with Verbal, we also see he's willing to break the law himself (including issuing death threats) if it means catching Keaton, and is so focused on that goal that he ignores any explanation that doesn't paint Keaton as the criminal mastermind behind everything.

* AmbiguouslyBrown: Though played by a white actor (Creator/PetePostlethwaite), Mr. Kobayashi has a Japanese-sounding name (and Japanese letters on his office door), speaks with what sounds like an Indian accent and has swarthy though Caucasian-looking features. Of course, we later discover that Kobayashi isn't even his real name.