History Characters / ThomasAndFriendsTheSteamTeam

* TokenEvilTeammate: It's usually the narcissists Gordon and James. Downplayed, however, in that they are each more of a {{Jerkass}} than straight-up evil characters.

* NervousWreck: Henry is easily the most neurotic of the Steam Team.

* FreudianExcuse: It's implied in earlier episodes that his FantasticRacism towards diesels is caused by sucky experiences with [[{{Jerkass}} some of them]], namely Diesel. He drops this in later episodes, though.

* BlueIsCalm: Appropriately, Edward the Blue Engine is a calm-minded and kind-hearted CoolOldGuy. He especially contrasts well with [[RedIsViolent James the Red Engine]].

* CharacterExaggeration: Some original stories would try to maintain Edward's nicer side, but make him more meek and error prone and insecure of his older build. While this was to some degree true of his character originally (the other engines bully him to tears in the first story), his novel counterpart shortly afterwards was conveyed as a very thick-skinned and competent engine. The Brenner-made seasons onwards tend to reverse this back though.

* DramaPreservingHandicap: As observed with the tropes above, the show made several attempts to make Edward more flawed and define some sort of trademark foible for him, often for the purpose of allowing him to drive stories or appear in plots without his overly lucid personality breaking the conflict (the original novels resolved this by having him DemotedToExtra after a while, with the show ultimately doing the same with ''Big World Big Adventures'').
* FatalFlaw: The Hit seasons tried to define one for Edward, but couldn't keep a consistent grasp on him. The CGI episodes settle for making him self conscious and somewhat ''[[ExtremeDoormat too]]'' good-natured.
* FlatCharacter: Unlike most of the other highly flawed engines, there isn't much to Edward outside being a somewhat old and polite engine. The Hit seasons attempt to remedy this by giving him a more flawed personality, with mixed results.

* JerkassBall: Has a tendency to grab this in since the show branched away from the books. Episodes such as "Edward Strikes Out" and "Harvey To The Rescue" are stand out examples.

* DemotedToExtra: No longer part of the main cast in Season 22 due to the introduction of Nia and Rebecca, in order to allow more female members in the main cast. Still retained in the Engine Roll Call song though, and WordOfGod adds confusion to this by stating that he is still in the Steam Team, but he is still absent from all the marketing for the season.

* {{Flanderization}}: His meekness started off a subtle extra depth in the Mitton seasons, before he became increasingly superstitious and fearful of everything in the Hit seasons, to the point his intellect became an InformedAttribute. The Brenner episodes seem to be toning the trait back down.
* FreudianTrio: Originally was one with Thomas and Percy.

* SuckSessor: Gordon initially hated her for taking Edward's place.

* {{Expy}}: One member of the [=HiT=] team stated that Emily's bossy Miller-era persona was inspired by that of [[Franchise/{{Peanuts}} Lucy Van Pelt]]. It's also possible that [[Franchise/HarryPotter Hermione Granger]] inspired her, as they are both bossy know-it-alls who are otherwise good friends with their respective gangs.

* DependingOnTheWriter: He is either a rather arrogant DeadpanSnarker with nice qualities, a naive Cloudcuckoolander bordering on IdiotHero, or friendly but immature MrViceGuy.

* EraSpecificPersonality: A self-important BrattyHalfPint under Awdry's pen, before becoming OlderAndWiser in Mitton's original stories, and then a well-meaning CloudCuckooLander under Miller's pen. Brenner's run seems to be attempting for [[CompositeCharacter a compromise of all efforts]] so far, with him being cheeky and intelligent again, but still childish and [[AttentionDeficitOohShiny easily distracted]].

* HairTriggerTemper: He can easily become angry when other engines bully him or when he was overworked.

* GutturalGrowler: American narrators such as George Carlin and Michael Brandon gave Gordon a gruff sounding voice.
** He's also got a voice like this in the Japanese dub.

'''The Steam Team''' | [[Characters/ThomasAndFriendsTheDiesels The Diesels]] | [[Characters/ThomasAndFriendsLittleWesternAndArlesdale Little Western and Arlesdale]] | [[Characters/ThomasAndFriendsSkarloeyRailway Skarloey Railway]] | [[Characters/ThomasAndFriendsForeignEngines Foreign Engines]] | [[Characters/ThomasAndFriendsSecondaryCharacters Secondary Characters]] | [[Characters/ThomasAndFriendsNonRailCharacters Non-Rail Characters]] | [[Characters/ThomasAndFriendsRollingStock Rolling Stock]] | [[Characters/ThomasAndFriendsHumans Humans]] ]]]] -]

* ImmuneToSlapstick: One of the very few engines who never caused a humiliating accident or crash for himself in the original ''Literature/TheRailwaySeries'' inspired seasons, and when something did happen, like in "Edward's Exploit", it wasn't played for laughs. The streak was finally broken in "Edward’s Brass Band" however.

* SilverFox: Edward is one of the oldest trains on the railway, yet still looks as young as Thomas.

* BigBad: Barring the [[AlwaysChaoticEvil Freight Cars and their usual antics,]] he was effectively the main antagonist for most of the latter half of Season 1. As his haughty and pompous nature, as well as his influence turning the other big engines, [[TokenGoodTeammate barring Edward,]] into the conceited jerks they were back then were and the numerous problems that came after were the main focus at the time. Finally coming to a head in "Trouble in the Shed", where he leads the other big engines on strike against the Fat Controller [[DisproportionateRetribution for making them shunt like tank engines.]]

* UnsympatheticComedyProtagonist: In his earlier stories. Later stories focused more on his altruistic qualities, though he can still be arrogant every now and then.

* CoolOldGuy: In season 2, especially in "Old Iron" and "Edward's Exploit". Returns on odd occasions, such as "Edward The Hero".

* TookALevelInDumbass: He has a number of moments of being unintelligent at the start of season 8, "Henry's Magic Box" being a common example.

* VocalDissonance: In ''Magic Railroad'', he is voiced by Susan Roman, which makes him sound too feminine for an ''adult'' male locomotive. Interestingly, like Percy, he was originally going to be voiced by Creator/MichaelAngelis, the original narrator of ''WesternAnimation/ThomasAndFriends'', but test audiences thought he sounded too mature for him.

* {{Determinator}}: ''Percy's Promise''.

* VocalDissonance: In ''Magic Railroad'', he is voiced by Linda Ballantyne, despite being a male locomotive. While it makes sense for him to be voiced by a woman due to him being the youngest of the Steam Team, he still sounds too feminine. Interestingly, like James, he was originally going to be voiced by Creator/MichaelAngelis, the original narrator of ''WesternAnimation/ThomasAndFriends'', but test audiences thought he sounded too mature for him.

Nia is a Kenyan tank engine introduced in the special ''Big World! Big Adventures!'' as Thomas meets her during his world trip as he travels to UsefulNotes/{{Kenya}} during his journey through Africa from Dakar to Dar es Salaam while trying to follow Ace. She later joins the main cast at Tidmouth Sheds in Season 22.

!!Introduced in Big World! Big Adventures!

!!Introduced in Big World! Big Adventures!

!!Current Members

[[folder:Gordon the Big Engine]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/gordon.png]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/timefortrouble11.png]]
->''"Express coming through!"''

->Voiced in English by: Creator/NeilCrone (''WesternAnimation/ThomasAndTheMagicRailroad''), Creator/KeithWickham (UK, ''Hero of the Rails''- Series 24), Creator/KerryShale (US, ''Hero of the Rails''- Series 24)
->Voiced in Japanese by: Creator/KenjiUtsumi (Series 1 - Series 8), Creator/KentaMiyake (''Calling All Engines!'' - Series 24)
->Voiced in Latin American Spanish by: Salvador Nájar (''Thomas and the Magic Railroad''), Jorge Roig (''Thomas and the Magic Railroad'', TV version), Creator/DafnisFernandez (''Hero of the Rails'' - Series 24)

->Number: 4

->Basis: London and North Eastern Railway A1/A3 4-6-2

->Built: 1922

A big, powerful express engine whose main job is to pull the railway's express. He thinks very highly of himself and is quick to criticize others, though his delusions of grandeur are often what land him into trouble.

* AdaptationalEarlyAppearance: According to Wilbert Awdry's history on the Railway Series, Gordon arrived on the island not long after his birth in 1922 after Thomas and Edward. While it's never stated if he came to Sodor before or after Edward, "The Adventure Begins" shows he was on the island before Thomas.
* AesopAmnesia: Just when you'll think he's learned a lesson in humility, he'll be just as arrogant and pompous as before.
* AloofAlly: He's not the warmest of engines and tends to be very haughty, but he will pull through for a friend.
* AntiHero: He's pompous, arrogant, and looks down on other engines, but is still a part of the Steam Team.
* BaritoneOfStrength: Has a deep whistle and typically a deep, posh voice. He's also the largest and strongest of the main characters, and the trucks have never tried to crash him.
* BerserkButton: Please don't make Gordon pull trucks. He'll stall himself or crash.
* BigBad: Barring the [[AlwaysChaoticEvil Freight Cars and their usual antics,]] he was effectively the main antagonist for most of the latter half of Season 1. As his haughty and pompous nature, as well as his influence turning the other big engines, [[TokenGoodTeammate barring Edward,]] into the conceited jerks they were back then were and the numerous problems that came after were the main focus at the time. Finally coming to a head in "Trouble in the Shed", where he leads the other big engines on strike against the Fat Controller [[DisproportionateRetribution for making them shunt like tank engines.]]
* BigDamnHeroes: In ''Hero of the Rails'', he pulls this [[spoiler:to save a broken-down Hiro from potentially being taken by Spencer to be scrapped, by suddenly thundering down the line and challenging Spencer to a race, [[ChallengeSeeker knowing he can't resist to prove himself]]. This not only gets Spencer into an accident, he also gets in trouble with the Duke and Duchess]].
* TheBigGuy: The largest and strongest of the main characters. He's even described as "Gordon The Big Engine".
* BigOlEyebrows: Has very thick lines over his eyes.
* BlueIsHeroic: He can fit this trope if episodes don't center around him being haughty.
* BreakTheHaughty: What happens in every episode centered on him. Also, he's not immune to dishing it out to other engines as well; he gets sweet revenge on Thomas in the very first episode for example.
* BritishStuffiness: Particularly in the UK version, where Keith Wickham gives him a deep and haughty voice.
* CharacterCatchphrase: Many.
** "Oh, the indignity!" (especially when he's subjected to a humiliating situation)
** "I'm the fastest/strongest and the best and I pull the Express!"
** "Express coming through!"
** In the earlier seasons, he used to say "Hurry, hurry, hurry!"
* ClashingCousins: He and Spencer are LNER engines of different classes (Gordon is an LNER A1/A3 class while Spencer is an A4 class) and both have a rivalry with each other.
* TheComicallySerious: His seriousness lends to funny moments, particularly when he flusters over being insulted by the other engines.
* ControlFreak:
** In "Gordon Takes Charge", he delights himself in teaching Percy how to manage coaches just to show off.
** He appears to be extremely apprehensive towards radical changes. In Season 22’s "Forever and Ever", he protests to Sir Topham Hatt over Edward and Henry leaving the group.
* DeadpanSnarker: He has some funny dry lines, "What's this, educate Gordon day!?", in Tender Engines.
* DoesntTrustThoseGuys: In "Gordon and the Famous Visitor", he doesn't have a high opinion on City of Truro for his lack of dome and said "Never trust domeless engines. They aren't respectable." This led to him losing his dome at the viaduct.
* DudeWheresMyRespect: So much that Season 9's ''Respect for Gordon'' is based entirely around this.
* FatalFlaw: Mostly his pompousness, which gets him into trouble.
* FireForgedFriends: With Thomas in "Down The Mine". Later referenced in "Paint Pots & Queens". Also with Nia and Rebecca, due to the two newcomers replacing Edward and Henry in the group. He became friends with Nia after she assured him that Edward and Henry will still be his friends, and he became friends with Rebecca after she defended him from Flying Scotsman's teasing.
* {{Foil}}:
** To Rebecca, due to them both being large Express engines. While Rebecca is optimistic, Gordon is usually grumpy.
** He's also this to Henry in the later series. Both are big tender engines. While Henry is a sensitive GentleGiant, Gordon is pompous and gruff, but shows his soft side every now and then.
* FreudianTrio (with James and Henry): Superego.
* TheFriendNobodyLikes: Other engines often get annoyed with his egotistical and pompous attitude.
* GleefulAndGrumpyPairing: The Grumpy to Rebecca's Gleeful, perhaps best exemplified in "Gordon and Rebecca, Coming Through!"; he has worked on Sodor for a very long time, loves going fast, hates pulling goods trains, and is sometimes bossy to the other engines, especially if they're on his tracks.
* GutturalGrowler: American narrators such as George Carlin and Michael Brandon gave Gordon a gruff sounding voice.
** He's also got a voice like this in the Japanese dub.
* HairTriggerTemper: It's not hard to get him angry. ''Especially'' when ordered to pull trucks.
* HumblePie: Despite his prideful nature, Gordon often displays huge bouts of humility and is understanding to engines who end up the same.
* TheHyena: In "Gordon Gets the Giggles", he laughs so much despite trying to hide it from the others.
* IAmGreatSong:
** "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvIL4fBsQ2I Ode to Gordon]]"
** Much later, he received "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkwASB_Gclc The Shooting Star is Coming Through!]]", which he sings himself. [[TheDayTheMusicLied Unfortunately...]]
* InferioritySuperiorityComplex: Gordon always wants to prove himself, feeling his importance is threatened if any other engine rivals or surpasses him. He's visibly distraught when he bursts his safety valve in ''Edward, Gordon and Henry'' and the Fat Controller is ashamed of him.
* InsultedAwake: By both Thomas and Henry.
* ItsAllAboutMe: He has a massive ego and sees himself as better and more important than the others.
* JerkassHasAPoint: Has his moments.
** For example, his strength is sometimes called on to help with the goods work, Gordon will complain at great length. But he's right, he wasn't designed to pull freight trains.
** Related to that, he can be quite mean to Edward but he isn't wrong when Edward wont be able to push the express by himself as "Edward, Gordon and Henry", proved.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: He may be pompous and always looks down on other engines, but Gordon will always put aside his pride and prove that he can be a kind and helpful engine and that he cares about his friends.
* KnowNothingKnowItAll: He tends to think he knows more than he does.
* LargeAndInCharge: Definitely believes in this.
* LargeHam: He's easily the biggest and fastest out of the Steam Team; he also brags about his importance quite a lot and his whistle is the deepest.
* LastOfHisKind: Gordon and Flying Scotsman are the last of the LNER A1-A3 Pacific type trains who are still active. Most of their siblings have been already [[NeverSayDie scrapped]], as mentioned in ''The Railways Series.''
* MassiveNumberedSiblings: He has more or less eighty siblings and all of them based on real life LNER A1-A3 Pacific locomotive.
* NoRespectGuy: At times. The key plot point of "Respect For Gordon".
* OutOfCharacterMoment: This gem from Season 16's "Thomas and the Sounds of Sodor":
-->'''Thomas:''' "What are you doing here, Gordon? You're supposed to be on the main line!"\\
'''Gordon:''' "[[SkewedPriorities I thought I'd take the pretty track]]."
* PerpetualFrowner: Most of the time, he displays a scowl due to thinking highly of himself, or when he looks down on the other engines. Their tendency to tease him doesn't help at all.
* PrimaryColorChampion: Gordon is painted blue with red stripes (and a red bufferbeam) and has a yellow number 4 on each side of his tender (and yellow highlights on his window). He can have moments of heroism in spite of his ego.
* RedBaron: Averted. He changes his name to "The Shooting Star" in ''The Great Race'', but most people end up calling him Gordon anyway. [[spoiler:He ended up giving up the name at the end of the Great Railway Show.]]
* RedOniBlueOni: He's the red to Rebecca's blue, as seen by the friendship they developed.
* TheRival:
** To Thomas in season 1 (with occasional {{Friendly Rival|ry}} moments in later seasons).
** He later becomes this to Spencer from season 7 onward, since the latter, as a modern engine, can give his speed a run for his money.
* SensitiveGuyAndManlyMan: The Manly Man, along with James, to Henry's Sensitive Guy.
* SmallNameBigEgo: He loves to think he's more important than he really is.
* SmileOfApproval: In the end of ''WesternAnimation/TheAdventureBegins'', he gives one to Thomas after saving James from his accident, citing his respect for him after looking down on him initially.
* TheSocialDarwinist: He believes that coaches are more important than trucks, despite the fact that passengers are just about as equal as goods.
* SuperMode: He gets streamlined for the Great Railway Show, to increase his speed even further for the Great Race. [[spoiler:Unfortunately, he leaves the Steamworks before being inspected, resulting in his safety valve not being assembled properly, which in turn causes his boiler to take heavy damage.]]
* TemptingFate:
** In "Confused Coaches", Gordon attempts to score a jab at Spencer by teasing him about always being in the No. 2 station while he's always "No. 1". This leads to problems when Spencer transfers himself to the No. 1 station... which leads to both him and Gordon getting the wrong coaches, and then getting scolded by both the passengers and the Fat Controller himself.
** [[spoiler:In Season 22's "Forever and Ever", he attempts to do a huge protest due to Edward and Henry leaving the group (Edward moved close to his job, while Henry moved to the other side of Sodor due to his new job as a regular Mainland traveller), coupled with other drastic changes to the railway. This causes him to get punished.]]
* ToxicFriendInfluence: He's a terrible influence on Henry and James, as hanging out with him causes them to become snobbish, haughty jerks. In the HIT era, Gordon and James were collectively toxic influences on Emily, who went from a sweet engine to a bossy, self-righteous know-it-all after joining their clique.
* {{Tsundere}}: A male one, and a harsh type. He'll insult and belittle engines he deems beneath him, but deep down he has a huge heart.
* {{Tuckerization}}: Named after a rude boy that lived on Christopher Awdry's street in his childhood.
* UngratefulBastard: He has a few moments of using this trope, although in other episodes, he does show gratitude in spite of his large ego.
** In "Edward and Gordon", Edward helps him up the hill after the trucks held him back. He didn't thank him.
** Averted in "Edward The Really Useful Engine", where he thanks Edward and apologises to him at the end of the episode.
** In "You Can Do It, Toby!", Toby helps him push the Express train up the hill. He neither thanked him nor did he apologize for insulting him earlier on.
** Edward finally complains about him being this in "Old Reliable Edward", and with Thomas' help, gets Gordon to show some respect.
* UnsympatheticComedyProtagonist: In episodes centered around him.
* UpperClassTwit: In the later seasons, due to the {{Flanderization}} of his ego.
* WhenHeSmiles: Gordon is usually grumpy, but as said by Hiro in ''WesternAnimation/HeroOfTheRails'', when he smiles, it changes his whole face.
* YouHaveGotToBeKiddingMe: All together now: "Oh, the indignity!"

[[folder:James the Red Engine]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/james_6.png]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mainjamesmodel_8.png]]
->''"I'm a really splendid engine."''

->Voiced in English by: Creator/SusanRoman (''WesternAnimation/ThomasAndTheMagicRailroad''), Creator/KeithWickham (UK; ''Hero of the Rails'' - Series 20), Creator/KerryShale (US; ''Hero of the Rails'' - Series 18), Rob Rackstraw (US; ''The Adventure Begins'' - Series 24, UK; Series 21- 24)
->Voiced in Japanese by: Creator/KatsujiMori (Series 1 - Series 8), Creator/MasashiEbara (''Calling All Engines!'' - Series 24)
->Voiced in Latin American Spanish by: Uraz Huerta (''Thomas and the Magic Railroad''), Creator/EduardoGarza (''Thomas and the Magic Railroad'', TV version), Creator/MarioCastaneda (''Hero of the Rails'' - Series 24)

->Number: 5

->Basis: Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Class 28 2-6-0

->Built: 1912/13

A mixed traffic engine, James was riddled with issues when he first arrived, but later proved to be Really Useful by pulling the Express when Gordon failed. James can be called upon to perform virtually any duty, though he prefers coaches. Like Gordon's ego, James's vanity and admiration for his red paintwork often gets him in trouble.

* AdaptationDyeJob: Zig-zagged; in the novel version of "Thomas and the Breakdown Train", James was painted black when he first came to Sodor, but was painted red after Thomas rescued him from a field that the Troublesome Trucks pushed him into. In the TV series adaptation of the story, James retains his red livery even before the Troublesome Trucks push him into the field. In ''WesternAnimation/TheAdventureBegins'', which is a [=CGi=] retelling of the first two ''Railway Series'' books, true to his book counterpart, James spends most of the special in his original black livery, only appearing in his red livery near the very end.
* AdaptationalEarlyAppearance: In the books, James' first appearance is in "Thomas and the Breakdown Train" where he is explicitly identified by the narrator as a new engine. The TV series has him appear in group shots and make background appearances since the first episode, though the narrator for "James and the Coaches" erroneously says his crash was from his first day (due to the narration being lifted straight from the book). ''WesternAnimation/TheAdventureBegins'' doubles down on this and has him get into banter with the cast long before his crash, and was a part of the railway before Thomas was.
* AesopAmnesia: Almost ''all'' of his spotlight episodes revolve around his vanity in some way. No matter how often he's humbled, he's back the next episode, pompous as ever.
* AmbiguouslyGay: His voice (especially with Creator/{{Alec Baldwin}}'s narration and when voiced by Creator/KerryShale) and his being TheDandy say it all. In fact a lot of people in the community actually headcanon him as gay too, mainly through stereotypes and ships, mostly James x Gordon, James x Thomas, and James x Edward. This is ''not'' the case of his original incarnation of the books, who was generally more characterized as a generally unpleasant {{Jerkass}} and complainer after CharacterDevelopment brought him down to earth...eh, somewhat, but at the very least his flaws began to stem more from a rude attitude than vanity.
* AntiHero: He's arrogant, rude, and boastful to other engines, but is still part of the Steam Team.
* AttentionWhore: Likes being center of attention, and doesn't take it well when the other engines pay none of it to him.
* BerserkButton: Never, ever remind James of the time with the bootlace, or any other of his accidents. Also don't threaten to paint him blue.
* BigEgoHiddenDepths: Despite his voice inflated ego, deep down, he's a genuinely hard worker who cares about his friends, ''especially'' during a RedemptionArc like "Troublesome Trucks", or "No Joke for James".
* BreakTheHaughty: Happens to him in any episode involving him trying to be important.
* BrooklynRage: George Carlin gives him a New York accent in the US dub of the earlier episodes.
* TheBully: He bullies Phillip in "Apology Impossible", although he was hit with the JerkassBall.
* CharacterCatchphrase:
** He constantly boasts about being a "splendid engine" or any of the sort.
** At the start of season 20, he'll always shout "Here's James!" whenever he arrives in a show-offy manner, likely as a ShoutOut to a certain scene from ''Film/TheShining''.
* CharacterDevelopment: A subtle one, but following the events of "James the Second Best", James no longer looks down on Edward and even feels upstaged by him when Edward gets selected for a railway poster. After they make peace at the end of the episode and Edward assures him he is useful, James is far more respectful to Edward, a rare Aesop that actually sticks for most of the series.
* TheChewToy: If he's playing a role in an episode, expect something bad to happen to him.
* ColorMotif:
** In the early days, James was painted black, an ominous color. True to form, in "Thomas and the Breakdown Train", he gets into a brutal accident with the Troublesome Trucks (with "The Adventure Begins" depicting his wooden brakes catching on fire).
** After his accident, James was given a shiny red coat of paint. Red represents anger and violence, and James is often depicted as the Steam Engine with the biggest temper.
* TheDandy: He loves his red paint and hates it when it gets dirty.
* DeadpanSnarker: Not as much as Gordon, but he still is able to outsnark some of the others and be very dry.
-->'''Gordon:''' I seem to know the right line by instinct!\\
''Later''\\
''Gordon slowly puffs into the station after being switched on to the wrong tracks and having to loop back to the station''\\
'''James:''' Hello Gordon? Is it tomorrow?\\
'''James:''' Did you lose your way Gordon?\\
'''Gordon:''' No it was lost for me. I was switched off of the main line onto the loop. I had to go all around and back again.\\
'''James:''' Perhaps it was instinct?
* {{Determinator}}: So much, he actually has a variant of his original {{Leitmotif}} for such instances.
* DivergentCharacterEvolution: James seems to have gradually become more mischievous and cheerful than curmudgeonly Henry and Gordon as the show branched from the books.
* EarlyInstallmentCharacterDesignDifference: His CGI render is far taller than his model, with the former coming after the latter (the series started with moving models but later started using CGI for its animation).
* EraSpecificPersonality: In his first book (and the episodes that adapted it) James was more like a troubled, temperamental, but well-meaning character. After that, he quickly became a SmallNameBigEgo. Miller's era toned James down into a MrViceGuy, being vain but otherwise friendly and rational. Afterwards Brenner's era turned James into a sly, obnoxious prankster.
* ExBigBad: A non-villainous one. While not a villain in ''Tale of the Brave'', James does serve as a source of conflict. [[spoiler:It's especially when he scared and tricks Percy]]. He also survives the special and doesn't act as a BigBad in any later specials.
* FatalFlaw: His temper was one in the books and early episodes. Later, his vanity became one of his most popular traits.
* FieryRedHead: Well, "Fiery Red Engine" in his case. Out of the engines in the Steam Team, James is more likely to lose his wheels, especially when he's insulted.
* {{Flanderization}}: As the show began to diverge from the books, more emphasis was placed on his pride and vanity with his paintwork. His book counterpart, by contrast, grew past this (becoming just more of a general TheFriendNobodyLikes from his grouchy and headstrong attitude), as while he still didn't ''enjoy'' pulling goods trains, he still put up with them, and his hatred of them stemmed more from how tedious they could get versus passenger duties [[note]]As an example, slow goods trains require an engine to pick up and drop off trucks at various stations, resulting in much starting and stopping to rearrange the train, which can get heavier and heavier as time goes on[[/note]].
* {{Foil}}: To Edward. Both tender engines are the same size, but while Edward is humble, kind, patient, and doesn't mind what work he does, James is vain, temperamental, snarky and hates doing jobs that are dirty and prefers pulling coaches. They're even colored blue and red, respectively.
* FreudianExcuse: It's implied in earlier episodes that his FantasticRacism towards diesels is caused by sucky experiences with [[{{Jerkass}} some of them]], namely Diesel. He drops this in later episodes, though.
* FreudianTrio: The short-tempered and vain Id to Henry's cautious Ego and Gordon's aloof Superego. In ''WesternAnimation/KingOfTheRailway'' and some Season 5 episodes, he forms one with Percy and Thomas.
* TheFriendNobodyLikes: While several engines on the railway get this response, James gets this from the other engines most of all for his vain and boastful attitude.
* GleefulAndGrumpyPairing: The Grumpy to Edward's Gleeful; he is vain, temperamental, loves pulling coaches, and hates doing dirty jobs.
* GlorySeeker: Loves taking special jobs to make himself feel important. Thomas calls him out for it in one episode.
* HairTriggerTemper: In many occasions, he can get angry easily when things don't really go his way or when the other engines insult him. It doesn't help that his color is red, which symbolizes anger.
* HisOwnWorstEnemy: Most of his problems are caused by his arrogance, short fuse, and by extension his impatience and vanity.
* HypocriticalHumor: Occasionally. In "Philip to the Rescue" for example, James complains about how much Philip shows off and talks about himself despite that he himself does it a lot. [[HypocriteHasAPoint Not that he was wrong about Phillip being a braggart]].

** His early season {{Leitmotif}} is later extended to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLXU0E5WyRo a song]] about him.
** Gets another in ''WesternAnimation/JourneyBeyondSodor'', "Somebody Has to Be the Favorite".
* InconsistentSpelling: His name in the [[UsefulNotes/FrenchLanguage French]] dub of the model series is "Jacques" (the French spelling of his name), but it's otherwise spelled as "James".
* IJustWantToBeBeautiful: He really wants to constantly look good.
* IncomingHam: His very first line in the series has him screaming "HELP! HELP!" as he is being pushed by freight cars with his brakes on fire.
** In the beginning of "Journey Beyond Sodor", he literally rushes in to steal the show, just after Thomas [[ThatRemindsMeOfASong expressed his desire to sing a song]], much to Thomas's chagrin. The [[ItsAllAboutMe accompanying lyrics]] sell it.
* InferioritySuperiorityComplex: ''Far worse than Gordon''. James will have a tantrum if he's not the center of attention from the passengers. On the other hand, he is often shown taking his mistakes or fall-outs with others rather badly. He actually ''cries'' after causing the bootlace incident.
* InsufferableImbecile: A downplayed one. {{Idiot Ball}}s aside, James is more cocky and impulsive than stupid. However, he's usually rude and arrogant.
* ItsAllAboutMe: Like Gordon, he is very self-important, believes he should do the jobs only he likes to do, thinks he's the best engine on Sodor and constantly brags about his red paintwork. He even sings "Somebody Has to Be The Favorite" with him thinking he's the favorite.
* JackOfAllStats: Of sorts. As a mixed-traffic engine, James can do a several jobs. He'd much rather pull coaches however.
* JerkassBall: Doubles as a JerkassToOne of the "Crueler to One" variety. Most of us know James is a JerkWithAHeartOfGold. But in "Apology Impossible" he acts even more jerkish than ever, namely to Phillip.
* JerkassHasAPoint: He can make valid statements. In "Ding-a-Ling" for instance, he states bicycle bells are important and Mr. Percival's new bike needs one. Not that he did anything about it, other than condescendingly telling the nearby engines to get one.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: After pulling Gordon's coaches ([[ToxicFriendInfluence and started hanging around him and picking up his attitude]]), James became a vain, rude, and sometimes dishonest engine. He can also be nice sometimes and a good friend when he wants to be.
* KarmicButtMonkey: He cannot catch a break, from ridicule from his accidents, to ruining his red paint and even getting peed on by a dog. Though considering his ego, his brings it on himself. Pride before a fall...
* {{Keet}}:
** Both Katsuji Mori and Rob Rackstraw's voices make him sound energetic. Katsuji Mori helps since he played energetic characters before.
** His current [[UsefulNotes/JapaneseLanguage Japanese]] voice can also count in the later seasons.
* LargeHam: While not as hammy as Gordon, James does like to brag and put on airs when chronicling his splendidness. The hamminess increases when he's given a special job or finds a way to prove himself. Coupled with his NoIndoorVoice and catchphrase of "Here's James!", there are times when he gives Gordon a run for his money!
* LeaveMeAlone: In "James to the Rescue", he constantly refuses Toby's continuous advice to get Rocky to help a derailed Gordon, getting more irritated but still politely turning him down. This has predictable results.
* ManipulativeBastard: While not to [[MeaningfulName Devious Diesel's]] levels, James occasionally can fool some characters like Percy.
* MarqueeAlterEgo: As the Rail Rocket. It was actually Rocky's fault, as it is not a mask. it's tar.
* MilesGloriosus: Especially when claiming he'd just push a tree aside only to get shocked when a tree actually appeared in front of the track.
* NeverMyFault: In "Apology Impossible", he keeps blaming Philip for his mistakes.
* NobodyCallsMeChicken: Calling him scared will make him do ''anything'' to prove otherwise.
* NoIndoorVoice: Particularly in Creator/MichaelAngelis' narrations, emphasised by his enthusiastic UsefulNotes/{{Liverpool}} accent.
* NonStandardCharacterDesign: Very downplayed; James' whistle is positioned above his cab, instead of in front of his cab.
* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: There has been one occasion where James has had no concern for his paint job. In "James the Second Best" James feeling jealous of Edward because Edward was selected to be on a poster advertising the railway when he wasn't, goes out of his way to prove he's just as good as Edward among this is him getting covered in coal dust to prove he can get "down and dirty" like Edward. This ends up backfiring when James is forced to get a washdown causing him to fall behind schedule.
* OhCrap:
** The horrible accident with the Troublesome Trucks. In the original episode, James's face was locked in OhCrap mode the entire time until the crashing. "[[AdaptationExpansion The Adventure Begins]]" has him outright ''panicking''.
** In "Old Iron", James attempts to answer Thomas and Percy's challenge and prove that he can out-run Edward... only to realize he has no driver in his cab and ends up a runaway engine.
** In ''WesternAnimation/HeroOfTheRails'', James, Hiro, and Toby share a brief moment of this the second they hear Spencer whistling by Hiro's hiding place. Then, James and Toby immediately haul ass and work together in driving Spencer away.
** In "Spencer's VIP", his face says it all when he makes a sudden stop at the station and realizes he bumped his coaches together in the process.
* OopNorth: When Creator/MichaelAngelis was narrating the UK version, his scouse accent was most noticeable when voicing James. Somewhat fitting, given his basis would've worked around Liverpool, and fanworks often portray James as scouse.
* OnceDoneNeverForgotten: The bootlace incident, to the point where mentioning it becomes a BerserkButton for him.
* PlayingSick: In "Trust Thomas", he took Gordon's advice in playing sick to avoid shunting trucks, and Thomas agreed to do his jobs instead. This led to an accident with the trucks, and James and Gordon apologized to Thomas for their trick.
* ThePrankster: Especially under Andrew Brenner's pen; he tends to write James as this (both his televised episodes and magazine stories revolve around him playing tricks on the other engines).
* RedIsHeroic: While all of the other Steam Team members have some red on them, James is the reddest as he's a red engine and is a JerkWithAHeartOfGold when not being antagonistic.
* RedOnesGoFaster: What he [[MilesGloriosus claims]].
* RedOniBlueOni: Both figuratively and literally, to almost every engine, usually Edward or Toby, and even the more conservative Gordon early on.
* TheRival: Had one with Gordon early on. When he shares an episode with Percy or Thomas, there are usually rivalries between them too.
* ScaryStingingSwarm: He gets attacked by a swarm of bees in Season 3's ''Buzz, Buzz''.
* SensitiveGuyAndManlyMan: Manly Man, along with Gordon, to Henry's Sensitive Guy.
* SmallNameBigEgo: Becomes this after he helps Gordon pull his coaches. Since he often hangs around Gordon, he probably picked up his bragging habits.
* SmugSnake: A rare, non-villainous example. While James [[ManipulativeBastard sometimes can sway some characters]], he's egotistical, overconfident, and not as smart as he fancies himself as. For instance, he tricks Thomas into giving him Gordon's express coaches only to found out and disciplined by the Fat Controller (which he didn't seem to consider could happen), not to mention [[spoiler:his plot to frighten Percy and make him look like a cowardly fool via FlawExploitation ''was'' clever. However, he botches it via leaving "The Scrap Monster" (a monster-like scrap pile James used to scare Percy) out on the main line; it ultimately causes Thomas to figure out his plan]].
* TheSocialDarwinist: Like Gordon, he believes that coaches are more important than trucks, but on a lesser scale since he is a mixed-traffic engine and will pull goods trains on occasion.
* StickySituation: In "Dirty Objects", he ends up crashing into some tar wagons and being covered all over in sticky tar, [[LaserGuidedKarma after calling Toby and Henrietta "dirty objects" for most of the episode]].
* SympathyForTheDevil: [[spoiler:Although she's a ManipulativeBitch, James sympathizes with Frankie during her VillainousBreakdown]].
* ThirdPersonPerson: "Here's James!" is one of James' catchphrases in later seasons. He also sometimes talks like this in "James the Super Engine" as Rail Rocket.
-->'''James/Rail Rocket:''' Rail Rocket is here to protect you!
* TookALevelInJerkass:
** In his earlier appearances, James wasn't a dishonest and condescending braggart. After pulling Gordon's coaches however, not so much.
** While James is a JerkWithAHeartOfGold, some Brenner-era stories put more emphasis on the "Jerk" part (e.g. when he bullies Percy in ''Tale of the Brave'').
* ToxicFriendInfluence: Gordon is arguably this to him. James became a lot more vain and pompous after "James and the Express".
%%zce* {{Troll}}: Particularly under Andrew Brenner's pen.
* TheUnapologetic: In "Apology Impossible", he refuses to apologize for picking on Philip. [[spoiler:He does apologize to Philip and the other engines at the end of the episode, though]].

* VocalDissonance: In ''Magic Railroad'', he is voiced by Susan Roman, which makes him sound too feminine for an ''adult'' male locomotive. Interestingly, like Percy, he was originally going to be voiced by Creator/MichaelAngelis, the original narrator of ''WesternAnimation/ThomasAndFriends'', but test audiences thought he sounded too mature for him.
* VocalEvolution:
** Keith Wickham emphasizes James' cockney accent a lot more in the later UK episodes.
** Masashi Ebara's voice became higher since "The Adventure Begins".
* WhatExactlyIsHisJob: James, as Gordon once lampshaded, tends to be the "odd-job" engine of the mainline, rarely shown with a consistent train like the other engines have (though he sometimes pulls the Express in Gordon's absence). This is somewhat fitting however, given he is a mixed traffic engine designed for several purposes.

[[folder:Percy the Small Engine]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/percythesmallenginecgi.png]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/percyandthesignal40.png]]
->''"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir."''

->Voiced in English by: Creator/LindaBallantyne (''WesternAnimation/ThomasAndTheMagicRailroad''), Creator/KeithWickham (UK; ''Hero of the Rails'' - Series 18 and ''WesternAnimation/SodorsLegendOfTheLostTreasure''), Creator/MartinSherman (US; ''Hero of the Rails'' - Series 18), Nigel Pilkington (UK; Series 19 - 24), Christopher Ragland (US; Series 19 - 24)
->Voiced in Japanese by: Chisato Nakajima (Series 1 - Series 8, ''Thomas and the Magic Railroad''), Chie Kōjiro (''Calling All Engines!'' - Series 24)
->Voiced in Latin American Spanish by: Diana Santos (''Thomas and the Magic Railroad''), Gabriel Gama (''Thomas and the Magic Railroad'', TV version), Javier Olguín (''Hero of the Rails'' - ''The Great Race''), Héctor Ireta de Alba (Series 20 - "James the Super Engine"), Armando Guerrero (Rest of Series 24)

->Number: 6

->Basis: Unknown, but is said to be a combination of a few industrial types. 0-4-0ST

->Built: c.1900

A small, cheeky green engine purchased by the Fat Controller while Gordon, James and Henry were on strike. Nobody knows where he really came from or who built him. Percy currently works on Thomas's branch line. Considered a junior member of the Steam Team, Percy enjoys being given important jobs and is earnest and sincere, if also somewhat naive.

!!Former Members
[[folder:Edward the Blue Engine]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/edward.png]]
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->''"I will do it, I will do it."''

->Voiced in English by: Creator/KeithWickham (UK; ''Hero of the Rails''-Series 24), William Hope (US; ''Hero of the Rails''-Series 24)
->Voiced in Japanese by: Creator/YasuhiroTakato (Series 1 - Series 8), Creator/NozomuSasaki (''Calling All Engines!'' - Series 24), Kan Tanaka ("An Engine of Many Colors"), Kumiko Higa (Series 23)
->Voiced in Latin American Spanish by: Herman López (''Hero of the Rails'', ''Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure'' excluding ''Tale of the Brave''), Javier Olguín ("Victor Says Yes", "The Missing Christmas Decorations"), Daniel Abundis (Series 20 - Series 24), Gabriel Juárez ("A New Arrival")

->Number: 2

->Basis: Furness Railway K2 'Larger Seagull' 4-4-0

->Built: 1895

One of the oldest engines on the Fat Controller's railway, and the first character developed by the Rev. W. Awdry. Edward is a mixed-traffic engine with his own branch line. He's kind but firm, serving as a mentor for younger engines, though he is often teased about his age. In the ''Big World! Big Adventures!'' series, he is replaced in the main cast by Nia.
----
* AdaptationalJerkass: While the engines are generally snarkier in the books, in an attempt to create some flaws for Edward, the original episodes tried to make him more arrogant and nastier at times, and in some episodes where he has no major role, tends to deliver remarks that would fit more with Gordon or James. While Edward could sometimes deliver some harsh lessons, he was easily one of the nicest engines in the books.
* AllLovingHero: Edward is usually infallibly kind and patient to others. The later seasons give him more arrogant moments, though these are still rare.
* AllOfTheOtherReindeer: He often gets talked down upon for his old age by Gordon, Henry, and James.
* BewareTheNiceOnes: In "Old Reliable Edward", he finally shows an limit to his patience and gets swift revenge on Gordon for expressing his lack of gratitude. He shows a similar KarmicTrickster mentality towards Bill and Ben in "Hunt the Truck".
* BigBrotherMentor: Often to the younger engines, mostly Bill and Ben.
* BlueIsHeroic: He's painted blue and is a very kind engine.
* BrokenAce: Later episodes Lampshade his CoolOldGuy image, giving him more insecurities about failing at a new task or losing the other engines' respect.
* ButtMonkey: Not as much as Gordon or James, but if an episode focuses on him, something will go wrong.
* CharacterExaggeration: Some original stories would try to maintain Edward's nicer side, but make him more meek and error prone and insecure of his older build. While this was to some degree true of his character originally (the other engines bully him to tears in the first story), his novel counterpart shortly afterwards was conveyed as a very thick-skinned and competent engine. The Brenner-made seasons onwards tend to reverse this back though.
* ComedicSociopathy: In his introductory episode "Edward & Gordon", he delighted in scaring the trucks by bumping them hard into each other.
* TheComicallySerious: Seems to have taken this role in the CGI series due to his OddFriendship with [[CloudCuckooLander Charlie]].
* CompressedVice: Started falling victim to these so to work into later seasons' {{Aesop}} structure (most infamously his FantasticRacism towards Rocky in "Edward Strikes Out"). Later episodes seem to settle for making him self-conscious.
* CoolOldGuy: In season 2, especially in "Old Iron" and "Edward's Exploit". Returns on odd occasions, such as "Edward The Hero".
* DemotedToExtra: In seasons 4-6. Given a bit more screentime later on, at the cost of his classic personality. Happened again in ''Big World Big Adventures'', due to his slot in the main cast being taken by Nia for gender balance. The demotion isn't quite as immediate as Henry, with him still a regular in Season 22, though is full effect in the last two seasons where he makes only a couple token appearances.
* DramaPreservingHandicap: As observed with the tropes above, the show made several attempts to make Edward more flawed and define some sort of trademark foible for him, often for the purpose of allowing him to drive stories or appear in plots without his overly lucid personality breaking the conflict (the original novels resolved this by having him DemotedToExtra after a while, with the show ultimately doing the same with ''Big World Big Adventures'').
* FatalFlaw: The Hit seasons tried to define one for Edward, but couldn't keep a consistent grasp on him. The CGI episodes settle for making him self conscious and somewhat ''[[ExtremeDoormat too]]'' good-natured.
* FlatCharacter: Unlike most of the other highly flawed engines, there isn't much to Edward outside being a somewhat old and polite engine. The Hit seasons attempt to remedy this by giving him a more flawed personality, with mixed results.
* GleefulAndGrumpyPairing: The Gleeful to James' Grumpy; he is kind, patient, and doesn't mind what work he does.
* HonorBeforeReason: The CGI series reverts to his kind persona, albeit to a fault, with many of his personal dilemmas caused by having problems prioritizing helping others or doing his job. Fails to be GoodIsDumb however since most of the time [[ThisIsGonnaSuck he knows things probably won't end well]] for him as a result.
** "WesternAnimation/TheAdventureBegins" provides a backtrack example, revealing he let Thomas take his goods train without proper consent in "Thomas And The Trucks" and got reprimanded for it.
* IChooseToStay: At the end of “A Shed For Edward”, [[spoiler:he decides to stay with Philip at Wellsworth. In the following season, Nia takes his place at Tidmouth Sheds.]]
* ImmuneToSlapstick: One of the very few engines who never caused a humiliating accident or crash for himself in the original ''Literature/TheRailwaySeries'' inspired seasons, and when something did happen, like in "Edward's Exploit", it wasn't played for laughs. The streak was finally broken in "Edward’s Brass Band" however.
* ItBelongsInAMuseum: The big engines (particularly Gordon) think he's such an old engine that he should be preserved or retire, but Edward would often prove them wrong.
* JerkassBall: Has a tendency to grab this in since the show branched away from the books. Episodes such as "Edward Strikes Out" and "Harvey To The Rescue" are stand out examples.
* LovedByAll: Edward is universally beloved. Though he's often teased about his age, his detractors are always proven wrong and start to respect him instead. In fact, despite teasing him in the past, Gordon had a full-on meltdown when Edward left Tidmouth Sheds. It says a lot that Edward is ''the'' only engine that the Troublesome Trucks respect.
* NiceGuy: The kindest engine on Sodor.
* NotSoAboveItAll: Aside from his various out-of-character portrayals in Sharon Miller's tenure as head writer, Edward has shown he still isn't above a bit of taunting and sarcasm. As proven in "Old Reliable Edward."
* OnlySaneMan: When paired with haughty engines like James. He also didn't have his first accident until Season 7's ''Edward and the Brass Band'', and even then he wasn't to blame.
* OutOfCharacterAlert: He was one of the engines who laughed at Thomas' funny funnel in "Slippy Sodor". Thomas' responding glare to him was more angry than embarrassed with the others.
* OutOfFocus: The writers obviously don't find him very interesting. He was hit particularly badly by this in Season 23, where he only appears in 2 episodes for the entire season with his only dialogue being as part of a song.
* PrimaryColorChampion: Edward is painted blue with red stripes (and red bufferbeam) and has a yellow number 2 logo on each side of his tender and yellow highlights on his window. He's also a kind and wise engine.
* PutOnABus: Moves from Tidmouth Sheds to Wellsworth in “A Shed For Edward”. In Season 22, Nia takes his place, though he still makes the occasional appearance.
* RedOniBlueOni: The blue oni to James whenever they're paired together.
* SilverFox: Edward is one of the oldest trains on the railway, yet still looks as young as Thomas.
* TheSpock: Very logical and knowledgeable of how to get duties done right, especially if they involve pulling troublesome trucks.
* TeamDad: To Bill and Ben. According to Duck, Edward is the only engine to keep the mischievous twins in order.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Henry the Green Engine]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/henry_45.png]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/whistlesandsneezes8.png]]
->''"The rain will spoil my lovely green paint with red stripes!"''

->Voiced in English by: Kevin Frank (''WesternAnimation/ThomasAndTheMagicRailroad''), Creator/KeithWickham (UK; ''Hero of the Rails''-Series 24) Creator/KerryShale (US; ''Hero of the Rails''-Series 24)
->Voiced in Japanese by: Creator/RyoHorikawa (Series 1 - Series 8, ''Thomas and the Magic Railroad''), Creator/KenjiUtsumi ("James and the Trouble with Trees", first half), Creator/JunichiKanemaru (''Calling All Engines!'' - Series 24), Creator/NozomuSasaki (''Day of the Diesels''), Creator/KentaMiyake ("Edward the Hero")
->Voiced in Latin American Spanish by: Jesús Cortés (''Thomas and the Magic Railroad''), Luis Alfonso Padilla (''Thomas and the Magic Railroad'', TV version), Music/RicardoSilva (''Hero of the Rails'' - ''The Great Race'', excluding Series 20), Creator/ArturoMercadoJr (Series 20 - Series 24, excluding ''The Great Race'')

->Number: 3

->Basis: London, Midland and Scottish Railway 'Black Five' 4-6-0

->Built: 1919

A much larger mixed traffic engine, Henry started off as a poorly built engine bought by the Fat Controller when he was desperate for engines. He once infamously stranded himself in a tunnel and was bricked up, until Gordon's express failed, when he came out and showed his worth. He required special Welsh coal to steam properly until his Flying Kipper accident, where he was completely rebuilt into a much more reliable (if still occasionally neurotic) engine. In the ''Big World! Big Adventures!'' series, he is replaced in the main cast by Rebecca.
----
* AdaptationalNiceGuy: While he still ultimately [[CharacterDevelopment developed]] more into the [[OnlySaneMan sane engine]] of the three big engines in the books, Henry was primarily characterized as a GrumpyOldMan, complaining quite a bit and being as much of a headstrong DeadpanSnarker as the other big engines. His television counterpart however, is primarily characterized as soft and insecure, which comes with him being a far nicer character.
* AdaptationalWimp: A small one, but still. In the original books, Henry stopped needing special coal after being rebuilt. But for a lengthy duration here, after his rebuilt, his need for special coal was revived. However, this was retconned back to normal later.
* AmbiguouslyJewish: He has a large nose, is TheFinchyOne, he [[JewishComplaining complains a lot]], and the US dub of the CGI series gives him a faint New York accent. However, he celebrates Christmas with everyone else.
* BigDamnHeroes: In "Henry's Hero", he manages to push both a heavy train of iron girders and a broken-down Hiro up Gordon's Hill all by himself, despite taking on bad coal earlier in the episode.
* CharacterExaggeration: While Henry did have shades of being neurotic in the books and earlier episodes, he was generally conveyed as being an overconfident and temperamental engine who spoke his mind. From the Hit produced era onwards, Henry is generally conveyed as rather meek and nervous and prone to superstition. Even retroactively, ''The Adventure Begins'' rewrites Henry's hatred of rain as more a phobia, while in the original story and adaptation, he was merely vain about his paint being spoiled.
* ColourCodedForYourConvenience: In the books, he was originally green until he got a blue coat of paint after staying in a tunnel for awhile. The reason he got his old color back is because the Rev Awdry was fed up with people confusing him with Gordon in the book illustrations, when he was painted blue.
* ColourMotif: Green symbolises envy and calmness, both of which were character traits of his. Later on, green also serves to symbolise his connection to nature.
* DemotedToExtra: No longer part of the main cast as of Season 22, due to the introduction of Nia and Rebecca in order to allow for more female members. His slot is replaced by Rebecca.
* {{Determinator}}: He often tends to prove others wrong and refuses to give up, even if something goes wrong.
* DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu: He once ''blew steam'' at The Fat Controller. [[BrokeYourArmPunchingOutCthulhu He got shut-up in a tunnel later for it.]]
* DirtyCoward: He was one in "The Sad Story of Henry" where he refused to leave the tunnel because he was afraid the rain will ruin his paint and didn't care about taking the passengers to their destination.
* DivergentCharacterEvolution: In early stories, he mostly played the role of another arrogant tender engine similar to Gordon and James. Later stories made him more sensitive and neurotic while adding HiddenDepths such as his love of nature.
* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: Before his new shape, his requiring "special coal" in order to keep him healthy and functional parallels someone having to take medication for a chronic illness.
* DudeWheresMyRespect: At least in the earlier seasons.
* TheEeyore: He starts to show this in ''Coal'', where there is a problem with him that is seemingly unfixable. It turns out that he had been given the wrong coal, and that the type he really needs to keep him going is Welsh coal. This works tremendously, and so does his EmergencyTransformation in the following episode. His Eeyore-ish tendencies are pretty much nonexistent from then on up until ''WesternAnimation/ThomasAndTheMagicRailroad'', where he [[SnapBack reverts back to how he was before his rebuild]].
* EmergencyTransformation: His rebuild in ''The Flying Kipper''.
* FatalFlaw: In early episodes, he was pompous and stubborn like the other tender engines. In later episodes, he is more insecure and prone to worry over details.
* TheFinickyOne: Best shown after his tubes are mended in one episode. He then proceeds to complain about his other parts that aren't doing so well, at least according to him.
* FlawedPrototype: Originally. He was a botched attempt from an unknown company at building their own LNER A1/A3 through stolen plans, and was then sold to the Topham Hatt who was under the pretense he was buying an [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NBR_H_class Atlantic]]. He was [[EmergencyTransformation rebuilt following his serious accident]] in ''The Flying Kipper''. Yet despite this rebuild, he still looks like a [[SuperPrototype hybrid of LNER and LMS design, but now finally having the speed and grace of Gordon]].
* FreudianTrio: Originally the Ego of one with James and Gordon.
* FriendToAllLivingThings: Depending on what season. Particularly ''Henry's Forest'' in Season 3.
* GentleGiant: He may be a big and strong engine, but he is very caring when it comes to the environment and his friends. He also has more sensitive feelings toward others.
* GreenAndMean: A downplayed one in Seasons 1-2, as he's a non-villainous JerkWithAHeartOfGold. [[TookALevelInKindness He starts growing out of the "Mean" part afterwards]], however.
* {{Hypochondria}}c: When not genuinely ill, he is often moaning about not being tended to. A probable reason the other engines often don't take his ill bouts seriously.
* IHatePastMe: In ''Blue Mountain Mystery'', Henry looks at his past, arrogant self with disdain.
* LiteralMetaphor: In "Henry's Forest", Henry's love of his nature and his coat of paint makes him quite literally, a green engine.
* InspirationallyDisadvantaged: His need for "special coal" sometimes conveys him as this.
* JadedWashout: Can be quite cynical and can sometimes perform as well as Gordon but often falls ill too easily.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: In the original stories, where he was usually the nicer-natured of the TerribleTrio than Gordon and James. In later episodes, he is less conceited.
* LovableCoward: He's an awkward, nature-loving engine with many fears.
* MidSeasonUpgrade: His rebuild in ''The Flying Kipper''.
* NatureLover: Starting from "Henry's Forest".
* NervousWreck: Henry is easily the most neurotic of the Steam Team.
* NiceGuy: Especially post Season 3, where his personality changes to being more kindhearted and sensitive.
* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: His American voice in the CGI series is reminiscent of [[Creator/WoodyAllen Woody Allen's]].
* NoSympathy: In regards to his illness where the other engines (most evident with Thomas chewing him out for making him late and James berating him for not working hard enough). As soon he was better, he soon got the last laugh at the others. On later occasions, when he was sick, the engines now showed him genuine concern.
** Repeated in "What's The Matter With Henry" when Henry feels ill again, the other engines (bar Emily) scoff at this and even give him their own workload as a prank. They are remorseful when he breaks down as a result, explaining they thought [[{{Hypochondria}} he was just being melodramatic again]].
** He'll give this to other engines. In "Something in the Air", after Thomas explains that his lateness was due to some fish falling into his boiler and the high tide damaging the rails, Henry brushes off this reason and rudely orders him to attach the other vans to his Flying Kipper. He does apologize to him for this in the end, however.
* OnceDoneNeverForgotten: Staying in a tunnel to avoid the rain spoiling his paint. He lampshades this in "Percy Takes the Plunge":
-->'''Henry:''' No one will ever let me forget the time I wouldn't come out of the tunnel in case the rain spoiled my paint.
* OutOfFocus: Like Edward and Toby, he also gets less attention from the writers. He cops it extremely badly in Season 22, being limited to only two speaking roles in the entirety of the season, with his other appearances being mostly cameos. It got worse the following season when his only dialogue was laughing with a group of engines in one episode and part of a song in another.
* PutOnABus: In “Forever and Ever”, he leaves the group and is transferred to Vicarstown Sheds in order to take up a new job which involves him making more frequent trips to the Mainland (at least what fans believe). In the following episode, Rebecca takes his place.
* TheRival: Had a few bouts with Percy in the first few seasons, somewhat mirroring Gordon's rivalry with Thomas.
* SensitiveGuyAndManlyMan: The Sensitive Guy to both Gordon and James' Manly Men.
* SuperPrototype: His TV series incarnation may be implied as one, due to his changes in appearance after his rebuild being more minor compared to the Railway Series. His TV series design is more freelanced and simplified compared to his rebuilt version’s real basis, the LMS Class “Black 5” 5MT. While the Railway Series plays his change of class straight, the TV series instead retains his same body, but with Black 5 elements added, such as the addition of a top feed on his boiler and supports added to the smokebox, along with his tapered firebox design being changed to a Belpaire design. The fact his boiler, running board, and tender get retained imply that said parts were not damaged as badly, and that the change in firebox kept elements of his original design, but now with the strength and speed to match Gordon.
* TookALevelInDumbass: He has a number of moments of being unintelligent at the start of season 8, "Henry's Magic Box" being a common example.
* TookALevelInKindness: "Henry's Forest" sees him change his personality slightly, becoming more kindhearted and caring. Starting in Season 8, Henry was softened, becoming far less pompous and rude. In ''Blue Mountain Mystery'', he [[IHatePastMe looks back at his arrogant behavior with utter disdain]].
* WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes: Had a phobia of water initially.
* WhatExactlyIsHisJob: Has this in common with James being a mixed-traffic engine, he sometimes pulls trucks, sometimes pulls the express if his system will let him. The most common job of his, and his most famous one, is pulling the Flying Kipper fish train, though late in the series he moved to Vicarstown, as he now primarily does more goods work than passenger runs.
[[/folder]]

* NoIndoorVoice: Particularly in Michael Angelis' narrations, emphasised by his enthusiastic UsefulNotes/{{Liverpool}} accent.

* OopNorth: When Michael Angelis was narrating the UK version, his scouse accent was most noticeable when voicing James. Somewhat fitting, given his basis would've worked around Liverpool, and fanworks often portray James as scouse.

* VocalDissonance: In ''Magic Railroad'', he is voiced by Susan Roman, which makes him sound too feminine for an ''adult'' male locomotive. Interestingly, like Percy, he was originally going to be voiced by Michael Angelis, the original narrator of ''WesternAnimation/ThomasAndFriends'', but test audiences thought he sounded too mature for him.

* VocalDissonance: In ''Magic Railroad'', he is voiced by Linda Ballantyne, despite being a male locomotive. While it makes sense for him to be voiced by a woman due to him being the youngest of the Steam Team, he still sounds too feminine. Interestingly, like James, he was originally going to be voiced by Michael Angelis, the original narrator of ''WesternAnimation/ThomasAndFriends'', but test audiences thought he sounded too mature for him.
* VocalEvolution: In Seasons 3-5, Michael Angelis gives him a voice that is fairly close to his own. From Season 6 until the end of the model era, however, he often gives him a louder and more high-pitched voice. It fits his more [[TheBabyOfTheBunch young and childish]] characterisation from that era.

* AdaptationalEarlyAppearance: According to Wilbert Awdry's history on the Railway Series, Gordon arrived on the island in 1922 after Thomas and Edward. While it's never stated if he came to Sodor before or after Edward, "The Adventure Begins" shows he was on the island before Thomas.

* CatchPhrase: "Cinders and ashes!" and "Bust my buffers!"

* CatchPhrase: Many.

* CatchPhrase:

* ThirdPersonPerson: "Here's James!" is one of James' {{catchphrase}}s in later seasons. He also sometimes talks like this in "James the Super Engine" as Rail Rocket.

* OopNorth: When Michael Angelis was narrating the UK version, his scouse accent was most noticeable when voicing James.