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* ProductPlacement: The seemingly-random jet ski scene makes more sense if you know that he ''owns'' a jet ski business.

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* ProductPlacement: The seemingly-random jet ski scene makes more sense if you know that he ''owns'' a jet ski business.business in Florida.
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* ProductPlacement: The seemingly-random jet ski scene makes more sense if you know that he ''owns'' a jet ski business.

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* FirstLove[=/=]OneTrueLove[=/=]TheLostLenore: Family friends agree that Brian was good for Joe, and that Joe became far worse after losing him. The show certainly leans into this, editing Joe's song "My First Love" (which also uses the line "my true love") into the section on Brian. Even if you give it a skeptical reading, it does at least sound like this was the best of all Joe's marriages. If nothing else it was the longest lasting one, and at least Brian was around the same age as Joe, and actually gay.
-->'''Niece:''' He always told Joe like it was. Joe stayed in line with Brian.
-->'''Ex-employee:''' The Joe in 2000, I never saw one shred of narcissism. But after Brian passed away, Joe was a totally changed person.


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* TheLostLenore: Family friends agree that Brian was good for Joe, and that Joe became far worse after losing him. The show certainly leans into this, editing Joe's song "My FirstLove" (which also uses the line "my {{true love}}") into the section on Brian. Even if you give it a skeptical reading, it does at least sound like this was the best of all Joe's marriages. If nothing else it was the longest lasting one, and at least Brian was around the same age as Joe, and actually gay.


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-->'''Niece:''' He always told Joe like it was. Joe stayed in line with Brian. \\
'''Ex-employee:''' The Joe in 2000, I never saw one shred of narcissism. But after Brian passed away, Joe was a totally changed person.
* SatelliteLoveInterest: Little is publicly known/mentioned about him aside from his relationship with and influence on Joe.

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* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Joe is unquestionably a spectacular {{jerkass}}, but he is seen doing some things to give back to the community, such as serving a large Thanksgiving dinner for the needy at his own expense.


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* PetTheDog: Joe is unquestionably a spectacular {{Jerkass}}, but he is seen doing some things to give back to the community, such as serving a large Thanksgiving dinner for the needy at his own expense.
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Nice Hat is no longer a trope


* NiceHat: Usually wears a black cowboy hat.
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* MeaninglessVillainVictory: [[spoiler:With Joe in jail, he succeeded in completely taking over the park and begun work on recreating it in his own image. However, after the docuseries's release, Carole Baskin [[https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-52888484 took control]] of the G.W. Zoo as part of a trademark dispute settlement, and he was ordered to vacate the premises. Lowe tried to build a second park in Thackerville and moved most of the animals there, but these were later seized by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Jeff was charged with animal cruelty.]]

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* MeaninglessVillainVictory: [[spoiler:With Joe in jail, he succeeded in completely taking over the park and begun work on recreating it in his own image. However, after the docuseries's first season's release, Carole Baskin [[https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-52888484 took control]] of the G.W. Zoo as part of a trademark dispute settlement, and he was ordered to vacate the premises. Lowe tried to build a second park in Thackerville and moved most of the animals there, but these were later seized by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Jeff was charged with animal cruelty.cruelty, as shown in season 2.]]
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* GayngstInducedSuicide:

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* GayngstInducedSuicide:GayngstInducedSuicide: As a young man, Joe struggled with depression when he realized that he was gay, spending a lot of time on suicide hotlines and according to his former girlfriend he attempted to take his own life several times. His limp is the result of a HappilyFailedSuicide.
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* FirstLove: Season 2 talks about Joe's first husband, Brian Rhyne, who died of AIDS in 2001. Family friends agree that Brian was good for Joe, and kept him in line, and that Joe became far worse after loosing him.

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* FirstLove: Season 2 talks about Joe's first husband, Brian Rhyne, who died of AIDS in 2001. Family friends agree that Brian was good for Joe, and kept him in line, and that Joe became far worse after loosing losing him.



* HandicappedBadass: He had spinal cord problems ever since he attempted suicide when he was a teen, but he still is good with a gun and, [[spoiler:even if the final interviews reveal that Joe only dared to get close and handle the big cats if they were sedated]], the recording of the one that suddenly attacked him showcases that it doesn't really reduces their danger one bit.

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* HandicappedBadass: He had spinal cord problems ever since he attempted suicide when he was a teen, but he still is good with a gun and, [[spoiler:even if the final interviews reveal that Joe only dared to get close and handle the big cats if they were sedated]], the recording of the one that suddenly attacked him showcases that it doesn't really reduces reduce their danger one bit.


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* MoralityChain: Most people who knew Joe at the time agree he became a far worse person after Brian died.
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* BaitTheDog: When Saff is mutilated by the tiger, Joe is one of the first people at the scene, he personally ties a tourniquet to the arm, and sits by his side keeping him calm. However, once the camera's on him alone, he admits he's more worried about the ''financial loss'' he's about to take then the fact Saff may loose a limb.

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* BaitTheDog: When Saff is mutilated by the tiger, Joe is one of the first people at the scene, he personally ties a tourniquet to the arm, and sits by his side keeping him calm. However, once the camera's on him alone, he admits he's more worried about the ''financial loss'' he's about to take then the fact Saff may loose lose a limb.



* FirstLove[=/=]OneTrueLove[=/=]TheLostLenore: Family friends agree that Brian was good for Joe, and that Joe became far worse after loosing him. The show certainly leans into this, editing Joe's song "My First Love" (which also uses the line "my true love") into the section on Brian. Even if you give it a skeptical reading, it does at least sound like this was the best of all Joe's marriages. If nothing else it was the longest lasting one, and at least Brian was around the same age as Joe, and actually gay.

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* FirstLove[=/=]OneTrueLove[=/=]TheLostLenore: Family friends agree that Brian was good for Joe, and that Joe became far worse after loosing losing him. The show certainly leans into this, editing Joe's song "My First Love" (which also uses the line "my true love") into the section on Brian. Even if you give it a skeptical reading, it does at least sound like this was the best of all Joe's marriages. If nothing else it was the longest lasting one, and at least Brian was around the same age as Joe, and actually gay.
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[[/folder]]

[[folder:James Garretson]]
[[quoteright:240:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jamesgarretson_4_5.jpg]]
An ex-friend of Joe Exotic.
----
* DirtyCoward: The only reason why he helps the FBI take down Joe is to keep himself out of prison.
* FatBastard: A backstabber who's noticeably obese.
* {{Hypocrite}}: In the first episode, he claims that "the big cat people are backstabbing pieces of shit". However, James ''also'' owns exotic animals, and has done shady things in the past, and ended up backstabbing Joe.
* TheInformant: Acts as an FBI informant, collecting information on Joe to expose him for his murder-for-hire plot.
* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: Implied to be homophobic. He drops the anti-LGBT slur "queen" in one interview segment, referring to the openly gay Joe as the "Tiger Queen" before chuckling.
* SmugSnake: Tends to act like he's one step ahead of everyone, and seems to think that he's cooler and smarter than he really is. The infamous jet ski scene makes it seem like he thinks he's way more on top of things than his actions would indicate.
* StupidCrooks: He tries to sell the Baskins dirt on Joe by texting them from his own registered phone number. They immediately passed this on to the authorities.
* TookALevelInKindness: Downplayed. While he remains a pretty sleazy character in Season 2, it also shows a more mellow side of him.
* WeUsedToBeFriends: Was once a friend of Joe Exotic, who even kept Garretson's animals at his park.
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* NiceGuy[=/=]MellowFellow: One of the friendliest fellows in the whole documentary, never showing resentment towards anyone, not even Joe.

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* NiceGuy[=/=]MellowFellow: MellowFellow: One of the friendliest fellows in the whole documentary, never showing resentment towards anyone, not even Joe.
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!!! Main index [-[[Characters/TigerKing HERE]]-]

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!!! [[center: [[Characters/TigerKing Main index [-[[Characters/TigerKing HERE]]-]
Character Index]] | '''Joe Exotic and Associates''' | [[Characters/TigerKingDocAntle Doc Antle and Associates]] | [[Characters/TigerKingCaroleBaskin Carole Baskin and Associates]]]]
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Badass Mustache and Badass Beard were merged into Manly Facial Hair. Examples that don't fit or are zero-context are removed. Having facial hair is not enough to qualify. To qualify for Manly Facial Hair, the facial hair must be associated with manliness in some way. Please read the trope description before re-adding to make sure the example qualifies.


* BadassMoustache: His handlebar PornStache is as iconic to him as his mullet.
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* FirstLove[=/=]OneTrueLove: Family friends agree that Brian was good for Joe, and that Joe became far worse after loosing him. The show certainly leans into this, editing Joe's song "My First Love" (which also uses the line "my true love") into the section on Brian. Even if you give it a skeptical reading, it does at least sound like this was the best of all Joe's marriages. If nothing else it was the longest lasting one, and at least Brian was around the same age as Joe, and actually gay.

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* FirstLove[=/=]OneTrueLove: FirstLove[=/=]OneTrueLove[=/=]TheLostLenore: Family friends agree that Brian was good for Joe, and that Joe became far worse after loosing him. The show certainly leans into this, editing Joe's song "My First Love" (which also uses the line "my true love") into the section on Brian. Even if you give it a skeptical reading, it does at least sound like this was the best of all Joe's marriages. If nothing else it was the longest lasting one, and at least Brian was around the same age as Joe, and actually gay.



Joe Exotic's third husband.

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Joe Exotic's third husband.husband, of 11 years, from 2003 to 2014.



* TheTwink:

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* TheTwink:TheTwink: While he's older than Travis and Dillon, he was young when he met Joe.



Joe's fifth husband, 2017 to 2021.

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Joe's fifth husband, from 2017 to 2021.
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!!! Main index [-[[Characters/TigerKing HERE]]-]

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* FirstLove: Family friends agree that Brian was good for Joe, and kept him in line, and that Joe became far worse after loosing him. Perhaps even made out to be Joe's OneTrueLove. It certainly sounds like it was the best of all Joe's marriages--if nothing else, at least Brian was around the same age as Joe, and actually gay.

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* FirstLove: DiedInYourArmsTonight: Brian had lung cancer, made worse by the fact he was HIV-positive. After one of his numerous trips to the hospital, Brian died in the parking lot on the way home, in Joe's arms.
* FirstLove[=/=]OneTrueLove:
Family friends agree that Brian was good for Joe, and kept him in line, and that Joe became far worse after loosing him. Perhaps even made out to be The show certainly leans into this, editing Joe's OneTrueLove. It certainly sounds song "My First Love" (which also uses the line "my true love") into the section on Brian. Even if you give it a skeptical reading, it does at least sound like it this was the best of all Joe's marriages--if marriages. If nothing else, else it was the longest lasting one, and at least Brian was around the same age as Joe, and actually gay.gay.
-->'''Niece:''' He always told Joe like it was. Joe stayed in line with Brian.
-->'''Ex-employee:''' The Joe in 2000, I never saw one shred of narcissism. But after Brian passed away, Joe was a totally changed person.



Joe's fourth husband, who enters a polygamous relationship with him and John Finlay.

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Joe's fourth husband, from 2014 to 2017[[note]](When some sources say 2015, that refers to the ''legal'' marriage--the US Supreme Court's ruling on gay marriage wasn't until 2015. But the wedding ceremony was in 2014.)[[/note]], who enters entered a polygamous relationship with him and John Finlay.



Joe's fifth husband.

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Joe's fifth husband.husband, 2017 to 2021.



* UndyingLoyalty: Shows this towards his husband Joe, whom he believes in despite what he did. [[spoiler:SubvertedTrope. AbsenceMakesTheHeartGoYonder, and Dillon eventually divorced Joe in prison.]]

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* UndyingLoyalty: Shows this towards his husband Joe, whom he believes in despite what he did. [[spoiler:SubvertedTrope. AbsenceMakesTheHeartGoYonder, and Dillon [[spoiler:For a while at least--SubvertedTrope.]]
* AbsenceMakesTheHeartGoYonder: [[spoiler:Dillon
eventually divorced Joe in prison.]]

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Joe Exotic's first husband, who died of AIDS in 2001.

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Joe Exotic's first husband, of 16 years, who died of AIDS in 2001.


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* GayCowboy: In many of their pictures, the pair of them ''look'' like gay cowboys. Neither was actually a cowboy, though--they were just guys living in Dallas, Texas, wearing cowboy style clothing.

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[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/joebrianrhyne.jpg]]



* FirstLove: Family friends agree that Brian was good for Joe, and kept him in line, and that Joe became far worse after loosing him. Perhaps even made out to be Joe's OneTrueLove.

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* FirstLove: Family friends agree that Brian was good for Joe, and kept him in line, and that Joe became far worse after loosing him. Perhaps even made out to be Joe's OneTrueLove. It certainly sounds like it was the best of all Joe's marriages--if nothing else, at least Brian was around the same age as Joe, and actually gay.

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[[folder:John Finlay]]
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/finlay_tk.jpg]]
Joe Exotic's third husband.

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[[folder:John Finlay]]
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/finlay_tk.jpg]]
[[folder:Brian Rhyne]]
Joe Exotic's third husband.first husband, who died of AIDS in 2001.



* FirstLove: Family friends agree that Brian was good for Joe, and kept him in line, and that Joe became far worse after loosing him. Perhaps even made out to be Joe's OneTrueLove.
* TragicAIDSStory: TruthInTelevision--a gay man who died in 2001.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:John Finlay]]
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/finlay_tk.jpg]]
Joe Exotic's third husband.
----



Joe's fifth, and current husband.

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Joe's fifth, and current fifth husband.



* UndyingLoyalty: Shows this towards his husband Joe, whom he believes in despite what he did.

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* UndyingLoyalty: Shows this towards his husband Joe, whom he believes in despite what he did. [[spoiler:SubvertedTrope. AbsenceMakesTheHeartGoYonder, and Dillon eventually divorced Joe in prison.]]

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!!Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park



[[folder:John Reinke]]
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/johnreinke.PNG]]
The manager of G.W. zoo and a staunch ally of Joe. Despite all of the latter's flaws, John remained a loyal ally often acting as the voice of reason to Joe's eccentricity.

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!! Husbands
[[folder:John Reinke]]
Finlay]]
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/johnreinke.PNG]]
The manager of G.W. zoo and a staunch ally of Joe. Despite all of the latter's flaws, John remained a loyal ally often acting as the voice of reason to Joe's eccentricity.
org/pmwiki/pub/images/finlay_tk.jpg]]
Joe Exotic's third husband.



* AnArmAndALeg: Due to a zip line accident, John is a double amputee with two prosthetic legs.
* MarriedToTheJob: He was so attached to his job as a zookeeper that he left his wife of 30 years. Now he lives alone.
* OnlySaneMan: Among the G.W. staff he seems to be one of the few level-headed people there, often trying to keep Joe out of trouble and acting as the voice of reason during Joe's more extreme actions.
* UndyingLoyalty: Towards Joe and the G.W. Zoo in general, as he's been working there since near the beginning.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:John Finlay]]
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/finlay_tk.jpg]]
Joe Exotic's third husband.
----



[[folder:Kelci "Saff" Saffery]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/saffsaffery.jpg]]
An employee at Joe Exotic's animal park.

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[[folder:Kelci "Saff" Saffery]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.
!! Staff
[[folder:John Reinke]]
[[quoteright:250:https://static.
tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/saffsaffery.jpg]]
An employee at Joe Exotic's animal park.
org/pmwiki/pub/images/johnreinke.PNG]]
The manager of G.W. zoo and a staunch ally of Joe. Despite all of the latter's flaws, John remained a loyal ally often acting as the voice of reason to Joe's eccentricity.



* AnArmAndALeg: Due to a zip line accident, John is a double amputee with two prosthetic legs.
* MarriedToTheJob: He was so attached to his job as a zookeeper that he left his wife of 30 years. Now he lives alone.
* OnlySaneMan: Among the G.W. staff he seems to be one of the few level-headed people there, often trying to keep Joe out of trouble and acting as the voice of reason during Joe's more extreme actions.
* UndyingLoyalty: Towards Joe and the G.W. Zoo in general, as he's been working there since near the beginning.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Kelci "Saff" Saffery]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/saffsaffery.jpg]]
An employee at Joe Exotic's animal park.
----



[[folder:Rick Kirkham]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rick_kirkham_4.jpg]]
A film-maker who approaches Joe Exotic about creating an ill-fated reality TV show centered around the latter, called "Tiger King".

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[[folder:Rick Kirkham]]
[[folder:Erik Kowie]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rick_kirkham_4.jpg]]
A film-maker who approaches Joe Exotic about creating an ill-fated reality TV show centered around the latter, called "Tiger King".
org/pmwiki/pub/images/erikcowie.PNG]]
The head keeper at GW Zoo.



* DarkIsNotEvil: Although Rick wears all-black, he's a considerably nicer individual than most in the series.
* DespairEventHorizon: [[spoiler: When his documentary footage is destroyed in a deliberate fire, potentially set by Joe himself, wiping out his retirement fund plan. Rick immediately drove home with his dog, washed his hands off the tiger trade and had a long nervous breakdown.]]
* FatalFlaw: In the past, {{Greed}}, by his own description. Kirkham admits that he was mainly thinking of the money he could make of Joe Exotic's crazy life and the emergent "Tiger King" brand through his reality show, freely admitting that he never gave a damn about Joe personally despite living with him for a year. This came back to bite him when [[spoiler:his documentary footage was all destroyed in a fire. Whether or not it was a deliberate arson attack, Kirkham has come to terms with it and views it as [[LaserGuidedKarma karma]] for having embroiled himself too far into the madness.]]
* NiceHat: Usually wears a black cowboy hat.
* OnlyInItForTheMoney: Joins Joe's team primarily because of the profits he believed the "Tiger King" series would generate.
* OnlySaneMan: As an outsider, Rick has a clearer and more detached view of the whole proceedings. This makes him a good choice as a narrator, although he does admit that even he started to notice that [[DownplayedTrope he was being drawn into Joe Exotic's world to some degree]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Erik Kowie]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/erikcowie.PNG]]
The head keeper at GW Zoo.
----



[[folder:Joshua Dial]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/joshuadial.PNG]]
Joe's campaign manager.

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[[folder:Joshua Dial]]
!! Others
[[folder:Rick Kirkham]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/joshuadial.PNG]]
Joe's campaign manager.
org/pmwiki/pub/images/rick_kirkham_4.jpg]]
A film-maker who approaches Joe Exotic about creating an ill-fated reality TV show centered around the latter, called "Tiger King".


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* DarkIsNotEvil: Although Rick wears all-black, he's a considerably nicer individual than most in the series.
* DespairEventHorizon: [[spoiler: When his documentary footage is destroyed in a deliberate fire, potentially set by Joe himself, wiping out his retirement fund plan. Rick immediately drove home with his dog, washed his hands off the tiger trade and had a long nervous breakdown.]]
* FatalFlaw: In the past, {{Greed}}, by his own description. Kirkham admits that he was mainly thinking of the money he could make of Joe Exotic's crazy life and the emergent "Tiger King" brand through his reality show, freely admitting that he never gave a damn about Joe personally despite living with him for a year. This came back to bite him when [[spoiler:his documentary footage was all destroyed in a fire. Whether or not it was a deliberate arson attack, Kirkham has come to terms with it and views it as [[LaserGuidedKarma karma]] for having embroiled himself too far into the madness.]]
* NiceHat: Usually wears a black cowboy hat.
* OnlyInItForTheMoney: Joins Joe's team primarily because of the profits he believed the "Tiger King" series would generate.
* OnlySaneMan: As an outsider, Rick has a clearer and more detached view of the whole proceedings. This makes him a good choice as a narrator, although he does admit that even he started to notice that [[DownplayedTrope he was being drawn into Joe Exotic's world to some degree]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Joshua Dial]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/joshuadial.PNG]]
Joe's campaign manager.
----
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[[foldercontrol]]

!!Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park

[[folder:Joe Exotic]]
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tigerking_joe_exotic_9.jpg]]

The proud owner of the G.W. Zoo as well as one of the main figures that the docuseries focuses on. Joe is an eccentric, gun-wielding, gay, polygamist, redneck who finds himself in a never-ending feud between himself and the leader of Big Cat Rescue; Carole Baskin.
----
* EightiesHair: A mullet.
* AnimalLover: Joe certainly sees himself as one, despite later admitting his zoo was run-down and the animals might have suffered for it.
* AnimalMotifs: Primarily [[CaptainObvious Tigers]], but he also has traits associated with [[KingOfBeasts Lions]]--his controlling nature towards his husbands is evocative of a male lion and his pride, his mullet brings to mind a lion's mane, and his aggression towards Carol Baskin is similar to a male lion's aggression toward rival males.
* ArchEnemy: Carole Baskin. The two were infamous for their heated rivalry due to their opposing beliefs on big cat ownership, and they repeatedly tried to sabotage each other.
* AttentionWhore: In case it wasn't obvious, Joe making his employee's arm being torn off about himself is a clue.
* BadassMoustache: His handlebar PornStache is as iconic to him as his mullet.
* BadBoss: Paid his workers poorly, had them live in abhorrent, filthy trailers, and fed them expired meat from Wal-Mart.
* BaitTheDog: When Saff is mutilated by the tiger, Joe is one of the first people at the scene, he personally ties a tourniquet to the arm, and sits by his side keeping him calm. However, once the camera's on him alone, he admits he's more worried about the ''financial loss'' he's about to take then the fact Saff may loose a limb.
* BecameTheirOwnAntithesis: The last episode reveals that Joe started out advocating for the big cats and taking a principled stance against breeding them, but he ends up breeding them himself.
* BerserkButton:
** Carole ''fuckin'' Baskin.
** Animal rights activists in general tend to rile him up, as he believes that they want his animals for themselves.
* ControlFreak: Joe was extremely controlling of Travis, not letting him be away from home for more than a day, trying to stop him from seeing his family, and not letting him get a proper job.
* DespairEventHorizon: He definitely reached it when [[spoiler: Travis killed himself]], however, he seemed to bounce back at least a little bit thanks to [[spoiler: his new husband]] Dillon. However, it's when [[spoiler: Jeff Lowe takes the zoo and he learns that he has a federal case against him]] where Joe breaks down completely, finally admitting that for all intents and purposes, he's done.
* FirstLove: Season 2 talks about Joe's first husband, Brian Rhyne, who died of AIDS in 2001. Family friends agree that Brian was good for Joe, and kept him in line, and that Joe became far worse after loosing him.
* FramingTheGuiltyParty: As revealed in Season 2, while Joe is guilty of many animal rights violations, he didn't actually make the plot to kill Carole (or at least didn't do it the way it was stated at court). [[spoiler:That was actually a scheme between Jeff and ''Allen'' to kill '''''Joe''''' due to both getting absolutely fed up with Joe's antics. Allen ended up backing out due to his conscience, so they instead adapted the scheme to incriminate Joe]].
* GayngstInducedSuicide:
-->'''Joe''': At the age of 13, I knew I was gay. And I had a bad time struggling with it. When my father found out, he made me shake his hand in front of my mom and promise not to come to his funeral. So I had a real issue dealing with that, and one night I drove my car off a bridge. I broke my back, and spent 5 years in braces.
* GunNut: He had a fondness of guns, particularly revolvers as he always had one in his holster. It was also his go-to gift for his husbands, who would then use said guns to [[StuffBlowingUp blow shit up.]]
* HandicappedBadass: He had spinal cord problems ever since he attempted suicide when he was a teen, but he still is good with a gun and, [[spoiler:even if the final interviews reveal that Joe only dared to get close and handle the big cats if they were sedated]], the recording of the one that suddenly attacked him showcases that it doesn't really reduces their danger one bit.
* HasAType: Joe's type tended to be TheTwink. Joshua Dial, himself a gay man, describes them as "young and dumb".
* HeWhoFightsMonsters: In the beginning of his zookeeping career, Joe genuinely cared about the animals he gathered, reasoning that while they should be living in their natural habitat and lobbying laws that would benefit them. But once he started making money off of them, his financial well-being took priority over the animals' health.
* InternetJerk: Joe's internet TV series was full of hateful screed, up to and including overt death threats, against his SitcomArchNemesis Carole Baskin. It came back to bite him when these statements were [[spoiler:used as evidence against him in his murder-for-hire trial]].
* ItsAllAboutMe: He has an evident narcissistic streak. Most infamously, when one of his employees loses an arm in a tiger attack, Joe is heard complaining, "I'm never going to financially recover from this!".
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Joe is unquestionably a spectacular {{jerkass}}, but he is seen doing some things to give back to the community, such as serving a large Thanksgiving dinner for the needy at his own expense.
* LargeHam: Even in the WorldOfHam that is ''Tiger King'', Joe's persona stands out as exaggeratedly over-the-top flamboyant.
* LowerClassLout: Let's see... Prone to dealing in and/or doing drugs? Check. Typically carries around knives, guns, or other weapons? Check. Petty vengefulness and vindictiveness, often when he's at least partly in the wrong? '''Check'''. In all honesty, Joe checks most (if not all) traits that the lout embodies.
* ManlyGay: He's gay, owns guns, does manly things, and has tigers.
* NeverMyFault: When asked about his actions, he is often very reluctant to accept any share of the blame. In one example, he lambasts Carol for "harassing" his family, conveniently forgetting that he put them into the firing line by transferring many of his assets into their names to stop them being confiscated as part of a lawsuit settlement.
* NinjaPirateZombieRobot: Self-deprecatingly advertises himself as a "Gun-Toting Gay Cowboy Tiger Zookeeper with a Mullet and proud of all of it", or along similar lines, which only increases his bohemian image.
* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: {{Averted| Trope}} by the documentary makers. It was later revealed that a lot of material cut from the finished product involved Joe casually using ''many'' racist and other bigoted slurs in his angry rants, but this was cut as it likely would have made him even more unsympathetic to the audience.
* ProperlyParanoid: He certainly had enemies. The local sheriff says he has 40 to 50 reports from Joe of people trying to get on the park. He's right Carole Baskin has it out for him, as does [=PETA=]. And season 2 suggests that he really was [[spoiler:framed for attempted murder]].
* RedOniBlueOni: The red to both John Finlay's and Carole's blues.
* RevolversAreJustBetter: He's usually carrying around a wheelgun or sometimes two. He claims that they're not for use on any big cats that turn on him, but for self defence against people who attempt to attack him. However, he uses one to fend off the tiger that tries to gnaw on his foot by firing warning shots at it.
* SanitySlippage: Apparently went "completely off the deep end" after [[spoiler: Travis died.]]
* SayingTooMuch: Joe is absolutely incapable of keeping his mouth shut, which constantly gets him in trouble. John Reinke, possibly the only friend he has left, completely refuses to talk to him in prison for fear Joe will get recorded casually saying something incriminating.
* StupidCrooks: Joe's plan to kill Carole was to promise $5000 to Allen, a man he hated and who hated him, and then only give him $3000. The plan ended with Allen driving several states away before blowing the money at strip clubs.
* StupidEvil: He continued his rivalry with Carole even when it led to his empire collapsing and ultimately to 22 years in prison over murder for hire.
* TragicVillain: People in the documentary describe him as someone who probably did have noble intentions at first, and Joe himself [[HeelRealization contemplates some of his own actions]] in the very last scene, but fueling his own greed and ego became more important to him over time than the animals.
* VillainProtagonist: The titular Tiger King, and the focus of the documentary due to orchestrating an attempted assassination of a business rival.
* WindmillCrusader: Joe's hatred of "that bitch" Carole Baskin went beyond any kind of rhyme or reason, and he blamed for for anything bad happening in his life (including [[spoiler:Travis comitting suicide]]), overlooked any other threats to his person ([[spoiler:Lowe conspiring to take over the zoo]]), and constantly boasted that he was going to get her. This last one ended up [[FatalFlaw causing his doom]], because it provided plenty of evidence for his charge of conspiracy to commit murder.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:John Reinke]]
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/johnreinke.PNG]]
The manager of G.W. zoo and a staunch ally of Joe. Despite all of the latter's flaws, John remained a loyal ally often acting as the voice of reason to Joe's eccentricity.
----
* AnArmAndALeg: Due to a zip line accident, John is a double amputee with two prosthetic legs.
* MarriedToTheJob: He was so attached to his job as a zookeeper that he left his wife of 30 years. Now he lives alone.
* OnlySaneMan: Among the G.W. staff he seems to be one of the few level-headed people there, often trying to keep Joe out of trouble and acting as the voice of reason during Joe's more extreme actions.
* UndyingLoyalty: Towards Joe and the G.W. Zoo in general, as he's been working there since near the beginning.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:John Finlay]]
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/finlay_tk.jpg]]
Joe Exotic's third husband.
----
* AddledAddict: His meth addiction led to him losing teeth and being manipulated into marrying Joe, despite John's heterosexuality.
* ComingStraightStory: Near the end of the docuseries, he admits to Joe that he's not truly gay and leaves him for a woman.
* EmbarrassingTattoo: Once had a tattoo that stated that he was owned by Joe. He gets it covered up with a new tattoo at the end of the series.
* FaceOfAThug: He looks like a TattooedCrook who's missing teeth, yet he's one of the friendliest figures in the series.
* RecoveredAddict: As revealed in the eighth episode, he's been six years clean of meth and is doing much better, both physically and mentally.
* RedOniBlueOni: The demure blue to Joe's red.
* ShrinkingViolet: Says that he's never been a people person, and is shown to be one of the more reserved characters on the show.
* TheTwink:
-->'''John Finlay:''' When I first met Joe, I was like a month out of high school. I was with Joe from 2003 to 2014, so 11 years.
* WalkingShirtlessScene: He's shirtless during his interviews, barring the eight episode. Apparently, he wanted to show off his tattoos.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Travis Maldonado]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/travismaldonado.jpg]]
Joe's fourth husband, who enters a polygamous relationship with him and John Finlay.
----
* AccidentalMurder: [[spoiler:A suicidal variant. He accidentally shoots himself while trying to prove to Joshua that it wouldn't fire.]]
* AddledAddict: He was addicted to methamphetamine and weed provided to him by Joe.
* DrivenToSuicide: [[spoiler:Accidentally shoots himself in the head while trying to prank Joshua Dial with a gun.]] A few interviewees note he'd expressed suicidal thoughts before that.
* IJustShotMarvinInTheFace: [[spoiler:One interpretation of his death. Joshua Dial, who witnessed the whole thing, claims that Travis looked shocked in the split second before he bled out.]]
* StepfordSmiler: Had a cheerful and hammy persona on par with Joe's, which served to conceal the trauma from his husband Joe's abuse.
* WalkingSpoiler: It's difficult to talk about him without spoiling one of the most shocking scenes of the docuseries.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Dillon Passage]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dillonpassage_0.PNG]]
Joe's fifth, and current husband.
----
* MayDecemberRomance: With Joe, who was in his 50s by the time they hooked up; meanwhile, Dillon was 19.
* UndyingLoyalty: Shows this towards his husband Joe, whom he believes in despite what he did.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Kelci "Saff" Saffery]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/saffsaffery.jpg]]
An employee at Joe Exotic's animal park.
----
* AmbiguousGenderIdentity: He's a trans man, although the shows subtitles and other interview subjects occasionally misgender him. [[OpinionOverride While some viewers were outraged about this, Saff didn't mind.]]
* AnArmAndALeg: A tiger wounds Saff's left arm. When given the choice between extensive physical therapy to rehabilitate the arm, and amputation, Saff chose amputation. Joe is more concerned about the impact this will have on his bottom line than on Saff's well-being.
* AnimalLover: Probably the biggest ''genuine'' example on the show. In addition to his excitement over a cat jumping on his lap near the beginning of the series, he shows no ill will towards the tiger that mauled his arm, and returns to work early to continue caring for it and the other animals.
* MadeOfIron: Saff lost his arm to a tiger, never complained for a second, and returned to work a few days later. Even during his interview, he shows no resentment towards Joe or the tiger for the incident, and has no regrets.
* NiceGuy[=/=]MellowFellow: One of the friendliest fellows in the whole documentary, never showing resentment towards anyone, not even Joe.
* LastNameBasis: Saff is a short form of Saffery, because before working at a zoo, Saff was in the military, where calling people by their surname is common practice.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Rick Kirkham]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rick_kirkham_4.jpg]]
A film-maker who approaches Joe Exotic about creating an ill-fated reality TV show centered around the latter, called "Tiger King".
----
* DarkIsNotEvil: Although Rick wears all-black, he's a considerably nicer individual than most in the series.
* DespairEventHorizon: [[spoiler: When his documentary footage is destroyed in a deliberate fire, potentially set by Joe himself, wiping out his retirement fund plan. Rick immediately drove home with his dog, washed his hands off the tiger trade and had a long nervous breakdown.]]
* FatalFlaw: In the past, {{Greed}}, by his own description. Kirkham admits that he was mainly thinking of the money he could make of Joe Exotic's crazy life and the emergent "Tiger King" brand through his reality show, freely admitting that he never gave a damn about Joe personally despite living with him for a year. This came back to bite him when [[spoiler:his documentary footage was all destroyed in a fire. Whether or not it was a deliberate arson attack, Kirkham has come to terms with it and views it as [[LaserGuidedKarma karma]] for having embroiled himself too far into the madness.]]
* NiceHat: Usually wears a black cowboy hat.
* OnlyInItForTheMoney: Joins Joe's team primarily because of the profits he believed the "Tiger King" series would generate.
* OnlySaneMan: As an outsider, Rick has a clearer and more detached view of the whole proceedings. This makes him a good choice as a narrator, although he does admit that even he started to notice that [[DownplayedTrope he was being drawn into Joe Exotic's world to some degree]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Erik Kowie]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/erikcowie.PNG]]
The head keeper at GW Zoo.
----
* AnimalLover: He clearly cares about the animals at GW Zoo, and is devastated and furious that Joe killed five tigers for no reason.
* CoolShades: He only takes them off when he goes to court.
* DespairEventHorizon: [[spoiler: Following him testifying against Joe, one of Erik's last scenes seems him heavily intoxicated and despondent over him realizing his accountability in being present for Joe euthanizing animals.]]
* DrowningMySorrows: [[spoiler:He drinks heavily to sooth his depression from being a party to animal mistreatment. He eventually dies from alcohol poisoning between season 1 and season 2, which is dedicated to his memory.]]
* FaceOfAThug: Apparently, this is why Joe made Erik help him euthanize five tigers, because he thought Erik looked like someone who could handle it. [[AvertedTrope It deeply affected Erik]], as he actually cared about the animals.
* NiceGuy: Erik only wants to care for the animals, and doesn't give a damn about the drama. He looks clearly depressed when Joe's antics start to impact the zoo's welfare.
* SophisticatedAsHell: It's especially apparent in the aftershow episode, where he drops in comments like that not only was Joe a "fucking asshole" but also "absurdly crass".
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Jeff Lowe]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jefflowe.PNG]]
An investor who buys a stake in G.W. Exotic Animal Park in order to help Joe with his legal troubles.
----
* BaldnessAngst: Possibly. In one of his rants against Jeff, Joe makes a point of saying that he's bald, indicating that it may be a sensitive subject for him. Supporting this is the fact that the only time he is ever seen without his hat is when he’s in prison.
* BitchInSheepsClothing: Presents himself as an angel investor who earnestly wants to see the park grow to Joe, only to sabotage him the moment the opportunity presents itself.
* ConMan: He's invariably described as a very skilled con artist who routinely screws over his business partners, scams customers, and even defrauded a battered women's shelter for millions of dollars.
* CorruptCorporateExecutive: A rich, narcissistic investor who seeks to hostilely take over the G.W. Zoo and later tries to build a new zoo with another investor whom he expected to foot the entire bill after agreeing on a 50/50 split.
* DirtyOldMan: He uses the tigers to have sex with younger women and apparently invested in the zoo in the first place so he could use it as a pick-up ground for him and his wife Lauren. This got so bad that the zookeepers were instructed to alert him with "[[Lol69 Code 69]]" if an attractive woman walked onto the premises. In his (failed) second zoo project in Thackerville, he tried to build a sex club in the middle of the park.
* EnemyMine: [[spoiler:In season 2. After both of Jeff's Greater Wynnewood and Thackerville zoo projects collapse and he finds himself facing the same animal cruelty charges as his predecessor, Jeff unexpectedly volunteers himself to help Joe's legal case, now claiming that the murder-for-hire case was bogus from the start.]]
* EvilVirtues: Jeff has done his share of morally questionable things, and the documentary indisputably paints him as a bad guy--but the zoo employees generally speak positively of him in their interviews in episode 8, noting that he's a capable administrator and a [[BenevolentBoss decent boss]]. If nothing else, they seem to prefer working for him to working for Joe.
* HairTriggerTemper: Even more than Joe. Not only is he aggressive and antagonistic, he also has a long history of aggravated assault. He also choked one of his ex-wives in a fit of rage.
* HellBentForLeather: He always dresses in leather jackets, primarily because of the tigers, but the coolness factor probably plays a part as well.
* {{Jerkass}}: One of the worst examples on the show. He gives even ''less'' of a damn about the animals than Joe, and actively seeks to sabotage him and his image.
* JerkWithAHeartOfJerk: Jeff almost gets a redeeming moment when he and his pregnant wife talk about being excited for their new baby. Then, Jeff says that she'll have to go to the gym after giving birth. ''Then'', [[DirtyOldMan he ogles a photo of their young, attractive nanny]] in front of his wife.
* KnowWhenToFoldEm: [[spoiler:When the feds show up to seize the animals that are being kept in poor conditions in the half-finished Thackerville zoo, Jeff surrenders his animals peacefully with only a PrecisionFStrike. Contrast this to his former partner Tim Stark, who tries to intimidate and threaten the cops and is forced to go on the run.]]
* MeaninglessVillainVictory: [[spoiler:With Joe in jail, he succeeded in completely taking over the park and begun work on recreating it in his own image. However, after the docuseries's release, Carole Baskin [[https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-52888484 took control]] of the G.W. Zoo as part of a trademark dispute settlement, and he was ordered to vacate the premises. Lowe tried to build a second park in Thackerville and moved most of the animals there, but these were later seized by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Jeff was charged with animal cruelty.]]
* MockMillionaire: While he does have money, he is nowhere near as rich as he makes himself out to be. It's revealed that his mansion is rented and he's been behind on car payments.
* NeverBareheaded: Is never seen without a bandanna on his head with an Oakley cap on top of it, except for when he is in prison. As mentioned above, this may be due to BaldnessAngst.
* OnlyInItForTheMoney: Invests and takes over the zoo for his own financial gain, caring little for the animals and employees.
* TheStarscream: [[spoiler:Allen Glover alleges in season 2 that he and Jeff tried to murder Joe himself before the whole Carole Baskin plot came to fruition.]]
* UglyGuyHotWife: He's a sleazy old man married to a much younger and more attractive woman.
* UnholyMatrimony: In season 2, everybody describes Jeff's wife Lauren as an equal partner in his sleazy schemes.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Allen Glover]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/allen_glover_tvtropes.jpg]]
A new zookeeper brought in by Jeff Lowe around the time he and Joe became partners.
----
* TheAtoner: [[spoiler:In season 2, he says he feels ashamed for putting Joe in jail and claims that he was manipulated by Jeff. He starts to work with Joe's legal team to get him a second trial.]]
* CreepyBlueEyes: His eyes are light blue, adding to his intimidating appearance. In the aftershow, Joel [=McHale=] says they remind him of a wolf's eyes.
* FaceOfAThug: He's got a rather intimidating look about him, which is why Joe hires him to try and kill Carole Baskin, but he ultimately couldn't bring himself to kill his target. Jeff and his wife insist that Allen is really a sweetheart.
* HookersAndBlow: He blew the three grand that Joe paid him for Carole's murder at several strip clubs.
* TheInformant: Becomes an informant for the FBI at Lowe's urging to bring down Joe.
* ProfessionalKiller: Subverted. He's hired by Joe to assassinate Carole Baskin, but ultimately gives up, taking the money and running. Plus, it's not even known if he killed someone before.
* TheStoic: Allen is not very emotive, even when he's angry. He smiles maybe once, and even that wasn't much.
* TattooedCrook: He's a former convict with a teardrop tattoo. Whether he killed someone is not definitely stated (it could also mean that Allen mourns the death of someone close to him), but Joe felt comfortable enough to include Allen in his murder-for-hire scheme.
* WeUsedToBeFriends: [[spoiler:He was brought into the park as one of Jeff's friends and handymen, but about a year after the murder-for-hire scheme falls apart, he turns on Jeff and says he manipulated him to get rid of Joe.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Joshua Dial]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/joshuadial.PNG]]
Joe's campaign manager.
----
* KnowWhenToFoldThem: As he lampshades himself, despite his Libertarian beliefs and general dislike of the government he still submitted immediately when federal agents were right in his face threatening to charge him as an accessory.
* OnlySaneMan: In Joe's political campaign. He actually did have at least some knowledge of politics, and recognized Joe's campaign as a publicity stunt from the get go.
* StraightGay: He's gay, but he's nowhere as flamboyant as Joe Exotic, and it's only really brought up when directly asked if Joe ever tried to seduce him.
* WhatExactlyIsHisJob: He apparently already worked for Joe before the campaigns and was still there after, but we're never told what he does. Given that he seemed to work out of the office and is not shown interacting with the animals, it might have been administrative.
[[/folder]]

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