History Characters / WelcomeToNightVale

* IntergenerationalFriendship: With Old Woman Josie. They used to go bowling together and he wants to tell her more about his new boyfriend. Although [Best Of?] revealed that Cecil is actually much MUCH older then Josie, working in radio since she was a little girl and long before that

* CassandraTruth: Subverted; it's not that nobody believes him when he says something weird, crazy or creepy is happening -- because they ''do''. It's more that everyone else (especially Cecil) treats the weird, crazy and creepy stuff as a given and therefore don't really see any reason to listen to him. [[spoiler:Double subverted in season 5 when it's revealed that this is actually because he's the only one who can perceive Huntokar's messages, and nobody believes him when he talks about it.]]

* CluelessDetective: Ditzy-clueless ConspiracyTheorist more like it. He never ever realizes that the [[OpenSecret secrets]] he uncovers were [[EverybodyKnewAlready never secrets to anybody else]]. (Which annoys poor Cecil to tears.)

** Eventually deconstructed, as it turns out in episode 110 that Steve is [[spoiler:a lot more affected by Cecil's hatred than previously believed, to the point that after one dismissive reaction too many, Steve starts crying and plainly tells Cecil that his words hurt him.]] Interestingly, it turns out that Cecil's reasons for how he treats Steve have a lot more to do with Cecil himself than Steve.

* EvilCounterpart: To Carlos. He uses his knowledge of science to help the people of Nightvale, her use of science is actually harmful. Also Carlos used to work at the University at some point.
* FauxAffablyEvil: She acts like a friendly scientist who just wants to figure out how the oddities of Nigh Vvale work, however the townsfolk's (admittedly justified) negative reactions to her work have made her more hostile.

* HiddenDisdainReveal: In ''Carlos, Explained'' it is implied that Carlos's research into Nightvale led to her losing funding for her own research project, [[MorallyAmbiguousDoctorate a more contagious strain of measles that also make your eyes explode.]]

* PhraseCatcher: "John Peters -- you know, the farmer..." This is literally said every time his name is mentioned.

* SubvertedCatchphrase: When Cecil realises that [[spoiler: the copy of John Peters standing in front of him is ''not'' his friend]], his usual appellation becomes "John Peters -- [[spoiler: you know, the ''impostor''...]]"

* AffablyEvil: Whether he is this or FauxAffablyEvilis currently impossible to determine. Although, the more we hear from him the more he sounds like the latter. On the other hand, when Lauren crashes the stock market just to piss him off, she notes that he grows ''more'' concerned and helpful. [[spoiler:His reappearance in episode 70A pretty much cements him as a particularly [[BlueAndOrangeMorality Blue and Orange]] example of the former.]]

* FakeNationality: His birth name is Richie Goldblum. He changed it because he was worried nobody would want to buy Pizza from a Jewish chef.

* ChildhoodFriends: Earl was Cecil's childhood best friend, but they lost track of each other after their high school graduation. Earl's farewell before the Eternal Scout ceremony led many fans to believe in a past or potential ChildhoodFriendRomance, but WordOfSaintPaul later stated that the two were JustFriends.

* SpellMyNameWithAnS: We are usually reminded that their name is spelled with a "K" when they are brought up.

* TheTrickster: Has shades of this, as Cecil notes that she likes to cause problems for people in the houses she inhabits for no apparent reason (leaving [[{{Squick}} rotting meat]] in their showers, for example).

* LoveAtFirstSight: The entire Council and the entire Radio Station Management fall in love with each other in the classic "eyes meet across a crowded room" manner, although the trope doesn't usually involve one side [[{{Squick}} feeding the other live rats...]] Given both groups seem to be [[EldritchAbomination Eldritch Abominations]] this technically counts as InterspeciesRomance.

* UsefulNotes/AmericanAccents: She has a really thick Upper Midwest accent (which the Proverb Lady [[BriefAccentImitation switches back into]] when crediting herself as Deb). Like, really thick. That's one heck of an accent ya got there, donchaknow.

* UsefulNotes/AmericanAccents: She has a really thick Upper Midwest accent (which the Proverb Lady [[BriefAccentImitation switches back into]] when [[ActingForTwo crediting herself]] as Deb). Like, really thick. That's one heck of an accent ya got there, donchaknow.

* CluelessDetective: {{Ditzy}}clueless ConspiracyTheorist more like it. He never ever realizes that the [[OpenSecret secrets]] he uncovers were [[EverybodyKnewAlready never secrets to anybody else]]. (Which annoys poor Cecil to tears.)

* ImNotAHeroIm: [[MemeticMutation "I'm not a hero, I'm a scientist"]].

* StraightGay: Cecil has only ever mentioned male love interests in the show and Night Vale writers Joseph Fink and Jeffery Cranor, as well as Cecil Baldwin, have all [[WordOfGay confirmed Cecil's sexuality as gay]]. While Cecil can get a little ValleyGirl when off-script (particularly when gushing about Carlos), he is otherwise very attached to his idea of professionalism and doesn't go for camp.

* MagicalNativeAmerican: Invoked by him, but as he's actually white, even being described by as Cecil as being of "possibly Slavic origin", and he constantly wears that headdress that is known from every stereotypical depiction of a Native American chief, he only comes off as a racist asshole.

* PhraseCatcher: "''Literally'' a five-headed dragon. Who cares!"

[[folder:The Man in the Tan Jacket[[spoiler:, Evan [=McIntyre=]]]]]

-> "Listen to me, you monster! I got you coffee, and I made mimeographs, and I sang sea shanties to the ants every single day. I even copy edited your Jaws slash fic even though that wasn’t in the job description! I did! And then one day, “Oh, get me some orange juice, Maureen! I mean, I won’t’ even tell you how it’s making people blink in and out of existence!”

-->Voiced by Cecil Baldwin

Our smooth-talking, (usually) unflappable radio announcer. A Night Vale local, Cecil has a voice like butter and remains calm in the face of many of the town's dangerous peculiarities--but is reduced to fanboyish glee over [[spoiler: his husband]] Carlos' perfect hair and internet cat videos.

* BadassOnPaper: Played with - for all intents and purposes, he's just a radio show host. But when you consider what the staff at the station have to go through each day, and that Cecil must have worked his way up...

** Anyone or anything that hurts Khoshekh.

-->"Apparently here they pointed to Night Vale Weekly Gazette writer Lauren James, who usually wears very nice shirts. It's really her bangs that don't work, I think. I mean I like bangs, but they just frame her face too dramatically, especially with those thick-rimmed glasses."
-->"Stay tuned next to the sound of two men putting on just the most ''vicious'' outfits."

* CozyVoiceForCatastrophes: Cecil's stock-in-trade.

* IntergenerationalFriendship: With Old Woman Josie. They used to go bowling together and he wants to tell her more about his new boyfriend.
** Although [Best Of?] revealed that Cecil is actually much MUCH older then Josie, working in radio since she was a little girl and long before that

* KentBrockmanNews: Cecil is devoted to the cause of giving out community updates and warnings. He also gushes about Carlos, berates Steve Carlsberg, and shares details about the station cat's adorable kittens in between stories.
** He really likes uncritically reciting press releases:
--->''A press release day is a good day because I don’t have to actually research or prepare anything. Happy holidays, to me!''

* TheNonDescript: Night Vale writers Joseph Fink and Jeffery Cranor have both confirmed that Cecil's appearance will remain ambiguous. The best description we have of Cecil comes via Kevin narrating a photograph. He describes Cecil as being a man, not fat and not thin, not tall and not short, with eyes like Kevin's, a nose like Kevin's, and hair like Kevin's. He also wears a tie, and has a hard to describe [[TheUnsmile smile]]. (Keep in mind, though, that Kevin sees faces a little differently than most people do. Also, unlike Kevin, Cecil actually ''has'' eyes.) Occasionally Cecil will offhandedly describe other parts of himself, such as his shoes or hands, but mostly just in the process of describing what he's doing. One episode also mentions him wearing his best tunic and furry pants as a date outfit.
** [[WebVideo/BrowsHeldHigh Kyle Kallgren]] described him with the phrase, "Cecil looks like... ''nothing.''"

--> Voiced by Jeffrey Cranor (''The Phone Call'', a brief cameo in ''Toast''), Dylan Marron (all other appearances)

* AntiMagic: Carlos is immune to the otherwise citywide torpor in episode 35, "Lazy Day", and to the buzzing shadow-energy in episode 27, "First Date". It's unclear why--particularly since Cecil, who normally ''is'' susceptible to citywide effects (he's affected by, among others, the creeping fear in episode 3, "Station Management", and the Glow Cloud's mind control in episode 2, "The Glow Cloud"), is unaffected by the shadow-energy when he's with Carlos in "First Date". In "Well of Night", Carlos seemed immune to the powers of the chanting, and even managed to sleep through it, whereas it kept Cecil up all night.
** On the other hand, he proved susceptible to the black cube condos, and upon visiting one looking for a place to move in with Cecil nearly falls prey to its influence and only escapes because Cecil abandons his post at the microphone to rescue him.

* InformedAttractiveness: Cecil can't bring Carlos up without telling us that he's beautiful and perfect, and of course we only have his descriptions to go on. Cecil also describes Carlos's voice as "caramel" and "oaky". He shares some voice mail messages from Carlos in Episode 16, allowing listeners to form their own opinions. Old Woman Josie is the only other Night Vale resident who comments on Carlos' attractiveness, also describing him as "perfect" and "smelling like lavender chewing gum".
** During ''Podcast/TheThrillingAdventureHour'' cross-over episode, his perfect hair and teeth seem to have universal appeal.

-> Voiced by [[Podcast/TheThrillingAdventureHour Hal Lublin]]

*** Eventually deconstructed, as it turns out in episode 110 that Steve is [[spoiler:a lot more affected by Cecil's hatred than previously believed, to the point that after one dismissive reaction too many, Steve starts crying and plainly tells Cecil that his words hurt him.]] Interestingly, it turns out that Cecil's reasons for how he treats Steve have a lot more to do with Cecil himself than Steve.

--> "I wonder sometimes if my double could have done better. Or, if I am the double, whether the original me would have done better. Did I destroy my better half? Then maybe I was lucky that even half of me was better, once upon a time."

--> Voiced by Creator/JasikaNicole

--> Voiced by Jonathan Atkinson

--> "Listen to me, you monster! I got you coffee, and I made mimeographs, and I sang sea shanties to the ants every single day. I even copy edited your Jaws slash fic even though that wasn’t in the job description! I did! And then one day, “Oh, get me some orange juice, Maureen! I mean, I won’t’ even tell you how it’s making people blink in and out of existence!”

--> Voiced by Maureen Johnson

-->Voiced by James Urbaniak

--> Voiced by Meg Bashwiner.

--> Voiced by: Desiree Burch

* AllWebbedUp: One of their powers.
* TheDreaded: One of the most widely despised factions in town, and for good reason.

--> "There is power in being unremembered, in being overlooked. You should remember that power. People who aren't seen can see and hear all."

-->Voiced by Creator/MaraWilson

* AffablyEvil[=/=]FauxAffablyEvil: She’s definitely a villain, but she’s usually polite and cheerful to others.
* ADayInTheLimeLight: In addition to her segments in ''The September Monologues'', ''The April Monologues'', and ''The October Monologues'', she's the narrator and protagonist of the third novel, which delves into her backstory.
** ''The Faceless Old Woman (Live)'', written to tie into the book’s release, features her as narrator, with Cecil not appearing.

* HiveMind[=/=]MindHive: Could be one or the other; it's never explained if the Faceless Old Woman Who Secretly Lives In Your Home is one old woman who lives in everyone's homes or multiple versions of the same entity.

--> Voiced by Creator/JacksonPublick

--> Voiced by {{Creator/Retta}}

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/034b3f5085b4867b8280c7ca717ccd65_3.jpg]]

* LovedByAll: Widely beloved by the town.

--> Voiced by Hal Lublin, Annie Savage, and Creator/MarcEvanJackson

A group of tall winged beings who mostly hang around Old Woman Josie. [[BlatantLies They do not exist]] and you should not know about them. [[spoiler: At least until June of 2017, where their existence was legally acknowledged by the Night Vale City Council.]]

* {{The Assimilator}}s: A relatively harmless variant; they can turn humans into angels and make them AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence. Those assimilated apparently retain some level of individuality (like [[spoiler:Marcus Vanston]]).

--> Voiced by Mark Gagliardi

* ConMan[=/=]IncompetenceInc: He raises imaginary corn and gets subsidies for his failed peach orchard. Being a peach farmer in the middle of a barren desert, he's never raised a successful crop.

* PhraseCatcher[=/=]RunningGag: "John Peters -- you know, the farmer..." This is literally said every time his name is mentioned.
** SubvertedCatchphrase: Until Cecil realised that [[spoiler: the copy of John Peters standing in front of him is ''not'' his friend]]. "John Peters -- [[spoiler: you know, the ''impostor''...]]"

** TheBusCameBack: [[spoiler:Subverted. Somebody working for [=StrexCorp=] managed to impersonate him, selling oranges that wiped people out of existence. Currently, he's stuck in the House That Doesn't Exist.]]
*** [[spoiler: Later played straight. He's back as of episode 49.]]

-->"Get out there, Night Vale! Grab anything you can and fight! Grab a slingshot and a book, say an Amy Bender Short Story Collection, or Milorad Pavic’s Dictionary of the Khazars. Or, if not a book, grab a rock. Or the throwing stars that come standard in most issues of [=McSweeney’s=]. Grab anything you can, and fight!

-->Do not believe in heroes, believe in citizens. Be a citizen."

--> Voiced by Symphony Sanders

--> Voiced by [[Podcast/TheThrillingAdventureHour Marc Evan Jackson]]

--> "Hello. Thank you for coming to my birthday party. It has been my 30th birthday for a long time. Hundreds of years. Maybe thousands of years. Continuously my 30th birthday and I never grow a day older. I don’t know why this of all the days that are my birthday is the one for which you chose to throw a party, but it was sure nice of you to think of me. That cake looks fine."

--> Voiced by Annie Savage

* HiddenDepths: Was apparently a talented musician.
* PosthumousCharacter: Introduced after his death.
* ReplacementGoldfish: [[spoiler: After Night Vale is found liable in civil court for returning A living Frank Chen to his family, the Sheriff embarks on an extensive and ultimately fruitless cloning program to bring them back to life.]]

[[folder:Larry Leroy (Out On The Edge Of Town)]]

* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}
* CoolOldGuy

* ReclusiveArtist

-->Voiced by Creator/WilWheaton

-->Voiced by Kate Jones.

-->Voiced by: Jason Webley

* ConArtist

* AxCrazy

* GoodOldWays

* AdventureArchaeologist

A small, fist sized river rock who serves as the President of Night Vale Community College.

* AnimateInanimateObject

* OnlySaneMan: In comparison to her staff.

[[folder:The Man who is not Tall]]

[[folder:The Man who is not Short]]

--> Voiced by Creator/MollyQuinn

* DoingInTheWizard: Her stock in trade.

-->Voiced by Kevin R. Free

* AffablyEvil[=/=]FauxAffablyEvil: Which one he is is currently impossible to determine. Although, the more we hear from him the more he sounds like the latter. On the other hand, when Lauren crashes the stock market just to piss him off, she notes that he grows ''more'' concerned and helpful. [[spoiler:His reappearance in episode 70A pretty much cements him as a particularly [[BlueAndOrangeMorality Blue and Orange]] example of the former.]]

* DissonantSerenity: He's constantly cheerful and downright peppy, and treats Desert Bluffs like a paradise, or at the very least a happy town where nothing is wrong. And then Cecil shows up. It's one of the few times we hear unmasked terror in Cecil's voice.
-->"There is so much [[spoiler: blood, it is seeping into my shoes..."]]

* PutOnABus / TheBusCameBack: [[spoiler: Disappears between episode 19B and 47 (not counting the live show "The Debate"), only to be thrown through an old oak door into the Desert Otherworld by Steve Carlsberg.]] [[spoiler: Reappears again in episode 65]]

-->'''Kevin:''' [[spoiler: I rarely feel anything. I rarely feel anything at all!]]

* TheUnsmile: Again, according to Cecil's description, and Kevin notes the same thing about Cecil's smile in his own photograph. Though this may be because the two have different ideas of what "Smile" means.

--> '''Kevin:''' Watch me smile!
--> '''Cecil:''' ... You ''monster.''
--> '''Steve:''' That was really gross! [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments Do it again.]]

--> Voiced by: Lauren Sharpe

* BigBadDuumvirate: With Kevin in season 2.

* {{Animal Motifs}}: In ''Literature/{{It Devours}}'', it's associated with centipedes.

[[folder:The Good Boy/[[spoiler:Satan]]]]

* OmnicidalManiac: [[spoiler:He wants nothing. Quite literally.]]
* PsychoticSmirk: Somehow manages this with a puppy face.
* TheDogWasTheMastermind: Literally.

[[folder:The Destroyer/[[spoiler: Huntokar]]]]

* AnimalMotifs: Deers. And cockroaches.

* PhysicalGod[=/=]TimeAbyss: [[spoiler:She is one of the gods who were born in the Mudwomb before the dawn of time.]]

* WalkingSpoiler: Take a look at this folder.

* LegitimateBusinessmensSocialClub: He starts running a speakeasy for Wheat-and-Wheat-byproducts after they're banned by the city.

* CloningBlues: She murdered her double in episode 19... but she's still not sure if she's the original, or the replacement.

* CloningBlues: [[spoiler: After Night Vale is found liable in civil court for returning A living Frank Chen to his family, the Sheriff embarks on an extensive and ultimately fruitless cloning program to bring them back to life.]]

* ReplacementGoldfish:[[spoiler:The City of Night Vale is tasked with creating one for the Chen family, or forfeit control of the city.]]

--> Voiced by Jackson Publick

* GlamourFailure: To those who know what he is, he can seem... less than cute. Not quite at all, really.

* RacistGrandma: Possibly subverted, in that she goes out of her way to mention that one of the angels is black, but also says, when selling the lightbulb that one of them touched, that it was the black one, in case that "sweetens the pot". As noted under "The Angels", she could've also meant that the angel was ''literally'' black, as in, ''pitch'' black like a shadow or the [[{{Pun}} night.]]

* RedShirtArmy: They're as in over their heads as anyone else in Night Vale.

* RedShirtArmy: They're as in over their heads as anyone else in Night Vale.

* RacistGrandma: Possibly subverted, in that she goes out of her way to mention that one of the angels is black, but also says, when selling the lightbulb that one of them touched, that it was the black one, in case that "sweetens the pot". As noted under "The Angels", she could've also meant that the angel was ''literally'' black, as in, ''pitch'' black like a shadow or the [[{{Pun}} night.]]