!Protagonists


!!Thomas Rogan

* BadassLongcoat: It even flows in the air whilst he's climbing a ladder.
* CrusadingWidower: [[spoiler:Unless he gets the good ending.]]
* LastNameBasis: Always referred to as "Rogan," even by his fiancee.
* {{Revenge}}: For Sophie.

!!G
* BadassNormal
** BadassAbnormal: {{Jossed}}. The manual for the Saturn and PC ports tries to suggest that he's some kind of artificial human, but Sega went ahead and just ignored that.
* CoolShades
* NoNameGiven
-->'''Isaac''':"You ever gonna tell anyone what that fuckin' "G" stands for?"\\
'''G''': [[spoiler:"No."]]
** OneLetterName
* OddCouple: With Isaac Washington.
* TheStoic: In House of the Dead 1, he's basically a robot.
* UnexplainedRecovery: You meet him at the beginning of ''House of the Dead 2'', where's he's been seriously wounded and urges you to go on without him, seeming to suggest that it's a BackForTheDead situation for him. In the best ending, Rogan shows up out of nowhere to tell you he's fine, but even if that ending isn't canon, the fact that he's back in the third game certainly seals it.

!!Sophie Richards

* DistressedDamsel
* LastWords: "You must stop Dr. Curien. Or else... something terrible will happen!"
* [[spoiler:UnexplainedRecovery]]: In the true ending, if your score is high enough.
** If ''The House of the Dead 3'' is any indication, this ending is canon.

!!Kate Green
* BadassNormal
* NaiveNewcomer
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: She joins with G after James' death.

!!Daniel Curien
* [[IllGirl Ill Boy]]: [[spoiler:He got better]].
* [[MadScientistsBeautifulDaughter Mad Scientist's Handsome Son]]
* TookALevelInBadass

!!Isaac Washington

* BadAss
* BaldOfAwesome
* BlaxploitationParody
* BoisterousBruiser: Compared to G.
* ClusterFBomb: Constantly.
* DualWielding: In cutscenes at least.
* EekAMouse: Is not a big fan of insects. Pointed out after the battle against The Crawler.
* EvenBadMenLoveTheirMamas: The reason why he wasn't infected by the virus is that he was with his mother. Of course, he won't admit it.
* SirSwearsALot: Oh ''so'' much.
* {{Tsundere}}: A ''[[ClusterFBomb very foul-mouthed one]]'' but by the end of the game, G notices it.
* YouKilledMyFather: Towards Papa Caesar.
** [[spoiler:In TheStinger of OVERKILL, Caesar says in a tape recording that Washington's father is still alive.]]

!!Varla Guns

* ActionGirl: [[SubvertedTrope Subverted.]]
** Gets promoted to one in the Extended Cut (at least, the parts where she was at while Isaac and G were doing their business).
* [[spoiler:BrainInAJar: How she ends up. G claims that she's still alive.]]
* BuxomIsBetter: Holy crap yes! [[spoiler:Though, according to Darling's mother, her tits are still "too small".]]
* [[spoiler:DisposableWoman]]
* DistressedDamsel: She's kidnapped by Papa Caesar [[spoiler:and later by Warden Darling]].
* {{Gainaxing}}: Especially in the cutscene of chapter one when she arms herself.
* [[GetAHoldOfYourselfMan Get A Hold Of Yourself Woman]]: Slaps Candi after she lets out two [[BigNo Big Nos]].
* ItsPersonal: She wants to avenge her little brother Jasper.

!Antagonists

!!Dr. Roy Curien
* BigBad: Of the first game (and also the third game).
* EvilutionaryBiologist
* [[spoiler:FinalBoss]]: In the third game.
* LegacyCharacter: The Wheel of Fate
* LoveMakesYouEvil: His love for his son and desire for said son to be well causes his MadScientist gig.
* MadScientist
* NonActionBigBad: [[spoiler:But not in the third game.]]
* TheManBehindTheMan
* TheUnfought (In the first game. [[spoiler:But not in the third.]])
* DrivenToVilliany: Implied in [=HOTD1=], and explored in [=HOTD3=]. Curien was just a normal scientist trying to solve the world's problems, but his son's sudden illness prompted him to go all the way to the bottom of the barrel to try and cure him. It cost him his coworkers, and his sanity.

!!Caleb Goldman
* BigBad: Of the whole series.
* ClaspYourHandsIfYouDeceive
* CorruptCorporateExecutive
* GaiasVengeance: What he wants to bring to fruition.
* KnightTemplar: Rather than wanting just destruction, he wants humans to devolve into their most basic form. Which happens to be Zombies.
* [[spoiler:MyDeathIsJustTheBeginning]]
* SunglassesAtNight

!!Mysterious Man
* BiggerBad
* TheFaceless
* HiddenVillain

!!Papa Caesar

* BigBad: [[spoiler:Or not.]]
* EvilSoundsDeep
* FauxAffablyEvil: Adopts this tone around Isaac and the other heroes.
* IHaveYourWife: Forces Jasper to work for him by threatening Varla.
* KickTheDog: How he treats Jasper (who, by the way, is paraplegic).
* [[spoiler:KilledOffForReal: Warden Darling electrocutes him when he [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness outlives his usefulness.]]]]
* ManOfWealthAndTaste
* ObviouslyEvil: And the [[LargeHam narrator]] couldn't make it more clear than this.
* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: Seen how he treats Jasper.
* [[spoiler:RedHerring]]
* TrademarkFavouriteFood: Likes Chinese food. [[ObviouslyEvil And pain.]]
-->'''Caesar''': "I enjoy pain. It's like a good Chinese dinner, you know? With the sweet, and the sour? Expanding on that analogy, I will smile with delight, that's the sweet, [[FauxAffablyEvil as you scream for your fucking life]]. [[ToThePain Of course, that's the sour]]. [[VillainExitStageLeft Ciao!]]"\\

!!Warden Clement Darling

* [[spoiler:BiggerBad]]: [[spoiler:Although Caesar claims that he has powerful friends that present more of a threat than his "small-minded" ambitions. Said "powerful friends" are most likely Curien and Goldman.]]
* EvenBadMenLoveTheirMamas: [[spoiler:In his case, though, it's a little ''too'' much.]]
* {{Gonk}}: Those eyes and those teeth.... uuuggh.
* [[spoiler:TheManBehindTheMan: For Papa Caesar.]]
* [[spoiler:ParentalIncest]]: [[spoiler: He does everything out of love for his mother, but it isn't familial love...]]
* [[spoiler:VillainousBreakdown: Goes through a rather calm one after Mother's death.]]

!Monsters

* ThemeNaming: They're all named after Tarot cards; the only exceptions being the ''OVERKILL'' bosses.

!!The Chariot
A large zombie wearing a full suit of armor, who is the first boss fought in the first game.

* AnAxeToGrind: Wields a bardiche.
* AttackItsWeakPoint: The full body armour it wears makes it impervious... except for the very obvious gap in its chest.
* TacticalSuicideBoss: When it suffers enough damage, it breaks out of its armour... So now it's vulnerable everywhere.
** Sort of. Every part of his body is vulnerable in the second phase, but if you only shoot the same spot over and over he'll stop taking damage, so you ''must'' shoot pretty much every part of his body.
* WarmUpBoss

!!The Hangedman
A flying stone gargoyle who kidnaps Rogan's girlfriend and later attacks him and G on the roof. He's the second boss of the first game.

* BatOutOfHell: He can command a flock of zombie bats.
* DisneyVillainDeath: Twice.
* EvilLaugh
* FlunkyBoss: In the first phase.
* RecurringBoss
* VocalDissonance: Sounds like he ingested too much helium.
* WingedHumanoid

!!TheHermit
A big, spider-like zombie that tries to kill Rogan and G with its webs. The third boss of the first game.

* AbnormalAmmo: Shoot web balls at you.
* DeadlyLunge: Near the end.
* GiantSpaceFleaFromNoWhere: Curien just sics it on you with ''no'' prior hints at its existence.
* GiantSpider

!!The Magician
Curien's most powerful creation, which is a mutant with [[PlayingWithFire fire control]] and psychic powers. The fourth ([[FinalBoss and final]]) boss of the first game. It later serves as the fifth boss of the second game, and the second (and once again final) boss of ''The House of the Dead 4 Special''.

* AchillesHeel: Its exposed spots.
* BadassBaritone
* GroinAttack: In the first game, its only weakness is its crotch.
* HumanoidAbomination
* PlayingWithFire
* RecurringBoss
* [[TurnedAgainstTheirMasters Turned Against Curien]]
* [[spoiler:UnexplainedRecovery: For ''The House of the Dead 2'', and ''again'' for ''The House of the Dead 4 Special Edition''.]]
** [[spoiler:Suddenly ''gets'' explained (sort of) if you fail to stop its last-ditch attack in ''The House Of The Dead 4 Special Edition''; it summons a '''''legion''''' of clones of itself, [[NonstandardGameOver and the game just ends there without even letting you TRY to fight them off]].]]

!!Judgement
A small imp (Zeal) and a living suit of Armor (Kuarl), who are met in Venice by James and Gary. It's the first boss in ''The House of the Dead 2''.

* AchillesHeel: Zeal to Kuarl.
* AnAxeToGrind: Kuarl.
* DualBoss
* {{Expy}}: Of The Hanged Man (Zeal) and The Chariot (Kuarl).
* RecurringBoss
* ThoseTwoBadGuys
* Brains and Brawn: Zeal hides behind the hulking Kuarl and barks orders. Of course, after Kuarl dies, Zeal can still fly up to you and scratch your face off.

!!The Hierophant
A triton-like zombie armed with a trident. The second boss of the second game.

* AchillesHeel: Its chest opens on a regular basis to expose its heart.
* FishPeople
* InASingleBound: That guy can do some amazing jumps.
* ProngsOfPoseidon
* WarmUpBoss

!!The Tower
A Hydra-like mutant who dwells in the sewers of Venice. The third boss of the second game.

* OurDragonsAreDifferent: Apparently based on Dragons.
* SandWorm
* StockScream: Its roars are familiar.
* TurnsRed: After losing her four red heads.
* WakeUpCallBoss

!!Strength
A huge, chainsaw-wielding brute fought in a Coliseum. The fourth boss of the second game.

* AdvancingBossOfDoom: Chases you through a labyrinth, sometimes jumping over walls or smashing through them to surprise you.
* TheBrute
* ChainsawGood
* TheDeterminator
* HeroKiller: [[spoiler:Severely, and possibly fatally, wounds Harry.]]

!!The Emperor
A humanoid being made of shapeshifting molten metal, and Goldman's last creature. The sixth (and final) boss of the second game.

* BlobMonster: With a physical form, though.
* ExtraOreDinary: Manipulates molten metal to fight.
* DittoFighter: Copies several previous bosses to fight you.
* HumanoidAbomination
* LightIsNotGood
* RoboSpeak: "I am... I am..."

!!Death
A huge skull-faced mutant dressed as a Security Guard and armed with a club. He'll chase G and Lisa for two levels. One of the bosses in the third game.

* TheBrute
* CarryABigStick: With skulls embedded in it.
* ClothingDamage: At low health, he loses his hat.
* EarlyBirdCameo: Appears in the opening sequence, where he knocks Thomas Rogan down, but is stopped by [[spoiler:Curien's son.]]
* ImplacableMan: Hoo boy.
* {{Irony}}: He's the first boss seen in the game, and he's the hardest to kill in the whole series.

!!The Fool
A mutated giant sloth who resides in a well-like cage inside the building. One of the bosses in the third game.

* AttackOfTheKillerWhatever
* GrievousHarmWithABody: Can shower you with his former meals. Aka Corpses.
* LightningBruiser: Yes, it's a giant sloth, but seems like the zombification had improved his muscles.

!!The Sun
A mutant giant plant with many tentacle-like roots and human faces on its stalk. One of the bosses in the third game.

* AttackOfTheMonsterAppendage: You see his roots and tentacles all over the place, but meet it later in the level.
* CombatTentacles
* ManEatingPlant
* ShoutOut: Resembles Plant 42 from ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil''.

!!The Wheel Of Fate
Curien's ultimate creation[[spoiler:/transformation]], it is a cybernetic monster surrounded by a metal ring. It manipulates electricity to fight. It's the final boss of ''The House of the Dead 3'', and is actually [[spoiler:Dr. Roy Curien himself.]]

* ChromeChampion
* HumanoidAbomination
* [[spoiler:OneWingedAngel: Of Curien.]]
* RoboSpeak
* ShockAndAwe
* WellIntentionedExtremist: His goal is to "destroy everything and resurrect everything."

!!Justice
A huge, four-armed mutant that chases Kate and James in the sewers. The first boss of ''The House of the Dead 4'' and ''The House of the Dead 4 Special Edition''.

* FeedItABomb: His weak spot is his mouth.
* MultiarmedAndDangerous
* RecurringBossTemplate: See also Strength and Death for a similar boss fight.

!!The Lovers
A pair of mutated Tarantulas which attack Kate and James as they try to leave the underground via Elevator. The second boss of ''The House of the Dead 4''.

* CoitusUninterruptus: Considering their name, and how they attack with smaller spiders, it's possible the two are copulating constantly throughout the battle.
* DualBoss: Albeit in terms of gameplay, they're fought as a single boss.
* GiantSpider: Times two.
* MookMaker: Can and will summon several spiders to help them.
* SpikesOfVillainy: The top spider's forelegs are covered in spikes.

!!The Empress
A powerful purple zombie armed with a ludicrously big double-chainsaw. He/she chases Kate and James on the train. The third boss of the fourth game.

* ActionGirl: "She" is deadly and has a female name, but is otherwise functionally genderless.
* DoubleWeapon: It breaks apart during the last part of the fight, forcing her to resort to DualWielding.
* EvilCripple
* ChainsawGood: Double it.
* RailroadTracksOfDoom: After her defeat, she falls from the train and gets hit by another one.

!!Temperance
A morbidly obese, giant zombie that chases our heroes down the streets. He's so fat that bullets won't damage him. The fourth boss of the fourth game.

* AdvancingWallOfDoom: Or better, Rolling Undead Fat Ball of Doom.
* BrightIsNotGood: Properly enough, since vividly colored frogs are also the most dangerous (see FrogsAndToads).
* FatBastard
* FrogsAndToads: For some reason, he makes toad noises as he's shot.
* ImplacableMan: He can't be damaged by bullets; you can only stun him. You defeat him by dropping a clock tower on him.
* JigglePhysics: Disgustingly applied to his pendulous breasts and belly.
* WalkingShirtlessScene

!!The Star
A humanoid mutant armed with swords and a purple aura, which acts as a "test" of strength for Kate and James. When he dies, he wounds James with a shard of his body. He's a perfected model of The Magician, and the fifth boss of ''The House of the Dead 4''.

* BeamSpam: His main form of attack.
* BrightIsNotGood
* ClothingDamage: Sadly, his BadassLongcoat is torn to shreds as you shoot him.
* TheDragon: To Goldman.
* DualWielding: Two glowing daggers.
* EverythingsBetterWithSpinning: His final move.
* HumanoidAbomination
* ScarsAreForever: Has a huge gush on his chest.
* ShoutOut: His red BadassLongcoat makes him similar to Dante from DevilMayCry.
* TakingYouWithMe: Explodes when killed. Is unknown if it was intentional or not.

!!The World
Goldman's last trick, which is a powerful, constantly-evolving monster made of ice. [[spoiler:He's destroyed by James's sacrifice]].

* [[AnIcePerson An Ice Insectoid Abomination]]
* AttackItsWeakPoint: The red spot on his chest.
* BadadssBoast: "There is no hope... [[NintendoHard My hammer of death will rain down upon you!]]"
* EldritchAbomination: Looks like a giant humanoid fly made of ice and embedded in the ground.
* InstantAwesomeJustAddDragons: His final attack summons ice dragons.
* OneWingedAngel: Three times. [[spoiler:But you have to face only two forms.]]
* PreAssKickingOneLiner: "There is no hope. My hammer of death shall rain down upon you."
* VocalDissonance: Despite its towering and grotesque appearance, it has the soft, withered voice of an elderly man. Ironically, it's probably the only voice in House of the Dead 4 that doesn't sound cheesy.
* WingedHumanoid

!!Jasper Gunns
The first boss in OVERKILL, he's Varla's quadriplegic younger brother, who has injected himself with a PsychoSerum in order to kill Papa Caesar, but got distracted by G and Issac, allowing Caesar to escape. Unfortunately, Jasper ends up so far gone that he can't tell ally from enemy, and ends up attacking G and Issac instead.

* DeadlyUpgrade
* TheDogBitesBack: Tries this, but turns into more of a threat to Caesar's enemies than Caeear himself.
* MindOverMatter: He's gained telekinetic abilities from the PsychoSerum.
* MyBrainIsBig: Also acts as BodyHorror and AchillesHeel.
* OneWingedAngel
* PowerFloats
* RoboSpeak
* TragicMonster

!!Coco and Sindy
Exclusive for the Playstation 3 version, they're Varla Guns' fellow coworkers who borrowed Varla's bike before getting infected. Appears as a fat woman and a skinny woman. Chronologically the second boss fought in the PS3 version.

* DualBoss
* {{Expy}}: Hands up if you thought of the Judgement from the second game in this fight.
* [[FatBastard Fat Bitch]]: Sindy.
* ThoseTwoGirls: Well, judging from how Varla refers to them.

!!The Screamer
Another creation of Caesar, who's released in a hospital in order to kill G and Isaac. Appears as a zombie girl with a mutilated face and powerful screams. The second boss in OVERKILL (third if you count the PS3 version).

* BodyHorror: You can clearly see her spine.
* ButterFace: Her face is awfully mutilated.
* {{Expy}}: Let her succeed in attacking you and you will get reminded of [[TheRing Sadako]].
* GroinAttack: Her weak points are her face and her crotch.
* MakeMeWannaShout: Guess why?
* MindRape: Apparently, that's what she does when she screams.
* [[HeWasRightThereAllAlong She Was Right There All Along]]: You find her in a room in the dungeons of the Hospital, but if you're careful enough, you can spot her stalking you through the building and running away.
** In the [[UpdatedRelease Director's Cut]] of the Playstation 3, she ''literally'' screams at both G and Isaac ''just when they get inside the hospital''.

!!Nigel and Sebastian
A pair of circus freaks mutated by the virus, who are now feeding on corpses in the circus. Nigel is the large guy, while Sebastian is the tumor-like thing embedded in his belly. The third boss of OVERKILL (fourth in the PS3 version).

* AppendageAssimilation
* BodyHorror: Freaks. Zombie freaks. What did you expect?
* DualBoss: Technically.
* IAmAHumanitarian: They're shown eating a corpse.
* NotQuiteDead: Sebastian after the boss fight, but he's gunned down almost instantly.
* TheSpeechless: Nigel doesn't speak.

!!Meat Katie
Exclusive in the PS3 version, it is a gigantic cow-like mutant who wields a butcher's knife in the butcher shop. Chronologically the fifth boss of the game.

* ALoadOfBull: Making her a mutant wasn't enough, so she was given a cow's skull and udders.
* {{BFS}}
* [[spoiler:HeroKiller: As she dies, her cleaver falls on Candi's arm, severing it and causing her death.]]
* HoistByHisOwnPetard: Pushed back in her meat grinder.
* WasOnceAMan: When you see what her name is and where her weak spot is, you can see on the right side a picture of her as a human woman before she became a mutant.

!!The Crawler
A huge mutant similar to a bug, it attacks Isaac and G on the train. The fourth boss of OVERKILL (sixth in the PS3 version).

* BigCreepyCrawlies
* EarlyBirdCameo: Only in the PS3 version in Creeping Flesh, one level before his stage (which is Scream Train).
* GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere: Almost word by word, just replace Space with Zombie and Flea with Mantis.
* SinisterScythe: Its arms, which doubles as its weak point. The weak point is changed in the PS3 version.

!!The Lobber
A massive frog-like mutant who's infesting the swamps. The fifth boss of OVERKILL (seventh in the PS3 version).

* BodyHorror: He's covered in pus-filled bubbles.
* FatBastard
* GiantSpaceFleaFromNoWhere: Why is there an obese, giant [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot bubble-covered zombie-frog-man]] in that swamp!?
* HoistByHisOwnPetard: You can make him vulnerable by shooting his projectiles while he's still holding them.

!!Brutus
A huge, mutated criminal who was executed for his many awful crimes. He's seen together with another similar mutant, who he kills. The sixth boss of OVERKILL (eighth in the PS3 version).

* ArmCannon: Rather, Crossbow. Doubles as his weakness.
* DualBoss: Subverted.
* EatTheDog: Amongst his various misdeeds, he and his partner ''ate'' the puppy of a poor child.
* FlunkyBoss
* MeaningfulName: Tu quoque Brute!?

!!Mother
[[spoiler:Clement Darling's]] mother, who was exposed to the compound [[spoiler:and had her brain put in Varla's body.]] She mutates to a giant, grotesque monster which births smaller mutants from her oversized vagina. The seventh and final boss of OVERKILL (ninth [[spoiler:and [[BossRush tenth]] if you count the playable "Missing Reel"]] in the PS3 version).

* [[spoiler:AnticlimaxBoss: Implied to be one.]]
** [[spoiler:GuideDangIt: Only in the Director's Cut of the PS3 version; unless you paid attention to your surroundings, you wouldn't even know how to even ''damage'' Mother in the revealed "Missing Reel".]]
* BodyHorror: The greatest case so far, considering that hers used to be [[spoiler:Varla's body.]]
* BossRush: It was implied by G and Isaac that they had fought off Mother first before your real fight against her. [[spoiler:Played straight in the Director's Cut of the PS3 version, where ''you'' get to experience it.]]
* FingerPokeOfDoom: She attacks by literally flicking you off, and also by flicking tires at you.
* FullFrontalAssault
* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: Her physical appearance, especially regarding her... cough cough...
* MotherOfAThousandYoung: She can give birth to Pukers in a few seconds.
* OneWingedAngel: Accidental, though.