%% Administrivia/ZeroContextExamples are no longer allowed. Add some context before uncommenting them.

[[foldercontrol]]

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!! Main Characters

[[folder:Richard Mayhew]]
!! Richard Mayhew
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/neverwhererichard.jpg]]
->'''Played by:''' Gary Bakewell (television), Creator/JamesMcAvoy (radio)

Richard is the perennial everyman. He's a good person, but one who lives a life of exceeding normalcy, including an unsatisfying job and a fiancée who seems to view him more as an accessory than an actual person. However, even this humdrum life is taken from him when he decides to be a good Samaritan one night, inadvertently leading him into the terrifying world of London Below.
----
* ActionSurvivor: Survivor is the keyword here, considering how many dangerous things there are in London Below.
* AllTakeAndNoGive: The nature of his relationship with Jessica. Richard puts in all the effort to change himself and do things that will make her happy, while Jessica never returns the favor. [[spoiler:After his experiences in London Below, he turns down the opportunity to get back together with her, because he's changed.]]
* ArbitrarySkepticism: Even after he's seen a lot of seemingly impossible things in London Below, his first instinct when learning about a new strange thing is to deny its existence. He grows out of this over time.
* CantStayNormal: In the end, [[spoiler: Richard finally manages to regain his normal life back. However, it pales in comparison to the endless adventure of London Below, so he decides to return.]]
* CaptainObvious: He briefly becomes this during his initial confusion about the events going on around him.
* TheChampion: Lady Serpentine identifies him as such, claiming he's "Door's hero." When Door argues otherwise, Serpentine says she's learned to recognize the type over the years. Sure enough, Richard is willing to rush headlong into danger to save Door, [[spoiler:to the point where he faces down and slays the Beast of London]].
* DistractedByTheSexy: Richard's a bit too distracted by Lamia's looks to realize the ominous undertones of her flirtation. It almost costs him his life when [[KissOfDeath she tries draining his life-force with a kiss.]]
* DreamingOfThingsToCome: Richard has recurring dreams of being in a maze facing the Beast of London.
* TheEveryman: Richard really isn't anything special (though Serpentine recognizes him as a Hero).
* GenreBlindness: It takes him a few days to catch on, protesting that all these fantastical things in London Below are just ''Tube Stations''!
* GoodSamaritan: He's eager to help people. Him helping Door is the reason why he's drawn into the events of London Below.
* TheHerosJourney: Richard leaves the familiar world (London Above) thanks to the {{Herald}} (Door). He learns to navigate the unfamiliar world of adventure (London Below). He grows and finds he's stronger than he thought he was [[spoiler:(he goes through an ordeal, and slays a great monster).]] At the end, he returns to his normal world,[[spoiler: then changes his mind.]]
* HomeSweetHome: [[ZigZaggingTrope Triple subversion]]. [[spoiler:At the end, when Richard asks about going home, the Marquis says they can't do that -- [[LampshadeHanging this isn't the Wizard of Oz]]. But then it turns out they ''can'' send him home, and he goes. After being home for a day, he changes his mind and decides to return to London Below.]]
* IChooseToStay: {{Double subversion}}. [[spoiler:For a minute, it seems like Richard might decide to stay with Door, but then he goes home. After being back for a day, he changes his mind and returns.]]
* NiceJobBreakingItHero: [[spoiler:Richard is the only person in history to claim the key to all of reality by surviving the third ordeal unscathed. He then plans on handing it over to Islington, the angel the key was meant to be protected from. Though, to be fair, neither he nor Door knew why it was being guarded.]]
* NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished: Richard saves Door from dying on the street. His reward? Being turned into an {{Unperson}}.
* RedBaron: By the end, Hunter gives him the title of [[spoiler:the Warrior, for killing the Beast of London]].
* StrangerInAFamiliarLand: At the end of the book, when Richard finally managed to make it back to London Above, he finds it hard to fit into normal life again. [[spoiler:Unable to stand this, he finds a way back]].
* SupportingProtagonist: Richard is the main character, but Door is TheHero.
* UnfazedEveryman: After a day or so, he stops protesting impossible things and just starts accepting them, though he still doesn't really understand what's going on.
* UnkemptBeauty: He has MessyHair, and in the book he's described as having "a rumpled, just woken up look to him, which just made him more attractive".
* {{Unperson}}: After he helps Door, no one in London Above can remember him. They also can barely notice him, unless Richard really tries to gain their attention, and even then their attention just slides right off again.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Lady Door]]
!! The Lady Door
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/neverwheredoor.jpg]]
-> '''Played by:''' Creator/LauraFraser (television), Creator/NatalieDormer (radio)

The daughter of a noble family in London Below who are famous for their power to "open" anything, not just doors. Door finds herself the sole surviving member of her family after their slaughter at the hands of Croup and Vandemar. Her attempt to open a door to someplace "safe" leads her to Richard Mayhew.
----
* BlueBlood: Door's family is among the nobility of London Below.
* HarbingerOfImpendingDoom: When she shows up on the street in front of Richard, bleeding profusely.
* HealingFactor: Her entire family has one to some degree. It's not instant, but she recovers from a bad knife wound almost overnight.
* HeartIsAnAwesomePower: How useful would it be to open a door anywhere? Maybe [[spoiler:inside your assassin's chest, critically wounding him]], or [[spoiler:having the villains be DraggedOffToHell]].
* TheHero: Though Serpentine would disagree, Door's quest drives the events of the story, and she is ultimately the one to defeat the villains at the end.
* InelegantBlubbering: Much as the Marquis may protest, it's reasonable considering her family was massacred.
* KaleidoscopeEyes: Her multicolored eyes are mentioned almost every time she's described. What color they actually are isn't really pinned down, as they seem to constantly be changing.
* LethalHarmlessPowers: She can open a door anywhere, like inside your chest. Or ''to'' anywhere, like Hell.
* MacGuffinSuperPerson: Why do you think her family, with their ability to open doors anywhere, were hunted down?
* MessyHair: As a result of her travels through the sewers of London Below, it's unkempt to the point that Richard isn't sure of her hair color.
* MysteriousWaif: Perhaps the ultimate example: an unnamed, oddly dressed girl appears from nowhere, bleeding and begging for help, which kicks off the adventure.
* TheNotLoveInterest: Door fills the role of the MagicalGirlfriend, but she and Richard don't get together in the scope of the story. {{Lampshade|Hanging}}d near the end, when Jess asks Richard if he's met someone else. He [[ShipTease hesitates, thinks about it for a moment]], then says earnestly, "No." He's not leaving Jess because of Door, but because of ''himself''.
-->'''Jessica''': Did you meet someone?\\
'''Richard''': ''[thinks for a moment]'' No. no one. [[TheHerosJourney I've just...]] [[CharacterDevelopment changed, that's all.]]
* OpenAndShut: The whole family can open pretty much anything.
* OurDoorsAreDifferent: If she opens them.
* RummageSaleReject: Her clothes are an odd mix of laces, velvets, and an oversized leather coat.
* SoleSurvivor: She's the last living member of her family after Croup and Vandemar killed them all. [[spoiler:Or so she thinks. They spared her little sister, Ingress, because their employer initially wanted to use her for his plans.]]
* ThemeNaming: Her family are all named after various types of entrances to buildings -- Portico, Portia, Ingress, Arch, and Door.
* VagueAge: It's unclear exactly how old Door is throughout the book, mostly because Gaiman hadn't nailed down her exact age while writing. There are times Richard shifts from seeing her as a kid to a young woman. It's for this reason that Gaiman decided not to make her a LoveInterest for Richard.
* YouKilledMyFather: In addition to protection from her family's killers, she's also out for vengeance against them. [[spoiler:She gets it when she sends Croup, Vandemar, and their employer, Islington, through a door to either Hell, or somewhere just as unpleasant.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Marquis de Carabas]]
!! The Marquis de Carabas
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/neverwheremarquis.jpg]]
-> '''Played by:''' Creator/PatersonJoseph (television), Creator/DavidHarewood (radio)

A roguish trickster that Door seeks out for help. Though he's been recruited to help Door survive and avenge her family's death, he doesn't work for free, and trades in "favors." Very intelligent and helpful, his outright admission to be out for his own self-interest makes it difficult for him to be trusted.
----
* AlwaysSomeoneBetter: As shown in the short story ''How The Marquis Got His Coat Back'', his older brother Peregrine seems to be this for him. They're similar in many ways, but the Marquis seems to both emulate and resent him.
* AmazingTechnicolorPopulation: His skin is literally jet black in the ComicBookAdaptation. As in, it literally looks like two eyes and a mouth floating in a black void under his hair, with no distinction whatsoever to show where his jawline is. Bonus points, he's literally got a Cheshire Cat smile - just a smile set against a black void. That's how it ''looks'' though, when he's injured it's obviously tangible, it's just utterly black.
* AmbiguouslyEvil: In the beginning, it's unclear just whose side he's really on, and if Door is right to put her trust in him. [[spoiler:She is.]]
* AnimalMotifs: Fittingly for a trickster who took his name from ''Literature/PussInBoots'', the Marquis is associated with cats.
* AristocratsAreEvil: He's a marquis (an aristocrat), and while he's certainly not a villainous character, he's "a little dodgy in the same way the ocean is a little wet".
* BackFromTheDead: About halfway through, he's [[spoiler:tortured to death by Croup and Vandemar]], but soon enough [[spoiler:he's been brought back thanks to his SoulJar]].
* BadassLongcoat: His iconic item. There's an entire story devoted to him getting it [[spoiler:after it was taken from his dead body]].
* BigBrotherWorship: He decided as a child that he did not want to grow up to be like his big brother Peregrine. Instead, the Marquis wanted to be "elegant, elusive, brilliant, and, above all things, he wanted to be unique. [[DistinctionWithoutADifference Just like Peregrine."]]
* ChainOfDeals: His stock in trade. This makes him infamous in London Below, for better or for worse.
* ChessmasterSidekick: He casually snags what turns out to be an important trinket from [[spoiler:Portico's study (it's a totem of the Beast of London that Islington gave him)]], pulls an impressive [[spoiler:ThanatosGambit]] on Croup and Vandemar, and is generally awesome.
* ConMan: He's a talented schemer and deceiver who manipulates others for his own gain.
* CrazyPrepared: He can produce everything from a [[spoiler:SoulJar]] to a convenient bit of fruitcake if necessary.
* DeadpanSnarker: '''''AND HOW!'''''. Lampshaded in the follow-up short story, when the Elephant says that everything he says is sarcastic.
* DebtDetester: He loves it when people owe him favors, but he hates it when he's the one who owes someone else. He's slightly distressed when he realizes he's become indebted to Old Bailey, and [[spoiler:the real reason he's helping Door is that her father saved his life and de Carabas never got to pay him back.]]
* DoctorWhomage: Gaiman says in the commentary that the concept behind his character was a Black ''Franchise/DoctorWho''. Interestingly, his actor was considered a likely candidate to replace Creator/DavidTennant as The Doctor, and played Rodrick in the episodes ''[[Recap/DoctorWhoS27E12BadWolf Bad Wolf]]'' and ''[[Recap/DoctorWhoS27E13ThePartingOfTheWays The Parting of The Ways]]''. His name isn't really the Marquis, he's a DeadpanSnarker trickster who is the smartest in the room and he does regenerate... in a way.
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: Evil may be a bit of a stretch, but he's certainly self-interested and sketchy, and, in the words of Portico, "might even be a bit of a monster." However, despite his bad qualities, he has an older brother whom he both resents and cares about.
* EvilChancellor: Richard explicitly compares him to a grand vizier in the book.
-->'''Richard''': I'm wandering around with a girl called Door, her bodyguard, and her psychotic grand vizier.
* TheGadfly: The Marquis really does enjoy pushing other people's buttons. Sometimes it's light-hearted, other times it's disturbingly cruel. According to his narration, he created his identity, from his outfit to his personality, as an elaborate joke to prank a world he believes wants to be deceived.
* IOweYouMyLife: [[spoiler:The honest reason he's helping Door. Her father, Portico, saved his life, and the Marquis was never able to pay him back prior to his death.]]
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: It's ''very'' well hidden, but it's there, [[spoiler: such as when he comes to Richard's rescue when Lamia's feeding on him]], or [[spoiler: admits he's helping Door because he owed her father with a debt he couldn't repay.]]
* LackOfEmpathy: The Marquis isn't that great at empathy. He doesn't really know what to do when Door breaks down crying while processing her family's death, and he mocks Richard mercilessly about his highly probable death now that he's part of London Below.
* TheLancer: Door is noble, Richard is good (though helpless), and the Marquis is just kind of a selfish prick.
* LovableTraitor: Played with. Is he? Isn't he? He's a WildCard. [[spoiler: It looks like he might be this when he goes to Croup and Vandemar's lair, but ultimately he's not their employer, and he's not a mole either. He is an ally to Door, as he seems to be.]]
* LoveableRogue: Played with. Is he? Isn't he? He's a WildCard. [[spoiler: This is where he ultimately lands, as he stays loyal to Door and never betrays her.]]
* MeaningfulName: He's named for a character in Literature/PussInBoots, whose name he chose himself, and he styled himself after the titular character.
* OnlyInItForTheMoney: Or, rather, he's only it for the "really big favor" that Door will owe him for his help, [[spoiler:or so he claims.]] He seems to deal exclusively in favors he gets from others.
* RaceLift: A bit of a weird example. On the show, and in the book, he is a Black man, and a Black man voices him in the radio drama, but in the comic adaptation, his hair and lips seem to be those of a White person, while the rest of his face is actually the ''colour'' black.
* RedHerringMole: [[spoiler:The bit in the middle when he meets with Croup and Vandemar is intended to make you think he might be their mysterious employer. He isn't.]]
* SesquipedalianLoquaciousness: Though not ''nearly'' as bad as Croup, he's willing to talk, and talk fancy.
* TheSmartGuy: He's the first one to figure out the {{Big Bad}}'s plot, thanks to some clever gambits and a few little bits and pieces the audience won't notice the first time around.
* TookALevelInKindness: He becomes less cruel and callous in the final parts of the book. [[spoiler:Dying seems to have had a profound effect on him.]]
* WildCard: Given his self-interested nature, it's hard to pin down whose side de Carabas is on, other than his own. [[spoiler:Despite being out for himself, Door was right to trust him.]]
* YouOweMe: He deals in favors. Those he deals with usually regret it.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Hunter]]
!! Hunter
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/neverwhere_hunter.jpg]]
-> '''Played by:''' Tanya Moodie (television), Creator/SophieOkonedo (radio)

A living legend in London Below, Hunter is a stoic warrior and [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin hunter]] who earned her reputation by slaying the deadliest monsters to inhabit the underground. When Door is hunted by Croup and Vandemar, Hunter is hired on as her bodyguard.
----
* ActionGirl: She's the deadliest fighter on the heroes' side, able to effortlessly beat down a towering PsychoForHire. That's not even mentioning her career choice of hunting the worst monsters prowling the Belowworld counterparts of the cities of the world.
* ActuallyPrettyFunny: [[spoiler:Though mortally wounded, her reaction to realizing the one to slay the infamous Beast of London is [[NonActionGuy Richard Mayhew]] is to burst out laughing before she dies.]]
* AdaptationalAttractiveness: Although Tanya Moodie is hardly unattractive, Neil Gaiman was disappointed in the choice of actress, saying he wanted Hunter to be the most beautiful woman you'd ever seen, and wrote her as such in the novelization.
* AlmostDeadGuy: [[spoiler:In the labyrinth, her first tangle with the Beast ends with her trampled underfoot and mortally wounded. She summons the willpower to get up again, face a ''second'' charge while Richard delivers the fatal blow, and then survives long enough to deliver some last words.]]
* AmbiguouslyBrown: She's described as "caramel" at points in the book, but her exact background isn't even alluded to.
* AmbiguouslyGay[=/=]WordOfGay: Her dealings with Serpentine in the past, along with the memory of her giving a pelt to a girl "who caught her eye" who is then described as being "appropriately grateful" (ie, probably slept with her). Gaiman has said two of the characters in the story are gay, and she seems like a likely bet, but this is never confirmed in the story.
* AnimalStereotypes: She's associated with lionesses.
* BigEater: This is best shown when the group is having dinner at Serpentine's, and Hunter demolishes all the food in front of her.
* TheBigGuy: She's the muscle for the group during their travels, and her passion is monster hunting.
* BodyguardBetrayal: [[spoiler:Just before the labyrinth, it's revealed that Islington hired her before Door did. Hunter willingly hands Door over to Croup and Vandemar in exchange for the only spear that can kill the Beast of London.]]
* DeathEqualsRedemption: [[spoiler:After betraying Door to Islington in exchange for the spear that can kill the Beast of London, Hunter ends up mortally wounded by the Beast. She admits what she did was wrong, and willingly sacrifices herself to give Richard a chance to slay the monster and save Door.]]
* EgomaniacHunter: All Hunter really cares about is the thrill of the hunt. [[spoiler:She betrays Door because she can't pass up the opportunity to slay the infamous Beast of London.]]
* FaceDeathWithDignity: [[spoiler:She displays no fear after being mortally wounded. After helping Richard slay the Beast, she spends her final moments giving him her knife and educating him on the proper etiquette for a hunter after their kill.]]
* FauxActionGirl: For a supposedly great hunter, her strategy in hunting the Beast was basically just to stand there, let it charge her, and stab it. [[spoiler:The plan fails, but, to her credit, her narration reveals that similar strategies worked for her before, and she is able to tell Richard the exact moment to strike when the Beast charges again.]]
* HellBentForLeather: As seen in her photo above, she wears a leather top in the miniseries, and in the book, she is described as wearing only leather.
* HunterOfMonsters: It's where she got her name. She's hunted and killed a fifteen-foot weasel beneath Bangkok, a blind alligator king in the sewers of New York, a bear under Berlin, and a black tiger in Calcutta's undercity, which she killed with her bare hands. Now she's set her eyes on slaying the Beast of London.
* InstantWakingSkills: She's able to go from a deep sleep to awake in seconds after hearing Door make a noise in her sleep.
* LivingLegend: Tales of Hunter's exploits have made her a legend in London Below. At one point, a jester is horrified when he finds out her identity because he ''almost'' made a joke at her expense.
* MistakenForProstitute: Richard thinks she's a hooker in the book. Of course, it helps that she told him that she "rents her body".
* MysteriousPast: Relatively little is known about Hunter's life other than the legends of her hunting exploits. All that's known for sure is that she's OlderThanSheLooks, and she once worked for Lady Serpentine and the rest of the Seven Sisters, doing who knows what.
* TheMole: [[spoiler:As revealed in the labyrinth. She was working for Islington the entire time in exchange for a magic spear so she could go after the Beast. She does regret her actions, and willingly gives her life to atone.]]
* NothingPersonal: [[spoiler:After her treachery is revealed, she lets out a guilty, "No hard feelings."]]
* OlderThanTheyLook: Hunter is implied to be much older than she looks, if some of the legends about her are anything to go by, with Serpentine saying Hunter has aged much more gracefully than herself. When Door finds out Hunter worked for all the Seven Sisters thirty years ago, she finally asks how old she is, only for Hunter to dodge the question.
* PunchClockVillain: [[spoiler:She acted as Islington's spy, but only for a chance to slay the Beast of London. She's not a monster like Croup and Vandemar, and ends up regretting and atoning for her actions.]]
* TheStoic: As Richard notes in his narration, Hunter displays little emotion outside effortless competence or tolerant amusement. It makes the one time she displays any vulnerability all the more shocking to him.
* WeaksauceWeakness: Despite her amazing fighting prowess, Hunter is incapable of venturing into London Above, unlike every other resident of London Below.
* WhatTheHellIsThatAccent: InUniverse example. Richard (in the novel, at least) can't figure out if she's American, Canadian, African, Australian, or Indian. The fact she's travelled a lot doesn't help matters.
[[/folder]]

!! London Below

!!! Residents

[[folder:Angel Islington]]
!! The Angel Islington
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/angelislington.jpg]]
-> '''Played by:''' Creator/PeterCapaldi (television), Creator/BenedictCumberbatch (radio)

An angel who has been charged with keeping watch over London Below. It was in contact with Door's father prior to his death, and her father's final message to her daughter says the angel can help her.
----
* AboveGoodAndEvil: [[spoiler:As revealed at the end, it doesn't view itself as bound by traditional morality.]]
-->'''[[spoiler:Mr. Croup:]]''' He's traveled so far beyond right and wrong he couldn't see them with a telescope on a nice clear night.
* AmbiguousGender: It's an angel, and no one objects to calling it "it".
* BigBad: [[spoiler:As we learn about two-thirds of the way through, it's Croup and Vandemar's employer, and its entire scheme revolves around manipulating Door into letting it back into heaven.]]
* DissonantSerenity: It always speaks in tones of calm civility, [[spoiler:even while ordering torture and executions]], though it loses that serenity a few times.
* DraggedOffToHell: [[spoiler:Door sends it to the place furthest from Heaven at the end when she opens the door meant to take it home.]]
* EvilIsPetty: [[spoiler:It's implied the reason it had Door's ''entire'' family murdered is that Portico laughed at it when it suggested Portico use his powers to send it back home. Then there's its sinking of Atlantis over some unspecified offence.]]
* TheExile: [[spoiler:It's been exiled from Heaven in retribution for sinking Atlantis. It's meant to watch over London Below as penance, but it plans on going home early.]]
* FallenAngel: [[spoiler:Islington was charged with watching over Atlantis. It sank the city instead and was punished by exile from Heaven. It's meant to watch over London Below as penance, but it plans on breaking back into Heaven instead. As the Marquis de Carabas notes, when angels go bad, they go ''really'' bad.]]
* FauxAffablyEvil: [[spoiler:It's fairly polite, puts on a show of being unable to stomach violence, and it always speaks in a tone that ''sounds'' compassionate and loving. In reality, it has no regard for human life or remorse for his atrocities.]]
* GodhoodSeeker: [[spoiler:It plans on overthrowing God and ruling Heaven as the new deity worshipped by all of creation. This definitely speaks to Islington's ego, given that it somehow plans on doing this singlehandedly.]]
* LightIsNotGood: It wears pure white and can even light up candles just by walking by them. [[spoiler:It also sank Atlantis, had Door's family murdered, and is planning on taking over Heaven.]]
* ManipulativeBastard: [[spoiler:It pretends to be an ally to trick Door into willingly retrieving the key it needs to get back into Heaven.]]
* NotSoAboveItAll: After spending most of its time acting otherworldly, it sings "Cheek to Cheek" as it anticipates [[spoiler:finally returning to Heaven.]]
* OurAngelsAreDifferent: To begin with, most don't live in subway stations. Or are named after a neighborhood in London.
* PsychopathicManChild: At the end, it seems childishly confused when Door [[spoiler: accuses it of killing her father, replying uncertainly "I didn't kill your father. I had him killed." Its temper tantrums also fit this trope. It's essentially a spoiled brat from the dawn of creation who's pissed off it was exiled after committing genocide.]]
* SophisticatedAsHell: [[spoiler:In the author's preferred text, after expressing a desire for godhood and waxing lyrical about how it'll reward the faithful and cast down those that are hateful in its sight, it mutters under its breath, "Bloody Gabriel, for a start."]]
* TautologicalTemplar: [[spoiler:Its reaction to being called out on drowning millions of men, women, and children when it sank Atlantis is a self-righteous "They deserved it!" Even centuries of exile have not caused it to reconsider, and it still sees itself as justified in all its crimes.]]
* VillainousBreakdown: [[spoiler:It starts when the Marquis implies Islington sank Atlantis, causing the angel's benevolent facade to finally crack and show the madness beneath as it shrieks, "''They deserved it!''" The mask is gone completely when Door tricks him by opening a door to hell, and it goes from pure rage to impotent pleading before its death.]]
* WalkingSpoiler: Because its fate is central to the BigBad's motives.
* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: [[spoiler:It orders Croup and Vandemar to kill Door, Richard and the Marquis as soon as it's back in Heaven.]]
* YourHeartsDesire: It agrees to help Door find who killed her parents, and get Richard home. [[spoiler:And get Hunter that spear. It ''does'' tell Door who killed her parents, and why. As for Richard, finding the way home was kind of incidental to its own goals, so, ''technically''...]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Old Bailey]]
!! Old Bailey
->'''Played by:''' Trevor Peacock (television), Creator/BernardCribbins (radio)

An associate of the Marquis de Carabas who has become indebted to him. He spends most of his time on rooftops along with his birds.
----
* CannotTellAJoke: The narration in the book tells the reader that Old Bailey is not, intrinsically, one of those people put in the world to tell jokes. In spite of that, he does it anyway. He specializes in shaggy dog stories and explaining the joke to his birds, who find them to be amusing instructive tales about human nature.
* CoolOldGuy: He's a pretty nice old man, and is one of the few people who treat Richard well even when he's just a lost nobody.
* FluffyFashionFeathers: Bailey wears an outfit made of feathers.
* HomelessPigeonPerson: Old Bailey spends most of his time on rooftops talking and joking with the rooks and starlings and other birds.
* KnowledgeBroker: In addition to bird meat, he also sells information at the Floating Market. He ends up being knowledgeable enough that the Marquis de Carabas visits him to find out more about the Beast of London.
* LetsMeetTheMeat: Just because he can understand what birds are saying doesn't mean he won't sell and eat rook meat himself.
* SpeaksFluentAnimal: He can understand exactly what his birds are saying. Rats too, but a lot of people in London Below seem to have that gift, such as Door and the rat-speakers.
* VitriolicBestBuds: What his relationship to the Marquis de Carabas resembles. When he first sees the Marquis, Old Bailey wants him gone, [[spoiler:but he ends up genuinely saddened when he finds the Marquis dead.]]
* YouOweMe: He owes the Marquis de Carabas a favor, so he ends up holding onto a silver box for him, which Bailey is keen to be rid of. [[spoiler:It turns out the box contains the Marquis's SoulJar, which Bailey uses to resurrect him following his murder.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Anaesthesia]]
!! Anaesthesia
->'''Played by:''' Amy Marston (television), Creator/YasminPaige (radio)

A girl who once lived in London Above before a life of suffering drove her underground, where she became a member of the rat-speakers.
----
* BrokenBird: Despite her young age, Anaesthesia explains the facts of life of London Below with the world-weary cynicism of someone who's already been beaten down by life and expects the worst.
* ChekhovsGun: Her necklace, specifically the bead that Richard picks up [[spoiler:after she's taken by the darkness]]. In the miniseries, it's her bracelet.
* DarkAndTroubledPast: Her mother went insane, and she was taken away from her and separated from her twin brothers. Her aunt took her in, only for her boyfriend to physically and sexually abuse her. When she told her aunt what he was doing, she called her a liar and beat her as well. She ran away when she was eleven. It was her birthday.
* DomesticAbuse: When she went to live with her aunt, her aunt's boyfriend physically and sexually abused her. She told her aunt about it, but her aunt called her a liar and started hitting her too.
* KillTheCutie: [[spoiler:She disappears when traveling through the darkness over the Night's Bridge with Richard. It's ambiguous if she's dead or not, but Hunter believes she's just as good as. Others mention the possibility she may come back someday, as others have.]]
* RapeAsDrama: Her abuse at the hands of her aunt's boyfriend, which caused her to run away.
* TheRunaway: She ran away from home when her aunt refused to believe her claims about her boyfriend and started beating her as well.
* SacrificialLamb: [[spoiler:She gets a little characterization and reveals her troubled backstory, only to seemingly die shortly after being introduced. Her death illustrates to Richard just how dangerous London Below is.]]
* TragicKeepsake: Richard keeps one of the quartz beads from her necklace [[spoiler:after her possible death. Richard holding it during his Ordeal for the key helps save his life. He even hears her voice telling him to hold on.]]
* UncertainDoom: [[spoiler:Though she seemingly dies on the Night's Bridge, others make mention that those who disappear in the darkness sometimes return, leaving the possibility that Anaesthesia might still be alive.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Lady Serpentine]]
!! Lady Serpentine
->'''Played by:''' Julie T. Wallace (television)

A feared noblewoman in London Below. She's one of Hunter's former employers and is the second eldest of the mysterious Seven Sisters.
----
* AmazonBrigade: She seems to employ women exclusively.
* AmbiguouslyEvil: Door is utterly terrified when she finds out they're in Serpentine's territory. Later, she says that parents in London Below tell their children stories about her like she's a monster -- when parents in London Below want their children to be frightened, they say that Serpentine will come to get them. Despite her fearsome reputation, Serpentine never gets up to anything sinister in the book.
* AmbiguouslyGay: Her staff is all female, and her previous relationship with Hunter is highly suggestive.
* AristocratsAreEvil: Her reputation is certainly sinister, but how much of it is true is unclear.
* TheDreaded: Door's initial reaction to being in Serpentine's territory -- even after finding out Hunter is old friends with her -- is utter terror. She later says, when parents in the Underside want their children to behave, they warn them Serpentine will take them away otherwise.
* DueToTheDead: [[spoiler:Serpentine is the one to retrieve Hunter's body after she's killed by the Beast of London.]]
* GenreSavvy: She's lived long enough to be able to recognize "heroes" when she sees them -- something about their eyes -- and claims that Richard is Door's.
* IronLady: She's a ruthless, tough-as-nails noblewoman with a dark reputation.
* LightIsNotGood: She's a foreboding figure who dresses all in white.
* NeverMessWithGranny: She's over a hundred years old and her hair is starting to gray, but she is not someone to trifle with.
* SacredHospitality: When Richard and Door express skepticism about a restorative she offers the former, Serpentine says she wouldn't give them anything that would harm him while they're her guests.
* SpeakIllOfTheDead: She held Door's father in contempt for his idea to unite the Underside, and when she finds out he's dead moments after expressing this, she's satisfied with the news.
[[/folder]]

!!! The Old Firm

[[folder:Joint Tropes]]
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/croupandvandemar.jpg]]

A horrifying pair of assassins infamous for the atrocities they've committed across time and creation. Though opposites in terms of personality, they possess a shared love of death, destruction, and all things macabre. Their most recent job was the total slaughter of Door's family.
----
* AxCrazy: Both of them are psychopaths who delight in carnage and suffering.
* BadBoss: They hire Ross just to use him as canon fodder, and when Varney fails the task they assign him, they literally rip him apart.
* BanteringBaddieBuddies: One is never seen without the other, and they have the standard back-and-forth dialogue where they refer to each other as "Mr. Croup" and "Mr. Vandemar".
* BetterToKillThanFrighten: A point of contention between the partnership of Croup and Vandemar and their employer, [[spoiler:Angel Islington]]. Self-described cutthroats and assassins, Croup and Vandemar have murdered all of Door's family and pursued her through London Below, alongside Richard Mayhew, a man from London Above who got caught up in the whole mess. After they're given a stern telling off for nearly killing Door, whom [[spoiler:Islington needs alive to escape his Earthly prison]], Croup complains.
* BewareTheSillyOnes: Both of them have amusing qualities, coming either from their interactions between each other or their DeadBabyComedy antics. However, Mr. Croup flat-out says that just because they're amusing doesn't mean that they aren't a danger. [[spoiler:He tells the Marquis de Carabas this before the pair torture him to death.]]
* BrainsAndBrawn: Mr. Croup has the brains, and Mr. Vandemar has the brawn.
* CardCarryingVillain: They're pure evil and they know it. In fact, they take pride in the fact that they don't have any redeeming qualities.
* CoDragons: They're partners, so they're of equal rank while working for their employers.
* TheDividual: Syndividual type. They're polar opposites in terms of looks and demeanor, but they both possess the same sadism, and each makes up for the other's deficiencies. They seem like two halves of the same monster.
* DraggedOffToHell: [[spoiler:When Door opens a door as far away from Heaven as possible to kill Islington, both Croup and Vandemar are also sucked in after their boss, presumably to their doom.]]
* TheDreaded: Everyone that knows about Croup and Vandemar is horrified of them, and for good reason. They're touted as the deadliest assassins in all of space and time, and that might not be an exaggeration.
* FlashStep: Both Croup and Vandemar are somehow capable of teleporting. One second they'll be in one place, the next they'll be right behind someone who has no clue how they got there.
* ForTheEvulz: They do everything they do for the simple reason that they enjoy it, getting paid being secondary at most.
* TheHeavy: Since their employer is hidden for most of the novel, Croup and Vandemar are the ones left moving the plot along by following their boss's orders.
* HeroKiller: They are quite possibly two of the deadliest beings in the whole of creation, torturing an entire monastery to death before moving on to wipe out Door's family. Anybody who tries to fight them in any capacity finds themselves effortlessly outmatched.
* HistoricalRapSheet: According to Croup, the pair of them burned down the city of Troy, brought the Black Plague to Flanders, and assassinated a dozen kings, five popes, half a hundred heroes and two accredited gods.
* HumanoidAbomination: They're human ''shaped'', but we don't know what they really are.
* ImAHumanitarian: They eat a lot of things most people wouldn't. It's also implied they're not above eating most people. Best not to think about what happened to Varney.
* InexplicablyAwesome: There's no explanation for just ''what'' they are or how they're capable of teleporting and traveling through time.
* LackOfEmpathy: They have not the slightest hint of empathy, mercy, remorse or compassion in them.
* MysteriousMercenaryPursuer: We don't know who hired them or why until the end.
* NightmareFetishist: Both of them delight in murder, torture, destruction, and all things dark and macabre.
* OddCouple: One is foxy, clever, and loves big words. The one is wolfish, brutish, and loves eating. They're also both pure evil.
* PsychoForHire: Both of them are mercenaries, and they take exceptional pride in the violence and bloodshed their work entails. In fact, they get angry when their employer starts putting limitations on their work so that they can't torture and kill as much as they like.
* RedOniBlueOni: Mr. Croup is the red to Mr. Vandemar's blue. The former waxes eloquent, emotes more often, and has a very short fuse, while the latter remains calm at all times, [[spoiler:even in the face of oblivion]].
* {{Sadist}}: They live for seemingly no other purpose than killing and torturing and enjoy every single moment of it.
* ScarilyCompetentTracker: They are terrifyingly skilled at tracking targets due to their sense of smell, never losing the scent when they have it. Add in their ability to teleport and nowhere is safe from them.
* SelfMutilationDemonstration: A variant in which Croup stabs Vandemar's hand:
--> "Oh, Mister Vandemar," [Mr. Croup] said, enjoying the sound of the words, as he enjoyed the sound of all words, "if you cut us, do we not bleed?" \\
Mr. Vandemar pondered this for a moment, in the dark. Then he said, with perfect accuracy, "No."
* TeethClenchedTeamwork: They may do as their employer instructs, but that doesn't mean they like them. They both grouse behind their back at the restrictions they place on their work, to the point Vandemar suggests torturing them once they've finished their work. [[spoiler:When Islington tries to bail on them without paying their fee, the only reason they don't attack it is because Door ends up killing all of them before they get the chance.]]
* TortureTechnician: The pair of them enjoy torture just as much as they do murder, and, according to Mr. Croup, they are exceptionally skilled at the "excrutiatory arts." [[spoiler:They crucify and torture the Marquis de Carabas to death for fun halfway through the book.]]
* UnflinchingWalk: They don't so much as chase their prey as they do casually stroll after them. Given that they're capable of outright teleporting, they likely just enjoy toying with their victims.
* VillainousFriendship: Their one redeeming trait is that they do seem genuinely fond of and loyal to one another, even if it's built around their shared love of sadistic carnage. [[spoiler: When Croup is sucked into Hell, Vandermar has no hesitation about following him rather than trying to save himself.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Mr. Croup]]
!! Mr. Croup
-> '''Played by:''' Hywel Bennett (television), Creator/AnthonyHead (radio)

The foxy, oily-voiced half of the Old Firm. A sadist who loves inflicting pain almost as much as he loves the sound of his own voice, he's the brains to Vandemar's brawn.
----
* AnimalStereotypes: Foxes. He's the shorter and smarter half of his partnership, but not as clever as he thinks.
* BritishTeeth: His teeth are described as "an accident in a graveyard."
* EvilRedhead: In keeping with his fox motif, he's a psychopath with lank red hair.
* ExtremeOmnivore: He even eats Tang dynasty china.
* FauxAffablyEvil: He's somewhat polite, but it's undercut by a current of really, ''really'' creepy evil. It falls flat since he's so obviously threatening everyone he talks to.
* HorrifyingTheHorror: Even though he's one of the most terrifying creatures in existence, when walking through the labyrinth where the Beast of London is housed, Door is pleased to note he's terrified of it.
* {{Jerkass}}: Though Mr. Vandemar can hardly be called a saint, he's more blunt and impersonal in his sadism, while Mr. Croup acts more personally malicious and insulting towards his victims.
* SesquipedalianLoquaciousness[=/=]DelusionsOfEloquence: He really loves to talk, regardless if the words he chooses apply or not, or if he has to make a word up to get his point across.
* ShorterMeansSmarter: Vandemar's the big one, and Croup's depicted as smarter than him.
* WickedCultured: He waxes eloquent about a piece of Tang dynasty china, about how it brings joy and beauty into the world, about how it's an exemplar of superb craftsmanship. Then he messily devours it.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Mr. Vandemar]]
!! Mr. Vandemar
-> '''Played by:''' Clive Russell (television), David Schofield (radio)

The wolfish, brutish half of the Old Firm. He isn't as intelligent or verbose as his partner, but that makes him no less deadly. He possesses both a monstrous nature and appetite.
----
* AnimalStereotypes: He's associated with being a wolf. Not only does he have a keen sense of smell, he outright howls when on the hunt.
* BigEater: Rats, pigeons, puppies, Varney. Whatevs.
* BrutalHonesty: While Mr. Croup talks in circles, Mr. Vandemar is more direct when voicing what's on his mind.
* TheComicallySerious: A lot of Vandemar's comedy comes from a combination of his literal-mindedness, disturbed thought processes, and his sheer earnestness.
-->'''Mr. Croup:''' What do you want?
-->'''Marquis de Carabas:''' ''What'' does anyone want?
-->'''Mr. Vandemar:''' Dead things. Extra teeth.
* CreepySouvenir: The rings on his hand are made of raven skulls.
* EvilIsBigger: He's a hulking figure who towers over everyone he meets.
* ExtremeOmnivore: Though he mostly eats animals, he's not too picky about which ones he eats. Or if they're still alive.
* FauxAffablyEvil: He'll occasionally pipe up with a comment every now and then, acting like it's insightful and helpful to whomever he's speaking to. The actual content of these comments tends to be macabre and horrifying, and the person he's speaking to is usually someone he's either about to kill or wants to kill.
* LiteralMinded: He tends to take things literally, which also means he has a habit of answering rhetorical questions.
-->'''Mr. Croup:''' If you cut us, do we not bleed?\\
'''Mr. Vandemar:''' ...No.
* ObiWanMoment: [[spoiler:Seeing Croup being DraggedOffToHell, Vandemar simply shrugs, bids the protagonists "Buh-bye," and lets go of the table leg he was holding on to, following his partner into oblivion.]]
* UndyingLoyalty: {{Implied}}. As mentioned above, [[spoiler: when Croup was dragged off into ''Hell'', Vandemar--instead of trying to save himself--didn't even hesitate in simply joining his partner. And as they fell, their little distant silhouettes apparently seemed to have merged together into one form. Richard notes that they were, after all, a team.]]
* VoiceChangeling: He's able to do a perfect impression of [[spoiler:Portico's voice that fools even his daughter]].
[[/folder]]

!! London Above

[[folder:Jessica Bartram]]
!! Jessica Bartram
-> '''Played by:''' Elizabeth Marmur (television), Romola Garai (radio)

Richard's fiancée, a cultured socialite with a controlling streak.
----
* AllTakeAndNoGive: It's clear that she prioritizes her own goals and interests over Richard's, and would rather change him than accept him as he is.
* ControlFreak: The narration makes it clear that -- despite Richard and Jessica ''believing'' they love each other -- Jessica really views him as a "matrimonial accessory", and she's constantly trying to change him into the more ambitious, cultured person that she believes she's entitled to.
* DisposableFiancee: Richard is engaged to Jessica at the beginning of the novel, but she breaks off the engagement after he blows off their dinner plans with her boss to save Door instead. Richard spends the rest of the novel trying to get back his old life, including her, [[spoiler:only to reject her in the end after he realizes he's changed.]]
* IceQueen: Jessica isn't exactly warm and fuzzy. She doesn't even let Richard call her "Jess" since she hates pet names. [[spoiler:Her final scene with Richard where they don't get back together has her show a softer side, and she says she wishes people would call her Jess sometimes]].
* InformedAttribute: Richard's narration says that Jessica can be quite funny, but we see no evidence of her sense of humor.
* {{Jerkass}}: She really doesn't treat Richard all that well, and his friend Garry's comments imply others are scared of her. Even Door can't think of anything nice to say when she sees her for the first time.
* LackOfEmpathy: Her first reaction to a bleeding and dying homeless girl collapsing in front of her and Richard is to walk over her and refuse to help. It's unclear how much is due to the WeirdnessCensor the people of London Above possess and how much it's just callousness, but given her treatment of both Richard and a regular homeless man, it seems empathy isn't her strong suit.
* NotSoAboveItAll: At one point, while Richard is still an {{Unperson}} but Jessica is able to detect him without remembering him, he trolls her by mentioning her habit of singing "I'm a Believer" while in the "throes of passion".
* ObnoxiousInLaws: Though the marriage never takes place, Jessica's parents drop pretty strong hints that they don't think Richard is good enough for their daughter. For example, flat-out telling him that to his face.
* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: Villain is stretching it, but she displays classist attitudes towards homeless people and says her assistant was only hired for being black and gay, despite the fact she admits he’s the best assistant she’s had.
* RichBitch: She comes from a wealthy family, has a high-paying job, loves shopping, and is also pretty callous and self-centered.
[[/folder]]
----