Characters from Netflix's 2023 film Chupa
Chupa
A young Chupacabra cub and the deuteragonist of the film.
- Badass Adorable: He might be a young cub, but he is shown to be capable of taking town prey bigger than himself, and is also capable of flight. He is a chupacabra, after all.
- Deuteragonist: While Alex is the protagonist of the film, Chupa gets the second most focus throughout.
- Chupacabra: His species.
- Just in Time: He comes just in time to save Alex as the pipe the latter is standing on collapses benath him.
- Leitmotif He has one which starts off eerie sounding (reflecting the mystery of his species), and later becomes heartwarming (reflecting his friendship with Alex) as the movie progresses, before having two triumphant reprises at the end of the film.
- A Lizard Named "Liz": He is a chupacabra cub given the name "Chupa" by Alex
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: When Chava and his family manage to get him away, he instantly runs off and Chava's family realises quickly that something's up.
- Ridiculously Cute Critter: May be the cutest chupacabra in all media.
- True Companions: Becomes this with Alex throughout the course of the movie, to the point they end up helping each other in times of need (such as when Chupa rescues Alex when the latter nearly falls to death after the pipe he is standing on collapses).
Alex
- Played by: Evan Whitten
- Friend to All Living Things: He manages to quickly befriend a young chupacabra.
- Heroic BSoD: He falls into one the second time Chupa is captured by Quinn.
- leitmotif: He has his own theme which sounds very similar to "Across the Stars" from Star Wars.
- Trauma Button: The death of his father is a massive one for him. Even mentioning it is enough to get him upset (during which, he usually goes to playing on his Gameboy as a coping mechanism).
Ricahard Quinn
- Played by: Christian Slater
- Admiring the Abomination: While his car is being attacked by three adult chupacabras at the end, he's still somewhat in awe at seeing them (despite also being scared out of his wits).
- Affably Evil: He's quite friendly towards others (including Chupa and the protagonists), even when commiting heinous deads.
- Awesomeness by Analysis: He's able to quickly deduce where Chupa went just by seeing a feather and Chava's license plate on the side of the road. He's also shown to be able to at least 'estimate the exact size and weight of Chupa's mother just by looking at her (although, being a scientist, this trait is pretty much a given).
- Bullying a Dragon: He threatens to tase three fully grown chupacabras at the end (granted, he was mainly doing so in self-defence, but they still could have ripped him apart if they wanted).
- Deadpan Snarker: He has his moments of this, such as when Chava wonders if he knows what a suplex is, prompting Quinn to ask sarcastically if it's a rare species.
- Determinator: He doesn't let anything stop him from capturing the chupacabra.
- Dragon-in-Chief: While being the main antagonist of the film, and the one trying to capture Chupa, he is working for the Mexican government.
- Even Evil Has Standards:
- Even though he's trying to capture Chupa, he still tries his best not to cause any harm to the creature (only relying on tranquilisers to capture him, rather than less humane means).
- At the start of the movie, he tells his men not to shine their torches as the cub, knowing it will stress the creature out.
- Evil Is Hammy: He has his moments of Chewing the Scenery (especially during his Villainous Breakdown). It comes with being played by Christian Slater.
- Expy: Christian Slater has described Quinn as being an evil version of Indiana Jones.
- For Science!: His main motive for capturing the chupacabra is so that he (and the rest of the Mexican government) can use his blood to revolutionize medicine.
- Know When to Fold 'Em: He leaves Chava's house when the latter offers to show him his signature wrestling move (the suplex), knowing that messing with a retired professional luchador probably isn't a good idea.
- Leitmotif Has an ominous-sounding four not motif that plays during certain points in the film.
- Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: If it weren't for him chasing the adult chupacabra and nearly causing Chava to crash into it at the start, the Chava would never have known about Chupa and thus wouldn't have been as likely to want to protect the chupacabra.
- Pet the Dog: When he captures Chupa at the barn, he makes sure the kids are safe as he genuinely believes Chupa is dangerous. While he does tranquilise Chupa immediately after (which the three kids call him out on), this does show that he cares about their safety.
- Poor Communication Kills: He never tells the kids or Chava exactly why he wants Chupa, let alone explain his healing powers that will revolutionize medicine note . For this, he is seen as a devil in the eyes of the kids. Of course, it's possible he was ordered not to tell anyone about it.
- Punch-Clock Villain: Despite being the one trying to capture the chupacabra, he is just following orders from the Mexican government.
- Uncertain Doom / What Happened to the Doctor?: It's not shown what happens to him after Chava knocks him out. One thing is certain though, he will have to spend the rest of his life in poverty for failing to catch Chupa.
- Villainous Breakdown: Has one towards the end of the film, starting when he captures Chupa the second time and ending when Chava knock him out with a suplex.
- Well-Intentioned Extremist: While he's trying to capture Chupa, he's only doing so in order to use his blood to revolutionise medicine.
- Would Hurt a Child: He threatens Chava and his family (which, besides from Chava himself, consists entirely of children) with a shock stick after he tranquilises Chupa a second time.
Luna
- Played by:Ashley Ciarra
- Deadpan Snarker: She has her moments of this, such as when she finds Alex and Memo eating at the market.
- The Smurfette Principle: She's the only female character in the main cast.
- You Have GOT to Be Kidding Me!: When Alex suggests they keep Chupa safe, she asks him if he's insane for wanting to protect a potentially dangerous animal.
Chava
- Played by: Demián Bichir
- Badass Cape: Where's one as part of his luchador outfit.
- Berserk Button: His old wrestling rival, El Chakal. Alex exploits this by claiming Quinn is El Chakal, prompting Chaval to knock Quinn out.
- Call to Agriculture: After being forced to end his lucha libre career, he decides to become a rancher and goat farmer.
- Career-Ending Injury: He had his skull fractured by El Chakal, forcing his to quite his lucha libre career.
- Catchphrase: "Azul", his catchphrase from when he was a luchador. Memo also uses this, at times.
- Cool Old Guy: He's an aging man who is also a retired professional luchador, and is also trying to protect a young chupacabra.
- Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: He may be an old man who's slowly losing his memory, but he's also a former professional luchador.Quinn learns this the hard way, twice.
- Friend to All Living Things: As evident in the fact he managed to quickly befriend a young chupacabra.
- Masked Luchador: Was one in his younger years.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: If it hadn't been for him leaving his license plate at the crash site, Quinn would likely have never known where Chupa was.
- Papa Wolf: Don't even think about harming his grandchildren (or Chupa).
- Pre Ass Kicking One Liner: He gives one to Quinn before knocking him out.It's time you learn about the beauty of the suplex!
- Retired Badass: He was a former luchador in his glory days.
- Secret Secret-Keeper: He keeps the existence of the chupacabras, and the fact he knows about them, hidden from everyone (including his own family).
- Signature Move: The suplex during his wrestling days. He even refers to is as such.
- We Meet Again: Says this word for word when confronting Quinn (who he assumes is El Chakal).
Taylor
A government agent who hires Quinn to hunt down and capture the chupacabra.
- All There in the Script: his name is never mentioned in the film, and is only shown in the end credits.
- Bald of Evil: He's balding and is the boss of Richard Quinn.
- Deadpan Snarker: The vast majority of his dialogue is this, such as when he tells Quinn that he didn't fly all the way to Mexico just for a feather.
- Even Evil Has Standards: Even he knows crossing the Mexican government isn't a good idea.
- Greater-Scope Villain: He's the one who tasks Quinn with capturing Chupa.
- Small Role, Big Impact: He has only one scene in the film, but is also the one who tells Quinn to capture the chupacabra.
Chupa's family
A family of three adult chupacabras and the family of Chupa
- Berserk Button: They really do NOT like anyone messing with their young, as Quinn almost learns the hard way.
- Big Damn Heroes: They come in just in time to save Chupa from Quinn.
- Chupacabra: Their species.
- Giant Flyer: They a three fully grown chupacabras, which in this universe are capable of flight.
- Papa Wolf / Mama Bear: They are highly detective of their young, and won't hesitate to harm anyone who tries to attack them (just ask Quinn).
