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Main Characters
Phillip Drummond
- Played by Conrad Bain
A white, wealthy widower who adopts two black kids.
- Deuteragonist: While Arnold is the main protagonist throughout the show, Mr. Drummond is the only one besides Arnold who remains a prominent character in all 8 seasons, since Willis and Kimberly are Out of Focus later on.
- Good Parents: A loving father to Kimberly, a good adoptive father to the Jackson boys, and later a good stepfather to Sam.
- Happily Married: With his eventual wife Maggie. They are in a happy marriage in the last two seasons.
- Last-Name Basis: Throughout the first season and for most of the second, Arnold and Willis refer to him as either "Mr. Drummond" or "Mr. D". Once their adoption is official in the middle of season 2, they address him as "Dad" for the rest of the series. Years later, an adult Arnold is shown to still call him "Dad" during their cameo in the series finale of The Fresh of Bel-Air. His stepson Sam, however, only addressed him as "Mr. D".
Arnold Jackson
- Played by Gary ColemanDubbed by Jackie Berger (European French)
The younger and snarkier of the two black boys adopted by Phillip Drummond. He's the Breakout Character and the face of the show.
- Annoying Younger Sibling: Can be this to Willis, either by being too clingy or annoying him with his snarky remarks.
- The Baby of the Bunch: The youngest and most childish of the family, and usually treated as such by his older siblings in the early years, although he keeps his short stature even after becoming a teenager. Averted in the last few seasons, after his little stepbrother Sam is introduced on the show.
- Big Brother Worship: Downplayed. He makes fun of Willis a lot but there is also an episode where he follows him and wants to spend time with him.
- Big Eater: He has a big appetite, and in one episode he has a hard time giving up junk food.
- Breakout Character: Starts off as a member of the family, and eventually becomes the star of the show with all the other characters being either Demoted to Extra or defined by their interactions with him.
- Brutal Honesty: A common trait of his Mouthy Kid characterizion, he has no problem in speaking out truths to other people, especially his older brother.
- Catchphrase: "Whatchoo talkin' 'bout, Willis?". Also a Mad Libs Catchphrase, since the "Whatchoo talkin' 'bout...?" can be followed by literally any name, depending on whom he's talking to.
- Cool Big Bro: Becomes this to little stepbrother Sam in later seasons, often giving him advice.
- Deadpan Snarker: One of the snarkiest kids on any sitcom. His sassy one-liners were regular.
- Happily Adopted: By Phillip Drummond. He eventually starts calling him Dad, after the adoption becomes official.
- Height Angst: In one episode of the later seasons, he realizes he won't grow up much and his height will remain the same forever. He's not happy about it, though it's rarely an issue in other episodes.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: He's snarky, a bit selfish, and can be an Attention Whore, but is mainly a good-natured kid.
- Malaproper: An example comes from the season three episode "Drummond's Fair Lady":Arnold [intending to say "Magna Cum Laude"]: "Hi, I understand you graduated Magna Cum Lousy."
- Mouthy Kid: Possibly the Trope Codifier. He is a smartass kid who always says what he thinks, even with people older than him.
- The Napoleon: Is very short, has an attitude, and can be pushy.
- Tiny School Boy: Arnold is 4'8", due to his actor Gary Coleman's suffering from congenital autoimmune kidney disease. It's rarely a plot point, once Arnold moves out of the "cute kid" phase and into his teens.
Willis Jackson
- Played by Todd Bridges
The older of the two black boys adopted by Phillip Drummond, and usually a Cool Big Bro to Arnold.
- Advertised Extra: Unlike Kimberly who is Put on a Bus, Willis is credited as a main character in the opening credits until the end of the show, but in the last two seasons he's very much Out of Focus.
- Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other: While he and Arnold are much less close in later years, they still share a few heartwarming moments. One example is Arnold's letter to him in "Willis Goes to College" from the final season.
- Big Brother Instinct: He stands up for Arnold when he gets bullied.
- Bratty Teenage Son: He's rude to Mr. Drummond initially because he doesn't trust him yet, unlike Arnold who immediately warms up to him. Even after he softens up, he still can be selfish and irresponsible at times.
- Characterization Marches On: He starts off with a "street-wise boy from the hood" attitude. In later seasons, he's much more preppy.
- Cool Big Bro: To Arnold. They are extremely close in early seasons, though they grow apart a bit later on.
- Demoted to Extra: In the last two seasons, he was dropped into the background since most of the storylines were focusing on Arnold and his new stepbrother Sam (Maggie's son). However, at least two Season 8 episodes are Sam-Willis episodes, with Willis giving advice to Sam.
- Happily Adopted: By Phillip Drummond. Though he has a hard time accepting it in early episodes, he eventually starts calling him Dad, after the adoption becomes official.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: In early seasons, he's rebellious and sometimes disrespectful, but still a loving brother to Arnold. Later on, he Took a Level in Kindness.
Kimberly Drummond
- Played by Dana PlatoDubbed by Céline Monsarrat (European French)
Phillip Drummond's only biological child who becomes a Cool Big Sis to Arnold and Willis.
- Advertised Extra:
- In the first season, she's credited as main character, but is absent in several episodes, and has a pretty minor role compared to the Jackson boys, her father, or even Mrs. Garrett. However, starting in season 2, she becomes a prominent character along with the rest of the family.
- In season 8, she is featured in two clips of the opening credits (though Dana Plato is not credited as a cast member in the opening, since she was Put on a Bus), despite only appearing in three episode as a guest star.
- And Starring: In seasons 3-6, she's credited as "and Dana Plato" in the opening.
- Break the Cutie: In the episodes that deal with tough issues, such as being nearly a victim of sexual assault and later suffering from bulimia.
- Cool Big Sis: She is very nice to both of her adopted brothers.
- Daddy's Girl: Mr. Drummond's only daughter, and is very close to her father.
- Nice Girl: She's a sweet and friendly girl most of the time, having the same kindness of her father.
- Put on a Bus: In the last two seasons. Due to her actress being pregnant at the time, she is not part of the regular cast in the last two seasons, only making occasional guest appearances.
- Spoiled Sweet: For years, she has been the Daddy's Girl and only child of a wealthy widower, but she's not bratty. She's very caring, and accepts her two adopted brothers enthusiastically since the beginning.
Edna Garrett
- Played by Charlotte Rae
The family's first housekeeper in the first two seasons.
- And Starring: "and Charlotte Rae"
- The Bus Came Back: Despite being Put on a Bus in season 2, she appears again in Mr. Drummond's Wedding Episode at the end of season 6.
- Last-Name Basis: Of the three housekeepers, Mrs. Garrett was the only one who wasn't regularly addressed by her first name (even by Mr. Drummond).
- Put on a Bus: She leaves the show midway through the second season, to star in the spinoff The Facts of Life.
Pearl Gallagher
- Played by Mary Jo Catlett
The family's third housekeeper in seasons 5-8
- Advertised Extra: In season 8, she's credited as a regular in the opening, but only appears in 6 out of 19 episodes.
- Fake Guest Star: She appears in almost all the episodes in season 5, but is listed as a guest star and doesn't appear in the opening until the following season.
- Promotion to Opening Titles: Is a Fake Guest Star in season 5, but is added to the opening in season 6.
- Satellite Character: She is on the show for four seasons, more than other two housekeepers, yet she never has a A Day in the Limelight (Mrs. Garrett does, despite only appearing in one season and a half).
Maggie McKinney
- Played by Dixie Carter (Season 6-7), Mary Ann Mobley (Season 8)
Phillip Drummond's eventual wife in later seasons.
- And Starring: Both her actresses get this, "and Dixie Carter as Maggie" in season 7, and later "and Mary Ann Mobley as Maggie" in season 8.
- Happily Married: She is married to Mr. Drummond in the last two seasons, and they are in a happy marriage.
- Promotion to Opening Titles: Introduced in season 6, added to the opening in season 7.
Sam McKinney
- Played by Danny Cooksey
Maggie's son, a little kid who becomes close to Arnold.
- The Baby of the Bunch: The new cute litte kid in the family, after Arnold gets older. Arnold, who was originally this trope, becomes a Cool Big Bro to Sam.
- Cousin Oliver: The new younger brother from Phillip Drummond's second marriage. The series went from focusing on Willis playing older brother to Arnold to Arnold playing older brother to Sam. There wasn't much room for Willis afterwards.
- Promotion to Opening Titles: Introduced in season 6, added to the opening in season 7.
- Spotlight-Stealing Squad: The last two seasons focus on the Arnold/Sam brother duo nearly all the time, while Arnold's older brother Willis is Demoted to Extra.
Other Characters
Adelaide Brubaker
- Played by Nedra Volz
The family's second housekeeper in seasons 2-4.
- The Bus Came Back: Despite being Put on a Bus after season 4, she appears again in Mr. Drummond's Wedding Episode at the end of season 6.
- Cool Old Lady: The oldest of the three housekeepers, and she's a feisty yet sweet lady.
- Recurring Character: The only housekeeper who wasn't a regular and never appears in the opening.
Dudley Johnson
- Played by Shavar Ross
Arnold's best friend.
- Ascended Extra: He only makes sporadic appearances in seasons 2-4. Since Arnold turns into the Breakout Character, and later seasons focus much more on Arnold's social life at school, Dudley starts to appear much more frequently, as he's Arnold's closest friend.
- Break the Cutie: Considering that he was left alone with a child molester in "The Bicycle Man", and Mr. Horton tried to touch him... Thankfully, his father and the police arrived Just in Time to save him.
- Happily Adopted: Like Arnold, he was adopted, and his adoptive father is a Nice Guy.
- Heterosexual Life-Partners: Since his introduction at the end of season 2, he and Arnold remain best friends until the end of the show.
- Recurring Character: Oddly enough, he appears quite often but was never billed as a main cast member at any point in the series, despite his prominence.
