open/close all folders
The Protagonists
Hank
Hank
Voice: Willie Aames
Hank is the 15 year old de facto Leader of the team, and is given the Ranger class by the Dungeon Master. His weapon is an energy bow, the arrows of which can achieve various effects, including becoming entangling ropes, fusing metal or creating non-lethal explosions of light and sound. While he never actually uses it to kill, the fact that the task of executing Venger in "The Dragon's Graveyard" falls to him would seem to indicate that his bow has the potential to be quite lethal. Hank's greatest fear is that he will fail in his responsibility to his friends. Given that, as leader (a role he acquired, one imagines, mostly through popular consensus), he is primarily responsible for the safety and well-being of his friends, he fears his decisions could lead them to harm and while he takes his responsibilities very seriously, he does (as evidenced in "Dungeon at the Heart of Dawn") occasionally display some ambivalence towards his role. Mark Evanier's series bible indicates that his greatest strengths are his fair-mindedness and that he "knows what he doesn't know." As an Easter Egg, Hank's portrait appears in the back of a shop in Baldur's Gate II, which claims he and his party never made it from the Realm, as they were all eaten by Tiamat.
- Acting Your Intellectual Age: Being in his position is shown to be never an easy ride for him since he's essentially forced to think like a responsible adult for the sake of his friends. Nevertheless, he can act his own age when the team is not facing a challenge.
- And I Must Scream: Very nearly. In "Quest of the Skeleton Warrior", Venger, in a particular frightening bit of animation for an American cartoon from the early '80s, begins to turn Hank into a skeleton warrior. The audience is treated to a close-up of the flesh melting off of Hank's face while he screams in agony before Dekion, the skeleton warrior in the episode's title, saves him.
- Big Good: Not all the time, but in "Winds of Darkness", Hank kind of takes on this role for the space of the episode.
- Captain Obvious: Hank's leadership often consists of pointing out self-evident things.
- Celibate Hero: Strongly implied. The series bible suggests he has feelings for Sheila, but given the tremendous responsibilities placed on him as leader of the group, he's just got too much on his plate to do anything about it.
- Family-Friendly Firearms: His bow is never used for lethal purposes. It is implied in "The Dragon's Graveyard" that it could be, though.
- Heroic Sacrifice:
- He was willing to do so in "The Winds of Darkness".
- Also, in "The Box" and in "The Girl Who Saw Tomorrow", he was willing to stay behind to destroy the portal after his friends had gone through it.
- Killed Mid-Sentence: A non-lethal variant. In "Quest of the Skeleton Warrior", the kids have become separated while searching the Tower of the Celestial Knights. Hank is the first to reach the Circle of Power, the object of their quest, but he's treated to a view of his friends in the various fearsome predicaments to which the Tower is subjecting them. This reduces Hank to tears, and he begins to say "Ever since we came to the Realm I've been afraid I'd fail, like..." and then he cuts himself off as he realizes that the Tower is subjecting them all to their worst fears. Whatever past failure he was going to mention goes unrevealed, and is never brought up again.
- The Leader: Mostly of the Levelheaded variety. Of the gang, he's usually the quickest thinker under stress, and the best able to assess a given situation. For instance, in "Prison Without Walls" he accurately determined that the shambling mound that had been following them was the cursed magician they'd been seeking, based on the fact that the creature had saved the gang twice from other threats, while the others reacted only to his monstrous appearance.
- The Only One Allowed to Defeat You: Venger seems to bear a personal vendetta against Hank.
- Parental Abandonment: Hank and Presto are the only members of the gang whose parents are never mentioned.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: To the team. He never tries to boss them around, instead listening to their complaints and suggestions (even Eric's) so they can all coordinate in every risky situation, as a proper leader should do.
- Standardized Leader: A more nuanced example than most. Though Hank fits the role to a tee, he has a vulnerable side that manifests into reluctance and self-doubts. He also proved to be not always flawless as shown in "The Traitor" and in "The Dungeon at the Heart of Dawn".
- Team Dad: Mild case and justified, as he is The Leader and at times the Only Sane Man of the team.
- Trick Arrow: You saw that one coming, don't you? Granted since his bow creates its own magic arrows.
Eric
Eric
Voice: Donald Most
Eric is the group's 15-year-old complainer, and given the Cavalier class by the Dungeon Master. His weapon is a magic shield, which is indestructible and can create a protective forcefield large enough to shield the wielder and various allies. His greatest fear is being laughed at and mocked, especially for his appearance.
- Best Friend: This is possible overstating things, but Hank is the only member of the group who doesn't regularly get on Eric's case, and he's quick to compliment Eric when he does something right (as in "Day of the Dungeon Master"). There's a deleted scene from "Dragon's Graveyard" where, after Hank makes the decision to destroy Venger, Eric, who had initially been against the idea, promises Hank that he'll back him up, whatever happens.
- Butt-Monkey: If something bad is going to happen that is humiliating or embarrassing, count on Eric to be the recipient.
- Character Development: Subtle, but he becomes slightly less selfish and a better leader and hero throughout the series.
- Commander Contrarian: He doesn't usually try and take charge of the group himself, but he's quick to complain that Hank or whoever else is in charge are making decisions he feels are wrong. While some of his challenges to Dungeon Master are apt, frequently his complaints are so arbitrary that they can only be called contrary, the result of a fractious and insecure nature.
- The Complainer Is Always Wrong: The reason for Eric's personality, thanks to an executive mandate, is to be the annoying complainer whom no one listens to. It's often subtly subverted, however, as, if you pay attention, Eric's complaints and warnings of dire consequences often prove to be correct. It's never usually pointed out in-show, though, so it falls to an observant viewer to make the realization. In "The Girl Who Dreamed Tomorrow", D.M. tells the kids that they will find a portal home, but before they use it, they must destroy it. Eric counters with, "And if we destroy it, we can't use it." He's right.
- Genre Savvy: Eric seems to be hep to the show's basic story structure, as he shows signs of being aware that defeating the various threats they're arrayed against will require the gang to destroy or not utilize whatever portal home they're working towards (or at least he's the most vocal about it).
- God for a Day: He was made Dungeon Master for one episode. While he had vast power he had no control over it so however he used it would almost always backfire. On top of this the powers would tend to not work half the time.
- The Hero's Journey: Most likely his quest in the Realm.
- Hidden Depths: Under all that whining and non-stop ranting, Eric has a well-hidden heroic core. Notable was his encounter with the Nameless One whom he beheld and walked it off. Also, despite his frequent taunts and insults, he genuinely does care for his friends.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Eric complains the loudest and most frequently. But he's quick to get the others behind his shield when there's danger, and is one of the most vocal when it comes to rescuing Bobby in "City on the Edge of Midnight."
- Knight in Sour Armor: A literal case in spades. For all his grousing and reluctance to do anything heroic, Eric does have a hero's heart and always ends up doing the right thing in every conflict, living up to the cavalier ideal in his own way.
- Luckily, My Shield Will Protect Me: His magical item is a magical shield that can project a forcefield to protect him and his friends.
- Screw the Rules, I Have Money!: Many of Eric's tales about his life in the regular world involve him using his family's wealth to get out of trouble.
- Shield Bash: His preferred (...and only) attack method.
- The So-Called Coward: Eric will often be the first to panic, scream, or suggest fleeing, but he often runs into danger to protect the others, such as in "The Girl Who Dreamed Tomorrow", or pulls up the rear to cover their escape as in "The Treasure of Tardos".
- Touched by Vorlons: After he was made God for a Day by Dungeon Master, he is warned he'll never be the same again. Unfortunately as it's Eric we're dealing with, it becomes a case of Blessed with Suck as whenever he tries to tap into those powers to demand respect, he makes a fool of himself.
- Trap Master: As the series´ plot unfolds, we discover that his real attribute is to know how to set traps and luring his enemies onto them, turns out he's quite good at it!
- Unrelated Brothers: Eric and Lorn seem to be their own alternate selves.
- When You Coming Home, Dad?: Implied in "City on the Edge of Midnight" when Eric notes that Rahmud is a better father than his ever was.
Diana
Diana
Voice: Tonia Gayle Smith
Diana, age 14, was already a champion gymnast, and in the Realm is given the Acrobat class by the Dungeon Master. Her weapon is a nigh-indestructible/self-repairing magic javelin, which can shrink down and be stowed on her hip, extend up to six feet long, or even be thrown. Her greatest fear is growing old and weak.
- Action Girl: Her main role in the team.
- Adaptational Modesty: Her outfit in the Saturday Morning Adventures comic is a one piece instead of the Fur Bikini, most likely stemming from the fact that she's 14.
- The Beastmaster: An ability she had to learn during her time in the Realm.
- Bare-Fisted Monk: In the Animated Series Handbook, Diana is classified as a Monk, due to the Acrobat class having been cut off as a class with the advent of 2nd edition.
- Combat Parkour: Her shtick, with dashes of Fragile Speedster.
- Emerald Power: Her javelin glows green every time she activates it.
- Fur Bikini: Part of her attire.
- Heartbroken Badass: Twice. After falling for Kosar in "Child of the Stargazer", she could only watch him turn into his Power-Up state and vanish, but not before promising he would never forget her. Same with Josef in "The Time Lost", who goes back to World War 2 Germany to make good on his newfound resolve to join the resistance against Hitler and the Nazis. Poor Diana looks on tearfully as Josef vanishes from her life, just like Kosar before him.
- The Lancer: To Hank, being at times the Co-Leader of the team.
- Ms. Fanservice: Her Fur Bikini exposes a lot of skin, particularly her legs and navel area, and the series isn't shy about highlighting her figure in some scenes where she's the focus character. It helps that despite being 14 years old, she can easily pass for someone around 17 or older.
- Power Makeover: Being the daughter of an astronomer, she qualified as a "Child of the Stargazer" too.
- Precision-Guided Boomerang: Her javelin again. And she is so good at throwing it that she's just shy from Captain America´s pin-point accuracy.
- Red Oni, Blue Oni: She's the Red Oni to Sheila's Blue Oni. She's daring and adventurous, as well as the most willing of the group to, enjoy her time there since she's trapped in the Realm anyway. In his series bible, Mark Evanier describes her as frequently advising Hank to take more risks.
- Sassy Black Woman: Teenaged version. In one instance, while being forced to do slave labor in a mine, she even mouths off to their captors.Bullywog: Work faster.
Diana: Hey, you get what you pay for. - Star-Crossed Lovers: Diana falls in love with a young man named Kosar in "Child of the Stargazer", but has to part ways with him in the end when he has to Ascend to a Higher Plane of Existence. She later meets a time-displaced young German pilot named Josef and starts to develop romantic feelings for him too, but as with Kosar, is forced to watch him disappear from her life when he returns to his own time.
- Team Spirit: Being an accomplished achiever by herself, Diana's quest in the Realm is to learn how to be part of a team.
- Vitriolic Best Buds: She seems to love snarking at Eric, more so than anyone else, which could be interpreted as Belligerent Sexual Tension.
- Younger Than They Look: She's 14 years old, but has the appearance and voice of someone who's closer to 17 or so.
Presto
Presto
Voice: Adam Rich
Presto is a bespectacled 14-year-old young man, given the Magician class by the Dungeon Master. His weapon is a magic hat, which is capable of various incredible feats; its primary use is to summon things that can be helpful to the situation, but it has also teleported things on a number of occasions. Presto would later appear in an Easter Egg cameo in a Forgotten Realms tie-in comic, applying to be Elminster's new apprentice.
- Blind Without 'Em: Presto can barely see anything when he's not wearing glasses. In fact, his deepest fear is losing them and being rendered effectively blind.
- Brainy Specs: He's The Smart Guy, or at least his being the Magician implies it, so naturally he has glasses.
- Enmity with an Object: Played for laughs. Presto regards his hat as a mixed blessing, and can often be heard cajoling or berating it.
- Functional Magic: Presto used Lukion's wands and Merlin's grimoire to perform pretty advanced spells, implying there's more to his magician status than meets the eye.
- Gone Horribly Right: Presto's spells usually either work (if in unexpected ways) or don't work, but sometimes they have caused problems by working too well, such as "The Golden Egg", where Presto accidentally teleports the group to the castle of a giant and leaves him stranded. Or his efforts to call Venger to fight the evil wizard Kalak, a former minion of Venger's, which unexpectedly teleports Presto to Venger's castle. Only his fast talking and mention of Kalak keeps him from being vaporized on sight.
- Heroic Self-Deprecation: His quest in the Realm is to overcome his own low self-esteem.
- I Choose to Stay: In "Requiem", the unaired final episode which was later animated and released by fans in 2020, Presto ultimately decides to stay behind while the rest of his friends return home, having realized that being a wizard is his true calling.
- Inept Mage: His attempts at magic almost always fail, or give him what he asked for but not what he actually wanted.
- Interspecies Romance: Fairie Dragon Amber is quite interested in him in "Cave of the Fairie Dragons".
- Magicians Are Wizards: He's clearly supposed to be the party's mage, even dressing up in the classic wizard's robe and pointy hat, but he's called the group's Magician. It is mentioned in "City at the Edge of Midnight" that Presto got his nickname still on Earth, by doing bad card tricks.
- Meaningful Name: His moniker, for his middle name is Preston.
- Only Known by Their Nickname: His real name is Albert.
- Parental Abandonment: Presto and Hank are the only members of the gang whose parents are never mentioned.
- Plucky Comic Relief: Shares this role with Eric, given his magic's tendency to goof up and him being subjected to lots of embarrassing situations.
- Puppy Love: With Varla in "The Last Illusion".
- Robe and Wizard Hat: Presto's outfit after coming to the Realm. His hat is even his magical weapon, serving as the source for all his spellcrafting efforts.
- Shrinking Violet: Presto is shy and awkward, but also sweet and affable.
Sheila
Sheila
Voice: Katie Leigh
Sheila is the 13-year-old older sister of Bobby, and is given the Thief class by the Dungeon Master. Her weapon is an Invisibility Cloak that, surprise-surprise, makes her invisible when she raises her hood. Ironically, despite being the shy and stealthy one, her greatest fear is being alone.
- Beast and Beauty: She was The Beauty for Solarz in "The Garden of Zinn".
- Big Sister Instinct: Threatening any member of the team, especially her little brother, is a bad idea.
- Deadly Dodging: This is Sheila's main tactic in a fight, thanks to putting her Invisibility Cloak to very good use. All the monsters charging her are sure to end up slamming against a wall or each other after she turns invisible. In fact, it can sometimes look like the cloak is turning her fully immaterial, so adept she is at escaping enemies even in tight spots.
- Deadpan Snarker: Shows up from time to time. She's quick to snark off to Bullywogs and Lizard Men when she's running circles around them while invisible. She also had this gem for the Bog Beasts:Sheila: I think these guys are about as smart as they are handsome.
- The Heart: This is very clear in "The Garden of Zinn" and "Citadel of Shadows".
- Heart Is an Awesome Power: Never mind the odds, Sheila will always follow her heart as Dungeon Master notes, realizing that her moment to really shine is when you need a real friend. Her personal quest in the Realm, no doubt.
- Invisible Introvert: Sheila is the Thief, earning a invisibility cloak that allows her to enter into guarded places to free prisoners or steal items. She is the only shy, introverted member in the group and also the most sensitive of them.
- Invisibility Cloak: The weapon given her by Dungeon Master.
- Lap Pillow: Does this for several characters in the show in her Team Mom capacity, including Terri and Presto.
- Meaningful Name: Sheila means "blinded"
, apropos for someone who can turn invisible. - Red Oni, Blue Oni: The Blue Oni to Diana's Red Oni. Sheila is cautious and, while no less brave than any of the others, the least likely to take risks. In the series bible, Mark Evanier describes her as frequently counselling Hank to be cautious.
- Single Tear: The animators loved using Sheila for this trope, even going so far as to make them Swiss-Army Tears in "The Garden of Zinn."
- Shrinking Violet: Her temperament is quite timid. She even wears Violet clothing to drive the point home.
- Team Mom: Justified in that she actually has a younger brother to take care of.
- Unresolved Sexual Tension: Many fans have felt she and Hank have feelings for each other, unacted upon because of their current predicament. Various interactions would seem to bear this out, from her frequent concern for Hank's safety, her smile and body language when Hank saves her from falling in "The Box," to how much she perks up at the sound of his voice in ''The Quest of the Skeleton Warrior," to her rather extreme reaction to his apparent betrayal in "The Traitor," to their being shown practically cuddling in "Dungeon at the Heart of Dawn" and "Winds of Darkness." VA Katie Leigh has said she thinks Sheila starts out respecting and admiring Hank like a big brother and develops feelings for him as the show progresses.
Bobby
Bobby
Voice: Teddy Field III
Bobby is Sheila's 8-year-old younger brother, and a constant source of worry for her. Given the Barbarian class by the Dungeon Master, his weapon is a magic club that can strike with incredible force, allowing Bobby to destroy almost anything and even create earthquakes by pounding it against the ground. He resents being seen as weak and helpless due to his age, and strives to prove his capability. In connection to this, his greatest fear is becoming weak and helpless, ending up becoming the "baby" that everyone seems to see him as. Like Hank, Bobby's portrait appears as an Easter Egg in the back of a shop in Baldur's Gate II, which claims he and his party never made it from the Realm, as they were all eaten by Tiamat.
- Bash Brothers:
- He and Eric frequently get into verbal jousts. But when Bobby is kidnapped, Eric is one of the first to propose a rescue mission.
- Most of the time with Uni and Sheila.
- Big Brother Instinct: He may be younger and smaller but he's still protective of his sister, and also Uni.
- Bratty Half-Pint: He’s very smart-mouthed considering the age gap between him and the older kids, and he’s particularly cheeky to Eric.
- Carry a Big Stick: His barbarian club greatly increases his striking power.
- Fastball Special: He performed one helped by Diana and Eric in "The Girl Who Dreamed Tomorrow".
- From Nobody to Nightmare: Everybody's worst fear and most likely, his quest in the Realm is to avoid ending up as Person of Mass Destruction. Being the youngest in the group, he can bear a grudge as no one else on the team, as shown in "The Dragon's Graveyard".Hank: Relax, Bobby. A boy your age shouldn't feel that much hate.
Bobby: I told you all before, don't worry about me... worry about Venger. - Fur Bikini: He sports a pair of furry briefs like an eight-year-old Conan.
- Horns of Barbarism: He wears a metal helmet with a large pair of horns as part of his general barbarian outfit.
- Leeroy Jenkins: His proclivity towards headlong attack is but one of many reasons that Sheila is actively worried about him in the Realm.
- Pint-Sized Powerhouse: A kid with a club capable of starting a localized earthquake or destroy castles in a single blow.
- Primitive Clubs: He wields a club as his magical artifact that lets him send much, much bigger opponents flying or cause localized earthquakes despite his being a rather scrawny prepubescent boy.
- Puppy Love: With Terri, "The Girl Who Dreamed Tomorrow".
- Red Baron: "Bobby the Barbarian", a title he's very proud of.
- Visual Pun: He's the shortest, smallest guy in the party. He's also the most eager for a fight. Yes, he's the "combat munchkin".
Uni
Uni
Voice: Frank Welker
An infant unicorn the team encounters when they arrive in the Realm, she is essentially the Team Pet, and closest to Bobby and Sheila.
- Berserk Button: She's usually among the first to scamper away, but she'll fight if Bobby or Sheila are in danger.
- Cute, but Cacophonic: She sounds like an argument between two sheep.
- Evil-Detecting Dog: She can sometimes sense any enemy presence. For example, in "The Last Illusion", she growls suspiciously at the warrior on the flying horse (actually Venger and Night-Mare in disguise), but Bobby dismisses this. It is not until Varla confirms who it was that Bobby compliments Uni on being correct.
- Fiery Redhead: A better example than Sheila, when she's not fleeing in fear.
- Forgot About His Powers: In "Valley of the Unicorns" is revealed that unicorns can teleport. Before knowing that, every time she gets locked in a cage she had to wait for rescue.
- Mouthy Kid: She's not speaking any human language, but she's usually the first to point out when somebody's holding an Idiot Ball.
- Ridiculously Cute Critter: She's a chibi unicorn.
- Team Pet: Inseparable from Bobby, but she's regarded as a valuable team member by all the kids — except, possibly, Eric.
- The Unintelligible: All she can do is bleat.
The Dungeon Master
The Dungeon Master
Voice: Sidney Miller
A mysterious figure in The Realm, the Dungeon Master serves as mentor and adviser to the children, as well as the one who provided their magical weapons. He often gives them clues in the form of riddles, but seldom if ever intercedes directly on their behalf.
- All-Powerful Bystander: With his power, he could easily return the heroes to Earth but chooses to take a back seat. He does once comment that with his powers he has to maintain a universal balance. The final episode would have explained that he had been trying to use them to redeem Venger all this time.
- Big Good: The most powerful force of good in the realm and actively trying to make things better in the Realm.
- Captain Obvious: Eric actually calls Dungeon Master out on this a couple of times, most notably in "Child of the Stargazer", as Dungeon Master was telling the others where Diana and Kosar had been taken, and Eric rebukes him with a "We already figured that part out. How do we get there?"
- The Chessmaster: While he cares for the heroes, he moves them and others around as part of his plans to improve the Realm. One episode commentary observes that he plays games the kids are unaware of.
- Cryptic Conversation: In nearly every episode he gives a clue in the form of a riddle to that episode's adventure.
- Earn Your Happy Ending: He keeps telling the kids that they'll find a way home "when the time is right." The little tease. Although from his point of view, the more wrongs they right before they depart, the better.
- Everyone Calls Him Bar Keep: If he has a name besides Dungeon Master, no-one knows it since everyone addresses him by that title.
- Inexplicably Awesome: What is he, how is he so powerful? Nothing is revealed about him, but everyone seems to know who he is.
- Luke, I Am Your Father: In the unproduced final episode it would have been revealed that Venger is actually his son, corrupted by the Nameless One.
- The Mentor: Arms the team once they arrive in the Realm and gives advice to help them develop. He is described in the series bible as a combination of Obi-Wan and Yoda.
- My Greatest Failure: He claims at the end of one episode that Venger was his mistake. The unaired final episode elaborates on this with the reveal that Venger is actually his son, who became corrupted beyond recognition after getting Drunk on the Dark Side.
- The Omniscient: He always knows where the kids are, what they're doing, and often even what they're feeling at any given moment. His riddles frequently impart situation-specific advice that would seem to indicate that he knows ahead of time who the kids will meet, exactly what challenges the kids will face, and what they'll need to know in order to succeed.
- Offscreen Teleportation: Most often will appear and disappear when no-one is looking or will walk behind another object do to hide himself before vanishing, though this isn't necessary and he can teleport when others are watching.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: In "Dungeon at the Heart of Dawn", Dungeon Master isn't speaking in riddles or cryptic clues. This is a clear indicator to the kids that the situation with the Nameless One is deadly serious.
- Stealth Hi/Bye: He seems to spend a lot of time Behind the Black, probably thinking up new riddles.
- Trickster Mentor: He's always helpful but hardly ever straightforward.
- Weirdness Search and Rescue: The kids are stranded in a weird world: Dungeon Master is the mysterious inhabitant who helps them find a way home.
Venger's Forces
Venger
Venger
Voice: Peter Cullen
Seemingly the most powerful magician in the Realm, Venger is constantly trying to steal the childrens' weapons and do them harm.
- Antagonistic Offspring: The final episode was going to reveal that Dungeon Master was actually his father and that Venger was corrupted by the Nameless One in his youth.
- Big Bad: The most powerful and active force of evil in the Realm. He is actively trying to conquer it and spent hundreds of years reducing it to its current state.
- Cast as a Mask: Many of Venger's disguises are voiced by actors other than Peter Cullen. Hector the Halfling, for example, is voiced by Frank Welker.
- Chronic Backstabbing Disorder: He's kind of predictable in how his alliances with others turn out (badly for the other party).
- Enemy Mine: He will, with great reluctance, work with the heroes if necessary. You Have Outlived Your Usefulness is always in play.
- Evil Sorcerer: He never engages in physical combat, relying either on minions for that or his immense magical powers. His use of black magic is implied to have turned him into the more demon-looking form he currently looks like.
- Evil Sounds Deep: A vampiric baritone with slightly metallic tinge.
- Fate Worse than Death: Venger seems to spend a lot of time dreaming these up. These include prisons suspended over volcanoes, Forced Transformations and many, many, And I Must Scream punishments for people who resist him or challenge him.
- I Gave My Word: On a few occasions he's actually kept his word, such as during the DemoDragon debacle. When the children successfully defeat it, he orders Shadow Demon and the orcs to stand down, parting ways with the children peacefully. On the other hand, he also makes it clear that the next time he wouldn't hesitate to crush them.
- Joker Immunity: He has had more than his share of apparent deaths, but no matter what happens to him he always comes back.
- Manipulative Bastard: The few times he manipulates the heroes he tends to play more on their desire to go home or empathy for others. It is the same with other characters.
- Never Say "Die": Venger has a number of Unusual Euphemisms for death; kid's show, you know?
- Nigh-Invulnerability: Even if he does suffer the sort of thing one might consider lethal, it's implied that his body will simply re-create itself. However, his usual indirect approach to stealing the heroes' weapons suggests that those objects have the potential to do him real harm.
- Obviously Evil: In appearance he combines the least lovely aspects of Lucifer, the Joker, and a mako shark. As noted in Evil Sorcerer, this form was at least partly self-inflicted.
- Pragmatic Villainy: Unlike certain other villains from the eighties cartoons, Venger has enough sense to team up with the kids or even Dungeon Master... as briefly as possible.
- Villain Respect: It's really hard to earn Venger's respect, because he's full of spite and hatred, but it's not entirely impossible.Venger: [returning the cowardly Sir John's son to him] He is a brave boy. Not at all like his father.
- Villain Teleportation: Venger seems to have spells in place that will teleport him out in a crisis.
- Voluntary Shapeshifter: Venger can and has taken on many guises to fool the children, including Merlin, a halfling, and a handful of others. He's quite good at it, in fact, as there are usually no tell-tale signs unless Dungeon Master has provided a cryptic clue beforehand.
- Was Once a Man: Was once a human before the Nameless One turned him into a literal monster.
- Winged Humanoid: Those batlike wings are very menacing, but he doesn't seem capable of unassisted flight.
- Would Hurt a Child: The very first thing the kids learn about him, even before his name, is that he shoots to kill. He's not always out to kill them, but if that's part of his current Evil Plan, he will not hesitate.
- You Fool!: It seems to be his favorite word.
Shadow Demon
Shadow Demon
Voice: Bob Holt
Venger's right-hand man — er, demon. Appears as a winged humanoid who trails off into a ghost-like tail, all made of translucent darkness.
- The Blank: He has eyes, but that's it; otherwise, his face is a pure void.
- The Dragon: To Venger. He is his right hand man and most recurring servant.
- Invisibility: He can physically meld with shadows to become invisible, and pass through solid objects like a ghost.
- Non-Action Guy: He doesn't fight, he just wanders the Realms spying on things for Venger.
- Undying Loyalty: He is genuinely loyal to Venger, rather than being enslaved or otherwise forced into service like many of Venger's followers.
- Villainous Friendship: While there are times he's clearly afraid of Venger's wrath (especially when he's delivering bad news), he nevertheless does his job. In return, Venger is much more willing to hear him out and even treats him as a sort of confidant.
Dekion
Dekion
Voice: Frank Welker
A former celestial knight, now a cursed undead skeleton warrior. He sends the kids on a dangerous mission to retrieve the circle of power that can break his curse but has a hidden agenda.
- Earn Your Happy Ending: He attacks Venger when he tries to use the circle of power to turn the kids into skeleton warriors as well. The circle is destroyed during the battle, lifting his curse.
- Face–Heel Turn: In his backstory he was a servant of good but betrayed his knightly order and led them into a trap for a "king's ransom" in gold.
The Nameless One
The Nameless One
Venger's master is an Eldritch Abomination from beyond the Realm who supposedly caused his fall from grace and gave him his many evil powers. He appears for only one episode, but his threat proves to be so great that it pushes nearly the whole cast to team up to drive him off. No relation to the player character of Planescape: Torment.
- The Corrupter: He's heavily implied to have been the one who made Venger what he is today.
- The Dreaded: You just know he is one when both Venger and the Dungeon Master himself are terrified of him.
- Eldritch Abomination: The Nameless One is a cosmic entity of phenomenal power far more powerful than Venger who could destroy the Realm as easily as humans step on insects.
- Eviler than Thou: His evil is so great that he pushes Venger and the children to form a temporary alliance just to stop him from destroying this world.
- Generic Doomsday Villain: A surprisingly effective example. He is an unstoppable force of evil who everyone is terrified of. Knowing so little about him, and his lack of dialogue, makes him all the more intimidating.
- Godzilla Threshold: He provokes one by forcing Venger to ally with his hated enemies to help preserve the Realm he is trying so hard to conquer.
- Greater-Scope Villain: He is Venger's master, having granted him his evil magical powers and is much more powerful than he.
- I Have Many Names: The Dungeon Master states this being goes by many names, though most simply know him as “Evil.”
- Invincible Villain: He is never defeated in the show; he simply opts to leave after the heroes try and utterly fail to beat him.
- Intelligible Unintelligible: He speaks in a brief conversation with Venger. Venger can understand him, but the audience cannot.
- No Name Given: That is a given, although he is said to possess countless names in other places by the Dungeon Master.
- Nothing Is Scarier: We know next to nothing about what he is, his dialogue with Venger is unintelligible and we barely see what he looks like. It serves to make him the most horrifying threat in the show.
- Villain of Another Story: It's said that the Nameless One has countless other worlds under his grasp and, by the end of his episode, he is off to terrorize other worlds unchecked.
Independent Villains
Tiamat
Tiamat
Voice: Frank Welker
A five-headed dragon, each head with a different power. Tiamat is a mortal enemy of Venger, but also none too fond of the Children.
- Adaptational Wimp: Only by comparison. While she clearly is immensely powerful in the show, in the game Tiamat is a goddess and the progenitor of the evil chromatic dragons, and is foremost in the pantheon of divine dragons next to her brother, Bahamut, creator of the good metallic dragons.
- Always a Bigger Fish: She's established as this in the opening sequence, chasing away Venger.
- Breath Weapon: She has five of them; fire, lightning, ice, acid, and chlorine gas (from her red, blue, white, black, and green heads, respectively).
- Enemy Mine: Willing to work with the children in one episode as she hates Venger far more than them.
- Evil Versus Evil: She regards Venger as the greatest threat to her, while the children are a mere annoyance.
- Hero Killer: As stated above, an Easter Egg in Baldur's Gate II claims she ate the Children.
- Invincible Villain: Tiamat is so powerful that even Venger avoids fighting her, and she is instead often used to defeat him. When the Children do face her in the Dragon's Graveyard, where their weapons are more powerful than usual, they still cannot beat her.
- The Juggernaut: Tiamat is unstoppable in all of her appearances. Venger only survives against her by running, and the heroes survive because Tiamat isn't interested in killing them.
- No-Sell: Nothing in the show damages Tiamat. When Hank does use his bow with the intent of killing for once in "The Dragon's Graveyard," it does not affect her, even though it is implied the power from the eponymous location would have allowed his bow to kill Venger.
- Physical God: She is not called the Queen of Dragons for nothing.
- Summon Bigger Fish: The heroes turn to her or at least her appearance several times to scare off Venger since she is the only being in the Realm he is afraid of and why he seeks their weapons — to have enough power to defeat her.
- Villain of Another Story: Tiamat is stated to be an evil dragon who presumably is doing evil things... elsewhere. She never actively sets out to conquer the Realm, destroy the kids or do anything evil onscreen. The Crapsack World that is the Realm is Venger's doing. At no point does anyone good, including Dungeon Master, consider trying to get rid of her.
Kareena
Kareena
Voice: Diane Pershing
Venger's sister, whom he imprisoned. Initially evil, she is befriended by Sheila, and undergoes a Heel–Face Turn. Seen in only one episode.
- Cain and Abel: The relationship between her and Venger.
- Heel–Face Turn: She starts out off evil, but turns out she was corrupted by her magic rings and in truth was good.
- Walking Spoiler: The fact that she's Venger's sister and turns to the side of good fairly quickly after an unknown amount of time being evil would have foreshadowed that the Dungeon Master is their father had the final episode been produced and aired.
