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Basil
The Dreaded Minotaur of Crete, who has a time sharing in a room inside of the Court. He makes his first appearance in Chapter 2, where Annie and Kat finds him while searching for information for their mythology class.
Associated tropes:
- All Myths Are True: Well, true-ish. The way he tells the famous story, a jerk crashed his birthday party, and he somehow ended up as the bad guy.
- Gentle Giant: Despite what the myths claim.
- Our Minotaurs Are Different: As with most depictions of the Minotaur, he's got the head of a massive bull.
- Out of Focus: It took 30 chapters to see him again.
The Tic-Tocs / The Thousand Eyes
Mechanical Lifeforms in the shape of strange ticking birds, only revealed to be robots upon autopsy. Mostly they just observe events, though they once intervened to save Antimony's life. Though they are constructed with Court technology, the Court staff profess ignorance of their origins and true nature. Robots believe they were created by a divine being (rather than Diego), and identify them as a "mythical ornithonic, said to be older than the Court itself
". It is possible they aren't allied with the Court or the Wood.
Gamma and Zimmy seem to know more than they're saying about them: "The Thousand Eyes" is the name Gamma gives for them, while everyone else just refers to them as "those birds". Zimmy can't stand them looking at her.
Associated tropes:
- Big Damn Heroes: At the beginning of Chapter 8, they intervene to save Annie's life.
- The Bus Came Back: In Chapter 76, Kat shows the two Annies her newest invention, which she developed after wracking her brain over the fact that they both exist due to Loup's alteration of the timeline: a singular Tic-Toc. Every Tic-Toc that has been seen thus far is this one robot she built in the current day.
- Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: Despite being one of the biggest mysteries of the Court, they stopped making appearances for quite a long time until Chapter 76. Antimony gives a very subtle lampshade when she exclaims "I haven't seen one of these in years!"
- Good All Along: They are Kat's invention.
- Meaningful Name: The only sound they make is "Tic-Toc."
- Mechanical Animals: Although they look alive, they're actually robotic birds.
- Mechanical Lifeforms: At first glance, they appear alive, but the feathers are fake.
- Mysterious Watcher: For the entire Court. While they appear to be Court technology, none of the current generation know where they come from, including the robots.
- Stable Time Loop: The only reason Annie is alive after falling off the Annan Bridge in Chapter 8 is because she told Kat about the Tic-Tocs that saved her, inspiring Kat to spend the next 3 years developing the first Tic-Toc herself, which is finally revealed in Chapter 76. Somehow that got sent back in time, ensuring that Annie lives and that the Tic-Toc is created in the first place. This just makes Kat more confused about time travel. Later, we learn that Kat's parents would have never found the abandoned workshop above which the original Court Golems are housed if the Tic-Toc had not led them to it while they were teenagers, further complicating the stable time loop.
- Temporal Duplication: Kat creates the flock of Tic-Tocs that saves Annie by sending her one Tic-Toc back to the same time period repeatedly.
- Temporal Paradox: Kat explicitly references this - Kat wouldn't have made the Tic-Tocs had Annie not described them to her, but they had to exist and save Annie's life in order for Annie to be able to talk about them to Kat. Kat flatly states that their existence is impossible. Based on the fact that the arbiter said neither of the Annies should be there, Kat assumes that this loop must have an origin of some kind and concludes that there is another timeline where they didn't exist to save Annie. The Kat of that timeline presumably became so sad that she learned how to break time. When Kat is brought to see the Norns for the first time, at least from her perspective, they've already met her, which proves that she's been using their help to send the Tic-Tocs back through time.
The Guides
A wide variety of mythological persons and creatures who escort the souls of the dead into the Aether. Some manner of rules forbid them from interfering in the lives of the living, and for this reason they are usually invisible to living humans. However, some people, such as Annie and Surma, can naturally see and communicate with the Guides. In spite of their fearsome appearances, they are friendly. Depending on who you ask.
Plot-wise, the important Guides so far are:
- Muut: An owl-headed man from Cahuilla Native American myth. He seems to care about Annie, but he's not above manipulating her or bending the rules for the right ends. Does not wear a shirt.
- Moddey-Dhoo: A Black Dog from Manx folklore.
- Mallt-y-Nos: "Matilda of the Night", a Welsh crone who joined The Wild Hunt. Annie's very first task as a supernatural mediator involved clearing up a dispute between Mallt-y-Nos and Moddey-Dhoo.
- Ketrak: The Guide of insects. Much nicer to talk to than to look at. At least, for humans.
- Ankou: The Breton psychopomp who was probably the inspiration for the Grim Reaper. Carries a scythe and wears an awesome hat.
Annie befriended many of them during her stay at Good Hope. However, by the start of the story, she's become angry with them for not guiding Surma to her final resting place, leaving Annie, still a child, to do so herself.
- Crossover Cosmology: Each one represents a different belief system.
- Dark Is Not Evil: Despite their often sinister appearances, they are largely benign entities, only looking to bring the dead to what awaits. They start getting really unpleasant when trying to recruit Annie.
- Deliberate Values Dissonance: They seem to run on an alien operating procedure, not really being restricted by the human standards of good and evil... but it's debatable if their using these values as a deliberate Omniscient Morality License or if they're honestly going by Blue-and-Orange Morality.
- Devil's Job Offer: Although they're not evil as such, they have been annoyingly persistent in attempting to get Annie to work for/with them, to the point that they end up holding Smitty's life hostage to force her to agree. To what end has yet to be established.
- Don't Fear the Reaper: They're actually quite personable when you get to know them.
- Hypocrite: Muut tells Annie off for risking others' lives by seeking help with Jeanne. Except she's only involved herself because Muut recruited her after Jeanne proved capable of harming psychopomps. On the other hand, there was apparently no deadline to freeing Jeanne. They could have waited years or a decade or two for Georgie to become experienced enough to be able to taks her on without Smitty's help. They never asked Smitty to help, so him dying isn't on their conscience.
- Invisible to Normals: Most people can't see them under normal circumstances.
- Literal Genie: If Anthony's story is anything to go by, they were excessively literal in their descriptions of how Anthony could retrieve Surma's soul after her death. Only a part of Surma was sent to the afterlife, while another part was transferred to Antimony, but Anthony didn't know this, and the Guides apparently left this little tidbit of information out, as well as the fact that the Ether is not the same as the Afterlife.
- Obstructive Code of Conduct: Will not interfere in the mortal realm. This may even extend to information, since they allow Annie to be upset at them for years rather than explain their actions.
- Psychopomp: They guide the souls of the dead to the afterlife (afterlives?).
- Walking Shirtless Scene: Muut never wears a shirt. Kat takes interest in learning this fact.
Brinnie
Click here to see her as a child in flashbacks
The valkyrie Brunhilde, sent to Earth as punishment for disobeying Odin. There, she attended Gunnerkrigg, and befriended two of her classmates, Surma and Anja. When they were transferred to Queslett house, Brinnie remained in Chester, so they rarely were able to spend time together. However, she was able to join them on picture day, and she appeared in a group photo — a copy of which would eventually end up in Annie's hands.
Said photo was the first scrap of information revealed to the readers about Brinnie — and for 14 chapters, it was the only scrap of information, and the seed of many Epileptic Trees in the fandom.
Associated tropes:
- All Love Is Unrequited: Nothing subtle here. But Tony just couldn't decide how to react on this. And ended up with Surma, as we already know.
- All Myths Are True: From The Saga of the Volsungs and The Ring of the Nibelung.
- All There in the Manual: Brinnie's backstory has only been lightly hinted at in the comic itself—when she uses her powers, a blue valknut appears, and she makes an offhand reference to "the old man" (Odin.) The revelation that she was an exiled Valkyrie was made on the forums.
- Antiquated Linguistics: Her syntax hasn't caught up to modern English.
- The Bus Came Back: After not appearing for 40 chapters, in Chapter 77 Anja retrieves a valknut charm to help Kat learn more about magic time travel, summoning an adult Brinnie.
- I Have Many Names: Brunhilde, Brynhildr, Sigrdrifa, whichever! But on Earth and with her friends she prefers Brinnie.
- Time Master: Anja calls on her when Kat and the Annies need to learn more about time travel. Brynhildr was never associated with it in myth, but she seems to be able to tell that the Annies have been time shifted. Then Anja asks for her to take them all to see the Norns, the real Time Masters of Norse myth.
- Valkyries: She was still not on active duty, obviously. On the other hand, she can't shirk any studies since Odin personally checks her diligence.
Hetty
An animated doll who's introduced as a close friend of Reynardine's, and who seems to share his status as a spirit possessing a human toy. Her apparently charming and capricious behavior is a (very thin) mask for a sinister personality bent on tormenting her unwitting owner, Adam (a student at the Court whose sister had previously owned the doll Hetty inhabits, before meeting with a "little accident").
Associated tropes:
- Animalistic Abomination: When the spirit of Hetty is released from the doll, it most closely resembles a human-sized krill.
- Blush Sticker: She is a doll, so they're probably painted on.
- The Corrupter: If it hadn't already become obvious in the preceding few pages, Hetty's little suggestion to Reynardine laid the matter to rest.Hetty: Oh! You should kill her!
- Creepy Doll: Good lord. At least she's a lot more eloquent than most talking dolls, and doesn't just communicate in giggles and "Play with me" chants. But then, her favorite subject is how much she despises and wishes harm upon Adam.
- Demonic Possession: In much the same manner as Reynardine. She even has an alchemical symbol on her forehead, as he does (Hetty's represents "oil essence").
- Disproportionate Retribution: Hetty loathes Adam for "the pain he has caused [her]" and for trapping her "in this cursed body". Adam... has no idea he was given ownership of Hetty and, to all evidence, had nothing to do with the events that trapped her inside that doll in the first place.
- Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: Completely fails to grasp the possibility that Reynardine might not want to kill Annie.
- Evil Counterpart: Towards the end of Quicksilver, it becomes clear that she's like Reynardine used to be...except that, unlike him, she feels no regret for her sadistic actions. Recognizing that she will kill an innocent boy if not stopped, Reynardine burns her to death.
- For the Evulz: Her primary purpose seems to be to commit random acts of malicious vandalism.Renard: Up to more acts of unspeakable evil today, Hetty?
Hetty: Oh Reynardine, you are such a tease! ...You know very well I love to speak of it! - Game Face: The more evil she's feeling, the more her appearance changes, as
here and here. Don't even get us started on this one. Her porcelain "skin" goes corpse-gray and begins to crack, her pupils change from ovals to slits, the alchemical symbol shows up on her forehead, and her facial expression takes a turn for the nasty. - Hoist by His Own Petard: Part of the items Hetty has Reynard help her gather include matches and lighter fluid. Reynard uses them to burn her doll body.
- Irrational Hatred:
- Toward Adam. Reynardine's reaction is baffled and a little incredulous once he actually glimpses the boy. Hetty's campaign of inflicting suffering on Adam is made even more disturbing because Adam isn't remotely at fault and has no idea why he's going through this.Hetty: Just because he doesn't know about me does not excuse his neglect!
- This is also another way in which she contrasts Reynard: he wanted to escape imprisonment for his past crimes by killing Annie and taking her body, a motivation which was sympathetic, if still evil (and which he eventually grew out of.) Hetty torments Adam solely for her own pleasure, and smiles gleefully when Reynard points out that one of her plans would result in Adam's death.
- It gets rather depressing with this little note from Tom:Tom: Adam noticed these problems started soon after his sister died.
- Toward Adam. Reynardine's reaction is baffled and a little incredulous once he actually glimpses the boy. Hetty's campaign of inflicting suffering on Adam is made even more disturbing because Adam isn't remotely at fault and has no idea why he's going through this.
- It's All About Me: Has absolutely no consideration for anything beyond her own murderous rage.
- Killed Off for Real: Tom has confirmed that after Chapter 44 she won't be appearing anymore.
- Kill It with Fire: Reynard douses her doll body in flames, though she abandons it and assumes her true form, which he also promptly kills.
- Killer Rabbit: She's adorable, if you can catch her in a non-murderous mood.
- Meaningful Rename: Apparently "Hetty" is the doll's name, not the spirit's name, judging from the "Helpful Hetty" page ad at the end of her featured chapter. Consequently, the spirit's real name is unknown.
- Murder Is the Best Solution: A firm believer in this.
- Red Eyes, Take Warning: She has red eyes and is as evil as they imply, as seen from her suggestion that Reynardine kill Antimony and her Irrational Hatred toward Adam.
- Sanity Slippage: At first, she seems to have her mind in order, but the more that's learned about her, the more that it becomes clear that her sanity definitely slipped a long time ago.
- The Unfettered: Completely obsessed with her own absolute freedom and willing to kill for it
- Visual Pun: As commentator "Omnithea" puts it: "It's a shrimp... in a Barbie."
- We Hardly Knew Ye: Introduced and subsequently killed off within a single chapter.
Arbiter Saslamel
A mysterious enforcer of magical contracts.
Associated tropes:
- I've Never Seen Anything Like This Before: Even Reynard, an ancient trickster spirit, has no idea what the hell Saslamel is.
- Magically-Binding Contract: Turns out if you try to break one of these in the Gunnerkrigg universe, an arbiter like Saslamel will be dispatched to prevent it.
- Starfish Language: His dialogue doesn't appear to comport with any sounds that could be made by a human. It's represented by inky lines forming shapes unlike any human alphabet.
Interpreter
An interpreter for Saslamel.
- Cute Creature, Creepy Mouth: Looks like a cute blue blob or water droplet, but when warning Kat about breaking contracts in the future, it displays a mouth full of long, sharp teeth.
- No Name Given: When Kat asks, "And who are you?", it replies, "I'm just the interpreter!" Other than that, it has no known name or title.
- Scary Teeth: At one point it shows off a mouthful of long, sharp teeth.
- Translator Buddy: Since Saslamel is "too stubborn to keep up with modern languages", the interpreter shows up to translate for him.
The Norns
Urd, Verdandi, and Skuld, the three deities of fate and time of Norse Mythology.
- All Myths Are True: Like a lot of Gunnerkrigg Court, Norse myth is real. And Verdandi is a fan of Ah! My Goddess.
- Appearance Is in the Eye of the Beholder: The Norns appear to the Annies, Kat, and Anja as differently aged versions of themselves, unique to each observer. The Annies immediately understand why it's happening, while Kat and Anja just accept it. Kat later questions why Urd appears to her as her grown-up self and Skuld looks like herself as a child when they should be the personifications of the past and the future. Urd reveals she is someone who has lived a full life with her past behind her, and Skuld has a whole life to look forward to in her future.note
- Non-Linear Character: The Norns know Kat because she comes to them many times throughout her life, even when from her perspective she's meeting them for the first time.Verdandi: For us, the time is not important. Just the events.
- Stable Time Loop: The Norns already know who Kat is because she's visited them many times before. Anja knew they would be allowed to visit the Norns because they must have already met Kat to teach her how to send things through time before their current meeting.
- Time Master: They are the three deities of time in Norse mythology, with Urd controlling the past, Verdandi the present, and Skuld the future.
Boxbot
Nobody likes Boxbot. Not even Tom himself. He's terrible to the point that he doesn't deserve a proper description. Not that you can say much about a box-shaped thing with arms...
- —He's rubbish.
Associated tropes:
- Butt-Monkey: Played for Laughs. No one—not even Kat, Messianic Archetype of the robots—likes him.
Robox
Everyone loves Robox. A complete description cannot even sum up the awesomeness that is Robox. "Box on legs" doesn't even begin to cover it.
Associated tropes:
- The Ace: Played for Laughs, but not really a parody. He's...a box on legs. That's it. Yet he's treated like he's made of gold.
City Face
A baby pigeon that fell out of the nest and was presumably abandoned by its parents. Kat found him outside her workshop and, with Paz's help, nursed him back to health.
Some time later, the adult City Face starred as himself in City Face, a summer blockbuster in which he woos an attractive female pigeon, thereby saving the world from destruction. He reprised the role in City Face 2 the following year, much to Hollywood's delight.
Associated tropes:
- A Day in the Limelight: City Face and City Face 2.
- Early-Bird Cameo: Before appearing in the comic proper (Chapter 29: A Bad Start) he debuted in City Face, published right after Chapter 22: Ties.
The New People
The end result of Kat's robotic and biological experiments, the New People are created by transferring the intelligence of a Court robot into an organic body. No longer robots and not entirely human, they are learning to make their own way in the world.
Associated tropes:
- Amazing Technicolor Population: When they're embodied, they can choose any skin and hair color they'd like, or just have it selected randomly for them.
- Artificial Human: Artificial Intelligence uploaded into vat-grown human looking bodies.
- Emergency Transformation: In a way; to fend off Loup's attack an emergency subroutine was activated in all robots that made them unresponsive as their bodies became force field projectors. Concluding that this is hardwired into their robot bodies, the solution was recovering their CPUs and uploading their minds into organic bodies.
- Humanity Ensues: They look human, and are now metaphysically recognized as alive enough to become part of the Ether cycle, requiring a psychopomp to ferry them into the afterlife when they die.
- Our Souls Are Different: It's not clear they'd look at it this way, but the personality transfer can only be done once.
- Robot Religion: They revere Kat as the Angel who has brought them a new life.
Tea
A white-haired secondary narrator who appears on some bonus pages to describe background details of the Gunnerverse and to announce things like comic hiatuses. It's unclear if she has any connection to the continuity of the story.
Associated tropes:
- After the End: Her later appearances show her wandering a desolate landscape with a brown-haired boy whose face is never seen.
- And Knowing Is Half the Battle: Her job is to provide a bit of information on something relative to the current chapter. Different types of fairies, Black Dogs, swords, etc.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Tea is almost always cheerful and upbeat as she explains things to the audience. When she appears at the end of Chapter 59, she's still got a smile on her face, but is clearly exhausted and crying.
- The Stinger: She always appears in the bonus pages and the end of chapters.
- You Bastard!: She doesn't come out and say it. But she's very blunt in her interlude on swords that for all their mythology, lore, symbolism, and fascination in pop culture, in the end that's only pretty dressing on how they're tools to kill people.
