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Ted's Relatives
Alfred Mosby
Alfred Mosby
Played by: Michael Gross
Ted and Heather's father.
- Ambiguously Jewish: Ted mentions he's half-Jewish in one episode, and since Virginia made it a point to attend Mass, it's likely Ted's father is Jewish. However, he doesn't appear to be religious and Virginia may be ethnically Jewish but religiously Christian.
- Amicable Exes: With Virginia. He even helped her find a new date for her after their divorce.
- Bumbling Dad: Instead of talking with Ted about serious stuff, he usually averted them by talking about baseball instead.
- Generation Xerox: He tried to win Virginia over, even though she didn't want either commitment or children, just like Ted and Robin's situation. After they split, they still were very good friends.
- Like Father, Like Son: His marriage to Virginia mirrors Ted's relationship with Robin. Their divorce is a signal that Ted and Robin won't work out. Not that viewers didn't already know that.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: Whilst Ted's acceptance and dealings with his mother's new relationship is a key moment of his character growth. Ted's relationship with his father remains strained and he disappears from the series.
Virginia Mosby
Virginia Mosby
Played by: Cristine Rose
Ted and Heather's mother.
- Aloof Dark-Haired Girl: Based on how Ted's parents married (and how similar are Robin and Virginia), Alfred says Virginia was really hard to get.
- Ambiguously Jewish: Since we don't know what "half" Ted's Jewishness is from. She mentions going to Catholic Mass, but she could still have a Jewish background.
- Amazingly Embarrassing Parents: She happily lets Marshall take a photo-mug of Ted so he can make fun of him, and also goes to get him a picture of Ted dressed as a cowboy with his best friend (Said friend was a balloon.)
- Amicable Exes: With Alfred.
- Did They or Didn't They?: Ted is very worried if Barney did anything to his mom when they were in a limo together. Luckily for him, they didn't go any further, and he finds it acceptable.
- Happily Married: To Clint.
- Lies to Children: Virginia told Ted as a child he was allergic to bacon, donuts and Halloween candy so he would eat healthy.
- Like Parent, Like Spouse: Subverted. Virginia and Robin have a lot in common, but Robin and Ted never get married.
- Mrs. Robinson: Subverted. Barney admits making out with Virginia when he dropped her at the airport and often jokes about how he banged Ted's mom (Barney later confirms it "got out after he tried to stretch a first into a second").
- Parent with New Paramour: She starts dating erudite hippie Clint not long after it's revealed that she and her husband divorced. While initially reluctant, Ted came to accept Clint as his new step father after Virginia's second marriage.
- Silver Vixen: Barney often comments how hot is Ted's mom just to irritate him.
- Stacy's Mom: How Barney sees Ted's mom.
- Ugly Guy, Hot Wife: She is more polished and put-together than most, but especially compared to her new scruffy, hippy husband Clint.
- What Does She See in Him?: Virginia is head over heels for Clint, which has Ted completely flummoxed. What she seems to find most appealing is how his free spirit loosens her up.
Heather Mosby
Heather Mosby
Played by: Erin Cahill
Ted's younger sister.
- Aloof Dark-Haired Girl: Initially quite detached from Ted, though both siblings make efforts to change that.
- Annoying Younger Sibling: While Ted genuinely loves her, he wasn't fond of the actions and decisions she made in her life.
- Foolish Sibling, Responsible Sibling: She is the Foolish one, while Ted is the Responsible. She once sold Ted and Marshall's furniture so she could go to a concert in Spain.Ted: It took her six years to graduate from three different colleges, during which time she wrecked two cars, got married for five days, and lived in a tree for nine weeks, only to realize that no one had any intention of cutting it down.
- Former Teen Rebel: Hopefully; she hasn't been seen since she said she was going to move to New York.
- Reformed, but Rejected: Ted was quite wary of her due to her Dark and Troubled Past.
- Statuesque Stunner: Erin Cahill is 5'9.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: Despite saying she was moving to New York in Season 4, she hasn't been seen since.
Clint
Clint
Played by: Harry Groener
Virginia's new husband after she and Alfred get divorced.
- Amazingly Embarrassing Parents: He is this to Ted. Clint sings about his sex life with Virginia during the wedding reception (disgusting Ted to the point of blacking out) and gives Ted a painting of Virginia and himself naked behind a guitar ("Kids, There was no guitar.")
- Cloud Cuckoo Lander: He is an eccentric hippy with New Age mentality.
- Dreadful Musician: He annoys Marshall and Daphne with his guitar songs during a portion of their roadtrip, and makes Marvin cry. Marshall and Daphne start mocking his music as a common point. Clint wasn't amused by this.
- Hippie Parents: Becomes Ted and Heather's stepfather. Ted then tells Clint transformed his old room into a "Love Temple", joking that his G.I.Joe toys are having psychedelic hallucinations because of this.
- Soapbox Sadie: A male version of this. One example is mentioned at Christmas. He made Virginia and Ted get rid of everything that reminds him of the commercialization of Christmas. He also dresses up as Santa on Christmas, but plays him as a woman to protest gender stereotypes, but he still keeps the beard.
- Unwanted Assistance: Invoked in Season 9, he tags along with Marshall and Daphne as self-proclaimed "Conflict Resolver". Also during his angry rant, Clint implies companies don't actually hire him at all.
Marshall's Relatives
Marvin Eriksen Sr.
Marvin Eriksen, Sr.
Played by: Bill Fagerbakke
Marshall's father.
- A Death in the Limelight: Gets much more screen time just before he has a heart attack.
- Alliterative Family/Alphabetical Theme Naming/Family Theme Naming: He and his sons Marvin, Jr., Marshall and Marcus as well as grandson Marvin W.
- The Big Guy: Along with the rest of his family.
- Cool Old Guy: Was an excellent father who encouraged sports and friendly barbecues with the neighborhood.
- Doomed by Canon: His death in Season 6 has been foreshadowed since the middle of Season 4.
- Drill Sergeant Nasty: His manner of coaching his sons borrows from the nastiest of drill sergeants. Marshall took it to heart and aspires to coach kids the same way.
- Happily Married: With Judy until the last day.
- Innocent Bigot: Marshall recalls his dad making some well meaning, but awkward, declarations of how trustworthy the Koreans are, at one point, due to being from an older generation on top of being raised in a small town.
- It Runs in the Family: Marvin's height and small town hospitality are passed down to all of his sons.
- Large and in Charge: He is The Patriarch of the Eriksens, a family of big guys.
- Nice Guy: He's jovial, welcoming, and fun-loving, and inspires the same behavior in his children.
- One-Steve Limit: Averted, he shares his name with his eldest son and grandson to Marshall.
- Over-Enthusiastic Parents: He gets too involved in Marshall's (and in extension also about Lily) life decisions. Lily later recognizes that's also a good trait Marshall got from him.
- The Patriarch: Of the Eriksen family until he died.
- Spirit Advisor: Subverted because Marshall was just imagining him. Even so, he always appears when Marshall needs guidance or a revelation on how to be a good husband or father.
Judy Eriksen
Judy Eriksen
Played by: Suzie Plakson
Marshall's mother.
- Almighty Mom: Everyone in the Eriksen family answers to her.
- Celebrity Paradox: In a season 9 episode, her son Marshall (who is a Star Wars fan) got into an argument with Star Trek fan Daphne by calling her "Trekkie". Suzie Plakson was part of Star Trek: The Next Generation during its run.
- Cool Old Lady: Very energetic and snarky.
- Fiery Redhead: She is very, very assertive.
- Friends with Benefits: Extended family-with-benefits with Mickey Aldrin. Yeah.
- Happily Married: With Marvin Sr. Until he dies in season 6 anyway.
- Housewife: ...And expects Lily to be the same.
- Obnoxious In-Laws: With Lily. They were on friendly terms in Season 1 during the Thanksgiving episode. But in the later seasons, they become antagonistic. It probably has something to do with Lily leaving Marshall a couple of months before their wedding (as there was never any contention between them mentioned or shown prior to this). Though Marshall and Lily eventually made up, it would appear Judy never forgot. She also didn't like that Lily refused to be a "Mrs. Eriksen" by keeping her own last name. To dissuade Lily from moving to Italy with Marshall and Marvin, she constantly uploaded pictures of Marvin with "Anti-Italy propaganda" to guilt-trip her.
- Parent with New Paramour: Eventually dates Lily's father after Marvin's death.
- Minnesota Nice: The kindest, most stereotypical Minnesota mom imaginable, unless it's in regards to Lily.
- Shipper on Deck: She and Marcus were invested in Ted and Zoey's relationship over the phone.
- Silver Vixen: She still looks good for her age and is a Statuesque Stunner to boot. She's also still hot enough to get Mickey Aldrin's attention.
- Statuesque Stunner: At 6 feet tall, she is perhaps the tallest female character in the show.
- Stealth Insult: Even when she tries to compliment Lily, she always says "how she looks like a street-walker". Lily still takes this without complaining, as she knows that's the closest Judy is going to be "nice" to her.
- Supreme Chef: Of thoroughly Midwestern-style cuisine (IE incredibly unhealthy).
- Tiny Guy, Huge Girl: She is notably taller than Mickey, her new paramour.
Marvin Jr. and Marcus Eriksen
Marvin Jr. and Marcus Eriksen
Marvin Jr. (left) and Marcus (right)
Played by: Robert Michael Ryan (Marvin Jr.) and Ned Rolsma (Marcus)
Marshall's older brothers.
- Alliterative Family: Like all male Eriksens, both their names stars with Mar.
- Aloof Big Brother: Both of them. They like pranking Marshall and tease him for being shorter.
- Big Brother Bully: They pulled a lot of pranks on Marshall since they were kids. The most infamous is when they gave Marshall "The Fierro", by making Marshall order 12 cups of coffee at the drive-thru while sitting naked in the front seat (his brothers jumped out and surprised him, causing him to jerk the car and make the hot coffee spill all over him)
- Big Little Brother: Though he is the middle child, Marcus is the tallest of the Eriksen children and is the tallest Eriksen in general, at 7 feet tall. He's also seemingly the heaviest.
- Cool Uncle: Marcus loves Marvin. Most likely Marvin, Jr. does too.
- Disappeared Dad: Marcus eventually skips out on his family, first to work as a bartender in some tropical location, then he moves back with his mom.
- Groin Attack: Marcus gives them to Marshall as pranks, even as adults. And Marshall still falls for it.
- Happily Married: Both of them. Their wives, unlike Lily, have the Eriksen family name. Subverted in season 7 when Marcus reveals he divorced his wife and moved to be a mixologist at the beach.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Despite being big brother bullies to Marshall, their hearts are in the right place and they really care for their brother.
- Manchild: Marcus moves temporary with his mother, also regressing like Marshall.
- Odd Name Out: Not them but Marcus' ex-wife Sarah is the only female member of the Eriksen family whose name doesn't end with a Y which is likely a Foreshadowing to their divorce.
- One Head Taller: Both of them are much taller than the already really tall Marshall.
- One-Steve Limit: Averted by Marvin, Jr. with his father and nephew. Also averted when Marcus also named his son after him.
- The Prankster: They prank Marshall For the Lulz.
- Shipper on Deck: Marcus and Judy both were invested in Ted and Zoey's relationship over the phone.
- Those Two Guys: They usually appear together in Eriksen reunions. Marcus has appeared in separate episodes, thought.
Lily's Relatives
Mickey Aldrin
Mickey Aldrin
Played by: Chris Elliott
Lily's estranged father.
- Bald of Evil: Not evil... most of the time. But when you consider he taunted Marshall while he got lost in a house during a blackout...
- Bumbling Dad: Is a game addict, is invested in board games dangerous for children and has neglected Lily for most of her life. He still loves his daughter, it's revealed to have taken care of Lily during her first years and later fills as a great nanny for baby Marvin.
- Chewing the Scenery: So hammy, it's kind of a shame he and Barney never got a scene together.
- Cool Old Guy: He creates board games and engages in some Chewing the Scenery.
- Dirty Old Man: In season 7, he is seen peeking at a neighbor. In the following season, he noticed that Judy is a very foxy grandma and occasionally had casual sex with her.
- Evil Laugh: Does a few while enjoying Marshall getting lost in the house during a black-out.
- Friends with Benefits: Well, extended family-with-benefits with Judy Eriksen. The other characters are appropriately disturbed.
- For the Evulz: If he messes with someone, it's probably just for fun.
- Hands-Off Parenting: Which happened because of Mickey's obsession with games.
- Harmful to Minors: His games usually have a mature and disturbing subtext in its themes which sometimes are also literally harmful.
- Hidden Depths: Behind his Irresponsible Dad persona, Mickey is actually excellent at raising babies, as he took care of Lily in her first years before preschool, and later would be a great babysitter for Marvin.
- House Husband: Before he started gambling, he took care of Lily while her mother worked fulltime.
- Large Ham: You will know when he's onscreen.
- Nightmare Fuel Station Attendant: His board games, intended for children, include "
Diseases!" and "There's a Clown Demon Under the Bed." - Parental Neglect: He was emotionally apathetic to Lily most of her life.
- Parents as People: He isn't a bad person at heart but Lily never had a reason to trust him.
- Parent with New Paramour: Lily doesn't really seem to have an issue with him dating, but him dating her mother in law? Ew.
- Pet the Dog: He really does love Lily, he just has so many other problems it hurts their relationship. On occasion the doting father does shine through, most notably when Lily told him she was pregnant and he immediately drove all night to be with her on New Years.
- Start of Darkness: He first went to the horse track on a whim, needing something to pass the time when Lily went to preschool. After that, it was all over for Mickey.
- Took a Level in Kindness: When it's revealed he's actually an excellent caregiver and raised Lily on his own for the first five years of her life.
- Two First Names: Aldrin is commonly used as a first name.
- The Unfettered: The guy rivals Barney in this department.
- What Do You Mean, It's for Kids?: Invoked for his boardgames, which many involve violent and dangerous stuff for small children, even for adults.
Janice Aldrin
Janice Aldrin
Played by: Meagen Fay
Lily's mother. The only time we see her is in Lily's Bridal Shower.
- Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: She's only appeared in a handful of episodes related to Lily and Marshall's wedding. Particularly jarring because she actually lives in NYC so she has plenty of reason to be around.
- Obnoxious In-Laws: She is said to dislike Marshall because her cat died by jumping out the window while Marshall was playing with it.
- Straw Feminist: She was working full-time when Lily was a baby, leaving Mickey to raise her until pre-school. Lily once claimed that her "feminist mom didn't want her conforming to traditional gender roles" and wouldn't allow her to have an Easy-Bake Oven as a child.
- Two First Names: And since she's divorced from Mickey, this is no longer the case.
Marvin W. Eriksen
Marvin W. Eriksen
Played by: N/A (Baby), August Maturo (6 Years Old), Jake Elliott (pre-teen/teen), Spencer Ralston (Adult)
Marshall and Lily's son, who is born in the Season 7 finale.
- Alliterative Family: His first name, along with his father, grandfather and uncles, starts with Mar.
- Babies Make Everything Better: Not that Marshall and Lily had any big problems in their marriage, but twice over:
- When Marshall learns Lily is pregnant, he's at a very low point in life. His father died recently, he's out of work, he's spent years in a soul-sucking job, and he just completely bombed an interview. But everything turns around when Lily announces she's pregnant.
- When Marvin was finally born, Marshall finally gets over his own dad's death.
- Birth-Death Juxtaposition: Played with.
- When Marshall and Lily where trying to get pregnant of him, there was a time when they feared they physically couldn't have children. The day they discover there's no problem in that regard, Marvin Sr. dies.
- Lily finds out she’s pregnant with him the same day The Arcadian gets demolished.
- The Big Guy: Grows up to be 6 foot 7, according to Future Ted, a full three inches taller than Marshall, and fourteen inches taller than Lily.
- Dead Guy Junior: He's named after his late (paternal) grandfather.
- Innocent Blue Eyes: Fitting for a baby.
- Innocent Swearing: Little Marvin's first words were "Skunkjunk". Both Marshall and The Mother promptly got Oh, Crap! in their faces.Marshall: For the record, his first word was "Mommy".
- Not in Front of the Kid: Lily tries to not swear in front of him, only doing it when he is taking a nap. She even avoided them when she was pregnant with him.Lily: You son of a me!!Lily: You son of a... [remembers she is holding Marvin] Itch-Bee!
- One-Steve Limit: Averted, he shares his name with his paternal grandfather and uncle.
- Quirky Curls: Flashforwards show that Marvin will have these growing up.
- Small Parent, Huge Child: Marvin, according to Future-Ted, grew up to be bigger than his mother Lily.
- Tagalong Kid: During Marshall's trip from Minnesota to Farhampton in Season 9. He can be seen as this to the gang in general.
- Three-Month-Old Newborn: We see him right after his birth, so this was to be expected, not to mention the other Eriksen babies come out pretty much toddler-sized.
- Tinkle in the Eye: In an episode, he doesn't poop for several days. He gets better during a Diaper Check... which ends up with an explosion of confetti into Marshall's face.
Daisy Eriksen
Daisy Eriksen
Played by: N/A
Marshall and Lily's daughter born (possibly in Italy) in the year following Barney and Robin's wedding.
- Alliterative Family: Like most of the female members of the Eriksen family, her name ends with a Y (Lily, Judy, Ashley).
- Babies Make Everything Better: It's because of her that Marshall decides to let Lily fulfill her dream job first.
- Floral Theme Naming: She and her mother Lily.
- Meaningful Name: Named after the flower in the Captain's powder room, where Ted found a pregnancy test; also, the episode's title.
Robin's Relatives
Robin Scherbatsky Sr.
Robin Scherbatsky, Sr.
Played by: Eric Braden (Season 4) and Ray Wise (Season 6 onwards)
Robin and Katie's father.
- Abusive Dad: He is a firm believer in Misery Builds Character, and as such his way of raising Robin includes leaving her in the woods alone with only a knife as a rite of passage on her birthday.
- The Atoner: He tries to get along with Robin but Robin still feels that it's not enough. However, Future!Ted narrates that she and her dad do get along later on and were doing the father-daughter dance on her wedding.
- The Comically Serious: Even while in a Hawaiian shirt, describing his love for Jimmy Buffet, he's overly formal and well, terrifying.
- Drill Sergeant Nasty: For her 14th birthday, Robin' dad made her live in the woods armed only with a knife. Also when organizing a team of kids in Laser Tag, he was this to the children, while Barney gave candy to his teammates.
- Death Glare: His default look.
- Engagement Challenge: He says that when he wanted to marry Robin's mother he killed a bear with his bare hands to give to her family as tribute. He also tries to force Barney to kill a rabbit if he wants to marry Robin.
- Jerkass: He refused to acknowledge any of Robin's accomplishments, and raised her as a boy, giving her deep emotional scars.
- Like Parent, Like Spouse: According to Robin's mother, he was just like Barney in his youth, being a borderline sociopath using many of the same schemes Barney used to sleep with women, Robin Sr. had a gay black brother like Barney, and his relationship with Robin's mother was a mirror of Barney and Robin's relationship, to the point that both relationships ultimately ended in divorce and eventually becoming Amicable Exes.
- The Mafia: He may not be in the mob, but sure does across this way especially to Barney.
- The One Guy: He is the only shown male relative of Robin.
- Parent with New Paramour: He got married to a woman named Carol. Robin was really upset that he didn't even bother to tell her about it.
- Retired Badass: "Okay, I did some wet-work for the CIA in the 80's." "Yes, dad, I remember the bedtime stories."
- Self-Made Orphan: Implied, since he says the last words his father ever said to him were "Shoot me already."
- Testosterone Poisoning: He values being manly above all else.
- Took a Level in Kindness: He did a serious number on Robin growing up with his emotional distance, but mellows out a great deal by the time of her wedding.
- Why Are You Not My Son?: To Barney. At least he will be his son-in-law. He appears to have abandoned this view, later on.
- Why Couldn't You Be Different?: He wanted Robin to be a boy. He even raised her as one for years.
Katie Scherbatsky
Katie Scherbatsky
Played by: Lucy Hale
Robin's younger sister.
- Adorably Precocious Child: At least that's how Robin saw her. She was a sixteen years old with a boyfriend and Robin still thought she was supposed to watch The Little Mermaid (1989) and drink Yoohoo. Robin gets shocked when Katie reveals she smokes, drinks liquor and already got to second base with Kyle.
- Annoying Younger Sibling: It's implied that Robin wasn't always fond of her.
- The Bus Came Back: She returns in Season 9 after last appearing seven seasons ago.
- The Cutie: How Robin still sees her. Her mental image of her is that she's just a cute little girl with a Hello Kitty backpack, and not the Hormone-Addled Teenager.
- Deadpan Snarker: Just like Robin.Robin: [reading Lily's scrapbook] Barney and Robin, Lovers forever and ever and ever. A Love Story.
Katie: Sounds cheesy. I'm going to barf forever and ever. See ya, losers. - Don't Tell Mama: After telling Robin about her break up with Kyle, Robin asks her if she wants to watch The Little Mermaid and drink Yoohoo.Katie: Can we put Kahlua in it?
Robin; [Beat] Don't tell mom. - Girly Girl with a Tomboy Streak: Katie is more feminine than Robin at her age, but it's implied she also received the same treatment from her father in "Rally". In "Vesuvius" she is also shown playing hockey in full gear with Robin and drinking scotch while watching "The Wedding Bride 2".
- Hormone-Addled Teenager: A mild example. Pretty tame in most respects, but her actions with her boyfriend indicate this.
- It Runs in the Family: In "Vesuvius" it's shown Katie also likes hockey, liquor and dislikes corny stuff (like Lily's scrapbook of romantic moments), just like Robin. She also explains Robin is not nervous about her wedding because "She is a Scherbatsky".
- Moose and Maple Syrup: Her second appearance has her going full Canadian, playing hockey with Robin in a hotel room.
- Raven Hair, Ivory Skin: She is much paler and has much darker hair than her sister. And she's kinda cute.
Genevieve Scherbatsky
Genevieve Scherbatsky
Played by: Tracey Ullman
Robin and Katie's mother.
- Ambiguously Bi: Robin mentions in one episode that she walked in on her parents having a threesome with her dad's mistress Brandy.
- Bound and Gagged: She got through her flight by being strapped to the seat, after having an initial violent Freak Out.
- Funny Foreigner: She's a Canadian who is also a Large Ham.
- Gone Horribly Right: She's afraid that Robin and Barney's marriage might end up in divorce. Three years later...
- Informed Ability: According to Robin, she's a Supreme Chef. We never got the chance to see it.
- Large Ham: She's not fond of planes.Genevieve: WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE! WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!!!
- Not Even Bothering with the Accent: Tracey Ullman uses her natural accentnote .
- Unseen No More: Out from the main five's parents, Robin's mother is the only parent who was often mentioned and never seen throughout the whole series until she made her first appearance in Season 9's "Vesuvius" which is four episodes away before the Grand Finale.
- Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: Or rather, why did it have to be planes? She's terrified of them, and in fact didn't come to Robin's wedding because she was too afraid to fly. She manages to overcome this fear and does make it.
- Woman Scorned: When she was still The Ghost, Robin is seen talking with her on the phone. Robin leaves the phone while she goes doing something else, because she is talking non-stop about how much of a jerk is Robin' dad. Every five minutes or so Robin has to add "It's dad's fault" so her mom will still go on. The day of the wedding, Robin's mom was indirectly comparing her own past marriage to Robin's dad, "hoping Barney is nothing like him".
Barney's Relatives
Loretta Stinson
Loretta Stinson
Played by: Megan Mullally (voice only, Season 2) and Frances Conroy (Season 4 onwards)
Barney and James' mother.
- Bad Liar: It's obvious that she's hiding information about her sons' fathers when they're little. But when they're all grown-up, James knows that his biological father is out there which prompts him to look for him while Barney still believes that Bob Barker is his dad until he gradually accepts that he's not.
- Cool Old Lady: She was a big groupie in The '60s.
- December–December Romance: Barney tries to make this with Jerry and Loretta, even thought Jerry is Happily Married. James also tries this with Loretta and Sam Gibbs. Sam won.
- Everyone Loves Blondes: Her natural hair color, and also she's said to have been the darling of the groupies.
- The Faceless: In some flashbacks, especially before they introduced her into the present-day narrative.
- Fiery Redhead: For Barney's wedding, the trait is in full force during her feud with Robin. She is a natural blonde.
- Freudian Slip: Seems to be a family trait. Robin notices all the Stinsons say the word "bluff" in poker.
- Lies to Children: Said many to Barney and James during their childhoods:
- Told Barney he was too good for the basketball team, after the coach denied him the spot for being bad.
- Said the mail lost all the invitations for his birthday party to justify why nobody showed up.
- The most infamous were about their fathers: She said Barney's dad was Bob Barker and James' went from James Earl Jones, Bill Cosby, and so on.
- My Beloved Smother: Don't make anything to her sons.
- Obnoxious In-Laws: She was starting as this to Robin. She later mellows to her after she discovers Robin can't have children and her mother is not coming to the wedding.
- Parent with New Paramour: Played with. Loretta and Sam get back together, so the trope only applies for Barney's case.
- Playboy Has a Daughter: Inverted: a woman who once slept around a lot and settled down to raise her two sons by separate fathers, Barney and James.
- Really Gets Around: She sure had a great time in her youth.
- Silver Vixen: After all these years, she still has it.
- Supreme Chef: Her scrambled eggs become the sensation of the hotel. Barney even says many songs from the 60s were in reality about her scrambled eggs.
- She might not be lying https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yesterday_(Beatles_song)
- She might not be lying https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yesterday_(Beatles_song)
- Too Much Information: When the gang first met her, she blatantly told Lily and Marshall the she Really Gets Around back in her day.
James Stinson
James Stinson
Played by: Wayne Brady
Lily: Remember that time you two scored a brother-sister combo?
Barney: She was a little bit country.
James: He was a little bit way into black guys.
Barney's gay, maternal half-brother. Prior to the series, he was just as promiscuous and suit-obsessed as Barney, but he eventually found love and put that behind him. Ish.
- Black Dude Dies First: Played for laughs in one episode when talking to older relatives is compared to a zombie apocalypse.
- Foil: He and Barney share a lot of traits like their Really Gets Around habits and their reliance on tricks to get laid. However, they have more contrasting points:
- The more obvious one is that Barney is Caucasian and straight, while James is half-black and gay.
- Barney starts as a sentimental hippy who later becomes a womanizer after getting his heart broken by his first girlfriend, while James starts off as an exaggerated jock in a transparent closet, and he starts sleeping around with men after coming out.
- Barney was more gullible regarding his mother’s well-intentioned lies, while James caught on with many of them.
- James is the first one who actively adopts children with his partner, while Barney, who isn’t against the idea of having kids, is actively trying to avoid this, and even gives up on it when he marries Robin.
- Barney only cheated once on Nora with Robin, who he really has feelings for, while James ended up cheating on Tom with Gary Blauman, a one-night stand. Unlike Barney, who took all responsibility for this, James shifted all the blame on Gary until he gets called out by both Barney and Gary.
- Both siblings return to their heartthrob ways after ending a serious relationship. James eventually gets back together with Tom, while Barney stays as amicable exes with Robin and remains single.
- Freudian Slip: Seems to be a family trait. Robin notices all the Stinsons say the word "bluff" in poker.
- Gym Bunny: It's revealed in the ninth season that he would hit the gym twice a day. It's part of the reason Tom chose to leave him.
- Happily Married: To Tom. In fact, the fact that he was able to overcome the "Stinson Curse" gives Barney hope that he can eventually settle down. In the premiere of the ninth season, he reveals that he and Tom are getting divorced. A later episode does show that they get back together, however.
- Hard Gay: As a young man. One could hardly guess.
- Ladykiller in Love: Happened to him in the backstory for his introduction episode.
- Magical Negro: Essentially plays this role in "The Rebound Girl".
- Never My Fault: James blames his separation from Tom on Gary Blauman, instead of what he did wrong to begin with (cheating on James with Gary.)
- Nice Guy: Despite being described as exactly like Barney, he's much more mellow and mature.
- Recurring Character: Usually Once a Season, sometimes more.
- Self-Fulfilling Prophecy: Were he to not keep taking precautions in case he was ever single again, he would likely not be single again.
- Sibling Team: He was usually Barney's wingman and together they could even score a brother-sister combo.
- Sibling Yin-Yang: James is nice, easygoing, and Happily Married. Barney... isn't.
- Sixth Ranger: Whenever he's around.
- Straight Gay: Exhibits no stereotypical behaviors aside from a love of fine fashion that he shares with his straight brother.
- Took a Level in Jerkass: In "The Poker Game" it's revealed that one of the reasons he gets a divorce from his husband is because he hit the gym twice A DAY, despite being married and with two kids... "just in case he's ever single again". Even Barney calls him out automatically.
- Transparent Closet: While in college, he always had a hint of regret whenever talking about how much he loved his girlfriend.
- Twofer Token Minority: He is half-black and gay.
Sam Gibbs
Sam Gibbs
Played by: Ben Vereen
James Stinson's real father, whom the gang meet in Season 6. Later it's revealed Sam is also a Minister at a Baptist Church. He has a minor role in the series overall but takes a more important role in Season 9.
- Cool Old Guy: He connects with James at their first meeting and both are seen playing piano and singing together.
- Disappeared Dad: He was absent of James' life because Loretta requested to raise him alone, and Sam respected that.
- December–December Romance: He and Loretta get back together after many years.
- First Guy Wins: Played with, in that, technically speaking, he wasn't Loretta's first romance, but he is the father of her first son.
- Long-Lost Relative: He is James' biological father.
- Preacher Man: He is revealed to be a Minister at a Baptist Church.
- Where da White Women At?: Averted. Initially Barney tried to convince himself Sam was also his dad (Loretta then reminds him "Sam is black"). Then at the wedding, Barney is the only one disturbed by Sam and Loretta's relationship only because Sam is going to marry him and Robin. He eventually apologizes and approves Sam and Loretta's relationship.
Jerome Whittaker Sr.
Jerome Whittaker, Sr.
Played by: John Lithgow
Barney's long-lost father.
- Alliterative Family/Alphabetical Theme Naming/Family Theme Naming: He and his new family; his wife Cheryl, daughter Carly and son Jerome Jr.
- Amicable Exes: Jerry and Loretta are still very polite to each other after many years, although they hadn't had much contact through the years.
- The Atoner: After meeting Barney again, he tries to make up to him for not being able to settle down and be a good father by spending time with him and trying to impress him.
- Can't Believe I Said That: When Barney reminds him Jerry told him to "Never stop partying" before abandoning him. A horrified Jerry reacts by saying "I said that to a seven-year-old?!"
- Chekhov's Lecture: Also counts as Chekhov's Skill.Jerome: A magician's best friend is a drunk audience.
- Dark and Troubled Past: He was a wild hard-party with the same lifestyle than Barney nowadays. He decided to change after regretting being a bad influence for Barney and after meeting and marrying Cheryl.
- Disappeared Dad: Lampshaded many times by his own admission.Barney, you're getting married! You grow up so fast. Well, I actually missed thirty years of your life...
- Happily Married: With Cheryl, his actual wife.
- Ladykiller in Love: Happened to him in backstory, where he was once a ladies man like his son but fell in love and married.
- Long-Lost Relative: For the little time in Barney's childhood that they knew each other, he thought Jerry was his Honorary Uncle.
- Love Redeems: "Magician's secret" of how Jerry found the right path.
- Nice Guy: When he resurfaces in Barney's life, he's a polite family man who feels awful about not being a part of Barney's life.
- Off the Wagon: Subverted. When Barney tried to revert him to his old ways, Jerry tricked Barney into thinking that he did relapse by getting him drunk.
- Parent with New Paramour: After he left Barney, Jerry was very lost until he met and married Cheryl. When Barney tried to reconcile Jerry and Loretta, he planned to get rid of Cheryl, but eventually had to accept her.
- That Man Is Dead: Jerry tries to make Barney understand that he is no longer "Crazy Jerry" after he hit bottom by leaving Barney.
- "Well Done, Dad!" Guy: To get Barney's approval again, has to pretend being back in the game.
Cheryl Whittaker
Cheryl Whittaker
Played by: Nancy Travis (Season 6) and Nancy Lenehan (Season 9)
Jerry's wife after he left Barney and Loretta. She's also the mother of Carly and J.J.
- Alliterative Family/Alphabetical Theme Naming/Family Theme Naming: Her and her daughter's name starts with a C, while her husband and son's not only start with a J, but actually shares it.
- Happily Married: With Jerry.
- Last Girl Wins: After Jerry and Loretta separated, Jerry meets her and they married.
- Love Redeems: She is one of the reasons Jerry rectifies himself and becomes a suburban dad.
- Removing the Rival: Because Barney wants to reunite Jerry and Loretta, he pays Ranjit to just take Cheryl far away from the Farhampton Hotel. Eventually Jerry catches on and gets her back.
- Satellite Character: She only appears whenever Jerry is in the show.
- Second Love: For Jerry, with Loretta being the first.
J.J. Whittaker Jr.
Jerome "J.J." Whittaker, Jr.
Played by: Will Shadley
Barney's paternal half-brother.
- Alliterative Family: He and his dad's name not only start with J, but actually shares it. On the other hand, his mother and sister's name starts with a C.
- Annoying Younger Sibling: He isn't really, but Barney treats him as though he is because he's jealous of Jerry being in J.J.'s life and not his.
- Long-Lost Relative: Only meets his half brother when he was reunited with their father.
- Satellite Character: His only two appearances were with Barney and Jerry.
Carly Whittaker
Carly Whittaker
Played by: Ashley Benson
Barney's paternal half-sister.
- Alliterative Family: Her and her mother's name starts with a C, while her father and brother's not only start with a J, but actually shares it.
- The Ditz: She comes off as very... challenged, believing thirty-something Ted was a veteran of the Vietnam war, which he was too attention-starved to correct her on.
- Everyone Loves Blondes: Ted certainly did. Well, until he found out whose sister she is.
- Hipster: Her being a hipster millennial is why Ted cannot find a single common interest.
- Likes Older Women: Gender Flipped as she's a young woman who prefers older men. She even tries making 30-something Ted into someone much older.
- Long-Lost Relative: Only meets her half brother when he was reunited with their father.
- Red Herring: A lot of viewers assumed that she might be the Mother....until Season 8's episode 14, "Ring Up".
- Shotgun Wedding: Almost pushed into this with Ted by Barney after the latter found out that she hooked up with the former.
- Unseen No More: Mentioned offhand in season six and then two years later in season eight (leading to Epileptic Trees that she is The Mother), only as a twist to reveal she was the 20 year old girl Ted had been spending time with one episode.
Tom
Tom
Played by: Rob Fox (Season 2) and Jai Rodriguez (Season 7 onwards)
James' husband and, by extension, Barney's brother-in-law. He and James adopt two babies, Eli and Sadie.
- Continuity Snarl: In his first appearance in "Single Stamina", he was shown as a white guy. By his second appearance in "The Rebound Girl", Tom is shown to be Latino.
- Happily Married: He and James marry until Tom divorces him because James cheated on him. They eventually make up and reunite again after James tries for a long time.
- Only One Name: He is only known by his first name, as it's never stated if Tom took the Stinson family name or not.
- Satellite Character: He only appears three times: For the episode he and James marry, when their entire family attend Lily and Marshall's Thanksgiving dinner at their suburbs house and the "Gary Blauman" Where Are They Now segment with James. He is only onscreen whenever James is there.
- Straight Gay: Like James, he also doesn't present any stereotypical gay mannerisms.
- Twofer Token Minority: He is Latino and gay.
