The main hero of the series. He is an archaeologist on a mission to search for - in order - talismans, demon portals, animals with talisman powers, Oni masks, and demon chi objects that were used to imprison Shendu's siblings. Though he's quite likely the only archaeologist on the planet up to this job (thanks to being Jackie Chan), he'd rather be on a dig or minding his Uncle's antique shop.
Badass Normal: Not only does he not need the talismens to fight demons and wizards and thugs, he prefers not to.
Beware the Nice Ones: He's generaly pacifistic, however if you do press his Berserk Button by hurting his friends or family then he will completely own you.
Combat Pragmatist: She seems to be the only one of the heroes who thinks to actually use the various magical artifacts/weapons they've acquired (the Talismans usually).
The Lancer: More aggressive than Jackie, more interested in supernatural and constantly subverting his orders.
The Munchausen: In her classroom, no one believes her until season 3 and even then it was only one kid. It was Jerkass Drew, but still.
New Powers as the Plot Demands: See Gasshole. The writers gave her a knack for belching for just that one episode probably because they couldn't think of anything else to do with the Wind Demon chi.
Strangely enough, said evil side (the Queen of the Shadowkhan) is something of an Ensemble Darkhorse, as Jade only goes evil in one episode, and yet there are plenty of fanfics where it happens again.
Waif-Fu: Works on school bullies, less so on demons.
Tends to vary a lot for no apparent reason. In one episode she's easily beating giant mooks including one who easily floored Jackie and suddenly she's easily restrained by Finn, Chow or Ratso.
Jackie's uncle and Jade's great-uncle. Runs an antique shop that is more of a homebase for the heroes than the high tech government agency. He's actually the cousin of (one of) her parents...they think.
Badass Grandpa: Played with. Too old to fight like he used to, but now he has magic.
Badass Normal: Yes, he has magic but his blowfish is more or less a magic gun and the other spells can be done by anyone, even Jade, who has no idea what she's doing.
Catch Phrase: "One more thing", "Yu Mo Gwai Gui Fai Di Zao - Evil demons and malevolent spirits, be gone!", "Magic must defeat magic!", "[X] is not important!", "You want a piece of Uncle?"
Pressure Point: If it's not a chi spell or kick, it's this.
Old Master: Who taught Jackie his martial arts and Tohru his magic?
Running Gag: Hitting Jackie in the head with a two-fingered strike every time he does or says something wrong. He did this also to Captain Black, Tohru, Jackie's Dark Side, Daolon Wong, Hsi Wu, Super Moose, and one time, himself because he blames himself for getting Tohru kidnapped.
The Smart Guy: When something magical happens, he's the only one with any idea what's going on.
Heel Face Turn: "I was told Section 13 served doughnuts on Tuesdays". Yes, Valmont made him fight a fully empowered Shendu with his bare hands, but we know it was really the dougnuts.
Overshadowed by Awesome: He's the badass leader to a secret agency equipped with state of the art weapons and scientific equipment. But compared to Jackie, his family, the J-Team and the supernatural villains, he just can't compare.
Reasonable Authority Figure: Understandably skeptical of supernatural, until he gets proof at the end of the first season.
El Toro Fuerte
He sleeps in it
This is no costume, Captain Black. This is a way of life.
A Mexican wrestler that Jackie meets on his search for the talismans. He becomes a friend who occasionally helps the Chans on their missions.
Badass Normal: Subverted then played straight. He's introduced with the The Ox Talisman but never uses it after his first episode.
Legacy Character: Looking to become a luchador like El Fuerte. He's even got a miniature version of his costume in season 4.
The Load: So much so even the fans realized this. You will often read Fan Fiction where she is paired with an evil demon rather than him.
My Dad Can Beat Up Your Dad: While it's an uncle and a personal hero involved, the argument plays out the same. Repeatedly. "Jackie!" "El Toro!" "Jackie!" "El Toro!"
A(n ex-)thief that Jackie gets caught up with in the search for the snake Talisman. Hilarity Ensues. From the second season on, she drops in from time to time to help the Chans.
I am the keeper of the talismans. I am the apocalypse of which legend speaks. And I am, for once and for all, your executioner.
The fire demon and main villain of seasons 1 and 2. Pre-series he was sealed into a stone statue and his talismans were scattered. Finding them is the focus of seasons 1 and 3.
And I Must Scream: Being trapped as a sentient statue for 900 years can take its toll.
All Your Powers Combined: The combined powers of the Talismans were really his powers separated from his body. With them, he can change from his statue form to his true form.
The statue form can be escaped with a single talisman (the rat, who grants "motion to the motionless"). The rest give him power but the rat is what gives him life.
Blasphemous Boast: Those three I AM statements in the section quote.
Butt Monkey: Abused by his siblings for not trying to free them.
Chronic Backstabbing Disorder: Valmont, Dalong, etc. Anyone he works with he eventually betrays. The sole exception was his efforts to free his demon brethern, and thats largely because he was too terrified of them after the last time he betrayed them.
Demonic Possession: One of his more used powers when he doesn't have his body.
Hijacked by Ganon: Daolon Wong resurrected Shendu in season 3 so he can get the dragon talisman. Did not work out well for Wong.
Mundane Solution: Tries to kill Uncle and Section 13 to interrupt their incantation. It doesn't work.
Not Quite Dead: Killed by Jade in the end of season 1, but returns as a spirit in season 2 possessing Valmont. He gets revived in season 3, but ended up turned into a statue again.
Smug Snake: Especially in season 2, where nothing goes the way he wants it to, he is constantly harrased by his terrifying siblings, and is constantly arguing with Valmont whose body he has to share (to the point Valmont manages to knock him out- he was actually trying to kill him and risked his life to do it, just because he was sick of him). In season 3 he gets his Talisman powers back only to be immediately resealed, and after that is stuck as a prisoner of Section 13 until the finale.
You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: Shendu betrays Valmont and the Enforcers after getting all his talismans because he thinks that Dark Jackie was the one who brought them to him, not Valmont and the Enforcers. In season 2, he sends Finn, Ratso, and Chow out since they no longer needed to carry the Pan'Ku Box. Later, he tries to do this to Hak Foo, but Valmont doesn't to be alone with him. He even lampshades it with Daolon Wong after backstabbing him.
"I may be a noble dragon, but I'm also a Demon Sorceror. And not known for keeping promises."
Valmont
This suit costs more than your life
Jackie Chan. Finally, we meet. It was nice knowing you.
The crime boss of the crime syndicate, the Dark Hand. He is also the main villain in seasons 1 and 2.
Crazy-Prepared: Had a homing becon for a false tooth that would cause his cane to levitate to his position, said cane holding an electrically charged dagger.
Deceptive Disciple: To some monks in another power play to get back on top.
Demonic Possession: By Shendu. It's not full-out possession as Du was aiming for Jackie, resulting in Valmont and Shen-Dy constantly bickering and fighting for control, as thanks to a spell Du was unable to leave until his siblings released him.
Demoted to Extra: From the third season onward. In season five, his only appearances are two brief, non-speaking cameos.
Diabolical Mastermind: He's the one running the Dark Hand, and the driving force behind the first season.
Kansas City Shuffle: After Shendu betrays him, Valmont plans to use him as a diversion for Jackie while he steals his treasure. Another one is after Shendu is killed by Jade, therefore losing his palace and treasure, Valmont has managed to get all of the talismans for his crimes.
The Other Darrin: Voiced by Julian Sands in the first two seasons and by Andrew Ableson in the rest.
Genius Bruiser: All of them, given that they are demon sorcerors after all, though some are much more cerebral than others.
Large and in Charge: All of them except Hsi Yu, who is still taller than most humans. The rest are about as big or bigger than Shen Du, and all of them make it very, very clear that they are his bosses, since he lost any equality privelidges when he left them to rot in their prison. Inverted with Po Kong, ironically, who is so lazy she is the least bossy demon.
The Bad Guy Wins: The episode which introduced both Eggbert (the noble rooster) and Mordecai (the noble pig) ended with him getting away with both talisman powers!
Black Magic: You don't see Uncle enslaving people to be his minions
The main villain of season 4. He is the king of Shadowkhan and lord of all Oni. He has nine generals trapped in masks. Once they find a wearer, they can control their own types of Shadowkhan.
Affably Evil: The least strict boss to the Enforcers.
Deadpan Snarker: This is one of Tarakudo's most defining traits.
Demonic Possession: When an oni mask is placed on the face of the user, they are still conscious of their actions, but are greatly influenced by the mask, though eventually it will completely take over. Finn wasn't affected because a rat talisman awakened Ikazuki was accidentally placed on his butt.
Body Snatcher: Once the mask's host uses their Shadowkhan, they have begin to have equal control of the users body, whether the user (namely Captain Black, Finn, Paco, Jade and Valmont) want them to or not.
The Dreaded: Ikazuki again, who is feared as Tarakudo's most fearsome general. Played for laughs as he ends up the Butt Monkey in all appearances- in his first, literally.
Intangible Floating Demon Head: Tarakudo. Makes him a very difficult enemy to fight, but also forces him to rely heavily on his minions. He still seems to prefer it to having a real body, though, since the only way he would get that is if someone found the mask that can seal him away.
Heart Is an Awesome Power: The 'minikan' that one of the generals can summon. They're not demonic ninja like the others so they can't beat up enemies in a straight forward manner. However, they can eat the shadows of humans which not only makes them stronger but incapcitates the victim. As Tarakudo says, one has to make use of their particular strengths.
Living Shadow: The Shadowkhan, Elite Mooks who literally come out of the shadows. They have been around since season 1 but their role and backstory are expanded to be revealed as Tarakudo's private army, and come in eight additional varieties.
Mark of the Beast: If anyone has his mark will have demonic powers and become evil.
Sealed Evil In A Mask: All of the Oni generals, and Tarakudo's ultimate fate. By extension, the Shadowkhan, control of which are the main reason the human villains want the mask in the first place.
Red Oni, Blue Oni: In this trope, Tarakudo is a blue oni and Ikazuki is a red one, which is ironic because, in literal terms, Tarakudo and Ikazuki faces are red and blue respectively.
Person of Mass Destruction: Once all nine demon generals are released, they collectively possess enough power to eventually cover the entire world in darkness. Presumably, if Tarakudo were not a floating head, he could do this all by himself.
Summon Magic: Each Oni general commands a tribe of Shadowkhan and, as per usual, can summon them at will. Shen-Du commanded a tribe of Shadowkahn because he magially manipulated one of their masks.
Xanatos Gambit: The Oni generals are released whenever all nine masks are assembled in one place. Since Tarakudo is the only one that knows this, whether he gets all the masks, or the J-Team does, he still wins.
The Shadowkhan
Shen-Du's Elite Mooks in seasons 1 and 2, barring a temporary lapse when a demonically possessed Jade seized control of them. Later revealed to originally serve Tarakudo, and to actually come in nine different forms, or "Tribes", of which Shen-Du's Ninjas were only one.
The Corruption: To anyone who summons them who isn't already evil, and sometimes even then. Notably its the summoning that starts it, not the Oni masks, as the corrupting only sets in once they are called upon, not to mention when Jade had her Tarakudo tattoo.
Giant Mook: The Sumo Khan and, eventually, the Leech Khan.
Eldritch Abomination: The Squid Khan, who are the only Shadowkhan whose face we see, which turns out to be a hideous demonic-looking Cthulian monster. Presumably, all Shadowkhan are equally as horrifying underneath.
Half the Man He Used to Be: Valmont and Jade each end up wearing half an Oni-mask, so when they summon their Crab-Khan they each end up getting the left and right halves of each mook.
Mook Carryover: Inverted. They are introduced as serving Shen-Du, but originally served Tarakudo, despite the latter not appearing until season 4. Played straight with Shadow-Jade and to a lesser extent with anyone who put on a mask, though in both cases the summoner became Brainwashed and Crazy. Daolon Wong tried to do this, but ended up freeing Tarakudo instead, though he had briefly controlled them in an earlier episode.
The main villain of season 5. He is Shendu's son, but decides that he's better off making a name for himself rather than be just a supporting player to his father.
Avenging the Villain: At first, but betrays his father to get the demon chis of his aunts and uncles.
All that world domination stuff just doesn't pay the rent.
Shendu and Valmont's henchmen. It consists of Finn, Ratso, Chow, and Hak Foo. Tohru starts as an Enforcer but he has a Heel Face Turn in the end of season 1, making Hak Foo replace him. Later, in season 3, they work for Daolon Wong and Tarakudo in season 4. But in season 5, when Drago employs them, he turns them down after they failed him once.
Redemption Promotion: Ratso, Finn and Chow tried to be good a couple times, with decent results. It never lasts because their greed gets the better of them.
Drago's henchmen. It consists of Strikemaster Ice, DJ Fist and MC Cobra. Originally a pizza boy, Ice joined a monastery where he learned martial arts and met his boys Fist and Cobra. After they were kicked out of the monastery for bad behavior, the Ice Gang sought revenge but were stopped by Jackie and the Enforcers. They were later recruited by Drago and changed them into his dragon henchmen.
Monkey King is a trickster monkey. He is released whenever someone pulls his puppet form's leg, the luckless victim becoming a puppet in his place, only to be restored if he pulls their leg, which he isn't likely to do of his own free will. He might seem like an irritating prankster at first glance, but he takes a very dim view of anyone trying to spoil his fun...
Puppet Permutation: Is a wooden dummy, but changes into a live being when someone pulls his leg. The person who pulls his leg turns into a dummy themselves.
Sublime Rhyme: The instructions for switching places with a person in terms of living-puppet.
To free me of glitches and put you in stitches, this merry ape begs: Pull my leg.
Tohru's mother
Tohru's mother. She only appears in a handful of episodes but leaves quite an impact. She shows the Chans a new side of Tohru and becomes Uncle's arch rival.
