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Randall Weems

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/recess_-_randall_9351.jpg

Debut: "The Break In"

Voiced by: Ryan O'Donohue

Randall J. Weems is the snitch of Third Street Elementary School.

All of the Other Reindeer: A rare justified example where the perpetrators are right to inflict this trope on the victim. Because he's The Stool Pigeon, Randall is a social outcast. This is particularly prominent in "First Name Ashley," where the Diggers and the Ashley Girls shut him out and Spinelli even breaks his tape recorder while he is trying to record his schoolmates' conversations.
Animal Motifs: Depending on who you ask, his appearance looks similar to that of weasel or a lizard, neither of which tend to be associated with anything good and tend to be less liked, fitting if you consider his personality and what he does. He's even called a weasel in several episodes.
Anything but That!: In "Rumor Mill", he's horrified when the gang plans to throw him into the girls bathroom due to thinking he's the one who started the rumor that Mikey had done that exact thing to a kid at the puppet show the previous evening, begging them to subject him to any other playground torture he can think of, just not that.
Blackmail: He sometimes uses the threat of snitching to coerce others into getting what he wants.
Bratty Half-Pint: Of the rare Lawful Evil type.
Butt-Monkey: Due to almost everyone disliking him.
Character Catchphrase:
- "MISS FINSTER! MISS FINSTER!"
- "Moist" whenever he's got dirt on any of the other kids.
Consummate Liar: While Randall loves to share unpleasant truths about other kids, he is not above occasional dishonesty. For example:
- In "The Trial", he framed Spinelli for a head injury that he himself caused out of frustration against her for getting into Finster's good graces.
- In "Tattletale Heart", he once tried to hide his responsibility for starting a food fight, but Finster found out and had him punished for it.
- In "Randall's Friends", he wrote a fake report that got T.J. in trouble for something he didn't do. He also fooled his dad into believing that he was friends with T.J. and his crew (while inventing false facts about them). However, this time, he finally decided to take responsibility after realizing how much trouble his actions caused, and upon being comforted by his father for taking responsibility, he happily vows never never to lie to anyone ever again.
A Day in the Limelight: "Randall's Reform", "Stand Up Randall", "Randall's Friends", "Prince Randall", and "League of Randalls".
The Dragon: He is Miss Finster's right-hand boy.
Dude, Where's My Respect?: In "The Trial," this is revealed as his motivation for faking his claims of Spinelli hitting him with a rock during a dirt clod war: she had just rescued Ms. Finster's cat from a tree, and the teacher thanked her effusively, saying "I owe you one." Randall complains that he's been working as Miss Finster's snitch for years, and never once got that kind of response to his tattling.
Elmuh Fudd Syndwome: He had a lisp as a kindergartener.
Evil Laugh: Sometimes "Heh heh heh," sometimes "Hee hee hee."
Even Evil Has Loved Ones: While he's not 'evil' per say, Randall has a loving relationship with his parents, despite them being nosy snitches as well. His father in particular dotes on him, cooking his favorite breakfast on his birthday and getting Randall the night vision goggles he asked for.
- Randall also has a genuine respect and affection for Miss Finster, to the point where he considers her his best friend. On numerous occasions, he was willing to stand by Muriel even when no one else did.
Everyone Has Standards:
- Randall is hated by the other students for being a snitch, but there are some kids who have a high authority level, like King Bob, who he would never snitch on because he believes that's naughty. He's fine with blackmailing King Bob, as seen in "Prince Randall", but that's not the same thing.
- In the theatrical film, despite his beef against T.J. and his gang, Randall is horrified to witness the gang being chased away and threatened by Benedict's murderous ninjas; implying that he finds the idea of apply physical harm (or even murder) to his fellow students to be too much; even a shocked Finster follows up on the same mindset. Randall also finds Benedict's plot of destroying summer vacation to be pathetic; he even calls out one of Benedict's followers for offering to turn state's evidence of the illegal operation that he himself was involved in so that he can weasel out of punishment.
- Randall will also not make up lies to get other kids in trouble, saying that as a snitch, his word must be above reproach.
Friendly Enemy: When the plot calls for it.
Freudian Excuse: In The Breakup, he implies his previous "friends" did nothing but bully him.
Generation Xerox: Randall inherited his appearance and learned his personality from his father, who was also a big snitch when he was a kid (and he still is one).
Gonk: He resembles a human/lizard hybrid.
Heel–Face Door-Slam: In "Randall's Reform", while he genuinely liked playing with the other kids after giving up snitching, he really misses Miss Finster, especially after she replaces him with another snitch. T.J is the one that tells him that true friendship isn't something you should give up just for popularity, and if being a snitch is what makes Randall happy, he should embrace it.
Hypocrite: In "Tattletale Heart", when he, the biggest snitch in the school, is outed as the one who started the food fight, he believes Gus tattled to Miss Finster and lashes out at him for doing so.
I Just Want to Be You: In "Randall's Reform", Randall admits to T.J. that despite his flaws, he wants to be just like him due to his popularity.
Randall: "You're fat, you're ugly, you wear that stupid jacket, but everyone wants to play with you!"
I Just Want to Have Friends: In the episodes "Randall's Reform" and "Randall's Friends", he reveals a desire to befriend T.J.'s gang. But he remains their adversary in the end.
Insult Comic: In "Stand-Up Randall", he decides to do a stand-up comedy routine by making fat jokes at Mikey's expense.
Randall: "How does Mikey spell 'refrigerator'? O-I-C-U-R-M-T!"
Intergenerational Friendship: His friendship with Ms. Finster is actually quite genuine, to the point that in "Randall's Reform" he gives up the chance to be popular so he can be friends with her again. It appears to be mutual, Finster drops her replacement snitch in a heartbeat when Randall returns.
I Resemble That Remark!: In "The Spy Who Came In From The Playground", the main characters are leaving Prickley's office after getting caught breaking various rules. They understandably think Randall found out and ratted them out, and Spinelli angrily says that Randall is always snooping around.
Randall: *pops out of a trashcan he was snooping around in* I am not! Oops...
Jerkass Realization: He's forced to take the blame when the Tylers, brothers of each member of the The Ashleys, stir up trouble around the playground after he trained them in the act of snitching.
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: He often snitches on others more out of self-benefit, than caring about enforcing the rules, never mind his smug obnoxiousness while doing it. A lot of times, he was also shown as a Friendly Enemy of the Recess Gang, genuinely wanted to be friends with them, and especially T.J. in "Randall's Reform". And in "Randall's Friends", where he performed a plan that the likes of T.J. would, just to spring him out of a level four detention because of a phony note accusing T.J. of throwing flip-flops on the roof, which Randall had forged, and genuinely respected Ms. Finster and looked up to her and had some Even Evil Has Standards moments. While he may be a jerk and a snitch, he is not that bad deep down.
- Even though that Randall's plan to spring T.J. out of his undeserved punishment had fallen flat on its face as Mr. Weems snitched on his son to Ms. Finster, it's this action of Randall's that proves his selflessness and that he can own up to his mistakes. Fortunately for Randall, he didn't get severely punished for three reasons: the first was that it was Randall's birthday that day, the second is that it's the first time that Randall had ever tried to undermine Ms. Finster's authority, and the third is that it could also have to do with that the two are very close.
- He also helped the gang expose James Stone in "The Spy Who Came in From the Playground", presumably to get payback against Stone for framing him.
- When Mikey defends him from his wrathful friends in Rumor Mill, Randall is sincerely grateful and immediately runs off to quash the prevalent rumor that Mikey was a short-tempered bully.
No More Lies: In "Randall's Friends", after admitting his misdeeds to his father and that he lied about having friends, his father was disappointed (as he detests liars), but complimented Randall for telling the truth by admitting that he didn't require Randall to have friends, but to be happy just the way he is, and that he himself was like Randall when he was young. Realizing this, a relieved Randall assures to his father that he will never lie again; he even applies this to his classmates (including T.J. and the gang) for the rest of the series.
Nonstandard Character Design: Looks more exaggerated and cartoony (almost like a younger version of Moe Syzslak) than the other characters whose designs are fairly more realistic.
Not Me This Time: In both "The Spy Who Came in From the Playground" and "League of Randalls".
Pet the Dog: Randall may be a jerk and a snitch, but he is not that bad deep down and he has moments of kindness.
- Played With in the Season 2 episode "The Breakup". Randall is only nice to TJ in this episode because he wants to write about him for the essay, since TJ is the most likable person in the school. He does show where the gang is, however, and does make a point by telling TJ that he has to do something.
- In the Season 4 episode "Rumor Mill", there was a rumor of Mikey throwing a boy into the girls' bathroom. The Recess gang investigates the rumor and the clues start to lead to Randall, who admits that he did not start the rumor, but that a mysterious voice on a pay phone told him the rumor. However, the gang refuses to believe him and angrily decides to throw him in the girls' bathroom. Fortunately, Mikey steps in (as he was the one who started the rumor to get respect for himself), stops his friends and lets Randall go. Randall is so grateful that he tells everyone that Mikey is nice and repairs his reputation.
- In "The Spy Who Came In From the Playground", Randall learns that he was being framed by spy James Stone for ratting out the gang's shortcuts. Upon learning the truth, the gang decides to make Stone pay by tricking him into pulling a prank against the Superintendent; even allowing Randall to participate so that he can get some payback against Stone for framing him. After the prank is pulled, T.J. gets Randall to rat out Stone as promised, and Randall happily thanks T.J. in return.
- Randall's whole friendship with Miss Finster is this. He considers her his best friend and is willing to stand by her when no one else will. This was the basis of the best show in Season 4, "The Fuss Over Finster". When Miss Finster breaks her leg and is taken away in an ambulance, he begs to stay by her, saying he is all she has. The people in the ambulance let him come along.
Smug Snake: He's an arrogant little weasel who loves to mess with people.
The Stool Pigeon: Randall is one of the most iconic examples in western animation. He's even called this in one episode.
Strong Family Resemblance: Clearly got his looks from his father.
Teacher's Pet: Finster listens to him more than the other kids.
Throw the Dog a Bone: There are moments where Randall gets a lucky break.
- Season 1 episode "Randall's Reform". Randall temporarily becomes popular and is accepted by the other kids. While he enjoys his new popularity and acceptance, he misses his friendship with Miss Finster, so he chooses to go back to being a snitch.
- In the Season 3 episode "Buried Treasure", Randall is one of the kids that is in on discovering the treasure. When the treasure is revealed to be a bunch of toys and the kids decide to play with them before burying them with their favorite toys, it is implied that Randall plays with the toys and other kids.
- In the Season 3 episode "The Ratings Game", when The Ashleys start a rating system where 1 is the lowest and 10 is the highest, Randall gets a 1. At the end of the episode, where the Recess gang gives everyone 10 cards, Randall sits alone, believing he will be the only one not getting a 10 card, but then Mikey gives him a 10 card to cheer him up, saying that he's good at being a snitch, which made Randall extremely happy.
  Randall: (after Mikey has just given him a ten while he was depressed) But...how? Why?
  Mikey: Because you're really good at being you! (Randall gratefully smiles at Mikey)
- In the Season 4 episode "The Biggest Trouble Ever". Randall happily plays in a pile of leaves with other kids.
- In the Season 4 episode "Some Friend". It is revealed that Randall is invited to Menlo's birthday party and he is seen enjoying himself with the other kids at the party.
Unwitting Instigator of Doom: In the Season 2 episode "Bad Hair Day", TJ bribes Randall with a Señor Fusion issue #8 comic to say the haircut he give Mikey was good. Randall compliments Mikey's haircut by saying the famous rock band called Dog's Pajamas got the same haircut, causing all the kids on the playground want the same haircut. Then they learn the truth, that this haircut was bad and the members of the band have hair that goes all the way down to their butts, causing all the kids to be angry at Gus, T.J. and Vince. Gus manages to quickly escape, but T.J. and Vince are chased away by an angry mob of their clientele.

Guru Kid

Voiced by: Klee Bragger (Up until "Tattletale Heart"), Justin Jon Ross ("Don't Ask Me" to the end of the series), Ryan O'Donohue (Recess: Taking the Fifth Grade)

Debut: "The Break In"

Jimmy "Guru Kid" is a Third Street student who dispenses advice to the children of Third Street.

Accent Relapse: When he's off the clock, he speaks with a rather typical American accent instead of his more Indian-esque "mystical" one.
Ambiguously Brown: His skin is light brown, and he might be Indian.
A Day in the Limelight: "Don't Ask Me," when Spinelli takes over his job.
Character Catchphrase: His usual response to his clients, "What is to be or not to be?"
Freudian Excuse Is No Excuse: In the episode Don't Ask Me, Guru Kid needs to use the bathroom, so he allows Spinelli to substitute. When her advice works so well that people start to go to her for advice, Guru Kid is fine with Spinelli taking over his job, and he doesn't even try to take it back until he feels that his time has come. While at first things were good, Spinelli started to advise the kids to use violence to the point where almost every kid was fighting with each other on the playground. Spinelli does not see the problem, as she gleefully advises the kids to use violent moves and badmouths Guru Kid for not giving the kids "advice they could use," which, as Vince points out, is advice kids could use on each other. Eventually the kids turn on Spinelli, blaming her for the negative consequences of their actions. Guru Kid steps in and saves Spinelli by pointing out that they all chose to follow Spinelli's advice, and they are in control of their own actions. The kids concede his point, admitting that no one said they actually had to listen to Spinelli.
Guru Kid: Wait, this is not the way.
Swinger Girl: Step aside skinny, Spinelli's got it coming.
Guru Kid: Does she? And why is that? Did you not all receive the help you sought?
Group of Kids: [Yeahs and Maybes.]
Guru Kid: Blame not the advisor if one chooses to take her advice. Do we all not have the free will to do as we choose? Why not hold her responsible for her actions or you for yours?
Swinger Girl: You know, Turban Boy make sense. I mean, nobody told us we had to listen to Spinelli.
Hermit Guru: Parodied, he sits in a meditative trance while wearing his shirt as a turban, offering vague advice.
Heroes Gone Fishing: When Spinelli takes his job, he's blasé about it decides to spend the recess playing games like paddleball and catch.
Not So Above It All: When Randall triggered a food fight, Guru Kid insisted that Gus not say anything about what he witnessed or else he'd be branded a tattletale; doing so would be considered a violation of the "kids' unwritten code of honor". Being the only other kid to witness this however, he ended up blabbing the truth to every other student individually, who were all quick to turn Randall in when Gus didn't for the sake of keeping recess.
Only Known by Their Nickname: His real name is Jimmy.
Talks Like a Simile: Which often confuses the other kids.
Guru Kid: Consider the bumblebee. Alone, he is worth nothing, but with his fellow bees, he becomes a swarm and enjoys bountiful quantities of honey.
Walking Shirtless Scene: Since he wears his shirt on his head (like a turban)
Wise Beyond Their Years: While his advice can be vague at times, he is a very intuitive and savvy child. In "Don't Ask Me", he's unconcerned about Spinelli taking his job because he knows most of her advice is short-sighted and the other kids will eventually turn on her (which is exactly what happens). Then he easily diffuses the situation by telling they can't be mad at Spinelli for giving advice they asked for when they were not forced to follow it.

The Diggers (Sam and Dave)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/recess_-_the_diggers_6557.png

Dave on the left, Sam on the right.

Debut: "The Break In"

Voiced by: Klee Bragger (Sam) and Ryan O'Donohue (Dave)

The Diggers are referred to as Diggers Dave and Sam who are seen always digging during Recess at Third Street School.

'80s Hair: They both had mullets at one point. By "Diggers Split Up", they were gone.
Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other: When they have a huge fight in "The Diggers Split Up," they won't even speak to each other, but when the gang tell Dave that Sam got caught in a cave-in, he immediately runs to his aid shouting, "Sam! Sam, hang in there, I will find you!" When Sam sees this, they make up almost straight away.
A Day in the Limelight: Their Feud Episode, "Diggers Split Up".
Digging to China: Their main goal. And in the pilot (which was remade into the first episode), they actually do it.
Divergent Character Evolution: For most of the show, the boys were the same characters. In their focus episode "Diggers Split Up", Dave's been shown to be bossy and controlling, while Sam is more easygoing.
Exactly What It Says on the Tin: They're always digging.
Heterosexual Life-Partners: The two are rarely seen apart.
Identical Twin ID Tag: Sam wears a red bandana around his neck, while Dave wears a white mouth cover around his neck. Ironically they aren't even related.
Inexplicably Identical Individuals: They look like identical twins but aren't even related.
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Dave might be bossy and controlling, but as long as Sam's around to balance him out, Dave's usually a pleasant, friendly guy.
Know-Nothing Know-It-All: Dave believes he knows the correct way to do everything and will not hesitate to jump in and tell someone how they are doing something wrong.
Punny Name: The two diggers share the first names of an R&B duo from the 1960s and 70s.
Red Oni, Blue Oni: "Diggers Split Up" reveals that Dave is the red oni to Sam's blue oni.
Tunnel King: They're very skilled at digging tunnels.

Swinger Girl

Debut: "The Break In"

Voiced by: Francesca Smith

Swinger Girl is always seen swinging as it is her favorite and only hobby. Her ultimate goal is to swing so high that she loops the swing set bar.

A Day in the Limelight: Subverted with "Swing on Thru to the Other Side" — the episode is all about her, however for most of the episode, she's away on vacation.
Exactly What It Says on the Tin: She can always be found on the swings attempting to go over the bar.
Goal in Life: To swing fast enough and high enough to loop over the swingset bar in a full circle.
Fiery Redhead: She's been shown to get pretty angry at times when provoked.
Jerkass Ball: She joins Lawson's crew with the same glory-loving smugness as the rest of the group, though she's still the Token Good Teammate.
No Name Given: Her first name was never stated in the show.
Token Good Teammate: Among Lawson's crew in "Lawson and his Crew."

The Kindergarteners

Debut: "The Break In" (Most of them), "The Break-up" (Tubby)

Voiced by: E.G. Daily (Captain Sticky, Spencer, and Hector (In "Dodgeball City" and "Call Me Guy")), Kath Soucie (Hector ("Wild Child" and direct-to-video movies, Cindy, and Gilbert), Jason Davis (Tubby), Francesca Smith (Emma), Pamela Segall-Adlon, and Christine Cavanaugh

A group of wild, ill-mannered kindergarteners who dress and behave like a tribe of Hollywood Natives.

Acrofatic: Tubby, who managed to win a foot race against the other kindergartners (albeit with some dumb luck).
Attention Deficit... Ooh, Shiny!: They're kindergarteners after all. Especially seen in "Kindergarten Derby", when they get to the "Valley of Distraction", which is part of the field filled with shiny candy wrappers and toys.
Bratty Half-Pint: Almost all of them, though Tubby and Hector aren't as much.
Characterization Marches On: In earlier episodes they're just a band of savages who comically terrorize the older kids, but as the series goes on we get to know them as individuals with unique talents and intelligence and see that they're not that different from the main cast.
Competence Zone: They usually act like wild savages.
The Dreaded: Fully capable of overrunning the playground if given the chance and the older kids know it.
Expy: In-universe, Captain Sticky is the kindergartener's expy of King Bob.
- Tubby is one to Mikey. They even have the same voice actor!
Fan of Underdog: Hector looks up to Gus like a big brother, even calling him "Safety Man".
Friendly Enemy: Captain Sticky, Spencer, Emma, Zedd, Jake, Tubby, Hector, and Cindy are all on good terms with the other kids (for a good 75% of the time)
Hollywood Natives: They behave like a savage tribe. And when a kindergartener moves up to the first grade, shaking their native mindset is hard, as Hector and Tubby demonstrated in Taking the Fifth Grade.
Odd Friendship: Not all of the kindergarteners are savages. As noted above, Hector gets along very well with Gus, and Tubby also has a friendship with Mikey.
Third-Person Person: Most of them speak this way.
Tribal Face Paint: The renegade native tribe of the elementary school.
You No Take Candle: Often speak like this.

King Bob

Debut: "The Break In"

Voiced by: Toran Caudell

Robert "King Bob" is the unibrowed king of the Third Street School playground.

Big Good: He has his bad moments, but looks after the good of the student body. In episodes where someone either too inexperienced (Gus) or devious (Randall) become King of the Playground, it goes to hell very quickly.
Big Ol' Unibrow: He has one, but it's not as big as Mundy's as it's better groomed.
Chewing the Scenery: Oftentimes his dialogue is this.
The Comically Serious: He's a sixth grade boy in a jersey who acts like a stereotypical king in total seriousness.
A Day in the Limelight: "Pharaoh Bob", "The Big Prank", "The Madness of King Bob", and "Prince Randall".
Everyone Has Standards: While he may be a Jerkass ruler, at times, he also has ordered others to stop harassing other students, especially the Main Six.
- In “Telltale Heart”, near the end just Gus was about to be punished by the students for tattling, he orders it to stop because Finster got everyone else to do so, with the exception of Gus and the rest of the Main Six. It was thanks to Guru Kid, who was the only one that was told that it was started by Randall.
- In “Mikey’s Pants”, at the end, King Bob orders the playground to stop mocking Mikey for having ripped pants after Vince, TJ, and Gus did the same thing, since he does respect those who are willing to spare others from public embarrassment.
- He's also known for updating the rules of the playground whenever it deems needed, like just making kids use a coin to decide on whether a kickball in a dumpster is an out or home run.
Green-Eyed Monster: "The Madness of King Bob" shows he's jealous of the praise T.J., the new Prankster Prince, gets for his pranks because he never received such adulation when he held the title.
Hidden Depths: In one episode, it is shown he feels that people only like him because he's king and in another he's worried that no one at Third Street will remember him once he graduates.
Hot-Blooded: When he's not being a Reasonable Authority Figure.
Iconic Item: His crown and hockey stick.
Jerkass Ball / Out-of-Character Moment: In "Fort Tender," he refused to help TJ and his friends reclaim the eponymous fort from Lawson and his Gang of Bullies on the grounds of a "Finders Keepers" rule. Thanks, Bob.
Lonely at the Top: In "Officer Mikey", he tells the gang that he wishes he had friends who liked him for who he is and not just because he's king of the playground.
Lovable Jock: Though we never do see him play sports, his hockey stick scepter and jersey imply that he is one. He also looked pretty smug when TJ challenged him at kickball in one episode.
My God, What Have I Done?: In "Pharaoh Bob". After taking a HUGE level in jerkass, Bob realizes at the episode's end how much of a tyrant he's been and is more broken up over failing his subjects than over the melting of his mud pyramid.
Put on a Bus: Justified. In Taking the Fifth Grade, he leaves for middle school. Though he makes one more appearance to set the new king straight in one scene.
Reasonable Authority Figure: Not always, but quite a bit of the time. One notable example of him being this is "The Trial", where he refuses to let the other students take mob justice on Spinelli for supposedly hitting Randall with a rock and gives her a fair trial instead. Also even when he thinks Spinelli is guilty, he agrees with her assessment of Randall being a worm when he attacked during a ceasefire.
Sophisticated as Hell: He doesn't swear, but he does mix a lot of slang and formal vocabulary.
Stage Magician: Pretends to be one in "The Madness of King Bob" in order to prank T.J., under the aliases of Yahoozi, a Dutch foreign exchange student.
Too Important to Walk: Most of the time, he'll have his guards carry him around the playground on a chair attatched to two wooden poles.
Took a Level in Jerkass: He especially does this is "Pharaoh Bob" until he and Gretchen have a meeting.
Vocal Evolution: In the first episode, his voice was higher-pitched due to Toran Caudell not going through puberty yet.
Younger Than They Look: He looks and sounds like a high school student, yet he's only eleven.

Cornchip Girl

Debut: "The Break In" (Unnamed), "Stand Up Randall"

Voiced by: Francesca Smith (First few appearances), Ashley Johnson ("Weekend at Muriel's"), Aria Noelle Curzon

Cornchip Girl (real name Teresa Laverne LeMaize) is a sweet, nice and loving Swiss-American girl who attends Third Street School.

Ascended Extra: Started out as a nameless background character. Around season three, she became more prominent, and almost even moreso in season five.
Break the Cutie: Often cries when at the mercy of bullies.
The Cutie: Being so cute, kind, sweet, and innocent, she more than qualifies for this trope
Cute Bruiser: As seen in a few episodes, much to everyone's surprise. For example, after Spinelli taught her to stand up to Sue Bob Murphy.
A Day in the Limelight: "The Army-Navy Games", and also in "The Terrifying Tales of Recess" (during the first segment, "Children of the Cornchip").
Dull Surprise: Sometimes it's used for comedy, other times it makes her kinda creepy. "Look, clean people."
Meaningful Name: Her real name is Theresa LaMaize.
Military Brat: Like Gus, she's the child of an officer (though her dad is a Navy guy).
Nice Girl: A sweet girl.
Non-Standard Character Design: She has a slightly different character design than the other kids, giving her an appearance that wouldn't look out of place on Phineas and Ferb.
Ship Tease: Strongly implied with Gus.
Sixth Ranger: She's considered the unofficial seventh member of the main six in the later episodes.
Trademark Favorite Food: Corn chips, hence her nickname.
True Blue Femininity: Her dress is a mix between two soft blues.
Vague Age: Cornchip Girl could either be in first or second grade, and in "One Stayed Clean", she's shown with the kindergarteners briefly (Though earlier on, she was running away from them, meaning that the scene she had with them could've been an animation error). Most fans place her around seven.

Upside-Down Girl

Debut: "The Break In" (Unspeaking), "Big Brother Chad"

Voiced by: Francesca Smith

The Upside-Down Girl is a fourth grader who is always seen hanging upside down from the monkey bars.

Artistic License – Biology: Let's just say that hanging upside down as long as she normally does would cause some serious medical side effects.
Berserk Button: Don't make her go right side-up.
Exactly What It Says on the Tin: She's called Upside Down for a reason... she likes to be upside-down.
Expy: Of Helga Pataki, due to her pigtailed blond hair, pink dress, and aggressive attitude. The two even share a voice actress. The only thing missing is the unibrow.
Girlish Pigtails: Always hanging upside down along with the rest of her.
Living Prop: She's often just treated as (literally) part of the scenery, and hardly anything is known about her.
Modesty Shorts: With her usual stance, she needs them.
Pink Means Feminine: Always wears a pink jumper dress.
No Name Given: Her real name has never been revealed
- Lampshaded in "The Break Up", in which Ms. Grotke points out that it was nice of Gretchen to bond with her, but "best friends often do have first names."
O.O.C. Is Serious Business: The one time she's seen rightside-up is when she joins the ajimbo craze, showing how much the game sucks people in.

The Ashleys

From left: Ashley Q., Ashley B., Ashley A., and Ashley T.

Debut: "The New Kid" (Ashley T.; unnamed and not speaking), "The Experiment" (Ashleys A., B., and Q.)

Voiced by: Anndi McAfee (Ashley A.), Francesca Smith (Ashley B.), Rachel Crane (Ashley Q. and Ashley T. (First few episodes)), and Ashley Johnson (Ashley T.)

The Ashleys are a clique of four beautiful, fashionable, snobby and spoiled girls, and are always uttering the phrase "scandalous."

Alliterative Name: Ashley Armbruster.
Aloof Big Sister: Ashley A. is apparently like this with her little brother, as he explicitly says that she never talks to him (and admittedly, the only reason she was doing it at all is because she was bugged and trying to get him to snitch on his friends).
Alpha Bitch: They're all stuck-up jerks, but Ashley A. takes the cake, her being the leader of the Ashleys which makes her the "alpha" alpha bitch.
Ambiguously Brown: It's unclear what ethnicity Ashley T. is supposed to be. Since her surname is "Tomassian," however, she might be Armenian.
Beta Bitch: Ashley B. serves as the second-in-command, making her this officially.
Blonde, Brunette, Redhead: Ashley A. (blonde), Ashley B. and Ashley T. (brunettes), and Ashley Q. (redhead)
Break the Haughty: Ashley A. in "Outcast Ashley" when the other Ashleys kick her out of the group for forgetting to wear purple on "Purple Day"—the anniversary of the day they first met.
Brilliant, but Lazy: The way Ashley Q. approaches kickball is this. She is incredible at it (better than Vince, even), but she is also largely indifferent to it; she can kick the ball farther than anyone while casually talking on her phone and not even paying attention to what she is doing.
Character Catchphrase: "SCANDALOUS!"
Chubby Chaser: Slightly implied with Ashley Q. in Recess: Taking the Fifth Grade- after Gus puts on weight after eating too much, he says that she thinks the extra pounds make him look "distinguished". May also be the case for Ashley A. who is implied to be attracted to TJ, who is a bit heftier than the average student.
Closet Geek: Ashley T., if "Chez Vince" is any indication. She hands T.J. a Senor Fusion comic as a bribe for a table, something that she likely wouldn't have on her person if she didn't like reading it.
Colour-Coded Characters: Ashley A. (Pink), Ashley B. (Yellow), Ashley Q. (Blue), and Ashley T. (Green)
Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: Ashley Q. is surprisingly really good at kickball.
A Day in the Limelight: "Jinxed", "First Name Ashley", "Outcast Ashley", "The Beauty Contest", "The Ratings Game", "No Strings Attached", and "League of Randalls".
Divergent Character Evolution: The other Ashleys began as Satellite Characters to Ashley A. with nearly identical personalities, but they gradually developed their own traits, with Ashley B. as Ashley A.'s snarky best friend and Number Two, Ashley Q. as the meanest and the athlete of the four, and Ashley T. as The Quiet One and a Closet Geek.
Dub Name Change: Their first names are changed to Patricia in the Portuguese dub, but their last names remain the same.
Early-Bird Cameo: Ashley T. was a nameless background character in "The New Kid" before being formally introduced in "Jinxed" (Or "The Experiment"- the Ashleys made their first appearance, but their final personalities weren't given yet, and the only time their name was mentioned was when they were offscreen. Presumably, "Jinxed" was produced before (but aired after) "The Experiment")
Exactly What It Says on the Tin: They're all named Ashley.
Expy: They're grade school parodies of the Heathers.
Even Evil Has Standards: While they may be alpha bitches, even for another Ashley, there are lines they will not cross and they also respect the rules of the playground. All of them were disgusted when each of their brothers named Tyler became snitches who tattled on everyone including King Bob, with Ashley A. commenting that there was nothing lower than a snitch, and at the notion of anyone throwing rocks in a dirt clod war. All four were also shown to be completely horrified when Gus was being brutally beaten by Gelman.
Faux Horrific: Ashley B.'s reaction to the notion of dating boys named Paul or Joe is to scream and bury her face in her hands.
Fiery Redhead: Ashley Q.
For the Evulz: The girls are at their absolute worst in "Jinxed", rendering Gus mute by social code loyalty and sabotaging any opportunities he could use to talk simply for literal giggles.
Friendly Enemies: They eventually reach this relationship with the Recess Gang. The groups aren't exactly fond of each other—the main six like to play pranks on the Ashleys and the Ashleys will occasionally target the Gang with their rudeness—but come to be relatively cordial, and even nice, on some occasions.
- In "No Strings Attached," the Ashleys offer Spinelli six front-row tickets to a wrestling show. Though she's sure it's some kind of trick, it turns out that they genuinely gifted her the tickets because she's a fellow Ashley.
- In "Buried Treasure," they join in a treasure hunt with the gang and, while they initially try to sow division and keep the "riches" for themselves, have a change of heart when the titular treasure turns out to be old toys. The episode ends with them playing with the toys with the Gang and having fun.
- They're among the kids that join the effort to fight the villains in School's Out, taking down a group of agents with a jump rope and screaming "SCANDALOUS!"
Generation Xerox: The girls' moms look, dress and act exactly like them, even having the same catchphrase and signature colours.
Girl Posse: Ashley A. usually acts as the leader.
Girly Girl with a Tomboy Streak: Ashley Q. Like the other Ashleys, she usually tries to act like a stereotypically girly Alpha Bitch, but she also happens to be one of the best kickball players in school and continues to take part in games after she discovers this.
Given Name Reveal: Or rather surname reveal: "The Beauty Contest' reveals that their full surnames are Armbruster, Quinlan, Tomassian, and Boulet.
Go-Karting with Bowser: Despite being enemies with them, both Ashley A. and Ashley Q. have been shown playing kickball with the gang on a few occasions.
- They also join the gang on their quest for a hidden treasure in one episode. When the supposed riches turn out to be old toys, they're shown happily playing with them in the background.
Graceful Ladies Like Purple: They celebrate the anniversary of the day they first met as Purple Day.
Hidden Depths:
- Ashley Q. is very good at kickball.
- Ashley T. appears to like Senor Fusion—she gives TJ one of her comics to bribe him into giving them a good table in "Chez Vince".
Insignia Rip-Off Ritual: In "Outcast Ashley", Ashley B. rips off Ashley A.'s headband, the teddy bear head off her backpack, and her "A" necklace and stomps on it.
It's All About Me: Ashley A.'s general attitude, to the point she's shocked to hear that the earth revolves around the sun, instead apparently taking her Daddy's remark that "the universe revolves around me!" seriously.
Jerkass: All of them, but Ashley Q. is arguably the meanest of the Ashleys.
Kick the Dog: They can be very nasty to others at the slightest or even without provocation. Most notably they jinx Gus simply for their own amusement and sabotage any chances of him getting it lifted, create a ratings system that drives wedges between even the dearest of friends simply to make themselves feel superior, deliberately wreck Ashley A.'s genuine friendship with Gretchen simply to make sure she doesn't move on from the clique and locked the gang out of their air-conditioned clubhouse in a sweltering heatwave as well as denying them water.
Lovable Alpha Bitch: Ashley A. shows hints of this sometimes, and on occasion they all can be this (like "The Great Can Drive" and "League of Randalls").
Neat Freak: When Spinelli drops a dirt bomb into their clubhouse, Ashley B. wails about impurities.
Not So Above It All: Though they act like snobby teens, they're still fourth graders and will occasionally show it: they participate in a dirt clod war for fun, join the Recess Gang's quest in "Buried Treasure", are among the first to fall victim to the ajimbo craze, take part in the mud-throwing rebellion in "Pharaoh Bob" and sling one of the first volleys in the food fight in "Tattletale Heart".
- They also show a fondness for jump rope in a few episodes, and, at the end of "The Library Kid," play with the titular character and have a genuinely good time.
One-Steve Limit: Completely averted (and Spinelli's also named Ashley, but she wants no association with them), as well as each one having a younger brother named Tyler and a younger sister named Britney. They go by "Ashley [last initial]" to prevent confusion.
- King Bob even made a law, that inverts this trope completely: All children named Ashley must accept membership of the Ashleys if an Ashley invites them.
Pet the Dog: As nasty as they can be, they've also demonstrated surprising acts of kindness at times:
- In "The Trial", Ashley A. and Ashley Q. defended Randall as an innocent boy whom Spinelli struck with a rock, despite normally despising him as a little rat, and advocated a harsh punishment for it, though they did change their tune once Randall admitted the truth.
- In "Mama's Girl", Ashley Q. joined in calling Miss Grotke "mama" with several other kids to make Spinelli feel better, especially noteworthy in that she tends to be the nastiest Ashley.
- They feel genuinely guilty for messing up the annual canned food drive and willingly team up with the other kids to put it right, as well as admitting that they were in the wrong and naming Mikey as the only one who understood that.
- They gave Spinelli tickets to a wrestling match with no ulterior motives, since none of them liked wrestling, their club strictures mandated that they could only pass gifts onto fellow Ashleys and they knew Spinelli would enjoy it.
- They willingly attended Speedy's funeral and seemed just as upset as everyone else by the hamster's death.
- They have also teamed up with or defended members of the Recess gang, most notably saying "whomps" to help protect TJ from getting into trouble for it, helped bring down their snitching little brothers and played the more rough-and-tumble games with them.
Pink Means Feminine: Ashley A.'s signature color is pink, and their clubhouse has pink wallpaper.
Pretty in Mink: Ashley A.'s "formal" outfit has fur trimming
The Quiet One: Ashley T. hardly gets any speaking lines on her own.
Rich Bitch: They are all typical upper-class snobs.
Sassy Black Woman: Ashley B. She's very outspoken and often the most sarcastic of the Ashleys.
Satellite Character: Every member of the clique besides Ashley A.
Serious Business: Beauty pageants come to mind, but "No Strings Attached" reveals that they have a massive charter in their clubhouse with rules on everything from giving gifts to proper make-up application.
Token Good Teammate: Ashley T. Maybe not exactly "good," but she's arguably the least mean of the Ashleys.
True Blue Femininity: Ashley Q.'s signature color is blue.
Valley Girl: Ashley A speaks the most like this, but they all have the personality.
Whole Costume Reference: Ashley B's yellow outfit is nearly identical to Cher's outfit in the first few scenes of Clueless, right down to the white knee-high socks.

Hustler Kid

Debut: "The New Kid" (Unnamed and unspeaking), "First Name Ashley"

Voiced by: Michael Shulman

Francis "The Hustler Kid" is a student of Third Street School who acts as a hustler during recess.

10-Minute Retirement: In "Hustler's Apprentice" when Gus turns out to be a better hustler than he is.
Brought to You by the Letter "S": When he stops being Hustler Kid breifly in "Hustler's Apprentice", he wears a yellow sweater with a giant red "F" on it.
Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: He makes his last appearance in Recess: School's Out, and is completely absent in season six. They bring him back in Recess: Taking the Fifth Grade.
Coat Full of Contraband: He wears a trenchcoat full of toys, junk food and other contraband he tries to unload on the other kids.
A Day in the Limelight: "Hustler's Apprentice".
Dub Name Change: To "Alex lo Sveglio" (Alex the Clever) in the Italian dub.
Embarrassing First Name: His real name is Francis.
Everyone Has Standards: He's a bit of a cheapsake, but he won't sell things that could get a kid in trouble. Though his first appearance he was willing to sell fake Social Security Cards, which is an actual crime.
Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep": Everyone, including himself, refers to him as "Hustler Kid". Not surprising given what his real name is.
Exactly What It Says on the Tin: What do you think he does?
Friend in the Black Market: He and the other elementary school hustlers even have a warehouse where they store and haggle products.
High-School Hustler: An elementary school version. He is able to offer the students of the school a wide range of products such as trivial toys and food, often discreetly.
Younger Than They Look: He's a fourth grader, yet he looks like he's in high school.

Butch

Debut: "The Experiement"

Voiced by: Kath Soucie

Butch is the bearer of bad news and the one who usually tells the scary stories from his older brother's school days, oftentimes as a warning against something the gang would be trying to do at the time.

Bearer of Bad News: Usually plays this role.
Dark Is Not Evil: He dresses like a rebel and tells the gang terrifying stories, but he gets along with nearly everyone just fine.
A Day in the Limelight: "The Terrifying Tales of Recess", which he narrates.
Demoted to Extra: After his last big appearance in "The Terrifying Tales of Recess", Butch becomes a Bit Character for the remainder of the series, even in Recess: Taking the Fifth Grade.
Disease Bleach: Said to get the white streak in his hair after seeing his brother make out with his girlfriend.
The Eeyore: He's always very grim.
Hell-Bent for Leather: He's almost never out of that leather jacket.
Large Ham: Listen to him telling one of his urban legends.
Nightmare Fetishist: Seems to enjoy the horrible things he hears about.
Only One Name: His last name is never given in the show.
Oral Fixation: Often has a toothpick in his mouth.
Perpetual Frowner: Almost never seen smiling.
Phrase Catcher: TJ almost always says, "Whatchoo' talkin' about, Butch?" when he appears.
Token Good Teammate: In spite of his gloomy disposition, he appears to be one of only two fifth graders who isn't a Jerkass or a bully, the other being Johnny V.

Menlo

Debut: "Officer Mikey"

Voiced by: Blake Ewing

Menlo is Miss Lemon's assistant, or 'aide' as he likes to say.

Academic Alpha Bitch: A male example, being a smug and condescending overachiever.
Anti-Villain: Is this in "Tucked In Mikey". He teaches Mikey how to be more organized in preparation for his award ceremony out of genuine altruism. Once the rest of the gang shows him how it's sapped Mikey of his creativity, he realizes his error and works with them to set things right.
A Day in the Limelight: Episodes he is featured in include "Partners in Crime", "Tucked in Mikey", "Some Friend", and "All the Principal's Men".
Brainwashed: "Principal for a Day" reveals that he used to be a serious troublemaker until Prickley and Finster decided to make him principal for a day and manipulate him into becoming a rule-abiding authoritarian, successfully warping him into his current personality.
Disguised in Drag: In "All the Principal's Men", he dresses up like a German lady as one of the "informants."
Everyone Has Standards: Menlo normally admires structure and authority, but when he discovers that Dr. Slicer is going to be Principal Prickly's replacement, he's terrified.
Foil: Could be considered one to Randall. Both are known for getting along better with teachers than their own peers, namely since they like to uphold the rules at the expense of their classmates. But while Randall is an deliberate nuisance who gets a kick out of troubling others, Menlo has better intentions and simply wants to keep things orderly, if a bit too much.
Friendly Enemy: At times, since he and the gang only really come into conflict when their desire for fun conflicts with Menlo's Obsessively Organized tendencies and obedience to the rules. Other than that, there's no real personal animosity. It makes much more sense once it's revealed he and T.J. used to be close friends.
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: He's prudish, but is usually well-meaning and wants to do the right thing for the school. In addition, he has helped the main six on numerous occasions.
Last-Name Basis: At least in the Spanish dub, where he's given the first name "Taylor". In most versions of the show, including the original English version, it has never been stated if "Menlo" is his first or last name (Though suggested more towards the latter).
Meaningful Name: Two, first his name is an anagram of Lemon, who he works for, and secondly his title, he is Lemons Aid.
Neat Freak: He likes things to be neat and tidy. This is why he becomes Gus' biggest supporter in "Germ Warfare" ("Ah, clean and pressed, unlike germs").
Paperworkaholic: Menlo is always seen filing paperwork in the school office.
Punch-Clock Villain: Enjoys working with the faculty and won't hesitate to enforce the rules, but he's not a malicious kid and doesn't go out of his way to snitch on the others' rule breaking like Randall does.
Schedule Fanatic: He's obsessed with perfect punctuality.
Smug Snake: He's full of himself and often condescends to other characters, including the main six.
Teacher's Pet: Much like Randall he's loyal to the faculty, though he's not as obnoxious about it.
We Used to Be Friends: With T.J. However, even though they stopped hanging out, they still made an agreement that T.J. would come to Menlo's birthday party every year.
Wild Child: Yes, you read that right. It's revealed in "Principal for a Day" that shortly before the events of the series, he was so out of control that Principal Prickly himself had to intervene. After being principal for a day, Menlo became the guy he is now.
Vocal Evolution: His voice is lower in the final two Direct to Video movies.

Jordan and Jerome

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jordan_jerome.png

Jordan (right) and Jerome (left).

Debut: "King Gus"

Voiced by: Patrick Renna (Jerome), Justin Shenkarow (Jordan), Erik Von Detten (Both in certain episodes)

King Bob's servants.

Fat and Skinny: With Jordan being fat and Jerome being skinny
Heterosexual Life-Partners: They are often seen together, even when not working for the King.
Red Oni, Blue Oni: Jordan has a much bigger temper and is prone to be ruled by it much more easily than the more professional Jerome.
Stealth Hi/Bye: The two do often sudden appear from nothing when they are talking to the gang.
Tyrant Takes the Helm: The two tend to become Jerkasses whenever King Bob issues them with even a little more power.
Yes-Man: To King Bob. When Gus temporarily replaces him in "King Gus", they actively try to have the playground run the way they think it should. It backfires.

Brandon the Singer Kid

Debut: "The Voice"

Voiced by: Michael Shulman

The Chew Toy: Is often bullied by both Lawson and Gelman. He swallowed a bee and couldn't sing for a week.
Chewing the Scenery: Every bit of dialogue he has is sung. Loudly.
- People find it very annoying, too. In "The Voice", he accidentally swallows a bee whilst singing and everyone cheers.
Meaningful Name: Recess: School's Out reveals that his last name is Placido, likely a Shout-Out to Spanish opera singer Placido Domingo.

Gelman

Debut: Gus's Last Stand

Voiced by: Justin Shenkarow

The Bully: He's feared and hated around the school for this. He targets one victim at a time; when his last victim moved away, he started picking on Gus.
Bully and Wimp Pairing: With Gus on a few occasions.
Bully Brutality: He beat the everliving crap out of Gus in "Gus' Last Stand". Notably, even if the beating was mostly off-screen, the censors really did not want to allow the episode (let alone the scene) to air.
A Day in the Limelight: "Gus' Last Stand" and "The Great State Fair"
Dumb Muscle: He doesn't seem to be the brightest kid on the playground.
Even Evil Has Loved Ones: His grandmother makes him cookies.
Fat Bastard: He looks like he weighs about 200 or so pounds.
Freudian Excuse: Implied in "The Great State Fair"; he continuously refuses to do the activities Finster provides by saying, "My old man don't believe in [x]." When Gus asks him why he's not at the fair, Gelman claims his father "don't believe in fairs."
Heel–Face Turn: In "A Great State Fair", he is no longer Gus' enemy.
Jerkass: Especially in his first appearance.
Last-Name Basis: What's his first name anyways?
Meaningful Name: "Gelman" is just one letter removed from "German". In his introductory episode, Gus' father compares Gelman's bullying to Germany pushing around smaller countries in World War I.
Pet the Dog: In "The Shiner," he gives TJ, thinking the latter's a hero, a batch of cookies his grandmother made him. This is despite being a jerk.
Status Quo Is God: Even after befriending Gus in "The Great State Fair", he goes back to being a bully for the remainder of the series.
Stout Strength: Much like Mikey. Once he hit a tetherball so hard it popped, and another time he was able to carry around a giant stump that the other kids couldn't budge.
Your Size May Vary: Though he's always one of the largest kids on the playground, sometimes he's about as large as Mikey, other times he's a few inches taller and much wider.

Sue Bob Murphy