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Humanoid Muppets
Alex
Performed by: Matt Vogel (2012–present)
An Orange Muppet kid who has a father in prison. He was introduced in 2012 as part of Sesame Street's Little Children: Big Challenge on the subject of Incarcerated parents as they help children nationwide with parents or other relatives who are in jail or prison.
- Prison Episode: His father violated the law (an adult rule), and had to go to prison. Other characters taught Alex about incarceration.
Bert
Performed by: Frank Oz (1969–2006), Eric Jacobson (1999–present)
Long-suffering roommate and Blue Oni to Ernie's Red Oni. Bert would generally prefer to be left alone with a book than put up with his friend's shenanigans. He also really likes pigeons and oatmeal.
- Aside Glance: Similar to Oliver Hardy, he'll often do one of these in exasperation.
- Berserk Button: Do not lose his bottle caps or paper clips.
- Bookworm: Likes to read, and likes to have quiet when he reads.
- The Bore: According to Oz, he originally considered Bert a very boring character... then made his dullness his definitive character trait. His hobbies and taste in food are all what most people would consider typically "boring" things.
- Butt-Monkey: Put on the receiving end of Ernie's mischief a lot.
- Character Catchphrase: "I don't get it" (in conjunction with the Aside Glance) was a frequently uttered one in response to Ernie's groaners of jokes.
- Characterization Marches On: He openly insulted Ernie in a few early episodes, such as calling him a "ding-a-ling" or a "meatball".
- Character Tics: When frustrated, he either facepalms, keels over or bangs his head against a desk.
- Collector of the Strange: His paperclip collection. His bottlecap collection also qualifies.
- The Comically Serious: Is rather serious and sometimes has a hard time understanding jokes, which leads to some comedic moments.
- Deadpan Snarker: Has a tendency to get pretty snarky with Ernie at times.
- Does Not Like Spam: Once shouted out that he hates ice-cream sodas.
- Incredibly Lame Fun: Bert loves all sorts of "boring" pastimes such as watching pigeons and collecting paperclips and bottlecaps. He even likes to read books like Boring Stories.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Considered mundane and easily irritable, but still a decent guy if you get on his good side.
- Lampshade Hanging: Count on Bert to point out just how crazy Ernie is being.
- Large Ham: He may think he's the Only Sane Man but can be quite dramatic sometimes. It helps that Frank Oz and Eric Jacobson generally perform hammy characters.
- Mundane Made Awesome: "LA LA LA, LINOLEUM!" and other mundane lyrics were sung by him during a song about the letter L. He's also the leader of the National Association of W Lovers (of which other members include Ernie and Mr. Johnson), and has an official song for that too.
- My God, What Have I Done?: In the storybook Ernie's Big Mess, Bert blows his top when Ernie makes one mess too many and yells that he wishes he lived alone. Hurt, Ernie decides to move out. Bert finally finds him sleeping on the sidewalk outside Oscar's trash can, apologizes, and asks Ernie to come home.
- Naked People Are Funny: At the beginning of The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland, he is seen wearing nothing but a shower cap and a towel, preparing to take a shower. Ernie asks if he thinks he should put clothes on, and he runs off screaming.
- Neat Freak: He likes the apartment tidy and often complains about Ernie making messes.
- Not So Above It All: Sometimes joins in Ernie's songs/games, and some of his insults are a bit wacky (such as "meatball").
- Oh, No... Not Again!: Often has this reaction when Ernie starts doing something silly.
- Out of Focus: Once the most prominent characters, Bert and Ernie have had their screen time greatly diminished since the early 1990s (after the death of Ernie's performer, Jim Henson).
- Pastimes Prove Personality: He enjoys oatmeal, pigeons, and bottlecap and paperclip collecting, which all add to his overall characterization as The Bore.
- Say My Name: "ERNIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"
- The Scapegoat: In the pageant on teeth, Prairie Dawn points out that Bert is the writer and director of the play, "so if you like it, you can thank Bert, but if you don't like it, you have no one but Bert to blame."
- Sick Episode: One skit has him with a cold, but Ernie does not know who has the cold.
- Signature Laugh: A staccato, nasal, goat-like bleat.
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Signature Song: Doing (Coo-Coo) the Pigeon.... - Straight Man: Their sketches together cast him as this to the goofy, devil-may-care Ernie.
- Tempting Fate: On several occasions, Bert ends up on the receiving end of Ernie's craziness simply by pointing it out.
- Throw the Dog a Bone: On odd occasions, Bert will actually get through a skit without being the butt of a joke or will even manage to outdo Ernie in one of his annoying hobbies.
- Trademark Favorite Food: Very much likes oatmeal.
- Uptight Loves Wild: He clearly loves Ernie because of his free-spirited nature, not despite it and because Bert's life would be boring without him.
- Vague Age: Acts like an adult, but takes naps and sometimes plays childlike games. In some media (i.e. books), he's also shown to be in the same class at school as Big Bird... but so are, for example, Biff and Sully.
Bruno
Performed by: Carroll Spinney (1979–1993)
A Garbage man who carries Oscar the Grouch's trashcan.
- Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: He was retired when the foam interior of the puppet ended up disintegrating after years of storage, and it would have been too expensive to rebuild.
- Suddenly Voiced: All though Bruno is usually a silent character, He did speak a few times (like in the end of Follow that Bird, He replied to Oscar "Sure, Boss!"). He even sang with The Trashmen with the song, "Put it in the trashcan".
Elijah
Elijah (left) with Wes (right)
Performer: Christopher Hayes
The father of Wes, moves to the Street in 2021 as part of the "Coming Together" Initiative. He works as a meteorologist and loves running outdoors.
Ernie
"Kshshshshshshshsh!"
Performed by: Jim Henson (1969–1990), Steve Whitmire (1993–2014), Billy Barkhurst (2014–2017), Peter Linz (2017–present)
An enthusiastic, extroverted prankster who's Bert's roommate and Red to Bert's Blue. He enjoys taking baths with his rubber duckie.
- Baths Are Fun: He loves taking baths, which was established in the very first Sesame Street episode (when he did the "I call my bathtub Rosie" joke), and reiterated with numerous bathtub sketches and songs (including the
Breakaway Pop Hit "Rubber Duckie"). - Cloud Cuckoo Lander: Frequently does weird things like talking to a rubber duck or waking up the whole neighborhood with loud off-key opera just so he can know what time it is at night. These are usually harmless yet annoying, but on rare occasions, Ernie's antics reach borderline dangerous levels. Case in point, in a sketch where Bert is teaching Ernie a pattern game, Ernie plays using farm animals instead of paperclips and bottlecaps. Bert telling Ernie to not use farm animals again when playing another round results in Ernie unleashing an elephant into the apartment, and the pachyderm almost immediately starts wrecking the place as Bert, Ernie and the farm animals run for their lives.
- Consulting Mister Puppet: Ernie often talks to his trademark rubber duckie about his problems.
- Couldn't Find a Pen: Bert asks him to make a shopping list, and the only thing Ernie can find to write with is chocolate pudding. Ernie then makes a list of all the writing implements that he couldn't find. Ernie tacks chocolate pudding onto the end of the list, since he needed to use all the pudding in the apartment to write it out.Bert: "He's improving. Last time he used spaghetti sauce."
- Crazy-Prepared: In this skit
. - The Ditz: He's much less intelligent than Bert.
- The Gadfly: He loves to prank, trick and tease Bert. Much of his random weird behavior is just done to mess with his friend, because it's funny when Bert gets frustrated.
- Hidden Depths: He lays down an amazing saxophone solo during "Put Down the Duckie."
- He's also a really good painter... even if he does re-imagine Bert as a beatnik.
- I Can't Hear You: "I can't hear you, Bert. I have a banana in my ear."
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Downplayed. Well, yeah — you wouldn't think so, but Ernie is a far bigger jerk than Bert. Watching the Bert & Ernie skits as you get older, it's sometimes surprising to see just how poorly Ernie treats his best friend, often for no good reason at all. He plays tricks on him, makes a fool out of him, steals his snacks or tempts Bert with snacks before eating them himself, and in general causing him no end of frustration, humiliation and heartache. He also once woke up the whole neighborhood by singing off-key opera just so he could know what time it was at night (and according to one of the shouting neighbors, this isn't the first time he did something like that). When Ernie still comes across as the most likable and friendly of the two, it's because, well, he is a genuinely sunny and affable person who just wants to have fun and share a laugh with people. The "jerk" part mainly comes from his relationship with Bert, while "the heart of gold" comes from his relationship with most other residents of Sesame Street. He's never malicious, just a little insensitive.
- Out of Focus: Once the most prominent characters, Bert and Ernie had their screen time greatly diminished since the early 1990s (after the death of Jim Henson). Under Steve Whitmire, Ernie began to appear on a much more frequent basis in the early 2000s, but once again became less and less of a daily feature within the following years.
- The Prankster: Usually pranks Bert.
- Pungeon Master: This was an especially pronounced trait of his in the first season.
- A good example would be his very first appearance, when he tells Bert he calls the bathtub "Rosie", and when Bert asks why he replies, "Because every time I take a bath, I leave a ring around Rosie."
- Security Blanket: His rubber ducky.
- Shout-Out: A possible example in one of his first episodes performed by Steve Whitmire, in which Ernie continually interrupts Bert's reading by imitating various loud noises, including a barking dog and a fire engine. In Fraggle Rock, Whitmire had performed a dog (Sprocket) and a Fraggle whose chief duty was being the engine for the Rock's fire department (Wembley).
- Sick Episode: He got sick in the book "Nobody Cares About Me".
- Signature Laugh: A phlegmy "Kshshshshshshshsh!"
- Signature Song: Rubber Duckie, you're the one/You make bathtime lots of fun... It even made it onto the Billboard magazine pop charts in 1970, a testament to the show's cultural impact (even more impressive considering this was public television).
- Something Only They Would Say: The game "Journey to Ernie" runs on this trope.
- Straight Man: Even though he's normally just the opposite, he's sometimes used as this when paired with characters other than Bert, such as Cookie Monster or the Count.
- Vague Age: While he and Bert live alone, he seems naive like a child. His attitude towards naps changes too, sometimes taking them and sometimes not.
Ji-Young
Performed by: Kathleen Kim
A Korean-American Muppet who plays electric guitar and loves skateboarding. First introduced in 2021.
- Tomboy: Ji-Young's interests include playing electric guitar and skateboarding. She also wears generally masculine clothing and has a Tomboyish Ponytail.
Julia & her family
Julia
Stacey Gordon (2017–present)
A little girl who has autism, an alternate neurology which some folk consider a disorder. Introduced in 2017 in the wake of increased diagnoses (1 in 68 children) of autism and autism-spectrum disorder conditions.
- Big Brother Worship: She always cheers for her big brother Samuel at his soccer games and loves to play with him.
- Breakout Character: Introduced as the world's first autistic Muppet, she has become an instant hit with audiences and is in almost as much merchandise as the other characters.
- Broken Record: Has a bit of echolalia when talking with other characters, but also repeats some of what she, herself, says.
- Character Catchphrase: "Play, play, play!"
- Character Tics: Flapping her arms in excitement. In the autism community, this is known as “stimming”.
- Cloudcuckoolander: Described by Abby as doing things "in a Julia sort of way."
- The Cloud Cuckoolander Was Right: When Julia and some of the other characters go on a shape hunt, Julia repeatedly identifies shapes her team is looking for, apparently incorrectly, only for the rest of her team to discover that the shape is incorporated within the larger shaped object. For example, she says "circle," pointing to a stop sign. Her team points out that it's actually an octagon, only to eventually figure out that Julia is referring to the little circles cut out of the stop sign pole, while everyone else is focusing on the yellow tubes outlining them.
- The Cutie: Try not to go "Awwww" when seeing Julia.
- Girls Love Stuffed Animals: Her toy rabbit is her comfort object.
- Graceful Ladies Like Purple: She is a cute, quirky girly-girl, who's signature outfit includes a violet jumper dress.
- Hidden Depths: She’s a great singer and painter. In her debut episode, she painted a picture of Fluffster as a superhero that looks nothing like what a child her age would make. Everyone is understandably impressed.
- Inspirationally Disadvantaged: As storylines progress about Julia, her characteristics are played up. In her first appearance, for instance, she is participating in a game when she begins jumping up and down. Instead of rejecting Julia, the other characters and Muppets decide that jumping up and down is a lot more fun.
- Nice Girl: She's a very nice and friendly person.
- Non-Standard Character Design: The show's puppets typically only have one articulated arm, but she has both due to the above-mentioned Character Tic.
- The Quiet One: Doesn't talk much, as pointed by Elmo.Elmo: Yeah, Julia doesn't say a lot.
- She sometimes uses a tablet to communicate.
- Security Blanket: Her raggedy toy rabbit, which is torn in several places and perhaps looks like it should have been thrown out years ago. But it is her comfort object.
- Significant Green-Eyed Redhead: She has red hair and green eyes. She's also one the few Muppet characters on the show to have a distinct iris color.
- Vocal Dissonance: She's four years old and uses simple words, but she sounds like a grown woman pitch-wise.
- Vocal Evolution: In this animated video based on a portion of We're Amazing, 1, 2, 3!, the book where she debuted, she actually sounded more like a typical young girl. Come her debut on the television series, and she would later gain her signature high-pitched woman-esque voice, carrying onward to her subsequent animated appearances.
Julia's family
- Emergency Services: In one video showing Daniel helping Julia get used to her mask, they're specifically shown talking over video with Daniel in a jumpsuit-type of outfit with an ID card pinned on him. In the context of the COVID pandemic, this would indicate that he probably works as a paramedic.
- Good Parents: Daniel and Elena seem to be supportive parents.
- The Hyena: Sam was once dubbed a "giggle monster".
- In-Series Nickname: Samuel sometimes gets called Sam.
- Mr. Imagination: Samuel likes to pretend to be a superhero.
- Nearly Normal Animal: Rose is once described as being "aware of Julia's autism", which is a concept dogs don't really understand in real life. Despite this, she mainly acts like a normal dog.
- Shared Family Quirks:
- Julia and Elena both like to paint.
- Julia and Sam both laugh a lot.
Tamir
Performed by: Tau Bennett (2020–2021), Bradley Freeman Jr. (2021–present)
Gabrielle's cousin who shares many common interests with Elmo and is not afraid to talk about racism and how people can get along. Wes
Performed by: Bradley Freeman Jr.
A new Muppet that moves to the Street in 2021 as part of the "Coming Together" Initiative.
Grouches
In General
A group of crusty, monster-like creatures indigenous to Grouchland.
- Bad Is Good and Good Is Bad: This is their culture.
- Big Ol' Unibrow: As mentioned under Oscar's entry, it's a species trait.
- Bizarro Universe: Grouch society mirrors human society (right down to similar celebrities — Dan Rather-Not and Donald Grump, for example), but they prefer unhappiness and filth to happiness and cleanliness.
- Blue-and-Orange Morality: As explained above, they dislike (often downright condemn) nice and pleasant things, and like things that most other people would find unpleasant. Although a bit odd, it sounds simple enough, right? Well, this also means that they like feeling miserable, and yet the nice things they hate make them miserable, which they like and... yeah. Try not to think about it too hard.
- Filthy Fun: Their version of bathing is getting more dirty.
- Hates Baths: Most grouches hate getting clean.
- My Species Doth Protest Too Much: You occasionally find one that is neat or positive, though never both.
- The Pig-Pen: The majority of them are slobby.
- Planet of Hats: Nearly all of them are negative and messy. There may be a few who are positive or neat, but never one who's both.
Felix the Grouch
An old friend of Oscar's. Oscar worries that he isn't a real Grouch anymore since he's become a neat freak, but it turns out he's still grouchy.
- My Species Doth Protest Too Much: In contrast to the other Grouches, he prefers to be clean. He even tries to vacuum Oscar's trash can.
- Odd Couple: With Oscar, directly referencing the play the trope is based on.
- Shout-Out: To The Odd Couple, which stars a messy character named Oscar and a neat-freak character named Felix.
Mrs. Grouch
Oscar's mother, and also the mother of his sister Bunny and brother Ernest.
- Doting Parent: Loves her children in a weird grouchy way.
Grundgetta
Performed by: Brian Muehl (1980–1984), Pam Arciero (1985–present)
Oscar's girlfriend.
- Affectionate Nickname: Oscar calls her "Grungy".
- All Women Love Shoes: As a grouch, her taste in shoes is, well, different than most women, but she does enjoy shoe-shopping with Maria, and she's known to squee over a pair she likes.
- Hair-Trigger Temper: She gets angry easily due to being a Grouch.
- Meaningful Name: Her name comes from the term "grunge", which is a type of grime or dirt.
- Morality Pet: One of few street residents Oscar is rarely grouchy with.
Irvine
Oscar's niece.
- Baby Talk: Can't speak in full sentences yet.
- Bratty Half-Pint: Is just as cranky as her uncle.
- Sick Episode: Gets the "grouch flu" in one episode.
- Vague Age: Described as a baby but can say quite a few words and walk quite well, however, she's clearly very young.
Oscar the Grouch
"I Love Trash!"
Performed by: Caroll Spinney (1969–2018)note , Eric Jacobson (2015–present)
An irritable, antisocial Grouch who lives in a Bigger on the Inside trash can with his worm, Slimey, and his elephant Fluffy.
- Adaptational Heroism: Oscar takes up this role in The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland when he volunteers to go with Telly, Gordon, Big Bird, Maria, and Cookie Monster to venture to Grouchland and get Elmo's stolen blanket back from Huxley.
- Affectionate Nickname: He is called "Oskie" by Grundgetta.
- Anti-Role Model: One purpose of the character is to poke fun at irritable people.
- Big Ol' Unibrow: Huge eyebrows are a species trait.
- Bizarre Taste in Food: He hates foods most would consider nice or healthy, but loves noxious combinations of food that are technically still edible... just really gross. Like sardine ice-cream. Again, it's a species trait.
- Deadpan Snarker: Often shows shades of this trope.
- Early Installment Character-Design Difference: He was orange for a year (Apparently he still would be, if he ever bathed).
- Everyone Has Standards: Oscar may be a hoarder of most stuff and hates everything cheery, but Huxley being selfish, ruining his beautiful Grouchland, as well as keeping everything he steals (including Elmo's blanket) and never giving them back is where Oscar draws the line. He is so outraged by Huxley's greed, in fact, that he rallies the other Grouches with him against Huxley.
- Green Is Gross: He has green fur, lives in a trash can, and has an extreme fondness for trash.
- Hates Everyone Equally: You bet your britches. Oscar openly admits to despising anything "nice". The few exceptions being children (The only people he can be nice to without facing ridicule from other Grouches) and Maria, but he'll never outright admit it.
- Hoist by His Own Petard: Every now and then, some of the mean-spirited pranks and schemes he pulls tend to backfire, where he may end up being the victim himself. Often happens when he's frustrated when targeting a rather slow-witted character with his pranks.
- Jerkass: Cranky, rude, and mean. Although as much is allowable on a preschool show. The Muppet Wiki puts it best:Oscar's mission in life is to be as miserable and grouchy as possible, and pass that feeling on to everyone else. When a visitor knocks on his trash can — invariably interrupting him from a nap or an important task — Oscar greets them with a snarl. He complains that he wants to be left alone, although when he's left entirely to himself, he's dissatisfied — there isn't anybody around to irritate or complain to.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: The true depths of his jerk nature are often called into question and he can get comically defensive when his reputation as a "true Grouch" is threatened. Plus, it seems like he’s pretty nice to Slimey and other Grouches, and he has said Maria is smart.
- He also takes care of a kitten named Tiny Tim in a 1970s Christmas special.
- Jerk with a Heart of Jerk: As a Grouch, it is Oscar's life mission to be this in the eyes of everyone. It doesn't always work, though...
- Kick the Dog: Sometimes takes his rudeness a little too far, as when he upset Big Bird by teasing him with How Can Santa Deliver All Those Toys? questions in Christmas Eve on Sesame Street.
- Large Ham: He's as snarky as he is a large ham.
- Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: There does appear to be an occasional running gag where his intended mean-spirited ways backfire, unwittingly causing pleasant and helpful results for other characters. Much to his dismay, of course.
- The Nicknamer: As far as Oscar is concerned, Bob and Maria are "Bright Eyes" and "Skinny," respectively, Gordon is "Curly," and Big Bird is "Turkey."
- In one episode, he referred to Wolfgang the Seal as "Whisker Face."
- In addition to "Bright Eyes," Oscar once called Bob "Tenor Face."
- Only One Finds It Fun: In "Elmo Saves Christmas", Elmo uses a magical snowglobe that Santa gave him as a reward for saving him to wish for it to be Christmas every day. Unfortunately, Elmo creates a Bad Future as a result; everyone is broke due to having to buy presents and Christmas trees every day, the Fix-it Shop goes out of business due to it being closed on Christmas and Maria and Luis being out of practice, Big Bird is upset because Snuffy is still celebrating Christmas in Cincinnati with his grandmother and can't make it home to Sesame Street, the carolers have lost their voices from singing too much, and even The Count is sick of counting Christmases. Oscar is the only one who loves it being Christmas every day, not just because of everyone else's misery, but also because he is getting tons of garbage in the form of wrapping paper and used Christmas trees. In fact, when Elmo announces that he is going to use his last wish to turn everything back to normal, Oscar protests and tells Elmo to use his last wish to get some new roller skates, since that was what Elmo's original plan was.
- Passive-Aggressive Kombat: When his brother Ernest, with whom he has a Sibling Rivalry, showed up in 1977, Oscar made a point of being excessively cordial and friendly toward him, which, as a Grouch, Ernest would naturally find annoying. In turn, Ernest not only acted the same way, but then tried to ruin Oscar's reputation by telling the other characters how friendly he was and what nice things he's said about them. It then leads to each brother goading the other into being pleasant and agreeable, to twist the knife even more.
- The Pigpen: Always seen in a trash can, so yeah.
- The Prankster: Sometimes he plays jokes on other characters.
- Precision F-Strike: In the Street Gang documentary, he drops an uncensored grouchy word in response to learning that Caroll Spinney gets paid while he doesn't.Oscar: You bastard!
- Sick Episode:
- At the end of one episode, he contracts Grouch Flu from Grundgetta.
- In one episode, he gets "Kind-itis", which makes him kind and rhymey.
- Slap-Slap-Kiss: His relationship with Grungetta could qualify as this, given their nature as grouches.
- Slave to PR: One has to wonder if he'd be so concerned about being a "real Grouch" - or if he'd be so self-conscious anytime he says, does, or thinks something even remotely pleasant - if it weren't for Grouch society constantly stressing how Grouches are supposed to act.
- Something Itis: In one episode, he gets a disease called "kind-itis".
- Too Important to Walk: He's rarely seen walking, or even leaving his trash can. When he needs to be transported somewhere, a garbageman named Bruno carries his can. (He does in Christmas Eve on Sesame Street a few times.)
- Troll: He can definitely come off as this at times, especially when Telly is involved.
- The Un-Favourite: Oscar apparently was this growing up. His brother Ernest was always their mother's favorite kid, and they both know it. Of course, grouches don't show favoritism the same way most people do, but it still counts.
- Vitriolic Best Buds: Easily with any of the nice Sesame Street residents that like being sweet and chummy with him, especially Elmo, Telly, and Maria.
- What the Hell, Hero?: He gets this reaction from Leela and Elmo for seeing the Mine-itis outbreak as a cause for celebration.
- Maria gives him another one in "Christmas Eve on Sesame Street" for putting a bunch of doubts in Big Bird's head about the existence of Santa Claus, which leads to Big Bird disappearing to find out for sure.
- With Friends Like These...: Used to be this sort of "friend" to poor Telly.
- Although, they seem to have fallen into a more traditional Type 1 Vitriolic Best Buds as of late.
- Your Approval Fills Me with Shame: Often inverted. As you may expect, he does not appreciate being praised by the other characters for doing something less-than-grouchy.
Talking and Anthropomorphic Animals
Alice Snuffleupagus
Performed by: Judy Sladky (1988–2000)
Snuffy's two-year-old sister.
- Annoying Younger Sibling: Downplayed. Sometimes gets in Snuffy's way, but isn't a complete brat.
- Baby Talk: Has trouble speaking correctly due to her young age.
- Character Tics: Stares at the wall when sad.
- Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: Lasted over a decade on the show and hasn't been mentioned since she was removed, although she continued to be seen on the show's float in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade for a few years afterwards.
- Hair-Trigger Temper: Is easily angered due to going through a phase two-year-old Snuffleupaguses go through called the "Snuffle Two's".
- The Klutz: Sometimes breaks things and/or knocks them over.
- Non Sequitur: Sometimes likes to say, "Banana!" randomly.
Baby Bear
Performed by: David Rudman (1990–present)
The smallest of the Three Bears. (Later, the second-smallest of the Four Bears.) He is best friends with Telly Monster.
- Alliterative Name: Baby Bear.
- Annoying Younger Sibling: Although he has a great relationship with Curly, and is usually patient with her, she annoys him every now and then.
- Bread, Eggs, Breaded Eggs: "He's a hero, he's a guy... Hero Guy!"
- Early Installment Character-Design Difference: From Seasons 22 to 29, as well as various other productions up to Elmo Says BOO!, Baby Bear had duller fur, eyes closer together, and an overall much chunkier figure.
- Elmuh Fudd Syndwome: Pronounces his "r"s as "w"s.
- Embarrassment Plot: One episode focused on him being embarrassed because he owns a baby doll and thinks that dolls are for girls.
- Exactly What It Says on the Tin:
- His imaginary superhero, Hero Guy.
- Baby Bear himself was an example at first, then became a subversion when his younger sister was born.
- Fractured Fairy Tale: Invoked, in order to get Goldlocks her own bowl of porridge.
- Informed Judaism: The Elmo's World holiday special showed him celebrating Hanukkah and teaching Telly how to play dreidel.
- Out of Focus: Once a part of almost every episode from 1993 to 2015, he has been making less and less appearances since.
- Sure, Let's Go with That: He unwittingly names his sister when he meets her.
- Trademark Favorite Food: Porridge.
- A True Story in My Universe: He's the bear from the Goldilocks story.
- The Unfavorite: Discussed Trope. Baby Bear feels this way, at first.
Benny
Performed by: Kevin Clash (1992–1998)
A grumpy rabbit who serves as the bellhop for the Furry Arms hotel.
- Berserk Button: Doesn't like being called "bunny" or being touched.
- Half-Dressed Cartoon Animal: Wears a coat but no pants.
- Hates Being Touched: He doesn't like people touching him. He even wrote a song called "Don't Touch Me".
- Heel–Face Revolving Door: In the series' 25th anniversary special, "Sesame Street All-Star 25th Birthday: Stars and Street Forever!", Benny was the only citizen of Sesame Street who supported Ronald Grump's plan to turn the neighborhood into the Grump Tower, as he wanted to work as the tower's doorman. However, when Grump revealed that he was planning to build a robotic doorman for the project, Benny quickly joined the rest of Sesame Street to stop Grump's plan.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Benny is a grump, but deep down, he really cares about his friends. A good example of this is the ending to Episode 3466, the episode where he teaches Rosita how to be a bellhop. In it, Big Bird, Zoe, Gina, and Carlo are on their way to the movie theater to see The Chicken King, and invite Rosita and Benny to join them. Benny tells Rosita that he can't come because he has to work, and he promised a lot of people he'd be at the Furry Arms for them. He then tells Rosita that just because he has to work doesn't mean she should miss out on seeing The Chicken King. Rosita decides that she'd rather stay with Benny, since she can see The Chicken King anytime, but it's not every day she gets to be a bellhop.
- Massive Numbered Siblings: In Episode 3773, Benny reveals to everyone at daycare that he has sixteen brothers and sisters in his family, being a rabbit and all. Their names are Sunny, Ronny, Honey, Johnny, Tina, Lena, Homer, Gomer, Curly, Moe, Zeppo, Cottontail, Mugsy, Pirandello, Eddie, and Susana.
Big Bird
Performed by: Caroll Spinney (1969–2018 note ), Daniel Seagren (understudy in a handful of episodes dating to 1970), Matt Vogel (1997–present)
An inexplicably large, yellow bird, perpetually stuck at age 6. Mr. Snuffleupagus is his best friend. He lives in a nest near the apartments.
International adaptations of the show feature alternate equivalents of the character, who are apparently Big Bird's cousins, including Pino from Sesamstraat and Abelardo from Plaza Sésamo.
- Amnesia Episode: In one episode, he got "memory flu", which was essentially amnesia.
- Affectionate Nickname:
- Snuffy calls him "Bird".
- Luis often calls him "Pájaro".
- His aunt Nani Bird calls him "Manu Nui".
- Badass Adorable: Big Bird's subplot in Dont Eat The Pictures involved him and Snuffleupagus helping the 4,300-year-old ghost of an Egyptian boy confront the god Osiris when he refused to let the boy into the afterlife. Repeat: Big Bird confronted a god and told him he was wrong. And won. And that's after he successfully defeated a demon played by James freakin' Mason!
- Binomium ridiculus: According to one book and an online video, Big Bird's species' scientific name is "Bigus canarius".
- Breakout Character: Is the star of the first official Sesame Street movie Follow That Bird, starred in specials where he travels to China and Japan and is the star of other merchandise items such as storybooks, cassette tapes or records. Possibly the first breakout character before Elmo.
- Cassandra Truth: The adults constantly disbelieved Snuffleupagus was real at first. See The Reveal under ''Mr. Snuffleupagus"
- Characterization Marches On: He was initially a fully grown idiot with a hick-like Simpleton Voice to match, rather than the innocent 6-year-old child he eventually became.
- Crying Critters: Despite being a bird, he has cried on several occasions.
- The Cutie: Even in the context of Sesame Street his innocence and sweetness stand out.
- Did You Just Punch Out Cthulhu?: In Don't Eat the Pictures, he and Snuffleupagus confront Osiris who refuses to let a young boy pharaoh go to the afterlife and said outright that the freaking God of the Afterlife was wrong. Repeat: a six-year-old big bird told off Osiris and won.
- A Dog Named "Dog": A big bird named Big Bird.
- Early Installment Character-Design Difference:
- Big Bird's appearance in the first few episodes was quite different, as he was originally depicted with droopy eyes, a smaller head and less feathers, along with a more haphazard feather arrangement. This design of him would not last beyond the first season as his puppet would quickly be refined into something closer to his current design halfway through.
- Some of the Big Bird puppets in the early 1970s briefly played with him having a cross-eyed googly eye appearance similar to Cookie Monster. This also didn't last as his character became more refined.
- Big Bird's appearance in the first few episodes was quite different
- Excited Kids' Show Host: In the Journey to Ernie segments.
- Extreme Doormat: Well, maybe not "extreme", but he has a hard time standing up for himself - he once let Humphrey and Ingrid talk him into giving Radar to Natasha, and he would have lost his nest to Minnie Myna if Chris hadn't helped him.
- Furry Reminder: Big Bird has exhibited non-anthropomorphic bird behavior on occasion:
- When sleeping, he lowers his head and tucks his beak against his neck, like how real birds tuck their heads into their feathers. Big Bird also puts his head under his wing like real birds on a few occasions to relax.
- He is sometimes shown fluffing his feathers or preening them with his beak.
- When settling into his nest, he shuffles his lower body when sitting down in it.
- One street scene begins with Big Bird taking a dust bath before a playdate with Snuffy, like how actual birds take dust baths to keep their feathers in good condition.
- In the episode where Big Bird goes to school, when he goes to get a drink from the water fountain, he ducks down to slurp up the water before standing and putting his head up and smacking his lips to swallow, like how real birds drink.
- Gentle Giant: He's a Big Bird with a good heart.
- Grew a Spine: The street scene for Episode 4512 has him really grow one with Chris' help, in which he finally sticks up for himself at Bird Court which in turn is what leads to his nest returning to his ownership.
- Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: Or in this case, "Feathers of Gold, Heart of Gold". He is a kind yellow bird.
- Hidden Depths: During the famous episode centered on the death of Mr. Hooper, Big Bird draws various caricatures of the adults - of a quality that you may not normally see from a typical 6-year-old.
- Caroll Spinney was a cartoonist and painter in his down time, overlapping with The Cast Showoff.
- Caroll Spinney was a cartoonist and painter in his down time, overlapping with
- "I Am" Song: "Big Bird's Song", which also happens to be his favorite, as he presents a riddle which describes him full-on.
- "I Am Great!" Song:
- "Wonderful Me" from an early episode as he happily talks about the things he can do and how good he is at them.
- "Happy To Be Me" from the "Good Birds Club" storyline, as he sings about how happy he is to be himself.
- Injured Limb Episode: In one episode, he sprains his wing and needs to have it in a sling.
- It Was Here, I Swear!: From Seasons 3-16 whenever Big Bird tries to bring the adults to see Snuffy only to find he's not there, this would be his response following the dismissal that Snuffy was thought to be imaginary.
- Lost Toy Grievance:
- A street scene deals with Big Bird misplacing his teddy bear Radar and searching all of Sesame Street to find him. He manages to find Radar hiding in his mailbox with help from Luis.
- Another street scene has Big Bird host a nest sale and accidentally bumps Radar into the nest, and the Count buys everything in it, Radar included. The bear is then given to a random monster, who gives him to Kaitlyn, who gives him back to Big Bird.
- Meaningful Echo: From the episode involving Mr. Hooper's death:Gordon: Why are you walking that way?note
Big Bird: "Just because."
...
(When Big Bird learns of Mr. Hooper's death)
Big Bird: "Why does it have to be this way? Give me one good reason!"
(Beat)
Gordon: "Big Bird, it has to be this way...because."
Big Bird: "Just because?"
Gordon: "Just because." - Meaningful Name: Well duh!
- Named by the Adaptation: In some versions of Sesame Street made in other countries than the U.S. that do not have their own version of Big Bird, (as described above) he does have a name. E.g., in the Brazillian version he's called Garibaldo.
- Nice Guy: He stands out at being very sweet and caring, always trying to help others.
- Performance Anxiety: A Season 47 episode has him develop a sudden case of stage fright when he is invited to sing on a live bird talent show in front of everyone. He gets over it upon discovering how fun it is to perform.
- Playing Sick: In the book "Nobody Cares About Me", he fakes illness to get attention.
- Polka-Dot Disease: In one episode, he breaks out in green dots, a disease called "birdy pox" which is normal for giant birds his age.
- Sick Episode:
- In one episode, he and Zoe both had colds.
- In the book "Nobody Cares About Me", he actually gets sick after pretending to be sick.
- In one episode, he gets Birdy Pox.
- In one episode, he gets a pneumonia-like disease and has to go to hospital.
- In another episode, he gets "memory flu", which is basically just amnesia without brain damage.
- Start My Own: Because Oscar wouldn't let him join the Grouchketeers.
- Tears of Joy: Sheds them after reading a story that ends with a Happily Ever After in a Season 16 episode, and even sings about why he has them.
- Trademark Favorite Food: Birdseed, which he eats (or in the case of birdseed milkshakes, drinks) in seemingly infinite variations.
- Vocal Evolution:
- Big Bird started off as a fully-grown Village Idiot with a deep, hick-like voice. Over time, however, he became a young child of 5 (or 6, depending on when you were watching the show) with a higher-pitched voice (which noticeably deepened over time). Because the show reuses its old recordings of songs in later episodes, it can be very jarring to hear Big Bird sing the "Alphabet Song" in his "hick" voice in an episode from c.1975 or later.
- During the final years of Caroll Spinney's life, when he was in his 80s, Big Bird sounded slower and more nasally.
- Matt Vogel, his understudy and eventual successor, also falls under this. At first, he sounded much like Caroll Spinney when he finally made him more innocent and naive. When he took over the role full time, while still sounding like a child, made him sound much older.
- Vocal Dissonance: Big Bird's voice is unique for his perma-six-year-old image, making him sound more like a mid-to-late teenager or young adult. Especially after Matt Vogel took over full-time which sounds even deeper than the early years portraying him.
- With a Foot on the Bus: Almost leaves Sesame Street for a rainforest in Episode 4187; he turns down the move upon learning the rainforest is too far away for anyone to visit him.
- You Have to Believe Me!: From Seasons 3-16, this would be one of Big Bird's responses to the adults dismissing Snuffy as imaginary despite never seeing him. Taken beyond levels in the Season 16 premiere when he outright calls them out for this going way too far, ending with these words.
- Younger Than They Look: Don't be fooled by his gargantuan height; he's eternally a six-year-old.
Chip and Dip
Performed by: Kevin Clash (Chip), Richard Hunt (Dip)
Two cat brothers who like to pull pranks on Oscar. They look identical, but you can tell them apart because one of them has a deeper voice.
- Cats Are Mean: Downplayed. They're not mean, just pranksters.
- The Prankster: They enjoy playing pranks on Oscar.
- Self-Deprecation: They self-identify as "mangy".
- Theme Twin Naming: Implied. Their names rhyme, and their song reveals that they're brothers and started talking around the same time, hinting that they're twins or at least came from the same litter.
Curly Bear
Performed by: Stephanie D'Abruzzo
Baby Bear's toddler sister.
- Accessory-Wearing Cartoon Animal: Wears a diaper and a pink bow.
- Annoying Younger Sibling: Downplayed. While she sometimes annoys Baby Bear, she doesn't do it all the time and they generally get along fine.
- Baby See, Baby Do: When Baby Bear mentions that his parents are going out to dinner, she shouts, "Dinner!".
- Baby Talk: Can't speak 100% properly yet.
- Crying Critters: She cries a lot, even though she's a bear.
- Does Not Like Spam: She's the only one in her family not to like porridge.
- Funny Animal: Is an anthropomorphic bear.
- Meaningful Name: Was named due to the fact that the fur on her head is curly.
- Sibling Rivalry: Downplayed. Her and Baby Bear sometimes argue, but generally get on fine.
- Third-Person Person: Sometimes uses her name instead of "I", although she sometimes does say "I".
- Toilet Training Plot: Starts to become potty-trained in "Elmo's Potty Time".
- You No Take Candle: Sometimes she speaks in poor grammar due to her young age.
Davey and Joey Monkey
Performed by: David Rudman (Davey Monkey), Joey Mazzarino (Joey Monkey)
A pair of monkeys that appeared on Sesame Street in the '80's and '90s.
- Character Catchphrase: Well, They love "BANANAS!"
- Put on a Bus: The two stopped appearing on the show after Season 29. They eventually returned in Episode 5023 (part of Season 50), where they tossed their banana peels on the ground, causing Zoe to slip on them and break her arm.
- Those Two Guys: They're always seen together.
- Trademark Favorite Food: "BANANAS!"
Gladys the Cow
Performed by: Richard Hunt (1973–1992), Jennifer Barnhart (2003–present)
One of the various Muppet cattle inhabiting Sesame Street.
- The Diva: Has a very high opinion of herself, and tends to hog the spotlight (as Mumford can tell you), but she means well.
- Eat the Camera: She does so in the Waiter Grover "Coffee Plant" skit, going berserk and chasing Fat Blue after drinking the cup of coffee Grover just made for him. Apparently she doesn't handle caffeine well.
- "I Am" Song/Signature Song: "I'm Proud to be a Cow".
- Species Subversives: Gladys and Miss Moody break the stereotype of cows being common farm beasts and speak in posh accents.
Granny Bird
Performed by: Carroll Spinney (1969–2003), Jennifer Barnhart (2018–present)
Big Bird's grandmother.
- Cool Old Lady: A kindly old bird.
- Costume Evolution: Around the time of Season 46, Granny Bird's glasses are now larger with black frames, and has swapped her pink shawl with a mint green silk scarf.
- Non-Mammalian Hair: Book illustrations depict her with a full head of white hair, despite not having such on the show.
- Not Allowed to Grow Old: Despite being a senior, Granny Bird shows no signs of aging between the time Big Bird becomes the perma-six-year-old of today.
- Sick Episode: Catches a cold in the "Get Well, Granny Bird" book, thus her grandson rides up to take care of her.
- Strong Family Resemblance: She's a splitting-image of Big Bird dead-on with the only differences being her forehead feathers are grey instead of light blonde, her eyeshadow is periwinkle instead of hot pink, and has glasses.
- Vocal Evolution: Originally sounded near-identical to her grandson's voice but in a faux wrinkly high pitch. After Matt Vogel took over for Big Bird full-time, she now has a more proper elderly feminine voice with Southern drawl.
Hoots the Owl
Performed by: Kevin Clash (1985–2009), Chris Thomas Hayes (2019)
An old bluesman and sax player.
- Comically Missing the Point: He tells Cookie Monster that cookies are a sometimes food... but doesn't care about Cookie Monster eating stuff that's not food.
- Destined Bystander: He (or, at least, the puppet that would later come to be him) first appeared in a single scene in Sesame Street Presents: Follow That Bird.
- Half-Dressed Cartoon Animal: Wears a shirt and no pants.
- A Lizard Named "Liz": Is named "Hoots" and he's an owl.
- The Owl-Knowing One: Not all-knowing, but he's wise enough to know you can't play the sax with a rubber duck in your hand, and that carrots are healthier than cookies.
Kermit the Frog
Kermit the Frog
Performed by: Jim Henson (1955–1990) note , Steve Whitmire (1990–2009)note , Matt Vogel (2017–present) note
The Muppet Show's easily-flustered host, here Kermit usually plays a roving news reporter in a trench coat. He also often attempts to give lectures to the audience which are inevitably ruined by another character. Jim Henson's definitive role; Kermit and Ernie aren't that different, acoustically speaking. This is especially apparent in Bert and Ernie's Muppet Show guest appearance, where Ernie appears and speaks immediately after Kermit introduces the pair. See also his entry on Characters.The Muppet Show.
- Affectionate Nickname: Cookie Monster, who Kermit tends to serve as a foil to, always addresses him as "Frog" or "Froggy". Grover calls him "Froggy" as well.Cookie Monster: No cookie, no guessing game with clues. Arrivederci, Frog.
- Beware the Nice Ones: Kermit is usually friendly and even-tempered, but when he's pushed too far he can get very angry indeed.
- Butt-Monkey: Frequently the victim of Grover's bumbling and Cookie Monster's hedonism, among other misfortunes, almost to the point of being The Chew Toy.
- Call-Back: He makes a surprise appearance in "Elmo's World: Frogs", where he is shown lounging in his apartment. He also returned for 2019’s 50th Anniversary Special.
- Character Catchphrase: "Heigh-ho, Kermit theee Frog here at Sesame Street News..." and later “Yaaaaay!” while flailing his arms.
- Commuting on a Bus: Kermit was a regular in season 1, but concern over his appearances in commercially-oriented non-Sesame medianote led to him getting dropped in season 2. But beginning in season 3, Kermit came back in more of a Fake Guest Star role, showing up for occasional song sequences and sketches (often with Grover and Cookie Monster). Alas, the frog very rarely appears these days due to Disney owning the rights to the character (his most recent appearance was the show's 50th Anniversary special).
- Lampshaded when Jim Henson and Frank Oz appeared together at the Puppeteers of America Festival in 1989, and treated the audience to a conversation between Kermit and Cookie Monster:Cookie Monster: Hey, Froggy, me no see you in long time.Kermit: No, we haven't worked together in a while.Cookie Monster: Me know. Well, you big time. You no come to Sesame Street no more.
- Lampshaded when Jim Henson and Frank Oz appeared together
- Continuity Nod: While preparing to interview Old MacDonald, Kermit tells one of the farmer's pigs, "You know, you remind me of somebody..." (a reference to The Muppet Show's Miss Piggy).
- Foil: In his prime, Kermit typically served as foil and Straight Man to every monster character who accompanied him during lesson sketches, trying to steer the lesson back on track while the monsters derailed things with their zaniness. In particular, he served as a straight man to Cookie Monster more often than not.
- "I Am" Song: "Bein' Green" and "This Frog".
- If You Can Read This: An actual cameraman is named on the slate in the Oklahoma! sketch.
- Intrepid Reporter: During the "Sesame Street News Flash" segments.
- Is This Thing Still On?: A running gag in the news segments. The "Rapunzel" sketch literally opens with him asking if his microphone's on.
- Loud Gulp: The idea of a frog eating a fly makes him nauseous.
- Phrase Catcher: He's on the receiving end of Grover's "HEYYYYY, FROGGY BAYBEEEEE!" backslap-greeting.
- Somewhere, a Herpetologist Is Crying: This is Zigzagged in one scene, in which Bob lists frog facts, and Kermit insists that frogs act more like people, with human diets and apartment buildings.
Little Bird
Performed by: Fran Brill
He lives on a tree in front of 123 Sesame Street, and was a little friend of Big Bird.
- A Dog Named "Dog": A bird with "bird" in its last name.
Mama and Papa Bear
The parents of Baby Bear and Curly Bear.
- Accessory-Wearing Cartoon Animal: Papa Bear wears a hat and tie.
- Funny Animal: They're both anthro bears.
- Good Parents: They try to do what's best for both their cubs.
- Trademark Favorite Food: They like porridge as much as their son does.
Preston Rabbit
Performed by: Jim Martin (1989–1992)
A postman rabbit who works at the Sesame Street Post Office.
- It Was a Gift: Well, he likes to deliver things to other characters. He once tried to give Elmo a sign that reads ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ. Elmo ended up singing the famous song originally sung by Big Bird. At that point, Big Bird and the kids told them that it's not a word, It's the alphabet.
Shelly the Turtle
Performed by: Martin P. Robinson
A friendly but a slow-moving turtle.
- Punny Name
- Shrinking Violet: He tends to be very shy, and it takes a bit of coaxing to help get him "out of his shell".
- Signature Song: He sings I Get There.
Mr. Snuffleupagus
Performed by:
Front end: Jerry Nelson (1971–1978), Michael Earl Davis (1978–1980), Martin P. Robinson (1980–present)
Back end: Richard Hunt (1971–1975), Peter Friedman (1976–1978), Brian Muehl (1979), Frank Kane (1979), Bryant Young (1979–present)
A slow-talking, vaguely proboscidean creature and Big Bird's best friend. He originally wasn't thought to be real, but was revealed in a Season 17 episode.
- Abandoned Catchphrase: Mr. Snuffleupagus used to always say "Oh, dear" in a worried voice. Big Bird even lampshaded it once; when Snuffy went missing in one episode and BB called the police (an Anything Muppet) to take a report, part of his description was that he said "Oh dear" a lot.
- Characterization Marches On: He started out with a rather odd and perpetually sad personality as well as speaking with a rather creepy, echoing, sad voice. It wasn't until when Marty Robinson took over the character that, though still sad occasionally, his personality became more cheerful and his voice had a wider range of emotions.
- Early-Installment Weirdness: Snuffle used to have wide yellow eyes with green sclera and was understandably changed to a different lazy eyed design as the debut appearance was... unsettling, to say the least.
- The Eeyore: Used to be one of his defining character traits, but he steadily grew out of it as time went on.
- Gentle Giant: He's massive, but rather shy and friendly.
- I Am Not Weasel: He does not like being mistaken for an elephant, to the point where he once sang a whole song about it.
- In-Series Nickname: "Snuffy". He calls Big Bird "Bird".
- Leitmotif: Has one that evokes his shuffling gait.
- "Metaphor" Is My Middle Name: When he helps rebuild Big Bird's nest by blow-drying the mud that holds it together with his snuffle, he claims that his middle name is "Help" and his full name is "Aloysius Help Snuffleupagus".
- Missed Him by That Much: In his early appearances, he'd wander off before anyone other than Big Bird could spot him, leading to speculation that he was Big Bird's Imaginary Friend.
- Not-So-Imaginary Friend: For Big Bird. Everyone assumes that Snuffy is imaginary and even Big Bird thinks this at one point, but they are convinced otherwise later on.
- Only Known by Their Nickname: His real name is Aloysius Snuffleupagus. Even though almost everyone on the series refers to him by his nickname, his mother usually refers to him by his real name.
- Precocious Crush: Pre-dating the Elmo and Gina plot, he had a crush on Maria for a while.
- Real After All: He is revealed to the adult cast 13 years after his debut, in order to encourage kids to be more honest with their parents. It was an emotional experience for the characters and actors.
- Satellite Character: Expectedly only talked to Big Bird due to being his Not-So-Imaginary Friend at first. After being proven Real After All, he began interacting heavily with other characters and having family members introduced.
- Shrinking Violet: The reason that none of the adults ever saw him was because of his shyness. He seems to outgrown this after being revealed.
- Trademark Favorite Food: Spaghetti and meatballs. The problem is that he likes to eat one giant meatball, which always has a hard time staying on his plate.
- Vocal Dissonance: Has a very deep and raspy voice which does not at all fit his age of four-and-a-half.
Pets and Animal Companions
Barkley
- Performed by: Toby Towson (1977–1978), Brian Muehl (1978–1984), Fred Garver (1984–1993), Bruce Connelly (1993–present)
This large, playful Muppet dog is Linda's pet, who understands American Sign Language. When he debuted in Season 9, he was known as Woof Woof. In Season 10, he became Barkley after one episode dealt with changing his name by popular vote. By the start of the new millennium, Barkley hasn't appeared as often, but has been seen a couple times in recent years.
- Big Friendly Dog: A big, playful dog.
- Dog Walks You: When he runs while somebody is walking him, that somebody often gets pulled along.
- Hidden Eyes: His eyes are covered by his hair.
- Sick Episode: Catches a cold in one episode. It goes away, but then he turns invisible.
Buster the Horse
- Performed by: Martin P. Robinson (1980–present)
Forgetful Jones' trusty steed.
- Sapient Steed: Has a much better memory than his rider, and proves very helpful in reminding Jones to do things.
Fluffy the Elephant
Little Murray Sparkles
Ovejita
Performed by: Carmen Osbahr (2008–present)
Murray's lamb sidekick, who speaks only in Spanish.
- Accessory-Wearing Cartoon Animal: Wears a bow in her wool.
- A Dog Named "Dog": 'Ovejita' is Spanish for 'lamb'.
- Amazing Technicolor Wildlife: Is a purple sheep.
- Talking Animal: Is pretty much a normal lamb, but she speaks Spanish.
Ralphie
Baby Bear's talented parrot.
- The Ace: Can play fetch, identify shapes, speak English, Spanish and Hamster, and even make fruit salad.
- Polly Wants a Microphone: He once said a whole sentence in Spanish, complementing Maria's blouse.
- Speaks Fluent Animal: Apparently, he speaks fluent Hamster.
Slimey
Voiced by: Dick Maitland
Puppeteered by: Jerry Nelson (1978), Richard Hunt (1978 (Episode 1204)), Bob Payne (1978 (Episode 1254)), Michael Earl (1978–1981), Martin P. Robinson (1981–present)
Puppeteered by: Jerry Nelson (1978), Richard Hunt (1978 (Episode 1204)), Bob Payne (1978 (Episode 1254)), Michael Earl (1978–1981), Martin P. Robinson (1981–present)
Oscar's pet worm.
- Filthy Fun: Likes to play in mud due to being a worm.
- Hidden Depths: Is a cute little talking worm, who's also been to space.
- Interspecies Romance: One episode in The '80s gave him a caterpillar girlfriend named Scuzzina. Oscar is worried about how that would even work out.
- Morality Pet: A literal case; he's one of very few Sesame Street residents Oscar is usually not grouchy to.
- Space Episode: His trip to the moon took up several episodes.
Sloppy
Wolfgang the Seal
Performed by: Kevin Clash (1988–2013)
Uncle Wally's pet seal. He debuted on season 20 (1988-1989) and continued to appear after his handler left the show in Season 23 (1991-1992).
- Animal Talk: He can only bark.
- Berserk Button: Not of the rage-inducing kind, but whatever you do, do NOT say "fish" aloud in his earshot.
- Trademark Favorite Food: Loves to eat fish. So much so, in fact, that if he so much as hears the word "fish," he goes into a barking frenzy.
Worm astronauts
Performed by: Various
A group of worms from around the world who travel to the moon and back in a spaceship called the Wiggleprise in Season 29.
- Alphabetical Theme Naming: Most of them have names that start with S.
- Color-Coded Characters: Slimey is orange, Spaghettini is red, Squishta is pink, Legusano is purple, and Squashimi is blue.
- Multinational Team: The crew consists of Slimey from the United States, Spaghettini from Italy, Squishta from Romania, Legusano from Colombia, and Squashimi from Japan.
- Odd Name Out: Legusano is the only one whose name doesn't start with S.
- Two Girls to a Team: Squishta and Squashimi are the only female crewmembers.
Parody Characters
Colambo
Performed by: Joey Mazzarino (1992–2000)
A black-fleeced sheep detective who solves the crime of the Fairy Tale / Mother Goose stories.
- Day in the Limelight: His last appearance — and arguably his finest hour — was in Episode 3902, where he helped Gabi search for Fluffy the elephant.
- No Celebrities Were Harmed: He is based on Lieutenant Columbo.
Flo Bear
Performed by: David Rudman
She is a bear writer.
- No Celebrities Were Harmed: She is based on the French writer Gustave Flaubert.
Jackman Wolf
Performed by: Jerry Nelson
The VJ wolf who hosts The Sesame Street Rock and Roll Request Show.
- No Celebrities Were Harmed: He is based the late radio announcer Wolfman Jack.
Meryl Sheep
Performed by: Camille Bonora (1987–1990)
A sheep who also happens to be an accomplished actress, she heads the Meryl Sheep School of Acting, and counts Susan Sarandon among her students.
- Distaff Counterpart: Created as a female equivalent to Placido Flamingo, likewise being an animal parodying a famous performer.
- Furry Female Mane: She has a rather human-like head of hair (variously blonde and brown) along with her wool coat.
- No Celebrities Were Harmed: Obviously based on Meryl Streep.
- Non-Specifically Foreign: She has a vaguely Eastern European accent, inspired by Meryl Streep's role in Sophie's Choice.
- Verbal Tic: "Ja, ja..."
The Oinker Sisters
Performed by: Various
A trio of singing pigs, whose greatest hit is "A New Way to Walk."
- A Lizard Named "Liz": Their last name is "Oinker", which is because they are pigs and pigs say "oink".
- No Celebrities Were Harmed: Their name is a riff on the Pointer Sisters.
- Special Person, Normal Name: One of the Oinker Sisters is named "Suie Oinker".
Placido Flamingo
Performed by: Richard Hunt (1986–1992)
An opera-singing flamingo. He is introduced by Phil Harmonic. Proud of his talents and not averse to the sound of his own voice, he helped in the introduction of classical music to the series. He is cited, along with the 1957 Looney Tunes cartoon What's Opera, Doc?, as an effective and influential early introduction to the world of opera.
- No Celebrities Were Harmed: He is based on Placido Domingo.
- Put on a Bus: He was dropped after Richard Hunt's death in 1992, but continued to appear in recycled segments until 1998. He made a cameo in a 2009 episode, on the front cover of a book bearing Hunt's name.
The Squirelles
Puppeteered by: Various
Voiced by: Lilias White (Rhonda)
Voiced by: Lilias White (Rhonda)
A trio of singing squirrels who sing various doo-wop songs.
- No Celebrities Were Harmed: They are based on The Shirelles.
- Talking Animal: Are mostly normal squirrels but they can talk.
Others
Abby Cadabby
Click here to see her appearance post 2018
Performed by: Leslie Carrara-Rudolph (2006–present)
A fairy who moved to Sesame Street during season 37. She's a 3-year-old fairy in training, who begins attending the Flying Fairy School in Season 40.
- All-Loving Hero: Abby sees the best in Oscar, and genuinely doesn't believe that he's that grouchy. That's gotta count for something.
- All Myths Are True: Abby's mom, Maggie Cadabby, is Cinderella's fairy godmother.
- The Apprentice: Hence "Abby's Flying Fairy School."
- Breakout Character: While only appearing in three episodes of Season 37, she became more prominent as the show went on and proved to be a great addition to the cast. She later gained her own solo segments, appears alongside Elmo in nearly all his guest appearances, and even got her own television special.
- Call-Back: She lives Around the Corner, which is a section of the set which was expanded and retracted.
- Character Catchphrase: "That's so magical!" And to a lesser extent, "Zippity-zap!"
- Character Tics: Flies up into the air when excited.
- Cheerful Child: She always has a smile on her face.
- Cool Big Sis: Season 47 introduced Rudy, Abby's stepbrother from her mother's remarriage. The two get along great, and tries to emulate her magic.
- Fairy Tale Motifs: She is a textbook example of a fairy. Well... okay, aside from being a little fuzzy.
- Girlish Pigtails: Has two pigtails.
- Girly Girl with a Tomboy Streak: In "Dress-Up Club", she wants to dress up like a superhero and a pirate. Hilarity Ensues (It Makes Sense in Context).
- Iconic Sequel Character: She was introduced in season 37 (in which she only appeared in three episodes), but she's gone on to become one of the most famous Muppets in the franchise, next to fellow sequel character Elmo and mainstays Big Bird and Cookie Monster.
- Inept Mage: Possibly due to her young age, she frequently blunders her spells, often turning things into pumpkins. Her stepbrother, Rudy, is even worse, and hilarity ensues whenever he gets a hold of his sister's wand.
- Irony: Abby's mother is the fairy godmother from the Cinderella fairy tale, one of the most infamous depictions of a wicked stepfamily in literature. Abby herself is part of a blended family - her birth parents are divorced, and her mother remarried Freddy Monster, introducing her younger stepbrother Rudy to the show's recurring cast.
- Innocent Blue Eyes: One of the few Muppets to actually have irises.
- Least Rhymable Word: Pumpkin. She always rhymes it with nonsense words in spells to do with pumpkins.
- Magical Barefooter: Zig-Zagged. Given her status as a "fairy-in-training", Abby is usually, if not always, seen barefoot from her debut in season 37. In season 49, however, Abby received a wardrobe change, and gained a pair of purple sneakers as part of the new look. However, in the sketch "Abby's Amazing Adventures", in which she co-stars with her stepbrother Rudy (and even some episodes), she's barefoot again (unless if wearing an attire that requires footwear).
- Magic Misfire: Sometimes has trouble getting her wand to do exactly what she wants it to.
- Precision F-Strike: That one time she performed "Satisfied", which includes the line "What the hell is the catch?".
- Punny Name: It's a play on the stereotypical "magic word" Abracadabra.
- Mundane Object Amazement: Often thinks normal objects like crayons and tricycles are magic.
- Mundane Utility: In addition to transforming one thing into something completely different or conjuring things out of thin air, her wand also makes a handy backscratcher.
- Non-Standard Character Design: She, along with other fairy characters in the show, is one of the few Muppet characters designed with irises. To quote the Muppet Wiki:"Abby's design is an intentional departure from the typical Muppet look because she's not originally from Sesame Street. The implication is that the fairies in her old neighborhood look like her."
- Nice Girl: She's generally a sweet and friendly fairy who wants to make everyone's wishes come true.
- Pink Means Feminine: Her fur is bubblegum pink.
- Rhymes on a Dime: Abby does rhymes whenever casting spells.
- Rhyming Names: Abby Caddabby.
- Shoe Phone: The secondary use for her wand is to substitute for a cell phone.
- Signature Laugh: A cute little giggle.
- Suspiciously Similar Substitute: Following Prairie Dawn being out of the spotlight, Abby becomes the straight character to Cookie Monster.
- Toilet Training Plot: One book focuses on her learning to use the toilet.
- Tomboy and Girly Girl: Girly Girl to Zoe's Tomboy, even though the jewelry-wearing, ballet-loving Zoe is very much a Tomboy with a Girly Streak.
- True Blue Femininity : Her dress. Also her eyes.
- Welcome Episode: Her debut.
- Wide-Eyed Idealist: Many small children see their world as a place of tremendous beauty and endless possibilities. Abby is no different.
- Youthful Freckles: Is a toddler with freckles.
Honkers & Dingers
Performed by: Various
Two species of Muppet, one with a bicycle horn for a nose and the other with a table bell on top of its head, which they use instead of speaking.
- Alliterative Name: Most of them are unnamed, but Honkers sometimes have first names that start with H. The pink baby Honker is named Henrietta Honker, and in one episode, a family of Honkers who all have H names appear.
- Amazing Technicolor Population: Like monsters and AM's, they come in many different colors.
- Gag Nose: Honkers squeeze theirs in order to honk.
- Pink Means Feminine: The pink baby Henrietta Honker and her fuchsia mother Mrs. Honker are the Honker puppets most often depicted as female, and the baby Dinger has a pink nose and pink hair. However, the mother Dinger is green.
- Shout-Out: The Honkers are essentially an entire species of Harpo Marxes.
- Signature Song: Well, Their official song is Honk Around the Clock.
- Silent Snarker: They don't talk but can express snark with Facepalms and other body language.
- The Singing Mute: During Crowd Songs when the whole chorus sings, you can sometimes see their mouths moving along with everyone else.
- The Speechless: Although they do not speak, Their performers will vary depending on what puppeteer is available.
- Starfish Language: They communicate with each other by honking and dinging. Their languages are actually called Honk and Ding.
- Token Minority: In-universe example. Originally, there was only the gold Dinger with orange hair, who was like a token minority to the Honkers. Later averted when other Dingers appeared.
- The Unintelligible: They only speak in honking and dinging.
Isabelle
Maggie Cadabby
The mother of Abby, wife of Freddy, ex-wife of Mr. Cadabby, and stepmother of Rudy. She is a Fairy Godmother.
- Good Parents: She's always there when Abby needs advice.
- Interspecies Romance: She married a monster.
- Noodle Incident: Enforced. In order to make the message about divorce apply to as many people as possible, it's left ambiguous as to why she divorced Mr. Cadabby, besides "grown-up problems" that they "couldn't fix".
- Unseen No More: After nearly 10 years of merely being The Ghost whom Abby would constant mention in conversations as the Fairy Godmother and call for help, she makes her first onscreen appearance in 2018, featured in several videos alongside her new husband Freddy produced for Sesame Street in Communities. She made her first onscreen appearance on the show proper, in Episode 5026 in Season 50.
Martians/Yip-Yips
Performed by: Various
Jellyfish-like, hovering aliens with antennae, severe underbite, and a distinctive "yip yip yip yip uh-huh uh-huh" sound.
- An Alien Named "Bob": The primary two are named "Joe" and "Bob". Although in the game show sketch Bring that Thing, Guy Smiley addressed them as "Stevie" and "Jonathan" Martians.
- Amusing Alien: Often seen doing funny things trying to figure out how Earth things work.
- Animal Sweet on Object: In their first encounter with a computer, the pink martian ends up falling in love with it, as it places a rose on its keyboard, followed by stroking the keyboard.
- Fish out of Water: In their first few years, they were very unfamiliar with Earth, to the point where they spent most of their time attempting to communicate with inanimate objects.
- Great Big Book of Everything: The two carry a book around with them to help identify what an object they come across is, be it a clock, radio, or computer. It's not always foolproof, though, as reading the book led them to believe that a telephone was a cow, a cat, and a chicken.
- Incredibly Lame Fun: They like to dance to radio static.
- Innocent Aliens: They're just confused tourists.
- Intangible Man: They often enter scenes by phasing through walls.
- Shrinking Violet: They're incredibly skittish, phasing out of a room if someone else is about to enter it, and even natural occurrences, such as wind, are enough to make them cover their heads in fear (strangely, using their mouths).
- Starfish Aliens: Flying aliens with skin that looks suspiciously like chenille, along with tentacles and huge mouths.
- Strange-Syntax Speaker: They're capable of speaking English words, albeit in broken sentences, but when reading a book from Earth, they're only able to read out each individual word as "yip".
S.A.M. the Robot
Performed by: Jerry Nelson (occasionally Caroll Spinney) (1972–1979)
One of the early characters on the show, S.A.M. frequently claimed he was perfect, despite abundant evidence to the contrary.
- Broken Record: S.A.M. will tell anyone who is around him that machines are perfect... except he'd always get stuck, so he'd say, "Machines are perfect — are perfect — are perfect..." until someone hits him.
- Do-Anything Robot: Efficiently, on the other hand.....
- Fun with Acronyms: His name stands for Super Automatic Machine.
- Infant Sibling Jealousy: A variant in Episode 1230 (part of Season 10); S.A.M. is jealous of Moe, his baby brother who is a small electric motor. S.A.M. resents the attention that Moe receives for doing nothing of value, until David and Olivia help S.A.M. understand his role as a big brother and Moe's potential. S.A.M. pictures Moe becoming something important someday, such as an airplane motor or a generator for a building.
- Literal-Minded: In Episode 680, David is hungry for a hot dog, so he asks S.A.M. to make him a hot dog. S.A.M. does so by turning David into a hot dog.
- Percussive Maintenance: In his debut appearance, he arrives on Sesame Street (he meant to go to Mulberry Street), asserting repeatedly that "machines never make mistakes; machines are perfect — are perfect — are perfect." The humans have to thump him hard to make him stop repeating the phrase, for which he thanks them.
- Put on a Bus: Mysteriously stopped appearing after the seventh season, although he returned for the tenth
- Tin-Can Robot: S.A.M. looks like giant tin can. This being Sesame Street, of course, he still has googly eyes and a bowtie.
- Vanity License Plate: He has one on his back that says "ABC-123".
Miscellaneous Muppets
Sesame Street features a vast array of other Muppets ranging from animals, letters, and numbers to bathtubs and Singing Food.
- Let's Meet the Meat: Singing Food will cheerfully discuss how nutritious it is.
