Characters / The Prince of Egypt

Main Characters

Moses

"Let my people go!"

Voiced by: Val Kilmer (English), Emmanuel Curtil (European French), Dodo Fisher (Hebrew), Humberto Solórzano (Latin American Spanish), Jordi Ribes (European Spanish), Guilherme Briggs (Brazilian Portuguese)
Singing Voice: Amick Bryam (English), Olinser Equihua (Latin American Spanish), Manu Guix (European Spanish)

A Hebrew man who was found as a baby by Egyptians and grew alongside Rameses II. He eventually discovers his true heritage and helps lead the Hebrew slaves to freedom.

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• Abled in the Adaptation: According to religious texts, Moses was "slow of tongue", indicating a Speech Impediment or speech disorder. This is absent in the movie, as Moses speaks clearly.
• Accidental Murder: Moses, already tormented by revelations about his own origins, witnesses a slaver brutally whip a feeble old man, and accidentally pushes him to his death while trying to stop him. The guilt from this drives him into self-imposed exile.
• Adaptational Angst Upgrade: At least regarding his relationship with Rameses and nostalgic love for Egypt. He's also shown to be tormented by the suffering and deaths inflicted on Egyptians during the plagues. His angst about not being the right man for the job is lifted pretty closely from the Biblical account.
• Adaptational Attractiveness: Or Historical Beauty Update. The Bible doesn't mention Moses' looks, either. However, he definitely gets an Age Lift, returning to Egypt in his thirties, rather than eighty. An important factor of Moses' biblical character was being "heavy of tongue and mouth" - he probably stuttered, and likely quite bad. An apocryphal story tells that this was due to burning his tongue on a hot coal as a baby (in order to test his loyalty, the royal servants of Egypt presented him with a crown and a brazier full of coals. Moses instinctively reached for the crown, but an angel invisibly turned his hand to the coals. He tried sucking on it to cool it down but it was still covered in burning ash). In the biblical tale, Moses' stuttering is actually one of the major reasons for his initial doubt that he could ever become the leader of a people, resolved only when his brother Aaron promises to speak for him. The makers of the film figured a stuttering protagonist wouldn't make a very good musical, and just dropped that angle.
• Adaptational Heroism: While Moses was without a doubt a hero to the Hebrew slaves in the Bible, his Fatal Flaw was his Unstoppable Rage and lack of remorse after losing his temper. Examples include smashing a slave-driver's head in with a rock when he saw him beating an old man, and then burying the body out of fear of discovery rather than guilt. In this movie, it's clear that while Moses was trying to stop the beating, pushing the slave-driver from a great height was an accident, and was immediately consumed with guilt over it. In the Bible, Moses is also not shown to feel any remorse for the suffering inflicted on the Egyptians during the plagues, whereas in this movie Moses is tormented by the suffering (and deaths) of innocents.
• Adaptational Jerkass: While Moses does have some more heroism than he did in the Bible, he was also a Royal Brat who was (initially) callous and uncaring towards the Hebrews.
• Adopted into Royalty: By Queen Tuya. It's made clear that he won't inherit the throne, as it's the birthright of Rameses, but they get along so well that it's not an issue.
• Age Cut: During Moses' time with the Midian people, his (natural) hair grows out and he gains a beard.
• All-Loving Hero: He repeatedly warns Rameses to let the Hebrews go because he doesn't want to see the innocent suffer. And when his nephew (Rameses' son) dies as a result of ignoring Moses's warning, the latter leaves his brother to mourn. And when he does, he immediately weeps over the loss of his nephew and other innocent first-born sons.
• Amazon Chaser: He seemed to take a real liking to Tzipporah's feisty attitude. He even watches her with an "awestruck" face when she escapes.
• Annoying Younger Sibling: Downplayed. He and Rameses got along great in their youth, but as adults, the latter would angrily state how the former would always get him into trouble and also get him out of it.
• Antagonist in Mourning: Inverted. Moses breaks down in tears after the final plague. He is crying not only for the loss of his nephew, and by extension all the first-born of Egypt, but also for the loss of his relationship with Rameses.
• The Atoner: Although most of his "sins" are by association.
• The Baby of the Bunch: The youngest of his biological and adoptive families.
• Badass Pacifist: Uses his quick thinking to save Tzipporah from getting recaptured. Does the same thing when he rescues her little sisters from thieves. Also, he never takes up arms against Egypt, instead putting his trust in God.
• Big Damn Heroes: It's implied that life for the Hebrews had become much harsher under Rameses' rule, so Moses's return from the desert could qualify for this. Although it's more like God qualifies for this trope, as the one calling the shots and supplying the power. Moses is more of a vessel.
• Big Little Brother: He's taller than Miriam, but younger than her.
• Blessed with Suck: Moses comes to view being chosen by God as this, as not only is he forced to be the instrument of destruction, pain, and death on God's behalf, but he must now fight against the man who was once his adoptive brother.
• Break the Haughty: Discovering he was born a slave really gave Moses a blow at his ego. Discovering he had to face his brother was an even bigger blow, although he was already humble by that stage.
• Cain and Abel: Eventually, with Rameses, with Moses as the Abel and Rameses as the Cain. Both deeply regret it, except for Rameses in the climax, when he's become utterly consumed with hatred for Moses.
• Catapult Nightmare: After the wall-painting sequence.
• Changeling Fantasy: Subverted. Moses does not take the news of his real heritage well (at first). Then after discovering why he was in a position for adoption to begin with, he also rejects his adoptive family (though not completely, concerning Rameses, and possibly the Queen), eventually leading to his self-exile.
• Character Development: Changes from a haughty prince who couldn't care less about the slaves, to the kind, noble man who won't stop until his people are let go, and ending with the aged leader who is put in charge of the freed Israelite nation.
• Chekhov's Gift: The shepherding staff given to him by Tzipporah. When he gets his Mission from God, God designates it as the instrument with which He will demonstrate His wonders.
• The Chosen One: God never does explain why Moses is chosen to be the Deliverer, rather than someone else. Nevertheless, despite his initial reluctance and later hardships, he accepts his call. Unlike some examples of this trope, there is no widely known prophecy that proclaims him to be the Chosen One; the closest thing to this would be Miriam's words to him when they first meet, which he did not believe at that time. It is implied (but not outright stated) that his unusual status as a Hebrew who was raised as an Egyptian prince is the reason God chose him—his close relationship with Rameses gives him the unique position of being able to demand his people's freedom without the threat of immediate imprisonment or death, which the other Hebrews lack. From this perspective, he makes perfect sense to be the Chosen One and the Israelites' deliverer.
• Composite Character: Unlike his biblical counterpart, this version of Moses combines traits with other biblical figures such as Abel and, ironically, Jesus. Like Abel, Moses' the younger brother in his relationship with Rameses, who is portrayed as his older adoptive brother in the movie, and the close relationship they have would eventually become antagonistic (mostly one-sided on Rameses' end). Similar to Jesus, Moses is chosen by God in order to lead the group of outcasts (Israelites) out of oppression by an empire (Egypt) into The Promised Land, all while serving as a savior for the Isrealites of his time.
• Coincidence Magnet: Most of what he goes through in the movie (that isn't obviously supernatural) could be considered coincidences. But with God being a known factor in his life, There Are No Coincidences.
• Counterpoint Duet: With Rameses during "The Plagues."
• Cry into Chest: With his adopted mother, the Queen, when she is trying to comfort him after he finds out about his adoption (though it's uncertain if he's actually crying or not).
• Deliberately Cute Child: When he first meets his adoptive mother. He's an infant at the time, but he's already able to use facial expression and body movement to maximize his adorableness.
• Determined Expression: He wears one rather frequently, most notably as he's riding back to Egypt with the intent to free the Hebrews.
• Disappeared Dad: His, Miriam and Aaron's father Amram is nowhere to be seen. It is very possible that he died shortly after Moses was born.
• Don't Make Me Destroy You: In the scene immediately preceding the plague of the firstborn, Moses practically begs Rameses not to let things continue, all the while staring at Rameses's son...who is a firstborn. Rameses not only refuses to release the Hebrews, but decides to finish what Seti started years ago by wiping them all out, vowing that "And there shall be a great cry in all of Egypt, such as never has been or ever will be again!". From here, Moses has little choice but to resign himself to the final plague.
  Moses: ...Rameses, you bring this upon yourself.
• Dramatic Drop: His torch, when he sees the wall engravings depicting the slaughter of the Hebrew infants. Also, his staff, when God reveals His identity.
• Dream Melody: Moses is seen casually whistling the lullaby his biological mother sang to him at the beginning. When he hears Miriam singing the song after she reveals his true heritage, he recognizes the tune and realizes the truth.
• Dreaming the Truth: He realizes his heritage in a dream, in which the tale of his being sent on the river as a baby is played out through hieroglyphics.
• Drives Like Crazy: His chariot race with Rameses at the very beginning.
• Dude, Where's My Respect?:
  • He demands respect from Tzipporah when they first meet. Subverted since Moses (at that time) didn't do anything worthy of respect, which is lampshaded in her response.
  • Inverted later when he joins the Midianites as Jethro was more than happy to throw praise upon Moses (who at this point had done something worthy), but Moses is still feeling the weight of having been the Prince of Egypt for so long.
• Expository Hairstyle Change: Moses started off wearing an Egyptian styled wig, but later cast it aside in place of going along with his natural hair.
• Falling-in-Love Montage: With Tzipporah during "Through Heaven's Eyes."
• Farm Boy: More like "Shepherd Boy". A unique example since he wasn't raised as one, but his reaction to "the call" fits perfectly.
• Fearless Infant: During his trip down the Nile. His basket nearly gets intercepted by crocodiles, hippos, and a fishing net, and yet when Pharaoh's wife discovers him, he's all smiles.
• Flowers of Romance: During the "Through Heaven's Eyes" sequence, he sneaks them onto Tzipporah's shepherding staff when she isn't looking. She appreciates this.
• Follow the White Rabbit: How he encounters the burning bush, by following a lost sheep.
• Foolish Sibling, Responsible Sibling: He starts out being the foolish and carefree younger sibling to Rameses' responsible, dutiful older sibling. This is lampshaded briefly after their chariot race, and inverted when the two grow up; Moses has now found his calling, but Rameses is too proud to realize that he's about to make the mistake of his life.
• Four-Temperament Ensemble: He forms this with his adopted family as the Sanguine thanks to his carefree and impulsuve behaviour.
• Friend to All Children: He saves Tzipporah's younger sisters from thugs even though he didn't have to. Also, in the "When You Believe" song, Moses allows two children he hardly knows to dangle from his staff; he even bends down to the second child when she couldn't reach it. He also grieves for the children who die in the tenth plague.
• Happily Adopted: Played straight until he learns his true heritage, but then Subverted with a vengeance. Pharaoh and his Queen saw the baby as a gift from the gods and immediately accepted him. Once he finds out he was adopted, it destroys his world as he knew it. This is due to the circumstances surrounding his adoption, as well as the state of his people/family of birth and the fact that his adoptive family is to blame for their suffering.
• Happily Married: With Tzipporah. They share a close relationship, offering support for one another when needed.
• Heartbroken Badass: What really cements him as one is being forced to watch people suffering during the Plague scene and his relationship with Rameses was officially damaged after the death of Rameses's only son.
• Heel Realization: First, right after he sees his adopted mother's reaction to him tripping Tzipporah into the moat. Then, when he sees the Hebrews' suffering (after finding out he was born as one of them), soon culminating into his self-imposed exile.
• Held Gaze: He shares one with Tzipporah on their wedding day.
• Heritage Face Turn: He initially doesn't bat an eye at the Hebrews' plight until he finds out he's one of them from Miriam. This does not initially endear him to Aaron, who rightfully points out Moses didn't care before.
• Heroes Love Dogs: As a prince, Moses was the owner of two dogs, who he loved dearly.
• Heroic BSoD: A minor one after discovering he's an adopted Hebrew, and a not-so-minor one much later, after the final plague has passed and Rameses is mourning his deceased son.
• Hope Bringer: For the Hebrews, after receiving hope from his sister, his wife, and (especially) God Himself.
• Hope Spot: When he talks with Rameses during the ninth plague, and it seems like he might finally let go of his pride.
• Humble Pie: Starts to lose his haughty prince attitude when he discovers his true heritage.
• I Can't Dance: As demonstrated in "Through Heaven's Eyes." Tzipporah "convinces" him to join in.
• I Have You Now, My Pretty: Subverted, towards Tzipporah (near the beginning of the movie), in that he's hesitant to take her as his concubine. Not because he doesn't like her, or isn't attracted to her, but because he doesn't want to see her enslaved against her will (and he's pretty intimidated by her). Once he gets an opportunity, he helps her escape.
• I Just Want to Be Free: A variant. Moses' primary motivation for most of the film is to set his people free.
• "I Want" Song: Inverted with "All I Ever Wanted." Rather than singing about wanting more out of life, the song is about Moses trying to convince himself that he already has everything he could ever want and has no reason to be dissatisfied. It becomes a Dark Reprise once the Ten Plagues begin.
• It Sucks to Be the Chosen One: He really wished that God chose someone else to free his people, as he watches his home Egypt crumble by the 10 plagues and he has to stand against his adopted brother.
  And even now I wish that God had chose another; serving as your foe on His behalf is the LAST thing that I wanted....
• Like a Son to Me: It didn't matter to King Seti or Queen Tuya that Moses was a Hebrew child, he was their son.
• Manly Tears: May also count as Tender Tears, since it happens more often than with most heroes (or he's just had a hard life). Mostly just gets misty eyed, but he openly weeps during his second Heroic BSoD.
• Meaningful Name: His name can mean (among other things) either "one who was drawn out [saved]" or "one who draws out [saves]." In other words, it means both "saved/delivered" and "savior/deliverer." Both meanings are alluded to in the opening number, "Deliver Us" (in Miriam's section especially), and both are represented in his life throughout the film.
• Memento Macguffin: The ring that Rameses gave him, which represents their relationship. He gives it back after he puts his people, and their freedom, before his relationship with Rameses.
• Messiah Creep: Ironically, he takes on traits associated with the Messiah himself after his Character Development in the movie.
• Messianic Archetype: This is ironic since Jesus wouldn't be born until over a millennium later.
  Miriam: You are the Deliverer.
• Mirror Character: To his indirect predecessor, Joesph. Both were Hebrew Chosen Ones who impacted the history of Egypt and had connections to the pharaohs of their times. Joseph not only saved Egypt through a major drought with prophetic foresight and agricultural knowledge but helped make it thrive and prosper from Egypt trading its excess grains to its neighbors who weren't so fortunate. Meanwhile, Moses wanted to try to prevent the suffering of Egypt and its peoples, but due to Rameses' stubbornness, he can only watch on in horror and regret for what he feels his destiny has brought on.
• Misery Builds Character: Both his anguish in Egypt in the first half of the movie, and his trek into the desert.
• Mission from God: Probably the supreme example of this trope. In both this movie, and in The Bible and other texts, he has mixed feelings about his mission. It is implied (in the movie) that he finally abandons all reservations just before he parts the Red Sea.
• Momma's Boy: He was closest to his adoptive mother.
• More than Mind Control: Or rather, "More Than Infant Amnesia." Despite resembling the Hebrew slaves more than his fellow Egyptians (the fairer skin and messy brown hair) and subconsciously remembering his birth mother's last lullaby, Moses seems completely oblivious to and floored by his adoption. Moses later admits that he didn't see that he was a Hebrew because, subconsciously, he didn't want to be one. (This probably contributes to his feelings of guilt, shame, and unworthiness of leading the Hebrews.)
• Moses in the Bulrushes: As usual, he was hidden in a basket by his mother and sent adrift on the Nile in the hope that someone would find him and keep him safe. It's only natural since he's the Trope Namer, unlike the Book of Exodus, it's played perfectly in the movie since he had no knowledge of his heritage till adulthood.
• Mr. Fanservice: He is handsome and is shirtless for the first half of the film. Even after growing his hair out and sprouting a goatee, he still looks quite handsome.
• My God, What Have I Done?: He has this reaction during most of the plagues while he watches the suffering of Egyptian civilians. After the death of the Egyptian firstborn children, including Rameses' son, he slumps against the wall and breaks down sobbing, crumbling to his knees, devastated and horrified at what he has brought.
• My Master, Right or Wrong: After accepting his destiny as His messenger, he doesn't challenge or question Yahweh, even when the firstborn are slain, he remains obedient severing all former ties to his homeland, although he clearly isn't happy about it. Rameses doesn't realize or accept any of this until it's too late.
• Nature Lover: He comes to love his life as a shepherd after leaving Egypt.
• Nature Versus Nurture: Experiences a lot of angst over his Hebrew blood but Egyptian upbringing. In his interactions with Rameses to demand the release of the Hebrews, he almost seems more concerned about the Egyptians (as victims of the Plagues) than the Hebrews.
• Nice Guy: Thanks to Character Development, he becomes a friendly man who is more caring.
• No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: It happens to him a few times, the most notable instance being when he saves the old man being whipped, and when he first asks Rameses to let the Hebrews go.
• Oblivious Adoption: He had no idea that he was not truly an Egyptian.
• Oh, Crap!: A few times, the most notable being when the huge pillar of fire shoots out of the Red Sea.
• Primary-Color Champion: His Significant Wardrobe Shift consists of a red robe with gold linings and a blue body attire.
• "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Moses gives a brief one Rameses during the plague of darkness, saying that it's his own stubbornness and Lack of Empathy that's bring all this misery upon his kingdom, and he should let the Hebrews go before things go From Bad to Worse. Needless to say, Moses' criticisms don't move Rameses in the slightest.
• Red Is Heroic: He wears a red robe and wants to free the enslaved Hebrews.
• Red Oni, Blue Oni: Moses and Rameses, respectively. As young men, Moses is more rambunctious and flippant, while Rameses is more introspective and prone to angsting. When they grow up, they retain their oni roles, but in a different way. Moses is passionate and warm while Rameses is (usually, at least in his role as Pharaoh) cold and ruthless. Even their clothing reflects this. Rameses wears blue and white while Moses wears red and earth tones. They're also represented by their respective colors in one shot during "The Plagues."
• Refusal of the Call: In the burning bush scene, he tells God, "You've chosen the wrong messenger." He does this out of past guilt (feeling unworthy) rather than fear. This refusal doesn't last long since, after scaring him with His indignant impatience, God comforts him and convinces him that he'll be fine with His help.
• Riches to Rags: Zigzagged and more like "Royalty to Rags". Technically Moses was born as a Hebrew, and thus would have grown up a slave. However, thanks to his mother, he was spared from it and adopted as the youngest son of the Pharaoh. But upon discovering his true origins, witnessing his adoptive father's Lack of Empathy towards the Hebrew (casually brushing off the deaths of infants), and accidentally killing a guard for nearly beating a man to death, Moses flees from Egypt. He was taken in by Jethro, Tzipporah, and the people of their home.
• Rousing Speech: He gives a brief one to some of the Hebrews just before the song, "The Plagues." Fortunately it isn't a Sedgwick Speech, because it's quite the downer until the last couple of sentences.
  "Pharaoh has the power. He can take away your food, your home, your freedom. He can take away your sons and daughters. With one word, Pharaoh can take away your very lives. But there is one thing he cannot take away from you: your faith. Believe, for we will see God's wonders."
• Royal Brat: At the beginning of the movie. Like Rameses, only more of a troublemaker.
• Scrap Heap Hero: Also a Prodigal Hero.
• Self-Imposed Exile: He runs away to the desert after accidentally killing a man who was abusing a Hebrew slave.
• Significant Wardrobe Shift: From his princely attire to the more humble look of the Hebrews. In this case the Wardrobe Shift goes in an unusual direction: as a prince, he wears nothing but a loincloth and jewellery - going constantly shirtless and appearing very buff and handsome. After he assumes his true identity he, like the rest of the Hebrews, wears much more clothing.
• Starting a New Life: In Midian, after his self-exile from Egypt. Going Native also applies.
• Strong Family Resemblance:
  • Looks very much like his sister Miriam, especially in their eyes, and the curl pattern in their hair is very similar. They resemble each other much more than ether of them look like Aaron.
  • He (along with Miriam) is the spitting image of his mother Yocheved.
• Survivor Guilt: Implied, concerning the Hebrews—especially the ones who died during Pharaoh Seti's edict.
• Tearful Smile: Also Single Tear, right after meeting with God for the first time.
• There Is a God!: Though it is implied that Moses learned about God from Jethro and his family (and presumably had at least some faith in Him), he actually sees God "face to face" when he gets his Mission from God. This experience gives him the courage to go back to Egypt. Applied in a harsher way with the plagues.
• Took a Level in Badass: Moses goes from a spoiled, arrogant prince to the man who has accepted himself and saved his people from persecution.
• Took a Level in Kindness: After learning of his true origins, Moses loses all of his arrogance and becomes a more humble and caring person.
• Twirl of Love: To Tzipporah, once he gets back from talking with God.
• Villainous Cheekbones: Inverted, actually. Though he has prominent cheekbones, he is the hero of the movie.
• We Used to Be Friends: He and Rameses. Even more than that, they were raised as brothers. Tragically, they became enemies when Rameses was Pharaoh and Moses returned from hiding to free the Israelite slaves from bondage.
  "You who I called brother, how could you have come to hate me so?"
• Would Hit a Girl: Before his Character Development, if the girl in question is a slave. He tricks Tzipporah into falling into a moat and later on, roughly grabs Miriam's arm and throws her to the ground.
• You Are Better Than You Think You Are: Is given this moment (in song) by his future father-in-law, Jethro, after Moses tells him he's "done nothing in [his] life worth honoring." In reply, he points out that Moses saved every one of his own daughters at various points, and asks, "You think that is nothing?"

Rameses II

"I will NOT be the weak link!"

Voiced by: Ralph Fiennes; Emmanuel Jacomy (European French); Yigal Sade (Hebrew); Roberto Colucci (speaking), Fazio Galván (singing) (Latin American Spanish); Sergio Zamora (speaking), Jorge Benito (singing) (European Spanish)

The future and eventual Pharaoh of Egypt. He is Moses' adoptive older brother and best friend. However, Rameses tends to be the more responsible one. His relationship with his brother becomes strained when Moses wants Rameses to free the slaves and he won't deliver.

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• Adaptational Angst Upgrade: In this iteration, Moses and Rameses were raised as brothers, and Rameses is clearly heartbroken by Moses' self-imposed exile and eventual turn against Egypt. Contrast this to the Bible and The Ten Commandments, where Rameses (or rather the unnamed Pharaoh in the former) is not shown to have any sort of affection for Moses, even before the truth of the latter's heritage is revealed.
• Adaptational Nice Guy:
  • While still the villain, he's portrayed in a more tragic, sympathetic, and all-around human light than his Biblical counterpart. Rameses is clearly torn up about having to go against his brother, hoping that they can work things out, but ultimately decides they can't and refuses to see things any other way. Some scenes ended up having to be re-written from the original drafts of the script because Rameses came across as too nice.
  • In the Screen-to-Stage Adaptation he goes one step further, and instead of ending the story broken down in rage but also despair at losing his former brother, he wistfully reflects on knowing that; whatever burdens he must face, he has a brother out there.
• Adaptation Dye-Job: The historical Rameses II was red-haired, a detail which can still be seen on his mummy. Here he is black-haired - when he is haired at all.
• Adaptation Expansion: He's based off of the second Pharaoh in the Book of Exodus that refuses to let the Israelites slaves go, and faces God's wrath as a result. While that Pharaoh had no prior connection whatsoever, here he is Moses's Best Friend and adopted brother, which makes it all the more tragic when they oppose each another.
• Age Lift: In real life, Rameses II was appointed Prince Regent at age 14. Here, he's a young adult when that happens. Likewise, he was 49 when his firstborn son died, not in his theoretical thirties.
• Alas, Poor Villain: Rameses's downfall is portrayed with all the pathos of a family member suffering hardship. After he's been defeated, and though he tried to kill all Hebrews, Moses only feels sadness and pity towards him, muttering a forlorn 'Goodbye, brother.' as he leaves with his people while Rameses is left stranded at the other side of the sea.
• Ambition Is Evil: Surpassing his father as Pharaoh (thus not becoming the "weak link") at the expense of others' well-being (the slaves). It's one of the main reasons he becomes a villain in the first place, and refuses to back down.
• Anti-Villain: He loves his brother dearly, and refuses to seek his harm personally (with the possible exception of the "Nile turning to blood" scene), even forgiving all of the crimes Moses committed when he returns to Egypt. This lasts until the final plague does its work. From that point on, he becomes a straighter villain, even if his motives are understandable. In fact, some scenes had to be rewritten because Rameses initially came off as too sympathetic.
• Bad Boss: All slave owners are. He has the Hebrews do excruciating labor for no compensation whatsoever, doubles their work quota out of bitterness towards Moses, and was planning to recreate his father's genocide of the Hebrew babies.
  • He is also this to his subordinates. When the Plagues hit, he forced them to keep working despite all the boils they were suffering, and when Hotep and Huy were struggling to find a cure to them, he flipped their table in front of them and shooed them out.
• Bald of Evil: Once he's the Pharaoh.
• Bear Hug: When Moses returns to Egypt, he and Rameses eye each other in surprise. Rameses, however, quickly gets over the shock and grabs Moses in a giant hug, lifting him off the floor and apparently even squeezing the air out of Moses.
• Berserk Button: Never suggest that Rameses can't live up to his father's reputation or ask him to sacrifice some of his authority.
  Rameses: [repeatedly] I WILL NOT BE THE WEAK LINK!
• Beyond Redemption: After Egypt has been ravaged by the nine plagues, Moses tries one last time to plead for him to let the Hebrews go. Rameses refuses and declares that he will finish what his father started and wipe out the Hebrews. Moses can only walk away in anguish, deciding that, as horrible as what’s to come is, Rameses just isn’t going to listen to reason. Only after all of the firstborn sons of Egypt, including Rameses’ own son, have been taken by the Angel of Death does he let Moses and the Hebrews leave Egypt. However, the grieving Rameses then decides that the final plague will not be stood for and leads his army after the Hebrews, determined to slaughter the whole lot of them, firmly cementing that there will be no redemption for the Pharaoh. The Hebrew God Himself, in regards to how Rameses treated His people in order to benefit his own, gives a non-verbal scathing to the man when He spares him alone as if to say, "You ignored my warnings and ignored my command. You want your kingdom so bad, it's yours."
• Big Bad: Of the second half, when he is the primary block in the way of the Hebrews' freedom. A given, since he is an adaptation of the second Pharaoh in the Book of Exodus.
• Big Bad Friend: He's pretty much Moses's Best Friend during their early childhoods as the latter's adoptive brother. It unfortunately doesn't last in their adulthood when destiny has them opposing each other.
• Big Bad Slippage: Rameses starts off as a rather flawed young man, though it's somewhat expected of a young man looking to ascend the throne. Once he's the Pharaoh, he becomes less sympathetic, willing to keep the system of slavery going, both out of a sense of pride of what he's accomplishing and because he doesn't want to be seen as weak. Once the firstborns of Egypt die, he loses all semblance of mercy, chasing after the Hebrews after he already let them go out of a desire for revenge.
• Big Brother Instinct: To Moses. Rameses's first reaction to his little brother killing a man in front of multiple witnesses is to declare him innocent. When Moses returns after years of being gone he is ready to give his brother a high position and wipe away the crime. Unfortunately, this doesn't last forever.
• Big "NO!": Screams a massive one as the Red Sea closes, drowning his army and cutting him off from Moses.
• Break the Haughty: The death of his son. Later, the drowning of his men at the Red Sea. Rameses himself is pushed back to shore by the force of the waves; thematically, this act can be seen as God Himself pushing Rameses back with His might, the ultimate force that can humble even the proudest man.
• Cain and Abel: Eventually, with Moses, with Moses as the Abel and Rameses as the Cain. Both deeply regret it, though following the death of his son in the final plague, Rameses becomes utterly consumed by hatred for Moses, ending any fraternal bonds that might have persisted.
• Chekhov's Skill: He's shown to be an adept chariot rider at the start of the film, which comes into play during the climax. Although his skill is offset by his recklessness, which gets his chariot destroyed and leaves him stranded in the parted sea.
• Composite Character: If you view the film as an animated remake of The Ten Commandments, this version of Rameses combines aspects of the previous film's Rameses and Nefretiri. In The Ten Commandments, Moses and Rameses were raised as brothers but their relationship was always hostile, and Nefretiri was the one whose feelings for Moses changed from love to hate over the course of the film. Essentially, Prince of Egypt cuts Nefretiri and gives her character arc to Rameses, with the notable difference that the love for Moses is now brotherly instead of romantic.
• Cool Crown: Rameses gets two of them: the white Nemes he wears for most of the film, and the blue Khepresh he puts on at the climax.
• Counterpoint Duet: With Moses during "The Plagues."
• Cruel Mercy: The fate that Jehovah ultimately bestows on him. His kingdom is destroyed, his army wiped out, and his son is dead. He doesn't even get to die with his men, instead washing back up on the shores of Egypt, screaming Moses's name in hopeless rage.
• Death Glare: Gives several, mostly to Moses.
• Despair Event Horizon: The death of his son. He goes on a war campaign to kill Moses and every other Israelite afterwards.
• Despotism Justifies the Means: He's portrayed as a more sympathetic example than most, and has overlap with Utopia Justifies the Means, refusing to be the "weak link in the chain" that would destroy their dynasty and thus bring ruin upon Egypt.
• Determinator: At the climax of the film, perhaps indicating that he no longer values his own life. When the parted sea collapses, he stands his ground and tries to fight the current.
• Don't You Dare Pity Me!: Rameses telling Moses to leave him after his son's death as a result of the final plague.
• Dramatically Missing the Point: When he sees Moses distraught after accidentally killing someone, he thinks his little brother is afraid of being punished for finally going too far with his pranks. So he assures Moses that he will receive a full and immediate pardon. It doesn't occur to him that Moses is feeling guilty for the murder and can't stand the abuse heaped on the Hebrews.
• Drives Like Crazy: His chariot race with Moses at the very beginning of the movie, especially after being goaded by him.
• Drowning My Sorrows: He appears to be trying to do this when Moses arrives to plead with him one last time to let the Hebrews go.
• Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Rameses still loves Moses after he becomes Pharaoh and honestly wishes that things turned out differently between them. Also, what really pushed Rameses to kill off the Hebrews was the death of his son.
• Everybody's Dead, Dave: His armies at the Red Sea. An inverse of the trope, since it usually applies to the hero of the story.
• Evil Brit: Has his voice actor's natural English accent.
• Evil Counterpart:
  • To Moses. Both are (or were) the princes of Egypt who grew up to be royal brats with an callous attitude toward the Hebrew slaves. But while Moses became more humble and chooses to help the Hebrews, Rameses grows more arrogant of his status and more vicious to the Hebrews than his father before him.
  • To Miriam. Both are the elder siblings of Moses who help influence him in some way. Miriam helps Moses recognize his destiny to free the Hebrew slaves and forgives him for his earlier cruelty towards her, while Rameses encourages Moses to forget about the suffering Hebrews and uses brute force when Moses refuses.
• Evil Former Friend: To Moses, a rather tragic deconstruction of the trope. The audience is made to understand why Rameses is the way he is, even if his actions aren't excused.
• Evil Sounds Deep: It's a given anytime Ralph Fiennes plays a villain.
• Expository Hairstyle Change: By the time Moses has returned, Rameses cut off the side ponytail he had in his youth.
• Fatal Flaw:
  • Pride. He absolutely refuses to be the "weak link," endlessly comparing himself to his own father. Even when Moses tells him something even worse is coming, Rameses still won't listen. If that's not enough, he still tries to chase down Moses and the Hebrews after he lets them go out of wounded pride, and that doesn't go so well, either.
  • Also, Apathy. He is chided by his father as a young man for letting Moses get him into trouble and not doing anything about it. When he becomes Pharaoh, he has not learned his lesson, caring little for the suffering of both the Hebrew slaves and his own people during the plagues. It takes the death of his own son by the Plague of the Firstborn for him to finally realize his error.
• Final Solution: After allowing the slaves to go free, Rameses changes his mind and leads his army after the former slaves as retribution for the final plague.
  Rameses: [ordering his army into the Red Sea after the Israelites] DON'T JUST STAND THERE! KILL THEM! KILL THEM ALL!
• Fist Pump: When he declares his intent to wipe out the escaping Hebrews.
• Flipping the Table: Rameses does this to the priests' table right before he jumps into his half of the emotionally-charged "Plagues" duet.
• Foil:
  • To Moses, in conjunction with also being his Evil Counterpart. Moses is a Hebrew who starts out as the irresponsible younger sibling, but later grows more caring and focused on his work; Rameses is an Egyptian who begins as the responsible older brother, but later allows his pride to blind him to what was right.
  • To Miriam, in conjunction with him also being her Evil Counterpart. Miriam is a poor Hebrew slave who convinces Moses to fulfill his duty of freeing their people; Rameses is a royal Egyptian who tries (and fails) to persuade Moses to not care about the Israelites.
  • To Aaron. They are both Moses' older brothers (Aaron biologically, Rameses by adoption), and their relationships with him veer in completely opposite Hourglass Plot-like directions. Moses is initially close to Rameses and has a less than ideal start with Aaron, whose cynicism makes him scornful toward Moses. Aaron eventually warms to Moses and embraces him as his brother, while Rameses grows to hate Moses for the plague that killed his son.
• Foolish Sibling, Responsible Sibling: He starts out being the responsible, dutiful older sibling to Moses's foolish and carefree younger sibling. This is lampshaded briefly after their chariot race, and inverted when the two grow up - Moses has now found his calling, but Rameses is too proud to realize that he's about to make the mistake of his life.
• Four-Temperament Ensemble: He forms this with his parents and Moses as the Melancholic since he is analytical and prone to angst.
• Freudian Excuse: This version of Rameses' has at least some justification for his obstinacy against freeing the Israelites; he's a major "Well Done, Son" Guy with an emotionally abusive father who called him "the weak link in the chain". As a result, Rameses becomes a Pharaoh determined to never do something he (or, most likely what his father would) consider weak, developing into his two fatal flaws — stubbornness and pride.
• Get Out!: During the plague of boils in "The Plagues", as Hotep and Huy are unsuccessfully trying to cure their boils, Rameses furiously flips over their table of medicines and points to the left, banishing them. They don't appear for the rest of the movie.
  • He also did this to Moses when the latter tried to comfort him for the loss of his son.
• A God Am I: Rameses repeatedly refers to himself as "the morning and the evening star," pointing to the fact that as Pharaoh, he is supposed to be a god incarnate. He is proven wrong when God Himself smites Egypt.
• God-Emperor: Per ancient Egyptian tradition, he sees himself as this—he tries to console Moses after his accidental murder of the overseer by telling him that as pharaoh-to-be, he can "make it as though it never happened", and his pride in believing himself a god incarnate makes him refuse to free the Hebrews.
• Green-Eyed Monster: Towards Moses, because he chooses the Hebrews over him. He takes his anger out on the Israelites, out of spite.
• Head-in-the-Sand Management: Not only does he care little for the suffering of the Hebrew slaves, but he refuses to act when Moses demands he let the Israelites go, not even caring "how high the cost may grow" when his own people are suffering from the Plagues until his own son is killed because of his refusal to act.
• Heel–Face Turn: In the stage musical, Rameses cannot go through with having his army slaughter Moses and the escaping Hebrews, which Hotep attempts to have them do instead. He makes peace with Moses afterwards and willingly lets the Hebrews go their separate ways from Egypt.
• Historical Villain Upgrade: The real Rameses II was almost certainly not the Pharaoh of the Exodus (Who was likely Thutmoses III or another ruler from the New Kingdom period), and there is no evidence that he attempted genocide against any ethnic group, let alone the Hebrews.
• Honor Before Reason: Even as the plagues are underway and Egypt is falling down around him, Rameses adamantly refuses to release the Hebrews, determined not to be the "weak link" that would destroy his father's legacy. Needless to say, it backfires horribly.
• Hope Spot: When Moses returns from the desert, and Rameses thinks he's come back to stay and be brothers again.
• I Have You Now, My Pretty: Towards Tzipporah, when he forcefully grabs her cheeks and makes her look towards him. She gets him to back off by trying to bite his hand.
• Inferiority Superiority Complex: Under his cheerful yet somewhat arrogant personality, it is implied to be this. His comment of him not wanting to be the "weak link" may mean that he feels inferior to his father and, by proxy, other pharaohs before him. This is also seen with his constant groaning and deep regret, as if he's fighting his own emotions and his importance as pharaoh. The cause of his inferiority is even implied at the beginning of the movie, as his father notes that he has lots of responsibility as the first-born son, which would definitely had taken a toll on his mental health and make him develop an inferiority complex.
• Irony: Twice over:
  • He refuses to be the "weak link" that will bring down the dynasty because he believes it will bring ruin upon Egypt. His stubborn refusal to free the Israelite slaves in accordance with this philosophy brings ruin upon Egypt in the form of the Ten Plagues.
  • He continuously tries to prove he's not the "weak link" and that he can compare to Seti... Even after surpassing him by building an entire new and more grandiose capital for Egypt.
• A Lesson Learned Too Well: Seti's lesson to Rameses about never being led astray from his traditions, including the keeping (and general mistreatment) of slaves.
• Made of Iron: At the climax, he takes a direct hit from the Red Sea, gets thrown into the air, and is slammed onto the rocky shore without so much as a scratch. Any regular human would have been turned into a fine paste with that kind of impact.
• Memento Macguffin: The ring he gave to Moses, which represents their relationship. After Moses gives it back, he wears it for the rest of the film. It most likely becomes a Tragic Keepsake in the end.
• Murder by Inaction: His attitude towards the Hebrews (thought it starts out more as "Let Them Suffer"), as well as to the Egyptians themselves once they start suffering from the plagues. Because of Rameses' pride he refuses to yield and end the suffering. Eventually this leads to his becoming Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds.
• Nepharious Pharaoh: A more sympathetic example than most, but he's still pretty awful to the Israelites.
• Never My Fault: Rameses doesn't understand that all the suffering that has happened to him, notably the death of his son, is a result of his own stubbornness.
• No Sympathy: Towards the slaves, to the point where he planned on recreating his father's purging of all the Hebrew baby boys, essentially just to spite Moses.
• Oh, Crap!: Subverted, when Moses' staff turns into a cobra. He seems to be the only one (besides Moses) who doesn't have this reaction during this scene.
• Outliving One's Offspring: His son dies as a result of the Last Plague, and he becomes a broken, hateful shell of his former self afterwards.
• Papa Wolf: Overrules his Big Brother Instinct. The death of his son caused Rameses to go into an Unstoppable Rage.
• Pet the Dog: While he is a ruthless ruler who has thousands of people in harsh, abject servitude, he's also a very caring and loving father towards his son. He also, despite all the plagues suffered by Egypt (due to his arrogance), briefly offers Moses the chance to come back with him and be friends again by asking why things can't be the way they were before.
• Please, Don't Leave Me: Rameses all but begs Moses not do this after Moses kills a slave driver and plans to flee Egypt in the wake of this and learning his true heritage.
  Rameses: Moses... please.
• Please Spare Him, My Liege!: Averted due to never getting a chance to invoke this; Moses leaves Egypt before he has the chance to do so. When Moses returns, he is now Pharaoh, and immediately pardons his adoptive sibling of his crime.
• Pride: Moses recognizes that this, along with stubbornness, are Rameses' major flaws in "Plagues”.
• Red Oni, Blue Oni: Moses and Rameses, respectively. As young men, Moses is more rambunctious and flippant, while Rameses is more introspective and prone to angsting. When they grow up, they retain their oni roles, but in a different way. Moses is passionate and warm while Rameses is (usually, at least in his role as Pharaoh) cold and ruthless. Even their clothing reflects this. Rameses wears blue and white while Moses wears red and earth tones. They're also represented by their respective colors in one shot during "The Plagues."
• Ridiculously Fast Construction: Manages to get a lot done in the ten or so years that Moses was gone. This reflects both his ambition and the harsh life conditions of the slaves who actually built his monuments.
• Roaring Rampage of Revenge: The climax, where Rameses, despite freeing the Hebrews earlier, snaps and decides to lead his men in a chase to slaughter the Hebrews before they escape. Thanks to God's intervention, they fail miserably.
• Royal Blood: Rameses is destined to be Pharaoh, because of this. Likely as a result of this, he has no real regard for anyone outside of his immediate family. In spite of his own loyalty to—and reliance on—his bloodline and their traditions, he tries to convince Moses to ignore his own, but Moses will have none of that.
• Royal Brat: At the beginning of the movie (and some aspects continue later on). Not as bad as some examples, and he tries to be responsible and good—but often gets caught up in the heat of Moses' early shenanigans.
• Royal Decree: "Be still, Pharaoh speaks..." It's likely that he got this from his father.
• Sanity Slippage: Rameses becomes more and more unhinged as the people of Egypt are punished by God. And when the final Plague kills his son, he goes insane with grief and hate. Towards the end of the film, he leads his soldiers in a campaign to kill Moses and the rest of the former Hebrew slaves. He's only stopped by God and loses his army in the process, and is last shown crying and raging at Moses.
• Saved by Canon: Due to being the historical Rameses II, he cannot die in the story as the real Rameses would die peacefully at a ripe old age of 90. Thus, he becomes the Sole Survivor of his army that drowned in the Red Sea.
• Say My Name: "MOSES!"
• Screw the Rules, I Make Them!: Rameses promises to absolve Moses from the crime of murder (which he fulfills when Moses returns to Egypt) because he is "the morning and the evening star" and can change the laws however he deems fit. He goes far enough as to say he can "make it so it never happened.”
• Self-Fulfilling Prophecy: Not a prophecy per se, but a fear that he would bring about the downfall of his dynasty by being weak. This very fear leads to the collapse of his kingdom by multiple plagues and the Hebrew slaves escaping.
• Shadow Archetype: He is this to Moses as they are both raised as Egyptian princes. However, Moses discovers that he was born a Hebrew slave after he followed Tzipporah to Israel where he learned from Miriam that he is her brother prompting him to run back to Egypt and his god was the ruler of the universe and he agrees to help his people and his concerned for the people in Egypt. Rameses on the other hand becomes Pharaoh taking his father's place and refuses to free Moses' people and didn't even consider the suffering of the Hebrews or even the Egyptians during the plagues. Rameses serves as an example of what Moses would've become if he had not met Tzipporah.
• Shoo Out the Clowns: During "The Plagues", Rameses enters a room with Hotep and Huy as they are applying ointment to their boils. Enraged at their inability to stop the plagues, Rameses orders them to leave. They are not seen again in the film.
• Spared by the Adaptation: In the Exodus, the Pharaoh drowned with his soldiers when the Red Sea crashed in on them. Rameses is the only survivor of his men in the film and is left washed up on shore after defeat, screaming Moses' name in rage.
• Strong Family Resemblance: Looks very much like his mother, Queen Tuya.
• Tempting Fate: When he threatens to resume killing the Hebrews ("finish[ing] the job"). More specifically, when he proclaims that "there shall be a great cry in all the land of Egypt."
• Then Let Me Be Evil: He develops this attitude after Moses returns for his people and not for his adoptive brother. The line he sings in "The Plagues" says it better.
  "Then let my heart be hardened/And never mind how high the cost may grow.
  This will still be so:
  I will never let your people go!"
• Tragic Villain: Unlike his counterparts from The Ten Commandments and The Bible, Rameses is portrayed much more sympathetically here, even if he's still the villain. He only becomes what he is because of his overbearing father and the environment he grows up in. His overwhelming sense of pride and refusal to be seen as weak are what cause his downfall here.
• Unable to Cry: Even after his son dies, though it doesn't mean he isn't sad (nor unsympathetic).
• Used to Be a Sweet Kid: It's hard to imagine the young Rameses seen in the beginning clinging to his mother would grow up to be a cold-blooded, villainous Big Bad.
• Villainous Breakdown: In a very tragic example, Rameses becomes more and more unhinged as the Ten Plagues go on. He finally snaps after the death of his son, riding after Moses and the Israelites and, when they try to escape him through the Red Sea, he shouts to his men "Kill them! KILL THEM ALL!" His last scene is of him screaming in rage and agony, either cursing Moses or calling him to him in utter despair.
• Villainous Underdog: Well, he's opposing God almighty. It's not a question of whether he'll lose but of how much misery he'll bring on everyone before then.
• We Used to Be Friends: He and Moses. Even more than that, they were raised as brothers. Tragically, they became enemies when Rameses was Pharaoh and Moses returned from hiding to free the Israelite slaves from bondage.
  "You who I called brother, how could you have come to hate me so?
  Is this what you wanted?"
• "Well Done, Son" Guy: Moses even tells Seti I that all Rameses wants is his approval.
• Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds: His response to his Despair Event Horizon, towards the Israelites.

Miriam

"Though hope is frail, it's hard to kill."

Voiced by: Sandra Bullock, Limor Shapira (Hebrew), Layda Álvarez Ponce (Latin American Spanish), Elvira Prado (European Spanish)
(Adult Singing) Voiced by: Brenda Chapman ("River Lullaby"), Sally Dworsky ("When You Believe"), Tamar Giladi (Hebrew dub), Patty Tanús (Latin American Spanish), Claudia Bardagí (European Spanish)
(Child) Voiced by: Eden Riegel, Alondra Torres (Latin American Spanish)

The older sister of both Moses and Aaron. As a child, she watched her youngest brother be sent away from the Hebrews and then adopted by the royal family. Since then she never lost hope that he would return and deliver her, Aaron, and their people from slavery. She is the representation of the hope for the Hebrews.

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• Adaptational Badass: In the Bible, it was Aaron who was the sibling who believed in Moses and spoke out against the injustices of their people while Miriam was the sibling who was initially cynical of Moses' goal. Here, their situations are switched.
• All-Loving Hero: Miriam is a deeply compassionate person. She only wants the freedom of her people and no one to get hurt.
• Badass Pacifist: Miriam doesn't lift a violent finger in the whole movie, but her speeches of hope are amazing and powerful on their own.
• Bear Hug: Gives a mini-version of this to Aaron at the end of the film.
• Berserk Button: Seems gentle and very slow to anger until she sees something unjust going on. She's especially prone to losing it whenever a fellow slave is being mistreated.
• Big Sister Instinct: Older than both of her brothers, yet this trope is only played straight with Moses: First, when Miriam follows his basket down the Nile until it safely lands at the palace, and then later on when she steps in to save Moses from a potential No-Holds-Barred Beatdown by a mob of pissed off slaves led by Aaron. And she spends a lot of time providing Moses with emotional and moral support as well.
• Born into Slavery: Like her brothers and mother, Miriam was born as a slave to the Egyptians.
• Cassandra Truth: At first, Miriam is the only one who believes Moses is chosen by God to be the deliverer, as she was the only one who saw what happened to Moses in his basket. Getting this concept through to everyone else is a huge uphill climb as well as a big part of her arc.
• Chronic Hero Syndrome: Is implied to be this when she sees a man getting severely beaten and wants to do something about it. Aaron keeps her from doing this because she might get killed or hurt.
• The Conscience: To Moses. She reveals his identity to him, in order to put him on the path toward delivering the Hebrews out of slavery. And when Moses breaks down, unsure of himself, Miriam provides emotional support, but also keeps him focused on his mission and reassures him he's doing the right thing.
• Cool Big Sis: To Moses, and to a lesser extent, Aaron. She's their moral compass and their main source of hope, and the few times when she scolds her brothers, she's firm but never antagonistic about it.
• Crazy Enough to Work: When she sings their mother's lullaby to convince Moses that he really is her and Aaron's brother.
• Dark and Troubled Past: Shared with Aaron — unlike their younger brother, they grew up as slaves. It's not hard to imagine the kind of troubles and heartache they had to endure.
• Establishing Character Moment: The opening sequence, where young Miriam follows Moses' basket down the Nile until she's sure her baby brother is safe, really emphasizes her courage and compassion. And it sets up her faith in God and in the idea that Moses was saved to rescue the Hebrews from slavery.
• Foolish Sibling, Responsible Sibling: Appears to be this with Aaron at first, as her outspoken nature almost leads to her (and possibly Aaron, who shamelessly pleads with Moses) getting flogged after she stubbornly tells Moses who he really is. It gets flipped by the end of the film: Miriam's faith in Moses and her actions appear to be wise in retrospect while Aaron's earlier skepticism looks cowardly and misguided.
• The Glomp: Has one with Tzipporah at the end of the film.
• Heterosexual Life-Partners: Implied to become this with Tzipporah as they sing together in "When You Believe" and give a hug to one another at the end.
• Hope Bringer: Especially for Moses. It's implied in "When You Believe" that she fills a similar role for the Hebrews in general. Her optimism tends to spread to those around her. She is the representation of hope in this film.
• Hope Spot: When she and Aaron first meet up with Moses, and she thinks he knows they're his siblings and that he's come to free them.
• I Just Want to Be Free: Seeking freedom for herself and for her people guides much of what she does in the movie.
• "I Want" Song: Gets a very brief one at the end of "Deliver Us," as she watches baby Moses being lovingly held by his new adoptive mother.
  Brother, you're safe now, and safe may you stay
  For I have a prayer just for you
  Grow, baby brother, come back someday
  Come and deliver us too...
• Leitmotif: You can hear strains of "When You Believe" in the background in some of her scenes long before the whole song makes an appearance.
• Little Big Sister: She's the oldest, but is dwarfed by both her brothers.
• Nice Girl: Gentle, peace-seeking, and empathetic. Much of her impulsive behavior comes from her compassion for other people.
  • Throughout the movie, she is shown consoling or speaking up for people who have been hurt or treated unfairly, often putting her own life on the line to do so.
  • Miriam actually smiles up at Moses when she realizes she has finally gotten through to him about his true identity and sees how panicked he is. And this is right after Moses grabbed her and flung her to the ground for speaking up about it.
  • Both when Moses accidentally kills the slave driver, and when he returns to Egypt and the other Israelites make him a pariah and get violent, Miriam steps in to protect and console him - she saves his life before Moses even has a chance to apologize for what he did to her.
• Not Afraid to Die: The risk of death is pretty implicit in a Hebrew slave a) telling a prince of Egypt that he's actually born of Hebrew slaves, and b) intervening to save a fellow slave from getting whipped to death. It doesn't stop her for a minute; she fearlessly attempts both.
• Not Allowed to Grow Old: Besides her being a child in the opening sequence, she shows little to no signs of aging throughout the movie, despite taking place over the course of 10+ years. Contrast with Aaron, who (like Moses) ages quite noticeably—with longer hair and increased age lines. If she does change, it's too subtle to easily notice. It's rather jarring when you compare how she looks to Moses, Aaron and Rameses - who are all younger than her. But she doesn't look as old as they do.
• Oh, Crap!: Several times, the first being when Moses accidentally kills the Egyptian.
• Out-of-Character Moment: Downplayed, in that it is subtle, and it isn't acknowledged by the other characters. After the tenth plague kills the firstborn Egyptians, both Moses and Tzipporah are clearly saddened over the event, but Miriam actually seems happy. She tones down, though, upon seeing their sadness, before beginning the song "When You Believe."
  • Given her many years of oppression under slavery (which neither Moses nor Tzipporah experienced/observed for very long) and the fact she witnessed the Hebrew babies' slaughter (being Yocheved's eldest child, she understood what was going on and remembers it more clearly than Aaron, let alone Moses), her reaction is understandable. Also, judging by the song, she's happy because the Hebrews are finally free, not (necessarily) because the Egyptians died.
  • Briefly dials back the optimism she's known for when, in her speech to Moses and in "When You Believe," she talks openly about the pain of her life as a slave and the frustration of having her prayers go unanswered for so long.
• The Pollyanna: Also a Plucky Girl. This woman has never given up on hope. It was best portrayed in "When You Believe".
• Red Oni, Blue Oni: Passionate red oni to Aaron's cautious blue oni. Roles are reversed with her and Tzipporah - Tzipporah is quick tempered and feisty, and Miriam is a quiet take on The Determinator.
• Security Cling: To her brother Aaron as they watch the Red Sea close over the Egyptians.
• Shown Their Work: While not technically in the Bible, a popular Jewish story/belief is that Miriam was a prophetess in her own right who foresaw that her baby brother would be chosen by God to deliver their people from slavery. In this film, Miriam also realizes that God chose Moses as the deliverer when he's a baby, and retains that faith and certainty for the rest of her life.
• Sibling Yin-Yang: With Aaron, both in looks and personality; consequently, they have their share of disagreements, though it is clear they both love each other in spite of this.
• Silly Rabbit, Cynicism Is for Losers!: This is one of the main themes of this movie, and Miriam is its primary embodiment.
• Single Tear: Two tears actually, but close enough. Miriam sheds two tears when she repeats Yocheved's lullaby to Moses.
• Slipknot Ponytail: Her ponytail comes undone when she gets thrown to the ground near the beginning of the film.
• Strong Family Resemblance:
  • Looks a lot like her mother. In one of the movie's most iconic moments, this is actually Played for Drama when Moses realizes Miriam is telling the truth after she sings their mother's lullaby — her posture and the way her hair blows across her face make her look eerily similar to Yocheved when she sent Moses down the river.
  • Looks a lot like Moses. They resemble each other much more than either of them look like Aaron. In some places their hair even curls in identical ways.
• Tearful Smile: Smiles through her tears after Moses recognizes the lullaby she sings to him.
• There Are No Coincidences: It is her ability to look beyond the surface which allows her to have hope and inspire others.
  "God saved you [Moses] from the river, He saved you in all your wanderings, and even now He saves you from the wrath of Pharaoh. God will not abandon you... so don't you abandon us."
• Tritagonist: After Moses and Rameses, it's Miriam whose character is the most fleshed out and whose actions have the greatest impact on the story.
• Undying Loyalty: Of all the characters in this film, Miriam is the only one who never loses her faith in Moses or expresses any doubts about his mission. Aaron is cynical for most of the film, and Tzipporah is initially skeptical and angry when Moses tells her about his encounter with God.
• You Are Better Than You Think You Are: Has to break this out whenever Moses needs a confidence boost. Miriam constantly reminds him that God has chosen him to do great things. Particularly after Moses is knocked into the mud pit and Aaron unloads on him.

Tzipporah

"I'm coming with you."

Voiced by: Michelle Pfeiffer; Orna Katz (speaking), Sharona Nastovitsh (singing) (Hebrew dub); Dulce Guerrero (speaking), Aranza (singing) (Latin American Spanish); Montse Teruel (European Spanish), Vera Miranda (Brazilian Portuguese)

A woman of the Midianite tribe, she was to be offered to Rameses (who subsequently offered her to Moses instead) as a slave, but manages to escape. She's not seen again until much later, when she takes Moses back to her people after he saves her three sisters from bandits during his time in the desert. She later becomes his wife, and supports him in his quest to release the Hebrews.

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• Adaptational Angst Upgrade: Her being a slave in Egypt, and her meeting Moses before he arrives in Midian.
• Aloof Dark-Haired Girl: At least until she warms up to Moses. See Defrosting Ice Queen.
• Anger Born of Worry: A non-severe example, when Moses first tells her about his Mission from God. With helpful words from Moses, she quickly sets aside her worries.
  But Moses, you're just one man...
• Ascended Extra: She largely takes over Aaron's role as Moses' main support when he returns to Egypt, while Aaron himself remains rather cynical of Moses until the actual exodus.
• Bathe Her and Bring Her to Me: A variant. Rameses orders that she be dried off (after falling into a moat) and sent to Moses' room.
• Big Ol' Eyebrows: At least compared to other characters; it makes sense when considering her father, Jethro.
• The Chief's Daughter: Tzipporah is the eldest daughter (of four) of Jethro, the High Priest of Median. Not all the trope characteristics apply, but she is depicted as darker and of more "exotic" descent than Moses (though according to THE book, the people of Median also shared the Hebrew faith). Main subversion of this trope is that she is initially suspicious of Moses, and has more of a Slap-Slap-Kiss dynamic with him, up until their wedding scene.
• Composite Character: Tzipporah is a mix of Moses' two wives from the Bible. She takes the name and role of the Biblical Tzipporah (a Midian priest's daughter) but she is designed to resemble his Cushite (Ethiopian) wife. Some theologians think the Biblical Tzipporah and the Cushite woman were the same person (which is what this version of Tzipporah is based on) but no one knows for certain. This rendition of Tzipporah being a composite of Moses two wives is not new, as Ezekiel the Tragedian, a second-century B.C.E. Jewish playwright from Alexandria, Egypt wrote about her being a Cushite from Midian.
• Cry into Chest: A shoulder variant. With Moses, briefly, just before "When You Believe." A unique example of the trope, in that she does it not for her own pains (directly), but out of empathy for the pains of others, especially Moses, whom were affected by the deaths of the firstborn.
• Daddy's Girl: Implied to be this with her father, Jethro.
• Damsel out of Distress: Manages to escape from the Egyptian palace on her own by overpowering the man assigned to guard her and escaping out the window with a Bedsheet Ladder.
• Death Glare: Gives a rather piercing one to Moses when he deliberately makes her fall in a moat. She also gives one to Rameses, and later to Aaron.
• Defiant Captive: She tries to bite Rameses' hand when he moves her face towards his. She also yanks the rope she's tied to out of the Egyptian High Priest's hands.
• Defrosting Ice Queen: Justified. Tzipporah is initially cold and hostile towards Moses in their second meeting because their prior time together involved him making her fall into a moat, affronting her dignity. After they meet again, with him now humbled, she began to see a decent side to him.
• Dramatic Sit-Down: When Moses tells her of his experience with God/the burning bush, as well as his mission. Happens out of shock and fear/anxiety, rather than depression (see Anger Born of Worry above).
• Dude Magnet: Rameses and Moses were quite taken by her looks. Tzipporah initially wasn't interested in either, but does later fall in love with the latter after he loses all of his arrogance.
• Effortless Amazonian Lift: She (practically) single-handedly lifts Moses out of a well with a rope, which is surprising given her thin build.
• Farm Boy: "Shepherd Girl". Also the Shepherd's Daughter, though without the negative connotations.
• Forgiveness: Because Moses helps her escape from Egypt, and helps her sisters against a couple of bandits (and after a light-hearted case of Restrained Revenge), she is able to completely forgive him of his former trespasses against her. This eventually leads to their close friendship and marriage.
• The Glomp: Has one with Miriam after safely crossing the Red Sea.
• Go-Go Enslavement: When she first meets Moses as a captured and imprisoned slave, she's wearing a revealing, midriff-baring outfit. So Beautiful, It's a Curse applies as well, and this disturbing trope too. Once she's freed she changes to less revealing clothes.
• Happily Married: With Moses. They share a close relationship, offering support for one another when needed.
• Held Gaze: She shares one with Moses on their wedding day.
• Hot-Blooded: This trait was (likely) one of the reasons she was able to escape from Egypt. Also a primary characteristic of her support for Moses in his mission.
• Hot Gypsy Woman: She's not a Gypsy, but most of the trope characteristics apply to her.
• I Just Want to Be Free: While she's a slave at the beginning of the film. She also goes with Moses to assist him with his mission to free his people.
• Inconsistent Spelling: The most common spelling of her name is "Tzipporah". But, it's often spelled as either "Tziporrah," "Zipporah," or "Sephora."
• Ink-Suit Actor: Her design was mildly based on her voice actor — Michelle Pfeiffer.
• Makes Us Even: A comedic example when she finds Moses in the well. Still remembering the time he humiliated her by letting her fall into a pond at the banquet, she unceremoniously drops him right back in. She then seems content that they're "even" and doesn't bear him any more ill-will, and is shown to be much warmer and more appreciative of him from then on.
• Mating Dance: A somewhat subdued version, given the culture portrayed and the nature of the film. Still, judging by her dance moves, facial expressions, and the huge bonfire nearby, this is clearly an example of the trope. Moses does his best to keep up.
• Meaningful Echo:
  • Moses' earlier line to her, "Look at your family. They are free." Her words are the last spoken lines of the film. ("Look. Look at your people, Moses. They are free.")
  • Also, "Dance with me!"
• Meaningful Look: Though she does this often, one especially notable (yet subtle) example is after Moses says, "I've done nothing in my life worth honoring."
• Meaningful Name:
  • Her name means "bird," and when introduced she wants nothing more than to be free.
  • During "When You Believe," she also admits prayer often seems in vain, "like the summer birds, too swiftly flown away."
• Ms. Fanservice: See Go-Go Enslavement. (Even without that outfit she's still pretty fanservicey.)
• Nature Lover: Same as Moses, she enjoys life as a shepherd nomad.
• Necktie Leash: This is how she gets Moses to finally start dancing, though she uses a scarf "lasso" rather than something he's already wearing.
• Nice Girl: Underneath her defiant and rather haughty attitude, she's really sweet and supportive.
• Not Afraid to Die: Some may see her as this, particularly concerning her actions in the court of Pharaoh at the beginning of the movie. Others may see her as this. See also Violently Protective Wife below.
• Not Allowed to Grow Old: For the 10+ years that go by from the Age Cut, she shows no noticeable signs of aging. Contrast with Moses whose hair grows out, and who gets more age lines. If she does change, it's too subtle to easily notice. (All the male adults change noticeably from before and after.)
• Oh, Crap!: Several, including when the Nile turns to blood. Also, when the Red Sea comes crashing back down.
• The Quiet One: Has relatively few lines for the amount of screen time she gets, and all of them are straightforward and without padding (with the exception of her parts in "When You Believe"). She communicates more often through expressions, gestures, touch, and body language. Ironically enough, she gets the last lines in the film.
• Race Lift: The Biblical Tzipporah is generally thought to have been Middle Eastern, but she's depicted as black here.
  • However, many religious scholars do believe that Tzipporah was Cushite, or African.
• Sassy Black Woman: She may be The Quiet One but she has a fiery personality and is very proud of herself when she lets Moses drop back into the well.
• Security Cling: To Moses, after he gets knocked down and confronted by disgruntled Hebrew slaves (including Aaron). A variation of the norm, since she does it to help him, rather than the other way around.
• Sexy Silhouette: Subverted for comedic effect. After Moses has Tziporrah sent to his chambers by Rameses, he sees a shapely, shadowy figure sitting on his bed behind a curtain. He composes himself awkwardly before pulling the curtain back—to reveal that it is actually the servant who had escorted her sitting there, and he is all tied up. He then notices that his dogs are tied up as well and there is a Bedsheet Ladder going over the balcony.
• Sexy Slit Dress: Tzipporah is always seen wearing a skirt/dress with slits on either side to show off her long legs, adding to her Ms. Fanservice status.
• Single Woman Seeks Good Man: Doesn't want to be given (forcibly) to anyone, especially not to Rameses or Moses, whom she thought of as "arrogant, pampered palace brat[s]". It was only after Moses covered for her escape when Tzipporah sees a hint of good in him. After Moses's self-exile, he rescues her three sisters from water thieves, which also convinces her of his good character. And during the "Through Heaven's Eyes" montage, she gets to know him as being sweet, sensitive, and humble. Consequently, they fall in love and get married.
• Spiteful Spit: In her first scene when Rameses approaches her she spits at him, causing him to comment that rather than a "desert flower" as she was described she's "more like a desert cobra!"
• Statuesque Stunner: She's the same height as Moses, and about as tall as the average man in this movie.
• Terms of Endangerment: She was once known as a "Desert Flower" (and "Desert Cobra") when she was forced to be a concubine to either Rameses or Moses.
• True Blue Femininity: Underscores her more gentle and virtuous qualities. Also stands as a contrast to Moses' red robe (who is, ironically, usually less assertive than her).
• The Ugly Guy's Hot Daughter: Her father, Jethro, isn't exactly ugly, but Tzipporah is just...wow.
• Undying Loyalty: Applies to all the characters in some way or another, though it is especially notable with Tzipporah when she decides to support Moses in his mission to free the Hebrew slaves—in spite of all the odds against them (implying faith in/loyalty to God as well).
• Unhand Them, Villain!: A hero variant. She later gets her revenge (see Unsportsmanlike Gloating below).
• Unkempt Beauty: Even after she falls into a moat and gets messed up, she is still beautiful.
• Unsportsmanlike Gloating: Of the unspoken variety. She indulges in a little bit of this after dropping Moses back down a well he fell into earlier. She concludes it by walking away with a heavily exaggerated Menacing Stroll.
• Uptown Girl: Interesting play in her relationship with Moses. When they first meet, she's a slave and he's a prince. When they meet again in Median, she's the daughter of the man in charge - Jethro the priest, and he is a refugee. By the climax, they become the first couple to the Hebrews.
• Violently Protective Girlfriend: Implied and a wife variant. If you're a bad guy, don't touch Moses in front of Tzipporah. When Moses looked like he was going to be injured by Rameses's armed guards, Tzipporah immediately moved to stop them, broke out of Aaron's hold and likely would have defended them had the blood in the river not ended all conflict. She also immediately ran to Moses' side shortly before this, when the disgruntled Hebrew slaves threw mud at him (causing him to stumble and trip) and started to approach him with possible violent intentions.
• With Due Respect: With Moses when they first meet. Subverted, in that she is completely open about him not having any "due" respect at that time. (Also, the situation has nothing to do with military rank, to which the trope normally applies.)
  "But I am showing you all the respect you deserve: *Beat* None!"
• You Are Better Than You Think You Are: Combined with Meaningful Look when Moses tells her father, "I have done nothing in my life worth honoring." She looks surprised and saddened to hear he thinks this, implying she feels he's very much worth honoring at this point. This is especially significant because the last time they spoke she told him he wasn't worthy of any respect, and the last time they interacted she dropped him in a well for humiliating her back in Egypt.

Aaron

"When did God start caring about any of us? In fact, Moses, when did you start caring about slaves? Was it when you found out that you were one of us?"

Voiced by: Jeff Goldblum, Bernard Lanneau (European French), Efron Atkin (Hebrew), Gerardo Reyero (Latin American Spanish), Óscar Barberán (European Spanish)

The younger brother of Miriam and older brother of Moses. Throughout the story, Aaron has always looked out for his sister, especially when she could become too assertive or impetuous. He represents the cynical side of the Hebrews.

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• Adaptational Angst Upgrade: His cynicism and early opposition to Moses. In The Bible, he supported Moses from the beginning, even serving as his spokesman.
• Adaptational Wimp: From a personality/metaphysical standpoint, rather than physical. In The Bible he was a skilled (or at least bold) orator who spoke for Moses—who either had a speech impediment or anxiety.
• Ain't Too Proud to Beg: As demonstrated with "Prince Moses" at the beginning of the film. He does it to try to keep Miriam safe.
• Anger Born of Worry: He often gets annoyed at Miriam when she puts herself (and, by extension, him) in danger.
• Barefoot Poverty: As a child.
• Bear Hug: At the end of the film, he sneaks up behind Moses and gives him one, lifting him off the ground.
• Big Brother Instinct: Used figuratively for his relationship with Miriam, since he's younger than her. He works hard to keep both of them safe (in spite of her protests). This is likely why Miriam is still alive and uncrippled, since she's often shown to be fighting against injustice. This also seems to be a fundamental part of his character, since he also holds Tzipporah back (unsuccessfully) to try to keep her from being hurt by Pharaoh's guards (see Violently Protective Wife in Tzipporah's section above).
• Big Little Brother: For Miriam anyway. Aaron is both older and taller than Moses.
• Big Ol' Eyebrows: He has black, square-shaped eyebrows.
• Blatant Lies: Several of them, played for both comedy and drama:
  "Oh, my good prince, um, sh-she's exhausted from the day's work—not that it was too much, we... we quite enjoyed it—but-but she's confused, and knows not to whom she speaks."
• Born into Slavery: Like his siblings and mother, Aaron was born as a slave to the Egyptians.
• Character Development: He regains the hope and optimism that was lost in his years of being a slave.
• The Cynic: He questions when has God ever cared about the Hebrews. And then he icily asks Moses when did he start to care. He initially becomes doubtful that anything will change after the first plague when Hotep and Huey "replicate" turning the water red, this convincing Rameses that the plague is nothing special. He eventually changes his ways.
• Dark and Troubled Past: Shared with Miriam— unlike their younger brother, they grew up as slaves. It's not hard to imagine the kind of troubles and heartache they had to endure.
• Deadpan Snarker: A subtle and icy version when he reunites with Moses the third time.
• Defrosting Ice King: Aaron was understandably a little icy towards Moses when he returns from his self-exile. Fortunately, he eventually warms up to his brother.
• Demoted to Extra: Due to the film choosing to focus on the relationship that Moses and Rameses had as adoptive brothers, it would have been awkward to have Moses' biological brother accompany him during his encounters with Rameses, as well as all the references to the adopted siblings' previous relationship. Therefore, his role as Moses' emissary and spokesman is removed, with the miracles he performed in that role done by Moses himself.
• Evil Stole My Faith: Over the years of pain and slavery he and his family endured, his faith in God has slipped away. When Moses explains that he was sent by God to do His work, Aaron scoffs at the idea that God has sent a deliverer for the Hebrew slaves. Fortunately, it isn't permanent. "Though hope is frail, it's hard to kill."
• Foil:
  • To Rameses — Both are the older brothers of Moses, but Rameses is an entitled Royal Brat while Aaron is a meek, cowardly slave. And while Rameses grew up with Moses and did love him, their relationship becomes broken; in contrast, Aaron only got to know his brother as an adult, starts off rightfully icy and cynical of Moses but comes to be loyal and warm to his brother.
  • To Miriam — Both are the older, biological siblings of Moses, but his cynicism is contrast against her optimism.
• Foolish Sibling, Responsible Sibling: Alternating in this role with Miriam. While in the Great Scheme of Things, Miriam's faith in Moses and God makes her the responsible one and he is the foolish one to doubt, Miriam remains the foolish sibling in her reckless Chronic Hero Syndrome, and it's probably his responsible obedience and submission that kept them both alive for so long.
• Forgiveness: He is able to forgive Moses of his past indifference and hostility towards the slaves. Moses, in turn, forgives Aaron of his former disbelief and harassment.
• Ink-Suit Actor: Aaron has a tall, gangling figure and a very similar facial structure to Jeff Goldblum.
• Jade-Colored Glasses: Due to being a slave almost his entire life.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold:
  • While he may come off as rather harsh to Moses upon his return, it's not without reason. And afterwards, he starts fully supporting his little brother.
  • He comes across as harsh to his sister Miriam when she tries to do something to help others. However, it's clear that he's deeply afraid that he will lose the only other family member he has left and will do what he can to keep her from getting hurt or killed.
• Jerkass Has a Point: While Aaron may not be a "Jerkass" per se, he was noticeably (but understandably) icy and doubtful of Moses's word that God would help the Hebrews given that they've been praying to Him for it for generations and received nothing and accurately pointed out that Moses only started caring about the Hebrews because he found he was one of them. Moses himself admits that Aaron has every right to be angry with him.
• Lovable Coward: Justified. The "coward" part comes from the fact that as slaves, he and Miriam could easily be killed for speaking or acting out of turn. The "lovable" part comes from the fact his cowardice is very sympathetic and his Big Brother Instinct attitude towards Miriam and others (i.e., keeps Tzipporah from getting hurt by the Pharaoh's guards). He also gets better with Character Development.
• Messy Hair: Many of the Israelite characters have this (including Moses, though not as much as Aaron).
• Nervous Wreck: Prominently shown in him, when he and Miriam meet their long lost brother.
• Nothing but Skin and Bones: Downplayed, in that it's played seriously and subtly. While not to Holocaust levels of malnutrition, it's clear that he is suffering from starvation (especially when he is shown next to Moses).
• Oh, Crap!: Several times, the first being when he and Miriam meet Moses by the well.
• The One Who Wears Shoes: In contrast to Miriam and Tzipporah, who are both perpetually barefoot, Aaron wears sandals. Even his younger brother Moses ditches shoes before returning to Egypt. Averted when Aaron was a toddler - he is barefoot along with his mother and big sister.
• Please Spare Him, My Liege!: On behalf of Miriam, to Moses when they first meet.
• Strong Family Resemblance: Played straight as a little kid, when he looked like a younger male version of Miriam. Subverted as an adult, where he's revealed to now look nothing like the rest of his family. Presumably he takes after his father, whom we never see.
• Took a Level in Badass: When the Red Sea parts, he's the first to go in. Prior to this, he is very passive, submissive, and pessimistic.
• Took a Level in Idealism: Aaron starts to regain his hope after Moses return from his exile and works tirelessly to free the Hebrews.
• Took a Level in Kindness: Aaron becomes nicer and supportive of Moses later in the film.
• What the Hell, Hero?: Aaron calls Moses out on his not caring about the Hebrews until after he discovered he was one himself. Moses agrees with him (it is implied to be one of the reasons for his self-exile, and one of the reasons he felt unworthy to lead them).
• Younger Than They Look: He physically looks older than Miriam, but he’s actually her younger brother. It could be due to the life of hardship and possible starvation that make him look older.

People of Egypt

Pharaoh Seti I

"Oh, my son... they were only slaves."

Voiced by: Patrick Stewart, Dov Raizer (Hebrew), Federico Romano (Latin American Spanish), Juan Carlos Gustems (European Spanish)

Rameses' father and Moses' adoptive father. A strict authority figure, who has little sympathy for the Hebrews.

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• Abusive Dad:
  • Seti is emotionally abusive towards Rameses. He even calls him the "weak link". Although despite this, with a little pushing he's still willing to name Rameses Prince Regent to give him the chance to prove himself he wants so much.
  • In the musical, his ghost even haunts Rameses when he considers letting the Hebrews go on two occasions.
• Adaptational Dye-Job: The historical Ramesses II was a redhead who came from a prominent family of redheads. We never see Seti's hair color but given every other Egyptian in the film you can be damn sure it isn't red.
• Adaptation Expansion: He's based off of the first Pharaoh in the Book of Exodus that kills all of the Hebrew babies. While the Bible only says that he was adopted by the Pharoah's daughter, the film expands on their relationship as Moses's adopted father — which makes it all the more tragic when he becomes nothing more than a Broken Pedestal to Moses himself after the latter finds out about his true heritage.
• Affably Evil: Despite his many monstrous crimes, he treats his queen with love and respect. He also treats Moses with genuine love and kindness, despite knowing that he's an adopted son.
• Age Lift: While his age is never stated, Seti appears to be much older than he was when he died in real life: 44.
• Assurance Backfire: After Moses discovers the horrifying mural of babies being fed to crocodiles, Seti embraces him and says they were only slaves in a sympathetic, reassuring tone. This does not make Moses feel even remotely better.
• Big Bad: Of the first half, since he enslaved the Israelites and purged their infants.
• Broken Pedestal: Moses looks up to him as his beloved father before he is revealed to be adopted (uncovering his true heritage) and learns Seti committed the horrific act of throwing Hebrew infants to the crocodiles. Moses becomes infuriated by this revelation, and starts to emotionally distance from his "father" and leaves him and his kingdom altogether after accidentally killing a guard.
• But for Me, It Was Tuesday: Views the mass murder of the Hebrew slaves as just another thing that needed to be done.
• Cool Crown: Both versions (white and blue/yellow stripes) of the Nemes he dons in his appearances.
• Disc-One Final Boss: Seems like the pharaoh that Moses must go up against to free his people, but dies offscreen halfway through, after which his son Rameses takes over. A given, as he is an adaptation of the first Pharaoh in the Book of Exodus.
• Dramatic Irony: He tells Moses, "You will never have to bear a burden like the crown I will pass on to Rameses." Even those with a passing knowledge of the Bible know how chillingly wrong he is.
• Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Despite his harsh nature, Seti does care for his sons, including Rameses. He also treats Tuya with equal respect.
• Evil Brit: He has a deep British accent.
• Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: He honestly thought that rationalizing his decision to slaughter the Hebrew children by telling Moses that "they were only slaves", would comfort Moses.
• Evil Old Folks: Seti appears to be an elderly man and is the Greater-Scope Villain.
• Evil Sounds Deep: Courtesy of Patrick Stewart.
• Family-Values Villain: Despite his horrendous act, Seti genuinely loves his wife and sons. However, he doesn't seem to see all the children he had killed as actual people, and ignores the implication that he nearly killed the baby who would end up becoming his adopted son.
• Foreshadowing:
  • This line from Seti:
    "He must not allow himself to be led astray... not even by you, my son."
  • Followed by this line during the Plague of Darkness:
    Rameses: I will not be dictated to. I will not be threatened. I am the morning and the evening star. I am Pharaoh.
• Four-Temperament Ensemble: He forms this with his wife and sons as the Choleric because of his callous attitude and cruelty towards Rameses.
• Greater-Scope Villain: Without his actions, there would be no foundation for the conflict between Moses and Rameses in the second half of the film.
  • In the musical, even after he is dead he continues to haunt Rameses, calling him the weak link.
• Happily Married: While we never see him interacting with his wife, the fact that he immediately stops scolding Rameses and Moses after Tuya touches his back implies that they must have a genuinely loving and mutually caring relationship.
  • In the stage musical, they have a few more explicit moments, including sharing a joke at Nefertari's expense followed by playful flirtation. When Seti becomes ill, Tuya is always by his side.
• Hidden Depths: A combination of Seti sounding like he's almost choking at his words and the fact that he looks away from Moses while saying that "Sacrifices must be made" suggests his decision to slaughter the Hebrew children haunts him more than he wants to admit.
• Historical Villain Upgrade: Historians and theologists generally agree that Seti I was not the Pharaoh of the Oppression, although to be fair their actual identity has been debated for centuries, and likely will for centuries more.
• I Did What I Had to Do: Subverted. It seems like this is his reason for murdering the Hebrew children; they were growing in numbers and he had to sustain the population. However, it's immediately made clear that he doesn't feel any regret over the situation at all.
  • In the musical, this regret is played more straight, with him stressing that he did what he had to do as Pharaoh, regardless of his personal feelings.
• Killed Offscreen: He dies some time between Moses running away and returning to Egypt, since Rameses is the new Pharaoh when Moses returns, and the two talk about him in the past tense.
• Lean and Mean: An old, skinny man with a Lack of Empathy towards Hebrew babies being murdered.
• May–December Romance: Implied with Tuya. He has the appearance of an elderly man, while she appears to be in her thirties.
• Nepharious Pharaoh: Downplayed. While he does enslave the Hebrews and order mass infanticide, he's portrayed as something of a Reasonable Authority Figure, being genuinely concerned about his kingdom's future and genuinely loving his family.
• Never Say "Die": Played strangely straight with Seti, who never explicitly says he ordered the slaughter of countless Hebrew babies, even though that's clearly what he did. Also, while he no doubt passes away some time between Moses leaving and returning to Egypt, he's never explicitly stated to have died, with Moses and Rameses merely talking about him in the past tense. The closest we get is:
  Moses: Do you still not understand what Seti was?
  Rameses: He was a great leader.
  • Slightly justified, as Egyptians had a different view of death than we do. As he mentions to Moses at one point, he simply views it as "passing into the next world," because in ancient Egypt, death was simply a different kind of life.
• Obliviously Evil: Possibly. When comforting Moses about the mass infanticide of Hebrew newborns, he says "they were only slaves", hinting that he doesn't believe he did anything wrong since Hebrews are subhuman by his standards.
• Parental Favoritism: He is much harsher towards Rameses than Moses because it is the former who will eventually become ruler. He all but ignores Moses' responsibility for destroying a major monument while at the same time deriding Rameses as the weak link that will destroy their dynasty.
  "But ONE WEAK LINK can BREAK THE CHAIN of a MIGHTY DYNASTY!"
• Predecessor Villain: He was causing suffering for the Hebrews since before the movie began, which no doubt influences Rameses and contributes heavily towards the way he turns out (and his being an emotionally Abusive Dad could not have helped.) Moses never does have a direct confrontation with him though, as Rameses is Pharaoh by the time Moses returns to Egypt.
• Reasonable Authority Figure: Played With. At first he seems like your typical ruler, voiced by an actor who is not known for villainous roles—albeit a ruler of a slaving nation, but he's not kicking puppies and is genuinely concerned about his irresponsible adult sons and the future of Egypt. But he turns out to have zero regard for human life if it's not Egyptian and is unable to see why that's even wrong. At any rate, he is more an Obliviously Evil example.
• Royal Decree: "Be still, Pharaoh speaks!"
• So Proud of You: In the musical, whilst on his deathbed he declares he is not afraid to die because he knows Rameses will be a worthy inheritor. Whilst his spirit twice urges his son to be harder on the Hebrews, when Rameses finally lets the Hebrews go at the Red Sea, he joins his wife in praising his son.
• Tough Love: He explains to Moses that he's hard on Rameses because he's trying to prepare him for the burden of inheriting his empire. As Moses points out, he leans a little too much on the "tough" part, which leads to tragic results for Rameses (and the rest of Egypt) down the line.
• Ugly Guy, Hot Wife: Downplayed. While there is no doubt his wife, Tuya, is a stunning beauty, Seti isn't ugly — he's a little thick in the stomach area and visibly old, (definitely older than Tuya).
  • In the London cast of the musical, whilst definitely older, he is a handsome man in his late Fifties.
• Unwitting Instigator of Doom: If he hadn't been so hard on Rameses or called him "the weak link," Rameses wouldn't be so determined to prove his father wrong that he (eventually) brings doom upon Egypt and himself.
• Villain Has a Point: In spite of everything he does, his criticism of Rameses for not doing anything about Moses' antics is very much justified, especially since Rameses' unwillingness to respond to Moses' later actions when he returns as God's messenger ends up costing the kingdom greatly.
• Well-Intentioned Extremist: How he views himself. The Hebrew population grew too numerous for his liking, and to prevent a possible uprising, he thinks slaughtering their infants is needed to avert it. He even decides to have a hieroglyphic mural created to commemorate his deeds, out of some twisted sense of pride.
• Would Hurt a Child: Actually, it's more like "Would Hurt a Baby". Otherwise he would've thought twice before issuing the order to kill even Hebrew babies, and in such a brutal and inhuman fashion, too, throwing them into rivers for crocodiles to devour like they were inanimate pieces of meat.

Tuya

"When the gods send you a blessing, you don't ask why it was sent."

Voiced by:: Helen Mirren; Anat Atsmon (Hebrew), Liza Willert (Latin American Spanish), Montse Miralles (European Spanish)
Singing Voice: Linda Dee Shayne, Maru Dueñas (Latin American Spanish), Laura Simó (European Spanish)

Rameses' mother. It is she who originally finds the baby Moses in the river, and quickly adopts him.

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• Adaptation Dye-Job: The historical Rameses came from a family of redheads. Tuya's hair is shown as black.
• Assurance Backfire: She, too, tries to reassure Moses that he really belongs where he is, and she does do better than Seti. But her advice to Moses is "forget what you learned and don't question it", which Moses just simply can't do.
• The Conscience: Tuya is implied to be this for Seti, as well as Moses before he meets Miriam. (See below).
• Death Glare: Blink and you'll miss it, but when she finds the baby Moses her servants look disapproving, but she cows them with one look.
• Disappointed in You: When Moses humiliates Tzipporah in front of the banquet guests, a single look of sorrowful disappointment is all it takes to fill Moses with remorse, and he tries to apologize to Tzipporah later.
• Four-Temperament Ensemble: She forms this with her husband and sons as the Phlegmatic because of her caring nature and quiet demeanor.
• God Save Us from the Queen!: Played with. On one hand, Tuya herself is a compassionate and loving mother to her sons, and was willing to adopt Moses as her own without regard to the fact he was a Hebrew. On the other hand, she is Happily Married to the pharaoh who ordered the massacre that caused her adoption of Moses to begin with, and the Hebrews do not see anyone in the Egyptian royal family in general as sympathetic or kind.
• Happily Married: While we never see her interacting with her husband, the fact that in one instance Seti immediately ceases scolding Rameses and Moses after Tuya places her hand on his shoulder blades strongly implies a loving connection based on mutual respect.
• The High Queen: She just radiates beauty, regality, and benevolence. She also has a subtle but firm power over her servants and family that shows in the simplest gestures. One glare from her has her handmaidens bow their heads respectfully, a single hand on Seti's shoulder ends his scolding of Rameses, one hand gesture to Rameses stops him from trying to protest further, and a single look of disappointment is all it takes to fill Moses with remorse over his treatment of Tzipporah.
• Love at First Sight: Maternal example. She adores Moses the instant she sees him, and adopts him immediately without any doubt or hesitation.
• Mama Bear: Tuya sends a couple of icy death glares to her handmaidens after they show their disapproval of her adopting Moses, a Hebrew baby.
• May–December Romance: Implied with Seti. He has the appearance of an older gentleman, while she appears to be in her thirties.
• Morality Pet:
  • She's the only one that Seti shows his softer side to.
  • To pre-Character Development Moses, as it was a simple disappointed look from her that made him regret humiliating Tzipporah.
• Nice Girl: One of the kindest people in the movie.
• Silk Hiding Steel: She never so much as raises her voice, but she knows how to use her status as queen, wife, and mother to protect her loved ones.
• Strong Family Resemblance: It's clear that Rameses takes after her when it comes to his looks.
• Token Good Teammate: Before Moses exiled himself to Midian, she was the only member of the Royal Family with an ounce of sympathy. Her husband was an emotionally abusive father to her eldest son and had No Sympathy for the Israelite slaves, and her two sons were royal brats. Also, while she didn't appear to believe in the Hebrew God, she understood the role that divine intervention had on Moses' appearance.
  Moses: Why did you choose me?
  Tuya: We didn't, Moses. The gods did.
• Ugly Guy, Hot Wife: Downplayed. While there is no doubt that she is a stunning beauty, her husband, Seti, isn't ugly — he's a little thick in the stomach area and visibly old, (clearly older than his wife).
  • Averted in the musical, whilst the London cast includes an age gap of over ten years, Seti is a handsome man in his late fifties (complete with beard).
• What Happened to the Mouse?: Her absence once Moses returns to Egypt implies she passed away in the interim, but it's never made clear. This is a notable contrast to previous adaptations the miniseries Moses the Lawgiver and the 1995 film Moses, where Moses' adoptive materfamilias is shown dying in the former while the latter has Merneptah, the Pharaoh of the Exodus for that adaptation, informs Moses of her death, something that Ramesses never even mentions, even though she was his mother as well.
  • In the stage musical, she is still alive when Moses returns, begging him to reconcile with his brother.

Rameses' Son

"Father..."

Voiced by: Bobby Motown, Gabriel Ramos (Latin American Spanish), Masumi Mutsuda (European Spanish)

Rameses' son.

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• Adaptation Name Change: In the musical, Rameses names his son "Seti II", who was historically his grandson, the son and successor of Merneptah. He did have a son named Seti, dubbed "Seti A" by Egyptologists, but that was his ninth son.
• Age Lift:
  • Historically speaking, Rameses' thirteenth son and ultimately his successor Merneptah would have been twenty-nine when Amun-her-khepeshef, his historical eldest son, died. The boy doesn't even seem to be past fifteen here. That said, however, he is never named or actually said to be Amun-her-khepeshef—it's equally likely he is supposed to be a fictional firstborn.
  • This is also the case in the musical where his name is Seti and portrayed as an infant. Ramesses did have a son named Seti, however he was his ninth son and died in the fifty-third year of his father's reign, at which point Merneptah would have been fifty-seven.
• Children Are Innocent: He has no idea about the past Rameses and Moses share or what they're fighting about; he's just frightened by the sudden plagues and sees Moses as the cause.
• Death of a Child: He dies in the final plague as a result of his father's stubbornness.
• Innocent Inaccurate: He doesn't understand the relationship between Moses and Rameses or the past they share; it's not clear if he even knows that Moses is kind of his uncle. He doesn't understand the issue of slavery or why Moses and Rameses are at odds. All he knows is that the plagues started when Moses showed up, and thus Moses must be responsible.
• Kill the Cutie: An innocent child and Rameses’ Morality Pet, who unfortunately ends up as one of the Angel of Death’s victims.
• Living Emotional Crutch: His death sends Rameses over the edge and into an Unstoppable Rage.
• Morality Pet: His presence softens Rameses's cold exterior, and when he's killed in the final plague Rameses is consumed with grief and rage.
• Strong Family Resemblance: He looks exactly like Rameses did at his age.
• Unwitting Instigator of Doom: Moses and Rameses were on the verge of reconciling had he not interrupted. His presence reminds Rameses that he has something to protect, and so he goes back to seeing Moses as his enemy. Cue the final plague and the poor kid's death.

Hotep and Huy

"It's not your fault your sons learned nothing!"
"Well, they learned blasphemy."

Voiced by: Steve Martin (Hotep) and Martin Short (Huy); Ohad Shachar (Hotep) and Yehoyachin Friedlander (Huy) (Hebrew); Antonio Ortiz (Hotep) and Raúl Carballeda (Huy) (Latin American Spanish); Pep Antón Muñóz (Hotep) and Oscar Mas (Huy) (European Spanish), Mauro Ramos (Hotep) (Brazilian Portuguese)

Hotep and Huy are high priests and magicians that serve under Pharaoh Seti I, and later Rameses.

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• Adaptational Badass: In the musical, Hotep seizes control of the Egyptian Army at the close of the show, and is throughout seen as more of a threat, even to Pharaoh, who he frequently warns must stay on his good side, otherwise the priests will cease to support him.
• Adaptational Name Change: In the Bible, they are named Jannes and Jambres. Here they have actual Egyptian names.
• Adaptational Villainy: In the musical, Hotep is no longer a harmless comic relief figure but a figure of power in his own right who frequently reminds Seti and Rameses that they will face an uprising if they don't keep the other royal families and the priesthood (i.e., himself) happy. He is also willing to take over the Egyptian army and massacre the Israelites when Rameses demurs.
• Adaptational Wimp: The Biblical characters were absolutely no phonies like Hotep and Huy, and their powers weren't stage magic but true sorcery. There's a mythology about the topic, and the most popular traditions have the priests being empowered by Satan (or a similar figure like Mastema and Abezethibou) or possessing a massive knowledge of proto-Kabbalah, to the point a Jewish story portrays them defeating the Archangels Michael and Gabriel of all beings.
• Adapted Out: Huy does not appear in the musical.
• Bumbling Henchmen Duo: They're comical antagonists who are always seen together, working for the serious antagonist Rameses. They even get their own Villain Song.
• Butt-Monkey: They largely serve as comic relief.
• The Comically Serious: Hotep in the musical. This does not stop him from being a serious threat.
• Death by Adaptation: In the musical, Hotep seizes control of a doubtful Rameses' army and drives them into the Red Sea. We all know how that works out.
• Fat and Skinny: Hotep is obese and Huy is lean.
• Fat Bastard: Hotep was a fat jerk in the film, but the musical makes him more of a monster who advocates for the genocide of Moses's kind personally, especially when Ramses makes a Heel–Face Turn.
• Gag Nose: Huy has a very long nose.
• Jerkass: Both are devious, vain and pretentious sycophants.
• Lean and Mean: Huy is a skinny jerk.
• Magicians Are Wizards: Invoked, they call themselves magicians, although most of their powers are meant to appear to be real magic or blessings from the gods (most of it is Fake Wizardry, with hints of Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane).
• Pet the Dog: They are seen showing Pharaoh's son magic tricks whilst on the royal barge.
• Shoo Out the Clowns: They exit the movie during the Ten Plagues, just as the movie is reaching its bleakest point.
• Shout-Out: They bear a strong, if admittedly exaggerated, resemblance to The Ten Commandments' Dathan (Edward G. Robinson) and Baka (Vincent Price). While serving as comical charlatan High Priests rather than Governor and Master Builder, respectively, they retain a similar function in the story: abusive, corrupt and petty sycophants willing to discredit and undermine Moses to Pharaoh every chance they get.
• Shown Their Work: The gods they mention are all real Egyptian gods; Ra was the sun god, Mut was a creator goddess of motherhood, Nut was goddess of the sky, Khnum was the source of the Nile and god of river clay and pottery, Ptah was the god of craftsmen and architecture, Nepthys was goddess of death and mourning, Nekhbet was the vulture goddess of Upper Egypt, Sobek was the god of the Nile, crocodiles, and male fertility, Sekhmet was a war goddess, Sokar (more commonly known as Seker) was a god of cemetaries and tombs, Selket was a goddess of healing snakebites and scorpion stings, Reshpu was the god of plagues, Wadjet was the snake goddess of Lower Egypt, Anubis was a god of death, embalming, and judgement, Anukis was the goddess of waterfalls, Seshmu was the god of perfume, Meshkent was a goddess of childbirth, Hemsut was the goddess of fate, Tefnut was the primordial goddess of water, Heket (also spelled Heqet) was the frog goddess of medicine, and Mafdet was the goddess of justice who also protected against venomous creatures.
• Stage Magician: Unlike Moses' legitimate divine powers, Hotep and Huy simply created the facade of being blessed by the Egyptian pantheon to keep up appearances, although Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane is in play for some moments. This ranges from implied (staffs "turning" into cobras in the midst of a blinding light and fog) to flat-out shown to the audience (using red powder to "turn water into blood"). Huy even referred to themselves as "magicians" during their Villain Song, though that might be due to the term being used interchangeably with "wizard" in the olden days. In fact, they seem unbothered by the fact that Moses' cobra ate theirs and pay more attention to the fact that the audience loved their demonstration.
• The Starscream: In the musical, Hotep gets tired of Rameses procrastinating at the Red Sea, and seizes control of the army.
• That Makes Me Feel Angry: When Moses drops the wine skin bomb on them.
  I am so upset!
• Unrelated in the Adaptation: Possibly. The Biblical Jannes and Jambres are said to be brothers in apocrypha, while in the movie there's no indication that Hotep and Huy are related.
• Villain Song: Playing With The Big Boys Now is a flashy bout of Evil Gloating that showcases their arrogance, and amounts to a Bring It in what they think is going to be a conman contest.
• We Can Rule Together: They make such an offer to Moses in "Playing With The Big Boys Now", which he turns down.
  And just to show we feel no spite, you can be our acolyte!
• What Happened to the Mouse?: The last time the magicians are seen, they hurriedly try to cure their boils with lotions before Rameses flips their table over in a fit of anger and commands that they leave. They complied to their Pharaoh's wish, gathering their spilled lotion bottles and leaving. It is unknown what became of Hotep and Huy but it was most likely they were banished by Pharaoh to parts unknown for failing to match the power of God, or perhaps that they were killed by the rest of the plagues.
• Wrong Genre Savvy: When Moses first returns they mistake the situation as him trying to play the same trickster game they use but in a raw unpracticed form. Their song comes just shy of saying it outright, and amounts to "nice try kid, but you're outclassed". Their offer to make him an apprentice in that scene may actually have been serious. Unfortunately for them, Moses isn’t playing the same trickster game, nor is he really behind the staff turning into a cobra — God is, and God’s cobra can be seen eating the other two cobras in silhouette!

Yocheved

"Sleep and remember my last lullaby so I'll be with you when you dream..."

Voiced by: Ofra Haza (all languages)

A Hebrew slave woman and the mother of Miriam, Aaron, and baby Moses. In the prologue, Yocheved defies Pharaoh Seti's edict calling for the murder of all the Hebrew male newborns and sets her infant son adrift in a basket on the Nile in a desperate bid to save his life.

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• Adaptational Angst Upgrade: Downplayed. Like her Bible counterpart, she was forced to give up Moses for his protection; unlike her counterpart, she wasn't able to spend time with him other than when he was an infant.
• Barefoot Poverty: Yocheved and her children go barefoot, like most slaves in the movie
• Daddy Had a Good Reason for Abandoning You: As in the biblical myth, baby Moses' mother puts him in a basket to float down the Nile to safety, as a mass murder of all Hebrew babies is happening. She's clearly heartbroken to do so.
• Dark and Troubled Past: As an Israelite slave, a harsh life of servitude is all she has ever known.
• Death by Adaptation: In the Book of Exodus and The Ten Commandments, she's still alive into Moses' adulthood, and meets her grown son and witnesses him discover his true heritage, only later dying during Moses' decade-long exile. Here, she's already dead by the time Moses discovers he's a Hebrew, and never meets him again.
• Dramatic Irony: Yocheved wished for three simple things: that God deliver a Shepherd to the Israelites, so that the slaves could be freed and escape to the Promised Land, that her child Moses can live free, and that her family can one day can be reunited. Anyone familiar with the story knows well that despite living a miserable life and having to let go of her youngest child she gets none of her wishes. A Shepherd does come, and that shepherd was Moses, but by the very nature of his duty, he can never be free, and to rub salt in the injury, though Moses does lead his people to the Promised Land, he himself is ultimately (and forever) barred from entering; only their descendants are allowed to do so. Her children do reunite, but by the point she herself is long dead.
• Good Parents: She loves all of her children dearly and proves this when she risks her life to save her youngest child, Moses, from the Pharaoh's soldiers.
  • In a couple of instances, you see her maternal instincts surface with Aaron, too. When her oldest son darts out near the Egyptian soldiers, Yocheved reflexively pulls him back and then runs her hand through his hair.
  • In an earlier scene, where they first hear the soldiers marching into Goshen, you can see her placing a protective hand on her firstborn's head.
• Ink-Suit Actor: The animators for Yocheved were so impressed by Ofra that they modeled Yocheved's look on Ofra's appearance.
• Mama Bear: She evades soldiers to keep her youngest child (Moses) safe.
• Missing Mom: It's not clear what exactly happens to Yocheved after "Deliver Us" but it's implied that she's dead by the time Miriam and Aaron reunite with Moses. The father of her children, Amram, is completely absent from the movie.
• Nice Girl: Sweet, kind, and motherly.
• Small Role, Big Impact: If it wasn't for her, Moses wouldn't have eventually come to free the Hebrew slaves.
• So Proud of You: In the musical, as Moses parts the Red Sea, her spirit appears and tells him how what he has done will be remembered for the whole of history.
• What Happened to the Mouse?: Her life after she sent Moses away in the river is unknown. However, by the time Moses meets his two older biological siblings, she's dead.

Rameses' Great Royal Wife/Nefertari

The wife of Rameses II and the possible mother of his first-born son.

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• Adaptation Expansion: In the musical, she is referred to by the name Nefertari (who was the favorite wife of the historical Rameses II), and has her own solo, "Heartless."
• Alpha Bitch: In the musical. However, there are some elements of Hidden Depths when Rameses finally manages to get her to confess to having had romantic thoughts of marriage as a young child, and by the time of Moses' return, they are clearly Happily Married.
• Demoted to Extra: Despite the fact that one of Rameses' Great Royal Wives played a major role in the previous live-action film The Ten Commandments, this individual is only seen in this version briefly standing next to her husband's throne, their son sitting on the steps leading up to it. She disappears from the film after the transformation of Moses' staff into a cobra, without saying a word or being actually named.
• Foil: To Tzipporah — While the former is from a humbler background (albeit the daughter of a chief), and is strong, opinionated, and very supportive of her husband, the Great Royal Wife while the wife of the current pharoah of Egypt, is silent, passive, and remains very much in the background.
  • In the musical, they are quite similar, both having an initially bad introduction to their future husbands before becoming supportive of them (Tzipporah in Moses' quest to deliver the Hebrews, Nefertari in taking care of Rameses following the death of their son.)
• Happily Married: Unlike the presentation of Rameses and Nefretari's relationship in The Ten Commandments, seeing how happy her husband is when Moses makes his first visit to the Royal Court since his exile.
  • After an initial rough start, in the musical we see that Nefertari is (while a dominating figure at times) deeply supportive of her husband.
• The High Queen: To Rameses' High King.
• Spared by the Adaptation: Historically, Nefertari had predeceased her fistborn son Amun-her-khepeshef by a year.
• What Happened to the Mouse?: Disappears from the film as fast as she's introduced. We don't even get to see her reaction to her possible son's death.

Egyptian Guards

Voiced by: Unknown

The Egyptian soldiers and guards that oversee the Hebrew slaves.

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• Establishing Character Moment: During "Deliver Us", one of the guards yells, "Faster!" at the toiling, overworked slaves.
• Heel–Face Turn: When the Hebrews are finally leaving Egypt, two guards throw down their spears and walk with them into the desert. They can be seen among the Hebrews throughout the journey, helping to move belongings and animals during the difficult trip over the floor of the Red Sea.
• Jerkass: They are cruel overseers who beat their charges with whips and are even willing to kill babies if ordered to.
• Laser-Guided Karma: At least two of them, and likely more, are suffering from boils and illness during "The Plagues". One is so weak that he cannot stand; Rameses angrily shoves his spear back into his hand and forces him to stand up straight.
• Oh, Crap!: Their reaction when Moses transforms the Nile into a river of blood.
  Rameses' son: Father...
  Miriam: It's...
  Egyptian guard: BLOOD! (screaming as they run back to the boat)
• Pragmatic Villainy: They are not shown taking their whips to child slaves, probably because doing so would injure them and make them less able to work. However, this does not mean they Wouldn't Hurt a Child, as seen when they slaughter the Hebrew firstborns.
• Screaming at Squick: Three of them scream in horror and disgust when Moses turns the Nile to blood as they're standing in it.
• Screw This, I'm Outta Here: When the Angel of Death comes down to earth, two guards see it coming and promptly turn tail and run.
• Signature Headgear: They can be identified by the plain white headdresses they wear.
• So What Do We Do Now?: One guard seems to have this reaction as he watches the Hebrews leave Egypt, taking off his headdress and dropping it to the ground. Two others decide to depart with the Hebrews.
• A Taste of the Lash: In several scenes, they are shown whipping slaves who aren't working fast enough.
• Walking Shirtless Scene: They go shirtless because of the desert heat.
• Would Hit a Girl: In the opening scene, one of the soldiers shoves a Hebrew woman to the ground as he breaks into her home to take her baby.
• Would Hurt a Child: Under orders from Seti, they kidnap all the male Hebrew babies and drown them in the river Nile.

People of Midian

Jethro

"First you rescue Tzipporah from Egypt, then you defend my younger daughters from brigands. You think that is nothing? It seems you do not know what is worthy of honor."

Voiced by: Danny Glover (speaking), Brian Stokes Mitchell (singing); Yuval Zamir (Hebrew); Francisco Céspedes (Latin American Spanish); Juan Fernández (speaking), Pedro Ruy-Blas (singing) (European Spanish)

The father of Tzipporah and her sisters and the High Priest of Midian.

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• Bear Hug: Gives Moses a huge one when they first meet. He also gives Moses and Tzipporah a huge group hug when they ask him for permission to marry, nearly crushing them both.
• Big Fun: A large and jovial man.
• Big Ol' Eyebrows: He has curvy ones.
• Boisterous Bruiser: A jolly, loud family man with squashing hugs, though unlike most examples, a non-violent one.
• Establishing Character Moment: He walks in on Moses while he's being bathed (showing No Sense of Personal Space), welcomes him with a huge Bear Hug (showing what Big Fun he is), drapes his own robe over Moses when he sees that he's wet and naked (showing how caring and hospitable he is), and cheerfully declares that tonight Moses will be his honored guest (showing his complete acceptance of strangers, and gratitude for someone saving his daughters).
• Good Counterpart: To Seti I. Both are the leaders over a certain a group of people and serve as some paternal role to Moses (adoptive father for Seti, father-in-law for Jethro). They also have some indirect effect on Moses' Character Development and self-worth — Seti makes Moses feel worse about not being there for the Hebrews and was disgusted at his adoptive father's Lack of Empathy; Jethro gives Moses a powerful You Are Better Than You Think You Are speech via song, which enables Moses to become more cheerful and humble. Also, the two have contradicting physiques which showcase their personalities — Seti I is Lean and Mean, while Jethro is Big Fun.
• Good Parents: Proves to be a caring and loving father to all four of his daughters.
• The Leader: The High Priest of Midian.
• Minor Character, Major Song: "Through Heaven's Eyes", sung by Jethro, knocks Moses out of a Heroic BSoD caused by his accident and finding his heritage. In his growing closer to them and marrying Tzipporah, it also gives Moses a more gentle, affable, and reasonable father figure in his life, and helps increase his empathy for when he does eventually go back to Egypt, this time fully on the side of the Israelites. The song also acts as a Time-Passes Montage, showing Moses growing out his hair, taking on responsibilities in the Midian community, and his attraction to Tzipporah becoming mutual and deeper.
• Nice Guy: Jethro is a naturally good-natured man, who is faithful and optimistic. By following God, his simple life has been joyful and fulfilling. He is a man with a firm belief in a master plan and God. He believes that God knows far more than he, and trusts that a person's worth can only be determined by God.
• Reasonable Authority Figure: He honors Moses as guest of honor at the banquet, not because he is a guest but because he knew of Moses's deeds. He also allows Moses and Tzipporah go back to Egypt to free the Hebrews, knowing full well that he might never see them again, because he understands that it is God's will and Moses must perform this task.
• Shipper on Deck: Jethro was ecstatic when Tzipporah and Moses came to ask him to officiate their marriage.
• You Are Better Than You Think You Are: His song, "Through Heaven's Eyes," states this to Moses.

Tzipporah's sisters

"We're trying to get the funny man out of the well." (from left to right: Ephora, Ajolidoforah, Jethrodiadah)

Voiced by: Francesca Marie Smith (Ephora), Stephanie Sawyer (Ajolidoforah), Aria Curzon (Jethrodiadah)

Tzipporah's three younger sisters, who inadvertently help Moses find his new life.

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• All There in the Manual: Their names are only revealed in side materials. Their names are Ephorah (older), Ajolidoforah (middle), and Jethrodiadah (youngest).
• Ancestral Name: Jethrodiadah is clearly named after her father, Jethro.
• The Baby of the Bunch: Jethrodiadah (the one whose face is covered) is the youngest of her family.
• Iconic Item: Even as a teenager, Jethrodiadah still wears her trademark blue headwrap.
• Intergenerational Friendship: Jethrodiadah seems to develop this with Moses, if her inviting him to sit with her and dance with her on his first night, and hanging out with him during the Time-Passes Montage is any indication.
• Nice Girl: They all prove to be this when they try to rescue Moses from the wail. Jethrodiadah especially offers Moses to sit and dance with her on his first night with her people, when he seems lost.
• Plucky Girl: Fearlessly tell off brigands trying to steal their sheep. Not that it does them much good, but it's the thought that counts.
• Rhyme Theme Naming: Alongside Tzipporah, all the sisters' names end with -ah.
• Satellite Character: Other than being Tzipporah's sisters (and Moses' sisters-in-law once he and Tzipporah get married) and being nice girls, the trio don't really add much to the story.
• She's All Grown Up: A blink-and-you'll-miss-it example, but when Moses explains to Tzipporah that he needs to carry out his Mission from God by pointing out that her family is free, her three sisters can be seen in the background weaving and tending the sheep, and then waving good bye when the two set off. While mainly seen from a distance, it seems they did grow up to be very beautiful.
• Strong Family Resemblance: They look like younger versions of Tzipporah—seriously, even before Tzipporah was revealed to be their sister, it probably wasn't that hard to figure out. It's especially true in the case of Ephorah (the oldest of the three), as she looks identical to her oldest sister—just younger and with shorter hair.
• The Ugly Guy's Hot Daughter: While Jethro isn't exactly "ugly," Tzipporah's sisters are very cute and, as shown when Moses and Tzipporah leave to go back to Egypt, all three of them grow up to be quite beautiful (much like their oldest sister).

Other Significant Characters

God

"I am that I am."

Voiced by: Val Kilmer^note Technically, he's voiced by the entire cast, but Val Kilmer provides the "main" voice, so to speak (English); Emmanuel Curtil (European French); Dodo Fisher (main) and Shafraira Zakai (whispers) (Hebrew); Humberto Solórzano (Latin American Spanish); Jordi Ribes (European Spanish)

The being responsible for the creation of the universe, and all beings that dwell on the Earth and in Heaven. He is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the patriarchs of the Hebrew people. In the movie, He appears to Moses as a burning bush, intent on making him free the Israelites from the cruel oppression of Rameses.

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• Adaptational Nice Guy: Depending on how you interpret the Old Testament and the events of this movie, anyway.
  • In the original story, God threatened to kill Moses on the spot because his son was uncircumcised. Here, Moses' son was omitted from the story entirely, and while He gets defensive when Moses questions His judgement, all He does is yell at him before switching back to a more gentle tone.
  • Also in the original story, God "hardened the heart of Pharaoh", making it so that the Pharoah refuses to free the Israelites so that God could unleash the Ten Plagues. Here no mention or implications of this is given, Ramses refusing first out of personal pride instilled into him by his father and later when the Tenth Plague kills his son.
• Berserk Button: He definitely doesn't like it when someone questions His wisdom.
  Moses: I was the Prince of Egypt, the son of the man who slaughtered (the Hebrews') children. You've chosen the wrong messenger. How can I even speak to these people?
  God: (the bush lights up brightly, voice raising in volume) Who made man's mouth? Who made the deaf, the mute, the seeing, or the blind? Did not I? Now go!
• Beware the Nice Ones: He speaks in a soft and calm manner at first. Then He furiously yells at Moses for having doubt His choice of His messenger. Then there's the plagues, the last of which shows the firstborn children of Egypt having their souls taken by the Angel of Death.
• Big Damn Heroes: When Rameses leads his army to try and kill all the Israelites at the shores of the Red Sea, God summons a powerful pillar of fire to try and stop them. Then, after parting the Red Sea to let the Hebrews pass, God collapses the Sea onto Rameses's army and wipes them out (save for Rameses, the sole surivior).
• Big Good: For the Hebrews, obviously, He is their Lord who delivers them from pharaoh's oppression and empowers a hero to carry His will, saying that He has a land of "milk and honey" waiting for the Hebrews once they're free.
• Composite Character: During Moses' nightmare, He seemingly appears through the symbol of Aten, a monolatristic deity forced upon Egypt by a prior Pharaoh, and Unpersoned the instant they could get someone else on the throne.
• Divine Intervention:
  • The Nile scene in "Deliver Us" demonstrates that it was God who saved Moses from the dangers of the river. He also saved him from dying at the desert via a camel taking him out of the sand and into the Midians.
  • Does it directly during the parting of the Red Sea; no one can deny that the gigantic pillar of flame was His doing.
• Do Not Taunt Cthulhu: Rameses' constant refusal to free the Hebrews leads to God inflicting the Plagues upon Egypt.
• Don't Say Such Stupid Things!: When Moses protests that he's a bad choice to free the Hebrews, God gets pissed. Are you telling God that He screwed up? Moses would end up proving he was far from a perfect choice, in the Foregone Conclusion.
• Eldritch Abomination: Unbuilt as with the source material. He is God and appears to have no set form to speak of, appearing as whatever otherworldly shape He wishes, but even this sensory experience is most likley God simply pushing buttons in Moses's brain. An atemporal omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent being older than the universe with no physical form, body, or even particular location. But exposure to Him produces not madness, but awe, and He is in fact as benevolent as it gets (if rather heavy-handed in this particular story). God here might be best described less as a "Lovecraftian Horror" and more a "Lovecraftian Majesty."
• A Form You Are Comfortable With: Implied. While seeing a bush lit with multi-colored fire may seem surreal, it's fairly benign and tame, all things considered. The flame lit on the bush is shown to not be that hot; rather, when Moses bathes in the light, it appears to be quite calming. He also speaks to Moses using Moses' own voice.
• Forgiveness: Hints of this are shown here and there. While this is supposed to be the Old Testament God who kicked ass and took names, He's also shown to be surprisingly forgiving in subtle ways. First, He's quick to comfort Moses when He lashes out at him for questioning His judgement, immediately speaking soothingly with reassurance, telling Moses that You Are Not Alone. He's even pretty generous towards the people of Egypt, considering (as a society) they did some pretty horrible things to the Hebrews before Moses even asked their Pharaoh to let the Israelites go, and it's implied that had Rameses just done as asked in the first place, God would have let the Egyptians off for the whole slavery and killing Hebrew children thing.
• God: Well, yeah. He says He "made man's mouth, the deaf, the mute, the seeing, [and] the blind". The only time He gets angry is when Moses questions His judgment, and only briefly at that.
• Good Is Not Soft: God is going to have His people freed, and is not afraid to punish Rameses' refusal by laying waste to his country and the people in it. God gives Rameses plenty of opportunities to give in to His commands and provides plenty of evidence of His might, but Rameses keeps refusing.
• Greater-Scope Paragon: A given, as he is the God of the universe. But just like the Book of Exodus, he plays an active role where he sends Moses to Egypt, summons the Plagues as part of his wrath when Rameses refuses to let the Israelites go, and parts the Red Sea for the Israelites to cross.
• Humiliation Conga: His plagues are all specifically meant to be this for Egyptian culture and beliefs. He darkens the sun, displaying that His power surpasses that of Ra, Rameses' patron god, He turns the river to blood, displaying His power over the most vital part of Egyptian culture and trade, and he murders their firstborn, whom the Egyptians obviously cherished.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: He is ominous and intimidating, even to Moses, and His methods are harsh and full of Omniscient Morality License, but only has the good of the Hebrews in mind, and also visibly realizes He has crossed a line when Moses becomes completely terrified by Him.
• Jerkass Realization: After God berates Moses for questioning His decision, the former sounds genuinely remorseful for being harsh with him.
  God: Oh, Moses...
• Large Ham: He's God. He speaks with the prose and theatrics you would expect from Him, especially when He's angry. Best exemplified with tirade He launched into when Moses tried to say that he wasn't worthy of being God's messenger.
• Might Makes Right: Again, He's God, and His will is law, as the Egyptians learn the hard way during the Plagues.
• Omniscient Morality License: The plagues — and the final plague, in particular — would have been major Moral Event Horizons if done by anyone not possessing one of these. But God is God, so — despite the uncountable death toll — He still gets a pass in the movie.
• Pay Evil unto Evil: He unleashes the plagues upon Egypt because of Egypt's enslavement of His people for generations, and Rameses' refusal to release them, despite all the opportunities He gives him to yield. The last plague in particular is an eye-for-an-eye retribution for the death of the Israelite firstborns.
• Physical God: Deliberately averted. Rather than appearing as a wizened old sky father as sometimes depicted in family-friendly works, God is only ever seen in the utterly inhuman, unearthly, rather terrifying forms described in the Bible - usually as a "mass" of light or fire.
• Silence, You Fool!: He really doesn't appreciate His creation answering back, and loses His temper with Moses when the latter suggests that God chose the wrong messenger.
• The Unfettered: In order to free the Hebrews, God is willing to lay down ten terrible plagues not just on Rameses but on the Egyptian people as a whole. In particular, the final plague kills the firstborn of each family in eye-for-an-eye retribution for Seti's murder of Hebrew children.
• Voice of the Legion: He is actually voiced by the entire cast, who can be heard whispering under Val Kilmer's performance.
• Was Too Hard on Him: Moses is terrified of God's anger after daring to say He chose the wrong messenger. God then starts to wrap Moses' body like in a sort of hug and reassures him that He's with him on this.
• Where Is Your God Now?: Ironically, it's God who does this to the people of Egypt in an implied way as many of the plagues are symbolic, and strike at Egypt's heart from culturally to religiously. The most blatant is the plague of darkness where God blots out the sun so it's night even in the day which is a clear dig at Egypt's Top God Amon Ra who is the god of the sun. God is throwing shade at Ra!
• Would Hit a Girl: God has no concern with who the plagues cause to suffer, as long as it means His people are freed.
• Would Hurt a Child: By proxy, as He sends the Angel of Death to take the life of every firstborn Egyptian child.
• You Are Not Alone: God reassures Moses that He will be with him when Moses is in front of Pharaoh, so he has nothing to fear.

The Angel of Death

Voiced by: N/A

The entity sent by God to carry out the final plague: the death of every first born Egyptian child.

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• Angelic Abomination: It doesn't appear as a skeleton in a robe or a sword-wielding Winged Humanoid or even a more Biblically accurate monstrosity. Instead, it manifests as an ominous white-cloud that floats through the city nigh-undetected, people dropping the dead as it does so.
• Blue-and-Orange Morality: It exists to follow God's word. Whether a person is deserving of the plague or not means nothing to it. In fact, it would have taken the firstborns of the Israelites as well had they not marked their doors with the blood of the lamb.
• Creepy Good: At the end of the day, this thing exists to carry out God's will: to convince Rameses to free his slaves. The way the movie presents this however in no way changes how utterly otherworldy and truly horrifying it is.
• The Dreaded: Everyone who sees it, even the Hebrews, are very understandably terrified of it. At one point, we see a Hebrew family tremble with fear as it checks their door for lamb's blood (expressing relief when it passes them by) and two Egyptian soldiers who see it coming towards them immediately abandon their weapons and flee for their lives.
• Eldritch Abomination: Also Unbuilt, just like the source material. It's a mass of swirling light whose introduction seems to imply that it lives outside our plane of existence. It is however benevolent, if heavy-handed.
• Foil: To Moses. Both are servants of God, but Moses is mortal, signals the plagues through indirect means, and feels a great deal of inner turmoil over his duties. Death is an angel, personally kills all the firstborn sons of Egypt, and never hesitates to carry out its work.
• The Grim Reaper: It is essentially this, "angel of death" and all, but it doesn't have the archetypical look of one. Still, it's the Anthropomorphic Personification of death itself, so it counts.
• Laser-Guided Karma: The Angel's function is to dish this out on Rameses for adamantly refusing to release the Hebrews from slavery, and for the horrendous atrocities his forefathers have committed against the Hebrews.
• Light 'em Up: With a dash of Holy Hand Grenade and Soul Power in there too.
• Light Is Good: Double subverted. It is a mass of light sent by God that claims the lives of every first born child in Egypt, albeit as the final punishment for the wrongdoings the Egyptian pharaohs have wrought upon the Hebrews, and Rameses' adamant refusal to show them mercy.
• No Saving Throw: The only way to stop the Angel of Death from coming into your house is to paint your door with the blood of a lamb. If you don't and you're the firstborn child in your generation, you're dead.
• Nothing Is Scarier: The power it has over Death is given emphasis through the sheer lack of any major impact its physical actions truly have. Lives are simply taken.
• Our Angels Are Different: Looks more like a glowing fog than our traditional idea of angels. Though angels in the Bible could indeed get pretty weird looking, the biblical version of it was slightly more on the traditional side (having been a humanoid entity carrying a sword with all the first-borns' blood on it).
• Small Role, Big Impact: The final plague, meant to be the last step in Rameses' Break the Haughty arc. The Angel of Death only appears for one scene, but it's what finally convinces Rameses to let the Hebrews leave.
• The Unfettered: Unlike Moses, it has no hesitation to carry out God's orders, no matter how morally questionable it is to kill scores of innocent children.
• The Voiceless: While there's an ethereal whisper as it passes through Egypt, the Angel of Death never actually says anything. It's also not listed with an actor in the credits.
• Would Hurt a Child: It was sent to Egypt for the exact purpose of killing firstborn children. The movie shows footage of one child having his soul sucked out while he's sleeping, and another child just falls over dead in his doorway.

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