The Character sheet for Time Squad.
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The Time Squad
Officer Beauregard "Buck" Tuddrussel
Voiced by: Rob Paulsen
A time cop, who possesses all the physical requirements for his job and none of the intellectual ones. Whenever there's someone who needs beating up (and even when they don't), he's the best person for the task. Impulsiveness, aggressiveness, and air-headedness are traits that define Tuddrussel quite nicely. Not much of his backstory is known, aside from his Southern heritage and a short-lived marriage to fellow time cop Sheila Sternwell. He and Larry have a typical Vitriolic Best Buds relationship (which can legitimately be read and proven as Belligerent Sexual Tension by some viewers), and he is much like an irresponsible father to Otto.
- Action Dad: Though he isn't related to Otto, he can be this.
- The All-Solving Hammer: He believes he can just beat his problems into submission. Remarkably, it actually works twice:
- He tears up a rare comic book in front of Kubla Khan, prompting the enraged prince to muster an army to conquer Asia until he can find another copy of it.
- He doubts the Wright Brothers' competence, and after they fail twice when Otto decides to leave them unattended, he bullies them into building the airplane while keeping them under strict supervision until they get it right.
- Ambiguously Bi: He used to be married to Sheila and fell in love with Amelia Earhart, but his relationship with Larry is positively dripping with romantic subtext. Granted, he likely wouldn't take becoming aware of the subtext very well, given his general lack of respect towards Larry, whom he mostly regards as an annoying busybody.
- Amicably Divorced: With Sheila. They bicker here and there but otherwise work together well. It's also implied that the divorce still hurts him on some level, as he was deeply saddened to learn Sheila went back to her maiden name rather than keeping his.
- Big Brother Instinct: Especially in season 1, Tuddrussel is characterized as a big bully with a soft spot for kids. His relationship with Otto is the prime example of this, but this also comes into play when he first meets Napoleon, he literally thought the man was just a cute little kid with a sword. And even later when this mistake is corrected, he still panics when the guy gets hurt by his wife.
- Big Eater: And what he doesn't eat, he uses as a projectile when rough-housing. According to his yearbook on the season one episode "Feud for Thought," he also once had a weight problem, though he insisted that it was a "glandular thing."
- Big Guy, Little Guy: The big to Otto's little.
- Belligerent Sexual Tension: With Larry.
- Berserk Button: Don't give him orders. And don't attack Otto (and even Larry) if you want to live.
- Boisterous Bruiser: Tuddrussel's like a middle-aged frat boy. He's all about fighting, eating junk food, playing games, and pulling pranks.
- Brilliant, but Lazy: There are hints that Tuddrussel isn't a hardwired moron so much as lacking a desire to improve his worst traits. When it comes to subjects that actually appeal to him he is well-read or shows an interest in furthering his knowledge of them. His knowledge of American Southwestern history for example is much less surprising when you take into account his pride in his Texan heritage. He's also aware of the concept of biological overcompensation, quickly deducing the cause of a giant monster fly in an altered history (while also denying it as crazy.)
- Broken Pedestal: Is devastated and suffers a Heroic BSoD when he finds out that his idol, his ancestor Jeremiah Tuddrussel, one of the soldiers at The Alamo, was an effeminate party planner who tried to avoid the battle by inviting the Mexicans to a party.
- Bumbling Dad: He might not be Otto's father, but he definitely acts as one of these to him.
- Can't Live with Them, Can't Live Without Them: With Larry.
- Catchphrase: "It's GO TIME!"
- Which Tuddrussel tried to change in the season two episode "Child's Play" after Larry pointed out that "It's go time!" and Buck's other catchphrase "Get some!" are not appropriate for a children's program.
- Character Development: Tuddrussel, throughout the series, is an oafish, ill-mannered asshole who regularly mistreats Larry and even Otto on occasion. However, despite his shortcomings, it's shown that, with Otto's help, he was willing to better himself, becoming slightly less aggressive (to the point where he rarely resorts to violence unless nothing else has worked) and trying to provide Otto with a proper father figure (feeling threatened when his abilities are called into question in episodes like "Child's Play" and "Father Figure Of Our Country").
- Collector of the Strange: He collects souvenirs from his missions, from telescopes to medieval weapons to George Washington's wooden teeth.
- Cool Mask: Tuddrussel is never seen without his goggles and headgear on in the show. He even wears it in the shower (as well as his gloves for some reason).
- Cowboy Cop: Tuddrussel is portrayed as one as he is sometimes very aggressive towards those that try to screw up history. Plus he sometimes goofs off to make history worse until either Otto or Larry helps fix it.
- Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: Tuddrussel can really do some damage, and when he gets over his cowardice or is simply performing his police duties instead of just being 'himself' he really gets into the action. In the pilot, he wipes out an entire horde of flesh-eating robots by blowing them up!
- Dub Name Change: In the French dub, his name is "Max Matamore".
- Dumb Muscle: Even though he is the brawn of the squad, he is not a history whiz.
- Dumbass Has a Point: He labels the Wright Brothers as complete idiots who shouldn't be trusted to invent the airplane on their own, with even Larry not disputing his arguments. He's proven correct, and eventually bullies them into doing it right.
- Embarrassing First Name: Tuddrussel's real first name is Beauregard, according to the XJ5's computer scan of the castle where Tuddrussel is held prisoner in "Kubla Khan't."
- Establishing Character Moment: His first action in the show is to jump out of the shadows and blindly point a gun at a child for the sake of being a badass.
- Expressive Mask: Buck's goggles essentially serve as his face.
- Everyone Can See It: Other characters (Albert Einstein and Sigmund Freud, for example) sometimes comment on the
nature of his relationship with Larry. - Family Honor: Buck's family gets brought up as a source of great pride to him.
- Fetish: Tuddrussel's guns are the subject of their fair share of visual innuendo.
- Formerly Fat: From Tuddrussel's academy yearbook and from J.T. Laser's only memory of him from their training days, Tuddrussel used to be incredibly overweight. It really explains why he's constantly working out all the time as an adult.
- Gun Nut: A proud gun enthusiast, Buck uses them whether or not the situation called for them. He has an extensive collection of guns and phasers, subscribes to gun hobby magazines, and checks out library books on the subject.
- He-Man Woman Hater: Averted. In spite of his disdain for effeminate men (i.e., Larry), he treats actual women with respect (including his ex-wife, despite referring to her in "Ex Marks the Spot" as a "repressed workaholic who's incapable of having fun of any kind"), with the possible exception of Amelia Earhart whom he packs off on her deadly voyage to avoid marrying her.
- The Hero: At least he sees himself this way, if "A Thrilla at Attila's" is any indication.
- Hidden Depths: There have been numerous times when he has shown a surprising amount of competence in his job and personal life. Once when he and Larry divided the space station in half between themselves and he ended up with the side that had the kitchen he taught himself how to cook very fancy-looking meals, including a cake made from scratch for Larry. Also, even though he has been shown multiple times to not know a thing about history, he has a deep understanding of the United State's Southwestern history, examples include being The Alamo and Billy the Kid.
- Idiot Hero: Though definitely not an idolized example of the trope, since his stupidity is Played for Laughs.
- Insult of Endearment: In "Ex Marks the Spot", Tuddrussel bluntly calls Larry; "Rust-Butt" (a name he had used more than once to insult Larry). As Tuddrussel walks off the screen, Larry giggles yet again and treats the name as a term of endearment, dreamily sighing; "Rust-Butt!... I have got to write that down..."
- It's All About Me: Tuddrussel has been shown to be flat-out selfish on many occasions. Such examples of selfishness include rigging a town's sewage system to explode so he could win a Nobel prize and a million dollars at the expense of history itself. Larry has directly called Tuddrusself selfish twice in "Ex Marks The Spot"
- Jerkass: Zigzagged. He can be a complete ass towards Larry most of the time (as well as towards Otto in the last episode) and even doesn't hesitate to hit some of historic figures during missions (even if it's more fueled by stupidity rather than malice), but he's also a Jerk with a Heart of Gold, as he can be showed very caring and protective toward Otto (to the point being a Papa Wolf toward him) and even towards Larry at times.
- The Kindnapper: Tuddrussel took Otto fully knowing that it was wrong and did so against Larry's wishes, but he did it anyway after taking into consideration that Otto was an orphan and the kid wanted, and begged to be taken in the first place anyway. He also kidnapped Ivan the Terrible because he didn't want to part ways with him. He never kidnaps people out of malice or selfish reasons, but because the kidnap-ee wanted him to.
- Lack of Empathy: His obliviousness to human emotion is often what gets him hate in-universe. Sometimes he sees how much he had hurt someone and tries to genuinely care to fix the issue though.
- Lantern Jaw of Justice: His chin is gigantic.
- Large and in Charge: Tuddrussel is a huge guy. With a towering height of 7 ft, he easily can intimidate anyone he comes across.
- Last-Name Basis: The only one who regularly calls him Buck is his ex-wife, Sheila.
- Leeroy Jenkins: Freud diagnoses Tuddrussel as having an "overactive superego," a hypothesis borne out numerous times.
- Like an Old Married Couple: With Larry.
- Manchild: Even Larry mentioned it in the show more than once. His Manchild in Larry's eyes as heard in "Ex Marks the Spot."
- Even his ex-wife, Sheila Sternwell makes it a point on "Ex Marks the Spot": "He's a man fully at the mercy of his fragile male ego who hasn't progressed mentally or emotionally since early childhood."
- This also explains how he can bawl and cry over getting the most superficial splinters (as a child naturally would) and doesn't even come close to shedding a tear when taking in the most brutal physical hits, as seen in "Floral Patton," when he doesn't react to Patton punching him in the face (other than falling unconscious), yet whines and cries over a thorn in his finger.
- The McCoy: He's by far the most impulsive and aggressive of the trio.
- Must Have Caffeine: Or else Tuddrussel is not in the mood to do anything at all.
- Mr. Vice Guy: Tuddrussel's violent and gluttonous tendencies are amply demonstrated. More specifically, when offered a million dollars to commit an evil deed in "Nobel Peace Surprise," he eagerly blows up the town sewer system. With a "life-threatening nuclear device."
- Mysterious Past: For a show that is all about time travel, it fails to reveal much of Tuddrussel’s past and backstory. All that is known is his southern ancestry in the 1800s, his former marriage with Sheila, and the fact that he attended the time squad academy while he had a weight problem.
- Not a Morning Person: It goes without saying that Tuddrussel is in a much BETTER mood once he's had his coffee and breakfast in the morning.
- Obfuscating Stupidity: He knew a considerable amount of information on Billy the Kid, which Larry and Otto were shocked to discover. And When Larry brings out Buck's academy yearbook, it turns out he was in chemistry club, of all things. Also, if Tuddrussel really was as stupid as he looked, how in the world did he succeed in obtaining any sort of a position in a law enforcement group that requires you to have the knowledge of all history.
- Papa Wolf: Has this with Otto; if he's in mortal danger Tuddrussel will beat the crap out of anyone, and that includes monkeys, to keep Otto out of harm's way.
- Parental Substitute: To Otto, although he isn't a very good father figure.
- Percussive Maintenance: Uses this both in its common usage, such as when he tried to "fix" a malfunctioning microwave by smashing it and in his job, where he often attempts to literally beat some sense into his suspects, often without telling them what they're doing wrong.
- The Pigpen: One of the most recurring sources of comedy with the character is his incredibly slovenly nature. He'll go weeks without showering if he can get away with it, would never wash his uniform if Larry didn't do it, and eats like a wild animal.
- Real Men Eat Meat: Every so often (particularly in the season one episode "A Sandwich By Any Other Name"), Tuddrussel resents Larry's attempts to get him to refine his palate and insists on "real food" such as burgers (which comes back to haunt him in "Larry Upgrade") and nachos instead.
- Real Men Hate Affection: Zigzagged throughout the series. Sometimes Tuddrussel refuses displays of tenderness ("Forget the Alamo"); sometimes he welcomes them ("Hate and Let Hate").
- Real Men Wear Pink: For all of his excessive machismo, "Ladies and Gentlemen...Monty Zuma" revealed that Tuddrussel sleeps with a nightlight and a teddy bear and "Hate and Let Hate" shows that he can cook and has no problem wearing one of Larry's pink aprons (nor decorating a multi-tiered wedding-style cake for Larry in pink frosting).
- Screams Like a Little Girl: "Napoleon the Conquered" established this.
- Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: Manly Man to Larry's Sensitive Guy.
- Ship Sinking: In 'Ex Marks The Spot' with Sheila. Both parties laugh incredulously at ever becoming romantically involved again.
- Solid Cartoon Facial Stubble: Fitting for how he's been described by other characters as grossly unprofessional in his appearance, his large chin is completely dark gray in color with black stubble unevenly distributed.
- Team Dad: He's the leader of the Time Squad and acts like an irresponsible father to Otto.
- Therapy Is for the Weak: Tuddrussel doesn't believe in it, or at least denies that it works. This is possibly due to the fact that psychologists back at the Academy told him some negative aspects of his personality that he didn't want to face up to.Tuddrussel: Oh, you sound just like the shrinks back at the academy; "you're trying to repress memories, you're a danger to yourself and others, blah blah blah"
- Topheavy Guy: Tuddrussel's unrealistic proportions put Popeye's to shame.
- Took a Level in Badass: Has a lot of badass moments, just like in 'Nobel Peace Surprise' 'Eli Whitney's Flesh-Eating Mistake' and 'Hate Let Hate'
- Tsundere: Despite berating Larry for his effeminacy, he can be very kind to him when he wants and is generally a caring older brother/father figure to Otto.
- Vitriolic Best Buds: With Larry.
- Weak, but Skilled: Inverted. Tuddrussel is obviously excessively strong, but he's not a particularly skilled fighter. Anybody with actual skill and training in martial arts tends to take him down fairly easily in an fistfight.
- Will They or Won't They?:
- With Sheila. The episodes where she appears apparently hint about potential feelings left for each other. They don't, according to "Ex Marks a spot".
- Then there is with Larry. If you take account of Larry's last line in the same episode, they did.
- Working with the Ex: With Sheila occasionally.
- Would Hit a Girl: Has gotten into fistfights with several female historical figures, though he doesn't have a very good track record with them; Joan of Arc kicked his ass, and Mother Theresa sucker-punched him, though he did beat up Florence Nightingale. He also sent Amelia Earhart off to her death so he could avoid marrying her.
The Lawrence "Larry" 3000
Voiced by: Mark Hamill
The resident Robot Buddy and the only one on board able to operate the computer. It's his job to make sure the squad ends up at the right time and place. Initially, he was programmed as a polyglot robot for diplomatic purposes; when all of the nations rejoiced into one, huge country, his consular abilities were no longer needed. Larry is famous for his effeminate behaviour and interests, which are portrayed all but subtly. Unusually, he is extremely dramatic and open in showing his emotions whilst still being the snarkiest of the trio. He prides himself in having knowledge of proper etiquette and manners. The relationship he shares with Buck Tuddrussel provides what could be some of the most blatant examples of Ho Yay in Western Animation that's not intended for general adult audiences in the days before Adventure Time and Steven Universe made it more mainstream. For Otto, he has been repeatedly depicted as a maternal figure.
- The Alcoholic: Doesn't drink (barring the motor oil and brake fluid daiquiri on "Ladies and Gentlemen, Monty Zuma"), but has acted drunk on "Eli Whitney's Flesh-Eating Mistake" and "Pasteur Packs O'Punch" (both times, he mentioned something about being okay to drive, even though he's not).
- All Gays Love Theater: Subverted. Some of Larry's interests are sophisticated and associated with gay men, but "Child's Play" implies that he isn't particularly fond of theater (especially if he finds it inappropriate for children).
- Ambiguously Gay: In season one, thanks to being somewhat effeminate and having a subtext-laden relationship with Tuddrussel. Season two made it far less ambiguous, to the point where some people consider him a representation milestone even though the show never came out and said it. At the most, Larry can be described as extremely effeminate, but never expresses overt romantic interest in men. When it comes to the episode "Shop like an Egyptian", Larry indeed competes with Tuddrussel for Cleopatra's attention. However,
Word of God said he was not in love with her. Even the actors have joked about there being no ambiguity to his orientation. - Bell-Bottom-Limbed Bots: His upper limbs are rather thin.
- Berserk Button: How to not set Larry off: 1) Try not to be Tuddrussel (cf. "Love at First Flight" when Otto wears a miniature version of Buck's Time Squad cop uniform and becomes as gross and crass as Buck). 2) Try not to steal Tuddrussel away from him. (He'll look to turn your dinner into a "Hate-Feast"). Also, don't attack Otto in front of him.
- Bootstrapped Leitmotif: Larry's is Luigi Bocherini's "Minuet". The classical piece was originally played as Background Music during Larry's art exposé at the beginning of "Ladies and Gentlemen... Monty Zuma!". The song became associated with him as he and another one of his clones hummed its tune in "Day of the Larrys". Later in the same episode, the song was further reinforced as Larry's leitmotif when it was used as the Background Music as Larry clones swarmed the Domisphere of the satellite. The music turned out to be coming from a mini orchestra made up of Larry clones playing cellos and violins under a garden gazebo.
- Butt-Monkey: Plays this role most often, but Otto gets his fair share too.
- Camp Gay: Not so much in season one (he did come off as Ambiguously Gay in season one — see Flanderization), but by season two, almost all of the ambiguity had given way to camp. One could argue against this label by saying that Larry is just trying to be the sophisticated foil for the crude and ill-mannered Tuddrussel and that his over-the-top "sophistication" could be an excuse for getting away with all the "alleged" homosexual subtext, but then you rewatch the show sometime later and begin to notice that a lot of Larry's feminine mannerisms are just there and have nothing to do with being refined ("Blackbeard, Warm Heart" is a perfect episode to see the needlessly feminine/stereotypically gay male moments). Then, there are the signs of a possible relationship with Tuddrussel as seen in such episodes as "Larry Upgrade" and "Ex Marks the Spot."
- Can't Live with Them, Can't Live Without Them: With Tuddrussel.
- Character Development: On many aspects. Firstly, there is his relationship with Otto in the first season. While he viewed the boy as nothing more than a nuisance at first and was reluctant to adopt him, he grew fond of the boy in late episodes, to the point of taking care of him as much as a parent would, like cooking for him, spending some time with him and even defending him when he is threatened (although he failed). Then there is his character development from season 1 to season 2 where he came from an Ambiguously Gay character to a real Camp Gay character. Fans also tend to think that his relationship with Tuddrussel has developed too...
- Covert Pervert: He keeps a video of Tuddrussel singing in front of the sink while wearing nothing more than a towel ("The Prime Minister Has No Clothes"), is thrilled over Winston Churchill's plan to make his military nude (also in "The Prime Minister Has No Clothes"), and reads Jackie Collins books ("Child's Play") — which contain a notoriously high amount of sleaze. And, proving that this aspect of his personality was well-ingrained enough to be exploited in advertisements, one of the bumpers for Cartoon Cartoon Fridays even had him gleefully fawning over a pec-flexing Johnny Bravo in this manner.Larry: Ugh! This is disgusting... yet oddly compelling!
- Crazy Jealous Guy: While it's nowhere near as dramatic as most examples of the trope, he gets extremely jealous when he (incorrectly) suspects Tuddrussel and Sheila of falling in love again in "Ex Marks the Spot."
- Daytime Drama Queen: Introduces Otto and Tuddrussel to The Elegant and the Dangerous in "Old Timers' Squad."
- Deadpan Snarker: Despite his campy behavior, Larry often makes sarcastic comments towards Otto and Tuddrussel, and at worse can be extremely catty.
- Defrosting Ice Queen: In a non-romantic example, Otto often manages to make him smile while he is often shown aloof and sarcastic toward others.
- Did You Think I Can't Feel?: He tells Tuddrussel that despite being a robot, he has dreams, needs, and feelings too.
- Distressed Dude: How Tuddrussel imagines Larry in "A Thrilla at Attila's."
- Drunk on the Dark Side: Larry can be pretty hammy when he shows his dark side. Take the episode "Ex Marks The Spot"—he gives the most hysterically diabolical monologue on how he's going to ruin Tuddrussel and Sheila's dinner.Larry: They'll be so repulsed with the meal...(gasp)...THEY'LL HATE EACH OTHER!!! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
- Easily Detachable Robot Parts: Has an entire room filled with spare parts (which he uses to make clones, as seen in "Day of the Larrys").
- Embarrassing First Name: In "Kubla Khan't," it's revealed that his first name is Lawrence. Subverted in that he actually introduced himself as such and wasn't trying to hide it.
- Everyone Can See It: Other characters (Albert Einstein and Sigmund Freud, for example) sometimes comment on the nature of his relationship with Tuddrussel.
- Expy: Larry is a pessimistic, extremely fey protocol droid, not unlike a really sarcastic C-3PO, but he's voiced not by Anthony Daniels but Mark Hamill, who specifically and intentionally played him as even more Camp Gay than C-3PO. Dave Wasson intended for the character to be based on C-3PO, but Hamill's voice for Larry was inspired by the "foppish prince" characters on Rocky and Bullwinkle and Jonathan Harris on Lost in Space, even though Larry actually sounds, laughs, and screams like a higher-pitched version of The Joker from Batman: The Animated Series.
- Fish out of Water: Larry is actually a repurposed diplomacy robot who became obsolete when Earth joined into a planetary government. As such, he isn't programmed for historical accuracy and doesn't know all that much more than Tuddrussel does.
- Flanderization: Larry's effeminate hobbies and mannerisms were actually toned down a bit (but still noticeable) in season one. By season two, the writers took Larry's effeminacy and ran with it (probably because the writers knew the show wouldn't last and did this as a final "Up yours!" to Cartoon Network), to the point that branding him as Camp Gay wouldn't be out of place.
- Friendly Rivalry: With XJ5. Despite everything, they can get along quite well.
- Gay Best Friend: Averted overall in the series since he's one of the regulars, but tries to invoke this trope in "Shop Like an Egyptian" (and "Forget the Alamo," when he befriends Tuddrussel's party-planning ancestor, Jeremiah). Observe:Larry: Cleopatra! Your Highness! Your shoes are to die for! Let me guess: Italian leather?Cleopatra: Why, yes! They are! You do have quite an eye for fashion.Larry: Well, I have been programmed in apparent composition and design.
- Girly Run: Especially so in season 2, after Character Development-cum-Flanderization, though his other effeminate gestures were always present.
- Half-Dressed Cartoon Animal: Even when Larry wears clothes, he almost never wears pants and a shirt at the same time (cf. the tuxedo top on "Houdini Whodunit" and "Day of the Larrys," the shirtless cowboy get-up on "Day of the Larrys," the matador costume on "Forget the Alamo").
- The Horseshoe Effect: While Tuddrussel tends to use violence to solve his problems - even when the mission calls for tact and diplomacy - Larry on the other hand tends to get caught up in high-society minutia when the mission calls for war, like when he joins the founding fathers for tea party in "Tea Time for Time Squad" and helps plan a fiesta in the Alamo when they should be planning for war in "Forget the Alamo."
- Hypocritical Heartwarming: He says Tuddrussel is a stupid, repugnant, arrogant, smelly, ignorant, selfish, insulting Manchild, but he's his stupid, repugnant, arrogant, smelly, ignorant, selfish, insulting Manchild.
- Implied Love Interest: To Tuddrussel.
- Inferiority Superiority Complex: In "A Sandwich by Any Other Name", after Tuddrussel insults his meal, Larry uses the same dessert in order to have success, forgetting about mission. He regrets it later though, after becoming overwhelmed by the life of a superstar
- It's All About Me: His worst trait, to the point that sometimes, missions are often ruined by his selfishness and sense of superiority, both in culture and his belief robots are superior to humans.
- Jaded Washout: As mentioned in "Eli Whitney's Flesh-Eating Mistake" and "Day of the Larrys," Larry was once an assistant to many a royal and political figure but since the future's one-world government made him obsolete, he now has to be the manservant to a boorish time cop and an illegally adopted history whiz.
- Jerkass: Larry also has some moments of Hidden Heart of Gold (even if it's courtesy of Tuddrussel's behavior and what's mentioned in Jaded Washout section) as seen in "A Sandwich by Any Other Name" or "Pasteur's Packs O Punch" where he nearly beats up Otto (though this was because Larry's circuits were fried, making him act belligerent, drunk, and like Jerry Lewis)
- That's not the only point of Larry. He can also be a Jerk with a Heart of Gold. He definitely cares about Otto and Tuddrussel after all.
- Like an Old Married Couple: With Tuddrussel.
- Lovable Coward: Most of the time, Larry prefers to run away whenever there is danger or hiding behind others' backs, sometimes for good reasons. Nevertheless, it is subverted in the episode "Nobel Peace Surprise" where Larry tries to attack Mrs O'Leary's cow (that started the great Chicago fire in myth) in order to protect Otto (unfortunately, it doesn't work since he isn't designed for combat and he gets smashed to pieces).
- Loyal to the Position: Larry utterly hates his reassignment to Tuddrussel but still defers to him and follows orders because he's at least trying to translate his former purpose into his new role. He actually goes along with Tuddrussel's taking over Rome from Julius Caesar because technically he's supposed to serve rulers and Tuddrussel now qualifies in accordance with Larry's programming.
- Made of Plasticine: Is smashed to pieces several times over the show, his model is actually designed with this in mind so damaged parts can be easier to replace.
- Mars Needs Women: Inverted. Barring the Lance Nine Trillion, he seems to find human men more attractive than other robots.
- Me's a Crowd: He creates myriad clones of himself (accidentally, as it happened; he only intended to build the one) in "Day of the Larrys."
- Mood-Swinger: It's amazing how much emotion this particular robot is capable of showing. When he's happy, he's absolutely delighted. When he's upset, he puts on a drama. And yet, he's the Deadpan Snarker. Take notice of his closeted saucier side too, contrasting with his prissy, more sophisticated self (although the writers succeeded in making it rather nuanced).
- Moral Guardian: Acted like one on "Child's Play," effectively making Shakespeare rethink doing children's plays, which is truly ironic as Larry is the kind of character that Real Life Moral Guardians would find too risque for kids.
- Mr. Vice Guy: He tries to hide this side of himself behind his moralistic facade (and did succeed in "Child's Play," when he basically acted like a Moral Guardian throughout the episode), but occasionally abandons official duties in pursuit of pleasure (as seen in "Forget the Alamo," "Father Figure of Our Country," "Shop Like an Egyptian," and "Out with the In Crowd").
- Naked Apron: If his claim that he's a nudist (according to "The Prime Minister Has No Clothes") is true, then that's what that pink apron he always wears when he cooks is.
- Papa Wolf: Or Mama Bear... He can flip out really bad if Otto is attacked as in "Nobel Peace Surprise" where he assaulted a cow that looked threatening toward Otto... he failed however.
- However, in "Hate Let Hate", Tuddrussel has more of this trope and while he beats the crap out of monkeys, Larry hugged Otto to reassure him.
- Parental Substitute: To Otto, moreso than Tuddrussel.
- Pet the Dog: He may be annoyed by them but he really cares for Otto and Tuddrussel and does his best to please them (even if it is often ruined by Tuddrussel's stupidity).
- Poke the Poodle: In "Ex Marks The Spot", Larry tries to sabotage Tuddrussel's alleged relationship with Sheila by cooking a "disgusting" dinner that they actually enjoy very much.
- Red Eyes, Take Warning: If Larry has red eyes, that means how much he is serious, and can really harm someone in this state.
- Resentful Guardian: At first toward Otto because he only viewed him as a nuisance for missions. However, it doesn't last long.
- Ridiculously Human Robot: Originally designed for diplomacy, Larry is surprisingly human but robotic enough to avoid the Uncanny Valley.
- Robotic Spouse: He isn't Tuddrussel's wife, but tends to act the part. Tuddrussel even referred to him as his old ball and chain once.
- Robot Names: His full name is Lawrence 3000 (despite the advanced title, he's the most obsolete robot that appears on the show).
- Screams Like a Little Girl: He does as much high-pitched squealing as Buck, possibly even more.
- "Second Law" My Ass!: Larry only abides by the Second Law of Robotics when it suits his mood, much to Tuddrussel's frustration.
- Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: Sensitive Guy to Tuddrussel's Manly Man.
- Seven Deadly Sins: Larry embodies Lust in the sense pleasure-driven and (in a couple of rare cases near the end of the series' run) the literal sense, and Pride as he puts himself on a high pedestal, and sometimes acts snobbish.
- The Spock: His hedonistic tendencies notwithstanding, he fills the role of the group's "moral compass," primarily in the sense of being a nagging maternal type.
- Stripperiffic: Some of his costume choices come across as deliberate attempts at this trope (particularly the Indian princess/Playboy Bunny get-up from "Tea Time for Time Squad" and the shirtless cowboy get-up from "Day of the Larrys"), especially when it's revealed that he usually considers himself a nudist (in "The Prime Minister Has No Clothes").
- Supreme Chef: Is an excellent chef, but his advanced and elaborate meals often offend the simple tastes of Tuddrussel. However, when he cooks food more to Tuddrussels liking, he's shown to love it as well. He also impressed the King Of France with his "Larry 3000", a kind of souffle. Otto always likes his cooking. This trope is especially notable in Larry's case as he's a robot and does not have a sense of taste, or even a mouth for that matter, but is still an expert chef.
- Team Chef: He's the main chef of the Time Squad although they are perceived more as a family than an actual team.
- Team Mom: He's the maternal figure of the Time Squad's dysfunctional family dynamic; he does all the chores and is emotionally closer to Otto than Buck is.
- Through His Stomach:
- Larry often tries to serve Tuddrussel exotic and often bizarre food that he prepared, such as a crabmeat risotto or advanced souffles. He declares at one point during an argument over the food, "I was trying to do something special."
- In "Ex Marks The Spot", one of the most Ho Yay-laden episodes of the series, Larry cooks Tuddrussel's favorite dinner (whole roast turkey smothered in gravy), much to Tuddrussel's delight.
- Token Evil Teammate: A minor case but if the mission isn't ruined by Tuddrussel's stupidity, Larry would most likely do it for his selfish goals.
- Took a Level in Badass: In 'Hate Let Hate'.
- Transparent Closet: Started in "Blackbeard, Warm Heart," and got more and more transparent, especially around season two when the censors seemed to have said, "Fuck it!" and let Wasson and company make Larry as Camp Gay as possible without explicitly stating it.
- Trigger-Happy: In "Hate and Let Hate," Larry handles some of Tuddrussel's guns and becomes phaser-crazy, shooting up the Domisphere before sobbing and exclaiming "I miss the big oaf!" and reuniting with Tuddrussel.
- Tsundere: Probably even moreso than Tuddrussel. His mood swings seem to be rather random, while Tuddrussel's low/high spirits are usually justified in some way.
- Vitriolic Best Buds: With Tuddrussel.
- Will They or Won't They?: With Tuddrussel. Apparently in "Ex Marks a Spot" episode they did.
- Wholesome Crossdresser: Larry was shown wearing women's clothing a few times:
- In "Tea-Time for Time Squad," he was dressed as an American Indian princess (with two feathers on his head positioned in almost the same way as the bunny ears on a Playboy Bunny would be).
- In the season two opening, when one of the scenes flashes to feudal Japan, Larry can be seen dressed as a geisha.
- Tuddrussel's side of the Atilla the Hun story on "A Thrilla At Atilla's" had Larry dressed in a tutu (with Larry unsure of whether or not he actually wore it).
- One of the Larry clones in "Day of the Larrys" had on a tutu.
- In "Ladies and Gentlemen, Monty Zuma," Tuddrussel mentions an unspecified time when Larry had on makeup.
- Larry had had on makeup a few other times too, in episodes "Tea-Time for Time Squad" and "Father Figure of Our Country". Both of which he was dressed in ridiculously pastel 18th-century clothing, the latter being even more ridiculously pastel, including pink bows, scarf, and a pink powdered wig to match (but it wasn't as if wearing pink for Larry was anything rare for the series — it was just too much packed into one scene).
- As Tuddrussel read Larry's diary aloud in "Feud for Thought" it was mentioned that Larry had admitted that he thought he had looked stunning in the red dress that he wore to a costumed Halloween gala.
- Larry often wears a ladies' sun hat while tending his garden, complete with pink ribbons from either side which he conveniently ties around his neck in a bow.
- While not women's clothing, in "Billy The Baby", Larry is seen riding his horse women's style, with both legs over one side of the saddle.
- "A Thrilla at Atilla's" had Larry as a fitness instructor (in both Larry's and Otto's side of the story) wearing an aerobics get-up straight out of the 1980s, complete with pastel purple leotard, pink and fluffy leg warmers, a torn, purple half-shirt, and matching sweatband. Think Jane Fonda
. He did.
- Yiddish as a Second Language: Occasionally says "Oy vey!" when especially dismayed.
Otto Osworth
Voiced by: Pamela Adlon
An orphan illegally traveling along with Tuddrussel and Larry, taken on board due to their incompetence and his impressive historical knowledge (and for Otto to escape his brutal life at the orphanage). Despite being a bookworm, his demeanor is far from boring; he is just as childlike and jocular as any regular 8-year-old. Even though he is the youngest, he is also the most competent and responsible out of the squad, being the only one pure enough to not let himself get swayed by temptations. Depending on who he's siding with, he can either become loud, obnoxious, and destructive (when Tuddrussel has him company) or composed and calm (when it's Larry he agrees with).
- Adorably Precocious Child: Otto balances between being the sole responsible member of the team that everyone feels compelled to go along with when he has his own plan and being the excited little kid that can babble on and on about his favorite subjects with no one giving a care about what's being said no matter how important.
- Alliterative Name: Both his first and last name start with an O
- Beware of the Nice Ones: Otto wants to get along with everybody, but he's still a Fiery Redhead and will seek revenge if someone, (ex. A historical figure) gives him any trouble.
- Big Guy, Little Guy: The little to Tuddrussel's big.
- Blind Without 'Em: Has had his glasses broken and stolen several times throughout the show's short run.
- Book Worm: A self-aware one at that. Otto's first scene in the series shows him getting caught reading a pile of books by flashlight, with the implication that he snuck behind Sister Thornly's back to read on a consistent basis.
- Born in the Wrong Century: Especially given how much he loves history.
- Brutal Honesty: Otto can be blunt about the truth if he needs to be and if he's ever bothered by a person's actions he'll certainly let them know. This especially happens when working with historical figures, where he can become a Deadpan Snarker if annoyed enough.
- Butt-Monkey: While Larry probably takes the crown for this, Otto gets his fair share too.
- Cheerful Child: Otto is always smiling and tries to be enthusiastic about everything. Tuddrussel and Larry are shown to see this as a flaw, best demonstrated in the episode "Thrilla at Attila's" where Otto's cheerfulness is exaggerated greatly when they tell their own versions of what happened in the mission beforehand.
- Child Prodigy: He can tell you ANYTHING related to history. Even Sister Thornly begrudgingly refers to him as a genius. But he's also quite clever in other subjects, including advanced mathematics, and psychology.
- Conveniently an Orphan: Used as an excuse to take Otto in the first place.
- Cute, but Cacophonic: Pamela Segall-Adlon made Otto's voice a little too shrill for her own good.
- Embarrassing Nickname: "Orphan Substitute" revealed that he was called Snotto when he lived in the orphanage.
- Enraged by Idiocy: Otto's Berserk Button, a few Historical Figures such as Buffalo Bill have led him to completely lose his cool. Tuddrussel and Larry are also instigators of this trait, such as when he yelled at them for being so clueless about Benjamin Franklin when they helped him invent the light bulb. (He was sick and had to stay behind, leaving the remaining unit helpless at their job).
- Expy: Of Sherman from the "Mr. Peabody's Improbable History" shorts on Rocky and Bullwinkle.
- Fiery Redhead: For the most part Otto is fairly level-headed compared to the rest of the team. But even he has his limits and will argue and fight back if he loses his temper.
- Fish out of Temporal Water: He adjusts quickly to living out of his own proper time.
- Good Is Not Dumb: Otto is a genuinely kindhearted and polite kid that also happens to be incredibly intelligent. In-universe, he is often underestimated by all adults who might see him as a childish Wide-Eyed Idealist.
- Happily Adopted: With Tuddrussel and Larry.
- Heartwarming Orphan:
- Otto has a tendency to take control of a mission by telling a historical figure the error of their ways, for example, with Alfred Nobel he told him that with so much evil in this world, it would be better to celebrate peace and goodness in people instead. His speech not only moved Nobel but also the entire gang of murderers (including Lizzie Borden and Jack The Ripper) into wanting to be good from then on (although he had to ask them NOT to change their ways, as it's their historical roles to be murderers).
- Also because of this trait, it leads Larry and Tuddrussel into treating Otto from a pet with job security to more or less their own kid that they try to nurture and protect later on as the series progresses.
- Height Angst: Otto's short stature is the punchline to a few jokes.
- Hilariously Abusive Childhood: Established in the first episode "Eli Whitney's Flesh-Eating Mistake" that Otto was often punished for reading history books by doing chores, though the extent of the abuse (which goes straight into Dude, Not Funny! territory when it's discovered that Otto and the other orphans were used as cheap labor under Sister Thornley's iron fist) wasn't made clear until the last episode "Orphan Substitute."
- Insufferable Genius: Larry's side of the story in "A Thrilla at Attila's" portrays Otto this way.
- I Know Karate: He didn't just get his knowledge from books, apparently Otto enjoyed watching karate movies while at the orphanage to the point where he learned the moves and can teach others how to fight.
- Keet: Best demonstrated by his enthusiasm whenever he enters a new time period.
- Kid-Appeal Character: Otto is the youngest member of the Time Squad at the age of eight. He also provides the educational value of the show. He is also voiced by Pamela Adlon, who is famous for voice acting cartoon characters who are young boys that serve as the kid appeal characters.
- Kid Hero: Otto is mainly seen by audiences as the true protagonist of the show due to the fact that he continues to focus on completing missions whenever Tuddrussel and Larry goof off in them.
- The Kirk: He acts as the mediator between Tuddrussel and Larry's excesses.
- Little Professor Dialog: Otto's speech patterns are actually quite typical of an elementary school-aged child, except for some of his lengthier expositions.
- Morality Pet: Toward both Larry and Tuddrussel. And if you attack him, expect one of them (or even both of them) to come and find you.
- Motor Mouth: Larry especially finds this to be his biggest flaw, as demonstrated in "Thrilla at Attila's". Otto found out just how annoying this can be when Tuddrussel exhibits this when he goes off on his own exposition about Billy the Kid.
- Mr. Exposition: He fills in the details about the historical figures before each mission.
- Mysterious Past: Otto’s personal backstory is not well known. All that is known is the fact that he is an orphan who was severely abused by Sister Thornly. The show never reveals why he is an orphan, what happened to his real parents, or how he got very interested in history.
- Nerd Glasses: They cover most of his face.
- Not So Above It All: Despite being the group's Only Sane Man, Otto is still a child and depending upon the situation will let down his guard in order to goof off and be reckless while on a mission, like in the episode "Out With The In Crowd".
- Only Sane Man: As the only child in a kids' program otherwise filled with adult characters, this is a given. For the majority of the time he's the sole member of his team who's determined to stay focused on the missions at all times, rather than falling prey to a vice.
- Ping Pong Naïveté: Otto has his moments since he's eight years old. Once he called Tuddrussel and Larry out for acting "love-sick" toward Cleopatra (despite the fact that Larry is solely interested in being Cleopatra's friend, not a lover like Tuddrussel had). Yet he doesn't understand Larry's overwhelming new feelings towards Tuddrussel in a later episode.
- Pint-Sized Kid: Much shorter than Larry and Tuddrussel. Meeting his old-age self confirms, much to his dismay, that he never gets much taller either.
- Proud to Be a Geek: Otto is not shy about being a bookworm or a history fanboy, or how he had joined a chemistry club at some point before being adopted.
- Raised by Robots: By Larry, naturally.
- Redheads Are Uncool: Fits to a tee - red-headed, freckle-faced, bespectacled nerd that was bullied for reading in the orphanage.
- Significant Green-Eyed Redhead: In close-up shots of Otto, he's often shown to have green eyes, and even in the few toys that were made of him his eye color is indeed bright green. Which is unique to the rest of the show's human characters who all seem to have eyes colored black (unless there's a mask preventing us from seeing their eyes, of course). It makes sense because after all; he is one of the main characters.
- Shorter Means Smarter: Otto may be little but he is definitely the smartest.
- Skilled, but Naive: While indeed a bright child that obviously understands the power of words and is intelligent in multiple subjects; it's clear that Otto doesn't fully grasp a couple of things. It's implied that it's not obvious to him that Larry has very conflicting romantic feelings about Tuddrussel—he only comprehends that Larry is acting 'weird' around him. Also his idealistic nature often clashes with the frequently cynical world that he's thrust into, and in early episodes, he has to deal with the idea that his more gentle and sneaky approach to solving problems doesn't always work the way he'd expect.
- The Smart Guy: Knows the most of all the historical figures that they deal with on an episodic basis.
- Speech Impediment: Pamela Adlon had mentioned once on Rob Paulsen's podcast that she gave Otto a "Kind of a lazy 'L'" in his speech pattern. You can tell when his voice squeaks and drops on certain vowels and consonants and this particular character vocalization really does add to the idea that Otto is, after all, a little kid who's probably still developing his speech skills.
- Tagalong Kid: The first season plays this straightforward, as Otto is shown to be learning how to help the guys complete the missions and isn't always 100% of the time useful. The early promos made the show look like Otto was the worst-case scenario of the trope, looking like he was always getting in the way. Thankfully, that wasn't the case. Instead by halfway through the first season he becomes the emotional core of the group.
- Wise Beyond Their Years: Adults will point this out; from Tuddrussel expressing admiration for Otto being quick on his feet when it comes to using "words" to get out of a bad situation, to Sheila complimenting him for having a "good head on his shoulders" after his speech that had convinced Alfred Nobel into being good and starting the Nobel Peace Prize, and George Washington even calls Tuddrussel out for not appreciating Otto's "Wit, his indomitable spirit, Or his great intellect" when Washington considered adopting Otto himself.
- But at the same time, he's just a normal kid in abnormal circumstances. Otto has no choice but to be on top of his game while on missions because that's what he was basically kidnapped (adopted) to do. One could even take this further that Otto had to develop these skills in order to survive life at the Orphanage.
- Young Gun: Otto is said to be competent at shooting a gun, but because this is a kids' show they don't show that. But they do make it clear when we do see him shoot, he's taking a bad example from Tuddrussel.
Recurring Characters
Sheila Sternwell
Voiced by: Mari Weiss
A lieutenant within Time Squad ranks, Sheila Sternwell is a no-nonsense woman that takes her job seriously. The ex-wife of Buck Tuddrussel, it's made clear that while she regrets making the mistake of marrying in the first place, and can be slightly bitter towards him, she doesn't actually resent him and still does her job and helps out Tuddrussel and his unit when needed. She even seems to go far in not ratting out Tuddrussel and Larry over Otto, and other screw-ups that she should be reporting.
- Action Girl: She is an incredibly skilled fighter and has a keen intellect, and props for being a good example of how awesome Time Squad could be.
- Affirmative Action Girl: She was most likely created to balance out the sexes since there are rarely any female characters that the guys came into contact with period.
- Alliterative Name: Sheila Sternwell.
- Amicably Divorced: With Tuddrussel.
- Benevolent Boss: She seems to treat XJ5 quite well and the latter always refers to her as "Officer Sternwell".
- Better as Friends: It's safe to say that while the marriage didn't work out, they still get along pretty well.
- Birds of a Feather: With XJ5 because both are competent and hard-working. Together they make a very effective team.
- By-the-Book Cop: She strictly enforces the protocol that she was taught to follow, though there have been times that she lets things slide, including Tuddrussel's blunders.
- Cool Mask: Like Tuddrussel, Sheila is never seen without her goggles and headgear on.
- Deadpan Snarker: Her sense of humor is incredibly dry, which often makes Larry and Tuddrussel flustered when she makes snarky comments about Otto being there.
- Emotionless Girl: With the exception of her laughing fit in "Ex Marks the Spot", she scarcely expresses her feelings.
- Friend to All Children: Even if she does make remarks to Tuddrussel and Larry about "Still borrowing an orphan" to do their job, she doesn't turn them in for harboring Otto. In fact, her interactions with Otto have been nothing but friendly and respectful, and shows approval of him being the one that tries to keep Larry and Tuddrussel out of trouble.
- Hidden Depths: She isn't as serious and cold as she appears to be. While she is married to the job, she still is able to have fun, something she occasionally shares with Tuddrussel. Furthermore, she does on occasion share a spark with him or two after they've separated.
- She was also the one who made the decision to end their marriage which Buck mentions saddened him a bit, yet also made him appreciate and even like her more.
- Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: The tiny to Tuddrussel's huge.
- Married to the Job: Tuddrussel accurately describes her as "a completely repressed workaholic who's incapable of having fun of any kind."
- Pet the Dog: Even if she seems cold at times, she helps Tuddrussel, Larry, and Otto a lot of times and she didn't mention Otto's presence in her report.
- Platonic Life-Partners: With XJ-5.
- The Stoic: She hardly expresses her emotions, working to keep a professional demeanor at all times.
- Ship Sinking: In 'Ex Marks The Spot' with Tuddrussel.
- Sugar-and-Ice Personality: Although she's unemotional, she's not cold-hearted.
- Took a Level in Badass: Not that she is NOT badass most of the time, but she has her best moments, such as beating the crap out of guards in "Kubla Khan't" or fighting against Alfred Nobel's Five-Man Band in "Nobel Peace Surprise".
- Workaholic: According to Tuddrussel. He mentions this when they note why they were no longer married.
- Working with the Ex: With Tuddrussel occasionally.
XJ5
Voiced by: Daran Norris
An advanced robot that is more qualified for the job of a time cop than Larry, and he loves to rub it in. Working with Officer Sternwell, he provides actual help and guidance on missions.
- Birds of a Feather: With Sheila. Both are competent and focused on their mission.
- Do-Anything Robot: His equipment is more useful on missions than Larry's. Played for a Double Entendre in "Nobel Peace Surprise":XJ5: (after showing off his thermal sensor) Nice, isn't it?Larry: It's not the size of the equipment. It's how you use it.
- Known Only by Their Nickname: He is only known for his model number.
- Hidden Depths: His first appearance portrays him as The Stoic as well as kind of a jerk toward Larry and Tuddrussel. (Especially Larry) However, the following episodes show that he isn't always in charge of the situation and can be very easily awkward and concerned, especially if Sheila is around.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: In "Ex Marks the Spot." Despite his superior attitude toward Larry and Tuddrussel, he seems to care for Sheila (possibly to the point of being Platonic Life-Partners with her), and willingly investigates Tuddrussel and Sheila's "romantic dinner" after observing Larry's distress over it.
- Not So Stoic: XJ5 doesn't express emotions, but sometimes he can sound sarcastic (especially when Tuddrussel's or Larry's stupidity is involved) and worried (when Sheila and Tuddrussel expressed some interest in each other in "Ex Marks the spot").
- Pet the Dog: He shows a superior attitude more often but he acts kind at times and seems to care really about his partner.
- Platonic Life-Partners: With Sheila.
- Robot Buddy: He is Sheila's partner.
- Shipping Torpedo: One trait XJ5 shares with Larry is that he hates Sheila and Tuddrussel together. However, reasons are more ambiguous. Whether he harbors potential feelings for Sheila or if it's just a case of What Does She See in Him? remains to be seen.
- Took a Level in Badass: XJ5 has his moment in "Nobel Peace Surprise" when he fights against Lizzie Borden. She lost, being electrocuted, but the best part was that XJ5 didn't even make a move to attack her and everything happened while he got one of his arms missing (courtesy of Tuddrussel).
J.T. Laser
Voiced by: Jim Wise
Professional and competent, he's the best of the best of what Time Squad has to offer; but he's also an arrogant jerk that gladly makes trouble for Tuddrussel and Larry.
- The Ace: He "graduated top of [his] class" at the Academy and has a perfect success rate with missions.
- Birds of a Feather: With Lance because they both dislike nerds and are arrogant.
- Even the Guys Want Him: Tuddrussel has difficulty controlling himself in his presence.
- Jerkass: Implied. And Tuddrussel is happy for him acting like one.
- Showy Invincible Hero: He's the best operative in the entire Time Squad organization, and has a perfect success rate.
- Topheavy Guy: Oddly, his physique is less exaggerated than Tuddrussel's, though Laser is supposed to be even manlier.
- Villainous Friendship : Lance and he are not really villainous but they are jerks. In any case, they clearly get along pretty well.
Lance Nine Trillion
Voiced by: Kevin Michael Richardson
The best officer in Time Squad needs to have the robot with the most advanced technology right? Lance is the perfect partner for J.T.
- The Ace: He's J.T. Laser's partner, so this trope is a natural.
- Birds of a Feather: With J.T. because they both dislike nerds and are arrogant.
- Do-Anything Robot: A more literal example than XJ5. He can even turn into a flying vehicle.
- Dude Magnet: Larry can't resist fawning over Lance when they meet in "Out with the In Crowd." Reinforced by a visual pun in which Lance attaches a magnet to him.
- Jerkass: Implied. And Larry is happy for him acting like one.
- Robot Buddy: Like all other Time Squad units, Lance serves as this for his partner J.T.
- Villainous Friendship : J.T. Laser and he are not really villainous but they are jerks. In any case, they clearly get along pretty well.
Sister Thornly
Voiced by: Dee Dee Rescher
Otto's former caretaker before getting taken by Larry and Tuddrussel. Otto had good reason to fear her, as did the other kids that she kept. Obviously not afraid of the police or anyone coming after her, Sister Thornley freely abuses the kids that are put into her care, while at the home and even more disturbingly in public. Her motives are despairingly questionable, such as making the children work under horrific conditions in order to make a quick buck. Or why she had a problem with Otto reading books. (Or any child reading, for that matter. She apparently had an entire policy against it.) Quick to punish, she makes it clear that one does not want to cross her path.
- Child Hater: It's pretty clear that she has no patience or love at all for children.
- Evil Orphanage Lady: As this trope continues to become less common in kid's media, she is definitely of the most played straight examples in recent years.
- Fostering for Profit: Implied, if not outright said by Otto that she's the head of the orphanage so that way she can make the kids work for her.
- Hate Sink: Sister Thronly was designed solely to get people to despise her for the horrible way she treated Otto and the other orphans.
- Karma Houdini: Was never punished for her crimes.
- Meaningful Name: Tells a lot about her personality.
- Nun Too Holy: She may be a nun, but doesn't act like what nuns should.
- Orphanage of Fear: While doubling as an Inner City School, Sister Thornly's School For Wayward Tots is a creepy, run-down Victorian home with junk scattered all over the yard and with an electric fence. . .and that's just from the outside!
- Stern Nun: Some would say borderline psychotic really.
Historical Figures
Doctor Sigmund Freud
Voiced by: Tom Kenny
The Austrian doctor who is often credited as the father of modern psychology. The Time Squad was sent to stop the psychologist from hypnotizing his patients into thinking that they are wild animals as a means of controlling their mental issues.
- All Psychology Is Freudian: obviously.
- Hypno Fool: Uses hypnosis to make his patients believe they're animals.
- Insane Troll Logic: Rather than helping his patients deal with their issues and past trauma, Freud decided that their problems were best solved if they thought they were animals instead of humans since they'd forget their past that way.
- Single-Issue Psychology: Freud often hypothesizes that the main reason the Squad and his patients for that matter are so miserable is because of a deeply rooted childhood-related trauma.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: He gave one towards Tuddrussel and Larry, which consists of an analysis of how Tuddrussel's overactive ego and Larry's manipulative behavior causes them to bicker a lot with each other and in the process cause Otto to get caught in the middle of it all.
George Washington
Voiced by: Michael Gough
As the first president of the United States, Washington is portrayed with a rare sympathy that other historical figures do not enjoy. He's a man of integrity and with a deep love for his country, and of complete sound of mind and body. Also to boot, he's shown to be an overworked leader that wants more than anything to spend time with his family and is in a constant state of worry thanks to hippies and rabid fans.
- The Cape: One of the few unequivocally good and competent historical figures that the main characters help.
- Ideal Hero: According to Otto, he is this.
- Reluctant Ruler: True to the history books, Washington becomes weary of the job as President after a while.
- You Don't Look Like You: The holographic Washington that Time Squad fights during a training scenario doesn't use the same model or even the same voice as the real Washington.
Blackbeard
Voiced by: Roger Rose
AKA Edward Teach, the Time Squad has a rough time trying to get the pirate from saving the planet to stealing goods.
- Beware the Nice Ones: Do NOT mistake his sudden change of heart to mean he's harmless, he's still Blackbeard, one of the most vicious pirates to sail the Seven Seas.
- Berserk Button: Any type of willful harm against nature brings out his old violent side.
- Soapbox Sadie: In a male example, Blackbeard constantly preaches on the importance of protecting the environment.
Cleopatra
Voiced by: Vanessa Marshall
The famous Egyptian queen is busy destroying the Great Pyramids of Giza and making way for a mall that only royals can afford to go to.
- Gay Best Friend: Cleopatra uses Larry as her shopping buddy while at the mall.
- God Save Us from the Queen!: Her royal attendants bemoan the destruction of the pyramids and the dead rulers that get thrown out to make way for the mall. Otto ends up asking Julius Caesar to set her straight.
- Rich Bitch: She's the most powerful woman of her era, but uses her status as Queen to buy whatever she wants at the expense of her subjects.
- Ugly Guy, Hot Wife: Staying true to history, Cleopatra's true love interest is none other than Julius Caesar.
Julius Caesar
Voiced by: Maurice LaMarche
The Time Squad discovers that the great city of Rome was thrown into shambles thanks to Caesar's poor handling of his role as leader.
- Fat Slob: it's easy to understand why the people of Rome would choose the tall, muscular warrior leader like Tuddrussel over the fat and lazy Julius Ceasar to be the Emperor.
- From Nobody to Nightmare: Goes from a weak and whiny Manchild to strong enough to easily defeat the brawny Tuddrussel at the Colosseum. How? Otto trains him in martial arts, which trumps Tuddrussel's brute power.
- Jaded Washout: His reason for the decay of Rome was that he was tired of having to take care of the empire.
Napoleon Bonaparte
Voiced by: Carlos Ramos
The French leader is a strange little man who clearly wants to do what History dictates for him to do. But unfortunately, for Napoleon and the Time Squad, the only thing standing in the way of war and conquest for France is the Emperor's wife, Josephine.- Henpecked Husband: His flaw is that instead of trying to conquer the world, he's too scared to stand up to his wife. Thankfully, the gang helps him get over it in the end.
- The Napoleon: Of course the writers portray him as having a Napoleon complex!
- The Unintelligible: Napoleon speaks in what's essentially "French gibberish", which includes a lot of twittering and stuttering things like "Twa tu twat le twat" with the only real French being spoken are key phrases such as 'oui' and 'c'est la vie'.
Edgar Allan Poe
Voiced by: Paul Greenberg
Instead of finding a depressed alcoholic writer of horror, we get a children's book author that refuses to let the dark and cruel side of life get him down.
- Berserk Button: He goes on a violent tantrum after Larry insults his cooking.
- Can't Take Criticism: While upbeat throughout most of the stuff the squad tries on him, getting his cooking criticized sends him off the deep end.
- The Pollyanna: The gang tries to break him of his abundant joy by taking him to depressing locations, but he just sees the brighter side of the coin. Heavily subverted when Larry insults the cake he makes for them.
Betsy Ross
Voiced by: Nika Futterman
Time Squad must convince the radical hippie leader to give back Washington's troops before the British army attack and to make America's first flag.
- Granola Girl: Part of the joke since this personality type did not exist in the 1700s.
- Stoners Are Funny: She and the rest of her army have pink eyes and all act like they're half-baked. Later Tuddrussel off handy mentions that Betsy baked "brownies" for General Washington as a peace offering.
America's Founding Fathers
Including Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Samuel Adams, John Adams, and John Hancock.Amelia Earhart
Voiced by: Patti Deutsch
The first female pilot is too paranoid about germs to even consider the thought of going outside, let alone flying a plane when the Time Squad comes along.
- Abhorrent Admirer: Towards Tuddrussel in "Love at First Flight." This is a somewhat unusual example—–Tuddrussel and Amelia Earhart get along well until she declares her desire to marry him.
- Neat Freak: Turns out to have become a germaphobe at some point, to the point that she refuses to become a pilot because the air is full of germs.
- Opposites Attract: Falls in love with Tuddrussel because of what an unrepentant slob he is.
George Washington Carver
Voiced by: Kevin Michael Richardson
Carver, the brilliant inventor of more than a hundred uses for the peanut doesn't need Time Squad's help in figuring out what to do with his findings. What he needs is help against his evil little brother Todd Washington Carver.
- Canon Foreigner: The real George Washington Carver did have a brother, but his name was James, not Todd, and he was also the older one.
- Mundane Solution: Carver has already invented peanut butter when Time Squad shows up, but he was planning on introducing it as peanut glue rather than as food.
Eli Whitney
Voiced by: Tom Kenny
Known as the inventor of the cotton gin, Whitney somehow manages to instead make a horde of flesh-eating robots that manage to destroy everything in their wake.
- Buffy Speak: When given the idea for the cotton gin after seeing Otto's modern-day t-shirt, Whitney struggles to come up with a name for it, at first coming up with "Cotton-Separator Thingy". Larry ends up suggesting "Gin", which sticks.
- Didn't Think This Through: When Otto asks why he'd make flesh-eating robots, he responds that he wanted to invent something that could help mankind. When asked where the logic in such a creation fits in, he admits he didn't think the project through very well.
- Mad Scientist: Though more out of thoughtlessness rather than any malevolence on his part.
Meriwether Lewis
Voiced by: Gregg Berger
Half of the famed exploring duo, Lewis and Clark. A competent, organized explorer, his ways clash with those of a sloppy, ill-tempered Clark, leading to a tragic break-up between the two.
- Ambiguous Disorder: A bit anal-retentive and overly attached to a parasitic partner who doesn't pull his own weight. The real-life Lewis is widely believed to have suffered from depression or a similar mental illness, such as bipolar or manic depressive disorder.
- Ambiguously Gay: Obsesses over the company of Clark and is quite eager to have Larry join him for some "exploring" as well.
- Cry into Chest: Does this to Larry after Clark breaks up with him.
- Friend to All Living Things: Always accompanied by butterflies and even has a deer eat from his hand.
- Please, Don't Leave Me: Accompanied by a desperate "I'll do whatever!" when Clark packs up and leaves.
- Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: The Sensitive Guy to Clark's Manly Man
- The Woobie: Especially when you consider the fate of the real Meriwether Lewis.
William Clark
Voiced by: Gregg Berger
The other half of the famed exploring duo. Unprepared and sloppy, he gets fed up with Lewis and breaks up with him. Alone, he is clueless, and he must learn the hard way that he truly needs his partner to get his job done properly.
- Adaptational Villainy: The real-life William Clark was much more intelligent and competent, as well as much more generous, having paid for Sacajawea's son's college education and being more supportive of and loyal to Lewis.
- Break the Haughty: Is quickly shown the error of his ways after trying to explore on his own, even with Tuddrussel and Otto's help. He literally comes crawling back and begs Lewis for forgiveness.
- Dumb Blonde: Without Lewis, Clark can't navigate his way out of a paper bag, and ends up lost, starving, and filthy on his own.
- Fat Bastard: Chunky, unsympathetic, and screws over Tuddrussel and Otto with his own incompetence.
- Fat Slob: Short, stocky, and leaves a trail of litter around his own campsite.
- Global Ignorance: Can't read a map to save his (or Otto's or Buck's) life.
- Lazy Bum: Unlike the hardworking and experienced Lewis, Clark mostly just wants to lie around all day.
- Living Emotional Crutch: Seems to be this to Lewis, who is completely dependent on having him as an exploring partner.
Sinon
Voiced by: Daran Norris
A Greek warrior known for fooling the Trojans into accepting the fabled horse into their city walls. Instead, he just wants to shower the Trojan King with goodies for his birthday and make gift-giving the Greeks' legacy.
- Ambiguously Gay: Comes across as quite campy and even speaks with a stereotypical lisp, similar to the woodsman from Dave Wasson's Tales from the Goose Lady short, "Hamsel and Grande."
- Comically Missing the Point: His attempt of a giraffe full of chocolate soldiers both misses the point of using real soldiers to attack Troy and getting a gift for the Trojan King who doesn't like sweets.
- Cool Helmet: Sports a warrior helmet bedecked with massive red feathers. Alluded to by an impressed Tuddrussell, who snatches it off of his head to keep as a souvenir just as the Time Squad zaps back home.
- Nice Guy: He might not be the brightest or toughest warrior, but c'mon, all he wants to do is give the King of Troy a delicious gift!
- They Just Dont Get It: On three occasions gives the Trojans the wrong gift: a horse full of candy, a giraffe full of chocolate soldiers, and a soldier full of horses- the last of which destroys Troy and technically solves the mission.
Robin Hood
Voiced by: Joe Alaskey
The Prince of Thieves is stealing from the poor and giving to the rich- contrary to popular legend- in order to impress the snobby Prince John.
- British Teeth: His chompers are rather crooked, and he's a famous English outlaw.
- Just Like Robin Hood: Well, he IS Robin Hood, but Time Squad convinces him to give to the poor instead. Unfortunately, the poor are a bunch of boorish, ungrateful jerks, but it's a start.
The Wright Brothers
Voiced by: Joe Alaskey (Wilbur) and Bob Joles (Orville)
American brothers credited with building and flying the first successful airplane in 1903. Instead, they are incompetent stuntmen.
- Big Brother Bully: Wilbur—the elder of the two—isn't necessarily a bully, but he doesn't seem to have any regard for Orville's safety.
- Bungling Inventor: The gadgets they build for their stunt shows always fail.
- Butt-Monkey: Orville.
- Redhead In Green: Orville in his first stuntman outfit
- They Just Dont Get It: No matter how many times Otto and Tuddrussel tell them to build their plane, they invent the wrong flying machine, like a human catapult, instead. And when they DO finally build the famous machine, they use it as a balancing rod for their tightrope walking act.
Buffalo Bill
Voiced by: Jeff Bennett
Known for the creation of the Pony Express, Buffalo Bill becomes a crazed tabloid artist obsessed with the paranormal.
- Cloudcuckoolander: Somehow believed that Thomas Jefferson is involved in an alien conspiracy.
- Conspiracy Theorist: Ends up turning into one of these, and doesn't even snap out of it by the end. Time Squad just convinces him to invent the Pony Express so he can distribute his conspiracy tabloid alongside the mail.
Al Capone
Voiced by: Jon Polito
The famous mobster has given up organized crime and now leads a gang of birthday clowns, who make a joke of his business.
- Cement Shoes: Literally threatens one of the clowns he's forcing to switch places with him and his men with this punishment if he doesn't suck it up.Capone: Well, ya better learn to like it, or the only big shoes you'll be wearing will be filled with cement!!
- Cigar Chomper: Never seen without a cigar hanging out of his mouth, even in his clown get-up.
- Criminal Doppelgänger: His three henchmen Tuddrussio, Lenny, and Blotto bear a striking resemblance (and even have similar names) to the Time Squad, so much that Capone himself cannot tell them apart.
- The Don: He IS Al Capone, of course!
- Even Evil Has Standards: The whole reason he's pulling the clown scheme is that he doesn't want his own son, Al Jr, to have the same horrible birthday experience he did, as a slovenly, incompetent buffoon of a clown ruined his 10th birthday party. The same goes for any other child. He gets his wish in the end. (The real-life Capone didn't have any known children).
Attila the Hun
Voiced by: Jess Harnell
The fierce Hun leader is anything but fierce, or a leader.
- Ambiguously Jewish: He's an early Medieval Woody Allen.
- Asian and Nerdy: He fits the ethnic version of this trope, but he's more of a parody of Woody Allen.
- Berserk Button: DO NOT call him "Big Dummy Four-Eyes"!
Harry Houdini
Voiced by: Danny Mann
The famous magician/escape artist uses his illusionist tricks to commit crimes across New York City.
- Blatant Burglar: The mask and super-villain get-up, as well as his habit of leaving notes that, when opened, spell out his name in a puff of smoke—revealing him as the crook.
- Con Man: Convinces his "audiences" that he needs their jewelry and money to perform his tricks.
- Cool Mask: Wears a blue burglar mask.
- Cut Lex Luthor a Check: The whole reason he commits robberies is to fund his passion as an illusionist, not having realized that the people he's been stealing from enjoy his tricks, and would happily just pay to watch him perform magic outright. Otto points this out to him at the end of the episode.
The Earl Of Sandwich
Voiced by: Marshall Efron
John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich, who's almost done with his recipe for a revolutionary new kind of food.
- Epic Fail: His previous attempts at finishing his sandwich recipe; one is encased in a block of ice, another is just a glob of slime, one has a boot as an ingredient, and one is rotten and spoiled beyond salvage. The one he tries just as Time Squad shows up involves zapping it with electricity like in a Frankenstein movie... which of course just scorches it to a husk.
- Even Beggars Won't Choose It: He can't even give away his sandwich for free, because of the terrible and disgusting name.
- Mundane Solution: His original sandwich recipe was missing something, and the Earl couldn't figure out what, leading to him trying a bunch of ridiculous and bizarre ideas. Turns out it was just missing some mayonnaise to put it all together, which he figures out thanks to Larry.
- Satiating Sandwich: The sandwich is exactly as delicious as the Earl hoped it would be, it's only held back by the disastrous choice in name. Once Otto gets a nobleman to try it, it becomes a smash hit.
- Unfortunate Names: He insists on naming the sandwich "Stinky Pile O' Poo", despite a uniformly negative response from everyone to the point that he can't even get anyone to try it. Apparently it was his mother's maiden name.
Alfred Nobel And His Legion of Doom
Voiced by: John Kassir, Grey Delisle, Darran Norris
Swedish chemist and the creator of dynamite, who's decided to use his fortune to advance evil in the world instead of good. To this end, he's amassed a group of like-minded criminals and murderers; Black Bart, Lizzie Borden, Jack the Ripper, Rasputin the Mad Monk, and Mrs. O'Leary's cow.
- Animal Nemesis: Mrs. O'Leary's cow takes a particular dislike for Otto and goes after him during the fight.
- Evil Is Petty: Awards Tuddrussel his Nobel Evil Prize for blowing up the local sewer system with a nuclear grenade.
- Fat Bastard: Black Bart, strangely enough, as the historical Bart was rather thin.
- For the Evulz: Unlike other historical figures gone bad, such as Lincoln or Robin Hood, it's never really explained why Nobel decided to embrace evil, other than struggling with coming up with a purpose for his Nobel Prize. For some bizarre reason, he decided to do a Face–Heel Turn and reward evil actions.
- Heel–Face Door-Slam: When Otto convinces Nobel to become a force for good instead, the rest of the villains are also moved and decide to reform themselves. Unfortunately, this would cause further historical inaccuracies, so Otto is forced to convince them to remain evil.
- Historical Villain Upgrade: Only Jack The Ripper is as evil as his real-life counterpart; Rasputin was heavily vilified after his death by his enemies among the Russian nobility, Lizzie Borden was deemed not guilty, and Mrs. O'Leary's cow was just a mindless animal, if it existed at all. Black Bart was a stagecoach robber, but a surprisingly polite and civilized one, and never even fired a gun during his criminal years, much less killed anyone with it.
- Legion of Doom: Gathered together a group of iconic villains to help him in his goal.
Monty Zuma
Voiced by: Tom Kenny
Better known as Montezuma, the last emperor of the Aztec empire, Monty Zuma as he now calls himself dreams of becoming a successful stand-up comedian and intends to go on tour as soon as he wins the comedy contest at a local club.
- Catchphrase: "It's bad folks, real bad!"
- Normal Fish in a Tiny Pond: The only reason why Zuma's comedy is such a hit, despite being fairly mediocre, is because all the other wannabe comedians are embarrassing flops that make him look like Jerry Seinfeld.
Sitting Bull
Voiced by: ???
The chief of the Native American Lakotas, Sitting Bull was given a vision by his ancestors about his role in the upcoming battle of Little Big Horn. Unfortunately, Sitting Bull misinterpreted the message, believing instead that his ancestors wanted him to relive his youth.- Mid Life Crisis Car: Well, cars don't exist yet, so he uses the horse and cart version; a souped-up wagon with several horses for "extra horsepower".
- Disco Dan: Acts exactly like the stereotype, including the vinyl suit, which is especially impressive considering disco won't even be invented for another century.
- Hollywood Mid-Life Crisis: It's embarrassingly obvious that Sitting Bull just wanted an excuse to relive his youth and only heard what he wanted from the message.
- Life of the Party: Tries to be this but the teenagers whose party he crashed mostly seem to find him annoying.
