Characters
Tommy Walker
Roger Daltrey as Tommy in the 1975 film adaptation
Played by: The Who (1969), Roger Daltrey (1975), Pete Townshend (1969)
The main focus of The Who's innovative rock opera, Tommy Walker is a psychosomatically disabled boy who finds spiritual enlightenment through pinball.- Abandoned War Child: Tommy's father "dies" in the war, leaving him to be raised by a single mother.
- Cute Mute: Innocent-looking and doesn't talk.
- Godlike Gamer: Tommy is admired for his preternatural talent for pinball, which seems especially impressive considering that he can't see or hear the game. His fans view him as a godlike being and worship him as a messiah.
- Handicapped Badass
- Hilariously Abusive Childhood: Believe it or not, Tommy's horrible childhood experiences are played as a black comedy.
- I Just Want to Be Loved: The motif "See Me, Feel Me" expresses Tommy's desire to be loved and understood for what he is.
- Messianic Archetype: He isn't actually the messiah, but believes himself to be. The movie portrays him as a parodic christlike figure. His religious symbol even resembles a cross: an uppercase "T" with a pinball on top.
- Mr. Fanservice: Tommy spends the second half of the movie in revealing outfits.
- Mr. Imagination: Spends a lot of time in his mind. The song "Amazing Journey" gives a glimpse into Tommy's inner world, where his everyday experiences are interpreted as a psychedelic symphony. Retreating this world keeps Tommy sane despite all the tribulations he goes through.
- Spirit Advisor: In the film version's "Sparks" sequence, Tommy's soul leads the worldly Tommy to a pinball machine that changes his life for the better. He's a spirit guide to himself.
- Teen Idol: Tommy's pinball skills make him a "champion of the young" and his sermons resemble rock concerts with screaming fangirls.
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The Woobie: Goes through a particularly egregious trauma conga line and easily earns the audience's sympathy.
Nora Walker
Played by: The Who (1969), Ann-Margret (1975), Pete Townshend (1969)
Nora Walker is Tommy's devoted but dysfunctional mother. She is complicit with the murder of her husband/lover and brainwashes Tommy that he didn't witness the murder, resulting in his loss of hearing, sight, and speech.- Absurdly Youthful Mother: Ann-Margret was only four years older than her screen son.
- The Alcoholic: Drinks excessively to escape her problems.
- Crisis of Faith: Is originally a Christian but loses her faith because of Tommy's plight.
- Flat Character: Doesn't have much of a personality in the album, but is a rounded character in the film.
- Glamorous Single Mother: Averted. Nora is shown to be very melancholy about raising Tommy as a single mother. That is, until she remarries.
- Ms. Fanservice: Wears many provocative outfits.
