Characters from Total Recall (1990). See here for characters from the remake. For the original book go here.
open/close all folders
Quaid
Douglas Quaid
Played By: Arnold Schwarzenegger
Dubbed By: Daniel Beretta (European French)
A construction worker with an obsession with visiting Mars who eventually decides to fulfill his dreams with one of Rekall's "Ego Trips," where he will be a secret agent working to save the planet Mars. The procedure goes wrong, and Quaid discovers he actually is a secret agent named Hauser who had been mindwiped and dumped on Earth. Or is he?
- Adaptational Badass: His book counterpart was an unassuming office clerk who only later starts to pick up memories of combat training. Quaid here is a very well-built construction worker who manages to kill several henchmen with his bare hands before he's even fully recovered his memory.
- Adaptation Name Change: Doug's last name in the short story was "Quail."
- Amnesiac Dissonance: He eventually finds out that Hauser, who claimed to be a secret agent sent to Earth with his memory wiped to stop Cohaagen, was actually working for Cohaagen all along and was used to infiltrate the Resistance. With this knowledge, Quaid declares Hauser an "asshole" and renounces his past identity.
- Bond One-Liner: He's full of them."Consider this a divorce."
"See you at the party, Richter!" - Heroic Build: He's built like a brick outhouse, fittingly for a construction worker.
- I Hate Past Me: Upon learning of Hauser's true nature as a treacherous double-agent who took part in Cohaagen's evil machinations, Quaid renounces his old self in disgust and vows to never become him ever again.
Mars Resistance
Melina
Melina
Played By: Rachel Ticotin
A member of the resistance undercover as a prostitute who was in love with Hauser.
- Canon Foreigner: Melina (along with the entire storyline on Mars) was created specifically for the film and doesn't exist in the original story. Though depending on your interpretation, she may not exist in the film either.
- Woman Scorned: Melina was angry at Quaid for his supposed betrayal.
Kuato
Kuato
Played By: Marshall Bell
The mysterious leader of the resistance.
- Big Good: As the leader of the resistance opposing Cohaagen's tyrannical grip, he's definitely an important guy.
- Boom, Headshot!: How he is killed courtesy of Richter.
- Canon Foreigner: Kuato is an original creation of the film since Doug never went back to Mars in the short story.
- Conjoined Twins: George and Kuato are conjoined twins, likely as a result of radiation mutation.
- Creepy Good: His appearance is unnerving, being a mutant fetus conjoined to his brother's stomach, but he's nonetheless a wise and benevolent figure who strives to free the people of Mars.
- La Résistance: He's the fabled leader, with his mere name inspiring rebellions across the martian colony.
- Walking Spoiler: Even though he can't walk since he's conjoined to George.
George
George
Played By: Marshall Bell
A member of the resistance. Kuato is his parasitic twin.
- Conjoined Twins: George and Kuato are conjoined twins, likely as a result of radiation mutation.
Tony
Tony
Played By: Dean Norris
A member of the resistance who hates Quaid.
- Cyclops: He has either a mutation growth or a scar where one of his eyes should be.
- Taking the Bullet: He is (nonfatally) shot trying to protect the patrons of the Last Resort after helping Quaid and Melina escape.
Benny
Benny
Played By: Mel Johnson Jr.
A mutant cab driver.
- Bizarre Alien Limbs: He's human but due to mutation his arms are twice the length of a normal man's, though he can fold them up to appear common-length.
- Drill Tank: He drives one to try to kill Quaid and Melina in the tunnels.
- False Friend: Presents himself as Quaid's best pal, only to betray him for money.
- Faux Affably Evil He continues to keeps up his Plucky Comic Relief act when he tries to drill Quaid and Melina to death, but at this point every positive trait (including the existence of his supposed family) was a lie and he was truly monstrous to the core.
- I Have a Family: Invoked for sympathy. Benny tells Quaid when he first meets him he has five kids, but later on when he tries to justify his true alliegiance, he says he has four. When Quaid calls him out, he says he's not even married.
- Karmic Death: He tries to kill Quaid and Melina by turning them into mincemeat with his drill tank, only to end up getting drilled to death himself, courtesy of an angry Quaid.
- Oh, Crap!: That glorious look on Benny's face when he realizes too late that Quaid has drilled a hole through his tank's hull, right next to his seat, and is mere seconds away from drilling him, too.
- The Mole: He's actually a spy for Cohaagen, sent to infiltrate the Resistance so that he could get close to Kuato. He reveals himself as a traitor when he shoots George.
- The Quisling: Works for Cohaagen despite being a Martian mutant.
- Uncle Tomfoolery: Fits this trope perfectly, being a loud and wisecracking ally to the hero, though he keeps the attitude when he turns out to be evil.
Mary
Mary
Played By: Lycia Naff
A three-breasted hooker and a member of the Mars Resistance.
- Multiboobage: One of the most famous examples in the media,
- In the Back: Richter shoots her while she's walking away from him.
Thumbelina
Thumbelina
Played By: Debbie Lee Carrington
One of Mary's fellow prostitutes and rebels, a little person.- Pintsized Powerhouse: Fights hard with a knife in the bar clash, delivering a Groin Attack with a knife and blazing away with a machine gun.
Bartender
Bartender
Played By: Mark Carlton
The bartender at the bar the mutant resistance operates out of.- The Bartender: Serves drinks at a bar and keeps a shotgun behind it which he breaks out against the soldiers.
- No Name Given: The first credited character whose name is never mentioned in the movie.
The Agency
Cohaagen
Vilos Cohaagen
Played By: Ronny Cox
The corrupt governor of Mars who uses his turbinium mining to rule Mars with an iron fist.
- Antagonistic Governor: He keeps Mars in line with lethal force and is preventing its (mutant) citizens from a consistent supply of air by making them pay him for it and refusing to turn on the reactor.
- Bad Boss: He only gives his subordinates the information they need for his grunt work and constantly berates Richter.
- Bad People Abuse Animals: Cohaagen is shown to have a fish tank filled with numerous goldfish that he feeds every day. However, following Quaid's escape due to his refusal to regain his former identity as Hauser, Cohaagen shatters the fish tank out of complete rage, leaving the poor goldfish to die of asphyxiation.
- Believing Their Own Lies: He insists that the reactor will destroy everybody on Mars, otherwise a breathable atmosphere would mean losing control.Quaid: Do you expect me to believe that?
Cohaagen: I don't give a damn what you believe! - Big Bad: He's the Antagonistic Governor that Quaid has to defeat to free Mars.
- Big Bad Duumvirate: With Hauser. Together they formulated the plan to take down the Mars Resistance.
- Canon Foreigner: The Agency's leader didn't appear in the short story and wasn't implied to be as nasty as Cohaagen.
- Fantastic Racism: Towards the Martian mutants.
- Faux Affably Evil: Is this to apparently everyone besides Hauser, whom he seemed to genuinely consider a friend. We see him speaking casually with Richter before changing to a hostile tone and berating him for his failures.Cohaagen: Richter... do you know why I'm such a happy person?
Richter: No, sir.
Cohaagen: Because I've got the greatest job in the solar system. As long as the terbinium keeps flowing, I can do anything I want. Anything! In fact, the only thing I worry about is that, one day — if the rebels win — it all might end... and you're FUCKING MAKING IT HAPPEN! - I Don't Pay You to Think: Repeatedly tells this to Richter. The latter turns it back on him in their final interaction.
- Karmic Death: After deliberately leaving the Venusville inhabitants to suffocate and knocking over his fish tank so the goldfish inside dies, him getting sucked out onto the surface of Mars and suffering a very graphic Explosive Decompression seems quite fitting.
- Older Than They Look: The dialogue implies he was responsible for the inadequately shielded domes that caused the first settlers to be irradiated and resulted in the mutants. This would mean that he has been around since the time of Benny's grandfather assuming Benny wasn't joking about his grandfather.
- Politically Incorrect Villain: Says that the new personality they intend to implant Melina with (respectful, pliant, and appreciative) is the way women should be.
- Villainous Breakdown: After Quaid resists being reprogrammed and becomes a threat to his power, he is finally forced to give the command to execute his former ally. He is deflated and quiet at first, even ignoring Ritcher rubbing it in his face. When alone however, he abruptly begins Tantrum Throwing, knocking over his fish bowl in frustrated rage. He later rants in Quaid's face for stealing his friend from him and begs him not to activate the alien device.
- Villainous Friendship: In heavy contrast to his contemptuous treatment of Richter and other subordinates, he genuinely cared about Hauser. He vents extreme frustration when Quaid resists reprogramming specifically because he wanted his friend back.
Richter
Richter
Played By: Michael Ironside
Cohaagen's chief lieutenant who tries to kill Quaid against Cohaagen's orders to get revenge on Quaid for sleeping with his wife Lori while she was undercover.
- An Arm and a Leg: His arms are torn off by the elevator right before falling to his death.Quaid: See you at the party, Richter!
- Butt-Monkey: Richter gets berated by his boss, has his wife sleep with Quaid repeatedly, repeatedly fails to kill Quaid, and Quaid kills his wife and then him gruesomely.
- Canon Foreigner: The short story only had Quaid pursued by a couple of nameless agency goons.
- Crazy Jealous Guy: Sleeping with his wife or hitting on her is a good way to push his Berserk Button.
- The Dog Bites Back: A brief example, but after being berated time and time again for not sticking to the plan, he belittles a despondent Cohaagen to his face when Hauser's reprogramming backfires, practically gloating he now has to approve Richter executing his best friend.
- The Dragon: He's Cohaagen's right-hand man and go-to muscle.
- Dragon with an Agenda: He initially goes against Cohaagen's order to take Quaid alive since he wants revenge for him sleeping with his wife.
- Fantastic Racism: Towards the Martian mutants. More so than Cohaagen.
- Hair-Trigger Temper: He shoots Mary in the back just because she is unhelpful when he questions her.
- It's Personal with the Dragon: His feud with Quaid goes beyond his job due to him sleeping with Lori as part of his cover and especially after he kills Lori. He tries to have have him killed even though Cohaagen wants him alive since Hauser's supposed to be on his side. Given using Lori as part of the mole stunt was supposedly Hauser's idea would imply he wasn't best friends with Richter even in his former life.
- I Warned You: After Cohaagen's plan to revive Hauser goes pear shaped and he in risk of losing everything unless Richter stops him, he is sure to rub it in his Bad Boss' face before setting about it.Richter: (coy) You have to make a decision, sir...
Cohaagen: (reluctantly) Kill him.
Richter: About goddamn time. - My Fist Forgives You: When noted that Hauser won't remember anything after the reprogramming, Richter slugs him in the face as hard as he can, before jovially calling "See you at the party." This makes him no less eager to kill him anyway when the process fails however.
- Taking You with Me: After being thrown off the elevator by Quaid but managing to hold onto his arms, Richter tries to drag Quaid down with him. However, Quaid used it against him.Richter: You're coming with me!
- Who's Laughing Now?: After all he suffered under their mole operation, he tries to pull this on both of his Bad Bosses. He tries to murder Hauser unknowingly in his Quaid alias under the excuse of his threat level. Cohaagen lambasts him repeatedly for doing such (even when Quaid kills Lori), though when his own alternative backfires, Richter pressures him into ordering his best friend's execution himself, taunting him after doing such. Averted since Richter ultimately fails and is killed by Quaid, though if any solace, so do Cohaagen and effectively Hauser as a result of pulling the scheme in the first place.
Lori
Lori
Played By: Sharon Stone
An agent who went undercover as Quaid's wife to monitor him.
- Adaptational Badass: Doug's wife from "We Can Remember It For You Wholesale" was also an agency plant, but she disappeared after Doug saw through the ruse. Here she is one of the most dangerous characters in the film and puts up a vicious fight against both Quaid and Melina.
- Combat Pragmatist: During her fight with Quaid she repeatedly goes for the Groin Attack and grabs a knife the first chance she gets.
- Dark Action Girl: She is a very competent hand to hand fighter. During her fight with Quaid she does way better than she has any business doing given their size difference, and on Mars she manages to kick Melina's ass and would've killed her if not for a timely bullet to the head.
- Groin Attack: Her preferred way of dealing with Quaid, she gives him three throughout the film.
- Honey Trap: Her role was to keep Quaid unaware until the time came to implement Cohaagen's plan.
- Kick Chick: When she attacks Quaid at home, she throws a series of kicks that actually feel like they could have seriously gone through him if she connected.
- Morality Chain: After she's killed, Richter completely loses it.
- Ms. Fanservice: 1990 Sharon Stone in her form-fitting sports gear and THAT nightie!
- Too Dumb to Live: Why would you try to pull a gun on someone who already had the drop on you at point-blank range?
Helm
Helm
Played By: Michael Champion
Richter's right-hand man.
- Four Eyes, Zero Soul: A bespectacled guy who unhesitatingly follows Cohaagen and Richter.
- Cruel and Unusual Death: Gets gored by Thumbelina in the bar shootout.
- Mook Lieutenant: He survives multiple fights and seems to have the most authority of Cohaagen's subordinates after Richter.
- Only Sane Employee: Regularly tries to restrain Richter from going overboard, like preventing him from shooting at Quaid being in front of the Martian dome glass again after already nearly killed everyone doing the same thing a short while earlier.
- Verbal Backspace: After reminding Richter Lori slept with Quaid he tries to go back and say she must have hated it.
Hauser Warning Unmarked Spoilers!
Carl Hauser
Played By: Arnold Schwarzenegger
An agent who turned against Cohaagen after realizing he was on the wrong side and fell in with the Mars Resistance, only to be mindwiped and dumped on Earth as Quaid.
- Adaptational Heroism: In the novelization, Hauser was genuine in turning against Cohaagen, trying to pull a Kansas City Shuffle against Cohaagen in the hopes of getting Quaid to the device to activate it.
- Affably Evil: He's much friendlier than any of the other villains and honestly apologizes for deceiving Quaid.
- Big Bad Duumvirate: With Cohaagen. Together they formulated the plan to take down the Mars Resistance.
- Big Bad Friend: To Quaid.
- Death of Personality: With Quaid killing everyone who would try to restore Hauser's personality, he's dead for all intents and purposes.
- Evil All Along: It's revealed that Hauser never intended to be part of the resistance and volunteered to become a Mole, having his mind wiped to prevent Psychics from reading his memory.
- Gold Digger: He pretended to love Melina to gain her trust as part he and Cohaagen's elaborate plot to eliminate Kuato and the Mars Resistance.
- Walking Spoiler: The fact he was actually intended to be a Mole all along is a major plot twist.
Harry
Harry
Played By: Robert Costanzo
An agent undercover as Quaid's best friend and coworker.
- Affably Evil:"Come on Quaid, I'll buy you a drink..." [draws gun on Quaid as three other mooks shows up]
- Big Bad Friend: Downplayed. After Quaid's botched ego trip, Harry tells Quaid he warned him but tries to murder him nonetheless.
- Neck Snap: Quaid broke his neck fatally, and does the same to one of his three partners.
- We Hardly Knew Ye: He's the first of 50-ish people Quaid killed in the entire film, dying to kickstart the film's first act.
Rekall
Tiffany
Tiffany
Played By: Alexia Robinson
- Adaptation Dye-Job: Tiffany is brown-haired here while her counterpart Shirley from "We Can Remember It For You Wholesale" had blonde hair.
- Adaptational Modesty: In the original story, her counterpart Shirley is topless with different color Body Paint every time Quail visits their offices (due to fashion trends evolving into No Nudity Taboo). In the film, Tiffany is more professionally dressed, with the multi-color motif being incorporated by having her instantly change the color on her fingernails.
- Adaptational Name Change: Her original counterpart was named Shirley.
- Race Lift: Implied, the race of her original counterpart, Shirley, was not explicitly stated, but she was suggested to be white with the book mentioning her to have "smooth pale shoulders". Tiffany is played by an actress who was African in descent.
