Sandbox / Characters Sesame Street

This sandbox is meant to move the main characters of Sesame Street out of the subpages that are currently shared with a bunch of minor characters.

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Cookie Monster

Performed by: Frank Oz (1969-2004), David Rudman (2001-present)

The very incarnation of gluttony. He loves cookies more than anything, but has been seen talking about "healthy" food, so kids can make good decisions in regard to nutrition. Cookie Monster has starred in several skits of his own in recent years, most recently "Cookie Monster's Foodie Truck", where he and Gonger (from The Furchester Hotel) visit the source of the missing ingredient of a recipe assigned to them by a child (Cookie's insatiable hunger is usually the reason why that ingredient is missing).

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• Affectionate Nickname: The monster's closest friends, including Prairie Dawn and Gonger, often refer to him as "Cookie".
• Anti-Role Model: He eats terrible, unhealthy food nonstop, and he's proud of it. However, he does stress the importance of healthy food. Then again, he also eats non-food.
• The Artifact: His tendencies to eat everything are derived from his earlier appearances before his character was established as Cookie Monster. He was originally just an unnamed monster who devours anything, including non-foods, within reach. The character would soon shape up to be the monster we know and love today, gaining both name and his Trademark Favorite Food. Nonetheless, his trait to devour inedibles within his reaching path has long endured to this day.
• Ascended Meme: Cookie Monster's "OM NOM NOM!" catchphrase has become a meme, something that was brought up in an interview, with Cookie Monster wondering why he hasn't received any royalties for it.
  "Me should get me attorney on this."
• Baby's First Words: The book "Me Cookie" reveals that "cookie" was his first word. Big surprise...
• Big Eater: He can and will eat just about anything and he rarely appears full up.
• Big Word Shout: Occasionally, he will shout "Cowabunga." He is also known to shout the name of things he's planning to eat.
• Characterization Marches On: He behaved more like a toddler in the first season: he often interfered with others (though unaware he was doing so), was occasionally fussy when he didn't get his way and was scolded by other characters when he misbehaved. It wasn't until his song "C is for Cookie" in 1971 that Cookie Monster's personality was firmly established.
• Catchphrase: "COOOOOKIE!" "COWABUNGA!" and "OM-NOM-NOM-NOM!"
• Character Signature Song: C is for Cookie (That's good enough for me)....
• Crazy Consumption: Usually found eating very quickly while eating cookies.
• Deadpan Snarker: Surprisingly. It's sometimes hard to tell with his Hulk Speak, but he can be quite sarcastic - complete with Aside Glances, even.
• Demoted to Extra: To a degree. After the death of Jim Henson and starting from the slow retirement of Frank Oz from Muppet performing, Cookie Monster would be seen only a handful of times on the street itself (outside of the "Monsterpiece Theatre" skits). Even when David Rudman started performing Cookie full-time, he would only pop up once in a while. As the 2010s' rolled around, however, Cookie Monster began making more and more recurring appearances, to the point where he is now as popular as he ever was in the 1970s' (maybe even more so) and currently has a nearly daily segment devoted to him and Gonger making food on request.
• Extreme Omnivore: And how! A full list of the usually-inedible things that he's eaten can be found here.
• Foil: To Prairie Dawn for a while, particularly during the "Letter of the Day" skits, among others. The two are often seen as an ideal pairing, as Prairie's prim and proper demeanor and insistence on order and cleanliness is the antithesis to Cookie's wild, messy gluttony.
  • To Gonger for the Foodie Truck segments. Cookie operates as both the reason they usually have to go get a major ingredient from its source (teaching the audience where the food comes from) and the conduit through which Gonger can teach the audience how to make the recipe of the day.
• Foregone Conclusion: Cookie Monster will eat any cookies that are near him, no matter how important they are. He's gotten better at being patient, though. You can also expect him to eat something in sketches he appears in, regardless of if it's a cookie or not.
• Hidden Depths: He tends to come off as a dim-witted glutton, but as the years went by he started to be portrayed less dense and more single-minded. He's can be very clever when he wants to be, is a surprisingly talented artist (if he can resist eating his own paintings), has shown himself to be a big fan of high culture (host of "Monsterpiece Theatre" as the gentrified Alistair Cookie), and even got a few Deadpan Snarker traits over time. In “Cardboard Castle”, it’s shown he can be very resourceful and clever when given the proper motivation (ie a promised cookie).
• Hulk Speak: His speech is a cross between this and You No Take Candle.
• Idiot Ball: He's wacky, yes, but not normally stupid... except for one skit which had him worry that there was a monster on the toy chest, when he is one.
• Instant Web Hit: "Share it Maybe" got almost four million hits in four days.
• Internal Homage: Episode 4111 is centered around "Cookie World," which Cookie Monster makes up as his answer to the popular "Elmo's World" segment.
• iSophagus: Cookie Monster swallows Kellan Lutz's cell phone while they're trying to explain the word "vibrate," becoming the perfect visual aid in the process.
• Jabba Table Manners: Cookie isn't remotely evil, but his eating habits do reflect poorly on him.
• Large Ham: Being originally performed by Frank Oz, Cookie has had numerous hammy moments.
• Leitmotif: A short, instrumental version of "C Is for Cookie."
• More Teeth than the Osmond Family: In his earliest appearances, he had fangs.
• Nightmare Sequence:
  • In one episode, he has a nightmare about floating, singing cookies.
  • In one episode, he dreams about a monster that turned into a cookie from eating too many cookies.
• Only Known by Their Nickname: According to the song "The First Time Me Eat Cookie", his name was Sidney before he started eating cookies - the "Cookie Monster" appellation was just a nickname that stuck. His name being Sid also gets a mention in this video where the Sesame Street characters answer questions from Google.
• Oral Fixation: A very common gesture for Cookie Monster when he's excited or hungry and there's no food (or other non-food object Cookie's interested in eating) around is for him to start chewing on his own fingers.
• Out-of-Character Moment:
  • In the "Take a Rest" song, he mentions needing a nap after eating, which he generally does not.
  • On two occasions, he has become afraid to eat cookies because of nightmares. However, both times, it only lasted a few moments.
  • The Sesame Street Dictionary shows him not wanting cookies to illustrate the word "unusual".
• Parental Bonus: The undisputed king of this trope. If Sesame Street makes a clever pop-culture reference, chances are it comes from him.
• Sick Episode: He got a disease called "Cookie Flu" in one episode, which was not at all like regular influenza and its only symptom was uncontrollable sneezing at the sight of cookies. It went away the moment he stopped thinking about cookies.
• Trademark Favorite Food: It's right there in his name: cookies. He loves cookies.
• Trash the Set: He sometimes does this by eating the set.
• Vague Age: He is seen wandering around alone and occasionally working, but speaks in primitive grammar, has a packed lunch in one promotional video, and calls his mother "mommy". In "Take a Rest", he claims he takes naps, although he's never been seen taking naps outside of that song.
  • And that's not getting into the "Cookie Monster's Foodie Truck" segments. When he and Gonger have to get the missing ingredient in whatever dish they're assigned that day, Cookie Monster drives the titular truck.
  • He also appears to be entirely capable of cooking his own cookies.
• Vocal Evolution: In regards to David Rudman's voice for Cookie Monster. In his first performances as the googly-eyed, gluttonous furball, Rudman used a voice that obviously sounds like a direct impression of Frank Oz's Cookie Monster, gruffly shouting everything he says and pronouncing "cookie" as "COO-KAAAAAYYY". By the beginning of the 2010s', however, Rudman's Cookie Monster voice noticeably changed, being faithful to Oz's performance while making the character his own.
• You No Take Candle: His well-known speech pattern is his bad grammar.
  • Amusingly enough, some parents expressed concern about this; Frank Oz, ever the wit, responded thus (immortalized for posterity in this tweet):
  An interviewer asked if I thought Cookie's way of speaking could be corrupting the kids. I said that I didn’t foresee a child growing up, becoming a lawyer, and saying, “Me want to represent you”.
  • And that tweet inspired this piece of fanart.

Elmo

"These are the tropes, la la la la, Elmo's tropes."

Performed by: Various (1970 — 1984) Kevin Clash (1984-2012), Ryan Dillon (2013-present)

A 3½-year-old monster who speaks in a high-pitched voice and eschews pronouns. Hosts the "Elmo's World" and "Elmo: The Musical" segments, as well as The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo, and the object of 1996's Tickle-Me-Elmo craze.

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• Ascended Extra: Pretty much the ultimate of this trope. He started out as a utility monster puppet, but shortly after was christened the name Elmo. Brian Muehl and Richard Hunt performed him in a handful of episodes between 1980-1984, but when Kevin Clash took over, Elmo became a much more prominent character and is now the star of the show.
• All-Loving Hero: He likes everyone, even Oscar. "Elmo loves you."
• Aside Glance: Whenever Zoe is talking to Rocco, he turns to the camera.
  Elmo: "Elmo doesn't believe this."
• Baby Talk: Elmo's general form of speech, particularly to babies.
• Beware the Nice Ones: Elmo in general is a very innocent, cheerful and sweet-natured monster, but he very much has his limits . One such case of his limits being pushed was shown in episode 3809, in which after his attempts to say the number of the day were interrupted by Zoe and Rocco constantly, Elmo, just when he thinks he's able to say the number of the day, ends up getting interrupted by Zoe, who ends up saying the number of the day on behalf of Rocco. This, unsurprisingly, results in Elmo hitting his Rage Breaking Point and calling them out in an anger filled rant.
• Breakout Character: He first appeared as a background character in 1980. Now he and Abby Cadabby are the show's most dominant characters.
• Catchphrase: He says "Elmo loves you" a lot.
• Character Signature Song: This is a Song, La-la la-la, Elmo's Song....
• Characterization Marches On: In his earlier incarnations in the early Eighties, he was basically a presumably-adult monster with a deeper, nasally, squawky voice who showed up every so often. Then, during Richard Hunt's stint, he was like a rowdy caveman (sounded a lot like Two-Headed Monster). When Richard, who hated doing Elmo, literally tossed the Muppet to Kevin Clash, Elmo was retooled as the bouncy, high-voiced, sweet-natured child-monster we know today.
• Cheerful Child: Elmo is a kind monster, is pretty upbeat, and is three years old.
• Cuddle Bug: He's very hug-friendly.
• Deadpan Snarker: He usually is one of the nicer characters on a show filled with nice characters...and then when Zoe introduces Rocco, he turns into this AND the Only Sane Man.
• Determinator: He wouldn't give up on helping his friends whenever they needed it.
• Dub Name Change: Takalani Sesame, the South African version of the series, formerly named him Neno. It was changed in preparation for the series' 20th anniversary in 2020, and to bring the name of the character in line with the US series and other international co-productions.
• Enmity with an Object: He has a one-sided rivalry with Zoe's pet rock Rocco.
• Flanderization: Since the mid-1990s, Elmo has become more loud, excited to unbearable levels, and hyperactive. He's also gained a tendency to hang out solely (though not always) with Zoe, Abby, Baby Bear, Telly, and Rosita.
• Friend to All Children: He kisses a lot of babies.

• Gone Horribly Right: Elmo gives a lecture on different ways that people sleep. The audience is so receptive that he can't sleep when it's over.
  Elmo: Go home!
• Iconic Sequel Character: Over the years, he's become so iconic and so famous, that it might be hard to remember that he was introduced in season 12. It's tough to impossible to imagine modern-Sesame Street without him.
• Little Mr. Snarker: Rarely, but he can't help making sardonic remarks in regards to Zoe's pet rock, which he really doubts is alive.
• Mascot's Name Goes Unchanged: Due in no small part to exposure via the internet, Elmo has a regular character in co-productions developed for Latin America, Israel, Norway, and the Arab world, where the name "Elmo" is retained.
• Military Brat: Yes, believe it or not. This was central to a series of videos specifically made to help military children cope with having a parent deployed, so he subverts most of the typical, negative stereotypes.
• Mr. Imagination: Has lots of imagination spots, especially in Elmo's World.
• Never Learned to Read: Still illiterate due to being only three years old.
• No Name Given: He was a minor background Muppet simply known as "Baby Monster" before 1984, when his current character started to take shape.
• Nice Guy: One of the nicest characters of the show, being cuddly and sweet natured.
• One-Episode Fear: He was afraid to go into Hooper's Store during the episode it caught fire.
• Only Sane Man: Or rather Only Sane Monster. Whenever Zoe appears with her pet rock Rocco, he is the only character that does not take the rock seriously and has to remind Zoe that, "He's a rock!" Mostly, this is because he believes Zoe is using Rocco as an excuse for attention and to get her way.
• Precocious Crush: One story concerns Elmo naively wanting to marry Gina. On learning this, she explains to him that she does love him very much, but that the relationship they have is "a 'friend' kind of love."
• Red Is Heroic: Has red fur and is very nice.
• Series Mascot: Possibly the most well-known Sesame Street character, he's taken Big Bird's place in this position and features on and in a lot of merchandise.
• Sick Episode:
  • He gets an earache in "Elmo Visits the Doctor".
  • One toy features Elmo having a cold.
  • One licensed game involves him having either a cold, toothache, or earache.
• Signature Laugh: His high-pitched laughter drove a toy craze in the mid-1990s when it was matched with a doll of Elmo.
• Sitcom Archnemesis: Elmo has a near irrational dislike for Zoe’s pet rock, Rocco, but tolerates his presence for the sake of Zoe.
• Sudden Anatomy: His eyelids appear when he's sleepy.
• Third-Person Person: He always refers to himself in as "Elmo" instead of "I" or "me."
  Elmo: And Elmo's Elmo.
  • He also usually refers to those he's talking to directly in the third person, for example, "Elmo thinks Abby could ask Julia to play again" instead of "I think you could ask Julia to play again."
  • He does occasionally speak in the first person though. Particularly early on. Humorously, sometimes he'll use both third and first person speech in one sentence.
  Elmo: Me?! What did Elmo do?"
• Toilet Training Plot: A flashback in "Elmo's Potty Time" showed him a year ago being potty trained.

Grover

Performed by: Frank Oz (1970-2012), Eric Jacobson (1999-present)

A well-meaning, multitalented monster who suffers more humiliation and injury than the rest of the cast combined. He also goes as a superhero named Super Grover. (He became Super Grover 2.0 in 2010.)

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• Ascended Extra: A puppet similar to Grover, but a green-brown color, was used throughout the first season, earning the name "Grover" near the end. Just a few weeks later on The Ed Sullivan Show, Grover appeared blue for the first time and rose to a main character on the show that fall.
• Affectionate Parody:
  • "SUP...ER GROVER!" parodies characters from the Superhero genre, with the absurd outfit and hammy tendencies of many of those characters.
  • "Look at yourself. Now back to me. Now back to yourself. Now back to me. Sadly, you are not a monster..."
  • The "Near & Far" sketch gets parodied itself quite a bit.
  • This stint as a Disco Dancing Royalty ala Saturday Night Fever.
  • The sketches in the restaurant underwent Memetic Mutation via The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.
• Amusing Injuries: Moreso than any other character, he ends up injured for comedy, often thanks to the ridiculous stunts he tries to pull off.
• Butt-Monkey: Gets put through a lot of injuries and misfortune.
  • With the exception of his sketches with Mr. Johnson, in which it's usually the latter who ends up the Butt-Monkey. Ditto his appearances with Kermit.
• Blue Is Heroic: Has blue fur and is a kind hearted sort. The heroic part especially comes into play when he becomes Super Grover.
• Can't You Read the Sign?: After Mr. Johnson complains to Grover the Flight Attendant that he's bored and has nothing to read.
• Catchphrase:
  • "Hel-lo everybod-ee! This is your lovable little furry pal, Grover!"
  • To Kermit: "HEEEEEEEEY, FROGGY BAYBEEEEE! [*backslap*]"
• Character Tics:
  • Will fall over when he's very emotional.
  • Always says "super" in this particular way.
• Determinator: The limits to which he pushes himself are actually quite admirable.
• The Ditz: Grover isn't stupid per se, but he tends to miss the obvious in situations where he's trying to help others.
• Fainting: Grover does this a lot (although it could be interpreted as ham acting).
• First Day of School Episode: The children's book (and book-and-record set) Grover Goes to School (1982). Grover is so eager to make friends on his first day of school that he ends up trading away his prized possessions for inferior substitutes, and this makes him miserable until he realizes he can make friends by just being himself.
• Flying Brick: Super-Grover apparently believes he's one of these, judging from how often he tries to bend bars and lift heavy objects. He actually is capable of flight, but takeoffs and landings are a problem for him.
• Gratuitous Spanish: Waiter Grover in La Casa de Comidas ("House of Foods"). He claims he's been learning some compatible Spanish words from Luis, and uses some of them in this sketch (i.e. mantequilla (butter), arroz (rice) and papas (potatoes)), along with of course the numbers from 1 to 4. However, some of the "Spanish" words he uses are made up - the Spanish equivalent of the French bon appétit is buen provecho, not "bon apetito."
• I Can't Hear You: In the 1970 sketch on The Ed Sullivan Show that definitively established Grover as a character, he interrupts Kermit's song by loudly strumming on a banjo. When Kermit asks why he's playing a banjo, Grover responds "I can't hear you, I'm playing the banjo."
• Jack of All Trades: Has several jobs, including waiter, taxi driver, and flight attendant.
• Keet: Grover is highly enthusiastic. "HEYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY, FROGGY BAYBEEEEE!"
• The Klutz: Is a bit clumsy and accident-prone.
• Know-Nothing Know-It-All: Depending on the sketch. In solo scenes, Grover is usually rather knowledgable about the subjects he's presenting. But, when paired with someone else or in one of his many guises (superhero, professor, marshal, camp counselor, etc.), he's usually not as much of an expert as he claims to be.
• Large Ham: One of the hammiest of the Muppet monsters. It helps that Frank Oz performs him.
• Named After Somebody Famous: Grover was named after U.S. President Grover Cleveland.
• New Job as the Plot Demands: Grover has held nearly 90 different jobs over the course of the show.
• Nice Guy: He's not very good at helping others, and he's clumsier than a three-legged giraffe, but he means well.
• Precision F-Strike:
  • When he appeared with other Muppets performed by Frank Oz in An Evening with Jim Henson and Frank Oz, in response to a marionette question.
  Grover: I do not know what the hell that means.
  • And the odd viral moment at the end of 2018 when half the internet was convinced that a clip of Grover saying "That sounds like an excellent idea!" included an F-bomb.
• Rhymes on a Dime: In one of the Waiter Grover skits, much to Mr. Johnson's immense irritation.
  Grover: Round and tasty on a bun/Pickles, French fries, yum yum yum.
• Secret Identity: For a certain value of "secret." He tries to convince others he and Super Grover are unrelated.
• Small Name, Big Ego: Often brags about how experienced, knowledgable and multi-talented he is when in reality, it's almost completely opposite.
• Spock Speak: According to original performer Frank Oz, Grover rarely uses contractions (except in songs) because he's obsessed with doing everything right.
• Superheroes Wear Capes: Wears a red cape when he's being Super Grover.
• Superman Substitute: His superhero alter-ego is Super Grover, complete with wearing a thunder bolt with the letter G on his chest.
• That Makes Me Feel Angry: "I feel so ______!" is one of his recurring lines, to enthusiastically express whatever emotion he happens to be feeling at the moment.
• Verbal Tic: Grover is known for speaking without contractions, giving him a much more formal vernacular. For instance, if one were to say the word "you're", Grover will always say it as "you are"; no exceptions.
• Vocal Evolution: In the first season Grover (who spent most of the season nameless, outside of being called "Fuzzyface" a few times) and Cookie Monster weren't distinct characters yet, and Frank Oz used an almost-identical voice for both. It was up to later on in mid- or late-second season that Grover got his more distinct and familiar voice. As Oz got older, Grover's voice noticeably deepened a bit, to the point that it started sounding a little like a gravelly Miss Piggy.
• Why Do You Keep Changing Jobs?: Poor Mr. Johnson keeps encountering Grover everywhere he goes: as a waiter, salesman, cab driver, flight attendant, telegram messenger, etc. Lampshaded more than once.

Rosita

Performed by: Carmen Osbahr (1991-present)

A 5-year-old bilingual monster who plays guitar. She was originally patterned after a fruit bat, but lost the wings in Season 35 through 51. She stated in an interview that they just popped off when flying.

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• Blue Is Heroic: While her fur is not as deep of a blue as Grover or Herry's, she's just as kind.
• Continuity Nod: Luis taught her how to play the guitar, and she has retained that skill very well.
• Early Installment Character-Design Difference: For the first thirteen years of the character, Rosita had a pair of wings, and we've seen her use them to fly (or rather, attempt to; a couple of 1990's episodes have her discover that she can't actually fly). 2004 onward, the wings disappeared and there has never been an explanation as to why on the show. According to her puppeteer, the choice was made by the merchandising wing of Sesame Street. In 2021, however, Rosita grew back her wings.
• Gratuitous Spanish: She peppers her sentences with Spanish phrases to introduce basic Spanish vocabulary to the kids. She also has an occasional segment where she gives the "Spanish Word of the Day".
• The Smurfette Principle: Rosita has the distinction of being the first female monster in the Sesame Street cast, and was the only female monster until Zoe arrived in 1993.
• Mentors: Rosita takes Gina's son Marco under her wing, because he is Guatemalan.
• Military Brat: Like Elmo, Rosita has to deal with having a military father. Her father comes home injured and confined to a wheelchair, and she has a hard time adjusting to the consequent changes.
• Nice Girl: A friendly monster who shows her compassion by giving hugs.
• True Blue Femininity: A blue furred creature who acts "girly".
• Overly Long Name: She's almost never referred to by it, but her full name is Rosita, la Monstrua de las Cuevas (literally "Rosita, the Monster of the Caves").
• Quirky Ukulele: She's a guitarist, but knows her way around many different stringed instruments, and employs them for various peppy, upbeat songs.

Telly

Performed by: Bob Payne (1979), Brian Muehl (1979-1984), Martin P. Robinson (1984-present)

A neurotic, easily discouraged monster. Was best friends with Oscar; now best friends with Baby Bear. He also has an obsession with triangles.

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• Characterization Marches On: He was originally obsessed with television, but grew out of that over the years.
• Cloud Cuckoo Lander: Downplayed. While he seems on the same plane of reality as everyone else, he has a vivid imagination and a strange interest in triangles.
• Dagwood Sandwich: Makes a sandwich with all the ingredients he can think of in one episode.
• Does Not Like Spam: When he made the "everything sandwich", the lettuce was the only ingredient he disliked. This carries over into newer episodes as well; in one such instance, Chris brings Telly a tuna sandwich just the way he likes it (with no lettuce), which immediately leads to the appearance of a mob of protesting vegetables.
• The Eeyore: Telly is known for being somewhat pessimistic.
• Intrepid Reporter: In the "Monster on the Spot" segments.
• Lovable Coward: Is sweet and nervy.
• Mind-Control Eyes: In his early, TV-obsessed appearances, his eyes would turn into red spirals when he watched TV.
• Mood-Swinger: Will often go from being calm to scared at the drop of a hat.
• Mr. Imagination: A lot of his worries are due to his vivid imagination running away with him.
• Nervous Wreck: His neuroticism is probably his most prevalent trait.
• Non-Indicative Name: It's an artifact of his early "watched too much TV" phase.
• Out of Focus: Telly appeared in nearly every episode from 1980 to 2015. Since 2016, his role is considerably smaller.
• Puppy Love: While he doesn't have an official age, he's generally treated as a kid; and Marty Robinson confirms that Telly has a crush on Rosita.
• Sick Episode: In one episode, he gets "triangle-sneeze-itis" which makes him sneeze while near triangles.]
• Somethingitis: Gets "triangle-sneeze-itis" in one episode.
• Something Person: Played Texas Telly In "The Golden Triangle of Destiny."
• Story Arc: He spends several episodes with a broken arm.
• With Friends Like These...: Was once sort-of-friends with Oscar, of all people. Three guesses how that usually went. Thankfully, he later found a much better friend in Baby Bear.
• You Watch Too Much X: A big aspect of his character at first. While more physical activity is being encouraged nowadays, his obsession does still occasionally show up.

Zoe

Performed by: Fran Brill (1993-2014), Jennifer Barnhart (2015-present)

A monster who was added in the 1990's in order to add balance to a predominantly male cast. She is good friends with Elmo and Big Bird. They gave Zoe a tutu in 2002, so people wouldn't be confused on whether she's a boy or a girl, but it was removed in 2017, now wearing it occasionally.

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• Characterization Marches On: A few years ago, she was permanently dressed in a pink tutu. Recently, the ballerina outfit has mostly disappeared, only reappearing occasionally, especially in illustrations and merchandise.
• Consulting Mister Puppet: Zoe's pet rock, Rocco, who she talks to in spite of Elmo's sarcastic rebukes.
• The Cover Changes the Gender: She did a cover of the Sesame Street song "Fur."
• Distaff Counterpart: Pretty much a female Elmo, plus a loyal rock sidekick.
• Fully-Dressed Cartoon Animal: Zigzagged. Sometimes she wears a full ballet outfit, sometimes not.
• Girliness Upgrade: Starting in Season 33, she wears a pink ballerina tutu. In season 49, she wears it much less often.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Downplayed. Although Zoe never intentionally means harm and is goodhearted most of the time, she does have a tendency to be self-centered and inconsiderate towards others, which tends to fuel several conflicts between her and Elmo. Justified since she's only a young child.
• Pink Means Feminine: Subverted, her ballerina tutu is pink and she does like ballet but she is a tomboy, and her fur is orange, typically a "masculine" color.
• Signature Laugh: A high-pitched, kind of shrill-sounding "Haw haw haw haw," which, to some people, sounds like a squeaky wagon wheel.
• The Smurfette Principle: She was the only female monster on the show aside from Rosita for a decade.
• Spelling Song: In one of her first inserts, this is how we are introduced to her.
• Thememobile: She rides in a vehicle called "The Zoe Mobile."
• Tertiary Sexual Characteristics: Aside from having prominent eyelashes and a smaller pink nose, she usually sports a necklace and bracelets along with her hair decs.
• Tomboy: A mild example; she's a Genki Girl and She Cleans Up Nicely.
• Tomboy and Girly Girl: Tomboy to Abby's Girly Girl
• Tomboy with a Girly Streak: She has picked up on ballet and usually wears a pink ballerina tutu starting in Season 33 and she also wears a necklace, bracelets, and hair barrettes.

Abby Cadabby

Performed by: Leslie Carrara-Rudolph (2006-present)

A fairy who moved to Sesame Street during season 37. She's a 3-year-old fairy in training, who begins attending the Flying Fairy School in Season 40.

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• All-Loving Hero: Abby sees the best in Oscar, and genuinely doesn't believe that he's that grouchy. That's gotta count for something.
• All Myths Are True: Abby's mom, Maggie Cadabby, is Cinderella's fairy godmother.
• The Apprentice: Hence "Abby's Flying Fairy School."

• Breakout Character: While only appearing in three episodes of Season 37, she became more prominent as the show went on and proved to be a great addition to the cast. She later gained her own solo segments, appears alongside Elmo in nearly all his guest appearances, and even got her own television special.
• Call-Back: She lives Around the Corner, which is a section of the set which was expanded and retracted.
• Catchphrase: "That's so magical!"
• Character Tics: Flies up into the air when excited.
• Cheerful Child: She always has a smile on her face.
• Cool Big Sis: Season 47 introduced Rudy, Abby's stepbrother from her mother's remarriage. The two get along great, and tries to emulate her magic.
• Fairy Tale Motifs: She is a textbook example of a fairy. Well... okay, aside from being a little fuzzy.
• Girlish Pigtails: Has two pigtails.

• Girly Girl with a Tomboy Streak: In "Dress-Up Club", she wants to dress up like a superhero and a pirate. Hilarity Ensues (It Makes Sense in Context).
• Iconic Sequel Character: She was introduced in season 37 (in which she only appeared in three episodes), but she's went on to become one of the most famous Muppets in the franchise, next to Elmo- another sequel character- Big Bird, and Cookie Monster.
• Inept Mage: Possibly due to her young age, she frequently blunders her spells, often turning things into pumpkins. Her stepbrother, Rudy, is even worse, and hilarity ensues whenever he gets a hold of his sister's wand.
• Irony: Abby's mother is the fairy godmother from the Cinderella fairy tale, one of the most infamous depictions of a wicked stepfamily in literature. Abby herself is part of a blended family - her birth parents are divorced, and her mother remarried Freddy Monster, introducing her younger stepbrother Rudy to the show's recurring cast.
• Innocent Blue Eyes: One of the few Muppets to actually have irises.
• Least Rhymable Word: Pumpkin. She always rhymes it with nonsense words in spells to do with pumpkins.
• Magical Barefooter: Zig-Zagged. Given her status as a "fairy-in-training", Abby is usually, if not always, seen barefoot from her debut in season 37. In season 49, however, Abby received a wardrobe change, and gained a pair of purple sneakers as part of the new look. However, in the sketch "Abby's Amazing Adventures", in which she co-stars with her stepbrother Rudy (and even some episodes), she's barefoot again (unless if wearing an attire that requires footwear).

• Magic Misfire: Sometimes has trouble getting her wand to do exactly what she wants it to.
• Precision F-Strike: That one time she performed "Satisfied", which includes the line "What the hell is the catch?".
• Punny Name: It's a play on the stereotypical "magic word" Abracadabra.
• Mundane Object Amazement: Often thinks normal objects like crayons and tricycles are magic.
• Mundane Utility: In addition to transforming one thing into something completely different or conjuring things out of thin air, her wand also makes a handy backscratcher.
• Non-Standard Character Design: She, along with other fairy characters in the show, is one of the few Muppet characters designed with irises. To quote the Muppet Wiki:
  "Abby's design is an intentional departure from the typical Muppet look because she's not originally from Sesame Street. The implication is that the fairies in her old neighborhood look like her."
• Nice Girl: She's generally a sweet and friendly fairy who wants to make everyone's wishes come true.
• Pink Means Feminine: Her fur is bubblegum pink.
• Rhymes on a Dime: Abby does rhymes whenever casting spells.
• Rhyming Names: Abby Caddabby.
• Shoe Phone: The secondary use for her wand is to substitute for a cell phone.
• Signature Laugh: A cute little giggle.

• Toilet Training Plot: One book focuses on her learning to use the toilet.
• Tomboy and Girly Girl: Girly Girl to Zoe's Tomboy, even though the jewelry-wearing, ballet-loving Zoe is very much a Tomboy with a Girly Streak.
• True Blue Femininity : Her dress. Also her eyes.
• Welcome Episode: Her debut.
• Wide-Eyed Idealist: Many small children see their world as a place of tremendous beauty and endless possibilities. Abby is no different.

• Youthful Freckles: Is a toddler with freckles.

Bert

Performed by: Frank Oz (1969-2006), Eric Jacobson (1999-present)

Long-suffering roommate and Blue Oni to Ernie's Red Oni. Bert would generally prefer to be left alone with a book than put up with his friend's shenanigans. He also really likes pigeons and oatmeal.

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• Aside Glance: Similar to Oliver Hardy, he'll often do one of these in exasperation.
• Berserk Button: Do not lose his bottle caps or paper clips.
• Bookworm: Likes to read, and likes to have quiet when he reads.
• The Bore: According to Oz, he originally considered Bert a very boring character... then made his dullness his definitive character trait.
• Butt-Monkey: Put on the receiving end of Ernie's mischief a lot.
• Characterization Marches On: He openly insulted Ernie in a few early episodes, such as calling him a "ding-a-ling" or a "meatball".
• Character Tics: When frustrated, he either facepalms, keels over or bangs his head against a desk.
• Collector of the Strange: His paperclip collection. His bottlecap collection also qualifies.
• Comically Serious: Is rather serious and sometimes has a hard time understanding jokes, which leads to some comedic moments.
• Does Not Like Spam: Once shouted out that he hates ice-cream sodas.
• Incredibly Lame Fun: Bert loves all sorts of "boring" pastimes such as watching pigeons and collecting paperclips and bottlecaps. He even likes to read books like Boring Stories.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Considered mundane and easily irritable, but still a decent guy if you get on his good side.
• Lampshade Hanging: Count on Bert to point out just how crazy Ernie is being.
  "Oh. Music cue."
• Large Ham: He may think he's the Only Sane Man but can be quite dramatic sometimes. It helps that Frank Oz and Eric Jacobson generally perform hammy characters.
• Mundane Made Awesome: "LA LA LA, LINOLEUM!" and other mundane lyrics were sung by him during a song about the letter L. He's also the leader of the National Association of W Lovers (of which other members include Ernie and Mr. Johnson), and has an official song for that too.
• My God, What Have I Done?: In the storybook Ernie's Big Mess, Bert blows his top when Ernie makes one mess too many and yells that he wishes he lived alone. Hurt, Ernie decides to move out. When Bert finds Ernie is gone, he goes looking for him and eventually finds him sleeping on the sidewalk outside Oscar's trash can, apologizes, and asks Ernie to come home.
• Naked People Are Funny: At the beginning of The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland, he is seen wearing nothing but a shower cap and a towel, preparing to take a shower. Ernie asks if he thinks he should put clothes on, and he runs off screaming.
• Neat Freak: He likes the apartment tidy and often complains about Ernie making messes.
• Not So Above It All: Sometimes joins in Ernie's songs/games, and some of his insults are a bit wacky (such as "meatball").
• Oh, No... Not Again!: Often has this reaction when Ernie starts doing something silly.
• Out of Focus: Once the most prominent characters, Bert and Ernie have had their screen time greatly diminished since the early 1990s (after the death of Ernie's performer, Jim Henson).
• Pastimes Prove Personality: He enjoys oatmeal, pigeons, and bottlecap & paperclip collecting.
• Say My Name: "ERNIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"
• The Scapegoat: In the pageant on teeth, Prairie Dawn points out that Bert is the writer and director of the play, "so if you like it, you can thank Bert, but if you don't like it, you have no one but Bert to blame."
• Sick Episode: One skit has him with a cold, but Ernie does not know who has the cold.
• Signature Laugh: A staccato, nasal, goat-like bleat.
• Signature Song: Doing (Coo-Coo) the Pigeon....
• Straight Man: Their sketches together cast him as this to the goofy, devil-may-care Ernie.
• Tempting Fate: On several occasions, Bert ends up on the receiving end of Ernie's craziness simply by pointing it out.
• Throw the Dog a Bone: On odd occasions, Bert will actually get through a skit without being the butt of a joke or will even manage to outdo Ernie in one of his annoying hobbies.
• Trademark Favorite Food: Very much likes oatmeal.
• Uptight Loves Wild: He clearly loves Ernie because of his free-spirited nature, not despite it and because Bert's life would be boring without him.
• Vague Age: Acts like an adult, but takes naps and sometimes plays childlike games.

Big Bird

Performed by: Caroll Spinney (1969-2018), Daniel Seagren (understudy in a handful of episodes dating to 1970), Matt Vogel (1997-present)

An inexplicably large, yellow bird, perpetually stuck at age 6. Mr. Snuffleupagus is his best friend. He lives in a nest near the apartments.

International adaptations of the show feature alternate equivalents of the character, who are apparently Big Bird's cousins, including Pino from Sesamstraat and Abelardo from Plaza Sésamo.

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• Amnesia Episode: In one episode, he got "memory flu", which was essentially amnesia.
• Badass Adorable: Big Bird's subplot in Dont Eat The Pictures involved him and Snuffleupagus helping the 4,300-year-old ghost of an Egyptian boy confront the god Osiris when he refused to let the boy into the afterlife. Repeat: Big Bird confronted a god and told him he was wrong. And won. And that's after he successfully defeated a demon played by James freakin' Mason!
• Binomium ridiculus: According to one book and an online video, Big Bird's species' scientific name is "Bigus canarius".
• Breakout Character: Is the star of the first official Sesame Street movie Follow That Bird, starred in specials where he travels to China and Japan and is the star of other merchandise items such as storybooks, cassette tapes or records. Possibly the first breakout character before Elmo.
• Cassandra Truth: The adults constantly disbelieved Snuffleupagus was real at first. See The Reveal under ''Mr. Snuffleupagus"
• Characterization Marches On: He was initially a fully grown idiot with a hick-like Simpleton Voice to match, rather than the innocent 6-year-old child he eventually became.
• Crying Critters: Despite being a bird, he has cried on several occasions.
• The Cutie: Even in the context of Sesame Street his innocence and sweetness stand out.
• Did You Just Punch Out Cthulhu?: In Don't Eat the Pictures, he and Snuffleupagus confront Osiris who refuses to let a young boy pharaoh go to the afterlife and said outright that the freaking God of the Afterlife was wrong. Repeat: a six-year-old big bird told off Osiris and won.
• A Dog Named "Dog": A big bird named Big Bird.
• Excited Kids' Show Host: In the Journey to Ernie segments.
• Extreme Doormat: Well, maybe not "extreme", but he has a hard time standing up for himself - he once let Humphrey and Ingrid talk him into giving Radar to Natasha, and he would have lost his nest to Minnie Myna if Chris hadn't helped him.
• Gentle Giant: He's a Big Bird with a good heart.
• Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: Or in this case, "Feathers of Gold, Heart of Gold". He is a kind yellow bird.
• Hidden Depths: During the famous episode centered on the death of Mr. Hooper, Big Bird draws various caricatures of the adults - of a quality that you may not normally see from a typical 6-year-old.
  • Caroll Spinney was a cartoonist and painter in his down time, overlapping with The Cast Showoff.
• Injured Limb Episode: In one episode, he sprains his wing and needs to have it in a sling.
• Meaningful Echo: From the episode involving Mr. Hooper's death
  Gordon: Why are you walking that way?^note Big Bird is walking with his head between his legs
  Big Bird: "Just because."
  ...
  (When Big Bird learns of Mr. Hooper's death)
  Big Bird: "Why does it have to be this way? Give me one good reason!"
  (Beat)
  Gordon: "Big Bird, it has to be this way...because."
  Big Bird: "Just because?"
  Gordon: "Just because."
• Meaningful Name: Well duh!
• Named by the Adaptation: In some versions of Sesame Street made in other countries than the U.S. that do not have their own version of Big Bird, (as described above) he does have a name. E.g., in the Brazillian version he's called Garibaldo.
• Nice Guy: He stands out at being very sweet and caring, always trying to help others.
• Playing Sick: In the book "Nobody Cares About Me", he fakes illness to get attention.
• Polka-Dot Disease: In one episode, he breaks out in green dots, a disease called "birdy pox" which is normal for giant birds his age.
• Sick Episode:
  • In one episode, he and Zoe both had colds.
  • In the book "Nobody Cares About Me", he actually gets sick after pretending to be sick.
  • In one episode, he gets Birdy Pox.
  • In one episode, he gets a pneumonia-like disease and has to go to hospital.
  • In another episode, he gets "memory flu", which is basically just amnesia without brain damage.
• Start My Own: Because Oscar wouldn't let him join the Grouchketeers.
• Trademark Favorite Food: Birdseed, which he eats (or in the case of birdseed milkshakes, drinks) in seemingly infinite variations.
• Vocal Evolution: Big Bird started off as a fully-grown Village Idiot with a deep, hick-like voice. Over time, however, he became a young child of 5 (or 6, depending on when you were watching the show) with a higher-pitched voice (which noticeably deepened over time). Because the show reuses its old recordings of songs in later episodes, it can be very jarring to hear Big Bird sing the "Alphabet Song" in his "hick" voice in an episode from c.1975 or later.
  • During the final years of Caroll Spinney's life, when he was in his 80s, Big Bird sounded slower and more nasally.
  • Matt Vogel, his understudy and eventual successor, also falls under this. At first, he sounded much like Caroll Spinney when he finally made him more innocent and naive. When he took over the role full time, while still sounding like a child, made him sound much older.

Ernie

"Kshshshshshshshsh!"

Performed by: Jim Henson (1969-1990), Steve Whitmire (1993-2014), Billy Barkhurst (2014-2017), Peter Linz (2017-present)

An enthusiastic, extroverted prankster who's Bert's roommate and Red to Bert's Blue. He enjoys taking baths with his rubber duckie.

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• Baths Are Fun: He loves taking baths, which was established in the very first Sesame Street episode (when he did the "I call my bathtub Rosie" joke), and reiterated with numerous bathtub sketches and songs (including the Breakaway Pop Hit "Rubber Duckie").
• Cloud Cuckoo Lander: Frequently does weird things like talking to a rubber duck or waking up the whole neighborhood with loud off-key opera just so he can know what time it is at night. These are usually harmless yet annoying, but on rare occasions, Ernie's antics reach borderline dangerous levels. Case in point, in a sketch where Bert is teaching Ernie a pattern game, Ernie plays using farm animals instead of paperclips and bottlecaps. Bert telling Ernie to not use farm animals again when playing another round results in Ernie unleashing an elephant into the apartment, and the pachyderm almost immediately starts wrecking the place as Bert, Ernie and the farm animals run for their lives.
• Consulting Mister Puppet: Ernie often talks to his trademark rubber duckie about his problems.
• Couldn't Find a Pen: Bert asks him to make a shopping list, and the only thing Ernie can find to write with is chocolate pudding. Ernie then makes a list of all the writing implements that he couldn't find. Ernie tacks chocolate pudding onto the end of the list, since he needed to use all the pudding in the apartment to write it out.
  Bert: "He's improving. Last time he used spaghetti sauce."
• Crazy-Prepared: In this skit.
• The Ditz: He's much less intelligent than Bert.
• The Gadfly: He loves to prank, trick and tease Bert. Much of his random weird behavior is just done to mess with his friend, because it's funny when Bert gets frustrated.
• Hidden Depths: He lays down an amazing saxophone solo during "Put Down the Duckie."
  • He's also a really good painter... even if he does re-imagine Bert as a beatnik.
• I Can't Hear You: "I can't hear you, Bert. I have a banana in my ear."
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Downplayed. Well, yeah — you wouldn't think so, but Ernie is a far bigger jerk than Bert. Watching the Bert & Ernie skits as you get older, it's sometimes surprising to see just how poorly Ernie treats his best friend, often for no good reason at all. He plays tricks on him, makes a fool out of him, steals his snacks or tempts Bert with snacks before eating them himself, and in general causing him no end of frustration, humiliation and heartache. He also once woke up the whole neighborhood by singing off-key opera just so he could know what time it was at night (and according to one of the shouting neighbors, this isn't the first time he did something like that). When Ernie still comes across as the most likable and friendly of the two, it's because, well, he is a genuinely sunny and affable person who just wants to have fun and share a laugh with people. The "jerk" part mainly comes from his relationship with Bert, while "the heart of gold" comes from his relationship with most other residents of Sesame Street. He's never malicious, just a little insensitive.
• Out of Focus: Once the most prominent characters, Bert and Ernie have had their screen time greatly diminished since the early 1990s (after the death of Jim Henson).
• The Prankster: Usually pranks Bert.
• Pungeon Master: This was an especially pronounced trait of his in the first season.
  • A good example would be his very first appearance, when he tells Bert he calls the bathtub "Rosie", and when Bert asks why he replies, "Because every time I take a bath, I leave a ring around Rosie."
• Security Blanket: His rubber ducky.
• Shout-Out: A possible example in one of his first episodes performed by Steve Whitmire, in which Ernie continually interrupts Bert's reading by imitating various loud noises, including a barking dog and a fire engine. In Fraggle Rock, Whitmire had performed a dog (Sprocket) and a Fraggle whose chief duty was being the engine for the Rock's fire department (Wembley).
• Sick Episode: He got sick in the book "Nobody Cares About Me".
• Signature Laugh: A phlegmy "Kshshshshshshshsh!"
• Signature Song: Rubber Duckie, you're the one/You make bathtime lots of fun... It even made it onto the Billboard magazine pop charts in 1970, a testament to the show's cultural impact (even more impressive considering this was public television).
• Something Only They Would Say: The game "Journey to Ernie" runs on this trope.
• Straight Man: Even though he's normally just the opposite, he's sometimes used as this when paired with characters other than Bert, such as Cookie Monster or the Count.
• Vague Age: While he and Bert live alone, he seems naive like a child. His attitude towards naps changes too, sometimes taking them and sometimes not.

Julia & her family

Julia

Stacey Gordon (2017-present)

A little girl who has autism, an alternate neurology which some folk consider a disorder. Introduced in 2017 in the wake of increased diagnoses (1 in 68 children) of autism and autism-spectrum disorder conditions.

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• Big Brother Worship: She always cheers for her big brother Samuel at his soccer games and loves to play with him.
• Breakout Character: Introduced as the world's first autistic Muppet, she has become an instant hit with audiences and is in almost as much merchandise as the other characters.
• Broken Record: Has a bit of echolalia when talking with other characters, but also repeats some of what she, herself, says.
• Catchphrase: "Play, play, play!"
• Character Tics: Flapping her arms in excitement. In the autism community, this is known as “stimming”.
• Cloudcuckoolander: Described by Abby as doing things "in a Julia sort of way."
• The Cloud Cuckoolander Was Right: When Julia and some of the other characters go on a shape hunt, Julia repeatedly identifies shapes her team is looking for, apparently incorrectly, only for the rest of her team to discover that the shape is incorporated within the larger shaped object. For example, she says "circle," pointing to a stopsign. Her team points out that it's actually an octagon, only to eventually figure out that Julia is referring to the little circles cut out of the stopsign pole, while everyone else is focusing on the yellow tubes outlining them.
• The Cutie: Try not to go "Awwww" when seeing Julia.
• Girls Love Stuffed Animals: Her toy rabbit is her comfort object.
• Graceful Ladies Like Purple: She is a cute, quirky girly-girl, who's signature outfit includes a violet jumper dress.
• Hidden Depths: She’s a great singer and painter. In her debut episode, she painted a picture of Fluffster as a superhero that looks nothing like what a child her age would make. Everyone is understandably impressed.
• Inspirationally Disadvantaged: As storylines progress about Julia, her characteristics are played up. In her first appearance, for instance, she is participating in a game when she begins jumping up and down. Instead of rejecting Julia, the other characters and Muppets decide that jumping up and down is a lot more fun.
• Nice Girl: She's a very nice and friendly person.
• Non-Standard Character Design: The show's puppets typically only have one articulated arm, but she has both due to the above-mentioned Character Tic.
• The Quiet One: Doesn't talk much, as pointed by Elmo.
  Elmo: Yeah, Julia doesn't say a lot.
  • She sometimes uses a tablet to communicate.
• Security Blanket: Her raggedy toy rabbit, which is torn in several places and perhaps looks like it should have been thrown out years ago. But it is her comfort object.
• Significant Green-Eyed Redhead: She has red hair and green eyes. She's also one the few Muppet characters on the show to have a distinct iris color.
• Vocal Dissonance: She's four years old and uses simple words, but she sounds like a grown woman pitch-wise.

Julia's family

The immediate family of Julia. Her father's name is Daniel and he's a sax-playing doctor, her mother's name is Elena and she's artistic, her brother (age seven) is named Samuel and plays soccer, and her dog is named Rose.

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• Emergency Services: In one video showing Daniel helping Julia get used to her mask, they're specifically shown talking over video with Daniel in a jumpsuit-type of outfit with an ID card pinned on him. In the context of the COVID pandemic, this would indicate that he probably works as a paramedic.
• Good Parents: Daniel and Elena seem to be supportive parents.
• The Hyena: Sam was once dubbed a "giggle monster".
• In-Series Nickname: Samuel sometimes gets called Sam.
• Mr. Imagination: Samuel likes to pretend to be a superhero.
• Nearly Normal Animal: Rose is once described as being "aware of Julia's autism", which is a concept dogs don't really understand in real life. Despite this, she mainly acts like a normal dog.
• Shared Family Quirks:
  • Julia and Elena both like to paint.
  • Julia and Sam both laugh a lot.

Oscar the Grouch

"I Love Trash!"

Performed by: Caroll Spinney (1969-2018), Eric Jacobson (2015-present)

An irritable, antisocial Grouch who lives in a Bigger on the Inside trash can with his worm, Slimey, and his elephant Fluffy.

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• Adaptational Heroism: Oscar takes up this role in The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland when he volunteers to go with Telly, Gordon, Big Bird, Maria, and Cookie Monster to venture to Grouchland and get Elmo's stolen blanket back from Huxley.
• Anti-Role Model: One purpose of the character is to poke fun at irritable people. Which isn't to say that his irritation isn't justified sometimes.
• Big Eater
• Big Ol' Unibrow: Huge eyebrows are a species trait.
• Bizarre Taste in Food: He hates foods most would consider nice or healthy, but loves noxious combinations of food that are technically still edible... just really gross. Like sardine ice-cream. Again, it's a species trait.
• Deadpan Snarker: Often shows shades of this trope.
• Early-Installment Weirdness: He was orange for a year. (Apparently he still would be, if he ever bathed.)
• Everyone Has Standards: Oscar may be a hoarder of most stuff and hates everything cheery, but Huxley being selfish, ruining his beautiful Grouchland, as well as keeping everything thing he sees (including Elmo's blanket) and never giving them back is where Oscar draws the line. So outraged is Oscar by Huxley's greed, in fact, that he rallies the other Grouches with him against Huxley.
• Green Is Gross: He has green fur, lives in a trash can, and has an extreme fondness for trash.
• Hates Everyone Equally: You bet your britches. Oscar openly admits to despising anything "nice". The few exceptions being children (The only people he can be nice to without facing ridicule from other Grouches) and Maria, but he'll never outright admit it.
• Hoist by His Own Petard: Every now and then, some of the mean-spirited pranks and schemes he pulls tend to backfire, where he may end up being the victim himself. Often happens when he's frustrated when targeting a rather slow-witted character with his pranks.
• Jerkass: Cranky, rude, and mean. Although as much is allowable on a preschool show. The Muppet Wiki puts it best:
  Oscar's mission in life is to be as miserable and grouchy as possible, and pass that feeling on to everyone else. When a visitor knocks on his trash can — invariably interrupting him from a nap or an important task — Oscar greets them with a snarl. He complains that he wants to be left alone, although when he's left entirely to himself, he's dissatisfied — there isn't anybody around to irritate or complain to.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: The true depths of his jerk nature are often called into question and he can get comically defensive when his reputation as a "true Grouch" is threatened. Plus, it seems like he’s pretty nice to Slimey and other Grouches, and he has said Maria is smart.
  • He also takes care of a kitten named Tiny Tim in a 1970s Christmas special.
• Jerk with a Heart of Jerk: As a Grouch, it is Oscar's life mission to be this in the eyes of everyone. It doesn't always work, though...
• Kick the Dog: Sometimes takes his rudeness a little too far, as when he upset Big Bird by teasing him with How Can Santa Deliver All Those Toys? questions in Christmas Eve on Sesame Street.
• Large Ham: He's as snarky as he is a large ham.
• Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: There does appear to be an occasional running gag where his intended mean-spirited ways backfire, unwittingly causing pleasant and helpful results for other characters. Much to his dismay, of course.
• The Nicknamer: As far as Oscar is concerned, Bob and Maria are "Bright Eyes" and "Skinny," respectively, Gordon is "Curly," and Big Bird is "Turkey."
  • In one episode, he referred to Wolfgang the Seal as "Whisker Face."
  • In addition to "Bright Eyes," Oscar once called Bob "Tenor Face."
• Only One Finds It Fun: In "Elmo Saves Christmas", Elmo uses a magical snowglobe that Santa gave him as a reward for saving him to wish for it to be Christmas every day. Unfortunately, Elmo creates a Bad Future as a result; everyone is broke due to having to buy presents and Christmas trees every day, the Fix-it Shop goes out of business due to it being closed on Christmas and Maria and Luis being out of practice, Big Bird is upset because Snuffy is still celebrating Christmas in Cincinnati with his grandmother and can't make it home to Sesame Street, the carolers have lost their voices from singing too much, and even The Count is sick of counting Christmases. Oscar is the only one who loves it being Christmas every day, not just because of everyone else's misery, but also because he is getting tons of garbage in the form of wrapping paper and used Christmas trees. In fact, when Elmo announces that he is going to use his last wish to turn everything back to normal, Oscar protests and tells Elmo to use his last wish to get some new roller skates, since that was what Elmo's original plan was.
• The Pigpen: Always seen in a trash can, so yeah.
• The Prankster: Sometimes he plays jokes on other characters.
• Precision F-Strike: In the Street Gang documentary, he drops an uncensored grouchy word in response to learning that Caroll Spinney gets paid while he doesn't.
  Oscar: You bastard!
• Sick Episode:
  • At the end of one episode, he contracts Grouch Flu from Grundgetta.
  • In one episode, he gets "Kind-itis", which makes him kind and rhymey.
• Slap-Slap-Kiss: His relationship with Grungetta could qualify as this, given their nature as grouches.
• Slave to PR: One has to wonder if he'd be so concerned about being a "real Grouch" - or if he'd be so self-conscious anytime he says, does, or thinks something even remotely pleasant - if it weren't for Grouch society constantly stressing how Grouches are supposed to act.
• Something Itis: In one episode, he gets a disease called "kind-itis".
• Too Important to Walk: He's rarely seen walking. When he needs to be transported somewhere, a garbageman named Bruno carries his can. (He does in Christmas Eve on Sesame Street a few times.)
• Troll: He can definitely come off as this at times, especially when Telly is involved.
• The Un-Favourite: Oscar apparently was this growing up. His brother Ernest was always their mother's favorite kid, and they both know it. Of course, grouches don't show favoritism the same way most people do, but it still counts.
• Vitriolic Best Buds: Easily with any of the nice Sesame Street residents that like being sweet and chummy with him, especially Elmo, Telly, and Maria.
• What the Hell, Hero?: He gets this reaction from Leela and Elmo for seeing the Mine-itis outbreak as a cause for celebration.
  • Maria gives him another one in "Christmas Eve on Sesame Street" for putting a bunch of doubts in Big Bird's head about the existence of Santa Claus, which leads to Big Bird disappearing to find out for sure.
• With Friends Like These...: Used to be this sort of "friend" to poor Telly.
  • Although, they seem to have fallen into a more traditional Type 1 Vitriolic Best Buds as of late.
• Your Approval Fills Me with Shame: Often inverted. As you may expect, he does not appreciate being praised by the other characters for doing something less-than-grouchy.

Count von Count

Count von Count

Performed by: Jerry Nelson (1972-2012, voice; 1972-2004, puppetry), Matt Vogel (2012-present, voice; 2004-present, puppetry)

Anything Muppet: Large Lavender Live Hands

An Ambiguously Undead Large Lavender Live Hand Anything Muppet guy with fangs, a Romanian accent, and a love of counting. He lives in a castle with a number of bats and has been seen dating various Countesses.

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• Ambiguously Jewish: His songs are frequently based on klezmer. He also has the stereotypical large nose. However, he celebrates Christmas.
• Badbutt: Associated with creepy music, castles, bats, etc. like classical vampires, but like the rest of the cast he's completely harmless.
• Badass Cape: Wears a long, flowing vampire's cape. Although it’s a bit unusual: it’s dark green with a triangular collar, and the inside has a colorful confetti-like pattern.
  • In episodes where a green screen is required, his cape is purple.
• Bad "Bad Acting": In a Vanity Fair video where various Sesame Street characters do impressions of each other, his are consistently the worst: he always keeps his own accent, and usually seems at a loss for what to say. His impression of Ernie almost comes off as a roast:
  Count-as-Ernie: I am here to annoy you!
• Bat Out of Hell: Averted; the Count's bat friends are some of the nicest bats on TV.
• Breakout Character: One of the earliest examples on the show. He debuted in the fourth season and went on to become one of the show's most iconic and popular characters.
• But Not Too Evil: His original portrayal was fairly sinister compared to his more child-friendly modern portrayal but he was never a straight-up villain.
• Catchphrase: "[insert number]! [insert number] [insert noun](s)! ϟϟϟϟ AH-AH-AH!!! ϟϟϟϟ
• Characterization Marches On: He acted a bit more like a vampire in his early appearances, moving his hands around as if hypnotizing others as well as walking around with his cape across his face. His laugh was also louder and more sinister as opposed to the softer chuckle of today.
• The Charmer: He's quite the romantic and has acted so with various women, but he's too pleasant and good-natured to be The Casanova. A few skits have given him a lady friend named Countess. He tried proposing to her at one point, but she turned him down. However, he is married in the Furchester Hotel spin-off.
• Classical Movie Vampire: The Count has a Transylvanian accent and lives in a haunted castle.
• Cloudcuckoolander: Downplayed, but aside from his "Number of the Day" segments, many of his skits involve him finding bizarre excuses to count things. These include ordering a dozen hot dogs at a restaurant and counting them one by one (without eating even one of them), interrupting Kermit's fairy tale news segments to count the three little pigs and seven dwarves, and counting the times he knocks on his own front door as though he were waiting for someone to answer it.
• Cold Turkeys Are Everywhere:
  • In the episode where he got the counting flu, the only cure was no counting, yet he kept seeing, hearing, and even imagining things to count.
  • In the episode where he tried to give up counting, all his new jobs required counting.
• Counting Sheep: Has counted sheep to get to sleep several times, sometimes continuing to count in his sleep. The sheep actually had to go on strike once, resulting in a man dressing up as a sheep and leaping over the Count’s bed repeatedly.
• Dark Is Not Evil: He's a vampire, but quite nice.
• Daywalking Vampire: Whether he actually is a vampire or not, he doesn't have much problem being outside during the daylight hours. But he does avoid it when he can.
• Dramatic Thunder: Used to signify that he's about to appear.
• Evil Laugh: In his earlier incarnations his Signature Laugh was on the scary side, even though he was never evil.
• Flourish Cape in Front of Face: He often covers his face with the hem of his cape as part of his vampire motif.
• Friendly Neighborhood Vampire: Count is an affable vampire.
• Funny Foreigner: His accent often evokes this trope.
• Good with Numbers: He loves counting!
• High-Class Glass: Wears it to bed and while swimming/bathing, even! It’s always shown over his left eye.
• I Am Spartacus: In episode 4111, the Count wins the Noble Prize for counting, but the Count runs late, and his neighbors stall for him by impersonating him. Even the girls wear fake Count beards.
• Impoverished Patrician: In "Doing the Batty Bat", he states that in his youth "Our castle was cold". Granted he’s been around since the Stone Age, so it’s understandable.
• Innocently Insensitive: He doesn't mean to cause trouble, but he's so obsessed with counting that he doesn't realize how much it can annoy or inconvenience other people.
• Karma Houdini: The Count frequently bothers people with his obsession or even his thunder and lightening. He rarely gets an unhappy ending in his sketches.
• Laughing Mad: Although it's been toned down since the '70s, when it was downright alarming.
• Mad Mathematician: He's obsessed with counting things. He's also very good at it, of course. And he finishes off his counting with a mad laugh.
• Meaningful Name: He is called "the Count" because he is like Dracula and because he likes to count.
• Obsessively Organized: His obsession runs so deep that he always has to know how many of something exactly, and he can't stop until he's finished. Arithmomania and other OCD behavior is a vampire trait in some folklore. If the Twentysomething sketch is any indication, what really annoys him is an estimate ("No, no, no, no! That's not a number!").
• Ominous Pipe Organ: He plays one during the "Batty Bat" song. Another features in the recurring Number of the Day segment, although admittedly that one isn't very ominous.
• Out-of-Character Moment: In the episode where he counts mistakes, he actually miscounts something at the beginning and in the episode where he tries to give up counting, he does it again, this time by counting the same thing twice.
• Our Vampires Are Different: Official sources vary on whether or not the Count is actually a vampire, but he's certainly got the look down. He has no reflection and hates garlic, yet he still has a heartbeat. He has not yet turned into a bat onscreen, but he apparently can.
• Plot Allergy: Seems to have hay fever, as he once noted that he likes to count flowers because they make him sneeze and then he can count his own sneezes.
• The Pollyanna: As long as there are things to count, nothing ever dampens his spirits. This exchange says it all:
  Susan Sarandon: That's what I love about you, Count. You always look on the bright side.
  Count: Somebody has to.
• Repetitive Name: Count Von Count.
• Sick Episode: In one episode, he gets "counting flu" which causes him to pass out every time he counts or thinks of numbers.
  • There’s an episode where he, Baby Bear, and a few others get sore throats.
• Signature Laugh: His iconic "Ah-ah-ah!".
• Time Abyss: According to a video in February 2017 where the Sesame Street characters were asked the Internet's most-searched questions, the Count is 6,523,728 years old "next October".
• Took a Level in Kindness: His modern appearances are slightly more friendly by comparison with the earlier appearances...
• Thememobile: The Countmobile, complete with a New York license plate. It first appeared in “Follow That Bird”.
• The Undead: Zigzagged. He's some sort of vampire, but it's unknown if he's really undead, given that he still has a heartbeat and can breathe.
• The Von Trope Family: "von Count" is his surname. It’s unknown what his first name is.
• Vampire Vords: Played straight and inverted. He pronounces his "w"s as "v"s, and occasionally does the same vice versa (pronouncing "seven" more as "sewen", for instance). Some real-life Romanians do actually talk like this in English, however.
• Vampires Hate Garlic: In Episode 4931, he goes shopping at Sarita's Supermarket, and says "Pass" when a vendor offers him garlic.