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* TheSeventies: The decade in which Dick's show aired. The only show that appears onscreen aired in 1973, to be exact.
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* CharactersAsDevice: His main purpose is to give some insight into the situation Secretariat finds himself in (and would end up leading to his death) and to read [=BoJack=]'s letter to the racer for him to give some really bad advice to the young colt.
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!!Dick Cavett
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An announcer in TheSeventies whose interview with Secretariat indirectly lead to [=BoJack=] getting bad advice to live by and Secretariat to have a brief moment of depressing clarity.
----
* TheAnnouncer: In a similar fashion to Charlie Rose, he is the host of ''The Dick Cavett Show'' and the one who interviews Secretariat about the present charges against him for betting on races and some fan letters that have been received, specifically one from a little boy named [=BoJack=] Horseman...
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* ReactionShot: [[spoiler: A close up to Secretariat's face during the reading of [=BoJack=]'s letter shows him developing wrinkles below his eyelids as if just hearing about his problems is affecting and touching a sore spot for him.]]
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* ExhaustedEyebags: During the pep talk he gives [=BoJack=] during a Q&A in The Dick Cavett Show, he starts sporting this despite not having them before, implying that the colt's letter hit him quite hard.
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!!Secretariat
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->'''Played by''': Creator/JohnKrasinski
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!!Jeffretariat
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!!UsefulNotes/RichardNixon
->'''Played by''': Brian Huskey.
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->'''Played
!!!'''Played by''': Brian Huskey.
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!!Checkers
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[[folder: Secretariat]]
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* AbusiveParents: {{Implied}} with his commentary of "not having had a happy childhood" [[spoiler: in response to a fan letter sent by Bojack in [[TheSeventies 1973]].]]
* TheAce[-/-]BrokenAce: A famous celebrity horse who not only was a top racer, but a role model for people everywhere and beloved by those around him. Deep down, he was shown to have several emotional problems, childhood trauma issues, depression and was constantly running away from his problems. [[spoiler: Once that option was forced away from him, he committed suicide at an early age.]]
* TheAce[-/-]BrokenAce: A famous celebrity horse who not only was a top racer, but a role model for people everywhere and beloved by those around him. Deep down, he was shown to have several emotional problems, childhood trauma issues, depression and was constantly running away from his problems. [[spoiler: Once that option was forced away from him, he committed suicide at an early age.]]
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* AbusiveParents: {{Implied}} with his commentary of "not having had a happy childhood" [[spoiler: in response to a fan letter sent by Bojack in [[TheSeventies 1973]].]]
* TheAce[-/-]BrokenAce:TheAce: A famous celebrity horse who not only was a top racer, but a role model for people everywhere and beloved by those around him. Deep down, he was shown to have several emotional problems, childhood trauma issues, depression and was constantly running away from his problems. [[spoiler: Once that option was forced away from him, he committed suicide at an early age.]]
* TheAce[-/-]BrokenAce:
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* BrokenAce: Deep down, he was shown to have several emotional problems, childhood trauma issues, depression and was constantly running away from his problems. [[spoiler: Once that option was forced away from him, he committed suicide at an early age.]]
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* DarkAndTroubledPast: {{Implied}} with his commentary of "not having had a happy childhood" [[spoiler: in response to a fan letter sent by Bojack in [[TheSeventies 1973]].]]
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!!Historical Characters
!!!Hollywoo
!!!Hollywoo
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!!!Hollywoo
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!!!The White House
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* TragicHero<=>TragicVillain: Can be classified as one or the other, depending on the interpretation.
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* TragicHero<=>TragicVillain: Can TragicHero: How he's viewed by [=BoJack=] and the majority of people; a good guy driven to villainous at worst or morally grey at best actions [[spoiler: that ultimately lead to his demise.]] Then, again...
* TragicVillain: Seeing how much is left up in the air, he could also be this. Secretariat can be classified asone the former or the other, latter, depending on the interpretation.
* TragicVillain: Seeing how much is left up in the air, he could also be this. Secretariat can be classified as
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* TragicHero[-/-]TragicVillain: Can be classified as one or the other, depending on the interpretation.
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* TragicHero[-/-]TragicVillain: TragicHero<=>TragicVillain: Can be classified as one or the other, depending on the interpretation.
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[[folder: Dick Cavett]]
!!Dick Cavett
[[/folder]]
!!Dick Cavett
[[/folder]]
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* TheGhost: He's only mentioned by name, never appearing personally in "The Shot". [[spoiler: Given what happens next, it's doubtful he'll ever appear.]]
* KilledOffscreen: [[spoiler: Not that he was ever on screen, mind you.]]
* KilledOffscreen: [[spoiler: Not that he was ever on screen, mind you.]]
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* MinorMajorCharacter: The right hand of Tricky Dick and probably his most trusted advisor who probably participated in more than one of his boss's schemes; yet, as far as the story is concerned, he only matters because of his presence during [[spoiler: Secretariat's moral compromise.]]
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* TheStoic: Doesn't change facial expressions at all during his one scene.
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* FriendOrIdolDecision: [[spoiler: When faced with the possibility of losing his reputation or sending his brother Jeffretariat on a suicide mission, Secretariat chooses the latter. This decision ends up tearing him up later in life.]]
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* HeroicBSOD: [[spoiler: According to history and Kelsey Jannings, he "stopped running" after hearing from Jeffretariat's death.]]
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* TalkingYourWayOut: [[spoiler: How does he manage to skip drafting? Offering good publicity in exchange of sending someone else in his place, of course!]]
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* {{Conscription}}: [[spoiler: As revealed in "The Shot", Secretariat was due to sign for tour duty in the Army during the Vietnam War at the peak of his career. Because of the inevitable fading that happens to stars when they're away from the public eye for too long, Secretariat decided to try to argue his way out of it. Eventually, ol' Tricky Dick suggested an exchange that could benefit them both. See DraftDodging below.]]
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* FluffyTheTerrible: An intimidating, quite bodyguards named Checkers.
* HistoricalDomainCharacter: Well, he was the Oval Office's pet during Richard Nixon's presidency.
* RightHandAttackDog: He's this to Richard Nixon.
* HistoricalDomainCharacter: Well, he was the Oval Office's pet during Richard Nixon's presidency.
* RightHandAttackDog: He's this to Richard Nixon.
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* TheDragon: From their interactions, it's [[ImpliedTrope implied]] that he's this to ol' Tricky Dick.
* EnigmaticMinion: It's hard to completely tell how much does he know about Nixon's deals or even if he has a saying on the things his boss does. Checkers just stands there and observes in silence the scene unfold. He only speaks when spoken to and backs up his boss when he needs it, but otherwise, his face is unreadable.
* EnigmaticMinion: It's hard to completely tell how much does he know about Nixon's deals or even if he has a saying on the things his boss does. Checkers just stands there and observes in silence the scene unfold. He only speaks when spoken to and backs up his boss when he needs it, but otherwise, his face is unreadable.
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* AnimalCompanion: Towards ''UsefulNotes/RichardNixon''.
* BadassBaritone[-/-]EvilSoundsDeep: As a consequence of being voiced, Checkers has a deep, graveling, booming tone that stands out even in his one line of dialogue.
* CoolShades: [[spoiler: Uses them during Secretariat's encounter with Nixon. Doubles as SunglassesAtNight since it's clearly dark outside.]]
* BadassBaritone[-/-]EvilSoundsDeep: As a consequence of being voiced, Checkers has a deep, graveling, booming tone that stands out even in his one line of dialogue.
* CoolShades: [[spoiler: Uses them during Secretariat's encounter with Nixon. Doubles as SunglassesAtNight since it's clearly dark outside.]]
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* AmplifiedAnimalAptitude: In this universe, Checkers is not only full blown anthropomorphic, but he's fully clothed, is guarding Nixon in person and actually has a voice. He doesn't use the last one frequently in the one scene he's in.
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* AlternateHistory: In RealLife, Checkers was the Nixon family's dog who served as the White House pet as well. Because of this, there was no way he could be Nixon's personal bodyguard.
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[[Characters/BojackHorseman Main Index]] | [[Characters/BojackHorsemanBojackHorseman The Horse Himself]] | [[Characters/BojackHorsemanPrincessCarolyn Princess Carolyn]] | [[Characters/BojackHorsemanDianeNguyen Diane Nguyen]] | [[Characters/BojackHorsemanMainCharacters Main Characters]] | [[Characters/BojackHorsemanHollywooResidentsAndOtherStars Hollywoo Residents and Other Stars]] | [[Characters/BojackHorsemanVigorAgency Vigor]] | [[Characters/BojackHorsemanMBNNetwork MBN]] | [[Characters/BojackHorsemanHorsinAroundCastAndCrew Horsin' Around Cast And Crew]] | [[Characters/BojackHorsemanOtherCharacters Other Characters]] | ''[[Characters/HorsinAround Horsin' Around]]'' | '''Historical Characters'''
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'''Played by''': Brian Huskey.
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[[folder: Checkers]]
!!Checkers
Nixon's [[RightHandCat right hand dog]], turned into an anthropomorphic bodyguard here and [[spoiler: present during Secretariat's StartOfDarkness.]]
----
[[/folder]]
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[[Characters/BojackHorseman Main Index]] | [[Characters/BojackHorsemanBojackHorseman The Horse Himself]] | [[Characters/BojackHorsemanPrincessCarolyn Princess Carolyn]] | [[Characters/BojackHorsemanDianeNguyen Diane Nguyen]] | [[Characters/BojackHorsemanMainCharacters Main Characters]] | [[Characters/BojackHorsemanHollywooResidentsAndOtherStars Hollywoo Residents and Other Stars]] | [[Characters/BojackHorsemanVigorAgency Vigor]] | [[Characters/BojackHorsemanMBNNetwork MBN]] | [[Characters/BojackHorsemanHorsinAroundCastAndCrew Horsin' Around Cast And Crew]] | [[Characters/BojackHorsemanOtherCharacters Other Characters]] | ''[[Characters/HorsinAround Horsin' Around]]'' | '''Historical Characters'''
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[[foldercontrol]]
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!!Historical Characters
!!!Hollywoo
!!!Hollywoo
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[[/folder]]
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----
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!!!The White House
[[folder: [[spoiler: Richard Nixon]]]]
!!UsefulNotes/RichardNixon
Ehmm...[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin is it really necessary to explain this one]]? Ok, Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States of America, governing from 1969 to 1974, year in which he resigned from office. [[spoiler: As it turns out, he had another shady dealing, this time with Secretariat, about a certain drafting...]]
----
* AnimalCompanion: Just like his RealLife counterpart, he still has Checkers on his side. although as his bodyguard rather than a pet.
* AlternateHistory: [[spoiler: Obviously, Richard Nixon ''didn't'' make an illegal pact with Secretariat. Even the fact that Checkers was his bodyguard is meant to be taken with a grain of salt.]]
* BadassBoast: [[spoiler: While arguing with Secretariat about letting him skip army recruitment and Secretariat tells him he ''can't'' send him to Vietnam:]]
--->'''I can do whatever I want. I'm president of the goddamn United States of America.'''
* DealWithTheDevil: [[spoiler: He arranges a "quid-pro-quo" with Secretariat inside closed doors when he tries to bargain his way out of being drafted: Secretariat would spouse praise for Nixon, and in exchange, he would send someone else to be recruited in Secretariat's place, a.k.a. his brother, Jeffretariat.]]
* FriendOrIdolDecision: [[spoiler: The shady deal Secretariat had with Nixon was out of concern of falling out of public conscience. When drafting time came, Secretariat chose not to go at the cost of losing his brother, Jeff.]]
* GreaterScopeVillain: Well, it's UsefulNotes/RichardNixon, but in this case, [[spoiler: it's his influence in Secretariat and his actions that lead to Jeffretariat's death, and eventually to Secretariat himself committing suicide.]]
* HistoricalDomainCharacter: Yep, Nixon, the archetype for a SleazyPolitician, makes an appearance here. [[spoiler: And true to his nature, he makes a pretty amoral action that has major consequences for a major character in the series.]]
* LargeHam: Nixon turns entitled speeches with extra ego into an art form here.
* MyCard: He has one with a pretty badass statement, with all is said and done. During his BadassBoast above, he asks a second opinion to Checkers about what he just said and he confirms it, pointing out at what's written in his cards.
* OverlyNarrowSuperlative: "The president of the goddamn United States of America", according to his card.
* ProductPlacement: [[spoiler: What Nixon asks in exchange for Secretariat's DraftDodging: he has to stand in favor of Nixon, considering his abysmal popularity.]]
* [[RightHandCat Right Hand Dog]]: The function of his dog-bodyguard Checkers.
* SleazyPolitician: [[spoiler: He's all too willing to make deals on his favor.]]
* WhatYouAreInTheDark: [[spoiler: His proposition to Secretariat poses a difficult MoralDilemma for him, one which he loses by accepting, setting off a chain of events leading to his demise.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder: [[spoiler: Richard Nixon]]]]
!!UsefulNotes/RichardNixon
Ehmm...[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin is it really necessary to explain this one]]? Ok, Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States of America, governing from 1969 to 1974, year in which he resigned from office. [[spoiler: As it turns out, he had another shady dealing, this time with Secretariat, about a certain drafting...]]
----
* AnimalCompanion: Just like his RealLife counterpart, he still has Checkers on his side. although as his bodyguard rather than a pet.
* AlternateHistory: [[spoiler: Obviously, Richard Nixon ''didn't'' make an illegal pact with Secretariat. Even the fact that Checkers was his bodyguard is meant to be taken with a grain of salt.]]
* BadassBoast: [[spoiler: While arguing with Secretariat about letting him skip army recruitment and Secretariat tells him he ''can't'' send him to Vietnam:]]
--->'''I can do whatever I want. I'm president of the goddamn United States of America.'''
* DealWithTheDevil: [[spoiler: He arranges a "quid-pro-quo" with Secretariat inside closed doors when he tries to bargain his way out of being drafted: Secretariat would spouse praise for Nixon, and in exchange, he would send someone else to be recruited in Secretariat's place, a.k.a. his brother, Jeffretariat.]]
* FriendOrIdolDecision: [[spoiler: The shady deal Secretariat had with Nixon was out of concern of falling out of public conscience. When drafting time came, Secretariat chose not to go at the cost of losing his brother, Jeff.]]
* GreaterScopeVillain: Well, it's UsefulNotes/RichardNixon, but in this case, [[spoiler: it's his influence in Secretariat and his actions that lead to Jeffretariat's death, and eventually to Secretariat himself committing suicide.]]
* HistoricalDomainCharacter: Yep, Nixon, the archetype for a SleazyPolitician, makes an appearance here. [[spoiler: And true to his nature, he makes a pretty amoral action that has major consequences for a major character in the series.]]
* LargeHam: Nixon turns entitled speeches with extra ego into an art form here.
* MyCard: He has one with a pretty badass statement, with all is said and done. During his BadassBoast above, he asks a second opinion to Checkers about what he just said and he confirms it, pointing out at what's written in his cards.
* OverlyNarrowSuperlative: "The president of the goddamn United States of America", according to his card.
* ProductPlacement: [[spoiler: What Nixon asks in exchange for Secretariat's DraftDodging: he has to stand in favor of Nixon, considering his abysmal popularity.]]
* [[RightHandCat Right Hand Dog]]: The function of his dog-bodyguard Checkers.
* SleazyPolitician: [[spoiler: He's all too willing to make deals on his favor.]]
* WhatYouAreInTheDark: [[spoiler: His proposition to Secretariat poses a difficult MoralDilemma for him, one which he loses by accepting, setting off a chain of events leading to his demise.]]
[[/folder]]
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[[folder: Secretariat]]
!!Secretariat
[[quoteright:234:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/secretariat.png]]
->'''Played by''': Creator/JohnKrasinski
A former race horse from TheSeventies and Bojack's personal hero. After being banned from ever racing again for betting on his races, he commits suicide by jumping off a bridge.
----
* HundredPercentAdorationRating: He was loved and admired by a lot of people, little Bojack included, and is still remembered fondly InUniverse as a successful and tragic figure.
* AbusiveParents: {{Implied}} with his commentary of "not having had a happy childhood" [[spoiler: in response to a fan letter sent by Bojack in [[TheSeventies 1973]].]]
* TheAce[-/-]BrokenAce: A famous celebrity horse who not only was a top racer, but a role model for people everywhere and beloved by those around him. Deep down, he was shown to have several emotional problems, childhood trauma issues, depression and was constantly running away from his problems. [[spoiler: Once that option was forced away from him, he committed suicide at an early age.]]
* ALessonLearnedTooWell: A [[{{Flashback}} Flashback]] to [[TheSeventies 1973]] show little Bojack watching his hero, Secretariat, answer his letter in TV, about what to do if you feel sad. [[BrokenAce Secretariat]], relating [[CloseToHome to this feeling]], tells him what he did: he found out he was good at racing, and he kept doing it, just running... It didn't [[YouCantFightFate turn out so well]], either [[DespairEventHorizon for]] [[DrivenToSuicide Secretariat]] OR [[BrokenBird Bojack.]]
* AllForNothing: [[spoiler: After all he has sacrificed, making a deal with Nixon, selling out his brother, just to continue peddling his career in racing, he's banned from doing so after illegally betting on his favor in races. Having nothing left, he ends his life by jumping off a bridge.]]
* AlternateHistory: It goes without saying that the real Secretariat was not [[spoiler: DrivenToSuicide at the age of 27 after getting caught betting on his own races or had a brother named Jeffretariat that was killed in 'Nam. In fact, the scene with Secretariat reading Bojack's fan letter at the height of his career specifically takes place in 1973, when the real Secretariat was three years old.]]
* AntiRoleModel: As shown below in ALessonLearnedTooWell, while he was a better figure to his fans, Secretariat's upbringing made it impossible for him to diverge from the damage his past had on him. Instead, he would imprint the ''bad answers'' to those issues onto others, such as little Bojack.
* BecauseImGoodAtIt: He ''loved'' running and being the best there was, he adhered and made a career out of it. Having a bad past whom he wanted to leave behind, he focused on moving forward. The career meant everything to him. [[DeconstructedTrope To the point where he was willing to resort to any means to keep it...]]
* BrokenBird: If he's telling the truth, his childhood was anything but pleasant.
* CainAndAbel: [[spoiler: Sold out his brother, Jeffretariat, as a replacement to be drafted to Vietnam, where he was then killed.]]
* CharacterDeath: [[spoiler: Jumped off the John F. Kennedy Memorial Bridge after being banned for life from racing again.]]
* CloseToHome: Why he ends up answering Bojack's letter: he identifies with him because of their similar backgrounds and insecurities. Unfortunately, because he's just as lost as the little guy is, the advice he gives him leads him down the same path of running away from his problems.
* DealWithTheDevil: [[spoiler: Well, it's UsefulNotes/RichardNixon, but since he trades good PR (and his brother's life) to avoid army drafting and the collapse of his career, it still counts as an example.]]
* DeathByDespair: [[spoiler: Losing everything you have will do that to you, especially if you have depression and you jump out of a bridge.]]
* DespairEventHorizon: [[spoiler: No longer being able to race, Secretariat committed suicide after finding out the things he had done to keep himself racing weren't worth the toll in his spirit.]]
* DraftDodging: [[spoiler: He was originally destined to be conscripted to fight in Vietnam in TheSeventies, but out of fear of falling out of public attention and losing the one talent he had, Secretariat broke out an agreement with Richard Nixon for his brother to take his place in the army in exchange of using his image as a way to propel Nixon's abysmal popularity.]]
* DrivenToSuicide: See DeathByDespair and DespairEventHorizon above.
* FallenHero: [[spoiler: Everyone's faith and love for him was shattered the moment they caught him betting in his favor in the races. By the time of his death, he had become a joke and nothing more than a rebuffed former celebrity.]]
* FamedInStory: He's still remembered as a tragic figure in HorseRacing, with books being written about him and multiple (un)successful attempts to make a motion picture out of his life.
* FictionalCounterpart: To RealLife racing horse [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secretariat_(horse) Secretariat]]. There are a few changes to the history, though.
* HarmfulToMinors: While he meant well on doing so, Secretariat's advice to Bojack is one of the reasons why he's so screwed up.
* HeroWorshipper: Besides, his fame and many fans, he's got a BigNameFan in the form of Bojack.
* HisStoryRepeatsItself: Hmmm, a seemingly collected celebrity who has it all and deep down is a BrokenBird with ParentalIssues, a DarkAndTroubledPast and a pretty bad case of [[{{Narcissist}} Narcissism]]. Are we talking about Secretariat or [[Characters/BojackHorsemanBojackHorseman [=BoJack=]]]?
* ImYourBiggestFan: [[spoiler: A fan of his, [=BoJack=] Horseman, who wrote a fan letter to him in his childhood, as an adult ended up playing him in a later film about his life and was one of the few who tried to keep it a WartsAndAll approach.]]
* KickTheDog: [[spoiler: He sent his brother to the figurative knacker just to keep himself in the spotlight.]]
* LonelyAtTheTop: [[spoiler: Despite his claims and his public face, Secretariat was a pretty lonely man who lost the few good things he had during his career, leading up to his suicide.]]
* LetsYouAndHimFight: [[spoiler: Sent his brother to be drafted by the army, just to avoid being sent himself.]]
* {{Narcissist}}: A rare [[http://www1.appstate.edu/~hillrw/Narcissism/stylescompensatory.html compensatory]] example. Secretariat found his worth when he discovered himself good at racing and as such, tried to maintain the perception that he was happy with the way his life turned out, those superficial feelings being the result of improving himself. [[spoiler: Once that ability to run away from everything was taken out, every single crushing reality came down towards him, leading to suicide.]]
* PosthumousCharacter: Long dead before the series began.
* [[RedHeadedHero Red Headed Anti-Hero]]: [[spoiler: Well, he did have his own dirty secrets.]]
* StepfordSmiler: He's really good at hiding it, though. One takes a look at him and there doesn't seem to be anything troubling him. Get beyond that mask, just like Bojack [[spoiler: or his brother's death]] did, and you'll see how truly sad and lonely he feels despite his success.
* ShootTheShaggyDog: [[spoiler: All of his hard work, a solid and long-term built reputation and a good lifestyle, leads to nothing. At the end, he's alone, broke, ruined and much more depressed than before. And then he kills himself.]]
* TragicHero[-/-]TragicVillain: Can be classified as one or the other, depending on the interpretation.
* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: His response to Bojack's letter ends shaping much of his worldview and his problems.
* WhatYouAreInTheDark: [[spoiler: When he's faced with the possibility of losing his reputation or sending his brother on a suicide mission, he chooses the latter. This decision ends up tearing him up later in life.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder: [[spoiler: Jeffretariat]]]]
!!Jeffretariat
Secretariat's brother, who ended up going to 'Nam in his place and was killed there.
----
* CainAndAbel: [[spoiler: The Abel to Secretariat's Cain. His brother ends up sending in his place to serve in the US Army during the Vietnam War and ends up being killed there.]]
* CharacterDeath: [[spoiler: Killed in 'Nam.]]
* CynicismCatalyst: [[spoiler: As Kelsey so accurately points out, Jeffretariat's death was the moment Secretariat "stopped running".]]
* DealWithTheDevil: [[spoiler: As part of the deal his brother made with UsefulNotes/RichardNixon, Jeffretariat ends being used as a pawn to prevent the collapse of Secretariat's career ''and'' still ensure the patriotism in the public's opinion.]]
* FriendOrIdolDecision: [[spoiler: When his brother's faced with the possibility of losing his reputation or sending Jeffretariat on a suicide mission, he chooses the latter. This decision ends up tearing him up later in life and one can only imagine how poor Jeff reacted.]]
* LetsYouAndHimFight: [[spoiler: Secretariat broke out an agreement with Richard Nixon for his brother to take his place in the army in exchange of using his image as a way to propel Nixon's abysmal popularity, partly out of fear of falling out of public attention and losing the one talent he had.]]
* PosthumousCharacter: He's long dead by the time of the series, [[spoiler: although not because of old age.]]
* OneSteveLimit: Both Jeff and his brother have similar sounding names, with only the first half being different.
* SmallRoleBigImpact: [[spoiler: He's just mentioned, yet his drafting by the army plays a role in Secretariat's corruption and his death plays an even ''bigger'' one in breaking his brother, leading to his death.]]
[[/folder]]
!!Secretariat
[[quoteright:234:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/secretariat.png]]
->'''Played by''': Creator/JohnKrasinski
A former race horse from TheSeventies and Bojack's personal hero. After being banned from ever racing again for betting on his races, he commits suicide by jumping off a bridge.
----
* HundredPercentAdorationRating: He was loved and admired by a lot of people, little Bojack included, and is still remembered fondly InUniverse as a successful and tragic figure.
* AbusiveParents: {{Implied}} with his commentary of "not having had a happy childhood" [[spoiler: in response to a fan letter sent by Bojack in [[TheSeventies 1973]].]]
* TheAce[-/-]BrokenAce: A famous celebrity horse who not only was a top racer, but a role model for people everywhere and beloved by those around him. Deep down, he was shown to have several emotional problems, childhood trauma issues, depression and was constantly running away from his problems. [[spoiler: Once that option was forced away from him, he committed suicide at an early age.]]
* ALessonLearnedTooWell: A [[{{Flashback}} Flashback]] to [[TheSeventies 1973]] show little Bojack watching his hero, Secretariat, answer his letter in TV, about what to do if you feel sad. [[BrokenAce Secretariat]], relating [[CloseToHome to this feeling]], tells him what he did: he found out he was good at racing, and he kept doing it, just running... It didn't [[YouCantFightFate turn out so well]], either [[DespairEventHorizon for]] [[DrivenToSuicide Secretariat]] OR [[BrokenBird Bojack.]]
* AllForNothing: [[spoiler: After all he has sacrificed, making a deal with Nixon, selling out his brother, just to continue peddling his career in racing, he's banned from doing so after illegally betting on his favor in races. Having nothing left, he ends his life by jumping off a bridge.]]
* AlternateHistory: It goes without saying that the real Secretariat was not [[spoiler: DrivenToSuicide at the age of 27 after getting caught betting on his own races or had a brother named Jeffretariat that was killed in 'Nam. In fact, the scene with Secretariat reading Bojack's fan letter at the height of his career specifically takes place in 1973, when the real Secretariat was three years old.]]
* AntiRoleModel: As shown below in ALessonLearnedTooWell, while he was a better figure to his fans, Secretariat's upbringing made it impossible for him to diverge from the damage his past had on him. Instead, he would imprint the ''bad answers'' to those issues onto others, such as little Bojack.
* BecauseImGoodAtIt: He ''loved'' running and being the best there was, he adhered and made a career out of it. Having a bad past whom he wanted to leave behind, he focused on moving forward. The career meant everything to him. [[DeconstructedTrope To the point where he was willing to resort to any means to keep it...]]
* BrokenBird: If he's telling the truth, his childhood was anything but pleasant.
* CainAndAbel: [[spoiler: Sold out his brother, Jeffretariat, as a replacement to be drafted to Vietnam, where he was then killed.]]
* CharacterDeath: [[spoiler: Jumped off the John F. Kennedy Memorial Bridge after being banned for life from racing again.]]
* CloseToHome: Why he ends up answering Bojack's letter: he identifies with him because of their similar backgrounds and insecurities. Unfortunately, because he's just as lost as the little guy is, the advice he gives him leads him down the same path of running away from his problems.
* DealWithTheDevil: [[spoiler: Well, it's UsefulNotes/RichardNixon, but since he trades good PR (and his brother's life) to avoid army drafting and the collapse of his career, it still counts as an example.]]
* DeathByDespair: [[spoiler: Losing everything you have will do that to you, especially if you have depression and you jump out of a bridge.]]
* DespairEventHorizon: [[spoiler: No longer being able to race, Secretariat committed suicide after finding out the things he had done to keep himself racing weren't worth the toll in his spirit.]]
* DraftDodging: [[spoiler: He was originally destined to be conscripted to fight in Vietnam in TheSeventies, but out of fear of falling out of public attention and losing the one talent he had, Secretariat broke out an agreement with Richard Nixon for his brother to take his place in the army in exchange of using his image as a way to propel Nixon's abysmal popularity.]]
* DrivenToSuicide: See DeathByDespair and DespairEventHorizon above.
* FallenHero: [[spoiler: Everyone's faith and love for him was shattered the moment they caught him betting in his favor in the races. By the time of his death, he had become a joke and nothing more than a rebuffed former celebrity.]]
* FamedInStory: He's still remembered as a tragic figure in HorseRacing, with books being written about him and multiple (un)successful attempts to make a motion picture out of his life.
* FictionalCounterpart: To RealLife racing horse [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secretariat_(horse) Secretariat]]. There are a few changes to the history, though.
* HarmfulToMinors: While he meant well on doing so, Secretariat's advice to Bojack is one of the reasons why he's so screwed up.
* HeroWorshipper: Besides, his fame and many fans, he's got a BigNameFan in the form of Bojack.
* HisStoryRepeatsItself: Hmmm, a seemingly collected celebrity who has it all and deep down is a BrokenBird with ParentalIssues, a DarkAndTroubledPast and a pretty bad case of [[{{Narcissist}} Narcissism]]. Are we talking about Secretariat or [[Characters/BojackHorsemanBojackHorseman [=BoJack=]]]?
* ImYourBiggestFan: [[spoiler: A fan of his, [=BoJack=] Horseman, who wrote a fan letter to him in his childhood, as an adult ended up playing him in a later film about his life and was one of the few who tried to keep it a WartsAndAll approach.]]
* KickTheDog: [[spoiler: He sent his brother to the figurative knacker just to keep himself in the spotlight.]]
* LonelyAtTheTop: [[spoiler: Despite his claims and his public face, Secretariat was a pretty lonely man who lost the few good things he had during his career, leading up to his suicide.]]
* LetsYouAndHimFight: [[spoiler: Sent his brother to be drafted by the army, just to avoid being sent himself.]]
* {{Narcissist}}: A rare [[http://www1.appstate.edu/~hillrw/Narcissism/stylescompensatory.html compensatory]] example. Secretariat found his worth when he discovered himself good at racing and as such, tried to maintain the perception that he was happy with the way his life turned out, those superficial feelings being the result of improving himself. [[spoiler: Once that ability to run away from everything was taken out, every single crushing reality came down towards him, leading to suicide.]]
* PosthumousCharacter: Long dead before the series began.
* [[RedHeadedHero Red Headed Anti-Hero]]: [[spoiler: Well, he did have his own dirty secrets.]]
* StepfordSmiler: He's really good at hiding it, though. One takes a look at him and there doesn't seem to be anything troubling him. Get beyond that mask, just like Bojack [[spoiler: or his brother's death]] did, and you'll see how truly sad and lonely he feels despite his success.
* ShootTheShaggyDog: [[spoiler: All of his hard work, a solid and long-term built reputation and a good lifestyle, leads to nothing. At the end, he's alone, broke, ruined and much more depressed than before. And then he kills himself.]]
* TragicHero[-/-]TragicVillain: Can be classified as one or the other, depending on the interpretation.
* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: His response to Bojack's letter ends shaping much of his worldview and his problems.
* WhatYouAreInTheDark: [[spoiler: When he's faced with the possibility of losing his reputation or sending his brother on a suicide mission, he chooses the latter. This decision ends up tearing him up later in life.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder: [[spoiler: Jeffretariat]]]]
!!Jeffretariat
Secretariat's brother, who ended up going to 'Nam in his place and was killed there.
----
* CainAndAbel: [[spoiler: The Abel to Secretariat's Cain. His brother ends up sending in his place to serve in the US Army during the Vietnam War and ends up being killed there.]]
* CharacterDeath: [[spoiler: Killed in 'Nam.]]
* CynicismCatalyst: [[spoiler: As Kelsey so accurately points out, Jeffretariat's death was the moment Secretariat "stopped running".]]
* DealWithTheDevil: [[spoiler: As part of the deal his brother made with UsefulNotes/RichardNixon, Jeffretariat ends being used as a pawn to prevent the collapse of Secretariat's career ''and'' still ensure the patriotism in the public's opinion.]]
* FriendOrIdolDecision: [[spoiler: When his brother's faced with the possibility of losing his reputation or sending Jeffretariat on a suicide mission, he chooses the latter. This decision ends up tearing him up later in life and one can only imagine how poor Jeff reacted.]]
* LetsYouAndHimFight: [[spoiler: Secretariat broke out an agreement with Richard Nixon for his brother to take his place in the army in exchange of using his image as a way to propel Nixon's abysmal popularity, partly out of fear of falling out of public attention and losing the one talent he had.]]
* PosthumousCharacter: He's long dead by the time of the series, [[spoiler: although not because of old age.]]
* OneSteveLimit: Both Jeff and his brother have similar sounding names, with only the first half being different.
* SmallRoleBigImpact: [[spoiler: He's just mentioned, yet his drafting by the army plays a role in Secretariat's corruption and his death plays an even ''bigger'' one in breaking his brother, leading to his death.]]
[[/folder]]
