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* BrutalHonesty: Marvin doesn't mince words when laying out how Rick's career is in a tailspin, though his criticism is constructive rather than pejorative.
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* ActorAllusion: Western star Stacy is played by Timothy Olyphant, best known for his starring roles in westerns Series/''{{Deadwood}}'' and Series/''{{Justified}}''.
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* ActorAllusion: Western star Stacy is played by Timothy Olyphant, best known for his starring roles in westerns Series/''{{Deadwood}}'' Series/{{Deadwood}} and Series/''{{Justified}}''.Series/{{Justified}}.
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Changed line(s) 291 (click to see context) from:
* ActorAllusion: Western star Stacy is played by Timothy Olyphant, best known for his starring roles in westerns Series/{{''Deadwood''}} and Series/{{''Justified''}}.
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* ActorAllusion: Western star Stacy is played by Timothy Olyphant, best known for his starring roles in westerns Series/{{''Deadwood''}} Series/''{{Deadwood}}'' and Series/{{''Justified''}}.Series/''{{Justified}}''.
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Changed line(s) 291 (click to see context) from:
* ActorAllusion: Western star Stacy is played by Timothy Olyphant, best known for his starring roles in westerns Series/{{Deadwood}} and Series/{{Justified}}.
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* ActorAllusion: Western star Stacy is played by Timothy Olyphant, best known for his starring roles in westerns Series/{{Deadwood}} Series/{{''Deadwood''}} and Series/{{Justified}}.Series/{{''Justified''}}.
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Changed line(s) 291 (click to see context) from:
* ActorAllusion: Western star Stacy is played by Timothy Olyphant, best known for his starring roles in westerns Deadwood and Justified.
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* ActorAllusion: Western star Stacy is played by Timothy Olyphant, best known for his starring roles in westerns Deadwood Series/{{Deadwood}} and Justified.Series/{{Justified}}.
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* TrophyWife: Implied to be the case, as the first time we see the couple onboard the plane after the TimeSkip, Rick looks slightly annoyed at her snoring, and later on, at the end of the film, [[spoiler:he leaves her in the house with Brandy while he goes over to have a drink with Sharon, Jay and the other guests but then did again she did just take sleeping pills]].
to:
* TrophyWife: Implied While this appears to be the case, as the first time we see the couple onboard the plane after the TimeSkip, case at first, given her and Rick's noticeable age gap, it's ultimately [[AvertedTrope averted]] in their interactions. Francesca and Rick looks slightly annoyed at her snoring, and later on, at chat enthusiastically on the end of the film, [[spoiler:he leaves her in the house with Brandy while he goes over car ride back to have a drink with Sharon, Jay his Beverly Hills home and the other guests but then did again she did just take sleeping pills]].moment Rick regains his composure after [[spoiler:roasting Susan Atkins alive]], he runs back inside in a panic to check on her.
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* ForWantOfANail: [[spoiler:By going outside and initially driving off the Manson acolyes when they come up Cielo Drive, Rick causes an AlternateHistory where the Tate residence is never attacked, the murderers are thwarted by Cliff and Rick, and Rick himself gets the opportunity to come up to the Polanski residence for a drink, suggesting they might give him a role in their next movie]].
* GilliganCut: During Rick's breakdown in his trailer, he tells his reflection that he needs to stop drinking or he will blow his own brains out. The scene immediately cuts to him taking a swig out of his flask before realizing what he just did and hurling it out the door.
* GilliganCut: During Rick's breakdown in his trailer, he tells his reflection that he needs to stop drinking or he will blow his own brains out. The scene immediately cuts to him taking a swig out of his flask before realizing what he just did and hurling it out the door.
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* EarnYourHappyEnding: While Rick isn't able to make a massive comeback or kick his alcoholism, he is able to prove his chops as an actor and reclaim his self-worth, and seems to genuinely love his wife Francesca. [[spoiler:He also prevents the Manson murders along with Cliff and might have a shot at future stardom by getting to know the neighbor he inadvertently saved, Sharon Tate.]]
* ForWantOfANail: [[spoiler:By going outside and initially driving off the Mansonacolyes acolytes when they come up Cielo Drive, Rick causes an AlternateHistory where the Tate residence is never attacked, the murderers are thwarted by Cliff and Rick, and Rick himself gets the opportunity to come up to the Polanski residence for a drink, suggesting they might give him a role in their next movie]].
* GilliganCut: During Rick's breakdown in his trailer, he tells his reflection that he needs to stop drinking or he will blow his own brains out. The scene immediately cuts to him taking a swig out of his flask before realizing what he just did and hurling it out thedoor.door like a live grenade.
* ForWantOfANail: [[spoiler:By going outside and initially driving off the Manson
* GilliganCut: During Rick's breakdown in his trailer, he tells his reflection that he needs to stop drinking or he will blow his own brains out. The scene immediately cuts to him taking a swig out of his flask before realizing what he just did and hurling it out the
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* TokenGoodTeammate: As in real life, [[spoiler:Linda refuses to participate in the murders. While it's unknown what happens to the Manson clan in this AlternateHistory where Cliff and Rick thwart their crimes, it's likely she still performs he real life counterpart's HeelFaceTurn and testifies against the family]].
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* GreaterScopeVillain: As in real life, Manson masterminded his cult's brutal crimes (and even participated in a few), but he only appears for roughly two minutes in the finished film and isn't confronted by any of the main characters.
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A famed Hollywood producer, Sebring is Sharon Tate's ex-boyfriend and current close confidante of both her and director Roman Polanski.
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A famed Hollywood producer, hairstylist, Sebring is Sharon Tate's ex-boyfriend and current close confidante of both her and director Roman Polanski.
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One Rick's co-stars on the pilot for CBS western ''Lancer'', portraying gunslinger and series lead Johnny Madrid Lancer.
----
* ActorAllusion: Western star Stacy is played by Timothy Olyphant, best known for his starring roles in westerns Deadwood and Justified.
* ConsummateProfessional: He's exceedingly polite, acts his heart out, and maintains composure when Rick flubs his lines and breaks down.
----
* ActorAllusion: Western star Stacy is played by Timothy Olyphant, best known for his starring roles in westerns Deadwood and Justified.
* ConsummateProfessional: He's exceedingly polite, acts his heart out, and maintains composure when Rick flubs his lines and breaks down.
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The blind and elderly owner of Spahn Movie Ranch and one of Cliff's former colleagues from his ''Bounty Law'' days.
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* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: He's a cantankerous old geezer, but he does seem to love Squeaky and appreciates Cliff stopping by to check up on him.
* KavorkaMan: Is old and unkempt but shares a bed with the [[MayDecemberRomance significantly younger]] Squeaky Fromme. [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] in that Squeaky is sleeping with him to keep him distracted from the Manson family's nefarious goings on.
* LockedOutOfTheLoop: Being blind and bedridden means that George really has no idea what the Manson family has gotten up to on his property.
----
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: He's a cantankerous old geezer, but he does seem to love Squeaky and appreciates Cliff stopping by to check up on him.
* KavorkaMan: Is old and unkempt but shares a bed with the [[MayDecemberRomance significantly younger]] Squeaky Fromme. [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] in that Squeaky is sleeping with him to keep him distracted from the Manson family's nefarious goings on.
* LockedOutOfTheLoop: Being blind and bedridden means that George really has no idea what the Manson family has gotten up to on his property.
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->'''Portrayed By:''' Margaret Qualley
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->'''Portrayed By:''' Margaret Qualley
Creator/MargaretQualley
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* WarriorPoet: He pontificates a little on the idea of "real" combat when he favorably compares boxing to other forms of hand-to-hand fighting. The real Bruce Lee was indeed a philosopher and a poet in addition to being a martial artist, and took both subjects very seriously.
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* WarriorPoet: He pontificates a little on the idea of "real" combat when he favorably compares boxing to other forms of hand-to-hand fighting. The real Bruce Lee was indeed a philosopher and a poet in addition to being a martial artist, and took both subjects very seriously.
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* CreepyChild: Like the rest of the female commune members, she is prone to vacant stares and a HairTriggerTemper, despite her apparent innocence.
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* TheNapoleon: He's not especially short, but Cliff does have a few inches on him, being an average white man, and he derides him as a little guy "with a big mouth, and a big chip".
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* WarriorPoet: He pontificates a little on the idea of "real" combat when he favorably compares boxing to other forms of hand-to-hand fighting. The real Bruce Lee was indeed a philosopher and a poet in addition to being a martial artist, and took both subjects very seriously.
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* GroinAttack: [[spoiler: Like Tex, she's on the receiving end of one courtesy of Brandy. While it's just one of her many, many injuries, unlike most female examples of the trope, it is portrayed as excruciating.]]
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* BadassBoast: Defied. In the final act, [[spoiler:he tells Cliff that he's "the Devil", who's come to "do the Devil's work". Cliff immediately mocks him, telling him he remembers him saying something "dumber than that"]].
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* BadassBoast: Defied. In the final act, [[spoiler:he tells Cliff that he's "the Devil", who's come to "do the Devil's work".business". Cliff immediately mocks him, telling him he remembers him saying something "dumber than that"]].
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* NotHelpingYourCase: Tex tries to intimidate [[spoiler:Cliff by starting that he's "the devil" and "came to do... devil shit". For his part (and the drugs he had been taking), Cliff treats this as a joke and starts laughing at him]].
to:
* NotHelpingYourCase: Tex tries to intimidate [[spoiler:Cliff by starting stating that he's "the devil" and "came to do... devil shit". For his part (and the drugs he had been taking), Cliff treats this as a joke and starts laughing at him]].
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* ScreamsLikeALittleGirl: [[spoiler: But hey, you would, too, if a pit bull was biting your nuts.]]
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* CuttingTheKnot: He effectively uses simple deflection techniques against Bruce Lee's fancy kicks during their fight in the production lot.
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* GoodOldFisticuffs: He effectively uses simple deflection techniques against Bruce Lee's fancy kicks during their fight in the production lot.
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* HenpeckedHusband: Implied to be this to Janet, who's words he repeats and who's judgmental attitude towards Cliff he's repeating.
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* HenpeckedHusband: Implied to be this to Janet, who's whose words he repeats and who's judgmental attitude towards Cliff he's repeating.
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* ActorAllusion: He's a stunt coordinator, and Kurt Russell played Stuntman Mike in Tarantino's Film/DeathProof.
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A veteran stunt coordinator and an old friend of Rick and Cliff
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* HenpeckedHusband: Implied to be this to Janet, who's words he repeats and who's judgmental attitude towards Cliff he's repeating.
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* HenpeckedHusband: Implied to be this to Janet, who's words he repeats and who's judgmental attitude towards Cliff he's repeating.
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* TrophyWife: Implied to be the case, as the first time we see the couple onboard the plane after the TimeSkip, Rick looks slightly annoyed at her snoring, and later on, at the end of the film, [[spoiler:he leaves her in the house with Brandy while he goes over to have a drink with Sharon, Jay and the other guests]].
to:
* TrophyWife: Implied to be the case, as the first time we see the couple onboard the plane after the TimeSkip, Rick looks slightly annoyed at her snoring, and later on, at the end of the film, [[spoiler:he leaves her in the house with Brandy while he goes over to have a drink with Sharon, Jay and the other guests]].guests but then did again she did just take sleeping pills]].
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* MotorMouth: At the very end of the film, [[spoiler:when she's explaining what happened when the Manson acolytes busted in, in rapid-fire Italian for the benefit of a cop questioning her]].
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* AllThereInTheManual: In real life, he is TheManBehindTheMan of some of the worst murders in Hollywood's history, but he's only in the film for a few moments, doesn't interact with any character besides Jay and Sharon, and is only described in passing once, making his connection to the fated events very nebulous within the film itself.
to:
* AllThereInTheManual: In real life, he is TheManBehindTheMan of some of the worst murders in Hollywood's history, but he's only in the film for a few moments, doesn't interact with any character characters besides Jay and Sharon, and is only described in passing once, making his connection to the fated events very nebulous within the film itself.
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* TheUnfought: Despite the set-up of him visiting the Cielo Drive residence, he isn't seen for the rest of the film. According to WordOfGod, more scenes were filmed using the character that were omitted from the final cut.
to:
* TheUnfought: Despite the set-up of him visiting the Cielo Drive residence, he isn't seen for the rest of the film. According to WordOfGod, more scenes were filmed using the character that were omitted from the final cut.cut, including one where he would have seen Cliff working on top of the Dalton residence and mimicked karate moves in his direction.
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* ChekhovsGunman: He gives Rick the idea to act in a SpaghettiWestern as a way to jumpstart his flagging career. Midway through the film, as Cliff and Rick are sitting down to watch an episode of ''F.B.I.'', Marvin gets on the phone to a producer to give Rick a referral, thus setting up the TimeSkip.
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* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: He effortlessly lays out Rick's career prospects in the first proper scene of the film, explaining that Rick's roles as a bad guy have led him to be typecast, acting as a glorified punching bag for newer, younger male heroes.
* UnabashedBMovieFan: He tells Rick this, explaining that he likes to watch Rick's older films at home with his wife in their private theatre.
* UnabashedBMovieFan: He tells Rick this, explaining that he likes to watch Rick's older films at home with his wife in their private theatre.
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A famed Hollywood producer, Sebring is Sharon Tate's ex-boyfriend and current close confidante of both her and director Roman Polanski.
----
* AlternateHistory: [[spoiler:Like Tate, Jay is nowhere to be seen during the final confrontation with the Manson acolytes, and he only appears afterwards to ask Rick what happened and invite him up to the house for a drink]].
* BaitAndSwitch: On the night of August 9, 1969, Sharon, Jay and the other guests at the Polanski residence are seen going out for dinner, with the group later going back to the Polanski residence, several of the guests get high and Jay and Sharon talking, thus setting up the tragic events of the real-life scenario. [[spoiler:Then they completely disappear until the very last scene, not being present at all due to Rick [[AlternateHistory changing the course of history]] by encountering the Manson acolytes, causing them to attack ''his'' house instead. Sharon and Jay only reappear during the final scene, where they greet Rick and invite him up to the house for a drink]].
* FlatCharacter: Beyond a single scene in which he encounters Charles Manson (who is scoping out the residence), he is largely relegated to being a non-participant in the main plot.
* TriangRelations: Invoked by Steve [=McQueen=]. Jay is still in love with Sharon, who went to Europe and eloped with Roman Polanski. As a result, [=McQueen=] posits that Sebring is staying with her until Polanski "inevitably breaks her heart", then will make a move.
----
* AlternateHistory: [[spoiler:Like Tate, Jay is nowhere to be seen during the final confrontation with the Manson acolytes, and he only appears afterwards to ask Rick what happened and invite him up to the house for a drink]].
* BaitAndSwitch: On the night of August 9, 1969, Sharon, Jay and the other guests at the Polanski residence are seen going out for dinner, with the group later going back to the Polanski residence, several of the guests get high and Jay and Sharon talking, thus setting up the tragic events of the real-life scenario. [[spoiler:Then they completely disappear until the very last scene, not being present at all due to Rick [[AlternateHistory changing the course of history]] by encountering the Manson acolytes, causing them to attack ''his'' house instead. Sharon and Jay only reappear during the final scene, where they greet Rick and invite him up to the house for a drink]].
* FlatCharacter: Beyond a single scene in which he encounters Charles Manson (who is scoping out the residence), he is largely relegated to being a non-participant in the main plot.
* TriangRelations: Invoked by Steve [=McQueen=]. Jay is still in love with Sharon, who went to Europe and eloped with Roman Polanski. As a result, [=McQueen=] posits that Sebring is staying with her until Polanski "inevitably breaks her heart", then will make a move.
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[[/folder]]
[[folder:James Stacy]]
--> '''Portrayed By:''' Creator/TimothyOlyphant
[[/folder]]
[[folder:George Spahn]]
--> '''Portrayed By:''' Creator/BruceDern
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Wayne Maunder]]
--> '''Portrayed By:''' Creator/LukePerry
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Steve [=McQueen=]]]
--> '''Portrayed By:''' Creator/DamianLewis
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Randy]]
--> '''Portrayed By:''' Creator/KurtRussell
* LemonyNarrator: Randy occasionally narrates the film, often to add in snarky commentary and fill in the audience.
[[folder:James Stacy]]
--> '''Portrayed By:''' Creator/TimothyOlyphant
[[/folder]]
[[folder:George Spahn]]
--> '''Portrayed By:''' Creator/BruceDern
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Wayne Maunder]]
--> '''Portrayed By:''' Creator/LukePerry
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Steve [=McQueen=]]]
--> '''Portrayed By:''' Creator/DamianLewis
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Randy]]
--> '''Portrayed By:''' Creator/KurtRussell
* LemonyNarrator: Randy occasionally narrates the film, often to add in snarky commentary and fill in the audience.
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[[/folder]]
[[folder:Jay Sebring]]
--> '''Portrayed By:''' Creator/EmileHirsch
[[folder:Jay Sebring]]
--> '''Portrayed By:''' Creator/EmileHirsch
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-> '''Portrayed By:''' Damon Herriman
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-> '''Portrayed By:''' Damon Herriman
Creator/DamonHerriman
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[[/folder]]
[[folder:Marvin Schwartz]]
--> '''Portrayed By:''' Creator/AlPacino
* LargeHam: Its a given when you're played by Creator/AlPacino.
[[folder:Marvin Schwartz]]
--> '''Portrayed By:''' Creator/AlPacino
* LargeHam: Its a given when you're played by Creator/AlPacino.
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** I don’t think that was the implication at all. We didn’t see unused footage of The Great Escape, we saw Rick imagining himself in a role he did not get.
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**I don’t think that was the implication at all. We didn’t see unused footage of The Great Escape, we saw Rick imagining himself in a role he did not get.
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* CoolOldGuy: In his mid-50's but acts and even moves like a man half his age, making clear why Pussycat would be attracted to someone old enough to plausibly be her grandfather.
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** Cliff responds pleasantly (if slightly forceful) when he discovers that the commune has slashed one of his tires during the trip to Spahn Ranch, and orders Clem to fix it. When the latter refuses and laughs at him, Cliff brutally hits him several times, warns all of the female members to stay back, and orders him to fix the tire, under threat of additional violence.
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** Cliff responds pleasantly (if slightly forceful) when he discovers that the commune has slashed one of his tires during the trip to Spahn Ranch, and orders Clem to fix it. When the latter refuses and laughs at him, Cliff brutally hits him several times, warns all of the female members to stay back, back or else he'd punch out Clem's teeth, and orders him to fix the tire, tire under threat of additional violence.
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** [[spoiler:During the final fight, Cliff effortlessly dismantles the three Manson Family members. He only takes one hit due to being distracted, and still manages to take down his opponent despite being drunk and high]].
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** [[spoiler:During the final fight, Cliff effortlessly dismantles the three Manson Family members. He only takes one hit due to being distracted, and still manages to take down his opponent despite being drunk and high]].high. He also literally curbstomps Tex by using a door frame]].
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* WouldHitAGirl: During the final act, [[spoiler:after Patricia stabs him in the hip with her knife via surprise attack, he responds by smashing her into every surface he can find]].
* SparedByTheAdaptation: [[spoiler:In this timeline, she doesn't die, with the attackers being routed by Cliff, Brandy and Rick. At the end of the film, she invites Rick up to the house for a drink with the party guests]].
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[[folder:Susan Atkins[=/=]Sadie]]
to:
* BeautyIsNeverTarnished: [[{{Understatement}} Actively averted by the end of the film]]. [[spoiler:Cliff throws a can full of dog food at her face with full force as she tries to rush him with a knife, causing it to break her nose (at the very least) and possibly give her serious head trauma. A few moments later, Cliff orders Brandy to maul her, with her screaming all the while as it shakes her around. She manages to fire off a round that causes Brandy to flee, but in her attempt to escape, she smashes a plate window door, adding serious facial lacerations to the list of injuries. Finally, Rick immolates her, with the end result being shown shortly afterwards]]. ''Ouch''.
* DarkActionGirl: Within the members of the commune, she holds a relative degree of prominence, standing at the front of the female commune members as they jeer and mock Cliff for investigating the ranch. [[spoiler:In the third act, the group defers to her plan to attack Rick's house, based on her arguments]].
* HateSink: [[spoiler:By the end of the film, she easily gets the most extended and violent punishment of any of the three Manson acolytes, receiving [[RasputinianDeath several different forms of injury]] before being immolated by Rick. This may have been inspired by historical rumors that suggest that Sadie either personally killed Sharon Tate in real life, or held her down as Tex stabbed her]].
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* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: Despite her real name being Susan, everyone refers to her as "Sadie"...
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* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: Despite her real name being Susan, everyone refers to her as "Sadie"... "Sadie".
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* TheSociopath: [[spoiler:Much like Tex and Patricia, she wants to massacre people on Cielo Drive, comes up with the plan to kill the occupants of Rick's house, and orders Tex to shoot Cliff after refuses to take them seriously. The moment things go south for them, she rushes at Cliff brandishing a knife and screaming, only to be beaned in the face with a can of dog food]].
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* BadassBoast: Defied. In the final act, [[spoiler:he tells Cliff that he's "the Devil", who's come to "do the Devil's work". Cliff immediately mocks him, telling him he remembers him saying something "dumber than that"]].
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* FauxAffablyEvil: Despite his distrust of Cliff and the creepy air about him, he puts on an air of friendliness while leading the tourist couple on a riding trip around Spahn Ranch. [[spoiler:Six months later, he even has this reaction when he realizes who Rick is and says he owned a ''Bounty Law'' lunchbox as a kid, and even initially laughs when Cliff says he remembers him "riding on a horsey"]].
* GroinAttack: Is on the receiving end of this after [[spoiler:Cliff calls Brandy to attack him during the climax of the film]].
* GroinAttack: Is on the receiving end of this after [[spoiler:Cliff calls Brandy to attack him during the climax of the film]].
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* NotHelpingYourCase: Tex tries to intimidate [[spoiler:Cliff by starting that he's "the devil" and "came to do... devil shit". For his part (and the drugs he had been taking), Cliff treats this as a joke and starts laughing at him]].
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* DirtyCoward: [[spoiler:Of the three attackers, Patricia's only roles are to force Francesca out of bed, threaten her with a knife, then try to bum-rush Cliff and stab him when he's distracted. It seems to momentarily work... until he picks her up by the hair and goes to town on her face]].
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* DefiantCaptive: Despite being held hostage at one point, she seizes an opportunity to punch her captor when she has the chance.
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* AllThereInTheManual: In real life, he is TheManBehindTheMan of some of the worst murders in Hollywood's history, but he's only in the film for a few moments, doesn't interact with any character besides Jay and Sharon, and is only described in passing once, making his connection to the fated events very nebulous within the film itself.
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Launched - feel free to add examples.
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* LetsGetDangerous: Cliff's combat abilities are shown in passing several times, and he initially seems to laugh off [[spoiler:the three attackers who show up to assault the house in the finale. It's only when Tex performs the DramaticGunCock that Cliff decides all bets are off, and proceeds to utterly ruin their day with a series of brutal takedowns, using whatever he can find in the environment, his feet, his dog and a can of dog food]].
to:
* LetsGetDangerous: LetsGetDangerous: Cliff's combat abilities are shown in passing several times, and he initially seems to laugh off [[spoiler:the three attackers who show up to assault the house in the finale. It's only when Tex performs the DramaticGunCock that Cliff decides all bets are off, and proceeds to utterly ruin their day with a series of brutal takedowns, using whatever he can find in the environment, his feet, his dog and a can of dog food]].
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* NotHisSled: [[The film seems to build up to the infamous Tate murders, only for AlternateHistory to take effect. The would-be murderers instead start at Rick's house and meet their demise at the hands of him, Cliff, and Brandy. Thus, Sharon and her friends all live and invite Rick into the house for a drink after the ordeal is over]].
to:
* NotHisSled: [[The [[spoiler:The film seems to build up to the infamous Tate murders, only for AlternateHistory to take effect. The would-be murderers instead start at Rick's house and meet their demise at the hands of him, Cliff, and Brandy. Thus, Sharon and her friends all live and invite Rick into the house for a drink after the ordeal is over]].
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[[foldercontrol]]
[[folder:Rick Dalton]]
->'''Portrayed By:''' Creator/LeonardoDiCaprio
* TheAlcoholic: As the film begins, Rick has had his license suspended due to driving while drunk, and he nearly blows his role in ''Lancer'' due to drinking one too many whiskey sours the night before.
* AntiHero:
** Rick is not only a self-pitying alcoholic with {{Jerkass}} tendencies, but he specializes in playing this type of character. When he finally agrees to go to Rome to star in spaghetti westerns, his characters are specifically described as anti-heroes, fitting the change in his on-screen perception from heroic lead to villainous "heavy."
** This also extends to Rick's character, Jake Cahill, on ''Bounty Law'' -- an amoral BountyHunter who makes no effort to bring his targets in alive, and in fact describes other bounty hunters who do as "amateurs." Possibly a TakeThat to ''Wanted: Dead or Alive'', whose main character Josh Randall (played by Rick's rival, Steve [=McQueen=]) preferred to bring his quarry alive.
* AlwaysSomeoneBetter: Rick claims that Creator/SteveMcQueen beat him out for the lead role in ''Film/TheGreatEscape''.
* BewareTheNiceOnes: Besides his {{Jerkass}} tendencies, Rick is otherwise cordial to most people. [[spoiler:This goes out the window when Sadie crashes into his pool during the final confrontation -- he immediately gets out of the pool, goes to his garage, gets out ''a flamethrower'' and roasts her. He is later acquitted of any charges for acting in self-defense against a home invader]].
* ChekhovsSkill: Early on in the film, Rick explains how he learned to use a flamethrower during the production of ''The Fourteen Fists of [=McCluskey=]'', and he is seen learning to fire the weapon with a weapons trainer. [[spoiler:During the final confrontation, he breaks out the flamethrower (which he still had stashed in his garage) and uses it to immolate Sadie, who has crashed into his pool]].
* DeliberateValuesDissonance: Rick drinks like a fish and smokes like a chimney, to such an extent that the latter vice is shown to be giving him a bad cough and negatively impacting his health. Despite this, he stars in an ad for Red Apple Cigarettes and otherwise endorses the lifestyle. [[spoiler:In the post-credits scene, he displays annoyance while shooting one of the commercials during his ''Bounty Law'' days, reflecting the changing attitudes towards television advertising for cigarettes, which were banned in 1970]].
* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: On the set of ''Lancer'', Rick tells Trudi the plot of a book he is reading, in which a fading bronco buster has to come to terms with not being the best anymore. He suddenly realizes how much the story mirrors his own life and starts crying. [[spoiler:This may also count as a subversion, as several of the elements of the story, including the cowboy being injured in the leg, are later shown happening to ''Cliff''. Made even more noticeable when Rick explains the plot about the cowboy as Cliff walks through the commune at the Ranch, which looks like an old-time Western town]].
* ForWantOfANail: [[spoiler:By going outside and initially driving off the Manson acolyes when they come up Cielo Drive, Rick causes an AlternateHistory where the Tate residence is never attacked, the murderers are thwarted by Cliff and Rick, and Rick himself gets the opportunity to come up to the Polanski residence for a drink, suggesting they might give him a role in their next movie]].
* GilliganCut: During Rick's breakdown in his trailer, he tells his reflection that he needs to stop drinking or he will blow his own brains out. The scene immediately cuts to him taking a swig out of his flask before realizing what he just did and hurling it out the door.
* HeadphonesEqualIsolation: Rick is floating in the pool wearing headphones blasting music, meaning he completely misses [[spoiler:the home invasion until Sadie crashes through the window and lands in the pool next to him]].
* HeterosexualLifePartners: With Cliff.
* HiddenDepths: Though Rick's issues and destructive lifestyle are highlighted, he is shown to be an actor who takes his job seriously. When he uses a flamethrower for a role in a movie he did take the time to learn how to operate it safely, and when he lands the role in ''Lancer'', he's seen rehearsing lines for it in his downtime. Part of why he's so upset with himself over flubbing them was that he really was trying even as his addictions were throwing him off. (Most notably, he's embarrassed because, despite him putting in the time and practicing, his flubbing would make it look to his co-stars like he hadn't practiced.)
* HilariousOuttakes: During the credits, Rick is seen filming an ad for Red Apple cigarettes during his ''Bounty Law'' days, during which he praises the company and the flavor of the cigarettes. As soon as the camera stops rolling. he starts bitterly complaining about how horrible the cigarettes taste and how the cardboard cutout of him has a double chin.
* IAmNotSpock: In-Universe. Rick has trouble escaping his persona as "Jack Cahill" from ''Bounty Law''. His subsequent work as a special guest villain on other shows doesn't help; as Schwarz points out, the story might concern a young hero beating up an experienced villain, but what the audience sees is new cowboys (and other TV heroes) kicking Jack Cahill's ass. The new TV pilot in which we see Rick actually act still casts him as a heavy, but subtly averts this; the costuming and design gives Rick a different look than he usually has, and the director specifically tells him that this role needs "Rick Dalton the actor, not Jack Cahill."
* ImagineSpot: Rick imagines himself in the lead role of ''Film/TheGreatEscape'' when asked about how he nearly got cast.
* ItsPronouncedTroPay: Rick's character on ''Lancer'' is named Decoteau, which he thinks is pronounced Dakota, but everyone else pronounces as Daycahtoo (the French pronunciation would be closer to Decohtow).
* ItWillNeverCatchOn: Rick is dismissive of Martin's offer to star in a SpaghettiWestern, because he thinks it'll do his fading career more harm than good. This is TruthInTelevision for the era, when most of Hollywood dismissed the genre as a cheap foreign knockoffs of "true" American westerns.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Rick is a temperamental, alcoholic {{Manchild}}, but he genuinely cares about Cliff and stand by him when no one else will. Despite it seeming like he takes advantage of him at first, Rick stands up for Cliff despite the cloud of alleged murder hanging over his head, keeps him paid and on call as his driver/handyman, and goes out of his way to find work for him even as his own career falters. Then, on the set of ''Lancer'', Rick quickly bonds with his younger co-star Trudi — tellingly, his first reaction after throwing her to the ground in a scene (a late addition to the script which was Rick's idea) is immediately checking to see if she's okay (which she is, as wardrobe added padding under her dress).
* KillingInSelfDefense: [[spoiler:The ending has Rick get off scot-free for his actions in the finale by the police, after incinerating Sadie with the flamethrower that was stashed in his garage. This is because of a Californian law that permits residents to use extreme methods to defend their property in the event that it is attacked]].
* LargeHam: In-universe, his performance in ''The Fourteen Fists of [=McCluskey=]'' is prone to this, with him yelling gleefully as he incinerates Nazis.
* {{MST}}: In-Universe. Rick and Cliff sit down and watch an episode of the TV series ''F.B.I.'', drinking beer and mocking the episode (which has Rick starring as that week's SpecialGuest villain).
* MuggingTheMonster: [[spoiler:The incapacitated, mauled and nearly-drowned Sadie runs into Rick, who is lounging in his pool -- and also has convenient access to a working flamethrower, which he uses to incinerate her as she thrashes around in the pool]].
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Rick ''absolutely loses it'' on the set of ''Lancer'' after he flubs his lines and returns to his trailer, blaming himself for drinking "ten whiskey sours" the night before and smashing furniture. However, he eventually regains his composure and elects to do better, rehearsing his lines until he's called back for shooting.
* MyGreatestFailure: Prior to the start of the film, Rick abandoned his lucrative television career in hopes of becoming an ActionStar in movies. After his movie career quickly flamed out, Rick found the television acting scene had also left him behind. At best, he can only get cast as villains in other people's shows.
* PoliticallyIncorrectHero: Rick really doesn't like hippies and has a dim view of the Italian movie-making scene even after he does a quartet of films in Rome. He also adlibs a line including a racial slur, but as he was in character as a villain, it doesn't reflect his actual feelings.
* ProneToTears: Rick cries three times during the movie; first when he's worrying about his career, later when he's identifying with the protagonist of a Western novel (a bronco buster who can no longer do his job due to a debilitating injury), and finally during his TearsOfJoy scene after the filming of ''Lancer'' is completed.
* RantInducingSlight: The sight of an old taxicab idling outside his house gets Rick so angered that he stomps outside in his nightrobe and proceeds to yell at them, ordering him to leave the area before he calls the cops. [[spoiler:[[ForWantOfANail This causes]] an AlternateHistory, when the occupants of the vehicle (the Manson acolytes - Tex, Patricia and Sadie - opt to attack ''his'' home instead of the Polanski residence]].
* RunningGag: People constantly identify Rick from his work on ''Bounty Law''. [[spoiler:This later becomes a ChekhovsGun when the Manson acolytes realize who he is and opt to attack his house instead, under the belief that they need to kill the actor who inspired them to kill]].
* SpannerInTheWorks: He becomes this during the final act, [[spoiler:unintentionally thwarting the Manson acolytes as they stake out Cielo Drive. By doing so, he creates an AlternateTimeline where the attackers elect to attack ''his'' home instead, are thwarted by both Cliff and himself, and ultimately leads to Sharon, Jay and the other guests at the Polanski residence being spared, with them eventually showing up to have a drink with Rick at the end of the film]].
* ThisIsGoingToBeHuge: A RunningGag throughout the film has Rick being enthusiastic about having Roman Polanski as a neighbor, predicting that he could be one social call away from making an impression on the director and landing a juicy role. Everyone at all familiar with the Manson Family will know that the Polanski home will soon be hit by tragedy that will destroy that opportunity. [[spoiler:But it's subverted in the end, when Tate and company survive the night, and Rick gets invited over to the house, suggesting that he might just land a gig on a Polanski movie in the future]].
* ThrowItIn: In-Universe. Rick ad-libs several lines during the climactic confrontation of the pilot episode of ''Lancer'', even throwing Trudi to the ground at one point. Both Trudi (who had been outfitted with protective gear for the shoot) and the director are so impressed with Rick's actions that they compliment him after filming is completed.
* WhatCouldHaveBeen: In-Universe. Rick tells James Stacy that he was in the running for a short while as the lead star of ''Film/TheGreatEscape'' before Steve [=McQueen=] took the role. Rick plays this off as unimportant, but his recollection of the time seems to suggest he briefly had the lead role and even shot footage for it, with Dalton in-character during an early scene.
* WhiteDwarfStarlet: Rick himself seems to think of himself as this, living in an expensive home surrounded by mementos from his past and largely being remembered from a decade-old series. This opinion is even reinforced by Marvin Schwarz, who claims that Dalton has been typecast as an older villain who gets beaten by younger, more bankable male action heroes. At the end of the film, however, it's implied that [[spoiler:Dalton will get an in-universe CareerResurrection, as Jay Sebring and Sharon invite him up to their house for a drink, suggesting he may land a role in their next film]].
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Cliff Booth]]
->'''Portrayed By:''' Creator/BradPitt
A StuntDouble who works for Rick Dalton on the set of various productions, and has remained close friends with him over the years.
----
* AmbiguousSituation: The death of Cliff's wife. Cliff was charged but acquitted for the incident. Many people assume that he really did it, presuming his guilt, and explaining their disbelief of such on-screen. Most notably, we see a flashback of Cliff being berated by his wife on a boat, with a speargun in his lap pointed at her, but the scene cuts away before anything happens. It's ultimately left ambiguous what happened.
* AntiHero: Cliff is usually a Nice Guy, but the fights with Bruce Lee fight shows he has no patience for bullshit whilst remaining relatively calm but dangerous, which makes it plausible that he might have killed his wife.
* BaitAndSwitch: At the end of the film, after [[spoiler:Sadie grabs the revolver and starts firing wildly around the room, Cliff faceplants, suggesting that he's been shot and is possibly dead. Afterwards, he's fully conscious and in no immediate medical emergency, suggesting that he simply collapsed as a belated reaction to the previous, non-critical stab wound]].
* BewareTheNiceOnes:
** Cliff responds pleasantly (if slightly forceful) when he discovers that the commune has slashed one of his tires during the trip to Spahn Ranch, and orders Clem to fix it. When the latter refuses and laughs at him, Cliff brutally hits him several times, warns all of the female members to stay back, and orders him to fix the tire, under threat of additional violence.
** The same thing happens in the finale, when [[spoiler:the acid-tripping Cliff encounters the three acolytes and starts laughing in his fever high. Upon realizing that they're not being taken seriously, Sadie orders Tex to shoot, leading Cliff to order Brandy to attack Tex. What results is a NoKillLikeOverkill sequence where Cliff and Brandy (and eventually Rick) absolutely ''destroy'' the attacking party]].
* BoringYetPractical:
** Cliff's fighting style isn't flashy, but it's very efficient and more than good enough to keep pace with Bruce Lee. Considering a throwaway line from Rick identifying him as a war hero, he likely learned to fight in the military.
** In the climax, [[spoiler:Cliff never throws a true punch despite his strength and size advantage, instead improvising ways to inflict lethal head trauma. A full can of dog food, a stomp to the face on a door threshold and smashing a much smaller person's head into several rigid objects, respectively]].
* BullyingADragon: Clem apparently assumed Cliff wouldn't retaliate after slashing his tire at the commune. He did not expect Cliff to ''flatten'' him with a single punch, nor did he expect him to beat him badly and humiliate him in front of the rest of the women.
* CombatPragmatist: Cliff does this on several occasions.
* ConvictedByPublicOpinion: Cliff is suspected to have killed his wife, but was never convicted. Despite this, everyone in the film business thinks he's guilty, and many refuse to work with him.
* CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: Cliff is very unassuming and easygoing, but he regularly shows to be a lot more aware of what is going on and calculated than you would expect. He seems to let Bruce Lee get the first hit before slamming him into a car. Even his dog, Brandy, seems just a lovable lapdog. [[spoiler:In the climax, while high on acid, he absentmindedly mocks the three attackers before handily taking them out, only being knocked unconscious as a delayed reaction to a knife wound to the hip]].
* CurbStompBattle:
** After Steve Grogan stabs a tire on Cliff's car and refuses to replace it with the spare, Cliff proceeds to pound the tar out of him until he acquiesces.
** [[spoiler:During the final fight, Cliff effortlessly dismantles the three Manson Family members. He only takes one hit due to being distracted, and still manages to take down his opponent despite being drunk and high]].
* CuttingTheKnot: He effectively uses simple deflection techniques against Bruce Lee's fancy kicks during their fight in the production lot.
* DrinkOrder: Cliff is shown drinking Bloody Marys in multiple scenes. His wife was enjoying one when she died, suggesting that he hasn't gotten over her death.
* DrivesLikeCrazy: To a certain extent, and given his career as a stuntman, Cliff is shown pulling off fancy (and dangerous) maneuvers behind the wheel at several points during the film.
* EndOfAnAge: The events of the film suggest that Cliff and Rick's working partnership is coming to an end, as the latter admits that he will have to let the former go (because he can't pay him anymore) after the TimeSkip. They decide to have one last hurrah as best friends, go out drinking at their favorite restaurant and hang out the rest of the night before parting ways. [[spoiler:The ending of the film doesn't resolve it one way or the other, with Cliff either forgetting or deliberately withholdng the directions to the hospital after he is injured, and Rick promising to visit the next day before Sharon and Jay invite him up for a drink]].
* ExtremeMeleeRevenge: During the climax, [[spoiler:against Patricia, after she stabs him in the hip with a knife. He proceeds to smash her face against available blunt surface in the house, reducing her to nothing but... red]].
* HenpeckedHusband: Seen in a flashback where Cliff is ridiculed mercilessly by his (drunk) wife while they're sitting on a boat at sea, and he silently goes about his business. The end of the scene leaves it ambiguous on whether he reached his limit and murdered her.
* HeroesLoveDogs: When Cliff goes back to his tiny trailer, the first thing that happens is him being lovingly attacked by his pitbull Brandy.
* HypercompetentSidekick: A key character in the movie, as he helps facilitate Rick's heroic deeds by playing the physical parts in the many shows he's appeared in. This even extends to the climax of the film, when [[spoiler:the acid-tripping Cliff still retains enough lucidity and capability to effortlessly dismantle the attackers, with the only surviving one left being left in such an injured state she might very well have died from her injuries ''before'' Cliff immolated her with a flamethrower]].
* ImmuneToDrugs: Subverted in the finale -- [[spoiler:Cliff is feeling the effects of LSD (not to mention the alcohol he drank earlier), but it doesn't dull his combat senses enough to stop him from routing the Manson Family, effortlessly dismantling and killing two of the attackers in the process]].
* LetsGetDangerous: Cliff's combat abilities are shown in passing several times, and he initially seems to laugh off [[spoiler:the three attackers who show up to assault the house in the finale. It's only when Tex performs the DramaticGunCock that Cliff decides all bets are off, and proceeds to utterly ruin their day with a series of brutal takedowns, using whatever he can find in the environment, his feet, his dog and a can of dog food]].
* MajorInjuryUnderreaction: [[spoiler:Cliff is stabbed in the hip, and has no immediate reaction besides tapping the handle of the blade in confusion. He doesn't collapse from the injury until after he's made his attacker pay for it. Justified as he was drunk and high at the time, and likely was running on adrenaline]].
* MundaneUtility: Cliff's skills as a stuntman come in handy when Rick asks him to repair the TV antenna on his roof. He effortlessly leaps and jumps up to the roof with the ease of someone half his age, even balancing on the fence at one point.
* MysteriousPast: Cliff's origins and the root of his quietly violent and dysfunctional nature are rather obscure.
* NoodleIncident: The death of Cliff's wife is never explicitly shown, and it is a question left unresolved. The flashback seems to suggest that Cliff may have killed her with a harpoon gun... except the gun ''isn't'' loaded in wide shots of Cliff holding the weapon. The last thing the audience sees before the flashback ends is a close shot on Cliff's face as a wave hits in the background, suggesting that she may have fallen overboard and drowned, but no confirmation is given either way.
* RichesToRags: Downplayed, with a flashback suggesting that Cliff owned a boat around the time of his wife's death. As the events of the film begins, his earning power has been diminished (with Rick being the only actor in Hollywood who appears to be giving him work), and he is living out of a small trailer behind a drive-in with his dog.
* SociopathicHero: Cliff certainly qualifies. He was accused, though acquitted, of killing his wife, and isn't visibly bothered that half of Hollywood regards him with fear or derision. Taken to extremes at the climax, when [[spoiler:he absolutely destroys the three Manson family members in Rick's home and spends a minute smashing in Patricia Krenwinkel's face, although admittedly he was high on acid which probably made him respond more violently than normal]].
* TranquilFury: During the climax, [[spoiler:when Patricia smiles at him after stabbing him in the hip, he responds by smashing her head into every single surface he can find, reducing her face to red paste before looking at the remnants impassively and shoving her away]].
* UnderestimatingBadassery:
** At the Spahn Ranch, Clem bullies Cliff by flattening his tire, apparently believing that the vastly-outnumbered Cliff will have no recourse but to limp away home. It turns out Cliff has other ideas.
** [[spoiler:The Manson family have no idea who Cliff is, but clearly see him as a simple victim to toy with. ''Big mistake'']].
* UnreliableNarrator: The flashback to the incident where Cliff fought Bruce Lee and got fired from the set of ''Series/TheGreenHornet'' is the only one in the film framed as a character's recollection In-Universe. It also happens to include several clues to the fact that Cliff's memories of the event are skewed, most prominent among them the fact that if Cliff had really slammed Bruce against Janet's car hard enough to do the kind of damage to the car seen onscreen, it would've broken Lee's back. When we see Lee training or rehearsing scenes with other actors later, he comes off as far friendlier than Cliff's recollection paints him.
* WorfHadTheFlu: By the time the final confrontation starts, Cliff is high off an acid-dipped cigarette he decided to enjoy. [[spoiler:Ultimately subverted, as this doesn't stop him from effortless mopping the floor with the three attackers, only suffering a hip wound he seems to shrug off afterwards]].
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Sharon Tate]]
-> '''Portrayed By:''' Creator/MargotRobbie
* ActorAllusion: Sharon is introduced on a Pan-Am plane. ''Series/PanAm'' was Robbie's breakout role outside her native Australia.
* AlternateHistory: [[spoiler:As a result of Rick encountering the Manson acolytes beforehand, the Polanski residence isn't attacked, and Sharon and her unborn baby (along with all the other party guests) survive. The final shot of the film has her and Jay Sebring inviting Rick up to the house for a drink]].
* BaitAndSwitch:
** On the night of August 9, 1969, Sharon, Jay and the other guests at the Polanski residence are seen going out for dinner, with Sharon herself noted as having discomfort due to her pregnancy and the higher-than-normal heat in the region, thus setting up the tragic events that would follow. She later goes back to the house, several of the guests get high and she changes into another outfit before talking with Jay. [[spoiler:Then they completely disappear until the very last scene, not being present at all due to Rick [[AlternateHistory changing the course of history]] by encountering the Manson acolytes, causing them to attack ''his'' house instead. Sharon and Jay only reappear during the final scene, where they greet Rick and invite him up to the house for a drink]].
** To a lesser extent, Sharon is briefly shown training with Bruce Lee, who choreographed ''Film/TheWreckingCrew''. For those expecting an AlternateHistory plot twist, this may lead them to believe that Sharon will fight off the cultists on her own. [[spoiler:In reality, she never even meets them, with Cliff and Rick handling them instead]].
* DecoyProtagonist: [[spoiler:The film suggests that history is going to play out as normal, and that Sharon will be attacked and killed by the Manson acolytes at the end of the film. However, after she is shown at the party with Sebring and the other guests, and then changing into a different outfit due to her pregnancy, she isn't seen again until the very end, being completely absent due to the acolytes choosing to attack Rick's house instead]].
* DoesNotLikeShoes: Sharon puts her feet up in the movie theater while watching ''Film/TheWreckingCrew'', revealing that she's apparently been walking around for a long time without shoes, as her feet are dirty and calloused.
* ForegoneConclusion: Given Tate's notorious murder in real life, and the presence of the Manson family, it looks like the movie's ending is going to show similar events. [[spoiler:Until it's absolutely averted in the climax, when the film diverges from history and Rick and Cliff end up killing the three Manson clan members who would have killed Tate and her friends]].
* HairOfGoldHeartOfGold: Sharon has blond hair and is arguably the nicest person in the film, giving a ride to a complete stranger, chatting up the employees at a local theater and [[spoiler:even inviting her next-door neighbor up for a drink after he had to immolate an intruder]].
* HappilyMarried: As in real life, Roman Polanski and Sharon are happily married and have a kid on the way. Polanski is so comfortable with their relationship that he has no problems with Tate maintaining a platonic friendship with Jay Sebring, whom she left to be with Polanski.
* HasAType: According to Creator/SteveMcQueen, she's into talented men "who look like twelve-year-old boys".
* NotHisSled: [[The film seems to build up to the infamous Tate murders, only for AlternateHistory to take effect. The would-be murderers instead start at Rick's house and meet their demise at the hands of him, Cliff, and Brandy. Thus, Sharon and her friends all live and invite Rick into the house for a drink after the ordeal is over]].
* RedHerring: The film seems to suggest that Sharon is going to have a larger role in the climax, as she is shown going to a theater and watching footage of herself fighting an opponent in ''Film/TheWreckingCrew''. This, combined with the flashback of her training with Creator/BruceLee, seems to suggest that history might play out a different way and that she might thwart the attackers who assault the Polanski residence. [[spoiler:The script then flips this on its head when the ending shows the Manson murderers initially thwarted by Rick when they drive up Cielo Drive, and once they retreat, they elect to attack his home instead under the belief that they need to attack the actor who "inspired us to kill". As a result, Tate (and, by extension, the rest of the people in the Polanski home) are spared and aren't seen again until the murderers have been taken care of by Cliff and Rick]].
* SacrificialLamb: Many of the scenes involving her are devoted to showing how innocent she is, thus setting up the tragic events of the real-life incident that inspired the film. [[spoiler: Except, in this timeline, she doesn't die, and remains alive to greet Rick and have a drink with him, Sebring and the other party guests at the very end of the film]].
* TriangRelations: Sharon and Roman are in love, but they're still best friends with Sharon's ex-boyfriend Jay Sebring, who in turn is still carrying a torch for Sharon. Steve [=McQueen=] voices his suspicion that Jay's staying around Sharon in order to pick up the pieces when Roman inevitably breaks her heart.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Pussycat]]
->'''Portrayed By:''' Margaret Qualley
One of the members of the commune living at Spahn Ranch, who takes a liking to Cliff after they see each other several times around the city.
----
* ArentYouGoingToRavishMe: Pussycat bluntly offers Cliff a blowjob when he gives her a ride out of Los Angeles. He politely turns her down, because she can't prove she's of legal age and he doesn't want any more trouble with the law. She actually finds his refusal charming, and settles for resting her head in his lap as he drives, and thus culminates in him visiting the Manson compound early.
* BaitAndSwitch: The plot sets up a budding romance between her and Cliff, with them encountering each other several times as he drives around the city. When she eventually convinces him to give her a lift back to the Ranch, he obliges and eventually discovers the commune living on-site. Despite their attempts to dissuade him, Cliff investigates the house and talks with George before leaving, causing Pussycat to yell at him that he's "the blind one". After this, she isn't seen again.
* CreepyChild: Like the rest of the female commune members, she is prone to vacant stares, a HairTriggerTemper, odd habits (rummaging through garbage bins for food) and unnerving singing.
* FootFocus: She can be seen placing her feet above against the windshield as Cliff gives her a life back to the Ranch.
* HairTriggerTemper: One of her establishing moments involves her looking on innocently at other bystanders before snapping at a pair of police officers who drive past, angrily berating them before greeting Cliff. This is {{Foreshadowing}} of her eventual behavior at the Spahn Ranch.
* JailBait: Invoked -- Pussycat offers to give Cliff fellatio, leading him to ask her age and if she has any identification. She claims that she's 18 but doesn't have ID with her, leading Cliff to presume that she's underage and stating that he's not willing to risk jail for "road head".
* ShesGotLegs: Her standard outfit is a short halter top and jean-shorts, which the camera emphasizes at several points.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: After blasting Cliff for investigating the Ranch and talking to George, she isn't seen again for the rest of the film.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Susan Atkins[=/=]Sadie]]
-> '''Portrayed By:''' Mikey Madison
A member of the commune Cliff encounters during his visit to Spahn Ranch. [[spoiler:She is one of the Manson acolytes who decides to attack the Manson residence on Cielo Drive]].
----
* AssholeVictim: [[spoiler:She is ''the'' reason why the acolytes elect to attack Rick's house first, claiming that they should make an example of Rick by [[{{Hypocrite}} killing the actor who inspired them to kill in the first place]]. She starts things off by ordering Tex to shoot Cliff, which gives Cliff plenty of reason to kick off the chain of events that eventually leads to her death at the hands of Rick and his flamethrower]].
* CreepyChild: Like the rest of the female commune members, she is prone to vacant stares and a HairTriggerTemper, despite her apparent innocence.
* CruelAndUnusualDeath: [[spoiler:Of the three acolytes, Sadie easily gets it the most, receiving a serious facial injury as a result of being hit in the face with a can of dog food, being mauled by a dog, running through a glass window and eventually being lit on fire]].
* DestinationDefenestration: [[spoiler:In a panic, she runs through a glass sliding door in an attempt to flee from Cliff, receiving serious lacerations in the process]].
* InsaneTrollLogic: Her justification for [[spoiler:changing the Family's plan and killing Rick is that since he starred in a show which glorified violence, so he deserves to be violently murdered as a message to Hollywood. Even better, she says she came to this conclusion after multiple LSD trips]].
--> ''Sadie:'' [[spoiler:If you grew up watching television, you grew up watching murder... We should be killing the people that taught us to kill!]]
* LaserGuidedKarma: [[spoiler:Sadie is historically suspected to have personally murdered Sharon Tate. In the film, she proposes attacking the Dalton residence instead, and is "treated" to the slowest and most painful death of the three attackers, receiving serious head trauma, a mauling, lacerations and incineration, respectively]].
* MoodWhiplash: Sadie, along with Patricia and Tex, beat a hasty retreat after [[spoiler:Rick admonishes them outside his home, and get into a humorous argument about recognizing him from ''Bounty Law''. Then, Sadie counters that they should kill Rick because he was one of the actors who inspired them to kill, and they immediately set out to do the deed]].
* MoralMyopia: Sadie is one of the most prominent members who boo and mock Cliff as he leaves, because he had suspected them of doing something nefarious to the person whose land they're squatting on and wanted to confirm his suspicions without taking their word for it, complete with slashing one of his tires out of spite. When Cliff reacts by punching the guy who did it after he refuses to fix the tire (followed by making him fix it), the hippies (including Sadie, who is at the front of the pack) act as though he is attacking him unprovoked.
* NoKillLikeOverkill: [[spoiler:Possibly ''the'' most prominent example in any of Tarantino's films, with her being mauled, hit in the face with heavy can (causing potentially-lethal head trauma), lacerated and immolated]].
* OhCrap: Sadie realizes exactly what's going to happen when she sees [[spoiler:Rick stalk out of his garage with a fully-operational flamethrower, having just enough time to widen her eyes in fear before he lights her on fire]].
* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: Despite her real name being Susan, everyone refers to her as "Sadie"...
* RasputinianDeath: [[spoiler:Cliff starts off by beaning her in the face with a full can of dog food, before ordering Brandy (who has just finished attacking Tex) to maul her instead. In a panic, she jumps up and tries to escape, running through a glass door and lacerating herself in the process. When she falls into Rick's pool, he sees this, jumps out, grabs the flamethrower from his garage and ''incinerates'' her, with the camera lingering on her as she burns before sinking into the water. Even more notably, the camera cuts back to her charred form floating in the pool as Rick explains what happened. NoKillLikeOverkill, indeed]].
* SmallRoleBigImpact: She is initially seen as one of the multitude of female commune members who encounters Cliff at Spahn Ranch, eying him suspiciously as he investigates the property and jeering at him when he leaves. [[spoiler:She later turns out to be the instigator of the final confrontation, as she convinces Tex, Patricia and Flower Child to attack Rick's house, and subsequently gets the biggest comeuppance of the three remaining attackers]].
* UnderestimatingBadassery: [[spoiler:Like the rest of the attackers, she apparently didn't realize Cliff (an ex-army member and stuntman) was in the house, along with his trained attack dog, were in Rick's house, nor did she realize that Rick had easy access to a flamethrower in his garage]].
* WalkingSpoiler: Given her late-stage prominence in the film, her role runs straight into this trope.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Tex[=/=]Charles Watson]]
-> '''Portrayed By:''' Austin Butler
A member of the commune Cliff encounters during his visit to Spahn Ranch, who organizes riding tours of the property for interested tourists. [[spoiler:He is one of the Manson acolytes who decides to attack the Manson residence on Cielo Drive]].
----
* AssholeVictim: [[spoiler:He goes along with the plan to kill Rick, and is subsequently goaded by Sadie to shoot Cliff after the latter recognizes who he is. For his trouble, he gets mauled by Brandy (including a GroinAttack), stabbed and has his head stomped in by Cliff, leading him to be the first attacker to die in the finale]].
* CoDragons: He, along with "Squeaky" Fromme, manages the affairs of the commune at Spahn Ranch, as they were in real life.
* DramaticGunCock: [[spoiler:When Cliff mocks him during the final confrontation, he cocks his gun in an effort to be taken seriously. This leads Cliff to sic Brandy on him]].
* TheHeavy: [[spoiler:To Charles Manson, along with "Squeaky" Fromme. The final act begins with Tex being dispatched, along with Sadie and Patricia, to kill the occupants at the Polanski residence, on Manson's orders]].
* MoodWhiplash: After a tense scene [[spoiler:encountering the inebriated Rick in front of his house, Tex realizes he recognizes him from ''Bounty Law'', and is completely taken aback by the fact that he encountered a celebrity. Then Sadie says they should kill Rick, and he agrees to the plan]].
* NoKillLikeOverkill: [[spoiler:Mauled by a dog, gets a GroinAttack, stabbed and has his head stomped in by a man who is tripping on acid]].
* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: Like the rest of the commune members, he is only identified as "Tex" instead of his actual name, Charles Watson.
* RealityEnsues: [[spoiler:Despite his bravado and attempted usage of a knife, Tex is a drug-using hippie who quickly falls to the combined attacks of Brandy (attacking [[GroinAttack his sensitive parts]]) and Cliff, who easily disarms him and stomps his head against a door frame]].
* UnderestimatingBadassery: [[spoiler:Like Patricia and Sadie, he doesn't realize who he's dealing with, leading him to be the first attacker killed by Cliff during the assault on Rick's house]].
* TheUnfought: After being informed that Cliff is causing trouble at Spahn Ranch, Tex rides back at full gallop to try and intercept him, only to arrive too late, as Cliff has already fixed his tire and drove off. [[spoiler:Subverted in the finale, when Cliff recognizes who Tex is, mocks him, sics Brandy on him, stabs him and eventually curb-stomps his head into the frame of Rick's front door]].
* WalkingSpoiler: Like several other members of the commune, Tex's role becomes much more important later in the film, running into this trope.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Katie[=/=]Patricia Krenwinkel]]
-> '''Portrayed By:''' Madisen Beaty
A member of the commune Cliff encounters during his visit to Spahn Ranch. [[spoiler:She is one of the Manson acolytes who decides to attack the Manson residence on Cielo Drive]].
----
* AddingInsultToInjury: [[spoiler:As Cliff is smashing Patricia into the phone receiver, it makes a handful of notable dinging noises, making the shot comical in effect. Given the real-life character's involvement in the murders, this was likely intentional]].
* AssholeVictim: [[spoiler:Like the rest of the acolytes, she was planning to massacre the inhabitants of the Polanski residence before Rick's action caused a divergence from history, and likely would have done the same to Rick and his wife had Cliff not been present. As a result, her comeuppance at Cliff's hands (especially after stabbing him) comes off as justified]].
* BullyingADragon: [[spoiler:She manages to get a shot in on Cliff by bum-rushing him in the Dalton residence, stabbing him in the hip in the process. Upon gloating at him after doing this, he responds by [[NoKillLikeOverkill bashing her head into every single surface he can find, reducing her face to a pulp in the process]]]].
* DesignatedGirlFight: Is poised to have one with [[spoiler:Francesca during the climax... except the latter runs away and hides while she attempts to deal with Cliff herself]].
* NoKillLikeOverkill: [[spoiler:Cliff essentially turns her face into red paste during the final confrontation, after she had just stabbed him in the hip]].
* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: Like the other members of the commune, she is only identified as "Katie" instead of her real name, Patricia.
* TooDumbToLive: Patricia had an opportunity to escape after [[spoiler:Cliff maimed Sadie and ordered Brandy to maul Tex, not to mention Patricia herself being punched by Rick's wife. However, Patricia instead opts to bumrush Cliff, stabbing him in the hip while gloating at him. For her trouble, she gets turned into red paste after Rick smashes her into every single surface he can find]].
* WalkingSpoiler: Like several other members of the commune, Katie's role becomes much more important later in the film, running into this trope.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Francesca Capucci]]
-> '''Portrayed By:''' Lorenza Izzo
* DesignatedGirlFight: Defied -- during the final confrontation, [[spoiler:Francesca turns on Patricia and knocks her down with a solid punch, suggesting that she's not as harmless as she appears. Despite this, she flees at the first opportunity and takes refuge in her bedroom, only opening the door briefly to let Brandy in with her]].
* HeyYouHaymaker: She hits [[spoiler:Patricia in the face during the final confrontation, though she flees to safety directly afterwards]].
* TrophyWife: Implied to be the case, as the first time we see the couple onboard the plane after the TimeSkip, Rick looks slightly annoyed at her snoring, and later on, at the end of the film, [[spoiler:he leaves her in the house with Brandy while he goes over to have a drink with Sharon, Jay and the other guests]].
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Bruce Lee]]
->'''Portrayed By:''' Mike Moh
A famous martial artist and actor, Lee encounters Cliff Booth during production of ''Series/TheGreenHornet'' and gets into a confrontation with him.
----
* AluminumChristmasTrees: Lee actually was Sharon Tate's karate teacher during production of ''Film/TheWreckingCrew'' -- the flashback shown of Lee teaching her is based on real events.
* ArrogantKungFuGuy: ...depending on whether Cliff's UnreliableNarrator flashback is to be believed. Lee is portrayed as a loud-mouthed braggart who lectures the film crew about how amazingly badass he is.
* FreezeFrameBonus: Cliff's flashback is presented as taking place during production of ''Series/TheGreenHornet'' on a nearby backlot, as Lee is still wearing part of his Kato costume. When Cliff begins to mock him and the camera pulls back, Lee takes off his character's black coat.
* HistoricalVillainUpgrade: Lee is presented as an arrogant jerk who brags that he could cripple Cassius Clay (later known as Muhammad Ali) and likes to pick fights. Tarantino based the scene on a passage on Linda Lee's book stating that those who watched Lee fight would bet that he could beat Cassius Clay. While Lee shows admiration for Clay in the film, his boasts about crippling him are original to the film, likely to make him less sympathetic when Cliff beats him up.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: While Lee is shown to be a jerk in Cliff's flashback, a later flashback shows him on friendly terms with Sharon as he teaches her moves during production of ''Film/TheWreckingCrew'', and he's briefly shown having a friendly sparring match with a party guest at one point.
* MuggingTheMonster: Although a capable fighter himself, Lee becomes slightly un-nerved when he finds out who he's about to spar with.
-->''Bruce:'' Who is this guy?
-->''Crewman:'' That's the guy who killed his wife and got away with it.
-->''Bruce:'' '''That guy!?'''
* SmallNameBigEgo:
-->''Bruce:'' These hands are registered as lethal weapons. I get into a fight, accidentally kill a man... I go to jail.
-->''Cliff:'' Anyone kills anyone by accident, they go to jail. It's called '''manslaughter'''.
* TemptingFate: Lee picks a fight with Cliff when the latter chuckles at him saying he could beat Ali in a one-on-one fight. He is quickly proven to be underestimating his opponent when Cliff (a veteran with decades of stunt and combat experience) throws him into a car door, which wipes the smirk off his face and causes him to take the fight more seriously afterwards.
* UnderestimatingBadassery: Lee scoffs at Booth's mockery of him, and initially gets the upper hand by kicking him down in the first round of their fight. It's only when Cliff picks him up and ''throws him into the side of a car'' that he starts to take the fight more seriously.
* TheWorfEffect: In order to build up Cliff's character, he is seen holding his own against Lee, who comes off as arrogant and TemptingFate against a combat veteran with two decades of experience. That being said, the scene is shown from the perspective of an UnreliableNarrator (Cliff), who may have exaggerated what happened for his own benefit.
* WorfHadTheFlu: Bruce getting thrown into a car on his second assault on Cliff is justified, in that Cliff had just been taken completely aback by the first one. Who would win the third round, with both attackers prepared, is left unknown because they're interrupted.
* WorthyOpponent: Lee seems to consider Booth this, attempting to deflect Janet's accusations by saying the fight was his fault instead of Cliff's.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme]]
-> '''Portrayed By:''' Creator/DakotaFanning
The "den-mother" of the commune residents at Spahn Ranch, she takes a ''particular'' interest in Cliff when he gives Pussycat a ride to the property.
----
* CassandraTruth: When Cliff asks to see George, Squeaky gives him a series of excuses why he can't see him. Her creepy expression, monotone voice, the state of George's house, and the way the other commune members stare at them make Cliff think something's very wrong. It turns out everything she said was 100% true, as George himself confirms when Cliff wakes him up.
* CoDragons: She, along with "Tex" Watson, oversees the rest of the female members living at the commune.
* DeathGlare: She never takes her eyes off Cliff as he wanders to the back of the house.
* FootFocus: Can be seen as she sits in the recliner, along with sticking her foot out to point out the direction of George's bedroom to Cliff.
* MamaBear: Invoked, as Cliff calls her this verbatim when he walks up to the door of George's house.
* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: Like the other members of the commune, she is only known by her nickname, "Squeaky", instead of her real name, Lynette Fromme.
* ReallyGetsAround: She appears to revel in her sexuality, openly telling Cliff that George is asleep because she "fucked his brains out" earlier that morning. He later confirms that this was actually the case when he wakes George up.
* RuleOfSymbolism: When Cliff walks into the house after she's sat down, he witnesses a rat squeaking as it struggles to free itself from a glue trap. This is a reference to her AffectionateNickname, "Squeaky", which was given to her in real-life by George Spahn because of the sound she made when he touched her.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Flower Child[=/=]Linda Kasabian]]
-> '''Portrayed By:''' Creator/MayaHawke
A conflicted member of the commune. [[spoiler:She is one of the Manson acolytes who decides to attack the Manson residence on Cielo Drive]].
----
* AlternateHistory: [[spoiler:Linda decides to flee from the group after they encounter Rick outside his house, whereas in real-life, Kasabian acted as a lookout during the killings, being stationed outside the house to watch for intruders]].
* ObfuscatingStupidity: [[spoiler:As the group walks up the hill to Rick's house, she claims that she left her "knife in the car", which causes the exasperated Tex to hand her the keys so she can run and get it. She uses the opportunity to [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere steal the car and flee the area]].]]
* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: [[spoiler:After the argument in the car, Linda immediately gets cold feet and decides to get the hell out of the area, playing things off by pretending she left her knife in the taxi before commandeering it, driving off and leaving Tex, Sadie and Patricia stranded]].
* WalkingSpoiler: Given that she only appears very late in the film's third act, her role runs into this trope.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Charles Manson]]
-> '''Portrayed By:''' Damon Herriman
* SmallRoleBigImpact: Being the obvious creator of the commune, Manson plays a large role, but beyond a single scene where he visits the residence and meets Sebring and Tate, he isn't seen again for the rest of the film.
* TheUnfought: Despite the set-up of him visiting the Cielo Drive residence, he isn't seen for the rest of the film. According to WordOfGod, more scenes were filmed using the character that were omitted from the final cut.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Rick Dalton]]
->'''Portrayed By:''' Creator/LeonardoDiCaprio
* TheAlcoholic: As the film begins, Rick has had his license suspended due to driving while drunk, and he nearly blows his role in ''Lancer'' due to drinking one too many whiskey sours the night before.
* AntiHero:
** Rick is not only a self-pitying alcoholic with {{Jerkass}} tendencies, but he specializes in playing this type of character. When he finally agrees to go to Rome to star in spaghetti westerns, his characters are specifically described as anti-heroes, fitting the change in his on-screen perception from heroic lead to villainous "heavy."
** This also extends to Rick's character, Jake Cahill, on ''Bounty Law'' -- an amoral BountyHunter who makes no effort to bring his targets in alive, and in fact describes other bounty hunters who do as "amateurs." Possibly a TakeThat to ''Wanted: Dead or Alive'', whose main character Josh Randall (played by Rick's rival, Steve [=McQueen=]) preferred to bring his quarry alive.
* AlwaysSomeoneBetter: Rick claims that Creator/SteveMcQueen beat him out for the lead role in ''Film/TheGreatEscape''.
* BewareTheNiceOnes: Besides his {{Jerkass}} tendencies, Rick is otherwise cordial to most people. [[spoiler:This goes out the window when Sadie crashes into his pool during the final confrontation -- he immediately gets out of the pool, goes to his garage, gets out ''a flamethrower'' and roasts her. He is later acquitted of any charges for acting in self-defense against a home invader]].
* ChekhovsSkill: Early on in the film, Rick explains how he learned to use a flamethrower during the production of ''The Fourteen Fists of [=McCluskey=]'', and he is seen learning to fire the weapon with a weapons trainer. [[spoiler:During the final confrontation, he breaks out the flamethrower (which he still had stashed in his garage) and uses it to immolate Sadie, who has crashed into his pool]].
* DeliberateValuesDissonance: Rick drinks like a fish and smokes like a chimney, to such an extent that the latter vice is shown to be giving him a bad cough and negatively impacting his health. Despite this, he stars in an ad for Red Apple Cigarettes and otherwise endorses the lifestyle. [[spoiler:In the post-credits scene, he displays annoyance while shooting one of the commercials during his ''Bounty Law'' days, reflecting the changing attitudes towards television advertising for cigarettes, which were banned in 1970]].
* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: On the set of ''Lancer'', Rick tells Trudi the plot of a book he is reading, in which a fading bronco buster has to come to terms with not being the best anymore. He suddenly realizes how much the story mirrors his own life and starts crying. [[spoiler:This may also count as a subversion, as several of the elements of the story, including the cowboy being injured in the leg, are later shown happening to ''Cliff''. Made even more noticeable when Rick explains the plot about the cowboy as Cliff walks through the commune at the Ranch, which looks like an old-time Western town]].
* ForWantOfANail: [[spoiler:By going outside and initially driving off the Manson acolyes when they come up Cielo Drive, Rick causes an AlternateHistory where the Tate residence is never attacked, the murderers are thwarted by Cliff and Rick, and Rick himself gets the opportunity to come up to the Polanski residence for a drink, suggesting they might give him a role in their next movie]].
* GilliganCut: During Rick's breakdown in his trailer, he tells his reflection that he needs to stop drinking or he will blow his own brains out. The scene immediately cuts to him taking a swig out of his flask before realizing what he just did and hurling it out the door.
* HeadphonesEqualIsolation: Rick is floating in the pool wearing headphones blasting music, meaning he completely misses [[spoiler:the home invasion until Sadie crashes through the window and lands in the pool next to him]].
* HeterosexualLifePartners: With Cliff.
* HiddenDepths: Though Rick's issues and destructive lifestyle are highlighted, he is shown to be an actor who takes his job seriously. When he uses a flamethrower for a role in a movie he did take the time to learn how to operate it safely, and when he lands the role in ''Lancer'', he's seen rehearsing lines for it in his downtime. Part of why he's so upset with himself over flubbing them was that he really was trying even as his addictions were throwing him off. (Most notably, he's embarrassed because, despite him putting in the time and practicing, his flubbing would make it look to his co-stars like he hadn't practiced.)
* HilariousOuttakes: During the credits, Rick is seen filming an ad for Red Apple cigarettes during his ''Bounty Law'' days, during which he praises the company and the flavor of the cigarettes. As soon as the camera stops rolling. he starts bitterly complaining about how horrible the cigarettes taste and how the cardboard cutout of him has a double chin.
* IAmNotSpock: In-Universe. Rick has trouble escaping his persona as "Jack Cahill" from ''Bounty Law''. His subsequent work as a special guest villain on other shows doesn't help; as Schwarz points out, the story might concern a young hero beating up an experienced villain, but what the audience sees is new cowboys (and other TV heroes) kicking Jack Cahill's ass. The new TV pilot in which we see Rick actually act still casts him as a heavy, but subtly averts this; the costuming and design gives Rick a different look than he usually has, and the director specifically tells him that this role needs "Rick Dalton the actor, not Jack Cahill."
* ImagineSpot: Rick imagines himself in the lead role of ''Film/TheGreatEscape'' when asked about how he nearly got cast.
* ItsPronouncedTroPay: Rick's character on ''Lancer'' is named Decoteau, which he thinks is pronounced Dakota, but everyone else pronounces as Daycahtoo (the French pronunciation would be closer to Decohtow).
* ItWillNeverCatchOn: Rick is dismissive of Martin's offer to star in a SpaghettiWestern, because he thinks it'll do his fading career more harm than good. This is TruthInTelevision for the era, when most of Hollywood dismissed the genre as a cheap foreign knockoffs of "true" American westerns.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Rick is a temperamental, alcoholic {{Manchild}}, but he genuinely cares about Cliff and stand by him when no one else will. Despite it seeming like he takes advantage of him at first, Rick stands up for Cliff despite the cloud of alleged murder hanging over his head, keeps him paid and on call as his driver/handyman, and goes out of his way to find work for him even as his own career falters. Then, on the set of ''Lancer'', Rick quickly bonds with his younger co-star Trudi — tellingly, his first reaction after throwing her to the ground in a scene (a late addition to the script which was Rick's idea) is immediately checking to see if she's okay (which she is, as wardrobe added padding under her dress).
* KillingInSelfDefense: [[spoiler:The ending has Rick get off scot-free for his actions in the finale by the police, after incinerating Sadie with the flamethrower that was stashed in his garage. This is because of a Californian law that permits residents to use extreme methods to defend their property in the event that it is attacked]].
* LargeHam: In-universe, his performance in ''The Fourteen Fists of [=McCluskey=]'' is prone to this, with him yelling gleefully as he incinerates Nazis.
* {{MST}}: In-Universe. Rick and Cliff sit down and watch an episode of the TV series ''F.B.I.'', drinking beer and mocking the episode (which has Rick starring as that week's SpecialGuest villain).
* MuggingTheMonster: [[spoiler:The incapacitated, mauled and nearly-drowned Sadie runs into Rick, who is lounging in his pool -- and also has convenient access to a working flamethrower, which he uses to incinerate her as she thrashes around in the pool]].
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Rick ''absolutely loses it'' on the set of ''Lancer'' after he flubs his lines and returns to his trailer, blaming himself for drinking "ten whiskey sours" the night before and smashing furniture. However, he eventually regains his composure and elects to do better, rehearsing his lines until he's called back for shooting.
* MyGreatestFailure: Prior to the start of the film, Rick abandoned his lucrative television career in hopes of becoming an ActionStar in movies. After his movie career quickly flamed out, Rick found the television acting scene had also left him behind. At best, he can only get cast as villains in other people's shows.
* PoliticallyIncorrectHero: Rick really doesn't like hippies and has a dim view of the Italian movie-making scene even after he does a quartet of films in Rome. He also adlibs a line including a racial slur, but as he was in character as a villain, it doesn't reflect his actual feelings.
* ProneToTears: Rick cries three times during the movie; first when he's worrying about his career, later when he's identifying with the protagonist of a Western novel (a bronco buster who can no longer do his job due to a debilitating injury), and finally during his TearsOfJoy scene after the filming of ''Lancer'' is completed.
* RantInducingSlight: The sight of an old taxicab idling outside his house gets Rick so angered that he stomps outside in his nightrobe and proceeds to yell at them, ordering him to leave the area before he calls the cops. [[spoiler:[[ForWantOfANail This causes]] an AlternateHistory, when the occupants of the vehicle (the Manson acolytes - Tex, Patricia and Sadie - opt to attack ''his'' home instead of the Polanski residence]].
* RunningGag: People constantly identify Rick from his work on ''Bounty Law''. [[spoiler:This later becomes a ChekhovsGun when the Manson acolytes realize who he is and opt to attack his house instead, under the belief that they need to kill the actor who inspired them to kill]].
* SpannerInTheWorks: He becomes this during the final act, [[spoiler:unintentionally thwarting the Manson acolytes as they stake out Cielo Drive. By doing so, he creates an AlternateTimeline where the attackers elect to attack ''his'' home instead, are thwarted by both Cliff and himself, and ultimately leads to Sharon, Jay and the other guests at the Polanski residence being spared, with them eventually showing up to have a drink with Rick at the end of the film]].
* ThisIsGoingToBeHuge: A RunningGag throughout the film has Rick being enthusiastic about having Roman Polanski as a neighbor, predicting that he could be one social call away from making an impression on the director and landing a juicy role. Everyone at all familiar with the Manson Family will know that the Polanski home will soon be hit by tragedy that will destroy that opportunity. [[spoiler:But it's subverted in the end, when Tate and company survive the night, and Rick gets invited over to the house, suggesting that he might just land a gig on a Polanski movie in the future]].
* ThrowItIn: In-Universe. Rick ad-libs several lines during the climactic confrontation of the pilot episode of ''Lancer'', even throwing Trudi to the ground at one point. Both Trudi (who had been outfitted with protective gear for the shoot) and the director are so impressed with Rick's actions that they compliment him after filming is completed.
* WhatCouldHaveBeen: In-Universe. Rick tells James Stacy that he was in the running for a short while as the lead star of ''Film/TheGreatEscape'' before Steve [=McQueen=] took the role. Rick plays this off as unimportant, but his recollection of the time seems to suggest he briefly had the lead role and even shot footage for it, with Dalton in-character during an early scene.
* WhiteDwarfStarlet: Rick himself seems to think of himself as this, living in an expensive home surrounded by mementos from his past and largely being remembered from a decade-old series. This opinion is even reinforced by Marvin Schwarz, who claims that Dalton has been typecast as an older villain who gets beaten by younger, more bankable male action heroes. At the end of the film, however, it's implied that [[spoiler:Dalton will get an in-universe CareerResurrection, as Jay Sebring and Sharon invite him up to their house for a drink, suggesting he may land a role in their next film]].
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Cliff Booth]]
->'''Portrayed By:''' Creator/BradPitt
A StuntDouble who works for Rick Dalton on the set of various productions, and has remained close friends with him over the years.
----
* AmbiguousSituation: The death of Cliff's wife. Cliff was charged but acquitted for the incident. Many people assume that he really did it, presuming his guilt, and explaining their disbelief of such on-screen. Most notably, we see a flashback of Cliff being berated by his wife on a boat, with a speargun in his lap pointed at her, but the scene cuts away before anything happens. It's ultimately left ambiguous what happened.
* AntiHero: Cliff is usually a Nice Guy, but the fights with Bruce Lee fight shows he has no patience for bullshit whilst remaining relatively calm but dangerous, which makes it plausible that he might have killed his wife.
* BaitAndSwitch: At the end of the film, after [[spoiler:Sadie grabs the revolver and starts firing wildly around the room, Cliff faceplants, suggesting that he's been shot and is possibly dead. Afterwards, he's fully conscious and in no immediate medical emergency, suggesting that he simply collapsed as a belated reaction to the previous, non-critical stab wound]].
* BewareTheNiceOnes:
** Cliff responds pleasantly (if slightly forceful) when he discovers that the commune has slashed one of his tires during the trip to Spahn Ranch, and orders Clem to fix it. When the latter refuses and laughs at him, Cliff brutally hits him several times, warns all of the female members to stay back, and orders him to fix the tire, under threat of additional violence.
** The same thing happens in the finale, when [[spoiler:the acid-tripping Cliff encounters the three acolytes and starts laughing in his fever high. Upon realizing that they're not being taken seriously, Sadie orders Tex to shoot, leading Cliff to order Brandy to attack Tex. What results is a NoKillLikeOverkill sequence where Cliff and Brandy (and eventually Rick) absolutely ''destroy'' the attacking party]].
* BoringYetPractical:
** Cliff's fighting style isn't flashy, but it's very efficient and more than good enough to keep pace with Bruce Lee. Considering a throwaway line from Rick identifying him as a war hero, he likely learned to fight in the military.
** In the climax, [[spoiler:Cliff never throws a true punch despite his strength and size advantage, instead improvising ways to inflict lethal head trauma. A full can of dog food, a stomp to the face on a door threshold and smashing a much smaller person's head into several rigid objects, respectively]].
* BullyingADragon: Clem apparently assumed Cliff wouldn't retaliate after slashing his tire at the commune. He did not expect Cliff to ''flatten'' him with a single punch, nor did he expect him to beat him badly and humiliate him in front of the rest of the women.
* CombatPragmatist: Cliff does this on several occasions.
* ConvictedByPublicOpinion: Cliff is suspected to have killed his wife, but was never convicted. Despite this, everyone in the film business thinks he's guilty, and many refuse to work with him.
* CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: Cliff is very unassuming and easygoing, but he regularly shows to be a lot more aware of what is going on and calculated than you would expect. He seems to let Bruce Lee get the first hit before slamming him into a car. Even his dog, Brandy, seems just a lovable lapdog. [[spoiler:In the climax, while high on acid, he absentmindedly mocks the three attackers before handily taking them out, only being knocked unconscious as a delayed reaction to a knife wound to the hip]].
* CurbStompBattle:
** After Steve Grogan stabs a tire on Cliff's car and refuses to replace it with the spare, Cliff proceeds to pound the tar out of him until he acquiesces.
** [[spoiler:During the final fight, Cliff effortlessly dismantles the three Manson Family members. He only takes one hit due to being distracted, and still manages to take down his opponent despite being drunk and high]].
* CuttingTheKnot: He effectively uses simple deflection techniques against Bruce Lee's fancy kicks during their fight in the production lot.
* DrinkOrder: Cliff is shown drinking Bloody Marys in multiple scenes. His wife was enjoying one when she died, suggesting that he hasn't gotten over her death.
* DrivesLikeCrazy: To a certain extent, and given his career as a stuntman, Cliff is shown pulling off fancy (and dangerous) maneuvers behind the wheel at several points during the film.
* EndOfAnAge: The events of the film suggest that Cliff and Rick's working partnership is coming to an end, as the latter admits that he will have to let the former go (because he can't pay him anymore) after the TimeSkip. They decide to have one last hurrah as best friends, go out drinking at their favorite restaurant and hang out the rest of the night before parting ways. [[spoiler:The ending of the film doesn't resolve it one way or the other, with Cliff either forgetting or deliberately withholdng the directions to the hospital after he is injured, and Rick promising to visit the next day before Sharon and Jay invite him up for a drink]].
* ExtremeMeleeRevenge: During the climax, [[spoiler:against Patricia, after she stabs him in the hip with a knife. He proceeds to smash her face against available blunt surface in the house, reducing her to nothing but... red]].
* HenpeckedHusband: Seen in a flashback where Cliff is ridiculed mercilessly by his (drunk) wife while they're sitting on a boat at sea, and he silently goes about his business. The end of the scene leaves it ambiguous on whether he reached his limit and murdered her.
* HeroesLoveDogs: When Cliff goes back to his tiny trailer, the first thing that happens is him being lovingly attacked by his pitbull Brandy.
* HypercompetentSidekick: A key character in the movie, as he helps facilitate Rick's heroic deeds by playing the physical parts in the many shows he's appeared in. This even extends to the climax of the film, when [[spoiler:the acid-tripping Cliff still retains enough lucidity and capability to effortlessly dismantle the attackers, with the only surviving one left being left in such an injured state she might very well have died from her injuries ''before'' Cliff immolated her with a flamethrower]].
* ImmuneToDrugs: Subverted in the finale -- [[spoiler:Cliff is feeling the effects of LSD (not to mention the alcohol he drank earlier), but it doesn't dull his combat senses enough to stop him from routing the Manson Family, effortlessly dismantling and killing two of the attackers in the process]].
* LetsGetDangerous: Cliff's combat abilities are shown in passing several times, and he initially seems to laugh off [[spoiler:the three attackers who show up to assault the house in the finale. It's only when Tex performs the DramaticGunCock that Cliff decides all bets are off, and proceeds to utterly ruin their day with a series of brutal takedowns, using whatever he can find in the environment, his feet, his dog and a can of dog food]].
* MajorInjuryUnderreaction: [[spoiler:Cliff is stabbed in the hip, and has no immediate reaction besides tapping the handle of the blade in confusion. He doesn't collapse from the injury until after he's made his attacker pay for it. Justified as he was drunk and high at the time, and likely was running on adrenaline]].
* MundaneUtility: Cliff's skills as a stuntman come in handy when Rick asks him to repair the TV antenna on his roof. He effortlessly leaps and jumps up to the roof with the ease of someone half his age, even balancing on the fence at one point.
* MysteriousPast: Cliff's origins and the root of his quietly violent and dysfunctional nature are rather obscure.
* NoodleIncident: The death of Cliff's wife is never explicitly shown, and it is a question left unresolved. The flashback seems to suggest that Cliff may have killed her with a harpoon gun... except the gun ''isn't'' loaded in wide shots of Cliff holding the weapon. The last thing the audience sees before the flashback ends is a close shot on Cliff's face as a wave hits in the background, suggesting that she may have fallen overboard and drowned, but no confirmation is given either way.
* RichesToRags: Downplayed, with a flashback suggesting that Cliff owned a boat around the time of his wife's death. As the events of the film begins, his earning power has been diminished (with Rick being the only actor in Hollywood who appears to be giving him work), and he is living out of a small trailer behind a drive-in with his dog.
* SociopathicHero: Cliff certainly qualifies. He was accused, though acquitted, of killing his wife, and isn't visibly bothered that half of Hollywood regards him with fear or derision. Taken to extremes at the climax, when [[spoiler:he absolutely destroys the three Manson family members in Rick's home and spends a minute smashing in Patricia Krenwinkel's face, although admittedly he was high on acid which probably made him respond more violently than normal]].
* TranquilFury: During the climax, [[spoiler:when Patricia smiles at him after stabbing him in the hip, he responds by smashing her head into every single surface he can find, reducing her face to red paste before looking at the remnants impassively and shoving her away]].
* UnderestimatingBadassery:
** At the Spahn Ranch, Clem bullies Cliff by flattening his tire, apparently believing that the vastly-outnumbered Cliff will have no recourse but to limp away home. It turns out Cliff has other ideas.
** [[spoiler:The Manson family have no idea who Cliff is, but clearly see him as a simple victim to toy with. ''Big mistake'']].
* UnreliableNarrator: The flashback to the incident where Cliff fought Bruce Lee and got fired from the set of ''Series/TheGreenHornet'' is the only one in the film framed as a character's recollection In-Universe. It also happens to include several clues to the fact that Cliff's memories of the event are skewed, most prominent among them the fact that if Cliff had really slammed Bruce against Janet's car hard enough to do the kind of damage to the car seen onscreen, it would've broken Lee's back. When we see Lee training or rehearsing scenes with other actors later, he comes off as far friendlier than Cliff's recollection paints him.
* WorfHadTheFlu: By the time the final confrontation starts, Cliff is high off an acid-dipped cigarette he decided to enjoy. [[spoiler:Ultimately subverted, as this doesn't stop him from effortless mopping the floor with the three attackers, only suffering a hip wound he seems to shrug off afterwards]].
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Sharon Tate]]
-> '''Portrayed By:''' Creator/MargotRobbie
* ActorAllusion: Sharon is introduced on a Pan-Am plane. ''Series/PanAm'' was Robbie's breakout role outside her native Australia.
* AlternateHistory: [[spoiler:As a result of Rick encountering the Manson acolytes beforehand, the Polanski residence isn't attacked, and Sharon and her unborn baby (along with all the other party guests) survive. The final shot of the film has her and Jay Sebring inviting Rick up to the house for a drink]].
* BaitAndSwitch:
** On the night of August 9, 1969, Sharon, Jay and the other guests at the Polanski residence are seen going out for dinner, with Sharon herself noted as having discomfort due to her pregnancy and the higher-than-normal heat in the region, thus setting up the tragic events that would follow. She later goes back to the house, several of the guests get high and she changes into another outfit before talking with Jay. [[spoiler:Then they completely disappear until the very last scene, not being present at all due to Rick [[AlternateHistory changing the course of history]] by encountering the Manson acolytes, causing them to attack ''his'' house instead. Sharon and Jay only reappear during the final scene, where they greet Rick and invite him up to the house for a drink]].
** To a lesser extent, Sharon is briefly shown training with Bruce Lee, who choreographed ''Film/TheWreckingCrew''. For those expecting an AlternateHistory plot twist, this may lead them to believe that Sharon will fight off the cultists on her own. [[spoiler:In reality, she never even meets them, with Cliff and Rick handling them instead]].
* DecoyProtagonist: [[spoiler:The film suggests that history is going to play out as normal, and that Sharon will be attacked and killed by the Manson acolytes at the end of the film. However, after she is shown at the party with Sebring and the other guests, and then changing into a different outfit due to her pregnancy, she isn't seen again until the very end, being completely absent due to the acolytes choosing to attack Rick's house instead]].
* DoesNotLikeShoes: Sharon puts her feet up in the movie theater while watching ''Film/TheWreckingCrew'', revealing that she's apparently been walking around for a long time without shoes, as her feet are dirty and calloused.
* ForegoneConclusion: Given Tate's notorious murder in real life, and the presence of the Manson family, it looks like the movie's ending is going to show similar events. [[spoiler:Until it's absolutely averted in the climax, when the film diverges from history and Rick and Cliff end up killing the three Manson clan members who would have killed Tate and her friends]].
* HairOfGoldHeartOfGold: Sharon has blond hair and is arguably the nicest person in the film, giving a ride to a complete stranger, chatting up the employees at a local theater and [[spoiler:even inviting her next-door neighbor up for a drink after he had to immolate an intruder]].
* HappilyMarried: As in real life, Roman Polanski and Sharon are happily married and have a kid on the way. Polanski is so comfortable with their relationship that he has no problems with Tate maintaining a platonic friendship with Jay Sebring, whom she left to be with Polanski.
* HasAType: According to Creator/SteveMcQueen, she's into talented men "who look like twelve-year-old boys".
* NotHisSled: [[The film seems to build up to the infamous Tate murders, only for AlternateHistory to take effect. The would-be murderers instead start at Rick's house and meet their demise at the hands of him, Cliff, and Brandy. Thus, Sharon and her friends all live and invite Rick into the house for a drink after the ordeal is over]].
* RedHerring: The film seems to suggest that Sharon is going to have a larger role in the climax, as she is shown going to a theater and watching footage of herself fighting an opponent in ''Film/TheWreckingCrew''. This, combined with the flashback of her training with Creator/BruceLee, seems to suggest that history might play out a different way and that she might thwart the attackers who assault the Polanski residence. [[spoiler:The script then flips this on its head when the ending shows the Manson murderers initially thwarted by Rick when they drive up Cielo Drive, and once they retreat, they elect to attack his home instead under the belief that they need to attack the actor who "inspired us to kill". As a result, Tate (and, by extension, the rest of the people in the Polanski home) are spared and aren't seen again until the murderers have been taken care of by Cliff and Rick]].
* SacrificialLamb: Many of the scenes involving her are devoted to showing how innocent she is, thus setting up the tragic events of the real-life incident that inspired the film. [[spoiler: Except, in this timeline, she doesn't die, and remains alive to greet Rick and have a drink with him, Sebring and the other party guests at the very end of the film]].
* TriangRelations: Sharon and Roman are in love, but they're still best friends with Sharon's ex-boyfriend Jay Sebring, who in turn is still carrying a torch for Sharon. Steve [=McQueen=] voices his suspicion that Jay's staying around Sharon in order to pick up the pieces when Roman inevitably breaks her heart.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Pussycat]]
->'''Portrayed By:''' Margaret Qualley
One of the members of the commune living at Spahn Ranch, who takes a liking to Cliff after they see each other several times around the city.
----
* ArentYouGoingToRavishMe: Pussycat bluntly offers Cliff a blowjob when he gives her a ride out of Los Angeles. He politely turns her down, because she can't prove she's of legal age and he doesn't want any more trouble with the law. She actually finds his refusal charming, and settles for resting her head in his lap as he drives, and thus culminates in him visiting the Manson compound early.
* BaitAndSwitch: The plot sets up a budding romance between her and Cliff, with them encountering each other several times as he drives around the city. When she eventually convinces him to give her a lift back to the Ranch, he obliges and eventually discovers the commune living on-site. Despite their attempts to dissuade him, Cliff investigates the house and talks with George before leaving, causing Pussycat to yell at him that he's "the blind one". After this, she isn't seen again.
* CreepyChild: Like the rest of the female commune members, she is prone to vacant stares, a HairTriggerTemper, odd habits (rummaging through garbage bins for food) and unnerving singing.
* FootFocus: She can be seen placing her feet above against the windshield as Cliff gives her a life back to the Ranch.
* HairTriggerTemper: One of her establishing moments involves her looking on innocently at other bystanders before snapping at a pair of police officers who drive past, angrily berating them before greeting Cliff. This is {{Foreshadowing}} of her eventual behavior at the Spahn Ranch.
* JailBait: Invoked -- Pussycat offers to give Cliff fellatio, leading him to ask her age and if she has any identification. She claims that she's 18 but doesn't have ID with her, leading Cliff to presume that she's underage and stating that he's not willing to risk jail for "road head".
* ShesGotLegs: Her standard outfit is a short halter top and jean-shorts, which the camera emphasizes at several points.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: After blasting Cliff for investigating the Ranch and talking to George, she isn't seen again for the rest of the film.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Susan Atkins[=/=]Sadie]]
-> '''Portrayed By:''' Mikey Madison
A member of the commune Cliff encounters during his visit to Spahn Ranch. [[spoiler:She is one of the Manson acolytes who decides to attack the Manson residence on Cielo Drive]].
----
* AssholeVictim: [[spoiler:She is ''the'' reason why the acolytes elect to attack Rick's house first, claiming that they should make an example of Rick by [[{{Hypocrite}} killing the actor who inspired them to kill in the first place]]. She starts things off by ordering Tex to shoot Cliff, which gives Cliff plenty of reason to kick off the chain of events that eventually leads to her death at the hands of Rick and his flamethrower]].
* CreepyChild: Like the rest of the female commune members, she is prone to vacant stares and a HairTriggerTemper, despite her apparent innocence.
* CruelAndUnusualDeath: [[spoiler:Of the three acolytes, Sadie easily gets it the most, receiving a serious facial injury as a result of being hit in the face with a can of dog food, being mauled by a dog, running through a glass window and eventually being lit on fire]].
* DestinationDefenestration: [[spoiler:In a panic, she runs through a glass sliding door in an attempt to flee from Cliff, receiving serious lacerations in the process]].
* InsaneTrollLogic: Her justification for [[spoiler:changing the Family's plan and killing Rick is that since he starred in a show which glorified violence, so he deserves to be violently murdered as a message to Hollywood. Even better, she says she came to this conclusion after multiple LSD trips]].
--> ''Sadie:'' [[spoiler:If you grew up watching television, you grew up watching murder... We should be killing the people that taught us to kill!]]
* LaserGuidedKarma: [[spoiler:Sadie is historically suspected to have personally murdered Sharon Tate. In the film, she proposes attacking the Dalton residence instead, and is "treated" to the slowest and most painful death of the three attackers, receiving serious head trauma, a mauling, lacerations and incineration, respectively]].
* MoodWhiplash: Sadie, along with Patricia and Tex, beat a hasty retreat after [[spoiler:Rick admonishes them outside his home, and get into a humorous argument about recognizing him from ''Bounty Law''. Then, Sadie counters that they should kill Rick because he was one of the actors who inspired them to kill, and they immediately set out to do the deed]].
* MoralMyopia: Sadie is one of the most prominent members who boo and mock Cliff as he leaves, because he had suspected them of doing something nefarious to the person whose land they're squatting on and wanted to confirm his suspicions without taking their word for it, complete with slashing one of his tires out of spite. When Cliff reacts by punching the guy who did it after he refuses to fix the tire (followed by making him fix it), the hippies (including Sadie, who is at the front of the pack) act as though he is attacking him unprovoked.
* NoKillLikeOverkill: [[spoiler:Possibly ''the'' most prominent example in any of Tarantino's films, with her being mauled, hit in the face with heavy can (causing potentially-lethal head trauma), lacerated and immolated]].
* OhCrap: Sadie realizes exactly what's going to happen when she sees [[spoiler:Rick stalk out of his garage with a fully-operational flamethrower, having just enough time to widen her eyes in fear before he lights her on fire]].
* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: Despite her real name being Susan, everyone refers to her as "Sadie"...
* RasputinianDeath: [[spoiler:Cliff starts off by beaning her in the face with a full can of dog food, before ordering Brandy (who has just finished attacking Tex) to maul her instead. In a panic, she jumps up and tries to escape, running through a glass door and lacerating herself in the process. When she falls into Rick's pool, he sees this, jumps out, grabs the flamethrower from his garage and ''incinerates'' her, with the camera lingering on her as she burns before sinking into the water. Even more notably, the camera cuts back to her charred form floating in the pool as Rick explains what happened. NoKillLikeOverkill, indeed]].
* SmallRoleBigImpact: She is initially seen as one of the multitude of female commune members who encounters Cliff at Spahn Ranch, eying him suspiciously as he investigates the property and jeering at him when he leaves. [[spoiler:She later turns out to be the instigator of the final confrontation, as she convinces Tex, Patricia and Flower Child to attack Rick's house, and subsequently gets the biggest comeuppance of the three remaining attackers]].
* UnderestimatingBadassery: [[spoiler:Like the rest of the attackers, she apparently didn't realize Cliff (an ex-army member and stuntman) was in the house, along with his trained attack dog, were in Rick's house, nor did she realize that Rick had easy access to a flamethrower in his garage]].
* WalkingSpoiler: Given her late-stage prominence in the film, her role runs straight into this trope.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Tex[=/=]Charles Watson]]
-> '''Portrayed By:''' Austin Butler
A member of the commune Cliff encounters during his visit to Spahn Ranch, who organizes riding tours of the property for interested tourists. [[spoiler:He is one of the Manson acolytes who decides to attack the Manson residence on Cielo Drive]].
----
* AssholeVictim: [[spoiler:He goes along with the plan to kill Rick, and is subsequently goaded by Sadie to shoot Cliff after the latter recognizes who he is. For his trouble, he gets mauled by Brandy (including a GroinAttack), stabbed and has his head stomped in by Cliff, leading him to be the first attacker to die in the finale]].
* CoDragons: He, along with "Squeaky" Fromme, manages the affairs of the commune at Spahn Ranch, as they were in real life.
* DramaticGunCock: [[spoiler:When Cliff mocks him during the final confrontation, he cocks his gun in an effort to be taken seriously. This leads Cliff to sic Brandy on him]].
* TheHeavy: [[spoiler:To Charles Manson, along with "Squeaky" Fromme. The final act begins with Tex being dispatched, along with Sadie and Patricia, to kill the occupants at the Polanski residence, on Manson's orders]].
* MoodWhiplash: After a tense scene [[spoiler:encountering the inebriated Rick in front of his house, Tex realizes he recognizes him from ''Bounty Law'', and is completely taken aback by the fact that he encountered a celebrity. Then Sadie says they should kill Rick, and he agrees to the plan]].
* NoKillLikeOverkill: [[spoiler:Mauled by a dog, gets a GroinAttack, stabbed and has his head stomped in by a man who is tripping on acid]].
* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: Like the rest of the commune members, he is only identified as "Tex" instead of his actual name, Charles Watson.
* RealityEnsues: [[spoiler:Despite his bravado and attempted usage of a knife, Tex is a drug-using hippie who quickly falls to the combined attacks of Brandy (attacking [[GroinAttack his sensitive parts]]) and Cliff, who easily disarms him and stomps his head against a door frame]].
* UnderestimatingBadassery: [[spoiler:Like Patricia and Sadie, he doesn't realize who he's dealing with, leading him to be the first attacker killed by Cliff during the assault on Rick's house]].
* TheUnfought: After being informed that Cliff is causing trouble at Spahn Ranch, Tex rides back at full gallop to try and intercept him, only to arrive too late, as Cliff has already fixed his tire and drove off. [[spoiler:Subverted in the finale, when Cliff recognizes who Tex is, mocks him, sics Brandy on him, stabs him and eventually curb-stomps his head into the frame of Rick's front door]].
* WalkingSpoiler: Like several other members of the commune, Tex's role becomes much more important later in the film, running into this trope.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Katie[=/=]Patricia Krenwinkel]]
-> '''Portrayed By:''' Madisen Beaty
A member of the commune Cliff encounters during his visit to Spahn Ranch. [[spoiler:She is one of the Manson acolytes who decides to attack the Manson residence on Cielo Drive]].
----
* AddingInsultToInjury: [[spoiler:As Cliff is smashing Patricia into the phone receiver, it makes a handful of notable dinging noises, making the shot comical in effect. Given the real-life character's involvement in the murders, this was likely intentional]].
* AssholeVictim: [[spoiler:Like the rest of the acolytes, she was planning to massacre the inhabitants of the Polanski residence before Rick's action caused a divergence from history, and likely would have done the same to Rick and his wife had Cliff not been present. As a result, her comeuppance at Cliff's hands (especially after stabbing him) comes off as justified]].
* BullyingADragon: [[spoiler:She manages to get a shot in on Cliff by bum-rushing him in the Dalton residence, stabbing him in the hip in the process. Upon gloating at him after doing this, he responds by [[NoKillLikeOverkill bashing her head into every single surface he can find, reducing her face to a pulp in the process]]]].
* DesignatedGirlFight: Is poised to have one with [[spoiler:Francesca during the climax... except the latter runs away and hides while she attempts to deal with Cliff herself]].
* NoKillLikeOverkill: [[spoiler:Cliff essentially turns her face into red paste during the final confrontation, after she had just stabbed him in the hip]].
* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: Like the other members of the commune, she is only identified as "Katie" instead of her real name, Patricia.
* TooDumbToLive: Patricia had an opportunity to escape after [[spoiler:Cliff maimed Sadie and ordered Brandy to maul Tex, not to mention Patricia herself being punched by Rick's wife. However, Patricia instead opts to bumrush Cliff, stabbing him in the hip while gloating at him. For her trouble, she gets turned into red paste after Rick smashes her into every single surface he can find]].
* WalkingSpoiler: Like several other members of the commune, Katie's role becomes much more important later in the film, running into this trope.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Francesca Capucci]]
-> '''Portrayed By:''' Lorenza Izzo
* DesignatedGirlFight: Defied -- during the final confrontation, [[spoiler:Francesca turns on Patricia and knocks her down with a solid punch, suggesting that she's not as harmless as she appears. Despite this, she flees at the first opportunity and takes refuge in her bedroom, only opening the door briefly to let Brandy in with her]].
* HeyYouHaymaker: She hits [[spoiler:Patricia in the face during the final confrontation, though she flees to safety directly afterwards]].
* TrophyWife: Implied to be the case, as the first time we see the couple onboard the plane after the TimeSkip, Rick looks slightly annoyed at her snoring, and later on, at the end of the film, [[spoiler:he leaves her in the house with Brandy while he goes over to have a drink with Sharon, Jay and the other guests]].
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Bruce Lee]]
->'''Portrayed By:''' Mike Moh
A famous martial artist and actor, Lee encounters Cliff Booth during production of ''Series/TheGreenHornet'' and gets into a confrontation with him.
----
* AluminumChristmasTrees: Lee actually was Sharon Tate's karate teacher during production of ''Film/TheWreckingCrew'' -- the flashback shown of Lee teaching her is based on real events.
* ArrogantKungFuGuy: ...depending on whether Cliff's UnreliableNarrator flashback is to be believed. Lee is portrayed as a loud-mouthed braggart who lectures the film crew about how amazingly badass he is.
* FreezeFrameBonus: Cliff's flashback is presented as taking place during production of ''Series/TheGreenHornet'' on a nearby backlot, as Lee is still wearing part of his Kato costume. When Cliff begins to mock him and the camera pulls back, Lee takes off his character's black coat.
* HistoricalVillainUpgrade: Lee is presented as an arrogant jerk who brags that he could cripple Cassius Clay (later known as Muhammad Ali) and likes to pick fights. Tarantino based the scene on a passage on Linda Lee's book stating that those who watched Lee fight would bet that he could beat Cassius Clay. While Lee shows admiration for Clay in the film, his boasts about crippling him are original to the film, likely to make him less sympathetic when Cliff beats him up.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: While Lee is shown to be a jerk in Cliff's flashback, a later flashback shows him on friendly terms with Sharon as he teaches her moves during production of ''Film/TheWreckingCrew'', and he's briefly shown having a friendly sparring match with a party guest at one point.
* MuggingTheMonster: Although a capable fighter himself, Lee becomes slightly un-nerved when he finds out who he's about to spar with.
-->''Bruce:'' Who is this guy?
-->''Crewman:'' That's the guy who killed his wife and got away with it.
-->''Bruce:'' '''That guy!?'''
* SmallNameBigEgo:
-->''Bruce:'' These hands are registered as lethal weapons. I get into a fight, accidentally kill a man... I go to jail.
-->''Cliff:'' Anyone kills anyone by accident, they go to jail. It's called '''manslaughter'''.
* TemptingFate: Lee picks a fight with Cliff when the latter chuckles at him saying he could beat Ali in a one-on-one fight. He is quickly proven to be underestimating his opponent when Cliff (a veteran with decades of stunt and combat experience) throws him into a car door, which wipes the smirk off his face and causes him to take the fight more seriously afterwards.
* UnderestimatingBadassery: Lee scoffs at Booth's mockery of him, and initially gets the upper hand by kicking him down in the first round of their fight. It's only when Cliff picks him up and ''throws him into the side of a car'' that he starts to take the fight more seriously.
* TheWorfEffect: In order to build up Cliff's character, he is seen holding his own against Lee, who comes off as arrogant and TemptingFate against a combat veteran with two decades of experience. That being said, the scene is shown from the perspective of an UnreliableNarrator (Cliff), who may have exaggerated what happened for his own benefit.
* WorfHadTheFlu: Bruce getting thrown into a car on his second assault on Cliff is justified, in that Cliff had just been taken completely aback by the first one. Who would win the third round, with both attackers prepared, is left unknown because they're interrupted.
* WorthyOpponent: Lee seems to consider Booth this, attempting to deflect Janet's accusations by saying the fight was his fault instead of Cliff's.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme]]
-> '''Portrayed By:''' Creator/DakotaFanning
The "den-mother" of the commune residents at Spahn Ranch, she takes a ''particular'' interest in Cliff when he gives Pussycat a ride to the property.
----
* CassandraTruth: When Cliff asks to see George, Squeaky gives him a series of excuses why he can't see him. Her creepy expression, monotone voice, the state of George's house, and the way the other commune members stare at them make Cliff think something's very wrong. It turns out everything she said was 100% true, as George himself confirms when Cliff wakes him up.
* CoDragons: She, along with "Tex" Watson, oversees the rest of the female members living at the commune.
* DeathGlare: She never takes her eyes off Cliff as he wanders to the back of the house.
* FootFocus: Can be seen as she sits in the recliner, along with sticking her foot out to point out the direction of George's bedroom to Cliff.
* MamaBear: Invoked, as Cliff calls her this verbatim when he walks up to the door of George's house.
* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: Like the other members of the commune, she is only known by her nickname, "Squeaky", instead of her real name, Lynette Fromme.
* ReallyGetsAround: She appears to revel in her sexuality, openly telling Cliff that George is asleep because she "fucked his brains out" earlier that morning. He later confirms that this was actually the case when he wakes George up.
* RuleOfSymbolism: When Cliff walks into the house after she's sat down, he witnesses a rat squeaking as it struggles to free itself from a glue trap. This is a reference to her AffectionateNickname, "Squeaky", which was given to her in real-life by George Spahn because of the sound she made when he touched her.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Flower Child[=/=]Linda Kasabian]]
-> '''Portrayed By:''' Creator/MayaHawke
A conflicted member of the commune. [[spoiler:She is one of the Manson acolytes who decides to attack the Manson residence on Cielo Drive]].
----
* AlternateHistory: [[spoiler:Linda decides to flee from the group after they encounter Rick outside his house, whereas in real-life, Kasabian acted as a lookout during the killings, being stationed outside the house to watch for intruders]].
* ObfuscatingStupidity: [[spoiler:As the group walks up the hill to Rick's house, she claims that she left her "knife in the car", which causes the exasperated Tex to hand her the keys so she can run and get it. She uses the opportunity to [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere steal the car and flee the area]].]]
* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: [[spoiler:After the argument in the car, Linda immediately gets cold feet and decides to get the hell out of the area, playing things off by pretending she left her knife in the taxi before commandeering it, driving off and leaving Tex, Sadie and Patricia stranded]].
* WalkingSpoiler: Given that she only appears very late in the film's third act, her role runs into this trope.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Charles Manson]]
-> '''Portrayed By:''' Damon Herriman
* SmallRoleBigImpact: Being the obvious creator of the commune, Manson plays a large role, but beyond a single scene where he visits the residence and meets Sebring and Tate, he isn't seen again for the rest of the film.
* TheUnfought: Despite the set-up of him visiting the Cielo Drive residence, he isn't seen for the rest of the film. According to WordOfGod, more scenes were filmed using the character that were omitted from the final cut.
[[/folder]]
