History Characters / TheDelightfulChildrenFromDownTheLane

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[[center: [- [[Characters/CodenameKidsNextDoor Main Character Index]] | [[Characters/SectorV Sector V]] | [[Characters/OtherKNDOperatives Other KND Operatives]] | '''The Delightful Children from Down the Lane''' | [[Characters/KNDMainVillains KND Main Villains]] | [[Characters/KNDMinorVillains KND Minor Villains]] | [[Characters/KNDOtherCharacters KND Other Characters]]]]-]

Section about the Delightful Children.

[[Characters/CodenameKidsNextDoor Return to Main.]]

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[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:The Delightful Children from Down the Lane]]
'''The Delightful Children from Down the Lane''' [[spoiler:/ '''Sector Z''']]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/delightfulchildrenknd.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Clockwise from top: David, Lenny, Constance, Bruce, 'Ashley']]
[[caption-width-right:350:Click [[labelnote:here]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/operationzero_201318105250.jpg [[/labelnote]] to see [[spoiler:Sector Z]] ]]

->''"Hello, Kids Next Door. Perhaps you would like to try kicking our posteriors now?"''

Father's eerie children, supposedly an adult's view of the "perfect" kids. They are educated, well-dressed and polite, but uncivilized in their burning hatred for the Kids Next Door. They always appear clustered together, move as one and speak [[VoiceOfTheLegion in perfect unison]]. They are the most recurring villains of the show. They are voiced by Creator/BenjaminDiskin, Creator/DeeBradleyBaker, and Creator/CreeSummer. [[spoiler:As Sector Z, they are voiced by Ogie Banks, Creator/JenniferHale, Creator/TomKenny, and Creator/DaveWittenberg.]]

* ABirthdayNotABreak: Every year, they hold a birthday party where all of the hungry guests are forced to watch as they eat the cake themselves. And every year, Sector V crashes the party and tries to steal the cake. [[HilarityEnsues Results tend to vary.]]
* AdultFear: [[spoiler:In hindsight, delightfulization or not, these are five missing children whose parents still have no idea what happened to their children]].
* AllegoricalCharacter: Whereas the KND represent childhood rebellion against adult authority, the Delightful Children represent "good kids" who side with adults over their kids and does whatever they say without question. [[spoiler: The fact that they were originally KND members that were made BrainwashedAndCrazy implies that they are what happens when rebellious streaks are broken systematically, turning them into "perfect little kids" while robbing them of their individuality and their childhoods, and that without the KND, this is what will happen to ''all'' children.]]
* AndIMustScream: [[spoiler:When they're briefly de-brainwashed, Sector Z make it very clear that [[FateWorseThanDeath they are aware of what has been done to them]], though they don't mention the evil actions that they had committed.]]
* AnimalMotifs: Being a group of [[spoiler:brainwashed]] people who more or less share a brain and are constantly acting as one unit, it only fits that their animal form in "Operation: G.R.A.D.U.A.T.E.S" was a flock of sheep.
* ArchEnemy: To Sector V as a whole.
* BadassNormal: Unlike some KND villains, they technically have no superpowers.
* BigBadDuumvirate: When Father isn't involved in the plot, they take this position as a whole.
* BrainwashedAndCrazy: [[spoiler:They're revealed to be Sector Z in ''WesternAnimation/OperationZERO'']]
* CainAndAbel: While not quite siblings, [[spoiler:they're the brainwashed, forcibly-adopted cousins of Numbuh One]].
* CardCarryingVillain: [[spoiler: Subverted in Operation Z.E.R.O. when their true identity is revealed.]]
* CerealViceReward: The "C.A.K.E.D." missions.
* ChronicVillainy: Literally. They're so brainwashed that any reversing is only temporary.
* TheCollectorOfTheStrange: Toenails.
* {{Creepy Child}}ren: They are disturbing enough already with their habit of speaking as one in CreepyMonotone, but it gets even worse when you learn ''why'' they are like this.
* CreepyMonotone: They speak in a chillingly flat voice.
* DisneyVillainDeath: [[spoiler:In "Operation: I.N.T.E.R.V.I.E.W.S.", they end up falling to their doom, though it's implied that they survived.]]
* DitzyGenius: Most of their plans fail either because of their own incompetence or because of their dim view of the heroes' own intelligence. Two of the best examples of are "Operation: F.L.A.V.O.R." and "Operation: U.N.D.E.R.C.O.V.E.R.".
* TheDividual: They move, speak, think, and act as a single unit.
* DoesNotLikeSpam: Even ''they'' don't like to eat broccoli.
* DragonInChief: To Father.
* EnfantTerrible: They're close to psychotic, but to most adults they seem like perfect (if somewhat creepy) children. They're great at using this to their advantage.
* EnemyMine
** Defied in ''WesternAnimation/OperationZERO''. While Father is willing to cooperate with Numbuhs 0 and 1 against Grandfather (at least until he gives up due to his lack of self-esteem and confidence), the Delightful Children would rather [[SkewedPriorities fight the KND members than help them]], even if it means going against Father's orders. [[spoiler:It's not until Numbuh 0 temporarily restores them as the members of Sector Z that they willingly join forces, though once the transformation wears off, they go back to being enemies]].
** In "Operation: Z.O.O.", they cooperate with Sector V to escape the children's zoo, though it doesn't take long for them to double-cross the latter.
** In "Operation: I.T.", while they initially help Father with his scheme, they don't hesitate to help Numbuhs 1 and 362 stop Father because even they don't like broccoli.
* EstablishingCharacterMoment: In the pilot, the very first thing we see them do is preside over a room of despondent young guests at their birthday party, forcing them to sing "Happy birthday...not our birthday..." while refusing to let them have any of the cake.
-->'''Delightful Children:''' Splendid! Now, while we enjoy our birthday cake, you may sing it...''again!''
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: Despite being malicious children, they sincerely care about Father, making everything look much more tragic in retrospect.
* EvenEvilHasStandards: They sell out Father in "Operation: I.T." because even they don't like broccoli.
* EvilCounterpart: To Sector V.
* EvilHasABadSenseOfHumor: They certainly do.
* FaceHeelTurn: [[spoiler:They were once KND operatives before being "delightfulized".]]
* {{Fallen Hero}}es: [[spoiler:They were once for good, but were brainwashed into the "perfect" children.]]
* FauxAffablyEvil: Despite their polite manners, they are quite dangerous to the KND.
* FinalBoss: Of the KND online game, ''Protect and Swerve.''
* TheHeavy: Father is the main BigBad, but it is they who carry out their evil plans and the archenemies of Sector V. They are the most visible antagonists despite being seconds-in-command to Father.
* HiveMind: They talk and act as if they are just one person instead of five. Sometimes, they even refer themselves individually such as "I", "my", and "me", instead of "we", "ours", and "us".
* {{Hypocrite}}: They never get tired of calling the KND stupid or foolish, despite the fact that the reason their plans keep failing is because their own intelligence can be compared to that of a box of hammers.
* HoistByHisOwnPetard: In "Operation: G.R.O.W.-U.P.", they use an age-changing device to turn Numbuh 1 into an adult. He later exploits this to get them to hand over the device, because they can't disobey adults.
* IcyBlueEyes: Fitting their cold and calculating nature. [[spoiler:Turns out, their blue eyes are not natural, and in fact [[MindControlEyes are a symptom of Delightfulization.]] When turned back into Sector Z, they actually have BlackBeadEyes.]]
* {{Jerkass}}es: Despite their image as "perfect children", they're sadistic and cruel to everyone else of their own kind, particularly whenever it's their birthday where they never share their cake with other kids and ''flaunt it''.
* LaserGuidedKarma: They nearly always get beaten by Sector V one way or another in revenge for their schemes. Many episodes end with them suffering some humiliating punishment; they've been force-fed Gramma Stuffum's food, attacked by a horde of wild Rainbow Monkeys, beaten up by the Big Badolescent, covered in mashed potatoes, infected by lice, tricked into eating birthday cake covered in bird poop, etc.
* {{Leitmotif}}: An eerie alien theme plays whenever they appear in scenes.
* LogicalWeakness: They are perfect, goody-goody children who are hardwired to obey adults at all times. This includes ''all'' adults, including ones who are obviously not on their side. Numbuh 1, when he was temporarily turned into an adult, took advantage of this in order to get them to hand over an age-changing device.
-->'''Adult Numbuh 1:''' Alright, you brats. Gimme that device.
-->'''Delightful Children:''' Why would we give it to ''you?''
-->'''Adult Numbuh 1:''' Because I'm an adult, and goody-goody brats like you have to obey adults. So gimme.
-->'''Delightful Children:''' ''(look at each other, then hand the device to Numbuh 1)'' No fair.
* MindControlEyes: They all have light blue eyes as a side-effect of [[spoiler:permanent delightfulization]].
* NoNameGiven: The blonde haired girl has yet to be officially named. Fans have taken to calling her "Ashley."
* NoNonsenseNemesis: On multiple occasions, they have outright tried to kill Sector V.
-->'''Delightful Children:''' ''(about to kill Numbuh 1 with a giant sword during their birthday party)'' Now it's time to play our favorite party game: ''pin the sword through the Nigel!''
* OneWingedAngel: In "The Grim Adventures of the KND", as the Delightful Reaper.
* ThePsychoRangers: They look eerily similar to Sector V and even have their same voice actors (sans Creator/LaurenTom) [[spoiler: when they're delightfulized anyway]].
* ResistTheBeast: [[spoiler:When the [[FaceHeelTurn delightfulization]] begins to return in ''WesternAnimation/OperationZERO'' [[AlasPoorVillain They ultimately fail.]]]]
* SchoolUniformsAreTheNewBlack: Their wardrobe is mainly comprised of nothing but this.
* ShapeshifterShowdown: In "Operation: G.R.O.W.-U.P.", they get into a struggle with Sector V over the age-changing device that results in both groups repeatedly age-zapping each other into babies, teenagers, and old people.
* SharpDressedMan: They're all very well dressed in what appear to be school uniforms.
* ShoutOut: They seem to based on the antagonists in one of the Co-Creator's 1996 ''WesternAnimation/KaBlam'' Sketch The Off-Beats known as The Populars.
** This is even lampshaded in "Operation R.E.P.O.R.T." When Numbuh 5 tells her story about getting the pizza, the Delightfuls look just like the Populars.
** Their creepy unison speech and the design of some of them, especially the middle boy, is a clear reference to the children from ''Film/VillageOfTheDamned1960''.
* {{Stepford Smiler}}s: [[spoiler: They've all been brainwashed to be "delightful."]]
* StrangeMindsThinkAlike: They all share a single mind, and that mind is a little...odd.
* StudentCouncilPresident: In "Operation: E.L.E.C.T.I.O.N.S.". Lampshaded in "U.N.D.E.R.C.O.V.E.R." by Lenny.
* TermsOfEndangerment: In "Operation D.A.T.E.", they mockingly call Numbuh 1 "Nigie" after hearing his girlfriend Lizzie use the name for him during their "date".
* TragicVillain: [[spoiler:At the end of the day, delightfulization or not, they're still essentially five children that have been all but abducted and brainwashed into a new life. AdultFear can set in when you realize these are essentially no different from missing children heard of in the news...]]
* TroublingUnchildlikeBehavior: Compared to the KND, they're much more disturbing.
* ThemeNaming: [[spoiler: Their KND operative numbers are Numbuhs 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4 and 0.5. Certainly gives them more reflection.]]
* TwoGirlsToATeam: Two of the Delightful Children are girls, while the other three are boys.
* UnrelatedBrothers: [[spoiler:The Delightful Children are not actually related to each other or Father, they are in fact the former members of Sector Z, who Father permanently brainwashed into serving as his adoptive children.]]
* VocalEvolution: In latter seasons almost to the point of being AxeCrazy.
* VillainEpisode: "Operation: P.A.R.T.Y."
* WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes: The one thing they fear above all is [[AbusiveParents Father's fiery wrath.]] In "Operation: P.A.R.T.Y.", when they accidentally invite a bunch of teens over when Father is at the spa, resulting in an uncontrollable WildTeenParty taking place at their mansion, they're so afraid of Father coming home and discovering the mess that they actually ''[[GodzillaThreshold call the Kids Next Door]]'' to help them get rid of the teens.
* WickedCultured: Taught by Father himself.
* WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds: [[spoiler:After their origins were revealed in ''WesternAnimation/OperationZERO.'' They were once KND operatives, but were delightfulized by Father into becoming his perfect children. The delightfulization is permanent, and any attempt to return them to their previous selves can only be temporary.]]
[[/folder]]

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[[folder:Bruce]]
->'''Voiced by: Ogie Banks''' (Sector Z)
The short, blond boy.

* AdorablyPrecociousChild: After all, he is the main one of the group.
* EdibleBludgeon: [[spoiler: His Nunchucks as Numbuh 0.1 are made from Carrots]].
* FightingWithChucks: [[spoiler: When temporarily recommissioned, Numbuh 0.1 wields Carrot Nunchucks in his fight against the Citizombified Sector V]].
* HighClassGlass: His old form after getting hit with the Age Ray wears one of these.
* TheLeader: The main lead of the Delightfuls [[spoiler: And as Numbuh 0.1 of Kids Next Door Sector Z]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Lenny]]
->'''Voiced by: Creator/DeeBradleyBaker''' (as revealed in "Operation: U.N.D.E.R.C.O.V.E.R.") and '''Dave Wittenberg''' (Sector Z)

The African-American boy with a football helmet.

* AmbiguouslyBrown: Unlike his "siblings", Lenny has dark skin.
* BracesOfOrthodonticOverkill: Lenny has headgear underneath his football helmet.
* BoxingBattler: [[spoiler: His weapon of choice as Numbuh 0.4]].
* CoolHelmet: His trademark football helmet. [[spoiler: As Numbuh 0.4, he wears a more standardized [=KND=] Colander Helmet instead]].
* FakeDefector: He pretends to have been an undercover agent for the KND so he can get some top secret files in "Operation: U.N.D.E.R.C.O.V.E.R." Fortunately, everyone (except Numbuh 4) knew he was lying, so they gave him a bomb instead.
* TheFaceless[=/=]NeverBareHeaded: His face is hidden. He shows his face In "Operation: U.N.D.E.R.C.O.V.E.R." [[spoiler: and as Numbuh 0.4 in "Operation: Z.E.R.O."]].
* FangThpeak: Though his lisp is the result of his retainer rather than fangs.
* TheFriendNobodyLikes: The other four are able to speak in unison without him a few times to chew him out. Though this was partially due to their FakeDefector plan, even after he returned to their side they placed all the blame on him for their plan failing and called him an idiot.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:"Ashley/Cindy"]]
->'''Voiced by: Cree Summer''' (delightfulized) and '''Rachael [=MacFarlane=]''' (Sector Z)
The sandy blond-haired girl with a pink bow.

* NoNameGiven: "Ashley" is in quotation marks because it's the most common name given to her by fans. She's the only one of the Delightful Children who hasn't been given an official individual name.
** At Anthrocon 2019, Guest of Honor Ben Diskin was asked what HE thought her name should be and he christened her Cindy, so it could be said that's her official moniker.
* ParasolOfPain: [[spoiler: As Numbuh 0.3 of Sector Z, she's shown wielding an energized umbrella as a sword]].

[[/folder]]

[[folder:David]]
->'''Voiced by: Tom Kenny''' (Sector Z)
The tallest of the group.

* BlindingBangs: He has in his hair. They're a tidied up version of [[spoiler: his PeekABangs as Numbuh 0.2]].
* LeanAndMean: Is noticeably taller and slimmer than his "siblings."
* PeekABangs: As [[spoiler: Numbuh 0.2 of Sector Z]].

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Constance]]
->'''Voiced by: Cree Summer''' (delightfulized)
The braid haired chubby girl.

* AmbiguouslyBrown: Her skin tone is lighter than Lenny's, but darker than the skin tone of her other "siblings".
* ChefOfIron: [[spoiler: As Numbuh 0.5, she fights the Sector V Senior Citizombies with a Spatula and Hot Dog Skewer (complete with Hot Dog!).]]
* EyeGlasses: She has these.
* GirlishPigtails: Shaped up to look like devil horns.
* IdenticalStranger: She looks very similar to Lizzie only shorter, brown hair instead of red, and slightly different glasses. Nobody ever addresses this, though once the Delightful Children hired a group of similarly looking Children to distract the Kids Next Door and Lizzie disguised as Constance.
* SunglassesAtNight: [[spoiler: As Numbuh 0.5 of Sector Z, she sports these instead of her usual glasses.]]
[[/folder]]

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* FamousLastWords: [[spoiler:As Sector Z in ''WesternAnimation/OperationZERO'': "Tell... the Kids Next Door... that we miss them!"]]

->''"Hello Kids Next Door. Perhaps you would like to try kicking our posteriors now?"''

* MindControlEyes: Light Blue.
* NoNameGiven: The blonde haired girl has yet to be officially named. Fans have taken to calling her "Ashley".

[[folder:"Ashley"]]

* HiveMind[=/=]IAmLegion[=/=]SpeakInUnison[=/=]VoiceOfTheLegion: They talk and act as if they are just one person instead of five. Sometimes, they even refer themselves individually such as "I", "my", and "me", instead of "we", "ours", and "us".

* KidsAreCruel: Oh boy they are obviously are.

* GreenEyes: As [[spoiler: Numbuh 0.2]], he's the only member of [[spoiler: Sector Z]] to not have standard BlackBeadEyes.

** In "Operation: Z.O.O.", they cooperate with Sector V to escape the children's zoo, though it doesn't take long for them double cross the latter.
** In "Operation: I.T.", while they intially help Father with his scheme, they don't hesitate to help Numbuhs 1 and 362 stop Father because even they don't like broccoli.

** With the KND in ''WesternAnimation/OperationZERO.''
** And to a lesser extent "Operation: Z.O.O.", when they cooperate with Sector V to escape the children's zoo.

* TheLeader: The main lead of the delightfuls.

* CoolHelmet: His trademark football helmet.

* TheFaceless[=/=]NeverBareHeaded: His face is hidden. He shows his face In "Operation: U.N.D.E.R.C.O.V.E.R.".

* BlindingBangs: He has in his hair.

* [[SharpDressedMan Sharp Dressed Children]]: They're all very well dressed in what appear to be school uniforms.

* [[spoiler:TragicVillain]]: [[spoiler:At the end of the day, delightfulization or not, they're still essentially five children that have been all but abducted and brainwashed into a new life. AdultFear can set in when you realize these are essentially no different from missing children heard of in the news...]]

->'''Voiced by: Cree Summer''' (delightfulized) and '''Rachael MacFarlane''' (Sector Z)

* FakeDefector: He pretends to have been an undercover agent for the KND so he can get some top secret files in ""Operation: U.N.D.E.R.C.O.V.E.R." Fortunately, everyone (except Numbuh 4) knew he was lying, so they gave him a bomb instead.

->'''Voiced by: Cree Summer''' (delightfulized) and ''Rachael MacFarlane''' (Sector Z)

->'''Voiced by: Creator/DeeBradleyBaker''' (as revealed in "Operation: U.N.D.E.R.C.O.V.E.R.")

* ABirthdayNotABreak: Every year, they hold a birthday party where all of the hungry guests are forced to watch as they eat the cake themselves. And every year, Sector V crashes the party and tries to steal the cake.

* FauxAffablyEvil: Despite their polite matters, they are quite dangerous to the KND.

* AllegoricalCharacter: Whereas the KND represent childhood rebellion against adult authority, the Delightful Children represent "good kids" who side with adults over their kids and does whatever they say without question. [[spoiler: The fact that they were originally KND members that were made BrainwashedAndCrazy implies that they what happens when rebellious streaks are broken systematically, turning them into "perfect little kids" while robbing them of their individuality and their childhoods, and that without the KND, this is what will happen to ''all'' children.]]

* ThemeNaming: [[spoiler: Their KND operative numbers are Numbahs 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4 and 0.5. Certainly gives them more reflection.]]

* FakeDefector: He pretends to have been an undercover agent for the KND so he can get some top secret files in ""Operation: U.N.D.E.R.C.O.V.E.R." Fortuntely, everyone (except Numbah 4) knew he was lying, so they gave him a bomb instead.

* ButtMonkey: They nearly always get beaten by Sector V one way or another in revenge for their schemes. Many episodes end with them suffering some humiliating punishment; they've been force-fed Gramma Stuffum's food, attacked by a horde of wild Rainbow Monkeys, beaten up by the Big Badolescent, covered in mashed potatoes, infected by lice, tricked into eating birthday cake covered in bird poop, etc.

* {{The Dragon}}s[=/=]DragonInChief: To Father.

* StupidEvil: Most of their plans fail either because of their own incompetence or because of their dim view of the heroes' own intelligence. Two of the best examples of are "Operation: F.L.A.V.O.R." and "Operation: U.N.D.E.R.C.O.V.E.R.".

* TragicVillain: [[spoiler:After their origins were revealed in ''WesternAnimation/OperationZERO.'' They were once KND operatives, but were delightfulized by Father into becoming his perfect children. The delightfulization is permanent, and any attempt to return them to their previous selves can only be temporary.]]

* GirlishPigtails

Father's eerie children, supposedly an adult's view of the "perfect" kids. They are educated, well-dressed and polite, but uncivilized in their burning hatred for the Kids Next Door. They always appear clustered together, move as one and speak [[VoiceOfTheLegion in perfect unison]]. They are the most recurring villains of the show. They are voiced by Creator/BenjaminDiskin, Creator/DeeBradleyBaker, and Creator/CreeSummer. [[spoiler:As Sector Z, they are voiced by Ogie Banks, Jennifer Hale, Tom Kenny, and Dave Wittenberg.]]

* DisneyVillainDeath: [[spoiler:In "Operation: I.N.T.E.R.V.I.E.W.S.", though it's implied that they survived.]]