| 1 | Character page for ''WesternAnimation/{{Soul}}''. |
| 2 | |
| 3 | ---- |
| 4 | |
| 5 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 6 | |
| 7 | !!Main Characters |
| 8 | |
| 9 | [[folder:Joe Gardner]] |
| 10 | [[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/joe_gardner.png]] |
| 11 | ->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/JamieFoxx (English), Creator/OmarSy (European French) |
| 12 | |
| 13 | Joe Gardner is a middle school band teacher with a love for jazz music. After landing a successful gig at the Half Note Club, he suddenly gets into an accident that separates his soul from his body and ends transported to the Great Before, the place where all souls go before being born on Earth. With the help of a soul called 22, he must find a way to reunite with his body before he misses the gig of his dreams. |
| 14 | ---- |
| 15 | * BackFromTheDead: His primary goal after his accident, where he's merely separated from his body and hasn't been clinically declared dead yet. [[spoiler:This gets into a snag after an accident causes him to possess Mittens the therapy cat and 22 ends up in his body. At the end, the Jerrys give him one more chance after he gave 22 his only way back to Earth, albeit with a stern warning to just be more aware of his surroundings.]] |
| 16 | * BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: [[spoiler:After getting to perform for Dorothea's band, he is rather disappointed when he learns he will have to repeat the same routine every other night, thinking that things would have been a lot more grandiose as how ''he'' painted them to be. After learning that all the little things in life are worth it, it's unclear what he does after the end of the story.]] |
| 17 | * CompleteImmortality: Only as a soul, though. |
| 18 | * CoolTeacher: He appears to be very well-liked as a teacher by the students and staff. His former student even admits the only reason he showed up to school was because of him. [[spoiler:When he is recounting his memories near the end, we see him giving said student private lessons and encouraging his skills as a drummer.]] |
| 19 | * {{Determinator}}: Once he finally gets the chance of a lifetime to play with a famous jazz musician, ''nothing'', not even death itself, will keep him from coming back and performing that night. It's [[DeconstructedTrope deconstructed]] later on because this is what causes him to [[spoiler:push 22 away, who ends up becoming a [[TragicMonster Lost Soul]]. And his big night also fell short of his expectations]]. It adds to the central theme of the movie: having something you're passionate about is fine, but make sure it doesn't turn into a single-minded obsession that keeps you from enjoying all the other things in life and alienates your friends and close ones. |
| 20 | * DramaticallyMissingThePoint: |
| 21 | ** He assumes 22 only enjoyed music and human life because she was in his body. It takes another trip to the Great Before for him to realize that it had nothing to do with him, just 22 enjoying the human experience. |
| 22 | ** The entire thrust of Joe's journey is how he assumes a person's "spark" is their purpose in life and "piano is what I was born to do." It takes both a Jerry laughing at the idea and [[spoiler:the big night of his dreams not giving him the fulfillment he thought he needed]] for Joe to realize he's been mixing the two up. |
| 23 | * EveryoneHasStandards: As desperate as he is to get back to Earth, Joe refuses to let 22's spark for the Earth pass to be fire, therefore creating an future {{Pyromaniac}}. So he quickly changes to another option once 22 becomes a little too fascinated with the fire she is supposed to take out. |
| 24 | * FaceDeathWithDignity: [[spoiler:Joe voluntarily returns to the Great Before to give 22 a chance at life, knowing full-well that it would mean his own end. As he begins to ascend to the Great Beyond, Joe closes his eyes with calm acceptance as he draws nearer to the end. Ultimately subverted when he is given a second chance to live his life to the fullest.]] |
| 25 | * FailedASpotCheck: He's so excited about getting his big break that it's a miracle he lasts as long past it as he does, narrowly missing several fatal accidents before finally stepping into an open manhole. |
| 26 | * FatalFlaw: His obsession with his dream of becoming a successful jazz musician has given him a severe case of tunnel vision, not only preventing him from enjoying the little pleasures of life and slightly alienating him from other people, but also making him dangerously unaware of his surroundings, which leads to him falling into an open manhole in the middle of the street, putting him in a coma that separates his soul from his body and kickstarts the plot of the movie. |
| 27 | * GoofyPrintUnderwear: Apparently when 22 is in control of his body, he is wearing red underpants with tiny white hearts on them, which is revealed when 22-as-Joe tries and fails to crouch down to pick up his fallen hat, ripping his pants in the process. |
| 28 | * HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler:Joe realizes forcing 22 to give up her Earth Badge to get his own life back was wrong, and returns to the Great Before to return it to her, knowingly giving up his own life in the process. While it's later subverted when the Jerrys, impressed by his selfless actions, decide to give him a second chance at life, he didn't know that was a possibility and was willing to die to let 22 live.]] |
| 29 | * InSeriesNickname: Dorothea calls him Teach. |
| 30 | * JerkWithAHeartOfGold: He can be a little stubborn and impatient, especially when his dream as a jazz musician is involved but he is still an overall NiceGuy who cares about others, especially 22. |
| 31 | * LookBothWays: Joe never looks before crossing the street, which results in a lot of near-misses at the beginning. Falling into a manhole cover that he didn't see does him in. |
| 32 | * NoSocialSkills: He is so consumed by his obsession he doesn't show much regard for any kind of social interactions. It might have been an exaggeration due to the traumatic experience he's going through in the movie, but everyone he knows says he only talks about jazz, his only romantic interest left him long before the movie started, and the movie opens with him stopping his class so he can explain to his twelve-year-old students the meaning of his life. |
| 33 | * ParentalSubstitute: Slowly becomes this to his mentee 22, [[spoiler:even saving her at the end and accompanying her by the hand]] like a good father comforting their child during a task that scares them. |
| 34 | * PursueTheDreamJob: Variation -- he's at the moment of choosing. He's torn between his long-sought-after dream of becoming a legitimate jazz musician (for a famous artist, no less) and a steady but less creatively fulfilling job teaching. [[spoiler:He realizes that playing for Dorothea might also be monotonous, but the film keeps what he ended up choosing ambiguous.]] |
| 35 | * RightForTheWrongReasons: [[spoiler:He figures 22 got her spark from living on Earth in his body because ''he'' already has his spark, so she just got his, reasoning that she didn't like anything until she was in his body. Turns out she just needed to experience life ''in general'', not specifically Joe's life.]] |
| 36 | * StrongFamilyResemblance: In a flashback when Joe is a child, it’s shown that his father looked exactly like how he looks when he’s an adult. |
| 37 | * TookALevelInCheerfulness: He goes from obsessively chasing his dream and feeling unfulfilled with his life to fully appreciating it and wanting to live it to the fullest. |
| 38 | * ATragedyOfImpulsiveness: Most of the problems he gets into are due to his own hastiness and lack of patience. |
| 39 | * UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: [[spoiler:He lashes out at 22 when the latter refuses to give his body back, telling her she'll never find a purpose in life. This hurts 22 so much that she becomes a Lost Soul obsessed at the idea of never finding a purpose.]] |
| 40 | * WantingIsBetterThanHaving: [[spoiler:When he finally realizes his dream of playing with Dorothea in a real jazz band, he feels it wasn't as rewarding as he thought it'd be.]] |
| 41 | * WasItReallyWorthIt: All that Joe wants is to play with Dorothea in a real jazz band, [[spoiler:but when his efforts finally pay off, he finds out that his dream isn't as special as he expected, compared to all the other wonderful moments he had in his life]]. |
| 42 | [[/folder]] |
| 43 | |
| 44 | [[folder:22]] |
| 45 | [[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/22_84.png]] |
| 46 | ->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/TinaFey, [[Creator/EdwardAsner Ed Asner]] (old man voice) |
| 47 | |
| 48 | 22 is a cynical, mischievous soul that has trapped herself in the Great Before out of a sheer, stubborn refusal to pass on. During the movie, she's assigned to Joe accidentally. |
| 49 | ---- |
| 50 | * AdorableAbomination: Vaguely implied, souls are hyper-dimensionals supernatural spirits and she is one of the strongest shown, so it does make you wonder. |
| 51 | * AlmightyIdiot: [[spoiler:As a Lost Soul, she trades sanity for power.]] |
| 52 | * AlliterativeName: '''T'''wenty '''T'''wo. |
| 53 | * AmbiguousGender: While 22 is [[Creator/TinaFey played by]] and referred to by cast as female for the sake of clarity, 22 doesn't technically have a gender yet, and demonstrates how she can alter her voice (and presumably her perceived gender) by mimicking a young child, an old man, and Joe himself, adding that she sticks with the voice she's currently using [[SidekickCreatureNuisance because it irritates everybody around her]]. The same goes for the Jerrys (voiced by both men and women) and Terry, as they aren't referred to by any gender. |
| 54 | * AmbiguousInnocence: She's a soul that has spent her [[TimeAbyss long existence]] without being born and thus has a lot of PingPongNaivete. There's also her combination between her cynicism and her mischievousness, which makes it hard to gauge her maturity and mental age. |
| 55 | * AndThenJohnWasAZombie: [[spoiler:She becomes a Lost Soul after hitting her DespairEventHorizon. She gets better.]] |
| 56 | * BigEater: After discovering the joy of food by finally being able to taste things [[spoiler:in Joe's body]], she is shown constantly snacking on various foodstuffs (pizza, bagel, lollipop, etc.), much to Joe's chagrin. |
| 57 | * BrokenBird: [[spoiler:Spending eons in the Great Before and all of her mentors giving up on her have hurt her more than she is willing to admit. As has all her friends leaving her.]] |
| 58 | * Catch22Dilemma: PunnyName aside, this is 22's main problem. She doesn't want to start her life, so she tries to get rid of her Earth Badge. The problem is, she can not get rid of it until she finds her "spark", her reason to live (at which point, she ''wouldn't'' want to get rid of her Earth Badge). |
| 59 | * CompleteImmortality: Like all souls, she has this. One of the reasons she doesn't want to born is because she would lose it. |
| 60 | * TheCynic: Is this, having been in the seminar for so long that she's developed a dim view of life. She literally refuses to get a life, believing life on Earth to be nothing but a grinding, soul-crushing experience. |
| 61 | * DeadpanSnarker: She has a few shades of this, mostly around Joe. |
| 62 | * DespairEventHorizon: [[spoiler:She reaches this after Joe, in a fit of rage, tells her she will never have a purpose in life. This causes 22 to become a Lost Soul.]] |
| 63 | * {{Deuteragonist}}: She's given the second most focus in the movie after Joe. |
| 64 | * DrivesLikeCrazy: Admits to having failed the "Body Test Drive" course 436 times. |
| 65 | * AFormYouAreComfortableWith: Inverted. Despite being thousands of years old and having no predefined gender, she prefers to talk like a nagging middle-aged woman because it annoys people the most. |
| 66 | * TheGadfly: Very much so, she's an absolute {{Troll}} and damn proud of it. |
| 67 | * GreatGazoo: Very mischiveous and an unborn old soul, granting her all sorts of strange powers. |
| 68 | * HatesBeingAlone: The short ''22 vs. Earth'' reveals another reason she resents Earth; every soul she befriends eventually leaves for it. |
| 69 | * {{Hikikomori}}: She would rather stay in her room inside the Great Before for all eternity than to live a life on Earth as one of the Counselors had to drag her out of her room just for her to attend the mentoring section. [[spoiler:{{Deconstructed|Trope}} in that after many years of not finding a spark, she doesn't think she's good enough for life on Earth, and gives up on trying to live a life there. Once she ''does'' find her spark, Joe lashes out on her stating she only got a spark because she was in the body of someone who already has a spark in the first place. This ends up causing 22 to lower her self-esteem even further, give him her own earth pass, and become a [[SuperpoweredEvilSide Lost Soul]] due to how she believes she is better off living in the Great Before. Fortunately, Joe was able to come back, and snap her out of it.]] |
| 70 | * HisOwnWorstEnemy: The climax reveals [[spoiler:this is the case with 22. The reason all her previous mentors have never been able to help her find her spark was because she pushed them away out of self-doubt that she's not good enough to have a life. It takes Joe to get through to 22 and help her come out of her shell.]] |
| 71 | * ImmortalImmaturity: She's likely been around since the dawn of human civilization, yet she talks and acts like a bratty teenager. |
| 72 | * JabbaTableManners: When she tastes pizza for the first time in Joe's body, she eats so messily that she gets grease stains all over the front of the hospital gown she's wearing at the time. Justified somewhat by the fact that she's [[DrivesLikeCrazy really bad at controlling a body]]. |
| 73 | * JerkassFacade: She puts on a tough front that she is content with how she is in the Great Before, but at the end it's suggested that after so many years of never getting her spark and being put down by her various mentors has resulted in her believing she doesn't deserve it. |
| 74 | * JerkassHasAPoint: One of the many reasons why she doesn't want to have a life on Earth is because, as a newborn soul with no body, she can't feel anything (no taste, no smell, no touch, etc.) even when her hypothetical life is simulated, something that even Joe complained about. It's only [[spoiler:after accidentally entering in Joe's body, that she starts to enjoy every simple thing of life on Earth]]. |
| 75 | * LongLived: Gets her name because she is the 22nd soul to have ever existed. To suggest how long this has been, the soul that was named before her was in the hundred-billions. |
| 76 | * MinorInjuryOverreaction: Souls have CompleteImmortality and FeelNoPain, so when she gets a scratch that makes her feel pain for the first time in her Millenia long existence, [[FreakOut she doesn't]] [[HeroicBSOD take it well]] ''[[TroubledFetalPosition at all]]''. |
| 77 | * NoSocialSkills: [[spoiler:As Joe. Justified as she's never had an actual life before and doesn't have any concept of typical norms, resulting in her running around town in nothing but a hospital gown, openly talking about her experiences in the Great Before with people, and generally making Joe look like he has lost his marbles.]] |
| 78 | * PunnyName: Doesn't want to live on Earth and wants to get rid of her badge so she won't have to. However, she can't get rid of it unless it turns into an Earth Pass, and that won't happen unless [[spoiler:she gains the desire to live]]. She's in a Catch22Dilemma. |
| 79 | * ReallySevenHundredYearsOld: Given that souls are numbered (with one after her whose in the billions) and had plenty of historical mentors, she’s definitely this. |
| 80 | * SenseFreak: After [[spoiler:taking over Joe's body,]] Joe brings her some pizza, and upon tasting it, she declares it to be the best thing ever in her mind and keeps repeatedly asking for more. |
| 81 | * SourOutsideSadInside: She acts very cynical, sarcastic and displays a lack of interest in life in general [[spoiler:but she reveals to Joe that she feels very insecure due to spending eons without discovering her "spark" and secretly doesn't think she's good enough for life on Earth]]. |
| 82 | * StickyFingers: [[spoiler:As Joe, she has a habit of swiping mundane things that interest her, such as a bunch of suckers or a spool of thread. This is exaggerated in a deleted scene, where her home is shown to have colossal card houses and a row of arcade machines inside of it in addition to what's shown in the actual movie, leading Joe to ask whether she's stolen all of it. Her reply is [[VerbalBackspace "no… maybe"]], adding that other than forcing her to attend the weekly You Seminars so that she could eventually get her Earth Badge, the Jerrys don't really care what she does in the meantime.]] |
| 83 | * SuperPoweredEvilSide: [[spoiler:After becoming a Lost Soul, her SoulPower, as that is what it truly is, starts to manifest as LovecraftianSuperpowers such as SuperStrength (enough to pull down Moonwind's boat and sink it with brute force and deliver a CurbStompBattle to [[CosmicEntity Terry]], who previously had no problem capturing both her and Joe), very creepy shape-shifting and creating a Pocket Dimension filled with TheHeartless to suffer uninterrupted, at the cost of becoming a WildChild in a constant self-inflicted state of MindRape.]] |
| 84 | * TimeAbyss: We don't know exactly how much, but she's a literal old soul who has been around in the Great Before for a long, ''long time''. To put it into perspective, the soul introduced before she was numbered in the hundred billion. She's soul ''22''. |
| 85 | * TragicMonster: As a [[spoiler:[[SuperPoweredEvilSide Lost Soul]]]], she becomes this in the final act. |
| 86 | * TroubledFetalPosition: During her HeroicBSOD after feeling pain for the first time. |
| 87 | * TheUnreveal: [[spoiler:We never find out who she becomes after accepting to be born on Earth.]] |
| 88 | * VagueAge: Souls have CompleteImmortality and as her "name" implies, she's only the 22nd soul ever made, which would technically make her the oldest character in the movie short of perhaps the Jerries and Terry, but she mostly acts like a young child. |
| 89 | * VoluntaryShapeshifter: And VoiceChangeling -- she can look and sound like whoever or whatever she wants to. |
| 90 | * WildChild: Becomes outright feral as [[spoiler:a Lost Soul]], hissing and screeching at others and cowering and running like a scared animal. |
| 91 | * YouAreNumberSix: She is the 22nd soul to be made in the Great Before. |
| 92 | [[/folder]] |
| 93 | |
| 94 | !!The Great Before |
| 95 | |
| 96 | [[folder:The Counselors]] |
| 97 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/all_the_jerrys.jpg]] |
| 98 | ->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/RichardAyoade, Creator/AliceBraga, Creator/WesStudi, Fortune Feimster and Zenobia Schroff |
| 99 | |
| 100 | The Counselors are a group of astral beings who counsel new souls and get them ready for life on Earth. All of them are called "Jerry". |
| 101 | ---- |
| 102 | * AboveGoodAndEvil: They're neutral to Earth's affairs, giving souls both negative and positive personality traits seemingly at random and leaving them to sort it out in their lives. |
| 103 | * AmbiguousGender: While Jerry is a common male English name, The Counselors all have gender-neutral appearances with no TertiarySexualCharacteristics, they are voiced by a blend of male and female voice actors, and never refer to each other by gendered pronouns. Given that they are beings beyond human comprehension and find human behavior and traits a bit superfluous, they probably don't have ''any'' gender that humans could comprehend, and that's if they even associate themselves with any gender ''at all.'' |
| 104 | * BlueAndOrangeMorality: Downplayed. The Counselors are genuinely benevolent beings who make it so every soul is their own unique individual and are adamant about giving each one a chance at life. One of the Counselors even suggests they stop giving so many souls a self-absorbed personality, implying that they want these souls to be good people. However, at least one of them didn't seem to mind when one of the souls gained personality traits that would make them TheSociopath on Earth, laughing it off as being the planet's problem to deal with. |
| 105 | * EldritchAbomination: The Counselors are a very benign example of this. One of them outright says their true forms are beyond mortal understanding and are taking AFormYouAreComfortableWith, but they are incredibly kindly and endlessly patient with all the souls they encounter. |
| 106 | * AFormYouAreComfortableWith: Their superficially humanoid appearance is stated to be them taking a form that feeble mortal brains can comprehend. |
| 107 | * NonStandardCharacterDesign: They're 2D-animated; having a design consisting exclusively of lines leads them to have movements far more free-flowing and ethereal than any of the other characters. |
| 108 | * OurAngelsAreDifferent: They're heavily implied to be angels, since they are functionally identical (a host of supernatural beings forming a CelestialBureaucracy, concerned specifically with human souls). For the most part they skew more heavily towards New Age concepts than traditional Abrahamic ones, though they share the [[AngelicAbomination abstraction]]. |
| 109 | * PetTheDog: [[spoiler:After Joe helps 22 regain her spark for life, they all decide to award him with a second chance and let him go back to Earth.]] |
| 110 | * PlanetOfSteves: All the Counselors have named themselves "Jerry" for convenience to mortal souls. Even Joe {{lampshade|Hanging}}d. |
| 111 | -->'''Joe:''' "Is everyone here named Jerry?" |
| 112 | * ReasonableAuthorityFigure: To contrast Terry, they only want to make sure that ALL souls are ready for life on Earth and are more flexible and understanding of Joe's situation than Terry is. |
| 113 | * VoluntaryShapeshifting: They can freely change their appearance at their conveniences, such as growing an extra arm or becoming a living transport or a building for an assembly. |
| 114 | * YouCannotGraspTheTrueForm: Their real forms are beyond any sort of mortal comprehension thanks to the Jerrys being made from the universe itself. |
| 115 | [[/folder]] |
| 116 | |
| 117 | [[folder:Terry]] |
| 118 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/db06066f_8211_4901_93b4_24f8b5daafc0_9.jpg]] |
| 119 | ->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/RachelHouse |
| 120 | |
| 121 | Another astral being who works as an accountant of the souls who go to The Great Beyond. |
| 122 | ---- |
| 123 | * AmbiguousGender: Like the Jerrys, Terry isn't referred to by any gendered pronouns, although other source materials use female pronouns for Terry since they are played by Rachel House. It's also not clear if the concept even applies here considering that Terry is an astral being. |
| 124 | * AttentionWhore: Partly motivated in chasing down Joe because they want recognition for their work. At the end, they have the Jerrys make up an awards ceremony just for themself, which is really only to inflate their own ego. |
| 125 | * CelestialBureaucracy: Their job is to keep track of the soul count and double-check any discrepancies by going through endless file cabinets. |
| 126 | * ControlFreak: They want to keep their soul count perfectly on track, to the point of going to extreme lengths whenever a soul makes their count off. |
| 127 | * TheDeterminator: Terry will go through filing cabinets of ''every'' being that's ever died in alphabetical order to determine exactly who is it that's missing from their count. Once she finds it, she searches Queens for Joe, retracing his steps to find him. |
| 128 | * TheFriendNobodyLikes: The Jerries, while nice to Terry, don't seem to like them that much. |
| 129 | * EldritchAbomination: If what the Jerries said is true, then their real form is also beyond mortal understanding and is taking AFormYouAreComfortableWith. |
| 130 | * {{Expy}}: Terry is Creator/RachelHouse's character Paula from ''Film/HuntForTheWilderpeople'' but transposed into ''Soul'''s setting: a SmallNameBigEgo InspectorJavert going outside their assigned role to hunt down our heroic duo no matter what while also not really respected by their peers. And naturally, portrayed by the same actress. |
| 131 | * HeroAntagonist: Downplayed. There is nothing heroic about Terry, but their intentions aren't evil, either. Their pursuit of Joe is actually quite justified considering that Joe is trying to cheat the system for a selfish reason after a death that he brought upon himself. However, their only reason for trying to fix the problem is because Joe threw their meticulous counting off and they hate being wrong. |
| 132 | * InspectorJavert: Terry's job is to make sure that the soul count is in order. When she notices the soul count is off, she searches through numerous filing cabinets for the unaccounted soul. After that, she spends the rest of the movie looking for Joe to return him to the afterlife. |
| 133 | * JerkassHasAPoint: While they aren't the nicest of the astral beings, and they only care about their job being done correctly, they're somewhat justified in calling out Joe for cheating the afterlife system. |
| 134 | * JerkWithAHeartOfGold: They're genuinely remorseful for mistaking Paul for Joe, and provides as much comfort, and encouragement to stop his bad dietary lifestyle, as possible. |
| 135 | * TheNapoleon: Terry is the shortest astral being, only being beaten out by newborn souls, and is very domineering about correcting their soul count. When they succeed at their task, they demand an award ceremony from their peers to celebrate the occasion. |
| 136 | * NominalHero: She spends most of the movie pursuing Joe and trying to prevent him from cheating death, but it's mainly out of desire to prove to the rest of the counsel that she's right rather than out of moral obligation. |
| 137 | * NonStandardCharacterDesign: Like the Jerrys, Terry is animated in 2D. |
| 138 | * OddNameOut: The only astral being with a different name because they're a soul counter, not a counselor. |
| 139 | * PetTheDog: They immediately apologize to Paul for mistaking him for Joe, and they even give him advice about how he can live longer (i.e., not eating too much processed food). |
| 140 | * PlotIrrelevantVillain: They are the closest thing the movie has to an antagonist, but aside from [[spoiler:bringing Joe and 22 back to the Great Before]], they are not extremely important to the plot. |
| 141 | * SmallNameBigEgo: They have a far greater opinion of their position as an accountant than the Jerries do. |
| 142 | * WhatTheHellHero: [[spoiler:They give a short but harsh one to Joe for cheating death.]] |
| 143 | * YouCantFightFate: All the Jerrys are of this mindset, albeit laidback, but Terry is ''determined'' to enforce the rule that all souls [[PiecesOfGod belong to the universe]] and will be accounted for. No exceptions. |
| 144 | [[/folder]] |
| 145 | |
| 146 | [[folder:Moonwind and crew]] |
| 147 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/moonwind_as_a_soul.jpg]] |
| 148 | [[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Click here for his corporeal form]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/moonwind.png[[/labelnote]]]] |
| 149 | |
| 150 | ->'''Voiced by:''' [[Series/TheGrahamNortonShow Graham Norton]] |
| 151 | |
| 152 | Moonwind Stardancer is a mystic who helps lost souls in the Zone get over their obsessions. |
| 153 | ---- |
| 154 | * AlmightyJanitor: He works as a sign spinner on Earth and is very good at saving lost souls from their obsessions. |
| 155 | * BunnyEarsLawyer: Despite being pretty weird, he is really good at helping lost souls. |
| 156 | * BystanderSyndrome: After Joe and 22 fall into the portal he created and it closes up behind them, Moonwind just drops his staff and whistles as he walks away. |
| 157 | * GoingDownWithTheShip: [[spoiler:His ship in the Zone crashes in the climax and he sees it to its demise, but the worst that happens to him is that he gets knocked back to reality and gives a proud salute.]] |
| 158 | * HappinessInMinimumWage: He works as a sign-spinner in Manhattan, but likes it and is even quite Zen about it. For him, it's turned into a form of meditation while he helps souls in the Great Before. |
| 159 | * HippieName: The hippie crew that helps Joe in the afterlife are named Moonwind Stardancer, Windstar Dreamermoon, Dancerstar Windmoon, and Dreamerwind Dreamerdreamer. |
| 160 | * LargeHam: Moonwind. Being voiced by Graham Norton makes being one unavoidable. |
| 161 | * NewAgeRetroHippie: Moonwind and his crew draw a lot from hippie aesthetics; they have names like "Windstar Dreamermoon", ride on a bright pink ship with tie-dyed sails and a peace-sign anchor and the American members have alternative lifestyles. Moonwind himself is a scruffy guy who spins signs as a day job. |
| 162 | * NiceGuy: Despite being eccentric, he is a good soul who only wants to help others. |
| 163 | * NoodleIncident: Apparently, he was once a lost soul due to an obsession with ''VideoGame/{{Tetris}}''. |
| 164 | * OddFriendship: With 22, as he is one of the few beings they get along with. |
| 165 | * SpeaksFluentAnimal: He's still able to understand Joe when the latter is in Mr. Mittens' body, presumably because he's just ''that'' attuned to the spirit realm. |
| 166 | |
| 167 | !!Moonwind's Crew |
| 168 | [[quoteright:1000:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/img_2306.jpeg]] |
| 169 | |
| 170 | Other spiritually attuned people who help Moonwind. |
| 171 | ---- |
| 172 | * AllThereInTheManual: The tie-in artbook actually shows what they look like as people. In the movie, they are only seen as souls. |
| 173 | * MagicalAsian: Moonwind and his crew are human mystics who are in touch with the spirit world. Two of them are a man meditating in the Philippines and a woman playing an instrument in Tibet. [[TheRuntAtTheEnd The last to explain is a "shamanic healer" in California.]] In the comic adaptation of the movie, Dancerstar comes from Quebec. |
| 174 | * SatelliteCharacter: They are all associated with Moonwind. They are his crew after all. |
| 175 | [[/folder]] |
| 176 | |
| 177 | [[folder:New Souls]] |
| 178 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/soul9_640x386.jpg]] |
| 179 | ->'''Voiced by:''' Various |
| 180 | |
| 181 | Newly formed souls that have yet to start forming their personalities and finding their "spark". Doing so awards an Earth Pass, needed to leave the Great Before and be born on Earth. |
| 182 | ---- |
| 183 | * AmbiguousGender: Newborn souls do not seem to have genders before they're sent down to Earth. |
| 184 | * BlankSlate: All new souls start as blank slates with no personality of their own. They have to discover their own personalities in order to begin life on Earth. |
| 185 | * CompleteImmortality: As they're not technically "alive" yet, they cannot die or be harmed in any way. |
| 186 | * EarlyPersonalitySigns: Their experiences in the Great Before affect the personalities they will develop after they are sent to Earth. |
| 187 | * HeavenlyBlue: Their bodies are a shade of bright bluish-green. |
| 188 | * LittleBrotherIsWatching: When Joe asks if he's in "H-E-Double-Hockey-Sticks", all the new souls around him start innocently repeating, "Hell? Hell? Hell? Hell? Hell?". |
| 189 | * NoNameGiven: Well, of course they don't have names. They haven't even been born yet. |
| 190 | * TroublingUnchildlikeBehavior: During the "Becoming You" seminar, one new soul cheerfully explains they've been assigned the personality traits of "a manipulative megalomaniac who's intensely opportunistic!" |
| 191 | * YouAreNumberSix: Individual souls are referred to by numbers. |
| 192 | [[/folder]] |
| 193 | |
| 194 | !!Joe's family, friends, and acquaintances |
| 195 | |
| 196 | [[folder:Curley]] |
| 197 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/curley_pizza.jpg]] |
| 198 | ->'''Voiced by:''' [[Music/TheRoots Questlove]] |
| 199 | |
| 200 | Lamont "Curley" Baker is a past student of Joe Gardner who now works as a drummer in the Dorothea Williams Quartet. When the band is in need of a piano player, Curley recommends his former mentor, presenting Joe with the opportunity to live out his passion. |
| 201 | ---- |
| 202 | * IronicNickname: Curley is a funny nickname for a bald guy. He did have a full head of curly hair back when he was Joe's student though. |
| 203 | * LastNameBasis: A respect-based variant. Joe says he can call him by his first name, since he's an adult now, but Curley still reflexively calls him "Mr. Gardner." (Anyone who's remained in contact with a teacher after graduation can probably relate.) |
| 204 | * NiceGuy: He is a kind, friendly person who wants to help his old mentor achieve his dream. |
| 205 | * VagueAge: It's unknown what his exact age is, but he's likely in his twenties, given that he is a former student of Joe, who is in his forties. |
| 206 | [[/folder]] |
| 207 | |
| 208 | [[folder:Libba Gardner]] |
| 209 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/libba_gardner_from_soul.jpg]] |
| 210 | ->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/PhyliciaRashad |
| 211 | |
| 212 | Joe's mother, who runs a tailor shop and disapproves of her son's ambitions. |
| 213 | ---- |
| 214 | * AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther: Despite not agreeing with Joe's dream, she does love and worry about him. |
| 215 | * FantasyForbiddingFather: Libba discourages her son from chasing one-off gigs and instead encourages him to pursue a stable career as a music teacher, the reason being she doesn't want her son to struggle with maintaining a steady income like her husband did. [[spoiler:Later subverted when Joe (or, rather, Joe directing 22 while she's in his body) convinces her to support him when he tells her how passionate he is about his upcoming gig.]] |
| 216 | * HiddenDepths: When she first appears, she seems a typical nagging mother who sees Joe's dream as unrealistic and wants him to pursue a mundane career. Later, when Joe finally confronts his mother, we find out the real reason for her disapproval: Joe wanted to follow in his father's footsteps to become a jazz musician, but even when his dad was alive and successful, it was Libba's business that paid most of the bills and Libba is scared that Joe will end up like that but with no one to help him should something happen to her. Regardless, she comes around to supporting Joe's dreams and admits that she's proud of him no matter what he does with his life. |
| 217 | * MyBelovedSmother: She pressures Joe to accept the teaching job instead of becoming a professional musician. |
| 218 | [[/folder]] |
| 219 | |
| 220 | [[folder:Dorothea Williams]] |
| 221 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/soul_promostill4.jpg]] |
| 222 | ->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/AngelaBassett |
| 223 | |
| 224 | A famous jazz saxophonist whom Joe idolizes. |
| 225 | ---- |
| 226 | * TheDiva: A downplayed example. She's framed as the height of jazz performers, and definitely has sway over who plays and how in her band. She's quick to hire, fire, and challenge her bandmates to keep up. Her experience in the field also gives Joe the advice he needs to hear about the difference between chasing the dream and living it. |
| 227 | * HiddenHeartOfGold: She's stern and aloof, but she does give Joe a chance because she can see how good he is, and because Curley vouched for him. [[spoiler:When Joe admits getting his dream isn't like he imagined, she doesn't get upset and even implies she understands how he's feeling.]] |
| 228 | %%* SassyBlackWoman |
| 229 | [[/folder]] |
| 230 | |
| 231 | [[folder:Connie]] |
| 232 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/maxresdefault_5716.jpg]] |
| 233 | ->'''Voiced by:''' Cora Champommier |
| 234 | |
| 235 | A student in Joe's music class. |
| 236 | ---- |
| 237 | * TheCynic: Goes to Joe declaring that she wants to quit the school band because she thinks it's stupid, but turns around after a pep talk from 22. |
| 238 | * SmallRoleBigImpact: She only appears in two scenes and isn't a major character of the story, but her interactions with 22-in-Joe's body is one of the first things that allows 22 to appreciate being alive, and in turn, allows Joe to learn to appreciate the little things in life that he once took for granted later on as well. |
| 239 | * SugarAndIcePersonality: She acts like she hates everything, but when she stops being self-conscious and just lets herself enjoy playing, it's clear she loves it. |
| 240 | [[/folder]] |
| 241 | |
| 242 | [[folder:Dez]] |
| 243 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dez_asking.png]] |
| 244 | ->'''Voiced by:''' Donnell Rawlings |
| 245 | |
| 246 | Joe's barber. |
| 247 | ---- |
| 248 | * AnimalLover: He planned to become a veterinarian, and doesn't mind when 22-as-Joe shows up with a cat in tow. |
| 249 | * HappinessInMinimumWage: Reveals his dream was to be a veterinarian but had to settle for barber school after his daughter got sick because it was much cheaper. However, he adores his job because he gets to meet and help all kinds of interesting people--exactly why he wanted to be a veterinarian in the first place. |
| 250 | * HiddenDepths: Joe knows him as the best barber around, but he actually originally wanted to be a vet--he became a barber when his daughter got sick and he needed to earn money quickly. He found he actually loves it, because he gets to talk to all sorts of people. |
| 251 | * NiceGuy: Immediately bumps Joe to the front of the line when he sees what he did to his hair, and doesn't object to him keeping a cat in his lap while he works. |
| 252 | * YouDidntAsk: Tells 22-in-Joe's body this word for word after she talks about anything else other than jazz and asked about Dez's life. |
| 253 | [[/folder]] |
| 254 | |
| 255 | [[folder:Paul]] |
| 256 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/soul_2020_paul.jpg]] |
| 257 | ->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/DaveedDiggs |
| 258 | |
| 259 | A regular at the local barbershop. |
| 260 | ---- |
| 261 | * TheChewToy: Between being read in front of everyone at the barbershop--much to the others' amusement--and [[spoiler:being dragged into the astral plane by Terry before Terry realizes that they got the wrong guy]], Paul has a ''very'' bad day. |
| 262 | * HiddenDepths: He's genuinely insecure, and can be heard reassuring himself that "Julia Child didn't get started until she was 49!" |
| 263 | * InferioritySuperiorityComplex: He always tries to drag other people down, but as Joe guesses (and 22 says outright), it's because he's insecure and feels like a failure himself. When told as much, Paul notably doesn't try and dispute it. |
| 264 | * JerkassHasAPoint: He's a jerk about it, but he's not wrong when he says Joe's entire career has been a series of "almosts". [[spoiler:Of course, he doesn't know that this time really ''is'' different.]] |
| 265 | * SitcomArchNemesis: He's described as Joe's neighborhood nemesis. They clearly don't get along, but Paul's more of an annoyance than anything, especially when compared to the threat of Joe being permanently disconnected from his body. |
| 266 | * TroubledFetalPosition: Getting trapped in the astral plane, having his soul ripped out and shoved back into his body, and witnessing an otherworldly astral being leaves Paul a whimpering, quivering mess. |
| 267 | [[/folder]] |
| 268 | |
| 269 | [[folder:Mr. Mittens]] |
| 270 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/unhappy_mr_mittens.png]] |
| 271 | |
| 272 | A therapy cat from the hospital Joe's body was in while his soul was separated. |
| 273 | ---- |
| 274 | * {{Acrofatic}}: He is a fat cat but effortlessly chases Joe across the subway. |
| 275 | * AdvertisedExtra: He became this through the movie's date changes to practically being a WalkingSpoiler. Later trailers, merchandise, and products for the movie would lead you to believe he somehow becomes a member of a tram of three with Joe and 22 or is actually Joe's pet cat. Of course, [[spoiler:Joe does spend a decent amount of the film in Mr. Mittens' body, so Mittens is physically a large role]]. In fact, given Joe [[spoiler:appears in both human and soul forms on the poster, you can interpret Mr. Mittens as representing Joe himself]]. |
| 276 | * AnimalGenderBender: Like Mochi in ''WesternAnimation/BigHero6'', he's a male calico cat. Such a thing is technically possible but very, very, rare. |
| 277 | * WhatHappenedToTheMouse: In-universe, when Joe inadvertently bodyjacks it, he and 22 wonder what that means for the cat. Cue a CutawayGag to the cat's soul meowing confusedly on the conveyor to the Great Beyond. Apparently, it never went through or was recovered, because it seems just fine when everyone is set right later. The creators stated in an interview that the soul ended up going to the Great Beyond, but that [[CatsHaveNineLives cats have nine of them]] so it wasn't a huge loss. This was originally going to be clarified in the movie but was cut for time. |
| 278 | [[/folder]] |
| 279 | |
| 280 | [[folder:Dr. Bjorn Börgensson ]] |
| 281 | [[quoteright:1000:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/img_2304_2.jpeg]] |
| 282 | |
| 283 | A Nobel Prize-winning psychologist who was originally supposed to be 22's new mentor. |
| 284 | ---- |
| 285 | * TheGhost: He is seen only through memory bank footage and does not appear in person. |
| 286 | * InkblotTest: In a flashback, we see him treat a patient using this technique. |
| 287 | * WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Since Joe took his spot as 22's mentor, we never see what became of him. Though it's most likely he was sent to the Great Beyond. |
| 288 | [[/folder]] |
| 289 | |
| 290 | [[folder:Lisa]] |
| 291 | A woman who, according to 22, Joe thinks about a lot. |
| 292 | ---- |
| 293 | * AmbiguousSituation: It's unknown if she is Joe's ex-girlfriend or just someone he admired but chose not to pursue due to "not having the time for a relationship". |
| 294 | * TheGhost: She is only mentioned by name; she never appears onscreen. |
| 295 | [[/folder]] |
| 296 | |
| 297 | !!The Apocalypse |
| 298 | [[folder:In General]] |
| 299 | Five newborn souls recruited by 22 in her efforts to prevent more souls from going to Earth. They appear in the short film ''22 vs. Earth''. |
| 300 | * ChildrenAreInnocent: They go along with 22's plan, despite not really understanding it. |
| 301 | * FunWithAcronyms: Apocalypse stands for '''A'''nonymous '''P'''rovocateurs and '''O'''ther '''C'''ulprits that are '''A'''gainst '''L'''eaving '''Y'''our friends to go to '''P'''athetic '''S'''tupid '''E'''arth. |
| 302 | * YouCantFightFate: Despite 22's efforts, she accidentally helps all of them earn their Earth Passes and go to Earth. |
| 303 | [[/folder]] |
| 304 | |
| 305 | [[folder:Moonbeam]] |
| 306 | ->'''Voiced by:''' Micah Chen |
| 307 | * HotBlooded: They get their symbol by yelling, "You can't stop us! We're the Apocalypse!" and biting Jerry, who later comments, "I'd hate to be that kid's parents." |
| 308 | * TheUnreveal: We never see what their chest symbol turns into, since they aren't facing the camera when it appears. |
| 309 | [[/folder]] |
| 310 | |
| 311 | [[folder:Peanut]] |
| 312 | ->'''Voiced by:''' Adela Drabek |
| 313 | * DrivesLikeCrazy: Gets their Earth Pass when they steal a getaway car and find out they like driving really fast. |
| 314 | [[/folder]] |
| 315 | |
| 316 | [[folder:Zimmy]] |
| 317 | ->'''Voiced by:''' Aiyanna Miorin |
| 318 | * AnimalMotifs: When they happily declare themselves a mindless follower, the symbol on their chest changes into a [[MindlessSheep sheep]]. |
| 319 | [[/folder]] |
| 320 | |
| 321 | [[folder:Macaroni]] |
| 322 | ->'''Voiced by:''' Karee Ducharme |
| 323 | * MeaningfulName: Macaroni is a popular comfort food, and Macaroni the soul gives 22 a comforting hug. |
| 324 | * NiceGuy: When 22 is sad over all the other members of Apocalypse leaving, Macaroni comes over to comfort her, gaining a symbol of a teddy bear. |
| 325 | * YankTheDogsChain: For a moment, it looks like Macaroni is going to stay with 22, but then they get their Earth Pass by demonstrating their kind nature. |
| 326 | [[/folder]] |
| 327 | |
| 328 | [[folder:D-Pac]] |
| 329 | ->'''Voiced by:''' Samantha Ho |
| 330 | * ConsummateLiar: They get their spark when 22 tells them to lie to Jerry and they do it effortlessly, resulting in their chest symbol turning into a Pinocchio nose. |
| 331 | * TroublingUnchildlikeBehavior: As they run off to Earth, they declare, "I love lying!" |
| 332 | [[/folder]] |
| 333 | |
| 334 | [[folder:Neptune]] |
| 335 | ->'''Voiced by:''' Azriel Dalman |
| 336 | * WeHardlyKnewYe: Is the very first soul in 22's friend group to go to Earth before the Apocalypse was even formed. |
| 337 | [[/folder]] |
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