Characters / The Brave Little Toaster

Characters who appeared in the film The Brave Little Toaster.

The Cottage Appliances

Toaster

Voiced by: Deanna Oliver; Olga Golovanova (Russian dub)

• Ambiguous Gender:
  • Open to interpretation in several countries. (In Germany and Finland, they’re a guy, while in Brazil, they’re a girl.) This is particulary worse in Latin America and less degree, Spain, since Spanish doesn't have gender-neutral pronouns: In the very first movie, which was dubbed in Mexico, Toaster is addressed as a male, while in the sequels, which were dubbed in Venezuela, the character is now addressed as a female instead. On the other hand, Spain addresses Toaster as a female in all films.
  • The movie itself seems to refer to Toaster as a boy, but the director Jerry Rees has referred to Toaster as 'she/her' in both the 2010 interview about the film and in his Reddit AMA. Deanna Oliver went through the entire production believing she was voicing a girl and was never told otherwise.
  • In the original book, the toaster is implied to not have one, as with all the other appliances.
• Badass Adorable: During her Heroic Sacrifice.
• Beware the Nice Ones: He may be friendly and optimistic, but he is usually not a pushover. He gets protective over Blanky when the others start to gang up on him, and frequently breaks up fights and bickering between his friends with stern looks.
• Big Sibling Instinct: Towards Blanky later in the film, having learned from the flower that neglecting him would cause him great harm.
• Break the Cutie: Suffers many throughout the journey to their master, most notably when she slips up and she and the rest of the appliances fall down a waterfall, lose the large battery and chair they brought for the journey, and almost drown. She stays slumped on Kirby’s back, facing away from her friends who are cheering. When they reach dry surface, she walks away to be alone, blaming herself for dropping the cord and getting themselves in this predicament.
• Cloudcuckoolander: When he is trying to describe to Lampy how it feels to be around Blanky, she uses euphemisms that involve bread. Fitting, considering that he IS a Toaster.
• Cruel and Unusual Death: When Rob is about to be crushed by a giant trash compactor, Toaster sacrifices herself by jumping into the machine’s gears, grinding the gears up while being terribly crushed in the process. It was miraculous that Rob was even able to repair her in such great condition.
• Determinator: When a FOR SALE sign appears next to the cottage, the rest of the appliances all mope around and wail in defeat. Toaster, on the other hand, tells them to stop it and makes a plan for them to go find their master. But when the others protest, Toaster claims that she’ll leave with or without them.

• A Dog Named "Dog": Toaster's name is... er.... Toaster.
• The Engineer: When the appliances need a large battery to get themselves out of the cottage and toward the city, Toaster finds one in the cottage closet. In a sign of Hidden Depths, she successfully hot wires it, causing it to power up, and she straps it to the chair they use to carry them behind Kirby’s back.
• Expy: If Toaster is a girl, then she would be one of Dorothy Gale from The Wizard of Oz. She tends to be optimistic and very determined to reach her destination, tries to work as a team with her friends, and she would be the only female member of a group of five.
• Four-Temperament Ensemble: Phlegmatic.
• The Hero: Or heroine.
• Heroic BSoD: Has one after the waterfall scene, when they're truly lost in the woods.
• Heroic Sacrifice: Being the brave little toaster, after all.
• Jerkass Realization: When a tired Toaster is trying to sleep after a long day, a lonely Blanky tried to cuddle up with him. Toaster pushes him away and tells him that he is trying to get sleep. Later, Toaster encounters a lonely flower who is the same color as Blanky. It, too, wants to cuddle with Toaster, and it dies when Toaster rejects it all the same. Toaster makes the connection between it and Blanky, and feels ashamed of his behavior last night, and makes it for it by being extra protecting towards Blanky.
• Leitmotif: A sad, wistful piece with a hint of hope, written to loop around, since everyone can see their reflection in the Toaster.
• Neat Freak: He encourages the rest of his fellow appliances to do chores around the empty cottage, and even compared it to having fun, much to their chagrin. And according to Kirby, they have been doing chores for the last 2000 days.
• Nice Job Breaking It, Hero!: It was because of his idea for him and the other appliances at the cottage to venture out to meet their master that they go through a whole set of tragedies. This almost makes them miss Rob, as he was coming to the cottage to collect them, anyway.
• One of the Boys: If Toaster really is a girl, then this trope would apply because the rest of her friends are male appliances, she is referred to alongside Lampy, Blanky, and Kirby as “you boys”, and the others don’t treat her any different. Although, Radio does refer to Toaster as “sweetheart” at one point in Rob’s apartment.
• Only Sane Man: Or Only Sane Woman. He can be a bit eccentric once in a while, but he mostly stays calm to restore order in the cottage and out on the journey to prevent his friends from squabbling and bickering.
• The Pollyanna: Out of the cottage appliances, she tends to be the most optimistic. But even she has her moments of doubt.
• Rousing Speech: What gets the gang rounded up to find the master in the first place.
• Say My Name: During the storm scene: "TOASTER!" "BLANKEY!"
• Spanner in the Works: Jams up the scrap compactor, saving Rob.

• Took a Level in Kindness: While going to sleep in the wilderness on their first night of the journey, Toaster sternly rejects Blanky when the latter wants someone to cuddle with. But after witnessing a flower wilt away from loneliness, he decides to let Blanky cuddle with him that night, briefly confusing Lampy.
• Vocal Dissonance: It's hard to tell whether Toaster is a boy or girl (if either, being a toaster), but he or she has a very feminine voice (courtesy of Deanna Oliver, who believed she was voicing a girl).
• Women Are Wiser: If Toaster is a woman, then she would definitely be an example of this trope. She is very level-headed when compared to the rest of her fellow appliances, except for Kirby. And unlike Kirby, Toaster usually knows when to be respectful and considerate with her friends.
• Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: Because of the fact that she is an electrical appliance, Toaster is deathly afraid of water, and she even had a nightmare about it involving her falling into a bathtub while plugged in. When she and the other fellow appliances are crossing a waterfall, her fear causes them to fall off and almost die.

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Blanky

Voiced by: Timothy E. Day (original), Eric Lloyd (sequels)

• Face Death with Dignity: Usually a cowardly crybaby but was surprisingly stoic when he and the rest of the appliances were sinking into the quicksand. He does scream when Kirby sinks but once he and Toaster are tangled with their cords and sink with him he just mutters "I'm not scared..." to Toaster.
• Least Is First: Blanky, the youngest and weakest of the group, is the first to join Toaster to find the Master.
• Leitmotif: An innocent and childlike theme.

• OOC Is Serious Business: See Face Death With Dignity above.
• Security Blanket: As an electric blanket they were literally the closest to the master, and it shows in their personality.
• She's a Man in Japan: He's female in Poland.
• Together in Death: Attempted: Clings to Rob's leg while he's trapped on the conveyor belt. S/he refuses to ever be separated from The Master ever again.
• Your Size May Vary: Most of the time, he's only slightly larger than Toaster. He grows larger in some scenes where it's necessary for the plot, most notably when he doubles as a full-size tent. His head is still the same size regardless of the rest of him though.

Lampy

Voiced by: Tim Stack; Olga Golovanova (Russian dub), Ewa Smolinska (Polish dub)

• Butt-Monkey: In the 'It's a B-Movie' number, and in 'Cutting Edge', he gets picked on quite a bit.
• The Chick: In the German dub. See She's a Man in Japan.
• Department of Redundancy Department: Sometimes Lampy speaks a little like this sometimes.
  Lampy: All of a sudden, you're being so darn nice to him all of a sudden.

• Girly Girl with a Tomboy Streak: His German and Polish versions are very girly but still get into fights. The German version has a soft voice but frequently uses the slang word "Tierisch" as an exclamation (and still being somewhat boisterous). The Polish version has the voice of a Proper Lady but sounds dry, casual and outspoken, and says things like "Hey, you!".
• Genius Ditz: Lampy's not very bright and none of his ideas ever work...but he is an expert on anything related to light. And most usefully, he knows how to read.
• Heroic Sacrifice: He willingly acts as a lightning rod to charge the battery, fully expecting to be completely destroyed in the process.

• Leitmotif: A happy, optimistic little theme.
• Sarcasm-Blind: Though he has his moments, of being a Deadpan Snarker, though, especially around Radio.
• She's a Man in Japan: Lampy is female in six foreign versions: German, Polish, Czech 1992, Russian TV, Croatian, and Brazilian 1996. Ironically enough, this is averted like nobody's business in the Japanese dub, which was voiced by male voice actors.
• Tomboy with a Girly Streak: The Brazilian 1996 version has a Tomboyish Voice and the bluntest vocal delivery of the female versions but sings delicately.

• Verbal Tic: His looping sentences have a habit of looping.
• Vitriolic Best Buds: With Radio.
• Vocal Evolution: His voice got goofier as the films went on.

Radio

Voiced by: Jon Lovitz (original), Roger Kabler (sequels)

• Big Damn Hero: When the others fall into the mud pit, and all hope seems lost, his Al Jolson music gets the attention of someone passing by.
• Catchphrase: "Listen to this!"
• Ditzy Genius: He does have a knowledge of culture and history, but he's a bit clueless and not of much use at times.
• Dub Name Change: He is called "Utvarp" in the Icelandic dubs.

• Heroic Sacrifice: In To The Rescue. He gave up his life (which was powered by a WFC-11-12-55 tube) to save all his friends from a threat. He comes back to life in the end thanks to Chris.
• Hypocritical Humor: He calls Kirby oblivious to reality, even though he tried to use Blanky as a magic carpet while Kirby and the Toaster clearly knew that wasn't going to work.
• Large Ham: Jon Lovitz based his performance on obnoxious-sounding radio announcers, citing Walter Winchell as an example.
• Leitmotif: A loud, brassy Fanfare.
• Miles Gloriosus: He frequently boasts of his supposedly heroic and historic exploits, such as being friends with Theodore Roosevelt.

• Mr. Vice Guy: He can be somewhat obnoxious but its never to a point where he is unlikable. He is still loyal and helpful to his companions.
• The Navigator: Via homing in on radio signals.
• The Smart Guy: He likes to think he is, at least. He does at least have a working knowledge of culture.
• Tiny Guy: In some languages, he is this to Lampy's Huge Girl.
• Troll: Oh, he loves to tease. When Blanky is scared there might be lions in the forest, Lampy pipes in menacely, "And tigers and bears! Oh my!"

Kirby

Voiced by: Thurl Ravenscroft

• Adaptation Name Change: A Hoover in the book.
• Badass Baritone: Especially in The City of Light number, thanks to Thurl Ravenscroft's baritone voice.
• Big Damn Hero: After the others falls down the waterfall, he rushes to the rescue... after working up the courage to do so.
• The Big Guy: By far the largest of the main appliances and is essentially the pack mule.
• Character Development: He starts out being grumpy, then mellows out later on while keeping some of his grumpy traits. This carried overs in the sequels.
• Deadpan Snarker: Especially when they form the group in the beginning.
• Dub Name Change: He is called "Aspi" in French, "Stoffie" in Dutch, "Szippancs" in Hungarian, and "Odkurzacz" in Polish.

• Grumpy Bear: At most times. He's basically the grumpy older party member that tags along because he don't have anything better to do. At least, so he says.
• I Was Just Passing Through: Kirby's excuse for saving the gang from the waterfall was that he just slipped and fell in like the rest of them.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: For all his grumpiness, he is still good-hearted, lovable, and will stop at nothing to save those he cares about.
• Leitmotif: As the old grump of the group, he gets a tune that plays in low chords.
• Not So Stoic: When he's left alone in the waterfall and even he's horrified at the blender's death and the B-Movie segment.
• This Is Gonna Suck: Says as such when he decides to join the group.
  Kirby: I just know I'm gonna regret this!
• Tsundere: He acts miserable mos of the time, but actually cares about his friends.
• You Don't Look Like You: The Disney covers depict him more hot pink than his gray/blue color.

Air Conditioner

Voiced by: Phil Hartman

• Alas, Poor Villain: After he angered himself to death (see Berserk Button):
  Blanket: Poor, Air Conditioner.
  Toaster: I didn't know he'd take it so hard.
  Kirby: Well, he was a jerk anyway.
• Berserk Button: He doesn't like being reminded that the Master never played with him. Being stuck in the wall made him rather edgy...
• Conspiracy Theorist: Is convinced that all the other appliances are against him. That they think they're better than him because they can move.
• Deadpan Snarker: "You're a real bright little lamp."
• Disney Death: Presumed to be dead after he blew a fuse. But he gets better after the Master repairs him.
• Explosive Overclocking: The madder he got, the higher his fans went. To the point where he blew a fuse with a shower of sparks.
• Family-Unfriendly Death: He practically exploded.
• Knight of Cerebus: His breakdown is when the Ascended Fridge Horror really sets in.
• Large Ham: Definitely when his Berserk Button is pushed.
• No Celebrities Were Harmed: Jack Nicholson.
• Starter Villain: Well, "villain" is a little extreme, but he technically serves as the first obstacle for the appliances before their long journey.
• Tears of Joy: Following the Disney Death, after realizing that the Master cared about him all along.
• You're Just Jealous: Don't get him started...
  "Sure, I'm jealous of a bunch of dimwits!"

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The Apartment Appliances

Old Rabbit Ears

Voiced by: Jonathan Benair

• Big Damn Hero: By playing fake commercials for Ernie's Disposal and enthusiastically depicting it as the greatest place to shop for machines in the city, he convinces the Master to go there, where the main cast has been sent.
• Cool Old Guy: He's an old black and white television, complete with rabbit ear antennae, and his "avatar" on the screen is that of a cheerful, middle-aged man. He's also the only appliance that can still physically act while in the presence of humans, by broadcasting anything he wishes.
• Deliberately Monochrome: Being a black and white TV, it comes with the territory. Even the main appliances are surprised he's still being used.
• Insane Proprietor: Takes on this role to get the Master's attention.
• Large Ham: "CRAZY ERNIE'S AMAZING EMPORIUM OF TOTAL BARGAIN MADNESS!!"
• Nice Guy: He is very friendly and will do anything to save his friends.
• Token Good Teammate: For the apartment appliances.

The "Cutting Edge" Appliances

Voiced by: Jim Jackman (Plugsy), Randy Cook (Entertainment Center), Randy Bennett (Computer), Mindy Stern/Judy Toll (Sewing Machine)

• Adaptational Villainy: In the novel, they actually helped the appliances find a new owner and felt guilty for replacing them.
• Affably Evil: At first they were very welcoming to the main cast, but that soon changed when they figured out their plans to reunite with their master.
• Corrupt Hick: The toaster-oven speaks in an American Southern accent.
• Even Evil Has Loved Ones: They do seem to genuinely love The Master like the main appliances do and are upset that he doesn't want to take any of them to college with him. Plugsy the purple lamp was briefly excited then heartbroken by the idea of Rob taking him to his dorm, only for Rob to reject it.
• French Jerk: The food processor has a French accent.
• Gossipy Hens: The sewing machine.
• Green-Eyed Monster: The whole motive behind their jerkassary was that they were jealous their master chose some "old stuff" to take to college instead of them.
• "I Am Great!" Song: "The Cutting Edge".
• The Mean Brit: The entertainment center.
• Meaningless Villain Victory: Even after ejecting Toaster and the crew from the apartment, Rob returns and tells his mother he still doesn't want to take any of them to college with him.
• Multiple Head Case: The sewing machine has two separate components: the control unit and the needle; both of them have faces and have different personalities. They both gossip to each-other, insulting Blankie. The vacuum is another case, the head and the motor/bag unit are two separate characters who are conjoined via the hose. They're never seen speaking though.
• Offscreen Karma: They never get punished for their actions to Toaster and Co, though Rob does end up taking the latter to college and leaving the former behind. However, even at the time the movie takes place their technology was slowly going out of date, whereas our heroes' tech is still relatively timeless. These guys won't be on "the cutting edge" for very long...
• She's a Man in Japan: Plugsy, like Lampy, is female in the Polish dub.
• Slasher Smile: When they slowly approach the main five. Radio lampshades this.
  Radio: I don't believe I've ever seen quite so many smiles before...
• Yellow Peril: The boombox's face resembles a stereotypical East Asian caricature. His control knob "eyes" have notches that resemble squinted eyes and his "mouth" is the cassette deck with the tapehead resembling buck teeth.
• Zeerust: While the devices seen are still for the most part functionally timeless, most of them have a heavy '80s aesthetic that would look very dated today.

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Humans

Robert "Rob" McGroarty/"The Master"

Voiced by: Timothy E. Day (young), Wayne Kaatz (original), Chris Young (sequels)

• Adaptational Intelligence: In the film, he's a Mr. Fixit. In the book he threw out a reasonably good toaster because its chrome wore off.
• Big Good: The caretaker of the appliances, and their main motivation for leaving the cabin.
• Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep": The appliances almost exclusively refer to him as "the Master".
• The Master: At least that's what the appliances know him as.

• Redhead In Green: Has red hair and wears a green sweater as an adult.

Chris

Voiced by: Colette Savage (original), Jessica Tuck (sequels)

• Ambiguously Brown: According to Word of God, she and Rob are an interracial couple. What's her ethnicity exactly is never brought up but one could guess she's either black, Hispanic, or mixed race. She's Race Lifted in the sequels to have lighter skin but still darker than Rob. Their infant son however is as white as his father.
• Cool Car: Her red convertible which seems to vaguely resemble either an Austin-Healey or a Shelby Cobra.
• Deadpan Snarker: Pretty much every other thing she says to Rob is sarcastic.
• Girliness Upgrade: Sort of. In each film he seemed to become somewhat more feminine. In the first film, she was pure tomboy. In To The Rescue she gains traits usually associated with typical girls like being obsessive in relationships and remembering anniversaries. In Goes To Mars she almost drops the tomboy aspect and becomes a normal loving mother to her and Rob's son, Robbie.
  • It may all due to her maturing, and becoming a mother.

• Energetic Girl: To Rob's Savvy Guy.
• Tomboy/Wrench Wench: She seems to have an interest in cars in order to own a sporty red convertible as well as recognizing a "hard to find" car part in the junkyard. She also knows a lot about computers evidenced in To the Rescue.

Elmo St. Peters

Voiced by: Joe Ranft

• Affably Evil: Despite his job requiring him to essentially mutilate appliances and his habit of scamming customers, he's an otherwise likable guy and seems fairly easy to get along with. Provided of course you're not a machine. Radio even calls him a nice but dingy fella, although this was before he tried to tried to dismember him for his tubes.
• Consummate Liar: He frequently tells his customers that he receives shipments of parts when he's really just taking them from used appliances he finds or already owns.
• Cool Car: Literally drives a monster truck.
• Fat Bastard: He's morbidly obese and is seen drinking a weight-loss shake only to stuff his face with marshmallows afterward.
• Laughably Evil: Even when he's mutilating and killing appliances, much it is played for dark comedy.
• Mad Libs Catch Phrase: "Now, what did I do with that [appliance]?"
• Meaningful Name: "Saint Peter." The guy you meet after death, geddit? He also names his dog "Quadruped", which means "having four feet".
• Obliviously Evil: He doesn't know the appliances are alive when he takes them apart, he's just doing his job, taking apart what he believes are completely inanimate objects.
• Pet the Dog: A literal example, as he genuinely seems to care about his dog, Quadruped.
• Punch-Clock Villain: See Obliviously Evil. He doesn't know he's gutting living appliances to death. That being said, he's not 100 percent ethical, he does scam his customers by passing off used parts as new.
• Villainous Rescue: His first appearance has him grab Radio's antenna just as he and the others are about to drown in the quicksand-like mud.
  "Ah, I thought I heard a radio!"

Rob's Mother

Voiced by: Mindy Stern

• Bookworm: Rob mentions her love of reading when she offers him to take Plugsy to his dorm. He asks what she'll read by then, she nonchalantly says she'll give up reading and start going out.
• Brick Joke: When Rob leaves for the cottage with Chris, she tells him to take a sweater. In the end of the film when Rob and Chris drive off for college, she calls to him that he forgot his sweater.
• Crazy-Prepared: Is very concerned with Rob bringing enough underwear and socks to college. Rob points out that the amount of garments she bought for him was a little overkill. She bought 48 pairs of socks.
• Good Parents: She appears to be a good mother, if perhaps a bit of a fussy worrywart. She's even willing to give Rob her own appliances when the stuff at the cottage goes missing.
• The Voice: Never actually seen, only heard.

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Elmo St. Peters' Shop

St. Peters' Appliances

Voiced by: Phil Hartman (Hanging Lamp), Judy Toll (Mish-Mash)

• The Blank: A refrigerator who doesn't speak and has no facial features, it is however seen dancing with the others during "It's a B Movie" and ends up breaking down the shop's door, allowing all the appliances to escape.
• Body Horror: The "Mish-Mash."
• Dark Is Not Evil: Yes, they're creepy, yes, they harassed the protagonists, but deep down they were just as scared as they were and lost hope of ever escaping.
• Decomposite Character: In the book, there's just the broken tape deck with a creepy voice, who tells the gang they'll never leave the scrapyard. In the film, it's a hanging lamp with the creepy voice, and several appliances in various states of disrepair. And they sing about how the cottage guys are doomed.
• Diegetic Switch: The music for "It's a B Movie" is started by a phonograph playing a record.
• Gag Boobs: A reel-to-reel tape player has its reels positioned to look like massive bosoms.
• Gallows Humor: They sing a scary yet strangely upbeat song about how they're all going to be butchered to death.
• Laughing Mad: They all cracked up when Lampy asked how they'll escape the shop.
• No Celebrities Were Harmed: The hanging lamp both looks and sounds like Peter Lorre. The Mish-Mash has the voice and mannerisms of Joan Rivers.
• Organ Theft: From a Certain Point of View. Elmo can and will tear out a component to hock to whatever rando comes to call. They've all watched him do it to countless others like themselves and the gang. It's no wonder they've all become so deranged.
• Pet the Dog: One of the first things the Peter Lorre Lamp does is sympathize with Lampy over his broken bulb and gives him a new one.
• Torture Cellar: The work/stockroom where they live is bad enough, but the basement is even worse, according to their song. Presumably, that's where Mr. Saint Peters' Frankenstein's appliances together.

Quadruped

• A Dog Named "Dog": A four-footed animal whose name literally means "having four feet."
• Brick Joke: Earlier Elmo praises Quadruped for remembering to put on his seatbelt. Later when the appliances break out of the shop, he jacks Elmo's truck but for a brief second remembers to fasten his belt before bolting off.
• Screw This, I'm Outta Here!: When the appliances get loose, Quadruped panics and flees the scene in his owner's truck.

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Ernie's Disposal

The Magnet

• Ax-Crazy: It completely loses it when the appliances evade it one too many times.
• Even Evil Has Standards: It seemed visibly taken aback when one of the cars was literally Driven to Suicide, though it doesn't show any kind of sympathy.
• Final Boss: The last obstacle the appliances face before they are reunited with Rob.
• Gag Nose: Sort of, it has a large steel bar jetting out below its eyes that somewhat resembles a large human nose. It even remains as part of its shape when it hides its eyes. Whether or not the "nose" serves a purpose is up for interpretation.
• Karma Houdini: Gets away with nearly killing the appliances, plus a human. Though the person operating it may not have been so lucky.
• Light Is Not Good: When it gets angry it sheds its usual red color and acquires a golden glow. Its a rather strange inversion of what usually happens in media.
• Punch-Clock Villain: At least until the appliances make it extremely angry, at which point it specifically hunts them, and doesn't even hesitate to toss Rob onto the belt with them.
• Turns Red: The magnet is orange. But when it gets really really angry, it glows yellow.
• Vile Villain, Saccharine Show: The film wasn't exactly that uplifting to start with, but it gets much more serious when the magnet gets involved.
• The Voiceless: You only hear a magnetic hum coming from it.

The Junkyard Cars

• Despair Event Horizon: Their song is called "Worthless" for a reason.
• Driven to Suicide: A literal case for the pickup truck at the end.
• Runaway Groom: The wedding limo sings about how she took a Texan (most likely a groom) to a wedding, but he "kept forgetting, his loneliness letting his thoughts turn to home and we turned."
• She's a Man in Japan: The cars have different genders, depending on which dub you're viewing. For example, the race car (who is originally a male) is a girl in the German and Dutch dubs, while the surfer car (who was female originally) is a male in the Danish and Icelandic dubs.

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