Main Characters
Dorian Gray
Dorian Gray
Species: Immortal
Voiced By: Alexander Vlahos
Portrayed By: Alexander Vlahos
Our protagonist if not our hero. Dorian sold his soul to stay young forever and instead the portrait of himself painted by his friend Basil (and that he keeps in his attic in most series) ages and decays as he does.
- Adaptational Backstory Change: Dorian's traditional origin of having been the product of an inter-class marriage and being raised by a grandfather who disliked him is replaced with him having parents who were apparently of the same class and being raised by his aunt and uncle.
- Adaptational Badass: As is common with adaptations Dorian is completely immortal unlike in the book, which never actually said that Dorian would live forever or that he could never be killed.
- Adaptational Context Change: Unlike in the novel where he simply wishes he will remain young like his portrait, here it's made clear that he made an actual deal with some sort of entity. In "Shades of Gray" this being is called the Collector, while here it's left more ambiguous though it's implied that Lucifer might have been the one. This makes him much less sympathetic, as in the book he made a wish he had no idea would actually come true while here he knowingly made the choice to sell his soul for immortality.
- Adaptational Dye-Job: Unlike in the book where he was blond, here he has dark hair which is eventually lampshaded in "The Fallen King of Britain'".
- Adaptational Sexuality: Dorian is unambiguously bisexual here unlike in the book, and his main love interest is a male vampire.
- Age Lift: In "Before Your Eyes" it's hinted that he's older than he was in the audios, with the short film presumably being set in 2022. Since he states that his portrait was made over 150 years ago, that would suggest it happened on the late 1860s or possibly earlier, but the audios established he was born in 1862 and his portrait was made in 1880. Since Vlahos himself looks older than he did in the cover art of the audios it can also be assumed that Dorian was in his thirties when he became immortal in the short, so he is at a minimum two decades older than he was in the audios.
- Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other: His last words with his sister were one of comfort as he reluctantly killed her to stop the dragons, with him explaining that he had hoped she would live a happy if normal life despite usually mocking some things.
- Badass Longcoat: As seen on the covers of the audios.
- Brought Down to Normal: In "The Mayfair Monster" his portrait is stolen and he ages as people experiment on it. According to Ever After this happened again after Lucifer returned his soul.
- Character Development: Following the audios in chronological order shows Dorian transform from an amoral and often selfish young man who is able to move on with his life after his adventures without much difficulty to a more brooding and depressed character who is worn down by his losses. He's more of a Anti-Hero in stories set closer to the present than ones set earlier, where he's more of a Villain Protagonist.
- The Corrupter: It turns out that anyone Dorian meets who ends up morally corrupted or ruined from knowing him don't move on to the afterlife when they die. Instead they become a gestalt entity which desires for Dorian's immortality to end, and occasionally haunt him. Even unborn fetuses are cursed to end up this way much to Dorian's horror.
- Dark and Troubled Past: His father died not long after his sister's birth, and the grief caused his mother to suffer a mental breakdown. Him and his sister were sent to live with their aunt and uncle, and one time while they were all gone, he was seduced by his governess Constance Harker and lost his virginity. This experience taught him how important having youth was, and not long after Constance died under mysterious circumstances with many suspecting he had something to do with it though they never outright accused him. As it turns out Dorian was somewhat to blame, as it was his imaginary friend Brennan who killed Constance.
- Ethical Slut: At his best he is this, as on the rare occasions that he enters a truly romantic relationship he stays loyal to them. In regards to his flings, during the early part of the 20th century he rarely treats his partners kindly but as time goes on he becomes more considerate towards their feelings to an extent.
- Fish out of Temporal Water: He's this to a lesser degree than most examples when he's resurrected in Series 3, having missed two years and now has to adapt to the post-Recession/Recovery era.
- Forgotten First Meeting: As it turns out, Dorian had briefly met Toby who had been stalking him back in 1976. However, in order to save him from the Greek goddess of memory Dorian sacrificed the ten years of memory from after his break up with Alyssa in 1974, meaning he doesn't remember that meeting or the monster that had killed him during that time.
- Friendless Background: He was a lonely child growing up, to the point he created an imaginary friend named Brennan.
- The Hedonist: Naturally he's this, but it's also what causes him more pain once he reaches the 21st century. As the Monster of the Week points out, now everybody is like him and the things that made him shocking during the 19th century are more socially acceptable. It gets worse in Series 3 when Simon Darlow points out that by the 2010s most people had outgrown his attitude and how he acted in the 2000s. And while it's subtle, Dorian becomes less obsessed with chasing after new experiences since by then he's already experienced them and him becoming less of a hedonist is what leads him to show more regret about his past actions.
- Hurting Hero: By the time he reaches the 21st century he struggles to even hide how much it hurts to have outlived so many people he cared about. After he's resurrected in Series 3 he admits seeing his memories while in his painting caused him to see how cruel he was in the past which causes him guilt.
- Immortal Hero: He's literally immortal and the protagonist.
- Ironic Name: People think his name is this, with one character saying that his parents must have been prophetic to name him after a fictional character he shares so many personality traits with.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: He starts out as more of a jerk, and while he never stops being one he becomes a nicer person by the end of the series.
- Lack of Empathy: Subverted, Dorian can be cruel but he can also connect with people deeply and form genuine friendships. However his life as The Hedonist means that only people similar to him can become his friends and those seeking a deeper connection are often left heartbroken. During his worst moments he can also be incredibly arrogant and dismissive of people, telling one person who was simply being friendly that he was pathetic as at the time he had been really stressed. This fades by the time he reaches the 21st century, and while he remains ruthless he's much nicer.
- No-Sell: Because he sold his soul for his immortality, often he proves to immune to creatures that would try to claim it for themselves. He is also immune to supernatural things that would hurt or kill regularly people because of his immortality.
- Older Than They Look: Often claims this when people notice him referencing something he would have been too young to know about.
- Politically Incorrect Hero: While it does seem to fade overtime as Character Development kicks in, Dorian has a noticeable misogynistic streak with a massive example being how he treated Rosina Sawyer who was one of his flings in 1911. However he’s also been shown to be friends with Dorothy Parker while also having more genuinely romantic relationships with other women not long after what happened with Rosina.
- Really 700 Years Old: He was born in 1862 and had his portrait painted when he was 18, so by the time of Series 5 he's around 154 years old.
- Really Gets Around: Oh boy does he...
- Sibling Rivalry: He used to have this type of relationship with his sister Dora, but by the time they meet again she feels no emotional connection to him after not seeing him for decades. However her death weighs heavily on Dorian for sixty years and when he believes he's encountered her soul in the Brigadoon Hotel he become determined to save her, showing that despite everything he truly loved his sister. Before her death he also explains that he had hoped she would live a happy if normal life and die content, despite previously mocking her for her age.
- Soul Jar: His portrait is this. It's later revealed that after both him and Toby were resurrect in Series 3 his soul was placed inside Toby.
- Took a Level in Kindness: As time goes on he becomes very different from the man he was when he made the deal for his immortality. After his resurrection in Series 3 he's even more nicer to people due to having realised that he wasn't a good person.
- Villain Protagonist: At his worst he is this.
Toby Matthews
Tobias "Toby" Langston Matthews
Species: Vampire
Voiced By: Hugh Skinner
A vampire who becomes Dorian's boyfriend and One True Love.
- I Hate You, Vampire Dad: Has a few issues with his sire, Ivor.
- Fish out of Temporal Water: He died in the late 80s, so when he's resurrected in 2014 he's absolutely fascinated by mobile phones when he first sees Victoria using one.
- Forgotten First Meeting: Subverted, as he remembers briefly meeting Dorian in 1976. But in order to save Toby from a Greek goddess of memory, Dorian sacrificed his memory of the ten years after 1974 meaning he doesn't remember that brief encounter.
- Marriage of Convenience: In "The Anniversary", he reveals that he once married a human woman he had befriended in the 1920s, and he described their relationship in this way. He explained that there was never a romantic attraction between them, but they provided each a sense of companionship and that sadly she chose to die instead of becoming a vampire like him.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: He erases Simon’s memory of Dorian after he warns him about the Brigadoon Hotel, leaving him with only vague memories of Dorian in his Charlie White identity. This means that when Dorian is being kept in an asylum, Simon believes that his ex-boyfriend is genuinely insane and doesn’t help him escape.
- One True Love: Toby is the love of Dorian's life, and he's left broken when Toby decides that he wants to die.
- Really 700 Years Old: Tobias is older than even Dorian, having become a vampire in 1724 and while his exact age isn't given he's presumably in his early to mid twenties. This would make him around 160 years older than Dorian and by Series 5 he would be around 300 years old.
- Soul Jar: Lucifer reveals that he resurrected Toby and placed Dorian's soul in him instead of his portrait, and by returning it to Dorian he is then able to take control of Toby's body.
- Stalker with a Crush: "The Anniversary" reveals that he had been aware of Dorian for a long time before they met in 1986, to the point he had actually been searching for him and briefly met him in 1976. This allowed Toby to kill the monster of the week Dorian had encountered, but thinking him dead Toby had left and wouldn't see him again until 1986. As it turned out, Dorian lost all memory of this as in order to save Toby's life from the Greek goddess Mnemosyne, so he had no recollection of their brief meeting or the monster that killed him.
Reoccuring Characters
Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde
Species: Human
Voiced By: Steffan Rhodri
Dorian's old friend who wrote a famous book about the immortal.
- Fate Worse than Death: It's implied he became part of the Lost after he died.
- Historical Domain Character: Oscar Wilde naturally wrote the book the audios are based on.
- It Will Never Catch On: He thought this about himself and that Dorian will still be alive long after the world had forgotten about him. It's sadly justified however since at the time he was dying, his reputation had been ruined and none of his plays were being performed so he had no reason to believe he would be remembered.
- Loosely Based On A True Story: All the characters from his book were part of Dorian's life, but Dorian's literary counterpart killed himself in the end by destroying his painting. Oscar wrote this not because he wants Dorian to die, but because he worries about the state of his soul and in his version Dorian at least found some form of redemption.In Series 2 this is what Dorian ends up doing in the end in order to free the soul of a woman who had been his first lover.
Simon Darlow
Simon Darlow
Species: Human
Voiced By: David Blackwell
One of Dorian's lovers in the 21st century.
- The Beard: He reveals that he and his wife are this to each other in Series 3.
- Guy of the Week: This is what he is to Dorian, who is still trying to deal with the death of Toby, while Simon actually fell in love with Dorian.
- Took a Level in Jerkass: He's lost some of his naivety when he reappears in Series 3 and is more rude to Dorian.
Dora Rigby
Isadora "Dora" Rigby (née Gray)
Species: Human
Voiced By: Katy Manning
Dorian's sister who like him has also found a way to prolong her life, living to be 86 by the time she reunites with her brother seven decades after they last saw each other.
- Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other: Before dying she admits that she has missed her brother and that despite everything she cares for him. Sadly he chooses to kill her before she can ask whether he missed her.
- The Bus Came Back: Possibly. Her soul might have appeared at the Brigadoon Hotel, but she also might have been a manipulation by Lucifer.
- Canon Foreigner: Dorian never had a sister in the novel.
- Dark and Troubled Past: Her father died shortly after she was born which drove her mother mad with grief, leaving her and Dorian to be raised by their aunt and uncle. Her childhood is unknown but she had a difficult relationship with Dorian and eventually they went their separate ways, resulting in them never seeing each other again for seventy years. She then got married to Charles Rigby until he was death due to the dragons, which had possessed Dora with the goal of using her to acquire Dorian's body.
- Green-Eyed Monster: She admits that she had wanted to be Dorian, with the immortality and opportunities that were available to him.
- Sibling Rivalry: She used to have this type of relationship with her brother, but by the time they meet again she feels no deep emotional connection to him beyond annoyance after not seeing him for decades. However before her death she seems to admit that she does care about Dorian and had wanted to keep him safe from the dragons.
Dorothy Parker
Dorothy "Dottie" Parker (née Rothschild)
Species: Human
Voiced By: Sarah Douglas
The famous writer herself, Dorothy “Dottie” Parker is a good friend of Dorian’s.
- Historical Domain Character: Dorothy Parker is a real life writer, critic and poet known for her sharp wit. Of course the audios greatly downplay how tragic her life was and Dorian mostly meets with her during no more happy occasions.
- Platonic Life-Partners: While Dorothy and Dorian seem to imply their is an attraction between them, there’s no evidence to suggest they were anything more than friends.
The Man Upstairs (SPOILERS!)
Lucifer
Species: Devil
Voiced By: Gabriel Woolf and Hugh Skinner (as Toby)
The Devil himself who has been trapped in the Brigadoom Hotel and seeks to escape using Dorian.
- Ambiguous Situation: It's implied he's the one Dorian made the deal with for immortality, though the specifics are't clarified and it's left vague.
- Arch-Enemy: Despite only meeting two times in the audios, he causes Dorian the most harm and it's clear that Dorian has never hated anyone as much as he hates Lucifer.
- Greater-Scope Villain: "The Last Confession" reveals that he has been pitting immortals against each other and is responsible for their existence, meaning he's likely to blame for all the supernatural monsters in the world. Given that he might have been the one who made Dorian immortal that means he is responsible for the Lost existing and all those souls being unable to move on.
- Sealed Evil in a Can: The Brigadoom Hotel kept him trapped but he escapes by taking over Toby's body.
- The Villain Wins: Assuming he wasn't something dreamt up by an insane man believing himself to be Dorian Gray, he escapes the Brigadoon Hotel while Dorian is eventually killed in a labotomy in Ever After.
Other Characters
Humans
Dr. Henry Jekyll and Dr. Edward Montague
Henry Jekkyll and Edward Hyde
Species: Mutated Human
Voiced By: Hugh Ross
Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde themselves, the latter having adopted a new alias. The two "brothers" only interact through playing chess with each other, which Dorian comes across and fascinated by the situation tries to understand them.
- Adaptational Jerkass: Jekyll is far more rude and cruel than his book counterpart, being prepared to kill innocents to try and learn the address of brother's home.
- Adaptational Nice Guy: Hyde is far more polite and caring than his book counterpart, though it's clear that he is still cruel.
- Canon Foreigner: Hyde has a wife and child in this version, the latter having apparently inherited the same condition that Jekyll and Hyde have.
- Riches to Rags: Jekyll was once a respected and wealthy doctor, but now he works at a church warning people of sin and evil.
- Spared by the Adaptation: They didn't die, unlike in the book.
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes
Species: Human
Voiced By: Nicholas Briggs
The Great Detective himself who appears in "Ghosts of Christmas Past", who once investigated the possible murder of Basil Hallward and in 1912 was reunited with Dorian who was being blackmailed to kill him.
- The Anti-Nihilist: Despite his fears of dying and the knowledge his mental abilities are fading, Holmes sticks to his belief that all things must eventually die and refuses to allow despair to make him accept a Deal with the Devil.
- Character Overlap: He's essentially the same version of Holmes from Big Finish's audios of the same name.
- Foil: By this point in time he has started to fear death and how old he has become, but unlike Dorian this isn't out of vanity but because his deductive abilities have started to fade. However even when offered the same deal as Dorian, Holmes rejects it and sticks to his role of The Anti-Nihilist.
- Genre Refugee: He's a detective who has wandered into a gothic horror, and tries to apply his usual methods to find a logical explanation for what is happening
- Retired Badass: By 1912 he has apparently retired and no longer works with Watson, though he agrees to help Dorian once he learns he is actually in danger.
- Sherlock Scan: Does to to Dorian to learn he had been to Henry Wottan's funeral.
- What You Are in the Dark: Despite struggling to find a rational explanation for James Moriarty's return and deep down fearing how he is getting older, he outright refuses to sell his soul on the grounds that he refuses to fear the unknown even if Moriarty is who he says he is.
- Wrong Genre Savvy: Ironically he thinks he's in one of his usual detective stories where there is a logical explanation for everything. He's actually in a gothic supernatural horror with an actual immortal. At the end of the adventure when Dorian asks if Holmes finally believes him, he simply replied that there are some things that can't be given a rational explanation which Dorian simply notes is neither a yes or a no.
Supernatural
The Woman in Blue
Mina Harker (née Murray)
Species: Vampire
Voiced By: Laura Doddington
Mina Harker was apparently turned into a vampire during her famous battle against the evil Count, and intentionally crosses paths with Dorian as a warning.
- Adaptational Badass: Was turned into a vampire in this version.
- Really 700 Years Old: Assuming the events of Dracula took place around 1897, the year it was published, and she is supposed to be in her twenties, Mina was likely born only a few years after Dorian.
The Lost
The Lost
Species: Supernatural Entity
Voiced By: Rebecca Newman
A gestalt entity made up of all the souls that Dorian had encountered and morally corrupted, leaving them barred from the afterlife as long as Dorian remains immortal.
- Fate Worse than Death: Anyone who became corrupted and ruined by Dorian's influence becomes part of the Lost, including unborn fetuses. Fridge Horror kicks in when you realise that such vague conditions means literally anyone Dorian meets could end up part of the Lost, and he mentions seeing Basil and Oscar occasionally suggesting they were also affected.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: The Lost is never brought up again after its first appearance and it's unclear whether the souls were freed after Dorian destroyed his portrait. If they were then it remains unclear what happened after Dorian came back.
James Moriarty
James Moriarty
Species: Supernatural Entity
Voiced By: Rupert Young
The greatest criminal of his time, Professor Moriarty appears in "Ghosts of Christmas Past" where he reveals he made a deal which made him immortal so he could return after his death at the Reichenbach Falls.
- Ambiguous Situation: Whether or not the deal he made was with Lucifer, as the original planned ending of the series called The Last Confession revealed Lucifer was intentionally pitting immortals against each other. There's also a chance James was some sort of manifestation of Lucifer he took to try and manipulate Holmes into making a deal.
- Arch-Enemy: He was this for Sherlock Holmes, and Moriarty admits that Sherlock was the only man who could have beaten him.
- Deal with the Devil: He offers one to Holmes, promising to return him to the prime of his life and make him immortal in return for his soul. Holmes however rejects him and chooses to stick to his rational beliefs.
Freya
Freya
Species: Goddess
Voiced By: Katherine Pearce
A Norse Goddess that Dorian meets in 1974 in Scandinavia.
- Genre Refugee: She's from Norse mythology, which is pretty far removed from the gothic horror genre Dorian belongs to.
- Uncertain Doom: She was dragged down under a frozen lake by the troll chasing her, but since she's a goddess it's unclear whether she was truly killed.
