Characters / The Muppet Show

The Muppets Character Index
The Muppet Show | Muppet Babies | Others

Character sheets for The Muppet Show. For Muppets that showed up after The Muppet Show ended, go here. For characters that debuted in Muppet Babies, go here.

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Main Cast

Kermit the Frog

Performed by: Jim Henson (1955-1990), Steve Whitmire (1990-2016), Matt Vogel (2017-present)

Voiced by: Frank Welker (Muppet Babies (1984) and Little Muppet Monsters), Matt Danner (Muppet Babies (2018)) ^{Foreign VAs}  Roger Carel (European French; 1976-1981), Jose Maria Iglesias (The Muppet Show, original Mexican dub), Hernan Choza (The Muppet Show, Argentinian dub), Arturo Mercado (Muppet Babies (1984)), Raul Aldana (Muppets Tonight and The Muppets (2015)), Luis Leonardo Suarez (The Muppet Show, second Mexican dub and Muppet Babies (2018), as well as being his current official voice actor) Yasuo Yamada (Japanese; The Muppet Show, The Muppet Movie, Laserdisc dub), Akira Kamiya (Japanese; The Muppets Take Manhattan, home video dub), Kei Tomiyama (Japanese; The Jim Henson Hour), Kōichi Yamadera (Japanese; The Muppet Christmas Carol and Muppet Treasure Island), Yoshito Yasuhara (Japanese; Muppets Tonight), Mitsuaki Madono (current official Japanese voice actor)

Debut: Sam and Friends (1955)

A banjo-playing amphibian from the Deep South and the show's eternal Straight Man. Upon being discovered in a swamp by a talent agent, he headed to Hollywood, collecting the other Muppets along the way like so many hangers-on. Regularly depicted as the long-suffering ex-boyfriend of Miss Piggy and the equally long-suffering best friend of Fozzie Bear. See also his entry on Characters.Sesame Street Other Muppets.

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• The Alleged Boss: A mix of all four types. He runs the performance...just barely. He takes a lot of abuse and exasperation from the other Muppets in stride, only occasionally trying to lay down the hierarchy. He did fire Miss Piggy and Beauregard on separate occasions where he really came to the end of his tether, though receded in both cases (his reaction after the latter case implies it was only meant to be a bluff).
• Author Avatar: He is often seen as one for Jim Henson, who at one point said, "[Kermit] can say things I hold back." Indeed, while Jim never lost his temper in real life, there's a limit to how far Kermit can be pushed before he erupts.
• Benevolent Boss: While he does often lose his temper, he also lets the cast get away with a lot that would get most people fired or just outright imprisoned, especially Miss Piggy. Rare is the instance he's ever actually fired anyone.
• Beware the Nice Ones: While he usually takes the antics of his co-stars with mild frustration at worst, there are rare occasions where he completely snaps. Miss Piggy, whose temper Kermit is usually at the constant brunt of, almost lost her job as a result.
• Big Good: As the kindly leader of the group, he sometimes fills this role when not taking the lead himself, such as in Muppet Treasure Island and the Muppets' titular 2011 film.
• Breakout Character: Kermit was originally one of several side characters in Sam and Friends, however his enduring popularity and Jim's affection for the character would cause him to become more and more prominent, before The Muppet Show solidified him as The Leader of the Muppets.
• Butt-Monkey: He occasionally is this, often being eaten by monsters or predators. In some cases, he gets kidnapped and almost nobody notices. This characteristic is on full display in the Kenny Rogers episode. It all begins when Beauregard accidentally pushes Kermit too hard during a trapeze act, and he ends up hurting his flipper. Then, he gets launched by a hospital bed from Muppet Labs. During Vet's Hospital, he gets crushed by a light fixture. Finally, both he and Miss Piggy get accidentally launched by Gonzo's catapult into Statler and Waldorf's box. It's all been one big Humiliation Conga for the frog to say the least.
• Catchphrase:
  • "Hi-ho, Kermit Dee Frog here..."
  • "YAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!"
  • "Will you get out of here?!"
  • "Uh, yeah..."
  • "Sheesh!"
  • "See you next time on The Muppet Show!"
• Characterization Marches On: In the pre-Muppet Show days, he tended to be much more anger-prone than he would become.
• Character Tics:
  • Flailing his arms around wildly like he's directing air traffic. One episode shows he got it from his drama teacher, who does the exact same thing.
  • His particular soundless laughter. Kermit almost never actually laughs out loud.
• Chaste Toons: Has a nephew, but no children. ^note This isn't to say he's never expressed a healthy sex drive, especially with certain guest stars and sometimes with Piggy.
• Control Freak: In The Muppet Show and beyond. Kermit does not like ad-libbing and handles very poorly under pressure. This is because ad-libbing in the Muppets actually is rather detrimental, with bizarre and unpredictable consequences.
• Deadpan Snarker: This was Kermit's original shtick to go along with his Only Sane Man persona. Later on, his snarkiness was downplayed to highlight his sweetness, but he still gets in on this once in awhile. This trope was reinstated in the 2011 film.
• The Dog Bites Back: More like the frog bites back. Whenever he got a chance to mess with Miss Piggy, the results were often gleeful, malicious, and very, very funny.
• Disapproving Look: His trademark mouth-drooping scowl. Often directed to the viewer as if to say "see what I have to put up with?"
• Early-Bird Cameo: Originally appeared on Sam and Friends (before he was a frog) and Sesame Street as a regular, though he's far better known for his Muppet Show role.
• Early Installment Character-Design Difference: Not that you could tell due to the shows being in black and white, but on Sam and Friends he was somewhat turquoise. He also had a more simplified design and was depicted as being of indeterminate species (not being definitively established as a frog until his appearance in the 1968 special Hey, Cinderella!).
• The Everyman: One of the most normal Muppets. Well, 'normal' by Muppet standards.
• Flanderization: Originally, Kermit was the Only Sane Man (being in charge of the Muppets) but was also not above getting into mischief, pulling pranks on others, telling lies, making wisecracks, putting himself out there and snarking about or criticizing the other performers himself because of all the craziness he'd have to put up with on a regular basis. However, eventually Kermit's wholesomeness ended up being played up more and more and overtook his personality, stripping him of his flaws and complexities and making him a blander and wussier character. And then The Muppets (2015) took Kermit in the exact opposite direction and made him more cynical than before. Newer productions like Muppets Now have tried to rectify his Flanderization somewhat by showing that he has a penchant for pranking and photobombing.

• Good is Not Nice: If Kermit is unimpressed with someone's act, behaviour or idea, he lets them know clearly enough. He is no less beloved for it.
• Has a Type: He came clean in an interview in 2015 that he likes pigs (their curly tails, in particular). This is why he had an on/off sort of relationship with Miss Piggy and briefly dated another pig, Denise.
• The Heart: No Kermit, no Muppets. It's been established again and again, including the later movies.

• The Host: Kermit serves as The Muppet Show's emcee in all versions except Muppets Tonight.
• I Am Not Weasel: Kermit is immensely proud to be a frog. As such, he's quick to correct anyone who calls him a toad.
• The Illegible: According to the Arlo Guthrie episode. At the start of the episode, Scooter addresses said guest star as Arthur Godfrey. When he's corrected, he notes that he wishes that Kermit would learn how to type, since his handwriting's terrible.
• Interspecies Romance: He's a frog who was pursued by a pig throughout most of his on-stage career, dated her for a while, then broke up with her and hooked up with another pig, only to break up with the second pig.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Kermit has been known to be a bit of a jerk and a wise guy, especially in the early days, though not to the point where he becomes unlikable.
• No Celebrities Were Harmed: In a very roundabout way, his voice could be considered a loose impression of Marlon Brando, of all people. Henson based Kermit's voice on a comically nasal voice that Stan Freberg used on a few of his records in The '50s ("Sh-Boom" and "The Night Before Christmas" are good examples). Freberg, in turn, was parodying Brando's mumbly diction in A Streetcar Named Desire and The Wild One. By the start of The Muppet Show, the voice had undergone Vocal Evolution that made the Freberg connection less obvious.
• Not Even Bothering with the Accent: Despite being from the Deep South, Kermit doesn't have any kind of southern accent.
• No Guy Wants to Be Chased: Throughout The Muppet Show, he's usually very reluctant to return Piggy's feelings towards him, but whenever she focuses her attention on a male celebrity guest, most notably Christopher Reeve and Peter Ustinov, he gets jealous.
• Not So Above It All: Although Kermit may seem like the Only Sane Man on the cast, he's capable of being just as kooky as the other Muppets. When Lesley Ann Warren comments that she thinks that Kermit is the only Muppet who doesn't seem to be nuts, Kermit's rejoiner is simple:
  Kermit: Me, not crazy? I hired the others.
• Official Couple: Eventually with Miss Piggy. At least until they broke up in 2015.
• Oh, Crap!: Good at these, and it happens quite often. When introducing Alice Cooper, he couldn't even say the man's name without stopping in terror.
• Only Sane Man: Coupled with Only Sane Employee. Then again:
  Kermit: Me? Not crazy? I hired the others.
• Precision F-Strike: In the 2015 series:
  Kermit: My life is a bacon-wrapped hell on Earth.
• Southern-Fried Genius: He's from the Deep South, and one of the smarter and more rational members of the cast. Another highlighted similarity between Kermit and Jim Henson, as the latter was from Mississippi.
• Species Surname: In the 2011 film, it's stated that his last name is "The Frog". ^note It was something of a running gag back in the old days as well.
• Straight Man: One of the most sensible Muppets, although not entirely beyond their silliness.
• Supporting Leader: Even if he's not the focus of the story, he'll often be this. Muppets from Space being a good example.

• Took a Level in Jerkass: The 2015 series throws a rather less flattering light on his managing style than ever before, mostly because he and Piggy are now a former couple, causing him to take numerous passive aggressive potshots at her. He gets better after the first few episodes, though.
• Vetinari Job Security: It doesn't matter how pushy he is with his troupe; the series has proven he's the only person who can keep this bunch of lunatics working as a cohesive unit. The Muppets are already a pretty chaotic bunch, but if he's not around to manage them they become too chaotic to function.
• Vocal Evolution: During the first 20 years of his career (1955-1975), his voice sounded deeper, softer, quieter and somewhat stuffy and dull. Beginning in 1976, his voice became louder, more rubbery and less stuffy. By the end of the '70's, Kermit's voice would fully become an extension of Jim Henson's natural speaking voice.
  • When Steve Whitmire took over the role of Kermit after Henson's death in 1990, he made the character sound slightly higher in pitch, while Matt Vogel's interpretation, beginning in 2017, sounds reminiscent of Jim's 1955 Kermit voice.
• What the Hell, Hero?: The other Muppets occasionally get carried away and commit all sorts of well-meaning anarchy. It's practically Kermit's job to say 'What the hey?!'
• Wild Take: With much amusing arm-waving.
• Willing Suspension of Disbelief: As with all the other Muppets, but, as the leader, he is the best example. It's one thing for a pure entertainer such as Johnny Carson or Regis Philbin to goof around with Kermit. But when a serious news person such as Anderson Cooper or Ted Koppel can talk to Kermit with a completely straight face as if he was any other guest, that's one of the signs of Henson's genius.
• Would Hit a Girl: He once tried to pull a karate chop on Miss Piggy. Not only did it not work, she proceeded to show him how it's done, sending him flying across the room.

Miss Piggy

Performed by: Frank Oz (1976-2002), Richard Hunt (1976-1977), Eric Jacobson (2001-present)

Voiced by: Laurie O'Brien (Muppet Babies (1984)), Hal Rayle (Little Muppet Monsters), Melanie Harrison (Muppet Babies (2018))

Debut: The Tonight Show (1974)

The unholy spawn of Barbra Streisand and a rack of pork. Hailing from the Midwest, she was living off of Beauty Contests before meeting Kermit. Has a chronic need for stardom and will steal the spotlight from anyone, with violence if necessary.

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• Abhorrent Admirer: While not generally considered un-attractive in-universe, between her vicious temperament, clinginess and general refusal to take (or accept) a hint, she's this for Kermit, and indeed any male guest star she's attracted to. Rudolph Nureyev actually smashed through a wall to escape her advances.
• Adaptational Nice Guy: While still ambitious and vain, she's generally less selfish and abusive in the movies and much more affectionate towards Kermit.
• Affectionate Nickname: Refers to Kermit as "Kermie".
• Attention Whore: Deprive Piggy of her spotlight at your own risk.
• Badass Adorable: She's The Big Guy for the team, a born diva and a cartoony anthropomorphic pig.
• Berserk Button: Plenty of them, such as getting between her and Kermit or any kind of pig stereotype.
• Big Beautiful Woman: She is usually treated as such, even though she's not a human woman.
• Big Eater: While less extreme than some examples, she can occasionally be seen eating like... well... a pig.
• Brawn Hilda: She can bend metal bars with alarming ease, and she is implied to be somewhat pudgy.
• Breakout Character: She was a fairly minor bit character early on in the first season, but swiftly became one of the most important stars of the show. In real life, Miss Piggy was one of the most popular fictional celebrities in the entire world during the late 1970s and early 1980s.
• Brutal Honesty: When Beauregard is ready to let himself be fired rather than rid the theater of his beloved rats, it falls to Piggy to inform him that the rodents are just using him to get food.
• Cannot Tell a Joke: As seen in this 1984 Dick Clark special.
• Can't Take Criticism: She insists otherwise, but woe betide the idiot who actually tries taking her up on that one. If they're extremely lucky, she'll just storm off in a huff. If not, she will dedicate herself to hunting that person down and destroying them.
• Catchphrase:
  • "Kissy kissy."
  • Hi-ya!
  • Moi.
• Character Tics: Running a hand through her hair.
• Clingy Jealous Girl: God forbid Kermit ever so much as looks at another woman, and if he tries to flirt, he's almost certain to receive a karate chop. Averted now since Piggy and Kermit broke up.
• Cool Aunt: Serves as an honorary one to Robin in The Muppets (2015). He's one of the few beings who can bring out her nicer side.
• Crossdressing Voices: In the original English version and Japanese. Other foreign dubs used female voice actresses until recently, when Disney forced them to use male ones.
• Curb-Stomp Battle: Delivers this to Constantine in Muppets Most Wanted. And it was pretty much deserved, given how the self-proclaimed "World's Most Dangerous Frog" tricked Piggy into marrying him and then tried to kill Kermit and her.
• Cuteness Proximity: When she's around her pet dog Foo-Foo, who no-one else in the cast can stand.
• Damsel in Distress: At one point in The Muppet Movie. Of course, in this case, she actively fights back against her captors, who evidently didn’t expect her to try attacking them.
• Deadpan Snarker: Especially when appearing as a guest on talk shows and the like; she'll snark about anything and everything. In the shows and films, this trait is not as apparent, but she still displays it from time to time.
• Determinator : Do NOT steal her purse whatever you do, she'll chase you all the way through Central Park if she has to.....on roller skates. And WHEN, not if, she catches you, she'll kick your ass.^note See The Muppets Take Manhattan
• Distracted by the Sexy: While she did have a huge crush on Christopher Reeve throughout the entire episode, one special mention goes to the backstage segment. Her somewhat legitimate question about how Reeve got the role for Superman degrades to "Wahaha!!!" when Reeve takes off his "Vets Hospital" costume, inadvertently showing off his muscles.
• A Dog Named "Dog": A piggy named Miss Piggy in this case.
• Double Standard: Abuse, Female on Male:
  • She pummels her male co-stars on a regular basis. Female guest stars weren't exactly safe either — it's just they couldn't be sent flying as easily as the male Muppets. In any case, it's all Played for Laughs.
  • She also regularly pummels Kermit, which, whilst it's Played for Laughs, is still kind of alarming given her professed affection for him. Indeed, her willingness to threaten or hit him was subtly implied to be why Kermit was unwilling to respond to her advances for a long time, as well as being cited as to why they broke up in 2015.
• The Dreaded: Piggy is usually a friendly, if feisty and self-absorbed, person, but when she gets mad, woe betide any Muppet or human in her vicinity. Even Uncle Deadly, the Phantom of The Muppet Show, is usually wary of the pig's temper!
• Dreary Half-Lidded Eyes: Her seductive demeanor shows through her perpetual half-closed "bedroom eyes" expression.
• Early Installment Character-Design Difference: Her puppet got a serious redesign between season 1 and season 2.
• Early-Installment Weirdness: In the first season, Piggy was alternately portrayed by both Oz and Hunt. The latter would usually perform her when the former had to play a more prominent speaking character, such as Fozzie, Sam the Eagle or George the Janitor. It was only in rare occurrences, such as in "(Hey Won't You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song", that Oz voiced both Fozzie and Piggy.
• Fan Disservice: Piggy acts as the main chorus girl throughout the series and, like most performers in Kermit's troupe, has an inflated impression of her own talents (wearing clothes that are 30 pounds too small for her).
• Fat Comic Relief: Her weight is a Running Gag in the franchise.
• Faux Fluency: She cannot actually speak French, but refuses to admit it. Some French-speaking guests have used this to toy with her. Which works fine provided Piggy doesn't find out, because then... hiii-yaa!
• Feminist Fantasy: She was a major feminist icon of the 1980s, even gracing the cover of Ms. magazine more than once.
• Flanderization: When Oz was still performing her, the karate-chopping schtick was used sparingly (and usually took quite a bit of working up to, although casual sexism could get you there quicker) and her negative traits and attitude problems did not completely dominate her personality. In many of her appearances in the 2000's, however, her karate-chopping schtick became overused and her negative traits and attitude problems were over-emphasized.
  • A perfect example would be her Out-of-Character Moment in the Muppets' Good Luck Charlie guest appearance, because prior to this appearance, she would rarely hurt or threaten children, especially human children.
  • Her original Jerk with a Heart of Gold personality was reinstated in the recent films, though. She's again Flanderized in the The Muppets (2015) once again, but she does slowly get better.
• The Friend Nobody Likes: None of the other Muppets like her very much, what with the egotism, karate-chopping, and her occasional tendency to threaten them with outright death in order to get her way. When it looked like she was going to leave in the Loretta Swit episode, they weren't terribly broken up.
• Furry Reminder: She grunts and snorts when she's seriously worked up. Pointing this out is not healthy for anyone in arm's range.
• Gag Nose: Her snout is another one of those topics it's best not to mention around her.
• Gonky Femme: She's an anthropomorphic pig who acts like a vain celebrity diva—until you piss her off, at which point she starts acting more like a Brawn Hilda.
• Gratuitous French: She's fond of using French words to spice up her sentences, but she isn't very good at it, as she doesn't seem to know many words other than "moi" and "vous." At one point, Gonzo confides to Elke Sommer that "the only French she knows is what she learned from the back of perfume bottles." Also highlighted in the episode hosted by Christopher Reeve:
  Piggy: Chrissy? May I have a word avec vous?
  Christopher Reeve: Oui, bien sûr. Entrez. ^note "Yes, of course. Come in."
  Piggy: What?
• Hair-Trigger Temper: It doesn't take a whole lot to get Piggy to give you a smackdown.
• Haughty "Hmph": She's rather fond of this, especially after beating the crap out of people with her martial arts, or when she's about to storm off after complaining about or being offended by something.
• Hidden Heart of Gold: Yes, she doesn't always show it, but she does have a good heart.
• Humble Goal: On occasion (and for a character whose attitude and appearance scream everything but humble), often in the films, it's shown that despite being a diva par excellence, Piggy would be happy just settling down with Kermit.
• Hypercompetent Sidekick: In the "PIIIIIGS! IN! SPAAAAAAACE!" sketches. Which should give a suggestion as to the intellectual batting average of everyone else in them.
  • Has gained one of sorts herself in the form of Uncle Deadly.
• I Know Karate: The other Muppets fear her anger because of this. Although Chef's blocking technique is excellent. The only people to survive a direct hit from Piggy are Charlie McCarthy (Solid oak!) and Christopher Reeve (he really is the Man of Steel!). And even Reeve doubled over in pain once she stormed off.
• Improbable Hairstyle: Sometimes sports these. She's also somehow able to go from bob to long hair and back in between scenes.
• Informed Attractiveness: Some (non-Muppet) humans, most notably Nicky Holiday, find her extremely hot.
• Interspecies Romance: With Kermit the Frog, until they broke up in 2015. Also attempted by Nicky Holiday and Jean Pierre Napoleon.
• Invisible Anatomy: Despite being a pig, she doesn't have a visible tail... until an episode of The Muppets shows it.
• It's All About Me: Piggy is very narcissistic, but deep down is rather nice.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Vain and violent-tempered prima donna. Don't ever imply that she doesn't care about the other Muppets, however.
• Large Ham: Both literally and figuratively. (Please don't tell her that we described her using either of those words!)
• Ma'am Shock: Her age is another "no go" area for her.
• Mad Libs Catchphrase: "Watch it, [insulting name]."
• Megaton Punch: One episode shows what happens when she hits something that's not a living being, when she hits Rowlf's piano, causing it to explode.
• Mister Muffykins: Her dog Foo-Foo. The other Muppets can't stand her, and while they're mildly upset at the thought of Piggy leaving, they're jubilant that she's taking Foo-Foo with her.
• Narcissist: Would her constant desire for attention, vast variety of wardrobes and general attitude to others convince you that she was anything else?
• No Celebrities Were Harmed:
  • She was originally named "Piggy Lee", after the larger-than-life singer Peggy Lee. She was hastily renamed Miss Piggy when the show became popular, so as not to insult her namesake.
  • Following an ugly breakup with Kermit in the 2000s, Piggy somehow becomes the managing editor of Vogue's Paris branch. This is a fitting nod to Anna Wintour (a.k.a. "Nuclear Wintour" for her management style).
• No Sense of Personal Space: To any man she's got an attraction to, nothing stops Piggy from trying to get a kiss or five... or more, usually grabbing hold of them and pestering them incessantly.
• Not Good with Rejection: "Hiii-ya" kind of sums it up.
• Not So Invincible After All: Though her karate skills are rightly feared, she has come off the worse for wear on a handful of violent occasions. Whilst the Swedish Chef famously blocked her karate chop in his hot dog sketch, other times include Link Hogthrob ducking to safety behind a closing metal door and the one time she tried to karate chop the ventriloquist dummy Charlie McCarthy, leaving her holding her hand in pain.
• Of Corsets Funny: The show gets a few jokes here and there about Ms. Piggy wearing clothes that are a size (or three) too small for her frame, such as in the Marisa Benson episode, which ends with Piggy getting catapulted across the room trying to shove herself into a wedding dress.
• Official Couple: With Kermit. At least until they broke up in 2015.
• Perverted Pig: She's a much milder example. She isn't perverted or promiscuous, only overtly passionate in her affections toward Kermit the Frog.
• Punched Across the Room: More commonly whacked across the room with a flick of her hair accompanied by an angry "Hi-Yah!", but she's done this with actual punches fairly regularly, too.
• Punny Name: In the first season of The Muppet Show, she revealed that her (since-unused) full name is "Miss Piggy Lee", a reference to real-life chanteuse Peggy Lee.
• Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Any time "Pigs In Space" gets too demeaning or ridiculous for her, she will bail.
• Sinister Swine: Downplayed. Miss Piggy isn't evil, but she can be an aggressive jerkass and often tries to get the spotlight.
• Slapstick: While she's more likely to dole it out to others, she does frequently end up on the receiving end of a lot of physical humor. In a 1985 feature on You Can't Do That on Television in Muppet Magazine, it was Piggy who ended up slimed, rather than Fozzie as one might expect.
• Small Name, Big Ego: Played with, depending on the episode. She sometimes is a big name, but her ego can be even bigger.
• The Smurfette Principle: She's the only major female character. The second-closest in terms of appearances and/or lines is Janice, and there's a pretty wide gap between them. Humorously, despite being the only woman (er, sow) among the main group, she's also the most likely to resort to violence and get her hands dirty when necessary; The Heart she ain't. This trope is precisely why Skeeter was created for Muppet Babies—the producers wanted a second female character to balance the gender ensemble.
• Sore Loser: The spinoff video games hint that Miss Piggy is this. An ad for the release of Muppet Race Mania and Muppet Monster Adventure in 2000 featured Kermit tied up with a PlayStation controller and the copy: "Here's a tip. Let Miss Piggy win." Also, whenever she loses a race or battle in RaceMania, she'll protest, "There must be some mistake."
• Species Surname: Assuming that it isn't a stage name, the "Miss" implies that "Piggy" is indeed her last name. However, when she and Kermit appeared on WIRED, she stated that Piggy isn't her last name, because she "has to have a little mystery".
• Stalker with a Crush: Her initial relationship towards Kermit. Complete with Stalker Shrine in her dressing room.
• Territorial Smurfette: The Steve Martin episode shows Ms. Piggy will defend her position as the leading lady of the show by removing any potential female addition to the show.
• Thinks Like a Romance Novel: Has a rather fantastic opinion as to what life with Kermit would be like.
• Took a Level in Jerkass: While still the Jerk with a Heart of Gold of the franchise, her self-centered, egotistical demeanor is ramped up in Muppets Now. In her Lifesty(le) with Miss Piggy segments, she makes little to no effort to give lifestyle tips and tends to have her assistant Deadly do all the work for her.
• Took a Level in Kindness: While not without a violent streak, Miss Piggy tends to be kinder and less of a self-absorbed diva in the movies compared to the shows and her violence is usually kept to a minimum and saved for important scenes.
• Tsundere: She acts elegantly feminine though her ego is always detectable to most cast members, except Kermit. She's affectionate towards him, which makes her the Tsun-Tsun type. Although, not even he is immune to her diva fits.
• The Unfettered: When Piggy wants something, nothing, nothing, will stop her. Be that revenge, Kermit or getting on TV. In The Muppets, it is she who organizes the abduction of Jack Black simply because she refuses to give up after travelling from France.
• Unlimited Wardrobe: Especially ridiculous (if somewhat justified) in the 2011 film, when she has a new outfit and hairstyle in every scene in which she appears. In-universe, she's been earning a good living since The Muppet Show years as an editor for a fashion magazine.
• The Vamp: She often presents herself this way in The Muppet Show, especially in her musical numbers.
• [Verb] This!: Usually the immediate precursor to a karate chop.
• Violently Protective Girlfriend: She can be violent towards Kermit at times, but if anyone else so much as touched her frog, they could be in for a world of hurt. Averted now since Piggy and Kermit broke up.
• Vocal Range Exceeded: She tries gamely, but her attempt at singing "Lo! Hear the Gentle Lark" with Jean-Pierre Rampal causes her voice to start breaking at the end. Statler and Waldorf figure continuing would probably kill her. Then they demand an encore.
• White-Dwarf Starlet: Hasn't really made it enough to be washed-up, but has the personality.
• Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: Bullies the other Muppets into joining Kermit's camping trip to his home swamp, only to get cold feet once she learns about the snakes. And spiders. And...al-li-ga-torrs.
• World's Strongest Woman: She's the strongest of the Muppets.
• Would Hurt a Child: She is not necessarily above hurting Robin to get what she wants, as seen in Linda Lavin's episode. Miss Piggy also attempted to karate-chop 6-year old Big Bird in the Leslie Uggams episode just because he misunderstood her comments about her career as a joke.
• Yandere: Toward Kermit. She goes ballistic on him if he ever tries suggesting he's not interested in her.
• You Are Fat: She will sometimes receive jabs regarding her weight, usually by Floyd, or sometimes Kermit when he’s feeling a bit bold. Tread with caution however, for you are in dangerous waters.
• You Wouldn't Like Me When I'm Angry!: That goes without saying, although it's also hard to like her when she's not angry.

Fozzie Bear

Performed by: Frank Oz (1976-2000), Eric Jacobson (2002-present)

Voiced by: Greg Berg (Muppet Babies (1984) and Little Muppet Monsters), Eric Bauza (Muppet Babies (2018))

Debut: The Muppet Show (1976)

A hopelessly corny, porkpie hat-wearing showman and a magnet for tomatoes. Originally a failed comedian working out of the El Sleazo Cafe, he is the first to join Kermit's troupe. His personality is a send-up of the stereotypical Borscht Belt comic.

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• Accessory-Wearing Cartoon Animal: He may wear clothes if it's part of a costume, but mostly, he usually only wears his porkpie hat and necktie.
• Ambiguously Jewish: He's based on a Borscht Belt comedian, but his Jewish traits have mostly been forgotten over time. His original performer was also half Jewish.
• Beary Friendly: Possibly the most genuinely nice member of the cast, and tries to be a friend and peacemaker to everyone.
• Beary Funny: He's the page image for this trope. And appropriately, the trope name is a pun! Wocka wocka!
• The Big Guy: Being a bear firmly wedges him into this trope.
• Butt-Monkey: To Statler and Waldorf. And often just in general.
• Cannot Talk to Women: Or one woman in particular — he becomes a jabbering mess when in the same room as Raquel Welsh.
• Catchphrase:
  • Wocka Wocka! And just for the record, it's spelled "Wocka Wocka", not "Wokka Wokka" or "Wakka Wakka" or "Waka Waka". "Wocka wocka" was first created for The Muppet Movie, with Fozzie not actually saying the phrase on The Muppet Show, except once on the Dizzy Gillespie episode. It was arguably Muppet Babies (1984) that really established this as Fozzie's trademark.
  • He also tends to open his sets with "Hiya hiya hiya!" or "Thank you, thank you and thank you", and respond to his own jokes with "AAAHHH! Fun-nee!"
• Characterization Marches On:
  • In the first season, he was intended to be the primary foil of Kermit and everyone else backstage. As a result, in the earliest episodes he tends to come off as abrasive, pushy, and obnoxious. They soon found a different, more neurotic, sweet, and vulnerable vibe for him, allowing the previous personality to be quietly discarded.
  • "Wocka wocka" was only introduced in The Muppet Movie and was just spoken once by him on The Muppet Show. Later movies and specials solidified it as his Catchphrase.
• Character Tics:
  • Holding his hat in one hand while he tells his jokes, and waggling his ears. (The latter was phased out because the mechanism that made Fozzie's ears wiggle made the puppet too heavy, and was removed.)
  • Prodding Kermit in the chest when he's got an idea.
  • Biting his fingers when he's nervous. So, often.
• Comically Missing the Point: When he chooses not to go on one night, Kermit informs the audience, who applaud in celebration. Somehow Fozzie gets the idea this means they actually want him on stage.
• Cool Car: With a 1951 Studebaker in The Muppet Movie and a 1960s convertible in the 2015 series, he has a taste for vintage iron.
• Couch Gag: During the first season, he would tell a joke (or try to. Sometimes the curtains would cut him off) during the opening. This was dropped when the opening changed in the second season, and replaced with a Statler and Waldorf gag.
• Cower Power: Whenever in a threatening situation, he tends to hide behind the much-smaller Kermit. Which leads to...
• Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: Okay, Fozzie is more often than not just very naive rather than a moron, but he actually does have his share of awesome when matters have fallen into his own hands.
• Determinator: Fozzie's act may not get a lot of laughs from the audience, but he never stops trying, and no matter how tough things get, he'll do anything to help his friends.
• Dreary Half-Lidded Eyes: His half-lids fit his Sad Clown persona.
• Establishing Character Moment: Oz has said it took him a while to get comfortable with the character, and cites the sketch where Fozzie keeps giving Kermit the wrong cues for his "neck-a-tie" joke as the moment when he finally figured out how to make him work.
• Fat Idiot: He's got a bit of a gut on him, and while not a total idiot, he can be a doofus.

• Funny Animal: An anthropomorphic bear.
• Giftedly Bad: The schtick for his stage show segments is that Statler and Waldorf get all the punchlines, his original joke is just setup.
• Gratuitous Rap: Fozzie got a rap number in the 1984 touring Muppet Show stage production. Part of it can be heard here.
• Heterosexual Life-Partners: With Kermit and Gonzo.
• The Lancer: Often content acting as Kermit's sidekick, especially in The Great Muppet Caper and The Muppets (2011).
• Laughing at Your Own Jokes: He does this while doing his stand-up act. He is often the only one laughing.
• Let's See YOU Do Better!:
  • He often does this, mostly to Statler and Waldorf. Usually backfires. And in one case, they actually did perform on stage with Fozzie intent on heckling them.
  • He has also taken over management of the show from Kermit a few times. You can guess how well it went.
• Momma's Boy: One episode has him doing everything he can to be on-stage because his mom's in the audience, and he wants to show off to her, going as far as sneaking his way onto that week's "PIGS! IN! SPACE!" sketch in disguise as Ms. Piggy. It turns out at the end to be All for Nothing, since his mom fell asleep some time ago.
• Nice Guy: Generally a friendly and cheerful fellow.
• O.O.C. Is Serious Business: If Fozzie thinks a joke is too bad to do, that's not a good sign at all.
• Out of Focus:
  • In the 1990s, Fozzie ended up being this due to Oz being busy directing films, as well as performing in the Star Wars prequel trilogy. He still showed up, but as a very minor character in The Muppet Christmas Carol (he's only in two scenes, with dialogue in only one), and while he has a larger role in Muppet Treasure Island, he's strictly a secondary character. He was usually absent on Muppets Tonight, only appearing in a few inserts, and he only gets one line in Muppets from Space until it's time to go and rescue Gonzo.
  • In The Muppets (2015), he starts off being fairly prominent, but after the show's retool, he's suddenly a minor character who doesn't do much.
• Pie in the Face: Often on the receiving end of this, after telling a bad joke.
• Produce Pelting: In Muppet Babies, whenever he makes one of his jokes, people throw food at him.
• Pungeon Master: He loves puns. Most of his jokes contain play-on-words.
• Sad Clown: Being the show's resident comedian, of course Fozzie is always cracking jokes, but behind the scenes, he's deeply insecure and often second-guesses himself in terms of his act.
• So Unfunny, It's Funny: He was (in theory) the show's stand-up comedian. Most of the humor of these skits came from how terrible he was at his job.
• Species Surname: He's a bear with "Bear" as his surname.
• Straight Man: He might not get the laughs but Fozzie can make a sketch. See his luncheon counter skit with Nancy Walker, for instance. He even gets a regular spot out of it, "Bear on Patrol", playing it straight to Link Hogthrob and the Villain of the Week.
• Throw the Dog a Bone: On occasion, he'd actually get a laugh out of Statler and Waldorf, rather than taunts.
• Took a Level in Dumbass: Fozzie has never been a genius, but he's normally not stupid, just incredibly naive. However, quite a few of the films — Muppet Treasure Island, Muppets from Space, and Muppets Most Wanted in particular — derail him into a complete idiot.
• Verbal Tic: Oz gave Fozzie a series of weird noises (the closest you could come to writing them out would be something along the lines of "Daaaaaaaagh" and "Agghaahaahaa") that he uses to convey certain emotions.
• Vocal Evolution: In the original pilot, Fozzie's voice was much, much deeper, especially in the "Cowboy Time" sketch. To explain the different voice, a scene was added where Fozzie asks Kermit if it sounds like he's doing an impression of John Wayne. He also sings with this deeper voice in "Close to You" in the second episode with Connie Stevens.

Gonzo the Great

Performed by: Dave Goelz

Voiced by: Russi Taylor (Muppet Babies (1984)), Hal Rayle (Little Muppet Monsters), Ben Diskin (Muppet Babies (2018))

Debut: The Great Santa Claus Switch (1970, as Snarl) / The Muppet Show (1976, as Gonzo)

In the words of John Cleese: 'The ugly, disgusting little one who catches cannonballs.' The only non-recognizable animal in Kermit's band^note Muppets from Space centers on him finding out he's an alien, though Gonzo later said in a Q&A that this was just made up for the movie, and the stuntman of the Muppets. He doubles as a Vaudevillian singer.

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• Abhorrent Admirer: In the first season, he had a crush on Miss Piggy, who found him repulsive. This trait carried over into Muppet Babies.
• Amusing Injuries: Perhaps most notably, getting one arm stretched to about twelve feet in length in an ill-advised cannonball-catching act, and then turning for assistance to special guest star John Cleese, who kept misunderstanding Gonzo's requests and stretched his other limbs to match.
• Ascended Extra: Both in becoming a character in the show (the puppet was first created as a background extra among many other weird monsters in the Christmas special The Great Santa Claus Switch) and becoming Those Two Guys/Narrator with Rizzo in the movies.
• Ash Face: One swing at the gong, and... KABOOM!! (Happened at least once when he tried tooting his trumpet.)
• Badass Adorable: He's an adorable critter who is good at stunts.
• Beta Couple: With Camilla.
• Bunny-Ears Lawyer: Nutjob he may be (okay, is), but of the Muppets, he's one of the few in The Muppets who's actually managed to make some success out of himself in the time the gang was apart, becoming a moderately successful plumbing salesman... until he blows it all up on a whim.
• Cartoon Creature: Whilst many other indescribable or indeterminate Muppets appear as background characters, Gonzo is the only "main star" character whose species is completely fictitious. Exploited into a minor Running Gag, with other characters commenting on how they have no idea what he is. Even Gonzo doesn't seem entirely certain what he is, though everyone's best guess is some sort of bird-creature (usually something turkey-like). The Great Muppets Caper has him just labelled as a "whatever", and in Muppet Babies (1984), he's regularly referred to as a "weirdo", almost as if it's a species in itself. Muppets from Space established him as a lost alien, but this was quickly retconned into not being true for the greater Muppet canon.
• Catchphrase:
  • "What a terrific idea for an act!"
  • Sometimes angrily referred to his disapproving audience as "Yokels!" and "Rubes!" in early episodes. Became an Abandoned Catchphrase later on as he became gleefully masochistic and thus hard to fluster with abuse.
• Characterization Marches On: In early appearances, his craziness was more subtle, and was depicted as a slightly more neurotic, pathetic star akin to Fozzie, frustrated that the Muppet Show audience couldn't appreciate his "art". He gradually became more happy go lucky and his torture became harder to imply, given how much he enjoyed most of it.
• Cloudcuckoolander: He's practically the king of Cloudcuckooland! Gonzo's a meshuggener, and he's damn proud of it!
• Collector of the Strange: Gonzo's got a vast collection of fungus and mildew, which he keeps in a trunk.
• Couch Gag: On every episode of The Muppet Show, he emerges to play the last note of the opening theme with various comedic effects. For the first season, he tries to hit the O in the show's logo like a gong, with mixed success; after that, he pops up within the O to play his trumpet.
• Cuckoosnarker: Just because he's proudly weird doesn't mean he's above being a little sarcastic at others' expense ESPECIALLY when paired with characters like Rizzo and Pepe.
• Depraved Bisexual: Gonzo doesn't seem to care which gender his would-be conquests are, although his preference is for females and/or avians. He's even hit on Big Bird. As for 'deranged', well... you have been reading this list, haven't you?
• Dreadful Musician: Treated as one in Paul Simon's episode, with Kermit trying to refuse to let him sing at all, when most of the time Gonzo is perfectly capable of singing.
• Dreary Half-Lidded Eyes: In his early years, he had heavy eyelids that gave him a sad expression. As his personality became more manic, controls were added to open the eyes for more wild-eyed expressions, but his default expression still has a slight droop. It makes him look confident or depressed depending on his mood.
• Early-Installment Weirdness: The first season Gonzo puppet was recycled from a TV special, was a bit ratty-looking, and had a permanent frown on his face. It was rebuilt for the second season, and his base appearance was in place.
• The Eeyore: In the first season, Gonzo's eyes were perpetually half-lidded; that, combined with his sour frustration about no one understanding his "art," made him a rather glum fellow. This disappeared in the second season, and he became manic and jovial, though the latest show seems to be swinging him back towards his original characterization.
• Flash Step: It's a Running Gag with Gonzo that he'll turn up with a "whoosh" if given an entrance cue, especially if someone mentions a ridiculous or insane idea.
• Freudian Trio: The Id to Fozzie's Ego and Kermit's Superego.
• Gag Nose: His long, trunk/beaklike nose is a source of many jokes.
• Has a Type: He generally likes chickens, but really, any bird will do, even if they're not female (he once hit on Big Bird)... except penguins, which disgust him. Judging by some of his other comments, he also likes 'em big. The bigger the better.
• Heterosexual Life-Partners: With Kermit and Fozzie, and later with Rizzo.
• Interspecies Romance: While his species isn't known, he has a fetish for chickens, on another occasion a cow and on yet another Big Bird. He even had a crush on Miss Piggy in earlier episodes of The Muppet Show. Muppets from Space revealed that he's an alien. Unfortunately, this is also why that movie is essentially Canon Discontinuity. A later comic cemented this by having Scooter spend an entire issue trying to figure out what Gonzo was, only for him to say "An artist" (though the writer said in an interview that if you wanted, you could always just assume that the comic takes place BEFORE Muppets From Space).
• Keet: Gonzo's acts almost never go according to plan (and the basic ideas behind them make one wonder whether he has a death wish), but you gotta give the guy points for enthusiasm...
• The Lancer: He's the most manic and unpredictable of the main group, making him the biggest contrast to Only Sane Man Kermit.
• Large Ham: Gonzo's over-the-top energy resonates from his rambunctiousness and kooky nature.
• Literal-Minded: Again, in the first season, one of his Running Gags was that he said and took everything literally, often to somebody's detriment. This trait was dropped in the second season.
• Mad Artist: He's supposed to be a partial Expy of Salvador Dalí.
• Mad Hatter: Completely and utterly unashamed of being crazy.
• Made of Iron: Performs dangerous stunts (and fails) buts walks away unscathed. Futhermore, if he ends up in an accident, no matter how horrible, he usually shrugs it off if not openly enjoys whatever he just went through.
  (after having just been thrown from a moving vehicle) It's okay! I landed on my head!
• Mean Character, Nice Actor: Has played a number of on-stage villains during the show.
• Meaningful Name: "Gonzo" means crazy or eccentric.
• Nice Guy: Usually a pretty kindhearted and chipper fellow. The only time he's ever held the Jerkass Ball thus far is Muppets Most Wanted...and even then, it's only because he and the other Muppets were misled into believing that Constantine was Kermit, on the account that he promised to give them what they thought they wanted.
• Nightmare Fetishist: If it sounds like something no sane person would subject themself to, Gonzo is up for it.
• Noodle Implements: He gets booed off the stage before we can see what he was going to do with a flaming torch, a tire swing and a cow. The act was originally going to use a typewriter instead of a cow, but he couldn't get one in time.
• Official Couple: With Camilla the Chicken.
• Paper-Thin Disguise: Occasionally acts like (or believes) his costumes for sketches hide who he is, even though his nose and voice are dead giveaways.
  Gonzo: [dressed up as "the Black Knight"] The world will forever wonder who I am!
  Kermit: Though some may harbor suspicions.
• Performance Artist: Gonzo is a bizarre, thrill-seeking daredevil who will employ props like a rubber tire, highly explosive bombs, etc. while simultaneously reciting poetry, a Shakespearean sonnet, or to the accompaniment of classical music.
• Sad Clown: If Gonzo isn't making you laugh, he's making you wipe away tears.
• Small Name, Big Ego: On occasion, he tends to think he's a bigger deal than the oddball of a second-rate variety act that he is, holding the fact he's called "the Great" over guests heads.
• Stage Magician: Usually not magic, but is a showman called Gonzo "the Great".
• Too Kinky to Torture: Implied in his stage acts in the show, directly invoked in Muppet Treasure Island.
• True Art Is Incomprehensible:invoked On The Muppet Show, his shtick was performing bizarre performance art acts, like demolishing an antique car to the tune of "The Anvil Chorus"... or wrestling a brick, blindfolded. In case you're wondering, it was no contest. The brick took him down early in the first round.
• Vocal Evolution: His original voice was much more high pitched and raspy, and had something of an accent, though gradually became closer to Goelz's natural voice as years passed. Just watch the first episode of The Muppet Show and then an episode of The Muppets (2015).
• Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: Despite his fearless reputation, Gonzo has one consistent and distinct fear of being alone. It's established in Muppets from Space and then reinforced in Muppets Haunted Mansion when he's forced to confront it by facing the fate of never seeing his friends again.
• Wasn't That Fun?: He finds many painful and/or dangerous things entertaining. This makes him a terrible judge of what audiences would find entertaining.

Scooter

Performed by: Richard Hunt (1976-1991), Brian Henson (2002-2003), Rickey Boyd (2005), David Rudman (2008-present)

Voiced by: Greg Berg (Muppet Babies (1984)), Adam Hunt (Muppets from Space), Matt Vogel (Muppet Race Mania) , Ogie Banks (Muppet Babies 2018)

Debut: The Muppet Show (1976)

The Muppets' stage manager. Originally portrayed as a childish Jerkass, he grows over the show's run to be a dependable assistant of Kermit and co.

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• Author Avatar: Richard Hunt reportedly based his performance on how he acted when he was younger.
• Beleaguered Assistant: The framing device of Muppets Now is Scooter running himself ragged trying to get the show uploaded in time.
• Bunny-Ears Lawyer: In spite of his Nepotism induced employment and overall naiveté, compared to the other Muppets backstage, Scooter is regularly shown to be halfway efficient at his job.
• Catchphrase: "Fifteen seconds to curtain!"
• Crazy Enough to Work: During the Johnny Cash episode, he saves the show from being overrun by an obnoxious radio host by saying the first thing that came to mind, namely that the guy's horse had been punctured, and locking the doors behind him once he's out.
• Daddy Issues: In The Muppets (2015) episode "Pig's In A Blackout" he calls Kermit "Father" accidentally.
• Demoted to Extra:
  • Following Richard Hunt's death, Scooter was used far less often — not appearing in most productions and having minimal screentime in others. The 2011 movie appears to reverse this.
  • During the 1990s, Scooter was nearly unpersoned. Other characters without performers (like Rowlf, Dr. Teeth and Janice) at least made token unspeaking cameos, but Scooter was nowhere to be seen for just shy of a full decade.
• Fan of the Underdog: Noticed as one of few that actually enjoys Fozzie's jokes and eagerly performs with him on occasion.
• Forgot Flanders Could Do That: Inverted. As he became more of a fixer in his own right, he made fewer mentions of his uncle-who-owns-this-theatre until the gag was seemingly phased out. So in later seasons it is something of a jolt to hear him manipulate Kermit by playing the uncle card, such as in the Anne Murray episode in season 4.
• Gosh Dang It to Heck!: In The Muppets (2015), he's not even comfortable with saying phrases like "Good grief."
• Half-Human Hybrid: He was originally intended to be a simple “human-type Muppet”, but when pressed will admit his mother is a parrot and his father’s species is unknown.
• Half-Identical Twins: With Skeeter in Muppet Babies
• Innocently Insensitive: He has moments of being naively blunt or inconsiderate, despite being otherwise well meaning. In early episodes, it's left rather ambiguous whether or not he's deliberately intimidating the others with his uncle's control over the show or just oblivious to their fear of him.

• Interspecies Romance: Implied as part of his backstory. When Kermit inquires as to his species:
  Scooter: My mother was a parrot. We never knew my father. It was during the war!
• Karma Houdini: Never suffers any known comeuppance for assisting Ms. Piggy in tricking Kermit into forcibly marrying her.
• Manipulative Bastard: A very mild case considering other examples, but back in the Muppet Show days, if Kermit ever vetoes any ideas he has for the show, all he has to do is say is that his uncle, who owns the theatre, likes the idea, and Kermit instantly caves in.

• Nepotism: His uncle owns the theater and got him his job. Before developing a solid friendship with him, Scooter was quick to remind Kermit of this whenever he wanted something.
• Nerd Glasses: He wears a pair of stereotypical nerdy glasses, to emphasize his "go-fer" nature.
• Nice Guy: Loyal, helpful, and likes everything.
• Only Sane Man: Well, it depends. Scooter can be just as crazy as the other Muppets, (except Kermit, usually), but he often can be this trope as well, albeit to a lesser extent than Kermit. Besides, all the chaos around him is what makes him funny.
• The Reliable One: With all the craziness going on at the theater, Scooter is often the guy Kermit can count on the most to do his job right.
• Serious Business: "The Ex-Factor'' shows he treats painting ceramics like this.
• Sidekick: To Kermit, sort of.
• The Smart Guy: Well, he is a nerd. He even did a lecture at 2012's TED conference. Really. The 2011 movie reveals that he got a job at Google after the Muppets went their separate ways.
• Took a Level in Badass: Back during the early years, he was just a gofer. These days, you're likely to find him acting as a producer and coordinator for the troupe as a whole.
• Too Dumb to Live: Early on, he doesn't realize that Brutal Honesty around Ms. Piggy is a bad idea, earning him and Kermit an ass-kicking.
• Vague Age: While considered to be one of the youngest of the main characters (after Robin, of course), his age is never really determined. Throughout The Muppet Show, everyone refers to him as a kid and his uncle got him the job at the theatre, so he would probably be somewhere in his teens. By The Muppets (2015), he appears to be at least in his early 20s, seeing that he can go to a bar without getting kicked out, and some of the others tease him for still living with his mother.

Rowlf the Dog

Performed by: Jim Henson (1962-1990), Bill Barretta (1996-present)

Voiced by: Katie Leigh (Muppet Babies (1984)), Matt Danner (Muppet Babies (2018))

Debut: Purina Dog Chow Commercials (1962)

Originally a mascot for Purina Dog Chow, later rising to prominence as a TV sidekick to Jimmy Dean. (No, not that Jimmy Dean. The country singer and pork magnate.) Rowlf's stint as a Jimmy Dean Show regular blossomed into national stardom.

The in-universe Rowlf is a bluesy musician whom Kermit discovers in a piano bar. Since The '90s, it's been a popular gag to pair Rowlf up with famous musicians, leading him to branch out into rock.

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• Animal Jingoism: He interrupts a show when he sees a cat on stage. He even apologizes, before admitting that it's a dog thing. See a cat, chase a cat.
• Author Avatar: Aside from his piano skills, Rowlf was very much like Jim Henson — arguably even more than Kermit.
• Back-Alley Doctor: The "Veterinarian's Hospital" sketches put him in the role of Dr. Bob, "a quack who's gone to the dogs".
• Beware the Nice Ones: Even Rowlf's not above snarking at Fozzie's terrible act.
• Character Tic: He tends to chew on his paws when nervous or upset.
• Clueless Detective: As Sherlock Holmes in "The Case of the Disappearing Clues". It takes some kind of special detective to not notice the main suspect is not only eating the evidence, but your witnesses and sidekick. He comes to the conclusion that since there's no evidence, the murder obviously didn't happen.
• Cool Old Guy: While he's ageless like the other Muppets, he occasionally references his past career with Jimmy Dean in the '60s.
• Demoted to Extra:
  • In the 1960s, Rowlf was pretty much the main star and leader of the Muppets, with Kermit being more of a second-tier character. In the 1970s, when Kermit officially became a frog and his personality was fully-realized, Rowlf turned those leadership duties over to the frog and became more of a secondary character, yet he remained a prominent character in Muppet productions.
  • After Jim Henson's death, his appearances became limited to mostly brief non-speaking background cameos. When Bill Barretta started performing the character, he gradually returned to regular speaking roles and core character status.
• Early-Bird Cameo:
  • Rowlf first appeared in Purina Dog Chow commercials in 1962. A year later, he began making regular appearances on The Jimmy Dean Show and proved to be quite popular. He also co-hosted the pitch reel for Sesame Street with Kermit, and had a cameo appearance in one of the "Song of _____" films from that show's first season.
  • During the "At the Dance" segment in the Sex and Violence pilot, he mentions his time on the Jimmy Dean show and regrets that "no one remembers me anymore." In The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years, after Kermit notes that Rowlf became the first Muppet to gain national fame, he states to Ernie, "I used to be a big star then."
• Hidden Depths: He is a licensed therapy dog.
• Hurricane of Puns: Especially the "Veterinarian's Hospital" sketches.

• Laughing at Your Own Jokes: Tends to be the one laughing hardest at the gags in "Veterinarian's Hospital". Which he tells.
• Nice Guy: Said to be the closest to Jim Henson himself. Rowlf can be snarky sometimes but is nevertheless a kind, easygoing, and friendly character.
• Only Sane Man: He might be closer to the sane line than Kermit. He's certainly calmer.
• The Piano Player: He's never been the focus of an entire episode's plot in the original series as his main job is playing piano.
• Sick Episode: Rowlf once had a 24-hour bug on The Jimmy Dean Show, and Dean served as Rowlf's physician. At one point, Rowlf mentions his doctor already giving him a flu shot, but not on his right arm or his left arm. Both Rowlf and Dean look at each other and say, "Exactly." Rowlf further remarks that now, when he goes to the movies, "it's standing room only."
• Straight Man: In a cast of crazies, Rowlf is generally very calm and laidback. Even Kermit has been known to go to him for advice.
• Tareme Eyes: Makes sense, since they go with his kind, quiet, soft, calm, easygoing personality. Also very cute with Baby Rowlf.
• The Voiceless: After Jim Henson's death, Rowlf quickly became this until a new performer (Bill Barretta) was found. Many people mistakenly thought that his silence was going to be eternal, as a tribute to Jim. His first words after Jim's death? "Oh, yeah!" (uttered in the second episode of Muppets Tonight guest-starring Garth Brooks)

Sam the Eagle

"You are all weirdos."

Performed by: Frank Oz (1975-2000), Kevin Clash (2002-2003), Eric Jacobson (2005-present).

Voiced by: Eric Bauza (Muppet Babies (2018))

Debut: The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence (1975)

True to his name, Sam is an uber-patriotic wet blanket who acts as the Muppets' censor. He strives to crack down on "lowbrow humor" and bring dignity to the proceedings, without much success.

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• American Eagle: He's a walking, talking stereotype of American patriotism and "family values". He's so American that when he plays a British character in The Muppet Christmas Carol, he starts talking about how business makes America great and has to be reminded by the narrator that he's British.
• Arch-Enemy: He has a particular enmity towards Dr. Teeth. In one skit, Dr. Teeth is playing "Mack the Knife" and Sam stops him, claiming he thinks the song is too violent. Dr. Teeth then replies that Sam is misinterpreting the lyrics and suggests that they might be slang.
• Be Careful What You Wish For: Sam wants 'culture' on the show, but there's no way that The Muppets are going to do something cultural in a serious way. So Rudolf Nureyev is going to dance with a giant pig and Dr. Teeth is going to play Chopin, and there's nothing he can do about it.
• Big Ol' Eyebrows: One great big unibrow going across his head, which helps to accentuate his Perpetual Frowner look.
• Catchphrase: Frequently calls other Muppets (and namby-pamby conservationists) "weirdos".
• The Comically Serious: The major source of Sam's comedic value comes from how incredibly seriously he takes himself and everything else, despite both the general absurdity surrounding him and his own frequent ineptitude.
  (After a sketch where Rowlf has got Sam to read the lyrics 'tit-willow' whilst he sings and plays the song of the same name from The Mikado)
  Sam: Why are they laughing?
• Demoted to Extra: His role tends to get reduced in the movies compared to the show, although he had fairly major roles in Muppet Treasure Island and Muppets Most Wanted.
• Ditzy Genius: He's academically smart (even hosting a "Muppet University" segment), but is a complete nutcase in terms of morals and values and refuses to believe that he is.
• The Eeyore: He's not very fun. Kermit even calls him the studio's "resident grump" at one point.
• Facepalm: A common response of his to the madness he must witness.
• Fantastic Racism: Hinted, in one episode, he mentions that he is displeased with his daughter for dating an owl.
• Flanderization: On The Muppet Show, he started out as a general, pro-American detractor of the show's non-cultural content and a Stop Having Fun Guy with strong, exaggeratedly right-wing strawman views on various issues. In recent media, such as the Muppet Viral Videos, he's been depicted as generally obsessed with America itself and not much else. (For instance, he starts singing^note actually sing-talking "American Woman" by The Guess Who just because it has "American" in the title, something that the old Sam would never have done.) Fortunately, The Muppets (2015) put him back in his original role as the Muppets' censor. The 2011 film also depicted him as a pundit anchoring at a thinly-veiled Fox News Channel parody before rejoining the others.
• Flat "What": above. Sometimes Sam just cannot cope with the weirdness.
  Kermit: And now, a classical Chopin scherzo...
  Sam: Culture at last!
  Kermit: As performed by... Dr. Teeth?
  Sam: What.
• Freudian Excuse: Apparently threw himself into his self-appointed censor role due to his rocky home life — namely, he couldn't remember his wife's name, she flew the coop and later divorced him, his son is studying taxidermy and his daughter's dating an owl.
• The Friend Nobody Likes: Most of the other Muppets tolerate him at best and consider him an annoying pest at worst.
• Hypocritical Humor: His editorials ran on this, as he railed against some subject, only for him to realize he's affected or part of the "problem", causing him to leave the stage embarrassed.
• Interspecies Romance: Gains a (one-sided) crush on Janice in The Muppets (2015).
• Jaw Drop: Another of his usual reactions to the sick, weird things he witnesses.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Spends all his time complaining about everything and calling his fellow Muppets weirdos, but at least his intentions are good.
• Know-Nothing Know-It-All: For someone who claims to value culture, Sam is a complete ignoramus about the arts. For example, in the Rudolf Nureyev episode he was thrilled that the show would be featuring someone with culture, but referred to Mr. Nureyev (a ballet dancer) as "my favorite opera singer" and didn't recognize him in street clothes. In another episode, he believes Ludwig van Beethoven is a playwright.
• Large Ham: Sam enjoys to chew the scenery.
• Meaningful Name: What better way to show his super-patriotism than by naming him Sam?
• Moral Guardians: A walking parody of one.
• No Celebrities Were Harmed: Particularly in his earlier appearances, Sam bears more than a passing resemblance to Richard Nixon.
• Only Sane Man: How he views himself. He isn't.
• Patriotic Fervor: "World Wide Web? Is there a way to only show it on the American parts?"
• Perpetual Frowner: Not much of a smiley guy.
• Screw This, I'm Outta Here: In one episode, he announced he was disassociating himself from the show, and joined Statler and Waldorf in their box.
• "Stop Having Fun" Guy: He thinks everyone in the rest of the cast are... weirdos. And he's appalled, appalled I tell you, that guest stars of talent are demeaning themselves by appearing on The Muppet Show. And have you saluted the flag today? Just as he suspected! Shocking. Shocking.
• Strawman Political: Of the Nixon-era and the sentiments of conservative Moral Guardians, though like everything else on the show, it's taken to humorous extremes, such as in his monologue about people being naked underneath their clothing. His personal favorite act is Wayne and Wanda, who he feels give the show some class.
• Suddenly Shouting: Upon learning that Rudolf Nureyev is doing Swine Lake:
  Sam: Culture. Dignity at last... [penny drops] SWINE LAKE?!
• Surrounded by Idiots: He thinks every other muppet on the show is a weirdo. Admittedly, he's not exactly wrong, but he doesn't seem to understand that he's a weirdo too.
• This Is Gonna Suck: As the first season goes on, even he starts to realize Wayne and Wanda are more disaster prone than thirteen black cats who've just smashed up a mirror factory, and his introductions for them become increasingly dread laden.
• What, Exactly, Is His Job?: Just what he was hired to do at the theater isn't really made clear on The Muppet Show. Mostly, he works as the show's censor, but that's a self-appointed role. Even Kermit doesn't actually know what his job is.
• Wrong Genre Savvy: Believes he's the Only Sane Man surrounded by a cast of weirdos and freaks. In truth, he's just as eccentric as they are.

Dr. Bunsen Honeydew

Performed by: Dave Goelz

Voiced by: Howie Mandel (Muppet Babies (1984) seasons 1-2), Dave Coulier (Muppet Babies (1984) seasons 3-7), Bob Bergen (Little Muppet Monsters), Eric Bauza (Muppet Babies (2018))

Debut: The Muppet Show (1976)

An addled-brained scientist with a head shaped like a melon. Invariably, his experiments result in nearly immolating his assistant Beaker.

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• Absent-Minded Professor: His absent-mindedness causes problems for Beaker.
• Ambiguously Gay: Among other things, he finds Beaker "hauntingly attractive" in one episode and is jealous of him spending time with a model in A Muppet Christmas: Letters to Santa. Tough Pigs and Muppet Wiki both have articles with more on the subject.
• Bad Boss: He treats Beaker appallingly, not realizing the guy's frantic gestures are him trying to beg off being used as a guinea-pig.
• Catchphrase: "Greetings again from Muppet Labs, where the future is being made today!"
• Character Tics: Wiggling his fingers when he says his catchphrase.
• Dissonant Serenity: He maintains a confident, cheery demeanor at all times.
• Early-Installment Weirdness: In the Muppet Labs segments of Season 1, Bunsen was the only Muppet taking part in the sketches and had a tendency to test his inventions himself. When it became apparent that this didn’t work for his character, Beaker was brought in for the first segment of Season 2 and remained for the rest of the show.
• Eyeless Face: His glasses give the appearance of eyes, but his melon-like head is basically The Blank. His eyes have only been seen once, in The Great Muppet Caper as the result of a Blinding Camera Flash.
• For Science!: His entire characterization for his skits revolves around his desire to perform scientific experiments, no matter how absurd, with absolutely no regard for possible consequences.
• Heroic Comedic Sociopath: His apathetic behavior towards Beaker is played for comedy.
• Idiot Houdini: After enlisting Beaker, his bungled inventions nearly always backfire onto him instead, with Bunsen none the wiser to what went wrong. On odd occasions however, an Idiot Houdini Warranty occurs.
• Innocently Insensitive: He doesn't mean to be a Jerkass poor Beaker. He's just really inconsiderate.
• Inventional Wisdom: Some of his inventions seem like they might be useful. After all, who wouldn't want protection from the heartbreak of gorilla invasion, and a robot politician might be handy. But even if they worked (big "if")... the rest of them, not so much.
• I Reject Your Reality: Insists that the gorilla attacking him cannot possibly be a gorilla, because otherwise his gorilla detector would warn him, even as the gorilla is throttling him. Only once Bunsen has been subdued does it turn out the detector has in fact detected the gorilla, just... too late to save the lab.
• Mad Scientist: While he's not evil, and usually not hammy, he still invents crazy contraptions and experiments that end up blowing up in his (or more accurately, Beaker's) face.
• Meaningful Name: From three sources: Bunsen burners, honeydew melons, and Honeywell International, a huge aerospace/engineering firm that advertised heavily in the 1970s.
• Morally Ambiguous Doctorate: Sees absolutely nothing wrong with performing dangerous scientific experiments or tests on other Muppets.
• No OSHA Compliance: Dr. Bunsen Honeydew's lab is an incredibly unsafe working environment, mostly because he actively uses his assistants as guinea pigs and test subjects for experiments.
• Pet the Dog: According to Muppets Now, he actually made Beaker a cake when he started working for him. Then he blows this out of the water by trying to destroy the cake For Science!.
• Rule of Symbolism: He's named after and has a head shaped like a honeydew melon. A "melon head" being a term for an idiot which is pretty apt for him.
• Those Two Guys: With Beaker.
• Took a Level in Jerkass: In Muppets Now, he is much more deliberately cruel towards Beaker, verbally berating him and intentionally doing things that he knows will emotionally devastate Beaker.

Beaker

Performed by: Richard Hunt (1977-1991), Steve Whitmire (1992-2016), David Rudman (2017-present)

Voiced by: Frank Welker (Muppet Babies (1984)), Matt Danner (Muppet Babies (2018))

Debut: The Muppet Show (1977)

Lab assistant to Bunsen Honeydew, whose face sports a perpetual look of shock. Only Honeydew (and in one episode, the Swedish Chef) can understand his "meep meeps."

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• Ambiguously Gay: See above. In the "Flowers on the Wall" YouTube video, he has a romantic dinner with a fake Bunsen, and constructs a Bunsen-shaped house of cards with hearts in its eyes. Most blatantly, in The Muppets (2015) episode "Pig Out", he and Bunsen arrive at work in each others' clothing and refuse to talk about it.
• Butt-Monkey: Played with in so many ways, often when the experiments go wrong: losing body parts, getting electrocuted, being eaten by a giant germ, and so on. He recently died, and still doesn't get any respect from Honeydew. In an online skit, he tries to sing and gets trolled by commenters who laugh as he eventually sets himself and the room on fire.
• Catchphrase: His only phrase is "Meep". But you'd be surprised how much you can communicate with that.
• Characterization Marches On: In his first appearance he was a nervous wreck. This was gone by his third.
• The Chew Toy: People feel sorry for him, but at the same time, getting hurt is the point of his character.
• The Dog Bites Back:
  • After accidentally cloning himself in one episode, Beaker spends most of the episode chasing Dr. Honeydew all over the theater.
  • While being electrocuted by the Muppet Labs Nose-Warmer, he grabs Dr. Honeydew and adds him to the circuit.
  • In Muppets Now, after Honeydew tries replacing him with Beak-R, who repeatedly insults him, Beaker snaps and places the not-Alexa in an incinerator, destroying her.
• Got Volunteered: He "volunteers" to test Dr. Honeydew's inventions, alright. The poor guy literally can't say "no", and Honeydew is oblivious to his total panic and frantic gestures.
• The Igor: With great reluctance. Partly because he's always the one expected to subject himself to the Obvious Beta that's being demonstrated.
• Motormouth: Albeit in 'meeps'.
• Nervous Wreck: He looks perpetually terrified, probably because he is.
• Oh, Crap!: He was designed to perpetually have this look on his face. Given his Butt-Monkey status, it's pretty well-founded.
• Paper-Thin Disguise: Once managed to get out of a Muppet Labs sketch by wearing a lampshade over his head. Since he was dealing with Dr. Honeydew, this worked. He still got hurt, though.
• Properly Paranoid: In the original skits, Beaker's always convinced that demonstrating the invention of the week will go horribly wrong.
• Those Two Guys: With Bunsen.
• The Unintelligible: To quote Miss Piggy:
  Miss Piggy: Beaker. How many times have I told you never to talk to me like that? (beat) Because I can't understand it.
  • Honeydew is primarily the only one who can understand him when he talks, but in the aforementioned episode where Beaker was cloned, the Swedish Chef understood him just fine, with Beaker likewise understanding his "Swedish".
• Wild Hair: And it runs in the family.

The Swedish Chef

Performed by: Jim Henson (1975-1990), David Rudman (1992), Bill Barretta (1996-present)

Voiced by: Matt Danner (Muppet Babies 2018)

Debut: The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence (1975)

A parody of TV chefs. Like to gesticulate with his hands a lot, uses some very strange cooking equipment, and keeps up a steady stream of Swedish-sounding gibberish as he cooks.

See also his self-demonstrating article.

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• Angry Chef: The Swedish Chef is known for his bad temper and constant tantrums aggravated by his Gratuitous Foreign Language.
• Animals Hate Him: ...because he wants to cook them. In one sketch he tries to cook a turtle for some turtle soup, which culminates in the turtle revealing a cannon in its shell and shooting him, knocking him down.
• As Long as It Sounds Foreign: The language he speaks is explicitly referred to at least once as "mock Swedish"; it was once claimed that his actual native language is "mock Japanese". He occasionally uses English words and a bit of coherent Danish, but is otherwise just making a lot of nonsensical noises.

• Berserk Button: Don't make disparaging remarks about the ancient Vikings, as Kermit learned the hard way. Don't insult Sweden either.
• Big Ol' Eyebrows: There's nothing up there but eyebrows. See Eyeless Face below.
• Bilingual Bonus: His actual name, "Tom", is Swedish for "Empty".
• Blazing Inferno Hellfire Sauce: In one skit, he cooks up a batch of pepper sauce that sends steam shooting out of his ears. He adds even more spices and succeeds in blowing his toque — and the top of his head — clean off.
• Boisterous Bruiser: He has a very jolly persona, singing a cheerful song in his intro, laughing a bit, and being very enthusiastic about his cooking, but he's also willing to use weapons or get into physical fights with his food, if necessary.
• Buffy Speak: Tends to refer to his cooking implements / weapons by nonsensical terms which aren't their correct names in English or Swedish.
• Butt-Monkey: Nearly every episode ends with his ingredients or equipment getting the better of him.
• Carnivore Confusion: His sketches often deal with this trope. He's also not above trying to cook members of the cast on occasion.
  Robin: Uncle Kermit! Somebody! Anybody! help!
• Catchphrase: Bork! Bork Bork! (Accompanied by the Chef throwing aside whatever he is holding at the moment.)
• Chef of Iron: It's not so much that he uses cooking utensils as weapons (although he does)- he actually "cooks" with weapons including a "cakensmooscher" (a baseball bat), a "boom-boom" (a blunderbuss), an ax, and more recently, a chainsaw and a bazooka.
• Cloudcuckoolander: His over-the-top Swedish gibberish and his odd nicknames for his cooking equipment more than qualifies him to be the leader of Cloudcuckooland's kitchen.
• Comically Missing the Point: "Piggy eaty hot doggy?"
• Crazy-Prepared: He keeps a battle ax, a chainsaw, and a bazooka in his kitchen on the infinitely small chance someone suggests he use them to cook.
• Cute But Psycho: Swedish Chef is a likable character whose cooking segments are nothing short of charming but boy is this guy nuts. So many of his individual shows involve him trying to cook animals who are still alive!. He even tried to teach people how to cook frog legs by cutting off Robin's legs. Thankfully, Kermit saved the day on that one.
• The Ditz: He once offered Miss Piggy a hot dog. Whilst she was looking for her missing dog Foo-Foo, no less.
• Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep": Everyone calls him "Swedish Chef" or just "Chef", although on the episode featuring Danny Kaye, the chef's Uncle (played by Kaye) revealed his actual full name, which was a string of mock Swedish syllables; he then admitted that the family just calls the Chef "Tom".
• Everyone Has Standards: Plans to cook up Big Bird for A Muppet Family Christmas...until he's personally touched by Big Bird's even bigger heart, and serves up some shredded wheat instead.
• Eyeless Face: He has no visible eyes, only bushy eyebrows where eyes should be. His eyes have only been seen once in The Great Muppet Caper as the result of a Blinding Camera Flash gag. It's every bit as unsettling to see as it sounds.
• Fauxreigner: Is sometimes acknowledged to not really speak Swedish.
• Fun with Subtitles: His segment in Sex and Violence is subtitled in Chinese that has been mirrored left-to-right.
• Funny Foreigner: He's Swedish, and his humor comes from his Swedish-sounding gibberish and bizarre, ineffectual recipes.
• Intelligible Unintelligible: Whether or not most of his other co-workers can understand him is based on whatever is funnier, but he has been shown on several occasions to be able to communicate with the equally unintelligible Beaker and Hulk Speak speaker Animal.
• Irony: In the Swedish dubbing, he is in fact the only character who doesn't speak Swedish.
• Lethal Chef: The very few times he does actually manage to complete a dish, it usually ends up as something the non-suicidal would not want to put in their mouths. Although he did make two seemingly fine pumpkin pies once, with a bazooka.
• No Celebrities Were Harmed: There's controversy over whether he's based on any specific person. Actual Swedish chef Lars Bäckman claims that the sketch was inspired by a disastrous cooking demonstration he did on an episode of Good Morning, America in The '70s, but writer Jerry Juhl denied this. Chef Tell, a longtime TV personality with a huge mustache and thick German accent, has also been suggested. Jim Henson himself told an interviewer that the chef's accent was inspired by the acting in Ingmar Bergman's films. If so, Henson may well have been familiar with The Dove, a 1968 American short film that was an Affectionate Parody of Bergman's work, with all the dialogue in goofy subtitled mock-Swedish (like translating "cow" as "moo-ska").
• Non-Standard Character Design: The only Muppet to be designed to use the puppeteer's exposed hands, which Frank Oz performed while Jim Henson did the voice and worked the head. While other Muppets are operated by two performers at a time, and the process of one performer playing both hands of a Muppet is also used for Rowlf and Dr. Teeth, those involve the hands performer wearing gloves. In the Chef's case, it takes a lot of dexterity to be that clumsy. Promotional pictures, such as the one above, are the only times he's depicted with fabric hands.
• Norse by Norsewest: Perhaps the most famous Scandinavian puppet character in the world. He once danced merrily and sang a Swedish song when Kermit introduced Victor Borge as the episode's guest star, only to then get angry when Kermit reminded him that Victor Borge is not Swedish, but Danish. Almost certainly an intentional jab at foreign countries' tendency to mix up Sweden, Norway and Denmark, if they even remember the latter exists at all.
• Not the Intended Use: He does this all the time, using items such as firearms, sports equipment, and hand tools to cook his dishes.
• Once per Episode: Doing a little song and dance, then throwing some cooking utensils over his shoulder. Frank Oz challenged himself to try to knock over every single item on the back wall. He only ever managed it once, though he also hit at least one of the plates on a few occasions.
• Team Chef: He seems to actually cook food for the cast as well as on-stage. There are a couple of gags where other cast members suggest ordering out for pizza instead after one of his mishaps.
• The Unintelligible: Mostly speaks in Swedish-sounding gibberish.

Statler and Waldorf

Statler performed by: Richard Hunt (1976-1990), Jerry Nelson (1975, 1992-2003), Steve Whitmire (2002-2016), Peter Linz (2017-present)

Statler voiced by: Dave Coulier (Muppet Babies (1984)), Eric Bauza (Muppet Babies (2018))

Waldorf performed by: Jim Henson (1975-1990), Dave Goelz (1992-present)

Waldorf voiced by: Dave Coulier (Muppet Babies (1984)), Matt Danner (Muppet Babies (2018))

Debut: The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence (1975)

Two old men who sit in the balcony of the Muppet Theater, Statler and Waldorf have become the patron saints of Caustic Critics everywhere. They've never sat through a show that they didn't hate. Statler sits on the viewer's right, with gray hair and thick eyebrows; Waldorf, on the viewer's left, has white hair and a mustache.

See also their own article.

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• Audience Participation: Anytime the two appeared onstage on The Muppet Show. They aren't actually part of The Muppet Show's staff; they're just audience members. In a different sense, any time they heckled the stage also qualifies.
  • When they DID get on stage, they proved they could back up their big mouths, like when they did a rousing performance of the "Varsity Drag" and when they knocked it out of the park with their soulful version of "It Was A Very Good Year." Like any real critic, they know from whence they heckle. And any time a performance went full Vaudeville, they were the first to sing along with the chorus.
• Been There, Shaped History: A relatively minor case — Statler claims to have inspired the 1957 song "Fire Down Below".
  Waldorf: Ah, "Fire Down Below" — great number.
  Statler: Thanks.
  Waldorf: "Thanks"? You didn't write "Fire Down Below".
  Statler: No, but the guy who did had just had a bowl of my chili!
• Bile Fascination: In-Universe. They keep complaining how awful the show is, but they attend it every night just to give negative comments on it.
• Captive Audience: One episode ends with them calling for Kermit to unlock the doors and let them out; Muppet*Vision 3D has them state that they're bolted to the seats.
• Catchphrase: Doh-ho-ho-ho-Hoh! ... though they never actually use this version in the show proper.
• Caustic Critic : On the rare occasions when they enjoy a number, they'll complain about the fact that the show is ruining its reputation — for uniformly bad material.
• Characterization Marches On: In The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence pilot, the two talked a lot more slowly and sounded like a couple of weak, tired, dying old men. When The Muppet Show proper began, they started talking and reacting a lot quicker and became more lively and energetic. Their gimmick was also different — they just sat in a living room talking with each other and making quips at whatever they felt like. It wasn’t until The Muppet Show began airing that the two got their proper roles as a pair of hecklers who didn’t like much of what they saw. On the 1990s revival Muppets Tonight, they were living in a retirement home and watching the show on TV, but still kept reeling off their snarky comebacks.
• Deadpan Snarker: The whole point of their existence is for them to snark at everything.
• Dirty Coward: Statler, as proven when the Titanic sank... He still has the dress he used to get onto the lifeboat.
• The Drag-Along: One episode suggests they stick around because Kermit locks the doors on them.
• Everyone Has Standards: They'll regularly heckle the performers and gloss over everything that happens with a joke, but in the Kenny Rogers episode when Kermit gets hurt during a stunt, Statler at least shows some genuine concern and hopes he's ok.
  • Statler is genuinely solemn (albeit for a few moments) when Fozzie makes a joke about the Titanic.
    Waldorf: That's pretty funny.
    Statler: No, it isn't.
    Waldorf: Hmm?
    Statler: I was on that ship. It wasn't funny then and it isn't funny now!
  • Even they can't help but jubilantly sing along to "Turn the World Around."
• Flanderization: In The Muppet Show, they were audience members who constantly complained about the show. However, while they complained a lot during the show, they didn't complain about everything. Indeed, when it came to classic vaudeville numbers, they were positively enthusiastic and would even sing along, and rarely had anything negative to say about the guest stars. They show up in various roles later, where they complain about everything and seem to have never had a positive experience in their lives. It reaches its zenith in The Muppets at Walt Disney World, where they complain about having nothing to complain about.
• Good Old Ways: They love the more old-fashioned vaudeville and burlesque acts, even performing a few themselves. Their whole heckling style is an old vaudeville bit as well.
• Greek Chorus: They'll comment on the numbers just completed, usually managing to work in a pun or joke themselves.
• Grumpy Old Men: Their entire shtick is complaining about pretty much everything.
• Guilty Pleasures: It's why they show up: for all their purported disdain for the show, they love it all the same, if only because they can mock and jeer at the performers.
  Statler: This show is awful.
  Waldorf: Terrible!
  Statler: Disgusting!
  Waldorf: See you next week?
  Statler: Of course.
• Heterosexual Life-Partners: They're almost always seen together. Both men are also married — Waldorf's wife Astoria appears alongside him in one episode, while Statler mentions a wife multiple times (including a "third wife" in the Linda Lavin episode) and has an infant grandson appear in one episode.
• Hidden Depths: The two of them can speak perfect Mock Swedish, demonstrated in one of their scenes with the Chef himself in their booth.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Their hearts are in the right place despite their rudeness.
• Literal-Minded: On a few occasions, such as Waldorf calling for a tea break and Statler promptly knocking a teacup off the balcony so it breaks on the floor below (Waldorf even lampshades it: "Literal chap, isn't he?"). In another episode, they agree to "flip for it" ("it" being the chance to go backstage and meet the episode's guest), and instead of flipping a coin, Statler does a backflip. Later, Waldorf comments that "Sometimes, I tickle myself." While the phrase is normally metaphorical, he then proceeds to actually tickle himself.
• Sarcastic Devotee: They may be hecklers, but they're members of the Muppet family all the same, and that will never change.

• Screw Politeness, I'm a Senior!: Loud catcalls and heckling from the old men in the balcony.
• Screw This, I'm Outta Here: They've actually tried fleeing the theatre if they think the act's bad enough. Danny Kaye's episode begins with them doing this. They don't come back until the episode's over.
• Self-Deprecation: They make fun of everything, including themselves.
  Statler: Hey, we look like members of the rock age.
  Waldorf: No, we look more like members of the Stone Age.
• Signature Laugh: Their ever famous "Doh-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho!"
• Sour Supporters: They almost constantly complain about the show, but they still show up to watch it every week.
• Theme Naming: Named after hotels, of course. Waldorf's wife (who looks like Statler in drag) is named Astoria, completing the set.
• Those Two Guys: You know what they say: misery loves company!
• Vitriolic Best Buds: They heckle each other, too. "You old fool" is practically a pet name between them.
  Waldorf: I have a good mind to leave!
  Statler: If you had a "good mind" you wouldn't be here in the first place!

Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem

The band as a whole

A rock band consisting of Dr. Teeth on vocals and keyboards, Animal on drums (which he sometimes eats), Sgt. Floyd Pepper on bass guitar, Janice on guitar, and Zoot on saxophone. Lips later joined the band on trumpet.

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• Ascended Extra: The Muppets Mayhem focuses entirely on the band as they attempt to record their very first album.
• Bunny-Ears Lawyer: They're all spacey and disorganized to various degrees; but they're naturals when it comes to performing.
• Demoted to Extra: Throughout the '90s — with only Animal maintaining a steady presence and involvement in stories. Likely a result of Jim Henson and Richard Hunt's passings.
• Face of the Band: In-Universe. Dr. Teeth is part of the band's name, and he frequently sings lead vocals, but in The Muppets Mayhem he insists that they're a democracy and he doesn't consider himself the Leader. When the rest of the band admit they were never happy with the name he decides that they should officially shorten it to The Electric Mayhem.
• Fake Band: Sort of a fictional equivalent of the Saturday Night Live orchestra.
• Fallen-on-Hard-Times Job: In The Muppets, everyone save Animal has wound up busking. Animal's in therapy.
• Hippie Van: The Muppets Movie gave them a bus painted with a psychadelic mural. The Muppets (2015) saw them switch to a smaller VW Microbus with an equally groovy paintjob. The Microbus was eventually destroyed in The Muppets Mayhem, and they rediscover their original bus in the first season finale^note The bus in this show is actually a replica as the original was sold after Muppets In Space and reportedly destroyed in a fire in 2009.
• Musical Theme Naming: Most of them are named after famous musicians.
• Only One Name: Only Floyd's full name is given.
• The Stoner: It's occasionally implied that they're all this way, especially Zoot, who always seems kind of spaced out. In the 2015 series, Scooter and Bobo both note how the band is always happy... legally now.

Dr. Teeth

Performed by: Jim Henson (1975-1990), John Kennedy (1991-2003), Bill Barretta (2005-present)

Debut: The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence (1975)

• Commitment Issues: Whether in songwriting or relationships, he is terrified of putting any sort of anchor down.
• Delusions of Eloquence: The cause of most of his Word Salad Lyrics.
• Eye Take: Does them when he's surprised, causing his glasses to shoot up as well.
• Guttural Growler: I'm gonna 'splode an atom bomb... drill a hole to your sooooouuuuulllll...
• His Name Really Is "Barkeep": The Muppets Mayhem reveals that the "Dr. Teeth" moniker isn't just a stage name; his full name is Gerald Teeth Jr., DDS, and he's actually a licensed dentist since his parents expected him to take over the family practice.
• Never Bareheaded: Until the action figure came out in 2002, he was never seen without a hat, often wearing his usual hat when dressed or or playing the role of The Cheshire Cat, and wearing a night cap when wearing pajamas (while the rest of the band didn't wear hats). The action figure had a removable hat, revealing that the character has a bald spot. The actual puppet wasn't seen hatless until a late-2000s group photo, and the first actual production to show him without his hat is The Muppets (2011). In the latter two cases, he's shown at angles where the bald spot can't be seen.
• No Celebrities Were Harmed: A parody of legendary New Orleans pianist/singer Dr. John, from his appearance, down to his voice and mannerisms.
• Pimp Duds: His 'stage clothes' are vivid, striped and include those odd little shades.
• The Quiet One: He doesn't tend to say a lot on the show if he's not singing (being voiced by Henson, who was usually busy doing Kermit, probably contributes a lot to that). Averted in The Muppets Mayhem where he gets plenty of lines due to the smaller cast size.
• Shrinking Violet: Believe it or not, he was one in his youth, before meeting Floyd; he was a shy, subservient kid who followed everything his parents said with "Yes, Mama", until his passion for music caused him to gain confidence.
• Strong Family Resemblance: His parents are introduced in The Muppets Mayhem; while he gets his red hair from his mother, he mainly looks a lot like his father.

Sgt. Floyd Pepper

Performed by: Jerry Nelson (1975-2003), Matt Vogel (2008-present)

Debut: The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence (1975)

• Author Avatar: Of Jerry Nelson, somewhat. Nelson imagined that Floyd had taken an artistic path similar to his own, starting as a beatnik who loved jazz and poetry, then transitioning to being a hippie and finally to mainstream rock and roll "because he needed a job," but drawing the line at punk. Floyd even resembles Nelson to a degree.
• Bullying a Dragon: Has an unfortunate tendency to bait Miss Piggy. He can't even compliment her without doing this (see A Muppet Family Christmas).
• Cloud Cuckoolander: Has shades of this in the 2015 series — for example, he believes that the Earth revolves around the Moon and that's why winter occurs.
• Deadpan Snarker: He's full of snarky comments and lampshades. In one episode he even takes over for Statler and Waldorf for a while.
• Demoted to Extra: Downplayed, but on the show, Floyd was the band member most involved with episode plots and backstage events, while in the movies, he's just one of the band.
• Hidden Depths: He may not seem like the outdoor type but he knows how to pack for a swamp camping trip.
• His Name Really Is "Barkeep": The "Sgt" isn't just a stage title; he really was in the army, though he was dishonorable discharged for turning "Taps" into a jazz number.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Not afraid to poke fun at others, but he still is plenty nice.
• Kick the Dog: He shoves Miss Piggy's dog into a drawer just because he couldn't be bothered looking after it, sending Miss Piggy into a panic, while he cackles about it. Once she found her dog again... well, Floyd probably felt sorry after she was done with him.
• Kid with the Leash: He's the only one with any sort of control over Animal. A literal chain leash, mind you.
• Lead Bassist: He frequently sings lead vocals and is usually the one that deals with Kermit in backstage scenes. The Muppets Mayhem establishes that he was the one that encouraged Dr. Teeth to get into music, effectively making him the founding member of the band.
• Meaningful Name: His name is Floyd and he's pink. There's also the Sgt. Pepper reference.
• The Nicknamer: For example, he has dubbed Kermit "Green Stuff", "Green Thing", "Frogis amphibius" and "Swamp Brother".
• Official Couple: With Janice.
• Only Sane Man: At least at first. Of the members of the band he's the least eccentric, and even among the entire cast he's typically the "laid back, normal one." Many of his appearances on The Muppet Show involve him watching and making snide comments as craziness goes on around him. In later series, however, he became somewhat sillier — see Cloud Cuckoo Lander.
• Screw This, I'm Outta Here: He tried quitting in the first season, because he didn't like the theme song. Which he wrote, by the way.
• Second Love: In the first season, Janice was often seen with Zoot.
• Signature Laugh: His wheezing "Ahhh-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh".
• Silly Walk: A distinctive, pronounced strut.
• The Stoner: He even smokes a hookah in the Alice in Wonderland parody episode.
• Sunglasses at Night: First season only.
• Team Dad: The Muppets Mayhem expands on his role as Animal's "handler" to establish him as this. Flashbacks show that he was a mentor figure to Dr. Teeth, encouraging him to get into music as a young man; and that he essentially adopted Animal as a baby.
• True Art Is Incomprehensible: Invoked. He mentions in one episode that he hates composing, because he doesn't like the music that results.
  Floyd: If I didn't know I was a genius, I wouldn't listen to the trash I write!

Zoot

Performed by: Dave Goelz

Debut: The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence (1975)

• Camera Fiend: The Muppets Mayhem sees him constantly taking pictures with his Polaroid camera and using the pictures to decorate the ceiling of their van and bus. The Stinger for each episode is a new Couch Gag of him trying to take a picture and having something funny happen.
• Cloudcuckoolander: He's very much stuck in his own little world a lot of the time, and as a result he barely ever seems to pay attention to anything that goes on around him. If he says anything, it's 99% guaranteed to be a Non Sequitur.
• Cool Shades: He wears his sunglasses at all times.
• Couch Gag: During The Stinger, he'd blow a loud, off-key final note on his sax. Sometimes something... odd... would happen.
• Divergent Character Evolution / Early-Installment Weirdness: Something of an odd example. In the first season, Floyd Pepper made few appearances, due to the unavailability of his performer. During this time, Zoot essentially played Floyd's role on the show outside of musical numbers, which is why he is much more verbal during this period, as well as dating Janice. When Floyd became a full-time cast member, Zoot rescinded his duties and became the silent, low-key character we know today.
• Forgetful Jones: Zoot forgets things easily, even his own name. His Camera Fiend habit is a way of helping himself remember things.
• Heavy Sleeper: It's implied he once slept for three months straight.
• Informed Judaism: Revealed in A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa when he's shown with a menorah.
• Perpetual Frowner: Often has this look, thanks to the natural downcurl of his mouth when he's not speaking, and the fact his shades hide his eyes.
• The Quiet One: He was far more talkative in the first season of The Muppet Show, but later on evolved into this. He'll make the occasional comment — sometimes, like in The Muppets Mayhem he can be downright chatty when he's in the mood — but for the most part he leaves the talking to the others, expressing himself with music rather than words.
• Shy Blue Haired Guy: Unlike the other band members, he hardly ever talks.
• Starving Artist: Revealed that he's been sleeping in a phone booth for three months. This isn't quite an example, though; Zoot seems to imply that he's been sleeping for the entirety of those three months.
• The Stoner: Even more so than Floyd.
  Floyd: Uh-oh. Zoot skipped a groove again!

Animal

Performed by: Frank Oz (1975-2000), Eric Jacobson (2002-present)

Voiced by: Howie Mandel (Muppet Babies (1984) seasons 1-2), Dave Coulier (Muppet Babies (1984) seasons 3-7), Hal Rayle (Little Muppet Monsters), Dee Bradley Baker (Muppet Babies (2018))

Debut: The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence (1975)

See also his self-demonstrating article.

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• Aggressive Negotiations: His idea of discussing the band's discontentment with Kermit... well, you can probably guess. He attacks Kermit, throttles him and squashes him.
• All Animals Are Dogs: Whatever Animal is (besides a Muppet), he displays many dog-like attributes, like a need for walks, and a tendency to chase cars.
• All Drummers Are Animals: invoked A comment about him by Buddy Rich is the Trope Namer.
• Berserk Button:
  • Don't suggest he's getting replaced. Dudley Moore learns that one the hard way.
  • According to The Muppets, drums are his trigger word. Therapy almost managed to help with that one, until the gang found him again.
• Breakout Character: From season two of The Muppet Show onwards, he's a prominent part of the main Muppet cast, gets more merchandise than Kermit, and is the member of the Electric Mayhem seen most often without his bandmates (he's probably the second-biggest example of this next to Miss Piggy). He was even the mascot of the U.S. snowboarding team for the 1998 Winter Olympics!
• Big Eater: He has an endless appetite, even for things that aren't food.
• Bunny-Ears Lawyer: The biggest example out of the band; he's a crazed... well, Animal; but he has naturally perfect rhythm, making him a fantastic drummer. It also extends into other areas, like hibachi cooking and Tik-Tok dances.
• Cartoon Creature: Is he a human? An animal? A whatever? The most plausible explanation is that he's a monster like the ones on Sesame Street.
• Catchphrase:
  "Sorrrrrry!" (whenever he messes something up)
• Dark Is Not Evil: He behaves like a complete psycho and tends to destroy things around him (hence his being kept in chains), but seems to be fairly close friends with his bandmates and the other Muppets. He even gets a major Big Damn Heroes moment in The Muppet Movie.
• Doorstep Baby: The Muppets Mayhem establishes that he was dumped on Floyd's doorstep as a baby, locked in a cage with a note saying "KEEP". Floyd still has the note tucked into his guitar case.
• Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas:
  • In the Muppet rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody, he only gets as far as "Mama..." Then he starts looking for her and shouting "Mama!" overjoyed at the prospect of seeing his dearest mother. When he doesn't find her, he begins searching for his father.
  • Later, they made a short celebratory video when the Bohemian Rhapsody parody won a Webby Award. The episode is just Animal calling his mama and excitedly telling her they won a Webby... the punchline being that he only caught her voice mail. The implications are that the second he heard his mother's voice, he completely geeked out with excitement. That is ADORABLE.
  • A picture book from 1983, "The Case of the Missing Mother," also revolves around Animal trying to find his mother, in this case because she moved and he lost her new address.
• Evil-Detecting Dog: Well, not a dog, but similar mentality. In Muppets Most Wanted, when Constantine replaced Kermit, he was the only one to realize it right away, and didn't trust him.
  "Bad froggy!"
• Extreme Omnivore: He even tries to eat his drums sometimes.
• Fiery Redhead: Has orange fur and is wild.
• Freak Out: Don't ask Animal to try and play classical music. He just can't handle it for long.
• The Heart: In The Muppets Mayhem a misunderstanding leads him to think the band don't want him around anymore, so he runs away and tries to get a "normal" job. When the others realise he's not coming back they lose all motivation to play, describing him as the "heartbeat of the band".
• Hidden Depths: Has a love for Impressionist paintings with Pierre-Auguste Renoir being his personal favorite.
• Hulk Speak: Usually Animal tends to speak in short sentences, often just one or two words shouted at the top of his voice.
• Large Ham: So much so that Miss Piggy almost seems subdued by comparison.
• Literal-Minded: Asking Animal to get the door was not Kermit's smartest decision.
• Real Men Wear Pink: Even Animal cries at weddings... provided he's been told he's supposed to cry, first.
• Signature Laugh: "AH-HA-HA-HA-HA." Yep, Animal even laughs in Hulk Speak.
• Sore Loser: Not one to take defeat lightly, as Buddy Rich finds out when he beats Animal in a drum-off. Animal throws a drum at his head.
• Speak of the Devil: Some guest stars are afraid to mention him by name, just in case it sets him off.
• Sucks at Dancing: "ONE, TWO, THREE, DIP!!!"
• Too Kinky to Torture: At the end of "Fever", his duet with Rita Moreno, she smashes him in the face with cymbals. His response?
  Animal: MY KIND OF WOMAN!!!
• The Unfettered: Not in the literal sense, of course. He's the one cast member who regularly has to be chained down.
• The Unintelligible: Sometimes, though some of the guests understand him anyhow. He's actually more eloquent when he's like this than not.

Janice

Performed by: Fran Brill (1975), Eren Ozker (1976-1977), Richard Hunt (1977-1991), Brian Henson (2002-2003), Tyler Bunch (2005), David Rudman (2008-present)

Voiced by: Dave Coulier (Muppet Babies (1984)), Matt Vogel (Muppet RaceMania)

Debut: The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence (1975)

• Character Tics: She tends to sway from side to side when she speaks, except in Veterinarian's Hospital, where there's not as much room to maneuver, so she doesn't.
• Crossdressing Voices: Averted in the Sex and Violence pilot and the first season of The Muppet Show, when she's played by actual women (Fran Brill for the pilot and Eren Ozker for the show proper). From the second season on, she was passed over to Richard Hunt, who created her Valley Girl persona, and ever since then she's been a prime example of the trope.
• Eyes Always Shut: Her original concept drawing actually had no eyes, but the actual puppet became this. That said, she's been seen with her eyes open twice — once in her chicken form when a Cluckitus epidemic spread on The Muppet Show and the other time was in The Great Muppet Caper as the result of a Blinding Camera Flash gag.
• Gender Flip: Also, her original concept drawing indicated that she was male and heavily inspired by Mick Jagger.
• Granola Girl: Especially in later productions, she's heavily into New Age, spiritual endeavors. In The Muppets Mayhem, her food orders are vegan.
• Living Lie Detector: It's revealed in The Muppets Mayhem that she's allergic to lies, and starts sneezing excessively when people lie to her.
• Official Couple: With Floyd. Though she was paired with Zoot in the first season.
• The Smurfette Principle: Downplayed. While she isn’t the only female Muppet, she is the only female on the Electric Mayhem's roster.
• Tender Tomboyishness, Foul Femininity: She's certainly more laid-back and friendly than Miss Piggy, that's "fer sure".
• Those Two Guys: In the Veterinarian's Hospital, Janice is one of Dr. Bob's nurses alongside Ms. Piggy.
• Tomboy and Girly Girl: By contrast to the ridiculously feminine diva Miss Piggy, Janice is more likely to hang out and jam with The Electric Mayhem.
• Valley Girl: "Like, you know, fer sure!"

Lips

Performed by: Steve Whitmire (1980-2016), Peter Linz (2017-present)

Debut: The Muppet Show (1980)

• The Bus Came Back:
  • Reappears in The Muppets (2011), although completely divorced from the rest of the band.
  • Before that, he returned as part of The Electric Mayhem in the 2009 Christmas at Rockfellar Center appearance.
  • He rejoined the Electric Mayhem in Muppets Most Wanted.
  • And in The Muppets Mayhem he's a major character, getting more screen time and development than ever before.
• Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: Disappeared for a more than a decade after The Muppet Christmas Carol, but was phased back in again starting with The Muppets (2011)... in true Muppet fashion, with no explanation as to where he'd been all those years.
• Eyes Always Shut: The only times Lips' eyes have been seen open is in The Great Muppet Caper as the result of a Blinding Camera Flash gag and in The Muppets Mayhem during a hallucination.
• History with Celebrity: The Muppets Mayhem reveals that, while the band as a whole has history with various other musicians, Lips in particular has a surprising number of connections. Some examples are convincing Kesha to drop the dollar sign from her name, inspiring The Bangles' song "Walk Like an Egyptian", and introducing Paula Abdul to MC Skat Kat.
• Living Prop: When Steve Whitmire was playing him. They only made him so Steve Whitmire would have his own character in the band. He got no Character Development, no characterization, and virtually no dialogue, and the band still works just as well with the original five. He grew out of the role after Peter Linz took him over, becoming more of the semi-dispenser of wisdom, as well as the most resourceful and well-connected of the band.
• Photographic Memory: Apparently he has a perfect memory for lyrics, assuming you can understand what he's singing.
• The Quiet One: The number of times he spoke can be counted on the fingers of one hand. This is because Steve Whitmire wanted him to have a Louis Armstrong voice, but was worried it might come off as offensive.
• Remember the New Guy?: They never bothered to explain why the band had a new member.
• The Unintelligible: Kind of downplayed, but as of The Muppets Mayhem, he speaks in a semi-indecipherable mumble. You can make out bits of his dialogue, but key words tend to be incomprehensible to all except the other band members... and Moog.

Pigs in Space

Link Hogthrob

Performed by: Jim Henson (1977-1990), Steve Whitmire (2000-2016), Peter Linz (2017-present)

Voiced by: Bob Bergen (Little Muppet Monsters)

Debut: The Muppet Show (1977)

Imagine William Shatner with double the ego, half the brains, and a pig's snout. Link, star of the Pigs In Space sketches, considers himself a gifted actor, a brave action star, and irresistible to the lady pigs. Needless to say, he falls short in all of those categories.

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• Ambiguously Gay: As much as a TV show in the 70s-80s could allow. When a female guest flirts with him and invites him to dance, he gets very nervous and tries to beg off. There was that time he flirted with Fozzie when the bear was disguised as Miss Piggy, when the rest of the time he barely tolerates his co-star. And then there's leading a gang of pigs in singing "Macho Man" in full leather get-up...
• Brainless Beauty: He considers himself handsome, though he isn't very smart.
• The Bus Came Back: He returns in the 2011 movie, appearing regularly in the background or in group scenes. He even has a major role in the "Smells Like Teen Spirit" musical number, singing as a member of the Muppet Barbershop Quartet with Sam, Rowlf and Beaker. As a result, this is the biggest role that Link has ever had in any of the theatrical Muppet films to date. Link also has a good amount of lines and screentime in Muppets Most Wanted.
• The Captain: In the Pigs in Space sketches, to the extent where he even says this to the faces of the crew members on occasion.
• Da Chief: In the Bear on Patrol sketches with Fozzie.
• Demoted to Extra: If your familiarity with the Muppets is only with the movies, it comes as a surprise to see what a major character this guy was on The Muppet Show proper. After Jim Henson died, however, Link pretty much disappeared.
• Dodgy Toupee: The wig he wears isn't his real hair, a clear nod to one of Shatner's most infamous quirks.
• Fake Ultimate Hero: He calls himself brave. Nothing could be further from the truth.
• Fantastic Racism: He's a little too proud to be a pig.

• Idiot Hero: He is very stupid. Case in point, when the Swinetrek is hit by dummo rays, they only afflict the stupid. Dr. Strangepork and Ms. Piggy are entirely unfazed, while Link is rendered a vegetable.
• Lantern Jaw of Justice: With a cleft you could lose spare change in.
• Momma's Boy: A few jokes here and there, such as his response to bad situations being calling for her, and the fact she still sews his name into his underwear for him.

• No Celebrities Were Harmed: Quite a number of people consider him to be a parody of William Shatner.
• Of Corsets Funny: It's revealed he wears one, as part of his vain personality and Shatner-esque qualities.
• Small Name, Big Ego: He considers himself to be a lady's man, smart, gifted, etc.
• Stay in the Kitchen: He's got some pretty archaic ideas about a woman's duty on the ship. Even though Miss Piggy is his first mate, he expects her to do things like the laundry.

Dr. Julius Strangepork

Performed by: Jerry Nelson (1977-2003), Matt Vogel (2009-present)

Voiced by: Greg Berg (Little Muppet Monsters)

Debut: The Muppet Show (1977)

Pigs in Space's German-accented science officer, forever the bearer of bad news, and the only crewman on the Swinetrek who takes his job seriously. Outside of this role, Julius' performances are few and far between.

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• Delusions of Eloquence: Not used by himself, but the narrator always introduces him in this way ("And the ubiquitous / sesquipedalian / inexplicable Dr Julius Strangepork!"
• Demoted to Extra: Didn't appear much on the show outside of PIGS ... IN ... SPAAAACE! anyway but has made a few background cameos here and there.
• Herr Doktor: The science officer in Pigs In Space.
• Only Sane Man: Trapped on a spaceship, facing constant hazards and hostile aliens, with no company other than two self-absorbed twits for years... poor Strangepork.
• Satellite Character: For Link. The official Muppets website even spelled this out in his bio.

The Announcer

Performed by: John Lovelady (1976-1977), Jerry Nelson (1976-2011), Matt Vogel (2016-present)

Debut: The Muppet Show (1976)

The announcer for Pigs In Space, Veterinarians' Hospital and Bear on Patrol.

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• Lemony Narrator: Some of his announcements are quite strange, such as telling the audience to tune in in two weeks time... to miss the previous week's episode.
• Narrator All Along: In the series finale (with Gene Kelly), the narrator reveals to be a blue whatnot muppet.
• Punctuated! For! Emphasis!: PIGS! IN! SPACE!

Other Characters

Rizzo the Rat

Performed by: Steve Whitmire

Voiced by: Ben Diskin (Muppet Babies (2018))

Debut: The Muppet Show (1980)

Self-interested, sarcastic and snide, Rizzo basically hangs around with the Muppets, making a pest of himself and shoehorning himself into every act he can just for the attention. Even when Muppets Tonight gave him a job, he didn't change much. He likes eating, wooing female rodents, and having laughs at his castmates' expense, although a softer side of him does come out, especially when with his best pal Gonzo.

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• Ascended Extra:
  • Rizzo started out as an anonymous member of a group of rats, but thanks to Steve Whitmire's performance soon emerged as the central rat character, started getting solo appearances and in the final season of The Muppet Show began popping up everywhere, usually as a background character and often in skits he had no place in. He was a pivotal supporting character in The Muppets Take Manhattan. Then, in The Muppet Christmas Carol he made the jump to main star when writer Jerry Juhl discovered just how well the Gonzo/Rizzo team worked, and since then has either been among the main characters or at least had a notable appearance in every major Muppet production. He also got what was pretty much Scooter's role on Muppets Tonight.
  • After being mostly absent from the two movies, he became an Ascended Extra again in the 2015 TV series.
• Big Eater: Despite his small size.
• Butt-Monkey: Lots of bad stuff happens to him.
• Deadpan Snarker: With a Brooklyn accent, no less.
• Demoted to Extra: In The Muppets (2011), Rizzo doesn't have a single line, only appearing in crowd scenes. He did get one scene in Muppets Most Wanted... in which he complains that he's been Demoted to Extra.
• Half-Dressed Cartoon Animal: He wears a jacket and ballcap but no pants.
• Iron Butt Monkey: Nowhere near as bad as Beaker, but he does suffer a lot, sometimes alongside Gonzo, who isn't fazed in the slightest.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: He's gluttonous, prankish, and mean, although he's one of Gonzo's best pals.
• Lovable Coward: Usually played up whenever he's with Gonzo, to better contrast Gonzo's Fearless Fool tendencies.
• Put on a Bus: He has yet to be recast following the firing of Steve Whitmire, though he is one of the most commonly-seen recurring characters on Muppet Babies (2018), where he's voiced by Ben Diskin, and one of the IM messages to Scooter in the first episode of Muppets Now is from him. In a bit of a Pet the Dog moment, he's one of the few Muppets (along with Rowlf, Walter and the Newsman) who are purely being positive and supportive about the show; most of the others are just complaining about Scooter uploading their segments too soon, insisting that changes need to be made, asking technical questions and so on.
• Those Two Guys: Most often with Gonzo, but sometimes with Pepe.
• Unlimited Wardrobe: During his Muppet Show days, Rizzo would sport a different outfit for just about every scene he was in. Starting with Muppets Tonight, this was inverted when Rizzo got his red-and-beige jacket and white tee-shirt, which became his trademark outfit.
• You Dirty Rat!: Largely subverted as Rizzo is a Jerk with a Heart of Gold, but he still has a few of the trademark characteristics, mostly his cowardice, gluttony and poor personal hygiene.

Crazy Harry

Performed by: John Lovelady (1974, 1976-1977), Richard Hunt (1975), Jerry Nelson (1977-2003), Rickey Boyd (2005), Matt Vogel (2008-present)

Debut: The Muppets Valentine Show (1974)

A wacko even by the Muppets' standards, Harry doesn't do much other than detonate random explosions, laughing all the while. Needless to say, he's something of a fan favourite. His personality was based on Muppet builder Don Sahlin, who had a similar fondness for wacky pranks that, yes, involved explosions.

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• Ax-Crazy: The description for the trope is "a deranged character prone to random violence". Harry more than fits.
• Crazy-Prepared: Harry is constantly seen detonating explosives... Explosives that logically would need to be set up ahead of time.
• Creepy Shadowed Undereyes: A prominent part of his design.
• Epic Fail: In The Muppets, he's so out of practice, his attempts to blow stuff up only blows himself up.
• Everyone Has Standards: A subtle example. During the song "Comedy Tonight", a monster is seen chasing and terrorizing a little girl. Harry looks at the scene for a few seconds before blowing the monster up.
• Hidden Depths: He's in the theatre's band. He plays the triangle.
• Laughing Mad: Half the time he does nothing but laugh while blowing things up.
• Mad Bomber: His entire personality is blowing stuff up when you least expect him to.
• Slasher Smile: His expression.
• Speak of the Devil: Words like boom or dynamite would often prompt him to appear pull his plunger.
  Did someone say "Dynamite?" *KABOOM*
• Stuff Blowing Up: What he specializes in.
• Trigger-Happy: He likes explosions. A lot.

Beauregard

Performed by: Dave Goelz

Debut: The Muppet Show (1978)

A dopey, hard-toiling fellow, Beauregard is the loyal janitor of the Muppet Theater. He's generally agreeable and obliging, although his bumbling has spelled disaster for more than a few sketches.

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• The Big Guy: He can carry pianos around by himself!
• The Bus Came Back: He shows up again in the 2011 film. Apparently, he had been cleaning the Muppet Theater for somewhere around 30 years without having noticed everyone was gone.
• Cartoon Creature: He's some sort of brown... lump.
• Demoted to Extra: Used to be a prominent character on the show, movies and TV specials, but fell out of use because the scriptwriters, while liking him as a character, had problems with finding material for him. (The problem, according to one of them, was that Beauregard "has no desires; he doesn't want anything.") Nowadays, you're lucky to find someone who remembers him. ^note His last major role was in The Muppets at Walt Disney World, a special that's been rarely seen since its initial broadcast due to Jim Henson's death ten days after its premiere. In the special, he's paired with Miss Piggy, tricking her into riding thrill rides instead of shopping and dining.
• The Ditz: He's not the smartest member of the Muppets by a long shot.
• Drives Like Crazy: As seen in The Great Muppet Caper.
• Expy: Based off of Wendell the porcupine, whom Goelz also performed.
• Hidden Depths: He seldom takes the stage himself, but he has been shown to be a surprisingly gifted harmonica player.
• Simpleton Voice: He has a deep, goofy sounding voice.

Lew Zealand

Performed by: Jerry Nelson (1978-2003), Bill Barretta (2002-2005), Matt Vogel (2008-present)

Debut: The Muppet Show (1978)

A goofy clown who throws fish all over the place. Only on the Muppets would this act be considered boring. Lew's act hasn't changed at all over the decades, but he's still trying relentlessly for the chance to show the world his comedic genius.

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• Accidental Hero: Lew wasn't trying to save Kermit from being forcibly married to Miss Piggy, he just wanted to show off his fish, and Kermit needed a distraction so he could escape.
• Ascended Extra: Originally created as a one-shot character, he appeared multiple times on The Muppet Show and in the movies.
• Catchphrase: I throw the fish away! And they come BACK to me!
• Cloudcuckoolander: Even for the Muppets, he's quite, quite weird.
• Companion Cube: His fish, one of which he calls "Seymour" and treats like it's alive (which, given it's a fish out of water, is... unlikely, but with the Muppets you can never be sure).
• Flat Character: 99% of Lew's appearances consist of variants on his boomerang fish act or talking about fish. He's still really funny.
• I Call It "Vera": But with boomerang fish.
• Non-Ironic Clown: Lew dresses and acts like a vaudevillian clown. His act is presented as ridiculous, but he's not evil or sad.
• Simpleton Voice: Even his voice sounds silly.

Annie Sue

Performed by: Louise Gold

Debut: The Muppet Show (1978)

A child prodigy, Annie Sue was introduced as Miss Piggy's understudy, known as the most hazardous position in the industry. Despite Piggy's scarcely-veiled animosity towards her, Annie Sue remained cheery and never failed to please the crowd. This, of course, only enraged Piggy even more.

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• Ascended Extra: Had turned up as a generic female pig used in various production numbers, but didn't get featured as a named character until season 3.
• The Cutie: She's cute as a button, much to Piggy's chagrin.
• Demoted to Extra: She hasn't put in a major appearance in a long while. After two minor starring roles in season 3, she spends most of her time on the show as a background part in sketches.
• The Ingenue: Oh, so very much.
• Not So Above It All: She's just as capable of goofing up as anyone else, as seen with partaking in "the Rhyming Song", or the disastrous rendition of "Do Re Mi". Also sums up the relationship between Annie Sue's performer, Louise Gold, and her fellow, male, Muppeteers.
• Recurring Character: Whenever the writers felt like tweaking Piggy.
• Sitcom Arch-Nemesis: As Miss Piggy's younger, prettier and very talented understudy, this is how Miss Piggy saw her. It didn't help that Kermit found her to be quite charming and the theater audience adored her.
• Unknown Rival: Shows no sign of perceiving any ill will from Piggy.

Robin the Frog

Performed by: Jerry Nelson (1971-2003), Matt Vogel (2008-2017), Peter Linz (2017-present)

Voiced by: Russi Taylor (Muppet Babies (1984)) , Eric Bauza (Muppet Babies (2018) )

Debut: Tales from Muppetland: The Frog Prince (1971)

Kermit's adorable little nephew, Robin's role on The Muppet Show fits his status as the youngest of the cast members. Sometimes he cutely wins the crowd over, and other times he asks embarrassing questions, makes impolite comments, and pouts when he doesn't get his way. Robin also seems to be the Muppet character designed to appeal best to small children.

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• Artifact Title: Why is he named Robin? In his first appearance, he was a human prince named Sir Robin the Brave who had... well, we all know this story. After this, he was retooled as Kermit's nephew (the whole Frog Prince thing could probably fall under the Animated Actors clause), but he kept his medieval-era name.
• Ascended Extra: From the mid-1980s' to the early 2000s', Robin became one of the core cast of Muppets, gaining a major role in The Muppet Christmas Carol, introducing the segments of the Nickelodeon short series Muppet Time, and even starring in his own video game, Muppet Monster Adventure.
• Cheerful Child: He's a good-natured, optimistic kid.
• The Cutie: Between his tiny size and good nature, he's incredibly adorable.
• A Day in the Limelight: Robin may be a relatively minor character, but he's had two opportunities to take the spotlight all for himself: his performance of "Halfway Down The Stairs" (which became an international Top 10 hit), and starring in his own action game for the PlayStation.
• Distressed Dude: At one point winds up in the Swedish Chef's frying pan.
• Height Angst: In the storybook adaptation Two for the Show, Robin is told he can't be in that night's show because he's too little. Similarly, Sweetums is barred because he's too big. They end up in the show after all, when that night's planned guest star is fired.

• Little Mister Snarker: Generally, he's one of the sweeter characters, but he has his moments.
• Lovable Coward: Has some elements of this, being a kid and all. You may think "Sir Robin the Brave" is a reference to something, but The Frog Prince predates that movie by a few years.
• Morality Pet: If the Muppets ever need to dial down the chaos and get a little sentimental, Robin is usually front and centre. Notably, in the episode featuring Alice Cooper, they have Robin sing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow". In an episode full of irreverent humor, ghosts, monsters, and the most controversial guest star to date, they had that one sweet, innocent moment.
• Nephewism: The second season firmly established Robin as Kermit's nephew. His parents are never seen, but his father was mentioned once on this show. Muppet Babies later referred to his mother being Kermit's older sister. This trope is so evident that Robin played the Tiny Tim role to Kermit's Bob Cratchit in The Muppet Christmas Carol.
• Not Allowed to Grow Up: He's been a kid for 45 years and counting.
• Not Now, Kiddo: Sometimes on the receiving end, due to his youth and the fact he is tiny, and therefore easily overlooked when madness is unfolding.
• Odd Couple: He and Sweetums are the best of friends.
• Odd Friendship: With Sweetums. Really odd considering Sweetums spent much of The Frog Prince trying to eat Robin.
• Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Robin seriously considers leaving at one point, feeling unnoticed and unappreciated. One heartwarming musical number later and he stays.
• Tagalong Kid: For the Muppets, being the youngest. Even in the original Muppet Babies series, Robin appears as a tadpole.

Sweetums

Performed by: Richard Hunt (1976-1991), John Henson (1991-2005), Noel MacNeal (2008), Matt Vogel (2009-present)

Voiced by: Carl Banas (Tales from Muppetland: The Frog Prince), Jerry Nelson (Muppet RaceMania) , Dee Bradley Baker (Muppet Babies 2018)

Debut: Tales from Muppetland: The Frog Prince (1971)

Sweetums first appeared as one of the main villains in Jim Henson's The Frog Prince special, but deep down inside, he's actually quite sweet despite his intimidating looks. He's a large, full-bodied ogre who's often paired with Robin.

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• The Big Guy: He's a full-body monster, which makes him tall even compared to humans.
• Butt-Monkey: He gets picked on a lot for such a nice guy.
• Extreme Omnivore: He once ate Candice Bergen's camera, saying "I've tasted better." When she complains to Kermit, he says "You're lucky. Last week he ate the guest."
• Face of a Thug: Being an ogre, his features are incredibly deformed from his eyes to his teeth, but in spite of that, Sweetums is by all account a nice guy.
• Fluffy the Terrible: This was played straight in his first appearance, but nowadays "Sweetums" is a Meaningful Name.
• Gentle Giant: He looks big and mean, but it's just bluster 90% of the time. Just watch out for that remaining 10%...
  • Except in Tales from Muppetland: The Frog Prince, which was also his first appearance. He repeatedly tried to eat or smash Robin. Speaking of...
  • Are you kidding? I love you guys!
• Lightning Bruiser: He is a fantastic dancer.
• Odd Friendship: With Robin, considering their contrasting sizes and personalities. It's even weirder if you've seen The Frog Prince, where they were enemies (Sweetums being the henchman of the witch who turned Sir Robin into a frog).
• Vocal Dissonance: His voice is deep, but he sounds more "big-city truck driver" than "man-eating monster".
• You No Take Candle: Occasionally dips into this.

Camilla

Performed by: Jerry Nelson (1978-2003), Alice Dinnean (2005), Matt Vogel (2008-present)

Voiced by: Frank Welker (Muppet Babies (1984)) , Melanie Harrison (Muppet Babies (2018))

Debut: The Muppet Show (1978)

A chicken, and a non-anthropomorphic one at that. Despite this handicap, Camilla hasn't let that stop her from being a singer and an actress in many acts on the show. It's also won her the love of the Great Gonzo, although her boyfriend's roving eye for all manner of fowl has often put a strain on their relationship.

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• Ascended Extra: She only appeared a few times on the show, but is well-known to fans of the movies.
• Beta Couple: Gonzo and Camilla have one of the more consistent romance in Muppet media. They have troubles of their own, like any couple, but that hardly amounts to much when the main pairing is Kermit and Piggy.
• Characterization Marches On: Camilla only had a few appearances on The Muppet Show, and the puppeteers couldn't always recall which chicken puppet they had designated as Camilla. So the joke became that not even Gonzo could tell the chickens apart and selected one at random to call "Camilla". The chickens, being non-anthropomorphic animals, didn't care either way. Over time, Camilla has become her own bird with her own personality in a consensual relationship with Gonzo. They are the only ones who fully understand each other (literally on her end), and Camilla is right beside him in a whole array of crazy endeavors, just as he supports her music.
• Cloudcuckoolander: Shares a lot of Gonzo's wild interests, especially in the Disney World special.
• Crossdressing Voices: Played by Jerry Nelson and Matt Vogel.
• Dartboard of Hate: She has a dartboard with a picture of Colonel Sanders on it in her dressing room.
• Interspecies Romance: With Gonzo.
• Official Couple: With Gonzo. The 2015 series establishes that they split up shortly before the start of the show when Gonzo wanted to get more serious, but they get back together later in the first (and final) season.
• Tertiary Sexual Characteristics: Those glamourous eyes of hers.
• The Unintelligible: Only speaks in chicken sounds, though occasionally, she will get captions to explain what she's saying. Gonzo is the only one who can understand her, and usually acts as her translator to the other characters.
• Woman Scorned: When Gonzo dumps her to go to Bollywood, she leads the other chickens in singing "Gonna Wash That Man Right Out Of My Hair". In Chicken, obviously.

Pops

Performed by: Jerry Nelson (1980-2002), Matt Vogel (2011-present)

Debut: The Muppet Show (1980)

The Muppet Theater's crotchety, semi-senile old doorman. In the show's final season, guest stars had to get through him to get on the show — hilarity often ensues.

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• Cloudcuckoolander: "There's something terrible in this coffee! ...oh, heh heh, it's my finger."
• Eyes Always Shut: Behind transparent glasses, no less!
• Ooh, Me Accent's Slipping: Sometimes he slips into a Southern accent for no real reason.
• Senior Sleep-Cycle: Zzzzzz....

Uncle Deadly

Performed by: Jerry Nelson (1976-1979), Matt Vogel (2011-present)

Debut: The Muppet Show (1976)

The "Phantom of the Muppet Theater", Uncle Deadly is some sort of refined, British dragon-ghost-thing known for performing Shakespeare. He was murdered by the critics and spent his time afterwards scaring the theater's crew just for fun. He became more well-known after The Muppets (2011), where he served as actual The Dragon to the Tex Richman

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• Ascended Extra: Became a major character in The Muppets (2011). After receiving a much smaller role the following film, he gains a decent presence in the 2015 TV series and becomes one of the main characters of Muppets Now.
• Beleaguered Assistant: As Miss Piggy's assistant, while he does usually manage to survive her demands, and is capable of keeping her focused, he's still the poor sod stuck with dealing with her day-in, day-out.
  Taye Diggs: She scares me.
  Uncle Deadly: You have no idea...
• The Bus Came Back: After the show's conclusion, Deadly went decades without a speaking appearance (or, after 1990, any appearance at all) until The Muppets (2011), where he returned as a prominent supporting character.
• Buffy Speak: In one of Walter's Muppet Masters interviews, Deadly describes his acting knowledge in stage fighting by describing the terms which trained actors use to describe each part of the weapon Walter is showing off. Said terms include calling the hilt of a sword the "grabby bit" and the tip the "stabby end".
• Character Tics: He makes a lot of hand gestures, twirling and swooping them around.

• Characterization Marches On: Following The Muppets (2011), his evil and creepy characterization was dropped in favor of portraying him as a refined Brit who acts as Miss Piggy's Hypercompetent Sidekick.
• Dastardly Whiplash: Has this role in the Melodrama sketches with Wayne and Miss Piggy.
• Deadpan Snarker: In his role as Miss Piggy's assistant.
• Dracolich: Maybe. He's generally modeled after a dragon, and he's supposedly a ghost.
• The Dragon: He serves the role in The Muppets (2011), until his Heel–Face Turn.
• Evil Brit: He took some serious umbrage with this trope.
• Know When to Fold 'Em: He's more bold than most of the cast about snarking about Ms. Piggy in front of her, however even he knows not to push his luck too far.
  Piggy: What would you say is my biggest flaw?
  Deadly: I don't want to play this anymore.
• Heel–Face Turn: Turns back on Richman, due to him mistreating him over the years and drops him of the tower, refusing to take down Muppet's Show.
  Uncle Deadly: Enough! Just because I have a terrifying name and an evil English accent, does not preclude the fact that, in my heart, I am a Muppet, not a Moopet!
• Hypercompetent Sidekick: He's one to Miss Piggy in the 2015 series and Now, his most important job being to manage the pig's temper.
  "I've woven such a cocoon of lies, she has no idea of her size, weight, or even how old she is."
• Large Ham: Well, he was an actor.
• Odd Friendship:
  • With Wayne. The Melodrama sketches they starred in would always get diverted into the two bonding over a Commonality Connection, much to the annoyance of Miss Piggy (who played the Damsel in Distress).
  • Most recently, with Piggy herself. One look at the two together can leave you wondering as to why Piggy and Deadly would make a good partnership, as the two look absolutely nothing alike; they could not be more opposite.^note  While Piggy is always seen with some elaborate wardrobe combo, a stylish hairdo, a fancy-looking face, and could easily be described as a fashion model by her fans, Deadly has a demon-like head, pea-shaped eyes deep in pitch black sockets, a crooked, dragon-like face, a ragged, beige cape (at least in his earliest appearances), and is easily thought of as one of the ugliest-looking Muppets ever known. Despite this, if one were to examine their personalities, they are almost mirror reflections of each other; both have a strong flair for the dramatic, and have a fantastic fashion sense; also, their attitude can often become quite sassy and haughty, which they express in a restrained manner through their Deadpan Snarker tendencies.
• Our Dragons Are Different: He resembles a dragon, and was referred to as one in the 2011 movie's junior novelization.
• Our Ghosts Are Different: The ghost of a Shakespearean actor who was murdered... by the critics!
• Recurring Character: In the second and third season, would periodically star in on-stage skits, usually (and bizarrely) paired with Wayne after Wanda was dropped.
• Theatre Phantom: In the Twiggy episode, he is "the Phantom of the Muppet Show". One by one, the Muppets tell Kermit that they have seen a phantom, but Kermit refuses to believe them until he sees Uncle Deadly with his own eyes. Once revealed, Uncle Deadly explains that he used to perform at the Muppet Theater, where he played Othello until he was killed... by the critics.
• Token Evil Teammate: He ain't called "Uncle Deadly" for nothing. Somewhat subverted in that he isn't exactly evil in most cases. Just creepy and macabre.
• Troll: Not above messing with Piggy's head, even knowing what the inevitable results might be.
• Waistcoat of Style: Tends to wear some very fancy looking waistcoats.

Marvin Suggs

Performed by: Frank Oz (1976-1981), Eric Jacobson (2011)

Debut: The Muppet Show (1976)

One of the show's stranger recurring characters, Marvin Suggs is a crazy little blue man with a silly accent who enjoys making music by beating on an instrument made up of sentient furballs (the Muppaphones). Despite his unusually cruel act, he rarely got any sort of comeuppance.

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• Black Comedy: Most of his comedy tends to center around his abysmal treatment of the sentient muppaphones.
• Catchphrase: "SHUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUT UP!" (to his Muppaphones, whenever they started complaining or getting restless)
• Comically Missing the Point/Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: When Leslie Ann Warren upbraids Suggs for hitting living creatures, he exasperatedly responds, "Of course they're alive. You can't make music by hitting DEAD creatures!"
• Expy: This is a somewhat less psychotic version of the Monty Python "Mouse Organ" sketch.
• French Jerk: His accent sounds french, and he's rather unpleasant.
• I Resemble That Remark!: "I am not a cruel man!" (Muppaphones start grumbling) "SHUUUUUUT UP!" Then he hits them some more, for good measure.
• Jerkass: He's rather sadistic.
• Karma Houdini: Except twice — first when he himself gets clobbered with a gigantic mallet and second when a witch doctor gave him a well-deserved Karmic Transformation.
• Karmic Transformation: At the end of his performance of "Witch Doctor", the enraged witch doctor in question turns his head into a muppaphone.
• Kick the Dog: His poor Muppaphones...^note Frank Oz imagined that they had an even worse private life, at home with Marvin.
• Large Ham: "SHUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUT UP!"
• Mad Artist: He has a bizarre act that no one understands, and is quite strange and aggressive himself.
• Small Name, Big Ego: Quite the egotist.
• What the Hell Is That Accent?: According to Frank Oz, he based Marvin's accent on an exaggerated version of a French friend's voice.
• You Do Not Want To Know: Marvin once told Kermit that the Muppaphones have to be replaced after a while because they go flat (literally). When Kermit asks him what happens to the old Muppaphones, Marvin replies, "I don't think you want to know."

The Newsman

Performed by: Jim Henson (1976-1989), Jerry Nelson (1996), Brian Henson (2001-2003), Steve Whitmire (2008-2016), Eric Jacobson (2017-present)

Debut: The Muppet Show (1976)

A bespectacled, stone-serious journalist, the Newsman never hesitates to break the latest news story... and the subject of the latest story never fails to break him. One of the Muppets' most slapstick characters.

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• Butt-Monkey: Whenever he talks about news stories, you know that the Newsman will get attacked by the subject.
• Catchphrase: "This / here is a Muppet news flash!"
• Changing of the Guard: Basically taking over Kermit's news reporter job from Sesame Street, since Kermit is occupied with running the show.
• Characterization Marches On: In the first season, he just reads out silly news bits. It's only later on that the news starts happening to him.
• Dead Line News: Or at least injured line news.
• Doom Magnet: When he breaks news stories, bad luck will happen to him.
• Drop the Cow: Cows are just some of the many objects that have been dropped on him.
• Early-Installment Weirdness: His earliest sketches had him interviewing characters played by the guest stars or reporting weird news stories without getting attacked or injured. In one segment, he even said, "There is no news tonight" and walked off!
• Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep": Only ever called "The Newsman".
• Genre Blindness: He never learns, and continues with his newscast even when he really shouldn't.
• Genre Savvy:
  • In one of the skits made for the Disney website in 2010, he reports on a plane carrying freshly-printed cash having technical difficulties. A bag full of cash promptly drops onto the desk. Realizing the possibility, he promptly says he wishes for a sack of priceless diamonds and said item also falls onto the desk. He then asks for a 32 ounce t-bone steak, medium rare. And a beautiful brown-eyed blonde! (The last one ends up being a cow, though, and he notes he should've been more specific on that last request.)
  • In another Disney website skit, he began to report on a story involving bowling balls, but then notes "everytime I do one of these stories, I get hit with something." So he decides to recite "Mary Had a Little Lamb" instead. Mary promptly drops on him followed by her sheep; the Newsman says "I should've gone for the bowling ball", and said object promptly knocks him out.
• I Have Many Names: The Newsman, the Newscaster, the Reporter, Muppet Reporter...
• Running Gag: Whatever he's reporting on will come back to bite him.
• Speak of the Devil: Almost anything he reports on will promptly either appear and attack him or just fall out of the sky onto him.
• Stupidest Thing I've Ever Heard: People suddenly turning into ducks. He doesn't get halfway through saying it befo-QUACK! Quack, quack quack!
• Tempting Fate: His entire act revolves around this.
• This Just In!: The Muppet Newsman repeatedly parodies this — he's always delivering "a Muppet News Flash", seemingly important news... and is often injured by the stories he's reporting (while sitting behind a newsdesk).
• Throw the Dog a Bone: In the 2011 movie, the Muppets allow the Newsman to participate in their telethon, running the phone lines. Not only does nothing bad happen to the Newsman for once, but at the end of the film, he is able to report a news story in full, suffering no injuries!
• We Interrupt This Program: He interrupts the Muppet Show (but always between sketches) to deliver a Muppet News Flash... most of them silly and nonsensical.
• Who Writes This Crap?!: After one interview with a woman who's trying to break the world record for the most jumps in a row (motivating herself by standing on a hot plate), the Newsman calls someone to ask "Where do we get these nuts?" In many other sketches, while he doesn't say it aloud, his expression just screams the trope name.

Wayne and Wanda

Wayne performed by: Richard Hunt (1976-1981), David Rudman (2011-present)

Wanda performed by: Eren Ozker (1976-1977), Kathryn Mullen (1979), Alice Dinnean (2011), Julianne Buescher (2017)

Debut: The Muppet Show (1976)

A pair of snobby singers who would frequently take the stage to sing tired old ballads — only to abruptly have some strange fate befall them, always foretold by the song's lyrics. None of the Muppets seemed to like them much, except Sam the Eagle, who was forever trumpeting them as the only respectable act on the show. If only they could finish a number...

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• Actually Pretty Funny: Wayne is left laughing after a ton of snow is dumped on him and Wanda during their "Let It Snow" number. She is less amused.
• Attention Deficit... Ooh, Shiny!: Wayne's shtick in the Muppet Melodrama segments, his role is to rescue Miss Piggy's character from Uncle Deadly, but the two always get distracted bonding over some Commonality Connection, much to the ire of Miss Piggy.
• The Bus Came Back: The pair finally rejoin the Muppets in the 2011 movie. While their return was a mild surprise in and of itself, nobody expected them to get one of the biggest laughs in the film!
• The Chew Toy: Invariably their duets ended with one or both of them injured.
• Epic Fail: Their whole thing. The poor pair can't even get ten seconds into most songs without disaster striking, up to and including Wayne being eaten alive. Or that time they managed to sink a fake boat...
• Flat Character: What happened to them was funnier than the characters themselves actually were. Downplayed for Wayne after he became a Punch-Clock Hero foil for Uncle Deadly in the Muppet Melodrama segments.
• Gone Horribly Right: Technically, when they did "Indian Love Call", they didn't fail as such. Rather, their singing inexplicably summons an actual Native American Muppet.
  Muppet: Hey, baby, you called?
• Hollywood Tone-Deaf: A nice aversion. Richard Hunt and Eren Ozker were both talented singers, and they gave Wayne and Wanda voices like those of modestly talented performers overconfidently pushing their vocals harder than they could handle.
• The Moral Substitute: "They're also church people", according to Sam.
• Musicalis Interruptus: The whole point of their sketches was that they’d try to sing a song but something would happen to prevent them from completing it. On one occasion they got further than they usually did, only for bad luck to end the number yet again.
• No Celebrities Were Harmed: Based on old Hollywood musical sweethearts Nelson Eddy and Jeanette MacDonald.
• Odd Friendship: Wayne finds a lot of mutual ground with Uncle Deadly in the Muppet Melodrama segments, much to the detriment of the act itself.
• Passive-Aggressive Kombat: They're very sarcastic toward Kermit about how their life is after he fired them. Oh, they may be scraping by in menial jobs and what Wanda's mother provides, because Kermit fired them, but they're happy. Even though Kermit fired them.
• Platonic Life-Partners: Given their limited personalities, it was hard to pin down their relationship in their old days; they seemed pretty chaste for a pair known for singing love songs to each other. They were caught getting pretty un-platonic in the 2011 movie.

• Put on a Bus: Wanda disappeared after the first season without mention, until she and Wayne reunited and reappeared a couple years later as part of a This Is Your Life show for Kermit's birthday. They revealed that Kermit had fired them, and they were now scraping by on minimum-wage jobs. Kermit, appalled that he could have done such a thing, re-hired them. When they sang out of joy, Kermit re-fired them. Amusingly, this successfully kept the pair out of the Muppets for the next three decades.
• Running Gag: The first season of the show had more running gags than character pieces. When Jerry Juhl replaced Jack Burns as head writer, Wanda was dumped, as running gags were all she had. Wayne, however, sporadically appeared in skits during the third and fifth seasons as a solo performer.
• Small Name, Big Ego: One of the few times they were given any non-musical dialogue, they made rude remarks about Kermit until they realized that he was listening the whole time.
• Speak of the Devil: Their injury is usually related to whatever they're singing about.

Vendawish

Performed by: Jerry Nelson

An arcade machine who grants wishes.

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• Jackass Genie: He fulfills one man's wish to be taller by physically stretching him out.
• Make a Wish: Well said! As a Muppet drops a coin in, they will have their wish granted.

Bobby Benson and his Baby Band

Voiced by: Richard Hunt (1978-1979), David Rudman (2014-present)

Debut: The Muppet Show (1978)

An act consisting largely of bad-tempered babies, who usually start fights with each other inbetween their acts.

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• Black Bead Eyes: The babies.
• Gonk: They are not cute looking babies, let's put it like that.
• The Kid with the Leash: Bobby is the only one who can keep the babies in line, and even then.
• Sinister Shades: Bobby is always wearing sunglasses, and is at the very least heavily suggested to be a criminal. Probably the babies too.
• Tantrum Throwing: Because they're poorly behaved babies.
• Troubling Unchildlike Behavior: Left to their own devices, the babies will start attacking one another. In Muppets Most Wanted, they assist Constantine and Dominic in their thievery. In Muppets Now, Fozzie and Seth Rogen are run ragged trying to keep them from hurting themselves, either accidentally or deliberately (via swordfighting).

Mahna Mahna

Performed by: Jim Henson (1969-1976), Bill Barretta (2001-present)

Debut: The Ed Sullivan Show (1969)

A scruffy, hyperactive little guy who joins in musical numbers unannounced and uninvited. He pops all over the place, either yammering in incoherent scat or playing an obnoxiously loud instrument. There's no stopping him, and it's foolish to try.

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• Divergent Character Evolution: A Muppet on Sesame Street sang "Mahna Mahna" in its first season, and was retained for future musical numbers. This character is not Mahna Mahna, but a different Muppet named Bip Bipadotta; although one could be forgiven for confusing them, as the two characters look very similar, and are both played by Jim Henson using the same voice. ^note Bip Bipadotta wears sunglasses and sings in English; Mahna Mahna doesn't wear sunglasses and speaks only in scat. This distinction is Serious Business amongst the fandom.
• Flanderization: While many of his early appearances were in performances of the song, many of his early appearances also had him doing other things. In a sketch on The Ed Sullivan Show, he played the drums and provided wisecracks (and spoke coherent English) in the "String Quartet" sketch. In the "Sax and Violence" number he played the triangle bell and stole the show. But in recent years, his appearances are almost always performances or parodies of "Mahna Mahna". Even his Sesame Street counterpart, Bip Bipadotta, shouted "Mahna Mahna!" when he made a cameo in a 2009 episode.
• Non Sequitur: His act basically makes no sense whatsoever, but it's extremely catchy to most people. In Muppets Tonight, the song was presented as a mental disorder wherein the Snowths would appear from nowhere and sing whenever someone would say the name of the song. In The Muppets (2011), it's played during the end credits. Some people say it to break the ice in a conversation when they don't know what else to say, in the same vain as "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious"!

• Pokémon Speak: He's called "Mahna Mahna" because that's all he ever says, apart from scatting.
• Scatting: Either that or some weird language.
• Sitcom Arch-Nemesis: For the Snowths especially, but potentially anybody.

• The Unfettered: Let's put it this way; he once made Zoot angry.
• The Unintelligible: Can only say his name.

Hugga Wugga

Performed by: Frank Oz

Debut: Movin' with Nancy: Nice 'n Easy (1971)

One of the best-remembered "one-sketch" characters (possibly second to Mahna Mahna), Hugga Wugga is some sort of purple alien who wanders around an alien swamp chanting his name. He gets angry at creatures who try to sing anything else and tries to "assimilate" them, but is ultimately given his just desserts by a happy yellow creature that sings "You Are My Sunshine".

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• Berserk Button: Creatures that sing anything other than "Hugga Wugga".
• Blow You Away: Shoots jets of air out of his nose whenever he gets angry.
• Jerkass: He gets really angry at anyone singing a different song.
• Laser-Guided Karma: The happy yellow creature that sings "You Are My Sunshine" gives him his just desserts at the end of the sketch. When we see the yellow creature leaving the sketch, George is shown carrying Hugga on his shoulder, meaning he got knocked out cold.
• Pokémon Speak: People call him "Hugga Wugga" because that's all he ever says.

Angus Mc Gonagle

Performed by: Jerry Nelson

Debut: The Muppet Show (1980)

The original planned "guest star" for the Star Wars episode, Angus McGonagle is an ugly purple gargoyle Scotsman whose main (and possibly only) talent is gargling George Gershwin compositions "gorgeously". For some reason, his act is widely hated among the Muppets and their intergalactic guests.

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• Brown Note: Gonzo (as Dearth Nadir) uses Angus' act to torture Luke Skywalker. Only a Gainax Ending is able to rescue him.
• The Dragon: Acts as this to Dearth Nadir (not Gonzo in a Darth Vader outfit).
• Faux Horrific: His gargling is painful enough to psychologically torment a Force-sensitive human and a fully-grown Wookiee.
• Fiery Redhead: Has red hair and a red beard, and gets quite passionate and angry about his... umm, "art".
• Funny Foreigner: His Scottish-ness serves no real purpose other than to make him funnier and more random.^note George Gershwin was an American composer of Eastern European Jewish ancestry, not Scottish. He's apparently from Argyll, Scotland, making him an Argyle gargoyle.
• Gonk: He's pretty ugly. According to 2014's Muppets Character Guide, he is an actual gargoyle.
• Man in a Kilt: Has only been seen in full Scottish regalia.
• Ninja Pirate Zombie Robot: His description reads like a Mad Libs game: he's a purple kilted Scottish gargoyle who gargles George Gershwin compositions for his act.
• Our Gargoyles Rock: A purple Scottish one with the terrifying power of gargling jazz tunes.
• Overly-Long Tongue: Has a longer tongue than most Muppets, all the better to gargle with.
• Purple Is Powerful: He has purple skin, and his Gershwin-gargling is the greatest threat to the Rebel Alliance in the Muppets' universe.
• Trrrilling Rrrs: "Yes sirrrrree, Scoo'er lil' buddy, I'm rrrrrarrring t'gae!"
• Violent Glaswegian: Played with. He gets angry, but the worst he actually does is gargle. His gargling is then played as horrific.

J.P. Grosse

Performed by: Jerry Nelson

Debut: The Muppet Show (1977)

Scooter's uncle, the owner of the Muppet Theater, and the man who Kermit has to keep happy at all costs. He was an unseen presence in the first season of the show, but made appearances in person for the second season, only to disappear again.

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• Cigar Chomper: Always seen with a cigar whenever he actually appears.

• Evil Uncle: Subverted. His nephew was the only one he was nice to.
• The Ghost: As noted, at first the mere mention of him was usually enough to cow Kermit into giving in to Scooter or Muppy's demands. In the second season, there was an attempt to use him as a regular character. However, the writers and performers eventually agreed that while Grosse was fun as an offscreen presence, in person he was too abrasive and threatening to be funny. Grosse was quickly Demoted to Extra.

• He Who Must Not Be Seen: The gag of Scooter mentioning him to get what he wants was gradually phased out. He does actually appear a couple of times during the second season, but on the whole the writers felt that he worked better as an off-screen presence.
• Hidden Depths: He always wanted to be a singer himself. When he gets a chance in one sketch, he turns out to be not half bad.
• Rich in Dollars, Poor in Sense: The Muppets often bow to his demands, because he's got the money, but some of those demands are... not really in keeping with a vaudeville style show. Such as insisting they include some lady wrestlers.

• The Scrooge: He's usually characterized as tight-fisted, although he lets the Muppet Theater fall behind on their rent regularly.

Thog

Performed by: Jerry Nelson (1970-1980), Tyler Bunch (2011)

Debut: The Great Santa Claus Switch (1970)

A furry blue nine-foot-tall monster who loves to sing and dance.

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• The Bus Came Back: He's resurrected in the 2011 film The Muppets after having been absent since the end of the original show.
• Gentle Giant: He's humongous and completely harmless.
• Hidden Depths: He's quite well read, with Balzac being a favorite author, preferably in the original French.
• Put on a Bus: He stopped making appearances in Muppet productions after The Muppet Show ended.
• The Quiet One: In many of his appearances, he doesn't speak at all. His scene with Harvey Korman revealed that he has a fussy, lisping little voice.
  Maurice the Magnificent: Speak, you demon! Speak!
  Thog: I hardly know where to begin. I was reading Balzac the other day — only in translation.
• Your Size May Vary: When Thog was rebuilt in 2011, the new version of him ended up being 2 and a half feet taller than the original 1970 Thog costume. This was due to the puppet builder not having enough reference material of the original puppet to determine his proper height.

Astoria

Performed by: Bob Payne

Debut: The Muppet Show (1979)

Waldorf's wife. She filled in once when Statler was sick and was unable to come see the show.

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• Identical Stranger: She looks like Statler in drag.
• One-Shot Character: She only appeared in the Dizzy Gillespie episode.
• Theme Naming: She and her husband Waldorf form the name of the famous Waldorf-Astoria hotel.

Hilda

Performed by: Eren Ozker

Debut: The Muppet Show

The Muppet Show's seamtress/wardrobe mistress. She only appeared in the first season of the show.

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• Blatant Lies: In the Phyllis Diller episode, she claimed to be thirty-five, leading Fozzie to quip "only around the waist!"
• A Day in the Limelight: When Phyllis Diller guest-starred, she decided to give herself a makeover.
• Demoted to Extra: Was the Muppets' main female character in the first season; when Eren Ozker left the show, she was relegated to a background puppet and hasn't had a speaking role since.
• The Ditz: Lost her glasses while she was wearing them.
• Just the Way You Are: Kermit says so after her girdle explodes, leading Hilda to conclude "this old gray mare is just what she used to be."
• Malaproper: Prone to these, like when she said Scooter was driving her "to bananas!"
• The Smurfette Principle: At first she was the main female Muppet until Piggy took that role.
• Team Mom: We first meet her when Gonzo is asking her to fix his teddy bear.
• Unexplained Accent: Speaks with a generic Eastern European accent. The Vincent Price episode confirmed she was Transylvanian.

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