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Top Cat
Voiced in English by: Arnold Stang
Voiced in Latin American Spanish by: Julio Lucena (TV series/original dub), Gerardo Reyero (TV series/remastered dub), Jose Maria Iglesias (Yogi's Ark Lark), Salvador Najar (Yogi's Treasure Hunt), Emilio Guerrero (Top Cat and the Beverly Hills Cats), Mario Castañeda (Yo Yogi!), Raúl Anaya (movies and Jellystone!)
Voiced in Japanese by: Kan'ichi Tani (TV release), Yasushi Suzuki (video release)
"What is there about me that makes people wanna give me things? It must be my lovable personality, what else?"
The most effectual, the intellectual, and the indisputable leader of the gang. Top Cat is a charismatic swindler and con artist. Close friends get to call him "T.C." — provided it's with dignity. In the Mexican dub, he was called Don Gato.
- Brilliant, but Lazy: He would probably be able to get more money if he tried to do some actual work than trying to scam people.
- Cats Are Snarkers: A feline with a dry sense of humor to match.T.C.: [to Dibble] I'd suggest a battle of wits, but you're only half-prepared.
- The Charmer: He's very charismatic, and can easily deceive people into his scams.
- Cool Cat: Well, you don't have a name like "Top Cat" by being a nervous chihuahua. Suffice to say it's hard to get him truly riled.
- Curtains Match the Window: He implies in one episode that his eyes are yellow, matching his fur
- Everyone Has Standards: He may be a con artist with few scruples when it comes to running a scam, but even he's disgusted that someone would abandon a baby on a doorstep.
- A Father to His Men: He’s hinted to be this to his gang. Aside from Get Rich Quick Schemes, the only times he’ll ever work hard is if one of the gang is in trouble.
- Friendly Enemy: With Officer Dibble, to the point that they’re almost Vitriolic Best Buds.
- Heterosexual Life-Partners: With Benny, since kittenhood.
- Hypocritical Heartwarming: He has no problem berating anyone in his gang for screw-ups or stupidity, but he will help any of them in a heartbeat. And for all the trouble he causes Dibble, he'll help him out when he really needs it.
- Indy Ploy: A big reason why he avoids going to jail for his antics is because he's very good at thinking on his feet and playing on various observations.
- It's All About Me: Downplayed. He's definitely got plenty of pride and greed in him and always looking for a quick way to fortune, but he's still A Father to His Men and most if not all of his schemes are to get his gang rich, not just himself.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Top Cat's no saint. He'll swindle anybody, even his own friends. But he'll come to their aid just as quickly.
- Lazy Bum: Don't be fooled, he's quick-witted and always has a scheme in mind, but he's also the type of cat who will let his gang do the lion's share of the work.
- The Leader: Mostly the Charismatic type, but he's also a Levelheaded Mastermind.
- Lovable Rogue: But of course! He might be a con...cat always looking for some quick cash, but he's also a snarky and charismatic gang leader who actually looks out for his gang, even if he does let them do all the work.
- Punny Name: His name is an amalgamation of "Top Hat
", a type of tall, flat-crowned headwear typically associated with the upper class (and unscrupulous capitalists), alluding to T.C.'s goals of getting rich quick, and "Cat", because he's... well, a cat. Ironically, the hat he is always seen wearing is actually a "Pork pie hat" instead of his namesake. - Schemer: Natch for a con artist. Most episode plots revolve around his newest scheme and the loads of trouble of trouble it brings for him, his gang, and the long-suffering Officer Dibble.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Sometimes, even his quick wit isn't enough to hoodwink Dibble or someone else, so he has only one recourse: run like hell in the other direction.
- Sharp-Dressed Man: Well…sharp dressed cat but let’s not split hairs. More often than not, T.C.’s the snappiest dresser in the room with his signature purple vest and porkpie hat.
- Signature Headgear: T.C.'s rarely seen without his pork pie hat.
- Street Smart: The street-smartest of them all. If it weren't for his talent to make people give him money (knowingly or not), his gang likely would have starved on the New York streets.
- Surrounded by Idiots: "Why, why, why do I surround myself with kooks?!"
- Villain Protagonist: Technically, since he's always out to scam money and food out of people. "Villain" is pushing it, though, as he'd never do anything that crosses the line into being evil.
Benny the Ball
Voiced in English by: Maurice Gosfield, John Stephenson (Yogi's Ark Lark), Avery Schreiber (Top Cat and the Beverly Hills Cats)
Voiced in Latin American Spanish by: Jorge Arvizu (TV series, first movie and Yogi's Ark Lark ), Luis Alfonso Mendoza (Top Cat and the Beverly Hills Cats), Mauricio Perez (second movie)
Voiced in Japanese by: Ginzo Matsuo (video release)
"Gee, you're all heart, T.C."
Benny is Top Cat’s chubby, innocently naïve best friend. In the Mexican dub, he was called Benito Bodoque.
- Alliterative Name: Benny the Ball. Moreover, "Top Cat and the Beverly Hills Cats" establishes his full name as being "Benjamin Ball". The Latin American Spanish version does it too, as he's known as "Benito Bodoque".
- The Baby of the Bunch: He's one of the youngest in the gang, and is physically shorter than most of the others as well.
- Big Eater: Don't let that size fool you, he can put even humans to shame with his appetite.
- The Cutie: His small size, naïvety, and idealism make him among the more adorable of the alley cats.
- Heterosexual Life-Partners: With T.C., since kittenhood.
- Ink-Suit Actor: Benny the Ball, voiced by Maurice Gosfield, is modeled on Private Doberman in The Phil Silvers Show ... played by Maurice Gosfield.
- Morality Pet: To Top Cat. He's often the one to keep T.C. from letting a con go too far, or just outright acting as T.C.'s conscience.
- Odd Friendship: He and Top Cat are best friends, despite their polar opposite personalities.
- Wide-Eyed Idealist: To the point that it’s often easy for characters to take advantage of him.
Choo-Choo
Voiced in English by: Marvin Kaplan
Voiced in Latin American Spanish by: Jorge Arvizu (TV series and first movie), Tito Rezendiz (Top Cat and the Beverly Hills Cats), Mauricio Perez (second movie)
Voiced in Japanese by: Danji Tatekawa (TV release), Hiroshi Ohtake (video release)
"Hey, observe the boss— he’s got that look we’ve come to know and love."
Choo Choo, oftentimes nicknamed Chooch, is Top Cat’s devoted right paw cat. In the Mexican dub, he was called Cucho.
- Cannot Talk to Women: When it comes to his Girl of the Week crushes.
- Expy: Design-wise, he highly resembles Fibber Fox from Yakky Doodle. Both have similar head shapes and sweaters, though their species, coats, and personalities differ.
- Pink Means Feminine: Is the most romantic and sensitive member of the gang, and was also revealed to be the most domestic in the episode where the gang adopts an abandoned baby. Jellystone! just plays the trope straight and makes Choo Choo female.
- Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: The sensitive guy to Top Cat's manly man.
- Serial Romeo: He's girl-crazy, yet can never secure a girlfriend.
- Wholesome Crossdresser: In “King for a Day”, he pretends to be T.C.’s wife in order to help build up audience sympathy on a reality show.
The Brain
Voiced in English by: Leo De Lyon
Voiced in Latin American Spanish by: Armando Gutierrez (TV series), Jorge Roig Sr. (Top Cat and the Beverly Hills Cats), Jesus Guzman (Movies)
Voiced in Japanese by: Setsuo Wakui (TV release)
"Duuh... I forgot the question, T.C."
Brain is the ditzy, slow-witted member of the gang. In the Mexican dub, he was called Demóstenes.
- Adaptational Intelligence: The comics made him be incredibly smart and educated, to the point that Top Cat constantly asks him for advice, with the twist that Brain's advice is very good, but the cats always find a way to misinterpret it or do something dumb.
- Buffoonish Tom Cat: Is the slowest and goofiest of the gang, and the one that tends to give the dumbest answers to Top Cat. Although rarely prone to slapstick, if ever.
- Cloudcuckoolander: He has an oddball nature combined with a slow-witted demeanor.
- The Ditz: Being the ditzy and dimwitted feline he is. As T.C. says of his intelligence (or lack thereof) in Top Cat and the Beverly Hills Cats, "He's a terminal twit."
- Dumb Is Good: A slow-witted cat who means well and is cooperative to the smarter and fast-talking Top Cat.
- Genius Ditz: At times, he'll come up with something that's actually quite clever.
- Ironic Name: Due to his character in the show, similar to Einstein from Oliver & Company, though it's a Meaningful Name in the comics.
- Simpleton Voice: And had a more dimwitted sounding voice in The Movie.
- The Smart Guy: In the comics, he's actually very intelligent and educated, at the point of basically being a living encyclopedia.
- Spell My Name with a "The": Although he's usually called just "Brain".
Spook
Voiced in English by: Leo De Lyon
Voiced in Latin American Spanish by: Santiago Gil (TV series), Luis Fernando Orozco (First movie), Mario Filio (Second movie)
"Like, I’m from tunesville, dad."
Spook is the mellow, streetwise member of the gang. In the Mexican dub, he was called Espanto.
- Beatnik: Acts and sounds like one. In the movies he sounds more like a Surfer Dude though.
- Book Dumb: Is one of the most street-smart members of the gang, but can’t read well. He once thought a Dictionary was a novel with a narrative.Top Cat: "Under a Bridge with Dick and Harry"? note Let me see that. [beat] That's "Unabridged Dictionary"! What's the matter with you? That's nothing but words!
- Cool Cat: Tends to regularly visit many music and dance clubs.
- Jive Turkey: His usual manner of speaking, which goes along naturally with his beatnik attitude.
- Like Is, Like, a Comma: He, like, talks like this all the, like, time.
Fancy-Fancy
Voiced in English by: John Stephenson
Voiced in Latin American Spanish by: Carlos Becerril (TV series), Eduardo Garza (First movie), Gerardo Alonso (second movie)
"All I’ve seen for three days are girls. Lots of girls."
Fancy is the suave, womanizing member of the gang. In the Mexican dub, he was called Panza.
- The Casanova: The womanizer of the gang.
- Chivalrous Pervert: Always after the ladies, but he's still a good guy under it all, much like the rest of the gang.
- Meaningful Name: He's a fancy cat.
- No Celebrities Were Harmed: In the original version in English, Fancy Fancy sounds suspiciously similar to Cary Grant.
- Oh, Crap!: On one occasion, he freaked when a girl he was with suggested they get married. He referred to Top Cat summoning the gang as being saved by the bell.
- Pals Before Gals: He'll ditch any girl he's with the second he hears Top Cat calling the gang together.
- Really Gets Around: He appears with a different cat-lady in each episode.
Officer Dibble
Voiced in English by: Allen Jenkins, John Stephenson (Top Cat and the Beverly Hills Cats, Yogi's Treasure Hunt)
Voiced in Latin American Spanish by: Victor Alcocer (TV series), Sebastian Llapur (First movie), Octavio Rojas (Second movie)
Voiced in Japanese by: Isamu Nagato (TV release/first voice), Isamu Tanonaka (TV release/rest of the series), Hiroshi Masuoka (Video release)
"All right, T.C., freeze! How many times have I told you to keep your hands off my phone?!"
Officer Charlie Dibble is the put upon policeman whose beat includes Top Cat’s alley. His goal in life is to run Top Cat and his gang in, but T.C. always manages to outsmart him. In the Mexican dub, he was named Oficial Carlitos Matute.
- 10-Minute Retirement: At the start of Top Cat and the Beverly Hills Cats, Dibble gets the news that his retirement has been approved. He soon gets another job as a security guard for the Vandergelt mansion, and by the end of the film, he's gone back to working for the police of his own free will (he doesn't explain how, saying only "Now that I've got my old job back").
- Butt-Monkey: The long-suffering beat cop who is unlucky enough to have T.C. and his gang in his patrol route. Not only will he often be at the wrong end of T.C.'s schemes, but T.C. himself will often use Dibble's patrol box as his personal telephone.
- By-the-Book Cop: He wants T.C. behind bars, but he wants it done legally, darnit. He also has no patience for the alley cats' schemes, no matter how big or small they are.
- Can't Live with Them, Can't Live Without Them: Admits this in "Dibble Breaks the Record" to T.C. and the gang. He likens it to being married.
- Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: He’s usually bumbling when up against Top Cat, but when facing legitimately dangerous criminals, Dibble is courageous and competent.
- Friendly Enemies: With Top Cat, to the point that they’re almost Vitriolic Best Buds.
- The Fettered: Being a By-the-Book Cop, this comes as no surprise. When T.C.'s alley cats are up to no good, he'll be there to put a stop to it... or at least that's what he would like to do. As it stands, his degrees of success in this effort are... mixed.
- Hero Antagonist: He only wants to make sure law is being followed, and stop Top Cat from scamming people.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: He's grumpy and short-tempered, but begrudgingly cares about Top Cat and his gang.
- Meddlesome Patrolman: Dib provides the trope picture — the gang's always out to scam money or food, and Dibble's always there to try and stop them because they're breaking the law with their methods.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: He's always fuming about the gang's actions, but there are times when he gets so angry and focused that T.C. would rather find a place to lie low for a few days than risk bumping into him before he cools off.
