Characters found in the 21 Jump Street TV series and the 21 Jump Street movies.
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The TV Series
Tom Hanson
Portrayed by: Johnny Depp
Tom Hanson started out as a patrolman with horrible luck (and fellow partners getting their noses broken) and initially no one, cop or criminal, took him seriously as a (uniformed/patrol) cop, due to his youthful appearance. After one incident too many, he is assigned to Jump Street Chapel to begin undercover work. It's a rocky start, but he manages to get the hang of both reliving school life over and over again with each case, and the antics of his fellow cops.
- Bash Brothers: When he and Penhall are undercover as the McQuaid Brothers, they're always seen together, act very brash, and intimidate the other kids. They do a lot of good while acting so though, solving their police cases in a kickass way and even helping some extra people along the way. note
- Berserk Button : Go ahead and try telling him he looks too young to be a cop.
- Beware the Quiet Ones: Part of his persona as Tom McQuaid. So people would question why the McQuaids have a bad reputation.
- Break the Cutie: He starts the series out as a well-spirited and motivated man. But during Season 2 and 3 he is broken down by, amongst other things: having his girlfriend shot dead in front of him in a mugging and his guilt over not having been able to prevent it, causing him to slip in a PTSD-like state for a while ("Orpheus 3.3"); an undercover operation in a mental institution gone wrong causing him drugged off and lost in the system ("I'm OK, You Need Work"); an undercover operation in juvenile prison making him cynic / doubtful about whether what he's doing as a cop is actually making lives better ("Swallowed Alive"). But the straw is the Season 3 finale ("Loc'd Out"), in which he is wrongfully convicted for murder and sent to prison even though innocent. Beginning Season 4, he's proven innocent, released from prison and returns as a police officer, but the rest of Season 4 he seems a darker, broodier version of himself with a permanent expression of chagrin on his face. He keeps mentioning during Season 4 that he wants to quit the police force. Beginning Season 5, he's suddenly disappeared without explanation and his co-workers seem unaware he's ever existed. note
- Character Tic:
- He likes to sit on tables, even when there are chairs available. Nearly every episode has shots of him sitting, often with his legs crossed, on a table while the rest of the team either stand around him, or sit on chairs.
- He's often chewing gum after mid-first season.
- Cowboy Cop: Often goes against the rules, but with good intentions. Amongst some of the things he is called in and berated for by Fuller:
- Breaks-and-enters into Booker's apartment when he suspects Booker is a menace to the team, and finds out Booker's real agenda that way.
- Keeps from Fuller that a girl he meets while undercover tries to make him an accomplice to a crime, even though he's supposed to report such things (because he rightly figures out she's abused at home and wants to help her with that). And then intimidates another police office to release her file to him even though he rightfully isn't allowed to access it.
- Disappeared Dad: Hanson's backstory, as his father died on the job as a police officer when Hanson was 16; his father apparently was a big inspiration for Hanson to chose to become a police officer.
- Red Oni, Blue Oni: Hanson is a by-the-book and almost introverted guy, and as such contrasts with Penhall, who's an easygoing but fiery guy. They still work together very well as cops, and even are each other's best friends. This dynamic becomes downplayed in later seasons though, as Hanson becomes much less "uptight", while Penhall becomes more serious, especially when he adopts Clavo and so becomes a father.
- Sesquipedalian Loquaciousness: At the beginning of the series when he still is more "uptight", he speaks in long sentences and difficult words. Subverted when he joins the Jump Street program, so has to act like a teenager, and he loosens up. From the pilot episode:Hanson: [To a teenage girl who's the sister of a victim] Do you think there may be the possibility of your older brother Kenneth having previous knowledge of the suspected perpetrators?Hanson's partner: [Eyerolls and turns to girl] In other words: Did he know these jerks who ripped off your Dad's car?
Doug Penhall
Portrayed by: Peter DeLuise
Doug Penhall is already on the Jump Street team when Hanson joins it at the start of the show. They are rivals at first, but quickly become the best of friends. They even come up with their alter ego's the McQuaid Brothers. Doug is the foil to Hanson's Straight Man both on and off case.
- Alcoholic Parent: His mother was an alcoholic. Even worse, after her death his father became an alcoholic too, and according to Penhall himself "drank himself to death".
- Bash Brothers: When he and Hanson are undercover as the McQuaid Brothers, they're always seen together, act very brash, and intimidate the other kids. They do a lot of good while acting so though, solving their police cases in a kickass way and even helping some extra people along the way. note
- Berserk Button: He hates bullies, and whenever he has to go undercover as one, he becomes more or less an anti-bully, going out of his way to help out the little guy.
- Beware the Silly Ones: He seems kind of silly at first sight, especially compared to the straight-laced Hanson, because he acts so goofy. However, he still is a badass cop who can kick ass both verbally and physically.
- Deadpan Snarker: Often makes snappy, sarcastic remarks.
- Hanson shows up at Penhall's house all dressed up to go (with Penhall, he thinks) to a funeral, but finds Penhall boxing, wearing a minimal, sweaty sporting outfitHanson: You're not dressed!?
Penhall: What am I boxing in the nude?! - When ghost buster look-a-like Environmental Protection Agents suddenly show up at 21 Jump Street to inspect toxic waste that would be there:Captain Fuller: What I haven't heard of anything...
Environmental Protection Agent: Well it happened 15 year ago...
Penhall: Good to see you guys are right on top of it!
- Hanson shows up at Penhall's house all dressed up to go (with Penhall, he thinks) to a funeral, but finds Penhall boxing, wearing a minimal, sweaty sporting outfit
- Exiled to the Couch: When his ex-girlfriend Dorothy suddenly shows up at his house again and moves in without discussing it with him first, she makes him sleep on the couch while she takes his bed.
- Friend to All Children: He gets along better with kids and teens than he does with adults. He cares for the teenagers he works with, and easily bonds with them.
- Henpecked Husband: His girlfriend Dorothy acts very domineering, sometimes even condescending towards him. This already begins when she first shows up: she moves into his house uninvited. And sleeps in his bed while (initially) exiling him to the couch. The relationship ends when she throws him out of the house they've bought together.
- Missing Mom: Penhall's mother died when he was six, and in one episode he talks about how he couldn't comprehend that at first as a child, and about the impact it had on him growing up.
- Parental Substitute: Ends up as the adoptive father of Clavo, and eventually quits the force to spend more time with him.
- Red Oni, Blue Oni: Penhall is an easygoing but fiery guy, and as such contrasts with Hanson, who's more by-the-book and restrained. They still work together very well as cops, and even are each other's best friends. This dynamic becomes downplayed in later seasons though, as Hanson becomes much less "uptight", while Penhall becomes more serious, especially when he adopts Clavo and so becomes a father.
- Relationship Revolving Door: Penhall and his girlfriend Dorothy break up and get back together a few times during Season 2 and 3, and he says about her:Penhall: I've been with her for [a decade], but never any longer than 6 months at a time.
- Sad Clown: Covering up an awful lot with jokes. He's a jolly guy, but has a tragic past; amongst other things, his mother committed suicide when he was 6 and he's estranged from his brother.
Judy Hoffs
Portrayed by: Holly Robinson
- '80s Hair: Has various styles of this.
- Ambiguously Bi: She dates many guys over the series (though not successful relationships) and attracted the attention of one female suspect who briefly made her question her sexuality.
- Bad Job, Worse Uniform: When a prestigious job in PR, working on the mayor's wife's pet project, has her dress up as...Officer Milk Carton.
- "Do It Yourself" Theme Tune: The theme tune was performed by Holly Robinson who played Officer Judy Hoffs on the show (with the "JUMP!" shout provided by Johnny Depp and Peter DeLuise).
- Even the Girls Want Her: She attracted the attention of many lesbian suspects in one episode while undercover.
- Fair Cop: She's a cop, and the fact that she looks attractive even helps her in her cases. It even sometimes was exploited when she played the Dirty Harriet. And as Penhall remarks at a certain point, it doesn't say anything about Booker that he's flirting with Judy because "everybody always flirts with Judy!".
- Dirty Harriet: Judy joined the Jump Street program because it was the only way she'd be able to get any other type of assignment. Of course, this didn't mean that she didn't still get just such an assignment occasionally.
- The Smurfette Principle: The only female officer on the Jump Street squad, except for the two-episode appearance of Officer Rocky late in the run.
- Twofer Token Minority: She's a minority as an African-American and also as a woman (within the police force, where only a minority of officers are women). This is Lampshaded in an episode where both she and Doug apply for a promotion to Detective and she's chosen while he's not, which makes Doug remark that she got chosen because she's both black and a woman. note
Harry Ioki
Portrayed by: Dustin Nguyen
- All Asians Know Martial Arts: He is Asian and an avid practitioner of martial arts. It comes in handy a few times, such as when he gets into fights and when he (undercover) joins a civilian neighborhood watch and impresses the recruiter with his kick-ass skills.
- Asian Drivers: In the pilot episode, Ioki drives like a maniac and makes a couple of quips about this stereotype. This is immediately undone in the first real episode.
- Dark and Troubled Past: As per "Christmas in Saigon", it's revealed his parents were killed in front of his eyes in the Vietnamese war and he escaped to the U.S. by himself as a teenager.
- Dead Person Impersonation: "Harry Truman Ioki" is not his real name, but the name of a deceased man he took over in order to not have a Vietnamese name (which he really had, and which he thought would hinder his being hired by the police). At the end of the episode that reveals this, he legally takes on the name "Harry Truman Ioki" so it becomes his real name.
- Descent into Addiction: Is briefly addicted to painkillers after being shot and seriously injured.
- Elvis Impersonator: Dresses as Elvis for the costumed Halloween episode.
- Even the Guys Want Him: Attracts a lot attention when in a gay cafe as part of undercover work
- The Fashionista: Very mild example but Ioki seems to have an interest in fashion. He clearly takes the process of picking out an outfit for a prom more seriously than the others, was once told that he didn't need any undercover clothes because he already looked the part, and Hanson has dug through his closet on at least on occasion for sharp clothes.
- Flashback Echo: Ioki suffers from some PTSD-related issues after having been shot and in a coma for a while.
- Made of Iron: The amount of damage Ioki survives over the series is nothing short of impressive. Surviving a beating from three soldiers, getting shot in the chest twice (both times leaving him in a coma for a while), and evading an onslaught of bullets while swimming to safety when he was just fourteen just being some of the more notable examples. Downplayed as he still gets injured and needs time to recover, but Ioki still makes a full recovery every time he gets near death throughout the series.
- Mistaken Nationality: An odd case where the character purposefully misrepresented himself: he has a Japanese name and pretends to be Japanese, until he's found out to actually be Vietnamese and to have taken the Japanese name and identity of a deceased man.
- Older Than They Look: While all of the Jump Street team has to be older than they look in order to go undercover at high schools as early-twenties-olds, for Ioki this is the most pronounced. He is specifically mentioned to have been working as a police officer for a year longer than his teammates, so he must be older. Also, the Real Life actor (Dustin Nguyen) was the oldest of all the actors playing the team. note
- Pint-Sized Powerhouse: Ioki is the shortest of the male officers (though not actually all that short) and the best at unarmed combat. Hanson even makes a joke about how unlike it is for him when the former is bested by three unarmed attackers.
- Real Life Writes the Plot: Ioki was originally intended to actually be his real name but the writer's changed their minds after hearing Dustin Ngyuen's actual story and incorporated that into the character.
- Two First Names: His given note names are "Harry Truman" (yes, explicitly named after that American president), the second of which also is a last name.
Captain Richard Jenko
Portrayed by: Frederic Forrest
"I've been a Deadhead since Woodstock!"
— Jenko (about) himself, proudly
The founder of Jump Street Chapel, and its first commanding officer. When Hanson meets him, this undercover unit has been around for four weeks. Jenko beliefs that criminals start out in their youth and had created the Jump Street program for the sole purpose of nipping criminality the bud. He is killed by a drunk driver and replaced by Adam Fuller by episode 7 of Season 1.
- Anyone Can Die: Jenko in season 1.
- Da Chief: Much less than his later replacement Captain Fuller, but he has his moments of being very stern with his police officers, such as when Hanson blows his first assignment.
- Dropped a Bridge on Him: He is in the first six episodes of the series. Episode 7 however suddenly opens with his funeral. It briefly explains how his character died, then after the opening credits, he is never spoken of again. His character died in a very abrupt way and was gotten rid of unceremoniously.
- New-Age Retro Hippie: Captain Jenko is an aging hippie (he proudly declares to have been a Deadhead since Woodstock) who, in the first episode, has to teach Hanson how to act like a bad seed.
- The Stoner: Has all the traits of one, but isn't actually one; for one, he is a cop, and he also explicitly says about Jimi Hendrix, whom he otherwise idolizes: "Too bad he wasted his life on drugs..."
Captain Adam Fuller
Portrayed by: Steven Williams
Adam's a really Nice Guy, once you get past all that surface stuff...
— Penhall, describing Fuller
Jenko's replacement after he dies, and the commanding officer of Jump Street during all but the first 7 of the 106 episodes. As soon as he shows up, Jump Street Chapel changes from a fun work environment to an actual precinct office.
- Berserk Button: Never harm a member of Jump Street under his watch. In I'm Ok You Need Work he is clearly pissed at what the institution did to Hanson.
- By-the-Book Cop: He's strict about following procedure and expects his Officers to do the same, scolding or even suspending them when they do otherwise.
- Da Chief: Much straighter than Jenko. Though he values his police officers, he is clearly a very strict boss. From the moment he is introduced, he makes it very clear that he means business and giving him any lip is a bad idea.
- Hidden Depths:
- In Woolly Bullies he laments that the reason why he dresses in suits all the time is so his cousin doesn't hassle him into shoplifting.
- To the surprise of his co-workers—because he never revealed anything about his personal life—he turns out to have a teenage son, and to have been married in the past. In Chapel of Love, he reveals the background story that led to his divorce, and his deep regret over it.
- Hidden Heart of Gold: Captain Fuller, when he showed up to replace Captain Jenko, was played as a very stern, strict man and police Captain—essentially the opposite of the Hippie, rocker Captain Jenko. Fuller remained a very strict and by-the-book Captain for the police officers, but throughout the series little bits of background about the man were unfolded that made you feel for him—especially, that he was hurt very much by having his son taken away out of his life after a divorce after he cheated on his wife with a police co-worker (something he confessed to his police subordinates in a Season 2 Valentine episode, and which he still was regretful about). He also despite his strictness was willing to come through for his officers when push came to shove—most notably, in Season 3 ep. 1 when Hanson suspects something is off about Booker, Fuller pulls some strings to find out Booker is from Internal Affairs.
- What the Hell, Hero?: A rare example in which he gives himself that speech when he is arrested for DUI.
Dennis Booker
Portrayed by: Richard Grieco
The only cop in the unit that doesn't like authority, Booker went from the Internal Affairs unit to Jump Street and later resigned to be a P.I. in an insurance company (which led to his own spin-off series, Booker).
- Badass Long Coat: Booker wears these on occasion, when not sporting a leather jacket.
- Breakout Character: He was meant to be this to replace Hanson and later had his own Spinoff. It only lasted a year.
- Shoo Out the New Guy: He joins the Jump Street team as an additional member at the beginning of Season 3, but barely lasts a season before he is written out and goes away, leaving the team in its original composition.
- You Need to Get Laid: Booker expresses this sentiment when he hooks up the married Sal Banducci with a woman he tells Sal is his cousin, but in reality is an escort hired by Booker, who ends up sleeping with Sal. Booker thought Sal having sex (or at least, having a date) with another woman once, would spice up Sal's marriage, but it turns out Sal's guilt over having slept with another woman makes Sal feel worse off.
"Blowfish"
Sal doing his signature move and demonstrating his nickname.
Portrayed by: Sal Jenco
Sal "Blowfish" Banducci works as the janitor (NO, maintenance engineer!!!) of Jump Street Chapel. His nickname stems from the goofy faces he can make by pressing his mouth up against a glass surface (windowpane, the bottom of a baking dish, etc.).
- Almighty Janitor: He's a janitor / "maintenance engineer", and sometimes abuses that position (though with good intentions) - such as when he opens a confidential police ballistics report in The Dragon and the Angel, and when he purposefully mishandles evidence in In the Custody of a Clown so that an innocent man won't be convicted.
- Babies Ever After: He has a lot of children with his wife (whom he is happily married with) - including a little son who looks exactly like him and can also do the "blowfish" trick. Ironically, he was originally forced to marry his wife because her parents thought he had gotten her pregnant; but he hadn't, and the babies only came after they were married.
- Insistent Terminology: Corrects anyone who calls him janitor, insisting on being a "maintenance engineer".
- Irony: Back when he was a teenager, he and his then-girlfriend wanted to have sex one night. Before that happened, her parents found them in bed and, refusing to believe they hadn't had sex, made them marry... so that not only the couple did NOT have sex that night, but they actually married still being virgins.
- Shot Gun Wedding: Played with. As he tells in Chapel of Love, he and his then-girlfriend were teenagers when they were found in bed by the girl's parents. The parents couldn't be convinced that the couple hadn't had sex (which they hadn't), and forced the couple to marry. Which led to them ironically both being virgins at their wedding. They were happily married though, and did have a lot of babies after getting married.
- Signature Move: His "blowfish" face he makes by pressing his face against glass and which got him his nickname.
Russell Buckins
Portrayed by: Angelo Tiffe
An old friend of Hanson's who shows up in a Season 2 episode to go on a road trip with Hanson. He returns once more in a Season 3 episode, when it becomes clear that he spilled the beans about the Jump Street program by writing about it in a magazine, and Hanson goes to confront him about that.
- Cloudcuckoolander: Russell acts weird, as often noted by other characters, and has unusual speech patterns.[REPEATED line by other characters about Russell] Who IS this guy?!
- Full-Name Basis: He is always referred to by his full (both first and last) name by everyone on the team except Hanson (who already knew him before he appeared in the series). It probably signifies that he's an outsider, not being part of the team or even a cop, and that Hanson's friends/co-workers seem weary of him.
- Insult Backfire: When a police officer who's annoyed by him, calls him a "fellon" (not meaning it literally, but using it as in "jerk"), he reacts to that by actually thanking the officer ("I appreciate that, Sir") instead of being insulted by it.
- One-Shot Character: Technically, two. He solely appears in two episodes, but owns these—both episodes' titles have his full name in them, and he greatly influences Hanson in both of them.
- Shipper on Deck: He urges Hanson to go try get back an ex-flame of his. Inconveniently, she's is about to get married to someone else at that point in time, but Russell believes Hanson and she should be together.
- Toxic Friend Influence: In the first episode he appears in, he convinces Hanson to skip work, ignore a court order, get drunk and get a tattoo, and crash a wedding. In his second episode, it turns out he betrayed Hanson by writing about the Jump Street program in a magazine after Hanson told him about that confidentially, and Hanson gets into big trouble because of it. As the other Jump Street team members note, he's a bad influence on Hanson.
The Movie Series
In the movie continuity, after the chapel where the unit originally was stationed was abandoned in 1991, it was bought by a Korean Christian Group. It was then later re-opened in an effort to "rehash old programs".
Film Series Main Characters
Captain Dickson
Portrayed by: Ice Cube
Appears in: 21 Jump Street | 22 Jump Street
Fuller's replacement in 2012, he helps the new members try to be kids again in order to be more competent undercover cops.
- Ascended Extra: Downplayed. While a major supporting character in the first film, the second film gives him more prominence, even a stance against the traffickers in the climax.
- Badass in Distress: In the second film, Mercedes holds him at gunpoint, taking him as a hostage and shooting his foot just when he tells Maya to escape and prevent from being a hostage. He gets a good deal of snark back at her.
- Berserk Button: It's hard not to push his as there are so many. Also, in the second film sleeping with his daughter and high-fiving him about it, as Schmidt found out the hard way.Dickson: The fuck? How your classes going, "Doug"?
- Catchphrase: He tends to list Schimdt and Jenko's goals as, "Infiltrate the dealers, find the suppliers", and will repeat it angrier and louder whenever they ask any questions.
- Casting Gag: The man behind the song "Fuck Tha Police" is playing a police chief.
- Da Chief: Naturally.
- Deadpan Snarker: Almost half of what Dickson says is snark. The other half is profanity.
- Death Glare: He's pretty much loves doing this, particularly when he discovers that Schmidt is dating his daughter.
- Disproportionate Retribution: Tases Schmidt in the nuts for dating his daughter, which Schmidt didn't even know at the time.
- Does Not Like Spam: During his tirade after finding out that Schmidt slept with his daughter, he angrily flips out a buffet of pork meat, saying that it's nasty. Possibly referencing how Ice Cube, as a Muslim, is not allowed to eat pork.
- Hair-Trigger Temper: Nearly everything sets him off.
- Jerkass to One: He's stern with all his workers, but Schmidt is the one he generally doesn't get along with, especially in the second film after finding out that Schmidt started a relationship with his daughter.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: He is loud-mouthed and insulting but generally means well. However, the second film ups the "jerk" aspect, having him hit Schmidt and promptly tase him in the penis for unknowingly accepting his daughter's come-on to have sex.
- Large Ham: Courtesy of Ice Cube, he's very overdramatic in his deliveries, especially when he's angry (which is often).
- Mad Libs Catch Phrase: "You two sunsabitches are going to..."
- Papa Wolf: He is very pissed off when he finds out that Schmidt slept with his daughter.
- Perpetual Frowner: He is usually not in a good mood. The only moments he does smile are either interrupted or brief.
- Sir Swears-a-Lot: Nearly every single sentence Dickson says tends to have "motherfucker" in it. Justified since it is Ice Cube.
- Tranquil Fury: When learns of the incident that got Schmidt and Jenko expelled from high school they expect him to yell at them like usual. Instead, he simply and calmly tells them that they are fired, but does it in a dry tone that implies he regrets having to let them go.
- Unstoppable Rage: When he learns that Schmidt had slept with his daughter, he goes ballistic by destroying the buffet.Dickson: What are you doing, Mr. Nice Plant? Get your fucking ass in there!
Morton Schmidt
Appears in: 21 Jump Street | 22 Jump Street
A former nerd turned cop who befriends his bully Greg Jenko. After graduating, he and Jenko go to Jump Street when they screw up the Miranda Rights. What he lacks in strength he makes up for in intelligence.
- Anti-Hero: Morton's an undercover cop trying to bring down drug rings, but with that said, he has no problem bringing alcohol and marijuana to his party to give to teenagers.
- Amazingly Embarrassing Parents: Morton's parents are this, especially his mother.
- Badass in a Nice Suit: During the first film's climax, he wears a smart white suit for the prom night.
- Bash Brothers: Is this with Jenko.
- Becoming the Mask: Even if Eric was a drug trafficker, he was starting to get in good terms with him and wanted to surpass his University entry exams.
- Born in the Wrong Century: Or decade, in this instance. When he is introduced as a high school student in 2005, he is a loser for being a nerd. When he goes back to high school as an undercover cop in 2012, his nerdiness is now considered cool.
- Brains and Brawn: With Jenko; he helps him study for the police exams, and Jenko helps him train his body.
- Bunny-Ears Lawyer: Despite being rather incompetent in regards to fighting and physical activity, as well as engaging in rather ridiculous activities in the course of his duties, Schmidt turns out to be a great undercover cop when paired with Jenko.
- Butt-Monkey: Of the two, he receives the most physical abuse, particularly in the second film where he, among other things, gets tased in the crotch by Dickson and squirted on by an octopus.
- Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: Schmidt is actually a decent detective when push comes to shove.
- Dirty Cop: Had no problems bringing alcohol and marijuana to a party full of teenagers to bring down a drug ring. At least he thought that bringing cocaine was a bad idea.
- Everyone Has Standards: When Jenko suggests getting cocaine from the evidence locker for their party, Schmidt shoots him down because of how dangerous such an addictive drug could be for the teens' health. Marijuana on the other hand is A-OK.
- Fat Best Friend: Is this to Jenko.
- Heterosexual Life-Partners: With Jenko.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: To a lesser degree than Jenko. He might be rather whiny and irritable, but his heart is always in the right place.
- Last-Name Basis: Is referred to as Schmidt or Schmitty, even by his family.
- Like an Old Married Couple: With Jenko. The two of them are undoubtedly very close friends and are more than willing to take a bullet for one another, but that doesn't stop the two from bickering with one another. In fact, in the second movie, the two of them are Mistaken for Gay by a guidance counselor.
- May–December Romance: While he's in his mid-20's, his love interests in each film are about 5-7 years his junior, although neither Molly or Maya are made aware of Schmidt's true identity and age until the end of their respective films.
- My Beloved Smother: His parents, especially his mother, smother Schmidt with affection.
- Sir Swears-a-Lot: While not as often as Jenko, Schmidt does frequently cuss.
- Took a Level in Jerkass: Stemming from his newfound popularity, he becomes a dick to Jenko in the first film. He gets better by the end though.
Gregory "Greg" Jenko
Portrayed by: Channing Tatum
Appears in: 21 Jump Street | 22 Jump Street
A former bully turned cop. He becomes friends with his nerd victim, Schmidt. Word of God states he is former Captain Jenko's son.
- Anti-Hero: While he's a cop and is trying to bring down drug rings, he has no problem buying alcohol for teenagers, insulting people to seem cool, and was even about to bring cocaine from an evidence lock-up to bring to Morton's party.
- Badass in a Nice Suit: During the first film's climax, he wears a smart white suit for the prom night.
- Bash Brothers: Is this with Schmidt.
- Becoming the Mask: In the second film, switching the same thing that happened to Schmidt in the first. Jenko was in good terms with Zook and wanted to go further as a University football player.
- Big Jerk on Campus: Back in high school, he was an obnoxious bully who got by solely on his looks and athleticism, though he chilled out as he got older. When infiltrating high school, he tries to act like this again, only to find out that being a jerk is no longer popular.
- Book Dumb: Was held back for two years in high school, and also needed Schmidt's help in regards to his police exams. When in college, he does take a decent interest in his classes.
- Born in the Wrong Century: Subverted. Jenko was in high school for real at exactly the right time for his attitude to be considered cool. Going back a decade later, he's bemoaned finding that's no longer the case. He takes to the college atmosphere in the sequel far better.
- Brains and Brawn: With Schmidt; he helps him train his body for the police exams, and Schmidt helps him study.
- Bunny-Ears Lawyer: While Jenko is rather dumb at times, as well as a bit of a jerk, he is also a fairly competent marksman and hand-to-hand fighter, especially in comparison to Schmidt. He's also a decent sports player.
- Bully Turned Buddy: Jenko used to be a popular jock, who picked on the unpopular nerd, Schmidt. However, then they both ended up at the Police Academy together, became partners, and then best friends by the time the plot begins.
- Corrupt Cop: Is willing to buy alcohol for underage teenagers, and was also about to steal cocaine from an evidence lock-up to give to teens for a party, all for the sake of bringing down a drug ring.
- The Ditz: He takes idioms literally and mixes up chemistry with geometry, and these are just samples of his stupidity. Cpt. Dickson invokes this by stereotyping him as a brainless beauty and placing him in slacker-classes.
- Dumb Jock: He had terrible grades in high school and mostly relies on his muscles to get him through most situations.
- Heterosexual Life-Partners: With Schmidt.
- Hunk: Something that Captain Dickson points out frequently.
- Improbable Aiming Skills: While he has little else to recommend him as a cop, he's a superb marksman, regularly pulling off extremely difficult shots up to and including a Max Payne-style shootdodge.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Was a bully during high school and made fun of people during high school to seem cool. He still carries on these traits even once he becomes a cop. Even though Jenko is a dick at times, he is still a cop who tries to bring down drug rings, who clearly loves Schmidt like a brother.
- Jerk Jock: Was this in high school, but later mellowed out.
- Like an Old Married Couple: With Schmidt. The two of them are undoubtedly very close friends and are more than willing to take a bullet for one another, but that doesn't stop the two from bickering with one another. In fact, in the second movie, the two of them are Mistaken for Gay by a guidance counselor.
- Sir Swears-a-Lot: Nearly everything Jenko says is laced with profanity.
- Took a Level in Jerkass: A role-reversal from the first film; he becomes a dick to Schmidt in favor of Zook, but then gets out of it by the end.
- Took a Level in Kindness: Formerly his high school-bully, he becomes Schmidt's best friend at the police academy. Even though he's still a dick, he gradually becomes a nicer person over the course of the two films.
- Unstoppable Rage: In the first film, he lashes out at Schmidt after being insulted by the latter one too many times at the school auditorium. Unfortunately, this gets both him and Schmidt expelled from school and discharged from Jump Street.Jenko: (to Schmidt) I heard you call me "Rain Man", you asshole!
Film Series Recurring Characters
Deputy Chief Hardy
Portrayed by: Nick Offerman
Appears in: 21 Jump Street | 22 Jump Street
The officer that assigns Jenko and Schmidt to the Jump Street program.
- The Comically Serious: Coming from Nick Offerman, he talks in the most deadpan voice and pulls a stoic face remarking Jenko and Schmidt's nonsenses.
- Da Chief: He assigns Jenko and Schmidt to the Jump Street programs.
- No Fourth Wall: Aside from snarking Jenko and Schmidt's comments, his main role is providing the film with funny indirect comments talking about filmmaking and the film industry especially adapting old tv shows to film and sequels."Do the same thing as last time. Everyone's happy."
Eric Molson
Portrayed by: Dave Franco
Appears in: 21 Jump Street | 22 Jump Street
One of the most popular teenagers in the high school that Schmidt and Jenko infiltrate, and one of the dealers of H.F.S. in the first film. And he is (or was) going to the Berkeley University too.
- Bourgeois Bohemian: He's the stereotypical upper-middle class teenager version of this who exalts progressive viewpoints all while living a life of material comfort thanks to his parents.
- Break the Haughty: Spends most of the first film being a smug Bourgeois Bohemian mocking authority figures and people he considers beneath him. That goes away the second he learns the cops are onto the H.F.S. drug ring and he becomes an un hinged coward who's terrified of getting caught and sent to prison.
- The Dragon: He is the one in charge of distributing the H.F.S. in the first film.
- Forced into Evil: The only reason he was selling the drugs was because Mr. Walters caught him smoking marijuana.
- Granola Girl: Is a male version of this.
- Not So Above It All: In the second film, nearly all of his lines are begging the cops to get him out of prison and away from Mr. Walters. He does break from his pleas to corroborate Walters' mocking impression of Schmitt "being a little bitch."
- Prison Rape: He is afraid that this might happen if he gets caught because of his pretty looks. In the second film, it happens but not in the shower, but as a sex toy for Mr. Walters.
Mr. Walters
Portrayed by: Rob Riggle
Appears in: 21 Jump Street | 22 Jump Street
The gym teacher at the high school that Schmidt and Jenko go to while undercover.
- Affably Evil: Despite being a drug dealer, criminal and prison rapist, Mr. Walters is overall a pretty friendly guy.
- Ambiguously Gay: Frequently hit on Jenko nearly every time he saw him, and in the second film, he forces Eric to make him his prison wife.
- Big Bad: Of the first film. He created the H.F.S. by accident and is supplying the high school with it, causing a few casualties on the way.
- Boomerang Bigot: He tells lots of homophobic profanities and in the second film, he has sex with Eric.
- Eunuchs Are Evil: At the end of the first film, Mr. Walters' dick is shot off by Schmidt. In the second film, he undergoes sex reassignment surgery and uses Eric as his sex toy.
- Evil Feels Good: He describes getting into a car chase while carrying drug money after watching two cops getting shot as his best prom night.
- Friendly Enemy: Surprisingly enough, he's become this to Jenko and Schmidt by the second movie despite the fact that Schmidt shot off his dick and even gives them a few tips in solving the WHY-PHY case.
- Large Ham: As expected from a character portrayed by Rob Riggle, he shouts a lot and chews the scenery.
The Schmidts
Portrayed by: Caroline Aaron (Annie) & Joe Chrest (David)
Appear in: 21 Jump Street | 22 Jump Street
Schmidt's parents.
- Amazingly Embarrassing Parents: They embrace every thing that Morton has done and are very proud of him. Also they place photos of him, even a traumatising picture that was taken when he was a child and naked that made him look like Fred Savage in The Wonder Years.
- Hypocritical Humor: Annie and David love to smoke marijuana, but Annie gets pissed when her son made a party with alcohol and marijuana too.
The Nerds
Portrayed by: Dax Flame (Zack), Johnny Pemberton (Delroy) & Stanley Wong (Roman)
Appear in: 21 Jump Street | 22 Jump Street
A group of nerds that Jenko befriends at the Advanced Chemistry lessons. They work for Jump Street after the events of the first films.
- Asian and Nerdy: Roman, who is also the Token Minority of the trio.
- Demoted to Extra: They only appear in the second film for a short amount of time, but it is shown that they work for Jump Street after the first film.
- Give Geeks a Chance: The nerds get some love at Schmidt's house party and in the prom night they come in a limo with Jenko's prostitute friends.
- The Leader: Zack is the de-facto leader of the trio.
- Took a Level in Badass: The trio work for Jump Street after the first film and get into some action when facing the Ghost.
Fugazy & Jr. Jr.
Portrayed by: Dakota Johnson (Fugazy) & Rye Rye (Jr. Jr.)
Appear in: 21 Jump Street | 22 Jump Street (Jr. Jr. only)
Two undercover agents from Jump Street.
- The Big Damn Kiss: Jenko gives one to Fugazy at the end of the film.
- The Cameo: Jr. Jr. makes a little appearance as a reinforcement along with the nerds in the second film against the Ghost.
- Hero of Another Story: Fugazy and Jr. spend the movie working on other cases and occasionally show up at headquarters to discuss their progress. They close at least three cases (including a car stripping case and a drug bust) while posing as Cruel Cheerleaders in the time that it takes Schmidt and Jenko to bust one drug ring.
- The Smurfette Principle: Both are the only female agents of the Jump Street program in the first film.
- Women Are Wiser: They seem to be much more competent than Schmidt and Jenko as they had already accomplished two operations whereas Schmidt and Jenko are still on their mission.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: Nothing is known about Fugazy's fate after the first film.
21 Jump Street film characters
Molly
Portrayed by: Brie Larson
A high school student that Schmidt falls in love with and she is also Eric's girlfriend.
- Break the Cutie: Molly gets disappointed with Schmidt's behavior during the Peter Pan play and drugs herself with H.F.S. at the prom night.
- Damsel in Distress: She accidentally becomes an improvised hostage for and gets kidnapped by Mr. Walters in the film's climax.
- Love Interest: To Schmidt. They start to like each other and do fall in love. But by the second film, every trace of their relationship is completely removed and Schmidt has another romance interest.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: There's no mention of her character in the second film or why she broke with Schmidt.
Domingo
Portrayed by: DeRay Davis
Leader of the One-Percenter motorcycle gang that also deals with the H.F.S drug.
- Big Bad Duumvirate: Along with Mr. Walters, they both have a deal in distributing the H.F.S.
- Eyepatch of Power: He wears one after he is injured in the highway chase.
Karl
Portrayed by: Randal Reeder
Domingo's number two in the One-Percenter gang.
- Beard of Evil: He looks like ZZ Top!! Packed with a shiny dome too.
- The Brute: The most physical imposing member of the gang, he tackles Schmidt in the park chase and hits the car when Schmidt accidentally hits his motorbike in the highway.
- The Dragon: The most prominent member of the gang and stands for Domingo every time.
Ms. Griggs
Portrayed by: Ellie Kemper
Jenko's science teacher that takes a sexual interest on him.
- Hooked Up Afterwards: With Jenko in a post credit scene.
- Mrs. Robinson: Played With. Even though he's really an undercover cop, Ms. Griggs really doesn't seem to have much of a problem flirting with Jenko, even under the impression of him being a minor.
- Teacher/Student Romance: Ms. Griggs keeps flirting on Jenko during her lessons but it doesn't go any further. That is until the credits shows Jenko having sex with her.
Judy Hoffs
Portrayed by: Holly Robinson Peete
A former Jump Street agent who now works in the police department's garage.
- The Cameo: Like Hanson and Penhall, she is one of the original series' protagonists that makes a special appearance.
Tom Hanson and Doug Penhall
Portrayed by: Johnny Depp & Peter DeLuise
Two former 21 Jump Street officers that work for the DEA undercover in the One-Percenters Motorcycle Gang.
- Back for the Dead: They are both killed by the One Percenters. This was an Enforced Trope by Johnny Depp, who hated his time on the TV show so much that he was only willing to return if they killed off his character.
- The Cameo: They appear briefly at the climax played by the same actors as in the series.
- Dropped a Bridge on Him: In the movie continuity, Penhall left Jump Street with Hanson and both later went to become DEA agents. They are shot by The One Percenters while Hanson is berating the recent members of Jump Street Chapel for blowing their cover.
- I Banged Your Mom: When his cover is blown, Hanson brags to Domingo that he banged his sister, whose wedding he played Saxophone at.
- It Amused Me: This exchange.Hanson: We had to get tattoos on our dicks man.
Penhall: Actually I said that just to mess with you.
Hanson: ...what?
Penhall: It looks tough. - Uncertain Doom: A deleted scene shows they survived the gunshots but it's unclear if this is canon.
22 Jump Street film characters
The Ghost
Portrayed by: Peter Stormare
A criminal that deals with the new WHYPHY drug who misses the good old days in the Nineties.
- Big Bad: He is the one behind the drug dealing of WHYPHY with the help of his daughter, Mercedes.
- Not Quite Dead: In the Credits Gag he turns out to have survived the grenade and appears in 24 Jump Street: Return of the Ghost.
Maya Dickson
Portrayed by: Amber Stevens
A friend of the college student that died while consuming WHYPHY and falls in love with Schmidt. And she's also captain Dickson's daughter.
- Action Girl: Shows these traits during the climax, where she rescues Schmidt and arrests Mercedes.
- Daddy's Girl: Anyone who has had any physical contact with her will surely face her father's wrath.
- Damsel in Distress: Hilariously subverted. Her father tells her to stay away in case she might get kidnapped, only for him to be the hostage.
- Love Interest: Schmidt falls in love and has sex with her in the second film, with very hilarious consequences.
- Morality Pet: Captain Dickson, who is generally irritable and abrasive, clearly values Maya, his daughter, more than anyone else.
Mercedes
Portrayed by: Jillian Bell
Maya's roommate who has a dislike for Schmidt.
- Belligerent Sexual Tension: Lampshaded and taken to ridiculous lengths when she's fighting Schmidt and they constantly misread each other's body language, thinking it will devolve into a Slap-Slap-Kiss at any moment.
- Daddy's Little Villain: She is the daughter of the Ghost and distributes the WHYPHY through the college.
- Evil Counterpart: To Maya. They are roommates, with Maya being nicer and Mercedes much more rude, and also they have their own sexual tension with Schmidt. And each other are the daughters of Dickson and the Ghost respectively.
- Politically Incorrect Villain: She spews ageist insults at Schmidt constantly, despite him only being 30 and passing for a college student.
- Psychopathic Womanchild: Despite being a 20-something college student, she generally behaves like a Bratty Half-Pint who throws violent tantrums when she doesn't get her way.
Zook Haythe
Played by: Wyatt Russell
A student who desires to be a professional football player and gets into good terms with Jenko.
- Ambiguously Gay: At the end of the second film, he is tearfully happy saying that Jenko deserves to be with Schmidt.
- I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: A platonic sense with Jenko, but when he sees him happy with Schmidt, he doesn't get upset, instead being happy for Jenko saying that Schmidt is the guy he should be with.
- Lovable Jock: He's a football player and is a very Nice Guy. He's friendly to everyone he meets, always shows his support and concerns to Jenko, was the only one who vouched for Schmidt due to his loyalties to Jenko, and is happy that Jenko is with Schmidt. Really the worst thing he actually does is use WHYPHY once.
- Nice Guy: As said above, Zook is an easygoing and friendly person.
- Red Herring: Like Rooster, he is not the distributor but only a buyer.
Rooster
Played by: Jimmy Tatro
Zook's best pal.
- Flat "What": Rooster's reaction to Zook being happy and sad at the same time to see Jenko and Schmidt together.
- Jerk Jock: Contrasting Zook's Lovable Jock, Rooster appears to be much more rude to people.
- Meaningful Name: Rooster sports a red crest.
- Red Herring: A very visual example. Jenko thinks that he is the WHYPHY distributor and when he asks about his tattoo, Rooster tells him that it's from his school team: the Red Herrings.
The Yang Brothers
Played by: Keith & Kenneth Lucas
Jenko and Schmidt's neighbor roommates.
- Affably Evil: They help distributing the WHYPHY, but they are very friendly.
- Single-Minded Twins: The Yangs are perfectly synchronized. They talk at the same time, do everything at the same time, but it's a problem if they want to agree in something.
