Shoebox Zoo/Characters

Marnie McBride
The Hero, Marnie McBride moved from Denver, Colorado to Edinburgh, Scotland with her dad after her mother Rosemary died of unknown causes. On her eleventh birthday, Marnie is given the Shoebox Zoo by an elderly man and is revealed to be The Chosen One with the goal to find the Book of Forbidden Knowledge and restore the Shoebox Zoo to their human forms after being trapped as toy animals for eleven-hundred years. Marnie is not exactly the most nicest hero and at times comes across as the Alpha Bitch and a Jerkass. She gains strong magical powers, but goes through a dark period in Season 2 when she is corrupted by the dark magic of the book. She has Age-Appropriate Angst, but often breaks down whenever her mother is brought up.
 * Age-Appropriate Angst: Marnie's mother died when she was ten and spends the next year mourning her mother's death. She often acts quite aggressive and mean, particularly towards the Shoebox Zoo, treating them like they're a bother for most of the time.
 * This is turned Up to Eleven in the second season, particularly in Episode 24 where she angrily confronts her father and asks if he meant what he said about being willing to do anything to resurrect Rosemary.
 * Alliterative Name
 * Alpha Bitch: Marnie acts like this trope towards the Shoebox Zoo for most of the show, but gets out of it by the end of the second season.
 * Big No: Does it twice in Episode 12, once when Edwin opens the book, and again when
 * Captain Obvious: Marnie can be bright at times, but has a tendency to express the obvious at times.
 * The Chosen One
 * Creepy Child: Marnie becomes this in Season 2 when she is corrupted by the book's power. She snaps out of it though.
 * Dreaming of Things to Come: Marnie has dreams of the past and the future, but mostly of the past.
 * The Heroine
 * Heroic BSOD: Marnie has numerous throughout the show. Most notably when,  , and when Aurora
 * Memento MacGuffin: Marnie's necklace is one of Edwin's tail feathers, created by her mother when she was a girl.
 * Rain of Arrows: Marnie is shown to be a skilled archer, and uses this to
 * Refusal of the Call: Marnie downright refuses to participate in the quest until halfway through the first season.
 * Shock and Awe: Marnie displays an ability to fire electricity in Season 2.
 * Teleporters and Transporters
 * What the Hell, Hero?: Marnie earns this a lot, as she is not exactly the most nicest hero ever. She often misteats the Shoebox Zoo and is quite stroppy and mean.
 * In Season 2, Marnie turns evil. She

Kyle Stone
Marnie's best friend introduced in Season 2. Kyle is of Native American descent and is very proud of his people's traditions, participating in a powwow. His grandfather Nathaniel is the Medicine Man, and is to inherit the duty and powers of the medicine man. He gains it on his twelfth birthday, gaining the ability to awaken Hunter. He ends up becoming Marnie's enemy when she turns evil.
 * Fainting: Kyle faints upon meeting the Shoebox Zoo for the first time.
 * The Lancer: To Marnie.
 * Magical Native American
 * Refusal of the Call: Like Marnie, Kyle refuses to accept his call but is more concerned that he won't be worthy as a medicine man.

Michael Scot
A 900-year old wizard, alchemist, mathematician and scholar, Michael Scot is very much responsible for most of the events in the shows backstory. He is based on a scholar of the same name. He created the Book of Forbidden Knowledge to store his own knowledge of alchemy and magic, and  However, his son Wolfgang, bitter at his father's obsession with the book, stole it along with his friends Edwin, Bruno and Ailsa, and cast it into the sea (almost). Michael punished them by turning them into toy animals and would sleep until the Chosen One found the book and awakened them with their own magic.

At first he is a Grumpy Old Man, being very aggressive, grouchy and mean towards Marnie and shouts a lot in their first official meeting. He eventually turns into The Obi-Wan, helping Marnie on her quest to find the book and eventually becomes a father figure to her, mainly due to his relationship with Marnie's mother when she was a child, believing she was the Chosen One. He decides to properly aid Marnie after he failed to save her mother from dying. He manages to make peace with Wolfgang thanks to Marnie. In Season 2, Michael and McTaggart, his loyal servant, go to America to keep an eye on Marnie but


 * Artefact of Doom: The Book of Forbidden Knowledge.
 * Cool Old Guy
 * Did Not Do the Research: Michael is inspired by real-life mathematician of the same name, however, he lived in the 1200s. He also died before Tantallon Castle was built.
 * Faking the Dead: Michael's fake gravestone is found by Marnie in the Eilone Hills.
 * Grumpy Old Man
 * Mage in Manhattan: Michael comes to Denver, Colorado in Season 2.
 * Magic Wand: A staff.
 * Mentor Occupational Hazard:
 * The Obi-Wan: He fills this trope quite nicely. Helps out Marnie,, and then appears as a ghost.
 * Paper-Thin Disguise: Michael disugises himself as a shopkeeper and as a librarian to help out Marnie before she realises who he is.
 * Robe and Wizard Hat: More like robe and hood.
 * Spirit Advisor
 * Wizard Beard
 * Wizards Live Longer: Michael was born in 1011.

Toledo
Juan Roberto Montoya de Toledo, or just "Toledo the Shapeshifter", is the Big Bad of the show (until the Dawn Queen arrives). A suave, bald man with a fetish for white, and a deep hatred for Michael, Toledo appears to have spent much of his 1,100 year existence in Spain, since he often uses Spanish words in his sentences. He is quite powerful, possessing shapeshifting abilities and powers matching those of Michael. He often reminds Michael that "my power is your power" and he means it. It is revealed that

Toledo desires the book to cover the world in darkness, likely to get back at Michael. He is quite polite but hides a nasty temper, calling Marnie "girl child" and Wolfgang "little wolfie". At the end of Season 1, Toledo suffers a Disney Villain Death but returns in Season 2 as a ghost, now desiring to create the Dawn Queen and conquer the world with the book.
 * Bald of Evil
 * Big Bad
 * Catch Phrase: "My power is your power."
 * Dark and Troubled Past
 * Demonic Possession: Toledo possesses Aurora Dexter in Season 2 to create the Dawn Queen, technically becoming a woman for several episodes.
 * Disney Villain Death: Toledo's first death involves him having spasms when, causing him to go flying out of Tantallon Castle in a fireball before exploding into the sea.
 * Evil Laugh: Man, is his laugh creepy.
 * Frankenstein's Monster
 * Gratuitous Spanish
 * Light Is Not Good: Toledo wears white and silver clothes at ALL times.
 * Shape Shifter: Toledo can shapeshift into humans, male or female, and animals.
 * The Starscream: Toledo gains this trope when he snatches the book from the Dawn Queen after she fails to break the magical barrier protecting it.
 * Take Over the World
 * You Look Like You've Seen a Ghost: Toledo pulls this on Marnie when he reunites with her as a ghost.
 * Take Over the World
 * You Look Like You've Seen a Ghost: Toledo pulls this on Marnie when he reunites with her as a ghost.

Edwin de Wyntor
The leader of the Shoebox Zoo, filled to bursting with British Stuffiness. He takes the form of a metal eagle toy, sporting a Cool Helmet and a fear of flying. Edward is very pompous, snobbish and proud, hinting he may have come from an upper class family. However, he deeply wishes to be human again and cares for the rest of his group, even though he often insults them, distrusting Wolfgang, arguing with Ailsa and repeatedly patronising Bruno's intelligence. He's quite the Glory Seeker, but his lack of knowledge regarding the modern world makes him a hilarious Fish Out of Water, freaking out at most things, most notably when he learns that heroes are flying to America after he assumed they would take a ship.

One of his tail feathers is used as a magical sensor necklace by Marnie. In Season 2, after breaking his wing, Edwin is fixed up by Marnie's grandpa and learns to fly.
 * Acrophobic Bird
 * British Stuffiness: Very much fills the stereotype.
 * Cool Helmet
 * Freak-Out: Used for comic effect.
 * Glory Seeker: Edwin desires to be the first person to touch the book in 1,100 years. This leads to Toledo manipulating him into opening the book. He's also a bit of a Glory Hound.
 * Hey, It's That Voice!: Edwin is voiced by Lord Flashheart.
 * Living Toy
 * Remembered I Could Fly
 * Stock British Phrases

Bruno
The Big Guy of the Shoebox Zoo, Bruno takes the form of a stone bear toy. Good-hearted, selfless and a little bit thick at times, Bruno is Marnie's biggest supporter and never loses faith in her. He is loyal, kind and has strong beliefs in goodness and justice. He's also voiced by Alan Cumming.
 * The Big Guy
 * Everything's Worse with Bears: Bruno has a fear of bears, despite being one.
 * The Heart
 * Hellhole Prison: Poor Bruno is fused to a rock by Marnie when he criticises the use of her powers. She later frees him.
 * Living Toy
 * Nice Guy

Ailsa
The Chick of the Shoebox Zoo, Ailsa takes the form of a golden/metal adder toy. Cynical, impatient but intelligent, Ailsa appears to want to be human the most, likely because she is the oldest of the toys. She often argues with Edwin and Marnie, and becomes quite manipulative in Season 2.
 * The Chick
 * The Cynic
 * Cynical Mentor: Not much of a mentor but she gives advice occasionally.
 * Living Toy
 * Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Ailsa brings out a pendant belonging to Marnie's mum, hoping she will use it to talk to her mother as a ghost. Marnie decides to resurrect her mother.
 * Snake People: She's a woman in a snake's body, and a toy.
 * Sssssnaketalk
 * Sour Supporter
 * What the Hell, Hero?: Ailsa is quite willing to sacrifice the world in order to restore the Zoo's humanity.

Wolfgang Scot
The mysterious and deceptive fourth member of the Shoebox Zoo, Wolfgang takes the form of a bue and golden-painted wooden wolf toy. He is actually the son of Michael as explained in The Reveal, resenting his father when he became obsessive with the book and ignored his son and other students. Wolfgang and the others stole the book whilst chased by Toledo, losing it, and then were turned into toys by Michael who still bares a grudge against them 1,100 years on. Wolfgang hates being made of wood, claiming everything tastes like sawdust, and he has a fear of fire.

Wolfgang sides with Toledo out of spite towards Michael selecting Marnie as his Chosen One when it should have been him. He eventually changes his alleigances when Marnie discovers his relation to Michael, father and son making peace with one another. However, Toledo attacks Marnie's house when she finds the book and  He later appears as a
 * Angst
 * Anti-Hero
 * Badass Beard
 * Big Badass Wolf: Make that little badass wolf.
 * Crying Wolf: He does this a couple of times in the series.
 * Heel Face Revolving Door: He seems to change his loyalties in the first season on a episodic basis.
 * Hey, It's That Voice!: Wolfgang is voiced by Simon Callow, who later voices Hunter.
 * It Tastes Like Feet: Wolfgang thinks everything tastes like sawdust.
 * Just a Stupid Accent: Wolfgang, despite being Scottish, speaks in almost European accent. Perhaps his mother was a foreigner.
 * Living Toy
 * The Obi-Wan: Kind of takes on this role in Season 2.
 * The Reveal: He's Michael's son.
 * Spirit Advisor: In Season 2.
 * The Obi-Wan: Kind of takes on this role in Season 2.
 * The Reveal: He's Michael's son.
 * Spirit Advisor: In Season 2.

Hunter the Horse
The Sixth Ranger of the Shoebox Zoo, introduced in Season 2. Hunter is not a human trapped in a toy, but instead a spirit who can materalise in a Native American dancing stick carved into a wooden wild horse. Hunter is taller than the other toys, and is a wild and free-spirited person but has a strong sense of justice. He has a tendency to introduce himself in a long series of titles before ending in "and the guy who just..." before referring to the current situation. He can also turn into a real horse. He's voiced by Simon Callow.
 * Catch Phrase: Hunter's often introduces himself with a spiel of I Have Many Names. He names himself as being related to numerous Native Americans, whilst claiming to be spirit of the horse dance, a war horse, Keeper of the Book of Many Secrets, etc. He then exclaims that he is "the guy that just..." (e.g. spilt red wine all over your [Michael] table). This doubles as a Running Gag.
 * He then gives up on it in the final episode when Wolfgang asks who he is.
 * Cool Horse: As a toy and as a real horse.
 * Magical Native American: Well, a Native American spirit to be exact.
 * Nature Spirit
 * Rousing Speech: Hunter convinces the Shoebox Zoo to help save the world, complimenting on each of their good traits (aside from Ailsa who he can't seem to find any good traits for).
 * Spirit Advisor

William McTaggart
Michael Scot's loyal manservant, McTaggart aided the Shoebox Zoo to steal the book, taking it to an ancestor of Marnie's mother who tossed the book into the sea. As punishment, McTaggart was imprisoned in Michael's dungeon for eleven years and then cursed with immortality until the book is found. He works for Toledo in the first season as a mole for Michael. In the second season, after, McTaggart is transformed into a weasel by Toledo but is changed by Edwin and Ailsa who convince him to take up his master's staff and fight Toledo and the Dawn Queen. Unfortunately,.
 * Battle Butler: In Season 2.
 * Bonnie Scotland: Probably the most Scottish of the characters. He's even a tour guide at Tantallon Castle.
 * Butt Monkey
 * Heroic Sacrifice:
 * Old Retainer
 * Passing the Torch: McTaggart becomes Michael's successor thanks to Edwin and Ailsa.
 * Personal Mook: To Michael, and Toledo in Season 1.
 * Undying Loyalty: To Michael and Marnie.
 * Weasel Mascot: He gets turned into a weasel.
 * Why Do You Keep Changing Jobs?: McTaggart appears in numerous jobs including butler, chaffeur, wizard's apprentice, minion, tour guide, clown, taxi driver, etc.

Nathaniel Stone
Kyle's grandfather and the Medicine Man, Nathaniel communicates with the spirit world and has his own form of magical powers. He spends the first four or so episodes of Season 2 as a Mysterious Informant until his connection to Kyle is revealed. Nathaniel is wise and powerful, capable of bringing Hunter to life. He is a descendant of Chief Stonebear, who was given the book by Marnie's ancestor Angus McBride but tosses it down a waterfall after realising it has dark magic within. Nathaniel believes the book must be destroyed instead of merely being hidden to save the world.
 * The Atoner: In a sense after his ancestors failed to destroy the book.
 * Braids of Action
 * Hey, It's That Guy!: Gordon Tootoosis is an actual Native American and played the part of a medicine man in Disney's Pocahontas. British viewers may also know him as Joe from Auf Wiedersehen Pet.
 * It's the Only Way: Unlike his ancestors who merely hid the book, Nathaniel believes the book must be destroyed and attempts to do this in Episode 24.
 * Magical Native American
 * Mysterious Informant: His identity aside from being the Medicine Man isn't revealed until Episode 5 of the second season. He does a lot of scenes simply staring at characters from afar.
 * Nice Hat: He sports a cowboy hat for most of the show.
 * Nice Hat: He sports a cowboy hat for most of the show.

Aurora Dexter
A 40-something Fortune Teller and psychic who hosts a TV show where she helps people communicate with the spirit world. She wishes to go up in the world and work on the "big network", or return a failure to her hometown Valentine, Nebraska. She has a daughter named Becky. It is revealed she was born on November 11th, making her a potential chosen one. That is, a Chosen One for the second prophecy in which the Dawn Queen will rise and use the book to destroy the world.

Toledo ensures the second prophecy is realised and possesses Aurora to become the Dawn Queen's host, creating some Gender Bender madness. She gains her dream of a new show on a major network but it only lasts one episode due to the events of the last episode,
 * Bigger Bad: You thought Toledo was bad, the Dawn Queen is worse. He wanted to rule the world, she wants to destroy it.
 * Demonic Possession: Toledo possesses her, leading to some Gender Bender fun, and making her wear Indian-themed clothes.
 * Aurora is then possessed by the Dawn Queen's evil influence.
 * Disintegrator Ray: Aurora disintegrates her audience on her network show with her mind!
 * Fortune Teller: She has her own TV show, a phone-in spiritalist show called "Above and Beyond".
 * Phony Psychic: Kyle believes her to be one. That is until Wolfgang makes contact with her, causing her to faint.
 * Tarot Motifs: Aurora tries to read her destiny via tarot cards, each one having 11 on the cards just as the clock chimes eleven o'clock.
 * This Is Sparta: Aurora's first words to the live audience of her network show: "I-HAVE-COME!"