Sesame Street/Characters

Abby Cadabby
"Leslie Carrara-Rudolph"

A fairy introduced in season 37. She attends the Flying Fairy School. ""Abby's design is an intentional departure from the typical Muppet look because she's not originally from Sesame Street. The implication is that the fairies in her old neighborhood look like her.""
 * The Apprentice: Hence "Abby's Flying Fairy School."
 * Call Back: She lives Around the Corner, which is a section of the set which was expanded and retracted.
 * Cheerful Child
 * Curtains Match the Window: She has purple hair and eyes.
 * Deliberately Cute Fairy Godchild
 * Fairy Tale Motifs: She is a textbook example of a fairy.
 * Genki Girl
 * Girlish Pigtails
 * Least Rhymable Word: Pumpkin.
 * Magical Girl
 * Magic Misfire
 * Be Careful What You Wish For
 * The Messiah: Abby sees the best in Oscar, and genuinely doesn't believe that he's that grouchy. That's gotta count for something.
 * Meaningful Name: It's a play on the stereotypical "magic word" Abracadabra.
 * Non Standard Character Design: She, along with other fairy characters in the show, is one of the few Muppet characters designed with irises. To quote the Muppet Wiki:
 * Non Standard Character Design: She, along with other fairy characters in the show, is one of the few Muppet characters designed with irises. To quote the Muppet Wiki:


 * Rhymes on a Dime
 * Shoe Phone: The secondary use for her wand.
 * Signature Laugh: A cute little giggle.
 * True-Blue Femininity
 * Welcome Episode: Her debut.
 * Wide-Eyed Idealist: Many small children see their world as a place of tremendous beauty and endless possibilities. Abby is no different.
 * A Wizard Did It: Close enough.
 * Youthful Freckles

Baby Bear
"David Rudman"

The smallest of the Three Bears. (Later, the second-smallest of the Four Bears.)
 * Annoying Younger Sibling: Although he has a great relationship with Curly, and is patient with her.
 * Elmuh Fudd Syndwome
 * Exactly What It Says on the Tin: Hero Guy. Baby Bear is a subversion, since he has a younger sister.
 * Fractured Fairy Tale: Invoked, in order to get Goldlocks her own bowl of porridge.
 * Informed Judaism
 * Literary Agent Hypothesis: He's the bear from the Goldilocks story.
 * Mr. Imagination
 * Stalker with a Crush: Initially, Goldilocks.
 * Stop Helping Me!: Goldilocks, again.
 * Sure, Let's Go with That: He unwittingly names his sister when he meets her.
 * Trademark Favorite Food: Porridge.
 * The Unfavorite: Discussed Trope. Baby Bear feels this way, at first.

Barkley
"Toby Towson, Brian Muehl, Fred Garver, Bruce Connelly"

This large, playful Muppet dog is Linda's pet, who understands American Sign Language. Unlike Rowlf, Barkley is not anthropomorphized. When he debuted in Season 9, he was known as Woof Woof. In Season 10, he became Barkley.
 * Big Friendly Dog

Bert
"Frank Oz, Eric Jacobson"

Long-suffering roommate and Blue Oni to Ernie's Red Oni. Bert would generally prefer to be left alone with a book than put up with his friend's shenanigans. ""Oh. Music cue.""
 * Berserk Button: Do not lose his bottle caps or paper clips.
 * Big Ol' Unibrow
 * Bookworm
 * Comically Serious
 * I Need You to Shut Up: Bert is patient to a point, but most of the time, he just wants to be left to his own devices, or to go to sleep.
 * Lampshade Hanging: Count on Bert to point out just how crazy Ernie is being.


 * Neat Freak
 * Odd Couple: With Ernie.
 * Ho Yay: Guess with whom? Possibly the best-known example in children's television, to the point that there was a recent petition to get the pair married.
 * Have I Mentioned I Am Heterosexual Today?: Had a few. He mentions his girlfriend in a song, and fawns over Connie Stevens on The Muppet Show.
 * Oh, No, Not Again
 * Pastimes Prove Personality: He enjoys oatmeal, pigeons and bottlecap collecting.
 * Say My Name: "ERNIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"
 * Signature Laugh: A staccato, nasal "eheheheheheh!"
 * Straight Man
 * Tempting Fate: On several occasions, Bert ends up on the receiving end of Ernie's craziness simply by pointing it out.
 * What Do You Mean It's Not Awesome?: "LA LA LA, LINOLEUM!"

Big Bird
"Caroll Spinney, then Matt Vogel"

An inexplicably large, yellow bird, perpetually stuck at age 6. Mr. Snuffleupagus is his best friend. "Gordon: Why are you walking that way?
 * A Bird Named Bird
 * Breakout Character: Is the star of the first official Sesame Street movie Follow That Bird, starred in a special where he travels to China, and is the star of other merchandise items such as storybooks, cassette tapes or records. Possibly the first breakout character before Elmo.
 * Characterization Marches On: He was initally a fully grown idiot, with a Simpleton Voice to match.
 * Gentle Giant
 * Hidden Depths: During the famous episode centered on the death of Mr. Hooper, Big Bird draws various caricatures of the adults - of a quality that you may not normally see from a typical 6-year-old.
 * Carol Spinney is a cartoonist and painter in his down time, overlapping with The Cast Showoff.
 * Meaningful Echo:

Big Bird: "Just because."

...

(Big Bird learns of Mr. Hooper's death)

Big Bird: "Why does it have to be this way?"

(Beat)

Gordon: "Big Bird, it has to be this way because."

Big Bird: "Just because?"

Gordon: "Just because.""


 * Start My Own: Because Oscar wouldn't let him join the Grouchketeers.

Cookie Monster
"Frank Oz, David Rudman"

The very incarnation of gluttony. ""This taste better than Latin Grammy!""
 * Anti Role Model: And proud of it.
 * Big Eater
 * Big Word Shout: Less frequently, "Cowabunga."
 * Catch Phrase: "COOOOOKIE!"
 * Crazy Consumption
 * Extreme Omnivore: He even ate an Emmy during a tribute.

""Arrivederci, frog.""
 * Foil: To Prairie Dawn for a while, particularly during the "Letter of the Day" skits, among others.
 * Foregone Conclusion: Cookie Monster will eat any cookies that are near him, no matter how important they are.
 * Guttural Growler
 * Hulk Speak
 * Internal Homage: Season 37 episode "Cookie World."
 * Jabba Table Manners: Cookie isn't remotely evil, but his eating habits do reflect poorly on him.
 * Leitmotif: A short, instrumental version of "C Is for Cookie."
 * Sophisticated As Heck


 * Trademark Favorite Food
 * Trash the Set

Count von Count
"Jerry Nelson"

An Ambiguously Undead purple guy with fangs, a Romanian accent, and a love of counting. He lives in a castle with a number of bats and has been seen dating various Countesses.
 * Badbutt: Associated with creepy music, castles, bats, etc. like classical vampires, but like the rest of the cast he's completely harmless.
 * Badbutt Cape
 * Bat Out of Heck: Averted; the Count has some of the nicest bats on TV.
 * Classical Movie Vampire
 * Dark Is Not Evil: Oscar is nastier than he is.
 * Dramatic Thunder
 * Fake Russian: He even uses Chekov's W-for-V substitution.
 * Friendly Neighborhood Vampire
 * Funny Foreigner
 * Good with Numbers
 * High-Class Glass
 * Maniacal Laugh: Although it's been toned down since the '70s, when it was downright alarming.
 * Ominous Pipe Organ: He plays one during the "Batty Bat" song. Another features in the recurring Number of the Day segment, although admittedly that one isn't very ominous.
 * Our Vampires Are Different: Official sources vary on whether or not the Count is actually a vampire, but he's certainly got the look down.
 * Repetitive Name
 * Signature Laugh/Un Evil Laugh
 * Vampire Vords

Elmo
"Kevin Clash"

A 3½-year-old monster who speaks in a high-pitched voice and eschews pronouns. Host of the "Elmo's World" segment and the object of 1996's Tickle-Me-Elmo craze. "Elmo: "Elmo doesn't believe this.""
 * Aside Glance: Whenever Zoe is talking to Rocco.

"Elmo: "Elmo loves you.""
 * Baby Talk
 * Breakout Character: He first appeared as a background character in the early '70s. He's now one of the show's most dominant characters.
 * Cheerful Child
 * Cuddle Bug: He's very hug-friendly.
 * Friend to All Children: He kisses a lot of babies.
 * Friend to All Living Things
 * Little Mister Snarker: Rarely, but mainly in regards to Zoe's pet rock.
 * The Messiah: Maybe not quite to the extent of Abby, but he comes pretty close.


 * Military Kid: Yes, believe it or not. This was central to a series of videos specifically made to help military children cope with having a parent deployed, so he subverts most of the typical, negative stereotypes.
 * Mr. Imagination
 * No Name Given: We was a minor background Muppet simply known as "Baby Monster" prior to 1985, when his current character started to take shape.
 * Precocious Crush: One story concerns Elmo naively wanting to marry Gina. On learning this, she explains to him that she does love him very much, but that the relationship they have is "a 'friend' kind of love."
 * Signature Laugh: Drove a toy craze in the mid-nineties.
 * Third Person Person

Ernie
"Jim Henson, then Steve Whitmire"

An enthusiastic, extroverted prankster who's Bert's roommate and Red to his Blue. "Bert: "He's improving. Last time he used spaghetti sauce.""
 * Consulting Mr. Puppet: His rubber duckie.
 * Couldn't Find a Pen: Bert asks him to make a shopping list, and the only thing Ernie can find to write with is chocolate pudding. Ernie then makes a list of every writing implement that he couldn't find, adding pudding to the list.


 * Hidden Depths: He lays down an amazing saxophone solo during "Put Down the Duckie."
 * I Can't Hear You: "I can't hear you, Bert. I have a banana in my ear."
 * Jim Henson: Jim was succeeded by Steve Whitmire, who also took over Jim's other, similar-sounding role (Kermit).
 * Odd Couple: With Bert.
 * Ho Yay
 * The Prankster
 * Signature Laugh: "Kshshshshshshshsh!"
 * Signature Song: "Rubber Duckie"
 * Something Only They Would Say: The game "Journey to Ernie" runs on this trope.

Forgetful Jones
"Michael Earl Davis, Richard Hunt"

A cowboy with poor memory.
 * Catch Phrase: "Awwwwww. I forget."
 * Forgetful Jones: The Trope Namer.

Grover
"Frank Oz, then Eric Jacobson"

A well-meaning, multitalented monster who suffers more humiliation and injury than the rest of the cast combined.
 * Affectionate Parody: "SUP...ER GROVER!"
 * Amusing Injuries: Moreso than any other character.
 * Aside Glance: Grover counts a single penny for John-John, but not without a few head tilts for the camera.
 * Can't You Read the Sign?: After Mr. Johnson complains to Grover the Flight Attendant that he's bored and has nothing to read.
 * The Chew Toy
 * Determinator: The limits he pushes himself to are actually quite admirable.
 * Flying Brick: Super-Grover apparently believes he's one of these, judging from how often he tries to bend bars and lift heavy objects. He actually is capable of flight, but takeoffs and landings are a problem for him.
 * Keet: "HELLLLLLOOOOOOOOOOO EVERYBODY!"
 * Named After Somebody Famous: Grover Cleveland
 * Nice Guy
 * Secret Identity: For a certain value of "secret."
 * Spock Speak: According to original performer Frank Oz, Grover doesn't use contractions (except in songs) because he's obsessed with doing everything right.
 * Ted Baxter: A mild case. On the whole he's quite personable, but he often introduces himself as "cute, lovable, furry old Grover" and, as Super Grover, usually overrates his problem-solving abilities.
 * Why Do You Keep Changing Jobs?

Guy Smiley
"Jim Henson, then Eric Jacobson"

A manic television personality who emcees whatever TV shows need emceeing.
 * Ambiguously Jewish: Guy Smiley is Bernie Liederkrantz's Stage Name.
 * Game Show Host
 * No Indoor Voice: To the point where Jim Henson hated doing the character; it was hard on his throat.
 * Smarmy Host
 * Weather Report: Among his jobs.

Herry
"Jerry Nelson"

A large, blue monster. Rarely appears these days.
 * Badbutt: Was meant to be the "tough guy" among the cast. Being from a show for preschoolers, you obviously can't get too tough...
 * The Big Guy
 * Does Not Know His Own Strength
 * Guttural Growler

Hoots the Owl
"Kevin Clash"

An old bluesman and sax player.
 * Destined Bystander: He (or, at least, the puppet that would later come to be him) first appeared in a single scene in Follow that Bird.
 * The Owl-Knowing One: Not all-knowing, but he's wise enough to know you can't play the sax with a rubber duck in your hand, and that carrots are healthier than cookies.

Kermit the Frog
"Jim Henson, then Steve Whitmire"

The Muppet Show's easily flustered host, here usually playing a roving news reporter in a trench coat.
 * Call Back: He makes a surprise appearance in "Elmo's World: Frogs", where he is shown lounging in his apartment.
 * Crossover: Kermit once made routine guest appearances, frequently playing off Grover and Cookie Monster. Alas, the frog seldom appears these days.
 * Frogs and Toads
 * If You Can Read This...: An actual cameraman is named on the slate in the Oklahoma! sketch.
 * Intrepid Reporter: During the "Sesame Street News Flash" segments.
 * Jim Henson: His definitive role; Kermit and Ernie aren't that different, acoustically speaking. This is especially apparent in Bert and Ernie's Muppet Show guest appearance, where Ernie appears and speaks immediately after Kermit introduces the pair.
 * Loud Gulp: The idea of a frog eating a fly makes him nauseous.
 * Reality Subtext: Kermit was Put on a Bus because Disney bought out the Muppets. He still appears now and again in the occasional cameo or legacy segment.
 * Somewhere a Herpetologist Is Crying: This is Zigzagged in one scene, in which Bob lists frog facts, and Kermit insists that frogs act more like people, with human diets and apartment buildings.
 * Why Didn't You Just Say So?: Forgetful Jones says this, after messing up Oklahoma! for the third time.
 * Bold Inflation: The slate reads Oklahoma.

The Amazing Mumford
"Jerry Nelson"

A bumbling Stage Magician whose magic never works quite right.
 * Big Ol' Eyebrows: To the extent that they cover his eyes completely.
 * Catch Phrase: "A la peanut butter sandwiches!"
 * Magic Misfire
 * Magicians Are Wizards
 * No Celebrities Were Harmed: His voice is based on that of comedian W.C. Fields.
 * Short Distance Phone Call: Mumford manages to mess up a playdate in Miles' room via a Pay Phone Around the Corner.

Murray
"Joey Mazzarino"

A fluffy orange monster with a round, oversized jaw who rose to fame by hosting a variety of recurring segments; namely Word on the Street and Murray Has a Little Lamb. These are unique in that they're kept separate from the regular Sesame Street scenes by being set in the "real world" where Murray has largely unscripted scenes interacting with "normal" people.
 * Amusing Injuries: Frequently. Usually in the form of The Pratfall.
 * The Cameo: Very rarely appears in "street scenes." Joey Mazzarino has said that he prefers for Murray to be kept in the "real world" a la Uncle Traveling Matt.
 * Early-Bird Cameo: Murray made several appearances before he was first called by name on screen.
 * Epic Fail: A lot of his first attempts at the focal activity in the segment results in this. Once, while trying a high-kick in a Dance School segment, he not only sends himself flying onto his back, as he is wont to do, but manages to kick himself in the face in the process.
 * Excited Kids' Show Host: Murray plays Type 1 to the hilt.
 * Keet: Very much so.
 * Larynx Dissonance: With a jaw like his, you may not expect his voice to be as high or childish as it is.
 * Lethal Chef: Hey, if you run out of sugar while baking a pie, know what makes a great substitute? Pepper, of course!
 * Literal Minded
 * Living Crashpad: Ovejita regularly uses him as one just as a way of greeting him at the start of each segment.
 * Mad Libs Catchphrase: Ever since wrapping up each episode became his job, this has been how the letter and number of the day have been reviewed.
 * Non-Monster Sidekick: Murray has Ovejita, a little Spanish-speaking lamb with a tiny hairbow. Although it's debatable whether she can be called a "sidekick", as he usually follows her lead.
 * Hypercompetent Sidekick: Played for Laughs.
 * Palette Swap: His design is an orange variant of a purple monster, named Filfil, from the Egyptian co-production. In fact, most of the crew just called him "Filfil" until someone came up with "Murray."
 * Tertiary Sexual Characteristics: Played with. He has quite a jaw on him, but his eyelids sport noticeable lashes.

Oscar the Grouch
"Caroll Spinney"

An irritable, antisocial Grouch who lives in a Bigger on the Inside trash can with his worm Slimey and his elephant Fluffy. "Oscar's mission in life is to be as miserable and grouchy as possible, and pass that feeling on to everyone else. When a visitor knocks on his trash can -- invariably interrupting him from a nap or an important task -- Oscar greets them with a snarl. He complains that he wants to be left alone, although when he's left entirely to himself, he's dissatisfied -- there isn't anybody around to irritate or complain to."
 * Anti Role Model: One purpose of the character is to poke fun at irritable people. Which isn't to say that his irritation isn't justified sometimes.
 * Big Ol' Unibrow: It's a species trait.
 * Early Installment Weirdness: He was orange for a year. (Apparently he still would be, if he ever bathed.)
 * Extreme Omnivore: A variant. He hates foods most would consider nice or healthy, but loves noxious combinations of food that are technically still edible... just really gross. Like sardine ice-cream. Again, it's a species trait.
 * Grumpy Bear
 * Jerk... Butt: The Muppet Wiki puts it best:


 * Jerk with a Hidden Heart of Gold: The true depths of his jerk nature are often called into question, and he can get comically defensive when his reputation as a "true Grouch" is threatened.
 * Kick the Dog
 * Pet the Dog: He has his moments.
 * Manipulative Grouch
 * Morality Pet: Slimey
 * The Nicknamer: As far as Oscar is concerned, Bob and Maria are Bright Eyes and Skinny, respectively.
 * The Pig Pen
 * The Prankster
 * Too Grouchy To Walk: He's rarely seen walking. When he needs to be transported somewhere, a garbageman named Bruno carries his can.
 * Slap Slap Kiss: His relationship with Grungetta.
 * Trash of the Titans
 * Vitriolic Best Buds: He's easily a Type 1 with any of the nice Sesame Street residents that like being sweet and chummy with him, especially Elmo and Telly; although he and Maria are more of a Type 2.
 * What Could Have Been: Jim Henson originally intended Oscar to be purple, but TV cameras in 1969 couldn't handle that color. The first-season orange Oscar was abandoned for the same reason.
 * With Friends Like These...: Used to be this sort of "friend" to poor Telly.
 * Although, they seem to have fallen into a more traditional Type 1 Vitriolic Best Buds as of late.

Prairie Dawn
"Fran Brill"

A small, pageant-obsessed girl who aspires to a career in journalism.
 * Foil: To Cookie Monster for a while.
 * Hair of Gold
 * Intrepid Reporter
 * Little Miss Snarker
 * Once an Episode: There is a whole set of sketches where Prairie Dawn tries to keep Cookie Monster away from a Letter of the Day Cookie. Guess how that turns out.
 * True-Blue Femininity
 * Surrounded by Idiots: The pageants certainly make it look that way.

Rosita
"Carmen Osbahr"

A bilingual monster who plays guitar. She was originally patterned after a fruit bat, but quickly lost the wings.
 * Continuity Nod: Luis taught her how to play the guitar, and she has retained that skill very well.
 * Gratuitous Spanish
 * Mentors: Rosita takes Gina's son Marco under her wing, because he is Guatemalan.
 * Military Kid: Like Elmo, Rosita has to deal with having a military father.
 * True-Blue Femininity

Sherlock Hemlock
"Jerry Nelson"

A somewhat inept detective. Like many others, he's fallen by the wayside over the past decade or so.
 * Captain Ersatz: It goes without saying that he wears a deerstalker cap and tweed Inverness cape.
 * Catch Phrase: "Egad!"
 * Clueless Detective
 * Identical Grandson: He evidently had a caveman ancestor: the Royal Smart Person.
 * Small Name, Big Ego: He maintains that he's the World's Greatest Detective, despite evidence to the contrary.

Mr. Snuffleupagus
"Jerry Nelson, then Michael Earl Davis, then Martin P. Robinson (voice and upper body) and Bryant Young (rear end)"

A slow-talking, elephantlike creature and Big Bird's best friend.
 * Characterization Marches On: Snuffle used to have wide yellow eyes with green sclera and was understandably changed to a different lazy eyed design as the debut appearance was unsettling to say the least.
 * The Eeyore: Used to be one of his defining character traits, but he steadily grew out of it as time went on.
 * In-Series Nickname: "Snuffy." He calls Big Bird "Bird."
 * Missed Him by That Much: In his early appearances he'd wander off before anyone other than Big Bird could spot him, leading to speculation that he was BB's Imaginary Friend.
 * Not-So-Imaginary Friend
 * Precocious Crush / Interspecies Romance: Pre-dating the Elmo and Gina plot (see above), he had such a crush on Maria for a while.
 * Real After All: He is revealed to the adult cast thirteen years after his debut, in order to encourage kids to be more honest with their parents. It was an emotional experience for the characters and actors.

Telly
"Bob Payne, then Brian Meuhl, then Martin P. Robinson"

A mildly neurotic, easily discouraged monster. Was best friends with Oscar; now best friends with Baby Bear.
 * Characterization Marches On: He was originally obsessed with television.
 * The Eeyore: More often than not.
 * Mind Control Eyes: When he watched TV.
 * Mood Swinger
 * Non-Indicative Name: It's an artifact of his early "watched too much TV" phase.
 * On One Condition: Telly is allowed to sit in on Gordon's science class in one episode, as long as he is quiet.
 * Story Arc: He spends several episodes with a broken arm.
 * You Watch Too Much X: A big aspect of his character at first. While more physical activity is being encouraged now, his obsession does still occasionally show up.
 * With Friends Like These...: Was once sort-of-friends with Oscar, of all people. Three guesses how that usually went. Thankfully, he later found a much better friend in Baby Bear.

Two-Headed Monster
"Richard Hunt and Jerry Nelson, then Peter Friedman, Joey Mazzarino and David Rudman"

Exactly What It Says on the Tin. Usually appears in order to teach the merits of cooperation or sound out words phonetically.
 * Hulk Speak: More so than Cookie Monster.
 * Multiple Head Case
 * No Name Given: Well, sort of. Was named "Horn and Hardart" in his first appearance in the late '70s; this name was never used again.

Zoe
"Fran Brill"

A monster who was added in the 1990s in order to add balance to a predominantly male cast.
 * Characterization Marches On: A few years ago, she was permanently dressed in a pink tutu.
 * Consulting Mr. Puppet: Zoe's pet rock, Rocco.
 * The Cover Changes the Gender: She did a cover of the Sesame Street song "Fur."
 * Distaff Counterpart: For Elmo.
 * Hair Decorations: A very subtle set of pink and purple barrettes.
 * Signature Laugh: A high-pitched, shrill laugh.
 * The Smurfette Principle
 * Spelling Song: In one of her first inserts, this is how we are introduced to her.
 * Thememobile: The Zoe Mobile.
 * Tertiary Sexual Characteristics: Aside from having prominent eyelashes and a smaller pink nose, she usually sports a necklace and bracelets along with her hair decs.

Monsters
A heterogeneous group of furry creatures, many of whom share the last name "Monster." Examples include Telly, Cookie, Herry, Grover, and Elmo.
 * Our Monsters Are Different
 * Vaudeville: Fuzzy and Blue (and Orange)

Grouches
A group of crusty, monster-like creatures indigenous to Grouchland.
 * Bad Is Good and Good Is Bad
 * Big Ol' Unibrow: As mentioned under Oscar's entry, it's a species trait.
 * Bizarro Universe: Grouch society mirrors human society (right down to similar celebrities -- Dan Rather-Not and Donald Grump, for example), but they prefer unhappiness and filth to happiness and cleanliness.
 * Blue and Orange Morality: As explained above, they dislike (often downright condemn) nice and pleasant things, and like things that most other people would find unpleasant. Although a bit odd, it sounds simple enough, right? Well, this also means that they like feeling miserable, and yet the nice things they hate make them miserable, which they like and... yeah. Try not to think about it too hard.
 * Planet of Hats

Honkers & Dingers
"All the Muppeteers"

Two species of Muppet, one with a bicycle horn for a nose and the other with a table bell on top of its head, which they use instead of speaking.
 * Gag Nose: Honkers squeeze theirs in order to honk.
 * The Unintelligible
 * Shout-Out: The Honkers are essentially an entire species of Harpo Marxes.

Martians/Yip-Yips
"All the Muppeteers"

Jellyfish-like, hovering aliens with antennae, severe underbite, and a distinctive "yip yip yip yip uh-huh uh-huh" sound.
 * Amusing Alien
 * Incredibly Lame Fun: They dance to radio static.
 * Innocent Aliens: They're just confused tourists.
 * Intangible Man: They often enter scenes by phasing through walls.
 * Plain Name: The primary two are named "Joe" and "Bob."
 * Starfish Aliens

Anything Muppets
The Anything Muppets (known internally as "AMs") are "blank" Muppets with interchangeable features and clothing, and allow puppeteers to create new characters without having to build the Muppets from scratch. Famous Anythings include Guy Smiley, the Count, and Prairie Dawn.
 * Amazing Technicolor Population: Deliberately invoked so as to avoid Race Tropes.
 * The Blank: Until more features are added, they have nothing but mouths.
 * Colorful Theme Naming: Examples include Fat Blue, Pumpkin, Little Hot Pink, etc. Justified because, hey, how else can you tell them apart?
 * Unlimited Wardrobe

Miscellaneous Muppets
Sesame Street features a vast array of other Muppets ranging from animals, letters, and numbers to bathtubs and Singing Food.
 * Animate Inanimate Object
 * Everything Talks
 * Let's Meet the Meat: Singing Food will cheerfully discuss how nutritious it is.

Alan
The current owner of Hooper's store.
 * Asian Store Owner: The stereotypes are downplayed, though.
 * The Danza: played by Alan Muroaka.
 * Hilarity Ensues: He tends to get dragged into Muppet hijinks.
 * Iconic Item: A dish towel, frequently on his shoulder.
 * Oh No:
 * Shiny Midnight Black: Alan's hair.
 * Supreme Chef
 * Welcome Episode: A proverbial baptism by fire: He successfully caters a Birdketeer meeting.
 * Written in Absence: He goes on vacation for a few episodes.

Bob
An unassuming, low-key music teacher who lives in the apartment above Hooper's Store.
 * Actor Allusion: He has a music degree, as well as an established career which predates Sesame Street's run.
 * Aside Glance: Trying to teach the Two-Headed Monster to play the clarinet evokes a flustered look at the camera.
 * Big Darn Heroes: Bob makes his sole appearance in the 38th season so that he can coax an elephant out of a bathtub.
 * Cool Old Guy: Became this with time.
 * Cool Teacher
 * The Danza: Bob Johnson is performed by Bob McGrath.
 * Early Installment Weirdness: He was originally a shop teacher.
 * Foil: To neurotic worrywart Telly, and Oscar, Mr. "have a rotten day".
 * Happy Birthday to You: He teaches everyone to sign the song.
 * Keet: Of course.
 * Mentors: Gordon and Susan are like a mom and dad; Bob is gentler.
 * Nice Guy
 * The Piano Player
 * Running Gag: The production staff loves to put Bob in costumes.
 * Ship Tease: Concerning Linda.
 * Signature Song: "The People in Your Neighborhood"
 * That Reminds Me of a Song
 * Translator Buddy: For Linda.
 * You Are the Translated Foreign Word: Bob speaks and signs at the same time, so he doesn't have to repeat himself.

Chris
Gordon's nephew who came to Sesame Street looking for a job, and took one at Hooper's Store, to pay for college.
 * Aside Glance
 * Butt Monkey: Sometimes, this is because Alan is facing similar circumstances, and he needs his help.
 * The Danza: Played by Christopher Knowings.
 * Real Life Relative: His twin sister is Christy, both on- and off-stage.
 * Rearrange the Song: A rock remix for People in your Neighborhood.
 * Straight Man / Only Sane Man
 * Welcome Episode

Gina
She started out as an assistant at Hooper's Store during The Eighties. A lot has changed since then.
 * Character Development: In the span of twenty four years, she has assisted at Hooper's store and a daycare, gone to veterinary school, opened a veterinary practice, and adopted her own son, Marco.
 * Hot Mom: Her current occupation, aside from being a veterinarian.
 * Instant Sedation: In one episode, books on the Letter of the Day and the Number of the Day have this effect on Marco.
 * Irony as She Is Cast: According to Muppet Wiki, Allison Bartlett O'Reilly is allergic to dogs. However, Gina doesn't treat any real ones.
 * Salt and Pepper: She and Savion were Just Friends.
 * Story Arc: The three part episode "Gina Adopts a Baby." The original airdate was changed to coincide with National Adoption Month (November 2006).
 * Why Do You Keep Changing Jobs?: It's more drawn out than usual, but Gina's occupation does change several times.

Gordon
A father figure to the Muppets and kids on the street, and the de facto leader when things go wrong. ""Big Bird, jump!""
 * Badbutt Baritone
 * Badbutt Mustache
 * Bald Black Leader Guy
 * Cool Teacher
 * The Danza: It was decided that Gordon would be given the last name Robinson, in honor of his orginal performer.
 * Irritation Is the Sincerest Form of Flattery: Elmo admires him enough to have followed him around in a bald cap.
 * Let's Get Dangerous:


 * The Other Darrin: Roscoe Orman, the current and longest-running Gordon, is the third actor to play the character (the fourth, if you count the uncredited actor in the week of test episodes from summer 1969). And the only one without a 'fro.
 * Team Dad

Mr. Hooper
A grandfather figure to those around him, and the original owner of Hooper's Store.
 * Alliterative Name: Harold Hooper.
 * Ambiguously Jewish
 * Suddenly Ethnicity
 * Bald of Awesome
 * Blind Without'Em
 * Bus Crash
 * Catch Phrase: That's Hooper, Big Bird, Hooper!
 * The Character Died with Him
 * Cool Old Guy
 * Death Is a Sad Thing
 * Jerk with a Heart of Gold
 * Last-Name Basis: As the oldest on the street in his day, this is a mark of respect.
 * My Name Is Not Durwood: Oh, boy.
 * Never Say "Die": A subversion, which is still met with acclaim today.
 * Shirtless Scene: On the beach, in Hawaii.
 * Unexpected Successor: David had to pretty much scrap his plans for law school when Mr. Hooper died.
 * Who's Watching the Store?: Subverted. Mr. Hooper would either close the store or ask someone else to run it.

Linda
A librarian and Bob's (apparent) girlfriend. Also deaf. Owner of Barkley.
 * The Danza
 * Disabled Love Interest
 * Disabled Snarker: She once subbed for Oscar. That's got to count for something.
 * Inspirationally Disadvantaged: Averted at actress Linda Bove's request. Both the actress and the character are deaf, but Bove specifically requested that her deafness not be treated as the defining aspect of the character, and that the writers not shy away from jokes about ASL.
 * Hot Librarian
 * Ship Tease: With Bob.
 * Will They or Won't They?: Bob and Linda dated, but they didn't get married.

Luis
A Chicano who runs the Fix-It Shop with his wife, Maria.
 * The Cast Showoff: Emilio Delgado translated the lyrics for "Sing" into Spanish himself.
 * Gratuitous Spanish: Not so much these days, now that Rosita's around.
 * Greek Chorus: In "The Cowmonster Pair".
 * Mr. Fixit: He specializes in toaster repair.

Maria
Maria worked as Luis' employee before settling down and marrying him.
 * Aborted Arc: She was hooked up with David.
 * Apple of Discord: She successfully petitions Luis for a raise (before marriage).
 * Charlie Chaplin: In the 1980s, she did many sketches dressed as Chaplin's "Little Tramp".
 * Grandma, What Massive Hotness You Have!: Look. It needed to be said.
 * Hot Mom
 * Invisible Main Character: After Oscar spritzed her with "Disappear-O". Oscar's elephant made her visible again.
 * Mrs. Fixit
 * Promotion to Love Interest
 * She Cleans Up Nicely: Gorgeous in a dress, and consistently so.
 * Ship Sinking: Again, David and Maria, c. 1987.
 * Spicy Latina
 * Vitriolic Best Buds: Type 2 with Oscar.
 * Writer on Board: For a stretch of 20 years.

Mr. Noodle and family
An oddly dressed Vaudevillian mime who lives outside the window of Elmo's World. The role is occasionally performed by Mr. Noodle's brother Mr. Noodle, his sister Miss Noodle, or his other sister Miss Noodle.
 * The Ditz: The Noodles' role is to provide a character to whom 3-year-old viewers can feel superior.
 * One Steve Limit: Averted. Of course, all the Noodles are pretty much interchangeable.
 * The Speechless: When a Noodle vocalizes, he or she usually produces a French horn or animal sound.

Olivia
Gordon's sister and a professional photographer.
 * The Cast Showoff: Alaina Reed's career began in Broadway musicals. She often took the opportunity to show off her singing chops.

Susan
Gordon's wife and, as such, a maternal figure to those around her.
 * Girls Need Role Models: Invoked. She started off as a housewife; in the second season she became a nurse in response to concerns that the series marginalized women.
 * Parents Walk in At the Worst Time: Including one incident where Miles didn't want her to see the chaos happening in his room.
 * Real Life Relative: Loretta Long's mother played Susan's mom.
 * Statuesque Stunner
 * Team Mom