List of The Boondocks characters

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The following is a partial list of characters who have appeared in the animated television series The Boondocks.

Contents

[edit] Main characters

[edit] The Freeman family

[edit] Other main characters

  • Thomas Lancaster Dubois (voiced by Cedric Yarbrough): The Freemans' neighbor from across the street, Tom Dubois is a well-to-do African-American attorney. His character is seen to be a stereotype of a successful white collar Caucasian man. Tom is skittish and easily frightened. He adheres strictly to the law due to an intense fear of being anally raped in prison, as explained by narration from Huey in the episode "A Date With The Health Inspector": a flashback shows Tom at age ten watching a prison movie on television and being terrified by it; from then on, he refuses even the slightest legal infractions. ("But what if we get caught? We'll get arrested and anally raped!") Huey mentions that Tom's job as a prosecutor is, ironically, to send other black men to the very fate he most fears. He also played basketball in college. His character can be interpreted as an "Uncle Tom" as he is seen as having turned his back on his black heritage to marry a white woman (Sarah), producing a mixed-race child (Jazmine), and becoming a criminal prosecutor who often convicts black people. Although, in line with the complexity of the show, the "Dubois" portion of his name may be an homage to W.E.B. DuBois, thus putting his character in a state of conflict. For example, in one episode the neighborhood watch was convinced of the Freeman family's guilt in a string of local break-ins due to their unwillingness to speak to the police, and Tom, rather than acquiescing, confronted the neighborhood watch with the ridiculous nature of their accusations. In the episode "The Trial of R. Kelly", Tom was the prosecuting attorney attempting to prosecute R. Kelly, though he failed - a failure both he and Huey were disappointed with. He also fancies himself as a singer, dreaming of being a successful recording artist. His only problem is that he has no talent as a singer. Tom was at one point the unwilling vessel for Stinkmeaner after Stinkmeaner's escape from Hell; however Stinkmeaner was eventually exorcised returning Tom to normal (albeit with a few bruises).
  • Sarah Dubois (voiced by Jill Talley): Tom Dubois' white wife. She is incredibly casual toward their interracial marriage, even going so far as to joke about it by stating "I told you not to mess with those white women" when Tom is mocked and attacked for it in "The Trial of R. Kelly". Sarah and her daughter have an affection over the singer Usher which makes Tom jealous.
  • Jazmine Dubois (voiced by Gabby Soleil): Tom and Sarah's biracial daughter. She can be extremely paranoid and a bit naive, making her an object of ridicule for Huey and Riley. Jazmine was shocked by both the September 11 attacks (and hid in her room for two years as a result in the comic strip) and finding out that the tooth fairy isn't real. She is a strong believer in Santa Claus, viewing him as the true meaning of Christmas to the point where she dreams of preaching the gospel of Santa to the masses. Jazmine seems to have a crush on Huey despite the fact he is often cold toward her. Jazmine first appears in the episode "The Trial of R. Kelly".
  • Uncle Ruckus (voiced by Gary Anthony Williams): An overweight black man with a grotesque appearance who idolizes old enslaved black slave culture. Ruckus is self-hating, disassociating himself from his African-American heritage as best he can, and instead championing whatever small traces of Native American, French, and Irish ancestry he may have. His greatest wish is that black people were still enslaved, because he believes that they were better off that way. He claims to have a mythical disease called "re-vitiligo" ("It's the opposite of what Michael Jackson's got, lucky bastard" as he always retorts). His hatred of black people is strongly evidenced in the episode "The Garden Party" to the point that when Riley, Huey and Granddad arrive he exclaims "We have a 'code black' at the main gate". During the same episode Ruckus performs an impromptu song entitled "Don't Trust Them New Niggas Over There". Ironically, he is the darkest-skinned character on the show. His character is a hyperbolic parody of the self-hating black man. However, as much as he may hate black culture, he has been shown in other episodes to still socialize with the Freemans. In "…Or Die Trying", Ruckus demonstrates a mastery of the nunchaku and hand to hand combat, equalling or possibly exceeding Huey's skills. In an unaired episode lampooning BET, he becomes the subject of a self-titled reality show, and is horrified to learn he is actually Black.
  • Ed Wuncler, Sr. (voiced by Ed Asner): an overweight, rich realtor whose family founded the town of Woodcrest and have lived in the area for over a century. He acts as the hyperbolic archetypal capitalist in the show, seen praising the freedom to exploit cheap labor and complaining about high taxes in "The Block is Hot". The wealthy Wuncler owns the mortgage loan on Granddad's house (as he does with every house in Woodcrest) and somehow Woodcrest's police force, and is embarrassed by his inept grandson, Ed Wuncler III. Wuncler also owns the fictional fast food restaurant franchise, "McWuncler's", and the character bears a resemblance to his voice actor. Wuncler sometimes does things considered racist, such as referring to Grandad as "Robert Free-man", and employing only illegal Mexicans at his restaurants; ultimately, though, his racism is portrayed as simply being a byproduct of his insatiable greed rather than an active hatred of those from different races. Ed seems to have taken a general liking to Robert, referring to him as "Old school," and even funding his Soul food Restaurant venture in the episode "The Itis", though this may have merely been a plot to lower property values in the area so that he could purchase the nearby park and "develop" it. He also has a sweatshop which is run by 12-year-old Indonesian girls as Huey reveals and Ed confirms in "The Block is Hot", demonstrating his ruthless manner. His last name originates from Dr. Seuss's book The Lorax where the antagonist is a faceless business owner called the Once-ler. The Lorax portrays the Once-ler as a satirical character embodying intense greed. Ed Wuncler (last name pronounced the same way as "Once-ler") even bears a physical resemblance to the character.
  • Ed Wuncler III (voiced by Charlie Murphy): The grandson of Ed Wuncler I. Ed III is a drunken, psychopathic, trigger-happy ex-soldier freshly discharged from active duty in Iraq, and is portrayed as a representation of the "wigger" stereotype: a white person who acts like an exaggerated version of a young black person. His character could be seen as a parody of a young George W. Bush, painted in broad strokes — a figure destined to be president on the strength of his family's wealth and power, despite his sub-average intelligence (as referenced at the end of "The Garden Party", where his grandfather says, "In 30 years, that boy will be President of the United States... and he'll still be a fucking idiot!") as well as his poor military record, revealing in the same episode that he was refused from being taken on patrol after compromising the unit's position by habitually defecating in his pants out of fear. Ed's bling includes a large medallion in the shape of the letter W. Ed III and his friend, Gin Rummy, get away with their misguided and comically inept criminal antics because Ed Wuncler I has the police and everyone else in the city on his payroll, and because his status as a member of the U. S. Armed Forces confers the public image of a hero no matter how immoral his actions may be, while Gin Rummy often argues that their escapes are the result of his being a master planner. For example, the pair go unpunished when staging a poorly executed bank robbery; Ed is seen as a hero when they rob a convenience store owned by a person of "terrorist descent"; in attempting to kidnap Oprah Winfrey, they mistakenly abduct Maya Angelou, then Bill Cosby instead. Ed's signature line is "What the fuck y'all looking at?"
  • Gin Rummy (voiced by Samuel L. Jackson): a former soldier and Ed Wuncler III's best friend. The character is apparently intended as a parody of Donald Rumsfeld by similarities in name, appearance, and use of actual quotes. His last name, "Rummy," matches the nickname given to Rumsfeld that was often spoken by President George W. Bush. Even though he is shown to be more intelligent than his best friend (albeit marginally), he shares the same homicidal tendencies. His name is also a reference to the card game, Gin rummy. He repeatedly tries to justify his poor criminal planning by asserting that "the absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence" (parodying the claims of Bush and Rumsfeld regarding Saddam Hussein's supposed weapons of mass destruction in Iraq,) or by insisting that he could not plan for "unknown unknowns". Gin Rummy considers himself a patriot and will do whatever it takes to bring the "Fugitives of Justice" their due. He first appears in the episode "A Date With The Health Inspector". His style of speaking often parodies Samuel L. Jackson's character Jules from Pulp Fiction. In many episodes Rummy drives a black Cadillac Escalade.

[edit] Recurring characters

  • Gangstalicious (voiced by Mos Def): One of Riley's favorite rappers, featured in "The Story of Gangstalicious" and "The Story of Gangstalicious Part 2", is responsible for the hit single "Thuggin' Love" heard in the show, as well as "Homies Over Hoes". Inspired as a child by Ice Cube, he acted "like a killer" so people would like him. This behavior carried over into his adult life, and he's been living a lie ever since. He is a closet homosexual and goes to great lengths to keep this secret from the public. He was formerly involved in a secret homosexual affair with a gangster named Lincoln who attempts to kill Gangstalicious for betraying their love while on tour. Also, earlier at one point he assaulted someone, and rapped about it on TRL only to be arrested later. He was also involved in a relationship with a hip-hop video vixen named Jessica Ethelberg, who later wrote a book revealing he was gay (even if there were several obvious clues towards his sexuality). His real name is Frederick and he is a parody of Tupac Shakur, in his violent rivalry with another rapper and sensitive side. In all other aspects, he is a parody of rapper 50 Cent, in his inclusion of a bulletproof vest in his clothing line, not to mention being shot ("I got shot!")[citation needed]
  • Thugnificent (voiced by Carl Jones): A famous rapper hailing from the fictional town of Terra-Belle, Georgia who moves into the neighborhood. He is the artist of the background song "Booty, Buttcheeks", and Riley's most recent idol. He is loud-mouthed, sports a Mickey Mouse-styled afro, and has a narcissistic attitude, which is shown in his home with the numerous statues of him reminiscent of Ancient Greek gods, and a painting of himself above Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G.. Soon after moving into the neighborhood he begins a rivalry with Robert and later initiates Riley into his gang, the "Lethal Interjection Crew," consisting of himself and fellow rappers Macktastic and Flonominal. Despite his less-than-attractive traits, he does attempt to be a good neighbor by asking for permission to throw his loud parties and encouraging face-to-face communication within the neighborhood.
  • Macktastic (voiced by Snoop Dogg): A rapper, and member of Thugnificent's Lethal Interjection crew. Despite his stereotypical gangsta attitude, he is shown to be quite articulate in his speech at times (slightly similar to his voice actor), and is a man of few words.
  • Flonominal (voiced by Busta Rhymes): A rapper, and member of Thugnificent's Lethal Interjection crew. His vocabulary seems to be quite limited, and uses hip-hop slang frequently at the end of, even in between his sentences, and if he can't think of anything else to say such as "Word!" and "Nah mean?". Although he puts on a hard-man, gangsta facade and is as loud as Thugnificent at times, he is shown to be soft and sensitive, as seen as when his mother called him and scolded him about the controversy caused the Lethal Interjection label and the constant attacks on the elderly by Thugnificent's rivalry with Robert Freeman (Granddad), and when Butch Magnus Milosevic hit him on the leg with a baseball bat, after demanding Riley's chain back.
  • A Pimp Named Slickback (voiced by comedian Katt Williams): Cristal's pimp, who gets easily irritated when someone calls him "Slickback" for short, demanding to be addressed by his complete self-professed name: "It's like 'A Tribe Called Quest' — you say the whole thing." He made a cameo appearance in "Return of the King" but had no speaking lines. He appears in the season 2 episode "Tom, Sarah and Usher", in the episode where Tom believes Sarah is having an affair with singer Usher, attempting to teach Tom to gain the respect of his wife through violence and intimidation. The character is modeled after voice actor Katt Williams' character of "Money Mike". He also drove a matching purple BMW in his first appearance. He also appears in the "Gangstalicious Part 2" episode where he is brought in by Granddad to talk to Riley about sex and dissuade him from homosexuality.
  • Colonel H. Stinkmeaner (voiced by Cedric Yarbrough): A blind old black man who fights Granddad Freeman. As Huey states, Stinkmeaner has acted like an ornery old man for his entire life. Huey mistakes Stinkmeaner for a blind swordsman (specifically the zatoichi) and has Grandpa train to fight Stinkmeaner. During the second fight, Huey realizes Stinkmeaner does not actually have sensitive hearing, but fails to stop the fight before Granddad kills him; Granddad only escapes prosecution for the death because Tom and Huey had the fight legally sanctioned at the last minute. Stinkmeaner comes back in the episode "Stinkmeaner Strikes Back", being sent to Earth by the Devil to spread ignorance and chaos among black people, having perfected martial arts in his time in hell. He possesses Tom Dubois and attempts to take revenge upon Robert Freeman. Both Stinkmeaner and Tom are voiced by Cedric Yarbrough.
  • Rev. Rollo Goodlove (voiced by Cee-Lo): An African-American left-wing activist whose activism seems more to get him media exposure than to show his opinion on the issue. He originally appeared in the censored Boondocks episode "The Hunger Strike", as a supporter of Huey's hunger strike against BET, but has betrayed him in the end in exchange for an up-and-coming sitcom called "My Dad Rollo". He also tried to help the Freemans receive compensation for the "slur" Mr. Petto voiced out to Riley. He then turned it into a political debate between himself and Ann Coulter (which was carefully orchestrated) giving him more media exposure. His protest was overshadowed (forcefully with rifles) by elderly women protested for the right to own guns. Granddad was certain he will receive lots of money for the incident. His character is loosely based on Rev. Al Sharpton
  • Cindy McPhearson (voiced by Tara Strong): A girl who originally appeared as recurring character in the comic strip. In the strip, Cindy is a girl in Huey's class who is oblivious to racial issues. She enjoys rap music, especially Snoop Dogg. In the TV series, she appears as an extremely talented junior basketball player for her team, is well-versed (yet overblown) in AAVE, and is just as cocky as Riley. Riley soon resorts to insulting her mother and the problems related to her in Cindy's life to put her off her game, which leads to her crying and running off the court. Appears in the episode "Ballin'" and "The Story of Gangstalicious Part 2", in Season 2.
  • Mr. Petto (voiced by Fred Willard): A teacher who originally appeared as recurring character in The Boondocks comic strip. In the series, he is Riley's teacher. In the strip, however, he is Huey's teacher. He caused a lot of controversy when he called Riley a "nigga", with Riley and Grandad threatening to sue over the incident. He claimed to be confused as to how offensive it could be taken, given Riley's constant use of the word, and the hip-hop songs apparently advocating its usage. The incident eventually grew into a political debate, from left-wing and right-wing proponents. Throughout, he seemed regretful and apologetic for using it, admitting his own confusion over the word. Appears in "The S-Word".
  • Sway (voiced by himself): The MTV News reporter who first appears in "The Story of Gangstalicious" narrating the documentary "Gangstalicious: Resurrection" and then the breaking news. He later appears in "The Story of Thugnificent" narrating the documentary "Thugnificent: Rags to Bitches."
  • Xzibit (voiced by himself): He pimps the Freeman car Dorothy as a result of one of Riley's scams, and makes a short appearance in the second season when Granddad asks him to assist with a diss rap.

[edit] One-time characters

  • R. Kelly's Lawyer (voiced by Adam West): The lawyer of R. Kelly who appears in "The Trial of R. Kelly" who takes advantage of the jury by playing the 'race card' every chance he gets and comes up with many excuses to let Robert Kelly off the hook (e.g. saying that Tom's marriage to a white woman and all of the evidence of Kelly's crime are racism).
  • Cristal: A "ho" (stripper / prostitute) who charms Robert Freeman into a brief relationship for chiefly financial reasons. Cristal aspires for more than life as a prostitute but can't handle schooling and has no desire to do real work. She leaves Robert when her pimp (A Pimp Named Slickback) shows up at the Freeman residence searching for her, exposing her true occupation much to Granddad's disappointment.
  • Eat Dirt: Gangstalicious' rap rival in "The Story of Gangstalicious". In a parody of the violence that broke out at the 2000 Source Awards and the 2004 VIBE Awards, Eat Dirt is hit by a metal folding chair at an awards show, which incites a brawl. He also accidentally shot himself in a club while fighting with Gangstalicious. His speech is completely unintelligible, and a member of his crew (Mudpie) often has to translate. He could be seen as a parody of Ol' Dirty Bastard from The "Wu-Tang Clan".
  • The White Shadow (voiced by John C. McGinley): The secret agent sent to spy on Huey. He may or may not be a figment of Huey's overactive imagination. The White Shadow appears in the episode, "The Real". The White Shadow's appearance may be a reference to Neil Gaiman's character The Corinthian from Sandman.
  • Mr. Uberwitz (voiced by Judge Reinhold): Huey's history teacher. He convinces Huey to direct the elementary school's Christmas play, but is foolish enough to sign a contract allowing Huey to do anything to achieve his vision (even after Huey states that Mr. Uberwitz will "be fired for being an irresponsible white person"). Despite his radical vision, Mr. Uberwitz appears to be one of only two adults who support Huey (Quincy Jones being the other). Appears in "A Huey Freeman Christmas".
  • Martin Luther King, Jr. (voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson): The late civil rights activist. Huey dreams of a world where King was only put into a coma and woke up many years later. His "controversial" opinions (such as turning the other cheek) took him from beloved national hero to despised terrorist supporter. He and Huey try to revive the Civil Rights Movement but becomes so disgusted with the "niggers" (as he refers to them) of today that he expresses how he feels about black pop culture causing the "niggers" to become angry with their situation. Refusing to stoop to their level, he leaves for Canada where he dies in 2020 at the age of 91, the same year Oprah is elected President. He appears in the controversial episode "Return of the King".
  • Cairo: Huey Freeman's former best friend. He and Huey ended up fighting each other during Mo's funeral. Huey apologizes by offering him a conciliatory fruit basket, but Cairo only responds with a headbutt to the face, closing his door on Huey without another word.
  • Dewey: Cairo's new best friend. A sanctimonious afrocentric youth and fake Muslim (Full name: Dewey Ababaoo Mamasee Mamasay Mamakusa Jenkins) who believes that no one can be a part of the black struggle without following some mainstream guidelines, such as writing black poetry, which in his estimation must follow rigid rhyming structure (often exaggerated to ludicrous effect). He also seems to believe that a headwrap, sandals, and capri pants are necessary to be "down with the struggle". He looks somewhat like Erykah Badu.
  • Mo "Guns" Jackson (voiced by comedian Mike Epps): Robert Freeman's former friend. He dies during the television show run; an episode focuses on the destruction of the friendship between Mo and Robert Freeman. Despite the fact that Robert spent his eulogy saying how much they all hated Mo, he finally got one last laugh on him in death by leaving him a jar of peanuts in his will (The joke being in the phrase "Deez Nutz!").
  • Aunt Cookie (voiced by Niecy Nash): Great aunt of Huey and Riley, and sister of Robert (whom she usually calls "dumbass"). She seems to care for the boys more than Robert does. She appears in the episode "Wingmen" , she is also mentioned in the episode "Shinin'".
  • Chico: A Mexican who is a cook at Granddad's restaurant in "The Itis" . His real name is unknown but he is referred to as "Chico" by Ed Wuncler because he's a Mexican. He has taken classes in African-American history and CPR while in a community college. Incidentally, series creator Aaron McGruder has a college degree in African-American studies.
  • The Art Teacher (voiced by Rob Paulsen): An art teacher who is clearly a parody of painter Bob Ross in both appearance and mannerisms. He seems to be happily deranged, and is said to be a veteran of the first Gulf War. He appears in the episode "Riley Wuz Here."
  • Shabazz K. Milton Berle: A black man sentenced to be executed despite the ridiculously large amount of evidence that indicates that he did not commit the crime. Somewhat modeled after Mumia Abu-Jamal. Appears in "The Passion of Reverend Ruckus".
  • Luna (voiced by Aisha Tyler): A woman who Robert Freeman invited over to Freeman household over the weekend after contacting her on MySpace, who to Freemans' anxiety turns out to be deranged, as well as trained in the deadly kung-fu style of "White Lotus". When Robert tricks her into leaving, lying to her that he is invited to Fidel Castro's birthday, she learns from her friend, Nicole over the Bluetooth earpiece that it was a lie. After spying on Robert, she hears him call her a "crazy bitch", making her upset and very angry. She then breaks into the house and locks Huey and Riley in their room, while she knocks Robert out and ties him up on his bed, planning to kill him with a gun (the same is later done to Tom Dubois). She then reveals she's the victim of several bad (and often abusive) relationships with men, including a father who usually beats her mother. Robert convinces her to free them and take responsibility for her actions. However, more bad advice from her friend leads her to committing suicide in her car by blowing herself up with a grenade. Appears in "Attack of the Killer Kung-Fu Wolf Bitch".
  • Nicole (voiced by Tichina Arnold): Luna's girl-friend who isn't seen but talks over the Bluetooth earpiece Luna wears. From what is known, she also has had bad relationships with men and is single herself. She constantly gives bad and irrational advice to the troubled Luna, which eventually led to her suicide (even though she didn't intentionally tell her to kill herself). Appears in "Attack of the Killer Kung-Fu Wolf Bitch".
  • Butch Magnus Milosevic (voiced by Daryl Sabara): A bully and sociopath who is known for knocking out kids with one punch, thus earning the nickname "One Punch Butch". He also often terrorizes adults, and was excluded from a Catholic school for beating the nun with a pad. Butch is also overweight and seen with a permanent sneer on his face. He steals Riley's chain which he received from Thugnificent, after knocking him out. He fights Riley for the chain in which he wins, then later discards it altogether after taking it to the jeweller and finding out it was worthless, but not before smacking Flownominal on the leg with a baseball bat after he demands the chain back. Appears in "Shinin'".
  • Jericho Freeman (voiced by Cedric The Entertainer): Robert Freeman's second cousin who Robert hasn't spoken to in 30-40 years. He and his very large family travel from their home in New Orleans, Louisiana to Woodcrest after they were displaced by the 2005 Hurricane Katrina disaster. After much pleading, Robert allows him and his clan into his home. However, he and his grandchildren, Huey and Riley, soon find out that nearly all of them (with the exception of one girl) are lazy and unappreciative of their gratitude, although Jericho insists once he receives his FEMA check he will pay him back. However, his and the clan's freeloading habits tests Robert's patience forcing him to make several attempts to get them out of the household to no avail. The mail does eventually come in and he tells them that the FEMA check didn't come as planned. However, he reveals to his son Nique that it was a ruse, showing him a check worth $200,000. He then craftily heaps praise on Granddad's warm heart while subtly getting him repeatedly to refuse to make them pay, just in case he were ever to find out the truth, and leaves off with his family to New Orleans. Appears in "Invasion of the Katrinians".
  • Catcher Freeman/Tobias (voiced by Donald Faison): Robert's great great great great grandfather, and Huey and Riley's great great great great great great grandfather, his story has been somewhat muddled in history. Robert thought that Catcher Freeman was a powerful, ninja-like abolitionist who was like "Malcolm X, Nat Turner, and Barack Obama all rolled into one." Uncle Ruckus thought he was in fact a feral, almost dog like slave hunter. Huey's quick research on the internet, however, revealed the truth. Catcher Freeman was actually Tobias, a house slave, and the illegitimate son of Confederate Colonel George Stenchwater. He was hoping to be able to buy his way to freedom by showing the colonel his creation, the world's first screenplay. The Colonel in fact was impressed by the script, and was willing to buy the script in exchange for Tobias' freedom. However, right at that second, the other slaves lead a revolt against the Colonel, led by the woman Tobias loved, Thelma. In the struggle, Thelma and Col. Stenchwater are locked in a hand-to-hand, and Tobias sees the Colonel's discarded rifle. He tries firing at Thelma, so he can guarantee his freedom, but in fact misses and hits the Colonel. Tobias then decides to "join the winning team" with the revolting slaves, and leaves to Canada with Thelma, changing his name to Catcher Freeman. Both Robert and Ruckus refuse to believe the true story. Appears in "The Story of Catcher Freeman".