This is a list of characters in the Tom and Jerry cartoon short series. Most of these characters did not appear in all of the movies.
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Thomas "Tom" Cat is a blue/grey anthropomorphic cat who first appeared in the 1940 animated short Puss Gets the Boot(in which he serves as the secondary character and antagonist/villain).[1] Tom was originally known as "Jasper" during his debut in that short,[2] however, beginning from his next appearance in The Midnight Snack and onwards, he is known as "Tom".[3]
Jerry Mouse is a brown anthropomorphic mouse, who first appeared as an unnamed mouse in the 1940 MGM animated short Puss Gets the Boot (in which he serves as the primary character/protagonist).[4] Years later, William Hanna gave the mouse's original name as "Jinx",[5] while Joseph Barbera claimed the mouse went unnamed in his first appearance.[4]
Spike (occasionally referred to as Butch or Killer) is a stern but occasionally dumb British bulldog who is particularly disapproving of cats, but a softie when it comes to mice (though in his debut episode, 'Dog Trouble,' Spike goes after both Tom and Jerry), and later, his son Tyke. In the shorts Jerry would often try to get Tom in trouble with Spike making him a shoo-in for a beating from the bulldog. Spike has a few weaknesses that Tom tries to capitalize upon: his possessiveness about his bone and his ticklishness. He made his first appearance in the 1942 Tom and Jerry cartoon Dog Trouble, and his first speaking role was in 1944's The Bodyguard, where he was voiced by Billy Bletcher up until 1949, from which point he was voiced by Daws Butler. Unlike his father Spike, Tyke does not speak. He only communicates by yapping, whimpering, growling, facial expressions and wagging his tail. In Tom and Jerry Kids, Tyke does have a speaking role in the programme and is the first time that viewers were able to hear Tyke speak. Spike is very protective towards his son and gets very angry at Tom if Tyke is bothered or harmed. Although Tyke has spoken in Tom and Jerry kids, he has laughed in one episode of Tom and Jerry.
Butch is a black and white alley cat - who made his first appearance in the Tom and Jerry series in the 1943 short, Baby Puss (in which he serves as the secondary villain/main archenemy) alongside Topsy and the already-established Meathead. His character, however (along with the character of Toodles Galore), first appeared in the 1941 MGM short The Alley Cat, directed by Hugh Harman. Butch is the leader of the alley cat bullies who usually help Tom catch Jerry (although a very few times, he does however become enraged when Tom's offense between him and Jerry has gone far enough). In his first appearance, however, Butch was an antagonist, tormenting Tom after Tom's young girl owner treated him like a baby—to the point of dressing Tom up in a diaper, a bonnet, and pink paw mittens. Thus costumed, Tom couldn't help but be a figure of fun—both for Butch and his gang, and for Jerry. Butch also battles with Tom over Toodles Galore and her affections in a couple of shorts including the 1946 short, Springtime for Thomas and the 1951 short Casanova Cat.
Toodles Galore is an attractive white female cat, and is supposedly Tom's usual love interest, although Tom is a reputed playboy, and had other love interests before and after Toodles. Toodles is the only love interest who appeared more than twice, and is probably the most favored. During the classic era, Tom had to compete twice against Butch and even once against Spike/Killer for Toodles' affection, and he lost them all. In one episode (Casanova Cat), Toodles fell in love with Jerry. However, in her final episode, she remained with Tom. Toodles is one of the most anthropomorphic animals in the series, with the only cat features being her tail, nose and ears.
From the beginning, Tom also has to deal with Mammy Two Shoes (voiced by Lillian Randolph), an African-American domestic housemaid based on Hattie McDaniel. In the earliest shorts, Mammy is depicted as the maid taking care of the often opulent home in which Tom and Jerry reside. Later Tom and Jerry shorts are set in what appears to be Mammy's own house. Her face is never seen (with the exception of 1950s Saturday Evening Puss, in which her face is very briefly seen as she runs towards the camera), and she usually wallops the cat with a broom when he misbehaves. When Mammy was not present, other humans would sometimes be seen, usually from the neck down as well. Mammy would appear in many cartoons until 1952's Push-Button Kitty; Mammy's character was retired after that year following McDaniel's death. Later cartoons would instead show Tom and Jerry living with a 1950s suburban couple. Soon after, virtually all humans in the series had visible faces.
Tuffy is a mouse who is close to Jerry and appears frequently with him, especially in the comics. He is sometimes seen as Jerry's nephew, but occasionally referred to as an orphan. In many cartoons, Tuffy is seen eating a lot (he's always hungry). In his first animated appearance, he was left on Jerry's doorstep, abandoned by his parents. Tom enjoys chasing Tuffy much as he does with Jerry.
Though Tuffy was created under that name for the comics in 1942, his early animated appearances (from 1945) gave him the alternate name Nibbles. From the 1950s, the mouse was called Tuffy on-screen as well. Oddly, in the more recent Tom and Jerry: The Magic Ring, the name Nibbles was used again — and the character was depicted as a pet-store mouse whom Jerry doesn't know.
In Mouseketeer shorts, Tuffy speaks in French and English. He also isn't Jerry's nephew; rather, he is the son of Francois Mouse—who doesn't make an appearance, but his name was given in two letters in the short Touche, Pussy Cat!
Another recurring character in the series was Little Quacker the duckling, who was later adapted into the Hanna-Barbera character Yakky Doodle. He appears in Little Quacker, The Duck Doctor, Just Ducky, Downhearted Duckling, Southbound Duckling, That's My Mommy, Happy Go Ducky and The Vanishing Duck. Quacker talks a lot compared to Tom and Jerry. In many episodes, he is the only one who speaks. He's very trusting, even trusting Tom in many situations in which Tom wishes to eat him. He's a friend of Jerry, but unlike Jerry harbors no hard feelings towards Tom.
Cuckoo is a canary that first appeared in "Kitty Foiled", He has made many appearances in "The Flying Cat", "Life With Tom" too. He is Jerry's good friend.
Lightning is an orange-red cat - who first appeared in the 1948 short, Old Rockin' Chair Tom, as Tom's rival. Lightning is named as such because in his first short, he practically moved at the speed of lightning. In later cartoons, Lightning often appeared as one of Tom's alley cat buddies/rivals. He also appears in Switchin' Kitten. Fans have occasionally confused Lightning with Meathead, though the two are not the same and have appeared side-by-side in two cartoons.
Topsy is a small gray/brown cat. He is either a friend of Tom's or befriends Jerry. He first appeared in Baby Puss (in which he serves as the secondary arch-enemy/one of the recurring villains); his final golden age appearance was in Scat Cats. He also appears in Tom and Jerry Tales with a more yellowish color than before.
In Professor Tom Topsy is explicitly a house cat; more often (as in Smarty Cat and elsewhere), he is depicted as an alley cat or a cat of unknown origin.
This brown, mangy, generally dull-witted cat first appeared in the 1943 short, Sufferin' Cats!, as Tom's rival. Meathead later reappeared in Baby Puss(in which he serves as the thirshonary & minor archenemy/a recurring villain) and additional shorts as one of Tom's alley cat buddies/foes. Fans have occasionally confused Meathead with Lightning, though the two are not the same and have appeared side-by-side in two cartoons.
George and Joan are an average middle class white couple, who first debuted on the 1954 episode Pet Peeve. They are the new owners of Tom and Spike, but Tom likes to keep Joan company and Spike likes to keep George company. Joan is George's wife and is often seen either cooking in the kitchen, or sitting on her armchair knitting or sewing a dress with Tom keeping her company. George on the other hand is Joan's husband, he hates the monthly bills and complains that they're too expensive. But when he's not complaining about the bills, he is sitting on his armchair or on the sofa reading the newspaper wearing his smart purple or grey suit and Spike keeping him company. Both George and Joan are very kind and polite towards each other and Tom and Spike. In Pet Peeve, George and Joan decided that they keep Jerry as a pet because he is easy to look after and doesn't eat too much and tell Tom and Spike to leave. However, in later episodes with George and Joan, Tom and Spike still happily live with them and Jerry is not known by the couple and he is not a pet anymore.
Jeannie is an average teenager who spends much of her time talking on the phone to school friends about their dates and her own activities. Jeannie is the babysitter of George and Joan's baby, and they often call on her to look after the baby if they're going out. Jeannie proceeds to leap straight onto the phone just as George and Joan shut the front door, which tells us that she is very negligent about her job. Despite this, Jeannie is very kind, friendly, cheerful and rarely loses a smile—except to scold Tom for "bothering the baby," which she thinks he is doing on purpose to annoy her. Jeannie was seen in only two cartoons, Busy Buddies and Tot Watchers. and she never watches the baby
Cousin George is Tom's cousin seen on the 1957 short Timid Tabby (voiced by Bill Thompson). George looks identical to Tom, but he is terrified of mice.
Cousin Muscles is Jerry's cousin and was only seen in the episode Jerry's Cousin, voiced by Paul Frees. He is same height as Jerry, but he speaks with a tough stance and his strength can easily knock down a fully grown man. Cousin Muscles was called to Jerry because Jerry was having problems with Tom. When Muscles sees Tom, he grabs him and says Spike's famous "Listen pussy cat!" catchphrase, but in a tougher tone. Muscles also appeared in Tom and Jerry: The Magic Ring, but his name is Freddie and he's hostile to Jerry and Nibbles, harassing them when they're locked inside his cage inside a pet store.
The following characters were introduced in Tom and Jerry: The Movie.
Robyn is an "orphan" girl who Tom and Jerry met under an old bridge. She is not happy and wants to live with her father, who she thinks is dead. She lives with her guardian named Pristine Figg. In the end, she learns that her father is alive and runs away with Tom and Jerry to find him. Voiced by Andi McAffee.
Aunt Figg is the main antagonist of the movie. She is a fat lady and Robyn's guardian, but who is only doing it for the money. She acts as Robyn's aunt, but she takes over the house and forces Robyn to sleep in an attic, giving her room to her pampered dog, Ferdinand. She receives a telegram which informs her that Robyn's father is alive, and she does her best to make sure Robyn never finds out, but is ultimately foiled by Tom and Jerry. She is last seen trapped aboard an out-of-control speedboat, and her final fate is unknown. Voiced by Charlotte Rae.
Lickboot is Figg's lawyer and a secondary antagonist of the film. He is just as sleazy as Figg, if not more, and is only after money. He is last seen trapped with Figg aboard an out-of-control steamboat and his final fate is not shown. Voiced by the late Tony Jay.
Puggsy is a homeless street-dog that Tom and Jerry meet. Using his knowledge from his friendship with Frankie DaFlea, a flea, Puggsy persuades Tom and Jerry to put their animosity behind them and become friends, which they accomplish albeit with some difficulty. Tom and Jerry later break him out of Dr. Applecheek's abusive pound and he is last seen reading a newspaper article about Tom and Jerry helping Robyn find her father, proud of the pair for finding friendship. Voiced by the late Ed Gilbert.
Frankie is a green flea and Puggsy's best friend. He too teaches Tom and Jerry to become friends. Voiced by David Lander.
Mr. Starling, credited and referred to often as "Daddy Starling", is Robyn's father who leaves his daughter in Pristine Figg's care while he goes on an expedition. He is presumed killed in an avalanche, but when news reaches Robyn's ears that he is alive, she sets off with Tom and Jerry to find him. He appears in the film's final scene to rescue Robyn, Tom and Jerry from their burning cabin, and later takes Tom and Jerry in as gratitude for helping his daughter. Voiced by the late Ed Gilbert.
Dr. Applecheek is a so-called "sweet" man who adores many pets and has contributed to many animal rights. However, he is in reality a cruel, heartless man who secretly specialises in abducting pets (with help from his thugs disguised as straycatchers) and imprisoning them and holding them ransom for their owners to pay him large sums of money. However, his schemes finally backfire when Pristine Figg brings him Tom and Jerry and they lead an escape. Applecheek loses most of his money as a result of the damage and seeks to regain his fortune by finding Robyn first and earning the one million dollar bounty (which he does not know is fake). In the ensuing chase, he steals an ice cream moped but falls off a damaged bridge and lands directly on Captain Kiddie in the river, ending up trapped in the ice cream box and stranded in the river. Voiced by the late Henry Gibson.
Ferdinand is Aunt Figg's dog who is always in his skateboard as they go in places. He is a minor antagonist in the film. Voiced by Michael Bell.
Captain Kiddie is the owner of a small amusement park near a river. Although he boasts about a successful career, it is hinted several times that he is rather unpopular and his performances have ended in failure. He finds Robyn stranded on a beach and takes her in, but betrays her to Pristine Figg upon discovering a one million dollar bounty on her head. Although he is not entirely malevolent, since he genuinely believed Figg loved Robyn, he can be considered a minor antagonist. Voiced by Rip Taylor.
Squawk is Kiddie's talking glove puppet and "first mate". He frequently makes smart remarks about Captain Kiddie's failing career and small amusement park. Voiced by Howard Morris.
The following characters were introduced in the television series Tom & Jerry Kids.
Main article: Droopy'
A Basset Hound often with a miserable look on his face, originally introduced in the Tex Avery shorts of the 1940s. Appears in the Droopy and Dripple segments of Tom and Jerry Kids.
The son of Droopy. He is very intelligent and seductive with many women. He is always with his father and they always do the same (although sometimes Dripple thinks “better” than his father). The identity of his mother is never mentioned or even addressed, although, due to Droopy's frequent relationships with Miss Vavoom, it can be assumed that his mother is either dead or is divorced from Droopy with no visitation rights. He is voiced by Charlie Adler.
The villain of the "Droopy and Dripple" segments. A bad and cruel wolf whose only mission is to ruin the life of Droopy and Dripple (and sometimes to remain with Miss Vavoom). Sometimes for of crazy scientist whom it loves to dominate the world, of space villain, a criminal fat person (known as "The Chubby Man"), etc. His character is based on the wolf in Red Hot Riding Hood. He is voiced by Frank Welker.
The contiguous woman of the show. She is very seductive and she always takes different hairdos. She always is conquered by Droopy and most of times is the greater target of McWolf. Sometimes she is called Bubbles Vavoom, Ultra Vavoom, Sugar Vavoom, etc. Her character is based on Red Hot Riding Hood and Jessica Rabbit. She is voiced by Teresa Ganzel.
A gold cat owner of a show of demonstration and participation. He is arrogant (sometimes), has a rancher accent, and is sometimes presented as an enemy to Thomas Cat. He is voiced by Phil Hartman.
Urfo is a six-legged alien dog that arrives on Earth many times and helps Jerry fend off Tom. His owners often send people to retrieve him.
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