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%% ZeroContextExample entries are not allowed on wiki pages. All such entries have been commented out. Add context to the entries before uncommenting them.

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%% ZeroContextExample Administrivia/ZeroContextExample entries are not allowed on wiki pages. All such entries have been commented out. Add context to the entries before uncommenting them.



* ParanoiaFuel: {{in-universe}} Number Six completely overloads him with it.

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* ParanoiaFuel: {{in-universe}} InUniverse. Number Six completely overloads him with it.
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Has nothing to do with familiarity with in-universe fiction.


* ChronicHeroSyndrome: Both a weakness and a strength; many No. 2s don't see past their own point of view of looking out for oneself, but the ones that are GenreSavvy enough to realise this trait are often the most dangerous to The Prisoner.

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* ChronicHeroSyndrome: Both a weakness and a strength; many No. 2s don't see past their own point of view of looking out for oneself, but the ones that are GenreSavvy enough to realise this trait are often the most dangerous to The Prisoner.

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No recurring character in ''The Prisoner'' has [[NoNameGiven a name]].

to:

No recurring character in ''The Prisoner'' has [[NoNameGiven a name]].name]], not even Number Six.



The oldest No.2, who seems to have been with the Village the longest; we actually witness his official "retirement" in "It's Your Funeral". Claims that all the other Number Twos were actually interim replacements for him, although that could just be what his superiors told him -- they're not above lying to a No.2, and (as he realizes, much to his horror) they're not the sort of people who fritter money away on things like pensions for retirees who just won't die. One of the only Number Twos other than [=McKern=] to receive a sympathetic portrayal.

to:

The oldest No.2, who seems to have been with the Village the longest; we actually witness his official "retirement" in "It's Your Funeral". Claims that all the other Number Twos were actually interim replacements for him, although that could just be what his superiors told him -- they're not above lying to a No. 2, and (as he realizes, much to his horror) they're not the sort of people who fritter money away on things like pensions for retirees who just won't die. One of the only Number Twos other than [=McKern=] to receive a sympathetic portrayal.



* TheSmurfettePrinciple: Not the only female Number Two, but the only one with a starring, front-and-center role.

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* TheSmurfettePrinciple: Not the only female Number Two, but the only one with a starring, (obvious) front-and-center role.



* HeelFaceTurn: [[spoiler:He ends up allying with Number Six.]]

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* HeelFaceTurn: [[spoiler:He ends up allying with Number Six. Maybe.]]



* RedHerring: Widely speculated to be Number One; likely realizing this would happen, [=McGoohan=] lampshades this in the finale by [[spoiler: including a brief moment in which it appears that the Butler is indeed Number One until we see he's simply directing Number 6 to his leader.]]



* NoNameGiven: Only once in the series is Rover ever referred to by name (ironically enough, by the Prisoner himself). When the Prisoner first asks what it actually is, No.2's typically obfuscatory response is "That would be telling."

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* NoNameGiven: NoNameGiven:
**
Only once in the series is Rover ever referred to by name (ironically enough, by the Prisoner himself). When the Prisoner first asks what it actually is, No.2's typically obfuscatory response is "That would be telling."



** The original spin-off novels, however, refer to Rover as the Guardian.




to:

* RealLifeWritesThePlot: Production legend has it the final design of Rover came about after the original robotic design proved a failure and [=McGoohan=] looked to the sky for inspiration and saw a weather balloon.



An odd, menacing character who shows up in the western-themed episode, ''Living in Harmony''.

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An odd, menacing character who shows up in the western-themed episode, ''Living in Harmony''.
Harmony''. As noted above, played by the same actor who later plays Number 48 in "Fall Out" and a photographer in "The Girl Who Was Death".

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* ChickMagnet: Although he rarely reciprocates (in part because of his circumstances, in part because of [=McGoohan=]'s own no-romance policy for the character), numerous female characters in the show are shown to be drawn to Number 6, with at least one (the Observer in "Dance of the Dead") unambiguously falling for him.



* NoodleIncident:
** The entire series is built around one: what made him decide to resign?
** Number 2 makes Number 6 relive moments of his life in "Once Upon a Time". Apparently at some point he was either involved in or caused a motor vehicle accident that resulted in loss of life.



* MrExposition: Certainly one of the more memorable examples of this trope.

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* MrExposition: Certainly one of the more memorable examples of this trope. Justified given that he's the very first Number 2 encountered in the very first episode, and therefore it falls upon him to explain the Village to Number Six, and to the viewer.



* FriendlyEnemy: Appears to become this over time, [[spoiler: ultimately becoming an ally in the eventual escape]], at one point saying outright that he likes Number Six. However, this is [[spoiler: subverted in the "Shattered Visage" graphic novel sequel which has this Number Two become an enemy again]].



* RealLifeWritesThePlot: The shave and haircut that they give him prior to [[spoiler:his resurrection]]. It was added in because [=McKern=] had gotten a trim prior to being called back for another episode.

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* RealLifeWritesThePlot: The shave and haircut that they give him prior to [[spoiler:his resurrection]]. It was added in because [=McKern=] had gotten a trim prior to being called back for another episode.episode - that's because some eight months passed between the filming of "Once Upon a Time" and "Fall Out".



Hosts a sham "election" in the Village in "Free For All", in which he convinces Number Six to actually run for the "office" of Number Two -- and brainwashes him repeatedly into acting like a slick electoral candidate, much to the disgust of Number Six. Also provides No.6 with a chauffeur/assistant called Number 58, who (despite her apparent lack of English skills) is a fairly obvious [[TheMole Mole]].

to:

Hosts a sham "election" in the Village in "Free For All", in which he convinces Number Six to actually run for the "office" of Number Two -- and brainwashes him repeatedly into acting like a slick electoral candidate, much to the disgust of Number Six. Also provides No.6 with a chauffeur/assistant called Number 58, who (despite her apparent lack of English skills) is a [[spoiler: fairly obvious [[TheMole Mole]].
Mole]]]].



From "Hammer Into Anvil." A particularly ruthless Village official, who has no trouble committing psychological torture or ''physically'' threatening recalcitrant Villagers -- he obviously feels irritated by the standing order that Number Six must not be "damaged".

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From "Hammer Into Anvil." A particularly ruthless Village official, who has no trouble committing psychological torture or ''physically'' threatening recalcitrant Villagers -- he obviously feels irritated by the standing order that Number Six must not be "damaged".
"damaged". He is the only Number Two who could be categorized as stereotypically "evil."



* FatBastard: Rivals, if not exceeds, Leo [=McKern=] as the most physically imposing No.2.

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* FatBastard: Rivals, if not exceeds, Leo [=McKern=] as the most physically imposing No. 2.



* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: If the common preferred viewing order is observed and "A, B, and C" is watched before "The General", then this Number Two begins as an arrogant SmugSnake, only to become a jumpy, nervous wreck in his second episode, presumably because he is being given a second chance while knowing the price of another failure.

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* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: AlternativeCharacterInterpretation:
**
If the common preferred viewing order is observed and "A, B, and C" is watched before "The General", then this Number Two begins as an arrogant SmugSnake, only to become a jumpy, nervous wreck in his second episode, presumably because he is being given a second chance while knowing the price of another failure.failure.
** There is also longstanding debate over whether Gordon is meant to be playing two ''different'' individuals in the two episodes (given the appearance of twins or clones in "Arrival"). This speculation persists despite the fact that Gordon is the only incumbent to not say the phrase "I am the ''new'' Number Two" in the opening dialogue.
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* LimitedWardrobe: Pretty much always wears the distinctive black-with-a-little-white suit, which resembles a modified school uniform. Occasionally he'll swap out the suit jacket for [[PaletteSwap one with the colors inverted]], or if he's particularly lucky, his "old suit" (which he was wearing before being abducted to the Village), which is basically just a different, much more normal version of the same suit with a conventional sport jacket (or rather, the suit that he got upon arriving in the Village is a quirkier version of the suit they found him in).

to:

* LimitedWardrobe: Pretty much always wears the distinctive black-with-a-little-white suit, which resembles a modified school uniform. same iconic black blazer with white piping, khakis, and white loafers. Occasionally he'll swap out the suit jacket blazer for [[PaletteSwap one with the colors inverted]], or if he's particularly lucky, his "old suit" (which the all black suit he was wearing before being abducted to the Village), which is basically just a different, much more normal version of the same suit with a conventional sport jacket (or rather, the suit that he got upon arriving in the Village is a quirkier version of the suit they found him in).Village.
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* BlobMonster: They didn't really have the effects for it, but it's implied by how it is summoned; a switch is thrown, a bubble forms at the bottom of the sea and the bubble becomes Rover.
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* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: If the common preferred viewing order is observed and "A, B, and C" is watched before "The General", then this Number Two begins as an arrogant SmugSnake, only to become a jumpy, nervous wreck in his second episode, presumably because he is being given a second chance while knowing the price of another failure.
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::'''Number Six''', '''The Prisoner'''

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::'''Number !'''Number Six''', '''The Prisoner'''



'''''The Number Twos'''''

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! '''''The Number Twos'''''



::'''Guy Doleman'''

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::'''Guy !!'''Guy Doleman'''



::'''George Baker'''

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::'''George !!'''George Baker'''



::'''Leo [=McKern=]'''

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::'''Leo !!'''Leo [=McKern=]'''



::'''Eric Portman'''

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::'''Eric !!'''Eric Portman'''



::'''Patrick Cargill'''

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::'''Patrick !!'''Patrick Cargill'''



::'''John Sharp'''

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::'''John !!'''John Sharp'''



::'''Colin Gordon'''

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::'''Colin !!'''Colin Gordon'''



::'''Andre van Gyseghem'''

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::'''Andre !!'''Andre van Gyseghem'''



::'''Mary Morris'''

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::'''Mary !!'''Mary Morris'''



::'''Number One'''

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::'''Number !'''Number One'''



::'''The Butler'''

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::'''The !'''The Butler'''



::'''The Supervisor'''

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::'''The !'''The Supervisor'''



::'''Rover'''

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::'''Rover'''
!'''Rover'''



::'''Number Forty-Eight'''

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::'''Number !'''Number Forty-Eight'''



::'''The Kid'''

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::'''The !'''The Kid'''



::'''Number Fourteen'''

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::'''Number !'''Number Fourteen'''



%%* TheDragon: To Patrick Cargill's Number Two.

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%%* * TheDragon: To Patrick Cargill's Number Two.
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No TV series becomes a classic without great characters. Patrick [=McGoohan=]'s postmodern masterpiece, ''Series/ThePrisoner'' is no exception.

No recurring character in ''Series/ThePrisoner'' has [[NoNameGiven a name]].

to:

No TV series becomes a classic without great characters. Patrick [=McGoohan=]'s postmodern masterpiece, ''Series/ThePrisoner'' ''Series/{{The Prisoner|1967}}'' is no exception.

No recurring character in ''Series/ThePrisoner'' ''The Prisoner'' has [[NoNameGiven a name]].

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* BackFromTheDead: [[spoiler:He dies in the end of ''Once Upon A Time'', but the Villagers misteriously bring him back in ''Fall Out''.]]

to:

* BackFromTheDead: [[spoiler:He dies in the end of ''Once Upon A Time'', but the Villagers misteriously mysteriously bring him back in ''Fall Out''.]]



* CreepyCrossdresser: As Peter Pan for the carnival.



* VillainousCrossdresser: As Peter Pan for the carnival.

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* VillainousCrossdresser: As Peter Pan for the carnival.



* EnemyWithout: Confirmed (but not how) [[WordOfGod by Patrick McGoohan.]]

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* EnemyWithout: Confirmed (but not how) [[WordOfGod by Patrick McGoohan.]]McGoohan]].



* BattleButler - In ''Once Upon a Time'', when Number Six assaults Number Two at one point, The Butler takes out a small bat (maybe the kind to kill fish with) and knocks out Number Six.

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* BattleButler - BattleButler: In ''Once Upon a Time'', when Number Six assaults Number Two at one point, The Butler takes out a small bat (maybe the kind to kill fish with) and knocks out Number Six.



A fellow prisoner who appears in the series finale. He has an unusual obsession with the song ''Dry Bones''; most of his lines simply consist of lyrics from said song. [[spoiler:Along with the Butler and Leo [=McKern=]'s Number Two, he helps Number Six finally escape the Village]].

* CloudCuckooLander: His dialogue... isn't normal.

to:

A fellow prisoner who appears in the series finale. He has an unusual obsession with the song ''Dry Bones''; most of his lines simply consist of lyrics from said song. [[spoiler:Along with the Butler and Leo [=McKern=]'s Number Two, he helps Number Six finally escape the Village]].

Village.]]

* CloudCuckooLander: {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: His dialogue... isn't normal.



* MindScrew: The fact that [[spoiler:he both looks and dresses like The Kid/Number Eight (who had already died several episodes prior), not to mention that none of the other characters (Number Six included) ask if he's the same person or even bring this similarity up.]] He's just one of the many things that make ''[[GainaxEnding Fall Out]]'' what it is.

to:

* MindScrew: The fact that [[spoiler:he both looks and dresses like The Kid/Number Eight (who had already died several episodes prior), not to mention that none of the other characters (Number Six included) ask if he's the same person or even bring this similarity up.]] up]]. He's just one of the many things that make ''[[GainaxEnding Fall Out]]'' what it is.
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* AffablyEvil: He can be quite affable. In fact, [[spoiler:he makes a HeelFaceTurn after revealing that he too was abducted and brought to the Village against his will.

to:

* AffablyEvil: He can be quite affable. In fact, [[spoiler:he makes a HeelFaceTurn after revealing that he too was abducted and brought to the Village against his will.]]



* RedHerring: [[spoiler: For the ''real'' Number 2 of the episode, Number 58.]]

to:

* RedHerring: [[spoiler: For [[spoiler:For the ''real'' Number 2 of the episode, Number 58.]]



%%* CloudCuckooLander
* EarWorm: Just try not to sing "Dem Bones" after watching "Fallout."
* MindScrew: The fact that [[spoiler:he both looks and dresses like The Kid/Number Eight (who had already died several episodes prior), not to mention that none of the other characters (Number Six included) ask if he's the same person or even bring this similarity up.]] He's just one of the many things that make ''[[GainaxEnding Fallout]]'' what it is.
%%* NiceHat
%%* OneSceneWonder

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%%* CloudCuckooLander
* CloudCuckooLander: His dialogue... isn't normal.
* EarWorm: Just try not to sing "Dem Bones" after watching "Fallout."Fall Out."
* MindScrew: The fact that [[spoiler:he both looks and dresses like The Kid/Number Eight (who had already died several episodes prior), not to mention that none of the other characters (Number Six included) ask if he's the same person or even bring this similarity up.]] He's just one of the many things that make ''[[GainaxEnding Fallout]]'' Fall Out]]'' what it is.
%%* NiceHat
%%* OneSceneWonder
* NiceHat: Wears one.
* OneSceneWonder: Only appears in the finale.
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* AffablyEvil: He can be quite affable.
* BackFromTheDead: [[spoiler:He dies in the end of ''Once Upon A Time'', but they misteriously bring him back in ''Fall Out''.]]

to:

* AffablyEvil: He can be quite affable.
affable. In fact, [[spoiler:he makes a HeelFaceTurn after revealing that he too was abducted and brought to the Village against his will.
* BackFromTheDead: [[spoiler:He dies in the end of ''Once Upon A Time'', but they the Villagers misteriously bring him back in ''Fall Out''.]]



* HeelFaceTurn

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* HeelFaceTurnHeelFaceTurn: [[spoiler:In ''Fall Out''.]]
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* MysteriousPast: We know next to nothing about his life before the Village. Mainly, the fact that he resigned his job, (probably) as a matter of principle.

to:

* MysteriousPast: We know next to nothing about his life before the Village. Mainly, There is the fact that he resigned his job, (probably) as a matter of principle.for reasons unknown (the Village would really, ''really'' to know why).



%%* AffablyEvil
%%* BackFromTheDead

to:

%%* AffablyEvil
%%* BackFromTheDead
* AffablyEvil: He can be quite affable.
* BackFromTheDead: [[spoiler:He dies in the end of ''Once Upon A Time'', but they misteriously bring him back in ''Fall Out''.]]



%%* LargeHam

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%%* LargeHam* LargeHam: Mainly during his VillainousBreakdown.



%%* HeelFaceTurn
%%* HypercompetentSidekick: In the final two episodes.
%%* LittlePeopleAreSurreal
%%* TheVoiceless

to:

%%* HeelFaceTurn
%%*
* HeelFaceTurn: [[spoiler:He ends up allying with Number Six.]]
*
HypercompetentSidekick: In the final two episodes.
%%* LittlePeopleAreSurreal
%%* TheVoiceless
episodes he proves to be a quite badass BattleButler.
* LittlePeopleAreSurreal: Of course the Village has one of them.
* TheVoiceless: He never speaks.
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%%* AuthorAvatar

to:

%%* AuthorAvatar* AuthorAvatar: Of Patrick [=McGoohan=].



* LimitedWardrobe: Pretty much always wears the distinctive black-with-a-little-white suit, which resembles a modified school uniform. Occasionally he'll swap out the suit jacket for [[PaletteSwap one with the colors inverted]], or if he's particularly lucky, his "old suit" (which he was wearing before being abducted to the village), which is basically just a different, much more normal version of the same suit with a conventional sport jacket (or rather, the suit that he got upon arriving in the Village is a quirkier version of the suit they found him in).
* LonersAreFreaks: constantly used against him, but not completely true or untrue.
%%* MysteriousPast

to:

* LimitedWardrobe: Pretty much always wears the distinctive black-with-a-little-white suit, which resembles a modified school uniform. Occasionally he'll swap out the suit jacket for [[PaletteSwap one with the colors inverted]], or if he's particularly lucky, his "old suit" (which he was wearing before being abducted to the village), Village), which is basically just a different, much more normal version of the same suit with a conventional sport jacket (or rather, the suit that he got upon arriving in the Village is a quirkier version of the suit they found him in).
* LonersAreFreaks: constantly Constantly used against him, but not completely true or untrue.
%%* MysteriousPast
(or untrue).
* MysteriousPast: We know next to nothing about his life before the Village. Mainly, the fact that he resigned his job, (probably) as a matter of principle.



* ProperlyParanoid: About ninety percent of the time, though he occasionally lets his guard down in hopes of finding an ally and occasionally The Village plays on his justified paranoia to make it go into unjustified territory.
%%* RebelliousSpirit
%%* SarcasticClapping: Very prone to it.
%%* TheSnarkKnight

to:

* ProperlyParanoid: About ninety percent of the time, though he occasionally lets his guard down in hopes of finding an ally and occasionally The the Village plays on his justified paranoia to make it go into unjustified territory.
%%* RebelliousSpirit
%%*
* RebelliousSpirit: The Village ''will not'' subdue his spirit.
*
SarcasticClapping: Very prone to it.
%%* TheSnarkKnight
it as part of his snarking.
* TheSnarkKnight: He holds himself to his own high standards.
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* TheBrute: His role for the Village's law enforcement.

to:

* TheBrute: His role for It is this, against the Village's law enforcement."criminals" and would-be fugitives.
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----
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%%* TheRival: To Number Six
* StalkerWithACrush

to:

%%* * TheRival: To Number Six
*
Six.
%%*
StalkerWithACrush

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Removed: 1268

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::'''The Butler'''

A silent, obedient little person in a tuxedo. Manservant to Number Two.
* BattleButler - In ''Once Upon a Time'', when Number Six assaults Number Two at one point, The Butler takes out a small bat (I think it's the kind to kill fish with) and knocks out Number Six.
** In the next episode, he gets a ''submachine gun''.
%%* HeelFaceTurn
%%* HypercompetentSidekick: In the final two episodes.
%%* LittlePeopleAreSurreal
%%* TheVoiceless



::'''The Supervisor'''

A bald bespectacled man, also known as Number Fourteen. Head of Village security and direct subordinate of Number Two. Given to delivering his lines in an exaggeratedly cold and emotionless RoboSpeak voice ("'''Orange... alert. Orange... alert.'''"); his actor, Peter Swanwick, had been diagnosed with cancer just before the series began filming, and he deliberately played the role [[LargeHam larger than life]] in order to make an impression.

%%* BaldOfEvil: Really!
%%* FourEyesZeroSoul: One of the most soulless in history.
* NamesTheSame: Has the same number as Number Two's personal assistant in ''Hammer into Anvil''.
* NotSoStoic: The one time his robotic facade breaks is in ''Hammer into Anvil,'' when that episode's Number Two directly accuses him of treason and fires him; he's ''hurt''.

----



* TheDreaded: By each and every Number Two.

to:

* TheDreaded: By each and every Number Two.Two, who are always intimidated by his phone calls.


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::'''The Butler'''

A silent, obedient little person in a tuxedo. Manservant to Number Two.
* BattleButler - In ''Once Upon a Time'', when Number Six assaults Number Two at one point, The Butler takes out a small bat (maybe the kind to kill fish with) and knocks out Number Six.
** In the next episode, he gets a ''submachine gun''.
%%* HeelFaceTurn
%%* HypercompetentSidekick: In the final two episodes.
%%* LittlePeopleAreSurreal
%%* TheVoiceless


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::'''The Supervisor'''

A bald bespectacled man, also known as Number Fourteen. Head of Village security and direct subordinate of Number Two. Given to delivering his lines in an exaggeratedly cold and emotionless RoboSpeak voice ("'''Orange... alert. Orange... alert.'''"); his actor, Peter Swanwick, had been diagnosed with cancer just before the series began filming, and he deliberately played the role [[LargeHam larger than life]] in order to make an impression.

* BaldOfEvil: Really bald and evil.
* FourEyesZeroSoul: One of the most soulless in fictional history.
* NamesTheSame: Has the same number as Number Two's personal assistant in ''Hammer into Anvil''.
* NotSoStoic: The one time his robotic facade breaks is in ''Hammer into Anvil,'' when that episode's Number Two directly accuses him of treason and fires him; he's ''hurt''.

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%%* AntiHero: Type III, though his rough nature is mainly due to never being quite sure who to trust.

to:

%%* * AntiHero: Type III, though his rough nature is mainly due to never being quite sure who to trust.



%%* TheDragon: To Number One.

to:

%%* * TheDragon: To Number One.



* TheHeavy: The direct problem for Number Six and within the village their authority is basically absolute. There may be other superiors elsewhere but we never see them.
%%* JustTheFirstCitizen

to:

* TheHeavy: The direct problem for Number Six Six, and within the village Village their authority is basically absolute. There may be other superiors elsewhere but we never see them.
%%* JustTheFirstCitizen* JustTheFirstCitizen: Well, the second.






%%* BadBoss: To the Number Twos
%%* BigBad
%%* DramaticUnmask: [[spoiler: Two, actually.]]

to:

%%* * BadBoss: To the Number Twos
%%* BigBad
%%*
Twos.
* BigBad: Of the series. Maybe.
*
DramaticUnmask: [[spoiler: Two, actually.[[spoiler:Two, actually. First the mask on an ape, then the face of Number Six.]]



%%* EvilLaugh

to:

%%* EvilLaugh* EvilLaugh: A LaughingMad bad guy.



%%* LaughingMad
%%* MadnessMantra: [[spoiler: I! I! I! I! I! I! I!]]
%%* TheManBehindTheMan

to:

%%* LaughingMad
%%*
* LaughingMad: He laughs madly after finally being confronted by Number Six.
*
MadnessMantra: [[spoiler: I! I! I! I! I! I! I!]]
%%* TheManBehindTheMan* TheManBehindTheMan: The man behind the Village. Maybe.



* MindScrew: [[spoiler: His appearance actually raises more questions than it answers.]]
* RoomFullOfCrazy: [[spoiler: lives in a fully armable nuclear rocket filled with globes of the earth.]]
%%* TheUnreveal

to:

* MindScrew: [[spoiler: His [[spoiler:His appearance actually raises more questions than it answers.]]
* RoomFullOfCrazy: [[spoiler: lives [[spoiler:Lives in a fully armable nuclear rocket filled with globes of the earth.Earth.]]
%%* TheUnreveal* TheUnreveal: We never learn what the hell is going on with him.



%%* TheBrute

to:

%%* TheBrute* TheBrute: His role for the Village's law enforcement.



* NiceJobFixingItVillain: [[spoiler:Kills Number Six's doppleganger (mistaking him for the real [=McCoy=]) in ''The Schizoid Man'', thus allowing Number Six to assume the man's identity and (nearly) escape.]]

to:

* NiceJobFixingItVillain: [[spoiler:Kills Number Six's doppleganger doppelganger (mistaking him for the real [=McCoy=]) in ''The Schizoid Man'', thus allowing Number Six to assume the man's identity and (nearly) escape.]]
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%%* {{Determinator}}: And how.

to:

%%* * {{Determinator}}: And how.how. He manages to fight back ''even in his dreams''.



%%* KangarooCourt: Holds one against Number 6.

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%%* * KangarooCourt: Holds one against Number 6.6, with mannequins as a jury.



%%* MindScrew

to:

%%* MindScrew* MindScrew: [[spoiler: His appearance actually raises more questions than it answers.]]



%%* TalkativeLoon

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%%* TalkativeLoon* TalkativeLoon: Half his dialogue is "Dem Bones"; everything else is just nonsense.
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Moved to proper disambiguated work title.

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%% ZeroContextExample entries are not allowed on wiki pages. All such entries have been commented out. Add context to the entries before uncommenting them.
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No TV series becomes a classic without great characters. Patrick [=McGoohan=]'s postmodern masterpiece, ''Series/ThePrisoner'' is no exception.

No recurring character in ''Series/ThePrisoner'' has [[NoNameGiven a name]].
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::'''Number Six''', '''The Prisoner'''
Rebellious ex-spy captured by the unknown powers that run the UncannyVillage.

%%* AntiHero: Type III, though his rough nature is mainly due to never being quite sure who to trust.
%%* AuthorAvatar
* BerserkButton: Do not ever, ever kill an innocent woman. [[FateWorseThanDeath He might just let you live to regret it.]]
* ChronicHeroSyndrome: Both a weakness and a strength; many No. 2s don't see past their own point of view of looking out for oneself, but the ones that are GenreSavvy enough to realise this trait are often the most dangerous to The Prisoner.
* CulturedBadass: Knows Goethe in the original German and is well known for quoting Shakespeare.
* DeadpanSnarker: His abundant snark is one of the highlights of the show.
-->'''Number 6:''' The whole Earth as the Village?
-->'''Number 2:''' That is my hope. What's yours?
-->'''Number 6:''' I'd like to be the first man on the moon.
%%* {{Determinator}}: And how.
* FacialDialogue: Lots. If you pay attention, there is quite a lot less verbal dialogue in this show than other shows of its time period and even today, and you will suddenly realise how much this show depends on [=McGoohan's=] FacialDialogue.
* GeniusBruiser: Both a thinker ''and'' a fighter.
* GoodIsNotNice: He's very brusque and prickly, but fundamentally compassionate.
* GoodOldFisticuffs: He was a champion boxer and it is his preferred method of hand-to-hand combat.
* HeroicWillpower: Mind-bending techniques repeatedly fail on him.
* KnightInSourArmor: He is cynical and paranoid in the extreme (he really has to be to survive in The Village) but he still really cares about people and tries his best to help and protect others who resist The Village.
* LargeHam: While he's generally a calm and composed deadpan snarker, he can ham up magnificently without warning if he wants to make a point.
* LimitedWardrobe: Pretty much always wears the distinctive black-with-a-little-white suit, which resembles a modified school uniform. Occasionally he'll swap out the suit jacket for [[PaletteSwap one with the colors inverted]], or if he's particularly lucky, his "old suit" (which he was wearing before being abducted to the village), which is basically just a different, much more normal version of the same suit with a conventional sport jacket (or rather, the suit that he got upon arriving in the Village is a quirkier version of the suit they found him in).
* LonersAreFreaks: constantly used against him, but not completely true or untrue.
%%* MysteriousPast
* PassiveAggressiveKombat: Is a master at this, and a lot of the time, this is the only way he really has to fight back.
* ProperlyParanoid: About ninety percent of the time, though he occasionally lets his guard down in hopes of finding an ally and occasionally The Village plays on his justified paranoia to make it go into unjustified territory.
%%* RebelliousSpirit
%%* SarcasticClapping: Very prone to it.
%%* TheSnarkKnight
* SuppressedRage: While in The Village, he seems to live in a constant state of this, and the few times [[RageBreakingPoint his control snaps]] it is devastating to his enemies.
* TechnicalPacifist: Refuses to kill anyone, [[spoiler: at least until they push him too far]].
* TranquilFury: What happens when he reaches his RageBreakingPoint; notably constructing the systematic destruction of the psyche of a No. 2 who had driven a woman to suicide.
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'''''Other Residents Of [[UncannyVillage The Village]]'''''

::'''The Butler'''

A silent, obedient little person in a tuxedo. Manservant to Number Two.
* BattleButler - In ''Once Upon a Time'', when Number Six assaults Number Two at one point, The Butler takes out a small bat (I think it's the kind to kill fish with) and knocks out Number Six.
** In the next episode, he gets a ''submachine gun''.
%%* HeelFaceTurn
%%* HypercompetentSidekick: In the final two episodes.
%%* LittlePeopleAreSurreal
%%* TheVoiceless

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::'''The Supervisor'''

A bald bespectacled man, also known as Number Fourteen. Head of Village security and direct subordinate of Number Two. Given to delivering his lines in an exaggeratedly cold and emotionless RoboSpeak voice ("'''Orange... alert. Orange... alert.'''"); his actor, Peter Swanwick, had been diagnosed with cancer just before the series began filming, and he deliberately played the role [[LargeHam larger than life]] in order to make an impression.

%%* BaldOfEvil: Really!
%%* FourEyesZeroSoul: One of the most soulless in history.
* NamesTheSame: Has the same number as Number Two's personal assistant in ''Hammer into Anvil''.
* NotSoStoic: The one time his robotic facade breaks is in ''Hammer into Anvil,'' when that episode's Number Two directly accuses him of treason and fires him; he's ''hurt''.

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'''''The Number Twos'''''

* AffablyEvil: Many Number Twos act like they're the Prisoner's best friend (or would like to be, if he'd just give them a chance). Some of them seem more sincerely friendly than others.
%%* TheDragon: To Number One.
* EvilLaugh: The intro to every episode concludes with one.
* TheHeavy: The direct problem for Number Six and within the village their authority is basically absolute. There may be other superiors elsewhere but we never see them.
%%* JustTheFirstCitizen
* WickedCultured: ''None'' of the officials picked for this important position qualify as anything short of intellectual.

::'''Guy Doleman'''

The first one. Escorts Number Six around the Village on his first day, just to reinforce the Village's self-sufficiency and inescapability. Gives the Prisoner an idea of No.2's power (and establishes an atmosphere of menace) by ordering the entire Village to halt right before Number Six's eyes, and siccing Rover on the one Villager who fails to comply.

* BecomingTheMask: Regarding the Village: "It will grow on you." For better or worse, he's ''right.'' Number Six doesn't truly assimilate, but he does ''acclimate'' over time.
* MrExposition: Certainly one of the more memorable examples of this trope.
* NoMrBondIExpectYouToDine: His introduction, complete with Number Six's preferences [[YourFavorite already laid out for him]].

::'''George Baker'''

The second one. Younger than Doleman's No.2, and replaces him (without explanation, of course) over the course of the first episode. Where Doleman is FauxAffablyEvil, Baker's No.2 is blunt and matter-of-fact about Number Six being a prisoner.

::'''Leo [=McKern=]'''

The [[EnsembleDarkhorse famous one]]. Takes a psychological approach to interrogating Number Six. In many ways, an amalgamation of all the best aspects of the other Number Twos.

%%* AffablyEvil
%%* BackFromTheDead
* BenevolentBoss: His immediate subordinates seem to genuinely like him rather than fear him.
* HeelFaceTurn
** Turns into a [[spoiler: HeelFaceRevolvingDoor]] in the comic adaptation, with implications in the original show justifying it. [[spoiler: In his first appearance, he's clearly directly interested, even friendly in his overtures with Number Six. In his second, his supervisors directly threaten him with Rover, and his response is to remind them of his loyalties.]]
%%* LargeHam
* MoodSwinger: He's alternately very jolly and very, ''very'' frustrated from moment to moment. In a sense, he's the most ''honest'' of all the Number Twos since he never hides his emotions. He really, actually does like the idea of a harmonious international community, and not just because it would give people like him more power, and he really gets upset that Number Six won't open up to him, either as an interrogation subject or a friend.
* MysteriousPast: Various statements made during ''Once Upon A Time'' raise many questions about his back story and make him the most cryptic and mysterious Number Two.
* NotSoDifferent: Number Six casually asks him if he realizes he's as much a prisoner as he is. He freely admits it, saying they're both "lifers".
* RealLifeWritesThePlot: The shave and haircut that they give him prior to [[spoiler:his resurrection]]. It was added in because [=McKern=] had gotten a trim prior to being called back for another episode.
* VillainousBreakdown: While he was relatively calm and collected in ''The Chimes of Big Ben'', he becomes more and more agitated and worked up throughout ''Once Upon A Time'' and finally breaks completely when [[spoiler:his methods backfire on him and give Number Six the upper hand]]. Rumor has it that [=McKern=] had a minor heart attack while filming this episode because of the sheer intensity required to portray this breakdown.
* WickedCultured: Is as enamoured of Shakespeare as The Prisoner.


::'''Eric Portman'''

Hosts a sham "election" in the Village in "Free For All", in which he convinces Number Six to actually run for the "office" of Number Two -- and brainwashes him repeatedly into acting like a slick electoral candidate, much to the disgust of Number Six. Also provides No.6 with a chauffeur/assistant called Number 58, who (despite her apparent lack of English skills) is a fairly obvious [[TheMole Mole]].

* DrowningMySorrows: He's found drunk in a secret alcohol lab, but that too was a ruse to get Six to drop his guard.
%%* KangarooCourt: Holds one against Number 6.
* RedHerring: [[spoiler: For the ''real'' Number 2 of the episode, Number 58.]]

::'''Patrick Cargill'''

From "Hammer Into Anvil." A particularly ruthless Village official, who has no trouble committing psychological torture or ''physically'' threatening recalcitrant Villagers -- he obviously feels irritated by the standing order that Number Six must not be "damaged".

* CulturedWarrior: He quotes Goethe in the original German when justifying his brutal methods: ''"Du musst Ambose oder Hammer sein."''
** MisaimedFandom: [[invoked]]He knows the quote, but he doesn't know that it's the hammer that breaks first, not the anvil. His whole episode is basically watching that hammer smash itself apart on Six's anvil.
* ParanoiaFuel: {{in-universe}} Number Six completely overloads him with it.
* ThoseWackyNazis: It's implied pretty heavily that they dug this guy up from the wreckage of postwar Germany -- although he does a good job hiding his accent.
* VillainousBreakdown: Number Six does a hell of a job exploiting this man's paranoia, to the extent that he becomes convinced that Number Six was sent by his superiors to spy on him.
* YouLookFamiliar: Patrick Cargill also plays Thorpe, a colleague of Number Six, in "Many Happy Returns". The show makes no attempt to suggest that they're the same person, but if they are, that would make Thorpe TheMole.

::'''John Sharp'''

From "A Change Of Mind"

* FatBastard: Rivals, if not exceeds, Leo [=McKern=] as the most physically imposing No.2.
* HurricaneOfAphorisms: "The slowest mule is closest to the whip," among others.
* LonersAreFreaks: He hopes to break No.6 by hammering on this trope -- essentially introducing new policies that convince the other Villagers to openly ostracize the Prisoner, playing on his genuine feelings of loneliness.

::'''Colin Gordon'''

From "The General" and "A. B. and C." An unusually nervous No.2 with an inferiority complex. His smug attitude toward the Prisoner is belied by his constant milk-drinking (presumably for an ulcer), his habit of occasionally lashing out at his assistants, and his obvious fear of No.1.

* EvilCannotComprehendGood: One of the few Number Twos who never asks Number Six why he resigned, because he thinks he already knows the answer. He's convinced Number Six was going to sell out to one of three enemy operatives he knew: [[TitleDrop A, B, or C]], and spends that episode trying to find out which one. Of course, he's completely wrong about why Number Six resigned.
* TheRival: He really, really doesn't like Number Six, and he's one of the only Number Twos who makes no effort to hide this fact.
* VillainousBreakdown: He acts pretty anxious throughout all of "A, B, and C", until he finally loses it in the end.

::'''Andre van Gyseghem'''

The oldest No.2, who seems to have been with the Village the longest; we actually witness his official "retirement" in "It's Your Funeral". Claims that all the other Number Twos were actually interim replacements for him, although that could just be what his superiors told him -- they're not above lying to a No.2, and (as he realizes, much to his horror) they're not the sort of people who fritter money away on things like pensions for retirees who just won't die. One of the only Number Twos other than [=McKern=] to receive a sympathetic portrayal.

::'''Mary Morris'''

--> ''This is your world now. '''I''' am your world now.''

From ''Dance of the Dead''. She seems to prefer spies rather than hidden surveillance, although she uses both.

* ActorAllusion: Morris picked the Peter Pan costume for the carnival herself. She had played Pan in a stage production twenty years earlier.
%%* EvilGloating
%%* ABoyAndHisX
%%* PassiveAggressiveKombat
* TheSmurfettePrinciple: Not the only female Number Two, but the only one with a starring, front-and-center role.
* VillainousCrossdresser: As Peter Pan for the carnival.

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::'''Number One'''

The apparent leader of the Village who has his proxies carry out his will. Almost any time he is discussed, it is with a sense of fear or dread. Number Six himself would like to meet him, if only to have some of the mystery surrounding the Village explained.

%%* BadBoss: To the Number Twos
%%* BigBad
%%* DramaticUnmask: [[spoiler: Two, actually.]]
* TheDreaded: By each and every Number Two.
* EnemyWithout: Confirmed (but not how) [[WordOfGod by Patrick McGoohan.]]
%%* EvilLaugh
* LargeHam: Definitely has a taste for theatrical flair, if his revealing his number badge is anything to go by.
%%* LaughingMad
%%* MadnessMantra: [[spoiler: I! I! I! I! I! I! I!]]
%%* TheManBehindTheMan
* NonActionBigBad: [[spoiler:He may (or may not) be the man behind the scenes, but the only things we actually see him doing are laughing in Number Six's face and then running away from him.]]
%%* MindScrew
* RoomFullOfCrazy: [[spoiler: lives in a fully armable nuclear rocket filled with globes of the earth.]]
%%* TheUnreveal
* TheUnseen: Until the series finale, [[spoiler:and even ''that'' appearance is debatable]].

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::'''Rover'''

The Village's last line of law enforcement. [[EldritchAbomination A massive balloon-like ball of featureless white material that emits electronic roars and suffocates refractory Villagers into submission.]]

%%* TheBrute
* HellIsThatNoise: Rover's 'roar.'
* NiceJobFixingItVillain: [[spoiler:Kills Number Six's doppleganger (mistaking him for the real [=McCoy=]) in ''The Schizoid Man'', thus allowing Number Six to assume the man's identity and (nearly) escape.]]
* MechanicalMonster: Well, this is what they were going for, anyway: it's a security device, and yet also alive, somehow.
* NoNameGiven: Only once in the series is Rover ever referred to by name (ironically enough, by the Prisoner himself). When the Prisoner first asks what it actually is, No.2's typically obfuscatory response is "That would be telling."
** Before the original "Rover" mechanism sunk and they exchanged it with a balloon, he was to be named in the first episode by No. 2.
* OnceAnEpisode: Even when it doesn't actually chase anybody, Rover always appears in some kind of context.

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::'''Number Forty-Eight'''
A fellow prisoner who appears in the series finale. He has an unusual obsession with the song ''Dry Bones''; most of his lines simply consist of lyrics from said song. [[spoiler:Along with the Butler and Leo [=McKern=]'s Number Two, he helps Number Six finally escape the Village]].

%%* CloudCuckooLander
* EarWorm: Just try not to sing "Dem Bones" after watching "Fallout."
* MindScrew: The fact that [[spoiler:he both looks and dresses like The Kid/Number Eight (who had already died several episodes prior), not to mention that none of the other characters (Number Six included) ask if he's the same person or even bring this similarity up.]] He's just one of the many things that make ''[[GainaxEnding Fallout]]'' what it is.
%%* NiceHat
%%* OneSceneWonder
%%* TalkativeLoon
* YouLookFamiliar: With The Kid from ''Living in Harmony'' and the photographer from ''The Girl Who Was Death''.

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::'''The Kid'''
An odd, menacing character who shows up in the western-themed episode, ''Living in Harmony''.

* BecomingTheMask: A rather horrifying example: [[spoiler:Number Eight seems all too happy to keep acting like the Kid even after the experiment is over, violent tendencies and all.]]
%%* DuelToTheDeath
%%* TheDragon: To The Judge
%%* NiceHat
%%* TheRival: To Number Six
* StalkerWithACrush
* TheVoiceless: Subverted in that, once he's [[spoiler:revealed to be Number Eight,]] he talks about as much as any of the other characters.
* YouLookFamiliar: With Number 48 and with the photographer in ''The Girl Who Was Death''

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::'''Number Fourteen'''
Number Two's right-hand man in ''Hammer Into Anvil''. (Not the same Fourteen as the Supervisor.)

* TheCassandra: He's the only one who sees Six's ParanoiaGambit for what it is.
%%* DisneyVillainDeath
%%* TheDragon: To Patrick Cargill's Number Two.
%%* DuelToTheDeath
%%* GeniusBruiser
%%* ItsPersonal
* MakeItLookLikeAnAccident: His proposal on dealing with Number Six.
* NamesTheSame: Has the same number as the Supervisor for some reason.
%%* TheRival: To Number Six
* UnwittingPawn: Even when he recognizes what Number Six is up to, he ''still'' winds up contributing to Number Two's breakdown.

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