History Characters / TheSimpsonsNuclearPowerPlantShopkeepers

[[folder:Charles Montgomery "Monty" Burns]]

An extremely elderly (and extremely wealthy) man[[note]]in his 80s in the earlier seasons, and said to be 104 as early as Season 6[[/note]] and the corrupt, malevolent owner of the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant. He always has his eyes on the greatest profit to himself.

* ShoutOut: Named after the [[Creator/AkiraKurosawa famous one]].

* UglyGuyHotWife: In the Season 25 episode "Married to the Blob", he meets, charms, and marries an [[ManicPixieDreamGirl improbably sprightly]] young Japanese woman. They're still married after the episode.

* AscendedExtra: They were initially just background characters that appeared at the plant. Over time, they became some of Homer's most frequently seen friends.

* MultipleChoicePast: Related to his VagueAge. For example, one episode had him as a soldier in the Western European front in UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, but others indicate he was already running businesses (which traded with the Nazis) during the war. "Rosebud" has him as a child born in simple conditions, but others show him as being born into a rich family.

* CatSmile: Sports a more subtle version of this [[https://frinkiac.com/img/S05E14/644126.jpg expression]] once in a while.

[[Characters/TheSimpsonsTheSimpsonFamily Simpson Family]] ([[Characters/TheSimpsonsHomerSimpson Homer Simpson]], [[Characters/TheSimpsonsMargeSimpson Marge Simpson]], [[Characters/TheSimpsonsBartSimpson Bart Simpson]], [[Characters/TheSimpsonsLisaSimpson Lisa Simpson]]) | [[Characters/TheSimpsonsExtendedFamily The Simpsons Extended Family]] | [[Characters/TheSimpsonsElementarySchool Springfield Elementary School]] | [[Characters/TheSimpsonsGovernmentJudgesLawyersPoliceCriminals Government, Judges and Lawyers, Police and Criminals]] | '''Springfield Nuclear Power Plant, Springfield Shopkeepers''' | [[Characters/TheSimpsonsChurchDoctorsCelebrities First Church of Springfield, Doctors, Celebrities]] | [[Characters/TheSimpsonsFriendsNeighborsFamilies Friends and Neighbors, Families]] | [[Characters/TheSimpsonsOtherRecurringCharacters Other Recurring Characters]] | [[Characters/TheSimpsonsItchyAndScratchyCharacters Itchy & Scratchy Characters]] | [[Characters/TheSimpsonsOneTimeCharacters One-time Characters]]]]-]]]

* BollywoodNerd: Doesn't come up a lot, but he graduated as top of his class in computer science at Cal Tech (''Calcutta'' Tech)--a class of '''7 million'''.

[[Characters/TheSimpsonsTheSimpsonFamily Simpson Family]] ([[Characters/TheSimpsonsHomerSimpson Homer Simpson]], [[Characters/TheSimpsonsMargeSimpson Marge Simpson]], [[Characters/TheSimpsonsBartSimpson Bart Simpson]], [[Characters/TheSimpsonsLisaSimpson Lisa Simpson]]) | [[Characters/TheSimpsonsExtendedFamily The Simpsons Extended Family]] | [[Characters/TheSimpsonsElementarySchool Springfield Elementary School]] | [[Characters/TheSimpsonsGovernmentJudgesLawyersPoliceCriminals Government, Judges and Lawyers, Police and Criminals]] | '''Springfield Nuclear Power Plant, Springfield Shopkeepers''' ([[Characters/TheSimpsonsCharlesMontgomeryBurns Charles Montgomery "Monty" Burns]]) | [[Characters/TheSimpsonsChurchDoctorsCelebrities First Church of Springfield, Doctors, Celebrities]] | [[Characters/TheSimpsonsFriendsNeighborsFamilies Friends and Neighbors, Families]] | [[Characters/TheSimpsonsOtherRecurringCharacters Other Recurring Characters]] | [[Characters/TheSimpsonsItchyAndScratchyCharacters Itchy & Scratchy Characters]] | [[Characters/TheSimpsonsOneTimeCharacters One-time Characters]]]]-]]]

->'''Debut:''' ''"Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire"''
->'''Voiced by:''' Christopher Collins (early first season), Creator/HarryShearer (later season one on)

An extremely elderly man (over one hundred years old by the more recent seasons, though in the earliest seasons he was only in his eighties) and the corrupt, malevolent owner of the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant. Always has his eyes on the greatest profit to himself.

* For tropes related to him, see [[Characters/TheSimpsonsCharlesMontgomeryBurns here]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Waylon Smithers, Jr.]]
[[quoteright:200:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/smithers_9_3.png]]
[[caption-width-right:200:Yes, Mr. Burns.]]
->'''Debut:''' ''"Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire"'' (voice only), ''"Homer's Odyssey"'' (in-person)
->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/HarryShearer

The second-in-command and most competent minion of Mr. Burns, Smithers is fanatically devoted to his master (fortunately for Burns, who is so physically feeble and out of touch with the modern age he depends on Smithers to do everything for him), which is eventually revealed to be due to him being in love with him.
----
* AdaptationalVillainy: In the show, Smithers isn't much more than a YesMan serving a CorruptCorporateExecutive. In [[VideoGame/TheSimpsons the arcade game]], he robbed a jewelry store, wore a cape filled with bombs, and was prone to {{evil laugh}}ter.
* AloofLeaderAffableSubordinate: Has this dynamic with Mr. Burns. While Mr. Burns is one of the most reprehensible villains in the show, Smithers is generally friendly and mild-mannered enough to get along pretty well with most of the plant employees.
* AllGaysLoveTheater: Wrote and starred in a Malibu Stacy musical.
* AmbiguouslyGay: Early episodes strongly hinted he was gay without directly saying it but it's common knowledge now.
* AncestralName: His name is Waylon Smithers Jr., after his father Waylon Smithers Sr.
* AntiVillain: He just follow Burns in most of his evil schemes, even though he doesn't like most of them.
* ArmouredClosetGay: In earlier seasons, Smithers was indicated to be gay until it became a running joke that Smithers would try to deny his feelings for his boss or hide his sexuality in front of others.
* BattleButler: In the arcade game.
* BeardOfSorrow:
** He grows a five o'clock shadow when he [[spoiler: believes he shot Mr. Burns]]. He is clean-shaven again at the end of the episode.
** When Mr. Burns orders Homer be beaten to a pulp, Smithers becomes so stressed out that he stops shaving and looks haggard from the stress.
* BigOlEyebrows: One of the few characters with these, they give him a more expressive look.
* ButtMonkey: Smithers gets a lot of badgering and punishment from Burns.
* CatSmile: Sports a more subtle version of this [[https://frinkiac.com/img/S05E14/644126.jpg expression]] once in a while.
* CharacterCatchphrase: "That's Homer Simpson, sir. One of your (nickname) from sector 7G"
* CharacterizationMarchesOn:
** Aside from being black in "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS1E3HomersOdyssey Homer's Odyssey]]", a deleted line in "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS2E22BloodFeud Blood Feud]]" has him mentioning going home to his wife and kids.
** "Simpson and Delilah" and some other early episodes depicted him as a more petty and conniving MiddleManagementMook with him and Homer having something of a vendetta. He is even depicted as a manic criminal in the 1991 arcade game. "Blood Feud" showed Smithers as extremely grateful to Homer for saving Burns' life, suggesting that his vindictiveness against Homer in "Simpson and Delilah" was more due to Homer's threatening his status as Burns' chief lackey. As long as Homer or anyone else isn't actually threatening his position, Smithers is largely indifferent to them unless they're stifling Burns or being a genuine nuisance. Seasons Two and Three generally developed Smithers' more sympathetic personality, usually only committing evil under Burns' orders.
** "Portrait of a Lackey on Fire" ends with Smithers using puzzles to keep Mr. Burns too preoccupied to carry out his evil schemes. Oddly, this does seem to be one of the most effective strategies against Burns in the history of the series.
* CigaretteOfAnxiety:
** He doesn't smoke very much, but he's shown doing so when he's particularly upset. Examples include "Who Shot Mr. Burns", when he goes on a bender after being fired by Burns; "Homer The Smithers" when he's desperate to find a temporary replacement as Burns's assistant who won't outshine him; and "Sideshow Bob Roberts", where he's clearly torn between having to go behind Burns's back to get Sideshow Bob removed as Mayor of Springfield, and what Bob's mayoralty could mean for himself and other gays.
** He's seen chain-smoking in "Blood Feud," when he's sitting at his desk and anxiously speaking to one of Mr. Burns' hired goons about Burns wanting Homer to be beaten to a pulp.
* ClosetGay: He'll probably still be secretly pining for Mr. Burns when the universe reaches its heat death. Several episodes indicate that he's active in Springfield's gay community when he's off the clock, though. He was also visibly disgusted when he found himself in a strip club.
* CloudcuckoolandersMinder: Often this to Burns when he has ScatterbrainedSenior tendencies, and Smithers needs to remind him who Homer is.
* TheConfidant: He gives Mr. Burns advice when feels it's his place to, he listens to his troubles, and even gives him a shoulder to cry on if need be.
* CrazyJealousGuy: Should someone get too close to Burns, Smithers can get surprisingly vindictive. He went to elaborate lengths to ruin Homer's career after Burns promoted him to an executive and shown great approval of him. In one of the comics, when Homer won him in a poker game, he wasted no time forcing Marge out of his life. On the other hand, if anyone goes out of their way to ''help'' Burns (in "Blood Feud") or otherwise maintain Smithers' relationship with him (in "Homer The Smithers"), Smithers can be extremely thankful and kind.
%%* CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: Capable of fighting Homer to a standstill.
* CureYourGays: His parents tried to turn him straight by making him go to a burlesque house and in an episode set in the future, he has to take anti-gay injections every 10 minutes.
* DependingOnTheArtist: Early on, the artists were a bit inconsistent on how thick his glasses should be, going from thin to having a very large frame. Thin eventually won out.
* DependingOnTheWriter: The show flip-flops between him having SingleTargetSexuality on his boss, and being attracted to men in general.
* DesperatelyNeedsOrders: Smithers's servitude to Burns is almost a psychological need. In "Homer the Smithers," when Burns tells Smithers to take a much-needed vacation, he begs to stay, claiming that without Burns, he'll "wither and die." Even while on vacation, he repeatedly calls Burns asking if he has any mail that needs opening.
* TheDragon: Depending on whether Burns is on the good or bad side of the episode's events.
* EarlyInstallmentCharacterDesignDifference: Smithers had black skin, blue hair and wore a white coat in his debut episode, "Homer's Odyssey".
* EveryoneHasStandards: Though usually a bit of a doormat to Burns, [[KickTheDog some of the schemes Burns comes up with]] will have Smithers objecting to them at the risk of losing his own job.
** He can't bring himself to allow Homer to be beaten up after He saves Burns' life.
** Bart owes his life to Smithers refusing to let Burns leave him for dead after Burns hit him with his car.
** In the movie he tries to spare Apu, Wiggum and Hibbert from harm by warning them that trying to appeal to Burns' better nature is an awful idea.
* ExtremeDoormat: Most of the time, he's this to Mr. Burns, often doing whatever Burns asks him to do, even at his own expense.
* {{Flanderization}}: Smithers was originally an exaggeration of the YesMan (the guy who always sucked up to his boss). Come season three, the writers started playing with the notion that Smithers was in love with his boss, yet was heterosexual (in "Secrets to a Successful Marriage," Smithers was married to a woman who looked like Elizabeth Taylor's character from ''Theatre/CatOnAHotTinRoof''). This got milked for all it was worth, and now Smithers' sexuality is AmbiguouslyGay (or just plain gay) with definite shades of SingleTargetSexuality, though it has been implied that Mr. Burns isn't the only man he loves.
* FlatCharacter: Prior to his character development, he was identified as Mr. Burns' right hand man who was a closeted homosexual with strong feelings for his boss. Over time, he grew into his own character and was more expressive with his sexuality.
* {{Foil}}: To Mr. Burns, as Mr. Burns is a [[{{Narcissist}} narcissistic]] and [[LackOfEmpathy ruthless]] [[TheSociopath sociopath]] who treats his employees horribly, while Mr. Smithers is a soft-spoken NiceGuy who is on good terms with most of the employees.
* FriendlyEnemy: While Burns often plays an antagonistic role to the Simpsons or Springfield as a whole, Smithers never fails to be friendly or at least professional to them and people as a whole, particularly while he's off the clock or even while he's still on it. The feeling is mutual; while the family doesn't care for Mr. Burns, they seem to be on good terms with Smithers.
* FriendToAllChildren: Downplayed. While he ''does'' assist Mr. Burns in hiding nuclear waste in public areas, among other schemes, he's pretty friendly towards Bart and Lisa, a direct contrast to how [[ChildHater his boss]] acts towards children. He's also pretty friendly and peppy around the kids who visit the plant during a field trip in "Homer's Odyssey." A supplemental promotional advertisement for "Who Shot Mr. Burns" once described Smithers as being "good with kids."
* GayConservative: Supplemental material has stated that Smithers is a Log Cabin Republican, though he doesn't approve of Sideshow Bob's ultra-conservative views.
* GayCowboy:
** In "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS8E9ElViajeMisteriosoDeNuestroJomer El Viaje Misterioso De Nuestro Jomer]]", he shows up at the chili festival wearing a pink and white cowboy outfit with a neon sign on the back saying "Hot Nashville Nights".
** In ''The Simpson Family Smile-Time Variety Hour'' segment of "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS8E24TheSimpsonsSpinOffShowcase The Simpsons Spin Off Showcase]]", he dresses as a cowboy and sings about whipping it good with a liquorice whip.
* GenerationXerox: His father looked very similar to him and had the same job.
** He also greatly resembles [[https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/simpsons/images/9/95/MrsSmithers.png/revision/latest?cb=20170512021955 his mother]].
* GreenEyedMonster: Occasionally, whenever Homer or someone else gains Mr. Burns's favor (such as in "Simpson and Delilah").
* TheGlomp: He has a tendency to clamp onto people during emotionally charged moments. Examples include "Blood Feud," when he gratefully gives Bart a big hug when the boy agrees to donate blood to a sick Mr. Burns, and again in the same episode, when he bursts into tears and hugs one of Burns' hired goons, as he tells him that Homer helped save Mr. Burns' life. In a deleted "Who Shot Mr. Burns" scene, he gives Mr. Burns a big hug when his boss wakes up from his coma.
* IgnoredEnamoredUnderling: He's madly in love with his boss, who doesn't reciprocate.
* IncompatibleOrientation: He's infatuated with Mr. Burns despite the latter being [[AmbiguouslyBi (most likely) ]] heterosexual and having numerous romances. Smithers is madly in love with him and often tries to confess his feelings for him.
* LastNameBasis: Rarely referred to by his first name, Waylon.
* LikesOlderMen:
** A gay example. Smithers is hopelessly in love with Burns, who's old enough to be his grandfather. Most episodes depict Smithers as being in his early 40s, while Burns's most common age is 104.
** In a humorous example, Smithers is shown [[https://64.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lidwg7JMz21qinxxyo1_1280.png flirting]] with a ''mall Santa'' in an official Twitter Christmas promo.
* LoveMartyr: A one-sided example. Mr. Burns clearly [[ObliviousToLove sees him as nothing more than his servant]] and treats him callously to boot, but regardless Smithers is madly in love with him an devoted to his duties as his assistant.
* MommasBoy: Burns mentions that Smithers is close to his mother. In "Homer Defined," when Smithers is describing what he did over the weekend, he mentions writing a letter to his mother. And in "Moho House," he's shown happily giving his mother a birthday present.
* MoralityPet: It has been shown that for as much of an UngratefulBastard as Burns can be to him that he does have a genuine soft spot for him. When Burns had a TenMinuteRetirement after selling the power plant to some German investors, he joined Smithers for a night slumming it at Moe's. Smithers has also occasionally talked Burns out of evil acts such as when he stopped Burns from having Homer beaten for writing an angry letter.
* NerdGlasses: Used to convey his fastidious, pencil-pusher mentality.
* NiceGuy: Despite consistently doing the bidding of [[BadBoss Mr. Burns]], Smithers is usually nice and friendly to others.
* OddFriendship: With Marge Simpson, of all people due to their shared interests and their respective relationship troubles. His relationship with Homer also varies per episode since Smithers can be more approachable than his boss.
* OnlySaneEmployee: Smithers is pretty much the only person at the power plant who actually knows what he's doing. Several episodes show that Homer is just the worst of an ''extremely'' stupid and incompetent workforce (sometimes not even the worst).
* OnlySaneMan: Smithers has no emotional outbursts at all. Aside from some odd details about his love for Burns (his screensaver and the reveal that he raised Smithers after his father died), he is the most reasonable and sane person in the show.
* PunchClockVillain: Despite working for possibly the evilest man in Springfield, Smithers is perfectly affable when off the clock and has even helped the Simpson family out occasionally. He helped Lisa find the creator of the Malibu Stacy dolls in "Lisa vs. Malibu Stacy", went directly against Mr. Burns when he went too far in "Who Shot Mr. Burns?" and genuinely tried to be a BenevolentBoss when Mr. Burns was arrested before he discovered his employees mocking him in "American History X-cellent".
* PunnyName: His full name, Waylon Smithers, sounds a lot like "[[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayland_the_Smith Wayland the Smith]]" from Germanic/Norse mythology.
* RaceLift: In his first appearance ("Homer's Odyssey"), Smithers was dark-skinned with blue hair due to an unfortunate mistake when the show was sent overseas to Korea to be colorized and animated. The production crew did think about leaving him this way, but the thought of a black man who sucked up to his white boss wouldn't sit well with a lot of people, so they made it known that Smithers would be white (er, yellow) for all subsequent episodes. On the [=DVD=] commentary for this episode, director Wes Archer said that he made Smithers black by expressing his interest towards including black characters in his episodes. Jokingly handwaved by some of the writers, that in "Homer's Odyssey", Smithers had just come back from holiday with a heavy tan.
%%* ServileSnarker: He's had a few good lines of this nature.
* SingleIssuePsychology: It was implied in one episode that Smithers' sexuality was caused by Mr. Burns telling him, when he was young, that his father died in the Amazon, killed by a tribe of savage women. It would explain his freak out in a strip club.
* SingleTargetSexuality: Smithers admires Mr. Burns way too much for it to be just a sycophant to his boss. In recent seasons, he is attracted to or at least dates other men but it's clear he sees Burns as the love of his life. Even if Burns doesn't feel the same way.
* SilentSnarker: Sometimes his expressions speak in place of words.
* StraightGay: He's gay, but he isn't particularly flamboyant. He does join dances and musical numbers with joy but only on a few occasions.
* SubordinateExcuse: He's deeply in love with Burns and became his servant for it.
* SycophanticServant: He's a devoted minion to Mr. Burns. In the Dracula Halloween episode, he is even dressed literally as [[TheRenfield Renfield]] in Francis Ford Coppola's Film/BramStokersDracula movie
* UndyingLoyalty: While there are times Smithers will draw the line with Burns' cruelty, he will always end up back by his side by the end of it. Even when Burns was bankrupt and no longer his employer, he immediately moved him to his house and continued to serve his whims.
* WhatDoesSheSeeInHim: An [=LGBT=] example, it's not clear why he's so attracted to Burns, a weak, fragile man who is decades older than him and is terrible towards every living being on the planet including himself. ''The Blunder Years'' tried to explain this by having Mr. Burns' be a father-figure to Smithers after unwittingly causing Waylon Smithers, Sr.'s death. However, Smithers' is still infatuated with him despite this, either because of continuity or because he has an Electra complex.
* YesMan: To Mr. Burns.
** One episode parodied the concept by giving Burns a team of Yes Men, with Smithers as alpha. On discovering he's suddenly become poor, Burns denounces them all as the yes men they are. They, of course, reply, "Yes, sir!"
** Subverted by the fact that Smithers will sometimes oppose Burns if he feels he needs to, such as trying to talk Burns out of blocking the sun over Springfield (as it "crossed the line from everyday villainy to cartoonish super-villainy"), or in going behind his back to reveal Sideshow Bob's electoral fraud to Bart and Lisa, fearing the consequences for his "choice of lifestyle" if the Republican Bob takes power. He is also prone to gently correcting some of Burns' less grounded ideas, such as pointing out his planned company softball team consist of now-long deceased veterans, or offering to make a logo for Burns' cult after he repeatedly replicates copyrighted ones by mistake.
* YouNeedToGetLaid: Due to focusing too much of his time on Mr Burns, he is coldly rejected by Mr Burns when Smithers tries to admit his feelings for him. After singing about his woes and sexual frustration, Homer sets him up with another man.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Lenny Leonard/Lenford and Carl Carlson]]
!!Lenny Leonard/Lenford and Carlton "Carl" Carlson
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lennycarl_6.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Carl is on the right, Lenny is on the left. [[Literature/CaptainUnderpants Remember that, now]].]]
->'''Debut:''' ''"Life on the Fast Lane"'' (Lenny), ''"Homer's Night Out"'' (Carl)
->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/HarryShearer (Lenny), Creator/HankAzaria (Carl, 1989-2020) Creator/AlexDesert (Carl, 2020-present)

Homer's two workmates and closest buddies.

!!Tropes applying to both
* AlliterativeName: '''L'''enny '''L'''eonard. '''C'''arl '''C'''arlson.
* AscendedExtra: They were initially just background characters that appeared at the plant. Over time, they became some of Homer's most frequently seen friends.
* BadBoss:
** Parodied when Mr. Burns lost his fortune, the bank took over the Nuclear Plant and put Lenny in charge. We never really see what goes on except a brief shot of Lenny nervously telling people to work harder, but Homer gets sent home early to think about a bad mistake he made and Smithers describes him as "a real bear on tardiness". Even Mr. Burns takes notice, and the whole thing is referred to as "Lenny's reign of terror".
** When Carl was promoted to being Homer's supervisor he was no better, as he turned Homer into his BeleagueredAssistant, making Homer do all his work and obey his whims while Carl jetsetted over the world and hung out with the rich and famous. Oddly, this contrasts an early episode where Carl is said to already be Homer's supervisor ([[TheAllegedBoss he enforced his power only once]] to get Homer to stop insulting him).
* BrilliantButLazy: They both have masters degrees in nuclear physics but prefer bumming around with Homer at Moe's rather than do any real work. Their former principal even bribed them by making sure they can't enter any great universities and threaten to send a recommendation letter to a good one if they talk about it in "Take My Life, Please".
* CharacterizationMarchesOn: In early seasons they are only seen at the plant most of the time. They become regulars at Moe's only around season 6. And their HomoeroticSubtext was completely absent until season 8.
* ChildhoodFriends: Apparently with Homer (and Moe) according to episodes like "The Blunder Years" and "The Way We Weren't". Sort of a retcon, because there's no evidence of it in early seasons where Barney was his childhood friend.

** Depending on the episode and the gag, sometimes Lenny is the popular one ("Not Lenny!") to Carl's TheGenericGuy, other times Carl is the popular one to Lenny's ButtMonkey ("What are you doing man? That's Carl!"). This is largely PlayedForLaughs, as there's nothing special about either of them, and both are average {{Satellite Character}}s who never do anything noteworthy in any episode.
** In "Homer's Enemy," they are implied to be much younger than Homer (they had to have masters degrees to qualify as plant workers; Homer was hired when the plant opened and grandfathered in). Other episodes make them Homer's classmates and {{childhood friends}}.
* DivergentCharacterEvolution: Starting as two of Homer's dumb friends, now Lenny's somewhat of a {{Cloudcuckoolander}} and Carl is now a DeadpanSnarker. Lenny has evolved to be one of the biggest bores but values his friends a lot (spending a lottery ticket winning on a big party for everyone he considers a friend) while Carl is shown to be a bit sleazy and can fall into FalseFriend territory such as when he got promoted or ran away with the gang lottery ticket for his own, albeit sympathetic, gain.
-->'''Carl:''' Give me the weapons. (points weapons at Moe and Lenny) Now it's Carl's time.
** Also from Charlie, originally they were just the three generic co-workers of Homer at the Nuclear Plant, voiced interchangeably by the three male voice actors. Eventually Carl and Lenny became ThoseTwoGuys while he fell OutOfFocus.
* TheDividual: Homer needs to write down which one is the black one and which one is the white one due to how similar they are.
* FairWeatherFriend: Both to Homer. They couldn't care less if he is in trouble and would turn against him at the drop of a hat.
* {{Flanderization}}: They were originally ThoseTwoGuys whom Homer worked with; both were more competent than Homer, but they still liked him (in a class-clown sort of way). Later in the series, they started being written as secretly gay, to the point where Lenny's defining character trait is his ([[AllLoveIsUnrequited unevenly reciprocated]]) infatuation with Carl. Their intelligence also dimmed to Homer's level, making them more liable to join Homer in his antics.
* HeroOfAnotherStory: Both of their personal lives are supposedly incredibly exciting, though we never get to see any of it.
* HeterosexualLifePartners: AmbiguouslyBi aside, they are usually just friends.
* HiddenDepths: Their status as relatively unimportant side characters allows for several of their fantastical accomplishments to be mentioned, but never shown. Carl apparently possesses an IQ of 214 and is deeply in touch with his Icelandic heritage, while Lenny is a war hero who is also a highly successful novelist. Both also have masters degrees in nuclear physics.
* HomoeroticSubtext: In the post-Scully years. Ramped up even further during Al Jean's tenure.
-->'''Lenny''': ''[seeing Homer and Marge kissing]'' Remember when we used to kiss like that? ''[beat]'' With our respective girlfriends?
* InformedAbility: Their skills and accomplishments on paper make them seem like they'd both be highly competent, when in reality both are lazy blue collar workers who spend most of their time drinking.
* InkSuitActor: Invoked. Carl looks like an animated version of Creator/AlexDesert, his second voice actor.
* MellowFellow: Both are very laid-back and easy-going most of the time.
* NotSoAboveItAll: There are times they can be sucked into Homer's reckless antics. As Frank Grimes pointed out, they are only really sane and competent by comparison.
* OnlySaneMan: Both of them are quite a bit more together than most, particularly the people they hang out with, but Carl more so.
* RepetitiveName: Their full names are Lenny Leonard/Lenford and Carlton Carlson.
* SatelliteCharacter: Though Carl has gotten one spotlight episode, both tend to simply act as Homer's friends and little else.
* SmarterThanYouLook: Even if neither of them appear to be particularly intelligent, especially Lenny (Carl seems slightly smarter than Lenny but that's not saying much), they did earn master's degrees in nuclear physics.
* SmartJerkAndNiceMoron: In later seasons, they can be this after their DivergentCharacterEvolution. Carl is smarter, he considers Lenny dumb in "Pygmoelian", and he's chosen as the supervisor in "The Devil Wears Nada" only because he's less idiotic than Lenny and Homer. On the other hard, Carl is shown to be a selfish FalseFriend (as seen in "The Saga of Carl") while Lenny is shown to be more generous and caring to his friends (as seen in "Double, Double, Boy in Trouble").
* SomeoneElsesProblem: They are amazingly indifferent to the goings on at the power plant, such as where nuclear waste gets dumped.
* ThoseTwoGuys: The original [[TropeCodifier Trope Codifiers]].
* VitriolicBestBuds: Not seen that often, but they can be very dismissive of each other (like in "Mountain of Madness").
* WithFriendsLikeThese: While they are genuinely close buddies to each other (most of the time), they are not reliable friends to Homer at all. Their helpful moments are very rare.

!!Lenny
* AmbiguouslyBi: He seems to be legitimately attracted to Carl, though he has also shown interest in women. Lenny is completely obsessed with him; his vision of heaven is full of Carl, he carved a mountain into the shape of Carl, and he tries to hold Carl's hand in a limo but Carl pushes him away.
* BewareTheNiceOnes: Carl learned that the hard way in "The Saga of Carl" when Lenny takes Carl's betrayal very hard and attacks him. Immediately {{lampshade|Hanging}}d by Moe.
-->'''Moe:''' When the nice ones snap, it's always a good show.
* TheBore: Later seasons explain why Lenny is a FlatCharacter with that he is just that boring on his own.
-->'''Declan Desmond:''' Lenny, always exciting to hear from you. Did you ever try that new shampoo?\\
'''Lenny:''' Nope, never did. Do you want to see me pay my cable bill? I have checks with butterflies on them. [defensively] I am interesting.
* ButtMonkey: Starting in "Mountain of Madness", probably the first episode where he gets the short end of the stick. For the rest of the show, he gets injured quite often, especially involving his eyes.
* CharacterizationMarchesOn: In early seasons, he (along with Carl) mostly serves as a StraightMan to Homer. While he's still this in later seasons, he also becomes a comical character on his own, and season 8 also starts a little RunningGag of other characters randomly mentioning him in conversations when he's not around.
* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: Downplayed compared to other citizens, but sometimes he's prone to random statements.
* DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment: "I'm Lenny. This is Carl and Homer. I'm Lenny."
* DrearyHalfLiddedEyes: He has big sleepy eyelids, which denote his slacker nature in contrast to Carl's more excitable nature.
* EyeScream: Lenny is way too prone to these types of injuries.
-->'''Lenny:''' "Ow, my eye! I'm not supposed to get [object name] in it!"
* GeniusDitz: He is portrayed as a simple, often naive, blue-collar working man but he possesses a master's degree in nuclear physics. And "The Boys Of Bummer" reveals that Lenny is an author of mystery novels that are praised by ''Creator/StephenKing.''
* IronButtMonkey: In "G.I. D'oh", he survives getting ''crushed by a tank''.
* LustObject: Marge is occasionally implied to view him as one, keeping a picture of him in her hair and having a shrine dedicated to him when she thought he was injured. During a non-canon future photo album, Marge is shown to have briefly re-married to Lenny.
* NiceGuy: Lenny's generally a laid-back, friendly individual.
* OnlySaneMan: He's one of a handful of Springfieldians who doesn't join The Leader's ChurchOfHappyology.
* SolidCartoonFacialStubble: The only non-Simpson who has this. It is depicted as a brown patch filling the area around his mouth.
* StrawLoser: Part of his ButtMonkey status in the mid-to-late seasons.
-->'''Lenny:''' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPwyyjtxlzU Please don't tell anyone how I live.]]
* SuddenNameChange: Lenny's last name has been inconsistently given as "Leonard" and "Lenford":
** Smithers first calls him Leonard in "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS5E18BurnsHeir Burns' Heir]]", though it's not clear if that's his first or last name.
** Homer calls him Lenford in Season 13's "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS13E21TheFryingGame The Frying Game]]". Again not clear if this is his first name or last name.
** He's called Mr Leonard in Season 14's "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS14E21TheBartOfWar Bart Of War]]" and three episodes[[note]]"[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS15E2MyMotherTheCarjacker My Mother The Carjacker]]", "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS15E6TodayIAmAClown Today I Am A Clown]]" and "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS15E14TheZiffWhoCameToDinner The Ziff Who Came To Dinner]]"[[/note]] in Season 15 give that as his surname.
** Bart calls him Mr Lenford in "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS23E14AtLongLastLeave At Long Last Leave]]", confirming that Lenford was a surname.
* TheUnfavourite: As revealed in "Mona Leaves-a", his mother prefers Carl over him.

!!Carl
* ClearTheirName: Carl goes to Iceland in "The Saga of Carl" so he could [[spoiler: repair the bad reputation his family had. Though if he had done so he would have found out that his ancestors were actually 'worse' than people remember.]].
* ADayInTheLimelight:
** "[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin The Saga of Carl]]" in Season 24.
** To a lesser extent, the subplot of "The Devil Wears Nada" in Season 21 which focuses on him being a MeanBoss, especially since Lenny barely appears in the episode.
** "Carl Carlson Rides Again" in Season 34 is all about Carl trying to figure out his identity.
* DeadpanSnarker: Sometimes he plays the snarky StraightMan to Lenny or the other guys.
* DramaticIrony: Carl stole his friend's share of the lotto win so he can repair his family's reputation in their town, however, it was made clear when his friend read it, they were far worse than anyone realize. Not only that, what Carl did to his Homer, Moe and Lenny pretty much added to the horribleness of his family's legacy.
* FalseFriend: In "The Saga of Carl" he betrays the rest of the gang, including Lenny, because he feels there was never a real friendship between them.
* HappilyAdopted: He is from Iceland and he was ready to betray Homer and crew to restore the family honor.
* MistakenForGay: Depending on the writer, his friendship with Lenny is enough for the town to spread rumours about them being gay. While Lenny appears to be more overt in his feelings for Carl, Carl himself doesn't reciprocate and is tired of the rumours.
* MultipleChoicePast: Was adopted by a yellow couple from Iceland but flashbacks have shown his childhood and teenage years in Springfield and black family members who look like him are occasionally seen.
* ObliviousToLove: Depending on the writer, Carl is either unaware of Lenny's obsession with him or is aware of the gay rumours about him and Lenny.
* TokenBlackFriend: Among the friends of the bar, he is sometimes referred to by Homer as "the black one".
* TheWhitestBlackGuy: Carl's most recent ADayInTheLimelight episode was about him being this; confessing that since he was adopted and raised by a white couple from Iceland he always had trouble relating to other black people.
-->"I've always felt like an outsider. Not Icelandic enough, not black enough. I mean, hey, sure, I'm ''barfly'' enough, but that's not enough."
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Charlie]]
A workmate with Homer, Lenny and Carl. Voiced by Creator/DanCastellaneta.
----
* ButtMonkey: He has bad luck in most of his appearances.
* LivingProp: While he receives a few lines here and there, particularly in earlier episodes, he's generally a background character with little in the way of any clear characterization.
* OnlyOneName: His last name is never revealed.
* OutOfFocus: While always a very minor character, he appears more often in early seasons (for example in ''Homer at the Bat''). In later seasons, he's mostly in the background.
* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: In [[Recap/TheSimpsonsS7E7KingSizeHomer "King Size Homer"]], he gets injured on the job with disability pay which becomes the main inspiration for Homer's scheme to get overweight and exploit the program so he can work at home too.

!Shopkeepers

[[folder:Moe Szyslak]]
[[quoteright:200:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/moeprofile_removebg_preview.png]]
[[caption-width-right:200:If you're gonna read my section there's a two drink minimum!]]
->'''Debut:''' ''"Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire"''
->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/HankAzaria

The famously ugly, surly owner of Moe's Tavern, the LocalHangout that Homer, Carl, Lenny and Barney frequent. [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold Has a soft side under his crustiness]], and is one of Homer's closest friends.

* AbhorrentAdmirer: Towards Marge, and not just her. Moe's romantic attractions have resulted in criminal behavior and run-ins with the law; he has stalked Maude Flanders and other townspeople, he must register as a sex offender, and has had a restraining order placed upon him.
%%* AccentRelapse: Even though he is not a spy.
* AcquaintedWithEmergencyServices: Inverted for BlackComedy: he is so obsessed with trying to kill himself that Springfield's suicide prevention hotlines have ''blocked his number''.
* AlienBlood: Has been shown to bleed green. He claims that's only the first few drops and it will come out red afterwards.
* AmbiguouslyBi: Between his "not in public!" comment when Homer kissed him in "One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Bluefish," waxing poetic about stupid pretty boy quarterbacks for a bit too long, secretly writing and enjoying gay fanfiction, calling himself Homer's life partner (and frequent jokes about him having a similar place in Homer's life to Marge), treating Homer going to other bars as if he were cheating on him, and using the excuse that he only kissed Waylon to "see what kissing a man was like" despite the fact he's kissed multiple men over the course of the series, an argument for Moe not being completely straight could definitely be made. Also falls into the Hypocrite category as he was shown in earlier years to be homophobic (although that's lessened exponentially over time, to the point where he was the first townsperson to speak up in defense of legalizing gay marriage in Springfield).
* AmbiguouslyHuman: Claims to be "half monster-half Armenian", his father was once shown to be a yeti, in one episode he cut himself and green stuff came out, and he once showed Bart and Milhouse a jar containing his tail.
* AxCrazy: He has his moments.
-->'''Moe''': ''(after beating a fake Homer with a bat)'' Who is the sociopath now?
* BackAlleyDoctor: Revealed to be one in "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS12E9HOMR HOMЯ]]", though he operates in his bar rather than a back alley.
-->'''Moe's Business Card:''' [[NotMakingThisUpDisclaimer Yep, I'm a surgeon]].
* BadassBystander: Moe is one of the most combat-capable characters in the series, either with his shotgun or with his fists.
* TheBartender: It's his job.
* BackstoryOfTheDay: Far from unique on this show, but he is rather prone to it. Episodes will reveal out of nowhere that he's a former prizefighter, was a forgotten member of the Little Rascals, is a devout snake-handler/follower of Voodoo, is an illegal immigrant (and his ethnic heritage isn't kept straight either)... the list goes on and on. Though in fairness, the "prizefighter" bit hasn't been totally thrown by the wayside, as people will sometimes call attention to his cauliflower ears. In "Dumbbell Indemnity," he explains to Renee that boxing permanently made his brain erratic.
* BerserkButton: Whoever that one punk kid is that keeps bothering his place with prank calls. The second he gets even the slightest clue who it is, he drops everything to get sweet, sweet revenge.
* BigDamnHeroes: Moe has used his shotgun to "persuade" people not to hurt Homer and Marge.
* BigfootSasquatchAndYeti: '' Moe Goes from Rags to Riches'' shows that his father was a yeti.
* BreakoutCharacter: Initially just another member of the secondary cast, Moe gradually grew into one of the most important characters in the series outside of the Simpson family.
* BrooklynRage: Can be pissed off just by being humiliated by a prank call and has a New York accent (since his voice is based off of ''Creator/AlPacino'').
* ButtMonkey: In later seasons, he becomes one of the biggest losers along with Kirk and Gil. It's well known he hates his life and is so desperate that he wants to kill himself, though it's usually PlayedForLaughs.
* ChildHater: Except during his FriendToAllChildren moments. The latter is most notable with the Simpson kids.
-->'''Moe:''' See, this is why we should hate kids!
* ComicBookFantasyCasting: Comedian Creator/RichHall always claimed Moe's likeness was based on him, which Matt Groening eventually confirmed.
* CreepyGood: Even though he's a fundamentally good person, he's often quite unnerving.
* DeepFriedWhatever: Ordered a giant, military-grade deep fryer for his restaurant Uncle Moe's Family Feedbag. It can flash-fry a buffalo in 40 seconds (which, according to Homer, is too long to wait).
* DidNotGetTheGirl: His easy-to-lose harsh temper usually turns down women and finding a girlfriend for Moe has therefore been a running joke, from indulged sexual abstinence to unsuccessful suicide attempts to dating generally rejected women.
* DrivenToSuicide: The later episodes play up the fact that Moe is so depressed that he keeps trying to kill himself -- to the point that Suicide Prevention ''has to block his number''. It is also implied at least once that the only reason why he constantly attempts to commit suicide is because Reverend Lovejoy keeps on telling him that he has nothing to live for.
* EarlyInstallmentCharacterDesignDifference: In the first season, Moe had black hair and wore a white shirt, peach apron and pink bow tie. From the second season onwards, Moe has grey hair and wears a lavender blue shirt with a navy blue apron and bow tie.
* EyeScream: Apparently has a tendency to do this to people he invites to his house.
* EveryoneHasStandards: PlayedForLaughs in Lisa the Iconoclast:
-->"Homer, you know I support, uh, most any prejudice you can name, but your hero-phobia sickens me"
* {{Flanderization}}: He started out as a cheap, grumpy bartender who would do anything for a little extra money, including resorting to humorous behind-the-scenes illegal activities (such as smuggling animals for unknown reasons). He was also surly and hot-tempered, but still a good man overall. He was just a troubled, unhappy grouch living a disappointing, loveless life and doing whatever he can to improve it. As the series progressed however, his behavior became increasingly unethical and criminal. He started to encourage alcoholism, became a registered sex offender, engaged in far worse crimes, and is now subjected to a RunningGag where he [[DrivenToSuicide attempts suicide]] and [[BungledSuicide always fails due to bad luck]].
* FormerChildStar: In one episode he claims he was one of ''Film/TheLittleRascals''. And in-universe it actually appears to be true.
* FriendToAllChildren: Despite being creepy to adults, children love him. He's quite nice to Bart (Moe doesn't know he is the one prank calling him) and Lisa (who tells Moe she likes him in "Homer the Moe"), and is the nicest babysitter Maggie's ever had. He also reads to sick children at the hospital on Wednesday nights.
* TheFriendNobodyLikes: His loyal customers are the closest thing he has to actual friends, but sometimes he annoys them like in "My Fare Lady" when they call him a "jerk". Lampshaded in "Pygmoelian":
-->'''Moe:''' Okay, I get it. I ain't pleasant to look at.\\
'''Lenny:''' Or listen to.\\
'''Carl:''' Or be with.
* {{Gonk}}: A running gag is that he is ugly. Sometimes to the point of being considered inhuman.
* GunNut: Moe loves his shotgun, and he isn't afraid to threaten people with it. He's saved both Homer and Marge with it on separate occasions.
* HairTriggerTemper: He is very impulsive and irritable.
* HeroOfAnotherStory: After "Das Bus" ended he [[NoodleIncident somehow saved the kids who were stuck on an island]], not to mention his adventures at the end of "The Homer They Fall". Apparently [[ItsAWonderfulPlot one Christmas while attempting suicide, he was shown what the world would be like had he never been born]].
* HiddenDepths: Some of his ambiguous backstory includes details like being a voodoo practitioner, as well as going to homeless shelters to read them books like ''Literature/LittleWomen'' (of course, when Ned Flanders points this out, Moe tells him that if he ever makes it public knowledge, he will tear Ned apart).
* HollywoodVoodoo: Reveals himself to be a practicer in "The Joy of Sect", and he uses voodoo dolls to make Barney want beer. Back in "Homer the Heretic" he claimed to be a snake-handler, which either contradicts this[[note]]"Snake handler" in the US usually refers to a very isolated fringe movement among certain evangelical Christians in the Appalachians[[/note]] or reinforces it.[[note]]Snake-handling is just the kind of vaguely sinister thing associated with Voodoo in Hollywood.[[/note]]
* HopeCrusher: He makes people's lives just a bit more hellish through a variety of nasty pranks so he will feel a little bit better about himself.
* {{Hypocrite}}: Once railed against "immigants", despite being an immigrant of some ambiguous kind himself.
* ICouldaBeenAContender: Moe is frustrated by the failure of his once promising boxing career, which he blames on politics, rather than the fact he couldn't take a punch.
* IJustWantToHaveFriends: He often feels lonely and it's implied many times that he DesperatelyCravesAffection, such as the episode "Moe Goes from Rags to Riches" where he thinks his only friend is his bar rag (although, other episodes make it clear that he's friends with his customers).
* InformedDeformity: While Moe is quite odd-looking compared to other characters, people act like he's hideous and even inhuman. He's not even that odd looking by Groening-character design standards--he really isn't any uglier than Nelson, Barney, or Mr. Burns. None of them are supposed to be particularly good looking, but none of them are considered monsters the same way he is.
* ITakeOffenseToThatLastOne: Played with.
-->'''Ned Flanders:''' ''(in an uncharacteristic bout of rage)'' You ugly, hate-filled man!\\
'''Moe:''' Hey! I may be ugly and hate-filled but- ...what was that third thing you said?
* IWasQuiteALooker: Then he started boxing, which is the explanation for why he became so ugly that women find him repulsive.
-->"They called me Kid Gorgeous. Then I was Kid Presentable. Then Kid Gruesome. Then finally, Kid Moe."
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Despite his somewhat angry and occasionally unpleasant attitude at times, he shows a soft spot towards children and his close friends and customers. He also does very noble acts in the credits of "The Homer They Fall", being seen saving multiple people, putting out a forest fire, and giving food to a famished village.
* KindheartedCatLover: Moe really loves cats. He dotes on his pet cat Mr. Snookums, is kind to Snowball II, and kisses a random stray cat after successfully getting a date.
* MultipleChoicePast: Several episodes contradict each other as to what his nationality actually is.
* NobleDemon: He gets on quite well with the Simpsons. He's bonded with the Simpson kids, and used his shotgun to save Homer from being beaten up and Marge from being threatened by a gang of angry cab drivers.
* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed;
** Creator/HankAzaria described his original voice as a bad Creator/AlPacino impression.
** Bart pranking him was based on retired boxer, Louis "Red" Deutsch whose bar would get pranked called every week by radio [=DJ=]s, John Elmo and Jim Davidson. When he realized he was being pranked, Red would get mad and threaten to kill them.
* NonSpecificallyForeign: Has an ambiguous ethnic background - has variously been implied or described as Dutch, Italian, Armenian, Arab, Polish...
* OddFriendship: With [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrdqZVbdyDg Sideshow Mel, of all people]]. [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] in "Moho House".
-->'''Sideshow Mel:''' Why are you telling me?\\
'''Moe:''' I always considered us friends.
* ParentalNeglect:
** Implied in "Pokey Mom", where he mentions lingering emotional pain because his father never hugged him.
--->'''Moe:''' Now I can focus on my crippling emotional pain. Oh daddy, why? Why won't you hug me? You hugged the mailman!
** One episode implies that Moe's parents left him at a summer camp and never came to pick him up.
** As of "King Leer," he now has a solid backstory, which includes Moe's father kicking him out as a preteen for disappointing him. Judging by the constant name-calling from his father and siblings, Moe's sister treating his abandonment as his fault, and the fact that their go-to for winning family arguments is to start smacking each other with shoes, it's reasonable to assume the mistreatment went beyond neglect.
* PapaWolf: To Maggie Simpson. He'll go to extreme lengths to keep her happy and safe, including facing down the Springfield Mafia. While this plot gets dropped in the series proper, the spin-off comics and books show that Moe remains Maggie's doting babysitter even after the events of "Moe Baby Blues."
* PerpetualFrowner: He's a fairly depressed individual, as shown when he attempts to commit suicide in "Moe Baby Blues".
* PunnyName: Not Moe himself, but he's always being asked for Al Coholic, Jacques Strappe, I.P. Freely, Seymour Butz, Homer Sexual (''not'' Homer Simpson), Ivana Tinkel, Mike Rotch, Amanda Huggin-Kiss, and Hugh Jass.[[note]]Who actually is in the bar when Bart asks for him.[[/note]]
* RunningGag:
** He often receives humiliating prank calls from Bart Simpson. He's unaware who's calling, and issues death threats to the caller.
** In the later seasons, every other appearance of his features another failed suicide attempt.
* {{Sadist}}: A few times he mentions his enjoyment of feeding on the disappointment of others, usually for very petty reasons like having their parking spot taken.
* SelfAppliedNickname: Whenever he wants to appeal to kids he calls himself "Uncle Moe"--he once turned his bar into the family restaurant "Uncle Moe's Family Feedbag," and also used it when babysitting Maggie in "Moe Baby Blues" and bonding with Marge and the Simpson kids in "Mommie Beerest."
* ShotgunsAreJustBetter: [[TwoShotsFromBehindTheBar Keeps one behind his bar]] and uses one as part of his [[DanceBattler self defence through dance class]].
* StalkerWithACrush: He has long been infatuated with Marge (whom he often refers to as Midge) and has on occasion professed his love for her and tried to win her away from Homer. His infatuation was intense enough to enter stalker territory. Ironically, she's one of his most frequent customers' wives.
* StealthPun: Constantly threatens his mysterious prank caller with death if he ever finds out who they are. Guess this bartender would really like to be a Bart-ender.
* StrawLoser: He is often portrayed as ridiculously pathetic (especially later episodes) to the point of being a bigger loser than his customers.
* TerritorialComicRelief: In "Radioactive Man", Moe claims that he was once one of the original members of ''Film/TheLittleRascals'', but was fired after he beat the original Alfalfa to death for stealing his signature RunningGag.
* ThrowTheDogABone: [[spoiler:In "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS33E4TheWayzWeWere The Wayz We Were,]]" he reunites with Maya from "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS20E16EenyTeenyMayaMoe Eeny Teeny Maya Moe]]" and the two end up getting married, despite Moe's paranoia that she would leave him if her ever said he loved her.]]
* TookALevelInBadass: Sometimes, like in the couch gag where the couches attack and Moe is seen as the one of the few fighting back, blasting at his bar seats with a shotgun and knocking away his stools.
* ToxicFriendInfluence: In several instances, Moe shows he deliberately manipulates Homer and Barney into drinking, confident in his belief that they'll be back. And if they turn against him, Moe quickly becomes incredibly sour, slapping Barney when he tries to point out Moe insulted Homer behind his back.
* TrappedByGamblingDebts: He once mentions owing $64,000 and asks the Simpsons for funds to dig himself back up. But he too is a LoanShark, matter-of-factly telling Homer when ''he'' needs a loan that if he can't provide collateral, he will have to break his legs right then and there.
* UnexplainedRecovery: He was hit by a train in "Lisa Goes Gaga", but is back alive and well in "Moonshine River".
* VitriolicBestBuds: More or less with all his regular customers.
* VocalEvolution: Moe's voice sounds more nasally in the first few seasons to reflect his weasel-like qualities. Sometime after season 6, Hank Azaria dropped the nasal inflection and Moe's voice lowered considerably into Hank's natural speaking octave.
* WhiteSheep: Moe's not a beacon of purity, but, as "King Leer" shows, he's much better than the rest of his family, who, beyond somehow being more sleazy and corrupt than Moe when it comes to business, will also happily abandon him, insult him, throw him under the bus (in the case of his siblings), or manipulate him for their own gain, (in the case of his father, who delights in manipulating all his children and pitting them against each other). They're actually so bad that Marge flat out tells him that he's justified in cutting off his family because he deserves better than them, despite her firm belief that families should always work things out and stick together. In fact, while describing his family situation, Moe acknowledges the trope by name.
-->'''Moe:''' Yeah, well, let me explain. You know how the world sees me as a, uh--\\
'''Homer:''' Human toilet brush?\\
'''Moe:''' Bingo. Well, I'm the white sheep of my family.
* WithFriendsLikeThese: He treats his customers as he treats everyone else, even the ones who are somewhat closer to him, contributing to his TheFriendNobodyLikes status. It doesn't help that he's constantly hitting on Homer's wife.

[[folder:Apu Nahasapeemapetilon]]
[[quoteright:182:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/apu3.png]]
[[caption-width-right:182:Thank you, come again!]]
->'''Debut:''' ''"The Telltale Head"''
->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/HankAzaria

The owner of Springfield's main convenience store, the Kwik-E-Mart, which is open 24/7 and, as such, attracts plenty of customers despite its rather lacking standards of quality (like Homer, Bart, and Snake Jailbird, who only comes in to rob the place). Renowned as a workaholic, he is eventually partnered off with an arranged marriage and ends up the father of octuplets.

* AlmightyJanitor: Has one of the most unassuming jobs in Springfield, yet he's one of its smartest, most resourceful citizens.
* AscendedExtra: Was simply the convenience store clerk that only knew the family because they shopped there. Over time, his screentime grew and he got [[ADayInTheLimelight several focus episodes]] ("Homer and Apu", "Much Apu About Nothing", "The Two Mrs Nahasapeemapetilons", "Eight Misbehavin'"). He is now, arguably, one of the most important non-Simpson family member characters, to the point of being the fifth playable character in ''Hit and Run.''
* AsianStoreOwner: Indian, specifically.
* BetaCouple: With Manjula to Homer and Marge in later seasons.
* BewareTheNiceOnes: Is normally friendly and genial, but has shown himself capable of both considerable strength and intense rage.
* BreakoutCharacter: Apu initially started off as a comparatively minor character, but eventually got multiple [[ADayInTheLimelight focus episodes]] and is now one of the most prominent supporting characters. It got to the point where Apu became a playable character - the only non-Simpson of the five characters in-game - in ''Hit and Run''.
* BollywoodNerd: Doesn't come up a lot, but he graduated as top of his class in computer science at Cal Tech (''Calcutta'' Tech)--a class of '''7 million'''.
%%* BumblingDad: A downplayed example -- he shows traits of this.%%ZCE
* CharacterCatchphrase:
-->"Thank you, come again!" (even to store robbers!)\\
"I can't believe you don't shut up!"
* TheChewToy: He's been shot so many times that it's just a $100 fine.
* ChickMagnet: Apu enjoyed a reign as Springfield's most eligible bachelor -- until he got married.
* CoolCar: Drives a '79 Pontiac Trans Am that could only be described as bitchin'.
* DemotedToExtra: Apu -- for many years one of the show's most prominent and iconic secondary characters -- has not had a speaking line since 2017, though he continues to appear in background shots. Although the producers announced that all other non-white characters voiced by white actors would be recast, and many have since returned with their new voice actors, Apu remains conspicuous in his absence.
* {{Determinator}}:
** In one early episode, Apu says that the town government should hire more police officers, since he'd been shot 8 times that year. As a result, he almost missed work. ''Almost''.
** And then there was the time when he managed to work a 96-hour shift without having a break. It ended when he started thinking he was a hummingbird and tried to drink nectar out of his brother's head.
* DoWrongRight: Official Kwik-E-Mart policy to selling bad food. Sell gone-off food if you will, but have a scapegoat handy.
* EternalEmployee: Apu is almost always seen working at the Kwik-E-Mart. He's so dedicated, he once worked a ''96-hour shift'' without a single break.
* EveryoneHasStandards: Is normally lax towards safety standards, but sometimes, both out of self-interest and genuine concern for his fellow Springfielders, he draws a line. For example, in ''VideoGame/TheSimpsonsHitAndRun'', he is shocked that he has been selling Buzz Cola once its true nature is revealed.
* {{Flanderization}}: He went from an impossibly cheap shopkeeper who couldn't care less for his customers into a hard-working, intensely patriotic immigrant. After Manjula was herself Flanderized into an extreme nag, Apu somewhat relapsed into his old "dishonest salesman" traits while his workaholic tendencies were ret-conned into an excuse for him to stay away from home at any costs.
* FunnyForeigner: When the show needs an Indian stereotype joke.
* TheGamblingAddict: In "Much Apu About Something", it is revealed he has sold most of his stake in the store to Sanjay to cultivate his addiction to scratch-and-win cards.
* HiddenDepths: Graduated top of his class of '''7 million''' in Computer Science at Calcutta Technical Institute and originally came to America to study for his Ph.D. in the subject, which he did successfully; he only works as a convenience store clerk because he genuinely loves that job. An early episode also showed that he was a volunteer fireman.
* ImmigrantPatriotism: He started his stay in America as an ''illegal'' immigrant, though he later passed his citizenship exam and was officially recognised as a legitimate Indian American.
-->'''Lisa:''' You know, Apu, in a way, all Americans are immigrants, except Native Americans.\\
'''Homer:''' Yeah. Native Americans like us.\\
'''Lisa:''' No, I mean American Indians.\\
'''Apu:''' [[ComicallyMissingThePoint Like me.]]
* MadeOfIron: Has been shot so many times that when he was shot saving Creator/JamesWoods, the bullet ricocheted off ''another bullet'' that had previously been lodged there.
* ManipulativeBastard: One Season 4 episode shows Apu curries Homer's favour in order to stop him going to the much cheaper store next door.
* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Creator/HankAzaria reportedly based his voice on Creator/PeterSellers' Indian character in ''Film/TheParty''.
* OutOfFocus: From season 27 onwards, he has begun to appear much less frequently, and rarely serves as anything more than a background character on the occasions when he does. This is presumed to have been done in response to the growing complaints directed at his character for being a racial stereotype.
* PerfectlyArrangedMarriage: While their marriage is far from perfect (the stresses of raising eight kids and Apu's infidelity), Apu and Manjula got off to a great start and do love each other. While many fans worry that this has been subverted, as some bitterness still remains, later episodes suggest they worked it out.
* RantComedy: Occasionally slips into this, such as when Principal Skinner inadvertently ripped off ''Literature/JurassicPark'' in his book concept. It's implied that Apu lectured Skinner on this for at least several minutes.
-->'''Apu:''' Oh, you have got to be kidding, sir. First you think of an idea that has already been done, and then you give it a title that nobody could possibly like! Didn't you think this...\\
''[fade cut]''\\
'''Apu:''' ''[more agitated]'' ...on the bestseller list for 18 months! Every magazine cover had it...\\
''[fade cut]''\\
'''Apu:''' ...most popular movies of all time, sir! WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?! ...I mean, [[CharacterCatchphrase thank you, come again]].
* SanityBall: A common holder. While he can be just as vulnerable to the wackiness of Springfield as most, he has a self-awareness and common sense that means he is usually one of the sanest in the room.
* ShoutOut: His name is one for Creator/SatyajitRay's ''The Apu Trilogy''.
* SixthRanger: Was this to the main Simpsons family in ''VideoGame/TheSimpsonsHitAndRun''. Additionally, if the show needs Homer to have a friend outside of his regular drinking circle, Apu will be a likely candidate.
* StereotypicalSouthAsianEnglish: His accent is sing-song, his speech can get verbose, and he often mentions Hindu gods.
* SuperStoicShopkeeper: Can show signs of this at times, as part of his personality as the {{Determinator}}.
* TooManyBabies: When he and Manjula could not conceive a child, they underwent IVF and Manjula had ''octuplets''. It also helped that Apu, Homer, Marge and Bart were each slipping her fertility drugs.
* {{Workaholic}}: His devotion to his work is paramount.

[[folder:Jeff "Comic Book Guy" Albertson]]
[[quoteright:280:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/comicbookguy.png]]
[[caption-width-right:280:Worst. Character page. Ever.]]
->'''Debut:''' ''"Three Men and a Comic Book"''

The overweight and extremely nerdy owner and proprietor of "The Android's Dungeon", which sells comics, figurines, and similar nerdy paraphernalia. He's legendary for his sarcastic, cynical outlook on life.

* AlliterativeName: Matt Groening originally wanted his real name to be ''[[ComicBook/LoisLane Louis Lane]]'' and wasn't there when the writers decided to call him Jeff Albertson.
* BasementDweller: His father-in-law complains about him living in the basement beneath his store.
* BerserkButton: Being stupid when it comes to comic books.
-->'''Bart:''' Hey, Milhouse, [[{{Troll}} watch me make a loser lose it.]]\\
'''Comic Book Guy:''' Ugh, customers, I hate them.\\
'''Bart:''' Excuse me, I just heard that before Spider-Man was a [[Film/SpiderMan1 movie]], it was a [[ComicBook/SpiderMan comic book]]. Is that possible?\\
'''Comic Book Guy:''' What the-? Gah! Suffering Creator/SteveDitko! How can you not ''know'' that ''Spider-Man'' first appeared in 1962's classic ''ComicBook/AmazingFantasyNumber15''? Gaaaah!\\
'''Bart:''' Oooh, twelve cents! I'll take eight!\\
'''Comic Book Guy:''' What the- you idiot! Mint condition copies are like $40,000 each! Must.. lie down... on pile of unsold Hulk hands!
* BigBad: Of "Brick Like Me", as he represents the part of Homer's psyche that wants him to remain in the LEGO World rather than head back to the real world.
* CharacterCatchphrase: "Worst. (insert noun here). Ever."
* CompressedHair: His hair is normally pulled back in what seems to be a typical balding-guy ponytail--but when he lets it down, as seen in one episode when he gives Bart his "man-scrunchie," it flows with volume and sheen worthy of a salon commercial.
* DeadpanSnarker: Comic Book Guy seems to live by the philosophy "If you can't say something snarky or sarcastic, don't say anything at all."
* ADegreeInUseless: He has a masters' degree in folklore and mythology, and for his thesis he translated ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'' into [[Franchise/StarTrek Klingon]]. However, "Married to the Blob" reveals that he has a degree in Chemical Engineering, a fact that finally convinces Mr. Nakamura that he is the right man for his daughter Kumiko. But his expertise in that field was never referenced [[InformedAbility before or since]].
* DisappearedDad: He says the closest thing he ever had to a father figure was an [[Franchise/StarWars Obi-Wan Kenobi]] action figure.
* DrearyHalfLiddedEyes: He always wears a condescending half-lidded stare, whether surveilling his store or shooting snarky comebacks to his customers.
* EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep: For over a decade, he was just known as "Comic Book Guy" until he gave his real name out in random conversation in "Homer and Ned's Hail Mary Pass" (the writers say that episode was chosen for the task because it was post-Super Bowl and thus would have such a large audience).
* FatBastard: Comic Book Guy is fat and a snobby shopkeeper who insults others that don't know as much as he does, and acts like a jerk to Bart and Milhouse even after they saved his life from a heart attack.
* FatSlob: Eats a lot and spends all his time lazing around with his geeky stuff.
* {{Flanderization}}: Like everyone else's personality on the show, being a DeadpanSnarker got exaggerated to the point that it's his only personality trait.
* FreudianExcuse: It is heavily implied, if not outright stated, that the reason why Comic Book Guy often is sarcastic and insulting to people is because he himself is a victim of it in regards to his obesity.
--> Now if you'll excuse me, I'm heading back to my own store, where I dispense the insults rather than absorb them.
* GeniusSlob: Comic Book Guy isn't concerned about his appearance, resulting in perpetual food stains on clothes that are too small for him. He also happens to have an IQ of 170.
* HappilyMarried: With Kumiko.
* HiddenDepths:
** "Homer the Whopper" reveals that he actually wrote over 300 issues of his own comic book series, [[AllYourPowersCombined Everyman]]. Much to Bart and Milhouse's surprise, they really enjoy it, and the only reason Comic Book Guy didn't try to find a publisher is because he was afraid of being mocked.
** "The Dad-Feelings Limited" shows that he used to be decently athletic as a child, being on a baseball team and developing a very good curve ball. The disappointment of his father missing his debut play made him so depressed he lost the game, whereupon his team tossed him into a dumpster that just happened to be for thrown out comics. This is where he developed most of his current attitude.
* IconicSequelCharacter: One of the supporting characters who didn't appear in the first season, as he's introduced in season 2.
* InferioritySuperiorityComplex: As much as he likes snarking and talking down to people, he tends to lose all composure whenever someone laughs at or insults him. At one point it even triggered a heart attack.
* InsufferableGenius: He has an IQ of 170 and is a member of the Springfield chapter of Mensa. However, he also has a snobby, superior personality that prevents him from making friends.
* ItRunsInTheFamily: His blood relatives are shown to all be overweight who [[UncannyFamilyResemblance uncannily resemble him]] and are also into comic books, just different genres. His first cousin is nicknamed Comic Book Gay and he vaguely states to be into "comics of a different type". His other cousin, incidentally introduced in the Bongo comics, is called Graphic Novel Kid and prefers horror. "The Dad-Feelings Limited" shows that hobbyist collecting runs in the family, as both his father and his aunts and uncles all have their own collections.
* {{Jerkass}}: Overprices comics, bans Milhouse and Bart from his store, and is a general jerk to everyone. It's reached the point where several episodes (such as "They Saved Lisa's Brain" and "Worst Episode Ever") show him as a straight up JerkWithAHeartOfJerk.
* LikesOlderWomen: Once dated [[NerdsAreVirgins (and lost his virginity to)]] Agnes Skinner.
* MadLibsCatchPhrase: ''Worst[=/=]Best __ Ever''.
* MinorFlawMajorBreakup: When he meets a female nerd at "Bi-Mon-Sci-Fi-Con" in "Mayored to the Mob":
-->'''Comic Book Guy:''' Tell me, how do you feel about 45-year-old virgins who still live with their parents?\\
'''Female Nerd:''' Comb the Sweet Tarts out of your beard and you're on!\\
'''Comic Book Guy:''' Don't try to change me, baby.
* NerdsSpeakKlingon:
** "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS2E21ThreeMenAndAComicBook Three Men and a Comic Book]]": Jeff mentions that he has a Masters in Folklore and Mythology, part of which involved translating ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'' into Klingon.
** "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS12E11WorstEpisodeEver Worst Episode Ever]]": After he gets thrown out of Moes, he asks himself "Is there a word in Klingon for loneliness?", looks in his pocket dictionary. "Oh, yes. [[SkywardScream Garr'dock!]]".
** "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS15E17MyBigFatGeekWedding My Big Fat Geek Wedding]]": When Jeff tries to get married to Edna Krabappel it is conducted in Klingon; apparently the guests (sci-fi convention attendees) can all understand it.
--->'''Jeff''': Edna, the Klingons have a romantic saying. (''speaks Klingon'') Roughly translated it means I would kill the children of a thousand planets just to see you smile. \\
'''Edna''': Oh, that is the most romantic thing I've ever heard. Which is kinda sad if you think about it.
** "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS22E10MomsIdLikeToForget Moms I'd Like to Forget]]"
--->'''Jeff''': The answer is no, and I can say it in [[Film/{{Avatar}} Na'vi]] and Klingon, which are pretty much the same. I have some theories about that, which I will share with you never.
* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: His voice was modeled on Creator/RalphBakshi.
* PerverseSexualLust: His greatest sexual fantasy is revealed to be [[Film/Gremlins2TheNewBatch Greta the genderbent gremlin]]. Kumiko cosplays as her to try and seduce him into conceiving a kid with her.
* ProudToBeAGeek: "[[WesternAnimation/TheSimpsonsMovie I've spent my entire life doing nothing but collecting comic books. A life well spent!]]" Although in "Treehouse of Horror VIII", Comic Book Guy admits "I've wasted my life" the instant before he is killed by a NeutronBomb. It probably doesn't count as Treehouse of Horror episodes are never canon.
* SesquipedalianLoquaciousness:
-->'''Bart:''' How come I've never seen that ''Itchy & Scratchy'' before?\\
'''Comic Book Guy:''' Perhaps because you are a ''prepubescent ignoramus''.
* StrawFan: Though he was originally just the standard nerd, when the show crossed into {{Long Runner|s}} territory, he would often mock the large section of the fanbase that think the show isn't good anymore, but still watch it religiously anyway. CBG's catch phrase actually originated from a usenet post which complained about an episode from season four -- to put things in perspective, season four is now generally considered to be part of the show's peak.
* TakeThatAudience: The writers have been using Comic Book Guy to lampoon the show's fans ever since "The Itchy and Scratchy and Poochie Show", though most viewers didn't notice this until the season 11 episode "Saddlesore Galactica."
-->'''Comic Book Guy''': Last night's ''Itchy & Scratchy'' was, without a doubt, the worst episode ever. Rest assured I was on the Internet within minutes registering my disgust throughout the world.\\
'''Bart''': Hey, I know it wasn't great, but what right do you have to complain?\\
'''Comic Book Guy''': As a loyal viewer, I feel they owe me.\\
'''Bart''': For what? They've given you thousands of hours of entertainment for free. What could they possibly owe you? If anything, ''you'' owe ''them.''\\
'''Comic Book Guy''': Worst. Episode. Ever.
* ThrowTheDogABone: "Married to the Blob" is all about this, as he finally gets married.
* TummyCushion: Often when he is with his wife Kumiko, he lets her rest on his huge belly.
* UglyGuyHotWife: In the Season 25 episode "Married to the Blob", he meets, charms, and marries an [[ManicPixieDreamGirl improbably sprightly]] young Japanese woman. They're still married after the episode.
* UngratefulBastard: To Bart and Milhouse for saving his life. Eventually, he does apologize though.
* VocalEvolution: In his first appearance, he lacked his pretentious over-pronunciation, with Hank Azaria largely just voicing him in his normal voice but with a lisp.
* WorstWhateverEver: His MadLibsCatchPhrase and the TropeMaker. It was introduced in Season 8's "The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show" to describe the Itchy and Scratchy episode that introduced Poochie. Comic Book Guy then proceeds to call it the "Worst Episode Ever".
* YoureNotMyType: Is ultimately on the receiving end of this from Mrs. Krabappel in "My Big Fat Geek Wedding." He's oddly okay with it.
-->"There are a n valid reasons. Which one did you choose?"

[[folder:Luigi Risotto]]
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/luigi_3.jpg]]
->'''Debut:''' ''"Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song"''
->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/HankAzaria

The stereotypically Italian owner of Luigi's, an Italian restaurant in Springfield that serves average Italian food.

* EdibleThemeNaming: His surname is a reference to the Italian food risotto.
* GratuitousItalian: He does not actually speak Italian, only "fractured English" with a strong Italian accent, as did his parents.
%%* ItaliansTalkWithHands: Frequently does it.
* TwoFacedAside: A RunningGag. Luigi is incredibly polite to his customers, runs in the kitchen and immediately badmouths them to his [[TheGhost unseen]] cook Salvatore while unaware that they can hear him.
-->'''Luigi Risotto:''' Oh, you miss you friend, huh? Don't-ah you worry, my cook can surely cheer you up-ah. ''(enters kitchen)'' Hey Salvatore, give-ah the ugly kid a plate of the red-ah crap-ah!

[[folder:Herman Hermann]]
[[quoteright:262:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/herman2_3.jpg]]
->'''Debut:''' ''"Bart the General"''
->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/HarryShearer

The deranged, one-armed owner of Herman's Military Antiques.

%%* AxCrazy: Lampshaded by Grampa in his first appearance. "He's completely out of his mind."%%ZCE. Why and how is he an example?
* DepravedHomosexual: He takes Snake and Chief Wiggum captive for the implied purpose of raping them in "22 Short Films About Springfield."
--> '''Herman:''' As soon as [[Film/PulpFiction Zed]] gets here, the party will begin.
* EvilCripple: He's missing his right arm. As for the other part, well, maybe he's not outright "evil", but certainly not on the up-and-up.
* GoodSmokingEvilSmoking: He often has a cigarette in his mouth, and he's a very shady character.
* HandicappedBadass: He once held Snake and Chief Wiggum hostage while wielding a shotgun in his left arm.
* HiddenDepths: Herman actually looks a bit worried/empathetic when he asks "Small world huh?" as Skinner tries an old helmet he wore while imprisoned for two years in an Vietcong Interment Center.
* HonestJohnsDealership:
** Herman once sold Abe a fez that he said was once worn by UsefulNotes/{{Napoleon|Bonaparte}} for a week. When Abe buys it and leaves his own hat behind, Herman then tries to pass it off as the hat UsefulNotes/WilliamMcKinley wore when he was assassinated.
** There's also him apparently either not understanding or uncaring of the concept of a waiting period when selling firearms, which by Herman's own definition is "waiting for the buyer to give him cash, period."
* KnightOfCerebus: He's easily one of the darkest and most serious characters in the show. When he was an antagonist in "The Springfield Connection", he wasn't played for laughs at all, instead kidnapping Homer and being ready to shoot Marge.
* MultipleChoicePast: Was originally going to be this regarding the source of his missing right arm, giving a different story every time he appeared. His debut appearance has him claim the arm was lost when he hung it out the bus window for too long, but his flashback in "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS24E8ToCurWithLove To Cur With Love]]" has him stick it out on a street while trying to hail a car, resulting in the arm being torn off by a passing dogcatcher truck driven by Chief Wiggum.
* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: His voice is based on UsefulNotes/GeorgeHWBush.
* RepetitiveName: The only way it could be more repetitive is if his first and last names were both spelled the same way.

[[folder:Akira Kurosawa]]
->'''Debut:''' ''"One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Blue Fish"''
->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/GeorgeTakei (first appearance), Creator/HankAzaria (subsequent appearances)

A Japanese restaurant owner and martial arts instructor.

* JapanesePoliteness: Banning Homer from his restaurant for being a CausticCritic would be rude. [[SkewedPriorities Killing him is fine, though.]]
* ShoutOut: Named after the [[Creator/AkiraKurosawa famous one]].

The famously ugly, surly owner of Moe's Tavern, the LocalHangout that Homer, Carl, Lenny and Barney frequent. [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold Has a soft side under his crustiness]].

%%* GoodSmokingEvilSmoking: He often has a cigarette in his mouth.

* HonestJohnsDealership:

[[caption-width-right:350:Carl is on the right, Lenny is on the left. Remember that, now.]]

'''Comic Book Guy:''' What the-? Gah! Suffering Creator/SteveDitko! How can you not ''know'' that ''Spider-Man'' first appeared in 1962's classic ''Amazing Fantasy #15''? Gaaaah!\\

->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/GeorgeTakei and Creator/HankAzaria

%%* ExtremeDoormat: Most of the time, he's this to Mr. Burns.

* ThrowTheDogABone: "Married to the Blob" is all about this.

** "Portrait of a Lackey on Fire" ends with Smithers using puzzles to keep Mr. Burns too preoccupied to carry out his evil schemes. Oddly, this does seem to be one of the most effective strategies sgsinst Burns in the history of the series.

** He's seen chainsmoking in "Blood Feud," when he's sitting at his desk and anxiously speaking to one of Mr. Burns' hired goons about Burns wanting Homer to be beaten to a pulp.

* FriendlyEnemy: While Burns oftens plays an antagonistic role to the Simpsons or Springfield as a whole, Smithers never fails to be friendly or at least professional to them and people as a whole, particularly while he's off the clock or even while he's still on it. The feeling is mutual; while the family doesn't care for Mr. Burns, they seem to be on good terms with Smithers.

* AmbiguouslyBi: Between his "not in public!" comment when Homer kissed him in "One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Bluefish," waxing poetic about stupid prettyboy quarterbacks for a bit too long, secretly writing and enjoying gay fanfiction, calling himself Homer's life partner (and frequent jokes about him having a similar place in Homer's life to Marge), treating Homer going to other bars as if he were cheating on him, and using the excuse that he only kissed Waylon to "see what kissing a man was like" despite the fact he's kissed multiple men over the course of the series, an argument for Moe not being completely straight could definitely be made. Also falls into the Hypocrite category as he was shown in earlier years to be homophobic (although that's lessened exponentially over time, to the point where he was the first townsperson to speak up in defense of legalizing gay marriage in Springfield).

** "Portrait of a Lackey on Fire" ends with Smithers using puzzles to keep Mr. Burns too preoccupied to carry out his evil schemes. Oddly, this does seem to be one of the most effective strategies sgsinst Burns in the history of the series.

** He's seen chainsmoking in "Blood Feud," when he's sitting at his desk and anxiously speaking to one of Mr. Burns' hired goons about Burns wanting Homer to be beaten to a pulp.

* FriendlyEnemy: While Burns oftens plays an antagonistic role to the Simpsons or Springfield as a whole, Smithers never fails to be friendly or at least professional to them and people as a whole, particularly while he's off the clock or even while he's still on it. The feeling is mutual; while the family doesn't care for Mr. Burns, they seem to be on good terms with Smithers.

* AmbiguouslyBi: Between his "not in public!" comment when Homer kissed him in "One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Bluefish," waxing poetic about stupid prettyboy quarterbacks for a bit too long, secretly writing and enjoying gay fanfiction, calling himself Homer's life partner (and frequent jokes about him having a similar place in Homer's life to Marge), treating Homer going to other bars as if he were cheating on him, and using the excuse that he only kissed Waylon to "see what kissing a man was like" despite the fact he's kissed multiple men over the course of the series, an argument for Moe not being completely straight could definitely be made. Also falls into the Hypocrite category as he was shown in earlier years to be homophobic (although that's lessened exponentially over time, to the point where he was the first townsperson to speak up in defense of legalizing gay marriage in Springfield).

* CatchPhrase: "That's Homer Simpson, sir. One of your (nickname) from sector 7G"

* {{Catchphrase}}:

'''Apu:''' ...most popular movies of all time, sir! WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?! ...I mean, [[CatchPhrase thank you, come again]].

* {{Catchphrase}}: "Worst. (insert noun here). Ever."

* TheGlomp: He has a tendency to clamp onto people during emotionally charged moments. Examples include "Blood Feud," when he gratefully gives Bart a big hug when the boy agrees to donate blood to a sick Mr. Burns, and again in the same episode, when he bursts into tears and hugs one of Burns' hired goons, as he tells him that Homer helped save Mr. Burns' life.
** In a deleted "Who Shot Mr. Burns" scene, he gives Mr. Burns a big hug when his boss wakes up from his coma.

->'''Voiced by:''' ''"Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song"''

->'''Voiced by:''' ''"Bart the General"''

* CigaretteOfAnxiety: He doesn't smoke very much, but he's shown doing so when he's particularly upset. Examples include "Who Shot Mr. Burns", when he goes on a bender after being fired by Burns; "Homer The Smithers" when he's desperate to find a temporary replacement as Burns's assistant who won't outshine him; and "Sideshow Bob Roberts", where he's clearly torn between having to go behind Burns's back to get Sideshow Bob removed as Mayor of Springfield, and what Bob's mayoralty could mean for himself and other gays.

* BeardOfSorrow: Well, sort of. He grows a five o'clock shadow when he [[spoiler: believes he shot Mr. Burns]]. He is clean-shaven again at the end of the episode.

%%* EvilCripple: Well, maybe not outright "evil", but certainly not on the up-and-up.%%Because...?