History Characters / Tron

* NotAsYouKnowThem: Following the events of the movie, CLU was rebuilt and vastly upgraded into a powerful Admin program who later became the BigBad of the [[Film/TronLegacy sequel]]. Some fans consider them the same character because they have the same name and actor, but they have very distinct functions and characterization. Others refer to this CLU as "CLU 1.0" and the ''Film/TronLegacy'' one as "CLU 2.0"

* TheChick: Definitely the emotional anchor for the group inside the Grid and no apparent combat ability.
* ChuckCunninghamSyndrome: Is never mentioned in any media after the first movie, director Joseph Kosinski assured fans that she's alive and well during the events of ''Film/TronLegacy''.
* CombatAndSupport: She isn't a warrior. That's Tron's job. However, she handles diplomacy (getting Dumont to help), piloting (building and flying the Solar Sailer), and some of the planning (the deleted scene)

* TheEngineer: She designed and helped to build the Solar Sailer that gets them out of the city and most of the way to the fight with Master Control.

* BadassBookworm: Ram seems pretty damn good at the gladiator games he was forced into despite being an actuarial program with no security features.

* NiceGuy: Imagine a friendly neighborhood insurance agent who genuinely loves his job helping people. He might be the most uncorruptable guy in the whole franchise.

** YouHaveOutLivedYourUsefulness: However, the MCP decides to just merge their functions into itself, making Dumont and the other I/O software unnecessary.

* ObiWanMoment: Sark's troops storm the gates of his tower, intending to arrest him and drag him to certain de-rez. He calmly (but sarcastically) addresses Sark as just another Program seeking communion with a User.

* NiceGuy: All of his actions are good and nice and even when he's on edge the strongest word he will use is "frustrated". He even lets a coworker have some of his popcorn when he's in a bad mood.

** Also to Alan Kay, a computer software pioneer, and co-writer Bonnie [=McBird's=] husband

* TechnicianVersusPerformer: He's anything but flashy or charismatic, withers if put in the spotlight, and the most cautious of the trio. However, it's ''his'' software that actually stands a chance of shutting down Master Control. [[spoiler:And even ''twenty years of brainwashing'' couldn't completely override all the safeties Alan put in.]]

* XanatosGambit: As an EstablishingCharacterMoment! He's called up to Dillinger's office and talks about the software he's working on. Oh, yes. It's an independently-run security monitor software. Yes, he's been working on it for a while and submitted the proper memos. Yes, he's kept Gibbs informed. Oh, it will watch dog Master Control. Yes, it's capable of shutting down Master Control. Is there a problem? If Dillinger and Master Control destroyed Tron without firing Alan, it would draw suspicion and Alan could try again. If they fired Alan, then it would likely cause Gibbs to investigate, which would expose them. If Alan were allowed access to Tron (which happened), they would also get exposed and shut down. No matter what, Alan would win. Master Control's only real option was to speed up the timeline on taking over both ends of the Cold War while Dillinger tried to lean on Gibbs.

* OhCrapSmile: {{Downplayed|Trope}} during his "talk" with Alan right after Alan drops the bombshell that, yes, his software will run independently. And oh, yes. Said software ''can'' disable Master Control. Dillinger slaps on his best fake smile, says [[BlatantLies "sounds good"]] and hustles Alan out of the office ASAP.

* StealingTheCredit: Hacked into Flynn's files, stole all the data on the games he developed then presented them as his own.

* HotScientist: She's brilliant as the co-inventor of the digitizing laser and is horned after in-universe by Flynn and Alan. See above for how that turned out.

* SmallRoleBigImpact: On screen for roughly ten minutes, and effectively written out of the sequels (dead in [[VideoGame/TronTwoPointOh one canon]], stuck in Washington DC [[Film/TronLegacy for the other]]) but ''she'' co-invented the laser that got the whole franchise started, she was the one who persuaded Alan that they needed to warn Flynn, and she came up with the plan to break them into Encom and become a team of three. Oh, and wrote Yori on top of all that.

An ENCOM scientist. Gibbs founded ENCOM, originally running it out of his garage, before Dillinger took over, and doesn't approve of Dillinger's methods.

* ForScience : He was so happy to be working in a lab with his laser project that he all but handed Dillinger the company he built.

* BigGood: Created by Lora and Alan to curtail Master Control's unmitigated power. He gets sent to the Game Grid to die for his efforts but is notoriously difficult to kill.
* BruiserWithASoftCenter: Yes, he's the biggest badass in {{cyberspace}}. He's also a very loyal and sweet guy. He's visibly shaken when it looks like Flynn and Ram were killed. When he's running through the city, an urgent call from his User pending, he goes to rescue his girlfriend first (and if you believe that DeletedScene, go back to her place for a while). His VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII incarnation is even more so.

* DorkKnight: Yup. Badass in a combat arena and a completely earnest, sweet-natured ''dork'' when the discs aren't flying.

* HappilyMarried: Or the [[RoboRomance Program equivalent of such]] with Yori in the same way that Alan and Lora are. Given much more detail in the {{Novelization}}. [[note]] No word on what happened to her in the Film/TronLegacy timeline other than WordOfGod saying she is still alive. [[/note]]

* ReligiousBruiser: Bordering on ThePaladin. He explicitly states that he fights for [[TheMaker Users]], particularly his creator, Alan. Much of the reason he was sent to the Games was because he refused to abandon that faith. [[spoiler:It's probably dimmed significantly come the ''WesternAnimation/TronUprising'' era]].
* SupportingLeader: Tron is the title character and the action hero but it's really Flynn's show.
* ThreeLawsCompliant: Will not injure a User, or by inaction allow Users to come to harm? Check. [[spoiler:This is a big plot point in the sequel.]] Obeys orders given by Users unless it comes into conflict with the first law? Check. Will fight to preserve his own life ''unless'' it comes into conflict with the first two directives? [[spoiler:Check, and tragically so]].

* BadassBoast: "No one User wrote me. I am worth millions of their man years."
* BigBad: The main antagonist of the film who rules his network with an iron fist, and plans on expanding to others.
* BigBadDuumvirate: With Ed Dillinger. He serves the antagonist in the computer world.

* HugeHolographicHead: And the UncannyValley is Grand Canyon deep, emphasizing what undiluted NightmareFuel he is to the programs. Although upon his final defeat, [[spoiler:the holographic walls come down to reveal his original true form- an incredibly aged chess program whose face slowly fades out, as Dumont had noted prior; see InstantAiJustAddWater entry.]]

* NotSoStoic: [[spoiler:When Sark is killed, the MCP is visually audibly distressed and saddened.]]
* OrcusOnHisThrone: Zig-zagged. MCP is adept at navigating the world's computer systems, setting the Kremlin and Pentagon as his next targets. In cyberspace, however, he's physically limited to the building he inhabits and to Sark's interface on board the carrier. He relies on underlings to carry out his will and monitor the day-to-day operations of his world. In the movie's climax, [[spoiler:Sark has to physically defend MCP against Tron. MCP can only raise shields around his base to defend himself.]]

* TheStoic: The MCP never wavers in his cool, deep voice whether he is threatening or giving basic instructions.

* NerdsAreSexy: Flynn is played by a young Jeff Bridges who changes shirts for the audience in once scene. In-universe he is noted for dating Lora and having an appreciative fan base based on his charisma and gaming skills.
* PlayfulHacker: His opening scene is trying to hack into Encom, and his orders to CLU 1.0 indicate he's used his computer skills for a few unsavory purposes.

* SarcasmMode: This mode is his default "on" mode and makes snide remarks to his friends, allies, enemies and ''doors''.

* CorruptCorporateExecutive: He stole the plans for several of Flynn's games and passed them off as his own. He shows himself to be unethical and dishonest throughout the film. Toward the end of the movie, it is implied that he even [[spoiler:stole the original MCP from Gibbs, when we see the MCP's core has Gibbs's face]].

* CorruptCorporateExecutive: He stole the plans for several of Flynn's games and passed them off as his own. He shows himself to be unethical and dishonest throughout the film.

* DespairEventHorizon: She hits it briefly when the Sailer is destroyed, she sees Dumont being dragged away to certain de-rez, Tron's apparently dead, and Flynn's imprisoned with her. Flynn talks her out of it.

* EvenEvilHasStandards: Dillinger balks when MCP expresses desire to hack into the Pentagon and Kremlin.

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Is shown to have survived the Recognizer crash unharmed, but then flies off and disappears and isn't seen again for the rest of the movie.

* NayTheist: Although his public position on the matter is less NayTheist and more "[[FlatEarthAtheist Users don't exist]], period".

* EstablishingCharacterMoment: TRON's Badass cred is established in his very first appearance, where he is seeing taking on four other Programs in a blatantly-unfair disc duel... ''and wins.'' Then he raises his disc to the sky, as if dedicating his victory to the Users.

** Dillinger also gets this when the MCP casually mentions that it plans to take over both [[TheGreatPoliticsMessUp the Pentagon and the Kremlin]].

->'''Portrayed by:''' Cindy Morgan

->'''Portrayed by:''' Barnard Hughes

->'''Portrayed by:''' Cindy Morgan

->'''Portrayed by:''' Dan Shor

->'''Portrayed by:''' Barnard Hughes

->'''Portrayed by:''' Peter Jurasik

* TechnicianVersusPerformer: He's anything but flashy or charismatic, withers if put in the spotlight, and the most cautious of the PowerTrio. However, it's ''his'' software that actually stands a chance of shutting down Master Control. [[spoiler:And even ''twenty years of brainwashing'' couldn't completely override all the safeties Alan put in.]]

* SmallRoleBigImpact: On screen for roughly ten minutes, and effectively written out of the sequels (dead in [[VideoGame/TronTwoPointOh one canon]], stuck in Washington DC [[Film/TronLegacy for the other]]) but ''she'' co-invented the laser that got the whole franchise started, she was the one who persuaded Alan that they needed to warn Flynn, and she came up with the plan to break them into Encom and become a PowerTrio. Oh, and wrote Yori on top of all that.

* ZeroesAndOnes: Acted as a sidekick to the hero and could only say "yes" or "no" (with a corresponding shape-change).

* TrappedInAnotherWorld: Ends up physically [[TeleportersAndTransporters digitized]] into {{Cyberspace}} by the DeusEstMachina Master Control Program.

* ''VideoGame/TronTwoPointOh''

For characters that debuted in ''Film/TronLegacy'' and tropes that apply to characters here that also appeared in the sequel, please see [[Characters/TronLegacy that movie's page]]. See also the [[Characters/TronUprising character page]] for ''WesternAnimation/TronUprising.'' Characters from ''[[VideoGame/TronTwoPointOh Tron 2.0]]'' also [[Characters/TronTwoPointOh have their own page]].

->'''Appears in alternate continuities:''' ''Franchise/KingdomHearts''[[note]]Appears in ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'' and ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsDreamDropDistance Kingdom Hearts 3D]]''[[/note]]

[[quoteright:185:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/185px-Master_control_program-1-_8870.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:185:''"End of line."'']]

* GoOutWithASmile: After realizing Flynn is a User.

[[caption-width-right:267:"Greetings, programs!"]]

[[caption-width-right:239:"That's Tron. He fights for the Users."]]

[[caption-width-right:185:"End of line."]]

->'''Portrayed by:''' Bruce Boxleitner

->'''Portrayed by:''' David Warner

!!Walter Gibbs (Barnard Hughes)

->'''Portrayed by:''' Bruce Boxleitner