This page will list the characters of Dead Head Fred with as much information as can be gathered, meaning its contents are inevitably subject to change.
Protagonist
Fred
Once a private investigator, Fred was working on a special case: the sudden disappearance of Hope Falls' benefactor, Vinni Rossinni. When he was getting close to cracking the case, he was approached by Ulysses S. Pitt and his goons and was shot for his trouble. Now reanimated by Dr. Steiner and headless, Fred reopens the case as he attempts to remember what happened the night he died, stop Pitt once and for all and get his head back.
- Anti-Hero: While he does help the townspeople of Hope Falls, he isn't too happy about his current predicament.
- Ass Shove: He threatens his opponents with a variant of this.
- Breaking the Fourth Wall: Fred starts doing this near the end of the game. He also does this during respawn screens and the interview at the end credits.Fred: This is bloodier than... than... ah fuck it, make your own damn analogy.
- Clothing Damage: Fred's starter suit has tears in the sleeves and trousers.
- Deadpan Snarker: Fred makes witty remarks whenever he can, though the same can be said for the other characters. Flashbacks show that Fred was always like this, and is not necessarily the result of post-mortem decapitation. The fact that most of the people he meets refuse to help him unless he does them a favor does not help Fred's behavior.
- Gave Up Too Soon: Fred gave up looking for his head when the Pitt Inc. sign crashed into the balcony, not knowing the head was lying underneath it.
- Good Is Not Nice: He's more concerned about having revenge against Pitt for taking his head than he is about saving Hope Falls from the zombies and mutants walking around, but he's a good guy nonetheless. He expresses sympathy for a man he tried to save in Zombietown and determined to stop Pitt as soon as possible to avoid more situations like these.
- Identity Amnesia: When Fred wakes up, he has forgotten many things such as his name, the case where he was working on, his partner, even his house. Fred spends the rest of the game visiting various locations in Hope Falls and it's neighboring locations in an attempt to "jog his memories".Steiner: So... you don't remember anything?Fred: No. To tell you the truth, my mind feels like it's been on a two-week blender. Everything's kinda hazy.
- Large Ham: Best example can be heard in the introductory scene.Fred: Yeah... but I'm a FREAK!!!
- Off with His Head!: This is the fate that befell Fred. According to Steiner, this same fate awaits those who oppose Pitt, keeping their heads as trophies.
- Sir Swearsalot: The most foulmouthed character of the game.
Secondary characters
Dr. Steiner
Dr. Friedrich Steiner is... well, was... one of Pitt's top scientists, until he found out about Pitt's intentions with the Nukular Power Plant that he helped put online. He retrieves Fred's brain and eyes in an attempt to persuade him to stop Pitt.
- Hint Dropping: Invoked. Dr. Steiner deliberately shouts out where Pitt will send him as an attempt to hint Fred where to go.
- Mad Scientist: He experiments on the deceased, has a machine in his lab that creates zombies and has a cemetery on his backyard. He even lets out a mad laugh when Fred is about to punch a zombie.
Sam Spade
Owner of the Head Shop franchise, he specializes in heads craftmanship and worms. Sam met Fred when the latter was wandering around Castle Steiner in search of the doctor. When Fred was unable to pay for Sam's services, Sam offered an alternative: Fred would give Sam 5 heads of an enemy type and bring them to Sam. In return, Sam would craft him a new head and also upgrade his head(s). He calls Fred whenever he enters a new town, telling him an opportunity to hunt down new enemies and bring him their heads.
- Noodle Incident: Sam remarks that Steiner did an excellent job on Fred compared to Steiner's previous experiments. Sam refuses to divulge further on this subject.Sam: Some of the other were real freaks when he finished with them...Fred: I'm sorry... Others?
Benny Salazar
Fred's partner, he was helping Fred on the Vinni Rossini case until he was approached by Pitt, saying he would pay off his (Benny's) gambling debts if he told Pitt where was Fred. Benny gave Pitt Fred's whereabouts, which resulted Fred getting shot.
- Drowning My Sorrows: This is the state in which Benny is found, feeling guilty for (unintentionally) having his partner killed. He spends the rest of the game trying to sober up in order to help Fred take down Pitt.
- Fair-Weather Friend: Benny didn't even bother to look for Fred when he found out that Pitt killed him.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Fred gives him one when Benny tells him that HE told Pitt where Fred was. Fred wasn't amused.Fred: Benny, Benny, Benny. You stupid son of a bitch. You actually believed a piece of shit like Pitt just wanted to talk to me?
Villains
Ulysses S. Pitt
- Faux Affably Evil: A radio interview has Pitt talking about how his new Nukular Power Plant is within "safety regulations" while verbally flipping off the inspectors who say otherwise. In the same sentence.
- The Man Behind the Man: While Lefty is the one who does the dirty work, Pitt is (presumably) the one who comes up with the plans. ( Lefty pulls the gun on Pitt's orders).
Lefty
Pitt's right hand man. Which is ironic, since Lefty is known for his... left hand.
- Hypercompetent Sidekick: A downplayed example. While Lefty doesn't make grandiose plans like Pitt, he often makes observations or suggestions on his own accord.
- The Dragon: Lefty is Pitt's right hand man.
Judy
Also known as Juju Judy, Judy is a necromancer who serves guard duty on Castle Steiner. She fell for Fred when she saw his (reanimated) state, trying to romance him in their first encounter. She comes backs when Fred goes to Gin & Tonic in Zombietown looking for his partner Benny, having her zombies drag Fred out of the bar for a rematch. She meets her end when Fred destroys the pillars holding a roof in which she was taking cover from, dying from her injuries but not before telling Fred what he wanted to know.
- Combat Sadomasochist: Implied.Judy: Maybe you will use your manly strength to beat the information out of me. That might be fun...
- Die Laughing: Overlaps with Laugh Themselves Sick. This is how Judy dies, having a faint laugh after seeing Fred get angry over the only piece of information she gives him ( a videotape), then wretches in pain and succumbs to her injuries.Judy: You're so 'andsome when you're angry... haha ha ha... NGGGGGH!
- I Love the Dead: Heavily implied with Juju Judy, since most of her interactions with Fred revolve around her trying to romance him, though Fred wants nothing to do with her.Judy: Information? What information? All the information you need is that this...(moves hands in an hourglass shape through her body)...is yours for the taking, dead man.Fred: Pass! Now cut the shit and tell me what I want to know.
- Ms. Fanservice: She has a cleavage that reveals her chest and her corset shows off her curves. She would be this, had it not been for the fact that she's dead, Axe-Crazy and Has a Type (dead people).
- The Vamp: Juju Judy tries to put the "romance" back in necromancer, but Fred isn't having any of it. She wouldn't look too bad if she wasn't all gray and with black veins standing out all over her body like she was dead several days, or had red Glowing Eyes of Doom.
