Napoleon Dynamite / Characters

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Main Characters

Napoleon

Napoleon Dynamite

The main protagonist of the film, Napoleon is a 16-year-old resident of Preston, Idaho, who fails to fit in with the rest of the sleepy town.

Adaptation Name Change: He was called Seth in the original Peluca short.
Author Avatar: Jared Hess says that Napoleon is an amalgamation of how he and his five brothers acted as teenagers.
Blatant Lies: Lies frequently about his skills and things he's supposedly done, like hunting wolverines. He even completely makes up a current events report about "Japanese scientists taking out the Lochness Monster with explosives prompting Scotland's local wizards to cast a protective spell" much to the silent ridicule of his classmates.
Butt-Monkey: Suffers quite a bit of misfortune in the film, getting picked on by bullies, suffering Groin Attacks from Pedro's bike and Rico's time machine, and getting rumors spread about him by Rico.
Character Catchphrase: Gosh! and (Friggin')Idiot!.
Cloud Cuckoo Lander: Has many strange beliefs and does many strange things.
Dull Surprise: Has only one facial expression throughout the entire film.
'80s Hair: Sports a hideous perm.
Girlfriend in Canada: His "girlfriend" couldn't make it to the dance because she's modeling in Oklahoma.
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: He's not a very pleasant person, but he genuinely befriends Deb and Pedro, and goes out of his way to help the latter become class president.
Kavorka Man: In the animated series Deb pines after him. He also manages to woo Kip's girlfriend and dates a Japanese exchange student.
Lovable Nerd: Despite his strange behavior and habits, he still manages to endear everyone with his willingness to help his fellow outcasts.
Meaningful Name: His name is Napoleon and (height aside) he has all the hallmarks of The Napoleon Complex such as belligerence, a disproportionate ego and a desperate urge to prove himself.
No Social Skills: Can't seem to hold a civil conversation with anyone.
Sanity Ball: Despite being a Cloudcuckoolander, he shares this with Pedro, being more rational than other characters.
Simpleton Voice: His really deep, monotonous voice.
Stereotypical Nerd: Napoleon isn't particularly smart or hard-working, but has all the cornerstones of a stereotypical nerd—No Social Skills, awkward posture, mouth breathing, a nasally voice, eccentric habits, thick Nerd Glasses, crappy fashion sense, and being very unpopular at school.
Terrible Artist: Draws a number of hideous pictures, though the ones of Trisha and the liger stand out.
Trademark Favorite Food: Tater tots. He even goes as far as to sneak some out of the cafeteria and eat them during class.
Verbal Tic: Frequently sighs/exhales loudly, being a mouthbreather and all.

Deb

Deborah "Deb" Bradshaw

Played by: Tina Majorino

A fellow high schooler, Deb is attempting to earn money for college by selling handicrafts and taking professional photos, which causes her to cross paths with Napoleon. She soon becomes friends with him and Pedro.

Adaptation Personality Change: In the movie Deb's interest in Napoleon didn't seem to extend beyond friendship. In the animated series she's clearly crushing on him. Deb is also slightly more extroverted.
Beware the Nice Ones: When Uncle Rico offers her breast enhancement supplements on the ruse that Napoleon suggested them for her, she doesn't mince words when she tells off Napoleon. She tells him she is comfortable with her body as it is and he can take those supplements himself.
'80s Hair: All her hairstyles, but particularly her side ponytail.
Emotionless Girl: Shows very little, if any, emotion.
No Social Skills: Clearly sounds uncomfortable when first talking to Napoleon.
She Cleans Up Nicely: Subverted during the dance, where she still looks dorky despite the change in dress and hairstyle. Played straight at the end, where she looks nicer after switching to a more conventional hairstyle.
Shrinking Violet: Deb is constantly on high alert, glancing around like a prey animal in an open field, and is inexperienced at handling any kind of conflict. She flees from an offhand "your mom" joke, accepts Pedro's prom invitation despite already having feelings for Napoleon, and later takes Rico at his word that Napoleon wants her to change her body for him.
The Not-Love Interest: To Napoleon, and to a lesser extent, Pedro. Their relationships never go beyond just being friends.
Tomboyish Ponytail: Sports a side ponytail for most of the film.
When She Smiles: Finally smiles at the end of the film, and it is quite pretty.

Pedro

Pedro Sanchez

Played by: Efren Ramirez

Pedro is the first friend we see Napoleon make in the film. A transfer student from Mexico, he struggles to fit in.

Composite Character: Of Giel and Pedro from Peluca, Jared Hess's original short that inspired the main film.
Dogged Nice Guy: To Summer, who turns down his request to go to the dance with him.
Dull Surprise: He shows no emotion at all, until he wins the class presidency.
Foreign Exchange Student: A transfer student from Mexico.
Gag Haircut: Ends up shaving his head after his head gets "hot", forcing him to get a wig from Deb.
Nice Guy: One of the nicest compared to the other characters.
Only Sane Man: The most normal of all the characters.
Sanity Ball: Shares this with Napoleon.
South of the Border: Hails from Juarez, Mexico.
When He Smiles: Finally smiles at the end, when he becomes class president.

Dynamite Family

Kip

Kipland "Kip" Dynamite

Played by: Aaron Ruell

Kip is Napoleon's unemployed 32-year-old brother, who spends all his time on the Internet talking to girls in chatrooms.

Aloof Big Brother: Tries to be this, but whatever advantage he has over Napoleon is pretty lame.
Big Brother Mentor: Once he has LaFawnduh in his life, Kip considerably mellows, and gives Napoleon some heartfelt advice near the end of the movie.
Character Catchphrase: Jeeze!
Effeminate Voice: Has a stereotypically gay lisp despite being straight.
Hollywood Tone-Deaf: Just listen to the song he sings in the after-credits scene.
Jerkass: Not to the same extent as Uncle Rico, but his know-it-all attitude towards Napoleon and that one snide jab he made about Deb's mother shows that he's kind of a dick.
Manchild: Still lives with his grandmother and doesn't have a real job at age 32.
Porn Stache: Combined with his oversized glasses and receding hairline, it makes him look more like Napoleon's dad than his brother.
Pretty Fly for a White Guy: He gets a gangsta makeover from LaFawnduh.
Sickening Sweethearts: With LaFawnduh.
Ugly Guy, Hot Wife: Marries the stylish, curvy LaFawnduh.
What the Fu Are You Doing?: Claims to be training to be a cage fighter, but if his "fights" with Rex and Napoleon are any indication, he hasn't got it.

Uncle Rico

Rico Dynamite

Played by: Jon Gries

Napoleon and Kip's uncle Rico is a former high school football player, who lives in a trailer van. His goal in life is to return to 1982, so he could take part in the big game he was forced to sit out and go professional. He is asked to look over Napoleon and Kip after their grandmother breaks her coccyx.

Adaptation Personality Change: Went from being an overconfident Jerk Jock in the film to being superstitious and occasionally submissive in the animated series.
The Antagonist: He’s not exactly a villain, but he is something of Napoleon’s primary enemy in the film. Rico is constantly rude, petty, arrogant, and manipulative every chance he gets.
The Benchwarmer: He was only a reserve player for his high school football team. As such, he didn't get the chance to play in the big game in 1982 that he's convinced could make him famous.
Cool Car: A 1975 Dodge Tradesman.
High-School Rejects: He never got over not playing that big high school football game back in 1982 and consequently has become a loser living on a trailer van, obsessing over what could have been.
I Coulda Been a Contender!: Parodied. He wants to go back in time to 1982 in order to play in the big game and become professional. As it turns out, he was a bench warmer.
Dirty Old Man: He tries to sell bust enhancers to Deb, Napoleon's classmates, and Rex's wife. The latter gets him beat up.
Jaded Washout: After failing the big game in 1982, he hasn't done anything with his life since.
Jerkass: He frequently talks down to and victimizes Napoleon, like hitting him with a steak or telling people nasty things about him.
Jerk Jock: Throws his weight around, due to being more masculine than his two nephews. One stand-out moment being when he took Kip's steak and lobbed it at Napoleon.
Malicious Slander: Spreads false rumors about Napoleon to his classmates.
No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: Karma catches up to Rico when Rex walks in on him giving a suggestive-looking sales pitch to Rex's wife, Starla. He gets a free sample of Rex Kwan Do offscreen.
Put Me In, Coach!: Coach left him on the bench during the big game in 1982. Rico wants to go back for a second chance, thinking that winning the game will make him famous.
Screams Like a Little Girl: When Napoleon pegs his van with a grapefruit while he's driving.
'70s Hair: A greasy brown helmet. Also goes with his Porn Stache, denim vest and wide lapels.
Snake Oil Salesman: Tries to sell herbal "bust enhancers".
Trademark Favorite Food: He's frequently seen eating steak.

Grandma

Carlinda "Grandma" Dynamite

Played by: Sandy Martin

Napoleon and Kip's grandmother.

Accent Upon The Wrong Syllable: Pronounces "quesadilla" as "quesa-dilluh".
Cool Old Lady: Goes quadbiking, despite her age, AND can beat many people a fraction of her age in the annual Preston Bed Race.
Grumpy Old Lady: In the TV series.
Named by the Adaptation: Her first name, Carlinda, is only given in the TV series.

Preston High School

Summer

Summer Wheatley

Played by: Haylie Duff

Summer is a popular girl at Preston High School, and Don's girlfriend. She runs as class president against Pedro during the latter half of the film.

Alpha Bitch: Downplayed. She has all the traits of a stereotypical Alpha Bitch, but other than a few cracks at Pedro, she doesn't really do anything villainous.
Politically Incorrect Villain: Makes a reference "chimini-changas" when disparaging Pedro's campaign in the finale.
Unnecessarily Cruel Rejection: After Pedro asks her to be his date to an upcoming school dance via a handwritten, carefully folded note, Summer returns a note of her own, which when unfolded just reads "NO" surrounded by dozens of exclamation marks.

Trisha

Trisha Stevens

Played by: Emily Kennard

A fellow classmate of Napoleon's, and one of Summer's friends. Napoleon asks her to the dance.

Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: Doesn't appear in the animated series.
Satellite Character: Other than being a friend of Summer and Napoleon's reluctant dance date, we don't see much else to her.

Don

Don Moser

Played by: Trevor Snarr (film), Jared Hess (TV series)

Don is a jock classmate of Napoleon's, who occasionally antagonizes him.

The Bully: To Napoleon.
Jerk Jock: Is dismissive toward Napoleon and his far-fetched stories.
Named by the Adaptation: The TV series gives his last name as "Moser".
Rich Bitch: A male example. In the TV series, his family is shown to be quite well-off.

Randy

Played by: Bracken Johnson

Randy is a Preston High School student who frequently bullies Napoleon.

The Bully: Frequently pushes around Napoleon and the other students.
Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: Doesn't appear in the animated series.

Principal Svadean

Played by: Tom Lefler

Svadean is the principal of Preston High School, seen occasionally throughout the film.

All There in the Script: His name is never mentioned in the film itself.
Dean Bitterman: Is rude to Pedro and dismissive of Mexican culture. The first thing we hear him say to Pedro is a speculation that he can't understand English. Pedro understands it just fine.

Other Characters

Rex

Played by: Diedrich Bader

A tae kwon do instructor in Preston, Napoleon and Kip briefly visit him after seeing an ad for his self-defense program.

Amazon Chaser: Happily married to Starla, a female bodybuilder bigger than Rex himself.
Large Ham: As seen during his demonstration.
"BOW TO YOUR SENSEI!"
Testosterone Poisoning: EVERYTHING about Rex is manly and tough. Even his wife!
"The strength...of a GRIZZLY! The reflexes...of a PUMA! And the wisdom...of a MAN!"
Wearing a Flag on Your Head: His American Flag pants and bandana.
What the Fu Are You Doing?: His "demonstration" with Kip raises a few eyebrows at his reputation.

Pedro's cousins

Pedro's cousins who drive around town in a cool car.

Gangbangers: Implied. They have characteristics associated with Hispanic cholo gangs such as tattoos and a lowrider car blasting loud music. They have an intimidating appearance and they threaten the school bully, Randy. They also apparently have "sweet hookups", according to Napoleon.
Neighborhood-Friendly Gangsters: They are kind to Pedro's friends and associates. They give a ride to Napoleon and Trisha, and they protect students from being bullied by Randy.

LaFawnduh

LaFawnduh Lucas

Played by: Shondrella Avery

Kip's girlfriend from Detroit. They eventually marry.

Alliterative Name: Her name before she marries.
Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: She is completely absent from the TV series and nobody mentions her. This is in spite of her marrying Kip in the film.
Happily Married: To Kip in The Stinger.
Satellite Love Interest: We don't know much about her, except that she is madly in love with Kip.
Small Role, Big Impact: She doesn't get much characterization, but she gives Napoleon the taped song that wins Pedro the class election.
Ugly Guy, Hot Wife: Marries the gangly, awkward Kip.

Characters / Napoleon Dynamite

Main Characters