Note: Some of the trope names are spoilers in and of themselves. Proceed at your own risk.
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Sal Fisher/Sally Face
The protagonist of the game, Sal is a young boy with pigtails who recently moved to a new apartment complex with his father. He wears a very obvious prosthetic face.
- Ambiguous Situation: It's unknown what exactly happened to his real face and what caused him to move in the first place.
- Bad Liar: Has trouble making stuff up on the fly. If Charlie refuses to drink any more tea in Episode 1, Sal's words of persuasion sound wonky, he stumbles over his words when trying to convince Neil that nothing supernatural is currently happening (and Neil notices that), and Larry flat-out tells him that he's bad at keeping secrets when Sal tries to deny knowing about Jim's fate.
- Befriending the Enemy: Offers friendship and support to Travis, despite being mocked and beaten by him.
- Cool Mask: Well, it's a prosthetic face, but it could count as a mask.
- Additionally, his friend, Larry Johnson, upon first meeting him, said that Sal's mask was cool before learning it was a prosthetic face.
- By the time of Episode 4 Sal has got an actual collection of cool masks, which can be seen in his bedroom.
- Creepy Child: Downplayed. His prosthetic face is really unnerving, and he doesn't seem too frightened by the weird things happening around the apartment complex. But otherwise, he's a chill and kind kid.
- Dark and Troubled Past: Sal's life is the stuff of nightmares. The game starts out with his mother dead and his face badly mauled to the point he has to wear a synthetic face. Cut to several years later, he's been accused of murder and nearly everyone he's cares about is dead or worse.
- Deadpan Snarker: He can be, though it's usually to himself (or the player).
- Eye Scream: Suffered one as part of his injury, since one of his eyes is artificial. Quite possibly suffers it again at the end of Episode 4 as a result of electrocution.
- The Faceless: We never see Sal's face. Even during shots where his face would be exposed, it's covered with his hair (or blood during the dream sequence at the beginning of Episode 2).
- When he gets executed at the end of Chapter 4 we can see he's missing a nose, has a misshapen lower jaw, and has a scar running diagonally across his mouth.
- Gender-Blender Nickname: Sally is a girl's name and was used by Sal's old bullies to make fun of him. Sal decided to embrace it and tells people he meets to call him "Sally Face."
- Girlish Pigtails: Even though Sal's a guy.
- Glass Eye: His right eye is artificial. This can be seen in close-ups — his pupils are different sizes and face different directions. By Episode 4 Sal has gathered a small collection of glass eyes in a variety of colors.
- I See Dead People: The Gear Boy bonus has him interact with the ghost of a young girl, and the homeless person who sleeps in 504 may also be a ghost, so that could also count. Starting with Episode 2, Sal interacting with ghosts becomes an integral part of the plot.
- Insult Backfire: His old bullies called him "Sally Face" to make fun of him. Sal decided to embrace the nickname to get back at the bullies and seems to have gotten into the habit of telling people that they can call him "Sally Face" if they want.
- Kindhearted Cat Lover: Friendly, nice, and has a pet cat. It's revealed in Episode 5 that Gizmo was assigned to him as a therapy animal.
- Missing Mom: It's heavily implied in the first episode that his mom died. Confirmed in Episode 2.
- Mysterious Past: We don't exactly know what happened to Sal's mother or what caused him to get a prosthetic face. The game heavily implies he was mauled by a dog.
- Completing the side puzzle in Episode 5 reveals the truth: he and his mother were attacked by a shotgun-wielding man in a dog mask. His mother died protecting him, and Sal's face was permanently disfigured by buckshot.
- Nice Guy: Polite, friendly, and always ready to help people if they need it.
- Older Than They Look: Sal is about Larry's age, who is obviously a teenager. He looks a lot younger than that, probably because of his short height. In Episode 4, despite being college age and having grown a bit, he's still the shortest of his friends.
- Only Known By His Nickname: Sally Face was a name his bullies from his old town used to insult him with, so in retaliation, he decided to own the name and tells people to call him that.
- Single Tear: Sheds one from his intact eye upon finding out that Ashley is going to testify against him in court.
- Unfazed Everyman: Sal (usually) doesn't freak out or even get scared at the strange things he sees in the apartment complex. He even talks to the ghosts like they're people he meets on the street!
- Viewer Gender Confusion: You won't be blamed if you thought Sal was a girl in the earlier parts of the game, considering his pigtails, short stature, and the fact that the game is titled "Sally Face."
Larry Johnson
A boy who lives in Addison Apartments basement. His mother Lisa works maintenance in the building. He and Sal become friends quickly.
- Arbitrary Skepticism: The paranormal investigations in Addison Apartments have made him question what he does and doesn't believe in. However if you choose to tell Larry the truth about his Disappeared Dad in Chapter 4, Larry will think Sal's just trying to make him feel better with a fantastical story where his dad is a hero.
- Big Brother Instinct: He's shown to be very protective over Sal as his best friend and eventual stepbrother. Even from beyond the grave he wants to help him.
- Creepy Shadowed Undereyes: Though he is not a bad guy. He didn't have those when he was a kid, so it might be an after-effect of his father's disappearance, general bad luck conga and seeing the Red-Eyed Demon.
- Dark Is Not Evil: He's a total Metalhead and a bit of a delinquent, but he's actually a pretty nice guy.
- Disappeared Dad: He's looking for his father Jim Johnson, who disappeared prior to the events of the game.
- Driven to Suicide: What ultimately seals his fate. Doesn't stop him from contacting Sal one last time. And coming back as a ghost.
- Embarrassing Nickname: "Lar-bear", courtesy of his mom.
- Half-Human Hybrid: Downplayed. His father is an alien, but virtually indistinguishable from human both in appearance and in genetics.
- Held Back in School: He's one year older than the rest of his friends, but is in the same grade due to spending some time in juvie after killing Mrs. Gibson's rabbit.
- Killed Offscreen: Larry commits suicide halfway through Episode 4. It doesn't stop him from trying to find a way to help out Sal.
- Master of Unlocking: Downplayed. He is usually the one to pick locks when the situation requires it, but can only pick the regular ones. Complex locks are up to Sal (and player) to figure out.
- Metalhead: Listens to heavy metal; he and Sal bond over headbanging to one of his songs. Also hits other checkboxes for the trope (long hair, band T-shirt, jeans with a chain, bedroom walls covered in band posters).
- Murder Is the Best Solution: Larry is the first to suggest killing Mrs. Packerton.
- Platonic Declaration of Love: Gives one to Sal in Episode 3 when they are about to be discovered trespassing the flat of a clearly dangerous tenant. The feeling is mutual. The "dying" part is then subverted, as it was just Ashley who walked in on them.
- Poster-Gallery Bedroom: The walls in his bedroom are covered with metal bands posters.
- The Stoner: Gets weed from Todd's father.
- Trauma Conga Line: Started when he accidentally blew up Mrs.Gibson's pet rabbit when playing with firecrackers. Then he encountered the Red-Eyed Demon, then his father disappeared without a trace, then, as a direct result, his mother stopped talking for a while, then he got into juvenile detention for blowing up the aforementioned rabbit, then he had to take summer classes due to missing school, then his bike got stolen...
- Tragic Keepsake: Carries around his dad's old lighter because he likes having some part of him with him.
Todd Morrison
Another boy who lives in Addison Apartments. Despite being interested in science, he is also interested in the paranormal.
- Agent Mulder: Instantly believes Sal's story about ghosts and assists him in his investigations.
- Death Seeker: Craves death after becoming possessed and reacts violently when denied one.
- Demonic Possession: All but stated to be a victim of this at the end of Episode 3, if Red Eyes, Take Warning is any indication. Confirmed in Episode 4.
- Gadgeteer Genius: Modified Sal's Gear Boy and electric guitar, turning them into a ghost-detecting device and an instrument for interacting with ghost world, respectively.
- Go Mad from the Revelation: In Episode 4 it is revealed that the cult kidnapped him and used him as a host for the Red-Eyed Demon. This event turned him into a straightjacket-bound raving lunatic.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Todd is easily the most level-headed out of the group. So when he calls Ashley crying so hard it borders on The Unintelligible, she realises that stuff has hit the fan for real.
- The Smart Guy: Tutors Ashley in maths on the weekends, and the go-to guy when a situation requires someone brainy.
- Smart People Wear Glasses: Definitely smart, and wears glasses all the time.
- Straight Gay: In Episode 3 Sal mentions that Todd is "super gay". You can also find a photo of Todd and Neil, his boyfriend, in Todd's locker. From what can be seen in Episode 4 trailer, Todd and Neil are living together.
Ashley "Ash" Campbell
A classmate of Todd who he tutors on the weekends. She quickly joins Sal's group of friends.
- Agent Scully: Is called the 'group skeptic' by Sally Face and says she doesn't believe in any of his ghost stories.
- Damsel in Distress: In Episode 3 she falls down the chute into the depths of Addison Apartments basement/cultist temple, and Sal, Larry and Todd have to find her.
- Gamer Chick: Implied: there's a Clumpy: The Mutant Monkey poster in her locker.
- Nice Girl: Is generally sweet, ready to stick up for her friends, and not in the slightest bothered by Sal's prosthetic, or what's underneath it for that matter.
- The Stoic: A variation; though she is fairly emotional, she never cries, even at events like her beloved grandma's funeral, which made her younger brother call her a "soulless monster". Which makes it all the more poignant when she breaks down in tears upon witnessing Sal's execution.
Chug Cohen
An overweight boy who lives in flat 303 in Addison Apartments.
- Big Eater: Usually waiting by the vending machine in the basement and asks a classmate if he could have her lunch in Episode 3.
- Cowardly Lion: Was terrified of going to the haunted flat 504, but still did so when Sal, who went to investigate, didn't come back in time, out of concern for him.
- His Name Really Is "Barkeep": As evidenced by this exchange:Sal: How did you get your nickname?Chug: Huh? What nickname?
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: He can be a bit gluttonous and greedy at times, but he does genuinely care about Sal and the rest of his friends.
- Sweet Tooth: Almost never seen without a chocolate bar or some other type of sweets.
Charley Mansfield
A middle-aged geek who lives in flat 204 of Addison Apartments.
- Demonic Possession: In Episode 2, Mrs.Sanderson's Super Gear Boy chapter reveals that Charley killed her while being possessed by the Red-Eyed Demon.
- Mistaken for Murderer: Sal and Larry sic the police on him due to believing that he was the one to murder Mrs.Sanderson. Years later, it turns out that he was innocent all along. Or so it seems.
- Proud to Be a Geek: Takes great pride in his collection of My Glitter Pony figurines.
Henry Fisher
Sal's father.
- Drowning My Sorrows: Was drinking heavily prior to moving into Addison Apartments, presumably due to what happened to his wife and son. Sal, upon walking in on his father sleeping, mentions that Henry is trying to go sober. As Sal is saying this, a flask can be seen just out of his line of sight.
- Functional Addict: It's made clear that Henry suffers from depression, and copes by consuming copious amounts of alcohol and sleeping pills. That said, this doesn't stop him from being a loving and supportive father to his son, and working hard to provide for them both.
- The Password Is Always "Swordfish": His computer password is 491145 - "Diane" spelled out in numbers.
- Second Love: Implied. He sent Lisa a bouquet of flowers, which you can find at her flat. Confirmed in Episode 4 - at some point between Episodes 3 and 4 Henry and Lisa got married and are now living together.
Diane Fisher
Sal's mother. She died prior to the events of the game.
- Lost Lenore: For Henry. She died when Sal was young, and Henry still needs sleep medication and is implied to still be drowning his sorrows.
Lisa Johnson
Larry's mother.
- Agent Scully: She believes that there's no such thing as ghosts or goblins, only people's overactive imaginations and too much sweets and scary movies.
- Mr. Fixit: A downplayed gender-flipped example. Lisa runs maintenance and cleaning in Addison Apartments.
- Second Love: Got married to Henry between Episodes 3 and 4.
- Strong Family Resemblance: Appearance-wise, Larry is almost a carbon copy of her.
- Tragic Stillbirth: It is mentioned in Jim's diary that Lisa had a stillborn daughter, which messed up their family for some time.
Terrence Addison
The reclusive owner of Addison Apartments.
- Affably Evil: Though it's unclear how much of this is acting on the part of the Endless One and how much is actually Terrance being a nice guy.
- And I Must Scream: Has just enough awareness to realise what's going on, but not enough to stop The Endless One.
- Dark and Troubled Past: Mrs.Rosenberg reveals that he lost his whole family, which caused him to leave his flat less and less out of fear and eventually turned him into a full-fledged shut-in. Expanded upon in Episode 4: it seems that Terrence had to kill all his family to prevent the spreading of cult influence.
- Eldritch Abomination: His true form.
- Hikkikomori: He doesn't leave his apartment and communicates with people through a mail slot.
- Pursue the Dream Job: Inverted. He wanted to open a tea house, but instead took over Addison Apartments out of respect for his father. Though he still brews tea for visitors (for free in Episodes 1 and 2, for a small fee starting from Episode 3).
- Self-Made Orphan: Is revealed to be this, though not out of his own volition.
- Spell My Name With An S: Is it Terrance or Terrence? Episode 2 suggests the former, while Episode 3 suggests the latter.
- Stepford Smiler: Downplayed. He mantains a cheerful persona, but is actually really timid.
- Yank the Dog's Chain: Gets these when people knock on his door - Terrence briefly snaps back to his senses, but then gets reminded by The Endless One that he's not the one in control.
Megan Holmes
A ghost of a 7-year-old girl, found in flat 504's bathroom.
- Cute Ghost Girl: A sweet and polite, if a bit shy, little girl.
- Remember the New Guy?: Came off as this to some of the players who didn't encounter her in Episode 1.
The Devourers of God (spoilers)
In general
A secret cult whose goal is to bring a demon into the physical plane.- Religion of Evil
- Would Hurt a Child: They believe that the "Abomination's Child" is prophesied to rise up and stop their plots so the cult carries out systematic mass murders of children around the globe.
The Red-Eyed Demon/The Plague of Shadows/The Void/The Devourer of God
- "THE CREATOR OF ALL THINGS DECAYS IN OUR BOWELS. ITS POWER IS SURGING THROUGH OUR VEINS."
- Ambiguous Gender: Uses plural pronouns when referring to as itself.
- Big Bad Duumvirate: The main source of trouble of the story, along with Kenneth.
- The Plague: It infects people, slowly devouring their souls.
Dogman/Kenneth Phelps
The leader of the cult and Travis's father.- Animal Motif: He is associated with dogs due to the strange dog-like mask he wears. He's the "dog" that killed Sal's mom and mutilated Sal.
- Big Bad Duumvirate: With the Demon, not counting that other than being the cult's leader he is also the one responsible for the death of Sal's mother and what happened to his face.
- Orcus on His Throne: Despite one of half of the Big Bad Duumvirate, he doesn't actually directly confront the heroes until the final chapter.
- Politically Incorrect Villain: He hates gay people and is why Travis is an Armoured Closet Gay.
Jim Johnson
Larry's father. He disappeared prior to the events of the game.- Alien Among Us: By finding all the notes in Episode 3, we discover that he was actually an alien who fled his home planet after an attack by the Red-Eyed Demon, him and his sister seeming to be the only survivors. He came to Earth and his sister later vanished, but he found solace in Lisa and made a family with her. But when the Red-Eyed Demon came to Earth, he joined The Devourers of God to gain more information. What happened to him after that and how he died, we don't yet know.
- Metalhead: Larry inherited his music tastes.
- Naturalized Name: He took a surname "Johnson" to better integrate into his new life; his old name is Zarinthkampta 42-79.
Mrs.Packerton
A math teacher at Nockfell High.- Evil Teacher: A regular, even reasonable, teacher by day, a cannibalistic serial killer by night.
- The Ghost: Only appears in person for less than half a minute at the beginning of Episode 3, despite being the most important character of the episode plot-wise.
- I'm a Humanitarian: Keeps some of the bologna in her regular fridge.
- Karma Houdini: Yes, she dies, but everyone remembers her as a beloved teacher. Only Sal and his friends know about her murders and her involvement with the cult.
- The Password Is Always "Swordfish": A math teacher using Pi digits as a code. Who would've guessed?
Travis Phelps
A former bully at Sal's school and son of Kenneth Phelps.
- Armoured Closet Gay: Despite spouting homophobic slurs, if you go out of your way to find him, you find out that he's secretly gay and vehemently trying to deny it. You can also find his love note for an unnamed guy in boys' restroom. Justified, since his father is oppressively religious.
- Berserk Button: His orientation seems to be one. Sal makes a suggestive quip about it and promptly gets decked in the face.
- The Bully: His introduction has him spout homophobic comments.
- Eating Lunch Alone: Contrary to his claim of having more friends that Sal will ever have, his only company during lunch is a bunch of church pamphlets.
- Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: Downplayed. He has this reaction if Sal offers to become friends with him."Why—Why are you being so nice to me?"
- Heel–Face Turn: If you choose the correct dialogue options when you catch him crying in the boys' restroom, he apologizes for being mean to Sal and his friends and reveals that he doesn't actually dislike them.
- Heroic Sacrifice: Stabs his father at the end of the series and sabotages the final ritual to close the Void at the cost of his own life.
- Missing Mom: Despite the player being able to learn little details about Travis's Dad (as he is the cult leader of The Devourers of God) through out the game, we never hear about his mother or if he even still has one.
- Hidden Depths: Actually deeply insecure and afraid of being outed as being gay, due to living in fear of his homophobic father.
- The Secret of Long Pork Pies: Is the only named character besides Chug (who would eat almost anything anyway) who actually enjoys the bologna sandwiches. Hopefully, without knowing of their origin.
