Character page for the Luc Besson's The Fifth Element.
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Main Characters
Korben
Korben Dallas
"Anybody else want to negotiate?"
Portrayed by: Bruce Willis
Dubbed by: Bernard Métraux (European French)
The protagonist. A former soldier of the elite special forces unit of the Federated Army, now a divorced cab driver. After meeting Leeloo, he has to go on a mission to save the world.
- Bruiser with a Soft Center: Leeloo brings it out in him.
- The Call Knows Where You Live: He initially tries to back out of the mission, but after Cornelius and Leeloo barge in to steal his tickets, he reluctantly decides to take it to go after them.
- The Comically Serious: At least in comparison to Ruby Rhod.
- Composite Character: Inspired by the futuristic taxi drivers S'Traks from Valérian and Harry Canyon from Heavy Metal.
- Deadpan Snarker: In true action movie hero fashion.
- Kindhearted Cat Lover: Our first sign that he's the hero is that he sweet-talks to his cat. He even gets needled that he prefers his cat to women.
- Majorly Awesome: He held the rank of Major in the Federated Army's Elite Special Forces.
- Men Are Uncultured: Subverted, he's utterly awestruck at the Opera. This is also a case of Enforced Method Acting. Bruce Willis never saw this performance before it was filmed and was naturally moved by it.
- One Riot, One Ranger: Korben is the government's choice to go retrieve the stones "discreetly," instead of sending an entire team. Justified by General Munro in that he's a former member of one of the finest units in the Federated Army, he's the most decorated soldier in the entire unit (meaning if anyone can do it he can), and he's the Sole Survivor of the unit (so they can't exactly go ask the others).
- Retired Badass: Has recently left the army. General Munro is assigned to bring him back for One Last Job.
- Sexy Backless Outfit: In an uncommon male example, one of Korben's T-shirts has a cut-out at the back.
- Sleeves Are for Wimps: At times wears an orange or grey sleeveless shirt (perfectly expected).
- Sole Survivor: Apparently the only member of his highly-elite special forces unit that's still alive, which is the final reason why he's being offered the mission by General Munro.
- The Taxi: He drives one, after retiring from the military six months ago. We find him very close to losing that job; finding Leeloo pushes him over that edge.
- Xtreme Kool Letterz: Instead of, say, "Corben".
Leeloo
Leeloominaï Lekatariba Lamina-Tchaï Ekbat De Sebat / Leeloo
"What's the use in saving life when you see what you do with it?"
Portrayed by: Milla Jovovich
Dubbed by: Barbara Kelsch (European French)
The titular Fifth Element, the supreme being who is needed to save the Earth from destruction.
- Action Girl: When she gets into a fight, you'd better pray she doesn't close the distance. The only time she loses a fight is when she goes up against Zorg wielding the ZF-1, who doesn't let up on the firepower.
- Action Girlfriend: She's an Ultimate Lifeform that was bred for war.
- Anthropomorphic Personification: As the Fifth Element, she is essentially life personified.
- Artificial Person: Was created by the Mondoshawan; prior to her reconstruction in a human government hospital, she was in fact treated as nothing more (or less) than the focal point of an elemental Converging-Stream Weapon.
- Badass Adorable: Leeloo is cute, innocent, has No Social Skills and no nudity taboo and is perfectly capable of breaking every bone in your body without breaking a sweat. Which she will do if you cross her, and especially come damn close to doing if you kiss her "without her permission."
- The Beautiful Elite: Fittingly of course, the most perfect life form in the Universe would be the most perfect beauty as well.David: (after witnessing Leeloo strip in front of him) Wow, they really did make her...
Cornelius: Perfect, yes I know. - Beware the Nice Ones: She's kind, sweet, playful, and devoted to protecting all life...but if you piss her off, she can take down an entire platoon by herself.
- Big Eater: Likely a byproduct of the regeneration process, but holy HELL, Leeloo was hungry! She polishes off an instant roast chicken, dumps the bones in the trash, and immediately goes back for another.
- Birthmark of Destiny: Has the symbols for the four elements on her wrist. As her hand was the only part of her body that survived a space battle, and she was reconstituted from that, she may have had other markings originally.
- Break the Cutie: The moment she learns about human's history and propensity for war.
- Clone Jesus: Though she isn't really cloned per se.
- Cosmic Keystone: She is one part of it, along with the four-set stones.
- Cute Bruiser: She is tiny, but she is strong enough to break out of a "bulletproof" glass sarcophagus and knock out a dozen Mangalores in hand-to-hand combat and tough enough to survive crashing through the roof of Dallas's cab.
- Element No. 5: A personified version.
- Expy: Was based on Laureline from Valérian.
- From a Single Cell: Leeloo is regenerated from a hand in a glove with a few living cells remaining.
- Glass Cannon: As described by the Diva, Leeloo is more fragile than she seems; she can fight, but she can be hurt, and her heart is even more vulnerable than her body.
- Innocent Fanservice Girl: No qualms on stripping and changing clothes in front of men.David: They certainly made her...
Vito: Perfect. Yes, I know. - Instant Expert: Learns English in the space of about a day, by speed-reading the 23rd century equivalent of the Encyclopedia Britannica.
- Kick Chick: During the fight scene with the Mangalores. One high kick to a Mangalore's chin was actually done with a prop leg because Mila Jovovich couldn't bend her leg that far.
- Klaatu Barada Nikto: She says "Klaatu Barata Nikto" shortly after getting into Korben's cab in the novelization.
- Laser-Guided Tyke-Bomb: Acts very naive and flighty at times, but when it's time for business, just pray you're on her side and not her enemy.
- Love Be a Lady: She is implied to be Love, and when it is synthesized with the use of biotechnology, it takes on the form of a beautiful woman called Leeloo. Luc Besson later clarified that the Fifth Element is actually sex, or more specifically the ability for life to reproduce. Leeloo being female and carrying enough genetic data to sustain thousands of species were hints that Leeloo's role as a protector was intended to be more motherly than warrior.
- Martial Pacifist: She's horrified as she learns what humanity has done historically, but she knows how to kick ass when necessary.
- Motor Mouth: Most of her lines in the Ancient Language, especially when she says her full name.
- Ms. Fanservice: In her iconic thermal bandages costume mostly, but she tends to provide Fanservice in her other costumes.
- Mysterious Waif: She is just some girl who falls into Korben's cab while running away from a government experiment.
- Name That Unfolds Like Lotus Blossom: Her full name translates to "Precious Stone of the Earth, Defender of Light and Life, the Honorable".
- Naked on Arrival: Justified, since her whole body was regenerated From a Single Cell and the machine cannot replicate clothes.
- Offhand Backhand: Caps off her fight scene on Fhloston Paradise by smashing one into a Mangalore's jaw.
- Older Than They Look: Granted Leeloo's current body looks to be in its mid 20's or so. But her spirit has been around a long time if she's fighting evil every 5,000 years.
- Overly Long Name: Her full name (Leeloominaï Lekatariba Lamina-Tchaï Ekbat De Sebat), on top of being in an alien language, is more of a phrase than an actual name so Korben just narrows it down to "Leeloo". "Ekbat De Sebat" is actually her title; the rest of it translates as a description of what she was created to do.
- Phlebotinum Girl: She's the ultimate being, created for the sole purpose of unlocking the full power of the stones to bring the Light of Creation to give life where there is none, and to combat evil. Even her DNA is like a human, but far more complex and clearly engineered.
- Readings Are Off the Scale: Leeloo's DNA has over 200,000 "memogroups," as opposed to a normal human's 40.
- Really 700 Years Old: Granted Leeloo's current body looks to be in its mid 20's or so. But her spirit has been around a long time if she's fighting evil every 5,000 years.
- Really Was Born Yesterday: Is literally Born Yesterday as a fully developed adult woman but has the behaviour, intelligence and attitudes of a young child.
- Samus Is a Girl: Everyone who has knowledge of the supreme being assumes that she is male until they meet her.
- Sci-Fi Bob Haircut: Has unnaturally bright orange bobbed hair. Unusually for this trope, it's fairly messy.
- Shout-Out: Her red hair is one to Laureline, the co-protagonist of Valérian.
- Stripperiffic: The "thermal bandages" outfit.
- Vibrant Orange: Has bright orange hair and is a playful, innocent young woman.
- Waif-Fu: She wipes out an entire group of Mangalores with nothing but martial arts moves.
- What Beautiful Eyes!: One of the more attractive features Korben mentions to Finger when he dreamily describes his "Big Fare" are Leeloo's striking blue eyes.
- What the Hell, Hero?: When Cornelius resorts to cracking Korben on the back of the head with his military trophy in order to get his tickets, Leeloo spends their time exiting the apartment angrily shouting at him in her language, clearly not pleased that he did that. To his credit, Cornelius does say he's not proud of that, but they don't have time with the fate of the world at stake.
- World's Most Beautiful Woman: She was explicitly designed to be perfect.
- You No Take Candle: She learns English to communicate with the rest of the cast, her delivery starts stilted and she becomes more comfortable with the language as the film goes on.
Zorg Industries
Zorg
Jean-Baptiste Emmanuel Zorg
"Empty. The opposite of full. This case is supposed to be full! Anyone care to explain?"
Portrayed by: Gary Oldman
Dubbed by: Dominique Collignon-Maurin (European French)
The Corrupt Corporate Executive in charge of the MegaCorp that seems to already control much of Earth, Zorg aids Mr. Shadow in finding the stones to destroy the Earth, selling out his race in return for a massive payment.
- Arms Dealer: He is a primary supplier for the Federated Army, and has no problem handing out weapons on the side for the Mangalores to continue their own little war.
- Ax-Crazy: His reaction to any slight is to kill whoever does it, usually via explosion or gunfire. It's a perfect showcase of how grateful he is for Father Cornelius saving his life that he decides to spare him.
- Bad Boss: He neglects to tell the Mangalores who failed him what the red button on the ZF-1 does, leading to their death, and later kills an employee for failing to get on board the ship to Fhloston.
- Beware the Silly Ones: Zorg gets some pretty wonky scenes, including one where he nearly chokes to death on a cherry while giving a big villain speech, but shows time and time again that there's no low he won't stoop to if there's a profit in it, from laying off a million taxi drivers, to murdering his Mangalore soldiers who fail him, to even trying to help Shadow destroy the Earth for a payday.
- Card-Carrying Villain:Vito Cornelius: You're a monster, Zorg.
Zorg: I know. - Catchphrase: "I know".
- Character Death: He is killed when he returns to Floston Paradise to resume his search for the elemental stones. After defusing the bomb he'd set earlier, one of the Mangalores uses their dying breath to trigger the dead-man switch on their own bomb.
- Cry Laughing: Brilliantly done when he opens the chest that he thought contained the alien elemental stones and it's empty.
- Combat Pragmatist: When faced with Action Girl Leeloo, he simply keeps shooting at her with the ZF-1, giving her no opportunity to mount a counterattack on him.
- Corrupt Corporate Executive: He owns a huge MegaCorp that has holdings in everything from weapons manufacturing to starships to taxi companies. In fact, the Supreme Council comes to him directly and asks him to fire half a million employees in order to help the economy.
- Deep South: At least, his accent seems to imply that he's from the region.
- The Dragon: He reports directly to Mr. Shadow, who has assigned him to gather the stones so that Shadow can destroy the Earth. Despite being a subordinate to the Eldritch Abomination, Zorg is The Heavy of the film, with his boss having next to no screen time and even fewer lines.
- Dragon with an Agenda: It's painfully obvious Zorg sees Shadow as nothing but another payday, without any real loyalty to his boss. While Shadow sees the destruction of Earth and ending life as some sort of purpose he must fulfill, Zorg just intends to profit off the mass death and destruction, knowing his boss will pay handsomely for his assistance.
- Evil Cripple: A mild example. He has a slight limp and Cornelius makes mention of it. Every other footstep from him also seems to have something of a metallic sound to it, suggesting that one of his legs may be prosthetic.
- Evil Virtues: When Vito saves his life, Zorg doesn't have the man executed for either his berating speech or unhelpful behavior. He lets the man go.
- Faux Affably Evil: His southern charm and politeness only serves to enhance his cruelty.
- Handicapped Badass: While he has a distinct limp, he's an impressive gunfighter. Zorg even managed to critically injure Leeloo in the final third of the movie.
- The Heavy: The villain who drives the action of the film, with "Mr. Shadow" as the actual Big Bad.
- I Owe You My Life: He considers himself indebted to Father Cornelius after the latter saves him from choking to death on a cherry, though he makes it clear that he considers the debt to be repaid by letting Cornelius leave alive.
- Ironic Name: All other factors aside, his given names (Jean-Baptiste Emanuel) are incredibly inappropriate for an insane weapons magnate with a fetish for "creative destruction".
- Large Ham: Since Evil Is Hammy (as he presents the ZF-1, Gary Oldman even winks at the camera).
- Laughably Evil: Yes, he's a nasty and cruel scumbag, but also a funny one.
- Little "No": Zorg's reaction when he spots the Mangalores' bomb.
- Meaningful Name:Employed ironically with his personal names — "Jean-Baptiste Emmanuel", (French for John the Baptist and Romanized Hebrew for "God with us") — are incredibly ill-suited for a Corrupt Corporate Executive who's trying to end the world for his own selfish reasons.
- Missing Steps Plan: Plans to make money cleaning up after the universe is destroyed and doesn't seem to realize he'll be destroyed with it. Even if it is only Earth being threatened as he seems to believe, it's questionable how the return could possibly exceed his losses given that he owns a significant percentage of the planet's economy.
- Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: Not that either one is aware of their involvement in the plot, but Zorg winds up firing a million Taxi Drivers from his employ; one of whom was Korben Dallas.
- Not-So-Harmless Villain: He's a Large Ham who fills part of the movie with comical sketches... and he's also a deranged money obsessed man willing to sacrifice his entire homeland for a quick buck. He also almost kills Leeloo, the only chance the World has to survive.
- Oh, Crap!: He gets this when one of the Mangalores activates the backup countdown on their bomb.
- Pet the Dog: When a captive Vito stops him from choking to death, Zorg at least has the courtesy to have him released in payment, saying that he won't kill him on this occasion.
- Powerful and Helpless: For a brief moment, all of Zorg's wealth and power and influence counts for nothing when he chokes on a cherry and there's nobody to save him but his enemy.
- Right-Hand Cat: Is seen sitting in his office petting a little alien creature (apparently named Picasso) that looks like a little elephant.
- Rummage Sale Reject: From the plastic thing that covers half his head to his colorful clothes, Zorg's just not hard to notice.
- Sissy Villain: For a man who commands fear he really isn't much of a physical threat to anyone.
- The Sociopath: He's willing to let the Earth and all the people who inhabit it to be destroyed by a supernatural malignant force simply for profit and power. Even his men are not safe from him.
- Southern-Fried Genius: A villainous variation.
- Spared by the Adaptation: In the novelization, he survives the hotel exploding by creating a forcefield around himself. He lands on an iceberg on an uncharted part of the planet, then his phone battery dies as he's calling for help.
- Straw Nihilist: His entire life philosophy is based around the idea that life is destruction, chaos and disorder.
- The Unfettered: In order to fulfill his greedy scheme he has no qualms in making a deal with The Ultimate Evil in order to destroy all life on Earth in exchange for a high price or disposing of his men when they're not more useful to him or they fail him.
- Unflinching Walk: Though he actually stops just prior to the explosion, Zorg qualifies when he tricks the Mangalores into blowing themselves up. He doesn't even flinch at the big boom in the tunnels, while his assistant freaks out.
- The Unfought: Korben never faces Zorg directly — in fact, the two never even see each other at any point in the movie. The closest they come is just barely missing each other once on Fhloston.
- Villain Ball: He helps bring on the end of the universe, intending for his MegaCorp to make money cleaning up the damage despite the fact that he and anyone who could pay him would be destroyed with it.
- A Villain Named "Z__rg": Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg. Especially significant as the whole movie is a reconstruction of sci-fi movies and comics of the 1970s and 1980s.
- Villainous Breakdown: Zorg has one surprisingly early when the Mangalores fail to deliver the stones. He then has an even bigger one when he himself fails, though this is justified as he knows what will happen if he fails Mr. Shadow.
- Wicked Cultured: He previously visited Vito claiming to be an art dealer and asked questions about the stones. His office is also decorated with what appear to be alien sculptures.
Aknot
Aknot
"We risked our lives! I believe a little compensation is in order!"
Portrayed by: Clifton Lloyd Bryan (Mangalore), Vladimir McCrary (human)
The leader of the Mangalores, a mercenary race hired by Zorg to find the sacred stones.
- Bald of Authority: His human guise is bald and he is the Mangalore leader.
- Boom, Headshot!: Shot by Korben after demanding that someone enter to negotiate.
- Dragon with an Agenda: Aknot and his team were hired by Zorg to retrieve the stones, but failed to do so. When Zorg fails to tell them about "the little red button," they decide to take the stones for themselves.
- Keystone Army: According to Korben, Mangalores give up without a leader. Aknot's death leads the group to surrender.
- Made of Iron: He was caught in the very same explosion that presumably killed quite a few of his fellow Mangalores, but escaped alive if injured. Even then, he's not so hurt that he can't take part in the battle on the cruise ship.
- Old Soldier: He's considerably older and more scarred than the other Mangalores.
- Proud Warrior Race Guy: The Mangalores were recently in a conflict with the Federation and were effectively scattered into the wind. They're working for Zorg in exchange for weapons to continue their fight. Zorg can barely hide his disgust.
- Space Orcs: Mangalores are ugly, brutish spacefaring mercenaries with a generically warlike culture, hired by the Big Bad to attack the Big Good, steal the MacGuffin, and generally cause havoc.
- The Usual Adversaries: The Mangalores seem to have a legitimate grievance with humanity, since they're always violently attacking humans throughout the movie. The last words any of them speak are "for the honor".
- You Are in Command Now: He assigns his second-in-command, Arkanit, to infiltrate the cruise ship. When they fail to take Korben's identity, Aknot reassumes command to seize the ship by force.
The Priesthood
Cornelius
Father Vito Cornelius
"I try to serve life. And you seem to want to destroy it."
Portrayed by: Ian Holm
Dubbed by: Michel Ruhl (European French)
The priest who studied the prophecy of the Fifth Element.
- Badass Preacher: Barely fights, but has shades of this.
- Faint in Shock: When Korben brings Leelo to him and shows him the birthmark on her wrist, he faints at the realization that she is the "Supreme Being" his order has awaited for so long.
- Legacy Character: The priest seen at the beginning of the movie in 1914 promises those taking away the stones that he would pass down the information so Earth would be ready for their return. Presumably, Vito is of that line of priests and apprentices.
- Nervous Wreck: Not as bad as David, but he is extremely twitchy when he tries to hold Korben at gunpoint and demand his tickets.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: He could have saved everyone a lot of trouble by standing idly by and letting Zorg choke to death on the cherry. But of course, that would have meant compromising his principles.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: He delivers one to Zorg right before saving his life.
- Save the Villain: When Zorg chokes on a cherry in his presence, he delivers the saving slap to his back, but not before pointing out how powerless Zorg is in that moment.
- Secret-Keeper: The keeper of the secrets of the Fifth Element in the distant future the majority of the film takes place in, just like his distant predecessor from 1914. He inherited the key to open the room where the four stones and the Fifth Element have to be placed to deter the Evil.
- The Smart Guy: He's the resident expert on the Shadow, the Stones, and the Fifth Element. That said, there are things he doesn't know (particularly in regards to more current events) which Leeloo needs to reveal.
David
David
"It's... It's planet Fhloston, in the Angel Constellation!"
Portrayed by: Charlie Creed-Miles
Dubbed by: Julien Sibre (European French)
The apprentice of Father Vito Cornelius.
- Bad Liar: Granted, we don't see much of future airport security, but frankly, it's a miracle he was able to get as far as the departure gate.
- I Need a Freaking Drink: After Korben boards the flight, David swipes Cornelius' whiskey at the spaceport bar and asks for another.
- Nervous Wreck: To an even bigger extent than Cornelius. It's something of a Running Gag that every.single.scene where he appears has him getting suddenly startled by someone, or something. His default setting seems to be trembling constantly, looking sideways at all times, and flinching uncontrollably when touched or called.
1914 Priest
Priest
"I will fulfill my mission, you can count on me! I will pass the knowledge until you return!"
Portrayed by: John Bennett
Dubbed by: Jean Lagache (European French)
A priest who accompanied an archaeological expedition in 1914 to ensure they wouldn't uncover the secret of the Fifth Element.
- Legacy Character: Inherited the knowledge of the Fifth Element to protect its secret.
- Murder Is the Best Solution: He finds no other solution to stop the archaeologists from uncovering the room of the Five Elements than trying to poison the water he wants to serve to them.
- No Name Given: He is not named.
- Secret-Keeper: A keeper of the secrets of the Mondoshawan and the Fifth Element, he also inherits the key to open the room where the five elements must be placed to deter the Evil when the Mondoshawan carrying it gets crushed by the stone door. He then vows to keep passing the knowledge on when the other Mondoshawan take the Five Elements away to protect them as World War I looms on the horizon.
The Federated Territories
Government
President Lindberg
President Lindberg
"You have twenty seconds."
Portrayed by: Tom "Tiny" Lister, Jr.
Dubbed by: Jean-Michel Martial (European French)
President of the Federated Territories.
- Bald of Authority: He's the leader of Earth and its territory.
- Blind Black Guy: He is blind in one eye, as was the actor.
- Deadpan Snarker: While hearing Korben's mission going south live on the radio, he asks Munro "is that your idea of a 'discreet operation'?" Also, this gem:Fog: W-where did he learn to negotiate like that?Lindberg: I wonder.Munro: (looks sheepish)
- Our Presidents Are Different: A fictional president who apparently governs the entire Earth. Fits into President Iron (though he'll still listen to advice) and President Minority (being black, assuming such paradigm is still in effect in the 23rd century).
- Reasonable Authority Figure: Cornelius is able to slowly convince him that the Great Evil is beyond the military's capabilities, to the point where he has doubts just before General Staedert fires on the Dark Planet. Afterwards, he listens intently to Cornelius.
Military
General Munro
General Munro
"I'd... like to take a few pictures... for the archives."
Portrayed by: Brion James
Korben's former commanding officer, who enlists him to save the world.
- Armchair Military: He spends the film at the President's command center while Staedart and Tudor fire on and blockade the Dark Planet respectively.
- Benevolent Boss: Aside from a few minor jerkass moments, he seems like a pretty nice guy.
- Made of Iron: Leeloo breaks his nose and he is frozen in Korben's refrigerator, yet is no worse for wear.
- Old Retainer: Inverted. He recruits Korben because he is literally the best man for the job.
General Staedert
General Staedert
"Staedert. I have a doubt..." "I don't, Mr. President."
Portrayed by: John Neville
Dubbed by: Bernard Dhéran (European French)
A Federation general who is the first on the scene when the Dark Planet forms.
- Character Death: He dies when the Evil attacks his ship.
- General Ripper: His recommendation about the Dark Planet before they even know what it is is to blow it up. "My philosophy, Mr. President, is to shoot first and ask questions later. I don't like uninvited guests." Even when President Lindberg expresses some concerns and tries to rein him in, he comes dangerously close to disobeying his superior and fires anyway.Lindberg: Staedert?
Staedert: Yes sir?
Lindberg: I have a doubt.
Staedert: [flatly] I don't, Mr. President. - Oh, Crap!: When the Dark Planet absorbs his attack, and learns there's no bigger missile on board.
- Sacrificial Lamb: The first victim of the Evil.
Citizens of New York City
Professor Mactilburgh
Professor Mactilburgh
"Perfect..."
Portrayed by: Christopher Fairbank
Chief scientist at the Manhattan Nucleological Center.
- For Science!: His eagerness at regenerating Leeloo is spurred on by how perfect he finds her cells.
- Oh, Crap!: At the end of the film, President Lindberg asks to speak with Korben and Leeloo on live TV... and Mactilburgh sees that they're having sex inside the regeneration chamber.
Mr. Kim
Mr. Kim
"Good philosophy. See good in bad, I like."
Portrayed by: Kim Chan
A Thai restaurateur that Korben orders lunch from.
- Cool Boat: His flying restaurant resembles a Chinese junk.
- Instantly Proven Wrong: He bets Korben's lunch that his mail brought good news. Upon opening it, he finds it's actually a pink slip.
- Large Ham: "You are FIRED!"
- Magical Asian: Subverted. He tries to be super-positive to Korben so it can bring him good luck, only to find out Korben just got fired from his job.
- The Pollyanna: He's quite cheerful and assures Korben that, after his string of bad luck, he must now have good news. He's wrong, but at least Korben won a free lunch.
Fhloston Paradise
Ruby Rhod
Ruby Rhod
"What's wrong with you?! What you screamin' for?! Every 5 minutes there's somethin', a bomb or somethin'! I'm leavin'! Bzzzz!"
Portrayed by: Chris Tucker
Dubbed by: Tom Novembre (European French)
The popular, highly flamboyant D.J. who's hosting the Fhloston Paradise competition.
- Adaptation Name Change: His first name is "Loc" in the novelization, based on an early script.
- Alliterative Name: RR.
- Ambiguously Bi: He's clearly, if not exclusively, interested in women, but is otherwise about as campy, shrill, and effeminate as a movie character can possibly be. He Screams Like a Little Girl, he dresses like a Star Trek-themed drag queen, and oh yeah, his hair is shaped like a penis.
- Boldly Coming: When he's seducing the flight attendant, he mentions he's "been this way before with a human", implying that he sleeps around with aliens as well as humans.
- Camp Straight: He has the mannerisms and appearance of a stereotypical Camp Gay. He's also definitely into women, being shown having energetic sex with a stewardess on the flight to Fhloston. Though he also describes Korben in very flattering sexual terms on his radio show, he's probably playing up to his (apparently mostly female) audience.
- The Casanova: Has an army of screaming fangirls, has apparently slept with many women (some non-human), his second act in the film is seducing a flight attendant during take-off, and was able to record an emperor's daughter's talented singing voice.
- Catchphrase: "Are we green?" and "BZZZZZZZZ!" (while flapping his hands at someone he wants to go away - lit. "Buzz Off").
- Deadpan Snarker: Just before the opera begins, he drops a line that drips sarcasm.Ruby Rhod: And now it's time for Korbie to say the word of the day! So, tell me, ma man! You happy in the big world?
- Incoming Ham: From his very introduction. Even before he speaks, he's introduced by a loud bombastic brass fanfare.Ruby: KORBEEEEEEEEN DALLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAS!
- Kavorka Man: Despite dressing and behaving in a fashion that evokes Camp Gay, the ladies love Ruby Rhod, and he loves them right back.
- Large Ham: Both as a radio host and in person. Takes it a nod further by cross-dressing.
- The Load: When assisting Korben he does little more than flail and scream.
- Motor Mouth: Every single line of dialogue.
- No Celebrities Were Harmed: He's meant to be a futuristic parody of the musician Prince. The real person was originally considered to play the character, but he had scheduling conflicts and allegedly thought Besson's costumes were too feminine.
- Overly Long Scream: Is prone to these when things get hectic. The biggest explosion in the film is accompanied by one. He even stops halfway through to draw some ragged breaths before going right back to screaming his lungs out.
- Screams Like a Little Girl: Usually when explosions are going off. At one point he accidentally shoots a Mangalore and scares himself.
- Uncle Tomfoolery: An obvious parody of Prince as a Camp Straight musician who's a lothario with the women in spite of his campy style and mannerisms. He's incredibly loud, self-centered and cowardly, making him function in the plot as a comic-relief load.
- Verbal Tic: "Korben, m'man?"
Diva Plavalaguna
"The stones are... in me!"
Portrayed by: Maïwenn (actress), Inva Mula-Tchako (singing)
Dubbed by: Maïwenn (European French)
The Opera singer and keeper of the stones.
- Alien Blood: She bleeds blue.
- At the Opera Tonight: A literal Space Opera singer.
- Character Death: She gets fatally shot by the Mangalores in search of the stones.
- Green-Skinned Space Babe: Well, "blue" in this case.
- Future Music: Her solo mixes classical opera with techno.
- Half-Human Hybrid: The novelization says she is a genetically-engineered hybrid of humanity and every alien species in the galaxy except the Mangalores.
- Horned Humanoid: According to the novelization, the top part of her head is a horn.
- I'm Dying, Please Take My MacGuffin: Hands over the stones to Korben after she is shot.
- Rubber-Forehead Aliens: Maïwenn Le Besco wears an entire foam and latex headpiece as part of the costume. Aside from her headtail and skin tone, Plavalaguna is fairly human-looking.
- Treasure Chest Cavity: Stores the stones inside her own body; the fancy box in her room is just a decoy.
Fog
Fog
Portrayed by: Lee Evans
The security chief aboard Fhloston Paradise.
- Frontline General: He's shown leading the security team to retake the bridge, though he's pretty much outgunned until Korben shows up.
Other
The Mondoshawan
An ancient alien race that created the ultimate weapon against evil. Their name is "Monduchivans" in the language originally spoken by Leeloo.
- Ancient Astronauts: They visited the Earth since Ancient Egypt and formed an alliance with human priests to keep the Fifth Element safe on Earth until 1914.
- Benevolent Precursors: They set up a secret order on Earth to safeguard the elements needed to fight the Ultimate Evil. They came back to remove the elements to a safer place when World War I threatened them, and they were in the process of returning them when they were shot down by Mangalore warriors flying illegal starfighters supplied by Mr. Zorg. But even then, they had been clever enough to anticipate it and hid four out of five of the Elements somewhere else instead.
- Big Good: They are a very old species who installed the weapon on Earth and instructed the brotherhood of priests to care for it.
- Feet-First Introduction: The first thing we see of them when they enter the Ancient Tomb is their stomping metal feet.
- Little Green Man in a Can: Are only seen in shells that have really big waddling rears with tiny dog-like heads that give them a very odd Humpty Dumpty appearance. The clunkiness is reminiscent of practical space suits and the shell preserves a sense of mystery about their true form-maybe they're giant eggs. The Mondoshawan have extensively modified themselves with cybernetics to adapt to life in space. The outer shell effectively is their body, and is only barely capable of moving around in terrestrial environments.
- Mechanistic Alien Culture: Are they beings wearing powered suits of armor, or are they Mechanical Lifeforms? It's pretty ambiguous. Then again, some of the dialog during Leeloo's reconstruction scene implies that the Mondoshawan have DNA.
- Properly Paranoid: Because they never fully trusted humans, they gave the stones to the Diva and later inform the government on where to get them.
- Starfish Aliens: Implied, given their extremely large and bulky environmental suits.
- Tiny-Headed Behemoth: Their bodies were huge. Their heads? Not so much.
"Mr. Shadow"/The Evil
"I want the stones!"
"Evil" or, as it refers to itself, "Mr. Shadow", is a sapient moon-sized star-like entity, bent on the destruction of all life everywhere.
- Anti Matter: The novelization says he's made from it.
- Big Bad: The main antagonist of the film that has bribed Zorg in assisting it with the destruction of Earth. Although it hinges on being a Greater-Scope Villain with how little screen time it receives, Shadow is very much the mastermind of the threat to all life.
- Black Speech: Just its voice is enough to make Zorg sweat black fluid from his pores.
- Character Death: Leeloo uses her powers to kill it and render it as a moon.
- Diabolus ex Nihilo: The movie introduces The Great Evil, an angry, black sphere that doesn't even have a proper name, let alone a motivation. But how would Bruce Willis find a cute thousand-year-old alien girl to nail without it?
- Eldritch Abomination: A sentient planet-like entity bent on the destruction of all life.
- Evil Counterpart: The prophecy explaining the use of the stones includes a mention that if pure evil stands in the center instead of pure good, death and destruction will fill the universe, which makes "Mr. Shadow" a sort of evil version of Leeloo.
- Evil Sounds Deep: "Mr. Shadow" appears only as a voice on the telephone, and it's about as deep as you can get and still be comprehensible.
- Faux Affably Evil: Politely asks Zorg if he is disturbing him.
- It Can Think: The government and military originally assume it's just some strange planet-like mass that just up and appeared, even when Father Cornelius warns the President. However, as the military ship prepares to fire missiles at it, the entire surface suddenly solidifies as if in preparation to tank the attack, which several scientists note would imply some form of intelligence. And that's before it grows bigger and moves to destroy the ship after being shot. And before it contacts Zorg, establishing itself as his boss.
- Knight of Cerebus: Even Zorg gets in on some of the comedy but when the Evil is onscreen, the comedy grinds to a stop. Even its jokingly asking Zorg if it's disturbing him comes across as more of an intimidation than a joke and Shadow being around means the film is dealing with the world-threatening consequences of his very presence.
- Made of Evil: A living planet that represents evil.
- Mythology Gag: Considering that the entire movie is based off the Harry Canyon story from the French Heavy Metal it's natural that Mr. Shadow is a seriously beefed up version of the Loc-Nar. Both are Omnicidal Maniacs, both speak in very deep voices, both have human allies, and the goal of both is the extermination of all life. There's even a female warrior (in Mr. Shadow's case, Leeloo) required to finally defeat them.
- The Man Behind the Man: While Zorg appears as a callous, greedy businessman and the Evil a separate threat, it's revealed part way through the film Zorg is seeking the stones to aid Shadow in the destruction of Earth in return for a massive payment. Even after Zorg is killed, the Evil moves forth on its plans alone and becomes the final threat by itself.
- Omnicidal Maniac: Shadow sees his purpose as being ending life and intends to destroy the planet Earth, killing off all of humanity to this end.
