Characters appearing in The Grand Budapest Hotel.
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The Author
The Author
"However, this premature intermission in the story of the curious, old man had left me, as the expression goes, 'gespannt wie ein Flitzebogen,' that is, on the edge of my seat"
"The incidents that follow were described to me exactly as I present them here, and in a wholly unexpected way."
Played by: Tom Wilkinson (older), Jude Law (younger)
Dubbed by: Richard Darbois (older, European French), Alexis Victor (younger, European French)
"It is an extremely common mistake. People think the writer's imagination is always at work, that he's constantly inventing an endless supply of incidents and episodes; that he simply dreams up his stories out of thin air. In point of fact, the opposite is true. Once the public knows you're a writer, they bring the characters and events to you."
A deceased writer who spent his youth in the 1960s at the Grand Budapest Hotel in Zubrowka and met the old Zero Moustafa, who told him the story of his life in the hotel, thus inspiring him to write a novel based on said accounts.
- Audience Surrogate: Much like the viewers, he's also the recipient of a story.
- Distinguished Gentleman's Pipe: In the scenes showing him as a client of the Grand Budapest Hotel in the 1960s, he is constantly seen with a pipe, and has gentlemanly manners.
- The Narrator: He guides the audience about his time in the Grand Budapest, right until he lets Mr. Moustafa tell the story of the glorious days of Gustave H.
- No Name Given: His grave only has his name typed as "The Author" and the credits have him as such.
- The Watson: His 1960s self asking questions to the old Zero Moustafa is what unfolds the plot.
Grand Budapest Hotel Staff
M. Gustave H.
Monsieur Gustave H.
Played by: Ralph Fiennes
Dubbed by: Bernard Gabay (European French)
Pinky: Me and the boys talked it over. We think you're a really straight fellow.
M. Gustave: Well, I've never been accused of that before, but I appreciate the sentiment.
M. Gustave: Well, I've never been accused of that before, but I appreciate the sentiment.
The concierge of the Grand Budapest Hotel between the early '30s and '40s. He tutored Zero and cares very much about his hotel. Also, he likes to spend "lovely" times with elder female guests. One of his guests, Madame D., unexpectedly dies and Gustave is the main suspect, due to the fact that she left him the "Boy with Apple," an expensive painting.
- Agent Peacock: Gustave is more than a little bit flouncing and metrosexual, but he's also a courageous and daring man who's more than capable of beating up hardened prisoners so hard that he instantly gains their respect. Nonetheless, he's rather flattered when said prisoners reveal that they think of him as a "straight fellow."
- Ambiguously Bi: M. Gustave is foppish, claims, "I go to bed with all my friends," and responds to the remark, "We think you're a real straight fellow," with, "Well, I've never been accused of that before." He's never actually shown engaging in sexual activity with anyone but women, however, so the ambiguity is probably intentional.Gustave: I thought I was supposed to be a "fucking faggot."
Dmitri: [beat] ...You are, but you're bisexual. - Attention Deficit... Ooh, Shiny!: In the middle of heartwarming conversation about how much he loves Madame D. he gets distracted by how horrible Madame D.'s nail paint is. Then, while visiting her coffin at her house, he pays attention at how much her nails are spotless.
- Born in the Wrong Century: It's noted at several points that he's a man out of time. Born into an era and time that has no use for his particular skills and personality.
- Classical Anti-Hero: Rude, obnoxious and snobbish, but still a good guy at heart and willing to do the right thing in the end.
- Comically Missing the Point: A monk from Gabelmeister's Peak tells Gustave to confess. Gustave begins confessing but the monk actually said to go to the confessional where Serge X. is hiding.
- Gentleman and a Scholar: Desperately tries to be this, and many in-universe would tell you he succeeds, but he's prone to affairs, profanity, and shocking mood swings.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Gustave. The moment that best demonstrates this is the scene that takes place after Gustave's jail break. After Zero forgets the l'Air de Panache, Gustave launches into a fairly politically incorrect rant out of frustration; when he learns, however, that Zero is a refugee who lost his family and friends to execution or exile because of war, he immediately takes back everything he said, calls himself out on his own selfishness and insensitivity, refuses to accept Zero's Jerk Justifications and apologizes sincerely while telling Zero he's proud of him. It's a touching moment and marks a turning point in their relationship from a typical Vernian master-and-servant duo to True Companions.
- Ladykiller in Love: Has some shades of this with Madame D: he had "relationships" with several of the older, richer women who visited the hotel, but he abandons his tryst with one of them to go to Lutz (a place which he apparently hates) in order to pay his respects to her.
- Likes Older Women: Specifically, blonde, shallow, needy, vain, and insecure, all very much like him. Every time an elder woman gets a room, there he goes to have some fun. Sadly, he never manages to become old.
- The Mentor: Everything Zero learned, he did it from M. Gustave. He teaches him how to be a perfect lobby boy and the neatest manners.
- Motor Mouth: Especially when either excited or frustrated.
- Mysterious Past: It's noted by Zero that no details of his past are known. The only thing known for certain is that he started off as a lobby boy.
- Named After Somebody Famous: Possibly named after famed European composer Gustav Holst. The fact that several of his cell-mates at Check-Point 19 do as well makes this more plausible.
- Neat Freak: M. Gustave is tremendously obsessed with neatness and nice smell. After spending some time at the Check-point 19 prison all he thinks about is his l'Air de Panache and is very disappointed with Zero for not bringing any. Luckily, M. Ivan brings him his favorite before he hops on a train.
- Papa Wolf: As the story progresses, Gustave grows to be very protective of Zero.
- Pet the Dog: Gustave comes across mostly as an asshole when we first meet him. Our first indication that he's a good guy is when he emotionally defends Zero from arrest.
- Really Gets Around: Albeit usually with blonde older women. He does, however, state he might blow the black market profit of the sale of "Boy with Apple" on whisky and hookers.
- Real Men Wear Pink: He is described by Zero as being "the most liberally perfumed man [he] had ever encountered."
- Rhymes on a Dime: Gustave is a romantic man obsessed with literature. Every night, he would recite a poem to the hotel staff before dinner as part of his speech and may randomly recite in the most unexpected moments.
- Sad Clown: He's a very outgoing and lively individual, especially amongst the hotel's guests, but he eats dinner alone in his room. In his underpants.
- Sophisticated as Hell: Constantly. One of Gustave's many skills is a preternatural talent for making cursing sound mellifluous and impeccably posh.
- "You see, there are still faint glimmers of civilization left in this barbaric slaughterhouse that was once known as humanity. Indeed that's what we provide in our own modest, humble, insignificant... oh, fuck it."
- "[Boy with Apple] is van Hoytl's exquisite portrayal of a beautiful boy on the cusp of manhood. Blond, smooth, skin as white as that milk: of impeccable provenance. One of the last in private hands, and, unquestionably, the best. It's a masterpiece. The rest of this shit is worthless junk."
- This exchange:Zero: What happened?
Gustave: "What happened," my dear Zero, is I beat the living shit out of a sniveling little runt called Pinky Bandinski who had the gall to question my virility, because if there's one thing we've learned from penny dreadfuls, it's that, when you find yourself in a place like this, you must never be a candy-ass. - While he's about to be killed by Jopling only for Zero to rescue him in the nick of time, Gustave goes from reciting a flowery poem about death to shouting "HOLY SHIT, YOU GOT HIM!" without missing a beat.
- Token Good Teammate: Is this among the group of escaped prisoners, being the only one who is not a criminal and who is wrongfully accused.
- Tranquil Fury: Towards the end of the film, as Zero is once again forced to deal with armed soldiers, who this time tear up the migratory visa which Henckels had given him.Gustave: (quietly) I give you my word, if you lay a finger on this man, I'll see you dishonorably discharged, locked up in the stockade, and hanged by sundown.
Zero
Zero Moustafa, the "Lobby Boy"
"You haven't been trained properly, Otto. A lobby boy never provides information of that kind! You're a stone wall. Understood?"
"When the destiny of a great fortune is at stake, men's greed spreads like a poison in the bloodstream."
Played by: Tony Revolori (young), F. Murray Abraham (old)
M. Gustave H.: Why do you want to be a lobby boy?
Zero: Well, who wouldn't—at the Grand Budapest, sir? It's an institution.
Zero: Well, who wouldn't—at the Grand Budapest, sir? It's an institution.
The elderly owner of the Grand Budapest Hotel. In his youth, he escaped from a cruel war that destroyed his village in his home country and entered Zubrowka as a refugee. There, he started to work at the Grand Budapest as a lobby boy tutored by the hotel concierge M. Gustave H. As an old man, he tells the adventurous story of his life through the mysterious death of Madame Desgoffe und Taxis, the robbery of the painting "Boy with Apple," his relationship with mentor figure Gustave H. and his infatuation over Agatha the Mendl's baker.
- Ambiguously Brown: Zero's country of origin is Middle-Eastern, and he is played by actors of Guatemalan (Revolori) and Syrian-Italian (Abraham) heritage.
- Badass Biker: Briefly after pushing Jopling over a cliff at Gabelmeister's Peak. On Jopling's bike, no less!
- Beard of Sorrow: As an elderly man, he is very melancholic especially after the deaths of Agatha and his son and much less energetic than in his youthful days.
- Beware of the Nice Ones: Zero convinced M. Gustave to steal the painting and pushed Jopling over a cliff to save Gustave.
- Expository Hairstyle Change: At the beginning of his story, Zero is innocent, unknowing, and literally fresh-faced, pencilling on a thin moustache every morning in an attempt to appear more sophisticated so that he'll fit in at the hotel. As an adult, M. Moustafa's Beard of Sorrow visually illustrates his experience, wisdom, and regret.
- Generation Xerox: While not his direct descendant, older Zero's occasionally flowery language when narrating very much mimics that of M. Gustave, albeit a little bit cleaner and less prone to absurd metaphor.
- Hyper-Competent Sidekick: Becomes one very rapidly, and although M. Gustave is no idiot, he comes to rely enormously on Zero over the course of the film.
- Irony: M. Gustave's taciturn sidekick grows up to become an eloquent storyteller.
- Meaningful Name: When interviewed by M. Gustave, he tells what studies or job experiences he had before, only for the concierge to conclude with "zero" as a response for every question. Then, when inquired about his family, his own laconic reply is "zero."
- My Hero, Zero: He's the First-Person Peripheral Narrator.
- The Narrator: The film zigzags between the Author and the old Zero as narrators of the adventures in the Grand Budapest. Zero does narrate the years spanning between 1932 and the '60s.
- The Quiet One: He barely spoke as a youth, which adds more weight to how he becomes a rather eloquent and sociable storyteller in his later years.
- Qurac: He came from the (fictional) Middle-Eastern country of Aq Salim al-Jabat.
- Rags to Riches: Goes from a poor, uneducated immigrant to the richest man in Zubrowka. However, it eventually circles back, as he ends up spending his entire fortune to keep the hotel open.
- Single Tear: Elder Zero has one when recounting his initial falling in love with the now deceased Agatha. Notable because while he does show emotion otherwise during his narration, it's the one time he loses his composure.
- War Refugees: He's a refugee who fled his war-torn country.
- Watching Troy Burn: He arrived at Zubrowka as a refugee as his village was devastated by war, losing everything.
Kovacs
Deputy Vilmos Kovacs
"...Did he just throw my cat out the window?"
Played by: Jeff Goldblum
A lawyer representing the mysterious owner of the Grand Budapest Hotel back in 1932. Also happens to represent the Desgoffe und Taxis inheritance case after Madame D.'s death.
- Amoral Attorney: Averted completely. Kovacs is an honest lawyer who wants the case to be resolved in the cleanest way and does not accept Dmitri's dirty proposals. And he gets killed for it.
- Fingore: Kovacs is pursued by Jopling to the Kunstmuseum and the assassin quickly closes the door chopping off his right hand's fingers before killing him.
- Only Sane Man: In a cast where everyone is just a little bit out there, he and Inspector Henckels stand out as relatively normal.
- Sesquipedalian Loquaciousness: Being a lawyer, Kovacs has a very precise manner of speaking.
- Token Good Teammate: He's taken over the Desgoffe und Taxis' inheritance case, but willingly provides information to Zero about Jopling and Serge X. It's another reason he gets killed.
M. Jean
Monsieur Jean
"Don't you recognize him? That's Mr. Moustafa himself!"
Played by: Jason Schwartzman
The concierge of the Grand Budapest by the time the author visits in the late 60s.
- Advertised Extra: Is shown on the poster, despite appearing in the movie for all of about 2 minutes.
- Apathetic Clerk: Downplayed. He's quite nice to his customers, but the Author describes him as being somewhat lazy and suspects that this is due to him not being well-paid. After a lengthy discussion with Moustafa, Jean has abandoned his post.
- Instant Dogend: Instantly snuffs out his cigarette during his first appearance on-screen.
- Named After Somebody Famous: Both his name and habit of smoking seem to be a Shout-Out to Jean-Luc Godard.
- Nice Guy: Is quite friendly during his short discussion with the Author. He also rushes to save a nearby patron when he begins choking.
- Smoking Is Not Cool: It makes him look less professional.
M. Chuck
Monsieur Chuck
"Good evening, Mr. Desgoffe und Taxis. I'm M. Chuck. We've booked you and your sisters in the King Ferdinand suite."
Played by: Owen Wilson
The concierge at the Grand Budapest during the time of the Lutz Blitz, after the hotel has become a military barracks.
- Advertised Extra: Much like M. Jean above. He has about three full lines of dialogue before Dmitri cuts him off, and he doesn't say anything for the rest of his time in the movie.
- Nice Guy: Despite having to put up with the demands of the soldiers, he remains very cordial and professional for the entirety of his screentime.
- Odd Name Out: When compared to everyone else in the film, whose names are very Euro-centric (Gustave, Dmitri, Clotilde) his name certainly sticks out. It could, however, be a shortening of Charles.
- Southern Gentleman: Fitting for someone played by Owen Wilson (though it's pretty out of place for a European hotel in the 30s).
Desgoffe und Taxis Family and Associates
Madame D.
Madame Céline Villeneuve Desgoffe und Taxis
"I feel this may be the last time we ever see each other."
Played by: Tilda Swinton
A multimillionaire elderly woman and one of the many guests and lovers to M. Gustave in the Grand Budapest Hotel. She suddenly dies after she mentions that her end was near and her inheritance is a matter that will greatly impact on M. Gustave and Zero's lives.
- Crazy-Prepared: Over the course of 46 years made 636 amendments to her original will. Then, suspecting her premature death, created a separate will that nullifies all the previous documents in case she is murdered.
- May–December Romance: She has a romance with the much younger Gustave H.
- Mysterious Employer: She's the mysterious owner of the Grand Budapest Hotel. Kovacs represents her, and the hotel is part of the inheritance she left.
- Punny Name: Whether intentional or not, "Desgoffe und Taxis" sounds very similar to "Death and Taxes".
- Shout-Out: The "und Taxis" part of "Desgoffe und Taxis" is inspired by the Real Life von Thurn und Taxisnote family, which is part of the German nobility. More specifically, parts of Gustave H.'s personality (his poetic speeches in particular) have been said to be inspired by Rainer Maria Rilke. Marie von Thurn und Taxis entrusted Rilke with a castle, like Madame D. entrusts Gustave H. with a grand hotel (although Gustave didn't know it before Madame D. died).
- Small Role, Big Impact: Her death at the beginning set all the events of the film after it happened that she wrote a second will so that M. Gustave would be the heir of her fortune instead of her selfish and ambitious son or any possible family member.
- Token Good Teammate: Of the Desgoffe und Taxis. In her short time seen, she fears what may happen to her at the hands of her own family trying to get her fortune, and leaves it all to Gustave.
Dmitri
Dmitri Desgoffe und Taxis
"This stinks, sisters."
Played by: Adrien Brody
Dubbed by: Adrien Antoine (European French)
The late Madame D.'s ambitious son. He wants to inherit his mother's fortune but his efforts are stopped by an unexpected force in the shape of a second will that would make M. Gustave H. the beneficiary...and Dmitri won't allow that to happen.
- Alliterative Name: If one is to count "Desgoffe und Taxis" as being one whole surname, then yes.
- Big Bad: He wants to inherit his mother's fortune and does everything to stop Gustave to achieve it, including making him the main suspect of his mother's assassination or killing the lawyer in charge of the inheritance.
- Cluster F-Bomb: He lets out quite a few F-words over the course of the movie.
- Dark Is Evil: His outfit is completely black and he's the Big Bad.
- Dastardly Whiplash: With his villainous air and sinister mustache, he certainly resembles his contemporaries.
- Evil Is Petty: While M. Gustave is set to inherit "Boy with Apple" (said to be a very expensive work of art), Dmitri is still the heir to almost the entirety of his mother's vast estate. Dmitri's attempt to keep this single painting out of the hands of M. Gustave is the basis for the entire movie.
- Jerkass: In addition to being a murderous fascist, Dmitri is incredibly rude and selfish. His introduction is marked by calling Gustave a faggot and punching him.
- Lean and Mean: He's tall, lean and really mean.
- Nazi Nobleman: Dmitri is associated with Zubrowka's Zig-Zag ("ZZ") fascist movement when they take over the country.
- Obviously Evil: Couldn't look more villainous if he tried.
- Politically Incorrect Villain: The main villain of the movie, and he repeatedly brings into question Gustave's sexuality. In fact, his very first line is, "That fucking faggot!"
- Self-Made Orphan: Dmitri is guilty of this, and the murder is what sets off the plot.
- Sir Swears-a-Lot: Drops an F-bomb in just about every other sentence.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: After the appearance of the second copy of the second will, newspapers say that he disappeared and it is never mentioned what his fate was.
Jopling
J. G. Jopling
"I've never trusted that butler. He's too honest."
Played by: Willem Dafoe
Dubbed by: Dominique Collignon-Maurin (European French)
The "assistant" of Dmitri Desgoffe und Taxis.
- Alliterative Name: J. G. Jopling.
- Bad People Abuse Animals: He tosses Kovacs' cat out a window, killing it.
- Bond Villain Stupidity: Jopling takes his time stamping down on the ice ledge Gustave is hanging from instead of just kicking his fingers to knock him off. This gives Zero an opportunity to shove him to his death.
- The Comically Serious: Jopling's perpetual intensity does provide a few laughs like his first scene where he ends the escalating session of punches by knocking Zero down and turning to see if anyone else wants some.
- Creepy Monotone: Jopling isn't very talkative, but when he does speak, he does it in a very cold, threatening way.
- Dark Is Evil: He dresses in black and murders people.
- Disney Villain Death: Zero pushes him from a cliff at the Gabelmeister's Peak ski tracks to save Gustave H. from falling down.
- The Dragon: To Dmitri. He does any dirty job that his boss can't do by himself.
- Evil Sounds Raspy: Willem Dafoe's trademark raspy voice definitely adds to Jopling's menacing presence.
- Excessive Evil Eyeshadow: A Rare Male Example, but definitely there.
- Implacable Man: When Jopling is after someone, that person's days are numbered, and nothing will stop him.
- Karmic Death: He gets shoved off a cliff and falls to his death (in a manner not unlike the cat he killed in an earlier scene).
- Kick the Dog: Or "throw Kovacs' cat out the window." However, he does it so casually it's mostly Played for Laughs.
- Nice to the Waiter: Jopling, of all people, is shown tipping a gas station attendant who refuels his motorcycle, and patting him on the back.
- Obviously Evil: Clad in all black, with Villainous Cheekbones and a menacing stare, he certainly looks the part. Add onto that the fact that he basically never speaks, and his presence is downright chilling.
- Quick Nip: Always keeps a small bottle of whisky in his breast pocket, next to a gun.
- Right-Hand Cat: Is stroking a cat in the corner during Dmitri's meeting with Kovacs. It's not his cat, however.
- Villainous Cheekbones: One of his more notable characteristics.
Serge X.
Serge X.
"I pulled a copy."
Played by: Mathieu Amalric
A servant to the Desgoffe und Taxis. He has something important to say to M. Gustave but suddenly runs away.
- Chekhov's Gunman: At Gabelmeister's Peak, he tells that the second will made by Madame D. was destroyed. But he made a second copy that was hidden behind the "Boy with Apple" painting.
- Dirty Coward: Disappears completely after framing Gustave for the murder of Madame D. It's later revealed he was put up to this by the rest of the family and he fled for his own safety.
- He Knows Too Much: Along with You Have Failed Me. His betrayal of the Desgoffe und Taxis to help M. Gustave eventually comes at a price.
- His Name Is...: Jopling kills him as he was about to make more reveals to M. Gustave in the confessional of the monastery at Gabelmeister's Peak.
Clotilde
Clotilde
"I believe it was removed by M. Gustave."
Played by: Léa Seydoux
A quiet and dead-serious French maid working for the Desgoffe und Taxis family.
- Emotionless Girl: Clotilde does not smile at any moment nor shows any emotions, just a simple servant who talks when they ask her.
- French Jerk: She reveals to Big Bad Dmitri that Gustave H. and Zero stole the "Boy with Apple."
- Although to be fair she didn't do so until the theft had been discovered, and was simply doing her job by revealing it.
- French Maid: Subverted. Clotilde is not extremely sexy and is a real French woman though she does have a very short skirt.
Zubrowka Inhabitants
Agatha
Agatha
"I don't trade in stolen property!"
Played by: Saoirse Ronan
A young girl with a Mexico-shaped port-wine stain birthmark working at Mendl's bakery. She falls in love with Zero and would become his wife in the future then die from an incurable disease. Also helps M. Gustave to escape from the prison with her cakes.
- Action Girl: Downplayed, but the final sequence of the main plot has Agatha trying to keep Boy with Apple away from Dmitri in a chase through the hotel, while Gustave chases after them both and Zero comes afterwards to make sure both Gustave and Agatha are okay.
- Blemished Beauty: She has a port-wine stain in the shape of Mexico on her cheek. She's played by Saoirse Ronan, and so is lovely despite the mark.
- Distinguishing Mark: A birthmark shaped exactly like Mexico.
- Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: Always has it braided over her head. Agatha is the sweetest and most incorruptible character. She does help Gustave to escape prison but as a favor to her beloved Zero.
- I'm a Doctor, Not a Placeholder: When Zero asks her to sell "Boy with Apple" if worse comes to worst, Agatha protests, "I'm a baker. I'm not a middleman."
- Innocent Blue Eyes: The look she gave to Zero in the carousel implies that she had never done anything wicked.
- Jail Bake: She provides to Gustave and his cell mates useful tools inside her cakes for escaping. The prison controls that no food should be filled with escaping tools by opening them but they make an exception with Mendl's pastries, due to how beautiful and exquisite they are.
- Love Interest: The love of Zero's life.
- Meaningful Name: "Agatha" means "good, honorable," two words which perfectly describe her character.
- Silk Hiding Steel: She's the quiet put-on baker and real genius of Mendl's, who runs through hails of gunfire and risks getting decapitated by an angry fascist to be with the boy she loves (and help out the man lording over the boy she loves).
- Sweet Baker: Well, baker's assistant but that doesn't make her any less lovely.
- Unkempt Beauty: Even with her face covered with flour, she's just lovely.
Henckels
Inspector Albert J. Henckels
"What's the problem?"
Played by: Edward Norton
A young police inspector whose parents spent some time in the Grand Budapest during his childhood and has M. Gustave as a highly regarded man. But while he respects M. Gustave, he has to arrest him as the main suspect of Madame D.'s murder.
- Because You Were Nice to Me: When Henckels' men are about to take Zero away from the train by force for being an illegal immigrant and break Gustave H.'s nose doing so, Henckels shows up in the train, recognizes Gustave and orders his men to release Gustave and Zero. Henckels has not forgotten Gustave's kindness towards him and his family when he was a little boy, and also gives Zero a temporary immigration pass.
- Inspector Javert: He trusted Gustave H. but as a law enforcement man, he must catch and search for Gustave H. as main suspect and escapee from the Check-Point 19 prison.
- Lead Police Detective: He leads the investigations once Gustave H. has been accused of murdering Madame D.
- Only Sane Man: The most honorable military or peace-keeping captain in the film. He chases down Gustave first for his theft of "Boy with Apple" and then for the escape from Check-Point 19 prison, but also approves Zero's work status as an immigrant/refugee and oversees and approves the reading of the second will that transfers everything over to M. Gustave.
- Reasonable Authority Figure:
- When the soldiers rough up Gustave and Zero on the train, Henckels hears them and gives Zero permission to stay in Zubrowka as Zero is an illegal and stateless immigrant. And he tells Gustave to contact him if there is any further trouble with Zero's immigration status.
- He handles the deaths and crimes that take place very seriously, doesn't allow Jopling to hang around a crime scene (and makes it quite clear he knows he's somehow responsible for Kovacs' murder) and makes finding the murderer of Serge's sister top priority.
- At the end of the movie, when a gunfight breaks out between Dmitri (who is trying to shoot Gustave) and the other soldiers staying in the hotel, he orders a full ceasefire and tries to find out who started everything. Upon learning that Dmitri began it but was shooting at a man already wanted for various other crimes including the alleged murder of Dmitri's mother, Henckels orders everyone to stay where they are until he's had a chance to get to the bottom of things.
- And when Agatha finds a letter hidden with the painting, he hears her out and reads it in front of everybody, clearing Gustave's name and getting him a fortune.
- A Freeze-Frame Bonus in a newspaper article reveals that he became Secretary General of the Government-in-Exile of Zubrowka during the war, and went on to award Zero a medal for his services to his country of adoption afterwards.
M. Ivan
Monsieur Ivan
"I'll call you back, Gustave."
Played by: Bill Murray
The concierge at the Excelsior Palace in Baden-Jurgen. A member of the Society of the Crossed Keys and friend of M. Gustave, he helps the concierge and Zero to look for Serge X. after M. Gustave's escape.
- Covert Group: The Society of Crossed Keys is a secret society of master concierges. They help M. Gustave in secret after his prison break, unbeknownst to the military police and Desgoffe und Taxis family.
- Small Role, Big Impact: He tells M. Gustave that Serge X. is hiding in a monastery at Gabelmeister's Peak, provides him with a train stay and brings M. Gustave's favorite perfume. He doesn't appear again until Zero's wedding with Agatha right at the end.
Odette X.
Odette X.
"Yes, sir?"
Played by: Giselda Volodi
The clubfooted sister of Serge X.
- And Your Little Dog, Too!: She's on the receiving end of this after Serge betrayed Dmitri Desgoffe und Taxis, no matter how innocent she is.
- Decapitation Presentation: Jopling puts her head in a basket, and Henckels takes it out of the basket this way.
- Dies Wide Open: They're still open when her head is shown.
- No Name Given: Is never named in the dialogue, only in a Freeze-Frame Bonus on the newspaper which Henckels is reading before her head is shown.
- Off with Her Head!: Jopling decapitates her.
- We Hardly Knew Ye: Only gets one scene and is unceremoniously killed offscreen.
Check-Point 19 Prison
Ludwig
Ludwig
"What do you mean, 'Who drew this?' I did"
Played by: Harvey Keitel
Dubbed by: Michel Papineschi (European French)
The leader of the prisoners in Gustave's cell.
- Affably Evil: After Gustave wins the respect of his crew, he lets him in on their escape plan, and is nothing but forthright and cordial with him and Zero all throughout their breakout. Also, the first thing he and his surviving fellow convicts do upon getting out of jail is to murder a bus driver to steal his vehicle.
- Hidden Depths: The map of the prison which he creates is quite detailed, something which Gustave compliments him on.
- The Leader: Of the prisoners in his cell.
- Tattooed Crook: As with many imprisoned criminal examples, he sports lots of them all over his torso, even though that part of the movie is set during The '30s.
- Walking Shirtless Scene: He is the only cell mate who almost never wears a shirt. And it is very squicky to watch.
Pinky
Pinky Bandinski
"We think you are a really straight fellow."
Played by: Florian Lukas
One of Gustave's cell mates and the first one whom Gustave makes friends with.
- Defeat Means Friendship: Gustave H. had to demonstrate his "manliness" and authority inside the prison and had to fight the tough Pinky. And then they become allies.
- First-Name Basis: Inverted. He's the only member of the Check-Point 19 gang to be given a last name.
- Fluffy the Terrible: He's a criminal and being a tough guy is Serious Business to him... and his name is "Pinky."
- Pet the Dog: He is a tough prisoner and will kill anyone who is on his way to freedom but he has some taste for a minimalist and delicious Mendl's cake.
- Real Men Wear Pink: Or they are named as such. He's still a hardened criminal whose crimes are as unknown as the rest of them.
Günther
Günther
Played by: Volker Michalowski
Another of Gustave's fellow cellmates. He is the only one who will never see sunlight again.
- Heroic Sacrifice: He sacrifices himself by killing five guards playing cards who were unexpectedly discovered by the escapees. The last remaining guard gives him a final blow by stabbing him with a big knife before dying.
- The Voiceless: He doesn't say anything, he only listens to Gustave.
Wolf
Wolf
"Out of this world!"
Played by: Karl Markovics
Yet another of Gustave's cell mates.
- Real Men Wear Pink: Like his fellow convicts, he loves the Courtesan au Chocolat's from Mendl's.
Giant Convict
Giant Convict
Played by: Frank Jacob
A large prisoner with a scarred face. Gustave befriends him.
- Because You Were Nice to Me: M. Gustave gave the convict some delicious porridge. He liked it so much that he paid Gustave back by killing a prisoner who was shouting about the escape.
- Chekhov's Gunman: He lets Gustave and his mates escape when his cellmate tries to call the guards on them.
- Face of a Thug: Zigzagged. He has quite an intimidating stare and a nasty scar on the face to boot and is most likely as brutish as he looks. But he has some appreciation for a kind gesture like being offered a tasty meal.
- Gentle Giant: Subverted. After Gustave gives him some tasty food, he helps him escape... by brutally murdering a snitching cellmate during the breakout. Gustave calls him a "sweet kind man" nonetheless.
- No Name Given: His name is never stated onscreen.
- The Silent Bob: He always uses body language, especially his tough serious face and large size, to express himself.
