History Characters / Bridgerton

* LikesClarkKentHatesSuperman: Colin likes Penelope as he considers her his trustworthy friend. However at the same time, he (reasonably) hates [[spoiler:her alter ego, Lady Whistledown, so much that he swears he'd make her life is ruined once he found it]] since she's the one who ruined Marina's and Eloise's, including his family's reputation in two seasons prior.

* LikesClarkKentHatesSuperman: Colin likes Penelope as he considers her his trustworthy friend. However at the same time, he (reasonably) hates [[spoiler:her alter ego, Lady Whistledown,]] since she's the one who ruined Marina's and Eloise's, including his family's reputation in two seasons prior.

* SecondLove: Colin was famously [[ObliviousToLove oblivious to her feelings]] for two seasons in a row. Long after getting over [[TheRival Marina]] and reuniting with her, Colin comes to fall in love with her gradually ''just'' as she is about to give up on him.

* HardWorkMontage: In the first episode of season 2, there are montages between the scenes of Anthony's attempts to search for a wife and the ones where he is seen stressed out from doing his tasks as a viscount.

* NoSocialSkills: She's called a wallflower for a reason as she's barely seen mingling with anyone but Eloise in two seasons, and becomes even more alone after they [[spoiler:fall out]]. Even after Penelope gets a flattering makeover that succeeds in drawing male attention, her awkwardness drives them off just as quickly.

* FreudianExcuse: In season 3, she admits that her mean and catty behavior is the result of her inability to make friends as she found the tight marriage mart prevents her to do so. And because her parents, especially her father, have been pressuring her to marry as soon as possible and threaten to marry her off with a suitor of his age, especially after he [[spoiler:had cut her and her mother's allowance in a half]].

* FreudianExcuse: In season 3, she admits that her mean and catty behavior is the result of her inability to make friends as she found the tight marriage mart prevents her to do so. And because her parents, especially her father, has been pressuring her to marry as soon as possible and threaten to and marry her off with a suitor of his age, especially after he [[spoiler:had cut her and her mother's allowance in a half]].

* LoveAtFirstSight: Colin is instantly smitten with Marina from the moment he sees her dancing in the Danbury Ball in season 1 episode 1.
* MatchmakerCrush: In season 3, after he apologizes to Penelope for unintentionally hurting her by declaring himself to not wishing to court nor marry her and learns her wish to get married soon, he offers her an assistance to find a husband. However, after their [[FirstKiss first kiss]], he unexpectedly found himself beginning to slowly fall in love with her. It becomes more evident by the time he notices Penelope seems to have moved on and genuinely enjoyed courting Lord Debling, he starts to grow jealous.

* MrFanservice: Ever since becoming the romantic lead in season 3, he often appears shirtless and surprisingly turns into [[ReallyGetsAround a rake]] who enjoys fooling around with hookers in the brothel in episode 2.

* BigBeautifulWoman: While notably chubbier than her older sisters, Penelope is nonetheless the prettiest of them. She also tends to manage to carry off the gaudy fashions her mother forces her to wear better than her sisters do. When she finallygets a flattering makeover, her looks attract the interest of several male suitors.

* LiterallyLovingThyNeighbor: She has a long-simmering crush on Colin -- their families' London homes are across the street from one another. This becomes a plot point, as [[spoiler:while watching Colin and Penelope dance, Debling realizes that the reason Penelope spent so much time at her favorite window was that it offered a view of the Bridgerton house, and from there gathers that she's desperately in love with Colin.]]

** [[spoiler: Has this moment again when she publishes a scandalous piece about Eloise in order to save her from being accused of being Lady Whistledown by the Queen and the potential fallout. While she does prevent her best friend from ''this'', she does so in a that way [[DefiledForever utterly ruins her and her family name that's far worse]], leaving Eloise and her family as social pariahs. When Eloise figures out her actions, Penelope tries to defend her actions as being well-intended, but Eloise refuses to hear it. She [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech chews her out]] for nonetheless having caused extreme damage to her family and others, such as Marina and Colin, without thinking of the consequences. When Eloise declares she never wants to see her again, Penelope is a sobbing wreck at losing her best friend.]]

* UnrequitedLove: She loves Colin, who is oblivious to it and just views her as a friend. Granted, Colin says that Penelope is his ''only'' friend, the one person that he can trust, when they talked in season 2. [[spoiler:However, by season 3 he begins to reciprocate her feelings]].

* MatchmakerCrush: In season 3, after he apologizes to Penelope about his embarrassment of not wishing to court her and learns her wish to get married soon, he offers an assistance. However, after their first kiss, he unexpectedly found himself beginning to slowly fall in love with her. It becomes more evident by the time he notices Penelope seems to have moved on and genuinely enjoyed courting Lord Debling, he starts to grow jealous.

* ReallyGetsAround: Every season, he is always seen engaged in a casual sex with different women.

* He (off-screen) temporarily takes over the Viscount's duties while Anthony is away on his honeymoon. Benedict supposedly did a solid job and enjoyed having a purpose, but is back to being IdleRich when Anthony returns.

* TheCasanova: In season one, he's said to have flirted "half the girls in London". This is why his mother and Anthony initially disbelieved it when [[spoiler: he proposes to Marina]]. By season 3, he enjoys the privilege of being a bachelor as all the debutantes are fanning themselves over him.
* GreenEyedEpiphany: He initially views Penelope strictly as a friend and never considers pursuing her. It's only when she appears to be moving on from her years long crush on him – trying to find suitors and being courted by the likes of Lord Debling – that Colin starts to reciprocate.

* MrFanservice: Ever since becoming the romantic lead in season 3, he often appears shirtless and surprisingly turns into [[ReallyGetsAround a rake]] who enjoys fooling around with hookers in episode 2.

* UnrequitedLove: She loves Colin, who is oblivious to it and just views her as a friend. Granted, Colin says that Penelope is his ''only'' friend, the one person that he can trust, when they talk in season 2. [[spoiler:However, he begins requiting her feelings in season 3]].

* ItsAllAboutMe: One of her flaws in addition to her lack of awareness of her own privilege. Eloise shows little care for what's going on in her family and friend's lives, between never asking Penelope about herself and sneaking off during her brother's [[spoiler:non-wedding]] to meet a boy.

* FirstLove: In season 1, Colin was genuinely smitten with her and wished to marry her, even if she were honest to him about her [[spoiler:secret pregnancy]] from the beginning. However, he was mad not because she hid her [[spoiler:pregnancy]] from him, but because of her deception and betrayal to his love.

* NatureLover: He has dedicated his life's work to saving the endangered Great Auks[[note]]Arctic birds that resembled penguins but were more closely related to puffins.[[/folder]] from extinction. [[note]]Unfortunately, they did go extinct in [[ForegoneConclusion real life]] around the 1840s/1850s from [[HumansAreBastards overhunting]]. There were conservation efforts, and the British government banned hunting Great Auks in 1794, but it was not enough to save them.[[/note]]

* NatureLover: He has dedicated his life's work to saving the endangered Great Auks[[note]]Arctic birds that resembled penguins but were more closely related to the puffin.[[/folder]] from extinction. [[note]]Unfortunately, they did go extinct in [[ForegoneConclusion real life]] around the 1840s/1850s from [[HumansAreBastards overhunting]]. There were conservation efforts, and the British government banned hunting Great Auks in 1794, but it was not enough to save them.[[/note]]

* MarriedToTheJob: He implies to Penelope that he cannot promise romantic love in marriage, as his work holds most of his time and attention. Moreover, he's about to embark on a trip and could be away for years.

* ParentsAsPeople: No doubt she loves her children and wants the best for them. There's nothing to suggest she would willingly hurt them, but some of her actions (or lack thereof) cause harm. Her flaws as a mother are especially apparent with Daphne, Anthony, and Eloise. However, she does try to improve and make amends once they finally open up to her.

* TheCasanova: In season one, he's said to have flirted "half the girls in London". This is why his mother doesn't believe it at first when [[spoiler: he proposes to Marina.]] By season 3, he enjoys the privilege of being a bachelor as all the debutantes are fanning themselves over him.

* MrFanservice: Ever since becoming the romantic lead in season 3, he often appears shirtless and surprisingly turns into [[ReallyGetsAround a rake]] when fooling around with hookers in episode 2.

* TheCasanova: In season one he's said to have flirted "half the girls in London", all the debutantes in season 3 are fanning themselves over him. This is why his mother doesn't believe it at first when [[spoiler: he proposes to Marina.]]