Last reviewed on 2026-06-12
Homer Simpson
Nuclear Safety Inspector\"D'oh!\" The portly, donut-obsessed safety inspector at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant. Homer's stupidity, laziness, and unexpected bursts of genuine love for his family make him one of TV's most enduring characters. His strangling of Bart, love of Duff beer, and \"Mmm, [food]...\" have entered the cultural vocabulary permanently.
Bart Simpson
Underachiever and Proud\"Eat my shorts!\" The 10-year-old skateboarding prankster who became one of the 1990s' most recognizable cultural figures. Bart's rebellious attitude and prank calls to Moe's Tavern made him the face of the show in its early years. His relationship with best friend Milhouse and rival Nelson defines Springfield Elementary's social ecosystem.
Lisa Simpson
Genius of the FamilyThe gifted, vegetarian, saxophone-playing eight-year-old who is the show's moral compass. Lisa's intelligence and emotional sensitivity — marooned in a family and town that rarely appreciate her — give the show much of its genuine heart. Her episodes exploring existential loneliness, Buddhism, and feminism are among the series' finest.
Marge Simpson
The Patient OneThe blue-beehive-haired matriarch who holds the family together through sheer patience and unconditional love. Marge's suppressed desires, quiet frustrations, and moments of genuine self-assertion make her the show's most underrated character. Her relationship with Homer — improbable but genuine — is The Simpsons' emotional foundation.
Mr. Burns
Evil Billionaire\"Excellent.\" The ancient, skeletal nuclear power plant owner — Springfield's embodiment of callous capitalism. Mr. Burns' fragility contrasted with his malevolence, his forgetting of Homer's name, and his relationship with Smithers have created one of TV animation's greatest recurring villains over 35+ years.
Ned Flanders
The Perfect Neighbor\"Okily dokily!\" The infuriatingly wholesome, deeply religious next-door neighbor who Homer simultaneously resents and relies on. Ned's genuine goodness — and the occasional dark glimpse beneath it — makes him far more complex than a simple parody of religiosity. His love for Homer despite everything is quietly moving.
Krusty the Clown
Children's TV HostThe chain-smoking, gambling-addicted children's entertainer who is Bart's idol. Krusty's cynical exploitation of kids contrasted with his genuine talent and desperate need for approval mirrors the show's broader satire of entertainment industry dysfunction. His Jewish identity and father issues add unexpected depth.
Sideshow Bob
Recurring VillainThe cultured, Frasier-voiced former Krusty sidekick who has devoted his life to killing Bart Simpson. Sideshow Bob's theatrical villainy, Gilbert and Sullivan monologues, and endless rake-stepping have created one of The Simpsons' most beloved recurring antagonists. Kelsey Grammer's voice acting elevated the character to iconic status.
Moe Szyslak
Moe's Tavern OwnerThe perpetually miserable, suicidally depressed bartender of Moe's Tavern — Homer's second home. Moe's self-loathing, gullibility (falling for Bart's prank calls every single time), and genuine loneliness make him simultaneously comic and quietly tragic. His occasional moments of genuine kindness make him one of Springfield's most sympathetic characters.
Apu Nahasapeemapetilon
Kwik-E-Mart OwnerThe industrious, PhD-holding convenience store owner whose eight children and encyclopedic product knowledge make him a Springfield institution. Apu's place in The Simpsons — and the controversy around his portrayal examined in The Problem with Apu (2017) — became a landmark conversation about animated representation.
Maggie Simpson
The BabyThe perpetually pacifier-sucking Simpson baby who never grows up. Silent but secretly capable — she shot Mr. Burns, outwits kidnappers, and is a crack shot. Her first word, "Daddy," was voiced by Elizabeth Taylor.
Grampa Abe Simpson
The StorytellerHomer's father, a rambling WWII veteran parked at the Springfield Retirement Castle. Famous for endless, pointless stories ("I wore an onion on my belt, which was the style at the time") and the "Old Man Yells at Cloud" headline.
Patty & Selma Bouvier
Marge's Twin SistersMarge's chain-smoking, gravel-voiced twin sisters who work at the DMV, worship MacGyver, and openly despise Homer. Selma collects ex-husbands; Patty later comes out as gay in a landmark episode.
Waylon Smithers
Burns' AssistantMr. Burns' devoted personal assistant, hopelessly in love with his ancient boss for decades before officially coming out. Smithers' competence keeps the plant — and Burns himself — running, making him Springfield's most loyal employee.
Milhouse Van Houten
Bart's Best FriendBart's blue-haired, thick-glasses best friend and the universe's favorite punching bag. Hopelessly devoted to Lisa and eternally unlucky — though as he says, "Everything's coming up Milhouse!" His parents' divorce is a running storyline.
Nelson Muntz
School BullySpringfield Elementary's chief bully, instantly recognizable by his mocking "HA-ha!" Beneath the punches lies a poignant backstory — an absent father and broke single mother — that occasionally earns him real sympathy, and even a romance with Lisa.
Principal Skinner
School PrincipalThe uptight, mother-dominated Vietnam veteran who runs Springfield Elementary on a shoestring budget. Locked in eternal battle with Bart and bullied by Superintendent Chalmers — their "Steamed Hams" sketch became an internet legend.
Edna Krabappel
Bart's TeacherBart's chain-smoking, world-weary fourth-grade teacher with the trademark sarcastic "HA!" Behind the cynicism was a lonely romantic who eventually married Ned Flanders. The character was retired after voice actress Marcia Wallace's death in 2013.
Chief Wiggum
Police ChiefSpringfield's hopelessly incompetent, donut-loving chief of police. Lazy, corrupt, and dim, Clancy Wiggum somehow keeps his job through every crisis. His genuine tenderness toward son Ralph is one of the show's sweetest running threads.
Ralph Wiggum
The InnocentChief Wiggum's sweetly oblivious son, the source of the show's most quotable non-sequiturs: "Me fail English? That's unpossible!" and the meme-immortal "I'm in danger." Lisa's rejection of him on live TV remains a classic episode.
Barney Gumble
Moe's Best CustomerHomer's old friend and Springfield's most famous drunk, known for his earth-shaking belches. Once a promising Harvard-bound student, Barney occasionally reveals hidden genius — his film about alcoholism won the Springfield Film Festival.
Comic Book Guy
Android's Dungeon OwnerThe sarcastic, snack-hoarding owner of The Android's Dungeon comic shop. His withering catchphrase "Worst. Episode. Ever." made him the patron saint of internet nitpickers. Real name: Jeff Albertson, revealed after years of mystery.
Groundskeeper Willie
School GroundskeeperSpringfield Elementary's furious, hyper-Scottish janitor, ready to wrestle wolves or greased pigs shirtless at a moment's notice. His insults ("Ach! Grease me up, woman!") and shack-dwelling rage have made him a fan favorite for decades.
Lenny & Carl
Plant WorkersHomer's inseparable coworkers at the nuclear plant and fellow Moe's Tavern regulars. Lenny Leonard and Carl Carlson are so intertwined that Springfield treats them as a single unit — a friendship the show constantly, lovingly riffs on.
Kent Brockman
News AnchorChannel 6's pompous, self-serving news anchor. Famous for instantly surrendering to any new threat — "I, for one, welcome our new insect overlords" — a line that became one of the internet's most enduring memes.
Fat Tony
Mob BossSpringfield's soft-spoken mafia don, head of the city's "legitimate businessman's social club." Voiced by Joe Mantegna, Fat Tony runs every racket in town with deadpan menace while maintaining impeccable suits and surprising civic pride.
About The Simpsons
The Simpsons was created by Matt Groening and premiered on Fox on December 17, 1989. With 35+ seasons, it is the longest-running American animated series and the longest-running American scripted primetime television series in history.
The show's satirical take on American suburban life, its enormous cast of Springfield characters, and its near-prophetic cultural predictions have made it one of the most analyzed and celebrated works in TV history. The phrase \"The Simpsons predicted it\" has become a genre unto itself.
100+ Simpsons Characters: Complete Names List
Every single Simpsons character worth knowing, in one alphabetical list — the Simpson family and relatives, the Flanders household, Springfield Elementary staff and students, Moe's Tavern regulars, nuclear plant workers, town officials, business owners, and the show's most beloved recurring residents (107 names):
Abraham "Grampa" Simpson • Agnes Skinner • Akira • Allison Taylor • Apu Nahasapeemapetilon • Arnie Pye • Artie Ziff • Baby Gerald • Barney Gumble • Bart Simpson • Bernice Hibbert • Bleeding Gums Murphy • Blinky (the three-eyed fish) • Brandine Spuckler • Bumblebee Man • Captain Horatio McCallister (the Sea Captain) • Carl Carlson • Cecil Terwilliger • Chief Clancy Wiggum • Cletus Spuckler • Comic Book Guy (Jeff Albertson) • Crazy Cat Lady (Eleanor Abernathy) • Database • Dewey Largo • Disco Stu • Dolph Starbeam • Dr. Julius Hibbert • Dr. Marvin Monroe • Dr. Nick Riviera • Drederick Tatum • Duffman • Eddie • Edna Krabappel • Elizabeth Hoover • Fat Tony • Frank Grimes • Gil Gunderson • Groundskeeper Willie • Hans Moleman • Helen Lovejoy • Herb Powell • Herman • Homer Simpson • Itchy • Jacqueline Bouvier • Janey Powell • Jasper Beardly • Jessica Lovejoy • Jimbo Jones • Judge Snyder • Kang • Kearney Zzyzwicz • Kent Brockman • Kirk Van Houten • Kodos • Krusty the Clown • Lenny Leonard • Ling Bouvier • Lionel Hutz • Lisa Simpson • Lou • Louie • Luann Van Houten • Luigi Risotto • Lunchlady Doris • Lurleen Lumpkin • Maggie Simpson • Manjula Nahasapeemapetilon • Marge Simpson • Martin Prince • Maude Flanders • Mayor Quimby • Milhouse Van Houten • Moe Szyslak • Mona Simpson • Mr. Burns • Mr. Teeny • Ned Flanders • Nelson Muntz • Otto Mann • Patty Bouvier • Plopper (Spider-Pig) • Principal Seymour Skinner • Professor Frink • Rainier Wolfcastle • Ralph Wiggum • Reverend Timothy Lovejoy • Rod Flanders • Ruth Powers • Sanjay Nahasapeemapetilon • Santa's Little Helper • Sarah Wiggum • Scratchy • Selma Bouvier • Sherri & Terri • Sideshow Bob • Sideshow Mel • Snake Jailbird • Snowball II • Squeaky-Voiced Teen • Stampy • Superintendent Chalmers • Todd Flanders • Troy McClure • Üter Zörker • Waylon Smithers • Wendell Borton
Frequently Asked Questions
How many characters are in The Simpsons?
The Simpsons has one of the largest casts in television history, with well over a thousand named characters across 35+ seasons. Around 100 Springfield residents appear regularly. This page profiles 26 major characters in depth and lists more than 100 named characters alphabetically.
Who are the main characters in The Simpsons?
The main characters are the five members of the Simpson family: Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and baby Maggie, plus their pets Santa's Little Helper and Snowball II. Grampa Abe Simpson and Marge's sisters Patty and Selma round out the extended family.
What are the names of all the Simpsons characters?
Beyond the family, the most famous names include Ned Flanders, Mr. Burns, Smithers, Moe, Barney, Krusty the Clown, Sideshow Bob, Milhouse, Nelson, Principal Skinner, Edna Krabappel, Chief Wiggum, Ralph, Apu, Comic Book Guy, Groundskeeper Willie, Lenny and Carl, Kent Brockman, and Fat Tony — see the complete 100+ name list above.
Who are the villains in The Simpsons?
Springfield's main recurring villains are Mr. Burns, the evil billionaire owner of the nuclear plant; Sideshow Bob, the genius ex-clown obsessed with murdering Bart; mob boss Fat Tony; and petty criminal Snake Jailbird. Aliens Kang and Kodos menace the town every Treehouse of Horror Halloween special.
What are the Simpsons' pets called?
The family dog is Santa's Little Helper, a greyhound Homer and Bart rescued in the very first episode after he lost a race. The family cat is Snowball II, adopted after the original Snowball died. Bart also briefly owned Stampy the elephant.
How long has The Simpsons been running?
The Simpsons premiered on Fox on December 17, 1989, and with more than 35 seasons it is the longest-running American animated series, sitcom, and scripted primetime show in history. Its characters have stayed the same age for over three decades.