Prison Break/Characters

Prison Break
A Drama series focusing on Lincoln Burrows, a man wrongly convicted of murdering the Vice Presidents' brother, and sentenced to death at Fox River Prison, and his younger brother, Michael Scofield, a genius engineer who gets himself thrown in the the same prison, and plans on breaking them both out. On the outside Linc's lawyer and ex-girlfriend, Veronica Donovan, tries to uncover the conspiracy behind the conviction. And that's just the first season.

Michael Scofield
""If you think I'm gonna leave my brother behind, you have massively underestimated me." Played By: Wentworth Miller"


 * Agony of the Feet
 * The Atoner
 * Badass Bookworm
 * The Chessmaster
 * Chronic Hero Syndrome
 * Crazy Prepared
 * The Determinator
 * Deadpan Snarker
 * Guile Hero
 * The Hero
 * Honor Before Reason
 * Manipulative Bastard
 * Parental Abandonment
 * The Stoic: Seriously this guy only shows any feeling around a handful of people and only then after a few near-death experiences.
 * Not So Stoic
 * Tattooed Crook
 * Not So Stoic
 * Tattooed Crook

Lincoln Burrows
""The innocent people in your life, you have to keep them innocent. If that means walking away from them, that's what you gotta do." Played By: Dominic Purcell"


 * Anti-Hero
 * Badass
 * The Big Guy
 * Boisterous Bruiser
 * He Who Fights Monsters
 * Hot-Blooded
 * Jerk with a Heart of Gold
 * Parental Abandonment
 * Papa Wolf

Theodore ‘T-Bag’ Bagwell
""I am not the animal you think you see before you. I am the laws of karma all come down wrong. Do ya' understand?" Played By: Robert Knepper"


 * Affably Evil: Has to be the most likeable paedophile, serial killer, rapist, bigot on TV.
 * Ain't Too Proud to Beg
 * Ax Crazy
 * Anything That Moves
 * Badass
 * Badass Moustache
 * Becoming the Mask
 * Butt Monkey
 * The Charmer
 * Chronic Backstabbing Disorder
 * Combat Pragmatist
 * Depraved Bisexual
 * Even Evil Has Standards: He begs for the lives of Gretchen's daughter and sister despite everything she'd done to him.
 * Freudian Excuse: His dad raped his down-syndrome sister, producing T-Bag. Not to mention what stuff he did to his son.
 * Joker Immunity
 * Kavorka Man
 * Large Ham
 * Made of Iron
 * Manipulative Bastard
 * Photographic Memory
 * Politically-Incorrect Villain
 * Prison Rape
 * Unwitting Pawn: Michael always gets one over on him.
 * Southern-Fried Genius
 * Token Evil Teammate
 * Wild Card

Fernando Sucre
""Welcome to Prisneyland, Fish." Played By: Amaury Nolasco"


 * Bald of Awesome
 * Butt Monkey
 * Cosmic Plaything
 * The Ditz
 * Earn Your Happy Ending
 * Nice Guy
 * The Lancer
 * Took a Level in Badass
 * Yank the Dog's Chain: His constant attempts to be reunited with Maricruz are thwarted, time and time again.

John Abruzzi
""Does not a warm handshake feel better than a cold... shank?" Played By: Peter Stormare"


 * Absentee Actor: Had his throat slit by T-Bag and was in the hospital for six episodes because of Peter Stormare's obligations to shoot some weird Volkswagon commercials.
 * The Atoner: For a short while after he experiences an attack of guilt when his henchman inadvertently kills a young boy.
 * Back for the Dead
 * Badass in Charge
 * Deadpan Snarker
 * Dropped a Bridge on Him
 * Even Evil Has Loved Ones
 * Even Evil Has Standards
 * Evilly Affable
 * Fake Nationality/Fake American: Peter Stormare is Swedish. Abruzzi's a Sicilian-American mob boss.
 * Heel Face Revolving Door: Throughout Season 1.
 * Heel Faith Turn
 * Made of Iron: He survives
 * The Mafia
 * Manipulative Bastard
 * Wild Card
 * Wouldn't Hurt a Child
 * Wouldn't Hurt a Child

Benjamin Miles Franklin/C-Note
""I served my country and my country served me up." Played By: Rockmund Dunbar"


 * Back for the Finale
 * Badass
 * Black Dude Dies First: Averted - he's the only member of the Fox River Eight to be acquitted of all charges and allowed to live with his family in peace.
 * Earn Your Happy Ending
 * Friend in the Black Market
 * Interrupted Suicide
 * Papa Wolf
 * Put on a Bus: Gets immunity and put into witness protection towards the end of season 2 and up until the final episode.
 * Hidden Depths
 * Honor Before Reason
 * Scary Black Man
 * The Scrounger: He can get anything you want for $100.
 * The Sixth Ranger

David ‘Tweener’ Apolskis
"Played By: Lane Garrison"


 * Butt Monkey
 * Dirty Coward: Borders on Lovable Coward sometimes.
 * Deadly Change-of-Heart:
 * Heel Face Revolving Door
 * Prison Rape: He's a victim of this.
 * Pretty Fly for a White Guy
 * Tagalong Kid
 * Too Dumb to Live

Charles ‘Haywire’ Patoshik
""They think I have schizo-affective disorder with bipolar tendencies." Played By: Silas Weir Mitchell"


 * Abusive Parents: Implied to be the reason he killed them.
 * Apologetic Attacker
 * Cloudcuckoolander
 * Insane Equals Violent
 * Hyper Awareness
 * Out of Focus: Probably gets the least focus of any of the prisoners that escape.
 * The Rainman
 * The Rainman

Warden Henry Pope
""Son, it's better for me to owe you one in here than for you to owe me one, I can promise you that." Played By: Stacy Keach"


 * A Father to His Men
 * Badass Grandpa
 * Being Good Sucks
 * Cool Old Guy
 * Da Chief

Bradley 'Brad' Bellick
""There isn’t any flying under my radar." Played By: Wade Williams"


 * Aborted Arc: Maybe not an arc, but we never did find out why he was at a 12-step meeting.
 * The Artifact: Pushes this in season 2 but is definitely this from season 3 onward.
 * Butt Monkey: From Season 2 onwards.
 * Deadpan Snarker
 * Dirty Cop
 * Dirty Coward: Although he recovers from it in a rather magnificent way.
 * Even Evil Has Loved Ones: He loves his mother, particularly since his father died when he was just a kid.
 * Momma's Boy
 * Hidden Depths
 * Interrupted Suicide: After failing to stop Michael escaping the county, and losing his job as a result, he heads home, with his shotgun tucked into his coat. He goes into his bedroom and prepares to kill himself, before his mother comes to the door and mentions the massive bounties on the Fox River Eight. *Cue Idea Bulb*
 * Kick the Dog: Numerous times throughout Season 1, especially the part where he killed Westmoreland's pet cat and sent Tweener into the cell of sex criminal Avocado.
 * Laser-Guided Karma: After being a total Jerkass in season 1, he falls hard in season 3, where he becomes the ultimate whipping boy.
 * Took a Level in Badass
 * Took a Level In Kindness
 * The Sixth Ranger
 * Smug Snake
 * The Sixth Ranger
 * Smug Snake

Dr Sara Tancredi
""When you first take the job, they tell you never to fall in love with an inmate..." Played By: Sarah Wayne Callies"


 * All Girls Want Bad Boys: She even lampshades this with a bit of self-deprecation.
 * The Chick
 * The Danza: Played by Sarah Wayne Callies, who originally wanted the name changed, but eventually warmed up to it.
 * Deadpan Snarker: From time to time.
 * Heroes Want Redheads
 * Hospital Hottie
 * The Medic
 * Took a Level in Badass: In Season 4.

Charles Westmoreland
""Outliving your wife, that's bad enough. Outliving your daughter, no man should have to do that." Played By: Muse Watson"


 * Badass Grandpa
 * Badass Moustache
 * Back for the Finale: Visits Michael during a coma dream in the last season.
 * Cool Old Guy
 * Kindhearted Cat Lover
 * The Old Convict

Roy Geary
"Played By: Matt DeCaro"


 * Ain't Too Proud to Beg
 * Chronic Backstabbing Disorder
 * Dirty Cop
 * Dirty Coward
 * Jerkass

Katie Welsh
"Played By: DuShon Monique Brown"


 * Black Best Friend
 * Sassy Black Woman

LJ Burrows
"Played By: Marshall Allman"


 * Butt Monkey
 * Morality Pet: To his dad.
 * Put on a Bus

Veronica Donovan
"Played By: Robin Tunney"


 * Hello, Attorney!
 * Stupid Good
 * Too Dumb to Live: Many a time.
 * Too Dumb to Live: Many a time.
 * Too Dumb to Live: Many a time.

Nick Savrinn
"Played By: Frank Grillo"


 * Badass

Sofia Lugo
"Played By: Danay Garcia"


 * The Chick
 * Ms. Fanservice: In one episode, the camera lingers on her as she takes her shirt off and zooms in on her breasts.
 * Shallow Love Interest
 * She's Got Legs

Maricruz Delgado
"Played By: Camille Guaty"


 * The Chick
 * The Ditz
 * Hot Mom: Eventually.
 * Shallow Love Interest

Susan Hollander
"Played By: KK Dodds"


 * Genre Savvy: When T-Bag threatens to return once he gets out of prison, she moves house. No forwarding address, either.
 * Morality Pet

Nika Volek
"Played By: Holly Valance"


 * Citizenship Marriage
 * Yandere

General Jonathan Krantz
"Played By: Leon Russom"


 * Badass Grandpa
 * Bald of Evil
 * Big Bad Duumvirate
 * Cool Old Guy
 * Deadpan Snarker: ‘Lincoln Burrows was outsmarted. Who could have predicted that?’
 * Enemy Civil War
 * Evilly Affable
 * Hidden Agenda Villain
 * The Man Behind the Man
 * Manipulative Bastard
 * Mind Rape
 * Laser-Guided Karma

Christina Rose Scofield
"Played By: Kathleen Quinlan"


 * Ax Crazy: Even the General thinks she's utterly batshit.
 * Badass
 * Big Bad Duumvirate
 * Enemy Civil War
 * Evil Matriarch
 * Hidden Agenda Villain
 * Manipulative Bitch
 * Not Quite Dead

President Caroline Reynolds
"Played By: Patricia Wettig"


 * Badass
 * Bitch in Sheep's Clothing
 * President Evil
 * Manipulative Bitch
 * Manipulative Bitch

William ‘Bill’ Kim
"Played By: Reggie Lee"


 * Deadpan Snarker
 * The Dragon
 * Faux Affably Evil
 * Hannibal Lecture: 'I had the honor of attending Mount Fort Military Academy, whose mission it is to ensure the greatness of this country and its future leadership, by encouraging patriotism, building a strong moral foundation, and providing a service of men committed to the values of honor and freedom of the country. But, first and foremost, they taught you this.'
 * Smug Snake
 * Villainous Breakdown

Paul Kellerman
"Played By: Paul Adelstein"


 * Affably Evil
 * Badass
 * The Danza: He's played by Paul Adelstein.
 * Go Out with a Smile: "In the French resistance it was considered a high honor to face a Nazi firing squad...Meant you did your job. The highest honor was to smile when they shot you."
 * Heel Face Turn
 * Humiliation Conga: But he gets better.
 * Karma Houdini
 * The Men in Black
 * Unperson: By Bill Kim's doing.
 * Smug Snake
 * Smug Snake

Gretchen Morgan AKA Susan B Anthony
"Played By: Jodi Lyn O'Keefe"


 * Action Girl
 * Badass
 * Depraved Bisexual
 * Dark Action Girl
 * Femme Fatale
 * Heel Face Turn
 * Hot Mom: Goddamn is she ever!!!
 * May–December Romance: with the General, although 'romance' is perhaps not the best word.
 * Ms. Fanservice: Season 4 has her dress up in a naughty school girl outfit as means to seduce the General.
 * Wild Card

James Whistler
""You know, uh, I am a fisherman. I am. I'm just maybe a little bit more connected then I let on." Played By: Chris Vance"


 * Boom! Headshot!
 * Butt Monkey
 * Enigmatic Minion
 * Living MacGuffin
 * Living MacGuffin

Wyatt Mathewson
"Played By: Cress Williams"


 * Ax Crazy
 * Badass
 * Psycho for Hire
 * Hannibal Lecture
 * Scary Black Man
 * Shut UP, Hannibal
 * The Sociopath
 * Soft-Spoken Sadist
 * The Stoic

Terrence Steadman
""I'm the Isle of Terrence, far off to sea." Played By: John Billingsley and Jeff Perry"


 * Corrupt Corporate Executive: Prior to his death being faked.
 * Dirty Coward
 * The Other Darrin
 * Smug Snake
 * The Other Darrin
 * Smug Snake

Danny Hale
"Played By: Danny McCarthy"


 * Guilt Ridden Accomplice
 * Deadly Change-of-Heart: He tries

Quinn
"Played By: Michael Gaston"


 * Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass
 * Deadpan Snarker
 * Evilly Affable
 * Hannibal Lecture
 * Obfuscating Stupidity
 * Smug Snake

Ralph Becker
"Played By: Raphael Sbarge"


 * Badass
 * Elite Mook

Downey
"Played By: Ted King"


 * The Dragon: to Christina.
 * Dressed to Kill
 * Undying Loyalty

Alexander Mahone
""I'm so tired of playing games." Played By: William Fichtner"


 * The Atoner
 * Anti-Villain
 * Arch Enemy: To Michael before his Heel Face Turn
 * Badass
 * Breakout Character
 * Functional Addict: In Season Two. Not so much when he's trapped in Sona during Season Three and turns to heroin.
 * Going Cold Turkey: In Season Three.
 * Hey, It's That Guy!: William Fichtner made his living off of this.
 * Knight in Sour Armour
 * The Lancer:
 * Papa Wolf: Shoots and kills the man who injures his son. Not to mention what he does to the guy who actually kills his son
 * Room Full of Crazy
 * Sanity Slippage
 * Worthy Opponent: To Michael.

Don Self
"Played By: Michael Rappaport"


 * Brooklyn Rage
 * Fiery Redhead
 * Laser-Guided Karma
 * Hot-Blooded
 * Smug Snake
 * Hot-Blooded
 * Smug Snake
 * Smug Snake

Felicia Lang
"Played By: Barbara Eve Harris"


 * Action Girl
 * All Love Is Unrequited: Except when it's not.
 * Ascended Extra
 * Badass
 * Undying Loyalty

Mark Wheeler
"Played By: Jason Davis"


 * Hero Antagonist: to Mahone in season 4.
 * Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right

Richard Sullins
"Played By: Kim Coates"


 * Internal Affairs
 * Hero Antagonist: to Mahone, frequently.
 * Jerkass

Frank Tancredi
"Played By: John Heard"


 * Jerk with a Heart of Gold
 * Obstructive Bureaucrat
 * Well Done, Junkie Daughter Girl

Miriam Hultz AKA Trishanne Smith
"Played By: Shannon Lucio"


 * Absolute Cleavage
 * Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass

Bruce Bennett
"Played By: Wilbur Fitzgerald"


 * Reasonable Authority Figure

Norman St John/'Lechero'
"Played By: Robert Wisdom"


 * Bad Boss
 * Bald of Evil
 * Goatee of Evil
 * Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas
 * Freudian Excuse
 * Scary Black Man
 * Smug Snake
 * Smug Snake

Luis ‘McGrady’ Gallego
"Played By: Carlo Alban"


 * Morality Pet
 * Tagalong Kid

Sammy
"Played By: Laurence Mason"


 * Badass
 * Blood Knight: Shows many shades of this during his time in the third season.
 * The Dragon: to Lechero.
 * Dragon Ascendant
 * Hair-Trigger Temper
 * Scary Black Man
 * The Starscream

Carmelita
"Played By: Crystal Mantecon"


 * Ms. Fanservice
 * Naughty Nuns

Roland Glenn
"Played By: James Hiroyuki Liao"


 * Butt Monkey
 * Dirty Coward
 * Jerkass
 * The Smart Guy
 * Techno Wizard

Gregory White
"Played By: Michael Bryan French"


 * A Father to His Men
 * Morality Chain: He acts an overly trusting father figure to T-Bag while he's pretending to be Cole Pfeiffer. The chain gets cut.
 * Reasonable Authority Figure