Gremlins/Characters

Billy Peltzer
The Hero of the films, a young cartoonist who works in Kinston Falls' bank. Receiving Gizmo as a pet from his dad, Billy quickly learns to appreciate the Schmuck Bait for caring for him. Things quickly go topsy turvy as the Gremlins rampage through the town with Billy being the only person dealing with the chaos. In the sequel, he works at Daniel Clamp's business tower in New York as a concept artist.
 * The Hero
 * Idiot Hero: Must of the other characters see him as this, yet he is the only one who deals with the Gremlins.
 * Innocent Bystander
 * My Car Hates Me
 * Off With His Head: Billy saves his mother from a Gremlin by lopping its head off with an ornamental sword.
 * Oh Crap: When Stripe leads into a swimming pool and the giant Gremlin army is created.
 * Only Sane Man: Particularly in the second film.
 * Schmuck Bait: Billy follows the three rules of caring for Gizmo to the letter. They are all broken sooner or later.
 * Starving Artist
 * Strapped to An Operating Table: In a parody of Marathon Man.
 * You Are Not Ready: Averted in Billy's case, as Mr. Wing proclaims Billy may one day be ready to handle a Mogwai.

Kate Beringer
Billy's love interest. She works at the bank with Billy, but also part-time at a bar which is invaded by the Gremlins for a wild night out. In the sequel, she has married Billy and works as a tour guide in Daniel Clamp's business tower.
 * The Chick
 * Dark and Troubled Past: Hates Christmas,
 * Mentions an incident in the second film where she was flashed by a man resembling Abraham Lincoln.
 * Girl Next Door
 * Groin Kick: Attacks a flashing Gremlin in the second film, perhaps as a Take That to a similar incident in the first film, and to her dark past.
 * Why Do You Keep Changing Jobs?

Rand Peltzer
Billy's father. An intelligent, yet Bungling Inventor. He makes good gadgets but they usually break down a week or two after he finishes them. He buys Gizmo as a pet for Billy.
 * Bungling Inventor
 * Nice Guy
 * Out of Focus: Introduced as a major character but then takes a backseat as he heads out of town to attend an inventor's fair, but returns at the end of the film to see Stripe's death.
 * Schmuck Bait
 * The Smart Guy
 * What Could Have Been: Rand was to appear in the second film to give Gizmo a wetsuit to prevent him from getting wet ever again.
 * You Are Not Ready

Lynn Peltzer
Billy's mother. While usually a kind housewife, Lynn goes badass when she realises the Gremlins are loose in house and manages to kill three of them when they invade her kitchen.
 * Action Mom
 * Beware the Nice Ones: Don't mess with her kitchen. Three Gremlins learn this the hard way as they each experience violent deaths - one is chopped up in the blender, the second is stabbed to death, and the third is blown up in the microwave!
 * Knife Nut
 * One-Scene Wonder

Mrs. Deagle
Before the Gremlins rip apart Kingston Falls, Mrs. Deagle ruled the roost. A wicked old devil woman, Mrs. Deagle is a Rich Bitch willing to bring misery to everyone in town as long as she gets her money. She particularly has a grudge against the Peltzers.
 * Crazy Cat Lady: Mrs. Deagle's cats are named after different kinds of currency.
 * Kick the Dog: She loves tormenting the townsfolk.
 * Manipulative Bitch
 * Money, Dear Boy
 * Rich Bitch
 * Super Window Jump:
 * Super Window Jump:

Gizmo
A Ridiculously Cute Critter, Gizmo is a friendly Mogwai who Rand buys from Mr. Wing (or his nephew) to give to Billy as a pet. Completely good and friendly, Gizmo is accidentally made wet and spawns a batch of Gremlins leading to the chaos around Kingston Falls.
 * Badass Adorable
 * Breakout Character
 * Butt Monkey
 * Cute but Cacophonic: When he screams.
 * The Dog Bites Back: Gizmo gets fed up of Mohawk's abuse in the second film, and goes Rambo on his enemy.
 * Explosive Breeder: He hates breeding other Mogwai.
 * Killer Rabbit
 * The Lancer: To Billy.
 * Leitmotif: Gizmo sings a lovely melody that has become the film's theme.
 * Oh Crap: Happens in both films when Gizmo gets wet.
 * Ridiculously Cute Critter
 * Took a Level In Badass
 * Weakened By the Light

Stripe / Mohawk
Defacto leader of the Gremlins, Stripe is a sadistic, maniacal monster who enjoys carnage and torturing Gizmo. He is killed thanks to Gizmo, but comes Back From the Dead in Gremlins 2 as Mohawk, and
 * Always Chaotic Evil
 * Back From the Dead
 * Big Bad: Stripe was this. Mohawk is more a lone wolf.
 * Catch Phrase: Gizmo, ca-ca!
 * Eighties Hair: A tuft of white hair in the first film, and a mohawk in the second, hence his names.
 * Explosive Breeder
 * Family-Unfriendly Death: In both films.
 * Frank Welker
 * Genetic Memory: Clearly remembers Gizmo when he comes back from the grave.
 * Kick the Dog: Oh, and he enjoys doing this to Gizmo and Billy.
 * Laughing Mad
 * Metamorphosis Monster: Him and the rest of the Gremlins.
 * Out of Focus: Becomes this in the second film, which shows brief intercuts of him torturing Gizmo and then randomly runs off to shoot at Billy.
 * Transformation Trauma: Stripe spawning more Gremlins whilst dying in the first film is pretty grose.
 * Weakened By the Light
 * Out of Focus: Becomes this in the second film, which shows brief intercuts of him torturing Gizmo and then randomly runs off to shoot at Billy.
 * Transformation Trauma: Stripe spawning more Gremlins whilst dying in the first film is pretty grose.
 * Weakened By the Light

Mr. Wing
A mysterious Asian Store Owner who is the owner of Gizmo. Likely from experience, he believes Mogwai must be carefully looked after and that the western world is not ready for such a responsibility.
 * Asian Store Owner
 * Grumpy Old Man: He is furious when he confronts Rand at the end of the first film, but makes peace with him upon leaving and accepts a unique ashtray from Rand as a parting gift.
 * Mentor Archetype
 * You Are Not Ready
 * You No Take Candle: His English starts off bad but it becomes good by the end of the film.
 * You No Take Candle: His English starts off bad but it becomes good by the end of the film.

Murray Futterman
Billy's neighbour, Murray Futterman often is seen Griping About Gremlins and is very proud of his snowplough. He and his wife are attacked by Gremlins when they steal his snowplough. they reappear in Gremlins 2 as New York tourists.
 * Badass Normal
 * Cranky Neighbor
 * Griping About Gremlins
 * Hey, It's That Guy!: Dick Miller.
 * Took a Level In Badass

Kingston Falls Citizens

 * Chekhov's Gunman: Pete.
 * Cool Teacher: Mr. Hanson, Billy's science teacher who is given the Gremlin named Earl to study.
 * Hey, It's That Guy!: A young Corey Feldman played Billy's friend Pete.
 * Police Are Useless
 * Police Are Useless

Daniel Clamp
An eccentric corporate manager who works in New York. He runs a completely automatically-powered skyscraper, hates black and white films, and wants to make the world a better place through good-intentioned projects.
 * Bunny Ears Lawyer
 * Corrupt Corporate Executive: Subverted. Early on, Clamp is portrayed as being this from the views of other characters but when he shows up he turns out to be a nice, easygoing guy who is easily inspired and quickly befriends most of the people he meets.
 * Crazy Prepared: Clamp has a video ready to play on his cable network in case the end of the world comes, inspired by a video Joe Dante found whilst visiting CNN.
 * Eccentric Millionaire
 * No Celebrities Were Harmed: A mixture of Donald Trump and Ted Turner.
 * The Wonka

Forster
Daniel Clamp's assitant.
 * Bad Boss
 * Corrupt Corporate Executive: He's more of this trope than Clamp.
 * Jerkass

Marla Bloodstone

 * Jerk With a Heart of Gold
 * Meganekko: Though her glasses were gone by the end of the film.

Grandpa Fred

 * Cool Old Guy

Mr. Katsuji

 * Japanese Tourist

Dr. Catheter

 * Mad Scientist
 * Mad Scientist