List of The Raccoons characters

This article contains character information for the Canadian animated television series The Raccoons.

Protagonists

• Bert Raccoon - The main character of the show. A happy-go-lucky and energetic raccoon with a lot of imagination. Bert has plenty of confidence in his skills, though sometimes he can get carried away, anc can sometimes get him in trouble. It is uncertain how old Bert is, though it may be said that he is the same age as Ralph, Melissa and Cedric (they all went to the same school in the same grade). He is excitable and child-like, as he reads comic books and plays with radio-controlled airplanes and does other child-like things. But despite this, he can be mature and even finds himself in charge of serious projects, such as being a reporter for The Evergreen Standard. He can be quite hasty; normally being impatient in getting a plan executed or in bringing justice to the Evergreen Forest. Despite his faults Bert is very loyal to his friends, and can even be a role-model to others.

Ralph and Melissa Raccoon

• Ralph & Melissa Raccoon - A married raccoon couple who live in their tree home "The Raccoondiminuim" with their childhod friend Bert. Generally, the two are the most level-headed of the gang and the most adult. While both were tempted by attractive job offers elsewhere, all three choose to work for local newspaper chain The Evergreen Standard, in which Ralph is the editor, Bert is the reporter and Melissa is the photographer. The enterprise was so successful in not just keeping the activities of Sneer Industries in check, but also in career prestige with Ralph winning a civic award for his efforts.

• Schaeffer - A large sheepdog, whose friends with the Raccoons. Originally portrayed as slow and dim-witted in the original specials, he quickly became one of the brightest characters on the show, and eventually opened the Blue Spruce Cafe and assists with the Raccoons' paper's technical needs. It is later revealed that Schaeffer is a Black belt in Karate, but foresworn practicing it when he severely wounded a person in anger. In the first 9 episodes, Schaeffer and Broo are owned by two kids, Tommy and Julie, and their father Dan the Forest Ranger. However, after the three were written out of the show, it is unknown where Schaeffer lives.

• Cedric Sneer - Cyril Sneer's son and Bert Raccoon's best friend. He's also the heir to the Sneer fortune, yet he appears to be the complete opposite to his father - he's geeky, shy and initially rather weak, character-wise. In the specials, Cedric always gave into his father's will out of fear. As the series progresses he starts becoming more self supportive and capable as an industrial manager and engineer. He takes over executive control of Sneer Industries with his father as his partner in the series finale.

• Sophia Tutu - Cedric's ditzy girlfriend, who is a superb swan glider and diver. She was phased out of the show in later years, supposedly studying at school. The actual reason for her absence was apparently the writers' inability to decide how to portray her. She did, however, make a cameo in "The Headline Hunter" at Lady Baden-Baden's bachelor party as Cedric's date, and remains in the opening sequence of the show after her disappearance.

• Broo - A sheepdog puppy who seems to favour Bert as his owner. Although there appears to be nothing special about Broo, he once won 'Best Puppy' in a local dog show. Originally, Broo, like Schaeffer, was owned by kids who lived in the forest. As the kids were phased out by the end of the first season, Broo's ownership headed toward Sophia Tutu. In later seasons, however, as Sophia Tutu was phased out, Broo is supposedly owned by Bert Raccoon.

• Bentley Raccoon - The cousin of the Raccoons. He's an expert with computers, and is a very typical younger kid, with a tendency to overemphasize his personal setbacks. He often favours Bert while Cyril Sneer thinks highly of him, which includes a standing offer to take the kit on as a Sneer Industries employee when he graduates from his post-secondary education. Bentley was originally introduced as Melissa's cousin (or Ralph's cousin) but was later referenced as their nephew, when it is discovered that Bentley's father George is Ralph's older brother.

• Lisa Raccoon - Bentley's teenage basketball-playing sister. When her family moved into the Evergreen Forest in Season 5, she initially does not respond well to having to move away from her old life and friends. Bert is very affectionate towards her, and as the series progresses they become closer and closer.

Antagonists

• Cyril Sneer - The main villain of the series. Cyril is an aardvark, with a long, pink nose. He is a ruthless and greedy businessman who would not let anything stand in the way of profit. Originally, Cyril was portrayed as a much darker version of what he would ultimately become, often attempting to destroy the entire Evergreen Forest for lumber or industry. All of his plans are foiled by the Raccoons, and occasionally even his own son Cedric. Once the series was established however, Sneer gradually softened as the series progressed to become a far more sympathetic, if still aggressive, character. He became more of an anti-hero who has a deep love for his son that can make him disregard his financial goals when necessary. In some episodes, he donated money to the old schoolhouse to prevent its closure, and he can even be a voice of reason, when he helps persuade Lisa to give up smoking. Near the finale and before his retirement, he and Mr. Knox teamed up as environmental crusaders to put Milton Midas in jail. He can usually be seen with some gold teeth and half a cigar in his mouth. It is never revealed how old Cyril is, but in one episode, where Cyril thinks he is dying, it is revealed that he may be somewhere around 60. In "Opportunity Knocks", it is revealed that Cyril's birthday is Friday October 13. This implied when Cyril said that April Fool's Day was not for another six months and that Friday the 13th (his birthday) of the current month was circled in red ink on the calendar hanging on his wall. In "Go For Gold", he is shown to have surprising athletic skill considering his age and his lack of exercise. In the series finale, he is forced to retire due to poor health in favour of Cedric, but they compromise with Cyril returning to work as a partner as Cyril found retirement boring and unfulfilling. Apparently, his current duties include business negotiations and similar duties while his son handles the business' technical matters.

• Snag - Cyril and Cedric Sneer's pet dog. He has blue fur and a nose similar to his owners. Cyril is known to be rather abusive with Snag, sometimes stepping on him and kicking him to make him stop from doing something. Despite this, Snag is still loyal to Cyril, and is shown to be aggressive to the Pigs. In the episode, Picture Perfect, his deed in saving Cedric's life led to TV stardom, much to his disapproval. According to Cyril, Snag is a Bluepoint Ridgeback Retriever.

• Lloyd, Boyd, and Floyd - Cyril's bumbling henchmen and assistants. They are almost never referred to by name, listed as Pig One, Two and Three in the credits. Their mother, Suey-Ellen, visits them repeatedly during the series (Mom's the Word, Promises Promises). According to their profile on the Region 2 DVD of Season 1 which originated from the Canadian DVD releases, their mother could not tell Pigs One and Two apart, hence she named them both Lloyd, naming the third Floyd to be different. There is evidence to support this since Pigs One and Two call each other Lloyd periodically, and at one point the third is referred to as Floyd. However, since naming two of the pigs the same makes very little sense, a few fans believe the second Pig's name to be Boyd which made more sense. (That and Kevin Gillis' history of the characters can sometimes be slightly interchangeable as he continued the development of the series). Like most middle management they are easily intimidated by their own boss but likewise are not above harshness towards their subordinates. They're extremely loyal to Cedric and when they are not following Cyril's orders, they are generally trying to make themselves rich (often at Cyril's expense).

• The Bears - are Cyril Sneer's additional henchmen, workers, soldiers, spies, etc. Anything that suits his needs for that particular episode. One bear is named Bruno.

Recurring characters

• Humans: Ranger Dan and his children lived in a log cabin in the Evergreen Forest, and played a key role in the original "Christmas Raccoons" special. Since then, they became less and less important, until they were finally removed from the show at the end of the first season. They were the original owners of Schaeffer, and later Broo, and since their departure it is unclear where exactly Schaeffer and Broo stay. The kids may be aware of the animals after meeting the Raccoons in "The Christmas Raccoons".
  • Forest Ranger Dan - Chief Ranger of the Evergreen Forest and Julie and Tommy's father.
  • Julie - Dan's eldest child and Tommy's older sister.
  • Tommy - Dan's youngest child and Julie's little brother.

• Mr. Mammoth - A rhinoceros who is the richest, most powerful character on the show, who appears mostly in the form of a MacGuffin for Cyril Sneer (and often Mr. Knox as well), i.e. looking to start a partnership, giving out a contract for a baseball team, etc. Instead of talking, he mumbles, and his assistant (voiced by Rick Jones, Dan Hennessey) has to translate what he's trying to say. He has only spoken clearly twice, such as when he was impressed by Cedric's solar powered car (The Evergreen Grand Prix) and when Cyril refused to accept his offer to manage his baseball team, The Mammoth Mudhens (Double Play). Interestingly in some episodes, Cyril is talking to Mr. Mammoth over the phone, which means he can understand what Mammoth is saying, hence there being possibly no need for the translator.

• Mr. Knox - An acquaintance of Cyril Sneer, a southern crocodile/business mogul who can be even more ruthless and more wealthy than Cyril. Married to Lady Baden-Baden, and owner of the TV company K.N.O.X. TV. He has a nephew called Bonneville, who was routinely shuffled around the relatives until he lost any empathy with anyone and became a bully. However, while he abused Cedric's hospitality, he had a change of heart and the pair reconciled.

• Lady Baden-Baden - A wealthy, melodramatic hen who eventually marries Mr. Knox. She was an actress in her old days, and now is an enthusiastic patron of the arts. She later becomes Mayor of the Evergreen Forest near the series' finale.

• Professor Witherspoon Smedley-Smythe - A goat who runs the Evergreen Forest Museum.

• Dr. Canard - A duck who is Cyril's doctor.

• Mr. Willow - The owner of Willow's General Store. It's not officially known what kind of animal he is supposed to resemble, however he looks quite like a bear. However he does not resemble any of Cyril Sneer's bears. He has white fur, so that could possibly mean he might be a polar bear, though he was coloured slightly differently in the episode "When The Chips Are Down".

• Mrs. Suey-Ellen Pig - The pigs' mother. She appears in two episodes, "Mom's the Word", where her name is revealed, and "Promises Promises". She is also mentioned in "The Wrong Stuff" when the pigs make a video for her. She becomes good friends with Cyril Sneer.

• Milton Midas - An eagle business man and scam artist. Unlike Cyril whose dealings are usually unethical, Midas' schemes are outright criminal. His actions lead to a lake becoming too contaminated to support life near the series' conclusion and Sneer and Knox have him arrested. His voice was based on that of legendary comic W.C. Fields.

• George Raccoon - Nicole's husband, Lisa and Bentley's father. He is also Ralph's older brother and works as a cook/host of "Chef Surprise" on K.N.O.X. TV.

• Nicole Raccoon - George's wife and Lisa and Bentley's mother. She assists George on his cooking show and talks with a French accent.

References