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The following is a list of characters appearing on the MTV cartoon series Beavis and Butt-Head, each with a description. Some of these characters appear in only one or two episodes. The episodes in which they are known to appear are listed in italics. Other characters with smaller and/or less significant roles sometimes bear the likenesses of some of the characters listed below.
Beavis and Butt-Head are the titular characters and protagonists of the show. The two are portrayed as scrawny, dimwitted teenaged delinquents who are fans of heavy metal music with little regard to anything outside themselves, eternally driven by their desire to "score". The two live in an empty house with a couch and a television set located in the fictional Highland, Texas, attend Highland High, and work at the fast food chain Burger World. Their age is never specified, but creator Mike Judge said they're "probably" 15.
The 2022 revival of the show introduces the duo's parallel universe counterparts who are middle-aged, called "Old Beavis and Butt-Head"; they are unemployed and live in a motel-style apartment.
| Beavis | |
|---|---|
| Beavis and Butt-Head character | |
First appearance | Frog Baseball (1992) |
| Created by | Mike Judge |
| Designed by | Mike Judge |
| Voiced by | Mike Judge |
| In-universe information | |
| Aliases | Cornholio Buford Blovis |
| Gender | Male |
| Occupation | Student Fry cook at Burger World Honorary ATF agent |
| Family | Shirley Beavis (mother), Mr. Beavis (father) |
Beavis (/biːvɪs/ ⓘ) is one of two protagonists from the series. He is voiced by the show's creator, Mike Judge. In the movie Beavis and Butt-Head Do the Universe, Beavis' mother is referred to as "Shirley Beavis", implying that Beavis is actually the character's last name. His father is a former Mötley Crüe roadie. Beavis has blond hair which he wears in an oversized pompadour style, a pronounced underbite, and an obsessive stare. He speaks in a hoarse voice frequently punctuated by his trademark snicker ("Heh heh"). He is nearly always seen in profile, rather than looking directly at the camera. He is usually seen wearing a Metallica T-shirt, though in merchandising appearances his shirt displays the slogan "Death Rock" to avoid licensing issues. In the episode "Give Blood", he wears a Slayer shirt, while in the Christmas special "It's a Miserable Life" Beavis is seen wearing a Winger shirt during the alternate reality section of the episode. In the 2022 revival, Beavis' older self wears glasses, a dark gray T-shirt and jeans.[citation needed]
He is slightly shorter than his best friend, Butt-Head, although he appears taller from a distance due to his hairstyle. Beavis works with Butt-Head as a fry cook at the fast-food restaurant Burger World and once defiantly revealed that he is a fan of the rock band Bon Jovi to Butt-Head, who dislikes the band and its lead singer, Jon Bon Jovi.
Beavis's name was inspired by a friend of Judge's from his college days named Bobby Beavis, and his look and laugh was inspired by a school friend who looked similar but was in reality nothing like Beavis.
Dan Tobin of The Boston Phoenix described Beavis as "the sidekick and follower" who developed into "more of a loose cannon".
Mike Judge once said in an interview that Beavis "is a zero" when it comes to intelligence;[citation needed] indeed, Beavis is often oblivious to what should be obvious. Generally subordinate to Butt-Head and willing to tolerate a large amount of physical and verbal abuse, Beavis nonetheless has limits. In "Murder Site", Beavis was driven to attack and nearly kill Butt-Head, who ceaselessly called him "Butt-Knocker", a term which Beavis resents. Beavis also stood up to Butt-Head while they were watching the video for Rancid's "Nihilism": Butt-Head kept talking about it derisively, prompting Beavis to tell Butt-Head to shut up. When Butt-Head reacted with fury, ordering Beavis never again to tell him to shut up and threatening to attack him, Beavis preemptively kicked Butt-Head in the testicles, told him to shut up again, and walked out of the room to get something to eat.
In spite of his overt idiocy, Beavis possesses a number of character strengths. Though usually shown to be the less intelligent of the two, he can be inadvertently witty, and when discussing subjects that neither he nor Butt-Head understands, he is more likely to guess the actual mechanisms at work. Also, on the rare occasion that a female exhibits interest in one of the duo, it is usually Beavis who gets the attention. Beavis has also shown instances of insight on such topics as the true meaning of Christmas, or in his analysis of a video by Korn. However, in both instances Beavis seems to be either in a trance or possessed, and shortly afterward he displays no recollection of what he just said.
While Butt-Head's main interest in life is "chicks", Beavis seems to be more interested in toilet humor and displays of violence. Beavis has a penchant for making off-beat sound effects to suit the occasion. Whenever he sees something that is sexually arousing, he imitates a spring, indicating a quick erection. He sometimes makes a Bronx cheer by puckering his lips. Beavis also displays a predilection for defecating and things that are related to it, and in a high-pitched tone will often enthusiastically utter the word "poop", or will say the word "plop" to indicate a bowel movement.
Beavis has a more volatile, unpredictable nature. His hasty actions usually end in disaster, ranging from being deported to Mexico to severely injuring himself and occasional arrest for crimes such as trespassing. In some early episodes, Beavis displays signs of being a pyromaniac. Though his obsession with fire remained an obvious trait, as the seasons progressed and network censorship pressures increased, his fixation became more of a passing gag. In a deleted scene from the 1996 film, Beavis steals the Declaration of Independence to use as toilet paper.
Cornholio is an alter ego of Beavis; after consuming large amounts of sugar, caffeine or other stimulants, he pulls his shirt collar over his head, raises his forearms at a right angle to his chest, and then begins to yell or scream erratically, producing a stream of gibberish in an odd faux-Spanish accent while wandering aimlessly. When he stops acting as the Cornholio persona, Beavis usually has no memory of what happened.
Though the closest of confidants, Beavis and Butt-Head have a jaded, violent, and at times borderline sadistic relationship. Butt-Head often insults and physically abuses Beavis. Beavis is usually a follower, willingly taking Butt-Head's instructions and cooperating in his endeavors. This appears to be a byproduct of Beavis' own general witlessness rather than any fear of Butt-Head's abuse – as demonstrated in the alternate reality of "It's a Miserable Life", in which Butt-Head had never been born and Beavis was instead the dim but productive friend of younger neighbor and schoolmate Stewart Stevenson.
| Butt-Head | |
|---|---|
| Beavis and Butt-Head character | |
First appearance | Frog Baseball (1992) |
| Created by | Mike Judge |
| Designed by | Mike Judge |
| Voiced by | Mike Judge |
| In-universe information | |
| Full name | Butt Head |
| Gender | Male |
| Occupation | Student Cashier at Burger World Honorary ATF agent |
| Family | Missy Butt-Head (mother), Mr. Butt-Head (father) |
Butt-Head is the other protagonist of the series. He is voiced by the show's creator, Mike Judge. Judge got the name Butt-Head from his university days, when he knew a couple of other students who had the nicknames 'Iron Butt' and 'Butt-Head'.
Compared to his best friend Beavis, Butt-Head appears to be calmer, cockier, and slightly more intelligent and self-aware; however he is oblivious to subtleties, is semi-literate and is still significantly more dimwitted than the other characters in the show. Despite his unintelligence and immaturity, he is usually confident in everything he says and does – no matter how ridiculous or frivolous it is. Dan Tobin of The Boston Phoenix described Butt-Head as "ringleader, the devious visionary."
Butt-Head seems to be the lazier and crueler of the two. He never seems to react to things unless they catch his attention, in which case he describes them as 'cool'. Beavis, on the other hand, always has some kind of reaction, although his actions predictably end with bad results.
Butt-Head has a severe overbite, wears dental braces, and has brown hair and squinted eyes. His top gums are often exposed and he speaks with a nasally deep voice and a slight lisp, repeatedly punctuating his speech with his trademark chuckle ("Uh huh huh") and mostly disfluencies before speaking. He is usually shown wearing an AC/DC T-shirt. In merchandising appearances, his shirt displays the word 'Skull', to avoid licensing issues. In the episode "Refuse Service" it is revealed that the school psychiatrist has diagnosed Butt-Head as a sociopath.
Classmates in Beavis and Butt-Head included:
Local residents in Beavis and Butt-Head included:
Television and radio personalities in Beavis and Butt-Head included: