List of Beavis and Butt-Head characters
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
Beavis and Butt-Head are the titular characters and protagonists of the show. The two are portrayed as scrawny, dimwitted teenage 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're unemployed and live in a motel-style apartment.
Beavis
Beavis 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. 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.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.
Personality
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; 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.
Despite his overt love for heavy metal, Beavis has occasionally displayed a fondness for pop music: While the duo were watching a Bon Jovi video, Beavis claimed to like one part of the song, causing Butt-Head to slap him in disgust. After being struck a few times, Beavis kicked Butt-Head in the groin and proclaimed: "Bon Jovi rules!" He has admitted a liking to Post Malone and BTS, knowing the latter's members by name.
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.
Recklessness
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
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. Common quotes include "I am the Great Cornholio! I need TP for my bunghole!"; when questioned, Cornholio will respond with "Are you threatening me?!" Sometimes Beavis will momentarily talk normally before resuming the persona of Cornholio. When he stops acting as the Cornholio persona, Beavis usually has no memory of what happened.Though the Cornholio character was developed in the episode "The Great Cornholio", Beavis first plays the entity as a passing gag in "Generation in Crisis". In the guise of Cornholio, Beavis becomes a successful beat poet. In "Vaya Con Cornholio", he is deported to Mexico after wrongfully being subjected to immigration detention by an agent of the INS. During his detention the agent and his superior attempt to make sense of the gibberish, going so far as to look up the definition of bunghole. In that same episode, he claims to be from Lake Titicaca, but when asked where it is, he responds with "Nicaragua". Nicaragua may be one of the few things Beavis remembers from class lectures. Beavis' teacher, Mr. Van Driessen, refers to Nicaragua during a lecture on world economic systems in "The Great Cornholio", after which Beavis repeats the word while pacing back and forth in the classroom. Cornholio resurfaces in "Bungholio: Lord of the Harvest", in which he steals candy from everyone and Butt-Head tails him. He had stood up to Todd Ianuzzi, who demanded he move out of the road. Todd prepared to beat Beavis up in his Cornholio form with his friends. He later spares Beavis, deeming him too insane, in favor of beating up the saner Butt-Head.
Relationship with Butt-Head
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. On occasion, Beavis will fight back or stand up for himself. His favorite means of retribution is kicking Butt-Head in the testicles. On at least one occasion, Beavis throws the first punch. In "Canoe", he initiates a fight by smacking Butt-Head across the head with a paddle. Butt-Head usually knows when Beavis is approaching his breaking point and will back off. Despite being a victim of Butt-Head's abuse, Beavis may prefer it to other options. For instance, in "Nice Butt-Head," in which Butt-Head takes pills to curb his aggression and is shown to be kind and considerate, Beavis quickly tries to find a way to turn him back into his normal self. In "Choke", he specifically states that Butt-Head is "not really my friend," and in "Beavis and Butt-Head Do the Universe," Butt-Head says that Beavis is "not really my friend, he just follows me around." Nevertheless, it can be inferred that the duo are still best friends, considering their shared activities, residence, interests, and their lack of any other friends. The two usually complement each other when one undertakes any sort of endeavor, especially if it involves their lifelong goal to "score with chicks".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 abuseas 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.