List of Rocky characters
This is a list of characters from the Rocky film series, consisting of Rocky, Rocky II, Rocky III, Rocky IV, Rocky V, Rocky Balboa, Creed, Creed II and Creed III.
Principal characters
Rocky Balboa
Robert "Rocky" Balboa, is the titular character and main protagonist of the Rocky film series. The character was created by Sylvester Stallone, who has also portrayed him in all eight films in the franchise. He is depicted as an everyman who started out by going the distance and overcoming obstacles that had occurred in his life and career as a professional boxer. In the Creed films, he trains Apollo Creed's illegitimate son Adonis to win the world heavyweight championship.Adonis Creed
Adonis "Donnie" Johnson Creed, "Hollywood Donnie", is the protagonist and titular character from the Rocky film series sequel, Creed. He is the son of world champion Apollo Creed, from an affair shortly before he died. Adonis is trained by Apollo's friend and former rival, fellow world champion Rocky Balboa. He went on to become a second generation world champion.Main characters
Adrianna Pennino
Adrianna "Adrian" Balboa is Rocky's girlfriend, and later wife. She is the mother of their only child Robert Balboa Jr. She appears in the original five Rocky movies. In Rocky Balboa, it is revealed that Adrian died of ovarian cancer in 2002, after 26 years of marriage, and four years before the events of that film. Much of the film's premise is Rocky's grieving over losing Adrian.Paulie Pennino
Paul "Paulie" Pennino is Adrian's older brother and Rocky's best friend, later becoming his brother-in-law when Rocky marries Adrian. He is one of only three characters to appear in the first six films. Young was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in the first film, along with co-star Burgess Meredith.He works at a meat-rendering facility and is portrayed as having a drinking problem and tending towards self-pity, immaturity and emotional outbursts. Though he cares for his friends and family, he is often jealous of their happiness and success and feels they owe him. Paulie is seen to be racist; in Rocky III he openly stated that he did not like any of the black boxers in the gym where Apollo Creed once trained. He also says in Rocky Balboa that "Italian food cooked up by a bunch of Mexicans ain't so special."
Paulie introduced his sister, Adrian, to Rocky and encouraged their relationship. Paulie also invited Rocky to begin his unique training method of punching sides of beef at the rendering facility. After Rocky marries Adrian and struggles to make a life outside of boxing, he recommends Rocky for his former meat packing job; he also buys Rocky's car from him after the latter is laid off. He is disappointed later when he sees Rocky training amateurs in Mighty Mick's Gym; Paulie visits the pet shop where Adrian works and yells at her for refusing to let Rocky continue his boxing career; the stress of the argument causes her to go into premature labor, giving birth to Robert, Paulie's nephew. He later keeps Adrian company on the night of Rocky's rematch with Creed, where Rocky wins the world heavyweight championship.
Rocky, now heavyweight champion, wins a number of succeeding matches and becomes increasingly wealthy and famous. Paulie becomes jealous of Rocky's success, and is arrested after drunkenly destroying a pinball machine with Rocky's image. Rocky bails him out, but Paulie is still angry, claiming Rocky owes him. Paulie briefly attempts to fight Rocky, who easily evades him, and finally asks him for a job. Rocky agrees and hires him as a cornerman. After Rocky's loss to Clubber Lang and the death of Rocky's manager Mickey, Paulie accompanies Rocky and Adrian to Los Angeles, but complains about the flophouse they are staying in, which annoys Apollo. Paulie is again in Rocky's corner as Rocky wins the championship back from Lang.
After Apollo Creed is killed in the ring during an exhibition bout with Soviet boxer Ivan Drago, Paulie accompanies Rocky and Tony "Duke" Evers, Apollo's former trainer, to Siberia to help Rocky train for his match against Ivan Drago. As before in Los Angeles, Paulie gripes about the weather and the austere conditions of the cabin in which they will be staying. Prior to Rocky's match against Drago, Paulie tells Rocky of the admiration and love he has for him. Rocky defeats Drago to avenge Apollo's death.
Returning home to the U.S, Paulie and Adrian have a furious argument in Rocky's mansion: Paulie had unwittingly signed a power of attorney over to Rocky's accountant, who had squandered all of Rocky's money on poor real estate deals and also failed to pay Rocky's taxes over the past six years. Their mansion has been mortgaged for $400,000, and with Rocky forced into retirement due to brain damage, they must sell the mansion and most of their belongings. They move back to their old residence in the Kensington section of Philadelphia. When Rocky stops paying attention to Robert and shifts his focus to training a young boxer from Oklahoma named Tommy Gunn, Paulie steps in and begins training and spending more time with his nephew. Later, after Gunn leaves Rocky, he shows up at a bar to challenge Rocky to a fight. Paulie berates Tommy for his selfishness, and Tommy punches Paulie, leading Rocky to taking on, and beating Gunn, in a street fight.
Sixteen years later, Paulie is shown having resumed his meat-packing job. When Rocky agrees to an exhibition match against heavyweight champion Mason "The Line" Dixon, Paulie again becomes his cornerman. Initially sceptical of Rocky's desire to return to fighting, Paulie becomes fully supportive when he is laid off from the factory. He is also shown helping Rocky train and operate his restaurant, Adrian's. Paulie, along with Robert, celebrate with Rocky after he goes the distance with Dixon.
Paulie is shown as having died on February 22, 2012. He was buried next to Adrian. Rocky visits his grave on his birthday and leaves a bottle of his favourite liquor on his headstone after which he sits and reads the newspaper. When Adonis Creed moves in with Rocky, he stays in Paulie's old bedroom.
Apollo Creed
Apollo Creed is a heavyweight boxing champion who is a rival and later friend of Rocky Balboa. He appears in the first four Rocky movies. After a bout against Soviet boxer Ivan Drago, Apollo dies from severe head trauma sustained during his match. His son Adonis is trained by Rocky in the Creed films.Mickey Goldmill
Mickey Goldmill, is Rocky's trainer who used to be a professional boxer when he was younger. He mainly appears in the first three movies. He also appears in the fifth film. He dies from a heart attack halfway through the third film shortly after Rocky's bout with Clubber Lang.Tony "Duke" Evers
Tony "Duke" Evers was the manager/trainer of Apollo Creed until Creed's death during his bout with Ivan Drago, before becoming the trainer of Rocky Balboa. He was portrayed by Tony Burton and is one of only four characters to have featured in all six original Rocky films.Tony is introduced in Rocky as the trainer of World Heavyweight Champion Apollo Creed, preparing for his planned Bicentennial fight against number one contender Mac Lee Green. However, Green breaks his left hand in training, and with none of the other top contenders available, Creed devises a novelty promotion to offer a local fighter a shot at the title on New Year's Day in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Creed selects Rocky Balboa, an unknown club fighter, based on his nickname "The Italian Stallion".
While Creed dismisses Rocky as a serious threat, Tony became concerned whilst observing a news report of Rocky's meat freezer training session at his friend Paulie's meat factory. Creed is knocked down by Balboa in the first round, the first time ever in his career, and Tony urges Creed to concentrate on finishing the fight quickly, but Creed is dragged into a prolonged bloody battle with the determined Rocky. Prior to the final round, Tony urges Creed to let him stop the fight after it is revealed that he is bleeding internally as a result of Balboa's heavy body shots. Creed wins the fight on a split-decision points victory.
In Rocky II, a humiliated Creed pushes for a rematch with Rocky. However, Tony pleads with Apollo to forget Balboa and find a new challenger. Creed however, is determined to beat Balboa decisively, and goads Rocky into accepting a rematch. More focused, Apollo trains hard under Tony's tutelage, and dominates the majority of the fight, although Tony remains wary of Rocky's punching power and determination. Tony pleads with Creed to fight defensively in the final round to win the bout on points and avoid a potential knockout defeat. Nevertheless, Apollo ignores Tony's advice and is subsequently KO'd by Balboa, losing the championship in the process.
Creed retires soon afterwards, and Tony returns to Los Angeles, where he continues training local fighters at the "TOUGH GYM". However, when Creed takes over as Rocky's trainer following the death of Rocky's manager Mickey Goldmill after Rocky's title defeat to James "Clubber" Lang, Creed brings Rocky to Los Angeles to formally meet Tony, who appears ecstatic at the idea of finally working alongside Rocky after the two brutal contests he had with Creed. After a shaky start, Creed and Tony completely revamp Balboa's fighting style and, along with Rocky's wife Adrian, also help rebuild Rocky's self-esteem, which is left shattered after his knockout by Lang and the loss of Mickey. A rejuvenated Rocky reclaims the title with a third-round KO of Lang.
In Rocky IV, a now 42-year-old Apollo comes out of retirement for an exhibition bout against Soviet Union boxer Ivan Drago in Las Vegas, with Tony and Rocky in his corner. However, Creed is killed in the second round by Drago, consequently setting up a grudge match between Balboa and Drago in Moscow on Christmas Day 1985. Now Rocky's main trainer, Tony travels with Rocky, Paulie and Adrian to Russia and assists Rocky in his training, providing him with encouragement while also telling him that he now stands as the carrier of Apollo's legacy. Tony confides to Rocky that Creed was like his own son, and part of him has died along with Apollo. Rocky ultimately knocks out Drago in the fifteenth round to claim victory and avenge Apollo's death.
Tony makes a brief appearance at the beginning of Rocky V, which begins immediately following Rocky's victory over Drago. As Tony lauds Rocky for his courage, Rocky begins to suffer physical trauma, and Tony hurries to find Adrian. After returning to the U.S., Rocky announces his retirement due to brain damage, as well as suffering bankruptcy. Rocky becomes a trainer to the new World Heavyweight Champion Tommy Gunn but Tony does not reappear as Rocky repels the challenge of a jealous Gunn in a street fight.
Tony returns in Rocky Balboa, where Rocky has been long retired, now running a restaurant in Philadelphia following Adrian's death several years earlier. Tony returns as Rocky's trainer after Balboa agrees to an exhibition bout against the current World Heavyweight Champion Mason Dixon. Citing that the nearly 60-year-old Balboa lacks speed, or durability to endure typical training, Tony decides to focus on Rocky's lone remaining asset - his incredible punching power - and develops a regimen focused on strength training and building "hurtin' bombs". Tony subsequently participates in the fight's press conference, and states that Rocky maintains a "puncher's chance". Rocky eventually battles Doxon through all ten rounds, though he loses by split decision. Rocky is unconcerned with the outcome and celebrates his moral victory with Tony, Paulie and his son Robert before leaving the ring.
Though Tony is not present in Creed, his presence remains as his son Tony Jr., known as "Little Duke", runs the Delphi Boxing Academy in Los Angeles. When Apollo's illegitimate son Adonis Creed asks for his assistance in training, Tony Jr. turns him down, warning him about the death of his father at the hands of Ivan Drago. Adonis challenges anyone in the gym that if they could land a punch on him, they win his car. Tony Jr.'s own student, Danny "Stuntman" Wheeler lays Creed out on the canvas and wins his car. Tony Jr. and Wheeler are both later seen training for a match with "Pretty" Ricky Conlan, and at the weigh-in in where Wheeler is assaulted by Conlan, breaking his jaw.
In Creed II Tony Jr. and Rocky become part of Adonis's training team as he fights Ivan Drago's son Viktor.