Seinfeld/Characters

List of major, recurring and minor characters from Seinfeld.

The Group

In General

• The Friends Who Never Hang: One of them is usually absent from an episode's main plot.
• Nice, Mean and In-Between: Kramer is Nice, George is Mean, and Jerry is In-Between.
• Static Character: Not one of them changes in the slightest over all nine seasons. They start out as Jerkasses and they end as Jerkasses.
• Unsympathetic Comedy Protagonist: Each and every one of them.

Jerry Seinfeld (Jerry Seinfeld)

• Always Second Best: He may be Born Lucky but he'll never quite match up to Newman or Tim Whatley.
• Actually Pretty Funny: Though the group can often times be annoyed by him, they have to admit he's pretty funny.
• As Himself
• Author Avatar: Though somewhat more of a jerk.
• Born Lucky: Good things seem to happen to him with a minimum of effort on his part.
• The Casanova: Had relationships with around 75 women over the course of the series.
• Catch Phrase: "OH MY GOD!" and "That's a shame."
• Control Freak
• Deadpan Snarker
• Distaff Counterpart: Had one in Jeannie Steinman. They even got engaged before they remembered that they both hated themselves and therefore the other as well.
• Everyone Has Standards:
  • In The Chinese Restaurant, he doesn't want to be branded as a liar.
  • Along with Elaine, he's visibly against parking in The Handicap Spot and is later shocked that George and Kramer bought a used wheelchair.
  • In The Junior Mint, he's horrified that the junior mint was left in Roy.
• Evil Is Petty: Downplay evil but play up petty.
• Informed Judaism
• Jews Love to Argue
• Lack of Empathy: The other three can be shamed into acknowledging that they're bad people. Jerry revels in it.
• Manipulative Bastard: Per Word of God, he encourages his friends' Zany Schemes so he can either get a laugh or have some new material for his next show.
• Minor Flaw, Major Breakup: A Running Gag with him is finding some minor flaw with his Girl of the Week that causes him to break up with her, including one woman whose flaw was being simply too perfect.
• Mistaken for Gay: With George in The Outing. Not That There's Anything Wrong with That.
• Mistaken for Racist: By Winona in The Cigar Store Indian.
• Neat Freak: Taken to near-pathological levels in The Pothole when his girlfriend put something of his in the toilet and wouldn't tell him what it was. It was the toilet brush.
• No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: Helping Babu was perhaps the one genuinely selfless thing he ever did. It backfires due to outside circumstances and a spiteful Babu later testifies against Jerry at the trial, sealing his fate.
  • There's also when he bought his father a new car.
• One-Hour Work Week: Rarely seen performing standup (which is supposed to be his livelihood) and even more rarely seen writing new material, something which is often lampshaded by other characters.
• One of the Kids
• Only Sane Man: Most of the time.
• Pet the Dog: Every now and then he displays a decent amount of kindness.
• Really Gets Around: All of the main characters do to a certain extent, but he had more girlfriends than any of them.
• Unknown Rival: Kenny seems blissfully unaware of how much Jerry hates him.
• Unsympathetic Comedy Protagonist: Though he sometimes overlaps with The Everyman.
• Wants a Prize For Basic Decency: Frequently has Inner Monologues where he praises himself for being such a good person.

George Costanza (Jason Alexander)

• And Starring: "And Jason Alexander as George."
• Anti-Hero: Type 1.
• Author Avatar: Basically a more evil version of co-creator Larry David.
• Blind Without'Em
• Born Unlucky: In a sharp contrast with Jerry.
• Breakout Character
• Brilliant but Lazy: George comes up with surprisingly brilliant schemes, but for the purposes of completely pointless things. Jerry even lampshades this in a stand-up act.
• Butt Monkey
• Cut Lex Luthor a Check: One can only wonder how successful he'd be if he put the effort into work that he puts into avoiding work.
• Deadpan Snarker
• Dirty Coward: Shoved aside an old woman and children to escape from a fire.
• Disability as an Excuse For Jerkassery: Once faked a disability in order to get a number of perks at his job. This went as far as having a secretary carry him to his office.
• Dismotivation
• The Ditz: "For I am Costanza. Lord of the Idiots."
• Even Evil Has Standards: Even George was appalled that a junior mint was left in Roy.
• Evil Is Petty: Evil may be stretching it, but he is easily the pettiest of the friends, often dissecting mundane situations and concocting schemes for completely imagined slights.
• Fat Best Friend: To Jerry.
• Freudian Excuse: His Hilariously Abusive Childhood.
• The Friend Nobody Likes: Though if you ask him, Elaine is this.
• Go to Alias: Art Vandelay.
• Hilariously Abusive Childhood
• Hollywood Dateless
• It's All About Me: Upon hearing of Susan's Death, his reaction is to get a cup of coffee with his friends.
• Jerkass: He's cheap, selfish, rude, arrogant, untrustworthy, petty, the list goes on.
• Jerkass Has a Point:
  • Why couldn't Lola wheel herself up the road in The Handicap Spot? It wasn't that steep an incline.
  • While it was mainly to emphasize his cheapness, what is the point in buying an expensive wedding invitation? People are only going to look at it for two seconds or so and either throw it out or mail it back.
• Kavorka Man: Not to Kramer's extent but he dates a fair amount of women (and was even engaged) despite being a short, stocky, and overall not very attractive man. Even Marisa Tomei was into him.
• Kick the Dog: His reaction to Susan's death.
• Lack of Empathy: Never once displays any empathy.
• The Lancer: To Jerry.
• Mistaken for Gay: With Jerry in The Outing. Not That There's Anything Wrong with That.
• Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: In The Visa. Everything was going wonderfully for Jerry, Elaine, and Babu... until George's insecurities and neuroticism got in the way.
• Schemer
• The Scrooge: Even when he is making money, he's still incredibly tightfisted. This has included searching for money under vending machines and even taking tips back from waiters.
• The Slacker
• Small Name, Big Ego: Early in season 4 when they agree to write the pilot for NBC and he thinks he not getting enough money. Specifically, he seems to think he deserves as much money as Ted Danson.
• The Sociopath: Some of his worse behavior borders on this.
• This Loser Is You
• Too Dumb to Live: Self-proclaimed 'Lord of the Idiots'. He's really not exaggerating.
• Trademark Favorite Food: Chocolate syrup, specifically Bosco, as Kramer deduces.
• The Unfavorite: Somehow manages to be this despite being an only child. His parents (or at least his mother) clearly favor Lloyd Braun over him.
• Unknown Rival: Seems to regard Ted Danson as his Arch Enemy.
• Unsympathetic Comedy Protagonist: Easily the worst of the four main characters.
• You Have Boobs, I Must Obey!: "Every woman on the face of the Earth has complete control over my life... and yet, I want them all. Is that irony?"

Elaine Benes (Julia Louis-Dreyfus)

• Aborted Declaration of Love: "I've always loved you...nited airlines."
• Audio Erotica: In The Tape.
• Better as Friends: With Jerry.
• Big Eater: A fair number of her storylines are kicked off by her insatiable appetite.
• Brainy Brunette: The Cafe shows her IQ to be somewhere between 145 and 151. What she lack is common sense and empathy.
• Butt Monkey: In a weird way, but one that many viewers can probably relate to. Whenever something odd happens, Elaine is the only one who reacts to it/is annoyed by it while everyone else doesn't flinch.
• Bunny Ears Lawyer: Somehow held a regular job at Pedant Publishing for years, an accomplishment none of the other characters can boast of. Her boss was J. Peterman, however.
• Break the Haughty: Often happens to her.
• Catch Phrase: "Get OUT!"
• Cigar Chomper: In The Foundation.
• Closer to Earth: Elaine likes to think she's this. In reality, she's just as much of a petty, vindictive schemer as the others.
• Deadpan Snarker
• Disproportionate Retribution: Considering that she violated the Soup Nazi's simple (albeit draconian) rules, her driving him out of business seems a bit much.
• Early Installment Weirdness: Treats her old relationship with Jerry with much wore weight in The Stakeout. Justified since they just broke up.
• Hair-Trigger Temper
• It's All About Me
• Jerkass
• Large Ham
• Not So Above It All: Much to her horror.
• One of the Boys: Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David told the writers to treat her character likes she was a man. Lampshaded when she realizes she has no female friends.
• Only Sane Woman: She likes to think she is at any rate.
• The Peter Principle: Elaine is best suited for a mid-level position. If she gets put in charge, disaster will follow.
• Pointy-Haired Boss: Whenever she is given even a hint of authority.
• The Smurfette Principle
• Troll: Has turned this into an art form.
• Unsympathetic Comedy Protagonist

Cosmo Kramer (Michael Richards)

• Big Eater: Usually of Jerry's food, since he's apparently too lazy to shop for himself.
• Breakout Character
• Brutal Honesty
• Character Tics: His spasms.
• The Casanova: Claims to be this several times but Kramer actually had the fewest onscreen girlfriends of all the main characters.
  • Made up for the fact that he tends to get much better (and harder to get) girlfriends than Jerry and George. Hell, the man got Uma Thurman's phone number, just like that. After all, "he's Kramer.
• Catch Phrase: "Giddyup!"
• Cloudcuckoolander
• Conspiracy Theorist: Has espoused a variety of crazy ideas, such as that the government is secretly experimenting on pig men and withholding a cure for cancer. On occasion, he turns out to be right.
• Drop in Character
• Dynamic Entry: One of his trademarks.
• Early Installment Weirdness: Is depicted as a shut-in named "Kessler" who hasn't left the apartment building in years in the pilot.
• Everyone Has Standards: He befriends some really questionable sorts but not even he could look past Crazy Joe Davola.
• Embarrassing First Name: Cosmo, though he eventually embraces it.
• Friends Rent Control: Good grief, yes. He's probably a better example than the Trope Namer. Out of the show's nine year run, Kramer has held a legitimate job for all of four episodes. And in one case, he wasn't even an employee of the company he was working at.
  • Lampshaded by George when Kramer goes to a baseball fantasy camp.

"Why does Kramer need to go to a fantasy camp? His whole life is a fantasy camp. People should plunk down $2000 to live like him for a week. Do nothing, fall ass-backwards into money, mooch food off your neighbours, and have sex without dating. Now that's a fantasy camp!"

• The Ghost: None of his oft-mentioned friends (Bob Sacamano, Jay Remenschneider and Lomez) have appeared on screen.
• Go to Alias: H.E. Pennypacker and Dr. Van Nostrand.
• Hipster: According to Elaine.
• Idiot Houdini: Much to his friends' chagrin, as they all avert this trope.
• Jewish Mother: Briefly takes on the characteristics of one while trying to cook a lot of Jewish food for Jewish Singles Night.

Kramer: (to Jerry) "Eat! Eat! You're nothing but skin and bones!"

• Kavorka Man: The Trope Namer. Kavorka roughly translates to "the lure of the animal" in Latvian. He's seduced Uma Thurman, a nun, and a lesbian!
• The Klutz
• Large Ham: Easily outstrips any other Large Ham on the show.
• Last-Name Basis: Even after his name is discovered.
• Loony Fan: Is nicer to celebrities than he is to his own friends. His slavish devotion to Bette Middler in "The Understudy" stands out particularly.
• Messy Hair
• Mistaken for Junkie: J. Peterman throws him out of Elaine's office after he thinks Kramer has come seeking drugs from her.
• No Name Given: Until The Reveal that his first name is Cosmo.
• One of the Kids: So much so that he's in a children's karate class.
• One-Hour Work Week: Try no-hour work week. Season 9 eventually revealed that he's employed at a bagel bakery but has been on strike for the better part of a decade.
• The Slacker: Is he ever. This trope could be renamed The Kramer.
• Small Name, Big Ego: As 'The Real J. Peterman.'
• Team Dad: He's often quick to lecture his friends on their actions even if he is no better.
• The Thing That Would Not Leave
• Token Good Teammate: Pretty much the only member of the group with a conscience.
• Unsympathetic Comedy Protagonist: But still the best human being out of the four.
• Unwitting Instigator of Doom: Frequently.
  • Averted in The Junior Mint. His junior mint ends up saving Roy's life.
  • Advising George to park in the handicapped spot in The Handicap Spot.
  • Getting water in his ear in The Finale is the catalyst that lands everyone in jail.
• Why Do You Keep Changing Jobs?
• Write Who You Know: Based off of Larry David's real-life neighbor Kenny Kramer who quickly took advantage of the popularity of Seinfeld's Kramer by creating a "Kramer Reality Bus Tour" which was in turn parodied on the show.
• Zany Scheme: Usually masterminded by him, with Newman's help.

Recurring Characters

Newman (Wayne Knight)

• Affably Evil: When he's not antagonistic, he seems to get along fairly well with the cast.
• Almighty Janitor: Implied to be one considering the US Postal Service might be an Ancient Conspiracy.
• Always Someone Better: Depending on the Writer, he's this to Jerry.
• Arch Enemy: To Jerry.
• Big Bad: He's the closest thing the show has to one.
• Card-Carrying Villain: Holds a business card that reads simply "Newman."
• Catch Phrase: "Hellooooo....Jerry."
  • Phrase Catcher: "Hello... Newman."
• Cloudcuckoolander
• Creator Cameo: In his first appearance.
• Driven to Suicide: Spends the duration of introductory episode as an offscreen character threatening to jump off the roof of the apartment building.
• Early Installment Weirdness: The Revenge. Even discounting the whole bungled suicide, Jerry seems to have no issue with him.
• Even Evil Has Standards: As sadistic as he is, he tries to protect Kramer from the full wrath of the US Postal Service.
• Fat Bastard
• Fat Best Friend: To Kramer.
• The Friend Nobody Likes: Kramer seems to be the only one who can stand him.
• Large Ham: Best seen in The Package.
• One-Hour Work Week: Rarely ever seen working. Supposedly a Take That directed at the post office.
• Only One Name: Only ever referred to as "Newman." Several hints point to it being his last name but it's never confirmed.
• The Other Darrin: Was an offscreen character voiced by Larry David in his first appearance but Larry David had Knight record the lines for the syndication version so as to keep continuity intact.
• Psycho for Hire: He is a mailman.
• Psycho Sidekick: To Kramer.
• Sitcom Arch Nemesis: To Jerry.
• Smug Snake: Would really like to be a Magnificent Bastard, but Newman is just as pathetic as the rest of the cast.
• Villains Out Shopping: Frequently.
• What Could Have Been: Was originally envisioned by Larry David as an African-American friend of Kramer's and actors Tim Russ and William Thomas Jr. both auditioned for the part. However, between the first and the second draft, the plot was significantly reduced; the scene in which the character appeared was cut, and Newman's role in the episode was cut down to a brief dialogue between Kramer and an off-screen Newman who was voiced by Larry David.

Frank Costanza (Jerry Stiller)

• Abusive Parents: Even for a sitcom, Frank is still kind of an asshole.
• Ax Crazy: Fesitivus.
• Cloudcuckoolander
• Evil Is Petty: It's very easy to see where George gets it.
• Evil Patriarch
• Freudian Excuse: Provides one for George.
• Jerkass
• Large Ham
• The Other Darrin: Was played by actor John Randolph in his first appearance. After Stiller was hired in season 5 Randolph's scenes were re-shot with Stiller for the syndication version of the episode.
• Shell-Shocked Veteran: Played for Laughs when it's shown he was such a Lethal Chef that he sent 16 soldiers to the latrines.

Estelle Costanza (Estelle Harris)

• The Danza
• Jewish Mother: Her ethnicity is not revealed in the show, but she's portrayed by a Jewish actress and acts like a stereotypical Jewish mother.
• Mama Didn't Raise No Criminal: Always turns a blind eye to George's awful personality.
• No Accounting for Taste: Her and Frank can't seem to speak to one another without shouting.

Susan Ross (Heidi Swedberg)

• Bi the Way
• Butt Monkey: She started out as a nice NBC executive. Then she was vomited on by Kramer, Kramer burned her family's cabin down which led to the discovery of her father being gay, then George got her fired from NBC, before she dies licking poisonous envelopes.
• Dark Comedy: Her death and the gang's reaction to it are the best examples of this in the entire series.
• Forgotten Fallen Friend: The gang go out to get coffees right after she's pronounced dead.
• Hypocrite: A bisexual woman who didn't want a female usher.
• Jerkass Has a Point: About not wanting Kramer to be an usher. Sure it's a bit rude but consider the crap she's gone through because of Kramer.
• What Does She See in Him?: Though with the implications in Season 7 that she's a Bitch in Sheep's Clothing, it could be what he didn't see in her.

Crazy Joe Davola (Peter Crombie)

• Ax Crazy
• Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: He soundly kicks the asses of several thugs who try to mug him.
• Faux Affably Evil
• Karma Houdini: It's implied he was arrested but it's never seen.
• Knight of Cerebus: Things turn dark whenever he shows up.
• Monster Clown: Dresses up as one in The Opera.
• Mugging the Monster: Never mess with a clown.
• The Sociopath
• Stalker with a Crush: To Elaine, complete with Stalker Shrine.
• Vile Villain Saccharine Show: Markedly out of place on a sitcom. He belongs in a serious drama.
• What Happened to the Mouse?: We never find out his eventual fate after trying to stab Jerry in The Pilot.

J. Peterman (John O'Hurley)

• Bad Boss: Frequently fires Elaine for ridiculous reasons but he's Innocently Insensitive and doesn't see why that would be wrong. Weirdly enough, the one time she should have been fired, he waved the whole thing off and decided her upcoming indigestion would be punishment enough.
• Badass: It's debatable how many of his stories are true, but damn.
• Based on a Great Big Lie: His biography, the majority of his stories being bought from Kramer.
• Cloudcuckoolander
• Everyone Has Standards: Was disgusted to learn of the events of The Contest.
• Gentleman Adventurer: Gives off this vibe, but it's not clear if he actually was one or he's just insane.
• Large Ham
• Last-Name Basis: Usually only called "Mr. Peterman." His first named, Jacobo, is first uttered when he meets his dying mother.
• Miles Gloriosus
• Nice Guy: In all seriousness, he's probably the nicest guy in the series. When he first met Elaine, she was crying on the street in the rain and he took it upon himself to help her out.
• No Celebrities Were Harmed: He's a parody of John Peterman, the actual owner of of the J. Peterman Company. When the real Peterman lost his company to a buyout in 1999, John O'Hurley helped him buy it back.
• Parental Substitute: Seems to view himself as one to Elaine.
• Put on a Bus: Goes to Burma in the Season 8 opener, declaring he can't run the company anymore but is back by The Chicken Roaster.
• Unreliable Narrator: Implied to be one on account of his opium addiction.

George Steinbrenner (Larry David (voice), Lee Bear)

• Attention Deficit Ooh Shiny: Not hard to see why he sucks at running the Yankees.
• Bad Boss: According to George, "he fires people like it's a bodily function."
• Cloudcuckoolander
• Creator Cameo: Voiced by co-creator Larry David.
• Incompetence, Inc.: The New York Yankees.
• No Celebrities Were Harmed: The real Steinbrenner was a bit put off by this at first but soon came to love the character.
• Pointy-Haired Boss

David Puddy (Patrick Warburton)

• Catchphrase: "Yeah that's right."
• The Ditz
• Hidden Depths: A firm believer in Christianity.
• No Accounting for Taste: Not married to Elaine, but her steadiest boyfriend, despite neither being very fond of the other.
• One Head Taller
• The Stoic: Has barely any emotion. Taken to its logical conclusion in The Finale where he doesn't react at all to Elaine being arrested for a year.