Main Characters of 'The Simpsons'

Their Mix of Ineptitude and Warmth Yields Hilarity

"The Simpsons" main characters—Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, ​and Maggie—are the bedrock of the long-running TV show, but they have help from other recurring figures.

Homer Simpson

Homer Simpson
FOX

Homer's greed is often foiled by his stupidity, though his failed schemes usually are saved by the big heart he has for his family. His warped perception of himself and the world and his hours drinking at Moe's Tavern are hysterical.

Bart Simpson

Bart Simpson
©1999 20TH CENTURY FOX FILM CORP.

Bart is the bad kid in all of us: a prankster, smart-mouth, and vandal. Yet he shows great compassion and tenderness for his family.

Lisa Simpson

Lisa Simpson

Lisa's sharp wit is as funny as her overachievements. She's so strait-laced that when we discover quirks—like her love of Corey, the overly cool face of a girls' chat line—they're even funnier.

Marge Simpson

Marge Simpson
Twentieth Century Fox

Marge is recognizable by her green, strapless dress and mile-high blue hair. She's more than a stay-at-home mom, opening businesses and standing up for her beliefs. Although she's left Homer several times, she remains loyal.

Maggie Simpson

Maggie Simpson
Twentieth Century Fox

Maggie is more than just an accessory baby in the family. In one episode she pulls a gun from under her crib mattress to protect her family from mobsters, then calmly goes back to sleep.

Grampa Abe Simpson

Grandpa Simpson
Twentieth Century Fox

Grampa Simpson, the stereotypical old person, can't remember what he did yesterday, but he'll tell his war stories over and over, frequently falling asleep in the middle. He's proud and pathetic at the same time but there when his family needs him.

Mr. Burns

Mr. Burns
Twentieth Century Fox

Mr. Burns, backed by his obsequious assistant Smithers, is best when he's doing something evil. His ignorance of Homer is characteristic of his narcissism because he has partnered with Homer for many misadventures.

Krusty the Clown

Krusty the Clown
Twentieth Century Fox

In reality, no clown like Krusty would be on the air. But in Springfield, we love the irony that a smoking, boozing, womanizing clown with mob ties hosts a children's TV show.

Apu Nahasapeemapetilon

Apu
Twentieth Century Fox

Apu always has a quip ready at the counter of the Kwik-E-Mart, where he cleverly gouges Springfield citizens with his prices. His patient explanations of Hinduism to Homer are hilarious, though the characterization is not without charges of racism.

Sideshow Bob

sideshow bob

Sideshow Bob, a shady clown who keeps trying to kill Bart as revenge for Bart fingering him in a Kwik-E-Mart theft, is his own worst enemy, foiling his many schemes.

Ned Flanders

Ned Flanders
Twentieth Century Fox

Simpsons neighbor Ned Flanders is sunny and funny, whether Homer likes it or not. Ned has faced his own demons and won, including a childhood with beatnik parents and the death of his wife, Maude.

Principal Skinner

Principal Seymour Skinner
Twentieth Century Fox

Principal Skinner is a paradox: an out-of-touch authority figure at school and a mama's boy at home. He has been Bart's enemy and ally. He tries to appear strait-laced but had a lurid affair with teacher Edna Krabappel.

Mayor Quimby

Mayor Quimby
Twentieth Century Fox

Mayor Quimby is a greedy womanizer who knows little ​about leading and serving Springfield. His accent mimics the Kennedys'.

Comic Book Guy

Comic Book Guy
FOX

Comic Book Guy, the proprietor of Android's Dungeon & Baseball Card Shop, represents nerds and geeks of the world with smugness and sarcasm.