Only Someone From Springfield Could Name All These Simpsons Characters

The Simpsons may have begun as a show about a working class family as they try to get by and live their lives, but it has since become a show about how dozens of people across an entire town in storylines that happened to all involve one or more members of that family.

Series creator Matt Groening said in an interview with The AV Club that he got the idea to populate his TV series with a huge cast of supporting characters from the sketch comedy series Second City Television. The show's enormous cast of characters (from the people at Homer's workplace to the people at Bart and Lisa's school to the people who run the town's various businesses) has inspired a bunch of other shows to do the same. Family Guy, Parks and Rec, and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia have all built communities of characters around their settings.

Only the biggest Simpsons fan in the world will be able to name every single one of these characters from the absurdist world of the show. So, grab a donut, go up to the treehouse, and see how many of these iconic Springfieldians' names are still rattling around the ol' noggin.

Question 1

Who is Bart's dorky best friend?

According to IMDb, a lot of the young boy characters in The Simpsons are voiced by female voice actors in order to nail their high pitched voice tones. For example, Bart Simpson is voiced by an actress named Nancy Cartwright who, according to Wikipedia, once wrote a memoir called My Life as a 10 Year Old Boy. Bart's best friend, this dorky yet lovable and hugely popular character, is voiced by an actress named Pamela Hayden. Bart does not like to admit that this character is his best friend, but he is. What is the name of Bart's dorky best friend?

Question 2

Who is Homer's absurdly rich boss?

This character was supposed to be a recurring villain without many appearances on the show, but since he became one of the most popular characters, he has made a ton of appearances since. According to Wikipedia, Conan O'Brien (who used to write for The Simpsons in its early seasons before he became a comedian and late night TV host) once said that Homer's boss was his favorite character to write for, because he is written as being impossibly old and frail (without the actual figure of his age being revealed) and also insanely rich. Who is Homer's absurdly rich boss?

Question 3

Who is the local bartender?

Bart used to call this bartender a lot of give him fake names to announce as a prank, but this was mainly in the first few seasons. In more recent years, the running gag has petered out to the point where it never shows up anymore. However, this running joke can be credited with making the bartender character popular and therefore getting him more regular appearances. According to Wikipedia, Hank Azaria based the character's voice on Al Pacino in early seasons, but this has since changed to become more distinctive. He's been around since episode 1. Who is the local bartender?

Question 4

Who is this TV clown?

This character is a hero to Bart, who has bought all of his merchandise and has saved his life on a few occasions, even though the clown can never seem to remember his name or that he even exists. And despite the fact that her heroes are more impactful figures like the iconic jazz musician who got her into the saxophone, Bleeding Gums Murphy, Lisa is a big fan of this TV clown, too. The Simpsons kids will always jump to action whenever the clown is in trouble to get him absolved of the trouble. Who is this TV clown?

Question 5

Who runs the Kwik-E-Mart?

A documentary was released recently entitled The Problem with ___ that pointed out some of the flaws with this character or the insensitivity behind the scenes. For example, the fact that a non white character is voiced by a white actor is a point of contention in the documentary. According to NME, the character might be getting written out of the show following the controversies that arose after the release of the documentary, but these could just be rumors and he might be sticking around after all. What is the name of the beloved character who runs the Kwik E Mart?

Question 6

Who is Springfield's police chief?

According to The Simpsons' own dedicated Wiki, the design of Springfield's police chief was based on a pig as a sly dig at the fact he's a cop, while his voice is modeled after the classic film noir actor Edward G. Robinson. He is shown to be very incompetent. For example, he once let all of his prisoners out of their cells to come and see the Little League team he was coaching play a game. The only condition was that they had to promise to come back. He's the reason Snake Jailbird is hardly ever actually in prison. What is the name of the police chief in Springfield?

Question 7

Who has been Homer's best friend since childhood?

According to Wikipedia, this character's name is based on that of Fred Flintstone's best friend in The Flintstones. The Simpsons is often compared to The Flintstones in that it is a prime time animated TV series about a family unit, the only difference being that The Flintstones was set in prehistoric times and The Simpsons is set in the present day. This character is presented as the town drunk, but he did once recover and stayed sober for a few seasons. During this time, he learned how to fly a helicopter. Which character has been Homer's best friend since childhood?

Question 8

Who is the Simpson family's doctor?

One of the running jokes with this character is that whenever an episode has a flashback or a story that is set in the past, he has a different hairstyle. It will always reflect the time period in which the scene is set. For example, if it's a '70s flashback, then he'll have a '70s haircut, or if it's an '80s flashback, then he'll have an '80s haircut, and so on and so forth. He has been the family doctor for the Simpsons since the very beginning of the series, although Dr. Nick is hired when they can't afford this guy's prices. Who is the Simpson family's doctor?

Question 9

Who lives next door to the Simpsons?

While Homer often says he dislikes this character, he is also often shown to care for him and help him out when he's in trouble. He even became his best friend in one episode and spent so much time with him that even his poor neighbor got tired of him. This character is known for his strong religious beliefs and he owns a store that sells items that are specifically made for people who are left handed, everything from notebooks to cars. What is the name of the religious fanatic and father of two who lives next door to the Simpsons?

Question 10

Who is the local mob boss?

This character made his first appearance in the third season of The Simpsons when Bart got a job working for this guy. According to Wikipedia, the writers got the idea for the episode before the movie Goodfellas came out, but then it did come out and they realized it had more or less the same plot as the episode. According to IMDb, the mob boss character is voiced by Joe Mantegna, who is best known for his roles in a wide range of movies from Three Amigos to The Godfather Part III. What is the name of the local Springfield mob boss?

Question 11

Who is Bart's principal?

The principal at Bart's school is basically his arch nemesis, as Bart is constantly trying to prank the principal and get out of his educational responsibilities. This character lives with his mother, although he does insist (once to N'Sync) that she lives with him. There was a controversial storyline in The Simpsons where this character was revealed to be an impostor posing as the principal, but according to Wikipedia, voice actor Harry Shearer was unhappy with the storyline and the show has since retconned it and forgotten it ever happened. What is the name of Bart's principal at Springfield Elementary School?

Question 12

What are these two alien characters called?

These alien characters don't often make appearances in regular episodes of The Simpsons, but they almost always make an appearance in outer space (or sometimes invading Earth) in the "Treehouse of Horror" Halloween specials. According to Wikipedia, the writers and producers of The Simpsons intended a recent episode focusing on these aliens called "The Man Who Came To Be Dinner" to be a new movie before they retooled it. A recent episode revealed that the aliens are not actually both male and that one of them is in fact a female on their home planet. What are the names of these two alien characters?

Question 13

Who is Mr. Burns' loyal assistant?

Mr. Burns' incredibly loyal assistant might be the biggest fan of Malibu Stacy in the world. He's an even bigger fan of the doll line than Lisa. He can be seen down at the toy store alongside all the little girls when the doll with the new hat was released. Mr. Burns' assistant even wrote a play called Malibu Stacy: The Musical and had to take a sabbatical from working at the nuclear plant to go and put on the production at a theater in Albuquerque. What is the name of Mr. Burns' loyal assistant who may be in love with him?

Question 14

Who owns the Android's Dungeon store?

This character's real name was not revealed for years and he was recently named as Jeff Albertson. The joke, according to Wikipedia, was that fans had waited so long to find out what this guy's name was that it would be funny to be anticlimactic and give him the most generic name possible. Hence, Jeff Albertson. He owns the Android's Dungeon store and often speaks down to Bart and Milhouse. This character likes to say, "Worst _______ ever," and often makes meta comments about the writing of the episodes and the storylines that he is actually in. Who owns the Android's Dungeon store?

Question 15

Who is the Simpson family's incompetent lawyer?

This lawyer character was featured prominently in the first few seasons of The Simpsons, as he was the only attorney whose fees were cheap enough for the Simpson family to afford. Whenever one of them was taken to court (which, with this family, is quite a lot), this lawyer would be hired to defend them. However, according to Wikipedia, he has since been written out of the show, after the voice actor who played him (Phil Hartman) sadly passed away. He is sometimes seen in the background, but he never speaks any lines. Who is the Simpson family's incompetent lawyer?

Question 16

Who is this mad scientist?

Whenever a wild invention is needed that doesn't exist in real life but would help the progression of the plot of an episode, this character comes along with just that invention. For example, in "Eternal Moonshine of the Simpson Mind," he has a device that allows people to travel through their own memories, which is helpful to Homer as he can't remember what happened the previous day. According to the Simpsons Wiki (Wikisimpsons), this character is actually named after one of the writers in The Simpsons' writers' room. What is the name of this mad scientist character in The Simpsons?

Question 17

Who is Homer's father?

According to Wikipedia, the origin of The Simpsons comes from a hastily drawn doodle. Matt Groening had a meeting with producer James L. Brooks to discuss turning his comic series into a TV show. Then he got cold feet about signing away his life's work in the waiting room in Brooks' office and quickly hashed out a sketch of a family and named the characters after his own family (although swapping "Matt" for "Bart," an anagram of "brat). He pitched an animated show about a family to Brooks and the rest is history. What is the name of Homer's father?

Question 18

Who is the school district's superintendent?

This character can often be seen poking his head around Springfield Elementary School, witnessing something strange or upsetting, and yelling out, "SKINNER!!!" He once told Principal Skinner that out of all the schools that he watches over in his school district, Springfield Elementary School is pretty much the only one where anything bad or troubling ever happens. None of the others have anywhere near as many problems as Skinner. Still, Skinner likes to think that the superintendent loves him really. What is the name of the superintendent who presides over the school district that Springfield Elementary School is located in?

Question 19

Who is the Mayor of Springfield?

In The Simpsons' crossover episode with Family Guy, the Mayor of Springfield met the Mayor of Quahog. While the Mayor of Springfield is a fictional character (albeit based pretty clearly on a real life public figure), the Mayor of Quahog is literally a real life celebrity: Adam West, the star of the '60s Batman TV series. The Mayor of Springfield has become a template for TV mayors, as his corruption and penchant for accepting bribes is often made fun of in the series. He is also often unfaithful to his wife. What is the name of the Mayor of Springfield?

Question 20

What are Marge's sisters called?

While The Simpsons began with Marge's sisters as supporting characters who would occasionally pop by the Simpson family's house to annoy Homer, they have since developed a lot. One of them wanted to be a mother and got a pet reptile to fill the void. She later would adopt an actual baby to raise with Homer's reluctant help. Among their husbands are Sideshow Bob and Troy McClure. Their dynamic with Marge is similar to that of Cinderella and her step sisters, while to Homer, they are just a pair of irritating in laws. What are the names of Marge's two sisters?

Question 21

Who is the local news anchor?

There is a scene in the episode "Deep Space Homer" in which this new anchor believes he has seen giant ants taking over the space station in some released footage that has become a viral meme. Immediately after the transmission with the ants in it cuts out, this news anchor reports that giant ants are about to take over Earth and enslave mankind, and then he instantly pledges his allegiance to "our new ant overlords" and welcomes them to his planet. When he realizes his mistake, he apologizes. Who is the local news anchor that the Simpsons get their news from?

Question 22

Who is Bart's favorite superhero?

In one early episode of The Simpsons, a movie studio comes to shoot a movie adaptation of Bart and Milhouse's favorite superhero comic books in Springfield. They go to Springfield Elementary School to cast one of the kids who attends there to play the superhero's sidekick Fallout Boy. Bart tries out for the role, but it is Milhouse who gets it in the end, making Bart very jealous. The episode explored the themes of fame and success, especially when they are achieved by a young child who is the age that Milhouse is. Who is Bart and Milhouse's favorite superhero?

Question 23

Who is Krusty the Clown's current sidekick?

Krusty the Clown's TV show has been on the air for years, as we see from reruns in which he announces historical events like the Falklands (which happened decades ago). So, over all that time, he has had a number of sidekicks on the show (all named Sideshow ___). Of course, Bart's old arch nemesis Sideshow Bob was one of them, but after Bart uncovered his crimes (which is the initial thing that turns Sideshow Bob against Bart in the first place), he was replaced by this flamboyant, theatrical new sidekick. What is the name of Krusty the Clown's current sidekick?

Question 24

Who is this B-movie star and PSA presenter?

This character does not appear in any recent episodes of The Simpsons as the character was retired from the show after the comic actor who provided his voice, Phil Hartman, sadly passed away. According to IMDb, Hartman also voiced the Simpson family's lawyer Lionel Hutz among other characters on the show, and all of those characters were written out after he passed away, too. This character used to present a new PSA or movie that was shown in one of Bart or Lisa's classes in almost every episode in the early seasons. Who is this B movie star and PSA presenter?

Question 25

Who is this old man?

There is a fan theory on Reddit that this character is one of a race of molemen who are secretly trying to take over the town, but keep hitting snags as they all get into freak accidents. A recent episode revealed that some decades ago, this man was the Mayor of Springfield who wrote a jingle for the town that everyone had been singing for years. However, in the episode set in the present day, it is discovered that he ripped this jingle off from another town whose jingle had the exact same tune and most of the same lyrics. Who is this old man character?

Question 26

Who are Homer's friends from work?

These two characters work at Mr. Burns' nuclear plant with Homer, except they are shown to be more competent and productive at their jobs than he is. They also head down to Moe's Tavern with him at the end of every working day to drink some Duffs. They haven't been given their own distinctive personalities and are very rarely seen apart from one another. They were both in the Stonecutters before Homer found out what it was and they had a hard time keeping the society a secret from him. What are the names of Homer's two friends from work?

Question 27

Who is the groundskeeper at Springfield Elementary?

According to this character's Wikipedia page, his last name is MacDougal and he has a PhD. However, he is merely the janitor at Springfield Elementary School and spends his days cleaning toilets and raking up leaves. He lives in a shack. According to IMDb, he was not actually the subject of an episode until the season 17 episode "My Fair Laddy." The episode retells the plot of My Fair Lady with Lisa teaching the groundskeeper to be more articulate and well dressed and eloquent. The episode is even a musical like the play. Who is the groundskeeper at Springfield Elementary?

Question 28

Who is the local reverend?

Even though this character is the local reverend in Springfield, even he can't stand Ned Flanders sometimes. Ned will often call him for guidance to see if something he is about to do would be allowed by the Bible and it has gotten to the point that he ignores a lot of his calls. Every Sunday, the Simpson family (and also pretty much everyone else is town) go to a service delivered by this guy, who is shown in his free time to enjoy playing with model trains. He even wears a conductor's hat when he is playing with his trains. Who is the local reverend?

Question 29

Who is this disco music enthusiast?

This character began as a one off throwaway gag in an episode where he was shopping at the Simpson family's yard sale. Homer was selling a disco jacket where he had tried to write something on the back of it and run out of studs to pin on it. So, as far as he got with it turns out to be this man's actual name. His friend shows him the jacket, which has coincidentally ended up with his name on the back and the disco guy says he refuses to advertise himself. Then he became a character. Who is this disco music enthusiast?

Question 30

Who is Bart's teacher?

This character taught Bart Simpson in the fourth grade for over two decades before (according to the show's Wiki page) the actress who played her, Marcia Wallace, sadly passed away in 2013. The character was finally retired after the season 25 episode "The Man Who Grew Too Much," which ended with a tribute to both Bart's teacher and the actress who had played her since the very beginning. After a fan poll, this character became the second wife of Ned Flanders, and then she also became his second wife to pass away. What is the name of Bart's fourth grade teacher?

Question 31

Who is the school bus driver?

As the school bus driver, this character does not get a lot of storylines dedicated to him. However, the episode "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Marge" was about his wedding, after which the bride moves in with the Simpson family and Marge worries she's trying to steal the family from her. In this episode, we find out that the bus driver's favorite band is Poison, the glam metal behind "Every Rose Has Its Thorn." It is rare that there will be a day in which he doesn't crash the school bus, but he remains employed. Who is the school bus driver for Springfield Elementary School?

Question 32

What are Flanders' two sons called?

Ned Flanders' two sons ave rhyming names and they have been raised to love the Bible just as much as their father does. Marge once babysat for these kids and they loved her, because she allowed them to have fun like going on a rock climbing wall. However, as soon as their father found out that this was why they were enjoying her as a babysitter, he cut her off and started adding extra safety precautions to all the boys' things. In the end, though, he learned a lesson about giving them freedom. What are the rhyming names of Ned Flanders' two sons?

Question 33

Whose catchphrase is "Haw haw!"?

In one episode of The Simpsons, Bart became friends with this character. He managed to get everyone in class to not go to the kid's birthday party to make an example of him and then Marge made him go anyway. So, he was the only guest there and started to feel sorry for this kid and eventually started hanging out with him. However, his new friend eventually realized that Bart only liked him because he protected him from other big kids and not because he actually wants to be his friend. This character also briefly dated Lisa. Whose catchphrase is "Haw haw!"?

Question 34

What is the Simpson family's dog's name?

The Simpson family first bring their dog home in the very first episode of the series, "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire." The episode was actually written and animated to come at the end of the first season, according to Wikipedia, but due to various complications, it ended up being used as a pilot episode when the show went from recurring sketches on The Tracey Ullman Show to a full fledged half hour prime time TV series. Homer and Bart find him racing at the track and decide to take him home for Christmas. What is the Simpson family's dog's name?

Question 35

Who is Chief Wiggum's son?

A lot of fans rank Chief Wiggum's son among their favorite Simpsons character. He is lovable and goofy. He is also a classmate of Lisa's in Miss Hoover's second grade class and one time, when she felt sorry for him, she gave him a Valentine's Day card and briefly dated him. When IGN listed the Top 25 Simpsons Peripheral Characters, they ranked this simple minded character as the third greatest behind Sideshow Bob, Bart's arch nemesis and Krusty the Clown's former sidekick, and Troy McClure, a star of B movies and PSAs and educational films. What is the name of Chief Wiggum's son?

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