The Cuphead Show!: The 9 Best Characters From The Netflix Series

The Cuphead Show! debuted on February 18, 2022, and won the hearts of gamers and cartoon lovers alike. The show plants the audience smack in the middle of Inkwell Isle, expanding the infamous map from the game. Characters fans played against are given voices and personalities like no one has ever seen before.

Questions like how certain characters end up owing their souls to The Devil, trapped in ancient vases, or completely obsessed with each other, are answered. Some characters have better motivations than others, but in the end, everyone plays a special role in the show.

Cuphead

Cuphead can only be described as playful riffraff. He and his brother stumble into all sorts of messy situations, usually with Cuphead leading the way. Cuphead’s sense of right and wrong is a bit blurry to him, but only because he is still young.

He prioritizes fun over almost everything, including his own sixth sense. This doesn’t mean he’s always reckless, though. When his family or friends are threatened, Cuphead will do anything to protect them.

Mugman

This young mug probably deserves the “brother of the year” award. Where his brother is gullible and naive to danger, Mugman’s anxiety helps him be wary of the peril they walk into. Like Cuphead, Mugman’s family is the most important thing in his life. He goes to great lengths to keep them safe, often ending up in life-threatening situations himself.

He likes to have his share of fun too, enjoying rollercoasters, sweets, and game shows. As the responsible one of the pair, he has better luck making it around without capturing the attention of The Devil.

Elder Kettle

He’s old and cranky, but this kettle has the best intentions. Overall, he just wants the best for his mugs and does his best to care for them in any way he can. In the game, Elder Kettle offered sage advice to the boys as they fought the debtors for The Devil.

In the show, it’s clear that Elder Kettle is more than just a mentor to the mugs; he’s a father figure. True to character, he hates seeing the boys fall into trouble and warns them to stay away from bad influences.

The Devil

The Devil is the main antagonist in Cuphead: Don’t Deal with the Devil, providing one of the best boss fights in the game, and fans are excited to see more of him in the show. He only wants one thing: to collect and trap as many souls as he can, particularly the soul of the slippery Cuphead.

Sure, he’s evil, but that’s to be expected from the villain. What makes this character great is his clear and unwavering objective, which poses a consistent threat to the main characters. He’s also hilarious without meaning to be, which makes him all the more fun to watch.

King Dice

The Devil’s right-hand man finally makes his appearance in the fifth episode, called “Roll The Dice.” King Dice is a jazzy character who considers himself to be The Devil’s best partner in crime, even if The Devil doesn’t give him the same courtesy.

King Dice is overconfident to the point of being arrogant. This makes for a fun character who loves to sing, dance, and trick unsuspecting people into forfeiting their souls. He also loves to please his boss, jumping on any opportunity to make him happy. The only time his attitude turns sour is when his plans don’t work in his favor, and his appearance in the game also helps to make it one of the best hand-drawn video games ever made.

Henchman

At first glance, Henchman is just another mindless servant of The Devil. His goals seem to always align with the will of his master, and at times it seems he doesn’t have a personality beyond nervousness and nerding out. Still, The Devil seems to have more respect for him than his “right-hand man” King Dice.

It’s also interesting to note that Henchan’s sheepish personality was nowhere to be seen when he got the chance to host King Dice’s game show. Was he just excited to be like a celebrity he looked up to, or did he plan to boot King Dice out all along?

Porkrind

Probably a character that fans were most excited to see in the show was Porkrind. He is a greedy shop owner who sells tools and weapons to people in Inkwell Isle. He is only interested in making money and will help anyone who pays him, even some unsavory individuals.

Though he will sell to anyone, he often gets annoyed when the boys linger in his shop, even if they are looking to give him money.

Ms. Chalice

In the game, arguably one of the hardest platformers of all time, The Legendary Chalice is a somewhat silly character. Despite her good intentions to help Cuphead and Mugman fight their vicious boss battles, she’s repeatedly captured by ghosts, relying on the mugs to rescue her. Her character is translated differently in the show.

Ms. Chalice uses her charm to get anything she wants. Movie tickets and free food are just some of the things she can charm others into giving her. Along with her adorable tap dancing, Ms. Chalice sings as she helps the mugs bump up their charm. She isn’t around for very long, but this ghostly cup is a fun character.

Telephone

This little guy just wants to have fun, is that too much to ask? Apparently so in Inkwell Isle. Telephone is always getting his soul extracted by The Devil and his henchmen, even when doing things as innocent as going to the carnival and playing in a game show.

He doesn’t let this get him down, however, as he’s always ready for some competition. Despite his dull voice, Telephone is as exuberant as the rest of the cast, just a bit less lucky. All of the designs of the Cuphead characters are based on cartoons from the 30s, some of which are quite weird, and Telephone’s design is like a blast from the past.

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