Hi everyone!
I’m starting a new mini series with this post, all about an older Disney TV show called Gargoyles. For this entry, I’ll be doing something a bit different and talking about the main characters first. They’re in no particular order, so if there’s a character you don’t recognize, their name will appear later.
Hope you enjoy!
Lexington (smart guy)
- The smallest of the gargoyle clan, he’s bald and has wings that attach directly to his arms. He discovers the communicators they use, and often comes up with ways to use the new technology around them. While he fades to the background near the end, he does have a fantastic relationship with Alex Xanatos (the initial antagonist’s son) — he’s kind of like an older brother.
Brooklyn (lancer)
- Brooklyn is the much-maligned gargoyle with a shock of white hair and a mouth that looks like a beak. He makes wisecracks, and has a habit of being pretty sarcastic, especially in situations where something goes wrong. Halfway through the series, he becomes Goliath’s second-in-command. This comes into play when Avalon sends Elisa, Bronx, Goliath, and Angela on a quest around the world. Though he’s searching for love throughout the series, he never finds it. His initial love, Maggie (a human-turned-gargoyle), ends up with another gargoyle, and Angela ends up with Broadway. At the end, he comes up with the plan to save the train (fitting, as Goliath’s second-in-command). We also see that he hopes to eventually find love, even if he hasn’t already.
Broadway (big guy)
- Broadway is the big blue gargoyle with a consistent potbelly (fitting, since he loves food). Until he accidentally shoots Elisa, there isn’t much about him. But from then on, he always destroys the bad guy’s guns, along with the rest of the gargoyles. While he’s soft-spoken and perhaps not the smartest, he has a kind spirit, though he will fight when necessary. It seems fitting, then, that he ends up with Angela. She’s probably one of the only gargoyles who could truly appreciate him for who he is (even if their romance seems a little forced).
Hudson (smart guy — wisdom/sixth ranger)
- Hudson is the old warrior with a sword and one blind eye. He’s the former leader, and still advises Goliath. He also mentors the rest of the clan and those outside, such as during “The Cauldron of Life” when he cautions Xanatos about seeking immortality. However, one of his biggest flaws is that he’s loathe to ask for help. We see hints of this when he has to protect Goliath during the first season — he believes he can do it, despite being old. But it really comes into focus during Season 3. The gargoyles are in danger, and Hudson has early-onset glaucoma in his eye. It takes his old blind friend, Jeffrey, straight-up telling him that he needs help to force him to get surgery. By the end of that episode (while he probably won’t ever stop being proud and aloof), he recognizes that he should probably tell his clan when something like that is going on.
Goliath (leader)
- Goliath is the biggest blue gargoyle with the long black hair, who’s decidedly the main character of the series. He has been around for over a thousand years, and he starts out with a deep distrust of humans thanks to those who betrayed him and destroyed most of his clan. However, when he and his clan wake, he meets Elisa Maza and begins an instant friendship with her. At the same time, he also begins a long feud with David Xanatos. One of his biggest turning points is when he figures out their purpose: they must protect New York. It’s their new protectorate, as Scotland was long ago. This begins the running theme throughout the rest of the show — gargoyles protect, and they always will.
- As time goes on, he and Elisa’s relationship deepens, until it’s honestly unmatched by any other. Throughout the second season, he’s in charge of the quest crew (him, Elisa, Bronx, and his daughter Angela), though Avalon’s behind where they journey (yep — from the Arthurian legends). The biggest change in the second season is that he realizes he and his clan aren’t alone. There are other gargoyles, from England to Guatemala. That, and he and Elisa realize they love each other.
- During Season 3, Goliath’s biggest turning point comes during an alternate reality where he and Elisa have a family and the gargoyles are still outcasts. He realizes his impact, which renews his hope that the gargoyles will be accepted. And, that’s exactly what happens at the end of the season. At long last, gargoyles can resume protecting New York, but this time without any fear of reprisal.
Xanatos
- The main antagonist of the series (at least for a while), Xanatos is probably one of its most interesting characters. Throughout Seasons 1 and 2, he’s a direct antagonist to the gargoyles, using them for his own gains. In the first episode, he tricks them into stealing information for his own use, sparking a long-standing feud. His first change comes after he takes Fox, the leader of the Pack (a group he created to hunt down the gargoyles) as his fiancée, and accidentally transforms her into a werewolf. Goliath begrudgingly agrees to help, and they reach a sort of rapport — Goliath now knows he’s capable of love, something that a truly evil person wouldn’t be able to feel.
- Throughout Season 2, he continues to fight against the gargoyles, most notably in a quest to gain immortality (first with the Cauldron of Life and then with the trickster Coyote). But his biggest change comes after his son is born. Oberon and Titania (yep — the ones from Shakespeare) attempt to take him away, and Goliath and his clan risk their lives to protect the baby. In fact, Alex brings everyone together, as even his estranged father-in-law helps protect him from Oberon. In the end, they agree that he will stay in the human world. But the biggest development is that Xanatos ends their feud, all because of his son. He can see how the gargoyles are an asset, and how much he can gain from them becoming friends. But more than that, love has transformed him. This is only sealed during the finale, when he keeps the gargoyles from being crushed by the Quarrymen (a radical anti-gargoyle organization). For the first time, he uses his incredible intellect to help instead of hinder them.
Fox
- A blond-haired woman with a patch on one eye, Fox is her actual, legal name. She enters the show as leader of the Pack, and turns out to be David Xanatos’ love. She marries him because of their compatibility, and runs her own schemes in the background, sometimes even against her husband. Like Xanatos, she doesn’t truly change until Alex enters the picture. She’s grateful for the gargoyles’ help with the Titania-is-my-actual-mother situation. Though she does want to exchange for him when he’s kidnapped, she softens when Lexington gets captured so Alex can come back. She’s not in the final episodes, but she’s probably busy taking care of her baby (and helping her husband in the background).
Elisa (heart)
- Detective Elisa Maza is a woman with blue hair who always wears a red jacket over a black shirt with upturned jeans and black boots. She’s introduced in the first episode and has an instant connection with Goliath. She’s mostly static — her biggest flaw is that she likes to work alone, though she can work with others when necessary (like when Matt Bluestone becomes her partner). Her biggest character development is, again, in her relationship with Goliath. She’s often the one who’ll give him advice (even if he sometimes doesn’t listen). By the end of Season 2, she truly loves Goliath, and the two even begin dating during Season 3. She continues to help the gargoyles, actively trying to keep them out of danger. While she does have her own family, she becomes part of Goliath’s clan. And, following their acceptance in the final episode, she might even marry Goliath at some point. It’d certainly be the first of its kind since a thousand years earlier (and I doubt it even happened then).
Angela (sixth ranger)
- Angela is a smaller version of Goliath. She has his black hair and blue skin, although physically she resembles her mother, Demona. She was raised on Avalon by Princess Katharine and Tom, after they rescued her and her sibling’s eggs from Castle Wyvern. Though she isn’t introduced until the second season, she quickly becomes a key part of the clan. In essence, she brings human ideals to Goliath — specifically, recognizing that she’s his daughter — and helps him realize that they have things to learn from humans. During Season 3, she starts a relationship with Broadway, the most kindhearted of the others in her clan. She also learns that her mother will never change, no matter how hard she tries. But she still stays good friends with the clan, and plays a part in their acceptance during the final episode.
Bronx (sixth ranger/guy who saves the day)
- Bronx is the gargoyle version of a dog, who’s the beloved companion of everyone in the clan. He’s often found with Hudson, whether staying back and protecting their home, or watching TV with him. He doesn’t have his own adventure until the third season, where he finds an Amish boy after turning to stone on a train. That adventure proves important, as it helps demonstrate to Goliath and the others that humans are capable of accepting them, at a time when they really needed it. Most importantly, he’s often the linchpin during battles, tackling opponents when it seems all hope is lost. He’s also, frankly, absolutely adorable.
That’s all for this week! Stay tuned for more posts about this series in the next weeks.
Thanks so much for reading (especially this week)! As always, there’s a link at the bottom to follow my blog, if you would like to do so. You can also contact me by email or follow me using the buttons on my homepage. On my social media, I let my followers know whenever I have a new blog post and give occasional updates about my life.
What do you think about the main characters? Do any stand out to you? And if you’ve seen the show, who’s your favorite?
Let me know in the comments!
And if you have any suggestions about topics, let me know there as well. I’d love to hear them!
Your Fairytale Enthusiast,
Kirsten Hardin