Scooby-Doo and his friends have been solving mysteries since 1969, when the first-ever animated television show and comic books series were released.
Even after five decades, Scooby and the Mystery Inc. gang are still going strong, and these iconic characters have become a staple part of childhood for many kids around the world.
In this post, I’ll give you a rundown of all the most beloved members of the Scooby-Doo cast, as well as some of the most interesting supporting characters and the lesser-known villains and monsters too.
Full List of Scooby-Doo’s Characters
Though the original lineup remains the same, several new characters joined this motley crew of supernatural investigators over the years.
1. Schubert “Scooby” Doo
This loveable yet cowardly Great Dane is the star of the show.
He’s been on countless hair-raising adventures over the decades, yet despite his many encounters with ghosts, ghouls, and monsters, he still trembles in terror whenever one comes too close. But luckily, he has his trusty best friend Shaggy and the rest of the gang to back him up.
Scooby-Doo is a homebody through and through. He’d much rather be munching on some Scooby Snacks and hanging out with his pals somewhere warm and safe than chasing after danger. Yet somehow, he always ends up coming along for the ride.
2. Shaggy Rogers
Norville “Shaggy” Rogers is Scooby-Doo’s long-time owner and best friend. He’s equally as cowardly as his canine companion and can often be found running in the opposite direction whenever danger arrives on the scene.
Shaggy is portrayed as a somewhat stereotypical beatnik hippie, and he’s also the laziest member of the gang. Just like Scooby, he prefers munching on snacks to chasing bad guys masquerading as monsters.
But despite his flaws, Shaggy is a loyal friend and a beloved, irreplaceable member of the Mystery Inc. gang.
3. Fred Jones
Fred, often known as Freddie, is the head of the group, famous for his long-time catchphrase, “Let’s split up and search for clues!”.
His level-headed attitude and superior tracking skills make him a great leader, but he’s by no means the brains of this outfit (that’s Velma, we’ll get to her later).
As the series progresses, Fred develops a romantic relationship with his fellow teammate Daphne. The pair often split from the group to take on the more challenging aspects of their spooky missions (usually leaving Scooby and Shaggy to get up to no good).
4. Daphne Blake
The lovable yet accident-prone Daphne Blake is another original member of Mystery, Inc.
With her fiery red hair and fashionable purple dress, she’s known as the style icon of Scooby’s gang. And her enthusiastic nature, keen intuition, and tendency to produce strange but useful objects from her purse means she’s helped her friends out of many close calls over the years. But despite her strengths, she’s also clumsy and frequently kidnapped by baddies, only to be saved by her trusty pals.
Daphne has always had a soft spot for Fred, and throughout the series, their relationship develops, and the pair eventually begin dating.
5. Velma Dinkley
Velma is the brains of Scooby’s mystery-solving gang. She loves to read and is highly knowledgeable on a whole host of subjects, which comes in pretty handy for catching bad guys and helping her friends escape from sticky situations.
Velma’s superior intelligence means she’s often the first to solve the mystery, but she does have one weakness that sometimes slows her down. She can’t see a thing without her thick-rimmed glasses, and they often fall off at the most inopportune times, like when she’s running away from ghouls, monsters, and villains.
6. Scrappy-Doo
Scrappy-Doo was never part of the original lineup, but after ratings of the TV show took a hit towards the end of the 1970s, the creators brought in Scrappy-Doo and his trademark brand of “puppy power” to save the day.
Scrappy Doo is Scooby’s nephew, but despite being related, their personalities couldn’t be more different. Scrappy Doo is famously courageous, so much so that his bravado often gets him and the rest of the gang into trouble.
Scrappy Doo’s famous trademark is “Let me at ’em!”, which he often yells when he spots the villain they’ve been pursuing. In some incarnations of the Scooby-Doo franchise, Scrappy is portrayed as an over-excited yet loveable youngster. But in others, he’s considered plain annoying, both by the audience and the rest of the Mystery Inc. crew.
7. Scooby-Dum
Scooby-Dum is a Great Dane, just like his cousin Scooby-Doo. But it’s easy to tell the two apart thanks to Scooby-Dum’s distinctive red hat, his southern drawl, and his even more gormless expression.
He’s much braver than Scooby-Doo, but that’s not down to courage. He’s simply too dumb, hence his name, to understand the danger of any given situation. As a result, he often has to be rescued by the other members of the group.
8. Yabba-Doo
Yabba-Doo is Scooby-Doo’s more courageous brother. He appeared as part of the cast in early 1980s Old West segments, fighting crime alongside his bumbling master, Deputy Dusty.
Yabba, whose famous catchphrase is “Yippity-Yabbity-Doo!” is adventurous and brave and never lets a little danger stand in his way.
9. Deputy Dusty
Deputy Dusty is the unlikely sheriff of a town called Tumbleweed, the setting of the Old West series of the Scooby-Doo franchise.
He looks a little like a clean-cut version of Shaggy, but with the addition of a distinctive pair of round-rimmed glasses and a pale blue Stetson. And just like Shaggy, Deputy Dusty is pretty cowardly, especially considering he’s a sheriff. But his timid nature doesn’t stop him from pulling off some pretty heroic moves from time to time.
10. Scooby-Dee
Scooby-Dee is Scooby-Doos’s distant cousin, who first makes her appearance in the original Scooby-Doo show.
This white-furred Great Dane has a starring role in the episode “The Chiller Diller Movie Thriller,” but she went on to make several further cameo appearances during the series.
11. Vincent Van Ghoul
The mysterious Vincent Van Ghoul enters the Scooby-Doo franchise in The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo. Van Ghoul is no stranger to the supernatural realm; in fact, he’s one of the most powerful warlocks in the world. But his relationship with the gang doesn’t get off to a great start when several members of the Mystery Inc. team arrive at his imposing mansion after their plane crash-landed nearby.
Scooby and Shaggy carelessly open an old chest, in their usual bumbling fashion unwittingly unleashing thirteen terrifying ghosts held captive inside. Naturally, Van Ghoul is furious, but despite his displeasure, he goes on to help the gang to solve many mysteries throughout the series.
12. Flim-Flam McScam
Flim-Flam McScam is another supporting character who appears in The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo, but it’s safe to say that the gang would rather he hadn’t shown up at all.
Though he appears childlike, Flim-Flam is anything but innocent, and he quickly proves himself to be a notorious con-man who can’t be trusted. Still, his cunning mind and manipulative nature mean he often gets his own way.
13. Monsters and Villains
As any Scooby-Doo fan will know, most of the supernatural creatures the gang track down turn out to be regular human beings in disguise. But every now and then, they’re real, so Scooby and his friends can never let their guard down.
These monsters and villains mainly appear as a one-off, so their characters aren’t developed in the same way that the main and supporting cast are. But still, if you’re a fan of Scooby-Doo, you might recognize some of the terrifying trouble makers below.
Monsters and Villains from the original 1969 Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?
SPOILER ALERT! If you’re still working your way through the Scooby-Doo mysteries, look away now. The information below might ruin the surprise!
The Episode: What a Night for a Knight
The Monster: Black Knight
The Real Villain: Mr. Wickles
The Episode: A Clue for Scooby-Doo
The Monster: Ghost of Captain Cutler
The Real Villain: Captain Cutler
The Episode: Hassle in the Castle
The Monster: Phantom
The Real Villain: Bluestone the Great
The Episode: Mine Your Own Business
The Monster: Miner Forty-Niner
The Real Villain: Hank
The Episode: Decoy for a Dognapper
The Monster: Indian Witch Doctor
The Real Villain: Buck Masters
The Episode: What the Hex Going On?
The Monster: Ghost of Elias Kingston
The Real Villain: Stuart Wetherby
The Episode: Never Ape an Ape Man
The Monster: Ape Man
The Real Villain: Carl
The Episode: The Backstage Rage
The Monster: Puppetmaster
The Real Villain: Pietro
The Episode: Bedlam in the Big Top
The Monster: Ghost Clown
The Real Villain: Harry
The Episode: A Gaggle of Galloping Ghosts
The Monster: Dracula, Frankenstein’s Monster, Werewolf, and The Gypsy
The Real Villain: Big Bob Oakley
The Episode: Scooby-Doo and a Mummy, Too
The Monster: Mummy of Anka
The Real Villain: Dr. Najib
The Episode: Go Away Ghost Ship
The Monster: Redbeard’s Ghost
The Real Villain: C.L. Magnus
The Episode: A Night of Fright is No Delight
The Monster: Phantom Shadows
The Real Villain: Cosgood Creeps and Mr. Crawls
The Episode: Nowhere to Hyde
The Monster: Ghost of Mr. Hyde
The Real Villain: Dr. Jekyll
The Episode: Haunted House Hang-Up
The Monster: Headless Specter and Phoney Phantom
The Real Villain: Penrod Stillwell and Asa Shanks
The Episode: Don’t Fool with a Phantom
The Monster: Wax Phantom
The Real Villain: Roger Stevens
Conclusion
Scooby-Doo and his friends have delighted audiences since they first appeared on screens and in comic books in the late 1960s, and these iconic characters are still going strong to this day.
If you enjoyed Scooby-Doo as a child, then I hope this post serves as a fun trip down memory lane to revisit all the characters you once knew and loved. And if you’re still a fan today, then I hope your favorite character made the cut!