This article includes a list of characters from the Disney series Darkwing Duck.
Main Darkwing Duck
Drake Mallard / Darkwing Duck (voiced by Jim Cummings in the original series, Chris Diamantopoulos in the 2017 DuckTales reboot) is an average citizen by day and St. Canard's resident superhero by night. He possesses a mix of genuine altruism and gigantic narcissism – two drives that constantly clash during his adventures. Darkwing's origins are rather fuzzy. During his childhood and teenage years, Drake was a complete dork, but by his high school days, he had already developed an obsession with crime-fighting. However, he frequently claims to have become a superhero after his teenage years and has operated as Darkwing Duck for an unspecified amount of time. Furthermore, he was at least partially inspired by S.H.U.S.H. agent Derek Blunt and trained in martial arts by Goose Lee. In his earliest days of crime-fighting, he was more focused on the headlines from his career, to the point where he laments having no life outside his showboating and no friends to turn to outside of Launchpad McQuack, Gosalyn, and Honker, who help keep him grounded. The latter in particular proves to be vital to him, as Gosalyn being hurt or worse is one of his biggest fears and he became a ruthless dictator in an alternate timeline where he lost her. His two recurring catchphrases are "I am the terror that flaps in the night" (followed by an improvised metaphor before he gives his name), and the battle cry "let's get dangerous". Darkwing Duck's costume, gas gun, and flashy introductions are reminiscent of pulp heroes like The Shadow, Batman and The Green Hornet, as well as Zorro.
Because of loose continuity in the series, as well as Darkwing's self-aggrandizing habits, he has multiple origin stories as to how and why he became Darkwing Duck – including the following:
"Paraducks", in which the young Drake is inspired by his own time-travelling future self. "Clash Reunion", in which he wears a random disguise to defend his high school prom from Megavolt. "The Secret Origins of Darkwing Duck", a Superman parody that is not meant to be taken as his true origin. Throughout the episode, it is even suggested that it is just nonsense being spouted by a future version of Drake to make his origin seem cooler, though it is later stated that the "myth" has "some basis in reality". "A Star is Scorned", a "what if" episode portraying Darkwing's life as an act for a television series.
In the 2017 DuckTales series, Drake Mallard is an upcoming actor set to star in a Darkwing Duck movie who grew up watching the series of the same name and views Jim Starling, the original Darkwing (voiced by Cummings, Darkwing's original voice actor), as his hero. When Starling goes crazy after finding out the film was not going to star him, Mallard takes it upon himself to be the hero and save the day. After the film is cancelled, Mallard is encouraged by Launchpad to become Darkwing Duck in real life.
Launchpad McQuack Launchpad McQuack (voiced by Terry McGovern in the original series, Beck Bennett in the 2017 DuckTales reboot) is Darkwing Duck's sidekick and pilot who originally appeared as a main character in the original 1987 DuckTales. He refers to Darkwing as "DW" and Drake as "Mallardman", to which Darkwing sometimes refers to him as "LP" in return. He is Darkwing's self-proclaimed biggest fan, even spending a year designing and building the Thunderquack aircraft out of fanboy urges.
Launchpad's evil Negaverse counterpart appears in the episode "Life, the Negaverse and Everything", serving Negaduck in subjugating his version of St. Canard until he is defeated by Darkwing Duck and the Friendly Four.
Gosalyn Mallard Gosalyn Mallard (birth name Waddlemeyer) (voiced by Christine Cavanaugh in the original series, Stephanie Beatriz in the 2017 DuckTales reboot) is Drake Mallard's 9-year-old adoptive daughter and an unstoppable bundle of energy and spunk. Her grandfather, Professor Waddlemeyer, was a famous scientist who was murdered by Taurus Bulba's underlings. She is an occasional crime fighter, having gone by codenames such as the "Crimson Quackette", "Yucky Duck", the "Quiverwing Quack" and "Gosmoduck" in the Boom! Studios comics, though she often gets involved in Darkwing's affairs as herself.
Gosalyn's Negaverse counterpart appears in the episode "Life, the Negaverse and Everything" as an extremely sweet, sentimental, and compliant little girl with similar morality as her "prime" counterpart. Despite being an alternate reality version of his adopted daughter, Drake became protective of the Negaverse Gosalyn upon learning her guardian is Negaduck and ensured the Friendly Four could take care of her before returning to his own reality.
Gosalyn also appears in the DuckTales reboot, re-imagined as a young duck with Latin American roots. She makes her first appearance in the one-hour special "Let's Get Dangerous!", which incorporates the origin story of her original counterpart.
The Muddlefoots The Muddlefoots are Drake, Launchpad, and Gosalyn's next-door neighbors, Drake finding them irritating due to their intrusive ways. The Mallards and Launchpad usually manage to tolerate them and even grudgingly like them, though not nearly as much as the Muddlefoots imagine.
In the episode "Life, the Negaverse and Everything", their evil Negaverse counterparts serve Negaduck in subjugating their version of St. Canard until they are defeated by Darkwing Duck and the Friendly Four.
Herb Muddlefoot Herbert "Herb" Muddlefoot, Sr. (voiced by Jim Cummings impersonating Andy Devine) is the father of Tank and Honker Muddlefoot and the husband of Binkie Muddlefoot. He is a brash, loudmouthed, overweight duck who is often clueless about events around him and works as a "Quackerware" salesman. Despite his views on the Muddlefoots and impatience with Herb in particular, Drake has worked well with the latter on occasion, though due to his oblivious nature, Herb views Drake as his best friend. In the episode "A Star is Scorned", Herb and Binkie Muddlefoot are revealed to be actors who have to act out of character as ruthless business tycoons due to a hidden clause in their acting contracts that says "The Studio is always right"!
Binkie Muddlefoot Binkie Muddlefoot (voiced by Susan Tolsky) is a yellow canary and parody of 1950s housewives who is invariably overbearing yet ditzy. Competent in housework, she often serves as a foil to Herb's fun. Throughout the series, it is suggested she and Herb are destined souls, since there have been many incarnations of them seen in various timelines and dimensions and they almost always find each other and fall in love.
Tank Muddlefoot Tankard "Tank" H. Muddlefoot (voiced by Dana Hill) is the eldest Muddlefoot son and a bully who often makes life difficult for his younger brother, Honker. Despite being the son of a duck and a canary, Tank takes after his father.
Tank's Negaverse counterpart appears in the episode "Life, the Negaverse and Everything" with a personality similar to the "prime" Honker, albeit with more confidence, and the only member of the Negaverse Muddlefoots who does not serve Negaduck.
Honker Muddlefoot Herbert "Honker" Muddlefoot, Jr. (voiced by Katie Leigh) is the youngest Muddlefoot son and Gosalyn's best friend. In contrast to his brother, Honker takes after his mother. Unlike the rest of his family, Honker is an intelligent individual who demonstrates a mastery of sciences more akin to a laboratory professor than an elementary school student. He is also one of the few characters to know Darkwing's secret identity, though it is unknown how long he has known or how the discovery was made. Unlike Launchpad, who refers to Drake as DW in public, Honker makes sure to address him as "Mr. Mallard". He also calls Darkwing "sir" to make sure he does not slip up. He is also the only member of the Muddlefoots who Darkwing genuinely likes and tolerates most of the time, though he has been annoyed by the youth's stuttering.
Allies The Justice Ducks The Justice Ducks are a team of superheroes formed in the two-part episode "Just Us Justice Ducks" to help Darkwing fend off the Fearsome Five.
Gizmoduck Fenton Crackshell / Gizmoduck (voiced by Hamilton Camp in the original series, Lin-Manuel Miranda in the 2017 DuckTales reboot) is Launchpad's old friend and Darkwing's former rival superhero who originally appeared as a recurring character in the original DuckTales. While Gizmoduck overshadows him in fame and attention whenever the former is in St. Canard, Darkwing comes to appreciate him following their first encounter in the episode "Up, Up and Awry".
Morgana Macawber Morgana Macawber (voiced by Kath Soucie) is a sorceress duck who was originally a supervillain, but later reforms and becomes Darkwing's girlfriend. While she is very powerful, Morgana has trouble using her magic. Introduced in the episode "Fungus Amongus", Darkwing first meets her while she is serving as the president and chairperson of a mushroom-producing company that steals pizza toppings in a plot to take control of the pizza industry before she eventually defects and helps Darkwing foil the plot. In "Ghoul of My Dreams", she joins forces with Nodoff to put St. Canard's citizens to sleep and rob them to pay off her student loans, but she reforms in the end and helps Darkwing defeat Nodoff. In the Boom! Studios comics, she sacrifices herself to save Darkwing from the monstrous Duckthulu. However, Darkwing believes she is still alive and lost in another reality, but is unable to find her.
Eek and Squeak Eek and Squeak (both voiced by Frank Welker) are Morgana's pet bats who usually accompany her wherever she goes.
Archie Archie (voiced by Frank Welker) is Morgana's pet spider who also usually accompanies her wherever she goes.
Neptunia Neptunia (voiced by Susan Silo) is a mutated anthropomorphic fish and self-appointed protector of the sea. She uses a shell as a horn to command the non-anthropomorphic creatures of the ocean to do her bidding and is often seen with a giant octopus named Hal. Introduced in the episode "Something Fishy", she was once a normal fish until radioactive waste mutated her into her current form. She becomes fed up with sea pollution and attempts to flood St. Canard until it becomes part of her ocean domain. However, she eventually has a change of heart and reverses the flooding after Launchpad convinces her that not all land-dwellers are polluters. Like Morgana, she reforms and becomes a hero.
Stegmutt Stegmutt (voiced by Joey Camen) is a dimwitted janitor duck who the mad scientist Doctor Fossil transformed into a humanoid Stegosaurus to serve as his minion in the episode "Jurassic Jumble". He initially battles Darkwing, but with Gosalyn and Honker's help, Stegmutt learns of Dr. Fossil's evil intentions and turns against him. While Fossil's other victims are returned to normal, Stegmutt chooses to remain a dinosaur for unknown reasons and goes on to join the Justice Ducks.
S.H.U.S.H. S.H.U.S.H. (expanded name unknown) is an intelligence agency that deals with international affairs that regular authorities cannot. Darkwing Duck often works freelance for them, though he is not an official employee. The organization is a parody of Marvel Comics' S.H.I.E.L.D.
In the 2017 DuckTales series, a new version of S.H.U.S.H. appears in flashbacks. The organization was led by Ludwig Von Drake and included Bentina Beakley / Agent 22, Scrooge McDuck as a freelance agent, and Bradford Buzzard as an accountant.
J. Gander Hoover