The "Peanuts" characters, especially Charlie Brown, have been a staple of American culture since the comic strip's 1950 debut in newspapers. The holiday specials and cartoon series' based on it have also brought joy to millions of people. Below is a good memory refresher of some of the many characters from a great American legacy. 

Charlie Brown.

Charlie Brown is the most popular "Peanuts" character. Charlie is a rather depressed little kid who always seems to attract bad luck. When he and the rest of the "Peanuts" characters go trick or treating during the Halloween special, Charlie Brown is the only kid to get a rock in his bag instead of candy. Lucy, another "Peanuts" character, compounds his bad luck by playing tricks on him all the time. 

Lucy Van Pelt.

Lucy is the trickster girl who plays mean jokes on Charlie Brown. Her most common trick is to hold a football to the ground and ask Charlie Brown to kick it. When he does, she immediately withdraws the football just to watch Charlie Brown go flying through the air. Lucy also targets her brother Linus with her antics. One "Peanuts" character she does not pick on is Schroeder, the piano player, because she is in love with him. Lucy is the proprietor of the psychiatrist booth. The booth is set up like a lemonade stand, and she offers advice for a nickel. 

Linus Van Pelt.

Linus is Lucy's younger brother and the older brother of Rerun. Linus is known for his security blanket. You never see him without it, at least not without intense anxiety. Lucy antagonizes Linus over this and often tries to free him of his habit forcefully. Linus is an insightful philosopher and a firm believer in the Great Pumpkin that rises from a pumpkin patch every Halloween. 


Pigpen is the dirty "Peanuts" character who always emanates a trail of dust, even during rain storms. Pigpen gets accused of crashing a party after finally bathing because his friends do not know who he is without the dirt. Pigpen also bears a strange similarity to both Linus and Charlie Brown. 


Snoopy and Charlie Brown are neck to neck as the two most famous "Peanuts" characters. Snoopy is Charlie Brown's dog. His best friend is a little yellow bird named Woodstock. Snoopy does not talk, but he has a very active imagination. There is some debate about whether Snoopy's episodes are creative or psychotic. He is one hell of a fighter pilot when he acts as World War 2 flying ace. Snoopy is also known to take on a variety of other personalities.