List of Hey Arnold! characters facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

This is a list of characters from the Nickelodeon animated TV series Hey Arnold!. Most of them live in the made-up city of Hillwood, which is a coastal city in the state of Washington.

Main characters

Arnold Shortman

Contrary to popular belief, Arnold does not wear a kilt but instead dons a plaid shirt that hangs out of his teal sweater and a hat that only covers a small part of his football-shaped head.

Arnold Phillip Shortman is a 9-year-old boy who is a big dreamer and always tries to see the good in people. He wants to do the right thing, even when it's hard. His parents, Miles and Stella, went to a place called San Lorenzo when he was very young and haven't returned to Hillwood.

Arnold often helps others, especially his classmate Helga, even if it means going out of his way. He lives in a boarding house called Sunset Arms with his grandparents, Phil and Gertrude. Arnold is best friends with Gerald Johanssen, and they've known each other since preschool.

Arnold has had crushes on other girls, but his most important relationship is with Helga Pataki. Helga secretly loves Arnold, but she often acts mean to him to hide her feelings. Arnold doesn't know about her secret crush for most of the series. In Hey Arnold! The Movie, Helga tells him how she feels, but Arnold lets her pretend she didn't say it. Later, in Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie, Arnold shows he likes Helga too by kissing her. This happens after she helps him find his parents and use her special locket to help save many people. At the end of the movie, it seems like Arnold and Helga become a couple, even though Helga still pretends to be tough in public.

Helga Pataki

Helga Pataki in her signature pink and red dress and pink bow.

Helga Geraldine Pataki is a 9-10-year-old girl who can be tough and a bit moody. She often acts bossy and rude, especially to Arnold and other kids. Even though she acts like Arnold's rival, she is secretly very much in love with him. She even has many secret shrines dedicated to him!

Helga is very smart and a talented writer, especially when it comes to poetry. She often picks on Arnold because he is so kind and has a unique "football head," even though everyone's heads are different.

Helga doesn't get along well with her older sister, Olga, who is very focused on being perfect. But sometimes, Helga shows she cares about Olga, like when she helped Olga avoid a bad marriage. Helga also doesn't like corn and is allergic to strawberries.

In The Jungle Movie, Helga uses her secret video collection of Arnold to help him win a contest, which leads to a class trip to San Lorenzo. During the trip, she tries to tell Arnold her true feelings, but he's too focused on finding his parents. Later, she helps Arnold and Gerald find a special cure and uses her locket to activate it, saving many people, including Arnold's parents. After this, Arnold thanks her and they share a kiss. At the end of the movie, it's hinted they are a couple, but Helga still acts tough around Arnold in public to keep her reputation.

Gerald Johanssen

Gerald Martin Johanssen is a 9-10-year-old boy and Arnold's best friend. He's good at sports and knows a lot about the city. He's very loyal to Arnold, though Arnold is often more responsible. Gerald and Arnold have been friends since preschool.

Gerald knows many interesting stories about the city, which he calls "urban legends." He gets these stories from a secret source he calls "Fuzzy Slippers." At school, Gerald is the class president and thinks he's very cool, and his friends usually agree.

Gerald is known for his tall, unique hair and his shirt with the number 33 on it. He has a crush on Phoebe, and she likes him too. In Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie, it's suggested they become a couple, as they are seen holding hands.

Supporting characters

Phoebe Heyerdahl is the smartest girl in Arnold's class. She's Helga's best friend and helps her with advice, even though Helga often bosses her around. Phoebe is half-Japanese and half-European, and her family is from Kentucky. Being the smartest in her class is very important to her. She and Gerald like each other, and in Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie, they kiss and are seen holding hands, becoming a couple.
Harold Berman is a Jewish American friend of Arnold. At first, he was a bit of a bully, but later he became more of a friend to Arnold and the others. Even though he can be intimidating, Harold is often scared and calls for his mom when he's upset. He's sometimes called "fat boy" by Helga. Harold is overweight but has a soft side. His best friends are Sid and Stinky. He also works as an apprentice at a butcher shop.
Stinky Peterson is a tall, thin friend of Arnold's, and one of Harold's best friends. His family is from Arkansas, and he has a Southern accent. He loves lemon pudding. Stinky was first shown as a bully, but later became a kinder, more romantic character. He's good at writing poems.
Sid is a 9-10-year-old friend of Arnold and one of Harold's best friends. He can be a bit worried about things. He always wears a green baseball cap backward, a black leather jacket, jeans, and white Beatle boots. Sid often tells interesting "urban legends," sometimes with Gerald's help. He often finds himself in funny or strange situations.
Rhonda Wellington Lloyd is a 9-10-year-old rich girl who loves fashion and is a friend of Arnold. She's one of the most popular students at P.S. 118. Even though she cares a lot about her style, Rhonda is a great athlete and plays many sports like baseball and football. She doesn't mind if she gets her clothes dirty while playing. Rhonda started as a background character but got a bigger role later in the series.
Eugene Horowitz is a kind but often unlucky friend of Arnold. He's known as the "class jinx" because bad things often happen to him. He thinks Arnold brings him bad luck, but he also has accidents when Arnold isn't around. It's hinted that he likes Sheena.
Lila Sawyer is a 9-10-year-old girl who moved from a farming town. She lives with her father. Lila is Arnold's crush, but she only sees him as a friend. She knows that Helga loves Arnold and even offered to help Helga be more like her in one episode. Lila is often seen as very nice and sweet, which is a contrast to Helga's tough personality.

Sunset Arms boarders

Oskar Kokoshka is a boarder from an Eastern European country. He is often lazy and doesn't have a job for most of the series, though he later becomes a paperboy. He struggles with reading English until Arnold helps him. Despite his flaws, he loves his wife and feels bad when he lets people down.
Suzie Kokoshka is Oskar's hardworking, kind, and patient wife. She puts up with Oskar's behavior, though they do argue sometimes.
Ernie Potts is a short and easily annoyed demolition expert. He once dated a plus-size model named Lola.
Mr. Hyunh is an immigrant from Vietnam. He works at a Mexican restaurant. He has a strong Vietnamese accent but is a very talented country music singer. He can also play the cello, guitar, and trumpet. In a special Christmas episode, Arnold, Gerald, and Helga help him reunite with his long-lost daughter, Mai, who he was separated from during the Vietnam War.

Families

Shortman family

Phillip Logan "Phil" Shortman is Arnold's cheerful and fun-loving grandfather. He is 81 years old. Arnold often asks him for advice. Phil tells many stories about his past, sometimes stretching the truth a bit. He's a World War II veteran. Phil is very healthy and active for his age. He has an older twin sister named Mitzi. He also went back to school later in life and earned his grade school diploma.
Gertrude "Pookie" Shortman is Arnold's funny and wise grandmother. She often dresses up and acts like different characters, like Calamity Jane. Grandpa Phil calls her "Pookie." She has a black belt in martial arts.
Miles and Stella Shortman are Arnold's adventurous and brave parents. They met while exploring in San Lorenzo and became friends with a mysterious tribe called the Green-Eyed people. They returned home after Arnold was born but went back to San Lorenzo when their friends needed help. They didn't return, leaving Arnold with his grandparents. In The Jungle Movie, it's revealed they got sick while trying to find a cure for the Green-Eyed people. Arnold, Helga, and Gerald find them and help release the cure, and Arnold's parents finally return home with him.
Arnie is Arnold's cousin from the countryside. He looks a lot like Arnold but has different interests, like collecting lint and counting things. Lila likes him, but he likes Helga.
Mitzi Shortman is Arnold's great-aunt and Phil's twin sister. She is 81 years old. She and Phil had a disagreement when they were kids and didn't speak for 71 years.

Pataki family

Robert "Big Bob" Pataki is Olga and Helga's father. He's a successful businessman who sells beepers. He expects a lot from Helga and often compares her to her older sister, Olga. He sometimes accidentally calls Helga by Olga's name. Even though he can be distant, he does care about Helga in his own way.
Miriam Pataki is Bob's wife and Olga and Helga's mother. She can be a bit distracted. She was a champion bull rider and an Olympic swimmer before she married Bob. She also cares about Helga, which is shown in small ways.
Olga Pataki is Helga's smart, outgoing, and beautiful older sister. She goes to college and is very focused on being perfect. She was a straight-A student and a talented pianist. Bob and Miriam think Olga is perfect, which makes Helga feel bad. Olga tries to give Helga attention, but Helga often pushes her away. In The Jungle Movie, Olga helps chaperone the class trip and gets a crush on a shipmate, but he turns out to be working for the bad guy.

Johanssen family

Martin Johanssen is Gerald's father. He can be strict and doesn't like wasting electricity. He was in the Vietnam War.
Mrs. Johanssen is Gerald's very kind mother. She works as a cashier at the local market.
James "Jamie O" Johanssen is Gerald's older brother. He sometimes picks on Gerald.
Timberly Johanssen is Gerald's little sister. She often causes trouble because she wants attention. She seems to get older throughout the series.

Heyerdahl family

Kyo Heyerdahl is Phoebe's father. He is half Japanese and half Norwegian and speaks Japanese fluently.
Reba Heyerdahl is Phoebe's mother from Kentucky.

Berman family

Jerry Berman is Harold's father. He often speaks in a low voice and is concerned about Harold's weight.
Marilyn Berman is Harold's mother. She is more vocal when she scolds Harold.

Horowitz family

Nate Horowitz is Eugene's father. He is also quite unlucky, just like his son.
Mrs. Horowitz is Eugene's mother.

Lloyd family

Buckley Lloyd is Rhonda's father. When Rhonda is upset, he often buys her things to make her feel better.
Brooke Lloyd is Rhonda's mother. She thinks her daughter is perfect and can do no wrong. She is often seen talking on her cellphone.

Sawyer family

Mr. Sawyer is Lila's father. He is a kind and caring dad. When Lila was new to P.S. 118 and being picked on, he was there for her.

Other characters

Other students of PS 118

Thaddeus "Curly" Gammelthorpe is a classmate who sometimes has big outbursts. He seems to have a crush on Rhonda.
Torvald is an older fourth-grader who was held back in school because he struggled with math. Arnold helped him with tutoring.
Sheena is a quiet girl who doesn't like violence. Her aunt Shelly is the school nurse. It's hinted that Sheena likes Eugene.
Lorenzo is a wealthy boy who didn't have much time to just be a kid because of his mother's busy schedule. Arnold and his friends teach him how to have fun.
Iggy is a friend of Arnold's who is popular. He often wears dark sunglasses. In one famous episode, his classmates found out he wears pink and white bunny pajamas, and he blamed Arnold for it.
Brainy is a smart kid who often appears when Helga is thinking about Arnold. He has a deep voice and makes a wheezing sound. He seems to like Helga, and she often accidentally knocks him out. In The Jungle Movie, he helps Helga by finding her locket, which becomes very important later.
Nadine is an entomologist (someone who studies insects) and Rhonda's best friend. She often finds Rhonda's snobby opinions silly.
Park is a Korean-American boy and a close friend of Arnold. He has a secret hideout at the local junkyard.
Joey Stevenson is an African-American boy who is missing a tooth. He is sometimes with Arnold's friends.
Peapod Kid is a wealthy and well-spoken fourth-grade student. He got his nickname from a school play where he wore a pea pod costume.
"Chocolate Boy" is a boy who loves chocolate very much. Arnold tried to help him stop eating so much chocolate, but then he started eating too many radishes instead.
Wolfgang is a fifth-grader and a main bully in the neighborhood. He leads other fifth-grade bullies.
- Edmund is Wolfgang's best friend and sidekick. He often asks silly questions.
Gloria is a girl who looks like Helga but is more girly and kind.
Ludwig is a bully who appeared in one episode, where he fought with Arnold and Wolfgang over a field.
Big Gino is a very short and thin boy who acts like a boss at school.
Ruth P. McDougal is a sixth-grade girl who was Arnold's first crush. Arnold went on a date with her, but realized she wasn't very nice.
Connie and Maria are two sixth-grade girls. Maria is Mexican and sometimes uses Spanish words.
Patricia "Big Patty" Smith is a tough sixth-grade girl who becomes Harold's friend. She is only aggressive if someone picks on her or says mean things. She later becomes friends with Rhonda.

Staff of PS 118

Principal Wartz is the strict but kind principal of the school.
Dr. Bliss is a child psychologist who helps students at P.S. 118. She is one of the few people Helga tells about her secret love for Arnold.
Miss Felter is a substitute teacher who Arnold once had a crush on.
Mr. Frank is a sixth-grade teacher.
Lieutenant Major Goose was Arnold's teacher for a short time. He was also Martin Johanssen's drill sergeant.
Lunch Lady is the woman in charge of the school cafeteria. She can seem tough but is sensitive about criticism of her food.
Mr. Packenham is a fifth-grade teacher.
Miss Slovak is Arnold's first enthusiastic teacher. She left teaching to play golf.
Mr. Robert Simmons is Arnold's sensitive and caring teacher. He replaced Miss Slovak. He always tells his students that "you are all special in your special way." In The Jungle Movie, he chaperones the class trip to San Lorenzo.
Nurse Shelly is the school nurse and Sheena's aunt. She helps students with their health.
Coach Jack Wittenberg is the competitive school coach for many sports teams. He often gets Arnold and his friends to join. He can be aggressive but also has a sensitive side.
- Tish Wittenberg is Jack's wife and the coach of the girls' teams. She and Jack often compete.
- Tucker Wittenberg is Jack's son and a student at PS 118.

Various

Rex Smythe-Higgins is Grandpa Phil's rival from when they were children.
- Rex Smythe-Higgins III is Rex Smythe-Higgins's grandson and a rival to Arnold. However, he and Arnold respect each other.
Dino Spumoni is a famous jazz singer. He once sang a sad song at Arnold's school dance, but Arnold helped him change his tune.
Mr. Bailey works at the Hall of Records and helps Arnold find information.
Mayor Dixie is the female mayor of Hillwood.
Mrs. Vitello is the owner of the neighborhood flower shop. Arnold and Gerald once helped her run the shop when she hurt her back.
Councilman Marty Green is a butcher and later a politician.
Earl runs a boat service across the lake. He talks with a Scottish accent and is Sheena's uncle.
Davy Jones was a famous singer from The Monkees.
Mickey Kaline is a retired baseball star and Arnold's favorite player.
Jimmy Kafka is Grandpa Phil's best friend from when they were young.
Rabbi Goldberg is a rabbi who gives Harold advice and guidance.
Alphonse Perrier du von Scheck is a greedy developer who wanted to tear down Arnold's neighborhood to build a mall, but Arnold, Helga, and Gerald stopped him.
Lasombra is a treasure hunter who tried to steal a special relic from the Green-Eyed People. He pretended to be Arnold's parents' friend to trick them.
- Che is a helper for Lasombra. Olga had a crush on him before finding out he was working for the bad guy.
Nick Vermicelli is one of Big Bob's business friends.
Stoop Kid is a teenage boy who lived on a stoop and never left it until Arnold encouraged him to be brave and explore.
Campfire Lass is the leader of a group called the Campfire Lads, who learn survival skills. She often sells things to raise money.
Willie the Jolly Olly Man is the local ice cream man. He can be a bit strange, but Arnold helped him learn to be nicer to kids.
Eduardo is a friend of Arnold's parents from San Lorenzo. He was the last person to see them before they disappeared.
Harvey is the mailman who delivers mail and sometimes gives advice.
Morrie and Vic are two friends who are often involved in various plans.

Animals

Abner is Arnold's pet pig. He was a special gift to Arnold's parents. In The Jungle Movie, Abner helps Arnold's grandparents find out that Arnold and his friends are in trouble.