Characters As Device

In service to the plot, characters are given these roles, making them plot devices with lines.
These "devices" can also be viewed as "component parts" from which more complex, realistic characters can be built, but television production usually means churning out episodes as quickly as possible to meet looming deadlines. Mediocre writers will merely take one of the following and slap a name on it. By contrast, better writers start with a character and slap two or more of the following labels on it.

The Aggressive Drug Dealer
Al Bundy
Alien Scrappy
Always Chaotic Evil
Animal Stereotypes
Annoying Younger Sibling
Anonymous Ringer
The Aragorn
Asian Store Owner
Ax Crazy
Bad Boss
Baldrick
Battle Butler
The Baxter
The Beard
Beleaguered Childhood Friend
Benevolent Boss
Berserk Button
Blood Knight
Book Dumb
Bouncer
Bounty Hunter
Boxed Crook
Bridezilla
The Brigadier
Bumbling Dad
Bungling Inventor
Bunny Ears Lawyer
Buttmonkey
Canon Immigrant
Captain Obvious
Casanova
Kid Anova
Chance The Gardener
Chaste Hero
The Chew Toy
City Mouse
Classically Trained Extra
The Clavin
Cloudcuckoolander
CMOT Dibbler
Colonel Makepeace
Commissioner Gordon
Control Freak
Cool Loser
The Coroner
Cosmic Plaything
Costanza
Country Mouse
Cousin Oliver
Cowboy Cop
Crouching Moron Hidden Badass
Cute Bruiser
Da Chief
Deceptive Disciple
Defector From Decadence
Defrosting Ice Queen
Designated Hero
Designated Victim
Determinator
Dirty Coward
Dirty Old Man
Disposable Woman
The Ditz
Genius Ditz
Idiot Savant
The Doctor Dolittle
Dogged Nice Guy
Double Agent
Dr Jerk
Drill Sergeant Nasty
Drop In Character
The Eeyore
Emo Kid
Emo Teen
Ethnic Scrappy
Erudite Stoner
Even The Guys Want Him
The Everyman
Evil Matriarch
Evil Minions
Fag Hag
Fall Guy
Flying Dutchman
Friend To All Living Things
Funny Foreigner
Future Loser
Garfunkel
Genie In A Bottle
Genius Bruiser
Genius Loci
Gentle Giant
Girl Of The Week
Girl Posse
Granola Girl
Greek Chorus
Green Skinned Space Babe
Hello Nurse
Hero Worshipper
He Who Must Not Be Heard
The Speechless
The Unintelligible
The Voiceless
He Who Must Not Be Seen
The Faceless
The Ghost
The Voice
Hidden Depths
High School Rejects
Hobbits
The Hopeless Replacement
Horny Scientist
Hot Librarian
Hot Scientist
The Hunter
Idiot Of The Week
Innocent Bystander
The Illegal
The Imp
Inspector Javert
Inspirationally Disadvantaged
Insufferable Genius
Invisible President
Intellectual Animal
Jean Grey Escalation
The Jeeves
Jerk Jock
Jerk With A Heart Of Gold
The Jester
Jones The Cat
The Jor El
Jungle Princess
Jumped At The Call
Kavorka Man
Kid From The Future
The Kimberly
Knight Templar Parent
The Lab Rat
La Resistance
Large Ham
Last Of His Kind
Leisure Suit Larry
Lesbian Vampire
Lestrade
Lethal Chef
Littlest Cancer Patient
Living Lie Detector
The Load
The Lois Lane
Looking For Love In All The Wrong Places
Loser Guy
Love Martyr
The Mad Hatter
Mad Scientist
The Igor
Mad Scientists Beautiful Daughter
Magical Negro
Malaproper
Mama Bear
The Man They Couldn't Hang
The Mark
Master Of Delusion
McDuck
Meddling Parents
Messenger
Almost Dead Guy
Doomed Appointment
Herald
Impeded Messenger
Mysterious Informant
Spear Carrier
Meta Guy
MIB
The Millstone
The Minnesota Fats
Mission Control
Mouthy Kid
Muggles
Naive Newcomer
The Napoleon
Narrator
New Old Flame
The Niles
No Respect Guy
Noble Savage
Non Action Guy
Non Human Sidekick
Nosy Neighbor
Not Brainwashed
Number Two
Nuns Are Spooky
Nurse Jenny
Nurse With Good Intentions
Obstructive Bureaucrat
Offstage Villainy
Older Sidekick
Old Friend
Old Master
Old Superhero
Omnidisciplinary Scientist
Only Sane Man
The Oscar
The Paolo
Parker Lewis Ferris Bueller
The Patsy
Perky Goth
Perpetual Frowner
Physical God
Plucky Comic Relief
Pointy Haired Boss
Poisonous Friend
Pollyanna
Pretty Woman
Proud Warrior Race Guy
Puss In Boots
The Quiet One
The Radar
Raised By Wolves
Ralph Wiggum
Red Right Hand
Red Shirt
Mauve Shirt
Redshirt Army
Dead Star Walking
Renfield
Reverse Mole
Rich Bitch
Screw The Rules I Have Money
The Rick
Robot Buddy
Sacrificial Lamb
Sadist Teacher
The Sandiego
The Sarah Jane
Sassy Secretary
Satellite Character
Scary Black Man
Scary Minority Suspect
Schemer
Secret Keeper
Shape Shifter
Shell Shocked Senior
The Short Guy With Glasses
Shrinking Violet
Sidekick
Silent Partner
Sitcom Arch Nemesis
Small Annoying Creature
Smug Snake
Soap Box Sadie
Special Guest
Stereotype Gay
Ambiguously Gay
Butch Lesbian
Camp Gay
Club Kid
Drag Queen
Flamboyant Gay
Gym Bunny
Leatherman
Lipstick Lesbian
Performance Artist
Pet Homosexual
Straight Gay
The Twink
Transparent Closet
Transvestite
Transsexual
Stock Character
The Stoner
Strawman Political
The Strategist
Stupid Boss
Super Coach
Super Strength
Tall Dark And Snarky
Teaser Only Character
Techno Wizard
Ted Baxter
Teen Genius
Temporary Love Interest
Tin Man
The Toblerone
Token Minority
Twofer Token Minority
Token White
Too Dumb To Live
Troubled But Cute
Turn Coat
TV Genius
Uncle Ned
Uncle Tomfoolery
Unfunny
Unsympathetic Comedy Protagonist
The Urkel
Vain Sorceress
The Vicar
Villain By Default
Violent Glaswegian
Wacky Guy
Wasteland Elder
Weirdness Magnet
Well Done Son Guy
The Wesley
The White Prince
Witch Species
The Woobie
Yes Man
Yuppie Couple
See also: Western Characters

Western Characters
A specialized set of Characters As Device common to stories set in the American West of the 19th Century and used in The Western. Almost as stylized and precisely-defined as the characters of commedia dell'arte.
Riders of the Purple Sage
Cowboy
The Drifter
The Gunslinger
The Fill-In-The-Blank Kid
Retired Gunfighter
The Wannabe
Outlaw
Bandito
Bounty Hunter
Lawmen
Circuit Judge
Hangin Judge
Pinkertons Agent
The Sheriff
The Clueless Deputy
US Marshall
Frontiersmen
Camp Cook
Hunter Trapper
Mountain Man
Rich Folk
Cattle Baron
Railroad Baron
Rancher
Settlers
Determined Homesteader
Determined Homesteaders Children
Determined Homesteaders Wife
Determined Widow
Townsfolk and others
The Barber
Chinese Laborer
Chinese Launderer
City Slicker
Crooked Banker
The Doctor
Forty Niner
Medicine Show
Snake Oil Salesman
Meek Townsman
Miner
Pony Express Rider
Posse
Railroad Laborer
Remittance Man -- Remittance Men
Remittance Men: During the late 1880s the British government began exiling men who had committed an "indiscretion." Such men were often exiled to Canada where they lived on money sent from their families back home. These "remittance men" were generally of the upper-middle classes and well educated. Many of them found work on the ranches and became a prominent part of Western Canada's social landscape during the quarter century prior to World War One.
Schoolmarm
Shop Keeper
Wasteland Elder
Western Union Man
Widder Jones
The Church
Preacher Man
Missionary
Undertaker
The Saloon
The Bartender
The Gambler
The Piano Player
Saloon Owner
Soiled Dove
Miss Kitty
Natives
Brave
Half Breed
Indian Chief
Indian Maiden
Medicine Man
The Noble Indian
The Savage Indian
White Man Gone Native
The Army
Army Scout
Cavalry Officer
The Seventh Cavalry