Blake's 7/Characters

Roj Blake

It's time we really hurt the Federation. Oh, we've been hitting at the fingers, the arms. I want to hit at the heart.

Played by: Gareth Thomas (1978-9, 1980, 1981)

Anti-Hero: Usually a Type II or III but toes the boundary of Type IV/Type V in Star One where he knowingly commits to a scheme that will result in the death of millions and only backs out because a race of evil aliens conienitantly beat him to it.
Back for the Finale
- Back for the Dead
The Bus Came Back
Chronic Hero Syndrome
Designated Hero. In-universe example, to the Resistance, as he isn't treated as particularly moral by the programme itself. He tends to range between 'Idealistic', Anti-Hero, and Well-Intentioned Extremist; Gareth Thomas describes him, variously, as "a pillock" and "vicious but honourable", so he's probably somewhere between the two.
Frame-Up
Girly Run
Knight in Sour Armor
Put on a Bus
Red Oni, Blue Oni: Red to Avon's Blue.
Well-Intentioned Extremist

Kerr Avon

I am not expendable, I'm not stupid, and I'm not going.

Played by: Paul Darrow (1978-81)

Anti-Hero: Type IV. He's usually apathetic and selfish but has moments of decency and even nobility (in "Countdown" he chooses to defuse a bomb that's seconds away from wiping out the whole planet even though he could just teleport away). On the other hand, he can be extremely ruthless when pushed (like "Orbit", when he tries to kill Vila to save his own life).
Deadpan Snarker
Girly Run
Hell-Bent for Leather
Hidden Heart of Gold
Insufferable Genius: Prior to Character Development.
The Mad Hatter: As the series goes on, and especially during the final episodes.
The Lancer
Leaning on the Furniture
The Lost Lenore: Anna Grant is this to him.
Manipulative Bastard
Nominal Hero
Psycho Sidekick: To Blake, arguably.
Psychotic Smirk
- Slasher Smile: More and more, the more insane he becomes.
Red Oni, Blue Oni: Blue to Blake's Red.
Sanity Slippage
Sour Supporter: Just 'cause he's (almost) The Lancer to Blake, doesn't mean he has to like it.
Spock Speak
Sugar and Ice Personality
Tall, Dark and Snarky
Took a Level In Badass: His initial role in the group is as the computer specialist, but as the series goes on (and he eventually winds up in command of Liberator) he spends less time working on computers and more time shooting baddies.
Would Hit a Girl

Jenna Stannis

We're free. We've got a ship. We can go anywhere we like.

Played by: Sally Knyvette (1978-9)

Ace Pilot
Action Girl
Chickification
Impractically Fancy Outfit: All the time.
Put on a Bus
- Bus Crash

Vila Restal

I hate personal violence, especially when I'm the person.

Played by: Michael Keating (1978-81)

Anti-Hero: Type I
Butt Monkey
A Day in the Limelight: "City on the Edge of the World"
Depending on the Writer: Vila suffers from this the most. How intelligent, capable, brave and sober he is depends on who's writing, Terry Nation or Chris Boucher.
Master of Unlocking
Obfuscating Stupidity: His favourite tactic for avoiding dangerous situations.
The So-Called Coward: He's not in it for Blake's revolution and knows that most of his comrades think he's cowardly, incompetent and generally expendable, but he's surprisingly brave (and badass) when someone who's shown him some respect is in trouble.

Olag Gan

Well, I'm with you.

Played by: David Jackson (1978-9)

The Big Guy
Gentle Giant
Heroic Sacrifice
Morality Chip / Restraining Bolt: His "limiter" implant, which prevents him from killing
Sacrificial Lion

Cally

My people have a saying: A man who trusts can never be betrayed, only mistaken.

Played by: Jan Chappell (1978-80)

Action Girl: Sometimes (see Depending on the Writer).
Ambiguously Human: She's an Auron, but what that means varied from one series to the next, from an alien to an artificially advanced clone.
Blessed with Suck: In the reverse of the usual convention, she's able only to talk to non-telepaths, not to hear them or read their minds. This is occasionally useful for secret communication, but mostly her telepathy translates into being vulnerable to getting possessed or Mind Raped with disturbing frequency.
Clones Are People, Too
Depending on the Writer: She's either a passionate fighter or a passionate pacifist.
Dropped a Bridge On Her: Killed off-screen seconds into the first episode of the fourth season, with only a reused scream dubbed in from an earlier episode.
Survivor Guilt: Her initial reason not to want to return home, after she was the only one of a rebel squad to survive.
Telepathy

Zen

Information...

Voiced by: Peter Tuddenham (1978-80)

The Aesthetics of Technology / Technology Marches On: The visual interface he provides for the crew is a sufficiently alien-looking bank of blinking lights.
Restraining Bolt: In early episodes something stops him being too helpful to the crew, although this mostly ends after the encounter with Liberator's creators.
Sapient Ship

Servalan

Your time is running out, Blake. Your time and your luck.

Played by: Jacqueline Pierce (1978-81)

Big Bad
The Chessmaster
Deadpan Snarker: Just as much as Avon.
Equal Opportunity Evil
Karma Houdini
Manipulative Bitch
Mean Character, Nice Actor
Nice Character, Mean Actor: In the Verse itself.
President Evil: Eventually.
Pretty in Mink
Red Oni, Blue Oni: Blue to Travis' Red.
The Sociopath
Woman in White: Until they changed the designer during the second season.

Travis

You'd better kill me, Blake. Until one of us is dead, there'll never be a time when I won't be right behind you.

Played by: Stephen Greif (1978); Brian Croucher (1979)

Arm Cannon
Ax Crazy
Bad Boss: Treats his Mutoid followers very badly.
Blood Knight
The Dragon
Misanthrope Supreme
The Other Darrin: Brian Croucher replaced Stephen Greif in the second series.
Red Oni, Blue Oni: Red to Servalan's Blue.
Sanity Slippage: starts off as ruthless, cruel and obsessive, but fairly rational. By the end of S2, he's completely Ax Crazy.
Why Don't Ya Just Shoot Him: He benefits from this, because Blake knows that he can beat Travis, and as long as Travis is alive he'll be the one the Federation sends.

Orac

There seems little point in wasting time on such an explanation since you will be incapable of understanding it.

Voiced by: Derek Farr (1978); Peter Tuddenham (1979-1981)

Curiosity Killed the Cast: On a couple of occasions.
Everything Is Online
Insufferable Genius
Jerk with a Heart of Jerk
Magical Computer
Magical Database
The Other Darrin: Originally, Orac had the same voice as Ensor, the scientist who built him. However, Derek Farr, who played Ensor and Orac in Orac's first episode, was unable to commit to a regular role.
Ridiculously-Human Robots
Second Law, My Ass
Sole Survivor: Only regular character to definitely survive the final episode.
Talking to Himself: When Peter Tuddenham voiced both Zen and Orac, or Slave and Orac. He could apparently do this in one go without having to prerecord one of the characters.

Del Tarrant

What are you doing on my ship?

Played by: Steven Pacey (1980-1)

Depending on the Writer: Whether or not he's a cold, calculating mercenary or a heroic and chivalrous sort. (This wasn't really the fault of the writers, as there were major changes in the conception of the character after Steven Pacey was cast, and the characterisation depended on which edition of the show bible the writer got.)
Suspiciously Similar Substitute: For either Blake or Jenna (YMMV).

Dayna Mellanby

I like the ancient weapons: the spear, the sword, the knife. They demand more skill. When you fight with them, conflict becomes more personal... More exciting.

Played by: Josette Simon (1980-1)

Soolin

I don't give my allegiance at all. I sell my skill.

Played by: Glynis Barber (1981)

Dark and Troubled Past
Emotionless Girl
The Gunslinger
You Look Familiar: Cast in the regular role of Soolin after making a brief but credited appearance as a Mutoid in the first season episode "Project Avalon".

Slave

Yes, Master.

Voiced by: Peter Tuddenham (1981)

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