This is a list of characters in the game of Cluedo (UK) / Clue (US).
The victim of Cluedo/Clue is Dr. Black (UK) / Mr. Boddy (US), the wealthy owner of Tudor Mansion (formerly known as Tudor Close/Tudor Hall (UK) and Boddy Mansion/Boddy Manor(US)). In Cluedo, he is the unseen host who is murdered, which inspires the quest to discover who murdered him, what room in his mansion the crime occurred, and with what weapon. Dr. Black was listed in the original patent filing as one of the ten characters created for the game, in which one character was drawn from the suspect cards to be the new victim before the start of a game. Mr. Boddy's name is a pun on the fact that the character is a dead body.
In the 2002 US edition, Mr. John Boddy, also known as Dr. Black, is an eminent anthropologist and the heir of his late uncle's estate, which he is set to fully inherit on the day of his thirtieth birthday. Before then, Boddy discovered a series of secret allowances bequeathed to some of his uncle's former associates. Vowing to investigate these financial dealings, he invites his uncle's associates to Tudor Mansion for a weekend visit. However, Mr. Boddy is murdered by one of them.[1]
In the 2023 edition of the game, the two names are combined into the character Boden "Boddy" Black Jr, a man who acquired his significant wealth by inheritance. At the time of his murder in the game's updated story, he has used connections to government officials in Hue County, the game's setting, to push through permitting and construction on Boden Black Hotel, a luxury hotel which the public opposes.
In the film, Mr. Boddy is primarily portrayed by Lee Ving while Tim Curry portrays him in one of the film's three endings. He blackmailed the six guests of Hill House and his butler Wadsworth's wife until he is murdered in the hall with the candlestick. In Ending A, he was murdered by his maid Yvette on Miss Scarlet's orders. In Ending B, he was murdered by Mrs. Peacock. In Ending C, Boddy is seemingly murdered by Professor Plum, but Wadsworth reveals himself as the real Mr. Boddy while the person Plum killed was his butler. Boddy plans to continue blackmailing the guests before he is shot by Mr. Green.
The following are the known suspects in the Cluedo / Clue franchise:
These are the original suspects from the board game in rolling order:
Miss Scarlett is a stereotypical femme fatale, typically portrayed as young, cunning, and attractive. Known as "Miss Scarlet" in North America between 1963 and 2016, she rolls first in the game.
In Clue Master Detective, Miss Scarlet is depicted as an Asian woman nicknamed the "Mercenary of Macau".
In the film, she is portrayed by Lesley Ann Warren and is depicted as a sassy Washington D.C. madame who runs an underground brothel. In Ending A, she orders her former call girl and Mr. Boddy's maid, Yvette, to murder her employer and the cook before murdering her in turn, along with a cop she was bribing and a passing motorist and singing telegram girl. Nonetheless, Scarlet is eventually exposed, subdued, and arrested. In Ending C, she only murders the cop before being exposed and arrested.
In the 1990s ITV game show Cluedo, Vivienne Scarlet is the stepdaughter of Mrs. Peacock.
In the 1996 musical, Miss Scarlet used to work as a lounge singer in Las Vegas.
In the 2023 edition, she is a Black British gossip columnist who writes under the pen name "Cyan".
Colonel Mustard is a stock military officer who rolls second. He is usually portrayed as a dignified, dapper, and dangerous military man. Originally known as Colonel Yellow, his name was changed before the game's first edition was published.
In Clue Master Detective, his full name is Algernon Mustard and is known to sleep with a revolver under his pillow.
In the film, he is portrayed by Martin Mull and is depicted as a war profiteer who sold stolen air force radios on the black market and was later involved in a top-secret fusion bomb project. In Ending C, he kills a passing motorist after recognizing him as his driver from World War II before he is exposed and arrested.
In the 1990s ITV game show Cluedo, Colonel Mike Mustard is a ex-officer of the Special Air Service and a regular visitor of Arlington Grange who is in a love triangle with Mrs. Peacock and her step-daughter Miss Scarlett.
In the 2002 US edition, he is Michael Mustard, a former officer of the Royal Hampshire Regiment, where he first met Sir Hugh. He is very nostalgic for his war days and has convinced a publisher that his military exploits would make for a good book.
In the 2016 edition, Colonel Mustard is a successful and popular officer. However, behind his medals of honor, are rumors of treason and war profiteering, which he has been paying someone to hide for far too long. Believing Mr. Boddy is blackmailing him, Mustard eagerly comes to Tudor Mansion in search of evidence.
Mrs. White is usually portrayed as a frazzled servant who worked as Mr. Boddy's cook and housekeeper. Originally known as Nurse White before her name was changed following the first edition's publication, she rolls third in the game. Since then, many changes have been made to the character, many of which diverge from her working class origins.
In Clue Master Detective, she is Blanche White, a long-time maid to Mr. Boddy who has an eye squint from spying in keyholes.
In the film, she is portrayed by Madeline Kahn and is depicted as the widow of a nuclear physicist, an illusionist, and three other men, all of whom died under mysterious circumstances. In Ending C, she kills Yvette out of jealousy upon discovering she had an affair with one of her previous husbands before being exposed and arrested.
In the 1990s ITV game show Cluedo, housekeeper and cook Mrs. Blanche White has worked for Mrs. Peacock at Arlington Grange for the past 25 years. Additionally, series one featured her husband Mr. White before the character was dropped.
In the 1998 musical, Mrs. White is the chief domestic at Boddy Manor.
In the 2002 edition, Mrs. Blanche White is the housekeeper and cook of Tudor Mansion who also served as the nanny of her current employer, Mr. John Boddy, during his childhood. Despite her years of dedicated service, she has little to show for it.
In Clue: Discover the Secrets, Diana White is a former child celebrity who desires to be in the spotlight again.
In the 2012 edition, White is an alias given to Alexis Villenueve, a lawyer who will do anything for justice, including turning vigilante.
Although originally planned to be in the 2016 edition, Mrs. White was replaced as a suspect by a new character, Dr. Orchid.
In the 2023 edition of the game, the character returned as Chef White, a younger character with short white hair, tattoos and a white chef's uniform coat. She worked for Boddy Black at one point before starting her own restaurant, using the budget money she skimmed from her old boss to fund it.
Originally patented as "The Reverend Mr Green", he is a hypocritical Anglican priest who wavers when the subject is murder. In North America, Mr. Green has taken money-oriented roles such as a mobster and businessman. Parker Brothers insisted on the name change, believing that the American public would object to a parson as a murder suspect.[2] He rolls fourth in both versions.
In Clue Master Detective, he is a mobster named Thallo Green.
In the film, Mr. Green is portrayed by Michael McKean. For most of the film and Endings A and B, he is depicted as a closeted homosexual and member of the Republican Party who is concerned that his secret might cost him his job as a State Department employee. In Ending C, he is a heterosexual, undercover FBI agent working to expose Mr. Boddy.
In the 1990s ITV game show Cluedo, Jonathan Green is a regular visitor at Arlington Grange.
In the 1996 musical, Mr. Green is an entrepreneur.
The 2002 edition attempted to combine the two variations of the character. Mr. John Green, also known as "Reverend Green", has a reputation for fraud, money laundering, and smuggling.
In the 2016 edition, Green is a charming con artist who is in hiding, disguised as a priest.
The 2023 edition updated the character to Mayor Green, the Mayor of Hue County who sports a goatee and a green business suit.
Mrs. Peacock is a stock grande dame and a middle-aged woman who nearly always maintains her dignity and rolls fifth in the game.
In Clue Master Detective, her full name is Henrietta Peacock and is depicted as an elderly ornithologist with a specialty in birds of prey who wanted Mr. Boddy to turn his manor into a bird sanctuary as part of a donation to the Peacock Salvation Society.
In the film, she is portrayed by Eileen Brennan and is depicted as the wife of a U.S. Senator who is accused of taking bribes. In Ending B, she kills Mr. Boddy, Yvette, her former cook Mrs. Ho, who became Mr. Boddy's cook, as well as a passing motorist, cop, and singing telegram girl to prevent her secrets from being exposed as she was taking bribes from foreign powers. While the others discover her crimes, Peacock attempts to escape, only to be arrested on her way out. In Ending C, she only kills the cook before she is exposed and arrested.
In the 1990s ITV game show Cluedo, Elizabeth Peacock is the stepmother of Vivienne Scarlet who resides in Arlington Grange.
In the 1997 musical, Mrs. Peacock is the wife of Mr. Boddy, her sixth husband, who is also pursuing an affair with Colonel Mustard.
In the 2002 edition, Mrs. Patricia Peacock is a socialite and former actress who left England after becoming involved in a love triangle with two politicians.
In the 2023 edition, Solicitor Peacock is a successful and tenacious attorney who knows how to command a room, court or otherwise. Using her tendency to tamper with witness testimonies, Boden Black blackmails her into representing him in his hotel dealings.
Professor Plum is the stock absent-minded professor character, who rolls last in the game.
In Clue Master Detective, his full name is Edgar Plum and is depicted as a shady archaeologist and the head of the local school's archaeology department.
In the film, he is portrayed by Christopher Lloyd and depicted as a disgraced former psychiatrist of the World Health Organization who lost his medical license for having an affair with one of his patients and became an employee at the United Nations. In Ending C, he seemingly kills Mr. Boddy, only to later learn it was actually Boddy's butler, before being exposed and arrested.
In the 1990s ITV game show Cluedo, Professor Peter Plum is a regular visitor at Arlington Grange.
In the 1996 musical, Professor Plum has been demoted to the orchestra's piano player while a "dorky school teacher" disguised as him and has three random audience members serve as accomplices in choosing the culprit, location, and murder weapon.
In the 2002 edition, Professor Peter Plum is an archaeologist and Egyptologist who formerly worked as the curator of the British Museum before he was fired due to allegations of plagiarizing his article on the dynasties of ancient Egypt from a deceased colleague.
Parker Bros. released the Clue VCR Mystery Game in 1985, introducing four new characters to the lineup, the first change in Cluedo characters in 36 years. The new characters also appeared in a number of spin-off games and licensed products, such as Clue Master Detective (1988).[3]
Miss Peach is a Southern belle who usually manipulates others with her charm.
In the VCR Game, Melba Peach is the daughter of M. Brunette who arrives by "accident".
In Clue Master Detective, Georgia Peach claims to be the long-lost grand-niece of Mr. Boddy.
In Clue Mysteries, Amelia Peach is the daughter of a wealthy American businessman and a famed British stage actress who had a happy childhood in America until her father's finances were ruined, causing her to drop out of law school. She now works as a secretary for her uncle's law firm in Hampshire, England.
Monsieur Brunette is a foreign con artist with many talents, passports, and accents who is usually a Frenchman intent on personal gain. His name is derived from "Mr. Brown", one of the game's oldest patented but unused player names.
In the VCR Game, M. Brunette is a con artist posing as a lawyer. He was originally named "Dr. Brown" in the prototype of the game.[4]
In Clue Master Detective, Monsieur Alphonse Brunette is a fraudulent art and arms dealer who nearly made a killing selling the missing arms of the Venus de Milo.
Madame Rose is a stock fortune-teller.
In the VCR Game, Madame Rose is Mr. Boddy's sister.
In Clue Master Detective, Madame Rhonda Rose is Mr. Boddy's ex-secretary of Hungarian heritage whose real name is Rhoda Rosengarten.
Sergeant Gray is a corrupt police officer. The name "Grey" was one of ten characters filed with the game's original patent. "Miss Grey" and "Mrs. Silver" are some of the oldest colour names previously unused, and "Gray" is one of the most enduring names in later editions, albeit with different characters depending on the edition.
In the VCR Game, Sergeant Gray is a crazed mental patient who escaped from the nearby asylum and evaded discovery by posing as a police officer.
In Clue Master Detective, Sergeant Gray is a no-nonsense, corrupt, unimaginative, and colorblind police officer who stumbles onto the crime scene while collecting funds for the Police Blackmail Awareness Fund.
Renamed Inspector Gray in the mobile game, he secretly worked with Dr. Black to drop tax evasion charges in exchange for a cut.
In Waddingtons' Cluedo Super Sleuth, Inspector Gray appears as a police inspector.
In 2016, Hasbro introduced Dr. Orchid in place of Mrs. White. The former is a biologist of East Asian heritage who specializes in plant toxicology, dresses in her namesake color, and is introduced as the adopted daughter of Mr. Boddy / Dr. Black. After being expelled from an exclusive Swiss boarding school after a near-fatal poisoning incident, Orchid was home-schooled by the housekeeper, Mrs. White.[5]
In 1986, Super Cluedo Challenge and Super Sleuth were released in the UK, introducing the second wave of new board-game characters:
Released in 2003, Clue FX is an electronic talking version with audio voices and clues. Newly introduced characters are as follows:
Released in 2017 by Hasbro, Parker Brothers Mystery Game is a budget board game which plays with virtually identical mechanics to Clue / Cluedo, with some exceptions. While the murder victim is unnamed, the six suspects are close analogues of the original characters or their canonical replacements:
In 2023, Hasbro Pulse released Clue: Conspiracy, which introduces five new characters in addition to the classic six and is set at a remote island retreat.
In 1995, Waddingtons released Cluedo Super Sleuth which introduced two new characters:[6]
In Clue FX, two new characters were introduced:
In 2009, Electronic Arts released an iOS version of Clue.
Several variants of the game have been developed for children, most notably Clue Jr. and Cluedo Jr., which usually involve the disappearance of something or someone rather than a murder. These variants generally use the standard six surnames with different first names or titles, often changing the gender of the original character.
The UK edition of Cluedo Jr. introduced the first animal players or suspects: Samantha Scarlett, Mustard the Dog, Wendy White, George Green, Polly Peacock, and Peter Plum.
Cluedo Junior Detective introduced Inspector Cluedo and his bloodhound Watson, who invites his eight nieces and nephews: Jake Plum, Natalie Peacock, Jessica Scarlett, Spike Mustard, Robbie Green, Megan White, and Beth Peach; as well as investigator Tom Black.
In 1985, Cluedo / Clue began expanding its character roster and served as the premise for a film of the same name:[7] [8]
In 1990, Cluedo inspired several television series which (in addition to the standard six characters) created additional characters – primarily victims. The most notable recurring character in the UK series was Mr. White while the Australian series introduced Det. Sgt. Stanley Bogong (who also appeared in French, German and Swedish versions).
Clue Jr., a "Let's Read and Play" book written by Sara Miller and illustrated by Jim Talbot released in 2004, introduced five new suspects: a butler, a cook, a gardener, a maid, and a repairman.
In the first half of 1985, Mobil joined Cluedo to introduce three new characters as part of its "Mobil £5 Million Cluedo Mystery" contest game: Sir Peach, Lady Oakwood, and Dr. Prussian. The characters were added along with three additional murder weapons to balance the game's playing elements. Of the three, only the name "Peach" would be re-used for other characters.
, Hasbro's short-lived interactive video game series set in 1938, added five characters to the usual six: Ian Masque, an eccentric millionaire who invites the original suspects and new characters to his isolated Swiss mountain estate for a mysterious dinner party; Marina Popov, an attractive, blonde Russian psychic; Martin Urfe, a mediocre magician hired by Masque to entertain his guests who may be a fraud; Sabata, a deranged Spanish artist; and Dr. Julia Kell, an aging German psychoanalyst who may have Nazi ties.