A list of characters from the
anime series Hamtaro. The English language names are listed before the Japanese names. The characters are also referred to in their English-language forms.
Hamsters
Ham-Ham Gang
"Ham-Ham" redirects here. Not to be confused with
Ham, Ham.
Owned by Laura,[1] Hamtaro is a courageous Ham-Ham who's always ready to help out his friends and his owner Laura. However, he cannot stand being ignored by Laura. He is clueless about many things being that he is of an innocent nature, especially love (much to Bijou and Sparkle's dismay). Hamtaro makes the most of his life as a
golden hamster (8.6cm[2]) and lives each day in happiness hoping to make more friends and have fun. Hamtaro usually ends his sentences with "noda" (のだ) or "nanoda" (なのだ), a phrase often used by playful characters in the Japanese version. This is omitted in the English version. In both Japanese and English versions, he says such things as "Hamha!", "Heke", "Packa-packa" ("kaji-kaji"), and "kushi-kushi".
Owned by Maria. She is a somewhat unworldly hamster who loves her blue ribbons, but she is not above getting dirty when she needs to help her friends, and has been known to be generous and helpful. She used to live in France before moving to where she is now, but she feels attached to Japan and has even refused to go back to France. In the Japanese version, she speaks normal Japanese and adds the words "dechuwa" (でちゅわ) (most likely a hamster version of "desu wa") at the end of her sentences, while the English version of Bijou has a French accent. The name "Bijou," is French for "small, exquisitely wrought trinket", or it can also mean "jewel". She has a huge crush on Hamtaro (this is proven in the first episode, when she winked at him after their dancing performance) and is always touched by Boss's affection towards her.
Owned by Kana. Oxnard is Hamtaro's best friend in the series and the first Ham-Ham he meets. Oxnard is a bit clumsy at times and has a love for delicious food, especially sunflower seeds (of which he always carries one around[3]). He breaks down in tears when he loses the sunflower seed he carries around. He looks up to Boss and often tries to train with him whenever possible, wanting to be as strong and brave as him. He was originally an easily frightened Ham-Ham, but he has become braver and more dependable in recent episodes. Oxnard has a crush on his close childhood friend Pepper. His Japanese name translates to "calf", which is probably referring to his spotted cow-like fur and his large appetite.
A wild field hamster who wears a helmet and carries a shovel.[4] The self-proclaimed leader of the Ham-Hams, Boss has a huge crush on Bijou. He often tries to look like he knows everything, only to have it backfire in his face. He has a bit of a temper, but he is very dependable, courageous, and nice, even shy at times (especially around Bijou). Because he is a field hamster, he is more familiar with nature and is more independent compared to the other Ham-Hams. He has even developed a field hamster sense that instinctively tells him what kind of weather is approaching. However, he cannot deal with the sea as he is prone to sea sickness. Near the end of Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Heartbreak, it is hinted that he has a small crush on Harmony. Later in the series, Boss develops a crush on other girl-hams, such as Gelato and Oshare.
Owned by June. Considered to be a very maternal Ham-Ham, as she often takes care of Penelope and tends to Cappy. She loves the color pink and always wears her pink scarf. Dexter and Howdy often fight for her affection, but she does not seem to notice (sometimes acting like a mediator for them). She feels that she is too young for a relationship anyway. Her Japanese name translates to "scarf", while her English name is based on the word
pashmina.
Owned by Kylie. Considered the youngest of all the Ham-Hams, Penelope is usually never seen without the cover of her yellow blanket (though a few seconds in the opening theme show her blanket coming off, revealing her brown and white fur). Although she is friendly to everyone, she feels particularly attached to Pashmina. Being innocent and naive, due to her age, she gets into trouble more often than most of the other Ham-Hams. In season two, she has shown some cross-species affection for Herbert the Pig, a boy by the name of Ethan (Kylie's younger cousin), and a rabbit at Ethan's school. Unlike the other Ham-Hams, and perhaps because of her young age, Penelope can't say anything more than "Ukyu" (うきゅ) in the Japanese version, and "Ookwee" or "Ookyoo" in the English version.
Owned by the eldest son of a bookstore owner (though it seems that the bookstore owner's daughter is the one who cares for him). He always carries a book with him, and is often turned to for information. He seems to know a lot about
science and
literature due to his love of reading. He is a little taller than the other Ham-Hams, partially due to his tall ears. He has a crush on Sandy, though it is never initiated until Hamtaro tells him about Sandy's feelings.
Sandy (トラハムちゃん, Torahamu-chan)
Voiced by:
Haruna Ikezawa (Japanese), Brittney Wilson (English)
Owned by Hillary. A sporty young girl Ham-Ham who carries a ribbon, and is the twin sister of Stan. Her interest in rhythmic gymnastics have been influenced by Hillary, who is a gold medal gymnast. She has a crush on Maxwell. While in the English version it might seem that the two have confessed their affections, a Japanese episode confirms that they are not quite romantically involved yet. In the English version, she has a
valley girl accent. She is also shown to be good friends with Hamtaro, as she confided in him her crush on Maxwell.
Owned by Noel. Sandy's twin brother, who is often caught flirting with the other girl hamsters.[5] As a result, he can be an annoyance to the other boy Ham-Hams, especially Boss, Howdy, and Dexter. Initially, Sandy and Stan were separated, after Noel (who had a crush on Hillary) offered to take care of one of her hamsters. He is often seen shaking his maracas or riding his skateboard. Stan seems to have a crush on Flora, the nurse hamster pet of the veterinarian, Dr. Lion.
Owned by Goldie. A Ham-Ham notorious for telling bad jokes, especially at inconvenient times. He speaks with a
kansai dialect in the Japanese version and with an American Southern accent in the English version. He and Dexter are long-time friends but often fight with each other over the affections of Pashmina, whom they both have a crush on.
A mysterious hamster that Boss found in his hideaway (which would soon become the Clubhouse). It is unknown where he came from or how he found his way there. He is always
sleeping, but often utters some helpful and wise advice when the Ham-Hams are in need of it. Through uncanny streaks of luck, any bad situations he may end up in always seem to work themselves out for him; leaving him no worse than before. In the English version, he talks with a
lisp. His Japanese name is based on the word "neru" (寝る to sleep), while his English name is based on the word "snooze".
Owned by Curtis. A refined hamster, who is quite smart. He has a crush on Pashmina, but often battles with his long-time friend, Howdy, for her affection. His Japanese name is a pun: Megane means "glasses" in reference to the tan markings of fur around his eyes that makes him look like he's wearing glasses. Coincidentally, his owner is an
optometrist.
Cappy (かぶるくん, Kaburu-kun)
Voiced by:
Ai Uchikawa (Japanese), Ellen Kennedy (English)
Owned by Kip and Sue. One of the younger Ham-Hams, Cappy loves hats. The two hats he most commonly wears are his green swimming cap, and the giant red saucepan that he usually hides under. While he loves his home, he does not like being spoiled, and looks up to Boss due to Boss's independence as a field hamster. Pashmina often tends to him when they are together. He has developed some sort of a rivalry with Stucky, especially when it comes to hide and seek. His Japanese name is based on the word "kaburu" (被る to wear/put something on one's head), while his English name is based on the word "cap".
Owned by Mimi. A Ham-Ham
whose fur matches his name, he is the sweet and gentle-natured builder/carpenter of the Ham-Hams who built and repaired many things throughout the duration of the anime as well as in the game. He also designed the Ham-Ham Fun Park. Mimi's parents own and operate a wood working shop in their house, meaning Panda always has access to construction supplies.
A field hamster. Appears occasionally throughout the series (usually when someone loses something). He speaks in rhymes, which often confuse the other Ham-Hams, but they soon figure out what he means. He is clueless about many things, but tends to give wise advice. Always seen carrying his guitar. In 'Hamtaro, Please Come Home' and all other appearances afterwards, he is seen with Herbert the Pig. He has a habit of forgetting names. Whenever he appears, he usually mispronounces someone's name (Hamtaro's most of the time). Whenever he is corrected, he usually replies "You changed your name again?"
Owned by newcomer Mindy O'Hara. She and her younger sister, Lazuli live in Jewelry House next to Maki's house. She likes
jewels and sparkling objects such as diamonds. She seems to have a crush on Hamtaro.
Lazuli (ラズリーちゃん, Razuri-chan)
Voiced by: Akane Ōmai (Japanese)
Owned by newcomer Mindy O'Hara along with her older sister, Lapis. She likes
sweets and
candy as well as using various potions to create magical seeds that turns into either animals or flying clouds. She seems to have a crush on Snoozer as in Season 3 and 4, she is seen with him fairly often.
Hamuhaa no Ki no Jūnin (Hamha Tree Inhabitants)
Sky Ham (そらハムくん, Sorahamu-kun)
Voiced by: Hikaru Tokita (Japanese)
He appeared in the Japanese Hamtaro game, Nazo Nazo Q. His dream is to cross the sky, hence the name Sky Ham. He once had a crush on Pashmina.
Okini (オーキニーちゃん, Ōkinii-chan)
Voiced by: Sayaka Maeda (Japanese)
She is greedy and once tried to make money off of Sparkle. It is rumored that she has a crush on Broski.
Mystery (ミステリーちゃん, Misuteri-chan)
Voiced by: Hisayo Mochizuki (Japanese)
She predicts hamsters' futures with her magical crystal ball, usually chanting "I see it, atarinchu".
Member of Team Djungle. As her name implies, she wears a rabbit costume. She always says "hop" in every sentence and lives at Djunglebell Island. Appears in Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Games.
Member of Team Djungle. Primarily wears a frog outfit, but often changes and lives at Djunglebell Island. When wearing a frog costume, he makes the sound of a frog.
Prince of Rainbow Country. Appears in Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Games and Hamtaro: Rainbow Rescue.
Rainbow Girls
The Rainbow Girls (レインボーガールズ, Reinbō Gāruzu) are three cheerleaders who serve royalty to Rainbow Country; The Rainbow Girls are Prince Bo's palace fans. They appear in Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Games. They were jealous that the Ham-Hams got to carry the everlasting torch, so they pursued them to steal it. They grow butterfly wings when they fly.
Hamster with a pigeon named Françoise. He appears in the series from time to time with different roles. Mainly, he's a seed vendor who feeds anyone he sees. At one point, Boss considered him more of a man than he was.
Pepper is the girlfriend of Oxnard. She is the pet hamster of Kana's cousin, Dylan, who lives in the country. Compared to Oxnard, she is a lot braver and can be very rough. She ends up marrying Oxnard in the final episode.
Owned by Glitter. Sparkle is a spoiled pop star hamster. She did not like the Ham-Hams at first, but she gradually became very attached to them. In the Japanese episodes, Sparkle began to fall in love with Hamtaro, and has since then been trying to get him to notice her. For this and many other reasons, she sees Bijou and Oshare as rivals.
A hamster who is the best hide and seeker like his best friend, Cappy. Stucky is "stuck" in a plastic pipe, so he can only move by running or rolling. His pipe resembles a warp pipe from the Mario series both in shape and color.
Robo-Joe (メカージロウ, Mekaa Jirō, Mecha Jirō)
Created by Laura's Grandpa, Robo-Joe is a robot hamster whose appearance seems to be based on Hamtaro. Robo-Joe's main function is the ability to learn and mimic what he hears; both human language and Ham-Ham language. In a later Japanese episode, Laura's Grandfather places a slightly modified Robo-Joe in a Battlebots-like tournament.
A chef hamster with a colorful Italian accent and many children.
Flora (ナースちゃん, Naasu-chan, Nurse-chan)
Voiced by: Haruhi Terada (Japanese)
A nurse hamster who is willing to cure any hamster she sees, and is very concerned about the health of her patients, even animals other than hamsters. Stan has a crush on her.
Hamster in a devil costume who fights with Harmony and tries to ruin love for all hamsters. He made an appearance in Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Heartbreak (video game) as the main villain. In the Japanese version, Spat appears from time to time with different evil plots. Just as in Ham-Ham Heartbreak, the Ham-Hams always thwart his plans.
Runs the photo studio in the Ham-Ham Clubhouse with her boyfriend Seamore. She makes an appearance in Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Heartbreak. In the TV series it is rumored that she has a crush on Hamtaro.
Made an appearance in Rainbow Rescue. But in the Japanese series he appears in some episodes. He is a police/security Ham-Ham, and is usually chasing Ook-Ook.
Hamster with a turtle shell on his back (hence his Japanese name); can swim (unlike most hamsters). Seamore appears in Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Heartbreak(video game), and Hamtaro: Rainbow Rescue. He also runs a photo studio in the Ham-Ham Clubhouse with his girlfriend, Barrette.
Hambini (or Little Hams) (ちびちゃんず, Chibi-chanzu, Chibi-chans)
Young triplet hamsters who are owned by a nice lady whose name is unknown. Flora and the Ham-Hams take care of them sometimes. (Not to be confused with Chef-Ham's hambini).
Tomy-T (トマトくん, Tomato-kun)
Voiced by: Rie Kugimiya (Japanese)
He makes an appearance in Hamtaro: Rainbow Rescue. He is a gardener along with Eggy-P.
Eggy-P (ナッスーくん, Nassū-kun)
Voiced by: Yayoi Kuroda (Japanese)
He makes an appearance in Hamtaro: Rainbow Rescue. He is a gardener along with Tomy-T.
She makes an appearance in Hamtaro: Rainbow Rescue. A young Ham-Ham who likes chestnuts and is friends with Tomy-T and Eggy-P. She also seems to have a friendship with Penelope.
She, like Bijou, came from
France. Boss once had a crush on her, but she developed a crush on Hamtaro. This, of course, gets her in trouble with both Bijou and Sparkle.
News reporter hamster. He appeared in Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Heartbreak and Hamtaro: Rainbow Rescue. In the Japanese series, he is a prince who marries princess Championi.
She appears in Hamtaro: Rainbow Rescue. In the Japanese version, she is a princess who marries prince Radar. The name Championi is a play on the Spanish word for mushroom "champiñón."
King of the Sunflower Kingdom (ひまわり王国の王様, Himawari Ōkoku no Ōsama)
Surfing hamster. He appears in Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Heartbreak (video game) and "Hamtaro: Rainbow Rescue". He pretends to be a surfer, but he really can't surf, and this gets him in trouble It is rumored that he has a crush on Malta. Okini once had a crush on him.
Hamtaro's owner and the main human character. Also known as Roko-chan. Laura cares for Hamtaro very much, just as Hamtaro cares for her. Several episodes involve the Ham-Hams trying to help Laura with whatever problem she is facing. She is best friends with Kana, and has a huge crush on her friend Travis. She is one of the two human characters who can actually talk to the Ham-Hams and is in the 5th grade.[6]
Marian Haruna (春名 ヒロミ, Haruna Hiromi, Hiromi Haruna)
Voiced by: Rei Sakuma (Japanese),
Cathy Weseluck (English)
Voiced by: Hiroshi Isobe (Japanese),
Samuel Vincent (English)
Laura's father. He and Kana's father, Conrad, tend to become competitive with one another.
Brandy (どんちゃん, Don-chan)
Voiced by: Rikako Aikawa (Japanese),
Don Brown (English)
Laura's dog. His real name is Brandon (ブランドン, Burandon). Brandy rarely does anything except yawn, but he has been considered a great friend to the Ham-Hams (He saved Boss and Bijou from drowning in episode 56 Boss, the Cool Ham of the Sea! and the Ham-Hams made him his own scarf in episode 72 The Knitting Craze.) In many of the dreams that the Ham-Hams have, Hamtaro rides Brandy. In several of those cases, he can fly. In one episode, he was even able to talk, due to Lazuli giving him a magical cookie that could make dogs talk.
Panda's owner and Kana's second cousin twice removed. A
kindergarten-grade student and one of the two human characters who can actually talk to the Ham-Hams. She is a patient and understanding girl, but tends to feel lonely at home.
Lapis and Lazuli's owner who lives with her grandpa at an animal ranch. She is an American transfer student. She also has a pet bear cub named Kumajiro (Kuma means bear).
Voiced by: Yū Asakawa (Japanese), Matt Smith (English)
Laura's friend and the school's best soccer player. Laura has a huge crush on him[8] and it is shown later that he seemingly returns her feelings, although it's never made clear. He moves away at the end of the series, leaving Laura somewhat heartbroken.
Maria (マリア, Maria)
Voiced by:
Megumi Toyoguchi (Japanese), Brittney Wilson (English)
The owner of Bijou. Maria is a talented
pianist. She and Laura only became friends in season 2 (they never meet in season 1).
The owner of Sparkle. A spoiled and arrogant pop star who is used to always getting her way. She falls head-over-heels in love with Travis who is friends with Laura, and desperate tries to win his heart, but always fails considering he doesn't like her at all. Because of this, Glitter has a bitter rivalry with Laura. However, like her hamster, Sparkle, Glitter's spoiled attitude gradually changes, and she becomes more humble, even forming a friendship with Laura later in the series.
He becomes Laura's classmate in season 2. Roberto is a very arrogant but talented soccer player on the school soccer team. He often argues with Travis and Laura, but deep down, Roberto is really a kind boy who is often misunderstood. He is also an animal lover, and is fond of Laura's dog Brandy. He has a puppy named Samba who debuted in episode 97, "Who Stole My Shoe?" It is implied that he has a crush on Laura, although she never notices this and never seems to be interested in him. Roberto is half-Japanese and half-Brazilian in the original version.
Howdy's owner and the refined shopkeep of the "Namihana Shop". She is a fan of the
Hanshin Tigers and commemorates each of their victories by holding a sale at her shop. She was a lover of Curtis during her student days. She is skilled at
baseball.
Dexter's owner. He manages a glasses/Italian shop named "Rare Glasses". He is a rash man who tends to put on airs. He was a lover of Goldie during his school days. He drives a
Fiat Panda.
Maxwell's owner and a classmate of Goldie. She is the daughter of a bookstore owner.
Philip Yoshi (山田一郎, Yamada Ichirō, Ichirō Yamada)
Voiced by: Chihiro Suzuki (Japanese),
Scott McNeil (English)
Laura's teacher. A young and enthusiastic teacher, who is very good at his job. Outside of his job, he is more wimpy and has a morbid fear of chickens. However, he has conquered his fear several times to win the heart of Charlotte Rooster. He is now married to her, and they even have a child (in the Japanese version), whom the Ham-Hams often try to protect.
Charlotte Rooster (稲鳥 サクラ, Inatori Sakura, Sakura Inatori)
Voiced by: Fumiko Orikasa (Japanese),
Venus Terzo (English)
Philip Yoshi's girlfriend who later becomes his wife. She is the daughter of Chairman Rooster, who is very strict. They have one child.
The father of Charlotte Rooster and father-in-law of Philip. He is very strict and traditional, believing that Mr. Yoshi is not good enough for Charlotte. When Mr. Yoshi proves his devotion to Charlotte by going to find her on their wedding day, Chairman Rooster finally relents and accepts Mr. Yoshi.
Jingle's pet pig. Jingle uses Herbert as his mode of transportation. Since Jingle rarely cares about where he's going or where he'll stop, he usually lets Herbert decide. However, if he sees some corn, Herbert will charge at immense speeds. He also seems to like Penelope a lot.
The Chicky-Chicky Gang (Poyi-Poyi)
Voiced by:
An evil group of five villainous ill-tempered baby chicks owned by Charlotte, they will relentlessly attack the Ham-Hams if given the chance. The leader is a baby chick with a scar on his forehead and an eye patch.