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Revision as of 21:13, 12 March 2011

A list of characters for the popular Barbie line of dolls that began in 1959. It is important to note that the character continuity has not been consistent over time, there is no real "canon" lineup. At different times, different groups of dolls were offered, and the naming and apparent age relationships of the characters has varied considerably.

Barbie family and other principal characters

• Barbie (1959-present) The first Barbie doll was described as a "Teen Age Fashion Model" on her packaging.
• Ken (1961-1967, 1969-present) The second character added to the line, Ken has been Barbie's boyfriend for much of the time the character has existed.
• Skipper (1964-present) Skipper was the first character added to the line as part of Barbie doll's family. Skipper is Barbie doll's younger sister, appearing to be a pre-teenage girl.
• Tutti (1965-1971) Twin sister of Todd, both Tutti and Todd were siblings of Barbie and Skipper, and had seamless 'bendy' bodies. Both dolls appear to be very young children.
• Todd (1965-1971) Twin brother of Tutti, and brother of Skipper and Barbie.
• Francie (1966-1977) Cousin of Barbie, Skipper, Tutti and Todd. Francie appeared to be only slightly younger than Barbie, and had a much less shapely figure. The Francie doll was the first to feature rooted eyelashes.
• Jazzie (1988-1992) A new cousin of Barbie, part of a small group of high school age dolls.
• Stacie (1990- ) Introduced as Kelly, in the 1991 Wedding Day Midge gift set as the flower girl, this doll is often confused with Tutti, though the Tutti character had been discontinued for years at this time. Kelly was renamed Stacie shortly thereafter, and the Kelly name was used for a younger character.
• Todd (1990- ) Introduced in the 1991 Wedding Day Midge gift set as the ring bearer, this doll should not be confused with the earlier Todd doll. Mattel's continuity for Barbie's family and friends has not been consistent over the years, some characters disappear for years at a time, others are dropped indefinitely, and still others continue for years while undergoing marked changes in appearance.
• Kelly (1995-present) – This character is of toddler age, and is sister to Barbie, Skipper, and Stacie.
• Krissy (1999-2001) – This character is an infant, and is only intermittently included in the Barbie sibling lineup.
• Chelsea (2011- )- Barbie's younger sister. She appears to be a little older than Kelly.

Barbie-sized female friends

• Midge (1963-1966, 1988-) This character was Barbie doll's first female friend, and the third character added to the Barbie product line, after Barbie and Ken.
• Stacey (1968-1971) This character was Barbie doll's "British chum", part of the new group of Talking dolls for 1968. She was later issued as a Twist 'N Turn version. These are the only two types of Stacey dolls ever made.
• Christie (1968-present) Barbie doll's first African-American friend character, Christie was part of the new group of Talking dolls for 1968. Christie was later issued as a Twist 'N Turn version. The character appeared in the product line continuously for many years, though the original Christie face sculpt was discontinued in the late 1970s.
• P.J. (1969-1984) This doll was initially marketed as "New 'N Groovy Talking P.J.", and originally used the Midge face sculpt. Later versions of the P.J. character used the Steffie face sculpt, starting in 1972 with The Sun Set Malibu P.J. One P.J. doll, 1983 Dream Date P.J., was described as "Barbie doll's cousin" on her box, though this was never mentioned anywhere else. To date, Mattel has declared that the initials P.J. don't stand for anything, that it is simply the character's name.
• Jamie (1970-1971) Walking Jamie, a Sears exclusive doll, was the first friend of Barbie to use Barbie's own face sculpt, the then-current Twist 'N Turn (TNT) Barbie face sculpt.
• Steffie (1972 only) This doll was available as Busy Steffie, Talking Busy Steffie, and Walk Lively Steffie. Though the character was discontinued after only a year, the face sculpt created for Steffie has been in use continuously ever since. The character is notable in that none of the three Steffie dolls featured the same eye color/hair color combination.
• Kelley (1973-1974) This doll used the Steffie face sculpt from 1972. Only two Kelley dolls were ever made: Quick Curl Kelley, with peachy skin and red hair, and Yellowstone Kelley, with Malibu tan skin and red hair. Both dolls had brown eyes.
• Cara (1974-1977) This doll used the Steffie face sculpt from 1972, and was another African-American friend of Barbie. The Cara character was available as Quick Curl Cara (1974), Free Moving Cara (1975), Deluxe Quick Curl Cara (1976) and Ballerina Cara (1976).
• Tracy (1983) A bride doll, Tracy was paired with a groom character named Todd. Tracy was made from the Steffie face sculpt. Tracy should not be confused with the 1979 Tracy doll, a friend of the 1979 Starr doll that was Barbie-scale, but not part of the Barbie character continuity.
• Miko (1986) Originally available as Tropical Miko, a Pacific Islander character made from the 1980 Oriental Barbie face sculpt. Miko was discontinued at the same time that a new character named Kira was introduced.
• Barbie And The Rockers female band members (1986-1987) The characters included DeeDee (an African-American character using the 1983 Spanish Barbie face sculpt), Diva (a red-haired Caucasian character using a new face sculpt), and Dana (an East Asian character using the 1980 Oriental Barbie face sculpt), as well as Derek and Ken.
• Teresa (1987-present) originally used the 1983 Spanish Barbie face sculpt for the Island Fun Teresa doll and the Beach Blast Teresa doll. Starting with the Wet 'N Wild Teresa doll, the character began using the 1972 Steffie face sculpt. Beginning with the Rollerblade Teresa doll, the character began using an all-new face sculpt that has become known as the Teresa face sculpt.
• Whitney (1987-1989) Originally available as Jewel Secrets Whitney, several versions of this character were produced in the late 1980s. All Whitney dolls have brunette hair and use the 1972 Steffie face sculpt.
• Barbie and The Sensations band members (1988) These dolls were a group of '50s inspired singers. Band members included Bopsy (a light red-haired doll made from the 1986 Diva face sculpt), Becky (an Asian character made from the 1980 Oriental Barbie face sculpt), and Belinda (an African-American character made from the 1988 California Dream Christie face sculpt).
• Kira (1990-?) After the Miko character was discontinued, Kira was added to the line as an Asian/Pacific Islander friend using the 1980 Oriental Barbie face sculpt.
• Kayla (1990-? Originally made using the 1986 Diva face sculpt, Kayla was the name of several very different dolls made over the years. The first Kayla doll was 1990 Dance Club Kayla.
• Devon (1990 only) Only available as Dance Club Devon in 1990, this doll was made from the 1988 California Dream Christie face sculpt.
• Shani (1992-?) Previously the central character in a separate line of Barbie-sized dolls manufactured by Mattel, Shani became part of the Barbie character continuity when she was included in a line of swimsuit dolls.
• Nia (1990) This character was only available as Western Fun Nia, and uses the 1980 Oriental Barbie face sculpt.
• Tara Lynn (1993) This character was only available as Western Stampin' Tara Lynn, and uses the 1972 Steffie face sculpt.
• Becky (1997) This character was only available as Share A Smile Becky, a disabled character packaged with a wheelchair. This doll uses the Teen Skipper face sculpt.
• Lea (1999–2003) This character uses an all-new face sculpt that has been extensively used since, notably as Model No. 005 in the Barbie Basics line of dolls.
• Ana Suarez (1999) This character was part of the Generation Girl line of dolls. This doll used the same face sculpt as Lara Morelli-Strauss, a sculpt that has been extensively used in the years since.
• Chelsie Peterson (1999) This character was part of the Generation Girl line of dolls. This doll used the same face sculpt as Tori Burns.
• Nichelle Williams (1999) This character was part of the Generation Girl line of dolls. This doll used the 1990 Asha face sculpt.
• Lara Morelli-Strauss (1999) This character was part of the Generation Girl line of dolls. This doll used the same sculpt as Ana Suarez, which has become known as the "Lara" face sculpt. This face sculpt has been extensively used since, notably as Model No. 002 in the Barbie Basics line of dolls.
• Tori Burns (1999) This character was part of the Generation Girl line of dolls. This doll used the same face sculpt as Chelsie Peterson.
• Mari Nakano (2000) This character was part of the Generation Girl line of dolls. This doll used an all-new face sculpt that was never used afterward.
• Drew (2001) This character was part of the Mystery Squad line of dolls. This doll used the 1999 Tori/Chelsie face sculpt.
• Kenzie (2001) This character was part of the Mystery Squad line of dolls. This doll used the Lea face sculpt.
• Shawnee (2001) This character was part of the Mystery Squad line of dolls. This doll used the 1990 Asha face sculpt.
• Summer (2004-present) This doll used an all-new face sculpt.

Real-world celebrity and movie character doll friends

• Twiggy (1967) Based on the top teen fashion model of the Mod era, the Twiggy doll was made using the same face sculpt as Francie doll's friend Casey.
• Buffy & Mrs. Beasley (1968) Based on Anissa Jones' character from the TV show "Family Affair", the Tutti-sized doll carried a miniature Mrs. Beasley doll.
• Julia (1969-1970) The doll was based on Diahann Carroll's character from the TV show "Julia" and used the same face sculpt as the Christie doll, with different face paint and a different hairstyle.
• Miss America (1972-1977) This doll was introduced in 1972 as Walk Lively Miss America, and the following year was sold as Quick Curl Miss America. The Quick Curl Miss America doll was available with only slight variations for several years during the mid-70s.
• Truly Scrumptious (1969) This doll, based on Sally Anne Howes' character from the movie "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang", was made from the Francie face sculpt, but used the Barbie body. There was a Talking Truly Scrumptious doll, as well as a basic version known as Standard Truly Scrumptious to collectors.
• Marie Osmond (1977) Featured an all-new likeness face sculpt.
• Donny Osmond (1977) Featured an all-new likeness face sculpt.
• Chantal Goya (1977) This doll available only in Europe, and featured a unique likeness face sculpt.
• Debby Boone (1977) Based on the popular singer, this doll featured a unique likeness face sculpt.
• Kate Jackson (1978) Featured an all-new likeness face sculpt.
• Cheryl Ladd (1978) Featured an all-new likeness face sculpt.
• Kitty O'Niell (1978) Featured an all-new likeness face sculpt.
• "Buddy" (1979) This doll was based on Kristy McNichol's character from the TV show "Family".
• Jimmy Osmond (1979) Featured an all-new likeness face sculpt.

Skipper doll's friends

• Skooter (1965–67) Two versions of the Skooter doll were made, a standard version with unjointed knees, and one with bendable knees.
• Ricky (1965-1966) This doll was only available with unjointed knees.
• Fluff (1971–72) Available in only one version, Living Fluff, from 1971.
• Tiff (1972–73) Available in only one version, Pose 'N Play Tiff, from 1972.
• Ginger (1977) Available in only one version, Growing Up Ginger, from 1977.
• Scott (boyfriend, 1979) Available in only one version, simply named Scott.
• Courtney (1989–2005)
• Kevin (boyfriend, 1990-1995)
• Nikki (1997-2005)

Tutti and Todd dolls' friends

• Chris (1967–68, 1976–77) This doll was a female character doll, with a different face sculpt from Tutti and Todd.
• Carla (European release only, 1976) An African-American character doll.

Stacie doll's friends

• Janet (1994)
• Whitney (1994)
• Lila (2004–05)
• Alexa
• Elizabeth
• Becky
• Anna
• Nina
• Kathrien
• Mariana
• Victoria
• Lina
• Jenny
• Sally
• Cathrien'

Kelly doll's friends

• Eric (1994)
• Tommy (1995) — This character is Ken's little brother.
• Chelsie (1996) — This name was used in the 1980s for a friend of Barbie's cousin Jazzie
• Melody (1996)
• Lorry (1996)
• Zenny (1996)
• Keeya (1998)
• Marisa (1998)
• Deidre (1998)
• Maria (1999)
• Tamika (1999)
• Nia — This name was used for an adult character in the 1990s
• Kayla (1999, 2007) — This name was also used for an adult character in the 1990s and 2000s.
• Liana (1999)
• Desiree (1999)
• Belinda (1999) — This name was also used for an adult character in the 1980s.
• Nikki (2001) — This character has been used for several distinct characters over the years.
• Kerstie (2003)
• Gia (2006)
• Tori (2007) — This name was also used for an adult character in 1999.
• Miranda (2007)
• Whitney — This name was also used for an adult character in the 1980s.
• Becky
• Anne
• Clara

Francie doll's friends

• Casey (1967–70)
• Becky (2009)

Jazzie doll's friends

• Dude (boyfriend - 1989) This doll was made from the 1986 Barbie And The Rockers Derek face sculpt.
• Chelsie (1989) This doll was made from the 1979 Starr friend Tracey face sculpt.
• Stacie (1989) This doll was made from the 1972 Steffie face sculpt, and was an African-American character doll.

Ken doll's family and friends

Family

• Tommy (brother, 1997)

Friends

• Allan Sherwood (1964-1965, 1991, 2002–present) This character has been revived several times. Allan started out as "Ken's Buddy" and was paired with the Midge doll from the beginning. In 1991, a line of dolls was created depicting a wedding for Allan and Midge. Later, a family-themed line of dolls, much like the earlier Heart Family, had the two characters raising a family (see list below of characters from this line).
• Brad (1970) This African-American male doll was available in two versions: Talking Brad and Brad With Bendable Legs. He was made from an all-new face sculpt that is known as the Brad face sculpt. The Brad character was introduced as a boyfriend for the Christie character.
• Curtis (1975) This African-American male character is virtually identical to Brad, and was available as only one version, 1975 Free Moving Curtis. Curtis was the boyfriend of the Free Moving Cara doll.
• Todd (1983) This doll was only available as a groom character, paired with the Tracy character from the same year. This Todd doll used the 1978 SuperStar Ken face sculpt.
• Steven (boyfriend of Christie, 1988–. Linked with Barbie's friend Nikki since 2007) This doll has been in the lineup intermittently over the years, and has used several different face sculpts during that time.

Shani's friends

When first introduced, the Shani line of dolls existed outside of the Barbie character continuity. After a couple of years the Shani character was introduced into the Barbie line.

• Asha (1991–1994)
• Nichelle (1991–1994)
• Jamal (boyfriend - 1992-1994)

The Heart Family (neighbors of Barbie)

• Dad Heart (1985)
• Mom Heart (1985)
• Megan Heart (baby daughter, 1985) She is given the name in the story "Cold Ice, Warm Hearts," by Betsy Loredo in the winter 1989 issue of Barbie magazine..
• Baby Boy Heart (Megan's twin brother, 1985)
• New Arrival Heart (1986)
• Grandma Heart (1987)
• Grandpa Heart (1987)

Cousins

• Kenny(1988)
• Kevin (1988)
• Honey (1988)
• Janet (1988)
• Melody (1988)
• Nellie (1988)

Friends

• Daria (1989)
• Pleasance (1989)
• Gillian (1989)
• Darrin (1989)
• Windy (1989)
• Tawny (1989)

Midge and Alan's Family

From Happy Family Playline Series

• Ryan Sherwood (Midge and Alan's son, 2002)
• Nikki Sherwood (Midge and Alan's daughter, 2003)
• New-born Baby Sherwood (It can as well be a boy or a girl - Midge and Alan's daughter, 2004)
• Grandma Hadley (Midge's mother, 2003)
• Grandpa Hadley (Midge's father, 2003)

S.I.S./So In Style characters

The S.I.S./So In Style characters are largely unrelated to the Barbie character continuity, except for text on the packaging that describes the Grace character moving to Chicago, away from her friend Barbie in Malibu.

• Grace (friend of Barbie, 2009); According to marketing materials, the Grace character enjoys cheerleading and is interested in science.
• Courtney (Kelly-sized "little sister" of Grace, 2009)
• Kara (friend of Grace, 2009); According to marketing materials, the Kara character enjoys music and is interested in math.
• Kianna (Kelly-sized "little sister" of Kara, 2009)
• Trichelle (friend of Grace, 2009); According to marketing materials, the Trichelle character enjoys art and is interested in journalism.
• Janessa (Kelly-sized "little sister" of Trichelle, 2009)
• Chandra (friend of Grace, 2010); According to marketing materials, the Chandra character enjoys drama/dance and is interested in history.
• Zahara (Kelly-sized "little sister" of Chandra, 2010)
• Darren (boyfriend of Grace, 2010); According to marketing materials, the Darren character enjoys football and making movies, and is interested in history.
• Julian (Tommy-sized "little brother" of Darren, 2010)

• Barbie
• Lists of toy characters
• Lists of minor fictional characters