Charlie Morningstar

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Charlie was created by Medrano during her time at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. Although the original steampunk-inspired design has been described as an "entirely distinct entity", Medrano liked the name Charlie and transferred it to a new character intended for her webcomic series *ZooPhobia*. Her original plotline intended for her to be a mortal soul who died in the 1830s, who became the "den mother" of the "Misfit Demon Gang" in *ZooPhobia*; the members of this gang would later become the main cast of *Hazbin Hotel*. In the pilot, Charlie's surname was "Magne", as a pun on the name "Charlemagne". Before season 1, her last name was changed to Morningstar, coming from the concept of the devil's family name being "Morningstar" (the Latin translation of "Lucifer"), popularized by Neil Gaiman in a comic in 1989. She was confirmed to be bisexual by Medrano on her Twitter account. Medrano said she related to Charlie, calling her "plucky...determined and energetic", saying Charlie was a "very aspirational character" to her. Voice actress Erika Henningsen said: "Life is lived in the gray. That's the journey that Charlie comes to over the season. She's always for forgiveness, but I do think she sometimes sees the world in black and white and the real world is not that."

In Their Own Story

Charlie made her first full appearance in the *Hazbin Hotel* pilot episode, "That's Entertainment", released on October 28, 2019. She is bubbly and upbeat and announces her "Happy Hotel", intended to redeem sinners to allow them to go to Heaven in a televised interview with newscaster Katie Killjoy. The interview ends in a fight between her and Katie, but this attracts the attention of Alastor "the Radio Demon", who visits her in the aftermath and offers his help. She returned in a supporting role in "Dirty Healings", an official prequel webcomic published from October 27, 2019 to July 7, 2020, exploring how she and Vaggie recruited Angel Dust as the first patron. In the 2024 series, in "Overture", she meets with the head angel of Heaven, Adam, and the meeting does not go as planned. Adam informs her that the next Extermination has been moved up by six months. In "Radio Killed the Video Star", after Sir Pentious is exposed as a spy for Vox, Charlie takes pity on him and gives him a second chance. In "Dad Beat Dad", she calls her father Lucifer to visit the hotel; while Lucifer does not believe in her plan, he schedules a meeting for her, and ultimately leaves on better terms. In "Welcome to Heaven", Adam reveals that Charlie's girlfriend Vaggie was one of his exterminator angels, leaving Charlie feeling shocked and betrayed. In "Hello Rosie", after making a deal with Alastor, she convinces the citizens of Cannibal Town to fight with her against the angels. In "The Show Must Go On", she fights against the angels alongside the patrons of the hotel.

Reader's Guide

Charlie's character in the animated series, which began in January 2024, was received positively. Hope Mullinax of *Collider* praised her "joyous" showstopping musical numbers, while *Screen Rant* complimented her "high energy pop beats" and "go-getter attitude", calling her "the heart and soul of *Hazbin Hotel*" without whom "the show would be very grim and somewhat pointless". Dais Johnston of *Inverse* lauded her as "the Leslie Knope of Hell" due to her "bright-eyed and always positive" attitude. Rendy Jones of *RogerEbert.com* called her "the sunny-side-up princess" with a "happy-go-lucky charm". Rachel Leishman of *The Mary Sue* argued that the series is "charming" because of Charlie's hopeful nature, which inspires her girlfriend Vaggie. Jenna Scherer of *The A.V. Club* described Charlie as "bright-eyed" and "strangely naive", while Kristy Puchko of *Mashable* called Charlie the "most childish and cheery of the crew". Brian Kitson of *The Cosmic Circus* complimented Henningsen's "light-hearted energy" as Charlie, while Sayantan Gayen of *CBR* praised Henningsen's "exemplary job of voicing a person cheery by nature but brought down by the massive weight of responsibilities on her shoulder".

Did You Know?

• Charlie's original surname in the pilot was 'Magne', as a pun on the name 'Charlemagne'.
• Before season 1, her last name was changed to Morningstar, a concept popularized by Neil Gaiman in a 1989 comic.
• In the 2019 pilot, Jill Harris was cast as Charlie's speaking voice and Elsie Lovelock as her singing voice; in the 2024 series, she is voiced by Erika Henningsen.
• Charlie was originally intended to be a mortal soul who died in the 1830s, serving as the 'den mother' of the 'Misfit Demon Gang' in Medrano's webcomic *ZooPhobia*.
• Charlie makes a cameo appearance in the 2019 *Helluva Boss* pilot, where Loona watches her broadcast pitch on a computer.