The comic strip Dick Tracy has introduced numerous characters.

Dick Tracy

The titular hero of the strip. Dick Tracy was born in 1909 (eight years after creator Chester Gould). In 1931, before even joining the police, he had captured his first villain Pinkie the Stabber. While leading a posse against the Arsons and Cutie Diamond, Tracy is seen in a police uniform and not his regular plainclothes. He served as a lieutenant (senior grade) in US Navy Intelligence during World War II.

Allies Tracy family Tess Trueheart - The detective's love interest and later wife. When she was first introduced, she was kidnapped by Big Boy Caprice's men after they robbed and shot her father Emil Truehart. She served as a WAC in World War II, and later opened her own photography agency. She is the mother of Bonnie Braids Tracy, Joseph Flintheart Tracy, and adoptive mother of Junior Tracy. Temporarily divorced her husband in the 1990s, but later reconciled with him. Junior Tracy - The adopted son of Dick Tracy. First appeared in a Steve the Tramp storyline. In 1937's The Blank storyline he is 10 years old. He was originally named John "Jackie" Steele, and his birth parents were wealthy prospector Hank Steele and his wife Mary Steele, both of whom appeared in the strip. Became a police forensic artist. Moon Maid - The beautiful first wife of Junior Tracy. She was one of the moon people, an alien race with large eyes, giraffe-like antennae, and laser powers. First introduced to the strip in 1963, Moon Maid was the daughter of the supreme ruler of the moon, known as the Moon Governor. She had blonde hair and wore a black body stocking, thigh high boots, and white gloves. She fell in love with Junior and took him back to the moon in Diet Smith's space coupe, then returned to Earth to live her life with her husband. She often used her laser powers to help the police capture criminals. In 1965 she and Junior had a beautiful daughter named Honeymoon. In 1978, Moon Maid was accidentally killed by a car bomb intended for Dick Tracy. After his daughter's death, the Moon Governor broke off all relations with Earth. In 2011, Moon Maid's first name was revealed to be Mysta, shortly after, the new "Moon Maid" destroyed Mysta's gravestone. Sparkle Plenty - Daughter of B.O. Plenty and Gravel Gertie. She married Vera Alldid, divorced, then married Junior Tracy. She and Junior have one daughter named Sparkle Plenty Jr. Crystal Plenty - Cousin of Sparkle Plenty, a vegan who practices New Age spiritual arts. Bonnie Braids (Sometimes spelled Bonny) - Daughter of Dick Tracy and Tess Trueheart. Born in the back of a squad car May 4, 1951. Joseph Flintheart Tracy - The younger son of Dick Tracy and Tess Trueheart, named after Vitamin Flintheart for his bravery in saving both Tess and Joseph. Honeymoon Tracy - Daughter of Moon Maid and Junior, born in outer space. When very young, she witnessed her mother's death from a car bomb meant for Dick Tracy. She was later adopted by Sparkle Plenty when she and Junior were married. Half-sister of Sparkle Plenty Jr. Sparkle Plenty Jr. - Daughter of Junior Tracy and Sparkle Plenty, granddaughter of Dick Tracy and Tess Trueheart and B.O. Plenty and Gravel Gertie. Half sister of Honeymoon Tracy. Gordon Tracy - Dick Tracy's brother. Jean Tracy - Dick Tracy's sister. Chester Tracy - Father of Dick, Jean, and Gordon Tracy. Edna Tracy - Mother of Dick, Jean, and Gordon Tracy. Ray Tracy - Brother of Chester Tracy, he is a minister and has performed all the Tracy family wedding ceremonies.

Professional comrades Chief Brandon - Chief of Police in the strip's first appearance on October 4, 1931. He joined the police in 1919 and later replaced Chief Norris who was elected Mayor. Brandon retired in 1949 in shame after the murderer of Brilliant Smith, an inventor who was under the department's protection slipped past Brandon's personal vetting. After retirement, he opened a hardware business named "Lawn Order" (a pun on "Law and Order"). Years later, Big Frost (who had tricked Brandon into getting access to Brilliant Smith in order to kill him) tried to kill Brandon. Brandon was wounded and Big Frost was killed. Pat Patton - Former welder turned police officer who was Tracy's long-time sidekick and partner on the police force. Later appointed Brandon's successor as Chief of Police upon which Sam Catchem became Tracy's new partner. He served as comic relief due to his inexperience although that role eventually was reduced as his various adventures allowed him to grow into his profession. The introduction of B.O. Plenty/Gravel Gertie and Vitamin Flintheart would later supplant him for humor. However, with Patton's ascension to Police Chief, his character took on a much more serious tone with his previous role as Tracy's partner rarely mentioned again (although still slightly bumbling). Known for his "Irish temper". Shot by corrupt police officers Climer in 1982 and Lt. Teevo in 2007, but recovered both times. Recently reappointed as Chief after a successful treatment for cancer. Sam Catchem (a pun on "catch (th)em") - Tracy's current partner since Pat Patton was appointed Chief. The 1990 film, Dick Tracy, featured both Pat Patton and Sam Catchem as Dick Tracy's partners. Lizz Grove (née Worthington) - Former nightclub photographer turned police officer with a particular talent for hand to hand combat. Briefly married to a newspaper reporter named Jimmy until Jimmy's death. Even more briefly married to Officer Groovy Grove (see below). The ceremony was conducted as Officer Grove was on his deathbed. He died shortly after he and Lizz were declared man and wife. Served as Chief of Police during Pat Patton's temporary retirement. Her sister was murdered by Joe Period in the 1950s. Diet Smith - Industrialist who supplied advanced equipment for Tracy and the police department. Responsible for the creation of the Space Coupe, Two-way Wrist Radio, Two-way Wrist TV, Two-way Wrist Computer, and Two-way Wrist Genee. Originally suspected of murdering his partner in 1946 in his first appearance. Regularly seen drinking glasses of milk. Brilliant - Son of Diet Smith, inventor of the Two-way Wrist Radio. His murder at the hands of mob leader Big Frost led to Chief Brandon's retirement and the promotion of Pat Patton to Chief. George "Cal" Bullet Sr. - Highway Police Chief murdered by his own son Cal Bullet Jr. when he discovered his son's treasonous involvement with Pruneface. The accidental discovery of his body by Dick Tracy led to Pruneface's capture and the death of Cal Bullet Jr. at the hands of his own deadly poison gas. J. Scotland Bumstead - British detective assigned to the European Secret Police. Brother of mob attorney Giorgio Spaldoni. Frizzeltop - One-armed woman friend of Dick Tracy and Junior Tracy, named for the shock of frizzy hair on her head. {She was a US military nurse who lost her arm in a Japanese airplane attack on Bataan in 1941; she escaped capture after she was medically sent home to the United States}. After Pruneface's associate Clara is captured, Frizzeltop impersonates her to trick Cal Bullet Jr. into leading the law to Pruneface. Frizzeltop later married Dennis O'Copper. Porfiry Ivanov - Russian detective who Dick Tracy has been obliged to work with from time to time. Haku Kou - Native Hawaiian undercover cop in the Honolulu Police Department who worked with Tracy on the Willie the Fifth and Li'l Pineapple cases. Dan Liu - Real-life Chinese-American Chief of the Honolulu PD at the time the Willie the Fifth and Li'l Pineapple cases were published, who made several prominent appearances in the strip, consulting with Tracy during those cases. Lottie Latte - First appeared on April 8, 2006, as the criminal associate of Al Kinda in a plot to con the Plentys out of their lottery winnings. Lottie appeared to be either a male transvestite or a transgender person. After turning the tables on Al Kinda, it was revealed that Lottie is in fact the FBI's top undercover agent and "best marksperson in the department." Kitty - Comic relief pet cat addicted to cigar smoke. Belonged to Matty Square and Mr. Bribery. Member of the Police Department Zoo. Li'l Dropout - A chimpanzee with a talent for painting. Member of the Police Department Zoo. Mugg - A boxer dog who helped Dick Tracy bring down his own particular enemy Pearshape. Partial to riding on top of police cars. Member of the Police Department Zoo. Captain Bowline - US Navy Intelligence and Tracy's superior. He appeared in the storylines for Flattop Jones and The Brow. Lt. Marks - US Navy Intelligence plainclothes officer who assisted Tracy during The Brow case. Nolan - Police clerk who helped Tracy trace ownership of Arthur "Nip" Dolton's wrecked car. Constable John Doe aka John Law(?)- Officer who foolishly tried to follow alone killer Cutie Diamond to his Mountain Hideaway and was killed by Diamond in valley below hideout in 1930. (John Doe is a nickname for unidentified deceased male humans; and "John Law" was a nickname for Law Officers) Constable Ferrett - Saved Tracy's life with a blood transfusion. After his daughter was killed in a car crash caused by Trigger Doom, Ferret saved Tracy's life again from a raging bull. Deputy Sheriff Jim Lester - Murollo, California Deputy Sheriff mortally wounded in 1939 by criminal Whip Shute which led Tracy after Shute. Detective Johnny Adonis - Hunky, mustachioed detective in the vein of Magnum P.I. Appeared in the strip in the 1980s. Began in the art theft division, helped capture Art Dekko. During a tumultuous period of corruption in the Police Department, Adonis resigned rather than work for the corrupt Chief Climer; and joined Tracy in a private detective agency. After Climer was killed, Adonis chose to remain a private detective. Detective Frisk - Ambitious female detective on the police force antagonistic to Dick Tracy. Member of Major Crimes Unit. Jumped after criminal Sal Monella into the back of a garbage truck. After the trucks' contents were dumped into a garbage scow and then dumped into the river, the only trace found of her was a shoe. However she reappears "alive" as a Private Detective Detective Lee Ebony - African-American policewoman and Tracy's partner in the Simon "Sweatbox" Baux case. Has a talent for disguises and "deep cover" work. Spent some time undercover in Mr. Bribery's organization that was vital to his re-arrest. Patrolman Dawson - Uniformed beat patrolman who went with Tracy and Patton to investigate Schultze Innis' death. Patrolman Ferris - Highway patrolman murdered by Mumbles' gang when he tried to stop them for driving a stolen car. Although Tracy had to release the Mumbles gang, subsequent events led to the gang's downfall. Patrolman Grant - Highway Patrolman seen in The Brow storyline of 1944. Patrolman Charles R. "Groovy" Grove - Ex-convict wrongly convicted of murder in 1958. When the real killer was exposed, Grove was released and later joined the police force in 1970, becoming a uniformed beat patrolman and the fiancé of Lizz. He was also the father of blind Tinky from his brief first marriage. In 1984 he was fatally wounded in the line of duty. Grove married Lizz while on his deathbed, so that she would receive the "widow's benefits" traditionally paid to the spouse of a police officer killed while on duty. Patrolman Jenson - Unseen patrol officer who found block message left by The Blank in a dime store. Patrolman Milligan - Stock character Irish uniformed beat patrolman who figured in many of the earliest stories (and died on several occasions). Nearly had neck broken when Pop Warner's son tried to break out of jail but was saved by Tracy. Patrolman Murphy - Stock character of Irish uniformed beat patrolman who appears in several storylines, including 88 Keyes; Flattop Jones, The Brow and Pruneface. Although first appearing in the 1930s, he appeared as late as 1967 in the Haf and Haf storyline.