Sylvester

### Friends

Tweety (sometimes, best friend/ archenemy), Speedy Gonzales (sometimes), Granny, Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Tasmanian Devil, Witch Hazel (sometimes), Gossamer (sometimes), Lola Bunny, Pepe Le Pew, Tina Russo, Foghorn Leghorn, Pete Puma, Mac and Tosh, Road Runner, Petunia Pig, Penelope Pussycat, Michael Jordan, Stan Podolak, The Nerdlucks/ The Monstars, D.J. Drake, Kate Houghton, LeBron James, Blake Griffin, Roger Rabbit, Eddie Valiant, Jessica Rabbit, Baby Herman, Benny the Cab, Dolores, Lt. Santino, Marvin Acme, R.K. Maroon, Ann Darrow, King Kong, Jack Driscoll, Carl Denham, Charles Weston, Charlie the Cook, Captain Englehorn, Athos, Porthos, Aramis, Constance Bonacieux, D'Artagnan, King Louis XIII of France, Little Red Riding Hood, Hansel and Gretel, Jack, Humpty Dumpty, Three Little Pigs, Golden Harp, Three Bears, Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Gena, Mama Dinosaur, Lenny, Green Lantern, Aquaman, Wonder Twins, Gleek, The Flash, Catwoman, Rick Blain, Ilsa Lund, Victor Laszlo, Sam, Captain Louis Renault, Ugarte, Yosemite Sam (sometimes), Elmer Fudd (sometimes), Marvin the Martian (sometimes), Wile E. Coyote (sometimes), other friends

### Enemies

Tweety (usually, archenemy/ best friend), Speedy Gonzales, Granny (sometimes), Yosemite Sam, Elmer Fudd, Marvin the Martian, Wile E. Coyote, Tasmanian Devil (sometimes), Gossamer, Witch Hazel, Nasty Canasta, Rocky and Mugsy, Cecil Turtle, Mr. Swackhammer, The Nerdlucks/ The Monstars (formerly), Mr. Chairman, Judge Doom, Toon Patrol, The Witch Doctor, Tyrannosaurus Rex, Captain Rochefort, The Giant, Mr. Lawyer, Mr. Johnson, Terisha, Lex Luthor, Joker, Penguin, Riddler, Catwoman (formerly), Black Manta, Professor Zoom, Sinestro, Cheetah, Captain Nils Helstrom, Major Strasser, Al-G Rhythm, Goon Squad, other enemies

**Sylvester J. Pussycat, Sr.** (**Sylvester the Cat** or simply **Sylvester**) is a fictional character, a three-time Academy Award-winning anthropomorphic cat and a major character in the *Looney Tunes* and *Merrie Melodies* repertory, often chasing Tweety Bird, Speedy Gonzales, or Hippety Hopper. He is also the titular main protagonist of the animated series *The Sylvester and Tweety Mysteries*. The name "Sylvester" is a play on Felis silvestris, the scientific name for the wild cat species (that's because Sylvester was a wild cat in the oldest cartoons, later he became a pet owned cat or a domestic cat, and scientific name for domestic cats is actually *Felis catus*). The character debuted in Friz Freleng's *Life With Feathers* (1945). Freleng's 1947 cartoon, Tweetie Pie was the first pairing of Tweety with Sylvester, and the Bob Clampett-directed *Kitty Kornered* (1946) was Sylvester's first pairing with Porky Pig. Sylvester appeared in 103 cartoons in the golden age.

He was voiced by the late Mel Blanc (1937–1989), Bill Farmer (1989, 1996), late Joe Alaskey (1990–2011), late Greg Burson (1993–1997), Terry Klassen (2001–2006), Jeff Bennett (2003), Eric Bauza (2018, 2021-2022), and currently, Jeff Bergman (1990–1993, 2007, 2011–present).

## Personality

Pitted against Tweety, Sylvester is a brutal but clumsy predator.

He is a lazy mouser and an incompetent hunter, so his focus on catching Tweety is mostly obsession.

As a cat, he is terrified of dogs. He would say "AHHH SHADDUP!!!" when the dogs are keep barking when he is out of their reach even tossing flower pot toward them to keep their "ugly" traps shut.

## History

### Role in Cartoons

Sylvester's personality in the early shorts tends to vary depending on which director handled him. Friz Freleng first paired him against Tweety Bird and Speedy, but other directors paired him with other characters, and not always as a villain.

In Bob Clampett's cartoon *Kitty Kornered*, Sylvester teams up with other cats to lock Porky out of the house in revenge for putting them out for the night.

Robert McKimson gave Sylvester a son named Sylvester Jr. who Sylvester tries (and fails) to train in mouse-catching. These cartoons also pit him against Hippety Hopper, a baby kangaroo Sylvester always mistakes for a giant mouse.

In Chuck Jones' shorts, he is Porky's cowardly pet cat, and most differently, does not speak. These are cartoons that show Sylvester as a hero, trying to protect an oblivious Porky from danger all around him.

## Trivia

* Sylvester once had a black nose (which was only in *Kitty Kornered*), but his nose has since always been red like a Conrad's.
* Sylvester's character design (according to his original creator Friz Freleng) stated that it is based on a typical circus clown (evidenced by the messy hair, red nose, and baggy legs).
* Sylvester has one of the lowest win records out of Looney Tunes, beaten only by Wile E. Coyote. Notably even in cartoons where he is doing good deeds such as a *A Mouse Divided*, he still ends up losing.
* Sylvester could be heard in an episode of the game show *Press Your Luck*. Host Peter Tomarken had earlier incorrectly credited his catchphrase "Sufferin' Succotash!" to Daffy Duck. Even though all three contestants had correctly answered "Sylvester", they were ruled incorrect. In a segment produced later and edited into the broadcast, Sylvester phoned Tomarken and told him, "Daffy Duck steals from me all the time." This was a joke because Daffy was the first to actually say it.
* In *The Looney Tunes Show*, Sylvester's appearance has changed in the series. His body is shorter and more slender, and his canine teeth are more sharp and prominent, making him look more like a housecat.
* His name Sylvester comes from *Felis silvestris*, the scientific name for the European wildcat.
* In Japanese version, He was voiced by Masashi Ebara.
* Sylvester's trademark exclamation, "Sufferin' succotash!", is said to be a minced oath of "Suffering savior".
* Sylvester's voice is based on that of Daffy Duck, plus the even more slobbery lisp it gets and minus the post-production speed-up that was done with Daffy's.