Initially, American Dad defined Roger’s character as being an alien who had to hide in the house to avoid detection. But once Roger put on his first disguise, the show created magic. Roger’s transformed into dozens of different people over the course of the series, and American Dad wouldn’t be the same without it. Have a look at the best Roger personas the show has to offer.
1. Jenny Fromdablock
After one too many rejections from Hayley, Snot needed some help escaping the despair. Roger comes in to make him forget all about Hayley by posing as Steve’s cousin Jenny. But Roger did a little too much helping courtesy of a stress ball with a slit cut into it.
2. Raider Dave
Great in small doses, Roger occasionally takes on the identity of the world’s most intense Las Vegas Raiders fan. There’s not much more to him than that, but there doesn’t need to be. His battle cry of screaming his own name alone earns him a spot on this list.
3. Clip Clop
Of all the Roger personas American Dad has to offer, Clip Clop packs in the most laughs in the shortest period. He acts as a therapy horse to help Stan get in touch with his feelings. But Stan’s stubbornness leads to Clip Clop panicking and tearing apart the office.
4. Tearjerker
The Tearjerker episodes of American Dad gave audiences a glance into an alternate version of their favorite characters where they exist in a James Bond-esque universe. Who else but Roger could fill the shoes of Stan’s evil nemesis? We get two great episodes with Roger as the nefarious Tearjerker, the second of which has him teaming up with Stan to take down Black Villain (Principal Louis).
5. Jeannie Gold
No one could have predicted that one of the most intimidating Roger personas took the form of a wedding planner. Jeannie Gold puts everything into her work, even when things go poorly. She threatens Steve and Hayley with mortal harm to ensure they give their parents a good present for their vow renewal. If only all wedding planners were that dedicated.
6. Legman
One half of the world-class detective duo Wheels and the Legman, this one brings joy in every appearance he makes. He may not have the skills of Sherlock Holmes or Columbo, but his dedication to the role more than makes up for his incompetence.
7. Roy Rogers McFreely
Roger can’t help but become a tyrant now and then. Because he felt such a lack of control at home, Roger became Roy Rogers McFreely to take over the homeowners’ association with the sole goal of exerting power over Stan. He forced the establishment-worshiping Stan to take a turn towards the counterculture to rebel with a group of suburban guerrillas.
8. Kevin Bacon
Sometimes, stealing someone else’s identity rather than making up a new one proves much easier. A new nose allowed Roger to become the spitting image of actor Kevin Bacon. Even Kevin Bacon himself believed it as Roger went on a bender and ruined the celebrity’s reputation.
9. Ricky Spanish
Ricky Spanish has a reputation so infamous that his name can only be spoken in an awed whisper. He has wronged so many people that Roger had to retire him to avoid being torn apart by angry mobs. He was so lucky that Steve had a good enough heart to help him mend his broken relationships. Too bad for Steve, the evil of Ricky Spanish goes down to the core, making Steve’s efforts lead to only more suffering.
10. General Juanito Pequeño
The General represents a rare occurrence of someone else choosing one of Roger’s personas for him. Stan used Roger to pose as a South American dictator after the real General accidentally met a gruesome end thanks to a shopping mall corn dog. Before he even realizes it, Roger’s every minor complaint translates into an immediate execution. He had a fun ride as dictator up until the moment when the people revolted to replace him with the Dancer of Death.
11. Max Jets
Max holds a special place in the Smith family’s hearts. Not because of his glowing personality, though. The love all came down to money. The Smiths put up fake smiles in the face of Max’s disgusting behavior so they could be showered with his endless wealth. The moment they saw their windfall in jeopardy, Stan and the family were ready to take Max down with deadly force.
12. Tom Yabo
Audiences have seen from Stan’s past that he never had a proper father figure to guide him through life. Roger gave him the gift of a real dad by turning into Tom Yabo. Although at first he did this only to get back at Stan for kicking him out of the attic, the two men soon won each others’ hearts. Even in his dying moments, Tom lets Stan know how much he cares.
13. Uncle Roger
Roger personas can’t have the zaniness turned up to 11 all the time. Sometimes, he needs to relax and be part of the family. The Uncle Roger persona may not be elaborate, but its versatility lets him blend into any casual situation as a member of the Smith family.
14. Dr. Penguin
Dr. Penguin gives Roger the rare treat of solving chaos instead of causing it. He serves as the Smith family’s resident therapist. Even though his advice usually involves advising the family members to lie to each other or writing a prescription for “alone time,” the Smiths confidently look to him for guidance.
15. Steve
Sometimes, Steve needs someone to fill in for him, and Roger’s happy to oblige. The most memorable time took inspiration from the movie Face/Off, with Roger and Steve switching faces. Somehow, the rectangular glasses look better on Roger than on Steve.
16. Sidney Huffman
Unbelievably wholesome, Sidney represents the opposite of Roger’s most depraved impulses. Roger originally crafted Sidney as part of a con to steal gloves from a department store, but the character took on a life of his own, causing a split in Roger’s psyche. As meek as Sidney appears, this makes him one of the most influential Roger personas.
17. Kevin Ramage
Kevin Ramage isn’t exactly a criminal mastermind, but he does well enough for himself. He ruled as the premier fake ID creator in Langley before getting usurped by Steve. The difference in competence makes sense once we see that his idea of intimidation involves causing bodily damage to himself and not his competitors.
18. Martin Sugar
Evil and charisma never worked together so well as when Roger took the role of Martin Sugar. Sugar used his sweet talk to get the jury to overlook the horrible abuse he levied on his sweatshop workers. Stan’s conviction eventually led to a guilty verdict, but one delivered in tears from the people who loved Martin Sugar.
19. Bar-Owner Roger
Roger’s bar in the attic evolved into a staple setting for the show shortly after Roger started creating new identities. But “Roger Passes the Bar” took it to the next step by focusing on Roger’s life as the owner and operator. The stress of running the bar nearly kills Roger, so he sells to get relieved of the burden. But he’s put too much of himself into the bar to walk away. Bonus points go to this persona for having the best (and most annoying) catchphrase, “Dive on in!”
20. Professor Jordan Edelstein
Professor Edelstein holds a special place for being one of the first Roger personas to have a fleshed-out personality and backstory. This came from Roger and Francine’s desire to roleplay as new people while they had the house to themselves. The two had fun at first, but the game soon devolved into bitterness, violence, and screaming “ECONOMICS!”
21. Professor Baxter
Deep down, Roger wants to inspire people. He slips into Hayley’s college life as a parody of Robin Williams’ character in Dead Poets Society. Despite never teaching anything of value, he does have an impact on one of his students. Too bad that impact involved the boy murdering his parents.
22. Mr. Deliver
Roger can’t stop at one teacher persona. Roger became Mr. Deliver (in reference to the film Stand and Deliver) to prove to Steve that he could be selfless. He reaches Steve’s remedial class in a way no other teacher could before. Ultimately, even Steve admits that Mr. Deliver did an excellent job. At least until Mr. Deliver sold the kids to the Chinese army. But nobody’s perfect.