Grouches are an eccentric race of pessimistic, argumentative, and unhygienic furry creatures who prefer to live wherever trash can be found: trash cans, city dumps, even the occasional landfill (although, some Grouches live in crummy houses, broken cars, and some live in "yucky beautiful houses"). Grouches are a distinct species from the Sesame Street Monsters (including the AM Monsters).
Being as grouchy and miserable as they possibly can be is any Grouch's main mission in life. They also feel that they have to make everyone else feel the same way. Even though that makes them happy, however, a Grouch will never admit to being happy no matter what the circumstances.
Grouches like anything dirty or dingy or dusty, anything ragged or rotten or rusty or trashy. They will only buy appliances that don't work, they normally keep elephants, worms, pigs, goats, and donkeys as pets, eat undesirable foods (particularly sardines), sing out-of-tune, play radios at the highest volume, and bathe in mud as they all love not being clean. Grouches also like to use phrases such as "scram", "get lost", "go away", and "beat it".
As seen in the 1985 film Follow That Bird, a handful of human beings have embraced the Grouch way of life, proving themselves to be as hostile, surly, and filthy as any furry Grouch. Two such human Grouches were seen working at the Don't Drop Inn, a Grouch eatery whose patrons included both furry Grouches and disagreeable humans who might or might not themselves have been human Grouches.
Even though Oscar the Grouch and his girlfriend Grundgetta are the most well-known Grouches, over the years a very large number of Grouches have been introduced.
Most of the Grouches live in Grouchland USA as seen in the film The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland. Though the Grouches there had to put up with having their stuff taken by a man named Huxley, Oscar the Grouch later convinced the inhabitants that even though Grouches hate working together, they had to cooperate just this once in order to take a stand against Huxley.
Oscar the Grouch (performed by Caroll Spinney) – A Grouch who lives on Sesame Street in a trash can, and the most famous Grouch in the world. He was designed by Jim Henson and his original puppet was built by Don Sahlin.
Grundgetta (performed by Brian Muehl (1980–1984), Pam Arciero (1984–present)) – Oscar the Grouch's girlfriend/best friend.
Bad Humor Man (performed by Steve Whitmire) – The Bad Humor Man is a Grouch ice cream vendor who lives in Grouchland as seen in The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland. The Bad Humor Man was different from the Bad Humor Man that appeared in Episode 3085 where he was made from a different Grouch puppet and performed by Jerry Nelson.
Blecka (performed by Julianne Buescher) – A Grouch who appears in Episode 3133 attending Lillian's home care.
Bunny (performed by Stephanie D'Abruzzo) – Oscar the Grouch's sister. She appeared in Episode 4237 as a surprise guest on Grouchy Mother's Day.
Dan Rather-not (performed by Joey Mazzarino) – A Grouch newsman. He is a parody of Dan Rather.
Donald Grump (performed by Martin P. Robinson) – A Grouch who has more trash than any other Grouch that it spills out of his trash can. He is a parody of Donald Trump.
Don't Drop Inn cook (played by Paul Bartel) - A human Grouch; his assistant is a green-furred Grouch in a paper hat.
Don't Drop Inn waitress (played by Sandra Bernhard - A human Grouch; when a customer demands a glass, she offers the choice of "Broken or dirty?!"
Dusty (performed by Eric Jacobson) – A white Grouch drummer with an Australian accent that appeared in Episode 3950.
Ernest the Grouch (performed by Jerry Nelson) – Oscar the Grouch's brother. He visited Oscar in Episode 2895.
Gary Grouch (performed by Martin P. Robinson) – A gray Grouch who was a contestant in "The Alphabet Game" compilation video. His puppet was also seen in background cameos.
Grandpa Grouch (performed by Richard Hunt) – Oscar the Grouch's grandfather.
Granny Grouch (performed by Jerry Nelson) – Oscar the Grouch's grandmother. She appeared in Episode 131.
Grizzy (performed by Stephanie D'Abruzzo) – A young freckled female Grouch child who appeared in The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland. She was built by Mark Zeszotek.
Grouch Cab Driver (performed by Kevin Clash) – The Grouch Cab Driver is an inhabitant of Grouchland as seen in The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland.
Grouch Ice Cream Customer (performed by David Rudman) – A Grouch inhabitant of Grouchland who is seen in The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland buying an ice cream cone from the Bad Humor Man. The same puppet was also used for Sharon Groan.
Grouch Jailer (performed by Kevin Clash) – A Grouch Jailer that works at Grouchland's Police Department in The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland. When Oscar the Grouch convinces the Grouches to take a stand against Huxley, the Grouch Jailer is ordered by the Grouch Police Officer to release the Sesame Street inhabitants that he was guarding.
Grouch Mayor (performed by Jerry Nelson) – He is the unnamed Mayor of Grouchland as seen in The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland whose face is in the style of Groucho Marx. His costume was inspired by the Mayor of Munchkinland from The Wizard of Oz.
Grouch Police Officer (performed by Jerry Nelson) – A Grouch that works as a police officer in Grouchland as seen in The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland. He was responsible for arresting the Sesame Street inhabitants that came looking for Elmo after Big Bird broke the Grouchland law of asking a police officer for help. When Oscar the Grouch convinces the Grouches to take a stand against Huxley, the Grouch Police Officer has the Sesame Street inhabitants released.
Hairy Hairy More Contrary (performed by Joey Mazzarino) – A Grouch counterpart of Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary that appeared in Episode 4198.
Irvine (performed by Martin P. Robinson) – Oscar the Grouch's baby niece. She appeared in Episodes 2402 and 3811. In Episode 2630, she got and beat the Grouch Flu.
Lothar the Grouch (performed by Brian Muehl) – An alien Grouch from outer space.
Luba Merquick (performed by Kevin Clash) – A Grouch from Slime Bottom, Arizona who appears on Oscar the Grouch's reality show "Real Grouches" (a parody of Real People).
Moe, Moe, and Moe – Three Grouches who own a moving company named "Three Grouches named Moe with a Truck." Oscar the Grouch enlisted them in Episode 3851 to help him sell his trash to make room in his trash can.
Mr. Grouch – Oscar the Grouch's father who appeared in the book "How to Be a Grouch."
Mrs. Grouch (performed by Martin P. Robinson from 1992 to 1993, Leslie Carrara-Rudolph in 2010) – Oscar the Grouch's mother.
Omagrossa (performed by Fran Brill) – A Grouch who appeared in Episode 4104 where she auditioned to be Donald Grump's helper. Her name is a take on Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth, the infamous contestant who appeared on the reality series The Apprentice.
Osvaldo, el Gruñón (performed by Richard Hunt and voiced by Norberto Kerner in Episode 1316, Gabriel Velez in the 1980s, Peter Linz in the 1990s) – Oscar the Grouch's Puerto Rican counterpart.
Othmar the Grouch (performed by Brian Muehl) – An alien Grouch from the seventh moon of the planet Zurkon who visits Earth in Episode 1755. He was built by Cheryl Blaylock.
Otto the Grouch – Oscar the Grouch's brother who appears in the 1975 book "How to Be a Grouch"
Phooey Louie (performed by Joey Mazzarino) – A Grouch guitarist that appeared in Episode 3950.
Prunella (performed by Louise Gold) – A gray British Grouch who appeared in Episode 3119 stopping by Sesame Street during her tour across the United States of America.
Rhubarb the Grouch (voiced by Rickey Boyd) – A Grouch Ghost who appears in A Sesame Street Christmas Carol as the "Grouch of Christmas Past." His CGI form was done by Magnetic Dreams.
Romeo Scuggs (performed by Martin P. Robinson) – A Grouch from Gila Monster, New Mexico who appears on Oscar the Grouch's reality show "Real Grouches" (a parody of Real People).
Roscoe – Oscar the Grouch's cousin who lives in Poughkeepsie, New York.
Sally Messy Yuckayael (performed by Louise Gold) – A Grouch who hosts her own talk show. She is a parody of Sally Jessy Raphael. Her puppet was also used for different AM Monsters.
Sharon Groan (performed by Steve Whitmire) – Sharon Groan appears in The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland as the star of the movie Basically It Stinks and is an unpopular Grouchland celebrity. She is a parody of Sharon Stone and the puppet was also used for a Grouch Ice Cream Customer in the same movie. Her puppet later appeared in Episode 4203 as a spectator of the Squimadega Car Race.
Slam (performed by Stephanie D'Abruzzo) – A Grouch pianist who appears in Episode 3950.
Snow Grouch (performed by Fran Brill) – A Grouch parody of Snow White that appeared in the story "Snow Grouch and the Seven Dwarfs" as seen in Episode 2630.
Spill O'Reilly (performed by Joey Mazzarino) – A Grouch newscaster for the Grouch News Network. He is a parody of Bill O'Reilly.
Swampy (performed by Joey Mazzarino) – A Grouch who appeared in Episode 4104 where she auditioned to be Donald Grump's helper. He is a parody of Kwame Jackson who appeared on the reality series The Apprentice.
Walter Cranky (performed by Martin P. Robinson) – A Grouch newsman. He is a parody of Walter Cronkite.
