Snoopy

Snoopy is one of the central characters in the comic strip Peanuts by American cartoonist Charles M. Schulz. He also appears in all of the Peanuts films and television specials. Debuting in the strip on October 4, 1950, the original drawings of Snoopy were inspired by Spike, one of Schulz's childhood dogs.

A largely anthropomorphic beagle, Snoopy is nearly the polar opposite of his owner, Charlie Brown: he is capable in multiple areas, quick-witted, imaginative, and independent. Snoopy usually spends his days sleeping flat on top of his doghouse or engaging in flights of fancy. This includes pretending to be a World War I flying ace who is the archenemy of the Red Baron, writing essays and short stories on his typewriter, and trying to romance the different neighborhood kids (with the main object of his affections being Lucy Van Pelt, who is disgusted by him). Snoopy is also known for his large family, rivalry with Linus Van Pelt over the latter's blanket, friendship with Peppermint Patty (who, due to his anthropomorphism, believes him to be a "funny-looking kid with [a] big nose" for years), and longstanding best-friendship with the yellow bird Woodstock.

Though anthropomorphic, Snoopy is incapable of diegetic speech. In the strip, he is given thought bubbles that showcase his inner thoughts, but these are removed in the majority of external media. In the specials, Snoopy's vocal effects were done by series producer Bill Melendez; following Melendez's death, his voice has been used via archival recordings on all subsequent films and specials.

Snoopy is widely considered the franchise's breakout character. He has become one of the most recognizable and iconic comic strip characters of all time, and is considered more famous than Charlie Brown in some countries.