Recycled puppets

Lenny the Lizard.

Wendell Wizard.

The Muppet universe frequently requires large numbers of one-shot characters. Thanks to the enormous library of puppets at the Muppet team's disposal, this end is frequently met by passing a minor or background character (sometimes one from a different series) to another performer and giving it a new name and personality.

Sometimes the puppet is identical from situation to situation (as with Joe the Armadillo from Kermit's Swamp Years and Annette from Bear in the Big Blue House); sometimes it is simply re-costumed (The Muppet Show's Shakey Sanchez became Princess Lulabelle on Mopatop's Shop through the addition of a hat and dress); and sometimes the puppet itself is modified (Taminella Grinderfall's fang was removed and hair was added when she became Tommy in commercials for Kern's Bakery).

The concept is taken to its logical extreme in the Anything Muppets, Whatnots, and Unisaurs, who are endlessly recycled as different characters and frequently have changeable facial features.

Puppets passed around in this manner occasionally acquire stable identities when the right combination of performer and writer comes along. Snarl, the Cigar Box Frackle, was an unimportant character from The Great Santa Claus Switch, but that puppet rose to stardom when recycled as a Muppet Show performance artist named Gonzo. Similarly, the furry red puppet used for a minor Sesame Street character named Baby Monster was recycled a decade later to become the show's ultra-popular Elmo, while the Wheel-Stealer puppet used for the Wheels, Crowns and Flutes commercials was recycled into Sesame Street's famous Cookie Monster.

Recycled Puppets

• Shakey Sanchez and Princess Lulabelle
• Lenny the Lizard and Wendell Wizard
• Little Bird and Turbo Theo
• Beautiful Day Monster and Crown-Grabber
• Wheel-Stealer and Cookie Monster
• Big Bad Wolf and Jackman Wolf
• Maurice Monster, Kermit the Gorf, and Elmo Mondiporg
• Ingrid, Frieda, Juliet, and Mona Monster
• King Goshposh, King Louie, and King Rupert the Second
• Taminella Grinderfall and Tommy
• Prime Minister, Fred, and mad scientist from Shrinkenstein
• Earl and Fierce Flaggerdragon
• Anthony and Professor Hugh Mungous
• Yorick and Palace Guard
• Blustering Bellowpane Monster, Singalotti, and Green Monster
• The Beast and Rude Dude
• Philo and Mabel
• Elmo and Baby Monster
• Lyle the Dog, Colonel Claghound, and All-Dog Network Announcer
• Ballerina Pig and Sweetums Pig
• Grouch Ice Cream Customer and Sharon Groan
• Jacques Roach and Yves St. La Roache
• Hillary the Owl, Timothy the Owl, and Omar the Owl
• Featherstone and The Queen
• Winny and Claudia Bird
• Dooley the Armadillo, Annette, Joe the Armadillo, and Mr. Dillo
• Mad Dog and Bowser
• Bugsy Them and Bruno
• Bubba the Bartender and Scratch McCollie
• Pavlov the Pug Dog and Piddles
• Terri Springer and Mrs. Flibbertigibbet
• Poison Cackler and Jo Beth Garfdoohoo
• Big Mean Carl, Carla the Big Mean Mom, Chairman Budget, and The Glox
• Boo Monster and Flunky
• Tug Monster, Do Re Mi Monster, and Musician
• Statler and Astoria
• Snarl and Gonzo
• Snivelly, Droop, Abel, Nincompoop, and Zeke
• Skreet, Professor Ape, Jackie the Orangutan and Lawrence the Orangutan
• Big Head, Opera Singer (Sesame Street), and The Blimp
• Clarissa, Loni Dunne, and Denise
• Roxie Marie and Griotte
• Narf and Yoyo
• Karina the Ballerina and Olive
• Mary Louise and Grump
• H. Ross Parrot and Poco Loco
• Food and Zsa Zsa Porkmustard
• Mulch and Composta Heap
• Carter and Faversham
• The Christmas Turkey and Mr. Warble
• Wolfram Wolf and Piratenkapitän Wolfdietrich Säbelmeier
• Kenner Gooney Bird, Little Bird, Turbo Theo, and Mats
• Flower-Eating Monster and Flatcap Frankie
• Luncheon Counter Monster, Coach Gruesome, Fierce Monster, and Sea Monster
• Miss Kitty and Thudge McGerk
• Alfonso D'Bruzzo and Polly Wanna Cracker
• Leapovitch the Frog and Mavis the Frog
• Kasey the Kangaroo and Sheila the Kangaroo
• Chuck the Lion, Malcolm the Lion, Lazlo, and Lydon the Lion
• Flora the Koala, Guy, Kevin Koala, and Boris the Bath Buddy
• Hector the Spider Monkey and Mickey the Monkey
• Lenny the Gorilla, Gilda the Gorilla, Mary the Gorilla, and Monty
• Paul the Pelican and Carol Croon
• Victor the Rattlesnake, Kiki the Rattlesnake, and Rex the Rattlesnake
• Captain Woof and Dermot
• Big V and Shrinkenstein
• Big Old Bullfrog and Bufo the Toad
• Ms. Henrietta Vanderpeen and Lydia the Ostrich
• Randall the Zebra and Ice Station Zebra
• Gnu, Frankie the Wildebeest, King Gnu, Galloping Gordon
• Lois and Milton the Blue-Footed Booby
• Watson and Moe Cocker
• Zondra and Darci
• Vicki and Scary Mary
• Socks the Cat and Frecklehead
• Lindbergh and Clive the Kiwi
• Leon and Gingrich the Newt
• Snook and Stinky the Skunk
• Shelley the Turtle, Jiffy, and Seymour
• Billy and Sue and The RX Twins
• Gills Brothers and The Gargles
• Butch, Joseph, and Mrs. Tiger
• Quongo and Miss Corner
• Mudwell the Mudbunny, Flash Harry, and Rudy Monster
• Murray, Mr. Seed, Gloop, and Brian
• Begoony, Clicksnizz and Granny Rose
• Aretha and Huffy Monster
• Swifty the Cheetah and Bradley
• Snorty and Ollie
• Magda, Roley Moley, and Miss Leaf
• Twitch and others in Episode 405: Rockin' Rocko
• Yeager and Spank
• Bunnie Bear and Max Bear
• Philo, Mabel and Magic Teeny
• Young Monster and Pappy Popper
• Monica the Musk Ox and Mr. Yak
• Humphrey and Potto
• Homer Honker and Murray Beethoven
• Betty Lou, Helen Happy and Lucy Jones