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These 16 characters from film, television and comics are known by a number, a numbered designation or a familiar numerical code—not merely by an incidental serial number. Some keep the label; others later receive or choose a conventional name.
Lauren Davis’s 2009 io9 list uses a specific boundary: a number must function as a character’s name or familiar form of address. It leaves out alphanumeric names such as R2-D2, serial numbers that characters are not generally called by, and names that only translate to a number in another language. The examples below follow that distinction. Read the original list at io9.
Characters known by a number or numbered designation
| Character | Work and medium | How the number functions | Another name |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number One | Star Trek, television | First officer of the Enterprise in the original pilot, “The Cage,” and “The Menagerie.” | The novel Vulcan’s Glory suggests Number One was her actual name, according to Davis’s article. |
| Number 5 | Short Circuit, film | Robot prototype number; after becoming self-aware, the character chooses a name. | Johnny Five |
| Fifth | Stargate SG-1, television | A human-form Replicator described as the fifth of its kind created on Halla. | Not stated in Davis’s article. |
| V | V for Vendetta, comic | Single-letter Roman numeral designation. The article links it to the numeral on the door of V’s room at Larkhill, where he was experimented on, as a likely origin. | Not stated in Davis’s article. |
| Number Six | The Prisoner, television | A number assigned to a resident of the Village. Number Six rejects the idea that he is a number rather than a free man. | The article suggests he may also be known by another number. |
| The Cylons’ numbered models, including the Sixes | Battlestar Galactica, television | Numbers identify humanoid Cylon models; individual Sixes may also have human names. | Natalie, Caprica, Shelly and Gina are examples the article gives for individual Sixes. |
| Seven of Nine | Star Trek: Voyager, television | Borg designation retained as a familiar name after leaving the Collective. | Formerly Annika Hansen; she prefers the shortened designation, Seven. |
| Eight | The Specials, film | Name for a hive mind made up of eight independently acting bodies sharing one consciousness. | Not stated in Davis’s article. |
| Thirteen | House, television | Number assigned to Dr. Remy Hadley during House’s fellowship selection process; she continues using it on the team. | Remy Hadley |
| Henchmen 21 and 24 | The Venture Bros., television | Numbers used to address the Monarch’s henchmen. | Henchman 21 is called Gary by his mother; another name for Henchman 24 is not stated in the article. |
| 84 | P.S. 238, comic | Julie Finster’s number; the article says she is the 84th person with her particular grouping of powers. | Julie Finster |
| Agent 99 | Get Smart, television | Spy identification and familiar form of address. | Her real name is not revealed to Maxwell Smart, according to the article. |
| Agent 355 | Y: The Last Man, comic | Agent’s code number, used as her name in the story. | Her name is not revealed to the reader in Davis’s account. |
| Experiment 626 | Lilo & Stitch, film | Experiment designation for the being who escapes to Earth. | Lilo names the character Stitch. |
| 1812 | Farscape, television | DRD robot’s number is connected to the 1812 Overture, which Crichton teaches it to play, rather than a serial designation. | Not stated in Davis’s article. |
| Subject 781227 | Kyle XY, television | Serial-style subject number assigned by the company funding the research that created him. | Kyle Trager |
What the numbers mean in these stories
The labels do different jobs. Some mark a place in a group or hierarchy, as with Number One, Fifth and the Cylon models. Others are institutional designations, such as Experiment 626 and Subject 781227. Agent 99 and Agent 355 use numbers as spy identifiers, while V’s Roman numeral is tied to a specific place in his history. For Number 5, the designation gives way to a name the character chooses; Stitch and Kyle Trager likewise become the names used after their original labels.
What counts as a character with a number for a name?
The boundary matters because many fictional characters have digits in a name or file number without being called by that number. Davis’s list is about recognizable numerical names and forms of address, not every character associated with a number. That is why it includes Agent 99 but excludes alphanumeric names such as R2-D2, and why the serial number for Kyle Trager qualifies only in the context of his initial identity as Subject 781227.
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The 16 examples are the scope of Davis’s 2009 article, not a complete or current census of characters with numerical names. Its opening reference to the animated film 9 reflects the article’s publication context, not a release recommendation.
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