Fred Jones (Scooby-Doo)

Character description

Fred typically wears a white or blue shirt with blue pants. In the original series, his outfit includes an orange ascot tie, a blue shirt, and a white sweater. The 1990s direct-to-video films show him in a light blue shirt, while What's New, Scooby-Doo? updates his look by replacing the orange ascot with a blue stripe. He frequently builds Rube Goldberg traps for villains, which Scooby-Doo or Shaggy often trigger accidentally, leading to capture by other means.

Fred usually takes charge of solving mysteries and often pairs with Daphne for clue searches, sometimes leaving Velma with Shaggy and Scooby. Though generally kind, he can be bossy, compelling Shaggy and Scooby to confront villains despite their fears. According to Scooby-Doo: Behind the Scenes, his childhood nickname was Pickle, he was voted Best Looking in school, and he once performed in a troupe before focusing on mysteries. His drama training aids him in understanding villains' minds.

Daphne mentions that Fred sings songs from Show Boat to calm the group when scared. He aspires to become a famous mystery writer. In A Pup Named Scooby-Doo, Fred is less intelligent, believes in conspiracy theories, and reads The National Exaggerator, often blaming crimes on Red Herring. In What's New, Scooby-Doo?, his teenage self has interests in traps, martial arts, wrestling, and weightlifting.

In Scooby-Doo: Mystery Incorporated, his interests narrow to traps and solving mysteries, though he later develops feelings for Daphne and dates her.

Development

Fred Jones was inspired by the title character of the sitcom The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, played by Dwayne Hickman. Early concept art for Who's S-S-Scared? depicted Fred with brown hair. Originally named Ronnie when production began in spring 1969, he was renamed after Fred Silverman, then head of daytime programming at CBS. Frank Welker, a young comedian and impressionist, auditioned for Fred after intending to try out for Scooby-Doo and Shaggy; Casey Kasem, cast as Shaggy, had originally wanted to voice Fred.

This role launched Welker's prolific voice career, with Scooby-Doo being his first voice acting job. Fred has two different first names: Frederick in Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated and Scooby-Doo! Haunted Holidays, and Fredward in Scooby-Doo!

Adventures: The Mystery Map. In a 2012 Reddit IAmA, Shaggy actor Matthew Lillard revealed that the original cut of the 2002 Scooby-Doo film portrayed Fred as gay, with Freddie Prinze Jr. acting accordingly. In Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated, Fred's adoptive father Fred Jones Sr. was revealed to have kidnapped him as a child; his biological parents Brad Chiles and Judy Reeves later returned, but Fred kept the Jones surname.

In the series finale, a universe restart places Fred with his biological parents, leaving his last name unspecified. In Aloha, Scooby-Doo!, his middle name is Herman. Unlike other gang members, Fred has no catchphrase for expressing shock. Head writer Mitch Watson stated in a 2020 interview that the Mystery Incorporated version was written as slightly on the spectrum, though this was never stated in the series.

Relatives

Fred's relatives include Mayor Fred Jones Sr., his adoptive father in Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated, voiced by Gary Cole. In Scooby-Doo! Pirates Ahoy!, his parents are Skip and Peggy Jones, voiced by Tim Conway and Edie McClurg. His biological parents in Mystery Incorporated are Brad Chiles and Judy Reeves, voiced by Tim Matheson and Tia Carrere.

Other uncles include the Count von Jones, who lives in a castle near a coffin factory and runs a museum; Uncle Karl, who runs a cheese shop near Lake Michigan and is stronger at bench-pressing; an uncle in the Air Force; and an uncle who is first cymbalist in the Marine Corps band. A three-year-old nephew is mentioned in a New Scooby-Doo Movies episode. Unmasked. In Be Cool, Scooby-Doo!, his father is Donald Jones, alias Professor Huh?.