- "There's no job too big for this beaver carpenter. He's always eager to lend a helping... limb."
- ―"Collect them All" card info[src]
- "A happy home has all the right hardware for any happenstance!"
- ―The description alliteration in the intros in late season 3-season 5.
Handy is one of the main characters of Happy Tree Friends. He's also a premium character in Deadeye Derby.
Character Bio[]
Handy is an orange beaver with unexplained amputated arms (thus his name). The stumps are covered with bandages. He wears a tool belt (which holds a hammer and a screwdriver in opposites) and a yellow hard hat (the typical attire of most construction workers). He has mostly been portrayed as an adult, though there has been times when he has been portrayed as a child, such as in Happy Trails Pt. 1, in which he is on a school bus with many other characters, and in Remains to be Seen, in which he and some other characters are dressed up and trick or treating on Halloween. His home mostly consists of tools that are operated by hand.
An example of what Handy can build, as seen in Home Is Where the Hurt Is.
Despite his lack of hands, he is still capable of building many things big or small, though he is never actually seen building them in the first place—it's usually off-screen, very similar to Cro-Marmot moving around off-screen (with the exceptions of Wheelin' and Dealin' and Don't Yank My Chain, where he is seen putting the final touches on his race car and steering another car). Usually, whenever he builds something for the female characters, they are pleased and often thank him by hugging him for it, like Petunia from House Warming and Giggles from Home Is Where the Hurt Is. This has led some fans to believe that they have a crush on him and in terms of Petunia, it is correct as both have been in a romantic relationship.
A running gag has Handy always forgetting his lack of hands and scowling at the camera.
Whenever he is actually seen trying to do something which would usually require hands, he fails and pulls a frustrated look and an annoyed grunt at the camera, indicating that he forgot that he doesn't have hands. This has become a running gag in the series. Usually when he finds a compromise, it will lead to his own death and sometimes the death of others. Most of his deaths involve machinery, vehicles, getting cut in half, and his head. As he has bandages on what is left of his arms, it can be assumed that he lost them in a work-related accident. He also seems to feel no shock or remorse at seeing others die or get injured, with the exceptions of Petunia and The Mole. In some instances, he even laughs at the demises of his fellow Tree Friends. Handy is easily agitated, irritated and angered at most of the Tree Friends, indicating that he has a short temper. This can be seen in A Hole Lotta Love.
Handy is often the most abused character in any given episode.
Handy has gained an interest in flying in the TV series, as seen in Who's to Flame?, Gems the Breaks, A Change of Heart, and Hear Today, Gone Tomorrow. Sometimes he stays in the air from when he first appears in the episode until his death. From the episode, In a Jam, it became apparent that he has photosensitive epilepsy, the flashing lights triggering a seizure. This causes his eyes to become nystagmic (moving randomly and uncontrollably), his body to collapse, and triggers a convulsion accompanied by foaming at the mouth.
Similar to Cub, Cuddles, Petunia, Flaky, Lifty, Shifty, Sniffles, and Toothy, Handy rarely survives the episodes he appears in. The only TV episodes he survives in are Hear Today, Gone Tomorrow and Double Whammy Part I. In the internet shorts, he survives House Warming, Spare Me, Happy Trails Pt. 1 (but not part 2), Something Fishy, and By The Seat Of Your Pants. He also survives the HTF Break short Happy New Year.
Handy's Episodes[]
Starring Roles[]Season 1Season 2TV SeriesSeason 3Season 5 |
Featuring Roles[]Season 1Season 2TV Series
Season 3Season 4Shorts |
Appearance Roles[]Season 1Season 2TV Series
Season 3Shorts
Love Bites Roles[]ShortsHTF Break Roles[]Shorts |
Role Count By Season[]
| Season | Number of Starring Roles | Number Of Featuring Roles | Number Of Appearing Roles | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 |
| TV Series | 2 | 10 | 8 | 20 |
| 3 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 8 |
| 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Love Bites Roles | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| HTF Break Roles | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Other episodes | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Total | 11 | 18 | 18 | 47 |
Attempts at Handed Activities and Tasks[]
It is unknown how long ago before the series Handy lost his hands, but regardless of how long he's been without them, to this day he quickly and readily forgets that he doesn't have them. Every time he remembers he needs hands, he gets frustrated and makes his signature scowl.
- He tries to grab in House Warming a hose, in Spare Me a bottle in his eye, in Concrete Solution a fork and a punch card, in Don't Yank My Chain keys, in Shard at Work a light bulb, in No Time Like the Present a present, in Aw, Shucks! a tomato which he ends up dropping, and in A Handy Nanny Cub's pacifier.
- He tries to push a button in Who's to Flame?, Don't Yank My Chain and See You Later, Elevator!.
- He tries to turn a knob to a burning stove in A Handy Nanny.
- He tries to open a door in Concrete Solution and Home Is Where the Hurt Is (both car and normal)
- In A Hole Lotta Love, he gets angry when Pop gets confused by his directions, which is because of a lack of his hands.
- In Double Whammy Part I, he gets angry when Flippy offers him a foam finger when he wins the "test your strength" game, as he doesn't have hands to wear it.
- In House Warming, he tries to catch Petunia when she jumps from her burning house, and in A Handy Nanny, he tries to catch Cub when he jumps off a counter.
Handy's Armless Accomplishments[]
Despite having no arms or hands, Handy has been able to do countless activities that would involve the use of actual hands.
- Numerous episodes: He is seen driving and piloting numerous vehicles, despite his lack of hands.
- In House Warming, Handy builds a treehouse for Petunia, which is then somehow set on fire.
- In Wheelin' and Dealin', Handy puts together his own race car.
- In Spare Me, Handy bowls nine out of ten pins.
- In Happy Trails Pt. 2: Jumping the Shark, he has a part in killing Flaky.
- In The Way You Make Me Wheel, he gives Lumpy's car a new tire.
- In Class Act, Handy somehow manages to crawl to the burning school, without legs. He is also seen holding hands with two generic tree friends (though this might have been a goof).
- In The Wrong Side of the Tracks, Handy throws a ring on a peg in a ring toss game.
- In From Hero to Eternity, he shovels all of the snow of his driveway.
- In Don't Yank My Chain, he and The Mole somehow climb out of a well. He also pushes the button to turn off the giant saw using his head.
- In Concrete Solution, he pours his own block of wet cement.
- In Who's to Flame?, Handy somehow manages to control his helicopter and what it drops and picks up without even touching the controls.
- In Gems the Breaks, he is seen piloting an airplane.
- In See What Develops, it's implied that Handy had a part in the construction of the new supermarket. He also set up the banner for its opening.
- In Home Is Where the Hurt Is, Handy builds a house for Giggles, which quickly falls apart and opens several doors.
- In Aw, Shucks!, Handy grew a large tomato, but ends up dropping it at the contest.
- In Hear Today, Gone Tomorrow, Handy is seen piloting a helicopter.
- In Double Whammy Part I, Handy wins a "test your strength" game.
- In A Bit of a Pickle, Handy paints the street with white streaks.
- In No Time Like the Present, he somehow grabs a saw from a toolbox and saws a circle in his floor.
- In Pet Peeve, he climbs out of a hole, despite being stuck from the head.
- In A Handy Nanny, Handy somehow sets a pot filled with boiling water on a stove and places a baby bottle inside. Later he successfully manages to place Cub in his crib, gave him milk to drink and sets up a fan to cool his swelling face.
- In Too Much Scream Time, Handy closes the bathroom door stall he was in.
Occupations and Careers[]
Handy working hard at construction.
- For more information, see List of Occupations
- Architect - House Warming; Home Is Where the Hurt Is
- Race-car Driver - Wheelin' and Dealin'
- Student - Happy Trails Pt. 1 and Happy Trails Pt. 2: Jumping the Shark
- Auto Repairman - The Way You Make Me Wheel; Blind Date
- Construction Worker - Concrete Solution
- Emergency Rescue Squad Member - Who's to Flame?; Hear Today, Gone Tomorrow
- Underground construction worker - A Hole Lotta Love
- Banner Setter-upper - See What Develops
- Driving Instructor - Easy Comb, Easy Go
- Drummer - In a Jam
- Lumberjack - Milk Pong
- Road-Line Painter - A Bit of a Pickle
- Nanny - A Handy Nanny
- Train track construction worker - Happy Train Friends
Fates[]
Deaths[]
Seen on Computer and TV[]
- Wheelin' and Dealin': Hits an ambulance, getting his lower half ripped off by his cart and having his intestines fall out.
- Happy Trails Pt. 2: Jumping the Shark: Dies when the rocket he is in hits the sun and explodes.
- Class Act: Dies in an explosion.
- The Way You Make Me Wheel: Gets his organs forced out of his mouth and gets wrapped around a tire due to Lumpy accidentally putting his car in reverse.
- Shard at Work: Drowns to death in a fish bowl.
All of this just for changing a light bulb.
- Remains to be Seen:
- Blind Date: Is cut in half by an engine lid when The Mole's car bumps into the truck he is working on.
- YouTube Live Episode: Is either killed by Fliqpy or the claw. (Death not seen, confirmed by Kenn Navarro)
- The Wrong Side of the Tracks: Is cut in half by glass tunnel shards.
- From Hero to Eternity: Gets his head cut in half by a slab of ice.
- Ipso Fatso: Gets his face bashed by a chunk of concrete.
- Don't Yank My Chain: Is smashed against a tunnel while being dragged along the outside of a train.
With a disturbingly detailed face like this one, you know there's no chance of survival.
- Doggone It: Is killed by a giant squid. (Death not seen, confirmed by Warren Graff)
- Concrete Solution: Gets shot in the back of the head with a nail gun by Lumpy, who then pushes him down in wet concrete and suffocates him.
- Who's to Flame?: Is shredded by his helicopter's propeller.
- Dunce Upon a Time: Gets his head cracked open with a nutcracker by Giant Lumpy.
- Gems the Breaks: Is disintegrated by Splendid's heat vision.
- A Change of Heart: Dies in a plane crash with a whale. (Death not seen)
- A Hole Lotta Love: Suffocates from a gas leak when Pop and Sniffles drill through a gas pipe.
The evidence is concrete - this was definitely painful. (Sorry for the bad pun)
- See What Develops: Falls from a string he is hanging from and smashes to pieces on the ground.
- Home Is Where the Hurt Is: Gets his head pierced by a nail in a loose plank.
- Aw, Shucks!: Gets crushed by a huge piece of popcorn. (Death not seen)
- A Sight for Sore Eyes: Gets his head mowed by The Mole.
Handy, you had plenty of time to get down.
- Wipe Out!: Has all his organs fly out of his body after The Mole unzips a zipper caught in his flesh.
- Easy Comb, Easy Go: Is impaled by Flaky's quills.
- In a Jam: Suffers a seizure, falls off stage, and has his head cut in half by cymbals in his mouth.
- Wrath of Con: Is crushed by the force of Splendid's breath.
- I Nub You: Flies apart after being sewn to Petunia, thanks to Petunia's pet bird.
- A Bit of a Pickle: Gets his head run over by his own truck.
- See You Later, Elevator: Dies in a fiery explosion.
- Claw: Is either killed by Fliqpy or the claw. (Death not seen, confirmed by Kenn Navarro)
- My Better Half: Is sliced in half by a saw, along with Petunia.
- Breaking Wind: Is poisoned by Splendid's gas.
- No Time Like the Present: Is forced through a hole.
Stretching is good for your body. Well, unless this happens.
- Pet Peeve: Is run over by The Mole's van.
- A Handy Nanny: His upper body is shredded by the blades of a fan.
- Too Much Scream Time: Is impaled by an arrow.
- Happy Train Friends: Beheaded after being hit by a train sign.
Additional[]
- Overkill DVD box set: Is killed by Flippy's bomb. (Debatable and death not seen)
- August 2005 Calendar: Probably dies the same death as in Happy Trails Pt. 2: Jumping the Shark.
- Fall Harvest Wallpaper: Falls to his death. (Death not seen)
- Unnamed Merry-go-round Wallpaper: Is flung off a merry-go-round.(Death not seen)
- Unnamed Wallpaper: Is killed when Flippy's dynamite explodes. (Death not seen)
- Work Is Such A Buzz Kill: Is sliced in half by a power saw blade.
- So Wrong It´s Right Poster: Gets his head bashed by Lumpy's bat.
- Dumb Ways to Die: Has a lightbulb he is using to replace another shatter in his mouth while the gas is on.
- Deadeye Derby: Like most characters, he could be hit with various slingshots, eventually killing him and pushing his damaged body off the cart, hitting and bouncing off the ground.
Seen in Comics[]
- The Choke's On You: Chokes on an apple and gets his organs squeezed out of his mouth when Splendid tries to perform the Heimlich Maneuver on him.
Injuries[]
Seen on Computer and TV[]
- Lost both of his hands prior to the series. (Permanent)
- House Warming: Is slightly burned when he kicks a bucket full of gas onto a flaming Petunia.
- Spare Me: Loses his right eye after a bowling ball forces a bottle inside his eye socket.
- Happy Trails pt. 2: Jumping the Shark: (Before death) His head boils from the heat of the sun.
- Class Act: Loses both of his feet during a stampede to escape a burning schoolhouse.
- Remains to be Seen: Gets his lower half ripped out. (As a zombie)
- The Way You Make Me Wheel: (Before death) Is crushed between Lumpy's car and his tow truck.
- Shard at Work:
- Gets glass shards in his mouth, back, and foot when a light bulb in his mouth breaks and he falls to the ground.
- Handy impales his foot on a sharp piece of glass.
- Don't Yank My Chain:
- Is beaten by Lumpy.
- Is battered when he falls into a gorge.
- Hits his chin on the edge of a well.
- Is suffocated by a chain.
- Sinks in water when he is in a river.
- Has his leg worn down to the bone from dragging a heavy ball and The Mole's corpse.
- Has his tail and back shredded off when he is dragged by a train.
- Concrete Solution:
- Gets dizzy after he climbs out of his car.
- Is shot in the back of the head with a nail gun.
- Dunce Upon a Time: Gets his head hit repeatedly against a pot, making him dizzy.
- See What Develops: Has his upper lip torn off when he hangs from a string by his mouth for too long.
- In a Jam:
- Gets a seizure caused by flashing lights, making him foam at the mouth.
- He chips his buckteeth when Sniffles puts a pair of cymbals in his mouth to keep him from biting off his tongue.
- Wrath of Con:
- Has his ears ruptured by Splendid's voice.
- Has his whole body set on fire.
- Suffocates from a lack of oxygen.
- I Nub You: His flesh and organs are formed into pin-like shapes after getting crushed by a pinsetter.
- No Time Like the Present:
- Gets his foot stabbed with a knife.
- Gets his body compressed into a hole.
- By the Seat of Your Pants: Gets his legs severed by Fliqpy.
Who knew Handy would lose both his arms and legs?
- A Handy Nanny:
Additional[]
- TV Series Volume 4 cover: Is burned by an explosion after his blowtorch falls on some gasoline.
- Spring Ahead March 2007 Calendar: Gets his eye impaled out of his head by a spring.
- Dumb Ways to Die: Gets his mouth pierced by glass when a light bulb explodes in it.
- TV series volume 7 DVD: Is set on fire, is cut by pieces of a gas canister, gets a fuel tank lodged in eye, and gets his foot stabbed by screwdriver.
- The Crackpet Show: His head and tip of his tail explode (like his death in Dunce Upon a Time).
Number of Kills[]
| Character | Number of Times Killed | Episodes |
|---|---|---|
| Giggles | 1 | Home Is Where the Hurt Is |
| Toothy | 1 | Breaking Wind (Along with Splendid) |
| Lumpy | 5 | Blind Date (Along with The Mole) Don't Yank My Chain No Time Like the Present Milk Pong (Along with The Mole) (Ending 2) Home Is Where the Hurt Is |
| Flaky | 2 | Happy Trails Pt. 2: Jumping the Shark (Along with Flippy, Lumpy, and Sniffles) Wipe Out! |
| The Mole | 4 | Don't Yank My Chain Home Is Where the Hurt Is (Along with Lumpy) No Time Like the Present (Along with Lumpy) The Carpal Tunnel of Love (Along with Lumpy) |
| Russell | 1 | Who's to Flame? |
| Lifty | 2 | Who's to Flame? Don't Yank My Chain |
| Shifty | 2 | Who's to Flame? Don't Yank My Chain |
| Mime | 3 | Home Is Where the Hurt Is See What Develops Brake the Cycle (Along with Toothy) |
| Generic Tree Friends | 1 | The Co-Pilot in A Change of Heart |
| Other | 3 | A Whale from A Change of Heart Botch from Happy Train Friends (along with Lumpy) The Cursed Idol from Who's to Flame? (Debatable) (Along with The Mole and Petunia) |
Handy accidentally has The Mole killed.
Additional[]
Games[]
- Deadeye Derby: Kills Cuddles, Toothy, Flaky, Nutty, Giggles, Petunia, himself, Disco Bear, Splendid, Sniffles, Lifty, Shifty, Russell, a giant squid, and Fliqpy by flinging rocks at them with a slingshot.
- Run and Bun: Kills Lumpy by bumping into him and having his body sliced in half by his car door or by impaling his body on numerous spikes. He can also kill Cub, Sniffles, Cro-Marmot, and Lumpy's elephant.
Episodes Survived by Season[]
| Season/Total | Number of Appearances | Deaths | Survived | Survival Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 75% |
| 2 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0% |
| TV Series | 20 | 18 | 2 | 10% |
| 3 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 25% |
| 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| Love Bites | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| HTF Break | 2 | 1 | 1 | 50% |
| Other Episodes | 4 | 3 | 1 | 25% |
| Total | 47 | 38 | 9 | 19.15% |
Survival Rate[]
- Internet series: 25%
- Breaks & Love Bites: 33.33%
- TV series: 10%, the lowest out of all the characters alongside Nutty.
- Total Rate: 19.15%
![[src]](/wiki/File:Handy%27s_Collect_Them_All_Card.png){kind=link}
