20 characters that could only exist in a Wes Anderson movie

Probably Gwyneth Paltrow's best cinematic performance, Margot is the artistic one of the Tenenbaum kids. A child prodigy playwright (just like Max Fischer!) who never gets the affection of Royal and is constantly reminded that she's adopted. Margot is excellent at keeping secrets – her smoking habit, her past lovers, her journey to meet her birth family – but their weight has taken its toll on her.

If you've ever wondered what Jacques Cousteau would be like if he became irrelevant, broke, and overall disillusioned with living, all you'd have to do is watch "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou" and you'd get just that. Bill Murray portrays the titular Zissou with such ennui, it's as the kids say – "chef's kiss" – perfection. 

It's kind of crazy that Ed Norton wasn't in a Wes Anderson movie until "Moonrise Kingdom." The actor's first forray into this cinematic twee-niverse was to play Scoutmaster Ward, leader of the Camp Ivanhoe Khaki Scouts. Norton's demeanor is perfect for leading a group of boy scouts glamping in designer tents.

Chas Tenenbaum (Ben Stiller) might be the most emotionally traumatized character in the entire Wes Anderson universe. Not only did his father prefer his brother over him – Royal would only take Richie in his excursions – but he also betrayed and shot him with a BB gun when they were supposed to be on the same team. On top of that, his wife died in a plane crash and now he's raising two boys by himself, constantly worried about their well-being. An unrelated aside, Chas and his kids wear matching red Adidas track suits.

Ralph Fiennes plays M. Gustave, the concierge of the Grand Budapest hotel that goes out of his way to make his guests feel like all their needs have been met. That's especially true for older female guests. 

In "Rushmore," Max Fischer (Jason Schwartzman), a poor kid and son of a barber, earned his entrance to the prestigious Rushmore Academy by writing a promising play as a child. And what does he do with that opportunity? He partakes in as many extracurricular activities as possible; the more esoteric the better. Thanks to a montage set to The Creation's "Making Time" (a Wes Anderson staple – a slo-mo montage paired with British Invasion songs that shows the audience what his characters are all about in lieu of providing exposition), we learn that Max Fischer is not only the publisher of "The Yankee Review," he's also the president of the Rushmore Beekeepers.

Men craving fatherly love has become a Wes Anderson archetype. The best of these is Klaus Daimler, the German first mate of the Belafonte played by Willem Dafoe in "The Life Aquatic with Zissou." Klaus stands out because he looks like a no nonsense guy – you can just tell he could hold his own in a brawl – but really, all he wants is for Steve Zissou to tell him he loves him and that he's proud of him. 

Our first introduction to the youngest of "The Darjeeling Limited's" Whitman brothers actually came in the short "Hotel Chevalier," which served as the movie's prologue. In it, we learn that Jack, a writer, has been living in the French hotel for an extended period of time (we later learned, it's because he's been dealing with his father's death). Jack is also dealing with remnant feelings for his ex. In short, he's basically a J.D. Salinger character, and no director other than Wes Anderson could bring someone like him to life.

Magnus Buchan is Rushmore Academy's resident bully. The Scottish Buchan is constantly brutalizing Max Fischer. We later learn that the antipathy stems from his desire to be part of Max Fischer's crew. Even bullies have hearts of gold in Wes Anderson movies.

In "Moonrise Kingdom," Bruce Willis plays Duffy Sharp, captain of Island Police. Life in New Penzance is slow, and Sharp keeps his time busy secretly having an affair with Mrs. Bishop. We don't really know much about Captain Sharp, but you can tell he's seen some stuff in the past. Also, as we learn later on in the film, he's got a soft spot for orphans who deserve a second chance.

Jeff Goldblum is a national treasure. He's also the only human being on this planet that could portray Alistair Hennessey, a much more handsome and successful version of Steve Zissou. Unlike the Belafonte, Hennessey's research vessel is a freakin' yacht.

In "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou," Brazilian musician Seu Jorge plays Pelé dos Santos, the Belafonte's safety expert. But really, Pelé dos Santos exists solely for one reason: to play guitar renditions of David Bowie classics in Portuguese.

Zero Moustafa (Tony Revolori) is the bellboy of the Grand Budapest Hotel and faithful sidekick to M. Gustave. Wes Anderson doesn't have the best track record when it comes to writing characters of color – just ask Whoopi Goldberg – so it's actually refreshing to see him make one of them a central character in "The Grand Budapest Hotel."

In "Moonrise Kingdom," Tilda Swinton plays "social services" – yes, that's really her character's name in the script – a woman who has come to take Sam away to a group home. It's inspired casting, really. Tilda Swinton has that alien, un-emotive vibe to her that makes her perfect for the role.

Bill Murray is a longtime staple in the Wes Anderson Universe, and he's been fantastic in every role no matter how small. Raleigh St. Clair is only a minor player in the "The Royal Tenenbaums," but easily the funniest character in every scene. A neurologist and Margot's husband, Raleigh St. Clair is a neurologist who has difficulty experiencing actual emotions, so he reacts in a way he thinks a normal person would in a given situation.  

The other two Whitman brothers share a spot on this list because they play a big role in the most Wes Anderson scene ever. At the end of "The Darjeeling Limited," the three brothers, with their spiritual journey completed, run towards a train (in slow motion, as The Kinks' "Powerman" plays, because of course) and shed their emotional baggage by quite literally getting rid of their suitcases and bags. What makes this uniquely Andersonian is that the luggage happens to be custom-made Louis Vitton.  

The world of Wes Anderson movies is a place that's very similar to our world – people die, bad things happen – but the severity of reality and consequences is never something that really factors into the character's thinking. Take Dignan from "Bottle Rocket," a goofy and sweet-hearted simpleton who aspires to be a successful heist artist.

Kumar Pallana was a former plate-spinner and yoga instructor who opened a coffee shop in Dallas, Texas called the Cosmic Cup. Wes Anderson was a frequent patron, and when he made his first movie, he chose to cast Pallana in it. Pallana would appear in several of Anderson's films, but the one people remember him the most is for "The Royal Tenenbaums," where he played Pagoda, a former hitman who stabs Royal Tenenbaum (Gene Hackman) but later takes him to the hospital. Since then, he's been the Tenenbeaum's servant.

A former literary rock star in the vein of Cormac McCarthy who's not struggling to replicate his earlier success, Eli Cash (Owen Wilson) is the other Tenenbaum kid who's not an actual Tenenbaum – he grew up next to them. Like his best friend Richie, Eli is also in love with Margot. Oh yeah, and he's got a mescaline problem. 

Wes Anderson's track record of creating multi-dimensional female characters isn't the best, and that's perfectly exemplified by "The Grand Budapest Hotel's" Agatha. Here is everything you really need to know about her: she's Zero's wife, she makes cakes, and she has a Mexico-shaped birthmark on her face. Why the birthmark? In an interview, Saoirse Ronan said that when she asked Anderson about it, the director essentially said just because, which if you think about it, is the most Wes Anderson thing ever.