Snake: Springfield's repeat offender

Always arrested, never in prison for long: Snake is the most elusive — and the most laid-back — criminal in Springfield.

A stickup man, a car thief and a chronic repeat offender, he nonetheless hides a surprisingly respectable past. Here is his profile.

Who is Snake?

Snake is the repeat-offending criminal of Springfield: constantly arrested by Chief Wiggum's police force, he never stays behind bars for long. He is recognizable by his laid-back, casual way of talking, California-valley "dude" style. His real name was first revealed as Chester Turley — even if the show then has fun giving him others, more improbable still.

🔒 Constantly arrested by Chief Wiggum, Snake never stays behind bars long enough to settle in; you, on the other hand, have all the time in the world to settle in at home, deep in your armchair and propped up against our Simpsons cushions.

A chronic repeat offender

His specialties: holdups (the Kwik-E-Mart, the Krusty Burger) and car thefts of every kind. A wink from the writers: his inmate number at Springfield Penitentiary, 7F20, is the production code of his very first episode. Despite his repeated stints inside, Snake remains a fixture of the town's criminal scenery — much to the frustration of the two officers tasked with catching him.

👟 Snake holds up the Kwik-E-Mart and steals cars of every kind; you walk to your local corner store and actually pay for your groceries, wearing our Simpsons shoes.

A past as an idealistic archaeologist

Surprise: Snake was not always a crook. The show reveals (in a season 17 episode) that he was once an idealistic archaeologist, before turning to crime — out of "payback against society" — after Moe stole from him some Mayan gold coins he meant to give to a museum. He also has a son, Jeremy, who looks exactly like him and whom he initiates into burglary.

🏺 Moe stole the Mayan gold coins that Snake the archaeologist meant to give to a museum; our Simpsons figures, on the other hand, really do end up on display, on the shelf in your bedroom.

Snake's voice actors

In the original version, Snake is voiced by Hank Azaria, who gives him his inimitable laid-back tone. On the French side, sources contradict one another about exactly who played him over the seasons — the character's French version is not clearly established.

Summary table

FAQ

• Who is Snake in The Simpsons?
  Springfield's recurring criminal, a stickup man and car thief, always arrested but never kept in prison for long.
• What is Snake's real name?
  Chester Turley, even if the show gives him other names as the episodes go by, purely for the gag.
• Has Snake always been a criminal?
  No: the show reveals that he was an idealistic archaeologist before turning to crime.
• Who voices Snake in the original version?
  Hank Azaria.

Conclusion

Laid-back, elusive and more complex than he seems, Snake is the perfect recurring criminal for Springfield. Behind the easygoing stickup man hides a disillusioned idealist — a contrast that is the whole of his charm.