Cast and Characters
Elijah Wood as 9, the final creation of the scientist. 9 is a sincere, kind, and honest stitchpunk who carries the Scientist's true human qualities: bravery and courage. He is the last to be created as the Scientist dies immediately after he transferred his spirit to him and the last to awaken. 9 asks many questions, a few of which 1 declares "pointless." He makes mistakes, but all in all, he has a good heart and does the right thing. He also has a crush on 7.
Fred Tatasciore as 8, who came into being for the purpose of protecting the stitchpunks from the evil machine uprising. He wields the metal core of a kitchen utility knife and a scissor blade. The none-too-bright muscle and enforcer of the group, 8 bullies some of the others (i.e. at one point he steps on and ruins one of 6's drawings, etc.)
Jennifer Connelly as 7. A brave, dexterous and self-sufficient warrior, 7 is the group's sole female. A fiercely independent adventuress, she has been out patrolling the wasteland. To survive, she has adapted, finding the bones of a deceased bird and crafting her signature skull helmet. 7 is made of canvas; she is also graceful, kind, and caring, although overall she is a complete warrior, once seen taking down a machine all by herself. She shows a more weak and vulnerable side towards the end. She has a crush on 9.
Crispin Glover as 6, a reclusive and eccentric artist. Unlike the others, he constantly sees visions, and he repeatedly draws what he sees, which most include the talisman. He constantly mumbles about "going back to the source" but, being very difficult to understand, 6 is often dismissed. He also (as 3 and 4 sometimes do) acts somewhat like a younger child (like when he is trying to catch a piece of ash from the church fire). His fingertips are made of pen nibs, stained by ink. He is made of striped fabric and has one eye larger than the other. 6 wears a key around his neck which he protects with his life throughout the film. 9 is the only one in the group that seems to want to try to understand what 6 is trying to say.
John C. Reilly as 5, who is a caring, nurturing, one-eyed engineer. He is loyal, trusting and big-hearted, but also timid and meek. He is also the apprentice of 2, with whom he shares a special bond. He lost his left eye during a machine attack some time ago. He carries a pack on his shoulder filled with weapons and tools that the group uses (it also sports a button sewn unto the back).
3 and 4 are scholarly twins who voraciously catalog everything they can see and find, recording and building a database of the world that surrounds them and the history that led up to their creation. Thier genders are never said, and unlike the other Stitchpunks 3 and 4 cannot speak, but they communicate to each other by a series of flashes they can make from their eyes which can also be used to play video clips and 'catalog' things. They are curious and playful, but also shy and timid, they act very much like small children. 3 and 4 are made from a pair of gardening gloves, resulting in their cowled appearance, and the cape-like empty thumb hanging from their backs.
Martin Landau as 2, the Scientist's second creation. 2 is a kindly inventor and explorer who embodies the Scientist's strong creative spirit. 2 is shown as fearless in the film with an inquisitive personality. Due to his constant excursions through the wastelands, his body has sustained much wear and tear, making him frail and delicate. However, he uses a candle-lit helmet to help him see better. Shane Acker (9's creator) affectionately describes him as "A salty old sea dog.".
Christopher Plummer as 1, is the Scientist's first creation. As the oldest of the group, he is the self-declared leader of all the stitchpunks (though not all agree with his leadership, which leads to some conflicts). He ostensibly sent 2 out to scout, hoping that he would be killed in the process (1's excuse for his actions are: "He was old and weak."). 1 is stubborn and also irritable and cowardly. He has set down rules which he expects the others to follow, and does not allow anyone to venture out into the wastelands. He frequently quarrels with 9. 1 wears a red cape, and a penny on his head fashioned onto his "crown".
Alan Oppenheimer as the Scientist, who created the stitchpunks and also invented the B.R.A.I.N. Each of the stitchpunks contains a portion of the Scientist's soul. They each contain one of his qualities and his flaws. He used the talisman to transfer part of his soul out and supply each with life. At the beginning of the film one of the first things 9 comes across is the Scientist's lifeless body sprawled on the floor, which frightens him. Trying to make up for his creation B.R.A.I.N., he creates the stitchpunks, hoping that they will continue, the spark of life.