Velma Dinkley and Daphne Blake have been a part of the Scooby-Doo crew for more than fifty years. On the surface, they seem nothing alike, as Velma appears to be shy and nerdy and Daphne is a gorgeous fashionista, but their characters are very much alike.
They are both smart and resourceful women who throughout the years they were developed into strong female characters. Here we’ve listed some of the most interesting facts about Velma and Daphne that will come as a big surprise to many.
Velma: She had a moment with Johnny Bravo
Scooby, Velma, Shaggy, Fred, and Daphne first crossed paths with Johnny Bravo in the episode Bravo Dooby-Doo. In the first minutes of the episode, Velma shows little signs of sympathy towards Johnny but because their characters have nothing in common she gives up on the idea.
Throughout the episode, Shaggy and Scooby bump into Velma and Johnny, and as they trip over they both lose their glasses. Here we can hear Velma’s famous phrase “My glasses! I can’t see without my glasses!” where at the same time Johnny says “My glasses! I can’t be seen without my glasses!”. An iconic moment.
Daphne: Diversified Skill Set
Daphne might seem naive and sweet on the outside but she possesses some badass skills that were very useful in her mystery-solving days. She can pick any kind of lock with anything that is pointy, she has a talent for surfing, singing, and plays the piano.
At a very young age, Daphne learned how to ride a motorcycle and this helped a lot with her flexibility. She thinks fast, reacts quickly and this makes her the perfect teammate during a dangerous situation.
Velma: Coulrophobia
Velma is known to be extremely smart and brave but not many know of her hidden weakness. On her fifth birthday, she met Bobo the Clown who was hired as entertainment for her party. Sadly at one point during the party, Bobo completely destroyed all of Velma’s books and encyclopedias, which frightened Velma more than anything.
Throughout the years the fear developed into a phobia until she faced the case where she dealt with the Menacing Metallic Clown. After solving the case, Velma finally defeated her phobia and understood that it is only a scary mask.
Daphne: Comes From Money
Daphne has a different family background than the rest of the Scooby crew since she comes from money.
Despite the fact that she had a possible security blanket, Daphne chose to live her life as an independent woman that on times struggled financially as much as the other members of the crew. She worked as a babysitter and later on she worked for her father as a manager of his arcade.
Velma: Incredibly Strong
For such a small woman Vilma has developed and trained muscles which makes her extremely strong. She began practicing martial arts at a very young age. Over time she perfected her skill and on various occasions, she was able to lift three to four people at the same time while she held her balance perfectly.
This has helped her and her friends avoid many unpleasant moments throughout her adventures and mystery solving moments. This proves that Velma is an incredible asset to the Scooby-Doo team.
Daphne: Changes Over the Years
The physical appearance of Daphne varied from 1969 all the way to 1991. The detail that was changed most often was the color of her eyes, depending on which animator was working on the show.
The color range was black, blue, green, and purple. One more thing that varied was her pink pantyhose, over time they were switched to a more nude color, and other times the classic pink was returned.
Velma: Peculiar Skill Set
Velma has shown incredible talent while solving mysteries with the Scooby-Doo team such as her ability to distinguish fake from real jewels. Her knowledge of the Morse Code has also been of great use a few times and this peculiar skill Velma learned as a child when she was a part of the Eagle Scouts.
One last unexpected thing is the love and interest she has for ice hockey. Her deep knowledge enables her to discuss the sport with professional players and she even manages to represent the United States against Russia.
Daphne: Character Inspired By
In the early ’60s, there was a famous sitcom called The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis which lasted 4 seasons. In short, the show was about a teenager who did everything to get power, money, and women. In the same show, there was also a young beautiful woman called Thalia Menninger which was portrayed by the actress Tuesday Weld.
Later on, the animators who created the character of Daphne Blake were inspired by Weld’s beauty, grace, and style which are characteristics that can be noticed immediately when comparing the two.
Velma: Impressive Work Resume
Aside from her Detective Work with the Scooby-Doo crew, Velma has an impressive work resume. For a while, she worked as an assistant research scientist at NASA which even the word impressive does not come near to describe the job but she decided to leave in the end to join her friends in solving mysteries.
There was also a time when Velma decided to purchase a bookstore, she successfully ran the place until the moment she received a call from the Scooby-Doo crew that she was needed again.
Daphne: Investigative Journalist
When Daphne had time off from solving mysteries she worked as an investigative journalist. The first job she had was when the Scooby-Doo crew took some time off and Daphne found herself in a job as a freelance reporter where she worked with Shaggy, Scooby, and Scrappy-Doo.
The other job in journalism was more stable, she hosted her very own show (which was filmed and produced by Fred) where she talked about all sorts of things and topics.
