Knight Rider? Oh, what a ride! Action, adventure and a talking car named KITT. Michael Knight, played by David Hasselhoff, battled crime with style. Futuristic gadgets, wild car chases and that catchy theme song? Classic! Everyone loved it. It sparked spin-offs, a TV movie in 2008 and even a reboot in 2009. Pure nostalgia, right?

Meet the characters from 1982’s Knight Rider

Michael Knight

Michael is the kind of hero who walks in with a smirk and a plan, mostly, and then winges his way through the chaos with equal parts charm and stubbornness. He’s brave and annoyingly moral — like, will-refuse-to-let-innocent-people-suffer moral — but also has this scruffy loner streak and an inexplicable love for ridiculous sunglasses. He’s the face of the show, always ready to jump into KITT and do something cinematic, though he’ll grumble about orders and then follow them perfectly. Also, he keeps emotional secrets like little souvenirs, which makes him deep? Or just messy.

KITT

KITT is basically the smartest, sassiest car you’ll ever meet — ice-cold logic with the occasional dry quip and a very firm “no” to stupidity. Protective to the core (sometimes to the point of lecturing Michael), sleek, and impossibly capable, KITT can go from emotionless advisory voice to almost fatherly concern in a heartbeat — which is both adorable and a little unnerving. Technology god, loyal sidekick, and low-key show-stealer, with a strangely poetic streak that shows up at the worst times. Oh, and it totally judges people’s driving — like, internally, forever.

Devon Miles

Devon is the calm, suited center of the chaos — the one who signs the checks, gives the lectures, and somehow manages to look dignified while everyone else explodes around him. He’s patient, paternal, and has that absolute faith in Michael and KITT that you kind of want in your life, even if he gets a little bureaucratic sometimes (file the reports, Devon!). He’s the grown-up voice, but not boring; there’s a dry humor underneath the restraint, like someone who’s seen too many stunts and isn’t surprised anymore. Also I’m pretty sure he has an old soul playlist in his office — or maybe that’s just me imagining him with jazz records.

Bonnie Barstow

Bonnie is the mechanic-genius with a big heart and grease on her fingertips, always ready to patch KITT up or invent some improbable gadget with a roll of tape and two screws. Fiercely competent, impatient with nonsense, and delightfully human (she sings while working, or maybe hums — memories fuzzy), Bonnie is equal parts nerdy inventor and emotional anchor, and she gets oddly attached to machines in a way that makes sense if you love tech. She’s underplayed but essential, the kind of friend who will scold you for being reckless and then secretly admire you for it. Also, she has a soft spot for bad coffee and tiny cupcakes, which is both adorable and suspicious.

Garthe Knight

Garthe is the dramatic, dangerous mirror of Michael — handsome, theatrical, and completely unhinged when it comes to cruelty and schemes, the kind of villain who loves the spotlight and long monologues. He’s charming in an unsettling way, ruthless and theatrical, like he reads villainy as performance art, but there’s a weird vulnerability once in a while (don’t tell him I said that). He exists to push Michael to his limits and make everything personal, which he does with a grin and a propensity for grand gestures. Honestly, part of him feels like a soap-opera supervillain who also collects antique buttons — which makes him more fun and more terrifying.