Rajesh Koothrappali

Rajesh, who is normally called Raj or by his surname Koothrappali, is from New Delhi, India, yet despises Indian food, and his knowledge regarding Indian culture and Hinduism is disputed by Sheldon Cooper. He is normally seen wearing a layered combination of a shirt and a vest, khakis, and a jacket. He wore a red cap only in the pilot episode.

All of the guys enjoy playing Halo every Wednesday at Sheldon and Leonard’s apartment and occasionally at Koothrappali’s apartment. They also play Age of Conan excessively, with Raj stating he has experienced gaming addiction.

In general terms, Raj is more patient with Sheldon than Leonard, Howard, or Penny; however Sheldon is oblivious to this as he once cut him off as a friend. Raj even stated that the reason he puts up with Sheldon was so that he could be reborn as a ”well-hung billionaire with wings”, according to his Hindu belief of being rewarded after reincarnation for suffering willingly.

Raj has a ”nervous bladder”, meaning he gets an urge to relieve himself when under stress. When hanging out with the guys, despite his particular Indian accent, Raj is noted for using slang (”fo’ shizzle”) and excessively using the word ”dude”.

Raj’s principal characteristic is his shyness and inability to speak around women, which is a recognized medical condition known as selective mutism.