Sam Manson

During Danny's ghost-hunting adventures, Sam has got into her fair share of troubles and adventure, ranging from being turned briefly into a ghost dragon when wearing the Amulet of Aragon when Paulina gave it to Sam, thinking it was hers, to accidentally wishing away Danny Phantom's existence, to nearly being a bride to Prince Aragon to getting possessed by Undergrowth.

Samantha "Sam" Manson is one of Danny's best friends. She is a self-proclaimed goth who is fascinated with the subliminal and netherworldly, and is a very outspoken ultra-recyclo-vegetarian (she doesn't eat anything with a face).

History
Sam's family is extremely wealthy, being descendants of the great inventor of the deli toothpick cellophane-twirling device. However, she keeps her family's wealth as a secret with only her best friends knowing.

Sam's got into her fair share of troubles and adventure, ranging from being turned briefly into a ghost dragon when wearing the Amulet of Aragon when Paulina gave it to Sam, thinking it was hers, to accidentally wishing away Danny Phantom's existence to nearly being a bride to Prince Aragon to getting possessed by Undergrowth. She is responsible for designing the "D" emblem on Danny's outfit and has known Tucker and Danny from since at least the second grade.

Appearance
Sam wears purple lipstick. She has fair skin, violet eyes, and short black hair with a small ponytail at the top and at the back of her head held by a green hair tie. Her usual clothing consists of a black choker around her neck. Her upper body consists of a black tank top exposing her midriff with a purple oval in the center. Her lower body consists of a black striped skirt with a green crosshatch design, purple leggings, and black combat boots. She also wears a pair of black bracelets around both of her wrists. She has however been seen in a wide variety of outfits, ranging from a goth style black and purple ball gown to a pink princess dress with hearts and even one of the orange Fenton jumpsuits. At one point, she had fake vampire fangs.

Personality
Her personality is less dreary than the stereotypical "goth" persona that is usually shown. She can be bossy, passionate, strong-willed, but also good-hearted. Based on how Sam conducts herself, it would be fairer to say that she labels herself a goth more as an outlet for her independence and individuality than as an embrace of how the stereotypical goth is presumed to behave as such; she is often livid over the wider range of popular materials. She's rational, sometimes sarcastic, forceful, and level-headed but in the end, she has a caring heart.

Sam has also openly admitted to being a "cat person" and goes by the name of "Chaos" in the Doomed video game. She is a fan of music, including Nine Inch Nails. She also enjoys monster movies–with her favorites being female monsters Femalien, Terminatra, and Nightmerica (all of which are spoofs of various male monsters)–and Akira Kurosawa's samurai films. Sam has a collection of vinyl records. She comes from a Jewish background (hinted when her grandmother called her "bubeleh" and eventually revealed in the Christmas special).

In spite of her wealthy upbringing by her parents, Sam is not so much spoiled as she is bossy and hypocritical. Sam at one point forces her ultra-recyclo-vegetarian diet on the entirety of Casper High School, despite her claims of the importance of individuality. She got angry at Danny for spying on her and Gregor but had previously done the same thing to him when he was going out with Valerie. She advises Danny against using his ghost powers for abusing bullies, but in another episode, she suggests that he uses them to scare away people from buying environmentally-threatening trucks. She can also get on Danny and Tucker's nerves. It is clear that she would do anything she could to help him during his numerous battles with his enemies as well as keep him out of trouble and has often been the one out of Danny's two best friends to take whatever risk necessary to save/help Danny, as well as being willing to take the blame for things (like the destruction of the mini-golf course and the start of the food fight, both happening in "Kindred Spirits") to cover for Danny.

Sam also tends not to take responsibility for her actions. No matter how much she is at fault, she never accepts the fact she is responsible. She never admits she's wrong and wants everyone to be her "Yes Man."

Out of the three, Sam is usually the most rational and mature, often thinking on a realistic level compared to Danny and Tucker as well as pointing out to Danny to focus more on ghost training and hunting. Sam in certain ways is actually the most enthusiastic of the three when it comes to Danny's powers and their potential. Many times when Danny expresses his desire to be rid of his powers and have a normal teen life, Sam voices her distaste for the idea. In "Phantom Planet," when Danny voluntarily gives up his powers, she tells him that she's disappointed in his desire to be just like everybody else and tells him that she had been proud to be helping him when he was doing something good, refusing to "sit on the sidelines" and not knowing how he can. Sam also reveals at this time that when Danny was protecting Amity Park, she felt safe knowing that there was someone out there doing the right thing, but with him no longer fighting ghosts, she's not sure what will happen.

However expressive she may be, though, Sam still harbors her inner-most feelings inside, especially her secret crush on Danny which she has trouble revealing (more often than not, this is trouble for her as other girls slowly warm up to him). Toward the end of the series Sam's feelings become more obvious, as evidenced by the fact that Tucker clues in to the fact that she likes Danny before Danny himself realizes it. Danny and Sam have finally had their first real kiss in "Phantom Planet" and are now an official couple.

Romance
Sam noticeably starts to develop a secret crush on Danny in "Fanning the Flames" when she stares at him while they fly to the music store and later when they hug and she claims that Ember's spell hasn't quite worn off yet. Yet Sam has shown signs of having feelings for Danny earlier in the series, such as when they dance together in "Parental Bonding," and when she initiates the "fake-out make-out" in "Shades of Gray."

For most of the series, Danny and Sam denied having any romantic feelings for each other. However, since the very beginning, multiple other characters have accused them of being in a relationship (which they would quickly deny). Sam's affection for Danny is quite obvious to most of the other characters on the show, particularly later in the series, often portraying jealousy whenever Danny is with another girl and stuttering to confess her feelings frequently. On the other hand, Danny is mostly oblivious to her feelings.

There is also the fact that Danny is extremely attracted to Paulina (a popular, shallow, and snobby, but very beautiful girl) who detests him but is in love with his ghostly alter ego, although later episodes seem to indicate that Danny may slowly be getting over his crush on her. Danny has also built up a friendship and romance with Valerie Gray (who likes the human Danny, but hates his ghost self), though that eventually ended as well.

Sam's issue stems from the fact that she is often too shy or afraid to tell Danny her true feelings for reasons of her own. Her only level of intimate interactions with Danny during the series were the two "fake-out make-outs," both to create a distraction and avoid danger (the first planned by Sam while the second by Danny). In both instances, the two seemed to enjoy it, although they later become embarrassed by these intimate moments.

Sam, at one point, fell for a new goth kid named Gregor, who claims he is from Hungary, but later dumps him when he turns out to be a fake (he is actually from Michigan and his actual name is Elliot). It is during this episode that Danny shows many signs of being jealous of "Gregor" and Sam's relationship, and admits that he is unsure of whether or not he likes her as more than a friend. Sam and Danny continued to exhibit many signs of a romance throughout season three, including having the same dream where they both dreamed that they were a couple in "Frightmare." In the series finale they kiss twice (once at the South Pole, and once back in Amity Park when Danny gives Sam the infamous "WES" ring), officially becoming a couple.

Danny Fenton
Throughout the series, Danny considers Sam to be one of his best friends. The two frequently quarrel, but they gradually realize their feelings for each other. By the end of the series finale, they become boyfriend and girlfriend. It is also revealed that Sam has feelings for Danny even before Danny realizes his feelings for her. In "Double Cross My Heart," Sam cringes when Tucker asks her if she knows how it feels to like someone she couldn't date. Ironically, Danny asks her this question because he feels that way about his enemy, Valerie Gray. Sam's feelings for Danny stem from her admiration of his heroism and that he uses his powers for good. Sam serves as Danny's love interest. In "Phantom Planet" they kissed twice, proving their actual feelings for each other.

Tucker Foley
Sam also considers Tucker her best friend, but the two are quite opposites (his meat habits as opposed to her vegetarian habits, his lighthearted behavior to her more down-to-earth method) and they often bicker over even the mundane reasons. She also sometimes considers him to be an annoyance, but is shown to still enjoy his company. Even breaking up with Gregor because of how he insulted Tucker behind his back in "Double Cross My Heart." In the episode "Life Lessons," Tucker and Sam are parents for a flour sack for a school project. At some point in the episode, Tucker is about to leave when he kisses the flour sack and accidentally Sam.

Jazz Fenton
Sam originally had no relationship with Jazz. Upon Jazz's admittance of her knowledge of Danny's ghost powers, Jazz begins to assist Tucker, Sam, and Danny in capturing the various ghosts which attack Amity Park. Near the end of the series in the episode "Girls' Night Out," Sam gains respect for Jazz's ghost-fighting abilities when her plan to rescue Amity Park from the allied Spectra, Ember McLain, and Kitty is successful. Both of them work together without disagreement in the later episodes and try to keep Danny's secret from everyone.

Sam's Parents
Her parents are extremely wealthy, having inherited from the great inventor of the deli toothpick cellophane-twirling device; although she keeps this a secret with only her two best friends knowing; she'd rather earn real friends instead of dealing with the popularity and fake friendships that come with wealth. Sam has an often strained relationship with her folks due to their optimistic, colorful personality as opposed to her darker outlook on life.

Elliot
First introduced in "Double Cross My Heart," his only appearance in the series, Elliot attempts to impress Sam in order to date her. He disguises himself as a Hungarian foreign exchange student named Gregor and tells Sam he is a goth and an Ultra-Recyclo Vegetarian. Danny, suspicious of his claims, follows him and Sam on a date one night using his invisibility power and begins to suspect him of associating with the Guys in White (since he wears all white like they do, even though he states that white is the new black in Hungary). This upsets Sam and she considers actually dating Elliot. However, Elliot accidentally reveals his identity as a womanizing American teen from Michigan, and Sam loses interest in him.

Prince Aragon
In "Beauty Marked" Prince Aragon wishes to have a human bride, so he sends his sister, Dorathea (A.K.A. Dora), to find a suitable woman via a beauty pageant. Danny becomes the judge of the pageant and accidentally chooses Sam as the winner. Sam is transported to Aragon's castle where she undergoes training to be his wife and queen. Danny and Tucker eventually rescue her, along with Aragon's sister's help. However, in a manner typical of some villains who desire a queen, he unfortunately treats Samantha in a very misogynistic manner.

Undergrowth
Undergrowth, a plant ghost, overshadowed Sam and became her "father" once he took over Amity Park. He turned her into his second-in-command because of her love towards nature. He went as far as giving her plant-related powers to serve as a new "mother" for Undergrowth's plant children, although she was mind-controlled by him the whole time.

Powers
Sam doesn't have any supernatural powers on her own, though in several episodes, she has gained ghost powers in some way or another, which include:
 * Dragon Transformation (briefly): In "Parental Bonding," while wearing the amulet of Princess Dorathea, she was able to transform into a dragon when she got angry, gaining superhuman strength, flight, and the ability to breathe fire.
 * Plant Control (briefly): In the episode and the video game "Urban Jungle," while being under the control of Undergrowth, Sam had ability to command plants to make them attack and trap her enemies.
 * Flight (briefly): In "Doctor's Disorders," Sam briefly gained the ability to fly, though she wasn't able to control it.

Abilities

 * Fenton Weaponry Expertise: Sam can use the Fentons' ghost-hunting technology with great expertise.
 * Occult Knowledge: Sam is quite knowledgeable about goth subjects such as dark and evil artifacts. Danny was only able to defeat Fright Knight with Sam's knowledge of the Soul Shredder and the Box Ghost with Sam's knowledge of Pandora's Box.
 * Multilingual Skill: Like Danny, Sam learned how to speak Esperanto in case they met with Wulf again. She has also displayed some knowledge of French, Italian, and Japanese, between other languages in the episode "Urban Jungle" (while talking to her plants while harvesting her lunch).

Trivia

 * She originally was supposed to have a 'psychic connection' with Danny that would let one know where the other one was; however, this was nixed right before the premiere, since Danny already had ghost powers and Sam had other attributes; Butch Hartman didn't want them to seem too developed already. This connection is hinted at numerous times through out the series when Danny and Sam have the same reaction or response to situations/comments, but is typically brushed off as merely being a case of long-time friends thinking alike.
 * She, along with Tucker, has been in all but one episode of the entire series.
 * December is the only month that Sam is in a happy mood, due to the winter holidays.
 * Sam's favorite female monsters are all a loose parody of the male monsters: Femalien- Alien and Predators, Terminatra- The Terminator, and Nightmerica- Freddy Kruger.
 * Of all of Danny's crushes, Sam is the only one who likes Danny as both Fenton and Phantom, and not just either one of them.
 * Sam appears to have different bedrooms throughout the series. (See: "Parental Bonding" and "Control Freaks")
 * According from 2005 Nickelodeon Magazine Ultimate Enemy edition, Sam's interests are horror films, sci-fi, and Japanese anime.
 * Sam has at least 10 different outfits in the series.
 * Sam can speak Esperanto.
 * On Sam's bedroom walls, there are posters that reference to various bands and movies, some of which include A Clockwork Orange, Einstürzende Neubauten, and Nine Inch Nails.
 * In "Life Lessons," Sam names her and Tucker's flour sack child "Lilith," which is a reference to the actual name of a female demon in Jewish mythology. Sam's family is Jewish and they practice Judaism in "The Fright Before Christmas."
 * Her name in the Chinese (mainland) dub is 小珊 (Xiao Shan), which means "little coral."