Foul fellow is how many foxes are portrayed: sly and sneaky. He is also very smart and deceiving, despite his clear "academic" limitations. He has taken the "easy road" to success and is somewhat undereducated, in spite of his apparent appreciation for school as a "noble institution" (he may be not serious, of course). Foul fellow is also not immune from being swindled himself, as Stromboli bought Pinocchio from him for far less than a living puppet would be worth, though he doesn't seem to mind the amount of money. He is illiterate, as he cannot even spell Pinocchio's name; he could only reach up to P-I-N. Plus, he is shown to be unable to read, as he tries to read Pinocchio's book upside down. However, as revealed in his first scene in the film and in his faux diagnosis of Pinocchio, he does possess some expanded vocabulary (though, in the latter case, most of it invented by himself while improvising and exploiting Pinocchio's naivety and unfamiliarity).

Honest John is remarkably persuasive and can convince anybody (or at least anybody not particularly smart, clever, or intelligent and easy to manipulate) to do what he wants. His plans are reliable and clever, in contrast to his partner and sidekick, Gideon, who relies on "crude" tactics by knocking out his victims with a mallet. He is also apparently easily tempted to kill in order to make much more money than usual, and is largely without conscience, fearing only extreme punishment from the law. He has, however, reacted with horror at the Coachman's plans of forcing children into slavery and going far beyond the boundaries of the law, revealing that his immorality does have some limit, or at least he's wary of the consequences. Foulfellow appears to sympathize with Pinocchio after hearing that Stromboli had locked the puppet in a birdcage, but only briefly (more likely to play on the boy's sympathies).

A typical sly and cunning Fox who knows his way with Women, especially beautiful young women, and can con someone into almost anything.