Stoat from House of Cards is a barfly and a warehouse guard and not ambitious. He gives a peek into a part of the City of Amber that the courtly PCs don't see much of. Ginger picks him because she can hear the dialog as she's writing it in the character's voice.

Live Wire was an NPC who was secretly working for the villains but who eventually turned on the villains due to the kindness of the heroes. Sounds to me like his Evil Overlord hadn't read the Rules. I think Live Wire was interesting because he had his own story arc.

Baby was a pseudodragon, usually something I find sorta boring. That Baby was a companion and not a familar makes her more interesting.

Orcus was an NPC from the original D&D game and the source of the Mighty "Wand of Orcus". Arref had a GM who made him come to life, have plans, body language, charm. That his character fell in love with him is enough to assure that he must have been very different from the Orcus so many of us killed in our munchkin days.

We don't have Droppa Ma Pantz in House of Cards. He's a second series reference, but he's not bad. For Arref, he's one of the last living retainers who knew Oberon well and personally. What does it take to be the court jester who can make Oberon, who must have seen everything, laugh?

Tatasha sounds like a great troublemaking NPC. It's not as if she is the foil to the plot, but she must be accounted for in major operations. I like Arref's line about her: "everyone has an opinion about because she forces you to think about her even if she isn't around." It's a good thing to be able to say about an NPC.

Kelton den Garlon den Tirian den Tamlon Shadowslayer isn't an Amber character but in many ways could be. "Gar" is an all-powerful four year old. While this has been done before (Squire of Gothos, anyone?), the GM made him memorable by making him act like a four year old. That the PCs may find themselves from time to time babysitting is nice. It shows that the world has more to it than "adventures" and "plot".

Two Talking Swords (which probably have names) are inhabited by shadow gods--a Father God and a Trickster God. They don't have to advance the plot to be interesting to be around.

Arminta is an NPC of RB's, and she has her own story arc, a background including her agenda and her family's divergent agenda. She's alive, not a plot device.