Lucy van Pelt is a character in the immensely popular comic strip Peanuts, written and drawn by Charles Schulz. She is the older sister of Linus and Rerun. Lucy has a dominant personality, is crabby and cynical, and is often mean to the other characters in the strip, particularly her brother and Charlie Brown. In one word, she is a fuss-budget (a word which was made popular by the strip, along with the term security blanket).

Lucy was introduced into the strip in 1952 as a wide-eyed baby who constantly tormented her father. Very early on, Schulz eliminated the circles around her eyes and allowed her to mature to the age of the other characters. She soon grew into her familiar persona of a bossy, sardonic little girl with a short temper.

Perhaps Lucy's most famous gimmick in her long existence as a character is as the one who pulls the football away from Charlie Brown right as he is about to kick it. This annual scenario has become one of the most famous and popular in the Peanuts universe.

Lucy is frequently irked by her younger and more passive brother, Linus. In particular, she is frequently exasperated by his addiction to his security blanket, and has even gone so far as to steal and bury it.

Lucy is terrified of being licked or kissed by Snoopy, who is naturally infatuated with her.

Lucy is also the proprietor of a psychiatric booth, parodying the archetypal lemonade stand operated by many young children. Here, she gives advice for five cents to the other characters in the strip, most frequently an anxious Charlie Brown. The psychiatric booth is a prime example of the more adult-oriented humor that Schulz incorporated into his comic strip, making it accessible to people of all ages.

Lucy is infatuated with Schroeder, who constantly rebukes her advances.

Lucy is also an outfielder for Charlie Brown's baseball team, and is characterized as a stupendously inept player.