Handy is an orange beaver with unexplained amputates hands (thus his name) that are covered with bandages. Handy is a construction worker and usually wears a tool belt and a hard hat (the typical dress of most construction workers. His dam mostly consists of tools that are operated by hand.
Despite his lack of hands, he is still capable of building many things big or small, though he is never actually seen building it in the first place - they are usually off-screen. However, whenever he tries to do something onscreen which would usually require hands, he fails and pulls his trademark frustrated look, indicating he may have forgotten his lack of hands. Usually when he finds a compromise, it leads to his own death and sometimes the death of others.
In the TV series, Handy has gained an interest in flying. From the episode, "In a Jam", it became apparent that he has photosensitive epilepsy, flashing lights triggering a seizure as his eyes go ascrew, he jitters, and foams at the mouth. He also does not seem to mind if others die or get injured.