From Homer Simpson to Tony Soprano, television is responsible for some of the most iconic characters ever created. TV is a great medium for getting audiences endeared to a character, because they become a fixture in the house every week. Characters like Daryl Dixon andLorelai Gilmorestart to feel like family.
20Daryl Dixon
The Walking Dead
If Daryl dies, we riot. That became the rallying cry ofThe Walking Dead’s fan base at the height of the show’s popularity. The series was notorious for killing off major characters willy-nilly, no matter how important they were to the plot or whether their arc was unresolved, but the audience absolutely refused to let Daryl die.
Daryl wasn’t in the comic book; he was an original creation for the TV adaptation. But he fit into the world ofThe Walking Deadso seamlessly, andNorman Reedus balanced his badassness with his endearing vulnerability so well, that he quickly became everyone’s favorite character.
19Lorelai Gilmore
Gilmore Girls
Lorelai Gilmore isthe mom we all wish we had. The premise ofGilmore Girlshinges on the audience believing that a teenage girl’s best friend is her mother. But when that mother is Lorelai, played with the charm and coolness of Lauren Graham, it’s fully believable that Rory wants to spend her time hanging out with her.
18Steve Urkel
Family Matters
Almost every TV show has a breakout character — a supporting character who becomes a fan-favorite and overshadows the main cast — but very few of them have broken out to quite the same degree as Steve Urkel.Family Mattersstarted off as a grounded sitcom about a blue-collar family, butUrkel got so iconic that it effectively becameThe Urkel Show.
17Jessica Fletcher
Murder, She Wrote
Angela Lansbury popularized the amateur detective trope with her long-running mystery seriesMurder, She Wrote. Jessica Fletcher is a whodunit writer who uses her in-depth knowledge of the structure of murder mysteries to solve real murders in her town of Cabot Cove, Maine. Jessica combats her loneliness as a childless widow by giving others the comfort of closure and justice.
16Tyrion Lannister
Game of Thrones
Tyrion Lannister isGame of Thrones’ funniest character, and that instantly made him a fan-favorite. Tyrion often acts as the Greek chorus, throwing in biting quips to mock everyone on-screen. He’s basically an insult comic, but Peter Dinklage also conveyed plenty of depth and nuance under the surface.Tyrion is witty and cynical, but he’s also deeply vulnerable.
15Bugs Bunny
Looney Tunes
Bugs Bunny introduced millions of kids to the core tenets of comedy. This wisecracking, carrot-chomping rabbit was a lot of people’s first favorite comedian. From his devil-may-care attitude to his sharply delivered one-liners to his hilarious physicality, Bugs Bunny is one of the funniest cartoon characters ever created, andset a high bar for every cartoon character that followed.
14Dr. Frasier Crane
Cheers/Frasier
Kelsey Grammer originated the role of Dr. Frasier Craneas a supporting character onCheers, but he proved to be so popular that he got his own long-running spinoff, and that spinoff got a reboot. Grammer has been playing Frasier across four decades and audiences still can’t get enough of hiswinning combination of wit, pomposity, and comical misfortune.
13Buffy Summers
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Despite its title,Buffy the Vampire Slayerwasn’t really a show about vampires; it was a coming-of-age teen drama that happened to include vampires. Buffy Summers may have been conceived in the mold of Sarah Connor, Ellen Ripley, and Sam fromNight of the Comet, butSarah Michelle Gellar played her with so much humanity that she transcended that archetype.
12Omar Little
The Wire
The Wirehas a ton of great characters, but none of them are more beloved or iconic than Omar Little. Most ofThe Wire’s characters fall on one side of the law, but Omar sits on the fence between the two.He’s Baltimore’s Robin Hood; a vigilante who steals ill-gotten gains from drug dealers.
Michael K. Williams played the role with such endearing charm that, even when Omar was threatening people with his signature shotgun, you couldn’t not love him.
Michael K. Williams played the role with such endearing charm that, even when Omar was threatening people with his signature shotgun, you couldn’t not love him. He paid for cigarettes after robbing a store, and he wore a tie over his usual street clothes to make a mockery of the courtroom dress code.
11Kermit The Frog
The Muppet Show
Just about every character fromThe Muppet Showis an enduring icon. They’re still recognizable around the world, and they still appear in other media to this day. But none of them are more iconic than Kermit. Kermit is the host and showrunner of the in-universeMuppet Show. He’s a kind, lovable everyman, but he’s also a talking frog.
