List of TV's most memorable characters, of all time, chosen by the Ranker community. What makes a character live on in the public's memory, even years after the original run of their respective TV programs? In some cases, it's the amount of depth that the show's writers, actors and other creators were able to bring to the character over the course of many years. For many of the greatest TV characters of all time, audiences feel like they get to know personalities like Dexter Morgan from "Dexter." Even after the show leaves the air, they may not want that relationship to end. (Thankfully, they don't have to, as many shows live on for years after their cancellation on DVD and in syndication.) The best TV characters are ones that you feel like you know and that you'd want to be friends with.
TV has brought many famous characters to life who have been extremely compelling, even if they are not entirely likeable. Viewers may not wish to know dangerous, shadowy figures like Tony Soprano, Vernon Schillinger, and Omar Little in reality, but following their exploits safely from the comfort of your living room can be appealing. Likewise, people who might be aloof or downright unpleasant in real life - think "Mad Men's" Don Draper or Al Swearengen of "Deadwood" - can prove charming, even admirable, when seen at a distance, with the subtext and intricacy that a top long-running TV show can provide.
Who is the greatest TV character ever? This list contains the names of the greatest, most fascinating, and most enduring fictional characters from TV of all time. Be sure to vote for your favorites, and if some of your favorite popular characters aren't represented, go ahead and re-rank the list to contribute to the discussion.1
15,4618,825Walter White
Breaking Bad
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12,9918,474Tyrion Lannister
Game of Thrones3
10,5926,999Chandler Bing
Friends4
7,2754,522Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock, The Hound of the Baskervilles5
11,2354,877Michael Scott
The Office6
7,5635,890Bugs Bunny
Baby Looney Tunes, Big House Bunny7
8,3766,655Tony Soprano
The Sopranos8
4,6323,548Jon Snow
Game of Thrones, A Song of Ice and Fire9
8,6215,517Joey Tribbiani
Friends10
8,6417,275Dr. Gregory House
House11
4,4002,339Scooby-Doo
Scooby-Doo! Pirates Ahoy!, Scooby-Doo12
6,2293,809Dwight Schrute
The Office13
5,1323,979Jesse Pinkman
Breaking Bad14
4,8583,688Kermit the Frog
Sam and Friends, The Muppet Movie15
5,7334,879George Costanza
Seinfeld16
5,6854,188Will Smith
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air17
3,4962,562Batman
Batman Beyond, Young Justice18
5,8315,071Lucy Ricardo
I Love Lucy19
4,2363,609Fonzie
Happy Days20
2,6641,45821
6,2605,069Phoebe Buffay
Friends22
4,9874,274Jean-Luc Picard
Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek Generations23
6,5175,692Cosmo Kramer
Seinfeld24
5,1693,861Arya Stark
Game of Thrones25
3,1711,544Tom and Jerry
Pots and Pans
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