Top 10 Best "Breakout Characters" of All Time

Snoopy (Peanuts)

Snoopy is a character in the comic strip Peanuts, created by Charles M. Schulz. He first appeared on October 4, 1950, and often sleeps on top of his doghouse. Snoopy is the pet beagle of Charlie Brown and appears in numerous television specials as well as the 2015 feature film The Peanuts Movie.

Snoopy is the most iconic example. Although he appeared as early as the third strip and was established as Charlie Brown's pet within a month, Charlie Brown was intended to be the main character. However, Snoopy became the literal Creator's Pet.

Elmo (Sesame Street)

Elmo is a Muppet character on the children's television show Sesame Street. He is a furry red monster with a falsetto voice, who hosts the last full fifteen-minute segment on Sesame Street, "Elmo's World", which is aimed at toddlers. Elmo was originally performed by several puppeteers before Kevin Clash... read more

You like the Sesame Street episodes with Elmo? Well, none of them are from the first fifteen years. Elmo was introduced as a crowd-shot filler in the early 80s before becoming a supporting character in 1985. He eventually achieved superstardom by the late 1990s, outclassing the previous mascot, Big Bird.

He used to be just one of many background characters. Who knows what made them decide to make him more of a main character?

Porky Pig (Looney Tunes)

Porky Pig is an animated cartoon character in the Warner Bros. Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons. He is known for his signature stutter and his iconic closing line, Th-th-th-that's all, folks! Porky first appeared in 1935 and became one of the studio's most recognizable characters.

Porky Pig was originally intended to be the plucky comic relief to Beans the Cat. However, Avery and the execs realized people weren't tuning in for the cat - they were tuning in for the pig. And so, history was made.

Daffy Duck (Looney Tunes)

Daffy Duck is an animated cartoon character produced by Warner Bros. Styled as an anthropomorphic black duck, he has appeared in cartoon series such as Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies. Daffy is often portrayed as a friend, foil, and occasional rival of Bugs Bunny.

Porky would soon be outclassed by a duck that the pig once tried to hunt. Unlike many other characters, Daffy was basically set in stone by his first short. He was wacky, kooky, goofy, and obviously daffy. He jumped around and said "whoo-hoo-woo-hoo!" a lot. The only things that weren't set were his name and protagonist role, both of which would come within a year.

Daria Morgendorffer (Beavis and Butt-Head)

Daria Morgendorffer is a fictional character who first appeared on MTV's animated series Beavis and Butt-Head. She later became the title character of the spin-off series Daria. The character is known for her intelligence, sarcasm, and critical perspective on high school and society.

On the topic of teenage girls, we have Daria. She was a conscience-type character for Beavis and Butt-head and would earn a spin-off called Daria. She soon became arguably more popular than the two original main characters, at least until 2011, when their show returned.

Homer Simpson (The Simpsons)

Homer Jay Simpson is the main protagonist of the American animated television series The Simpsons, serving as the patriarch of the eponymous family. It is implied that he is not very intelligent, with a crayon stuck in his brain often cited as the reason. He works at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant... read more

People forget that when The Simpsons started, Bart was the main character.
All the merchandise at the time centered on Bart. The song "Do the Bartman" was a sensation, and even early video/arcade games had Bart as the playable character. However, down the line, Homer became the star with his shenanigans.

Chuckie Finster (Rugrats)

Mr. Burns (The Simpsons)

Charles Montgomery Plantagenet Schicklgruber "Monty" Burns, more commonly known as Charles Montgomery Burns or simply Mr. Burns, is a recurring character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is the wealthy and power-hungry owner of the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant. The character was... read more

Plucky Duck (Tiny Toon Adventures)

Bugs Bunny (Looney Tunes)

Bugs Bunny is an animated cartoon character created by the staff of Leon Schlesinger Productions, which later became Warner Bros. Cartoons. He is one of the most iconic and recognizable cartoon characters, known for his appearances in the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series. His signature phrase... read more

Bugs started out as "Happy Rabbit," who was a thinly veiled expy of Daffy Duck but as a rabbit. Tex Avery then took hold of the character, named him after one of the animator's nicknames, "Bugsy," and made him fight Elmer Fudd.

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Alexis Colby (Dynasty)

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Pikachu (Pokémon)

Pikachu (Japanese: ピカチュウ) is a species of Pokémon that appears in video games, animated television shows and movies, trading card games, and comic books licensed by The Pokémon Company. It is the mascot of the Pokémon franchise and is widely considered the most iconic Pokémon. Pikachu... read more

Stacy Hirano (Phineas and Ferb)

Stacy Hirano, often nicknamed Stace by her friends, is a recurring secondary character on Disney's animated TV show Phineas and Ferb. She is a close friend of Isabella Garcia-Shapiro and often gets caught up in the adventures of Phineas and Ferb. Stacy is also known for her witty remarks and easygoing... read more

A wild-card example and often downplayed, Stacy was originally intended to be "Candace's conscience." However, after gaining a cult following, she would gain multiple spotlight episodes a season later.

Huh, it honestly never occurred to me that she was Candace's conscience, but that makes a lot of sense.

Smurfette (The Smurfs)

Smurfette is a fictional character from The Smurfs comic series created by Belgian cartoonist Peyo. She was the first female Smurf introduced into the series and was originally created by the villain Gargamel. Smurfette eventually becomes a core member of the Smurf community and often takes on a leadership... read more

Smurfette was originally intended as a one-off character, which is why she was only seen in one comic issue and one episode of the '60s TV adaptation. However, Hanna-Barbera adopted her as a supporting character for female-aimed merchandise.

Demona (Gargoyles)

Wolverine (X-Men)

Wolverine is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly associated with the X-Men. His powers and abilities include an accelerated healing factor, enhanced senses, and his signature adamantium claws and skeleton.... read more

Odie (Garfield)

Odie is a fictional dog who appears in the comic strip Garfield by Jim Davis. He has also appeared in the animated television series Garfield and Friends and The Garfield Show. Odie is known for his happy-go-lucky personality and for being frequently teased by Garfield.

Frasier Crane (Cheers)

Yogi Bear (The Huckleberry Hound Show)

Yogi Bear is a cartoon character who has appeared in numerous comic books, animated television shows, and films. He made his debut in 1958 as a supporting character on The Huckleberry Hound Show. Yogi Bear became the first breakout character created by Hanna-Barbera and eventually surpassed Huckleberry... read more

Originally intended as a "B-character" who would follow Huckleberry Hound, Yogi Bear, like Porky Pig, became the main attraction. Kids weren't tuning in for the dog. They were tuning in for the bear. He would gain a spin-off, a few movies, and campgrounds, some of which still operate today.

Chase (PAW Patrol)

I think Chase is very cute. People just hate him because he's a fan favorite. Come on, he's loyal, cute, and a good friend.
There is just too much to describe Chase as being. He's more mature than the rest of the group, and he's a good pup.

Sid Chang (The Casagrandes)

Tinker Bell (Peter Pan)

Tinker Bell is a fictional character from J. M. Barrie's 1904 play Peter Pan and its 1911 novelization, Peter and Wendy. She is a fairy companion of Peter Pan and is known for her loyalty and fiery personality. Tinker Bell later became a prominent Disney character.

Many of her iconic attributes were never seen in the Peter Pan film. Remember Tinker Bell spraying magic to transition to the next scene? That NEVER happened in Peter Pan - not in the play, not even in the film. That concept was introduced for Walt Disney's television show he made for ABC.

Zoidberg (Futurama)

Dr. John A. Zoidberg is a fictional character from the animated television series Futurama, created by Matt Groening. He is an alien, crustacean-like physician who works as the staff doctor for Planet Express. Despite his title, Zoidberg is often portrayed as comically incompetent in medical matters... read more

Grogu (The Mandalorian)

Rue (The Hunger Games)

Donkey (Shrek)

Donkey is a fictional character from the Shrek franchise who serves as the comedic sidekick to the main character, Shrek. He is voiced by actor and comedian Eddie Murphy throughout the main film series. Donkey appears in all four main films and several franchise spin-offs.