Top 10 Best Movie Characters of the 90s

Grab your neon windbreakers and start rewinding those chunky VHS tapes. It is officially time to look back at the best movie characters from the 1990s decade, covering the cinematic goldmine of 1990 to 1999. Hollywood practically minted money during this era by bringing an endless parade of bizarre, brilliant, and deeply flawed fictional personalities to the silver screen.

Whittling down a massive ten-year span packed with sarcastic detectives and frantic dinosaur experts is honestly harder than keeping a Tamagotchi alive for a full week. We went ahead and started things off with our own top picks to get the nostalgia flowing. As always, if you do not see any characters that you believe should be on the list, feel free to add them to the voting pool right now.

The Top Ten

  1. Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks) - Forrest Gump

    Forrest Gump is a fictional character who first appears in the 1986 novel by Winston Groom. Forrest Gump also appeared on screen in the 1994 film of the same name directed by Robert Zemeckis. The film, starring Tom Hanks, won six Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Director.

    I love this. He's always protective and loyal to people, but dead seriously, stupid.

  2. Woody (Tom Hanks) - Toy Story

    Sheriff Woody Pride is a fictional character in the Toy Story franchise. He is voiced by Tom Hanks in all of the feature-length and short films, while Jim Hanks provides the voice in video games and shorts.

    Woody is a pull-string cowboy doll who leads the other toys on various adventures in the... read more

  3. John H. Miller (Tom Hanks) - Saving Private Ryan

  4. Paul Edgecomb (Tom Hanks) - The Green Mile

  5. Jim Lovell (Tom Hanks) - Apollo 13

  6. Andrew Beckett (Tom Hanks) - Philadelphia

  7. Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson) - Pulp Fiction

    Jules Winnfield is a character in the film Pulp Fiction, portrayed by Samuel L. Jackson. His philosophical monologues, particularly his recitation of a passage from Ezekiel, are iconic moments in the film. Jules' conversations and actions showcase the film's blend of dark humor and existential themes... read more

    He is the most memorable character from Pulp Fiction thanks to Samuel L. Jackson's over-the-top performance as one of the funniest and baddest characters.

    What ain't no country I ever heard of. Do they speak English in What?

    Yep, he is one of the funniest characters of all time! Love him.

  8. Agent J (Will Smith) - Men in Black

    Agent J is a fictional MIB agent in the films Men in Black, Men in Black II, and Men in Black 3, as well as in Men in Black: The Series. He is portrayed by Will Smith in the live-action films. Known for his humor and agility, Agent J is the dynamic counterpart to the more reserved Agent K.

  9. William Wallace (Mel Gibson) - Braveheart

  10. Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones) - Men in Black

    Agent K is a fictional MIB agent featured in the films Men in Black, Men in Black II, and Men in Black 3, as well as in Men in Black: The Series. He is portrayed by Tommy Lee Jones in the live-action films. Agent K is known for his stoic demeanor and deep knowledge of extraterrestrial affairs.

    11. The Newcomers
  11. ?

    William Thacker (Hugh Grant) - Notting Hill

  12. ?

    Linda Ash (Mira Sorvino) - Mighty Aphrodite

    13. The Contenders

  13. Genie (Robin Williams) - Aladdin

    The Genie is a magical character from Disney's Aladdin franchise. He is a comedic, shape-shifting jinn who resides in a magical lamp and grants three wishes to whoever releases him. In the original 1992 animated film, the Genie was voiced by Robin Williams, whose performance became one of the most iconic... read more

    Robin Williams is at his best voicing the Genie from Aladdin, who provides a lot of the laughs and heartwarming moments. There is only one Robin Williams and there will only be one Robin Williams.

    He is so charismatic in Aladdin, and I feel like this movie would be much less interesting if he weren't so amazing.

  14. Agent Zed (Rip Torn) - Men in Black

  15. Tommy DeVito (Joe Pesci) - Goodfellas

    Tommy DeVito, portrayed by Joe Pesci, is a character in the film Goodfellas. He is a violent and impulsive member of the mob, known for his short temper. Tommy's unpredictable behavior and disregard for authority contribute to the film's portrayal of organized crime. Joe Pesci's portrayal earned him... read more

    He is the character who brings a lot of the laughs and some of the movie's brutal moments thanks to Joe Pesci as a loose-cannon gangster.

  16. Barrington "Horse" Mitchell (Paul Barber) - The Full Monty

  17. Dave Horsefall (Mark Addy) - The Full Monty

  18. Stanley Ipkiss / The Mask (Jim Carrey) - The Mask

    Jim Carrey is at his best playing a lovable loser who gets no respect, whose life gets turned upside down after coming into possession of a mask that turns him into a wacky, over-the-top version of himself.

  19. Frank the Pug (Tim Blaney) - Men in Black

  20. Neo (Keanu Reeves) - The Matrix

    Neo is the main protagonist of the Matrix franchise, created by the Wachowskis and portrayed by Keanu Reeves. He is also known as The One, a prophesied figure who leads the fight against the machines in a dystopian future. Neo first appeared in the 1999 film The Matrix.

  21. Gary "Gaz" Schofield (Robert Carlyle) - The Full Monty

  22. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) - The Silence of the Lambs

    Dr. Hannibal Lecter is a character in a series of suspense novels by Thomas Harris. Lecter was introduced in the 1981 thriller novel Red Dragon as a forensic psychiatrist and cannibalistic serial killer. He became more widely known after Anthony Hopkins' iconic portrayal in the 1991 film The Silence... read more

    Like Vito Corleone before him, Hannibal was a supporting character who managed to steal the whole show thanks to Anthony Hopkins's creepy portrayal.

  23. Mulan (Ming-Na Wen) - Mulan

    Fa Mulan is a fictional character inspired by the legendary Chinese heroine who appears in Walt Disney Pictures' Mulan (1998) and its direct-to-video sequel Mulan II (2004). She is voiced by Ming-Na Wen, and her story follows her disguise as a male soldier to save her father and bring honor to her family... read more

    She is one of the best female Disney characters in history, as a maiden who takes her father's place in the army to not only save him, but bring honor to her family while risking everything to do so.

  24. Jack Jeebs (Tony Shalhoub) - Men in Black

  25. The Dude (Jeff Bridges) - The Big Lebowski

  26. Lomper (Steve Huison) - The Full Monty

  27. Scar (Jeremy Irons) - The Lion King

    Scar is the main antagonist of Disney's 1994 animated feature film The Lion King. He is the second son of Obasi and Eshe. Scar is the younger brother of Mufasa and the paternal uncle of Simba.

    Scar serves as Simba's arch-nemesis and is also Mufasa's rival. Additionally, he was the former leader... read more

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