Top 10 One-Time Simpsons Characters
Over the years, The Simpsons have given us some truly memorable characters. In fact, there are over 320 known characters that have appeared throughout The Simpsons' runtime and that number is bound to grow. However, some of the most memorable characters are the ones that appeared in only one episode. Here are but a few.At the start of the episode, you can't help but feel bad for Frank Grimes, a.k.a. Grimey. Abandoned as a child, Grimes had to struggle for everything he has and has little to show for his accomplishments.
When he gets a job alongside Homer and the others in Springfield's Nuclear Power Plant's sector 7-G, he feels resentment towards Homer because of how lazy and dimwitted he is and is still able to have a cozy standard of living. Frank, on the other hand, has to live in an apartment sandwiched between two bowling alleys and drive an old sloppy jalopy.
The last straw for Grimes was when he tricks Homer into entering a contest for kids, but the residents of Springfield are oblivious to this. He finally snaps and goes crazy, grabbing high voltage power lines. Well, that's the reason he's on this list.
This episode is a good reminder that people don't always get out of life what they put into it.
On the surface, Hank Scorpio is every boss the average blue-collar worker wishes they had. He's very easygoing, adaptable, and genuinely cares about the employees on his payroll. When Homer gets a new job at Cypress Creek, it's a dream for him, but a nightmare for his family. However, there are two sides to every coin.
What Homer is oblivious to is that Scorpio's a James Bond-esque villain bent on taking over the U.S. East Coast, and not once does he catch onto this. It's unknown why Scorpio wanted the U.S. East Coast, but his two-faced persona makes him one of the most memorable one-time characters and shows that even the most angelic people have an evil side to them.
When Lisa's regular teacher, Miss Hoover, thinks she's come down with Lyme disease, she has to take sick leave and is replaced by Mr. Bergstrom, voiced by Dustin Hoffman. Lisa and Bergstrom develop a close bond with each other, and during a day at the museum, Homer is suggested by Bergstrom to be a more positive role model.
But the relationship is short-lived as Bergstrom takes a job in Capital City, leaving Lisa empty. After Homer shows some insensitivity, he's able to reconcile with his children and become a better role model for them. It goes to show you that a person doesn't have to stick around your entire life to make a big impact on it.
After an employee is fired for asking for a real emergency exit, Mr. Burns decides to hire some illegal immigrants to replace him. However, he's forced by the United States Department of Labor to make some changes, and he's forced to hire at least one female worker. The hired candidate is Mindy Simmons, a highly attractive woman who's also Homer's match in every way.
What makes this episode unforgettable is how Homer does his best to stay loyal to Marge, even though she had a cold that made her unattractive at times. But in the end, the two have a magical night together, proving that it's not how compatible a couple is that makes a marriage last. It's how they deal with incompatibility.
When Simpsons fans hear the name Lovejoy, they think about the pastor at the church. In this episode, we're introduced to his daughter Jessica, voiced by Meryl Streep. When Bart tries to be a straight-laced young man, Jessica ignores him. But when she sees his bad side, she develops a crush on him.
Pardon the pun, but this relationship looks like a match made in heaven. However, as it turns out, Jessica is a bigger delinquent than Bart is, even going so far as to steal the church's offering plate. It just goes to show you that sometimes the apple falls very far from the tree.
Undoubtedly voiced by comedy legend Rodney Dangerfield, Larry is Mr. Burns' long-lost son. When the two reunite, Mr. Burns tries to mold Larry into his own image but fails dramatically every time due to his behavior. During a dinner where the two join the Simpsons, Mr. Burns denounces Larry and wishes that he was never born.
Thankfully, the two reconcile at the end despite a staged kidnapping and admit that it takes more than DNA for someone to be family.
Even in the first season, The Simpsons were no strangers to guest appearances by famous celebrities. Here, Albert Brooks plays Jacques, a bowling instructor who develops a crush on Marge. She decides to take up bowling after Homer gives her a bowling ball for her birthday, which was really thoughtless of him.
When Jacques sees how poorly she's doing, he decides to give her a few pointers and a forbidden romance blossoms soon after. Naturally, the couple reconcile with each other, and Homer learns his lesson: give careful consideration to what you get people for their birthdays, especially your spouse.
A.K.A. Miss Botz the babysitter bandit, she's one of the original villains in The Simpsons. When Homer and Marge decide to spend a magical night to rekindle their marriage, they hire a seedy-looking babysitter who's actually a criminal on the run. Voiced perfectly by Penny Marshall, Miss Botz's character design definitely benefits from the original art structure of the early seasons.
Although the kids were able to get the upper hand and call the police after subduing her, Homer and Marge return home and let her free seconds before the fuzz arrives and have to admit the error on a live broadcast. While she is seen in a couple of episodes, this remains the only one where she speaks.
Played by Albert Brooks, Cargill was the perfect villain in The Simpsons Movie. As the corrupt head of the Environmental Protection Agency, Cargill is able to trick President Arnold Schwarzenegger into quarantining Springfield in a dome and then into authorizing it to be blown up to make way for a new Grand Canyon. He's totally relentless in his pursuits, even going so far as to aim a gun at Homer at the film's climax.
If they do decide to do a sequel to the movie, one must wonder if we'll be seeing Russ Cargill again.
Karl motivated Homer when he was an executive, and Karl is the opposite of Frank Grimes.
Just don't confuse him with Carl, okay?
The son of Frank Grimes, who in the episode attempts to have Homer killed as revenge for driving his father insane, leading him to kill himself.
When the family goes to a carnival, they come across a ring toss game run by Cooder (voiced by the late Jim Varney) and his son Spud. After Bart damages Hitler's limo, he and Homer have to work at the ring toss game to pay for the damages.
After Homer is unable to sweet talk the police out of towing their game away, Homer allows the father and son to stay at their place, only for the Cooders to take over after the Simpsons go on a glass bottom boat tour.
Probably the funniest part is at the end of the episode where Homer and Cooder have a bet. If Homer can throw a hoop onto the chimney, they get their house back. If he fails, he has to declare Cooder and Spud as the new legal owners. Instead, Homer throws it on the ground and the family makes a mad dash inside the house.
Many people consider this the best episode of Season 9, a far cry from "The Principal and the Pauper."