List of breakout characters

A breakout character is a fictional character in different episodes, books or other media (TV, comics, literature, games, etc.) that becomes the most popular, talked about, and imitated. Most often a breakout character in a television series (such as Fonzie of Happy Days) captures the audience's imagination and helps to popularize the show, sometimes inadvertently. Breakout characters have been known to come from intended single appearances.

A breakout character's most distinguishing trait (beyond his popularity) is that he is not the intended protagonist of a series, but rather a more minor character. Often, the emergence of a breakout character causes friction with other actors on a series, because the show shifts its original focus away from the other characters to the breakout character in order to appeal to the audience. Other actors may see their intended screen and story time cut down or even eliminated completely as a breakout character becomes popular.

Examples

Television

Ben Linus (LOST) - Originally intended to only be a minor villian who would leave after his stint in series 2, however he proved popular enough to become a main character for the rest of the show's run.

• Angel (David Boreanaz) on Buffy The Vampire Slayer.^{[citation needed]} His backstory of being a vampire cursed with a soul quickly became popular enough with audiences that after the first three seasons, he starred in his own series.
• Aquaman (John DiMaggio) on Batman: The Brave and the Bold is considered the show's breakout character and is even referred to as such in the metafiction series finale.^{[citation needed]}
• Dr. Daniel Auschlander (Norman Lloyd) on St. Elsewhere. His character was supposed to go on for four episodes, when he had liver cancer. However, there was something appealing with the connection of the show that had some audience response. He stayed with that series for six more years.
• Carl Brutananadilewski (Dave Willis) on Aqua Teen Hunger Force, currently Aqua Unit Patrol Squad 1 was the only other main character from the series that did not appear in the Space Ghost Coast to Coast episode "Baffle Meat". He is also the only one of the four main characters that is human. As the series progressed, the writiers made Carl the main focus of episodes ("Carl" and "Larry Miller Hair System"). In 2007 the character was given his own internet spin-off entitled "Carl's Stone Cold Lock of the Century of the Week".
• Castiel (Misha Collins) on Supernatural. Collins' character on the show is noted for originally being conceived for a short six-episode story arc at the beginning of the show's fourth season. By the time the season came to a close, not only had the character quickly become a favorite amongst fans, but he was subsequently upgraded from his previous supporting status to a series star alongside the show's main protagonists Sam and Dean Winchester from the show's fifth season onwards.
• Naomi Clark (AnnaLynne McCord) in 90210. Naomi received critical acclaim from the series' inception. Despite not being billed first, McCord was referred to by reporters as the show's lead throughout the first two seasons.
• Sandra Clark (Jackée Harry) in 227. The series was originally meant as a vehicle for Marla Gibbs. Harry's character proved to be a breakout success and she was upgraded from supporting status.
• Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons) on The Big Bang Theory. Sheldon Cooper is described by several reviewers as being the show's breakout character, due to his social ineptitude and extreme intelligence being the basis for much of the show's humor.
• Niles Crane (David Hyde-Pierce) on Frasier. On this successful spin-off from Cheers, it was originally intended that Frasier Crane be an only child. Pierce was hired because Frasier producers saw his headshot and commented on how much he looked like a young Kelsey Grammer. The character was originally meant to juxtapose Frasier from "what Frasier would be if he had never gone to Boston and never been exposed to the people at Cheers." As the series continued, episodes began to focus on the relationship between the two brothers. Unlike Frasier, part of whose background comes from Cheers, Niles' background is established over the course of Frasier.
• J. J. Evans (Jimmie Walker) in Good Times. With his catch phrase "Dy-no-mite!", J.J. came to dominate the series. This led to friction with stars Esther Rolle and John Amos, who played his parents, not so much because they resented being upstaged but because they felt he was becoming too stereotypical and not a good role model for African American youth. Ultimately, they forced a showdown with the producers which led to some changes in J. J.'s character, Amos's character being killed off and later Rolle's temporary departure from the show (she returned at the beginning of the show's final season), after which J. J. became even more the focus of the show.
• J. R. Ewing (Larry Hagman) on Dallas. Originally intended simply as a nemesis for Pam and Bobby Ewing, his villainy made him so popular that by the show's third season the story arc around his attempted murder put the show high atop the ratings.
• Dan Fielding (John Larroquette) in Night Court. The New York Assistant District Attorney of the Manhattan Criminal Court, Dan Fielding became the show's most popular character for his boorish, sex-obsessed behavior and his unethical treatment of women, colleagues and (at times) his work. While shown to be more sincere than he lets on, his acerbic humor towards the increasingly odd cases he is given to prosecute became a key element to the show's dynamic. John Larroquette's performance was popular and acclaimed that he won four consecutive Primetime Emmy Awards in 1985, 1986, 1987 and 1988 for playing the character. He famously asked not to be considered for an award in 1989.
• Barney Fife (Don Knotts) in The Andy Griffith Show.
• Det. Phil Fish (Abe Vigoda) in Barney Miller.^{[citation needed]} Proved popular enough to secure himself a spinoff, Fish.
• Fonzie (Henry Winkler) in the American sitcom Happy Days. The character of Fonzie started out as a fringe character but quickly evolved into the focal point of the series. His character became best friend to the main character, Richie Cunningham, displacing Potsie Webber, the character originally intended for that relationship. Winkler's billing in the credits rose all the way to second (he refused to go before Ron Howard, the star) and then first after Howard left the show to pursue directing. At one point, network executives even hoped to call the show Fonzie's Happy Days.
• Marshall Gregson (Keir Gilchrist) on United States of Tara.
• Gibby Gibson (Noah Munck) in iCarly. Became a breakout character during his first appearance in the show
• Stewie Griffin (voiced by Seth MacFarlane) on Family Guy. Show creator MacFarlane reports being very surprised that Stewie turned out to be the show's breakout character, and that when this turned out to be the case he had to work out stories to do with the character.
• Reverend Jim Ignatowski (Christopher Lloyd) on Taxi. Ignatowski was originally a one-time character, a reverend who married Latka Gravas so he could stay in the country. The next season he was re-introduced and (in a very memorable episode) got his cabbie license. Later that season he was added to the main cast and remained that way until the show ended in 1983.
• Florence Johnston (Marla Gibbs) on The Jeffersons. Originally, the character of Florence was supposed to make only one guest appearance; however, thanks to more guest appearances, she became the incorrigible scene-stealer.
• K-9 (John Leeson and David Brierly) in Doctor Who. K-9 was a robotic dog who served as the Doctor's companion from 1977 to 1980. Following the character's departure, he appeared in the pilot for the aborted spin-off series K-9 and Company. He later appeared in three episodes of the revived series of Doctor Who, has made appearances in spin-off series The Sarah Jane Adventures, and is now the central character of the spin-off series K-9.
• Kato (Bruce Lee) in Green Hornet^{[citation needed]}
• Alex P. Keaton (Michael J. Fox) in Family Ties.
• Benjamin Linus (Michael Emerson) in Lost was originally only supposed to be in three episodes of Season 2 in the fake persona of "Henry Gale," but the producers loved his performance so much that they wrote him in as the leader of the Others. He became a series regular in Season 3 and remained a star character for the rest of the show. During the series' run Linus was often hailed as one of the best villains on television and Emerson was nominated for three Emmys, winning one, for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.
• Randy Marsh (voiced by Trey Parker) in South Park. For the first few seasons, Randy Marsh was simply a background character, and served only as "Stan's Dad." But over time, his character was developed more. As a result, his wildly overreactive personality caused his popularity to grow among fans and he eventually even started having entire episodes devoted to him. (e.g. Bloody Mary, With Apologies to Jesse Jackson, Medicinal Fried Chicken, etc.) By later seasons, he was considered to be the series' breakout character.
• Maw Maw (Cloris Leachman) on Raising Hope. Leachman was originally only going to appear in a guest role, though her performance was so well received by critics that she appeared in later episodes. Many credit her for the show's success.^{[citation needed]}
• Dylan McKay (Luke Perry) in Beverly Hills, 90210.
• Todd Manning (originally and currently Roger Howarth, was played by Trevor St. John) on One Life to Live. The character, known for initiating the gang rape of Marty Saybrooke in 1993, was originally supposed to be short-lived, but once Howarth was cited as having drawn in notable positive viewer reaction, the character was slated to become a main focus. Note: Trevor St. John's version turned out to be Todd's twin brother Victor. Roger Howarth returned as Todd in 2011. The character's popularity continued even after St. John assumed the role in 2003.
• Elka Ostrovsky (Betty White) on Hot in Cleveland. White was originally offered a guest role in the pilot episode, but her popularity caused the producers to give her a permanent lead role.
• Sophia Petrillo (Estelle Getty) on The Golden Girls. Petrillo, the mother of lead character Dorothy Zbornak (Beatrice Arthur), was originally written as a one-off character for the pilot, but her blunt wisecracking became a signature of the show, to the point where she became a core member of the cast, replacing a gay chef named "Coco" that only appeared in the pilot. Petrillo would go on to appear in The Golden Palace and Empty Nest, with the character ending its run at the end of Empty Nest in 1995.
• Will Robinson (Billy Mumy), Dr. Zachary Smith (Jonathan Harris), and Robot (Dick Tufeld/Bob May) on Lost in Space. The show, as its early episodes suggest, was originally supposed to be a serious action/adventure series showcasing Guy Williams. Fan response completely changed the nature of the show and the set of focal characters.
• Homer Simpson (voiced by Dan Castellanata) on The Simpsons. During the first three seasons of the series, Bart was the show's main character. However, by Season 4 Homer had become the show's focus.
• Leopold "Butters" Stotch (voiced by Matt Stone) on South Park. Butters debuted as a background character, whose role on the show increased as the series progressed. He eventually replaced Kenny McCormick as the fourth main character for part of Season 6, but this was short lived, and was soon relieved of his duty. However, he still remains popular and continues to have important roles in episodes.
• Spike (James Marsters) evolved from villain to comic relief to hero in the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. He becomes the lover of the show's titular character, Buffy Summers, and comes to parallel Angel in terms of motivation. He became one of the show's primary focuses in its final season, and then moved to its spin-off Angel. He appeared on the Angel season 5 DVD covers alongside its titular character.
• Spock (Leonard Nimoy) on Star Trek. Spock was the only character to be carried over from the original pilot to the second. Series creator Gene Roddenberry was pressured by NBC to drop the character from the second pilot, and later to keep the character in the background. The character quickly became popular and NBC soon reversed its stance and encouraged more focus on the character. Spock was in every episode of the original series, the animated series and the original cast movies; the first "Spock-less" episode was the pilot episode of Star Trek The Next Generation.
• Ron Swanson (Nick Offerman) on Parks and Recreation. Ron Swanson, originally a background character, soon became what critics called the show's "secret weapon" and quickly became a scene-stealer, noted for his frequent deadpan comedy and machoism.
• Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch) on Glee.^{[citation needed]} Originally a minor character, Sue Sylvester has become an audience favorite and has brought Jane Lynch to worldwide fame. Lynch has received multiple awards and nominations for her role as Sylvester.
• Barney Stinson (Neil Patrick Harris) on How I Met Your Mother. Over time, Barney Stinson became a scene-stealer and has been credited for much of the show's success.
• Mo Tibbs (Omar Gooding) on Smart Guy. At first it was a secondary character, but its affection by the public led him to be a main character.
• London Tipton (Brenda Song) on The Suite Life of Zack and Cody and its spin-off The Suite Life on Deck.
• Abed Nadir (Danny Pudi) on Community. The show initially focused on the life of Jeff Winger. However, Abed's popularity began to soar due to his bizarre, lovable personality, his use of pop-culture references and meta-humor.
• Steve Urkel (Jaleel White) on Family Matters. Originally just a one-time only character, he was so popular he eventually became a regular and practically synonymous with the series.
• Topanga Lawrence (Danielle Fishel) on Boy Meets World. Though originally only a minor character, the audience loved her so much she became a regular character and Cory's girlfriend from season 3 to the end.
• Blair Waldorf (Leighton Meester) in Gossip Girl. The series' most critically acclaimed character, earning mainstream media recognition from Forbes, Rolling Stone, Variety, and numerous other periodicals. The character was acclaimed as having "stolen the spotlight" in the first season. Additionally, her wardrobe has garnered real-life coverage from fashion outlets, and has been cited as trend-setting outside of the show.
• Karen Walker (Megan Mullally) on Will & Grace.^{[citation needed]}
• William Murderface (Tommy Blancha) in Metalocalypse. Due to his unconventionally (for the show) emotional and human behavior, many people empathize with Murderface, and he has since become the show's breakout character, thereby getting bigger parts in recent episodes.

Movies

• Chief Inspector Jacques Clouseau (Peter Sellers) in The Pink Panther series of films. In the first film, David Niven's suave jewel thief was the main character. But audiences and critics so loved the bumbling Clouseau that later films in the series were written around him instead.
• Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) in Pirates of the Caribbean, initially the character was written as a supporting trickster character, under Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann. Depp's performance and the character proved popular enough warrant him as the protagonist of the series, shown in the fourth film.
• Darth Vader (Voice: James Earl Jones Actor: David Prowse) in the original Star Wars series, the movie's main character is the protagonist Luke Skywalker. Vader became the main villain in the sequel movies and after the popularity Darth Vader showed in the original three movies, George Lucas made the decision to make three prequel Star Wars movies, following the life of how Anakin Skywalker changes to become the Sith Lord Darth Vader.
• Mr. Brown (David Mann), in filmmaker and playwright Tyler Perry's series of films, as well as plays. In Mr. Brown's earlier appearances, he was only a minor character used for comic relief in addition to being the butt of Madea's cruel jokes. However, the character grew to be just as popular as Perry's signature character, Madea, amongst fans of Perry's work. Beginning with the play Meet the Browns, Mr. Brown has frequently appeared as a main character in many Tyler Perry productions. Most notably, the television series Meet the Browns which features Brown as the main protagonist. However, Mr. Brown only appears as a supporting character in the film version of Meet the Browns which is based on the original stageplay as opposed to the subsequent TV show.
• Aldous Snow (Russell Brand) in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, initially the character was written as an author, but was changed to a rockstar after of Brand's audition. Brand received rave reviews for his performance and the character proved popular enough warrant his own spin-off movie, Get Him to the Greek.
• Woody Woodpecker began as minor character in Walter Lantz's Andy Panda series. He eventually starred in his own series and became the studio's most popular character.
• Porky Pig of the Looney Tunes film series. Porky started out as a supporting character to short-lived star Beans the Cat. Only a year later, Porky quickly shined, and the other characters who appeared since his debut were sent to early retirement. He then owned much of the limelight until Bugs Bunny came along.
• Bugs Bunny, also from the Looney Tunes series, began as an unnamed character in a Porky Pig short. Upon getting named and redesigned over time, Bugs shone a lot brighter than his predecessor ever did, and he eventually became the mascot for Warner Bros. Porky, however, remained part of the LT cast.

Literature

• Dr. Hannibal Lecter, from the novels Red Dragon, The Silence Of The Lambs and Hannibal by Thomas Harris, was a minor character in Red Dragon, appeared more prominent in The Silence Of The Lambs and became the main character in Hannibal. A prequel, focusing on Lecter's early years as a cannibal, known as Hannibal Rising, was made due to the character's popularity.^{[citation needed]}
• Professor Moriarty from Sherlock Holmes was originally intended to be a one-off character in The Final Problem. However, Moriarty soon became Sherlock's primary nemesis and a pop culture icon.
• Thomas the Tank Engine from The Railway Series was the fourth character to be mentioned in the books after Edward, Henry and Gordon. His popularity made him the title character of the TV series based those stories.

Comics

• Snoopy in Peanuts became, in the strip's later years, the focus of the strip, displacing Charlie Brown, as his character began to do more and more fantastic things, got his own sidekick, Woodstock, and proved to be a huge seller in the strip's merchandising. In the 1970s he was practically synonymous with the strip.
• Wolverine began as an enemy of the Incredible Hulk. He shortly after joined the X-Men but editors decided that he and Thunderbird were too similar in abilities and temperament and almost killed off Wolverine instead of Thunderbird. Even after, he was a minor character, but he grew in popularity to become one of Marvel Comics' most popular and marketable characters. He features prominently in the X-Men movies and eventually gained his own movie about his origins.
• Opus the Penguin, of Bloom County, Outland, and the strip of the same name was originally intended to last for only his initial two-week run upon his introduction in Bloom County. After receiving a large amount of fan mail supporting the character (along with being personally pleased at how well the character seemed to mesh with the strip) Berkeley Breathed decided to keep him on as a permanent character, eventually supplanting the original cast as the focus of the strip and its subsequent sequels.
• Death (DC Comics) started out as a supporting character in Neil Gaiman's Sandman but with her perky smile and upbeat personality became popular and gained a couple of mini-series devoted just to her.
• Ray (Achewood) first appeared as part of a trio of roughly identical cats three months after the comic began; their role was limited to competitive swearing. Both Ray and Roast Beef quickly developed beyond their initial roles; the comic's second sustained story arc revolves around the two characters starting up a business and is the basis of most of the strips for the rest of that month; indeed, several arcs have focused almost totally on Ray, with Roast Beef acting as comedic foil in most of his appearances.
• Popeye was introduced as a minor character ten years into the run of the King Features Syndicate feature, Thimble Theatre, which had begun in 1919. Prior to that time, the strip had focused on Olive Oyl and her family. Popeye was introduced as a crewman hired by Castor Oyl. Popeye was initially written out of the strip, but fan reaction resulted in his reintroduction and eventual dominance of the feature.
• Krazy Kat was originally the pet cat of the Dingbat family. After a while, the cat began appearing in his own comic strips and the connection to the Dingbats was discarded. The cat even appeared in numerous short films.
• The Smurfs started as minor characters in the Johan and Peewit comic books. They then appeared in their own strips and even got their own TV series.
• The Joker was only meant to be a one-shot villain. The writiers considered killing him off, but Batman creator, Bill Finger decided to keep him on. Fans fell in love with his unpredictable and psychopathic behavior, eventfully he became the hero's archenemy and one of the most memorable comic-book villains of all time.

Games

• The Rabbids originally appeared in the game Rayman Raving Rabbids (2006) as antagonists but became more popular than the main character, Rayman. After appearing in two more Rayman games, they received the chance to star in their own game, Rabbids Go Home (2009).