Talk:List of breakout characters

Robin Williams/Mork from Ork

Since "Happy Days" was mentioned, it's kind of surprising that Mork was omitted... —Preceding unsigned comment added by 128.227.3.11 (talk) 19:04, 6 May 2010 (UTC)

That's an interesting one. He was really only in one episode of HD before M&M was started. He never really "broke out" of the former because he wasn't really on it all that much. Daniel Case (talk) 19:58, 6 May 2010 (UTC)

"Q" from Star Trek Next Generation

I think that "Q" (John de Lancie) could qualify for a breakout character. His debut in "Encounter at Farpoint" was originally intended his only appearance. However, his character generated sufficient interest from Star Trek fans that he eventually made multiple appearances throughout the series, and in Deep Space Nine and Voyager as well. In the Star Trek 30 Years and Beyond (1996), he was voted by fans as the "best villian." CouldBeaFan (talk) 19:57, 5 December 2011 (UTC)

George Bluth

Here's one with an actual citation, if people think it merits a mention: http://the-op.com/view/article.php?sect=2900&a=37 George Bluth on Arrested Development was originally only supposed to appear in the pilot, and presumably spend the rest of the series in prison and therefore off-screen. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 18.111.56.243 (talk) 02:02, 1 March 2009 (UTC)

Claire Bennet/Boba Fett

I added these two characters to the list. Are they good additions?

Boba Fett seems like a good addition to me, but I think Hiro Nakamura is far more of a breakout character for Heroes, and you just glossed over him. Hayden Panatierre may be on the covers of magazines (she is a photogenic young lady), but almost every article I have read regarding Heroes has mentioned Masi Oka, and a fair number of them have been about him exclusively. That said, I am not sure that either of them are true breakout characters. While the Petrelli storyline is central to the story, both characters have had a great deal of screentime from the very beginning, and I don't think they were ever intended as minor roles.

Hannibal Lecter

I'm surprised he's not in the list... In The Silence of the Lambs he was just a psychiatrist advising Clarice Starling on finding the serial killer "Buffalo Bill" -the intented principal antagonist. Hannibal Lecter became such a famous character that most people who haven't seen Silence of the Lambs would be surprised to find out that his screen time in the entire film is just over 16 minutes. Thomas Harris's 1999 follow-up novel, Hannibal, was the first of his three Lecter books to feature the character as its principal antagonist, which considering the success of Hopkins' performance, came as no surprise. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 83.194.176.102 (talk) 13:32, 19 September 2008 (UTC)

Horrible Article

Please get an impartial mod to fix this article. So many of the entries are fanboy nonsense it's ridiculous.

I think part of the problem is that we need to apply a clear, universal definition for "breakout character." Many impartial online dictionaries do not provide a clear definition for the term. TV tropes describes a breakout character as one who originally is given a relatively insignificant role, who subsequently "steals the show." [1] Daniel Case (talk) 23:30, 5 December 2011 (UTC)

Part of the problem, perhaps, is that the entire concept is fanboy. I've just seen this for the first time and I think it combines the worst of juvenile obsessiveness and obscure trivia. 72.179.63.75 (talk) 02:18, 26 April 2012 (UTC) Eric

I took the definition used in the lede from an academic talk. TVTropes is a fun and sometimes insightful site but we don't consider it a reliable source. The problem is that there seem to be two popular understandings of the term:

• the intended one as quoted above, a character who like Alex Keaton or Urkel either steals the show outright from its intended lead or, like Stewie Griffin, becomes a regular part of the show from originally being intended to be just a minor part.
• a character in an ensemble show, like Blake Lively, who becomes the most popular with audiences even though the show never changes to make them the lead.

Contributors to this page use both, and I've sort of resigned myself to that, even though (as I've noted before) it was meant for strictly the first sense. Daniel Case (talk) 23:30, 5 December 2011 (UTC)

More potential additions to the list

1. Mimi Bobeck in The Drew Carey Show.
2. Thing from Fantastic Four you'll need to cite this
3. Seth Cohen from The O.C. you'll need to cite this
4. Fire Marshall Bill from In Living Color you'll need to cite this

These last two use the same cite. Daniel Case 04:21, 29 July 2006 (UTC)

1. Stiffler in American Wedding you'll need to cite this
2. Eddie in Barbershop 2 you'll need to cite this
3. Joy in My Name Is Earl you'll need to cite this
4. Baby Sinclair in Dinosaurs you'll need to cite this
5. Ralph Cifaretto in The Sopranos you'll need to cite this
6. Mr. Spock in Star Trek
7. The Punisher in Amazing Spider-Man
8. Opus in Bloom County
9. Luke Spencer on General Hospital
10. Frasier Crane on Cheers
11. Timon and Pumbaa from The Lion King
12. Sasami from Tenchi Muyo! (if anime is also considered)
13. New York from Flavor of Love (if reality is also considered)
14. Venom from Spider-Man
15. Thunderstrike in Thor. Thunderstrike was outselling Thor by two or three times.
16. Miles O'Brien from Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Like Worf, the character went from a bit part to having episodes focused around him.

"Not the Mama!", haha, totally agree on Baby Sinclair. I also reckon Dr. Zoidberg from Futurama is a contender. Gemfyre (talk) 13:57, 20 February 2008 (UTC)

Let's not forget Tommy Oliver. Mack-the-random 01:34, 29 October 2007 (UTC)

What about Elle Bishop from season 2 of Heroes. She was probably the break out character of the show. I mean she went from only going to be in 8 episodes to being bumped to 13 episodes(ofcourse she didn't even get to do her orginal 8 episodes). You could also maybe include Adam Monroe from season 2 also. But Elle was the bigger of the two new characters. Plus many people have said that Elle became there favorite character.

What about Samantha from Sex and the City? Sure, she was one of the original four, but she definitely stole Carries thunder on several occasions. And it's obvious that she (or rather her sexual adventures) became synonomous with the "sex" part of SATC. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Helenem81 (talk • contribs) 18:45, 3 June 2008 (UTC)

Do you have sources on that? What's obvious to you may not be obvious to other people. And "stealing Carrie's thunder on several occasions" isn't the same as "stealing the series" as Urkel did. Daniel Case (talk) 02:11, 4 June 2008 (UTC)

I honestly think this list needs Barney from How I Met Your Mother. =)

I think it would be appropriate to note the irony that Sondra Clark was a breakout character on 227 outshining the star Marla Gibbs, considering many people consider Marla Gibb's character Florence to have been a breakout character on The Jeffersons outshining the stars of that show, and making her a big enought star to lead a series (227). MatthewBrooklyn (talk) —Preceding undated comment added 04:17, 3 September 2009 (UTC).

Historical breakout character

Could Falstaff be considered a breakout character? The article says little about it, but if memory serves he became so popular that Shakespeare pretty much wrote The Merry Wives of Windsor around him because the public demanded a Falstaff vehicle, even though the character was already officially dead? Daniel Case 16:45, 28 July 2006 (UTC)

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing when I read this, but, it's such a stupid article I wouldn't even know where to begin to redeem it by discussing how Shakespeare was pressured into writing an entire play just for what was to him a disposable character, making Falstaff perhaps one of the earliest "breakout characters" in English literature (but no doubt there were others that someone more versed would know). --Free-world (talk) 17:52, 8 August 2008 (UTC)

Must the term be used in a cite?

Do we have to limit ourselves only to references in which the actual term "breakout character" is used, or can we go with one where it says "X was intended to be the main character of the show, but Y took over it after audiences clamored for more of the character."? Daniel Case 04:24, 29 July 2006 (UTC)

I agree. I like to the list of "breakout characters," if the definition is to include "a specific audience chosen, unintended focal character" then the list can and should remain intact as it is and people can continue to add to it and make it larger. If the definition is "intended short term" then the focal point is too narrow and it would shrink the list. I would like the under construction to be removed from the top of the article as well. I think this list can and should be tied to fan fiction. I have read many books and watched many programs and thought to myself, "I wish someone could create spin-off content for that character." After all, one of the goals of wiki and many wiki readers is to grow the site, grow the knowledge, and grow public understanding of our world. --Stevenbrimer (talk) 07:13, 13 January 2012 (UTC)

I do consider the term to embody both definitions; however in the first instance, the "breaking out" happens only when a peripheral character like Fonzie becomes an integral part of the show, or what was originally an ensemble show gets retooled so one popular character is the main character (IOW, what has not happened on Modern Family, no matter how popular Phil, or Cam, or Gloria or Jay have gotten).

As for your second point ... unlike TV Tropes, whose more extensive list is here, we don't consider individual works of fan fiction notable unless they've been published by a third party (like, say, Star Trek: The New Voyages (in which case it's not quite fan fiction anymore, really).

Recent additions

I found a source characterizing Spike as a breakout character, and Klinger I'll keep since it refers to his being added as a regular and is consistent with similar (unsourced, I know) info in the main Klinger article (and I'm not really sure how you cite that). But Miss Piggy I have tagged as it is sourced neither here nor in the main article. It sounds like it would have to refer to some interviews with the show's producers, and I can't find it online.

If it is not sourced in a week, I'm parking it here. Daniel Case 02:16, 1 September 2006 (UTC)

I am not sure how to reference it correctly, but the history of Miss Piggy can be seen in the Season 1 DVD set of The Muppet Show. The text commentary points out her appearence (as just another female pig) and points out where her first karate chop was, etc. ColinBlair 21:42, 9 September 2006 (UTC)

Yes, I see what you mean. I've had things from DVD commentary that I've thought of adding, too.

Someone should look and see if any of the major citation styles (MLA, APA, Harvard) have developed a way of citing DVD commentary. If not, we'll have to find one ourselves. Daniel Case 13:28, 10 September 2006 (UTC)

Some seem stretches

I love The Simpsons and The West Wing (and woe be unto the executive who decided the last season of the latter needed to compete with the former), but Homer and Donna? Dan (Homer's voice) is the first person credited. If anything, it would be correct to say that Bart was the breakout character that eventually settled into his current role as non-breakout. And Donna, while originally a minor role, was never dominant in or identified with the series. Again, there's a much stronger case to be made for President Bartlet, who was originally supposed to be an occasional character, but eventually became the best-known character in the show. However, perhaps it would be best to just leave the two Barts out of the article and focus on obvious breakouts like Urkel and The Fonz. Calbaer 21:24, 21 November 2006 (UTC)

I have tagged that as needing a source, though on the whole I agree with the interpretation. In the Ullman Show shorts and the first episodes, Homer was a much more genuinely paternal character and Castellanata (who comes first in the credits only because they're in alphabetical order) even used a deeper voice. He was originally supposed to be the classic sitcom dad and more of a supporting character. The idea of turning him into a scheming boob/drunken fool came later. Daniel Case 23:28, 21 November 2006 (UTC)

The first short, "Good Night" would seem to undermine this assertion. There he is dumb and he is the most-seen character. As I said, calling him a "break-out" is a stretch; Homer was no Urkel or Fonz. And, if I'm not mistaken, the credits are not alphabetical, but in order of characters' age (for the four Simpsons voices), then alphabetical (for the two remaining main voices). Cartwright (Bart, who you argue as being the main character) and Azaria are both credited after Castellaneta (Homer). If Homer was supposed to be a supporting character, there's no way Castellaneta would have first credit. Calbaer 23:56, 21 November 2006 (UTC)

I didn't directly claim Bart was the main character, although I shouldn't have used "supporting character" (Of course, our own article says "He is, alongside his son, Bart, arguably the show's biggest star and most well known character"). What I recall was that early episodes were built around, or intended to be built around, the Simpson family as a group. No one character was intended to stand out.

Of course, Bart did first and dominated the show for a few seasons, then Homer started getting in on the act (to the point that fans began to complain). So he may be sort of a secondary breakout character. Daniel Case 05:33, 22 November 2006 (UTC)

To 172.133.195.101

Not that some of those changes might not be valid, but they were sweeping enough that I think they should be discussed here.

• However you feel about the use of the term "jumping the shark", I don't feel that's sufficient grounds to pull it from the article, not least when that is frequently cited as a reason TV shows jump the shark.

• Klinger isn't a breakout character? It's true he wasn't in the movie. But my understanding of the show's history is that he was supposed to be a one-note drag joke but he became a fully fleshed-out character.

• You may have removed that Snoopy reference because it was to a blog comment. Fine. But it was the only one I could find that described Snoopy as a breakout character. I am trying to keep everything in this article sourced (not perfectly, I admit) so it doesn't get crufty. I would really prefer to have the source even for such "everybody knows this" things as Snoopy. Daniel Case 22:32, 28 November 2006 (UTC)

Strong Bad

No doubt Strong Bad is a breakout character, but I would not say that he is the main character. I mean, it's still HomestarRunner.com. Although SBemail is the most frequently updated part of the site, Homestar is still the main guy. --Savethemooses 06:31, 2 January 2007 (UTC)

True, but there's no web cartoon section of this page. WPjcm^{Words are cool} 17:38, 27 September 2008 (UTC)

MJ as breakout

"Mary Jane Watson was introduced in The Amazing Spider-Man as a flighty rival of Gwen Stacy for the affections of Peter Parker. However, Mary Jane's energetic and confident personality drew considerably more reader interest than expected and she evolved into one of the central supporting characters of Spider-Man." I don't believe MJ is a breakout character. There are SO many "others" that have not been noted - why MJ? Only thing I can think of is a Todd fan. Not being a troll. Just don't think she is not a breakout character. She was never featured in her "own" comic. I remember a couple Spider-Man comics which she was featured in but I don't think her name was selling the comic. She is NOT synonymous with Spider-Man. I love her, too. But she's not a breakout character. Not sure about this tilde stuff but i'll try Dathanandstuff 04:43, 9 February 2007 (UTC) dathan

While she's not a breakout character in the strictest sense, her role was expanded because her popularity with the fans. And she has become an important character in the Spider-man Mythos, so for that, I would leave her on the list. 4.235.156.82 17:08, 20 March 2007 (UTC)

She is now featured in her own comics (Mary Jane mini-series 1 and 2 and Spider-Man loves Mary Jane) as well as two novels by Judith o'Brien. She was also the first love interest in the movies and Ultimate Spider-Man (and the cartoons?) even though she was not in the original comic. Having displaced all other love interests and become the wife in a series where girlfriends used to abound is a breakout. --Leocomix 18:04, 28 July 2007 (UTC)

Worf???

Worf certainly got more screen-time than he was initially supposed to, but he was certainly not any of the following: "most popular, talked about, and imitated." Makgraf 06:37, 12 February 2007 (UTC)

Not a problem (I really have to sit down and do some cleanup on this). Daniel Case 17:22, 14 February 2007 (UTC)

I know I read somewhere, perhaps in TV Guide, that Worf was originally written for a couple of episodes but because he became so popular with the fans, he was written as a regular. Michael Dorn would later go on to play the character for over 10 years.

Not really. David Gerrold had conceived in the early 1970s that, if there were to be another Star Trek, he would have a Klingon as a crewmember. Since he more or less ghostwrote the TNG series bible, we can assume Worf was always intended to be a main character. Daniel Case (talk) 05:08, 4 May 2011 (UTC)

Jack Sparrow

There's already a lot of examples on the list (almost too many), but one that I think should probably be on there is Jack Sparrow. He was just a character in the first movie, but since so much of the success of it hinged around him, the next two made him the star character (with one of the taglines for PotC2 being "Jack is Back"). Does anyone think it'd be a good idea to add him? ShadowMan1od 22:31, 25 February 2007 (UTC)

He wasn't "just a character" in the movie, he was obviously one of the leads. Do you think they would pay an actor 10 million dollars to take the role of a minor character? Do you also believe they would give the part of a minor character to a major actor? Maybe if it was a cameo, but in Curse of the Black Pearl Johnny Depp has a lot of screen time and dialogues. And who's on the foreground on the poster? Jack Sparrow. I think he has absolutely nothing to do in this list. sanjuro (talk) 10:40, 14 October 2008 (UTC)

I don't think he qualifies at all, especially the way he's described in the article. He would be a breakout character if he was a minor character in the first movie and expanded in the second or third, but instead he was a minor character in the original script and expanded into a major one once an actor was cast. He should be removed from the list. (Btw, yes they would pay pots of money to a major actor for a minor part - check out Marlon Brando in Superman for example. But in this case, he's clearly a major character.) Pearce.duncan (talk) 19:29, 30 November 2008 (UTC)

Precisely! Minor part and minor character, that's not the same thing. It's not like if they had paid Brando a fortune to play some random Metropolis guy Superman helped out. sanjuro (talk) 11:38, 9 December 2008 (UTC)

Dick Grayson

I've been battling with myself whether or not to add Dick Grayson. He evolved from just Batman's sidekick, to one of the most popular heroes in the DC Comics. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 4.235.171.231 (talk) 16:08, 21 March 2007 (UTC).

I say "do it." D4S 00:44, 13 April 2007 (UTC)

Yes you can add he became part of the Teen Titans, who were the best-selling DC title in the early 80s. (part of the definition for me is that a breakout character becomes more popular than the original feature or takes on a far greater role than originally conceived) --Leocomix 18:18, 28 July 2007 (UTC)

Second Bananas

It seems like now, more than ever, people are starting to add more and more secondary characters. Ralph Biggum is certainly not a breakout character. Neither is Fred Fred Burger.

Lionheart08 23:24, 10 April 2007 (UTC)

Probably a good sign that I should do another purge and pull everything uncited off the page. Daniel Case 01:28, 11 April 2007 (UTC)

OK, I just did this. I pulled everything that doesn't at least claim "X was originally intended to be a side thing" and liberally slapped {{fact}} on much that didn't. In a couple of weeks I'll pull the uncited stuff if there are no citations forthcoming. Daniel Case 04:31, 22 April 2007 (UTC)

New York from Flavor of Love

She's a very obvious candidate. Should there be a "Reality" section added?

Don Patch

Should we add Don Patch from Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo? He is more popular among the fans. Or at my request, you can list any character from said show as a breakout character. Just as long as they are a breakout character. 68.205.128.200 20:54, 22 April 2007 (UTC)

Breakout characters aren't necessarily the most popular. It's more about if their role increased from said popularity or if they receive their own spinoffs. D4S 07:12, 23 April 2007 (UTC)

Yeah, but is Don Patch a breakout character? 68.205.128.200 22:22, 24 April 2007 (UTC)

John Locke (Lost)

Possible entry? while Jack was originally considered the lead character of the show, i think the series is focusing more on Locke these days as the latter part of Series 3 has shown, he's certainly being featured more than Jack. Amongst the shows fans he's certainly the most popular as well while Jack divides opinion sharply.

Locke has always been one of the main characters, and I don't think he gets much more screen time than anyone else. I'd say Ben Linus is more of a breakout character, as he was originally only going to be in a few episodes and not the leader of The Others. - LeonWhite 01:45, 30 May 2007 (UTC)

Why Eric Cartman is not a breakout character, at least not now

Three times in the last couple of weeks people have added Cartman as a breakout character. I have not seen a source referencing this, and some edits don't even try, so I keep taking it out.

The Cartman article itself says:

As the anti-hero of the four leads, Cartman was never intended to be the focal point of the series.[citation needed] After the show premiered, however, his outrageous and shocking behavior made him instantly popular with viewers.

I have added a {{fact}} tag to the first sentence ... if a reliable source is found and cited there, it can be included here. I do recall that Cartman became very popular very quickly ten years ago when the show was new. But I seem to also recall that Parker and Stone had actually spent a lot of time trying to figure the character out before the show, and I doubt they were surprised by his success. Nor does the writing seem to have shifted to him at the expense of the other characters.

Kenny was also as popular as Cartman in the early days, too, since he died so humorously in every episode.

So, I will keep reverting this until someone provides a source and writes it properly. Daniel Case 03:00, 8 May 2007 (UTC)

He's not a breakout character, this article is filled with bad examples from people who don't understand the actual definition. Those lines even contradict the definition of a "breakout character", who begins as a minor character while the writer admits Cartman is one of the four leads. How can a lead character be a minor character? Nonsense. sanjuro (talk) 10:28, 14 October 2008 (UTC)

I'll quote the article itself: "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." Randy Marsh does not fit this description. Cartman does. Its absurd to put Randy March in as a breakout character, other fringe characters also have episodes dedicated to them, such as towelie, and butters.

Citation NEEDED!? Lol

The whole page says citation needed even though that will never happen. I love this site. Citation needed indeed. Utils 06:02, 29 May 2007 (UTC)

Well, every once in a while I just clear that stuff off. And look at the citations we already have. Never say never. Daniel Case 12:24, 29 May 2007 (UTC)

Good boy. Utils 04:29, 31 May 2007 (UTC)

I've seen a page basicly full of those. Mack-the-random 00:48, 29 October 2007 (UTC)

Tagged

About five of those are notable. It was bad enough that I actually got to the article through a bizarre statement that Stewie was a breakout character on Family guy, but breakout characters in Heroes? After one season, which was written prior to being aired? This needs severely trimmed to only include truly appropriate examples. Chris Cunningham 12:14, 12 July 2007 (UTC)

Which five? Could you elaborate?

Actually, Stewie is one of the ones that's adequately sourced. I'll probably have to do another purging, then remove the tag. Daniel Case 13:58, 12 July 2007 (UTC)

How to create a breakout character

Are there any links how to create a breakout character in any way or something that character needs to become such a breakout character? If so, place them at the external links section. --Bryan Seecrets 13:07, 17 July 2007 (UTC)

Mmm ... well ... I'm not sure if you really can create a breakout character; the whole point of the concept is that a character becomes a much bigger part of the show than anyone ever expected. But something like that should really go in wikibooks, if someone ever decides to write a guide to television writing there. Daniel Case 21:04, 17 July 2007 (UTC)

I mean, creating breakout characters in films. But there is one simple way of doing this, just create a well-rounded and well-detailed character other than the main ones. That does sound right? --Bryan Seecrets 17:28, 18 July 2007 (UTC)

Original Research

How could this list not be considered original research? Isn't any such list bound to be subjective anyway? --  timc  talk   16:03, 18 July 2007 (UTC)

It was created originally as a way to resolve the bitter deletion battle over "Fonzie syndrome". "Breakout character" was determined to be a more accurate and less fan-ish term in wide use among television writers and critics, and the phenomenon of characters becoming more popular than originally intended or expected on television series is certainly well-known enough to be encyclopedic. While a number of current entries (ones that won't survive a forthcoming purge) are indeed subjective, there are more than enough that can be and have been sourced to maintain a respectable list. Daniel Case 17:03, 18 July 2007 (UTC)

characteristic traits of a breakout character?

"A breakout character is said to have many characteristic traits."

Like what? This really needs examples. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 128.61.82.210 (talk) 03:20, 1 September 2007 (UTC)

Daleks from Doctor Who

The Daleks turned out to be pretty big. I remember they were introduced really early in the series. Then, a whole bunch of books came out about them (independent of the Doctor Who stories). And still with the new series, everyone associates Daleks with Doctor Who. If someone else agrees that they're significantly "Fonzie" enough to add to that (already pretty long) list in the article, please do! 123.51.3.24 11:46, 1 September 2007 (UTC)

Nope, Not the darleks, not the Autons, the Cybermen, the Sontarans, the Zygons, the Sea Devils, the Silurians, the Ice Warriors, the Wirrn, the Yeti, the Master. None of these are above and beyond what they were when they were first written. The Darkels pretty much are the ones that made the doctor the only one of his species and are big..I doubt they will be bigger or have the show revolve around them. And that is why they are not 'breakout' characters. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Puppy Zwolle (talk • contribs) 10:34, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

Rewriten beginning

I have rewritten the beginning of this article that (as noted before) is horrible. It started with a specific example (tv-related) and went on in that same area. In the listing also comic characters and other characters were mentioned. I stated the more general 'definition'and left the rest almost 'as is' because...well what can one man do?--Puppy Zwolle (Puppy) 10:30, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

Goldberg as a breakout character

I would like to object to the claim that Bill Goldberg was a "breakout character" in WCW and/or the world of professional wrestling. More often than not, wrestlers become breakout stars when not many would have ever considered them main eventers. Other than Goldberg, a great example of this is Stone Cold Steve Austin. He lingered in WCW for many years only garnering a United States Championship (a second-tier title in the federation), before signing with the WWF and absolutely exploding in popularity. There are many wrestlers over the years that have gone on to great popularity after only being given minimal consideration by either the managements of professional wrestling companies or by the fans themselves. Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart, Mick Foley, Triple H, and Eddie Guerrero, amongst others, weren't considered top-tier talents in the first few years of their professional careers, and have since gone on to be some of the biggest stars in wrestling history; some are Hall of Famers. While Goldberg and Austin are arguably the only ones that have really transcended the business, I don't think one can simply consider Goldberg to be THE breakout character of WCW, when it's obvious that he was one of many.

Slimer Added

Just checking in to say that I think Slimer deserves a spot on this list, I tried to make his entry impartial, although it may need an edit or two. I think he fits well with the break out character type, primarily due to the television series being renamed so he got top billing, he's also recieved more merchandise and more air time than any single Ghostbuster. —Preceding unsigned comment added by LSWSjr (talk • contribs) 03:43, 8 December 2007 (UTC)

Fair use rationale for Image:Fonzie.jpg

Image:Fonzie.jpg is being used on this article. I notice the image page specifies that the image is being used under fair use but there is no explanation or rationale as to why its use in this Wikipedia article constitutes fair use. In addition to the boilerplate fair use template, you must also write out on the image description page a specific explanation or rationale for why using this image in each article is consistent with fair use.

Please go to the image description page and edit it to include a fair use rationale. Using one of the templates at Wikipedia:Fair use rationale guideline is an easy way to insure that your image is in compliance with Wikipedia policy, but remember that you must complete the template. Do not simply insert a blank template on an image page.

If there is other fair use media, consider checking that you have specified the fair use rationale on the other images used on this page. Note that any fair use images lacking such an explanation can be deleted one week after being tagged, as described on criteria for speedy deletion. If you have any questions please ask them at the Media copyright questions page. Thank you.

BetacommandBot (talk) 06:14, 2 January 2008 (UTC)

South Park - Butters

While he didn't become the focus of the show, Butters has gone from a very minor character to the fifth main character (actually, he's more present than Kenny is these days) - should he be on the list? Tredanse (talk) 11:00, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

I second this, although I know it's an old post. I was going to edit it in but couldn't find sources I felt would work, however, Butters is absent for the first three seasons, but is shown to be in several newer episodes, so I also question how much I'd need references, considering his change is a lot more noticeable than the other characters. JohnVMaster (talk) 21:49, 16 August 2010 (UTC)

The Doctor (Star Trek)

Should he really be on this list? After all, he was always a main character. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Rakaha (talk • contribs) 12:53, 17 July 2008 (UTC)

Maxwell Klinger - M*A*S*H

Klinger is actually a good example - Farr's character was initially a joke designed for one episode, then he advanced to a recurring one after positive reviews and finally became a regular cast member appearing in almost every episode later on. Towards the end of the series, he even replaced Radar in the pivotal role of a company clerk. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 84.234.61.252 (talk) 18:48, 10 August 2008 (UTC)

It is a notable progression, but one not too unusual in a long running series with an essemble cast from which key personnel depart. Kliger was never a breakout character who dominated the show, he just progressed in popularity. In later seasons the original point of the character (outrageous drag) was not a feature of the character. Format (talk) 20:03, 9 January 2009 (UTC)

I think he should be added, Mimi Bobeck from TDCS is on here for the same reason Klinger should be. — Preceding unsigned comment added by TheMovieManiac (talk • contribs) 16:52, 22 August 2011 (UTC)

Achewood

Roast beef and Ray from Achewood? www.Achewood.com Are they significant enough to be included on this list? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Seanpatnaude (talk • contribs) 04:48, 23 August 2008 (UTC)

The strip is notable, so if it can be sourced, yes. Daniel Case (talk) 14:12, 23 August 2008 (UTC)

Death

I added Death, the comic book character, with a reference. Now however the bottom of the article has disappeared for some reason I don't understand. Sorry!  SmokeyTheCat  •TALK• 14:06, 25 August 2008 (UTC) It's okay now.  SmokeyTheCat  •TALK• 14:07, 25 August 2008 (UTC)

Homer Simpson

I seem to remember the Simpsons really focusing on Bart early on, switching to Homer later as his blundering made him more popular than (or equal to) Bart. Am I wrong on this? --141.110.81.156 (talk) 19:28, 25 September 2008 (UTC)

I forgot to add Bender from Futurama, another Groening show. --141.110.81.156 (talk) 19:30, 25 September 2008 (UTC)

From the Nancy Cartwright article: "Bart quickly became the show's breakout character and was one of the most popular characters on television in what was termed "Bartmania".[25][26][27][28] Bart was described as "television's king of 1990",[29] "television's brightest new star"[30] and was named "entertainer of the year" by Entertainment Weekly.[31]" So is Bart the breakout character, or is Homer? "Seem[ing] to remember" is no encyclopedic. JZelazny (talk) 05:10, 14 February 2009 (UTC)

This whole article is a hopelessly unencyclopedic mass of WP:OR and opinion. The list serves no purpose whatsoever. The article should be reduced to just the (cited) definition of the term, with (cited) mention of the first use of the term, and one or two examples of other characters to whom the term has been applied (cited).-- 98.108.196.153 (talk) 06:54, 28 February 2009 (UTC)

Elmo and the Dragonball characters

I added Elmo, Vegata and Piccolo in the breakout character article because they are breakout characters. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.80.177.24 (talk) 05:09, 28 January 2009 (UTC)

Says who, you? Please people, stop violating WP:OR -- 98.108.196.153 (talk) 06:56, 28 February 2009 (UTC)

Well, I'd consider Elmo to be a breakout character, because he wasn't even there at the start. But I'm not sure whether or not he was a supporting character before he took over the show. --Morbid Duck (talk) 17:58, 4 August 2010 (UTC)

Removing Neville Longbottom?

I don't think Neville Longbottom of the Harry Potter books is at all a good example of a breakout character. Several characters are introduced or presented more closely as that series goes on, and Neville's changes of character are mostly part of his growing up - from 11 to 17 years. Neville is not a major character in any of the Potter books, not actively participating in the last book until the last quarter - where in fact all of the surviving characters appear. It would be just as correct - or incorrect - to attribute breakout status to Ginny, Molly, or Bill Weasley, none of whom are more than briefly mentioned in the first book. Sponsianus (talk) 20:05, 11 February 2009 (UTC)

Neville makes a hell lot more sense than Dean Thomas. Dean Thomas gets about two lines worth of introduction in every book, how is he considered a breakout character in any sense? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 139.132.1.23 (talk) 14:38, 7 April 2010 (UTC)

Where's Tigger?

From the A.A. Milne's books to the Disney franchise Tigger went from reasonable obscurity to major part of the storylines. Though that could be because of a change of ownership of the characters. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 121.73.8.118 (talk) 04:24, 22 May 2009 (UTC)

Chuck Bass!!!!!

Should Chuck Bass from the Gossip Girl TV series be mentioned? His character was a recurring character in the books and had no full plot-lines in the series until the fourth episode and it wasn't really his, and he did not gain another one until the seventh episode and it wasn't really his plot-line either. But fan-demand for Chuck lead to him becoming a more prominent character and the show now revolves more around him. Shouldn't he be added? --204.210.122.189 (talk) 03:55, 25 May 2009 (UTC)

Naomi Clark suggestion

I'm going to suggest that Naomi Clark of 90210. The series was intended to focus on Annie Wilson, but the character of Naomi was well-received by critics and many thought she was the best part of the series. The second season of the series was reworked to make Naomi the central character. All this information is in her article page if you want further and more detailed explanation. I just wanted to bring it to everyone's attention and if anyone agrees. Akcvtt (talk) 01:21, 23 January 2010 (UTC)

Over-eager additions

This list has lost all touch with the meaning of "breakout character". A breakout character is not the same as the most important or popular character. Not every character whose importance has increased a bit is a breakout character. Both Homer Simpson and Bart Simpson are listed as breakout characters? They were two of the main characters from the start. If the show had come to revolve around Principal Skinner, he would be a breakout character. What's next, Jerry Seinfeld as a breakout character on Seinfeld? 68.239.116.212 (talk) 03:19, 27 January 2010 (UTC)

probably means it's time for another purge. And a page notice because we get so much of these additions. Daniel Case (talk) 07:09, 27 January 2010 (UTC)

Marissa Cooper

I think Marissa Cooper from The O.C. should definitely be a contender for this article. Until her death in season 3 she was pretty much the one getting the juiciest storylines. Adam Brody's portrayal of Seth Cohen was also really popular, I remember at least one article naming him the new stereotype for 'geek chic' back when the show was on, but this may be excusable since the relationship between Seth and Ryan was the main point of the show. Or, how about Summer Roberts? I remember the creator stating that she was only meant to be on the first 6 episodes but became so popular that she was elevated to the role of main character. I'll try to find the article I read this in, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 139.132.1.23 (talk) 14:47, 7 April 2010 (UTC)

Alucard

Alucard from Castlevania series should be included. His appearance in Symphony Of The Night has made him what is arguably the most popular and famous of all the characters in the series, even moreso than Dracula himself. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 139.132.1.23 (talk) 15:01, 7 April 2010 (UTC)

Hit-Girl

I think we could safely put Hit-Girl from the movie Kick-Ass on this list. The movie is supposed to be about Kick-Ass, but every single review out there points the spotlight at Hit-Girl as the driving force behind the entire movie and talks about how she stole the show. I think that makes her deserving of a breakout character mention. ~Lindsey Ann Lewis —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.181.71.2 (talk) 23:28, 22 April 2010 (UTC)

No, we can't. Unless it becomes a series centered around her. Daniel Case (talk) 03:44, 23 April 2010 (UTC)

That's not a requirement. I see plenty of breakout characters on that list that don't have series that revolve around them. A breakout character, by definition, is a character that stands out above the actual main characters of the movie or show he or she is on. That's the definition of a breakout character. If she had her own series, she wouldn't be a breakout character anymore, she'd actually be a main focal character. Very few of the people on the current list have series based around them, such a Stewie Griffin, Harley Quinn, Mary Jane Watson, etc. Need I go on? I think not. The definition of a breakout character is a character that steals the show from the main characters, and Hit-Girl does exactly that in the movie Kick-Ass. ~Lindsey Ann Lewis

"Stealing a movie" is a subjective assessment to begin with. The lead of the article specifically says "episodes". When this was originally created as just "breakout character", it was the outgrowth of an AfD for an article called Fonzie syndrome (a term that now redirects here). It referred specifically (as the lede of this article does) to episodic media, since the classic examples are characters who emerged over time like Alex Keaton, Fonzie or Urkel.

The one counterexamples you cite that I'm familiar with, Stewie Griffin, suggests a misunderstanding of the concept. While Stewie hasn't completely taken over the show the way Fonzie or Urkel did, the cited source (and please note that there is no source offered saying "Hit-Girl" is the breakout character from the movie, and I don't think there will be until there is a sequel, which seems likely to happen) has Seth McFarlane talking about how Stewie's part became much bigger than he had originally anticipated.

Put it this way: Based on just the first American Pie, I wouldn't have put Steve Stifler on this list. But after the second one there would have been less doubt, and now there isn't any. Daniel Case (talk) 14:36, 2 May 2010 (UTC)

Darth Vader

I would put forward Darth Vader as the ultimate breakout character.

According to Michael Kaminski's "The Secret History of Star Wars", Darth Vader was introduced in 1977 as a relatively minor villain, more of a henchman to Tarkin. However in subsequent movies (starting with George re-writing him as Luke's father for Empire Strikes Back) Vader became more a central character, eventually culminating with Revenge of the Sith, where the entire saga is re-defined as the Tragedy of Darth Vader. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 203.109.223.68 (talk) 01:17, 4 May 2010 (UTC)

OK, now that's a source we can use (someone had put that in once but made the argument without sourcing it. Do you have some more publication info on the book to make it easier to cite? Daniel Case (talk) 15:42, 4 May 2010 (UTC)

Devon "Captain Awesome" Woodcomb from Chuck, Bobba Fett from Star Wars, and Vegeta from Dragonball Z

Devon Woodcomb could be defined as a breakout character as on DVD commentary on the Chuck season one DVD clearly states that he was intended for the beginning of the show to be seen as the perfect, body by Zeus, doctor boyfriend of main character Chuck Bartowski's sister Ellie to contrast Chuck's unimportant life as a IT guy at electronics store. Originally it was to be revealed later that season that he was a Russian Spy. However good fan reaction led to his role being secured, with the character now credited in the opening as well as being promoted from recurring to main cast between seasons one and two.

Bobba Fett, due for being synonymous with Star Wars, gettings his own side stories, video games ect. Han doesn't quite qualify as he is a starting character, he just beloved by the fan community, though Yoda could fit the bill as he has been brought into other spinoffs as well as subsequent prequel trilogy. Even Lucas himself has said that he wouldn't have killed him off if he knew he would've been as popular as he was.

Vegeta, whos was supposed to appear in one arc appearance wwas expanded into the rest of the series. And while others in dragonball have become breakout, such as Picollo, and Krillin, Vegeta is easily more synonymous with Dragonball Z than the others. It is also similliar to Spike's development from Buffy, in that he started as a villian, role was extended, and then eventually he goes from villain to hero, with Vegeta standing firm as main character Goku's main rival for the remainder of Dragonball Z.

Citations are available for these you've just got to look, do me proud. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.47.238.218 (talk) 14:21, 23 May 2010 (UTC)

Spider-Man

Spider-Man appeared in one issue of Amazing Fantasy before the popularity of which caused Marvel Comics to create him his own magazine. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 65.92.44.118 (talk) 17:14, 30 May 2010 (UTC)

Caboose and other media catagory

minor spoilers

Michael J. Caboose was initially created as an excuse to arouse Churches anger in Red vs. Blue. After the overwhelming reaction he and Delano Donut(who was the other rookie in the series) got from fans, the creative team decided to focus the plot on them as the series advanced. Since then, Caboose has had an enormous amount of merchandice and internet memes added to his legacy, he is the only character on either team who has went a significant amount of time being his teams only serving member(this is out of 150+ episodes), and is consistently on of the most (if not the most) favorited character in the series. He has become the focal point of the series, other characters take hiatuses from the story or go through soap-opera re-iterations of themselves, but Caboose has been central to all of the series and mini-series except 4-5 episode tangents which focused on relatively minor characters. His original plan was to be a supporting character who only lived to anger his leader in a series consisting of a few episodes, he ended up being (arguably) the lead character in a series that popularised a form of media and started a cultural phenominom.

also, maybe we should put in an "other media" or "machinima" catagory, if we added caboose he wouldn't fit in any existing catagory —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.94.41.126 (talk) 05:39, 11 July 2010 (UTC)

Taxi

Does Reverend Jim Ignatowski from Taxi count as one of these? --Bybbyy (talk) 04:55, 10 November 2010 (UTC)

Personally, I don't think so. In fact, if anyone from Taxi was the breakout character, it was Latka Gravas - Jack324 (talk) 20:36, 1 January 2011 (UTC)

Cosmo Kramer

I think Kramer from Seinfeld fits the definition of a break-out character pretty well. Thoughts? Worthy of inclusion or no? - Jack324 (talk) 20:41, 1 January 2011 (UTC)

Michael Scott

Michael is The Office's breakout character —Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.217.28.121 (talk) 00:59, 9 March 2011 (UTC)

Uh, no. He's always been the main character. If The Office has any breakout character, it's Andy—no counterpart on the British version, originally just part of the group of Stamford employees and the only one of that group still with Dunder Mifflin (i.e., still on the show). I don't know whether the producers originally intended for him to go that far. Daniel Case (talk) 04:02, 9 March 2011 (UTC)

Benjamin Linus

Benjamin Linus was initally slated for only a 3 episode stint during the second season of Lost (TV Series) and went on to become the most intriguing and discussed character on the show.

Yes; this was discussed above. With a source we can put it in. Daniel Case (talk) 17:47, 16 March 2011 (UTC)

Deadpool.

Marvel Comics' antihero Deadpool is surely a candidate? He started out as a minor villain in the X-Men spinoffs New Mutants (#98, Feb. 1991) and later X-Force, becoming a recurring character. He had guest appearances in a few Marvel comics that were not X-Men spinoffs before gaining his own miniseries, The Circle Chase (1993), and then a self-titled miniseries a year later. He has had many solo and shared series since his first in 1997 and is becoming one of Marvel's most popular characters. He is featured in several video games, two of which being Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 and Marvel Vs. Capcom 3, as well as being played by Ryan Reynolds in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. A spin-off movie starring the character is also in early development. Fans have responded well to his humor-filled dialogue as well as the dark humor he displays towards sensitive topics and his often random delivery. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 95.148.97.232 (talk) 03:24, 16 May 2011 (UTC)

Phil Dunphy

Modern Family is an ensemble show, but critics have consistently pointed out Ty Burrell as Phil Dunphy as being the most intriguing and comedically important characters on the show. Should he be a part of this list?--Beausalant (talk) 02:19, 6 November 2011 (UTC)

No, I don't think so. The show hasn't been retooled around him, anymore than it's been around Eric Stonestreet or Sofia Vergara or even Ed O'Neill, to name various other cast members critics have been equally preoccupied with. Daniel Case (talk) 05:31, 6 November 2011 (UTC)

James Bond

I believe James Bond does count as a breakout character. I mean there are other agents in related books before and after him but only he achieved a great deal of popularity. 120.29.83.176 (talk) 11:37, 1 January 2012 (UTC)

But he was always the main character! Daniel Case (talk) 16:21, 1 January 2012 (UTC)

Sheldon Cooper

While Sheldon Cooper is perhaps the most popular character, he was originally intended as a main character, so would he really be considered a breakout character? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.74.101.141 (talk) 01:53, 8 January 2012 (UTC)

Just delete the entire damn list

Look, I have to say, this list is getting ridiculous. It seems we all have a different opinion on what a breakout character is. I propose we delete the ENTIRE list, and instead have a definition (or definitions) of what a breakout character is, followed by a couple of examples, like Homer Simpson and Fonzie. Then, under "External Links", we have a link to the Breakout Character page on TV Tropes. This way people can add whoever they please. Wikpedia is not, after all, a reference guide for those who want to learn about fiction - TV Tropes does that job perfectly well. If people want a list of breakout characters in fiction, the page on TV tropes is much more complete. Prawn Skewers (talk) 08:47, 12 February 2012 (UTC)

I don't think it's insufficiently defined ... as long as people discuss potential additions here on the talk page, and I or some other editor delete the ones that are added without sourcing, we can keep the page under control (It's probably overdue for one of the mass purges I used to have to do more frequently). Originally it was just titled "breakout character", with a few examples, but the examples became longer than the definition section and someone decided to rename it.

As for TV Tropes, well, I contribute there myself but it should be obvious that as an open wiki it meets neither the criteria for a reliable source nor the external links criteria. Daniel Case (talk) 15:43, 12 February 2012 (UTC)

But wouldn't it be easier to *not* have a massive purge every now and then? The list is out of control and isn't in any way academic. As for TV Tropes as an external link, why not? Practically every Star Wars and Star Trek page has a link to Wookiepedia and Memory Alpha, respectively, in External Links and they're open wikis. If people want a list of breakout characters that they can edit, then the page on TV Tropes is a perfect substitute for this page. Unless you have another list of breakout characters from a more "reliable" source? :P Prawn Skewers (talk) 09:10, 13 February 2012 (UTC)

I prefer to leave this list to the ones that are actually reliably sourced, and at least attempt to assert one or the other aspect of the definition (some editors never even bothered). That still leaves a lot of entries.

If a lot of the ST and SW articles have xlinks to those sites, I'm pretty sure it's because they're legacies of the earlier days of the site when most of them were created. I'm not sure those links would survive a review under the current policy. Daniel Case (talk) 19:28, 13 February 2012 (UTC)

Addendum: Re the acceptability of other wikis, see WP:USERG, which says in relevant part:

Anyone can create a website or pay to have a book published, then claim to be an expert in a certain field. For that reason self-published media—whether books, newsletters, personal websites, open wikis, blogs, personal pages on social networking sites, Internet forum postings, or tweets—are largely not acceptable. This includes any website whose content is largely user-generated, including the Internet Movie Database, Cracked.com, CBDB.com, collaboratively created websites such as wikis, and so forth, with the exception of material on such sites that is labeled as originating from credentialed members of the sites' editorial staff, rather than users.

Daniel Case (talk) 19:34, 13 February 2012 (UTC)

Wikipedia does not have firm rules, you know. Hell, that's the FIFTH PILLAR of Wikipedia. Why is it every time I contribute to a talk page all the other editors want to so is squark policy and pretend to be lawyers, when I want to discuss the content itself? Well, whatever, Daniel, you win. Keep this page a mess, as long as it complies with policy, eh? That's the Wikipedia spirit. Prawn Skewers (talk) 09:06, 14 February 2012 (UTC)

Darth Vader

Vader was not the protagonist of Star Wars, but he was almost certainly the main antagonist. I think he should be removed. Mr. Anon515 22:20, 25 February 2012 (UTC)