The Peanuts gang has become a staple of the holiday season thanks to their classic Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas specials. They were created by Charles M. Schulz, with the first comic strip running in 1947 under the title Li'l Friends.
The comic strip was rebranded as Peanuts in 1950, and it ran all the way until Schulz's death in 2000. The characters that Schulz created have become cultural icons, with many film, TV, game, and comic adaptations since.
10 Pig-Pen Is Very Dirty
Pig-Pen and his cloud of dirt have become as much a part of the Peanuts gang as anyone else, even if he isn't always a main character. He was first introduced in a comic strip that ran on July 13th, 1954, and has also appeared in most of the TV specials.
Pig-Pen doesn't have an actual name, as he states himself in his first appearance. He's known for being covered in dirt all the time, although is seen clean for a brief moment in the 2015 The Peanuts Movie. The sprinklers come on during the school dance, cleaning away all of Pig-Pen's dirt and giving fans a unique look at the classic character.
9 Schroeder Is A Standup Piano Player
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The music of the Vince Guaraldi Trio has become synonymous with the Peanuts franchise, adding to the sense of innocence and happiness that comes with being a kid. If there's one character who can appreciate that, it's the piano-playing, Beethoven-loving Schroeder.
Schroeder was introduced in the May 30th, 1951 comic, originally appearing as a baby but quickly growing up to become the Schroeder fans know and love. Aside from playing the piano, he's been Lucy's unrequited love interest for as long as anyone can remember.
8 Marcie Was A Late Addition To The Gang
By 1971, the Peanuts comic strip had been running for over two decades and many of the central characters were well established. But this didn't mean that Schulz couldn't introduce a new kid to the neighborhood, and that is exactly what he did with Marcie.
Marcie is the right-hand gal to Peppermint Patty, whom she always refers to as "sir." While she's never outspoken in the comic strips or the TV specials, she always knows what to say in any given situation and has earned the trust of all the other kids.
7 Peppermint Patty Is Strong But Lazy
It seems like every kid in the neighborhood likes to give Charlie Brown a tough time, but there's at least one person who likes "Chuck." Peppermint Patty, first introduced on August 22nd, 1966, is a tomboy who plays a ton of sports, especially baseball, which is the favorite among all of the kids.
Despite being strong and skilled, Peppermint Patty is very lazy, and known for being bad at school. She receives D's on most of her assignments, although this never fazes her. She's also demanding at times, including one occasion during the TV special A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving where she forces Charlie Brown to host her, Marcie, and Franklin for Thanksgiving dinner.
6 Sally Is A High Energy Little Sister
Charlie Brown may be a screw-up to everyone, but he still does his best to be a good big brother. Sally Brown, Charlie Brown's younger sister, was introduced in 1959 and grew up as the comic strips went on. Sally is one of the most interesting Peanut's characters, being very smart while also acting like a little kid most of the time.
While she enjoys sitting around a lot of the time, Sally is very upbeat and sentimental. She cares very much for her big brother, but like everyone else, she gives him a tough time when he messes something up. She also has a huge crush on Linus, even spending all of Halloween sitting in a pumpkin patch waiting for the Great Pumpkin to show up.
5 Woodstock Is Always By Snoopy's Side
Charlie Brown and Snoopy are one of the most iconic best friend duos ever, but what happens when Charlie goes to school? Who is going to help Snoopy fight the Red Baron? Enter Woodstock, a bird named after the Woodstock music festival in 1969.
Woodstock is a little yellow bird who squeaks a lot in the movies and TV specials and is represented in the comic strips with chicken scratch marks. Only Snoopy can understand Woodstock, which allows for their friendship to truly blossom.
4 Linus Needs His Blanket
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If the Brown family is the most prominent in the Peanuts franchise, the van Pelt family is certainly the second most prominent. One member of that family is Linus, the middle child who befriends Charlie. He was first introduced in the comic strips on September 19th, 1952, and quickly grew up from a baby to around the same age as the other kids.
While he grows in size, Linus doesn't really grow in maturity. Linus is often seen sucking his thumb and still carrying his security blanket. He also deeply believes in the Great Pumpkin, as seen in the TV special It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. He spends the entire night in a pumpkin patch waiting for him to come, missing out on Halloween altogether.
3 Lucy Is A Big Bully
The oldest van Pelt sibling, both in age and in existence within the franchise, is Lucy. She first appeared on March 3rd, 1952, and has grown into a bossy child who bullies her siblings a great deal and Charlie Brown even more. She's known for her tricks, like pulling the football away from Charlie every time he's about to kick it.
Lucy isn't entirely bad, however. She has her own psychiatry booth set up on the street, charging five cents for advice. She also has a major crush on Schroeder, although it usually isn't reciprocated.
2 Charlie Brown Is The Star Of The Show
Everything within the Peanuts franchise revolves around Charlie Brown, a bald kid with a yellow shirt that has a black zigzag stripe going through it. He's the main character of the franchise, often getting bullied by his friends and family for messing things up. He's the manager of their baseball team, even though they never win.
The best thing about Charlie Brown is his refusal to stop trying. Despite his insecurities, Charlie will always try to fly a kite, kick a football, or do something right. As Schulz described him, he's reminiscent of all of us. He may lose often, but he tries his best, and Charlie Brown is undoubtedly one of the best comic strip and animated characters of all time.
1 Snoopy Is The Best Friend Anyone Could Ask For
The saying goes that dog is man's best friend, and no dog has been a better friend for anyone than Snoopy has for Charlie Brown. Snoopy is a white beagle who first appeared two days after the comic strip began, and slowly went from being just an average dog to being like another kid in the neighborhood.
Snoopy is both lazy and adventurous, willing to nap on top of his dog house one moment and fly (imaginary) World War I fighter jets the next. He's one of the most memorable characters of the 20th century and continues to hold a strong place in entertainment history as a very beloved character.