The Simpsons has grown and evolved immensely since it first graced television screens over three decades ago. In that time, thinly sketched gag characters have grown in fundamental and vital ways, turning a series of one-off personality types into complex people of their own standing. The town of Springfield has become so colorful and unique in large part due to this attention to the world around the titular Simpsons family.
This evolution is perhaps no better seen than with Nelson Muntz, whose earliest appearances cast him as a one-note villain before turning him into a catch-phrase-driven joke device. As the show has gone on, however, Nelson has evolved into one of The Simpson's most fascinating characters. In fact, he's been shown to fill numerous roles in any given story and speaks to the show's overall bittersweet, yet enduring thesis on life.
How The Simpsons' Nelson Became Surprisingly Complex
Nelson Muntz debuted all the way back in the first season of The Simpsons, making him one of the show's older mainstay characters. Voiced by Nancy Cartwright (the same talent behind Bart Simpson), Nelson was introduced in Season 1's "Bart the General," which was directed by David Silverman and written by John Swartzwelder. Nelson is the most feared bully at Springfield Elementary and becomes laser-focused on tormenting Bart in "Bart the General." This prompts Bart to rally an army of neighborhood kids to fight back and force peace terms. Nelson spent the next few seasons as the show's perennial bully, antagonizing other younger characters and becoming most infamous for his distinctive laugh whenever something goes wrong for someone in Springfield.
Nelson was soon joined by three other bullies (Jimbo, Dolph, and Kearney), with each of them developing a unique comic personality. While the other three firmly remained side-characters, Nelson was slowly afforded more depth in the latter half of the show's The Simpsons' Golden Age. Nelson was given a spotlight in Season 8's "Lisa's Date With Destiny," developing a childish romance with Lisa that would come to be an enduring aspect of the character in later years. Nelson's troubled upbringing became more pronounced, contrasting his absent father and striking poverty against the different kinds of challenges facing families like the Flanders, the Van Houtens and the Simpsons.
Jokes about Nelson having a softer side became more pronounced as the years went on, leading to episodes like Season 16's "Sleeping With The Enemy" where Marge developed an open fondness for the boy. Notably, Nelson also became increasingly involved in Bart's orbit, with the pair developing a love/hate friendship that could as quickly pit them against each other as pair them up. As he stands now, Nelson can still be a bully and will be quick to throw a punch, but he's gained a versatility that's really quite impressive.
Why Nelson Is One of The Simpsons' Best Characters
With the particular way Nelson has developed over the years, The Simpsons quietly gained a perfect character -- someone who can be played for drama or comedy with ease. Nelson's rough home life has been the subject of multiple episodes focused on making the audience sympathize with him, even as others use it as a vehicle for gags. Nelson's unique relationship to the Simpsons family at large allows him to play all sorts of roles in episodes, letting him be perfectly suited as a protagonist in his own storylines, a foil in others, and even be used as an antagonist when the situation calls for it. Nelson's never really stopped being a bully, but the depth afforded to the character has allowed creators to play with him in all sorts of different lights.
He's also one of the show's saddest characters, but his short-sighted, yet optimistic view of the world makes him just endearing enough to root for. His view of himself and his perspective on a world that tries to beat down his potential give him a somber edge. Nelson's lingering romance with Lisa gives him a bittersweet element, especially in episodes that highlight how they won't be together forever in the future. He can provide easy comedy for Bart as a rival or friend alike, and in some cases -- like the award-nominated Season 18 episode "The Haw-Hawed Couple" -- have their tricky relationship mined for some surprising pathos.
All in all, in the perpetually loose universe of The Simpsons, Nelson has evolved from a basic one-note character into one of the most fleshed out cast members of the show.