The best TV series feature the kinds of characters who are impossible to dislike or forget. In some cases, this character is all their show is known or even remembered for. For one reason or another, these characters clicked so well with fans that they became their shows' de facto stars and lived on long after their series' finales.
Unlike someone like Spock who'll always be synonymous with Star Trek, these characters left such an impression on audiences and pop culture that they can be recognized even when removed from their shows. In fact, it's not uncommon for today's viewers to know more about these characters' legacies than the series they came from.
10 Xena's Myth Surpassed Her Original Show (Hercules: The Legendary Journeys)
Although it had a decent run of six seasons, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys is one of those TV shows from the '90s that almost no one remembers. Besides a now-controversial lead actor, the only thing people remember and actually like from Hercules was Xena, the antagonist of three Hercules episodes who then got her own show.
Xena: Warrior Princess also had six seasons, but it overshadowed Hercules in popularity and lasting legacy. Hercules and Xena fell out of the public consciousness in the years after they ended, but Xena inspires more fond memories than its predecessor. Xena herself continues to be one of the most badass and revered feminist icons of all time.
9 The Winchester Brothers Are The Internet's Go-To Ghost Hunters (Supernatural)
Supernatural is famous for its intimidating length and lore, but almost everyone agrees that Sam and Dean Winchester are two of the all-time best TV monster hunters. Because of this and instantaneously iconic imagery like their 1967 Impala and '80s rock playlist, the Winchesters became the internet's go-to ghost hunters.
Every time a horror movie or anime introduced its murderer or monster, someone's bound to ask if the Winchesters could kill the creature. Crossover fights between the Winchesters and random horror characters are a frequent source of online debates, and prior knowledge of all Supernatural episodes is usually optional.
8 Steve Urkel Became The Only Reason To Watch The Sitcom (Family Matters)
Family Matters was a fairly decent spin-off of the successful Perfect Strangers, but its fame and ratings skyrocketed when Steve joined the cast midway through the first season. By pure luck, the lovable Steve was originally slated to have just one episode, but he became an overnight sensation. As a result, he became Family Matters' star.
Steve gradually became Family Matters' true star with every passing season, so much so that some fans jokingly called it The Urkel Show. Steve was so popular that he made cameos in other sitcoms, set his own trends, and was even retroactively turned into Family Matters' main character, as seen in the sitcom's edited DVD covers and initial episodes.
7 Arthur "The Fonz" Fonzarelli Set The Template For Breakout TV Characters (Happy Days)
Happy Days is a sitcom about the quirky Cunningham family living in an idyllic vision of the '50s, but these days, it's only really known for The Fonz. Initially written as a funny greaser who made sporadic appearances, The Fonz captured audiences' hearts so completely that he became Happy Days' face, a trendsetter, and an icon all at once.
Besides The Fonz becoming one of the most merchandised TV characters of the '70s, getting more screen time, and starring in his own cartoon spin-off The Fonz And The Happy Days Gang, he also became the standard that all breakout TV characters are measured against. Happy Days may not be remembered much today, but The Fonz's legacy lives on.
6 Agatha Harkness Stole The Show From The Eponymous Couple (WandaVision)
WandaVision is notable for being the first Marvel Cinematic Universe Disney+ series and for finally giving Wanda Maximoff and Vision their much-deserved time in the spotlight, but their stardom didn't last very long. Agatha, Wanda's quirky neighbor and secret nemesis, debuted in the tragic WandaVision and promptly stole the show from its stars.
Kathryn Hahn's over-the-top energy quickly made Agatha a fan favorite, and her fame was further cemented by her villainous musical number "Agatha All Along." As WandaVision faded into the background of more debuting MCU shows, Agatha got a spin-off show (Agatha: Coven Of Chaos) almost as soon as WandaVision ended.
5 Lt. Frank Columbo Is The Internet's Favorite Detective (Prescription: Murder)
These days, Columbo is known for his classic namesake detective show and his talkative style of interrogation. It's fairly common to see memes showing Columbo calmly questioning nervous fictional characters about a crime. Even though not everyone has seen all of his episodes or knows his TV movie origins, people seem to know Columbo.
Before Peter Falk immortalized himself as Columbo, the detective was portrayed by Bert Freed in the short-lived The Chevy Mystery Show. Columbo's featured case in the latter anthology series was remade into the TV movie Prescription: Murder, starring Falk. Though the TV movie was long forgotten, Columbo's legacy was all but guaranteed.
4 Saul Goodman Is The Internet's Most Trusted Lawyer (Breaking Bad)
Almost every Breaking Bad character was so memorable that they inspired fans and memes. That said, everyone from Gus Fring to Walter White have nothing on the shady lawyer Saul. He started as Breaking Bad's comic relief before becoming the true main character, which was revealed in the prequel/epilogue Better Call Saul.
Besides capturing fans' hearts in his tragic solo show, Saul became the internet's go-to lawyer. Whether it's to quote his silly legalese or to imagine him as another fictional character's legal representative, Saul almost always shows up in online discussions. Even those who haven't seen Breaking Bad or its follow-up know they better call Saul.
3 Elvira, Mistress Of The Dark Was Immortalized As A Horror Legend (Elvira's Movie Macabre)
When it comes to nostalgic campy horror icons, no one comes close to Elvira's legacy. Elvira first appeared in 1981 as the host of her own horror show, Elvira's Movie Macabre, where she curated late-night screenings of forgotten B-grade public domain horror movies. While most horror hosts have been lost to time, Elvira endured.
Thanks to her immense popularity, Elvira became the face of Halloween merchandise and a guest star in '80s horror media. More importantly, this secured her legacy beyond her televised roots. Even though Elvira's Movie Macabre is all but forgotten today, Elvira continues to be both the definitive horror host and an iconic horror character.
2 Borat Sagdiyev All But Abandoned His TV Roots (Da Ali G Show)
Thanks to his 2006 movie, Borat became a satirical legend. The politically incorrect reporter become one of the most recognized comedic roles almost overnight, and he continues to attract equal amounts of love and hate today. What many may not know is that Borat is actually the final form of two scrapped characters and other failed ideas.
Borat first appeared in some sketches in Da Ali G Show, but Sacha Baron Cohen was tinkering with the idea of a satirical reporter in earlier sitcoms. Cohen portrayed the perverted journalists Alexi Krickler and Kristo Shqiptari in F2F and Comedy Nation, respectively, and he combined their best jokes and traits to create the now iconic Borat.
1 Kermit The Frog Became A Celebrity (Sam & Friends)
Many of the puppets in The Muppets and Sesame Street are instantly recognizable and beloved by audiences around the world, but Kermit the Frog is undeniably Jim Henson's flagship puppet and the most well-known of the bunch. As recognized as Kermit is, many of his fans never realized that he made his TV debut on an adults' puppet show.
Before he became an icon of children's entertainment, Kermit was one of Sam's friends, who bugged Sam in a series of odd sketches. Kermit was the only Sam And Friends character who didn't just successfully move to Sesame Street, but the only one who became a star and made guest appearances in everything from talk shows to commercials to memes.