Most characters understandably need a whole movie and a fully-developed arc to leave their mark on the popular consciousness. Meanwhile, some characters only needed a few minutes and scenes to secure their legacy. Whether they were heroes or villains, these characters really made the most of their limited screen presence.
Whether they were fun cameos or supporting roles with one pivotal scene, these characters made such a name for themselves that they stole their movie. Thanks to the filmmakers' efforts and these characters' amazing actors, these one-scene wonders were immortalized as pop culture icons and mainstays.
10 The Scorpion King Turned Dwayne Johnson Into A Star In 15 Minutes
The Mummy Returns
At most, The Scorpion King had 15 minutes of screen time in the underrated The Mummy Returns. After a historical prologue, he was only mentioned in passing for most of the sequel and only returned for the finale. Despite this, The Scorpion King became one of Dwayne Johnson's most well-known roles.
Mathayus the Scorpion King was so iconic that he got his own spin-off movies. More importantly, The Scorpion King proved that Johnson had the potential to become a blockbuster star. As Johnson's stardom grew, so did The Scorpion King's legacy as a campy icon who still inspires ironic and sincere enjoyment today.
9 Darth Vader Became A Legendary Villain In 12 minutes
Star Wars: A New Hope
He may not even be the main villain, but Darth Vader (performed by David Prowse and voiced by James Earl Jones) is the face of the Star Wars franchise. What's more, Darth Vader only had around 12 minutes of screen time in the original 1977 movie. In roughly 12 minutes, Darth Vader became a villainous legend.
Darth Vader's scant appearances in Star Wars were so unforgettable that his original purpose as a faceless evil was greatly expanded by the sequels and prequels. Darth Vader became so iconic that he could appear in a Star Wars film for less than a minute like in Revenge of the Sith or Rogue One, and steal the movie in the process.
8 Major J.T. "King" Kong Died A Legend After 11 Minutes
Dr. Strangelove Or How I Learned To Stop Worrying & Love The Bomb
Major Kong riding a bomb is Dr. Strangelove's most well-known moment and one of the most iconic death scenes in history. Major Kong's death quickly entrenched itself in the zeitgeist. As such, it's easy for those who only know of Dr. Strangelove through Major Kong homages to overlook that he was a tertiary character.
At most, Major Kong had around 11 minutes of screentime in Dr. Strangelove. Major Kong's brief appearances established the movie's stakes and provided occasional breaks from the War Room's bickering. In these few scenes, Major Kong cemented himself as one of the most competent and famous movie soldiers of all time.
7 Death Set The Standard For Personified Concepts In 11 Minutes
The Seventh Seal
Death is both a major theme and character in The Seventh Seal. Despite these and the fact that he became one of the most famous personifications of life's inevitable end, Death (Bengt Ekerot) only showed up for 11 minutes in the movie. What's more, he spent most of his time standing ominously or playing chess.
In his few scenes, Death became The Seventh Seal's most iconic and intriguing character. While he wanted to kill the cast, Death only did so out of obligation, not malice. Many similarly cordial personifications of ethereal concepts who debuted after The Seventh Seal owe a lot to Death's appearance, attitude, and sense of duty.
6 Ernst Stavro Blofeld Became The Definitive Bond Villain In 10 Minutes
You Only Live Twice
Ernst Stavro Blofeld appeared as early as From Russia with Love, but his face and even his name were never revealed. Blofeld as he's known today finally appeared in You Only Live Twice, where Donald Pleasence portrayed him for roughly 10 minutes. This was more than enough time for Blofeld to become the definitive evil genius.
Besides giving James Bond a worthy nemesis, Blofeld became a villainous archetype in his own right. Every Bond villain after Blofeld was inspired by him and measured against his example. Meanwhile, countless action movies tried and failed to surpass or imitate even a fraction of Blofeld's Machiavellian intellect and classy evil.
5 The Shape Created The Modern Horror Villain In 9 Minutes
Halloween (1978)
Something many Halloween fans either forget or ignore is that Michael Myers was never meant to be the star. Case in point: Michael or The Shape (Nick Castle) only had 9 minutes in John Carpenter's original Halloween. Despite Halloween having the least amount of Michael-centric scenes, it was also the franchise's best entry for a reason.
Michael only needed 9 minutes to immortalize himself as the cinematic embodiment of pure evil and define the slasher killers' template. To this day, horror killers take inspiration from The Shape. Even if Michael's purposeful restraint was lost in the sequels, his original impact as a force of nature can never be forgotten or denied.
4 Godzilla Codified The Classic Kaiju In 8 Minutes
Godzilla (1954)
Due to budgetary reasons, Godzilla and other kaiju had incredibly limited screen time even in movies titled after them. This was also a tradition started by the original Godzilla, where Godzilla (Katsumi Tezuka) only showed up for 8 minutes. These 8 minutes were more than enough to turn Godzilla into an iconic trendsetter.
Even if he lacked his later incarnation's anti-hero personality at the time, Godzilla's cinematic debut left such an impression that he forever became synonymous with Japanese pop culture. More importantly, Godzilla being an allegory to the fears of nuclear annihilation cemented the kaiju's symbolic purpose.
3 Lucifer Reinvented The Biblical Devil In 7 Minutes
Constantine (2005)
Lucifer (or Satan) is one of cinema's most ubiquitous villains, but Constantine's version is the most iconic modern iteration. Unlike his previous incarnations, Lucifer (Peter Stormare) didn't look particularly demonic. This Lucifer had a disarmingly human yet uncanny appearance, and he was only figuratively monstrous.
Lucifer's 7 minutes of screentime becomes more impressive considering he wasn't even the villain. This neutrality, a uniquely classy get-up, and Stormare's menace made Lucifer a breakout character. Lucifer only appeared in Constantine's last act, but his few scenes turned him into many fans' favorite cinematic demon.
2 Jesus Quintana Became His Ensemble Cast's Highlight In 5 Minutes
The Big Lebowski
The Big Lebowski has one of the most eccentric ensemble casts ever seen in film. The bowler Jesus Quintana or The Jesus (John Turturro) was this roster's most memorable member. Besides being the campiest character that The Dude bumped into, The Jesus' one-scene wonder was too hilarious to forget.
The Jesus only showed up for 5 minutes. What's more, he spent most of this time sensually bowling in slow motion. This was more than enough time to cement him as The Big Lebowski's most beloved bit role. Turturro loved The Jesus so much that he wrote and directed a spin-off, The Jesus Rolls, in 2020.
1 John Kramer Became An Iconic Horror Villain And Plot Twist In 2 Minutes
Saw
Given how John Kramer (Tobin Bell) was Saw's face and star, it may be hard to remember that he barely had any screen time in his debut. Despite being the notorious Jigsaw Killer, Kramer only had roughly 2 minutes worth of dialogue. In fact, Billy the Puppet had more screentime than his creator, Kramer.
Kramer technically had as much screentime as Adam and Dr. Gordon since he was the "corpse" in the bathroom. Additionally, Bell literally lay down on the floor for the entire shoot. However, Kramer only became the iconic character and near-omniscient mastermind he is now in Saw's unforgettably chilling closing seconds.