10 Most Iconic ’90s TV Characters, Ranked

The 1990s were a great time for television. It was a pre-Internet and streaming era when fans had to be home at the time their favorite show was on. That is, unless they figured out how to record using a VCR or jumped on video-on-demand services once they became more widely available.

This made some of the most iconic shows, and by default, the most iconic characters from the shows, more memorable. It was important to rush home or finish dinner or homework, to watch these shows. That was, in large part, because of some of their best characters.

10

Beavis and Butt-Head

‘Beavis and Butt-Head’ (1993–2011)

As ridiculous as these two animated characters were, there’s no denying they defined a generation of older kids, not to mention adults, too, who grew up watching their antics. The dynamic duo, both voiced by show creator Mike Judge, are teenage slackers who engage in lowbrow humor, doing not much of anything throughout the day but express their love for hard rock and heavy metal.

Along with following the pair’s misadventures throughout town, each episode also showed them watching and commenting on popular music videos from the time, fitting during the age of MTV (the network on which the show aired). Beavis and Butt-Head were so iconic that the series was rebooted twice, in both 2011 and most recently in 2022 for Paramount+. When Ryan Gosling and Mikey Day portrayed the two on Saturday Night Live, it became one of the most iconic SNL sketches of the last five years for the sketch comedy show.

9

Tim Taylor

‘Home Improvement’ (1991–1999)

Through the ‘90s, Tim Taylor (Tim Allen) from Home Improvement was the personification of the “dad’s dad,” the “manly man” who loved to fix things around the house and teach his sons how to be good men. The series, which was one of the highest-rated sitcoms of the decade, follows his journey as a father, husband, and host of a fictional home improvement TV show called Tool Time.

Witty and funny, every grunt Tim delivered while trying to teach his boys lessons, every DIY project he blundered at home, and every heartfelt conversation he had with his wise neighbor Wilson (Earl Hindman), were relatable to suburban families watching from their own homes.

8

Dr. Doug Ross

‘ER’ (1994–2009)

ER is one of the best medical dramas ever on television, and Doug Ross is arguably one of the best TV doctors ever as well. In the role that defined George Clooney’s career, Dr. Doug Ross is the type of doctor viewers hoped they’d have in real life. Fiercely dedicated to his patients, he was charming, good-looking, brilliant with kids, and unafraid to break the rules.

Considering that Clooney went on to become one of the biggest A-list movie actors of this generation, it’s no surprise his portrayal of Dr. Doug Ross remains one of the most iconic through that decade. He brought a sense of heart and realism to the series through all ER‘s most shocking episodes, and even the more subdued ones. The show is often lauded as being one of the more realistic medical dramas.

7

Roseanne Conner

‘Roseanne’ (1988–1997)

The sitcom Roseanne itself was ground-breaking, and that largely hinged on Roseanne Barr, who served as an executive producer and based the series around a character she created. She’s the matriarch of a lower-middle-class family just getting by from paycheck to paycheck. The sitcom is bitingly funny and clever, but it also depicts family life in a way that was never shown on television prior to that. They lived in a small house with dated furniture. The kids were brooding, angry teens, talking back and rebelling. And the parents were barely scraping by.

Barr is a comedy pro, and she fits perfectly into the role of the sarcastic, wisecracking mom who deals with serious issues the only way she can: with a dose of humor. But the show also dives into tough moments, and Roseanne proves in the end that she’s a caring mother who only wants the best for her children, even if her self-deprecating nature suggests she doesn’t think they’ll ever get it.

6

Cosmo Kramer

‘Seinfeld’ (1989–1998)

There were a lot of people emulating and quoting Cosmo Kramer (Michael Richards) from Seinfeld in the ‘90s and arguably still do today. If anyone slides frantically into a room, it’s probably because they’re doing an imitation of him, the only way he ever entered Jerry’s (Jerry Seinfeld) apartment. Eccentric with his signature wild hairstyle and silly schemes, Kramer was icing-on-the-cake comedy for a sitcom that was pure comedy all the way through anyway.

Despite being neurotic and high-strung, he deeply cared about his friends and the people who crossed paths with him. Making Kramer even more intriguing is that he was loosely based on the real-life Kenny Kramer, who was a neighbor of the show’s creator Larry David. But Richards still put his own stamp on Kramer to make the character his own.

5

Will Smith

‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’ (1990–1996)

Will Smith became a household name after playing a character of the same name on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, one of the best sitcoms of the ‘90s. It’s a fish-out-of-water story about a young man sent to live with his wealthy aunt and uncle to keep him out of trouble. As he acclimates to his new life, he learns something about the other half while his extended family learns from him, too.

Smith’s endearing qualities as the lead character, including moments when he would break the fourth wall, drew fans to him. Viewers laughed heartily as he frustrated his uncle, ribbed his cousin, greeted his best friend Jeff (DJ Jazzy Jeff), and dealt with everyday teenage and eventually young adult life. But his arc is also memorable since Will experienced tremendous personal growth and maturity along the way.

4

Fox Mulder and Dana Scully

‘The X-Files’ (1993–2002)

Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) from The X-Files go together like peanut butter and jelly, but also sometimes like water and oil. That dynamic is what makes them count among the most iconic TV characters of the ‘90s, along with the most iconic duos. She believes in science and that there’s a scientific, logical explanation for everything. He believes there are otherworldly things. As they investigate paranormal experiences together, she starts to warm to the idea that there’s more to life than what she originally thought.

The X-Files is one of the best sci-fi series ever made. The show was so beloved, largely thanks to Mulder and Scully, that the actors reprised their roles for a two-season revival series in 2016 and 2018.

3

Buffy Summers

‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ (1997–2003)

Buffy the Vampire Slayer is on the list of the best supernatural dramas ever made, and it made Sarah Michelle Gellar a household name thanks to her endearing portrayal of the title character. A vampire slayer, as the title implies, she tries to live a normal teenage life by day, but has to fight vampires, demons, and other dark forces at night.

A kickass young female protagonist at a time when those weren’t as common on television, Buffy was a groundbreaking character who made young girls feel powerful and wanting to emulate her strength and resilience.

2

Rachel Green

‘Friends’ (1994–2004)

When a character can create the most popular hairstyle of a generation, that’s a telling sign that she has become an icon. That was the case with Jennifer Aniston as Rachel in Friends, who inspired so many young women to visit their local salons and ask for “The Rachel” cut. The entire ensemble cast of Friends, one of the best sitcoms of all time, stands out individually. But Rachel is the one who kicked off the story when she ran out on her fiancé on their wedding day and met with her old friend Monica (Courteney Cox) to try and start over.

Fans loved how relatable Rachel was, a young woman trying to figure out her life, carve out a successful career without even knowing what she really wanted to do or if she could accomplish it, and looking for lasting love.

1

Homer Simpson

‘The Simpsons’ (1989–)

An iconic character to this day as The Simpsons continues as the longest-running American animated series, sitcom, and scripted primetime series, Homer Simpson (Dan Castellaneta) was at a peak in the ‘90s. Kids and adults who watched loved the goofy, hapless dad who devoured donuts and worked at a power plant, though he didn’t really know what he was doing there.

Despite all his antics, screaming at the kids (“why you little…!”), and selfish behavior, what fans appreciate about Homer is that he deeply loves his family, especially his wife Marge (Julie Kavner), and would do anything for them. That usually involves fixing his own mistakes, but that’s OK. As a character who never ages, like everyone else on the sitcom, 36 years later, Homer is one of the most memorable characters from that decade, and arguably ever on television.

NEXT: The Most Nostalgic TV Show of Every Year of the ’90s, Ranked