The Simpsonsisn’t just the greatest animated show of all-time, but one of the most significant achievements within the history of comedy. Although it’s a show that has gone through many changes over the years,The Simpsonsintroduced a style of rapid-fire jokes, popular culture references, and running gags that would reshape what television looked like going forward, both in animation and live-action.
Nothing is more important than the characters onThe Simpsons, as the show has lasted as long as it has because it’s turned the citizens of Springfield into instantly recognizable figures. Even someone with only a vague knowledge of the series would likely be able to point out and name the members of the Simpsons family, as well as many of the other supporting characters that make the universe even stronger. Here are the ten funniestThe Simpsonscharacters, ranked.
The Simpsons
10Lisa Simpson
Voiced by Yeardley Smith
Lisa is one of the morerelatable characters onThe Simpsons, as she is a young girl who has high ambitions and often feels disappointed when things fall short of her expectations. While she is often considered to be the more restrained member of the family, especially when compared to her older brother Bart, Lisa’s obsessive, workaholic nature ends up driving some of the show’s best jokes.
Lisa has become even more independent over the course of the series, as she often finds herself speaking out on behalf of important issues and for marginalized people, even if they are ignored by the rest of her community. While it is inspiring that she sees herself as capable of making real change,The Simpsonsis always keen to make fun of Lisa when she risks taking herself way too seriously for her own good.
9Moe Szyslak
Voiced by Hank Azaria
Moe Szyslak is perhaps the most hapless character onThe Simpsons, as there isn’t another resident of Springfield who is so frequently met with the worst of luck. Despite the fact that Moe’s Tavern is a regular establishment that everyone seems to enjoy going to, Moe is so susceptible to pranks, deceits, and schemes that he often ends up making a fool of himself.
Moe is an impressively good-spirited character when considering how often Homer takes advantage of him and how often Bart makes him look like an idiot. That being said,the rare moments where Moe branks out into pure, unadulterated rage are among the best gags in the entire show; it’s cathartic to hear Moe finally stand up for himself, asThe Simpsonshas actually been able to work in a few more profound moments that center on him trying to cope with his sense of loneliness and find a reason to keep on living.
8Mr. Burns
Voiced by Christopher Collins and Harry Shearer
Mr. Burns is perhaps thebest-known villain inThe Simpsons, and has certainly been a major part of some of the best episodes, including the beloved two-part “Who Shot Mr. Burns?” There are many aspects ofThe Simpsonsthat are satirical, but the notion that Mr. Burns is an old, greedy, and aggressively business-minded member of Springfield’s upper class allows him to represent all of society’s worst traits.
Mr. Burns is the type of villain who is so goofy that he is hard to take seriously, especially when considering how over-the-top his plans tend to be and how often they go wrong. Although there are a few moments in which Mr. Burns shows empathy for others, including his bond with Maggie Simpson, the show always finds something to laugh at within his dismissive attitude towards his longtime assistant and manservant, Smithers.
7Marge Simpson
Voiced by Julie Kavner
Marge is perhaps the most important character onThe Simpsons, as she is the matriarch who keeps the family together and is willing to take the warring personalities and get them to agree with each other. While any of the episodes that deal with her relationship with Homer tend to be quite charming, Marge also has a positive impact on almost every member of the broader Springfield community, including side characters like Chief Wiggum, Apu, Lenny, Carl, and Comic Book Guy.
Marge’s ambitions to do more than be a stay-at-home parent result in some of the wildest and most exciting episodes ofThe Simpsons, asit is always fun to see her step outside of her comfort zone. She also plays a critical role inThe Music Manparody “Marge vs. the Monorail,” a classic episode written byConan O’Brienthat is often considered to be the single greatest within the entire history ofThe Simpsons.
6Ned Flanders
Voiced by Harry Shearer
Ned Flanders may be themost complex character in the history ofThe Simpsons, as he has changed the most over the course of nearly four decades. While Ned was first introduced as Homer’s obnoxious, friendly, and completely gullible neighbor, he was met with tragedy when his wife was killed, which forced him to be a single father to his sons, Rodd and Todd.
Ned’s obsession with his Christian faith became a dominant aspect of his personality, andThe Simpsonsis remarkably even-handed when it comes to showing the benefits and consequences of investing so much into religion. Althoughit is more often than not thatThe Simpsonsmakes jokes that are at Ned’s expense, the series has also begun to open him up as a character by showing a more respectful relationship that he develops with Homer over time.
5Principal Seymour Skinner
Principal Seymour Skinner may have the worst luck of any character onThe Simpsons, as the show has always been quite scathing when it comes to assessing the merits of public education. Beyond the fact that he still lives with his domineering mother and receives no respect from the school’s administrators, Skinner is completely incapable of wrangling the behavior of the wild students at Springfield Elementary, who show no respect for his authority.
Skinner is one of the more dynamic characters onThe Simpsons, as while he is often depicted as being an antagonist who has a real animosity for Bart, there are also episodes that seek to show him in a more positive light. The Season 9 episode “The Principal and the Pauper” explored some previously unknown details about Skinner’s backstory and is widely considered to be one of the most controversial episodes within the show’s entire history.
4Sideshow Bob
Voiced by Kelsey Grammar
Sideshow Bob is thebest recurring guest character onThe Simpsons, as any episode that he pops up in is almost bound to be excellent. Loosely inspired by the character of Max Caddy, who was portrayed byRobert De NiroinMartin Scorsese’s Oscar-nominated remake of the classic serial killer thrillerCape Fear, Sideshow Bob is an obsessive criminal who wants to get revenge on Bart.
Kesley Grammar completely invests in giving a menacing performance, which allowsThe Simpsonsto remind its viewers how dark it is capable of getting. However, Sideshow Bob is also a character who is too incompetent and met with bad luck to ever orchestrate his evil plan, and few things are funnier than seeing Bart continuously get the better of him by foiling his schemes. It’s also hilarious whenever Sideshow Bob reveals that he has surprising passions for musical theater.
3Krusty the Clown
Voiced by Dan Castellaneta
Krusty the Clown may be the single funniest ofThe Simpsons’side characters, as he is a shameless, self-centered egomaniac who the audience still finds themselves rooting for. Although Krusty is the epitome of an aging artist who has completely sold out in order to make a big paycheck, it’s hilarious to see how low he is willing to go in order to save what remains of his career.
Krusty can be both sympathetic and despicable, as while there are episodes where it’s sad to hear about how he has been forced to give up on his dreams, he’s also responsible for things like “Kamp Krusty” that went disastrously awry. Krusty is often a character who appears inunderratedThe Simpsonsepisodes, as he has developed extensively over time, and no longer feels like the same caricature that he once was during the early years of the show.
2Bart Simpson
Voiced by Nancy Cartwright
Bart Simpson may be the single most popular character onThe Simpsons, as he is both the coolest kid in Springfield and the most relatable member of the Simpson family. AlthoughBart is responsible for the most iconic catchphraseswithin the history ofThe Simpsons, he’s also a leader within the school and often serves as a role model to characters like Nelson, Rodd, and Todd.
Bart’s relationship with his family is always interesting, as his love-and-hate dynamic with his sister Lisa leads the show to some of its funniest and most emotional moments. Although Bart’s unabashed desire to please Marge is rather charming and sincere,his rivalry with Homer has grown exponentially funnier as they reach new ways to mess with one another, which only ends up causing more havoc for anyone who gets in their way.
1Homer Simpson
Homer is the closest thing thatThe Simpsonshas to a main character, as it is his disheveled, yet charming demeanor that best represents the show’s unique sense of humor. Despite being lazy and incompetent, Homer often proves to be a loving father who is willing to do his best to provide for his family, and any episode that details flashbacks of how he met and fell in love with Marge is legitimately touching.
Homer has changed a lot over the history ofThe Simpsons, as while later seasons have occasionally been accused of making him too mean, it’s also interesting to see how his relationship with characters like Grampa has evolved. Even thoughThe Simpsonshas its fair share of bad episodes, which is to be expected from a show that has been running for nearly four decades,there tend to still be a few Homer moments that remind fans why they are still watching.
