10 TV Side Characters Who Later Became Main Protagonists
Summary
- Some side characters become protagonists due to fan response and great performances.
- Characters like Kramer, Daryl Dixon, and Arya Stark have evolved to become central figures.
- Felicity Smoak, Cassie Howard, and Blaine Anderson are examples of side characters turned leads.
Some TV shows introduce side characters that immediately steal the spotlight and the hearts of the audience, resulting in the character being upgraded to a protagonist for the rest of the show. When a TV show begins airing, there is typically a main protagonist or a small group of protagonists who are joined by several side characters. These minor characters typically act as support, aiding the protagonists, but sometimes, they evolve beyond that role.
When a side character is particularly well cast, likable, or charming, it can frequently lead to fans falling for the supporting character and calling for them to have an increased role. While not every TV series will take heed of this response from fans, or recognize the potential they have with their talented performers and captivating side characters, some do, and the results can be great. Side characters evolvinbg to have a more central role, and becoming a protagonist in their own right can be incredibly satisfying.
10 Felicity Smoak
Arrow (2012 – 2020)
Arrow
After five years of being presumed dead, billionaire playboy Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) is discovered alive on a remote island in the Pacific. Upon returning to his hometown, Starling City, Oliver beings to make amends for the selfish man that he once was. With a renewed sense of life, Oliver plays the role of a self-indulgent socialite during the day while secretly taking on those who corrupt the city at night. After running for eight seasons on The CW, Arrow ended in 2020.
- Writers
- Greg Berlanti , Marc Guggenheim , Andrew Kreisberg
- Directors
- Andrew Kreisberg , Greg Berlanti
- Showrunner
- Andrew Kreisberg
Initially, Arrow’s Felicity Smoak was positioned to take on the role of a woman in the chair, providing literal support, through the use of computers and intelligence to the heroes. However, the character was incredibly compelling and had great chemistry with the lead, Oliver Queen. As a result, other relationships with Queen were often foiled by his romantic feelings for Felicity, and despite the couple taking time to get together, Felicity remained a force in the show that often proved more compelling and complex than the hero and his single-minded goal for revenge.
9 Cassie Howard
Euphoria (2019 – Present)
Euphoria
Euphoria is a teen drama created by Sam Levinson and starring Zendaya, Maude Apatow, and Angus Cloud. The series deals with the dark reality of a drug-addicted teen on her road to recovery as she faces a multitude of challenges and issues.
- Streaming Service(s)
- Max
- Directors
- Augustine Frizzell , Sam Levinson , Jennifer Morrison , Pippa Bianco
- Showrunner
- Sam Levinson
Euphoria is a show packed with incredible talent, which is reflected in the time between seasons, as the leading actors have busy schedules. However, while some actors were already big names when the series began, it also launched the career, and introduced the world to incredible talents like Sydney Sweeney. In season 1, Sweeney plays a kind young woman who avoids confrontation. However, the talented actress was allowed to shine in season 2, when her character, Cassie Howard, went dark. Howard may be a villain, but she’s entertaining to watch, and central to the show throughout season 2.
Euphoria: The Main Characters, Ranked By Character Arc
Rue may be the main character of Euphoria, but several supporting characters have significant storylines as well.
8 Kramer
Seinfeld (1989 – 1998)
Seinfeld
Seinfeld stars Jerry Seinfeld as a stand-up comedian whose life in New York City is made even more chaotic by his quirky group of friends who join him in wrestling with life’s most perplexing yet often trivial questions. Often described as “a show about nothing,” Seinfeld mines the humor in life’s mundane situations like waiting in line, searching for a lost item, or the trials and tribulations of dating. Co-starring is Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Jerry’s ex-girlfriend and current platonic pal, Elaine Benes; Jason Alexander as George Costanza, Jerry’s neurotic hard-luck best friend; and Michael Richards as Jerry’s eccentric neighbor, Kramer.
- Directors
- Jason Alexander
Kramer may have been present in every episode of Seinfeld, but the character was initially just a noisy and odd neighbor who didn’t have any boundaries. Jerry and George were a much larger focus in the first few episodes, but Kramer could not be ignored as a character and Michael Richards’ performance led to him becoming a much more prominent figure on the show. Kramer’s role evolved so much that there is a discourse and argument debating whether Kramer is actually Seinfeld’s main character.
7 Daryl Dixon
The Walking Dead (2010 – 2022)
The Walking Dead
Based on one of the most successful and popular comic books of all time, AMC’s The Walking Dead captures the ongoing human drama following a zombie apocalypse. The series, developed for television by Frank Darabont, follows a group of survivors, led by police officer Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln), who are traveling in search of a safe and secure home. However, instead of the zombies, it is the living who remain that truly become the walking dead. The Walking Dead lasted for eleven seasons and spawned several spinoff shows, such as Fear the Walking Dead and The Walking Dead: World Beyond.
- Streaming Service(s)
- Netflix , AMC Plus
- Directors
- Greg Nicotero
- Showrunner
- Frank Darabont , Angela Kang , Scott M. Gimple , Glen Mazzara
Daryl Dixon didn’t show up on The Walking Dead until episode 3, but when he appeared, he instantly became one of the most interesting characters on the show. Daryl is a man of few words, with a strong set of morals, and a desire to protect and care for others in a way that he never had when he was young. The character is endearing, and despite his gruff appearance, he is the person who steps in to direct the group, take care of Rick’s children, and generally helps to keep people alive and the group together.
6 Arya Stark
Game Of Thrones (2011 – 2019)
Game Of Thrones
Created by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, Game of Thrones is a TV series based on the book “A Song of Ice of Fire” by George R. R. Martin. It tells the story of the ongoing battle between the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros – as they fight for control of the coveted Iron Throne. Friction between the houses leads to full-scale war. All while a very ancient evil awakens in the far north. Amidst the war, a neglected military order of misfits, the Night’s Watch, led by House Stark’s Jon Snow, is the first to encounter icy horrors that threaten all realms of men. The series premiered on HBO in the United States on April 17, 2011, and quickly became one of the biggest event series in the “Golden Age” of TV. Winner of 38 Primetime Emmy Awards, Game of Thrones has attracted record viewership on HBO and has a broad, active, international fan base.
- Directors
- David Nutter , Alan Taylor , D.B. Weiss , David Benioff
- Showrunner
- David Benioff , D.B. Weiss
Game of Thrones may have been forced into a position of replacing its core cast after so many were killed off, but regardless, Arya Stark earned her place as a main protagonist in the series. The early seasons followed the journey of the men in the Stark family, and Sansa, but her role saw her reduced to the intended bride of young Joffrey Baratheon. While Arya was still very young, she forged another path and became a formidable warrior in her own right. Arya grew to be a talented fighter who avenged the death of her brother Robb Stark and fought in the Great War.
5 Blaine Anderson
Glee (2009 – 2015)
Glee
In order to escape the stressful reality of high school, a group of misfits decides to join William McKinley’s glee club. Fox’s Glee was created by Ian Brennan, Brad Falchuk, and Ryan Murphy, with Leah Michele, Jane Lynch, and Matthew Morrison leading the cast. The series ran for six seasons between 2009 and 2015 and won six Primetime Emmys.
- Streaming Service(s)
- Hulu
Blaine Anderson, played by Darren Criss, first appeared in Glee in season 2 as a member of the rival glee club. Blaine is an exceptionally talented vocalist who leads the Dalton Academy Warblers. However, he later transfers to McKinley High and continues a serious relationship with Kurt Hummell that sees him become a central figure throughout the rest of the show. Darren Criss is an exceptionally talented actor and performer, and no doubt his charisma and performance as Blaine helped secure the character a place as a main character.
Glee: 10 Memes That Perfectly Sum Up Blaine’s Character
Played by Darren Criss, the beloved character Blaine Anderson is still an all-time fan favorite from the Glee days, and fans share the funniest memes.
4 Schmidt
New Girl (2011 – 2018)
New Girl
Zooey Deschanel stars as Jess in New Girl, a comedy series that follows a group of twentysomething roommates in their day-to-day lives. When Jess decides to leave her boyfriend of seven years after discovering he’s been unfaithful, she finds a craigslist ad and becomes the roommate of three men around her age who desperately need to rent a room in their loft. Occasionally joined by Jess’ best friend, the group builds a quirky, dysfunctional family dynamic as they enjoy life in Los Angeles.
- Writers
- Elizabeth Meriwether
- Showrunner
- Elizabeth Meriwether
When many of the important storylines surrounding Jess had been played out in New Girl, the show looked to the rest of the cast to fill the void. Unexpectedly, the sleazy and unlikeable Schmidt took center stage, as he matured, developed a loving relationship with Cece, and became a more appealing character on the show. Schmidt always had charisma, but his charm took some time to fully develop, but when it did the character became a much more interesting and enjoyable figure on the show.
3 Stiles Stilinsky
Teen Wolf (2011 – 2017)
Teen Wolf
A take on the concept of the original film, Teen Wolf is a fantasy action-horror series created for MTV. When high school student Scott McCall is attacked and bitten by a werewolf, he transforms into one himself. Now forced to juggle his school life and new nightlife, Scott will struggle to understand and control his new powers while fending off new supernatural threats attacking his town.
- Streaming Service(s)
- Hulu
- Writers
- Jeff Davis
- Directors
- Jeff Davis
- Showrunner
- Jeff Davis
Stiles Stilinsky is the best friend of Scott McCall, the central protagonist in Teen Wolf. However, his knowledge and understanding of the law, and his skills as an unofficial detective made him an incredible asset to Team McCall. Despite never becoming a werewolf, Stiles remained an enigmatic and engaging character throughout the show. He appears in nearly every episode, and his importance continued to grow over the run of the series, making him a main protagonist who was pivotal in keeping the secrets of the pack and helping to uncover threats against them.
2 Cristina Yang
Grey’s Anatomy (2005 – Present)
Grey’s Anatomy
Grey’s Anatomy is considered one of the great television shows of our time, winning several awards and four Emmys. The high-intensity medical drama follows Meredith Grey and the team of doctors at Grey Sloan Memorial, who are faced with life-or-death decisions on a daily basis. They seek comfort from one another, and, at times, more than just friendship. Together they discover that neither medicine nor relationships can be defined in black and white.
- Writers
- Shonda Rhimes , Julie Wong , Jen Klein , Tameson Duffy , Meg Marinis
- Directors
- Rob Corn , Kevin McKidd , Debbie Allen , Chandra Wilson , Allison Liddi-Brown , Jeannot Szwarc , Tony Phelan
- Showrunner
- Meg Marinis
Grey’s Anatomy was designed around Meredith Grey, whose name appeared in the title, but with the show running for more than 20 seasons, it needed to shift attention to multiple characters. Fortunately, great casting for roles like Cristina Yang meant the show had other characters to lean on. Yang is a close friend to Meredith, and a respected doctor, whose life was at times more interesting and exciting for the show to follow. Unfortunately, after more than 10 years on the show, Sandra Oh decided to leave and pursue other projects, but the impression she left on the show remains.
1 Steve Harrington
Stranger Things (2016 – 2025)
Stranger Things
Inspired by 80s pop-culture and elements of Stephen King’s works, Stranger Things is a supernatural action-drama TV series set in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana. When a young boy goes missing, his group of friends stumbles upon a young girl with telekinetic powers who recently escaped from a mysterious facility. They soon realize that she may be their only chance at stopping an impending doom that threatens to engulf Hawkins whole.
- Writers
- Matt Duffer , Ross Duffer , Paul Dichter , Kate Trefry
- Directors
- Matt Duffer , Ross Duffer
- Showrunner
- Matt Duffer , Ross Duffer
Perhaps one of the best-known side characters to main character transitions, Steve Harrington (Joe Keery) was initially a bully in season 1 of Stranger Things. However, the actor was so likable that the character ended up being a charming figure who quickly became a part of the group. Despite his part in a love triangle with Nancy, Steve remains a strong, independent character, with many of his stories seeing him lead the other characters. Now, he is confidently lauded as one of the most beloved characters and a main figure on the show.
