As to be expected by a franchise with a huge cast. They may not always be in the spotlight, but damn if they're not beloved and memorable.
The Walking Dead (2010)
- Morgan was a popular and memorable character despite appearing in just two episodes and a couple of Stingers prior to joining the main cast in Season 6, thanks in large part to his tragic backstory and Lennie James' excellent performance. Unfortunately, he became more of a Base-Breaking Character in Season 6 and especially Fear the Walking Dead.
- T-Dog. While it's widely agreed that he wasn't as fleshed out a character as he could have been, fans like him for being a founding member of the Atlanta camp, an honorable Nice Guy, and performing a Heroic Sacrifice to save Carol in Season 3.
- Tobin for being a Nice Guy who is fully on board with Rick's decisions from the get-go, unlike many of the other Alexandrians. His status as one of the longest-surviving residents of the community has also turned him into a bit of Memetic Badass.
- Scott has become a fan-favorite for being just a Recurring Extra, who is nonetheless competent and collected whenever we do see him do anything. As of Season 10 he is one of the longest surviving members of Alexandria, further endearing him to fans. Although he is only mentioned once during the final season, but fans have accepted this as at least he's not confirmed dead.
- Bud, the spokesperson for Negan who introduces the threat of the Saviors. Despite dying within five minutes of his introduction he became an instant fan favorite, thanks to an awesome and charismatic performance from Christopher Berry.
- Dwight has become a popular character for his complex and compelling redemptive arc being considered one of the bright spots of the extremely divisive Seasons 7 and 8.
- Simon, largely thanks to Steven Ogg's equally charismatic and threatening portrayal, with some fans going as far as to consider him to be a scarier and more compelling villain than Negan. Him disposing of the highly unpopular Scavenger tribe in Season 8 certainly didn't hurt his popularity any.
- Dianne the Kingdom archer, for the same reasons as Scott. Like Jerry, she survives the Kingdom massacre due to working with the Hilltop soldiers for much of the season, and unlike Scott, is shown to have made it through the entire series.
- Shiva is wildly popular due to being a damn tiger. Especially after her incredible Big Damn Heroes moment in the Season 7 finale. Many fans noted with heartbroken bemusement that they mourned the death of a CGI tiger more than some of the human deaths on the show.
- Gavin has a solid fanbase for being one of the few Affably Evil Saviors who shows some Hidden Depths.
- Savior lieutenant Laura developed a following of her own for being a Punch-Clock Villain and then being among the few actively working to maintain the peace between the communities in the aftermath of the Savior War. Many fans decried her rather unceremonious death in "Stalker" and were pleased to see her return in flashbacks in "Here's Negan", in which she was retroactively given additional story importance by being revealed to have been one of the original Saviors and the one who gave Negan his infamous baseball bat.
- An even more minor ex-Savior, DJ, also gained popularity when he was shown to have also undergone a Heel–Face Turn in Season 9 and died trying to save the pike massacre victims from Alpha.
- Dog, Daryl's Canine Companion as of Season 9 was immediately met with welcome arms, to the point that the mantra "If Dog dies, we riot" was adopted by the fandom. It helps that Norman Reedus has been pushing for Daryl to have a dog since as early as the third season.
- Among the numerous maligned teenage characters in Season 9, Addy was a rather welcome addition to the supporting teenage cast. Unlike her Jerkass Too Dumb to Live friends Gage and Rodney, and Henry who tended to grab the Idiot Ball, she was a genuinely kind girl who could hold her own against walkers and knew not mess around with them. She might be the only teenager killed in the pike massacre who viewers may have felt sorry for, aside from Henry's Alas, Poor Scrappy reception.
- Ozzy, the leader of the Highwaymen, was around for all of two episodes before being decapitated by Alpha and stuck on a pike. Despite this, fans took a liking to him almost immediately due to his quirky gimmick and his sense of honor. The fact that he bravely charged in to rescue the other pike victims who he didn't even know at great risk to himself certainly helps, though they all died anyway. Plus, he never got to see that movie.
- Elijah, Maggie's masked, hooded companion from "A Certain Doom", due to the initial mystery surrounding his identity, his incredibly badass ninja skills, and his Big Damn Heroes moment saving Gabriel from some Whisperers. This is also likely why he is the only veteran Warden to survive the first part of Season 11.
- Mays was well regarded due to his compelling, menacing presence and performance courtesy of special guest star Robert Patrick - even though his screentime literally only lasts the last quarter of his episode, he makes a hell of an impression. While it’s understood why such a dangerous, unhinged character was killed by Gabriel, many were disappointed as they wanted him to stay on either as a recurring antagonist or maybe really attempt a Heel–Face Turn as his last scene indicated.
- Lucille. While she only appears in one episode, she's quickly become beloved for adding more depth to Negan and being a strong and complex badass in her own right. Her actress' endearing yet ultimately heartbreaking performance helps to make her one of the strongest one-episode characters the series has ever had.
- Mancea, the Reaper priest, is considered the most interesting of the bunch thanks to his actor's creepy performance and a few memorable scenes with Gabriel. Many prefer him as an antagonist over Pope.
- Max, the true "Stephanie" became a fan-favorite once she was introduced, thanks to the clever implementation of the twist around her character, and for being a kind, plucky and good-hearted hero in her own right. She singlehandedly begins the downfall of the Milton dynasty because she refuses to let them get away with their crimes, leading to the successful revolution. And all the while she proves to have a very touching, heartwarming romance with Eugene, made sweeter by the fact that Max fell in love with him without even being able to see him, and still being in love with him after meeting him in person. Being very easy on the eyes due to being played by the beautiful Margot Bingham also gained her more than a few fans.
- “Warlords” brings us two short-lived examples.
- Michael Biehn guest stars as Ian, the menacing, brutal lord of the Riverbend complex community who nonetheless shows he has a sense of honor and decency to him. It’s not hard to see why he has a faithful community considering he dies trying to protect his people from a wolf in sheep’s clothing as he called.
- On the other side of the coin is Toby Carlson, Lance’s personal hit man who was sent to exterminate the Riverbend complex. He starts off entertaining enough, surely as another Too Dumb to Live moron who seems to be in over his head - but still benefits from a hammy, funny performance by his actor. Then the switch flips and he quickly turns the table on Ian and his group, and it’s revealed he’s a former CIA agent and is also being forced to compromise his own beliefs at Lance’s manipulation. Carlson quickly proves to be even more terrifying than Ian was, brutally murdering people left and right and quickly earning a spot on this list. Many fans wish he had been able to stick around as The Dragon to Lance.
- Roberts, a.k.a. "Trooper 127" and the Token Good Teammate of the Warden's firing squad who turns the tide in the group's favor by refusing to open fire on a pregnant woman and a crowd of unarmed survivors, buying Daryl enough time to sneak up on the Warden and stab him in the back.
Fear the Walking Dead
- Tobias. Being the Audience Surrogate for the savvy certainly helps keep viewers sane, as the protagonists go through the stupidity tropes that are typical of the zombie genre.
- Chuck from Season 5 due to the episode surrounding his imminent death being one of the brightest and most heartrending moments in the show.
- Also from Season 5, Janis, due to her coolness and being much more competent than her brother, Tom. Her death where she was framed by Virginia for killing Cameron led to much mourning.
- Emile, the Scary Black Man bounty hunter sent by Virginia to kill Morgan. The showrunners liked him enough they brought his actor back in Season 7 as the character's twin brother Josiah, who also proved to be popular and ended up joining the group... though plans changed and he ended up not returning in Season 8.
- Teddy Maddox is only an Arc Villain for the back half of Season 6, but he quickly became a fan favorite due to John Glover’s charismatic, sinister performance perfectly capturing a wily cult leader, and for the sheer menace he brings with his master plan that makes him into what is likely THE most dangerous villain in the entire franchise.
- Despite only appearing for two episodes and being tossed off a roof by Strand, Will gained a large amount of popularity due to his genuine kindness as well as his actor being quite attractive.
- Paul only appears in “Follow Me”, but he was the best received of Season 7’s slew of one-off characters thanks to his actor’s excellent performance, his Cool Old Guy mentorship to Alicia, and being another positive portrayal of a deaf character for the franchise.
The Walking Dead: World Beyond
- Out of the original cast, Jennifer "Huck" Mallick was most well received due to Annet Mahendru's talent to powerfully portray the complexity of Jennifer's allegiances.
- Despite being added to the show for clues on Rick Grimes' whereabouts, Jadis has garnered a large fandom due to her being shown as a fantastic counterpart to Huck and an imposing villainess.
