History Main / SlidingScaleOfCharacterAppreciation

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!Examples:

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[[folder: Characters Who Impress Us Once]]
!Anime and Manga
* ''Anime/{{Aggretsuko}}'': Season 2 introduces Shirota, which appears only in one episode and has barely a cameo in other two. He is, though, well loved by the fandom for being a good looking and gentle BigBeautifulMan that gets Retsuko thinking of her future.
* Leigharch from ''Manga/BlackLagoon''. This [[TheStoner junkie]] was only in one arc, mostly as PluckyComicRelief, yet he managed to gain a fanbase the same size as those of the main characters.
* ''Anime/GiantRobo'' has the remaining members of the BigBad ruling council, the Magnificent Ten. Plenty of people were disappointed at how they only got a few minutes between them to strut their stuff, but damn it was cool.
** They even have the established star thing going for them, as the cast of ''Giant Robo'' are all characters from previous anime & manga by Mitsuteru Yokoyama. This was most definitely intentional, as they were ''supposed to'' be the main antagonist (as indicated by the SequelHook) for the GrandFinale before it got cut short.
** Their boss, Big Fire himself, had even less screentime, [[spoiler:most of which was actually an impostor,]] but is just as well-remembered.
* ''Literature/HaruhiSuzumiya'':
** A common surprise for anyone that gets into the show via the hype around it is that [[MemeticMutation Internet meme]] EnsembleDarkHorse Tsuruya has a very small role in the show, with only one or two memorable scenes; her actual CharacterFocus comes a while later in the books on which the series is based.
** Emiri Kimidori, who appeared ''once'' in ''one episode'', but got her own ImageSong album before some other main characters. She, too, gets fleshed out a little later on in the books, but she's still a very minor character...so far.
** Ryoko Asakura could count as well. Sure, she had a few scenes in the first few episodes, and she gets good screen time in TheMovie [[spoiler:and the tenth novel,]] but the only scene where she really gets much characterization or interaction with anyone else is [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHkM6Ru3xhc a doozy.]]
* Kazuhiko Amagasaki from ''Anime/TenchiMuyo'' who appeared briefly in the first episode of the original {{OVA}} series, but ended up with his own {{Omake}} comics and a much larger role in ''Tenchi in Tokyo''.
* Considering how popular DIO's [[DeathFromAbove Road Roller]] attack and FlechetteStorm are among the ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'' fandom and video games, you'd hardly believe that they were each used exactly ''once'' in the entire series, during the same fight with Jotaro. Then again, we '''are''' talking about [[MagnificentBastard D]][[LargeHam I]][[CrazyIsCool O.]] [[spoiler:Although the attack is used once again in both the endings of Stone Ocean and Steel Ball Run, just not by DIO but two people closely associated with him, his last fanatical follower and the alternate universe version of himself respectively.]]
* [[Creator/ShinichiWatanabe Nabeshin]] and Kumi-Kumi in ''Anime/PuniPuniPoemy''. They only appear at the beginning of the first episode, and are subsequently StuffedInTheFridge. [[AuthorAvatar Nabeshin]] and Kumi-Kumi (who married in Anime/ExcelSaga) are the most interesting characters for many people. [[spoiler:They do come back for the last episode, though]].
* Many fans of ''Anime/PrincessTutu'' consider a character who only appears in one episode as one of their favorites. Femio, an outlandish, beauty-obsessed, [[SuckMyRose rose-wielding]] ballet student shows up as a victim for the DarkMagicalGirl, and he's so hilarious that he's become a hugely popular character to the fandom, showing up in fanart, fanfic, cosplay and roleplaying nearly as much as the actual main characters of the show, probably because he defeats the powers of darkness through sheer narcissism and stupidity.
** Oh yeah, and he's also voiced by Creator/VicMignogna. Keep in mind that this was years before ''Manga/OuranHighSchoolHostClub''.
* [[spoiler:Noriko and Kazumi]]'s appearance at the end of ''Anime/{{Diebuster}}'' stole the climax of the show. They were only in it for about 30 seconds had no lines and ''weren't even seen'' yet they managed to turn a BitterSweetEnding into a SugarWiki/{{Heartwarming Moment|s}}.
* Gustav St. Germain from ''Literature/{{Baccano}}'' is in the series for a grand total of ten minutes, barely makes an impact on the plot, and yet he's probably just as memorable as some as the biggest badasses in the series. It's also because he's essentially the narrator of the show's FramingDevice.
* Chiyo's Dad in ''Manga/AzumangaDaioh'' has a [[Creator/NorioWakamoto speaking]] part in about five skits, but is one of the mascots of the series.
* Kaworu appeared for only one episode in ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' (and the climactic parts of ''End of Evangelion''), yet he is in the most memorable scene in the entire series and the results of that scene trigger the end of the series (whichever one you go by). It may be interesting to note that he is getting a bigger role in TheRemake ''Rebuild of Evangelion''.
* Lord Raptor in the ''VideoGame/{{Darkstalkers}}'' OVA, his depiction is often considered to be incredibly awesome (and is also one of Creator/ScottMcNeil's coolest performances). Only problem? He was only in the 1st episode for about 10 minutes...
* In ''Manga/DemonSlayerKimetsuNoYaiba'', the remaining Lower Ranks are voiced by some really famous Japanese voice actors who were hired to just work on these really minor characters, Natsuki Hanae (Tanjiro) even jokingly expressed disbelief on getting these big shots to “waste” them like that, as they all get killed in the very same episode they are introduced.
* ''Anime/YuGiOhGX'' gives us Dimitri, played by Creator/MarcThompson. His [[NarmCharm ridiculously silly and awesome]] impression of Creator/DanGreen's LargeHam Yami Yugi from the original series makes Dimitri one of the most memorable side-characters in the series, and he only shows up for two episodes. It helps that as he stole Yugi's deck to copy his dueling style, those two episodes were spent busting out fan favorites like [[StageMagician Dark Magician,]] [[MsFanservice Dark Magician Girl,]] and [[BlackKnight Black Luster Soldier.]]
* ''Manga/DeathNote'': Barring one cameo appearance a few episodes earlier, Matt only shows up for the kidnapping scene [[spoiler:before getting riddled with bullets.]] Hasn't stopped him from becoming one of the fans' favorite characters.
** He appears a bit more in the manga before that scene, though his appearances are so sporadic that they all amount to 16 panels [[note]]someone counted them[[/note]] maximum.
** Then there's TV reporter Koki Tanakabara, who shows up for about one minute to denounce Kira, announcing his full name at the end while knowing that Kira can kill him just by knowing his name and face, and establishing himself as one of the most courageous characters in the entire series.
* In ''Manga/{{Claymore}},'' Teresa is a posthumous character who only appeared in a few flashbacks. However due to sheer badassery, she is bar far the most loved character by the fandom in the whole series!
* Jinpei Matsuda of ''Manga/CaseClosed''. He appeared in exactly ''one'' {{backstory}} arc of this long runner and its effects to the canon is arguably minor ([[ThatOneCase except for Inspector Sato]]), but he ''still'' listed as one of the main characters on the show's official website.
** The series' [[Characters/CaseClosed character sheet]] has a whole section devoted to OneSceneWonder charcaters.
* Sano the HospitalHottie whom was only in the 22nd episode of the ''Anime/GhostInTheShellStandAloneComplex'' series but lets just say some folks remember her for her...[[GirlOnGirlIsHot potential]] -- she was a fairly blatant MsFanservice LipstickLesbian whom was [[LesYay blatantly trying to hit on the Major.]] However the only reason why that episode didn't become a softcore lesbian porno was because she was actually a assassin that Motoko had to stop and beat. (Besides Sano would most likely be a part of Motoko's little harem if she turned out to be good anyways.)
* Burger-kun's five minutes of screentime in ''Anime/DarkerThanBlack'' Season 2 somehow managed to net him an internet fandom, for God knows what reason.
** Most likely due to his nonchalant attitude and his complaining about having to eat burgers for his remuneration. And he doesn't have the RequiredSecondaryPowers for his SuperSpeed.
* [[FanNickname Bruce Ironstaunch]] from ''Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann''. He's just some nameless member of a cheering crowd who makes a BicepPolishingGesture while Rossiu is announcing that [[spoiler: Simon will be executed]]. Since that gesture means "up yours" elsewhere, Western fans saw him as the one good man standing up for the heroes, and he became a [[MemeticMutation legend]].
* ''Anime/OjamajoDoremi Naisho'' has a character named Fami, who only appeared in the last episode but is particularly memorable, mainly because she's [[spoiler:[[LukeYouAreMyFather Doremi's granddaughter from the future]]]].
* In-Universe example. In ''Anime/OnlyYesterday'' Taeko recalls how as a child, she had a one-line part in her school play. Determined to get as much use of this role as possible, she puts significantly more effort into this single line than the rest of the performers, resulting in her [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome stealing the show and being offered a role in a completely different play]]. [[spoiler:However, her father forbids her from accepting the role.]]
* In ''Anime/TigerAndBunny'', Origami Cyclone is a "superhero" who does very little by way of actual crimefighting, and the ranking system that the city uses places him even lower than the ButtMonkey, Wild Tiger. Nevertheless, his corporate sponsors are very happy with him, because he's good at his ''real'' job of inserting himself anywhere there's a camera as living advertisement.
* In Episode 1 of ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamUnicorn'', when the Kshatriya is generally fucking things up, one nameless {{Mook}} in a [[EliteMook Stark Jegan]] decides to ''[[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome take it on by himself]]'', putting up a very good fight before being sliced in half. He is known only as [[FanNickname godspeed.]]
** In episode 4, [[spoiler:a [[AceCustom Byarlant Custom]] turns the Zeon Remnants' siege of [[Anime/MobileSuitGundam0083StardustMemory Torrington Base]] into a CurbStompBattle, entering the battle by flying out the roof of a hangar, and demolishing fifteen mobile suits in the space of ten minutes, singlehandedly turning the tides and handing the Zeeks' asses back to them.]]
* ''Manga/SoulEater'': Hiro appeared in a single special chapter (and a single anime episode) and still remains incredibly memorable, so much he's present in both official popularity polls, probably for being the only one meister shown to be able to cope with Excalibur.
* [[spoiler:[[MadScientist Shou Tucker]]]] of ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'' is a rather strange example. Even though he's only in one chapter before [[spoiler:he's killed off by Scar,]] he is one of the first truly intimidating antagonists encountered by the Elric brothers, and still stands out as one of the series' most horrific villains. It's very shocking to some fans that the character widely regarded as the most despicable in the history of anime shows up near the beginning of the series, and not for very long at all.
* An [[NoNameGiven unnamed]] one-''panel'' character in ''Manga/NegimaMagisterNegiMagi'' managed to get her own entry in [[Characters/NegimaMagicWorld the character sheet]] for the impressive feat of cramming twelve [[{{Fanservice}} Fanservice Tropes]] into said appearance.
* Way too many characters too count in ''Manga/OnePiece'', but most notably, many SMILE users appears for just one single scene or even as a background character, but many of them have such a goofy and absurd designs that gain the attention of many fans. Particularly Four Tricks, Hamlet and Briscola.
* Many monsters in ''Manga/OnePunchMan'' are this, they only appear in one or few chapters, but because of their designes, presence and lines, they remain well-remembered in fans minds. Vaccine Man, Crablante, The Brain and Brawn Brothers, Subterraneanans are quite iconic, but they all appear only in first episode.
* In ''Manga/OutlawStar'', Shimi/[[spoiler:Leilong]] is perhaps the biggest bad ass of the series, [[spoiler:defeating the entire crew in open combat,]] but only appears in one episode, and [[spoiler:he doesn't even die like almost every other one-off villian.]]
* Inuyama, the "cowardly" samurai/firefly enthusiast/[[spoiler:assassin]] from ''Anime/SamuraiChamploo'' only gets one episode and he [[spoiler:nearly beats Jin, stopping only when he discovers his employer's death and decides to walk away.]] And what's worse, [[spoiler:he promises that they'll meet again.]]
** Oddly enough, the reason for this is simply because the writer completely forgot about his character until it was too late to add him into the plot.
* Several one-shot characters in ''Anime/PokemonTheSeries'' apply, even though many of them usually appear in only one episode they are often deemed as some of the show's most memorable characters. Whether its characters who are actually from the games such as [[EagleLand Lt. Surge]] and Sabrina, or anime-only characters such as A.J. and [[{{Joshikousei}} Giselle.]]
** In the dub, any character-of-the-day voiced by [[Creator/DanGreen DAN GREEN]] is likely to be this. Especially Gym Leader [[LargeHam Byron.]]
** Tobias during the Sinnoh League lives in infamy to this day for owning Ash with a Darkrai and a Latios.
** Any Pokemon that looks different from their in-game form(s), such as the pink Butterfree in "Bye Bye Butterfree"[[note]]which is not Butterfree's Shiny coloration, leading many to speculate it was from the anime-exclusive Pinkan Island[[/note]]. The introduction of Alolan forms in ''VideoGame/PokemonSunAndMoon'' drew renewed attention to such unique Pokemon like the Crystal Onix or the wave-sensing Puka (A Pikachu which resembles the Alolan variant of its evolved form Raichu).
* ''Anime/CodeGeass'' has Mao. He was only in a few episodes in a row towards the middle of the first season, but is remembered for being CrazyIsCool, and at the very least foreshadowed [[spoiler:Lelouch's PowerIncontinence.]]
* Yuna from ''Manga/InuYasha''. She only had two episodes but the amount of fan art you would think she was a reoccurring villain. It helps that she has EvilIsSexy, VaporWare, NavelDeepNeckline and ToplessnessFromTheBack.
* ''Anime/{{Robotech}}'': The ''Anime/SuperDimensionFortressMacross'' character on which Dr. Emil Lang was based on was just an unnamed chief engineer in the original Japanese version. The character design already had cool looking all-black eyes. ''Robotech'' went further, giving Dr. Lang a memorable German accent (courtesy of actor Greg Snegoff). All this for a character that had only appeared in two episodes with three minutes total of screen time. He would become a major supporting character in the aborted ''Sentinels'' production and the rest of the ExpandedUniverse.
* Charlotte the Dessert Witch, of ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'', got less than two minutes of screentime in a twelve-episode series. Danbooru currently list her as having over two thousand different fanarts, more than all the other [[MonsterOfTheWeek witches,]] all the supporting cast, and all the spinoff characters put together. Being the KnightOfCerebus and deliverer of the show's first WhamEpisode help, as does generally being [[CuteIsEvil cute.]] In ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagicaTheMovieRebellion'', she's an AscendedExtra, although the characters call her "[[OnlyKnownByTheirNickname Bebe]]". [[spoiler:She even changes back into her human form, new character Nagisa Momoe.]]
* Hinata and Hikage Miyakawa made a grand total of ''three'' appearances throughout the ''Manga/LuckyStar'' anime (and only a few more in the manga), but managed to get their own spinoff series later on.
** Another example from the anime version is the [[PosthumousCharacter late]] [[MissingMom Kanata Izumi]] who, as a CuteGhostGirl, gets herself involved in [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments one of the funniest,]] yet [[SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments among the most heartwarming]] parts of the show all because she wanted to check on her family. See it [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0HdyFUG8L0 here.]]
* [[Manga/XxxHolic Kimihiro Watanuki]] made a 14-minute appearance in ''Anime/BloodCTheLastDark'' where he provided Saya's sword which she would use [[spoiler:to kill Fumito.]] He brought up the price for the sword which Saya mentions that she would do later. By the end of the movie, this was not mentioned again and the sword was left behind after [[spoiler:Saya killed Fumito.]]
** This goes the same with Yuka Amino, [[spoiler:the 28-year old woman who pretended to be Saya's friend in the TV series and wanted to be the governor of Tokyo]]. She only has two scenes where she does secretarial duties for Fumito and [[spoiler:by the end of the movie where she finally achieves her goal as governor without any repercussions]].
* The first Shuffle Alliance in ''Anime/MobileFighterGGundam''. Their absurd Gundams transform from playing card suits--diamond, spade, etc--and they themselves are a pretty flashy bunch of badasses in AwesomeAnachronisticApparel who take out a bunch of DG-cell-infected, subway-car-throwing Gundam Fighters hardly breaking a sweat. And they're a match for Master Asia. [[spoiler:Sad, then, that they do a collective Heroic Sacrifice to save the new Shuffle Alliance in just the next episode.]]
* If this trope can be played negatively, [=MaloMyotismon=] would qualify (putting aside his previous incarnations as Myotismon and [=VenomMyotismon=]). He only appeared during the last two episodes of ''Franchise/{{Digimon}}'''s second season, and is remembered as one of the ''suckiest'' villains ever in an anime series.
* [[spoiler:Kuroha]] in the ''Franchise/KagerouProject'' anime ''Anime/MekakucityActors''. Despite being shown in the opening doing something extremely plot important and being hyped up as a source of conflict in the intro and TheStinger of episode 11, he only appears halfway into episode 12 and [[EvilIsHammy hams up the scene]] for all of five minutes before [[spoiler:he ultimately bites it.]]
* ''Manga/SailorMoon'' gives us Sailor Saturn. Five minutes of screen time of the anime is all she needs to prove she is the strongest of the Sailor Senshi, and she properly pays for all the hype being built about her during the whole Sailor Moon S arc, giving us the most epic Final Battle, and disappearing for whole two seasons...
* Whenever Creator/MasaakiYuasa is hired to animate a scene.
* Luke and Jan, the Valentine brothers from ''Manga/{{Hellsing}}'' only appear in one episode (2 in the TV anime) but have one of the largest followings in the fandom. Jan for his [[CrossesTheLineTwice over-the-top]] LaughablyEvil nature and Luke for his SmugSnake-ness and ''brutal'' offscreen death. It helps that they invoke EvilIsSexy for quite a few fangirls.
* Despite being heavily featured in promotional material for ''Anime/TheLastNarutoTheMovie'', [[spoiler:Sasuke]] only appears twice in the actual movie, and is especially epic in his second appearance, because it involves his only dialogue.
* The Farmer with a Shotgun in ''Anime/DragonBallZ'' has a surprisingly large following for a character whose sole purpose was to demonstrate that Raditz was ImmuneToBullets. Gags about him secretly being the most powerful character in the franchise are not uncommon. He'd go on to become something of a RecurringExtra in the anime, even making a cameo in ''Battle of the Gods.''
* ''Manga/FairyTail'': Any of the Celestial Spirits, including the Spirit King, ''[[BrokenBase could]]'' be considered this in general as they can only appear when a Celestial mage summons them. However, the Silver Keys (outside of Plue) are extremely rare to see.
* ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'':
** Tsubasa Kurenai was a huge hit with fans when he appeared, for combining his uniquely quirky MasterOfDisguise WholesomeCrossdresser persona with being a hardcore, flamboyant romantic amidst a cast full of the romantically shy, as well as being a suitor for Ukyo, who at that point was unique in that she was the only one of Ranma's would-be brides without a rival suitor pursuing her hand. This led to him becoming a popular minor character for fanfiction in the series' early days, with many treating him as a full-blown member of the cast, despite the fact he canonically only had the one storyline[[note]]Although the anime treated him better, involving him in a {{filler}} episode and with brief cameos in the first movie & Xmas oav.[[/note]].
*** Inverted with Konatsu, who was ultimately created to actively fill the "Ukyo's rival suitor" space that Tsubasa had been rejected from but who completely failed to make much of an impact with fans at all, despite doing Tsubasa better by having his own second dedicated story. He has gained a little more popularity as Ranma 1/2's manga has become better-known, but still tends to be considered inferior to Tsubasa.
** Natsume & Kurumi, the faux-Tendo sisters from one of the anime's two-part OVAs, are also hugely popular with the branch of Ranma fandom that acknowledges the anime. This no doubt stems from a mix of their sympathetic backstory and their being the most formidable female fighters in a series where female martial artists tend to be {{Paper Tiger}}s -- they even have their own {{Ki Manipulation}}s, unique amongst the female cast of the series.
* The appearance of [[spoiler:a SheIsAllGrownUp Himiko Shinobibe [[MyFutureSelfAndMe talking with the present day Himiko]] during the latter's HiddenPurposeTest]] in ''[[Anime/MashinHeroWataruSeries Wataru 2]]'' didn't just throw fans for a loop, it became FanFicFuel on the endless possibilities of what the character could be like in a couple of years InUniverse.
* Shoebill from [[Anime/KemonoFriends Kemono Friends]] is a ''very'' popular [[LittleBitBeastly Friend]] despite appearing only in one short scene split over two episodes where she delivers a WhamLine. Her likable character, good design and [[DeathGlare memorable stare]] left quite the impression on the fanbase.
* The ''Franchise/TouhouProject'' spinoff manga ''Manga/TouhouSuzunaanForbiddenScrollery'' has the unnamed Fortune Teller-turned-Jinyou who only appears for a single scene during chapter 25 [[spoiler:only to unceremoniously be KilledOffForReal by Reimu (giving him the dubious honor of being the only fully sapient youkai in the series to die on-screen - or rather, on-page)]], but this one scene made him popular enough where he's even outranked certain characters, from the games in popularity polls, and making [[spoiler:his death]] one of the main things people remember from said manga.

!Comic Books
* ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'':
** Peter's uncle, Ben Parker. He only appeared in person in ''ComicBook/AmazingFantasyNumber15'' (and spoke only two lines in the entire comic), and died the same issue (although he has appeared in many {{Flashback}} stories and non-canonical stories involving {{alternate timeline}}s). Despite his brief appearance, very few supporting characters in Spider-Man's life have had as much of an impact on him as a character, due to tragic way that he became a hero; his refusal to apprehend a criminal when he had the chance was what caused his uncle to be murdered. (Contrary to popular belief, the phrase "With great power comes great responsibility" [[BeamMeUpScotty cannot truly be attributed to Ben]]; the phrase first appeared as a narrative in the final panel of the comic.)
** The same could be said for the nameless burglar who committed the crime. He did appear in a later story (where the motive for the burglary was revealed), but it didn't change the fact that he was nothing more than a common thug. Still, given the impact that this common thug had on Spider-Man's life, he could well be considered the greatest enemy the hero ever faced.
* ''ComicBook/JohnnyTheHomicidalManiac'': Edgar Vargus appeared in only one strip in volume four, yet he's still popular in fanart and fanfiction to this day.
* Anytime {{Franchise/Batman}} cameos in someone else's book, especially since, away from home, he gets to [[TheComicallySerious be hilarious.]]
** For that matter, anytime Batman shows up in a story [[VillainProtagonist primarily focused on one of his villains]].
** Matches Malone. Both the actual character, who dies after 6 panels, and Batman's sleazy arsonist/street hustler disguise who's always around when something's being planned and always has an excuse for why he's not drinking.
* ''ComicBook/BatmanNoMansLand:'' Plenty of ordinary citizens and non-costumed criminals from the ArchivePanic storyline manage to rival some of the recurring heroes and villains in memorability despite only appearing in a single issue (and not even always in leading roles).
** The three kids (particularly the one who defends his food with a slingshot) who each scavenge some food dropped from a helicopter in the opening scene of the first omnibus provide an interesting look at how the introduction of that food affects the deprived community. The reasonable trader who barters for an apple with one kid and the thieves who try to rob the other two also add a lot to the scene.
** The social worker refugee from the first issue who tries to barter for shelter from a gang by saying that he helps people who don't get along communicate. The gang members agree that this sounds like a skill they can use, but in a grim case of ExactWords, make him a DeadGuyOnDisplay.
** The young trader known only as The Nomad, who faces down a mugger with courage and charm in the second issue while deducing that the man's gun isn't loaded. The mugger counts as well, if only because of how he later makes the mistake of [[MuggingTheMonster accosting Joker.]]
** The man who appears in one ''Azrael'' issue and has a SadisticChoice between feeding his daughter or his father, inspiring both anger and pity from Azrael at different points.
** William "Sarge" Riley, the RetiredBadass protagonist of the standalone issue "Home Sweet Home." He gets some awesome and heartwarming moments as the protector of his neighborhood and manages to get away with defying Joker by impressing the clown with his attitude.
** The engineer who helps a visiting Superman reopen a power plant, only to end up coerced into helping some thugs sell the utilities.
** The young girl who's spying on Billy Petit for Oracle and encounters Superman during his second visit to No Man's Land, due to her LittleMissBadass characterization.
** Sonny Epifani, a fedora-wearing Mafia member who [[IGaveMyWord brings a lot of integrity to his new job of rescuing earthquake victims]] during his brief appearance in ''Cataclysm.''
** Jared Manx, the death row prisoner who serves as the POV character for a story about a tsunami hitting Blackgate Prison after the earthquake, makes a big enough impression that he has a Reddit thread debating whether he is guilty or innocent.
** In the ''Batman Contagion'' arc that helps set the stage for ''No Man's Land,'' Fong (who lets his survival of the eponymous virus inflate his sense of ego) makes the most of his brief page-time. His entire appearance is spent [[WalkingShirtlessScene showing off his muscular chest]] as he rants about his belief that he has the same powers as Superman, then proceeds to kill himself in a misguided attempt to demonstrate his supposed immortality.
* ''ComicBook/BatmanHolyTerror'': Star Chamber prisoners and guinea pigs Terry (a FearlessFool speedster who temporarily dematerializes himself during an escape attempt), Corinne (whose thoughts travel at superhuman speed while her body can only move at normal speed) and [[ComicBook/{{Aquaman}} Arthur]] (a water-breather who was forced to mate with a mermaid who then died in childbirth) only appear in four, one and three panels respectively and do nothing to majorly alter the story. However, the backstory-rich tragedy of what they have gone through at the hands of the Commonwealth and sense of desperation or despair in their countenances make them very memorable characters.
* Nazi dinosaur Tyrannosaurus Reich. Only appears in two issues of ''ComicBook/MajorBummer'' and his concept is as awesomely cool as it is utterly ridiculous.
* Creator/NeilGaiman specifically mentions that he didn't have Death appear more often in ''ComicBook/TheSandman'' because he didn't want to water down the effect and specialness of her appearances. He still found a way for her to show up in all of the trade paperbacks, however, even if sometimes it's just in a silent cameo.
* ''ComicBook/{{Nextwave}}'' made a single-page appearance, complete with NW-style info box pointing it out as a superfluous cameo, in ''ComicBook/MarvelZombies [[VideoGame/CapcomVs VS]] Comicbook/ArmyOfDarkness''
* [[http://www.cracked.com/funny-5066-snowflame/ SNOWFLAME,]] [[AGodAmI god]] [[EnsembleDarkHorse of]] Cocaine? Dude appeared in only one issue of ComicBook/TheNewGuardians comic, but boy did he steal it.
* Tif from ''ComicBook/{{Ironwood}}'' is a definite fan favourite, despite making only one appearance (and dying at the end of it). Bill Willingham has said that he has had more requests for sketches of Tif than any other character from the series (probably due to interesting physical appearance).
* ''ComicBook/TransformersMoreThanMeetsTheEye'' gives us Nautilator and Blip, [[ThoseTwoGuys two goofy Decepticons]] who come off as hilarious and lovable and are loved by fans. They appear for about a grand total of two pages in a single issue, and their sole role is seeing some Autobots coming towards them and than getting killed by Whirl and Cyclonus during a big fight.
** Flywheels is only in two issues before his horrible demise, but he comes across as one of the funniest and most likable Scavengers.
** Glitch, a dorky bot with the ability to stop any machinery with his touch, who only appears in the flashback story 'Shadowplay', and has yet to reappear since.
*** He has since reappeared, in something of a Wham scene.
** An inanimate object managed to become this: The [[CrossesTheLineTwice My First Blaster]] only gets fired twice and then never used again, but it instantly caught on with the fans.
** The Duobots are this. They seem to just be a case of ThoseTwoGuys, with the RunningGag that no one can tell them apart despite one being red and one being blue, but turn out to be an example SmallRoleBigImpact. Ore dies almost immediately, suffering a PortalCut when he messes with the Lost Light's quantum engines, and Shock shortly afterward, killed by a Sparkeater as he eulogizes Ore. Turns out they were agents of Prowl, and their actions kicked off the entire plot, sending the Lost Light off course, and creating a quantum duplicate. They are also Skids' handlers, and the reason he gets involved in the plot. Ore briefly comes back to life due to the presence of a Titan, and then is taken "away", so he may still be out there somewhere.
* ''ComicBook/TheTransformersLastStandOfTheWreckers'':
** Kick-Off, who shows up for two pages in the first issue, then again in issue three when we find [[spoiler: his corpse]].
** Squadron X, a gang of one-scene wonders from ''ComicBook/TheTransformersMarvel'', who appear only in flashbacks describing how they died, managed to become this by sheer value of their obscurity.
** Brainstorm, the hilariously insane weapons inventor who enjoys making weapons that shouldn't be made, only shows up for a few paragraphs in a prose story included in the collected edition. He eventually becomes a main character in ComicBook/TransformersMoreThanMeetsTheEye, where he continues with his inventive madness.
* ''ComicBook/TheTransformersIDW'' had a tie-in book titled Transformers: Ironhide. Drag Strip, an extremely minor Decepticon only used to fill out crowds and to serve as [[CombiningMecha Menasor's]] right arm, get's a single non-speaking appearance in a flashback sequence in issue 2. It's just a minor shot of him walking down a red carpet smirking like he's the king of the world, all the while the narration reveals him to be a dangerous and proficient racer up to par with Blurr.
* ComicBook/InfiniteCrisis has Wonder Woman. The original, Golden Age Wonder Woman, who appears for a few pages to talk to her modern counterpart before vanishing from existence.
** Also Joker at the end. Technically it's two-scenes and more of a ChekhovsGun deal, but it's one of the most memorable parts of the comic and doesn't really have much to do with the flow of the main plot.
* ComicBook/SpiderVerse had ComicBook/ThePunisher2099 drop in during ComicBook/SpiderMan2099's portion of the story, beating Daemos to a pulp. [[BatterUp With a baseball bat.]]
* Mysterio appears only once in ''ComicBook/OldManLogan'', for about four panels total. But what he ''does'' in those four panels...
-->”My name is Mysterio, master of illusion. My thanks on behalf of the criminal community.”
* ''ComicBook/Rocket2017:'' Murd Bludrock, a parody of ComicBook/{{Daredevil}} and his Silver Age / Bronze Age antics. He only appears in the second issue, running off to go fight ninjas instead of helping his client, and is the funniest part of the story.

!Films--Animated
* [[Franchise/DisneyAnimatedCanon Disney Animated Films]]
** Peg in ''WesternAnimation/LadyAndTheTramp''. She has just the one song, but a very memorable one! As her voice actor, Peggy Lee, co-wrote all the songs and also voiced the Siamese Cats and Darling (Lady's owner) - and they get songs, too, despite little screen time - it's like several Wonders for the price of one.
** ''WesternAnimation/{{The Jungle Book|1967}}'' has Kaa the python, who tries (and fails) to hypnotize Mowgli. He is only in the film for two scenes (he was actually going to be in just one in development, but his popularity with some test audiences gained him another one), and he's voiced by Creator/SterlingHolloway (also known as [[WesternAnimation/AliceInWonderland the Cheshire Cat]] and Franchise/WinnieThePooh), which is part of the reason why he's so funny.
*** Also, King Louie, who has just one scene (and musical number), but is very fondly remembered as a highlight of the movie. Voiced by Louis Prima ('''not''' Louis Armstrong, [[WhatCouldHaveBeen as originally planned]]), one of the biggest-name stars of the movie (though as a singer, not specifically as an actor).
*** [[RuleOfThree Also from the same movie]], Shere Khan the tiger, who despite being the BigBad, is only onscreen for about 10 minutes, and doesn't appear 'til about three-quarters of the way in; nonetheless, he's remembered as fondly as other Disney villains that have more screen time than he does.
** Madame Mim in Disney's ''WesternAnimation/TheSwordInTheStone'' appears just long enough to engage in a [[ShapeShifterShowdown wizard's duel]] with Merlin. Also the female squirrel [[TearJerker who falls for]] [[AttractiveBentSpecies a transformed Arthur.]]
** [[MsFanservice Miss Kitty]] from Disney's ''WesternAnimation/TheGreatMouseDetective''. She's in the show for only one song, but...well, it's [[http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=e2IctxaCPqw a very memorable]] one, and judging by the amount of [[http://blackrozepetal.deviantart.com/art/Let-me-be-good-to-you-91337723 fan]] [[http://tabbykat.deviantart.com/art/Let-me-Be-Good-To-You-80676729 material]] about her, [[BestKnownForTheFanservice quite a few people remembered]] as the most exciting part of the movie. Also, she has the ever-sexy voice of Melissa Manchester.
** ''WesternAnimation/BeautyAndTheBeast'' has Monsieur D'Arque, the [[BedlamHouse corrupt asylum-keeper]] who is bribed by [[BigBad Gaston]] to commit Maurice. He's only in two scenes and has a handful of lines, but Creator/TonyJay gave such a memorable performance that it won him the role of BigBad Claude Frollo in ''WesternAnimation/{{The Hunchback of Notre Dame|Disney}}''. He also has a [[AdaptationExpansion larger role]] in the ScreenToStageAdaptation, including his own spotlight song and a [[RuleOfCool fencing duel with Cogsworth the clock]] during the final battle.
** The [[MechanicalAbomination Leviathan]] from ''WesternAnimation/AtlantisTheLostEmpire'' has less than five minutes of total screentime, but it's the most universally beloved thing in a [[CultClassic fondly remembered]] movie, probably because it's a [[{{Kaiju}} humongous]] [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot magic robot lobster war machine]] that kills off [[KnightOfCerebus a staggering number of people for a Disney movie.]]
** The Backson in ''WesternAnimation/WinnieThePooh2011'' literally has [[TheStinger one actual scene]] lasting under a minute, but it's a very memorable one.
** [[FanserviceExtra The blonde lifeguard girl]] in ''WesternAnimation/LiloAndStitch''.
** Mama Odie appears only very briefly in ''WesternAnimation/ThePrincessAndTheFrog'', but ''man'', does she steal the show.
** In ''WesternAnimation/ChickenLittle,'' one of the most popular characters is Morkubine Porcupine. He only has five minutes of screen time, and he only says three words.
*** Mr. Woolensworth, probably due to being voiced by Creator/PatrickStewart.
** Fa Deng in ''{{WesternAnimation/Mulan}}''. Mushu is reminded that the last time he was assigned to protect the family, it led Fa Deng to disaster. It then immediately cuts to the man in question, who is ''holding his head under his arm''.
--->'''First Ancestor:''' You had the chance to protect the Fa family.\\
'''Female Ancestor:''' Your misguidance led Fa Deng to disaster!\\
'''Fa Deng:''' Yeah, thanks a lot.
*** The nameless watchman from the opening scene, who [[SmallRoleBigImpact saves all of China by lighting the signal fire]] even though [[HeroicSacrifice he knows Shan Yu will kill him for it.]] When was the last time you saw a RedShirt so awesome?
--->'''Watchman:''' ''(staring Shan Yu down)'' [[DefiantToTheEnd Now all of China knows you're here.]]
*** The Matchmaker. She only appears in one scene, but her presence and the over-the-top comedic nature of said scene is completely unforgettable. It's not uncommon to see people cosplay her! Disney themselves [[WhatCouldHaveBeen seriously considered giving her a major role in the sequel.]]
** Oaken in ''WesternAnimation/{{Frozen|2013}}'', the owner of a trading post where Anna stops to buy a winter dress and boots for her trek. He gets maybe four minutes of screentime tops from a scene that primarily exists to introduce Anna to Kristoff, but his comical accent, mannerisms, and overall jovial personality make the scene all the more memorable.
** Pretty much half the cast of ''WesternAnimation/{{Zootopia}}'', as Nick and Judy get the most screentime while many of the other characters (especially Flash and even moreso Finnick, who only has 3 lines) are only given a couple scenes. That being said, despite barely being in the movie itself, the entire teaser trailer of the movie centered around Flash while Finnick, despite only having a few lines and scenes, has tons of fan art and fan fiction about him and was even popular enough in China to inspire kids to want to get a fennec fox of their own.
** Tamatoa from ''WesternAnimation/{{Moana}}''. Most of his appearance just has him singing his VillainSong, but that was all it took for his comical yet intimidating personality to make a lasting impact on the audience.
* The gulls in ''WesternAnimation/FindingNemo'', yet a mere mention of them can still crack up most ''adults'' who saw the movie.
--> "Mine? Mine? Minemineminemine!"
** Nemo's mom, Coral, who is killed during the film's opening.
** Quite a few characters, such as the sharks (technically two-sceners), Darla (whose picture is seen quite a bit but only shows up once during the film's climax), all of the sea turtles except for Squirt, and Nigel the pelican.
* Scrat from ''WesternAnimation/IceAge'', particularly in the first movie. Provides multiple SugarWiki/FunnyMoments despite having no lines and about five minutes of screentime. He got spin-offs.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheLegoMovie'' is packed top to bottom with memorable cameos from other movies, TV shows, and LEGO brands:
** Han Solo, C-3PO, and Lando Calrissian aboard the ''Millennium Falcon'' (and they [[RoleReprise actually got]] Anthony Daniels and Billy Dee Williams to play the latter two!)
** Abraham Lincoln on a ''rocket booster-equipped'' version of his chair in the Lincoln Memorial.
** [[AsHimself Shaquille O'Neal]] gets one of the funniest moments in the whole movie during the Micromanager attack [[spoiler: on CloudCuckooLand.]]
-->'''Shaq:''' ''(building a LEGO catapult with the help of several other Master Builders)''[[PreAssKickingOneLiner Y'all ready for this?]] ''(slam dunks a basketball into the catapult, and it [[NoSell bounces harmlessly off the hull]] of the nearest of several hundred Micromanager gunships, all of which immediately swivel to aim at Shaq)'' [[OhCrap Oh no! They were ready for that!]]
** [[spoiler: The Duplo Aliens]] [[SequelHook at the end.]]
* The flower from ''WesternAnimation/TheBraveLittleToaster'', if the comments on [=YouTube=] videos are anything to judge by.
** Same goes with the MonsterClown from the Toaster's nightmare.
** The Air Conditioner, especially his FamilyUnfriendlyDeath.
** There are also the partly [[BodyHorror disassembled/dismembered appliances]] in St. Elmo's shop, largely due to their song.
* Bigfoot in ''WesternAnimation/AGoofyMovie'' has what is commonly considered the funniest part of the entire movie, especially when he puts on the Walkman and starts dancing to [[Music/TheBeeGees "Stayin' Alive".]]
* ''Franchise/{{Shrek}}'':
** The Gingerbread Man and Pinocchio only appeared briefly in the [[WesternAnimation/Shrek1 original film]], but were popular enough with audiences to get majorly [[AscendedExtra expanded roles]] in the sequels.
** The inexplicably French Robin Hood and his Merry Men [[BigLippedAlligatorMoment appear only briefly in the original, don't have much in the way of plot relevance, and never appear again,]] but they're widely considered to be one of the funniest things in the whole movie.
* Frozone's wife in ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles1''. She never appears on-screen and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2qRDMHbXaM her only scene]] is arguing with her husband about his supersuit. It is considered one of the movie's {{Signature Scene}}s and so beloved by the fans that the reveal that she will be appearing in the sequel caused large amounts of {{squee}}.
** Also from ''The Incredibles'' is Dash's teacher, whose only scene involves him trying to convince the principal that Dash put a thumbtack on his stool, despite lacking solid evidence.
---> "I don't know how he does it, but there's no tack on my stool ''before'' he moves, and ''after'' he moves, there's a tack. Coincidence? I think '''''NOT!'''''"
** Gilbert Huph, Bob's obnoxious supervisor at Insuricare, is in the movie for less than four minutes and he may well be the [[HateSink most loathsome corporate boss ever put to celluloid.]] Even after Bob tosses him through four concrete walls, one can still feel like he got off too easy.
* From ''WesternAnimation/{{Hoodwinked}}'', we have Japeth, the senile old singing goat that Red Puckett runs into on her journey, and whose musical number [[CrazyPrepared "Be Prepared"]] is probably the best in the movie.
* The white wolf in ''{{WesternAnimation/Balto}}''. [[ContestedSequel Sequels aside,]] nobody is totally sure if it's a real wolf, a spirit guide, or the manifestation of Balto's own wolf half, but its only appearance was one of the most powerful scenes in the film.
* In a curiously similar example to the above, the ''black'' wolf from ''WesternAnimation/FantasticMrFox''. Approximately a minute of screentime, no lines, and only the [[BigLippedAlligatorMoment vaguest connection to the plot,]] but it's paradoxically one of the most poetic and funniest scenes in a very quirky movie.
** Creator/OwenWilson as Coach Skip, whose only function ([[{{Calvinball}} if at all]]) is to explain the ludicrously complicated rules of [[LoadsAndLoadsOfRules Whackbat.]]
** Jarvis Cocker is basically just playing himself, but he provides a ridiculously catchy song and one of the funniest ([[BigLippedAlligatorMoment and most inexplicable]]) moments in the whole film.
** Creator/WillemDafoe as a switchblade-slinging, cider-knocking, [[AxCrazy psychopathic]] [[AdaptationalBadass Rat]] is worth the price of admission alone.
* ''WesternAnimation/IsleOfDogs'' has Creator/FMurrayAbraham as a wise, scholarly Saint Bernard and Creator/TildaSwinton as a [[PlayingAgainstType slightly loopy miniature Pug]]. Really, what more could you ask for?
** Creator/HarveyKeitel lends his legendary gravitas to a wonderful tragicomic monologue as Gondo, the leader of the feral dog tribe.
* ''WesternAnimation/Klaus2019:''
** The DrillSergeantNasty instructor at the Royal Postal Academy, due to his hilarious seething anger at Jesper's incompetence and EveryoneHasStandards concerns about sending Jesper to Smeerensburg.
** Several of the {{Moe}} Krum and Ellingboe kids (like the cousins of the boy who gets the first toy and the boy who thinks he sees the sleigh flying) only get one notable scene, but are still pretty memorable.
* Creator/PatrickStewart as Poop from the otherwise infamous ''WesternAnimation/TheEmojiMovie''. The filmmakers seemed to recognize this, and even [[AdvertisedExtra heavily promoted him]] throughout the marketing campaign.
* ''WesternAnimation/KuboAndTheTwoStrings'': [[DemBones The Gashadokuro]] only appears in one scene and isn’t really all that important to the plot, but many consider the fight with it to be one of the best scenes in the whole movie. It certainly does [[NightmareFuel leave an impression.]]
* ''WesternAnimation/ThePrinceOfEgypt'':
** Jethro, Tzipporah's father, appears briefly but gets a really memorable song and even helps Moses.
** Moses' mother, Yocheved. She's only there for the first few minutes of the movie, but by God is she memorable.
** Everything about [[spoiler: the Angel of Death]] is utterly terrifying, and it's present in the film for less than 2 minutes.
* ''WesternAnimation/TomAndJerryBackToOz:'' Carnival barker Calvin [[PunnyName Carney]] is only in one scene, which lasts less than five minutes (although his Oz counterpart appears more). Since that scene includes the well-liked song "A Mighty Fine Affair," he's a pretty memorable part of the film.
* [[Creator/BruceCampbell Rod "Torque" Redline]] from ''WesternAnimation/{{Cars 2}}''. Too bad they blow him up.
* In ''WesternAnimation/Epic2013'' Pitbull's character, Bufo, only appears in two scenes and was never mentioned or seen again.
* ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory2'':
** The cleaner who repairs Woody, played by Geri of ''[[WesternAnimation/PixarShorts Geri's Game]]''.
** The Rock'Em Sock'Em robots in Al's office.
--->'''Red:''' HEY! HE WAS TALKING TO ''ME!''\\
'''Blue:''' NO, HE WAS TALKING TO ''ME!''\\
(Both fight, and Blue knocks Red's block off.)
* ''WesternAnimation/TurningRed'':
** Sun Yee in flashback, and [[spoiler:in the astral plane. Ming describes her as a matriarch that would do anything, even sacrifice her humanity, for her family to keep them safe. She was a tough lady who wasn't afraid to risk her life. She never speaks both times that Mei encounters her. Yet, when Mei asks her if it's all right to not want to seal away the red panda, Sun Yee takes her for a flight, showing her the wonders of the astral plane. Without words, she expresses her approval of her descendant]].
** The short purple-haired goth girl who interacts with Priya at the party doesn't appear much and doesn't have a name, but her subtext with Priya has immediately made her popular amongst the LGBTFanbase.

!Films--Live Action
* Creator/ChristopherWalken has a habit of appearing in small roles in just about anything. A good solid chunk of his roles are him just showing up in the middle of the movie, stealing a scene, and going on his merry way, as aptly illustrated by the poster on the main page. Walken is firmly on record as never turning down a gig, as long as he has the time in his schedule. It doesn't matter how good or bad your movie is, or how large or small the part is; [[MoneyDearBoy you give him some money]] (and it doesn't have to be very much money, either), and Christopher Walken will show up and ''act''.
** In ''Film/PenniesFromHeaven'', he plays a pimp, who shows up for one scene, does a ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54iR0xFkEfQ striptease]]'', completely upstages Creator/SteveMartin in the dance number category, and disappears for the rest of the movie.
** He has a single scene in ''Film/PulpFiction'' in which he tells an inappropriately graphic story to young Butch about the [[AssShove journey of his father's watch]].
** ''Film/RomanceAndCigarettes''. He turns up, sings "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEH5zmAtLks Delilah]]," sings "Red Headed Woman," fucks off again, and the best part of the movie is over.
** ''Film/MouseHunt'' sees Walken playing a hammy and delightfully over the top exterminator who completely steals the scene and ends up blowing up a large portion of the house in his efforts to kill a single mouse. The mouse survives.
** Walken is also the centerpiece of probably the only good scene from ''Film/{{Gigli}}'', with some truly absurd dialog at right angles to the rest of the film.
---> "Man, you know what I’d love to do? Right now? Go down to Marie Callender’s, get me a big bowl, pie, some ice cream on it, mmm-hmm good! Put some on your head, your tongue would slap your brains out trying to get to it! Interested? Sure?"
** Walken shares credit with Creator/DennisHopper for completely stealing the entire film when both appear together for a single scene in ''Film/TrueRomance''.
** Likewise, his appearance as Clem the Janitor in the otherwise forgettable ''Film/JoeDirt'', where he threatens to stab Music/KidRock in the face with a soldering iron.
** Although he might have had a bit too much screentime to count as one in ''Film/TheRundown'' it still follows the same general pattern.
** Does a similar thing as the Headless Horseman in ''Film/SleepyHollow1999'', this time even without dialogue.
** Again in Creator/AbelFerrara's philosophical vampire film ''Film/TheAddiction'', where he shows up just to deliver a five-minute monologue on Sartre and vampirism.
** An early example is his turn as Annie's disturbed brother in ''Film/AnnieHall''.
** He has one scene in ''Film/{{Mistress}}'' as an actor who kills himself after finding out that they changed the ending.
* ''Film/AbsenceOfMalice'': Assistant U.S. Attorney General Wells only appears in the penultimate scene, which he dominates by being a gruff, snarky BadassBureaucrat and ReasonableAuthorityFigure. Plenty of critics and casual fans give him more praise than main cast members with six times as much screen time. Despite his limited screen time, Wells is one of the best-remembered characters Creator/WilfordBrimley ever played.
* ''Film/{{Airport}}'': A number of actors like Maureen Stapleton and George Kennedy dazzled with little screen time. Creator/HelenHayes won a Oscar for her role as an elderly stowaway.
* ''Film/{{Bandits}}'':
** Cheri (Creator/AzuraSkye) and Phil, the MakeoutKids who become the first people who Joe and Terry take prisoner but treat well. The way Cheri treats the event as an UnusuallyUninterestingSight and Phil makes a bumbling attempt to be a BadassBystander help make their two scenes memorable.
** Mildred, the CoolOldLady bank manager. She is both the bank manager who does the most to defy the eponymous bandits and the manager who is the most amused and excited about being robbed by them.
* ''Film/DieHardWithAVengeance'': The Federal Reserve guard who tries to hold off Simon's gang with a shotgun.
* ''Film/TheDukesOfHazzard'': Two very minor characters are decently remembered.
** The burly jail prisoner who Boss pays to punch another prisoner who insulted his wardrobe, only for the burly prisoner to insult Boss's wardrobe himself once he collects his money.
** FarmersDaughter Laurie Pullman barely has a minute of screen time in the opening and closing scenes but makes a decent impression for two reasons. One is her LingerieScene as she makes out with Luke at the beginning of the film and tries to keep her shotgun-toting father and brother from pursuing Luke on her behalf. The second is how she ends up chasing Luke with a shotgun herself [[WomanScorned after he moves on to another girlfriend.]]
* ''Film/ArmyOfThieves'':
** Dieter's main two opponents in the safecracking contest Gwendoline uses to audition him: Neo (the reigning champion) and Fireball (the red-haired woman with leopard print gloves) make a powerful impression in their one scene for their skills and Neo's SoreLoser moment.
** Pavel, the SurveillanceStationSlacker at the second bank who picks up on signs of the heist despite his initial sloppiness, sounds the alarm and then wounds "action hero" Brad after a fight.
* ''Film/{{Freaky}}'':
** Ginny, the opening scene victim who gets some MetaGuy lines and almost escapes from the Butcher.
** The Spanish teacher who translates the inscription on the dagger and sternly lectures Josh for being unable to do so himself despite taking her class.
* ''Film/GetSmart'':
** The plus-size woman Max waltzes with in a hilarious yet tender scene.
** The vice-president who gets into a shouting match with The Chief.
* Creator/AlPacino in ''Film/{{Gigli}}''.
* Creator/JeanReno as "the cleaner" has one scene in ''[[Film/{{Nikita}} La femme Nikita]]'', but it is probably what viewers remember best about the whole movie. In fact, the scene was so memorable that Creator/LucBesson decided to make a similar character the protagonist of his [[Film/TheProfessional next film]], with the role specifically written for Reno.
* Music/BillBailey as the Whale in the film of ''Film/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy2005''.
* ''Film/KickAss2'': Creator/IainGlen as Uncle Ralph D'Amico seemed even crazier and eviler than Creator/MarkStrong as Frank D'Amico in the first one. If this scene was the set up for him to be the BigBad in the third one, it was a good start.
* Creator/SeanConnery's cameo appearance as King Richard at the end of ''Film/RobinHoodPrinceOfThieves''.
** Parodied by ''Film/RobinHoodMenInTights'', where Sir Creator/PatrickStewart turns up as King Richard.
* Creator/OrsonWelles' role as Cardinal Wolsey in the 1966 film version of ''Film/AManForAllSeasons''. He's in two scenes, and is probably the best thing about this very excellent film. In a later version of the film, Creator/JohnGielgud did a pretty decent, though less remarkable, job in the role as well.
* Creator/DiedrichBader in ''Film/NapoleonDynamite'' as Rex the patriotic martial arts instructor with the bodybuilder wife.
** Bader as a mugger in ''Film/EuroTrip'' who robs Jamie while he's being orally pleased, though he's unaware of it and confused by Jaimie's remarks.
** A bi-curious security guard in ''Film/JayAndSilentBobStrikeBack''.
--->And then, when he's finished, I want you to say, "Oh, what a lovely tea party!"
* Wrestling/DwayneJohnson in ''Film/TheMummyReturns'' in the prologue, before his transformation.
* Creator/OrsonWelles as Father Mapple in the 1956 version of ''Film/MobyDick'', which also can boast Creator/GregoryPeck and Creator/JohnHuston as stars, with a screenplay by Creator/RayBradbury.
* ''Film/TheNiceGuys'':
** Holly's friend Jessica is pretty entertaining in her two (consecutive) scenes. She's amused when March and Healy discuss the case and has an expressive reaction when an assassin threatens her and Holly.
** The various porn stars at Sid's party provide a memorable bit of color in less than a minute apiece, particularly the mermaids, the innuendo-dropping Pinocchio, and the costumed man on stilts.
** The young boy with the PornStash who witnesses Misty's death and covers up her body makes a powerful impression.
* ''Film/{{Nobody}}''
** The Barber, the CrazyPrepared KnowledgeBroker played by Creator/ColinSalmon warrants his high spot in the credits despite only having one short scene.
** Yulian's subordinate who is shown casually blackmailing a Pentagon employee to learn about Hutch only to wisely decide she wants nothing to do with him the moment she gets that information back.
** The Desert Storm veteran who has an OhCrap moment when he recognizes Hutch's military tattoo is only onscreen for a couple minutes, but is quite memorable.
** The DarkActionGirl who is shown pulling a knife out of her side after the surviving mobsters from the attack on Hutch's house get into their car makes a good impression in her one scene. It helps how she bickers some with Pavel about whether to go straight to Yulian's or drop by a doctor first.
* Creator/AlecBaldwin is in ''Film/GlengarryGlenRoss'' for exactly one scene, in which he delivers a monologue that establishes the atmosphere of menace that overhangs the rest of the film. It's one of the more famous monologues of cinema. Interestingly, the character and his speech were created exclusively for the film, [[ExecutiveMeddling due to studio executives]] feeling that the original play lacked the necessary exposition needed to establish the premise.
* ''Film/{{Go}}'': Creator/MelissaMcCarthy only has 57 seconds of screen time but is fantastic in her role as a cheerful, recently exposed SecretKeeper.
* In ''Film/WalkHardTheDeweyCoxStory'', the main character and his band meet famous musicians of the '60s during the height of their fame. Scene-stealers include Music/JackWhite as a conceited, drugged-out, mumbling Music/ElvisPresley with kung-fu skills and Creator/JackBlack, Creator/PaulRudd, Creator/JustinLong, and Creator/JasonSchwartzman as Music/TheBeatles.
* ''Film/TheWraith:'' The couple in the Daytona who Packard and his gang harass in the opening scene as a villainous EstablishingCharacterMoment, stealing their car and threatening to rape the girl. The two are decently expressive throughout it all.
* ''Film/DarkPassage'': Some of the film's best characters only have one scene or (two consecutive scenes in Coley's case).
** Bob, who gets some good MrExposition lines while delivering a devastating TheReasonYouSuckSpeech to Marge. He doesn't crack no matter how much Marge tries to get under his skin, and then shows a good amount of grace upon realizing that there's another man in Irene's life.
** Vincent's loyal, amiable friend and confidant George.
** The cop in the diner, who shows some HyperAwareness and almost captures Vincent just a few minutes after he starts using his new face.
** CreepyGood BackAlleyDoctor Coley.
* Creator/RickMoranis as a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qsnSLDEqMc high-strung businessman]] in the forgettable 1986 comedy ''Film/HeadOffice''.
* Creator/RickMoranis's appearance in ''Film/LAStory'' as a British gravedigger, an homage to ''Theatre/{{Hamlet}}''.
* Creator/VincentPrice in ''Film/EdwardScissorhands'', who almost steals the film from Creator/JohnnyDepp. In fact, the film created him a whole new following, his mannerisms and deep character acting captivating a lot of new fans.
* ''Film/TheAviator'' has Creator/JudeLaw star in one scene as Creator/ErrolFlynn. He steals the scene completely.
* ''Film/RedWater'': All of the first three shark victims are more memorable than some characters with more screen-time and plot relevance.
** Tricia, due to her decently expressive warning/FreakOut when she first sees the shark, [[WalkingSwimsuitScene her wardrobe]], and the brutal way she gets repeatedly dragged under the water. Unusually, this is helped by something unrelated to her physical, on-screen appearance (namely her father putting a bounty on the shark offscreen, affecting the rest of the film).
** The old fisherman who gets some humorous dialogue with his grandson before his death.
** The nature tour guide, who gets the most memorable death in the movie (and the only one played for BlackComedy) when she's eaten off a low-hanging ripe bridge during the middle of a poignant RousingSpeech about how the sanctuary is a serene place worth protecting.
* ''Film/SinginInTheRain''
** Creator/CydCharisse. The entire "Broadway Melody" sequence is [[{{Padding}} completely superfluous to the plot]], and done entirely to try to recapture the glory of ''Film/AnAmericanInParis'' (Creator/GeneKelly never did quite grasp that every musical doesn't ''have'' to have a ballet), but Charisse's silent performance as an icy gangster moll still stands with the stars' dances as a highlight of the film.
** The screaming fanboy who shows up at the movie premiere in the opening sequence is also surprisingly memorable. Especially since he goes into hysterics not over the film's stars, but over "Zelda! Oh, Zelda!" -- who, played by a very young Creator/RitaMoreno, is something of this trope as well.
** [[http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0849582/ Julius Tannen]], who will forever be known as the "Talking Picture Man". Especially his ''feigned humility'' anticipating applause at the end.
* ''Film/{{Sneakers}}'': Abbott, TheComicallySerious (and easily exasperated) [=NSA=] spy, only shows up at the very end, but is one of the most memorable parts of the movie. His FairCop subordinate Mary counts as well, due to her reaction to Carl flirting with her.
* ''Film/SpiceWorld'': Creator/StephenFry as the judge sentencing the girls for releasing a single much less good than their previous ones.
--> '''Judge:''' Melvin B, Emma, Melvin C, Victoria, Geri (pronounced with hard G), you have been found guilty of releasing a single which is by no means as kicking as your previous records, nor does it have such a wicked, fat, dirty, bassline. You are sentenced to having your next record enter the charts at number 179, before dropping straight out the following week. Furthermore, you are sentenced to twenty years of having to appear on cheesy chat shows in Taiwan, talking about how you ''used'' to be famous. And may God have mercy on your lip gloss. (Bangs gavel) Call Gary Barlow.
* ''Film/SupermanII'': The U.S. President only gets about a minute of screen time but is a very iconic character for being the (dignified and defiant) subject of the original KneelBeforeZod speech.
* Music/DavidBowie has been this more than once:
** Vendice Partners in ''Film/AbsoluteBeginners''. This character is one of several antagonists in on an evil scheme, and he convinces the idealistic photographer hero to join his advertising agency and become a sellout. He gets one big sequence, a brief appearance beforehand, and a wordless bit prior to the climax. But that's enough time for the spectacular VillainRecruitmentSong / DisneyAcidSequence "That's Motivation", and between that and performing the movie's TitleThemeTune (he wrote both songs too, and there was a music video for the latter on top of that), Bowie was billed ''third'' in the credits, behind only the young lovers at the story's heart.
** Pontius Pilate in ''Film/TheLastTemptationOfChrist''.
** Heavily {{lampshaded}} in ''Film/{{Zoolander}}'', where they give his brief appearance as the Walk-Off judge a ludicrous amount of fanfare -- to the point of plastering his name on the screen and starting up the song, "Let's Dance."
--->'''Bowie''': I believe I might be of service.
** In ''Film/IntoTheNight'' he has two brief scenes as a hitman who, among other things, questions Creator/JeffGoldblum while sticking his gun in his mouth. Bowie looks downright ''scuzzy'' -- a rare look for him -- in the role.
* ''Film/JayAndSilentBobStrikeBack'' does something similar to ''Zoolander'' for Creator/MarkHamill's cameo, but ratcheted up the cheesiness. Creator/GeorgeCarlin's cameo as a hitchhiker is also very much an example, as is Chris Rock as the director of ''Bluntman and Chronic'', and Creator/BenAffleck and Creator/MattDamon as themselves on the set of ''Film/GoodWillHunting 2: Hunting Season''. And Gus Van Sant as himself. And Creator/TracyMorgan essentially playing a black version of Jay.
* Jay and Silent Bob turn up in ''Film/{{Scream 3}}'' for all of ten seconds.
* ''Film/ScoobyDooMonstersUnleashed:'' The Girl Scout who offers to sell Shaggy and Scooby a box of cookies after being trapped by Wickles' security system along with the gang barely has twenty seconds of screen time. However, she's utterly hilarious and memorable in those twenty seconds.
* ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings'':
** The MouthOfSauron in ''[[Film/TheLordOfTheRingsTheReturnOfTheKing The Return of the King]]'', played by Creator/BruceSpence (not that you'll notice), who was cut in the theatrical release. He appears only briefly to negotiate on behalf of his master before Aragon [[ShootTheMessenger cuts his head off]], but his unique character design and mannerisms makes him hard to forget. Some of the videogames have him [[TookALevelInBadass taking a few levels in Badass]] and becoming a potent antagonist in his own right - most notably ''VideoGame/TheBattleForMiddleEarth'', where he leads a force that burns Lorien to the ground in the Evil campaign.
** Sauron himself in the ''[[Film/TheLordOfTheRingsTheFellowshipOfTheRing The Fellowship of the Ring]]''. He gets approximately a minute of combined screentime as a towering warrior wielding a giant mace before spending the rest of the nine-hour trilogy as a giant glowing disembodied eye, but he gets '''the''' best set of fantasy "bad guy armor" in any movie, game, or TV show, ever, and looks ''[[EvilIsCool unbelievably]]'' [[EvilIsCool badass.]]
** Figwit, short for "Frodo is grea... who is ''that?''" in ''[[Film/TheLordOfTheRingsTheFellowshipOfTheRing The Fellowship of the Ring]]''. ''Three seconds'' of screen time, but [[Music/FlightOfTheConchords Bret McKenzie]] had such a large cult following that they even gave his character lines in ''Return of the King.''
** If you were to talk to a casual fan who has trouble telling the films apart, you can usually hit gold by telling them "''[[Film/TheLordOfTheRingsTheReturnOfTheKing The Return of the King]]'' is the one with the GiantSpider". Shelob turned up twice for less than ten minutes, total, but she's always remembered.
* In the movie ''WesternAnimation/RobotechTheShadowChronicles'', Creator/MarkHamill was [[AdvertisedExtra cast]] as [[AFatherToHisMen Daryl Taylor]] [[spoiler:only to be killed off within about three lines.]] All of these previously-mentioned tropes are later subverted when, later on, [[spoiler:he provides the voice for one of the Haydonite villains]].
* Creator/CaryElwes gets one in ''Film/TheChase1994'', as a smarmy newscaster who has to apologize to his viewers due to Creator/CharlieSheen's flipping off the camera.
* ''Film/TheCrazies2010'': The captured young soldier who was thrust into things with no idea about what is going on and decides to defy JustFollowingOrders is a huge highlight of the movie despite only having about three minutes of screen time.
* ''Film/ThePrincessBride'': Creator/BillyCrystal and Creator/CarolKane as Miracle Max and his wife Valerie, a bickering old couple. There's also Creator/PeterCook's role as the aptly titled Impressive Clergyman with the ridiculous speech impediment. And an underrated one with Mel Smith as the albino.
* ''Film/FourWeddingsAndAFuneral'' has Creator/RowanAtkinson in a minor role as Gerald, the priest who keeps screwing up his lines in Wedding Number Two. He gets the names of both parties wrong, mentions the Holy Goat and the Holy Spigot, and utters the classic line "awful wedded wife". He gets [[AndStarring the coveted ''and'']].
* Creator/RowanAtkinson is in all of two scenes in ''Film/LoveActually'', one of which has him on-screen for maybe 10 seconds, and they're both absolutely hilarious.
* Creator/JohnGielgud made his later half of his career with these types of roles. Notable examples include:
** Hospital director Mr. Carr Gomm in ''Film/TheElephantMan''
** Lord Irwin in ''Film/{{Gandhi}}''
** King Louis VII in ''Film/{{Becket}}''
** Pope Pius XIII in ''Film/TheShoesOfTheFisherman''.
** The Prime Minister in ''Film/MurderByDecree''
** Sir Francis Hinsley in ''Film/TheLovedOne'' ...and countless other examples.
* ''Film/TheOutlawJoseyWales'': The AntiVillain BountyHunter Josey faces in Santo Rio, due to how (in contrast to the other bounty hunters who face Josey) he seems to dislike his profession, doesn't mock Josey, and faces Josey in a fair fight despite realizing he may be outclassed by the hardened fugitive. He's also on the receiving end of perhaps the biggest MemeticMutation of the film.
* Creator/JohnHurt as Jellon Lamb, the BountyHunter who believes in neither God nor evolution, but ''is'' a big racist, in ''Film/TheProposition''. Only in two scenes, but completely owns both of them, and is billed as one of the film's stars. In the Making Of featurette on the DVD, he mentions that many of the other actors had originally wanted his role, even though it would mean less screen time than some of them actually got.
** Hurt's brief scene as the desperate clerk in ''Film/DeadMan'' qualifies.
** Also his turn in ''Film/{{Spaceballs}}'', where he hilariously dies [[ChronicallyKilledActor yet again]].
* Creator/WilliamHurt, in ''Film/AHistoryOfViolence'', has a single scene as Joey Cusack's brother. It's about five to ten minutes long. He was nominated for an UsefulNotes/AcademyAward.
* Creator/WilliamHMacy has one scene as a CIA agent in ''Film/WagTheDog'' and is absolutely brilliant. The man keeps up with Creator/RobertDeNiro.
* ''Film/TrueRomance'' is filled with Wonders (though a few manage to split their appearances in two scenes), including Creator/GaryOldman as the menacing pimp, Creator/ChristopherWalken as the formidable gangster, Creator/DennisHopper as the sacrificial father, Creator/BradPitt as the clueless stoner, Creator/JamesGandolfini as a hitman who suffers a RasputinianDeath, Creator/SaulRubinek as a coked-out movie producer, and Creator/ValKilmer as the ghost of Music/ElvisPresley.
* ''Film/MissionImpossibleRogueNation'':
** The British Prime Minster really milks his brief screen time by being a ReasonableAuthorityFigure displaying TranquilFury for half of that time and having some hilarious loopy lines after being tranquilized in the second half of the scene.
** BadassIsraeli GiantMook Kagan only lasts long enough for one fight scene, but it's a pretty good one.
* Pontius Pilate in ''Film/MontyPythonsLifeOfBrian'' is one of the most [[SpeechImpediment memowable]] aspects of the film. Although Biggus Dickus might [[ElmerFuddSyndrome pothibly give him a run for hith money]].
* The foolhardy Black Knight ''Film/MontyPythonAndTheHolyGrail''. "[[OnlyAFleshWound 'Tis but a scratch!]]"
* ''Film/NationalLampoonsEuropeanVacation:'' The FrenchJerk waiter who insults the Griswold family while hiding behind the language barrier and sporting an enormous smile.
* Steven Ford in ''Film/StarshipTroopers'' has an epic pre-drop speech prior to the assault on Klendathu. Of course, he's horribly killed during the actual fighting.
* Creator/PowersBoothe and Creator/RutgerHauer in ''Film/SinCity'' are completely captivating in their one scene each.
* Creator/PatrickStewart has quite a few of these:
** His cameo in the final scene of ''Film/RobinHoodMenInTights'', which he steals in classic LargeHam fashion. Appropriately enough, the same role (King Richard the Lionhearted) was played in ''Prince of Thieves'' by an uncredited Creator/SeanConnery who also stole that scene [[SugarWiki/RuleOfSeanConnery merely by showing up.]]
** His role as Mr. Perdue in ''Film/LAStory.''. "You think with a financial statement like this you can have the ''duck''?"
--->'''Mr. Perdue:''' Your usual table, Mr. Christopher?
--->'''Carlo:''' ''(played by Creator/ChevyChase)'' No, I'd like a good one this time.
--->'''Mr. Perdue:''' I'm sorry, that is impossible.
--->'''Carlo:''' Part of the new cruelty?
--->'''Mr. Perdue:''' I'm afraid so.
* ''Film/XMenFilmSeries'':
** ''Film/XMenTheLastStand'' has a ''two'' scene wonder with Creator/EricDane as Multiple Man.
** Creator/PatrickStewart's cameo near the end of ''Film/XMenOriginsWolverine'' elicited applause from some theater audiences.
** Lest we forget Wolverine's appearance in ''Film/XMenFirstClass'', complete with PrecisionFStrike. Creator/RebeccaRomijn when [[CallForward Magneto tells Mystique he'd "wait for a few years" too.]] (and she said she wanted to have Wolverine's line too!)
*** Wolverine's appearance, apparently, also impressed not only the audience but also Charles, who remembered the event a decade later, when the MentalTimeTravel Logan shows up to recruit him.
** ''Film/XMenDaysOfFuturePast'':
*** Quicksilver is recruited solely to help break Erik out of prison midway through the movie and returns home shortly afterward. Despite this, he's at the center of the movie's most impressive and hilarious scene, where he enters BulletTime to stop some bullets while also screwing with the guards. All while listening to "Time In A Bottle."
*** The guy in TheStinger ([[spoiler:Apocalypse]]) also leaves a mark.
*** While they appear in several scenes, most of the future mutants appear for such a small amount of time and have little dialogue, but have such impressive fight scenes that it can lead to this. Blink gets the most, with Bishop getting in on it as well.
** ''Film/XMenApocalypse'' again has Wolverine in one (though unlike ''First Class'', [[WolverinePublicity the marketing decided to spoil it]]), ''past'' mutants in an impressive fight scene with the Ancient Egypt Horsemen, and the two scene wonder Caliban, who even inspired Creator/JamesMangold to include the role in ''Film/{{Logan}}''.
** ''Film/DarkPhoenix'' has Dazzler providing the music for an outdoor party.[[note]]A notorious Internet rumor was that she was to be played by Music/TaylorSwift.[[/note]]
* Creator/ChristopherLee:
** Essentially as himself, in ''Film/CharlieAndTheChocolateFactory''. The twist is that he takes all of the Literature/{{Dracula}} and [[Film/TheLordOfTheRings Saruman]] mannerisms and transposes them onto a dentist. Just imagine Christopher Lee throwing his resonant ''basso'' into the word "Lollipops." When he shows up again, he's astonished to see Willy hasn't had any candy at all.
** Dracula in ''Film/TheMagicChristian''
** He drops into a scene partway through Creator/GarySherman's ''Film/DeathLine'' as an MI5 agent who trades insults with Creator/DonaldPleasence's grumpy police inspector.
** His portrayal of the Burgomaster in ''Film/SleepyHollow1999''.
** And as the voice of the Jabberwocky in ''Film/AliceInWonderland2010''. Apparently Creator/TimBurton liked to put him in roles like these.
* Creator/KathyBates as Queen Victoria in the Creator/JackieChan flick ''Film/AroundTheWorldInEightyDays2004'' (Not to mention Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger in a very funny cameo!)
* ''Film/TheSilenceOfTheLambs'': Franchise/HannibalLecter started out as one of these in ''Film/{{Manhunter}}'', back when he was Creator/BrianCox. Three scenes, owns the movie. He doesn't even do much except sit there with his jaw hanging out, taunt the hero, and talk on the telephone, and yet... and yet... (In fact, he only has eighteen minutes of screen time in ''Film/SilenceOfTheLambs'', less than ''any'' other (leading) character that an actor has won a Oscar for portraying in a movie.)
* ''Film/{{Snowpiercer}}'': The LargeHam, PregnantBadass kindergarten teacher who provides the main characters with a surprising amount of trouble during her few minutes of screentime.
* ''Film/TheSocialNetwork'': Erica Albright is more like a three-scene wonder, but instantly, many were captivated by her brief role as Mark Zuckerberg's estranged girlfriend and instantly wanted to learn more about her. It is astounding to think that she isn't even an actual person and was created specifically for the film. Needless to say, there's a reason why this role convinced Creator/DavidFincher to pick Creator/RooneyMara for the lead role in ''Film/TheGirlWithTheDragonTattoo2011'', which earned her a Best Actress nomination.
* Sir Creator/AlecGuinness often did this, and the smaller his role, the more memorable it often is. He managed to upstage both Creator/PeterOToole (in ''Film/LawrenceOfArabia'') and Creator/OmarSharif (''Film/DoctorZhivago'') playing roles which, while crucial to the films, had relatively little screen time. He has a memorable role as Pope Innocent in ''Brother Sun, Sister Moon''. He was so mesmerizing as Jacob Marley in the musical ''Film/Scrooge1970'' that he earned [[AdaptationExpansion an additional scene]] that appears in longer versions of the film.
* ''Film/SpiderManTrilogy'':
** All three films featured Creator/BruceCampbell in a different cameo role each time, but it wasn't until the third that he became a OneSceneWonder with his [[FunnyForeigner amusing French]] maitre'd.
** "Macho Man" Wrestling/RandySavage's role in the first movie as "Bonesaw Mcgraw", a crazy wrestler who wouldn't look out of place on something like ECW.
** And Hal Sparks' hilariously awkward [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuKqQ6plZ_I elevator scene]] in the second movie.
* Tap dancing duo The Nicholas Brothers were very much this, as they were usually only in all of their films for a dance number - all of those dance numbers being so amazing many people can't remember anything else about the films. Such as [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBb9hTyLjfM this]] scene from ''Stormy Weather''.
* Whitey's Lindy Hoppers, a troupe pulled from the dance floors of Harlem, would show up in movies like ''Film/{{Hellzapoppin}}'' or ''Film/ADayAtTheRaces'', go through some jaw-dropping gravity-defying moves, and exit.
* Creator/PeterLorre and Creator/SydneyGreenstreet in ''Film/{{Casablanca}}'', as, respectively, the conniving Guillermo Ugarte and the scheming restaurateur Mr. Ferrari.
** They also appear in [[http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=iwRNYZs_I88 this scene]] in ''Hollywood Canteen''.
* ''Film/{{Grindhouse}}'' features several:
** Creator/QuentinTarantino himself has a memorable cameo in ''Film/PlanetTerror'' as a soldier who attempts to rape the heroine as his zombified genitals decompose in front of her.
** In one the fake trailers, for ''Werewolf Women of the SS'', features Creator/NicolasCage as Literature/FuManchu for no apparent reason. It's almost enough to wash the bad taste from ''Film/TheWickerMan2006'' right out of your mouth.
** The fake trailer for ''Film/HoboWithAShotgun'' is ''made'' of this trope.
* It's hard to see a ''Film/TheLittleShopOfHorrors'' poster that doesn't advertise Creator/JackNicholson's appearance as "dentist patient number one". In fact, the whole dentist subplot became so memorable, in [[Theatre/LittleShopOfHorrors the Broadway adaptation]], it was enlarged to make the dentist a RomanticFalseLead. Bill Murray played Nicholson's old part in [[Film/LittleShopOfHorrors the film adaptation of the musical]].
* Creator/ViggoMortensen has a small part playing {{Satan}} in ''Film/TheProphecy''. He only has three scenes, two of which are fairly short, but they're the best part of the movie and and very, very chilling, particularly the first scene. Considering the main villain is Creator/ChristopherWalken as an evil angel, that's a tall order.
** Mortensen has a memorable one scene as the wheelchair-bound Lalin in ''Film/CarlitosWay''.
* In ''Film/TransformersFilmSeries'':
** Creator/BernieMac plays a memorable used car salesman in only one scene.
** Sideswipe is shown being absolutely badass in the opening scene of ''Film/TransformersRevengeOfTheFallen'', but barely appears in the rest of the movie.
*** Jetfire is one of the most beloved characters in the movie, even though he only appears twice: the first to teleport the main characters and leave, the second to die. Being a CoolOldGuy who is also an [[CoolPlane SR-71]] probably does it.
** In ''Film/TransformersDarkOfTheMoon'', we have (Creator/KenJeong as) Jerry Wang, a crazy ConspiracyTheorist who works at Sam's office. What did he do that made him so memorable? [[spoiler: Faced with immediate termination at the hands of Laserbeak, he decides to forego pleading for his life in favor of suddenly pulling out two ''very'' large pistols [[GangstaStyle (which he holds gangsta-style)]] and pointing them right at Laserbeak's face.]]
--> '''Jerry Wang:''' ''You messed with the wrong Wang, bitch!''
* John Houseman started acting in movies (rather than producing them) when he was over sixty years old, and so, his example of this trope in ''Literature/SevenDaysInMay'' as one of the military coup-plotters was in fact his first appearance on screen. And then twenty years later, he did the same with his last role, as the hilariously unflappable driving instructor in ''Film/TheNakedGun''.
* Creator/CrispinGlover again in ''Film/WildAtHeart''. His role as Christmas-obsessed, sandwich-making cousin Dell, who enjoys putting cockroaches in his underpants and has a terrible fear of black gloves - in lasts for about three minutes and is probably the weirdest damn thing he's ever done, which is saying a lot.
* The ''Film/HarryPotter'' [[Film/HarryPotter film series]] has a few:
** Creator/DavidTennant, while not the best thing about ''Film/HarryPotterAndTheGobletOfFire,'' certainly puts in a show-stopping performance as Barty Crouch Jr.
** Jeff Rawle's tragic scene as Amos Diggory crying over Cedric's body.
** Creator/JulieChristie as Madame Rosmerta in ''Film/HarryPotterAndThePrisonerOfAzkaban''.
** Creator/EmmaThompson, as Sybil Trelawny in ''Prisoner of Azkaban'' and ''Order of the Phoenix''.
** Creator/JohnHurt as Ollivander in the first movie. If you'll pardon the pun, spellbinding.
** Nick Moran made a short but impressive appearance as the leader of a gang of snatchers in ''Film/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows: Part 1''
** Also in ''Hallows'', Creator/BillNighy ''is'' Rufus Scrimgeour, inexplicably Welsh Minister for Magic, symbol of strength, beacon of hope to the Wizarding World! Gets maybe ten minutes before being KilledOffForReal.
* ''Film/{{Network}}'':
** Creator/NedBeatty as ominous CEO Arthur Jensen. The guy's onscreen probably five minutes but [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BVqIjKyJh0 his speech]] is utterly fantastic. "You have ''meddled with the primal forces of nature'', Mr. Beale, and ''I WON'T HAVE IT! IS THAT CLEAR??''"
** And then there's Beatrice Straight, who won the UsefulNotes/AcademyAward for Best Supporting Actress for what is the shortest amount of time an Oscar-winning role had been onscreen. (five minutes and forty seconds, mostly in an [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzj1ViCA6RI equally impressive speech]]) Beatty was also nominated for Best Supporting Actor.
* Creator/ThomasHadenChurch as the CEO of Brawndo in ''Film/{{Idiocracy}}''. Two minutes of pure hilarity. "The computer's doing that auto-layoff thingy!"
* ''Film/TheWrongBox'' has a big cast of British stars including Creator/MichaelCaine, Creator/RalphRichardson, Creator/JohnMills, Creator/PeterCook, Creator/DudleyMoore, Nanette Newman, and Creator/TonyHancock. But it's Creator/PeterSellers as a [[CrazyCatLady pathetic, old, deranged, cat-loving doctor]] called on to provide a death certificate who steals the movie with two scenes totaling less than 10 minutes screen time.
* Creator/WilliamFichtner, being one of the great Hollywood character actors, has more than his share of these.
** He's the ice-hearted, millionaire stage dad in ''Film/BladesOfGlory'', disappearing shortly after the opening credits.
** He plays the shotgun-toting mob banker in ''Film/TheDarkKnight''.
* Yet another man of the cloth, Creator/PeterVaughan as a hard-assed Bishop of Digne in ''Film/LesMiserables1998''.
* Creator/GeneHackman's blind hermit character in ''Film/YoungFrankenstein''. He evidently took the role because Creator/MelBrooks dared him to.
* ''Film/NotesOnAScandal''. Creator/BillNighy. He is in two scenes. The first introduces his character, the second is an argument with his wife, (Creator/CateBlanchett) when he discovers that she's been having an affair with one of her fifteen year-old students. The movie stars two excellent actors in Creator/JudiDench and the aforementioned Blanchett, both at the top of their respective games. The subject matter is titillating, and the script is well written. It would take one heck of an actor to draw attention, even momentarily, away from all of that to show the real human cost of such a scandal. Bill Nighy is such an actor.
* Creator/RobinWilliams:
** As a Russian gynaecologist in ''Film/NineMonths''. He only shows up twice, but you'll remember him (of course you will, he's Robin Williams).
** He has three brief scenes in Creator/KennethBranagh's ''Film/DeadAgain'' as a former psychiatrist that are quite memorable. It's officially [[TheCameo a cameo]] too, as Williams didn't want to be credited or appear in promotional material lest people assume the film a comedy.
** As the King Of The Moon in ''Film/TheAdventuresOfBaronMunchausen'' (credited as [[StageNames Ray D. Tutto]]).
* Music/TomWaits has done this quite a lot, and very successfully for a non-actor:
** He plays Carnegie's Engineer in ''Film/TheBookOfEli'' and holds his own against both Creator/DenzelWashington and Creator/GaryOldman.
** He gets a couple of scenes in ''Film/SevenPsychopaths'' as a rabbit-carrying SerialKillerKiller.
** He's ex-husband to Creator/LilyTomlin as one of the nine protagonist couples in Creator/RobertAltman's ''Film/ShortCuts''.
** He pulls DeusExMachina duty in the otherwise forgettable ''Film/{{Domino|2005}}'' as a tattooed preacher who rescues the main characters from the desert in his car.
** A paraplegic homeless veteran in ''Film/TheFisherKing'' who waxes philosophical about his role in society with Jeff Bridges.
** He plays TheRenfield in ''Film/BramStokersDracula'', and unlike some [[Creator/KeanuReeves other actors]] in said film, his British accent is impeccable.
** He's one of the only totally sympathetic characters in ''Film/TheBalladOfBusterScruggs'' and carries an entire segment [[MinimalistCast on his own]].
** He (with the assistance of Creator/SeanPenn as a Creator/WilliamHolden clone) completely steals ''Film/LicoricePizza'' with about 10 minutes of screentime as the [[LargeHam highly exuberant]] film director Rex Blau.
* King Osric in ''Film/ConanTheBarbarian1982'' is exactly this: he's played by Creator/MaxVonSydow, appears in only one scene and does his monologue in an incredibly humane and intriguing way.
* Creator/WillFerrell...
** As Mustafa in ''Film/AustinPowers: International Man of Mystery''. Short scene, infinitely memorable. He even returned in ''Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me''.
** His role as Big Earl in ''Film/StarskyAndHutch''.
** His role as [[spoiler:Chazz Reinhold]] in ''Film/WeddingCrashers''.
* Creator/AlfredMolina as strung-out drug kingpin Rahad Jackson in ''Film/BoogieNights''. You will never be able to listen to "Jessie's Girl" or "Sister Christian" the same way again.
** In ''Film/PrinceOfPersiaTheSandsOfTime'', Molina steals every scene he appears as Sheik Amar.
* Creator/BenStein in...anyone? Anyone?...in ''Film/FerrisBuellersDayOff''. "Bueller? Bueller?" Also, Creator/CharlieSheen as the hoodlum in the scene in the police station with Jeannie near the end. "You wear too much makeup. My sister wears too much makeup. She looks like a whore."
** Stein gets a scene in ''Film/TheMask'' when [[Creator/JimCarrey Stanley Ipkiss]] tries to make sense of his zany newfound artifact, and the beginning of ''Film/SonOfTheMask'', where his face gets separated from his head and put on display by Loki.
* Marissa Jaret Winokur's sullen fast-food server, Janine ("You are ''so busted!''"), in ''Film/AmericanBeauty''. At a screening of the film, the character's smug little smirk at Creator/AnnetteBening not only elicited laughs from the audience, but actual ''applause''.
* In ''Film/MurderOnTheOrientExpress1974'', Creator/IngridBergman won an UsefulNotes/AcademyAward for her role as the half-crazy Swedish missionary Greta Ohlsson, who is practically only seen onscreen during a seven minute near-monologue. Bergman herself, however, [[https://www.youtube.com/user/oscars?blend=1&ob=4#p/search/2/ky5sW4no_cg said]] that Valentina Cortese should've won. This trope applies to nearly everyone in the film; with the exception of Hercule Poirot, Dr. Constantine, and the director of the Wagon-Lits company, who interrogate each passenger, no one has more than three scenes. Just the same, every actor gives a full movie's performance in their seven minutes on-screen.
* Dame Creator/JudiDench as Queen UsefulNotes/ElizabethI needed only nine minutes of screen time to run away with ''Film/ShakespeareInLove'' and an UsefulNotes/AcademyAwardForBestActressInASupportingRole.
-->"Have her then, but you're a lordly fool. She's been plucked since I saw her last, and not by you...it takes a woman to know it."
* ''Film/{{Airplane}}'':
** Barbara Billingsley, even though she's only in one scene, has one of the greatest comedic moments in movie history:
-->"Pardon me, stewardess, I speak jive."
** There's also Creator/EthelMerman as the soldier who thinks he's Ethel Merman.
* Creator/SammyDavisJr, in the film version of ''Theatre/SweetCharity''. He shows up, blows the rest of the cast right off the screen with a stunning rendition of the movie's best song ("Rhythm of Life"), then vanishes, his hipster-preacher character and the sequence in which he appears having absolutely nothing to do with the storyline. Classic Wonder.
* In ''Film/WhenHarryMetSally'', Estelle Reiner (director Creator/RobReiner's mother) brings down the house with her one and only line, which is the most memorable line in the film: "I'll have what she's having!"
* Creator/JustinLong as a matter-of-fact gay porn star in ''Film/ZackAndMiriMakeAPorno'', and Creator/BrandonRouth as his boyfriend.
-->"I will be your sherpa up the mountain of gayness."
* Creator/ChristopherPlummer showed up as Creator/NicolasCage's grandfather at the beginning of ''Film/NationalTreasure'' (one of his earlier roles in his 21st-century comeback, and it was pretty awesome).
* The Street Preacher, Creator/DolphLundgren's Jesus-obsessed cyborg hitman, is easily the best part of ''Film/JohnnyMnemonic''. Admittedly, that's not saying much, but he easily outshines the film's other attempts at {{One Scene Wonder}}s (Music/IceT playing... Ice-T the urban revolutionary, and Music/HenryRollins playing... Henry Rollins the cyborg medic).
-->'''Street Preacher:''' Do you want him brought to Jesus, or to you?
* ''Franchise/StarWars'':
** All the bounty hunters in ''Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack'', but Boba Fett's qualifications for this trope are practically archetypical. He has something like ten minutes of screen time, most of which he spends just slouching around next to Darth Vader before leaving with Han Solo in tow, and hardly has any lines, but his striking costume, wicked-cool voice and the fact that he's a rough enough customer that ''Vader'' has to [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness tell him to chill out]] ("[[NoodleIncident No disintegrations!]]") turned him into one of the [[BreakoutCharacter franchise's most iconic characters.]]
** The other bounty hunters in Boba's introductory scene as well - IG-88, Bossk, Zuckuss, 4-LOM, and Dengar - easily qualify. Less than a minute of screen time, do nothing except for stand around, and none of them have lines, but their unique and striking designs and aura of total badassery spawned entire volumes of expanded universe material.
** Sebastian Shaw as the (unmasked) Vader in ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi''. He had only two minutes and seven seconds of screentime and speaks only 24 words, but delivers three entire movies' worth of acting in that time. It's probably the most moving scene in the entire series, and one of the most emotional in all of cinema.
** Darth Vader in ''Film/RevengeOfTheSith'' (in the suit, that is); the film was built up and marketed to lead to that scene; in the final film, Vader is shown in the suit for less than ''three minutes'', with less than 30 seconds of dialogue by Creator/JamesEarlJones.
*** Also in ''Revenge of the Sith'', Wayne Pygram's cameo as a younger Tarkin was appreciated by many fans.
** Also from the original trilogy, the Rancor caretaker who cries once he sees its corpse.
** Greedo only gets one scene where he gets shot by Han Solo. He's since become so popular and well known (most likely due to the whole "Han shot first" thing) that a number of comics and cartoons have been written exploring upon him as a character. The most notable example would be the ''Underworld'' comic which reveals why Greedo took the job to kill Han (he was trying to become a well-known bounty hunter but was failing miserably) and why he wanted to kill Han (he was very jealous of Solo, who was kind of a dick to him).
** FN-2199, the stormtrooper who screams "Traitor!" to Finn in ''Film/TheForceAwakens'', and drops his gun to use a Z6 baton against Finn's lightsaber. After a fight, he is killed by Chewbacca's bowcaster by Han Solo. This scene has became a popular meme on the internet.
*** Also in ''The Force Awakens'', Creator/MarkHamill [[AdvertisedExtra gets third billing]], but Luke only appears in two scenes - in a barely lit flashback, and then the final scene, where Luke doesn't even speak[[note]]leading to jokes that he was paid by the line[[/note]] but his mere presence is enough for fans everywhere to cheer.
*** The opening scene was meant to feature a returning character (most likely either Wedge Antilles or Lando) who would deliver a message to Poe Dameron and then get killed by Kylo Ren. When neither accepted, Lucasfilm shrugged and said, "Alright, let's just get Creator/MaxVonSydow instead."
** The popularity of a OSW can wax or wane with time. For example, the Imperial officer who capture Han in ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi'' invests his sole line of dialogue, "YouRebelScum" with such an outlandish degree of disdain that it became a meme in the days of pre-Internet fandom, even being parodied in the original ''VideoGame/StarCraftI''. But the line and scene are rarely referenced anymore, overshadowed by various other, more popular memes.
** Do a Google search for ''Film/RogueOne'' and nine times out of ten the top autofill result will be "''Film/RogueOne'' Darth Vader scene." The Dark Lord of the Sith has less than five minutes of screen time in the entire movie and only talks in one of his two scenes, and steals the entire film with one of the most NightmareFuel-inducing [[MookHorrorShow sequences in the saga]].
*** Similarly, the presence of a digitally-recreated Creator/CarrieFisher as a young Princess Leia (although it was filmed with a body-double and used archive voice clips for her one line) for exactly one line and ten seconds of screen time brought many audiences to cheers, especially poignant in light of her [[DiedDuringProduction tragic death]] only a few weeks after the release of the movie.
*** C-3PO and R2-D2 show up for a seconds-long cameo in the base on Yavin 4, letting them keep their status as the only characters to appear in every live-action Star Wars film to date.
*** To the delight of many aggrieved prequel trilogy fans, Creator/JimmySmits gets a few brief scenes as Bail Organa, making the first time a major prequel trilogy actor has reprised his role in the new movies.
*** The Hammerhead cruiser ''Lightmaker'' and its crew, who have something like thirty seconds of screentime and pull off possibly the most jaw-dropping instance of RammingAlwaysWorks in cinema history.
** Similarly to Vader, but with the exact opposite effect, [[spoiler: Yoda's Ghost]] shows up for exactly one scene in ''Film/TheLastJedi'', but it's easily one of the most [[SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments lump-in-the-throat nostalgia-inducing]] and profoundly moving moments in the entire saga.
*** Snoke's PraetorianGuard. Cool-looking guys in armor who spend most of the movie just standing around, but their [[spoiler:incredible fight scene against Rey and Kylo Ren to avenge Snoke's death, pushing two trained Force users to the [[EliteMooks absolute limits of their abilities]]]] despite [[BadassNormal no apparent Force powers]] turned them all instant fan-favorites, similar to Nines.
*** Rose's sister, Paige, who has a single line and barely three minutes of screentime, but her [[spoiler: epic HeroicSacrifice]] made her one of the most memorable characters in the whole movie.
*** Creator/TomHardy's hilarious cameo in a sadly deleted scene as a Southern-accented stormtrooper and former friend of Finn's during a [[UncomfortableElevatorMoment very awkward elevator ride.]]
** ''Film/{{Solo}}'' has [[spoiler:Darth Maul]] as TheManBehindTheMan.
** ''Film/TheRiseOfSkywalker'' manages to bring back [[spoiler:Harrison Ford as Han Solo]] in an uncredited cameo, as [[spoiler:Kylo Ren's memory of his father, combined with Luke's apology, Leia's sacrifice, and Rey's act of compassion is enough to have him complete a HeelFaceTurn]]. Denis Lawson also has a brief cameo as Wedge Antilles as the gunner on the ''Millennium Falcon'' in the final battle.
* Creator/ChrisSarandon's outstanding turn as Creator/AlPacino's pre-op transgender girlfriend in the classic ''Film/DogDayAfternoon'' garnered him an UsefulNotes/AcademyAward nomination and made his career, despite his appearing in only two scenes.
* Creator/NeilPatrickHarris' much-loved cameo in ''Film/HaroldAndKumarGoToWhiteCastle'' as well as Nurse Creator/RyanReynolds.
* ''Film/FireInTheSky'' is 109 minutes long, and the aliens only appear for approximately ten of those minutes near the end of the movie. It is now considered to be one of the [[NightmareFuel scariest sci-fi movies ever made]] for that single segment ''alone''.
* Super-obscure example: Creator/DannyGlover in ''Out'' (aka ''[[JustForFun/LousyAlternateTitles Deadly Drifter]]''). Granted, he made it before rising to stardom with ''Film/LethalWeapon''.
* Creator/CharlesDurning as the Governor of Texas in ''Film/TheBestLittleWhorehouseInTexas'', which got him nominated for a Supporting Actor Oscar. It helps that he has one of the funniest musical numbers in the movie, "Sidestep", where he celebrates his ability to dodge questions put to him by the press.
* Pinhead's brief yet ultimately memorable appearances in the first ''Film/{{Hellraiser}}'' film counts as this. So much so that he went on to define the entire series. The original plan was to have Julia as the recurring villain, thus turning her into a rare female slasher villain. However, Pinhead's popularity caused the whole thing to be reworked.
* Graeme Garden has two scenes in the 1986 film version of ''Whoops Apocalypse'', both as different (but identical) creaky old servants limping hurriedly down different (but identical) corridors to get to a telephone and complete a call (which they fail to do). It's one of the more memorable sequences in the film.
* Creator/TellySavalas turns up close to the end of ''Film/HorrorExpress'' and stops the story cold with his portrayal of swaggering, vodka-swilling Tsarist Captain Kazan. An aristocrat threatens to send him to Siberia, his reply is a bemused "I am ''in'' Siberia."
* Parodied in ''Film/WaynesWorld2''. When Wayne stops at a gas station to ask for directions to Gordon Street, the attendant starts to give a monologue about a "girl who lived on Gordon Street." A disgusted Wayne asks "[[WhoWritesThisCrap Do we have to put up with this? I mean, I know it's a small part, but I think we can do better than this.]]" The gas station attendant is led away and replaced by Creator/CharltonHeston, whose monologue reduces Wayne to [[ManlyTears tears]].
* Creator/CharltonHeston has a memorable scene as the head of the shadowy Omega Sector in ''Film/TrueLies''.
* Creator/JohnWayne as a Roman centurion at the end of ''Film/TheGreatestStoryEverTold'', where, after Jesus is crucified, he says only one line: "Truly this man was the son of God."
* In ''Film/MidnightCowboy'', Sylvia Miles' Cass has less than five minutes of screen time, but it was enough for Miles to win an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. John [=McGiver=] (Mr. O'Daniel) and Bernard Hughes (Towny) arguably fit this as well.
* Creator/CedricTheEntertainer does an excellent job of this in the first ''Film/{{Barbershop}}'' movie.
* Music/MeatLoaf and Music/RonnieJamesDio, and Music/DaveGrohl in ''Film/TenaciousDInThePickOfDestiny'', each get a scene dedicated to them; the former as Creator/JackBlack's father, who tears down all his posters while singing about how rock & roll is the Devil's music, and the latter as a poster of himself that comes to life afterward. Grohl provides the BigBad. Tim Robbins also plays a crazy homeless man trying to rob the characters, but can't walk, and demands they come to him so he can stab them.
* During ''Film/Studio666'', Dave Grohl tries to break out of a writer's block playing "Hello". He then has a vision of Music/LionelRichie himself, profanely complaining it's his song and Dave should try something else!
* The Wienie King in ''Film/ThePalmBeachStory''. "Cold are the hands of time that creep along relentlessly, destroying slowly but without pity that which yesterday was young... That's hard to say with false teeth!"
* The movie ''The Loved One'' is basically a whole string of these, including scenes with Creator/JamesCoburn, Creator/RoddyMcDowall, Creator/MiltonBerle, and, most memorable by far, Music/{{Liberace}} playing a coffin salesman.
* If '30s actress Creator/MaeClarke is remembered today at all, it's for that one scene in ''Film/ThePublicEnemy1931'' where Creator/JamesCagney smashes the grapefruit in her face.
* Silent Bob's speech in ''Film/ChasingAmy'' is so memorable, it's easy to forget that he and his hetero life mate Jay are only in one scene.
* Creator/RichardHarris as English Bob in ''Film/{{Unforgiven}}'', who just shoots some pheasants, defends monarchy, gets beaten by Creator/GeneHackman, gets arrested and then goes away in across maybe 10 minutes of screentime. But it's a remarkable performance enough for "The Duck of Death" to be in the poster.
* Creator/ViolaDavis in ''Theatre/{{Doubt}}''. A single scene, about ten minutes of screen time, and while she's onscreen she overshadows ''Creator/MerylStreep''. It got her nominated for an Oscar, and many believed she should have won it.
* ''Film/ItsAMadMadMadMadWorld'' has a few busloads of well-known comic actors all loudly turned up to eleven (both in the main cast and numerous cameos)... then in one scene, firemen and paramedics are shown assembling to save the day, and the last of them are ''Film/TheThreeStooges'', standing silently with their gear and [[FromBadToWorse waiting to spring into action.]]
* ''Film/InTheLoop'' is not short of great performances or funny material. Creator/SteveCoogan is in the movie for what must be a grand total of five minutes all up, and interacts with few of the main characters and none of the main plot. However, in those five minutes he easily manages to steal the movie as Paul, the easily frustrated constituent who just wants the U.K. Minister for International Development to do something about the wall of his constituency office (which is collapsing into Paul's mum's back garden) whilst said Minister is self-importantly but foolishly involving himself in grand matters of geo-political diplomacy.
* Pyramid Head in the ''Film/SilentHill'' movie. Two scenes, each lasting approximately thirty seconds, not a single line, and he's still one of the best parts.
* ''Film/WhollyMoses'' has a few of these, but the one that really stands out is Creator/JohnRitter's one-and-half-minute appearance as {{Satan}}.
* Creator/JackPalance had a film career of 50 years and over 70 movies, but when he died in 2006, one film role consistently stood out in all the obituaries and tributes dedicated to him: the role of the taunting, [[SlasherSmile smiling]] [[TheDragon hired gun]] Jack Wilson in ''Film/{{Shane}}''. Palance's Wilson is widely regarded as '''the''' definitive [[TheWestern Western]] bad guy. Total screen time: eight minutes. Total words spoken by Wilson: less than fifty, but he makes the most out of two of them: "Prove it."
* Holly Palance (Jack's daughter) had one memorable scene in ''Film/TheOmen1976'' as Damien's first nanny who is compelled by Satan to hang herself at Damien's birthday party. "Look at me, Damien! I'm doing it all for you!"
* Matthew Atherton, A.K.A Feedback, of ''Series/WhoWantsToBeASuperhero'', with a total of two memorable minutes in the utterly forgettable monster movie ''Mega-Snake''.
* In ''Film/AmericanPie'', then-unknown Creator/JohnCho's one-scene appearance as the MILF guy. Not only did this scene popularize the term "MILF," Cho arguably went on to have the best career out of all the young actors in the film. It resulted in a movie role being written just for him - the part of Harold in ''Film/HaroldAndKumarGoToWhiteCastle.''
** He even returns to the fourth movie with a more expanded role - but still credited as only MILF guy.
** And now he's [[Film/StarTrek2009 Sulu]]:
--> '''Sulu''': Attention: John Harrison. This is Captain Hikaru Sulu of the USS Enterprise. A shuttle of highly trained officers is on its way to your location. If you do not surrender to them immediately, I will unleash the entire payload of advanced long-range torpedoes currently locked on to your location. You have two minutes to confirm your compliance. Refusal to do so will result in your obliteration. And if you test me, you will fail.
* ''Film/JudgmentAtNuremberg'' features Creator/SpencerTracy, Creator/BurtLancaster, Creator/RichardWidmark, Creator/MarleneDietrich, Creator/MaximilianSchell, Creator/JudyGarland, and Creator/WilliamShatner. Every single one of them is at the top of their game... and then Creator/MontgomeryClift blows them all out of the water with a seven and a half minute performance that got him a Best Supporting Actor nomination.
** Garland's performance could also, as she likewise has only one or two scenes, but makes a powerful impression.
* The Thor-Axine team (a trio of Viking themed drivers) during the first half of the Casa Cristo rally in ''Film/SpeedRacer''. They fire a beehive out of a catapault. ''From a speeding racecar''.
* Creator/MelBrooks' ''Film/HighAnxiety'' has future big time director Creator/BarryLevinson as a high-strung bellboy who gets progressively more irritated with Brooks' requests for a newspaper until...no, it's too good to spoil.
* Creator/RandyQuaid as Cousin Eddie in ''Film/NationalLampoonsVacation'' was only in the movie for a fairly small amount of time (they go to his house, have a BBQ, spend the night, then leave), but he was so funny and so popular they brought him back into a much bigger part for ''Film/NationalLampoonsChristmasVacation''.
* ''Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean''
** [[spoiler: Hector Barbossa]] managed to steal ''the final scene'' in ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanDeadMansChest''. Fortunately [[spoiler: he got a lot more screentime in the next film.]]
** In ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanOnStrangerTides'', [[EnigmaticMinion the Spaniard]] is teased throughout the movie, but only has one substantial scene at the climax. During that scene, however, he pretty much dominates everything with his blend of AntiVillain, WickedCultured, and WellIntentionedExtremist.
** Both in that and ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanAtWorldsEnd'', Music/KeithRichards as Jack Sparrow's father Teague.
** The opening sequence of ''On Stranger Tides'' in London offers great cameos by Creator/RichardGriffiths, chewing all the scenery he can as King George II, and Dame Creator/JudiDench, as a noblewoman whose earring Jack steals, then asks Jack "is that all?"
** On the same vein as Teague, ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanDeadMenTellNoTales'' has Music/PaulMcCartney as Uncle Jackie.
* ''Film/{{Zombieland}}'' [[spoiler:Creator/BillMurray]] makes a completely out of left field cameo as himself that is one of the most memorable scenes in the movie (they even bring him back in [[Film/ZombielandDoubleTap the sequel]]). Creator/AmberHeard, also, as "406", Columbus' hot, blonde neighbor who unfortunately turns into a zombie and tries to kill him.
* A deleted scene in ''Film/FunWithDickAndJane'' features James Whitmore as an elderly ex-Marine, now employed as a security guard in a toy store in the profession of "kicking Creator/JimCarrey's butt". It's quite possibly the funniest, most memorable scene not in the movie.
* Glen Coco in ''Film/MeanGirls'' has gone memetic. He does not even have a line, but is mentioned in one of the most quoted lines of the film.
* Creator/BronsonPinchot as Serge in the first ''Film/BeverlyHillsCop'' movie.
** He returns for [[Film/BeverlyHillsCopIII the third film]] as an all-in-one gun salesman.
** Creator/GilbertGottfried's character in ''Film/BeverlyHillsCopII''.
** As well as Creator/ChrisRock (in his film debut) making a brief appearance as a parking valet.
* Creator/JamesRodayRodriguez and Creator/MaggieLawson in their 30-second cameo as news anchors in ''Film/{{Gamer}}''.
* Creator/ForestWhitaker as Amos, the genial pool hustler in ''Film/TheColorOfMoney''.
* Creator/DenisLeary has a few brief scenes in ''Film/DemolitionMan'' as Edgar Friendly, where he basically does his own act for 5 minutes.
* It isn't her only scene, but Ann Miller's dance solo in ''Film/EasterParade'' steals the movie right out from under Creator/FredAstaire and Creator/JudyGarland.
* Creator/ClaudeRains as the slightly creepy, elderly millionaire Frederick Lannington in the 1950 film noir thriller ''Film/WhereDangerLives''. He can't be on screen for any more than five or ten minutes, but you'll remember him. He receives top billing alongside Creator/RobertMitchum and Faith Domergue.
* In ''Film/RevolutionaryRoad'', Creator/MichaelShannon has two scenes, in both of which he's able to out-act Creator/LeonardoDiCaprio, Creator/KateWinslet, ''and'' Creator/KathyBates completely by himself... earning a Best Supporting Actor nomination in the process.
* Dr. Iris appears in ''Film/MinorityReport'' for one scene (and a brief appearance in the "commercial" for the precogs at the beginning of the film) and her "soul-sick" performance earned her a supporting actress nod for the Golden Globes.
** ''Minority Report'' also gives us '''the''' sleaziest BackAlleyDoctor in human history, played to I-need-to-take-a-shower-after-watching-this-perfection by (who else?) Creator/PeterStormare.
* Creator/PeterStormare also provides what is probably the only universally acclaimed part of ''Film/{{Constantine}}'' - his portrayal of Lucifer as a [[VillainInAWhiteSuit white-suit-clad]], oil-oozing sociopath with a face like melted candle wax is one of the most [[CreepyAwesome chillingly compelling]] movie depictions of Satan ever. It's a close competition between him and Viggo Mortensen (also on this list, higher up) for who made a creepier Devil.
* Creator/EddieIzzard as Mr. Kite in ''Film/AcrossTheUniverse2007''. Her LargeHam performance is definitely memorable, and provides some of the funniest lines in the movie ("Have you seen it? It's great. They've got stuff.").
* The nameless cigar-smoking mobster from ''Film/NinjaAssassin''. When your response to getting stabbed in the neck is to hold it with one and do a ''spinning close-fisted backhand'' to your would-be killer with the other, well, you will be memorable. The rest is just icing on the cake.
* Creator/ChristopherEccleston as a truth-spouting tramp in ''Film/TwentyFourHourPartyPeople''.
* The three-breasted mutant chick from the original ''Film/TotalRecall1990''. Johnny-cab, as well. 'cab is on screen for a total of two minutes. In this time, he spouts chirpy nonsense, gets torn apart by Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger, starts screaming and glowing, tries to kill Arnie by driving at full speed into him, misses him, and hits a wall and explodes. ''"Fasten your seatbelt!"''
** The three-breasted mutant chick was indeed so popular that they were forced to include her in the remake and to make sure fans know it was added to one of the trailers.
* Creator/ChevyChase as the jacuzzi repairman in ''Film/HotTubTimeMachine''. Appears four or five times throughout the movie, but never for more than a couple minutes [[StealthHiBye before disappearing as suddenly as he came]], and is easily one of the best parts.
* While we're on the subject of repairmen: in ''Film/{{Brazil}}'' Harry Tuttle, freelance renegade HVAC repairman (Creator/RobertDeNiro), shows up for one scene, steals it, then escapes. On a zip line.
* By all accounts, Emily Hampshire's role as the chatty, eccentric Vivienne at the beginning of ''Snow Cake'' is one of these moments.
* Music/{{Eminem}} and Creator/RayRomano (how about that for unlikely team-ups) completely steal the one scene of ''Film/FunnyPeople'' that they're in together.
* ''Film/PulpFiction'': Creator/HarveyKeitel has a small amount of screen-time, but a particularly memorable speech (the "'Please' would be nice" rant).
--> "Pretty please, with sugar on top, clean the fucking car."
* Carla Perez's thirty-second cameo as Rita Repulsa in ''Film/TurboAPowerRangersMovie'', with all the [[LargeHam ham]] her presence implies, may be the best thing about it.
* Creator/MathieuAmalric appears in the first and last scenes of ''Film/TheExtraordinaryAdventuresOfAdeleBlancSec'' as the titular heroine's revolting arch-nemesis Dieuleveult, dressed entirely in a black trenchcoat, hat and sunglasses like a Gestapo officer, completely unrecognizable under a thick layer of makeup with rotten-looking false teeth and speaking with a wheezy voice, all in all resembling Toht from ''Film/RaidersOfTheLostArk''. After stealing the scene with a wonderfully [[LargeHam over-the-top]] creepy performance, his character is mummified alive and only seen at the end of the movie, observing Adèle embarking on the [[spoiler:Titanic]] and ominously wishing her "bon voyage". This is made even more infuriating due to the fact that Dieuleveult is, as previously indicated, her arch-nemesis in the comics and yet has no other role in the plot other than failing to prevent her from stealing a mummy she hopes will bring her sister back to life. Needless to stay, the fans of the original comic were not pleased.
* ''Film/AmericanGangster'' has Ruby Dee in an Academy Award nominated role as Frank Lucas' mother. She had less than 10 minutes of screen time.
* Creator/JackieEarleHaley in ''Film/ShutterIsland''. His one scene lasts maybe five minutes and he owns every second of it.
* Creator/JackieEarleHaley as the "particularly dirty hippie" Dukes in ''Film/SemiPro''.
* Creator/MarlonBrando as Jor-El in ''Film/SupermanTheMovie'' .
* Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger appeared in ''Film/TheRundown'' for about five seconds of screentime, enough to say exactly two words. His appearance is mentioned in just about every professional review of the movie listed on Website/IMDb.
* Creator/BruceMcGill in ''Film/TheInsider'', as the lawyer who deposes Creator/RussellCrowe. "WIPE THAT SMIRK OFF YOUR FACE!"
* Creator/PeterStormare. So. Many. Times. ''Film/{{Constantine}}'' and ''Film/Armageddon1998'' stand out, though in the latter case, he's a OneSceneWonder stretched out over a significant part of the film and he is awesome every step of the way.
* Creator/JohnnyDepp has two [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wuMt_3Asqg very brief scenes]] in the French film ''Ils se marient et eurent beaucoup des enfants'' (also known as ''Happily Ever After''), one of which contains no dialogue (only some cute eye-flirting to the sounds of "Creep"), and then another scene at the end in which he--get this, ladies--speaks French, and then [[spoiler:kisses the female lead in a dreamy, [[StairwayToHeaven magical elevator ride]], implying that her romantic life will turn all right after all.]]
** Depp also has his RemakeCameo in ''Film/TwentyOneJumpStreet'' and ''Film/FantasticBeastsAndWhereToFindThem'' [[spoiler:as evil wizard Grindelwald, who through most of the movie hides under Creator/ColinFarrell's guise as a cop.]]
* Creator/KlausKinski as the shackled forced labor prisoner in the train car in ''Film/DoctorZhivago''.
** Also, as the hunchback in ''Film/ForAFewDollarsMore''.
** Kinski spent most of his career being the best part in awful movies.
* ''Film/InglouriousBasterds''.
** Creator/MikeMyers as an English general!
** UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler is only in the movie for about three minutes, but every moment of it is hilarious, from the first moment you see him [[BlatantLies calmly]] giving [[BigNo his opinion]] on the Basterds.
** Though his scene is quite long, Denis Menochet's character, Mr Lapadite, in the opening scene of the movie is never seen again.
* [[SignificantAnagram Navckid Keyd]] as Elder Mr. Dawes in ''Film/MaryPoppins'', once you realise who he is.
* Creator/JonLovitz has exactly one scene in ''Film/TheWeddingSinger'' as a rival wedding singer to the main character, but thanks to a single line of dialogue, a facial expression and a curtain, it's a scene you'll remember:
--> He's losing his mind... ''and I'm reaping all the benefits''!
* Creator/BruceWillis and Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger in ''Film/TheExpendables''. They're in the movie for all of a few minutes, yet their presence is mentioned constantly in the advertising campaign - for good reason, as those two and Creator/SylvesterStallone haven't worked together in movies before.
* The Vegan Police, played by Creator/ThomasJane and Clifton Collins Jr., in ''Film/ScottPilgrimVsTheWorld''. They have some truly hilarious lines, and make their exit with a slow-motion leaping high five.
--> '''Todd:''' Gelato isn't vegan?
--> '''Vegan Police:''' [[ThisIsForEmphasisBitch Milk and eggs, bitch.]]
* Creator/JohnTurturro in ''Film/TheBigLebowski''. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1SfzV67Bqw Nobody fucks with the Jesus]]. So much he eventually got his movie, ''The Jesus Rolls''.
* Noah Cross does not appear in ''Film/{{Chinatown}}'' until the movie is over halfway through. And he doesn't appear again until near the very end of the film. However, he is remembered as one of the most despicable villains in cinematic history. Creator/RomanPolanski's appearance as the man who cuts Creator/JackNicholson's nose with a knife also deserves a mention. It's probably the scene most people remember.
* ''Film/Ghostbusters2016'' has every single RemakeCameo - albeit Creator/BillMurray is a Two Scene Wonder. Also noteworthy is a skeletal ringmaster ghost who appears in the final fight, and Music/OzzyOsbourne giving a one-liner ("Sharon! I'm having flashbacks!" in the theatrical cut, and "Wankers! Music/BlackSabbath did that shit in '74." in the extended one).
* Creator/RalphFiennes in ''Film/NannyMcPheeAndTheBigBang''. In his only scene, he helps set up the film's climax and in the process patches up things with his children and relatives.
* Creator/PeterUstinov ''will'' steal any scene(s) he appears in:
** As [[TheCaligula Nero]] in ''Film/QuoVadis''.
** As Lentulus Batiatus in ''Film/{{Spartacus}}''
** As Kaptah in ''Film/TheEgyptian''
*** Also in ''Film/TheEgyptian'', Judith Evelyn as Queen Mother Taia.
--> And now I'll give you some advice, young man. Never tell the truth to an old woman -- especially if she asks for it.
* Creator/GaryBusey tends to do this in any film he isn't headlining.
** As a crazy psycho UsefulNotes/VietnamWar vet in ''Film/BlackSheep1996'' opposite Creator/ChrisFarley and Creator/DavidSpade (although it's two and not just one), and his 'stint' as a Heavy-like demon hunter in ''Succubus: Hell Bent'', in which he gives quite possibly the least rousing morale boosting speech ever submitted to celluloid (he basically tells the kid he has no hope of winning and he should just let the succubus do what she wants because he'll only manage to piss her off worse), dumps a load of weird junk that actually seems to work on the hero, and then drives off to leave him to his fate.
** There's also his cameo as a very lonely highway patrolman in ''Film/FearAndLoathingInLasVegas''.
** He and Lucy Butler stand out as two of the nicer people in ''Film/LostHighway'', in their brief screentime as Pete Dayton's parents.
* Speaking of ''Fear and Loathing'', there's also Ellen Barkin's moving cameo as a waitress in a depressing café who gets terrorized by the main characters.
* Creator/GaryBusey's son Creator/JakeBusey had only three scenes and very little dialogue in ''Film/{{Contact}}'' but was utterly ''chilling'' as an insane religious cult leader who [[spoiler: blows up the first prototype of the portal machine.]]
* [[spoiler:Creator/JonHamm]]'s appearance in ''Film/TheATeam'' is technically TheCameo, but may also fall under this because he comes out of nowhere (he wasn't mentioned in any of the promotional material) and is pretty darn awesome, despite being onscreen for only about two or three minutes.
* Music/MeatLoaf turns up for a single song, arguably one of the best, in ''Film/TheRockyHorrorPictureShow'', sings it, and then [[spoiler:gets brutally hacked to death by Tim bloody Curry]].
* Diva Plavalaguna with her ''insane'' musical number in ''Film/TheFifthElement'', which many consider the most memorable scene in the film.
** Also the incompetent mugger who tries to ambush Korben by standing outside his apartment with a fake corridor picture strapped to his head.
* The Pale Man in ''Film/PansLabyrinth'' is probably ''the'' most talked about part of the film. Hardly surprising, given that he's played by Creator/DougJones (who also played the Faun), employing his remarkable physical talents to deliver a memorably terrifying scene.
* Creator/JohnBarrowman appears in ''Film/TheProducers'' remake, as the lead tenor on "Springtime For Hitler". The results are amazing.
* Liam Dunn made a specialty of these roles in comedies in the early 1970's. He's probably best known for playing the besieged minister Rev. Johnson in ''Film/BlazingSaddles'' and as the abused patient Mr. Hilltop at the beginning of ''Film/YoungFrankenstein'', but his crowing moment has to be as Judge Maxwell, who has to legally sort out the problems created by his daughter Judy (Barbra Streisand) in ''Film/WhatsUpDoc'' He has less than ten minutes on screen, but his reactions to the story being told to him are priceless. Buck Henry's wonderful dialogue was a big help.
* ''Film/TronLegacy'':
** Creator/MichaelSheen as [[spoiler: Castor/Zuse]][[note]]"Between this, [[Literature/TheTwilightSaga Twilight]], and Film/{{Passengers|2016}}, it's clear Michael Sheen could make a good living just stealing the sh*t out of middling sci-fi movies that start pretty people." - WebVideo/CinemaSins[[/note]]
** Same scene, Music/DaftPunk (who wrote the soundtrack) as DJ Programs.
* Sheen steals his scenes in ''[[Literature/{{Twilight}} New Moon]]'', due to extensive use of HamAndCheese.
* Grandpa Chapman in ''Film/SilentNightDeadlyNight''.
-->"You see Santa Claus tonight you better run boy, you better run for ya life!"
** And the ScaryBlackMan from the sequel. He doesn't even speak, yet he is remembered almost as much as the film's star.
* Joan [=McCracken=], who performs the show-stopping number ("Pass That Peace Pipe") in the MGM musical ''Good News'', and has basically no other role in the rest of the movie. [=McCracken=], who was a terrific dancer but only a moderately good singer, and who was quite plain-looking, [[HollywoodHomely especially by Hollywood standards]], specialized in these kinds of roles.
* Creator/GarySinise as the reporter in ''Film/TheGreenMile''. The scene is a powerful one in the book, illustrating perfectly why John Coffey was convicted, even through doubts that he actually did the crime, and Sinise certainly put his stamp on it. Despite only being in that one scene, his obvious connections with Creator/TomHanks gave him a spot in the movie's trailer.
** Graham Greene only has one major scene lasting slightly over a minute, but he delivers a haunting monologue that's one of the best things in an already very good movie.
** The late, great Creator/HarryDeanStanton as the sarcastic janitor Toot-Toot is in more than one scene, but he's only really the focus of one, and in it he easily gets [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments some of the best lines]] in the whole film.
* About half the cast of ''Film/BartonFink'', though most of them have about two scenes.
** Creator/TonyShalhoub as Ben Geisler. About two scenes and five minutes and he owns every second of them. "Well, tell Lipnick he can kiss my dimpled ass."
** Creator/SteveBuscemi as Chet, the wormy bellhop at the hotel.
** Mastrionotti and Deutch, the detectives that question Barton.
** Pete, the elevator operator who Barton asks if he's read the Bible. "Holy Bible? Yeah I think so. Anyway I've heard about it."
* Also from Creator/TheCoenBrothers' oeuvre, Shaloub's turn as Creator/BillyBobThornton's existentialist lawyer is arguably the single most memorable scene in ''Film/TheManWhoWasntThere2001''.
* And again from the Coens we have Creator/JKSimmons as the befuddled CIA Director in ''Film/BurnAfterReading'', who only appears in two scenes in the whole film for a screen time of just under five minutes, but easily won the audience's affection due to being the OnlySaneMan AudienceSurrogate. He reacts with baffled exasperation and annoyance at the chaotic, random and increasingly absurd events the film depicts, and memorably sums up the film when he tries to identify a possible lesson from what has happened only to conclude that if there ''is'' one, [[LostAesop it's entirely lost on him]].
* Bill Bollender appears as Elmo Blatch in ''one shot'' lasting under a minute in ''Film/TheShawshankRedemption'', and delivers an entire movie's worth of supporting acting in that space.
* Roscoe Lee Browne's enigmatic appearance as the cyborg Box in sci-fi thriller ''Film/LogansRun'' deserves mention here even though it might be more of a BigLippedAlligatorMoment.
* Creator/MartinScorsese's under-appreciated mid-'80s gem ''Film/AfterHours'' is rife with one-off appearances and small recurring ones, but none more lustrous (or self-contained) than Teri Garr and Verna Bloom.
* Creator/FredericForrest as the psychotic neo-Nazi in ''Film/FallingDown'' has one scene, and if it's not the best one in the movie, it's the one that caused the most laughter. Every line he spouts is caustic and vitriolic, and usually loaded with at least [[PoliticallyIncorrectVillain one slur]], and five [[ClusterFBomb curses]]. The role could have been played spooky and subtle, but Forrest instead decided that [[ChewingTheScenery no scenery would go unchewed]] in his performance. If anyone quotes the movie, chances are good it'll be from that scene.
* [[Creator/CheechAndChong Tommy Chong's]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFboGsIkj9Y only scene]] in ''Evil Bong'' is easily the best part of the movie, something the filmmakers seem to be aware of, considering that he's on ''[[http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/511QBR9ZS1L.jpg the DVD box cover art]]''.
* ''Film/CharliesAngelsFullThrottle'' has Jaclyn Smith reprising her role as Kelly Garret from the series.
* Creator/AdrienBrody as Creator/SalvadorDali in ''Film/MidnightInParis''. His only scene turns out to be one of the funniest scenes in the film and he even got above-title billing on the posters with Creator/OwenWilson and Creator/MarionCotillard.
* Eric in ''Film/MysteryTeam''. He has three rather short scenes, but steals every single one he's in. Jamie too, to a lesser extent.
* Dennis in ''Film/CabinFever''. He's in it for one scene, and that's the SignatureScene of the moment. He ''really'' wants pancakes, he [[DudeLooksLikeALady can be mistaken for a girl]], and he has some kickass fighting moves.
* Rajat Barmecha as Shomu in an [[DarkerAndEdgier unusual]] UsefulNotes/{{Bollywood}} movie Shaitaan.
* Wrestling/TinyLister as the ScaryBlackMan convict on the ferry in ''Film/TheDarkKnight''. He has less than three minutes of screentime, and just one brief monologue delivered in a hushed whisper...and does more to thwart the Joker than Batman and the entire Gotham City police force combined.
** The HangingJudge ([[spoiler:Jonathan Crane/Scarecrow]]) in ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises'' is extremely entertaining even if you don't recognize TheCameo.
-->Exile or death? (...) Alright. Death... [[MortonsFork by exile]].
** The CIA agent in the opening scene of ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises'' has become this due to the entire opening scene becoming a FountainOfMemes.
* ''Film/TheBatman2022'' has one near the end, as the inmate in the cell next to Riddler in Arkham is [[spoiler:the Joker himself, played by Creator/BarryKeoghan.]]
* Susan Backlinie deciding to go swimming at an unfortunate moment in the opening scenes of ''Film/{{Jaws}}''. Not only is the scene itself one of the most memorable in cinema, but the bit-player actress gives us one of the most heart-stoppingly real depictions of terror and pain seen on screen.
* [[Creator/PixarRegulars John Ratzenberger]] as the swashbuckling repairman in ''Film/HouseIITheSecondStory''.
** So much so that he's even featured on one of the posters.
* Creator/DavidCarradine:
** As the drunk at the bar who fights back when a gangster shoots him and then takes ''forever'' to die in ''Film/MeanStreets''.
** As the hilarious DirtyOldMan Poon Dong in ''Film/CrankHighVoltage''.
* Creator/AlanCPeterson as the Mayor in ''Film/SuckerPunch''. In his brief appearance, he steals the scene with his utterly badass pimpin' entrance and {{Leitmotif}}: a mash-up of [[Music/{{Queen}} "I Want It All" and "We Will Rock You"]].
* Creator/RodSteiger's appearance as the Judge toward the end of ''Film/TheHurricane'' definitely qualifies. [[spoiler: "You assumed ... wrong."]]
* Creator/LiamNeeson as the writer who instructs Creator/RussellCrowe on prison escapes in ''Film/TheNextThreeDays''. So much they had to put him on the trailer.
* In ''Film/FiveHundredDaysOfSummer'', Creator/ChloeGraceMoretz is this as Tom's little sister.
* ''Film/{{Braindead}}'': The priest who has had only a few unremarkable appearances shows up in the graveyard once the zombies start appearing and goes to town on the zombies in the most epic scene of the movie, ripping/kicking off limbs, throwing and beating up zombies with lines like "This calls for divine intervention" and "I kick ass for The Lord!"
* Creator/JamesCagney reprising his role as George M. Cohan (which won him the Best Actor Oscar for ''Film/YankeeDoodleDandy'') for the Creator/BobHope vehicle ''The Seven Little Foys''. Cagney and Hope trade hilarious barbs for a couple minutes, then do an epic tap dance number together.
* Creator/JimJarmusch's ''Film/DeadMan'' has almost an entire cast of them. Creator/CrispinGlover as the philosophical but illiterate train fireman, Creator/RobertMitchum (in his final role) as the shotgun-toting town boss, Music/IggyPop as a crossdressing, bible-thumping psychopath, Creator/BillyBobThornton as a creepy mountain man, and Creator/AlfredMolina as the racist missionary.
* Creator/KennethBranagh's ''Film/MuchAdoAboutNothing1993'' movie, despite having a genuinely good, if rather [[LargeHam hammy]], cast (even Creator/KeanuReeves is passable) is clearly dominated by Creator/MichaelKeaton's Constable Dogberry.
** If you want a film that's utterly ''loaded'' with these, just watch Branagh's full-length version of ''Theatre/{{Hamlet}}''. The supporting cast (and roles) include Creator/BillyCrystal (Gravedigger), Creator/RobinWilliams (Osric), Creator/GerardDepardieu (Reynaldo), Creator/CharltonHeston (Player King), Creator/RufusSewell (Fortinbras), Creator/RichardAttenborough (English Ambassador) and Creator/BrianBlessed (King Hamlet's Ghost) all in absolutely perfect roles! There's also a cameo by Creator/JohnGielgud and Creator/JudiDench.
* The punk on the bus with the ghetto blaster in ''Film/StarTrekIVTheVoyageHome''.
** Creator/RobertPicardo has one scene in ''Film/StarTrekFirstContact'' as the Enterprise's Emergency Medical Hologram and comes close to stealing the entire film.
* The 1933 film ''Film/DinnerAtEight'' alludes to this trope in-universe. One of the characters is a washed-up, alcoholic actor who learns he's been demoted from the lead in an upcoming play to a minor one-scene role. His agent persuades him to accept the smaller part on the grounds that he can make a bigger impression on the audience with his single scene.
* ''Film/{{Prometheus}}'' has a pretty huge one in the last minute of the film. [[spoiler:It's the first Xenomorph, which pops out of the BigBad.]] It's particularly creepy.
* Creator/StanLee, one of the masterminds of Marvel comics, makes a CreatorCameo [[TheCameo/StanLee in just about every single live-action movie adaptation of the heroes he created]] (and even those he didn't, such as ''Film/{{Deadpool|2016}}'' and ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheFirstAvenger''). Sometimes he's a plain old man, sometimes he gets a few speaking lines, or sometimes he even does some LeaningOnTheFourthWall by playing himself.
** But the best of them all is animated, in ''WesternAnimation/BigHero6'', or ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitansGoToTheMovies'', DC Comics animated movie.
* Creator/DrewCarey gets a brief scene when his cab ride gets delayed in ''Film/{{Coneheads}}'', addressing himself as a decorated star to make sure all know this snafu is SeriousBusiness.
* ''Film/FullMetalJacket'' has two: the [[AsianHookerStereotype Da Nang prostitute]] ("Me love you long time"), and the [[SociopathicSoldier door gunner]] who shoots Vietnamese civilians from a helicopter ("Get some, get some!)"
* The ''Film/{{Labyrinth}}'' film has a [[http://fanlistings.dreame.net/worm/ Worm with its own fanlisting]].
* ''Film/TheHungerGames'' has Clove, who, despite while showing up in other scenes, has one scene dedicated to her almost sadistically killing Katniss.
** Thresh only gets to speak in one scene, in which [[spoiler: he shows up out of nowhere, rescues Katniss from Clove by smashing Clove into a wall until she dies, and then spares Katniss' life because of what she did for Rue.]]
** Foxface, who appears briefly here and there, says very little throughout the movie, and doesn't look like the kind who would survive this, but nearly makes it to the end without killing a single person, and probably could've won if not for one mistake. It helps that the actress, Creator/JacquelineEmerson, is super cute.
* In the remake of ''Film/TheManchurianCandidate'', there's Creator/JeffreyWright as the deeply troubled Cpl. Al Melvin, who has a scene near the beginning of the film and doesn't show up much afterwards, but casts such a haunting shadow over the proceedings of the whole film.
* Jerry the CIA agent in ''Film/ApocalypseNow'' - "Terminate with extreme prejudice."
** To say nothing of Robert Duvall at the [[TropeNamer Trope Naming]] ColonelKilgore and Creator/MarlonBrando as Colonel Kurtz.
* [[Film/TheMummy1999 Kevin J. O'Connor]] in ''Film/GIJoeTheRiseOfCobra'' as Dr. Mindbender in [[spoiler:Rex]][=/=]The Doctor's FlashBack.
** Creator/WaltonGoggins in ''Film/GIJoeRetaliation'' as the Warden of Cobra Commander and Destro's prison, who utilizes every second of his screentime.
* In ''Film/{{Flight}}'', protagonists Whitaker and Nicole meet in the hospital stairwell as they wanted a smoke. Then comes a cancer patient from Utah that only appears in that scene, but provides some insightful dialogue.
* Stark's fire extinguisher robot and [[spoiler:ComicBook/NickFury]] in''Film/IronMan1'' . [[BreakoutCharacter Both have larger roles in the second film]].
** ''Film/IronMan2'':
*** Bill O'Reilly, who makes a surprising cameo as himself, commenting on his show about [[spoiler:Pepper Potts becoming CEO of Stark Industries]]. It's much like the segments on his show in real life, but the fact that he's in ''Iron Man 2'' makes it hilarious.
*** O'Reilly also appears in ''Iron Man 3'', where Creator/JoanRivers and her ''Fashion Police'' cohorts also appear to comment on War Machine's new paint job. Both segments get extended in the deleted scenes, with hilarious results.
*** The Suitcase Armor. It's used for just three minutes and has the living crap beaten out of it, but the activation was so cool that the armor was used on the DVD cover instead of the Mark VI upgrade. Elements of it were also adapted into the Mark VII of ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}''.
** Adam Pally as a cameraman who is a Tony Stark fanboy in ''Film/IronMan3'', providing one of the funniest moments of the film.
* Creator/HarryDeanStanton's unnamed security guard in ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}''. Not only does he take witnessing a giant green rage monster fall out of the sky in stride, but is also considerate enough to bring a change of clothes for the human that the monster changes into. His scene-closing line is one of the movie's most memorable.
** Creator/KennethTigar as the German Old Man who refuses to kneel to Loki.
* [[Film/TheHumanCentipede Dieter Laser]] in the German drama film ''Big Girls Don't Cry''. He is in it for less than 10 minutes and scares the living shit out of the viewer as a pedophile.
* There are quite a few cameos in ''Film/HotFuzz'' and every actor is hilarious. But special mention must go to Creator/BillNighy as Kenneth, the chief inspector and Creator/MartinFreeman and Creator/SteveCoogan in the opening scene.
** Did you know that Creator/PeterJackson is in the movie, uncredited? He's in for all of 2 seconds, ''stabbing Nicholas in the hand dressed as Father Christmas.''
** Don't forget Creator/CateBlanchett, also uncredited, as Simon Pegg's girlfriend, hidden from view in a hazmat suit.
* Creator/IainGlen as Uncle Ralph in ''Film/KickAss2''.
* ''Film/PacificRim'': Onibaba is rather popular even though it only appears once and its fight is off-screen, mostly remembered for its non-alien/dinosaur design (it looks like a GiantEnemyCrab).
** Otachi Jr.
* Creator/PeterStormare in ''Film/PainAndGain'' as what may be the most awkward oncologist in recent memory.
* The black truck driver from the end of ''Film/{{The Texas Chain Saw Massacre|1974}}''; nameless, no lines, one minute of screen-time, but he's one of the funniest parts of the movie.
* Creator/WaltonGoggins, Creator/CubaGoodingJr, Music/LadyGaga, and Creator/AntonioBanderas as "The Chameleon" in ''Film/MacheteKills''.
* In the 2003 live action ''Film/PeterPan'', one of the Lost Boys, Theodore Chester, [[OneBookAuthor who only ever did that film]] and eight years later put up a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UY5hoCz_GaA Youtube video]] expressing his shock at having so many fans for such a small role.
* Creator/DonaldSutherland as X in ''Film/{{JFK}}''. An unusual example though. It's played straight in that he's in one scene, it amounts to about fifteen minutes of screen time of a three hour movie, and it's arguably the most memorable scene in the movie. However since it's essentially a monologue it's probably the second biggest speaking part in the movie.
* Taken to a shocking degree in the 1951 film ''Film/{{Scrooge|1951}}''. Towards the end of the film, Scrooge arrives at his nephew's house and hesitates before going into the party. He is comforted by the door maid who nods for him to go in. She has no lines but it is a very warm and tender scene. For years there was a massive discussion online about the actress's identity as she was uncredited in the film. Eventually a relative of hers surfaced online and [[http://dickensblog.typepad.com/dickensblog/2013/05/meet-the-maid-an-interview-with-theresa-derrington-cozens-hardy.html this blog post]] identifies her as Theresa Derrington.
* Creator/PeterSellers as the title character in ''Film/DrStrangelove'', where he's trying to talk to the President (also played by Sellers) while being attacked by his own prosthetic hand. Yes, it's so funny that Sellers ''steals the scene from himself.''
* Creator/ZachGalifianakis, Creator/SteveBuscemi, Creator/FredWillard and M. Emmet Walsh in ''Film/YouthInRevolt''.
* Dean Carol Gladstone and Officer Watkins from ''Film/{{Neighbors|2014}}'', although the former is more of a Two Scene Wonder.
* Sam's unnamed bus-driver in ''Film/{{Godzilla 2014}}'', who manages to get a couple of dozen kids through the apocalyptic battle of the Golden Gate Bridge without a scratch.
* An uncredited Creator/MaxVonSydow, in the extended version of ''Film/TheWolfman2010'', as the mysterious man who gives Lawrence the silver cane.
* Stephen Bishop was best known as a musician (most notable for singing the theme to ''Film/{{Tootsie}}'') but his one-shot appearances in three of Creator/JohnLandis' films all made an impression.
** The "show me you're nuts" guy in ''Film/TheKentuckyFriedMovie''.
** The performer of "I Gave My Love a Cherry" in ''Film/AnimalHouse''.
** The customer who says "Do you have the Miss Piggy?" that immediately leads into the mall chase in ''Film/TheBluesBrothers''.
** In all three movies, he's so charming that his character name is some variation of "Charming Guy" (i.e. Charming Guy with Guitar, Charming Trooper)
* Creator/BenicioDelToro as The Collector manages to do it twice, in TheStinger of ''Film/ThorTheDarkWorld'' and a slightly bigger role in ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy2014''. In the latter, sharing a post-credits scene with another scene-stealing cameo, [[spoiler:ComicBook/HowardTheDuck]].
** Also from ''Guardians'', [[spoiler: Tiny Dancing Groot]]
** [[spoiler: Creator/ChrisEvans / ComicBook/CaptainAmerica]]'s cameo in ''Film/ThorTheDarkWorld'' is not more than thirty seconds long and easily the most hilarious scene of the whole movie.
* ''Film/ThorRagnarok'' has Doctor Strange in just one scene right as Thor and Loki arrive on Earth (which had been alluded in TheStinger for [[Film/DoctorStrange2016 Strange's own movie]]), but it's absolutely hilarious and makes great use of Benedict Cumberbatch.
* Nearly every review of ''Film/HarryBrown'', positive or negative, makes note of Sean Harris' ten-minute performance as Stretch, one of the sinister drug dealers from whom Creator/MichaelCaine's character attempts to purchase a gun (and to whom he directs his [[MemeticMutation now-famous]] BondOneLiner "you failed to maintain your weapon, son"). A few other directors, including ''Film/DeliverUsFromEvil'''s Creator/ScottDerrickson and ''Film/MissionImpossibleGhostProtocol'' 's Christopher [=McQuarrie=], have cited the performance as the reason for casting him in other, usually equally-scary roles.
* Creator/CarrollBaker as Dorothy Stratten's mother in ''Film/Star80''. She essentially has only one scene, a monologue addressed to the camera-- but that's all she needs. "''I never signed.''"
* The hot dog vendor in ''Film/{{Highlander}}'', who mocks the police about their utter inability to find out anything about the recent rash of be-headings in New York.
---> "What does IN-COM-PE-TENT mean?"
* From the mostly-forgotten ''Franchise/RoboCop''-ripoff movie ''Film/{{ROTOR}}'', we have the female hostage. She starts out looking nonchalant at being held at gunpoint. And after the man holding her at gunpoint is shot by the main character, she takes out his partner with a flurry of [[KickChick powerful kicks]], ending by pinning the guy against a pole by the throat with her foot.
* 'Film/ALeagueOfTheirOwn'' has a couple:
** The role is so small that it's credited only as "Dollbody Kid," but the youngster who drives Dottie to the roadhouse makes the most of his two memorable lines with a perfectly timed delivery:
-->'''Dollbody Kid''': What's your rush, dollbody? What do you say we slip in the back seat, and you make a man out of me?
-->'''Dottie Hinson''': What do you say I smack you around for a while?
-->'''Dollbody Kid''': Can't we do both?
** Less humorously, when a foul ball goes into the segregated black section of a stadium, the woman who tosses it back hurls a mean pitch that impresses Dottie, but sadly there was nothing anyone could do since black players weren't allowed. The movie takes place four years before Jackie Robinson broke the MLB's color barrier.
* Towards the end of Creator/JeanLucGodard's ''Pierrot Le Fou'', a man (played by LargeHam Raymond Devos) tells a sad story about his attempts to fall in love with women. He is triggered by a simple melody, singing the line [[MadnessMantra ''est-ce que vouz m'aimeeeeez'']]. His performance is highly memorable due to the fact that it's [[TheOner the longest shot]] of the film.
* Michael Kroecher as Lord Stanhope in ''Film/TheEnigmaOfKasparHauser''. His campy portrayal of the nobleman is fondly remembered by the audience and he eventually became a character actor for this kind of roles.
* ''Film/BrideOfFrankenstein'' has the titular character, who appears for only a few minutes at the very end. Somehow, those few minutes inspired an entire mythos.
* Tony Randall has a memorable cameo in ''Film/DownWithLove'', a cockeyed tribute to the kind of romantic comedy he used to costar in during TheFifties.
* Then unknown Creator/MattSmith has a wonderful, sadly cut scene as the younger Ralph in ''Film/InBruges''.
* ''Film/{{The Doors|1991}}'' has at least two:
** Creator/CrispinGlover shows up at a party as Creator/AndyWarhol, in one of film's great "What the hell was that?" moments.
** Creator/MimiRogers makes a sharp impression as the publicity photographer who helps Jim Morrison access his seductive side for the camera.
* The student in ''Film/BackToTheFuturePartII'' who thinks Marty stole Biff's wallet. There's something about his persistence in trying to help Biff that makes the scene [[MemeticMutation very memorable.]]
* The wolf in ''Film/IntoTheWoods''. It's no wonder they got Creator/JohnnyDepp.
* ''Film/Paddington2014'':
** Creator/JimBroadbent as Mr. Grueber the antique dealer. He's such an important supporting character in [[Literature/PaddingtonBear the books]], that it be impossible to do an adaptation without him, and as a fellow immigrant he understands what Paddington is going through better than anyone else. That and his tea train he uses at Elevenses is really cool.
** The Royal Guard outside Buckingham Palace who takes pity on Paddington and offers tea service and a sandwich that he keeps ''under his hat''.
** Simon Farnaby in both films as a lecherous security guard with a distinct inability to recognise (or ability to overlook) when a man is less-than-convincingly dressed as a woman.
* ''Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron'':
** Klaw leaves a lot of an impact on the audience for an EarlyBirdCameo.
** [[spoiler: Creator/JulieDelpy's performance as Madame B (along with the appearance of the Red Room in general) is mesmerizing]].
** [[spoiler:Thanos does this once again, this time taking a more hands-on approach toward what he plans on doing]].
* ''Film/JupiterAscending'':
** Advocate Bob, an android pro-bono lawyer assigned to Jupiter to [[spoiler:help her be officially recognized as the rightful owner of Earth.]]
** Also, a brief cameo by Creator/TerryGilliam as an InspirationNod.
* ''Film/{{Cinderella 2015}}'':
** The Fairy Godmother only physically appears in one scene (she narrates the rest of the movie) but Creator/HelenaBonhamCarter steals the show to the end.
** Likewise the King, who appears in only three scenes. Probably because he's played by the likes of Creator/DerekJacobi.
** Master Phineas, the painter of the Prince's portrait, has some of the funniest lines in the film despite appearing in one scene.
* The film ''Film/TheDesertFox'' features a brief appearance by Jewish actor Luther Adler as one of the best renditions of Adolf Hitler ever committed to film.
* Creator/JoseFerrer once told an interviewer, "If I were to be judged by any one performance, it would be my five minutes in ''Film/LawrenceOfArabia''." That's saying something given [[Film/CyranoDeBergerac Ferrer's]] [[Film/TheCaineMutiny distinguished]] [[Film/TheGreatestStoryEverTold career]], and his frightening portrayal of a [[DepravedHomosexual sadistic Turkish general]] is [[RapeAsDrama far more memorable]] than his screentime suggests.
* Not an actor, but the scene in the notorious flop ''Film/RaiseTheTitanic'' wherein the UsefulNotes/RMSTitanic [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin is raised]] is widely cited as being one of the few reasons to actually watch the film.
* German actor Creator/UdoKier showed up in so many productions, starting with underground films with Andy Warhol's troupe, to Giallo movies, European Arthouse and Blockbusters that his face alone brings joy to the cineast's heart.
* ''Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar'' had one in the form of Florence Kasumba, who only has one line in one scene in the entire movie. She is escorting T'Challa back to his car and Black Widow is standing in front of it, and she simply says: "Move, or you will be moved." For those who follow the comics, it's implied that she is one of the Dora Milajae, the Black Panther's PraetorianGuard[=/=]BodyguardBabes. That one line alone made her a memorable character, in spite of her not even having a name. The character proved so popular that they brought her back in a bigger role in the subsequent ''Film/{{Black Panther|2018}}'' movie, with her name being given as [[CanonCharacterAllAlong Ayo]].
** From his first line, King T'Chaka comes off as a wise statesman, and a nice, funny guy in general, like your dad, uncle, or grandpa. [[spoiler:Shame about the explosion.]]
* ''Film/JamesBond'':
** ''Film/{{Goldfinger}}'' has both Jill Masterson, whose death is one of the franchise's most enduring images, and the old lady who suddenly pulls out an MP 40 and shoots at Bond's Aston Martin.
** ''Film/{{Thunderball}}'' with Patricia Fearing the nurse, especially when she's out of uniform and being massaged.
** ''Film/YouOnlyLiveTwice'' features Creator/DonaldPleasence as Ernst Stavro Blofeld. He's got a white cat, a bald head, and a scar. He's also one of the most memorable Film/JamesBond villains, parodied and referenced ad nauseam. Total screen time: Approximately ten minutes.
** ''Film/AViewToAKill'' has Pola Ivanova, a sexy and very charismatic Russian agent who only appears briefly, and who many fans feel that she deserved to be the main Bond Girl in the film instead of DamselScrappy Stacey Sutton.
** ''Film/TheLivingDaylights'' features two, the hilarious MarshmallowHell distraction Rosika Miklos, and the agent only known as Green Four who gives Necros a good fight in the [=MI6=] safehouse kitchen.
** Creator/JudiDench's debut as [[BigGood M]] in ''Film/GoldenEye''. It was ironic enough to watch Franchise/JamesBond take orders from a powerful older woman who wasn't swayed by his charms, but she gives him an epic TheReasonYouSuckSpeech before sending him on his mission, [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold while still telling him to come back alive]]. It was normal for the previous M to appear just long enough to give Bond his mission briefing and send him on his way, but Dench's debut was so well-loved that she was given an expanded role in subsequent films, even becoming a significant part of the plot in [[Film/TheWorldIsNotEnough two]] [[Film/{{Skyfall}} of them]] ([[spoiler:and a posthumous appearance in ''Film/{{Spectre}}'', showing the series wasn't ready to let her go]]).
** ''Film/TomorrowNeverDies'' with Creator/VincentSchiavelli as TortureTechnician Dr. Kaufman, delivering a wonderfully hammy performance with a comically exaggerated German accent which is one of the highlights of the movie.
** ''Film/TheWorldIsNotEnough'' has the Cigar Girl assassin. The director actually wanted her actress to be Elektra King, but upon realizing that her English wasn't up to par, he gave her this small role, which only has two lines - one of whom, her panicked, terrified response of "Not from him!" (when Bond promises that he can protect her from Renard) just sells the whole story. Also helping is how she kicks off the boat chase.
** {{Music/Madonna}} as a fencing instructor in ''Film/DieAnotherDay''. (She also sang the theme to the movie.)
** ''Film/{{Casino Royale|2006}}'' has Mollaka, the freerunner (played by one of the real life inventors of LeParkour) in the amazing chase scene; Mendel, the affable Swiss banker; and the eyepatch-wearing henchman from the fight in Venice.
** ''Film/{{Spectre}}'' brings back Jesper Christensen as Mr. White, and in just a couple minutes, the film transforms him from the smug Quantum leader he was in ''Casino Royale'' and ''Quantum of Solace'' to a broken father desperate to save his daughter.
** ''Film/NoTimeToDie'' has Creator/AnaDeArmas as Paloma. In a contrast to most minor Bond Girls, she leaves a great impression on the audience by not only [[NavelDeepNeckline looking]] [[SexyBacklessOutfit good]], but spending her ten minutes on screen [[KickingAssInAllHerFinery being an absolute badass in a gorgeous black cocktail dress]].
* ''Film/TheBluesBrothers'' is full of these. Most notably, Music/RayCharles, Music/ArethaFranklin and Music/JamesBrown in their respective musical numbers, but also Twiggy, Creator/StevenSpielberg as the clerk at the Cook County Assessor's office, and Kathleen Freeman as 'the Penguin' in one of the film's most memorable scenes. Music/CabCalloway, Creator/JohnCandy and Creator/CarrieFisher are equally awesome, but have too many scenes each to qualify as being a OneSceneWonder.
* ''Film/{{Malice}}'' has this with both Creator/GeorgeCScott and Creator/AnneBancroft. Scott, as Creator/AlecBaldwin's former professor during the deposition scene, and Bancroft as Creator/NicoleKidman's mother.
* There is a litany of incidental characters in the Creator/LaurelAndHardy films who do this:
** In ''Film/TheMusicBox'', Professor Theodore von Schwarzenhoffen, M.D., A.D., D.D.S., F.L.D., F-F-F-and-F, who goes ballistic on being asked to take a step to the right.
** In ''Film/TitForTat'', a genial thief who constantly steals from Laurel and Hardy's store.
* While ''Film/TheGreatestShowman'' was criticized a lot, one performance critics loved was none of the major cast members. In "The Other Side," Hugh Jackman and Zac Efron are doing a song and dance number about joining up as partners in a bar. But to many, the real highlight is Daniel Campos as the mustached bartender who doesn't say a word but expertly dodges the duo, sweeps up, throws them chairs and does a fantastic routine of lining up shot glasses in perfect choreography to the music.
* Notorious Hollywood gossip columnist Hedda Hopper is on scene at the end of ''Film/SunsetBoulevard'' to report on Norma Desmond's downfall, hilariously interrupting a police detective's call to get the scoop ahead of all the rest - and indignantly telling ''him'' to get off the phone because her call is more important.
* The swordsman from ''Film/RaidersOfTheLostArk'', just for getting unceremoniously (and [[BlackComedy hilariously]]) shot. NeverBringAKnifeToAGunFight.
* ''Film/WhoFramedRogerRabbit'' has loads of iconic animated characters the that pop-up here and there.
** WesternAnimation/{{Droopy}} as the Toon Hotel elevator bellman, the Toon Penguins from ''Film/MaryPoppins'' and a ton of others that appear towards the end.
** Even some original film characters have become one.
*** Lena Hyena, a crazy, obsessed, Jessica Rabbit-impersonating Toon woman who chases Eddie Valiant voiced by voice acting legend Creator/JuneForay. Said to one of the movie's funniest, most memorable sequences.
*** A tragic, traumatizing example with the Toon Shoe that Judge Doom dissolves in Dip for really no reason.
*** The Toon octopus bartender at the Ink-N-Paint Club.
* Agitator Puntarpää had only one scene in ''Film/RedLine'', but thanks to Jussi Jurkka hamming it up, he sure made an impression.
* He has more than one scene, but Creator/JohnCleese's minor role as an overly straight-laced and authoritarian British sheriff of a frontier town in TheWestern was widely considered a very memorable part of ''Film/{{Silverado}}''.
* John Savage as Clifton, the white bicylist who gets confronted by Buggin' Out for causing a mark on his shoes in ''Film/DoTheRightThing''.
* Creator/MarilynMonroe's 30 seconds in ''Film/LoveHappy'' are easily the most remembered part of the film.
* ''Film/{{Lady and the Tramp|2019}}'': Creator/ClancyBrown does his usual expertly scary voice work as the alley dog who corners Lady.
* ''Film/TheWonderfulIceCreamSuit'': Creator/SidCaesar and Howard Morris appear in a single scene as two brothers who are the proprietors of the store where the suit is being sold and absolutely steal the show from the five leads during their time on screen.
* ''Film/TheReport'': Creator/TimBlakeNelson and Fajer Al-Kaisi only show up for a few scenes, but make big impressions as [[OnlySaneMan Raymond Nathan and FBI Agent Ali Soufan]], two of the few government operatives we see object to the [=EITs=].
* Creator/DannyElfman makes a memorable appearance as The Devil in the cult movie ''Film/ForbiddenZone'' (not counting when he sings the titular song) along with some of the future members of Music/OingoBoingo doing a remix of "Minnie the Moocher" called "Squeezit the Moocher". He has no speaking lines and he's only in about 3 minutes of an 80-minute long movie, but you would think from the movie posters and the small amount of fans this movie has that he was one of the main characters.
* ''Film/MenInBlackII'' has Music/MichaelJackson as a collaborator who insists "I could be Agent M!"
** In ''Film/MenInBlack3'', Creator/BillHader as Creator/AndyWarhol, who is secretly an MIB agent.
* ''Film/ThePostman:'' The Mayor of Benning makes his one scene an interesting one. Partly because of his idealistic excitement about the Postman's return, partly because of his pragmatic and well-reasoned concerns about picking a fight with the Holnists (given their limited arsenal), and partly because he's played by Creator/GeorgeWyner (who is better known for his comedic roles).
* ''Film/FieldOfDreams'' [[spoiler: Ray's dad]] shows up seven minutes before the end of the movie and completely changes your perception of why the field was made in the first place. ManlyTears ensue.
--->'''Ray''': [[spoiler: Dad? Wanna have a catch?]]
* ''Film/CrazyRichAsians'' brings in Website/YouTube music artist Kina Grannis for the film’s wedding scene to perform the wedding song. As one of the earliest prominent Asian Website/{{YouTube}}rs, it is considered a nice nod toward her influence in increasing Asian representation in mainstream media.
* ''Film/{{Signs}}:''
** Tracy Abernathy, the teenaged pharmacist who insists on confessing her sins to Graham (despite him reminding her he isn't a pastor anymore) in her one scene due to fear of the aliens and can remember every time she's sworn in the last month.
** Ray Reedy, the guilt-ridden driver who killed Mrs. Hess, gets an emotional scene apologizing to Graham before revealing he has an alien trapped in his pantry. Ray does appear in two other scenes, but only briefly and without speaking.
** [=SFC=] Cunningham, the local recruiting officer who is a fan of Merrill's baseball career and correctly analyzes the aliens' probing attacks during his sole scene.
* ''Film/FreeGuy'' has an amusing one when Guy suddenly pulls out [[spoiler:Captain America's shield, leading Creator/ChrisEvans himself to appear commenting on the moment with "What the shit?".]]
* ''Film/SnowAndFire'': Not a character, rather an authentic and rare vehicle. If you're a UsefulNotes/WorldWarII tank enthusiast, you can't help but rejoice that a film used a real ''Königstiger'' (the one belonging to the French tank museum of Saumur) and not a mockup, even for only one scene.
* ''Film/{{Solarbabies}}:'' The quirky, insightful, and slightly creepy Tchigani WastelandElder gets quite a lot of mileage out of his two minutes or so of screen time.
* ''Film/TheyLive'':
** The couple who are having sex in the final seconds of the film when the man (an alien) experiences a GlamourFailure.
** The brave, shotgun-wielding BadassBiker sentry at the resistance meeting, who has less than a minute of screen time but has a pretty impressive presence.
* TheStinger of ''Film/SonicTheHedgehog2020'' brings in a very unexpected Tails in a SequelHook.
* ''Film/VelvetBuzzsaw'':
** The main homeless vendor from the very end of the movie, who ends up [[spoiler:selling the valuable Dease paintings for minuscule sums]]. This is helped by the debate about the AmbiguousEnding nature of his scene.
** The raspy-voiced VA janitor and PrivateInvestigator Ruskinspear, with their well-acted, back-to-back MrExposition scenes that lay out some of the creepier details about Dease's past.
* ''Film/Yesterday2019'' has an uncredited Creator/RobertCarlyle as [[spoiler:John Lennon, suddenly alive in this world that forgot the Beatles.]]
* ''Film/LicoricePizza'' has a brief, barely recognizable, but memorable appearance from Creator/JohnCReilly as [[Series/TheMunsters Herman Munster]] at the Teen-Age Fair (a sort of World's Fair for young people) where Gary goes to sell waterbeds.
* Despite her role being only a single scene, Creator/TaylorHickson's portrayal of Meghan Orlovsky in ''Film/{{Deadpool|2016}}'', a girl whom Wade helps with a stalker, [[StarmakingRole became her breakthrough]].
* ''Film/SpaceJamANewLegacy'' has lots of cameos, a few entering straight here: Comicbook/WonderWoman oversees Lola Bunny's test to join the Amazons, Westernanimation/RickAndMorty return Taz to the Tunes.. and [[spoiler:in the Tune Squad's DarkestHour, Michael Jordan shows up to help the Tunes win the basketball game... only it's Creator/MichaelBJordan.]]
* Iceman only appears in the flesh for one scene of ''Film/TopGunMaverick'', and it's [[TearJerker absolutely heartbreaking]], specially when Creator/ValKilmer actually talks (given throat cancer took away his voice).
* ''Film/KillTheMessenger'':
** Creator/RayLiotta gives a nuanced performance as a guilt-ridden CIA agent who anonymously gives Webb information as his way of atoning, explicitly comparing it to a confession.
** Creator/RobertPatrick as drug dealer Ronny Quail, whose assets were claimed by the government with civil forfeiture.
** Creator/MichaelKWilliams only shows up once as "Freeway" Rick Ross, but his sole scene is easily the best part of the movie.
** Creator/PazVega as Coral Blaca, the woman who sets Webb off on his investigation by giving him evidence of the government's participation in cocaine sales.
* ''Film/TheLostCity'' has Creator/BradPitt as Jack Trainer, a super competent ex-Navy Seal operative who manages to rescue Loretta from Fairfax's compound, but ends up getting shot before he can get her to the airport, [[spoiler:only to later be revealed to somehow still be alive in the mid-credits scene]]. Many noted Pitt's performance as one of the highlights of the film, even though he has what amounts to a glorified cameo appearance.
* Creator/JTWalsh, in his relatively short career, had a few of these:
** He only appears in a couple of scenes in ''Film/TheGrifters'' in a {{Flashback}} as Myra's former partner (showing how the two of them teamed up for TheCon, though it also shows how [[ThisIsYourBrainOnEvil he eventually becomes crazy]]), but he's one of the most memorable parts of the movie, along with other [[OneSceneWonder scene stealers]] such as Creator/PatHingle (as Lily's boss) and Eddie Jones (as Roy's former mentor).
** Walsh also dominates his few scenes in ''Film/TheLastSeduction'' as Bridget's lawyer, and gets the film's most memorable line ("Anybody check you for a heartbeat lately?").
** Though he only shows up in one scene in ''Film/{{Outbreak}}'' as the White House Chief of Staff, his scene is such a memorable defying of AMillionIsAStatistic he even gets shown briefly in the movie's trailer.
* ''Film/WrongTurn'':
** Halley, the female rock climber from the opening scene, makes a good impression due to showing some decent resourcefulness and expressive acting while trying to escape from the hillkillers.
** The CreepyGasStationAttendant played by Creator/WayneRobson is only in two short scenes but is delightfully eerie in both of them.
* ''Film/TheFabelmans'' offers two, Creator/JuddHirsch as the protagonist's uncle who encourages him on taking a career in art (it even earned an Academy Award nomination), and [[spoiler:Creator/DavidLynch as Creator/JohnFord.]]
''Film/JoyRide3Roadkill'': Barry, the ConspiracyTheorist trucker who vainly warns the protagonists about the dangers of traveling [[SerialKiller Rusty]]’s favorite section of highway, milks his one scene for all it is worth.
* ''Film/SeraphimFalls'': Every character or group of characters who Gideon and his pursuers briefly encounter get a lot of respect from most fans, but some are particularly memorable and feel like much bigger parts of the movie than they actually are.
** The NiceMeanAndInBetween bank robber brothers and cousin who encounter Gideon.
** Carver’s wife is quite haunting in the flashbacks of her PlotTriggeringDeath.
** LittleMissBadass {{Determined Homesteader}}s daughter Charlotte.
** ColdHam MagicalNativeAmerican Charon and the eerie saleswoman Madame Louise amp up the MagicalRealism during their brief screen time.
* ''Film/ShazamFuryOfTheGods'' ends with [[spoiler:Billy dead and the wizard Shazam saying his magic staff can only be reignited by a god. Then one demigod shows up... Film/{{Wonder Woman|2017}}!]]
* Meinhardt Raabe as the Munchkin Coroner in ''Film/TheWizardOfOz''.
* ''Film/{{Kenau}}'': [[UsefulNotes/TheDukeOfAlba Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, Duke of Alba]], only appears in one scene to berate his SmugSnake of a son Fadrique for not living up to his father's reputation as a FourStarBadass. He makes quite an impression.

!Literature
* Creator/WashingtonIrving[='s=] ''Literature/TheLegendOfSleepyHollow'': The story isn't even 30 pages long, and Ichabod's entire encounter with the HeadlessHorseman only lasts ''1 and a half pages''--but it's also the most memorable part of the whole tale.
* There is usually at least one scene in every ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' book featuring [[TheGrimReaper Death]] (''Literature/TheWeeFreeMen'' is one of the few books where he doesn't appear). Except in the books where he stars, these definitely count.
* Aunt Marge only appears in one chapter of ''Literature/HarryPotterAndThePrisonerOfAzkaban'' (which has her name on it), but still manages to be among the more despicable characters in the series, perhaps even more so than her brother Vernon.
* ''Literature/TheHighCrusade'': One-eyed Hubert the TortureTechnician steals the show in his one scene, where he describes all of the things that he'd like to do to a prisoner if not for Roger's softness and then goes off to help his granddaughter pick flowers.
* ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire''
** Oberyn Martell quickly gained a legion of fans during his limited time in the series with his many witticisms and exotic background story. He continues to appear in flashbacks, perhaps as a result of this trope.
** Syrio Forel is also quite popular despite his limited time in the series, to the point that some fans [[spoiler:still claim that he might still be alive, despite all signs pointing to the contrary.]] Just so.
** Archmaester Marwyn shows up in one scene (though he is mentioned a few times previously) [[spoiler: to drop the bombshell that the maesters had a hand in the Targaryen dragons dying out, then he promptly hops on a ship heading east, to join up with Daenerys.]]
** Septon Meribald and the Elder Brother are bit characters, muggles, unconnected to any of the major figures, yet their speeches about WarIsHell is widely considered to be among the emotional highlights, and some of the best writing, of the entire franchise.
** Cortnay Penrose's only scene was also pretty awesome.
** Wylla Manderly's only scene gained her legions of fans for calling out the Freys on their bullshit, and sticking up for the Starks when no-one else would.
** Through most of the prologue to AGOT, Waymar Royce comes across as just another spoiled lordling. But then the Others show up, and... [[HiddenDepths Well...]]
-->'''Royce:''' [[LetsGetDangerous Dance with me then...]]
** From ''Fire and Blood'', Cregan Stark only shows up in one chapter, for about twenty pages, wherein he pretty much single-handedly takes control of a small army by sheer force of will, after having shown up late to an entire ''war'', executes a bunch of traitors, sorts things out for the young Aegon III, all while being one of the most sane and non-awful people involved in the entire affair, before buggering off back home to the north once his job's done.
* OlderThanPrint: Mi Heng only appears in one chapter of the 2000+ page ''Literature/RomanceOfTheThreeKingdoms'', but is still one of the most memorable characters for his sheer balls in insulting every single person he meets, no matter how powerful they are. He ends up throwing out insults until the second his head is cut off.
** He was originally protected by his public reputation as a scholar, so the first target of his ire [[AssInAmbassador made him an envoy in hopes that he'd get killed by the recipient]]. The recipient, regional lord Liu Biao, figured out what was going on and instead passed Mi Heng off to a subordinate who had Mi Heng executed.
* In Bruce Sterling's ''Literature/{{Schismatrix}}'', Nikolai Leng's Mechanist wife shows up in three of the tiny (around ten lines each) chapters of ''Twenty Evocations'', a short story included in later editions.
* In the original book version of ''Literature/TheWonderfulWizardOfOz'', the Wicked Witch of the West appears in only one chapter. Nonetheless, that one chapter led to her becoming one of the most iconic villains in [[Film/TheWizardOfOz film]] history.
* Merlin in ''Literature/TheWarlordChronicles''. Doesn't have a lot of time directly interacting with the protagonist in the story, but every bit where he is doing so, it's ''damn'' memorable.
* Irene Adler only appears in ''one'' of Creator/ArthurConanDoyle's ''Literature/SherlockHolmes'' stories, but is considered almost as essential a character to include in adaptations as Holmes and Watson. Moriarty is also the quintessential nemesis for Holmes, despite only appearing in two stories.
** Technically, Moriarty never appears in the stories, since Watson never actually sees him (except possibly once through a train's window). All that Watson knows about Moriarty is what Holmes has told him in passing.
* Laurent in the ''Literature/{{Twilight}}'' saga had a considerable following in the early years of the fandom, even though he appeared only briefly in the first two novels. There was a ridiculous internet backdraft when the "olive" skinned French Laurent was [[RaceLift portrayed by a black guy]] who was most definitely not French.
* Tom Bombadil in J.R.R. Tolkien's ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings''. He enters the story for a brief and memorable episode and is then never seen again.
* In ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'' novel ''Literature/SmallFavor'', [[PintsizedPowerhouse Eldest Gruff]] at the very end of the book. He teleports in, stomps around the island and shaking the earth with every step, one-shots a FallenAngel, chats up Harry, and then [[spoiler:goes to get a donut]].
** In ''Literature/{{Changes}}'' there's Donnar Vadderung, otherwise known as ''Odin''. He gets a single chapter with dialogue [[spoiler:and briefly appears at the end]] but he effectively comes off as [[WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}} a divine David Xanatos]]. Both of them appear briefly in ''Literature/ColdDays,'' and Vadderung appears again in a chapter of ''Literature/SkinGame.''
** [[OurDragonsAreDifferent Ferrovax]] the dragon appears briefly at a party in ''Literature/GravePeril'', stamps Harry Dresden into the ground with the sound of his voice, and isn't seen again[[spoiler: until ''Literature/PeaceTalks'', thirteen books later]]. He's implied to be one of the most powerful beings alive.
* ''Literature/PercyJacksonAndTheOlympians'' Artemis. The god with the fewest book appearances... no children and least divine lackeys... and guess who is one of the most popular gods on Fanfiction.net? (Until her brother Apollo got his own spin-off series, he counted as well.)
** From ''Literature/TheHeroesOfOlympus'' we have [[spoiler: Tartarus. Not just the realm, the actual protogenoi ''himself''. Percy and Annabeth spend the entirety of ''The House of Hades'' on a grueling trek through the deepest and darkest pit in the Underworld, all while fending off the most horrible monsters along the way. Then for the first time ''ever'' he creates his own horrifying physical form, just to deal with them in person. He's so terrifying that firmly established badass Percy nearly shits a brick.]]
* Marek Oramus's Polish sci-fi novel ''Senni Zwyciezcy'' has a very brief scene where a character buys a talking can of beer which [[LetsMeetTheMeat encourages her to drink it]]. This became the most famous scene in the novel--to the point where a 1989 edition is illustrated with the image of a beer can, and the back-cover blurb quotes that scene.

!Live-Action TV
* In the ''Series/{{Arrow}}'' episode "Suicide Squad", ComicBook/HarleyQuinn makes a five-second cameo, with a line supplied by Creator/TaraStrong herself. It is probably the most memorable part of the whole episode.
* "Sebastian" on ''Series/BabylonFive'' -- only in one episode, arguably the most memorable character in the whole series. Even if he's remembered, not as a hero, not as a messenger, not even as Sebastian... [[spoiler:but only as "[[UsefulNotes/JackTheRipper Jack]]".]]
** To an extent, Bester as well. His first appearance was the standard "corrupt Earth official who comes to make Sinclair's life hell" that typified many Season 1 episode villains but Creator/WalterKoenig infused the role with so much fun energy and serious emotion you looked forward to those times he came back to plague the main cast. Notably, he was one of the few series villains who could regularly show up, [[MagnificentBastard have a hostile face-to-face dialogue with the protagonists, accomplish his goals and walk away scot-free at the end of the episode.]]
** Morden in his early appearances. He just oozes intrigue and menace, and he's only on screen for about five minutes.
* A fourth season episode of ''Series/{{Barry}}'' has Creator/BillBurr make a VoiceOnlyCameo as Pastor Nick St. Angelo, a hockey player turned fire-and-brimstone preacher and podcast host who argues that murder is not a sin in the eyes of God and in fact totally justified.
--> '''Pastor Nick St. Angelo:''' Now the Bible is full of righteous and justified killings. Most of them are my favorite part of the book.
* In the new ''Series/{{Battlestar Galactica|2003}}'' series, none of the MauveShirt Viper/Raptor pilots are more memorable then the "Tattooed Pilot" whose actually more of an extra since he plays no vital role and has only one speaking line in the entire series.
** Racetrack has a bit of a following too, despite never having actually had her own storyline, she's probably survived more raptor mishaps than Athena and Boomer put together, especially in later seasons.
* ''Series/{{Blackadder}}''
** [[TheAce Lord Flashheart]], especially in "[[Recap/BlackadderS2E1Bells Bells]]", where he appears out of nowhere, goes through his monologue, and disappears again in less than two minutes of screen time, and totally runs away with the episode. [[spoiler:And the girl. "Woof!"]]
*** [[WordOfGod In an interview]], Creator/RikMayall said he only agreed to play Flashheart if he got more laughs than the main character in that episode.
** Creator/PeterCook as Richard III in the first ever episode, "[[Recap/BlackadderS1E1TheForetelling The Foretelling]]".
** Creator/StephenFry too, in "[[Recap/BlackadderS3E6DuelAndDuality Duel and Duality]]" as Wellington, to the point that his mannerisms were carried over to General Melchet's character in ''Blackadder Goes Forth''.
--->"The men had a whip-round and got you this... well, what I mean is that I had the men roundly whipped until they got you this. It's a cigarillo case engraved with the regimental crest of two crossed dead Frenchmen, emblazoned on a mound-of-dead-Frenchmen motif."
** Creator/TomBaker as Captain Rum in "[[Recap/BlackadderS2E3Potato Potato]]". "Arr..." (Although in the last two cases it's more of a One Episode Wonder.)
** Denis Lill as Sir Talbot Buxomley in "[[Recap/BlackadderS3E1DishAndDishonesty Dish and Dishonesty]]". He appears for about two minutes and dies at the end of his scene. But he is absolutely unforgettable.
* Creator/DannyTrejo on ''Series/BreakingBad'' as Tortuga, the cartel snitch. Technically in for two scenes, the second one being somewhat more memorable.
** The junkyard owner who saves Walt and Jesse from discovery by Hank in the third season and the arms dealer who sells Walt his gun in the fourth season also count.
** The everybro waiter who just wants everyone to enjoy the table guacamole and has no idea what's going on accentuates how there's is still an ordinary world that is now outside the Whites' frame-of-reference.
** Mike was originally intended as a one scene wonder, but Creator/JonathanBanks pulled it off well enough that he became an AscendedExtra, and eventually the {{Deuteragonist}} of the sequel, ''Series/BetterCallSaul''.
* The ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' episode "[[{{Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS7E7ConversationsWithDeadPeople}} Conversations With Dead People]]" features a very entertaining WarriorTherapist vampire who died at the very end of the episode. According to the DVDCommentary for the episode, Jonathan M. Woodward's performance as said vampire was such a scene stealer that he subsequently landed larger roles on ''Series/{{Angel}}'' and ''Series/{{Firefly}}''.
** Then there's producer David Fury's 15-second appearance in the musical episode "[[{{Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS6E7OnceMoreWithFeeling}} Once More, With Feeling]]", singing about the dry cleaner.
---> "They got the mustard... ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut!"
** And then there was the Cheese Man from "[[{{Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS4E22Restless}} Restless]]".
* The ''Series/{{Castle}}'' episode "Overkill" somehow manages to have ''two'' One Scene Wonders within ten minutes of each other, in the form of Stephen Full as Benny, a charmingly sleazy and hungover motel clerk, and Jennifer Hall as Rebecca, a weepy lab technician whose 'cry-talk' Beckett has to decipher.
** Drug dealer Vulcan Simmons appears in a three-minute scene in episode 3-13 "Knockdown" and isn't even guilty of the crime they believe he committed. He still manages to establish himself as a monster just by talking. [[OneSceneWonder See here]]. He'd be brought back in Season 6 [[spoiler:and killed off in that season]].
* When ''Series/TheColbertReport'' had [[ThePowerOfRock a guitar solo challenge]] between Creator/StephenColbert and Chris Funk of Music/TheDecemberists, there were guest stars galore. However none of them could compare to the brief appearance via satellite by none other than Dr. Henry Kissinger.
-->'''Stephen Colbert''': Dr. Kissinger, what time is it?\\
'''Henry Kissinger''': Stephen, [[RockMeAsmodeus it is time to rock]].
** Colbert said in an interview that they also wanted to [[LampshadeHanging lampshade]] the absurdity of having gotten Henry Kissinger to oversee a guitar-playing contest by having him say, "Where are my pancakes? I was promised pancakes." But he wouldn't, and according to Colbert, somewhere there exist several minutes of footage of him begging Kissinger to say the pancake line.
** Kissinger got another one in the [[http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x12u56m_stephen-colbert-invite-hugh-laurie-et-matt-damon-a-danser-sur-get-lucky-des-daft-punk_news "Get Lucky" music video]], with just one word. [[spoiler: "Security!"]]
** John Legend and his nutmeg song in the Christmas special.
** ''Series/TheDailyShow'' had a SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome involving [[http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-november-19-2009/gaywatch---peter-vadala---william-phillips Mick Foley]] defending a kid who supports gay rights.
* Try to find a season of ''Series/CriminalMinds'' that doesn't have at least one of these. The woman at the convenience store that grabs a shotgun in "Identity" is an example. The single-episode characters are usually so interesting that even the main actors have said in interviews that they wish they could guest star on their own show.
** The concept has carried over to SpinOff series ''Series/CriminalMindsBeyondBorders'', usually in the form of the local authorities that the IRT is coordinating with. [=S1E7=], "Citizens of the World", features a [[UsefulNotes/{{Morocco}} local]] policeman whose answer to everything is to beat someone up.
* ''Series/DoctorWho'':
** During the 1970s, Vega Nexos, a weird-looking alien killed off about five minutes into [[Recap/DoctorWhoS11E4TheMonsterOfPeladon "The Monster of Peladon"]], received disproportionate fame in the fandom thanks to being added to make up the numbers to a series of breakfast cereal trading cards.
** Cyril Luckham (the White Guardian) of the "Key to Time" storyline. He does nothing but sit in a chair and set up the plot for the season in the first five minutes of "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS16E1TheRibosOperation The Ribos Operation]]", but eerily sticks in your mind.
--->'''The Doctor:''' You mean nothing will happen to me?\\
'''White Guardian:''' Nothing at all. Ever.
** Creator/JohnCleese and Eleanor Bron's cameo in fan-favorite "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS17E2CityOfDeath City of Death]]" lasts for all of 30 seconds, but it's [[https://youtu.be/-EPLY9XG5nU exquisite]].
** The Raston Robot Warrior in "[[Recap/DoctorWho20thASTheFiveDoctors The Five Doctors]]", which makes the most of its screen-time by slaughtering a horde of Cybermen. (It's even better for those who regard the eighties Cybermen as an AudienceAlienatingEra.)
** The Special Weapons Dalek only makes a brief appearance in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS25E1RemembranceOfTheDaleks Remembrance of the Daleks]]" and a few small cameos in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS33E1AsylumOfTheDaleks Asylum of the Daleks]]" and "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS35E2TheWitchsFamiliar The Witch's Familiar]]". It has a huge fan base clamoring for a return.
** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS28E3SchoolReunion "School Reunion"]] has Creator/AnthonyStewartHead as the episode's one-shot villain, Mr Finch, delightfully switching between being a SoftSpokenSadist and ChewingTheScenery as the scene requires, and being an absolutely ''masterful'' ManipulativeBastard, who very nearly tempts the Doctor into joining him with what is either a brilliant sales-pitch born of genuine respect for the Doctor, or superbly playing on his ego. If it wasn't for Sarah-Jane Smith, he would have succeeded.
** "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E11Utopia Utopia]]" in the new series gets ''two'' of these. First is Creator/DerekJacobi's wonderful performance as Professor Yana, surpassed by Derek Jacobi again in his two-minute-long appearance as the Master.
** Creator/PeterCapaldi (or more accurately, his [[DeathGlare eyes]]) as the Twelfth Doctor in "[[Recap/DoctorWho50thASTheDayOfTheDoctor The Day of the Doctor]]".
** Creator/TomBaker as the Curator from that same episode.
* InUniverse example in ''Series/DrakeAndJosh''. In the episode "Theater Thug", while Josh portrays the eponymous character during a film at the movie theater, Drake portrays a typical bystander with just one line ("Whoa! Just take it easy, man!"), which gets him popular with the other girls just for that one line.
* ''Series/{{Extras}}'':
** The Creator/RobertDeNiro episode qualifies as this, since the sheer amazingness of having [=De Niro=] as one of the celebrity characters is lampshaded with a lot of gushing about how amazing it is that Andy is going to meet Creator/RobertDeNiro, and then subverted when he decides not to. In the end he's only in the show for a minute, and spends that minute being inordinately amused by a novelty pornographic pen. Needless to say, it's one of the most memorable guest spots of the series.
** The Music/GeorgeMichael scene from the Christmas special probably also qualifies. Although Michael is probably the biggest name in that show, he just wanders unexpectedly into the scene without any fanfare and not in his capacity as a celebrity, to deliver a hilarious performance centering on his own reputation for getting arrested for having sex in public places, which is simultaneously played straight (he drops by the "queer bench" in the park to ask if there's "any action") and subverted (he does this during his lunch break while on community service, which he's been sentenced to for... helping a fellow celebrity illegally dispose of a fridge-freezer).
** Creator/PatrickStewart appears for a single scene, in which he explains a screenplay he's writing wherein he plays a [[Film/XMenFilmSeries Professor Xavier]]-type character who uses his powers to make women's clothes fall off.
** Dame Creator/DianaRigg who is in two scenes. In the first she gets a condom flicked onto her head while she's eating soup, and instructs the perpetrator (Creator/DanielRadcliffe!) on how to politely ask for it back again. In the second she wearily tells him to go away because [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments he's been trying to hit on her all day]].
* [[CrazyIsCool Jubal Early]] in ''Series/{{Firefly}}'', who only appeared in [[Recap/FireflyE14ObjectsInSpace the last episode]] yet was perhaps the greatest part of an already great series.
* Two of the most acclaimed moments in S2 of ''Series/{{Fleabag}}'' revolved around these: Creator/FionaShaw as a counsellor and Creator/KristinScottThomas as the recipient of a Women In Business award with whom the title character forms a strong though transient connection.
* Series/{{Frasier}}:
** Creator/JohnGlover make a guest appearance as a high-powered executive at the radio station. And [[LargeHam It]]. [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments Is]]. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjWipjKclBY Glorious]]. The scene managed to earn Glover an Emmy nomination.
** Creator/PatrickStewart puts in a [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/LargeHam magnificently show-stealing turn]] as a one-off character in a [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Recap/FrasierS11E03TheDoctorIsOut final season episode]].
* Both ''Series/{{Friends}}'' and, more recently, ''Series/{{Skins}}'' make a habit of doing this for the main characters' parents. Chandler's dad steals most of his scenes, Joey's mum likewise for her single appearance, and perhaps the most memorable scene that had Creator/HughLaurie lecturing Rachel on the plane to Britain; meanwhile ''Skins'' had cameos from Harry Enfield, Creator/BillBailey, Creator/PeterCapaldi, Creator/ArabellaWeir, Creator/JosieLawrence...
* In the season one finale of ''Series/{{Fringe}}'' the fact that Olivia was in a parallel universe where the Twin Towers are still standing was heavily overshadowed by the fact that she'd just met the mysterious William Bell, played by Creator/LeonardNimoy.
** Nimoy as William Bell deserves some sort of minimalist record for this. He had two lines in the Season 1 finale, then showed up for less than a minute in a fragmented flashback to the same scene four episodes later, and then had another one-line cameo in the mid-season cliffhanger. Then, the character was conspicuously absent in the WholeEpisodeFlashback "Peter", with a lame excuse about being away on business, and then Nimoy retired from acting after filming one more appearance for season 2 [[spoiler:though he does reappear again briefly in the final episode of season four]].
* ''Series/GameOfThrones'': David Rintour shows up for all of five seconds, in a flashback as the Mad King, but he ''owns'' those five seconds, as he utters the three most iconic words in the ''Game Of Thrones'' backstory:
-->"Burn them all! BURN THEM ALL!"
* Pretty much any show where Creator/SummerGlau ends up being cast as a bit character ends up with her stealing the spotlight in her scenes. A good example is the ''Series/{{Angel}}'' episode "[[{{Recap/AngelS03E13WaitingInTheWings}} Waiting in the Wings]]".
** She appears AsHerself on a train in ''Series/TheBigBangTheory'', where the characters come up and try to hit on her one at a time. Her reactions to their awkward advances are hilarious.
** In the ''Series/{{Dollhouse}}'' episode "The Left Hand" (2x06), there is supposedly some ''other'' plot involving Echo and Senator Perrin, but it's hard to pay attention to that when you've got Creator/SummerGlau and Creator/FranKranz on the same screen together.
* On ''Series/{{Glee}}'', one of the most memorable one-scene wonders is Cameo, an unruly student from a flashback to Holly's past that explained why she became a free spirit.
-->'''Cameo:''' Tricks? You some kind of magician substitute? I'm a Christian, and that devil magic stuff OFFENDS ME!! (charges Holly and punches her lights out)
-->'''Holly:''' ''(in the present)'' I woke up to an empty classroom. And worse, they took my Air Jordans!
* ''Series/{{Heroes}}'':
** Creator/SethGreen and Creator/BreckinMeyer in as a pair of comic book store employees who have the "best day ever" when they briefly get to help one of their favorite characters.
** Creator/JohnGlover as [[spoiler:Samson Gray, Sylar's real father]].
** Creator/ChristopherEccleston's memorable turn as Claude Rains began as an EnsembleDarkHorse, but since he never returned and was only in 5-ish out of nearly 60 episodes, he has evolved into a much-loved OneSceneWonder.
*** One of the first words spoken by him in the show is a brilliant ShoutOut to his stint as [[Series/DoctorWho the Doctor]].
-->'''Claude:''' Fantastic!
* ''Series/HomicideLifeOnTheStreet'' features a lot of memorable characters played by great actors who pop up for a single episode.
** Creator/SteveHarris appears for two scenes in the pilot as a murderer who [[BlatantLies comes up with an obviously false alibi]] that Munch automatically sees through, [[BadLiar and then somehow comes up with an even more blatant lie]] when Munch interrogates him again.
** Gwen Verdon turns in a darkly comedic performance as an elderly woman who killed her abusive husband in "Ghost of a Chance" that netted her an Emmy nomination, which is all the more impressive since she only appears in three scenes.
** Creator/LuisGuzman as an eccentric cabinetmaker in "Son of a Gun". He's only around for one scene and kills himself shortly thereafter, but he makes a pretty good impression in his screentime.
** While she's TheGhost for most of her storyline, Calpurnia Church finally appears in person in "Son of a Gun" for a single scene. Mary Jefferson turns in a performance that's both vulnerable and creepy at the same time, nailing her performance as the frail old serial killer.
** Creator/PaulSchulze turns up in the same episode as a creepily amiable and icy "agent for hitmen".
** Dan Moran turns in a memorably eccentric performance as a fundamentalist abusive father in "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes".
** Lloyd Goodman only turns up in two scenes in "Bop Gun" as a regretful murderer, but they're some of the biggest {{Tearjerker}}s in the entire show.
** Creator/RobinWilliams turns in a brilliantly against type performance in "Bop Gun" as a grieving father whose wife's murder becomes the subject of a high-profile murder investigation.
** Creator/VincentDOnofrio's Emmy-nominated guest appearance in "Subway" as a man pinned between a train and a subway platform, doomed to die a painful death. He manages to make the character both a massive {{Jerkass}} and a Woobie of epic proportions.
* ''Series/ItsAlwaysSunnyInPhiladelphia'' has none other than a nearly-unrecognizable '''Creator/GuillermoDelToro''' buried under heavy makeup as the ranting, deranged Pappy [=McPoyle=], [[ChewingTheScenery screaming at the top of his lungs]] about [[EatsBabies eating his own children]] and having a complete mental breakdown in court. It truly must be seen to be believed.
* ''Series/JamAndJerusalem'': Creator/TimVine as a local politician who has NoIndoorVoice.
* Not exactly a One ''Scene'' Wonder, but in the fourth series of ''Series/JonathanCreek'' Creator/AdrianEdmondson turns up about once an episode and manages to steal every scene he's in as Carla's clueless, pretentious but strangely lovable producer/husband Brendan.
** Strangely lovable because he's so incredibly easygoing, not even blinking when Carla makes out with Jonathan (with full-on tongue action) right in front of him. Perhaps his best moment was admitting he'd once been married to a man in the US. But it was only a marriage of convenience! And they never had [[spoiler:a co-production deal]], because that would just be ''wrong.''
%%** Also from ''Series/JonathanCreek'' is one of Adam Klaus' [[GirlOfTheWeek girlfriends]], who sweetly kisses him, gives him a kimono, and waves goodbye as she gets out of the car. That's it. She doesn't get a name, or a single line. However, the whole cameo becomes HilariousInHindsight considering the Chinese calligraphy on the kimono reads: "I am full of shit." Adam wears it around the theatre all day long before a theatre critic who speaks fluent Chinese tells him what it says and that the girl who give it to him definitely has his measure. %%Possible cultural confusion -- kimonos are JAPANESE.%%
* Adam Arkin as Theo Tonin, TheDon of the Detroit Mob in ''Series/{{Justified}}''. [[OffstageVillainy Reputed]] to talk to a severed human ear when he's angry.
* Creator/BrianCox as Vesper Abaddon in ''Series/{{Kings}}''. A deposed tyrant, he has two scenes where he tries to make his captor, Silas, as vile as he is, and another where he speaks to TheHero, David, before he is to be executed. Scary as hell, incredibly complex, and has only a few minutes screentime.
* ''Series/TheLastOfUs2023'':
** Dr. Neuman, portrayed by Creator/JohnHannah, appears in the premiere for an original three minute scene as a mycologist on a talk show in the DistantPrologue. In those three minutes, he proceeds to give an utterly chilling breakdown as to why a fungal outbreak, like the one viewers are soon going to see, would be so terrifying and immediately sets the tone of dread for [[JustBeforeTheEnd the first half of the episode]] and the overall mood for the show.
** The Indonesian mycology professor Ratna and the Indonesian general Agus Hidayat (portrayed by renowned Indonesian performers, Christine Hakim and Yayu A.W. Unru, respectively) who show up in the prologue of the second episode set just before the outbreak have left a lasting impression on fans for showing the terror of the fungal outbreak as explained by Dr. Neuman, to the point that they have to resort to crossing a GodzillaThreshold to contain the infection, [[SenselessSacrifice which by that point was way too late]], [[ForegoneConclusion and that the end of human civilization cannot be avoided.]] [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff Needless to say, Indonesian audiences went wild on the scene.]]
* A 1994 episode of ''The Late Show With Creator/DavidLetterman'' had Dave ask "Johnny Carson" to deliver the Top Ten list. Larry "Bud" Melman delivered it posing as him. Then Dave said there was something wrong and this wasn't the list and called for "Johnny" again ... and out steps the ''real'' Creator/JohnnyCarson, to nearly three minutes of continuous standing ovation. He sat in Dave's chair, and left without saying a word. This turned out to be Johnny's last television appearance.
* In the third-season ''Series/LoisAndClark'' episode "Double Jeopardy", there's a seemingly throwaway scene where Luthor makes a back-alley deal with a rogue government agent. It's amazing.
* Whenever Charles Widmore is in an episode of ''Series/{{Lost}}'', he usually only has one scene, but that scene is always a killer.
** "The fact that she never received your sentiments is good for her, because as far as she's concerned you've forsaken her. And that's the way it's going to stay."
** "You creep into my bedroom in the dead of night, like a rat, and have the audacity to pretend that you're the victim?"
** "Walk with me, Desmond." (Cut to Desmond standing around awkwardly while Widmore uses a urinal)
** "One sip of [[=McCutcheon=] whiskey] is worth more than you can make in a month. What you are not, Mr. Hume, is worthy of drinking my whiskey. How can you ever be worthy of marrying my daughter?"
** His daughter Penny also qualifies. She shows up even less often than her dad, rarely has more than one or two scenes, but they're always important, and [[ThePowerOfLove the intensity of her love for Desmond]] always shines through, so much so that she and Des are among the most [[EnsembleDarkHorse popular couples]] in the entire show, despite their limited screen time together.
*** [[WhamLine "What boat?"]]
*** [[IWillWaitForYou Her Christmas Eve phone conversation with Desmond]] at the end of ''The Constant'' is one of '''the''' [[TearJerker most]] [[SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments popular scenes]] in ''the entire series!''
*** Her reunion with Des in the fourth season finale (her only scene in that two hour episode making it a literal example) [[SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments is a ray of hope and happiness]] in an otherwise [[CrapsackWorld grim episode.]]
* On ''Series/TheMaskedSinger'', several contestants who only last a single episode are more known than others either due to their SoBadItsGood performances, their [[UnexpectedCharacter shocking reveals]], or in one instance, a WardrobeMalfunction. So far, these include: Robot, Bear, Gremlin, Lips, Snail, Bulldog, Beach Ball, [=McTerrier=], Jack in the Box, Knight, Scarecrow, Gnome, and Rock Lobster.
* ''Series/{{Merlin|2008}}'' had the FisherKing, an ageless old king who has waited years for Merlin to arrive and release him from his eternal life. The actor (Creator/DonaldSumpter from ''Series/GameOfThrones'') infuses the character with so much gravitas and poignancy that he turns a single scene into a bona-fide tear-jerker. The lighting and music only adds to the epic nature of the scene.
* In ''Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers'', King Sphinx, a MonsterOfTheWeek, only appeared in one episode, and was never seen again in the franchise. Despite this, he was a favorite character in merchadise related to the show, such as toys, coloring books, posters, and sticker albums. (Supposedly, the character was ''supposed'' to make a return appearance, or possibly more than one, but WordOfGod claims that the monster suit had been damaged too much to be used again.)
** King Sphinx likely was given marketing prominence due to appearing in one of the original pilots, which is where many of the American products drew from (such as the outfits worn by the Ranger teens, used almost exclusively in the coloring books).
* A minor controversy erupted when the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences served up an extreme version of this in 2006, nominating Ellen Burstyn for an Emmy for her 14-second, 38-word cameo in the TV movie ''Film/MrsHarris''.
* Creator/JimHenson showing up in anything done with ''Franchise/TheMuppets'' is always special.
* In "Valentine's Day", a second-season episode of ''Series/TheOfficeUS'', Conan O'Brien appears in the background at Rockefeller Centre, as Michael is wandering around the streets of New York. Even funnier because Michael is watching a tall woman with glasses he thinks is Tina Fey.
* The BlindSeer from ''Series/OnceUponATime'', first appearing as a little girl and then a young woman over the course of a single episode. It's not only her stitched-up eyes or the fact that she has ''eye balls'' on the palms of her hands, but that she tells Rumplestiltskin a SelfFulfillingProphecy that pretty much kick-starts the plot of the ''entire show''.
** Zelena's adoptive mother is one simply because she is a loving, and above all normal, person. This helps make Zelena's backstory very realistic.
* ''Series/RedDwarf'':
** Mr. Flibble, a ''penguin hand-puppet'', visibly played and voiced by Creator/ChrisBarrie during the last scenes of "[[Recap/RedDwarfSeasonVQuarantine Quarantine]]", never to be seen or even mentioned in the show again... but he's one of the most popular supporting characters, almost to the point that you could consider him the show's mascot, and he's got [[http://www.reddwarf.co.uk/features/interviews/mr-flibble/ his own section]] on the show's official website, where he acts as an interview host.
** Lister's friend Petersen, who has appeared in only two episodes ("[[Recap/RedDwarfSeasonITheEnd The End]]" and "[[Recap/RedDwarfSeasonIIStasisLeak Stasis Leak]]") plus a few flashbacks in the first two series is nevertheless one of the most liked characters in the series. The fact he wasn't able to be brought back for Series VIII is a serious WhatCouldHaveBeen for most fans. Him being played by a pre-fame Creator/MarkWilliams is a factor in this.
* For about five minutes, ''Series/{{Riverdale}}'' stopped being an ComicBook/ArchieComics show and suddenly became a [[AmbiguouslyEvil Farmer]] [[ScaryBlackMan McGinty]] show. That's what happens when you give Creator/TonyTodd a sinister walk-on role, let him creep everyone out with chilling calm, and then leave.
* ''Series/RobinOfSherwood'': Every fan talks about John Rhys-Davies' performance as King Richard. He was in exactly one episode: "The King's Fool".
* Ian [=McNiece=] as the [[KentBrockmanNews Forum news reader]] in ''Series/{{Rome}}'' is just ''[[HamAndCheese grand.]]''
* Anyone who comes without previous warning in ''Series/SaturdayNightLive''. In an episode hosted by Creator/RoseanneBarr, "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqPiJ0L7YmY Coffee Talk with Linda Richman]]", there was a sketch which frequently discussed Creator/BarbraStreisand, and already had a guest appearance by {{Music/Madonna}}... then Babs herself appeared!
** One skit had an interview with Wilson the volleyball from ''Film/CastAway'' When the skit ended, Wilson said his ride was here and Creator/TomHanks casually walked onto the set. He didn't say anything, he just walked onset, stood there for two minutes waiting for the cheering to die down, picked up Wilson, and left. ''That'' is a One Scene Wonder.
** Another Tom Hanks example was his surprise appearance (AsHimself) on ''Celebrity Series/{{Jeopardy}}''. He wasn't hosting that night (Creator/WillFerrell was), but he came on to be one of the contestants. To say he blew the scene out of the water might have been an understatement. From getting his hand stuck in a pickle jar to suffocating in a plastic bag to banging his head off of the podium and ''breaking it'', let's just say SNL might need a new ''Jeopardy'' set; Tom Hanks is all done chewing it to bits.
** Creator/SteveMartin has made it a habit of just dropping in with no warning, often sending himself up as a major egotistical star and the crowd goes nuts every time. Once, Martin just showed up in the middle of "Weekend Update," saying he wasn't there to plug a movie or anything. "I just felt like a cameo."
** It is also a virtual certainty that if the show has any recurring feature that pokes fun at a specific actor or political figure the person being mocked will eventually show up in the middle of the feature and completely steal the scene. For example, one open had Creator/TinaFey as UsefulNotes/SarahPalin doing a press conference. In the middle of it, cut to backstage, where Lorne Michaels is talking to the ''real'' Sarah Palin about the skit...and then Creator/AlecBaldwin comes up and mistakes Palin for Fey.
*** Prior to Palin's appearance, the most memorable example was probably the time Janet Reno showed up unannounced to take over a "Janet Reno Dance Party" sketch from Creator/WillFerrell doing a Reno impersonation.
** For most of 1995-96, a recurring sketch would be "The Creator/JoePesci Show" with Jim Breuer as a Pesci who would talk like his movie characters, get nuts, and hit guys with a bat. Colin Quinn played Creator/RobertDeNiro as if it was still the 1970's and talk in "one-word sentences." It all ended with the real Pesci and [=DeNiro=] coming on to beat the two up.
** Jimmy Fallon would host the show in 2014, with musical guest Music/JustinTimberlake; the two naturally would participate in a ''[[Music/TheBeeGees Barry Gibb]] Talk Show'' sketch. At the ending theme of the sketch, the real Barry Gibb would sing the falsetto parts on the "Nights On Broadway"-soundalike theme song alongside Fallon and Timberlake.
** Not exactly a one ''scene'' wonder, but Creator/ChristopherWalken probably does deserve credit for managing to completely steal the show every time he hosts.
** When the real David Patterson appeared alongside Fred Armisen's impersonation. He criticizes the show for making fun of the blind...then proceeds to act the same as Armisen did
** The ''What Up With That'' faux-talk show/musical variety that Kenan Thompson hosts frequently has two special guests cameos of real celebrities playing themselves as if they were on a normal talk show. Those cameos are played straight and frequently steal the scene (though Creator/JasonSudeikis often steals it back). Cameos include UsefulNotes/AlGore, Creator/MikeTyson, Creator/MorganFreeman, Creator/RobinWilliams, Creator/BillOReilly, and Creator/SamuelLJackson, who used profanity on the live show.
*** OnceAnEpisode, one of the impersonated celebrities on ''What's Up With That'' is Music/FleetwoodMac guitarist Lindsay Buckingham, as played by Bill Hader. During one WUWT sketch, ''the real'' Lindsay Buckingham shows up in the end singing the theme song with the sketch participants and Hader!Lindsay, and play guitar.
* Susan's parents in ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}'' are far more interesting than they have any right to be. Her father because of his affair with [[GeniusBonus John Cheever]], and his mother because of her [[DeadpanSnarker downbeat caustic attitude]] during her first appearance. ("If I had a nickel for every one (of the books in the library) he's actually read... I'd be broke.")
** Mr Bookman, the library cop from "The Library".
* Mike Stamford in ''{{Series/Sherlock}}''. [[BadassAdorable Molly]] was supposed to be in one episode but England loved her so much, they expanded her role.
* David Rees Snell, who played AscendedExtra Ronnie Gardocki on ''Series/TheShield'', played season four BigBad Leon Drake, an evil [[Franchise/GIJoe Cobra Commander]]-type terrorist who was the BigBad for the fourth and final season of ''Series/TheUnit''. Despite appearing in only seven episodes (with most of those episodes featuring him in one or two scenes, barking orders to his army of minions from his secret lair), David Snell's role is largely the only notable thing about the show in the eyes of fans of Shawn Ryan's other, more famous show ''The Shield''.
** David Rees Snell pulled this off again with his role as the mysterious Navy Seal named Hopper in "Last Resort".
* ''Series/SonsOfAnarchy'' pulls this off a few times:
** In episode 2x12, despite featuring major advancement on most of the season's main storylines and one character's SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome, most of the online chatter about the episode centered around former ''Series/TheShield'' star Kenny Johnson's surprise cameo as an out-of-town member of the Sons of Anarchy biker gang summoned to help participate in a planned rumble with a rival Aryan gang.
** Another ''Series/TheShield'' cast member Creator/WaltonGoggins comes in later and steals the show as a transgender prostitute.
** Then there's the scene where Creator/StephenKing comes in to dispose of a body and outshines everyone with only a few lines of dialogue.
* There are a few examples during ''Series/SquidGame'':
** The first chapter of the series in the [[{{Recap/SquidGameS1E1RedLightGreenLight}} first game]], with players 324 and player 250. They were just in that episode, but with the death of 324 by losing the first game, we as an audience start to know where the show is actually going with.
** Although Ali (Player 199) becomes a recurrent cast member, his introduction was almost at the end of the first episode, by grabbing the main character just before falling., causing a major impact on the audience, to the point that they were cheering more on Ali to make it alive in the game.
** The married couple (Players 69 and 70), even when they appeared briefly during chapters 4 and 6 [[spoiler:(And only the husband in chapter 7)]], the audience will always remember them by how tragic they as a concept are, especially during chapter 6, when both have to play Marbles, [[spoiler: and only one of them comes out alive, leading it later to the partner's suicide.]]
** The Math Teacher in Chapter 7 (Player 62), who realized that it was impossible with all of the possibilities handed to pass the glass bridge, so he took a leap of faith, [[spoiler: only to get 3 steps right before falling]], giving the audience a moment to think in the fact that it was an almost impossible game.
** In the same chapter, we have the Glass Worker, which had a little advantage by guessing which glass step was which, also leading the rest of the cast to the end of the bridge. By making the VIP's to take the decision to take away the light, it shows the Audience that life wasn't fair, if it was for enjoyment for them, hiding in with the word "Equal"
* ''Series/StrangerThings'' Season 4 has Hawkins High cheerleader Chrissy Cunningham, who may as well be the TropeCodifier for this in more recent TV history, as never before in the show has a character whom only had a single episode with only a few minutes worth of screentime, gotten such adoration and love from fans (even Barbara by comparison at least had two episodes). Chrissy’s beautiful and adorably sweet personality seen in her scene with Eddie as well as her sympathetically severe personal troubles with an abusive mother and eating disorder, very quickly endeared her to people [[spoiler:despite the fact she’s killed by BigBad Vecna by the end of the first episode. Many [[WhatCouldHaveBeen wanted her to stay alive, become Eddie’s girlfriend and join the main cast, as she’d make a good foil to Nancy and Robin]]. Even the Duffer Brothers themselves who have always been committed to killing off secondary characters, [[https://www.screenspy.com/the-duffer-brothers-regretted-killing-off-chrissy-in-stranger-things/ explicitly regretted killing Chrissy]] after seeing how good her actor Grace Van Dien was in her scene with Joseph Quinn (Eddie) which they had filmed after her death where it was too late to change anything.]]
* Several examples in ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'': Lt. Riley, who appeared in only two episodes; [[GrandeDame T'Pau]] and [[ChildhoodMarriagePromise T'Pring]] from "[[{{Recap/StarTrekS2E1AmokTime}} Amok Time]]"; [[FollowInMyFootsteps Sarek]] and [[AmazinglyEmbarrassingParents Amanda]] in "[[{{Recap/StarTrekS2E10JourneyToBabel}} Journey to Babel]]"; the Romulan Commanders in "[[Recap/StarTrekS1E14BalanceOfTerror Balance of Terror]]" and "[[{{Recap/StarTrekS3E2TheEnterpriseIncident}} The Enterprise Incident]]"; Baalok from "[[{{Recap/StarTrekS1E10TheCorbomiteManeuver}} The Corbomite Maneuver]]"; the [[Recap/StarTrekS1E17TheSquireOfGothos Squire of Gothos]]; the [[SiliconBasedLife Horta]]. But above all there’s Khan Noonien Singh from “[[Recap/StarTrekS1E22SpaceSeed Space Seed]]”, although he became a BreakoutVillain.
* A few examples in ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'': Sonya Gomez, the famously bumbling junior engineer; Nick Locarno in "The[[{{Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS5E19TheFirstDuty}} The First Duty]]" (so much so that they wanted to use that character in ''[[Series/StarTrekVoyager Voyager]]'', but had to settle for just the actor); Robin Lefler (due to the fact that she was played by ''[[Creator/AshleyJudd Ashley fricking' Judd]]''); Commander Shelby in "[[{{Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS3E26S4E1TheBestOfBothWorlds}} The Best of Both Worlds]]"; [[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS6E10ChainOfCommand Captain Jellico and Gul Madred]] (played by Creator/RonnyCox and Creator/DavidWarner, respectively); etc.
** Creator/StephenHawking's appearance as his holographic self in the pre-credits scene of "[[{{Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS6E24S7E1Descent}} Descent]]". Not only was Stephen the first, and, thus far, the only person to appear AsHimself in a Trek production, but [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments he]] [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome wins]] his game of poker against Data and fellow holograms UsefulNotes/AlbertEinstein and Sir Isaac Newton.
* In ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'', there was the Klingon chef who owned a restaurant on [=DS=]9, and also played Klingon folks songs to customers on the accordion. (Actually appeared in two episodes, "[[{{Recap/StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS02E06Melora}} Melora]]" and "[[{{Recap/StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS02E17PlayingGod}} Playing God]]"; novels claim his name is Kaga, possibly meant as {{Homage}} to Chairman Kaga from ''Series/IronChef'', which debuted the same month as "Melora".)
* ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'' has a lot of these, and the show ran for so long, some of them returned years later.
** Sara, an early-season GirlOfTheWeek, often shows up in fanfics as Sam's LoveInterest. She did come back much later, but it was BackForTheDead.
** Jimmy, Castiel's vessel, features heavily in only one episode in Season 4 and has a short cameo in Season 10, but he also features in lots of fanfics.
** Pamela Barnes, the psychic and BlindSeer, makes a few brief appearances in Season 4 but remains a fan favorite due to her truth-telling and flirtatious nature. She returned for one more episode, in Dean's MentalWorld, in Season 15.
** [[spoiler: The fourth Horseman, Death]], played by Julian Richings, who manages to exude pure awesome simply by being there, despite roughly six minutes of screen time.
** Surprisingly, Creator/ParisHilton, who plays a shapeshifting demon that takes on her form. Said demon [[SelfDeprecation doesn't think too highly of her]].
** The Empty, as played by scenery-chewing Creator/MishaCollins, made a huge impression in part because, well WhatTheHellIsThatAccent.
* [[ViolentGlaswegian Jamie MacDonald]] is only in a handful of scenes in ''Series/TheThickOfIt'' (he doesn't even get his last name until TheMovie) but manages to be one of the most memorable characters in a show full of memorable characters.
** From the same series you also have Cal "[[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast The Fucker]]" Richards, who is only in half an episode but gets some of the best lines of the whole series.
* ''Series/TheThinBlueLine'': BRIGADIER BLASTER SUMP, DAMN YOU! (It's helped by the fact he's played by Creator/StephenFry).
* ''Series/TinkerTailorSoldierSpy'' and its sequel ''Smiley's People'':
** Creator/PatrickStewart as the BigBad. These being spy shows, the Russian superspy [[TheVoiceless who refuses to talk]] only appears in one scene of each, but he makes an impression.
** ''Smiley's People'' also features a memorable role from Creator/MichaelGough, better known as [[Film/Batman1989 Alfred Pennyworth]], who plays an Estonian refugee.
* ''Series/TheTudors'': Creator/PeterOToole as Pope Paul III only appears in some episodes, never interacts directly with the main cast (being as he is in ''Rome'' all the time), and completely steals the show.
** Also Christina of Milan and [[TheHeretic Anne Askew]].
* Creator/AlysonHannigan as Trina Echolls on ''Series/VeronicaMars'' might qualify. She shows up completely unexpectedly and completely dominates the intro scene with herself, Creator/KristenBell and Jason Dohring.
** And in a later episode she reunites with her ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' co-star Creator/CharismaCarpenter (Cordelia) playing Kendall Casablancas. Trina runs into Kendall after she just spent a night with Trina's brother Logan and they have a fun, catty conversation.
* Comedy actor Guillermo Francella ([[DyeingForYourArt without his trademark moustache]]) played the until then unseen BigBad of Argentine [[SoapOpera telenovela]] ''Vidas Robadas'': he appeared in three scenes in the last two episodes, and completely owned the show. To picture the impact of TheReveal, imagine: the MagnificentBastard head of a human trafficking net is finally seen on camera - and it's a completely serious and creepy-looking, say, ''Adam Sandler''.
* Creator/AlysonHannigan again in ''Series/That70sShow'', where she plays a cop [[LoveTriangle for whom Kelso and Fez immediately declare their love.]]
* President Bartlett was originally supposed to be a OneSceneWonder on ''Series/TheWestWing''; the show was meant to focus on the senior staff, with the President appearing maybe once a month or so to emphasize the distance between the man at the top and the people working for him out of the spotlight. But Creator/MartinSheen's performance was made of too much awesome, and on top of this it was decided that it would be silly to have a series set among the senior staff of the White House where the audience never saw the President, and so he got promoted to a member of the main cast.
** His appearance in the pilot (which was presumably filmed with the above intent) definitely counts, however; he only shows up at the very end, but when your first appearance involves bursting into a tense meeting between White House staff and religious leaders proclaiming "[[ItMakesSenseInContext I am the Lord thy God, thou shall have no other gods before Me. Boy, those were the days!]]" people are gonna remember it.
** Roger Rees as Lord John Marbury isn't quite a OneSceneWonder -- he was in five episodes over six years -- but you can't deny that he was disproportionately memorable in his few scenes as the LoveableRogue.
* Brother Mouzone in ''Series/TheWire'' only appeared in six episodes, most of them for just a few minutes, or seconds in the case of his introduction. An erudite, soft spoken, Harpers magazine reading, suit and bow tie wearing gentleman... who also happens to be one of the most feared and respected hitmen on the east coast, and whose popularity rivals some regulars.
* ''Series/TheXFiles'':
** Maggie Scully (Scully's mom) has a surprisingly large fanbase, despite only appearing quite briefly in a handful of episodes. It probably has something to do with the fact that she's such a nice, reasonable, ''normal'' person, especially when you compare her to Mulder's family. And of course, she has to [[TheWoobie put up with a lot]] in the show, including her husband [[spoiler:dying of a heart attack]], her daughter [[spoiler:being abducted by aliens and presumed dead]], her ''other'' daughter [[spoiler:being shot dead]], and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking her son being a total douche]].
** Cassandra Spencer, played memorably by Creator/VeronicaCartwright, is so central to the show's mythos, it's hard to believe she's only in 4 episodes.
** Creator/PeterBoyle as the one-off character Clyde Bruckman, in the episode "[[Recap/TheXFilesS03E04ClydeBruckmansFinalRepose Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose]]". One episode. Not an important episode. Not a character important to the myth arc. But he's one of the most memorable characters in the whole show, partly because it was one of the most highly-acclaimed episodes ever, and because...well... it's Peter Boyle.
* ''Series/TheExpanse'' has many memorable scenes, several featuring one-shot characters:
** "CQB": Martian Lt. Lopez (Greg Bryk) appears in two episodes. He's intense yet impersonal in the first, but in the second he exemplifies the ideal of a Martian military true believer in just a few minutes of screen time. Sharp and professional, he also aggressively proclaims the Martian dedication to their all-consuming mission of creating a livable planet, and keeps no secret of his contempt for the aimless wastefulness of Earthers. When helping the protagonists escape turns out to benefit Martian objectives, he and his squad [[spoiler:give their lives to get them away safely. His last words,]] with no sarcasm or bitterness, only hope: "It would've been nice to see an ocean on Mars."
** "The Monster and the Rocket": One of the most emotional scenes in the entire series features Champa (Gugan Deep Singh), a strong enforcer type initially desperate to escape the dying Ganymede space station along with a mob of other abandoned Belters.[[note]]Belters are generally working class asteroid belt residents, accustomed to being exploited by Earth or Mars. This typically gives them a cynical and often brutal outlook.[[/note]] Protagonist Naomi convinces Champa to control the mob and limit the evacuation to the 52 people the ship can carry. He gives an impromptu speech to muster the pride and grit of all the Belters present, then guards the door while children and young men and women are allowed to board. At the end [[spoiler:he turns down the seat Naomi bribed him with, telling her "you're not finished yet" as he pushes her into the ship. He watches stoically through the airlock window as Naomi tearfully nods and leaves with the rest of the survivors.]]
** Manéo Jung-Espinoza in "Delta-V" is the first human to fly into the Ring. Having been jilted by his girlfriend, he determines to do something massive that everyone will remember him by. His incredibly gruesome death, to the tune of a Belta language cover of "Highway Star" as he flies into the Ring only to be gruesomely deconstructed with his head ''exploding'' as he hits the "speed limit" of the ring is simultaneously heart-wrenching, darkly funny and shows a noble expression of human determination.

!Music
* Music/DireStraits's "Money For Nothing" is well known for the background singing that Music/{{Sting}} does in it. You know, "[[Creator/{{MTV}} I want my emmmmmmmm teeeeeeee veeeeeeeeeee.......]]" (in the same tune of "[[Music/ThePolice Don't Stand So Close To Me]]")
* Rockwell's [[OneHitWonder only hit]] "Somebody's Watching Me" featured Music/MichaelJackson (notably in the chorus).
* Music/TomWaits pitch-perfect turn as Tommy in Music/{{Primus}}' "Tommy the Cat."
* Music/{{Queen}}: Music/DavidBowie joining up for "Under Pressure". Steve Howe playing a relatively short (compared to Music/{{Yes}} and Asia standards) flamenco guitar solo on "Innuendo", which has become a classic and one loads of people around the world try to learn and replicate (oddly appropriate given that Brian May asked Steve to do it because he couldn't manage it). Also, the half-minute operatic section on "'Bohemian Rhapsody" is arguably one of the first things people recall about Queen in spite of being very different to 99% of things the band did before or since.
* On the Music/FrankZappa album ''Broadway the Hard Way'', Music/{{Sting}} comes on halfway through and performs "Murder by Numbers".
* Music/WeirdAlYankovic does this a lot.
** When Al did his pastiche of Music/FrankZappa, "Genius in France," for the album ''Music/PoodleHat'', who did he get to provide solos satisfactorily reminiscent of Frank's? Dweezil, the son of Frank Zappa.
** Music/BenFolds provides an ornate piano solo on the same album's "Why Does This Always Happen to Me?"
** And when he recorded a parody of Music/TheDoors ("Craigslist") for the ''Internet Leaks'' EP, he enlisted none other than Ray Manzarek to contribute the keyboard parts.
** On "Taco Grande" (a parody of Gerardo's "Rico Suave" which appears on the album ''Off the Deep End''), [[Creator/CheechAndChong Cheech Marin]] provides a Spanish spoken-word bridge.
** Creator/MaryKayBergman performs less than two seconds of "Pretty Fly For A Rabbi" on ''Running With Scissors''. Specifically, the "for a rabbi" before the second verse.
** From UHF, we have the Beverly Hillbillies theme, which is a parody of Money For Nothing. Fitting, then, that Mark Knophler from Dire Straits plays lead guitar on the track. (Weird Al says Knopfler gave his permission only if he could play on the track.)
* [[TheEighties 80's]] pop singer Tiffany had a surprise guest appearance by rapper [[Music/BoneThugsNHarmony Krayzie Bone]] on the song "I'm Not Sleeping," on her 2001 "come back album" Color Of Silence''.
* [[Music/GunsNRoses Slash's]] guitar solos on Music/{{TLC}}'s "Red Light Special" song.
* Music/BoneThugsNHarmony's guest appearance on Music/MariahCarey's ''Butterfly'' album, the most jarring however being ODB on her previous record.
* Anytime two highly acclaimed rappers team up, and make a legendary memorable collaboration. [[http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/editorials/id.1374/title.murdered-on-your-own-shit This]] article explores the phenomenon in more detail.
** Music/{{Eminem}} is so infamous for upstaging other artists in his features that a rapper getting [[CurbStompBattle generously outrapped]] by their guest rapper is called ''getting renegaded'', in reference to Em stealing the scene on Music/JayZ's "Renegade". (Nas mentioned this on his Jay-Z DissTrack, "Ether"' - "''Eminem murdered you on your own shit!''") Renegading other rappers has become a major part of Eminem's persona.
*** Eminem on Music/FiftyCent's "Patiently Waiting".
*** Eminem on Music/{{The Game|Rapper}}'s "We Ain't" even has Game reference "Ether" after going back to his verse -- "''Lo, get Dre on the phone quick -- tell him Em just killed me on my own shit!''" Game would later regret this statement after dissing Eminem for attention in 2022.
*** Eminem showing up Music/KanyeWest, Music/{{Drake}} and (arguably) Music/LilWayne on "Forever" was enough to serve as a CareerResurrection for him after taking years off to deal with a drug addiction in between dropping two [[VindicatedByHistory initially]] reviled albums. Notably, both Kanye and Drake rewrote their verses extensively just to avoid getting blown off the track, and still failed. "Forever" became a sports anthem, but people generally only rap Eminem's verse. After appearing to perform his verse live with Drake on the Detroit leg of his tour, Drake ended the song by prostrating himself before Eminem, acknowledging the winner. Eminem bragged about this in 2010's "No Love", where he mocks other rappers for having to rewrite their verses to keep up with him, and also in 2018's "Fall", where he brags, "''the fans waited for this moment like that feature when I stole the show... sorry if I [[{{Pun}} took forever]]''".
*** Eminem on Music/LilWayne's "Drop the World" is generally considered either: the highlight of ''Rebirth'', the only good part of ''Rebirth'', or one of only two good parts of ''Rebirth'' (the other being Music/NickiMinaj's verse).
*** Eminem on Music/{{Nas}}'s "EPMD 2" is also generally considered to be the high point of the well-received album, and was even [[https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/eminem-curtain-call-2/ cited]] by ''Pitchfork'' as an example of great music made by Eminem in his uneven midlife career.
** Bone appearing on Biggie's "Notorious Thugs" track, which is considered a classic.
** 2pac appearing on Bone's "Thug Luv" track months after he died.
** Phil Collins showing up in Bone's music video for "Home".
** Nas and AZ appearing together on the track "Life's A Bitch" on the classic ''Illmatic'' album
** Jay-Z on Biggie's "I Love The Dough" song from his ''Life After Death'' cd.
** Music/NickiMinaj's verse in Music/KanyeWest's "Monster". Ye initially didn't want to include the song as he was ashamed of how badly he had been outrapped, but eventually swallowed his pride to go through with it.
* A rarer-example of the above example is when [[AWildRapperAppears a high-profile rapper appears as a featured artist on a pop or R'n'B (or occasionally more left-field) song.]]
** Music/KanyeWest on Estelle's "American Boy"
** Music/JayZ on Music/{{Rihanna}}'s "Umbrella" - has the first verse (lasting less than a minute) and disappears for the rest of the song (and album, since "Umbrella" opened up ''Good Girl Gone Bad'')
* Whenever [[Music/{{Outkast}} Andre 3000]] turns up on a track, you know he's gonna leave the rest of the song (and arguably album) in his wake.
** RickRoss' "Sixteen"
** Kelis' "Millionaire"
** Gorillaz' "[=DoYaThing=]"
** Andre 3000 is even capable enough to be a on songs from ''[[Music/OutKast his own group]]''. ''Mamacita'' and ''Y'All Scared'', two rather generic, guest-driven tracks from ''Aquemini'' that are generally considered as AlbumFiller, have Andre 3k stealing the spotlight and completely reworking the message on both of them.
* Music/MariahCarey doing back up vocals for Music/{{Babyface}} on a track called "Every Time I Close My Eyes".
* Creator/JamieFoxx's video for "Blame It" has scores of celeb appearances. Creator/AshleyScott from ''Series/Jericho2006'', Creator/RonHoward, Creator/ForestWhitaker, Creator/JakeGyllenhaal, Creator/SamuelLJackson, Music/QuincyJones, Creator/CedricTheEntertainer, Creator/MorrisChestnut, Clifton Powell, Alex Thomas, [=DeRay=] Davis, Joe (R&B singer), Mos Def, Tatyana Ali, Jalen Rose, Bill Bellamy, Electrik Red, Dawn Richard, Keshia Knight Pulliam and [=LeToya=].
* Eddie Music/VanHalen providing the guitar solo for Music/MichaelJackson's "Beat It".
** Also [[Music/GunsNRoses Slash]] on "Give In to Me" and [[Music/BillyIdol Steve Stevens]] on "Dirty Diana."
* Creator/VincentPrice for the [[SpokenWordInMusic closing speech]], and the [[EvilLaugh laugh]], in "Music/{{Thriller}}".
** Not to mention his [[SpokenWordInMusic opening speech]] in Music/AliceCooper's "Black Widow" a decade earlier.
* Music/{{Avantasia}}: [[Music/{{Kamelot}} Roy Khan]] on "Twisted Mind" from ''The Scarecrow'', [[Music/ScorpionsBand Klaus Meine]] on "Dying for an Angel" from ''The Wicked Symphony''.
* Clare Torry's wordless wails on Music/PinkFloyd's "The Great Gig in the Sky," on ''Music/TheDarkSideOfTheMoon.'' On an album that is completely full of awesome, she is possibly the most awesomest part of it.
** Not the only example from Music/PinkFloyd: The Judge from the song The Trial from ''Music/TheWall'', who only appears in that song, and only for the last minutes or so.
** Roy Harper singing on "Have A Cigar" also counts.
* Music/EricClapton's guitar solo on Music/TheBeatles' "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", and in turn, Music/GeorgeHarrison's rhythm guitar playing on Music/{{Cream}}'s "Badge".
* In turn, Music/EltonJohn plays piano, organ and sings backing vocals on "Whatever Gets You Thru The Night" by Music/JohnLennon, and John playing guitar and singing backing vocals on Elton's cover of Music/TheBeatles' "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" They made a bet that if both got to number one, they would appear in concert together, which came true in 1974, when Lennon appeared onstage at an Elton show in Madison Square Garden to sing both songs and "I Saw Her Standing There". [[TearJerker It would prove to be Lennon's last public concert performance]].
* Music/BlakeShelton in Cady Groves' "This Little Girl" music video. He plays a towtruck driver who tows Cady's car while she is still inside it.
* Ian Knutson wrote less than 1/4 of "Religion Song (Put Away The Gun)" by EverythingElse.
* Sandy Denny's vocals on Music/LedZeppelin's "The Battle of Evermore", the only guest vocalist on any Zeppelin song. Played live the part was usually sung by John Paul Jones.
* Music/DavidCrosby and Music/PhilCollins flipflopped this trope; Crosby sang backup on Collins' "Another Day In Paradise", while Collins returned the favor on Crosby's song "Hero".
* [[Music/TheYardbirds Jimmy]] [[Music/LedZeppelin Page]]'s guest performance as the lead guitarist on [[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michel_Polnareff Michel Polnareff]]'s "[[https://youtu.be/JDkVjrYNyLo La Poupeé Qui Fait Non]]" is an incredibly emotional performance to remember.

!Religion
* OlderThanFeudalism examples from ''Literature/TheBible'':
** Very little is actually written about St. Joseph of Nazareth, the husband and protector of the Virgin Mary and the adoptive father of Christ, and little is known of the past of this "just man". Still, his importance is well-recognized. He is venerated as a saint in the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Anglican, and Lutheran faiths. In Catholic and other traditions, he is the patron saint of workers and has several feast days. In 1870, Pope Pius IX declared him to be the patron saint and protector of the Catholic Church.
** Similarly, the Virgin Mary. All we know about her is that she was a young peasant girl who was engaged to Joseph and (with her consent) experienced a MysticalPregnancy. Beyond that, she doesn't have much characterization in the Biblical text itself; most of the popular interpretations of her character and [[BeautyEqualsGoodness appearance]] came from [[WordOfDante various theologians in the Catholic Church]].
** Serah is a two-scene wonder. In Genesis she is listed among Jacob's descendents going down to Egypt--notably, she seems to be the only girl (possibly aside from Dinah) among more than fifty grandsons. Later the Book of Numbers lists the various clans who left Egypt and, instead of mentioning her descendents, simply says "and Serah was the daughter of Asher." This has led to the interpretation that she lived through the whole, centuries-long Egyptian diaspora and returned to the Holy Land, spawning Jewish legends of her being immortal. Later unnamed women in the Bible, such as the Wise Woman of Abel, are sometimes said to be Serah.
** Dinah, Jacob's only known daughter. She only gets one scene wherein she is either raped or has consensual sex with (the text is unclear) the Schechemite prince and then avenged by her brothers, and it's not known what becomes of her afterwards.
** From the ''Literature/BookOfEsther'', Xerxes' original queen, Vashti. Her only role is to refuse a summons to the banquet her husband was throwing (because, it is said, that he asked her to show up wearing ''only'' her crown) and to be subsequently divorced and deposed for it. (It is not known what happened to her afterwards.)
** Another from the ''Literature/BookOfGenesis'': A Canaanite PriestKing named Melchiezedek. He is noted for giving Abraham and Sarah some food and blessing them, and for acknowledging their {{God}}. Although it's not clear whether Melchiezedek was a ''true'' monotheist, or whether he merely worshipped El as [[KingOfGods the chief deity of a larger pantheon]]. He's sometimes considered to be an early stand-in for UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}}, especially since some deuterocanonical sources like the Dead Sea Scrolls portray him as a powerful angel, performing duties more commonly ascribed to Jesus (judging the dead) and ArchangelMichael (battling {{Satan}}).
** From the ''Literature/BookOfRevelation'' come the HorsemenOfTheApocalypse. They're only in one chapter and get one line of description apiece, but they're the one thing ''everyone'' knows about the Christian end of the world.
** [[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longinus Longinus, the Roman soldier who stabbed Christ with a spear]] takes this up to eleven. Dude doesn’t even get a ''name'' in the Bible, yet he is a saint in the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, and Armenian Apostolic Church. Almost everything about him comes from extra-Biblical sources and various theologians. And the spear he stabbed Jesus with has become famous in its own right as the [[PublicDomainArtifact Spear of Destiny]], which has been sought after by everyone from Crusader knights to the Nazis and appears all over the place in fiction.
** Elihu, Job's righteous friend, only shows up briefly, late in the ''Literature/BookOfJob''. He is never even alluded to before and his only role is to deliver a lengthy monologue which sums up the theme of the book. Afterwards, he abruptly disappears and is never mentioned again. Even when God shows up to all but say that Elihu was right, Elihu is essentially treated as if he had never even existed. Still, his monologues are considered one of the most, if not the most, important part of the book.
* Myth/ClassicalMythology has the snake god Ophion and the sea goddess Eurynome, a GodCouple who are given an offhand mention in some version of the creation myth as briefly ruling the world between [[AnthropomorphicPersonification the Protogenoi]] and the Titans before being overthrown by the latter. They've prompted a great deal of speculation, including theories that they were the original heads of the pantheon before the violent suppression of their worshipers, hence their quick defeat in the recorded myth.

!Theatre
* In the Creator/IanMcKellen[=/=]Judi Dench version of Creator/WilliamShakespeare's ''Theatre/{{Macbeth}}'', Ian [=McDiarmid=] completely steals the show with his Porter Speech. Shakespeare originally wrote the character for this type of performance.
* The Ghost of King Hamlet is often done this way. Some reports suggest that the role was originally played by Shakey himself.
** The First Gravedigger (or "Clown") in ''Theatre/{{Hamlet}}'' was written this way because Shakespeare may have been trying to showcase his best comedic actor going head-to-head with his best dramatic actor.
* The First Servant from ''Theatre/KingLear'' appeared in only one scene just long enough to defend Gloucester and get killed, but has been called one of Shakespeare's most noble characters, and even has [[http://shakespeare.wikia.com/wiki/First_Servant_in_King_Lear a poem]] written about him.
* Richard Henry Lee's biggest contribution to American independence was proposing it to the continental congress, before he had to leave. This means the character based on him in ''[[Theatre/SeventeenSeventySix 1776]]'' had a small role. Nonetheless, his character and song "The Lees of Old Virginia" were memorable enough to win a Tony for actor Ron Holgate.
-->'''[[LargeHam HELLOOOOOOOOOOOOOO JOHNNY!]]'''
* Much of Brian "Le Petit" Dewhurst's role in Creator/CirqueDuSoleil's ''Mystere'' comes before it actually starts, as he handles a preshow while the ushers finish seating the audience; in the show proper he only appears in the opening sequence, a blackout skit, and a ten-or-so-minute setpiece in the final half-hour. (Usually in Cirque, a clown gets at least two in-show setpieces and often the preshow too; his role is smaller because one of the lead characters, Bebe Francois, overlaps with a clown act.) In fact, his character is a screwball who isn't "actually" part of the proceedings; he rarely appears in advertisements for it. But he is also a CoolOldGuy (in both the show and RealLife) who just about steals the show -- and there is ''a lot'' to steal -- with his antics and the bond he establishes with said audience from the preshow onwards.
* In ''Theatre/MButterfly'', there is a two-scene sequence when one of the main characters picks up a debutante at an embassy party. In the second scene -- which takes place the "morning after" their tryst -- the debutante casually tells him "you have a nice weenie." When she sees he's uncomfortable with that particular pet name for a penis, she launches into a COMPLETELY HYSTERICAL monologue which distills the entire history of Western Civilization down into a dick-measuring contest, and then she walks offstage and is never seen again.
* [[BlindSeer Tiresias]] from ''Theatre/{{Antigone}}'' may be the UrExample. He gets exactly one scene near the end of the play, during which time he delivers an incredibly ominous, creepy monologue about the doom that Creon has brought upon Thebes, expertly deconstructs [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech how badly Creon has screwed things up]], insults him ''to his face'', and walks offstage [[RefugeInAudacity suffering no repercussions whatsoever.]] Not only that, but he's one of the only people still alive at the end.
* There are a number of instances of this in musical theatre: characters who come on for one quick scene which either contains or consists entirely of one big show-stopping number, and then never appear outside of the ensemble for the rest of the show.
** The musical version of ''{{Film/Footloose}}'' features Cowboy Bob, who sings the IrrelevantActOpener ''Still Rocking'', which [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin rocks]], hits on Rusty (the secondary love interest), and is never heard from again. Bob still manages to get ridiculous applause.
** The unnamed girl in ''Theatre/WestSideStory'' who appears in the middle of the DreamBallet to sing "Somewhere."
** Berthe in ''{{Theatre/Pippin}}'' is one of the most classic examples of this.
** Grandma in ''Theatre/BillyElliot'' is a very popular recent instance.
** The Young Soldier in ''{{Theatre/Parade|1998}}'' is considered by some to be one of the best roles in the show, despite being onstage for only the first three minutes, and even that is only the first half of the first song.
*** As established by original Broadway production precedent, The Young Soldier is often doubled with another small role, Fiddlin' John.
*** Since the Donmar Warehouse Production, which brought a few substantial changes such as cutting/adding characters, scenes and songs; Fiddlin' John is no longer in the show. However, there is room for the Young Soldier to double with Frankie (a supporting role) as was done in the Donmar Production.
** An argument could be made that the Proprietor in ''Assassins'' fits this trope. It really depends on the production; sometimes he shows up only in the opening number, sometimes he makes appearances throughout the show.
** Jonathan Freeman got himself a Tony nomination for playing the Headwaiter in ''Theatre/SheLovesMe''. Enough said.
** Eddie in ''Theatre/TheRockyHorrorShow''.
** Richard Henry Lee from ''Theatre/SeventeenSeventySix'' would not technically qualify, due to having a little more to do than just that one scene and number. The embodiment of this trope, however, is Martha Jefferson. An actress who played Martha in a local production put it something like this: "I get to go on, make out with a handsome man for a little while, have a cute little scene, belt out a show-stopping song and chill backstage the whole rest of the time. That's a great gig."
*** Also noteworthy is the courier, who runs on and offstage every once in a while to deliver missives, but only has anything substantial to do during the (surprisingly low-key) final scene/song of Act One, "Momma, Look Sharp".
** The Teen Angel in ''Theatre/{{Grease}}''. In Broadway and touring productions, StuntCasting is often used for this role (the 2009 U.S. tour cast Taylor Hicks from ''Series/AmericanIdol'', for example); Frankie Avalon played him in the movie version.
** King Herod in ''Theatre/JesusChristSuperstar''.
*** Speaking of Herod, the appearance of Herod (not the same as Herod I) in ''Film/ThePassionOfTheChrist'' was one hell of a scene stealer, if only for how [[MoodWhiplash outrageously over-the-top]] the character and his little Egyptian mini-harem was.
** In ''Show Boat'', Joe does very little except sing "Ol' Man River" at the end of the first scene. (One advertisement for the original production bills his actor only as the singer of "Ol' Man River," while crediting the other featured players by their characters' names.) He actually also appears in a few later scenes, but those are mostly excuses for him to reprise the song. When Paul Robeson played Joe in the 1936 film version, an extra song was written for him.
** Nimue in ''{{Theatre/Camelot}}''. May appear onstage or sing her one song from the wings, depending on the production.
** The trio of strippers in ''{{Theatre/Gypsy}}'' who explain to Louise why "You Gotta Get A Gimmick."
** Daddy Brubeck and the other "Rhythm of Life" Church members in ''Theatre/SweetCharity.'' Also doubles as an IrrelevantActOpener.
** Steve in ''Paint Your Wagon''. He does nothing at all, except sing the show's big hit song.
** The title role in ''The Mikado''. He has the top billing in the show, yet he's only in three songs in Act 2.
** Don Attilio in the "Il Muto" scene from ''Theatre/ThePhantomOfTheOpera'' basically exists just for the atmosphere, yet he often nets [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments one of the biggest laughs in the show]] by holding a very long, ''very'' low note at the end of one of his recitatives. (Note that the actor in this role usually doubles on one or two other minor parts as well.)
*** And then in the movie, they have the nerve to change it to Piangi playing the part. And Piangi being a tenor, kiss that low note goodbye.
*** The Phantom himself to an extent. Despite being the most complex and interesting character in the musical by a ''huge'' margin--not to mention being the ''titular character,''--he's only onstage for about forty minutes of its two-and-a-half hour running time. Of course, his seemingly supernatural abilities and established ScoobyDooHoax help him retain an invisible yet palpable presence throughout the entire production.
** Pharaoh in ''Theatre/JosephAndTheAmazingTechnicolorDreamcoat''. One scene, one song, a solo spot in the curtain call with usually the most applause of anyone in the cast.
*** Usually the role is doubled with Potiphar (who only appears in act one). Of course to do this, an actor has to do an English Music Hall Song, and then do Elvis (that's pretty awesome).
** Still on Andrew Lloyd Webber territory: the evicted mistress of Juan Peron in ''{{Theatre/Evita}}'', which does nothing but being insulted by Eva, sing "Another Suitcase in Another Hall" (which was designed from the start to be a show-stopping ballad) and leave. The level of dissonance between the importance of the character and the success of the song is such, that for the movie version the poor girl has to make do with singing two lines from the chorus and the song is retconned into being sung in full earlier by Madonna in the title role.
** ''Follies'' is full of these: Stella and "Who's that Woman", Heidi and "One More Kiss", Hattie and "Broadway Baby", but above all, Carlotta with "I'm Still Here". Yvonne De Carlo was the original Carlotta, and frequently the most famous star in a Follies cast will be the Carlotta.
** ''Theatre/EvilDeadTheMusical'' features the character of Ed, who is constantly interrupted, and only gets in one or two words at a time until the number "Bit Part Demon". Outside of this, however, Ed is indeed, a glorified extra.
** ''The Cradle Will Rock'', a Mark Blitzstein musical, has Ella Hammer, the sister of a worker who died in the steel factory, sing only one song, and hers is the song everyone is talking about as they're leaving the theatre.
** Melba has really one purpose in ''Pal Joey'': to appear in a scene which ends with her singing (and sort of stripping to) "Zip!" This was a small enough part that Elaine Stritch could be playing it in New Hampshire and simultaneously be on call as Ethel Merman's understudy in another show on Broadway.
** The priest in ''Theatre/ManOfLaMancha'' gets one of the best songs, "To Each His Dulcinea", and then fades back into the crowd of inmates/actors. He's also usually played by a very crazy, mute inmate.
** Likewise, the prostitute Saraghina in ''Nine'' doesn't have much to do but gets to sing "Be Italian," by far the most memorable number in the show..
*** In the film version, this role was brilliantly given to Fergie from the Black-Eyed Peas.
** The irrelevant comic relief characters Dick and Mae appear twice in ''Street Scene'', but their second appearance hardly counts. Their first appearance was not so interesting in the original play, which didn't give them the show-stopping number "Moon-Faced, Starry-Eyed."
** The character [=Marge MacDougall=] from the musical ''Promises, Promises'' is introduced near the beginning of the second act, gets one duet with the male lead, has almost no importance plot-wise, and exits the story almost as abruptly as she came in, never to be heard from again. However, the character is so popular that both of the actresses who potrayed her on Broadway won Tony Awards for Best Featured (Supporting) Actress.
*** Do you like my owl?
** Mama from ''Memphis'' may qualify for her showstopping "Change Don't Come Easy" song. Though she is a frequent character and sings more than once, "Change Don't Come Easy" particularly stands out.
** Piragua Guy of ''Theatre/InTheHeights''. He gets two entire solo songs to himself, and yet does not interact with the main cast in any significant way, except for trying to sell them a piragua. Sure, he's in the background of some songs, and gets single lines here and there in them (in "Breathe", "96,000", "Blackout", "Carnival Del Barrio", and "Finale", for example), but he doesn't actually ''do'' anything. Doubles as a CreatorCameo for Creator/LinManuelMiranda in the film adaptation.
** Like the above example, King George III of ''Theatre/{{Hamilton}}'' shows up partway through Act I to sing "You'll Be Back". He then reappears near the end of Act I for a quick reprise, and again halfway through Act II for another. Aside from a brief appearance in "The Reynolds Pamphlet" for some reason, he does not appear in the rest of the show or interact with the rest of the cast in any significant way. He likely isn't even aware of the existence of Alexander Hamilton, the ''main character'', until partway through Act II.
* In 1956, Julie Newmar's career was launched when she became an overnight sensation by playing Stupefyin' Jones, a small role with no dialogue, in the Broadway production of ''Theatre/LilAbner'' (and later [[Film/LilAbner the film adaptation]])
* Herbert in ''Theatre/TanzDerVampire''. He has ''one line'' in the first act, appears wordlessly (except for some singing over a backing chorus) in the second scene of the second act, proceeds to have a showcase song/scene full of HoYay with the hero that is generally regarded as one of the funniest (or sexiest, [[YaoiFangirl if you like that sort of thing]]) parts of the whole show a few scenes later, and then is demoted to harmonizing on two lines with his father at the ball and with Magda in the finale, and yet he is probably at least the second- if not THE- most popular character in the show, with one reviewer commenting that it's hard not to squee when he shows up, ''even if you don't like the actor playing him''. The actor doesn't even double in the ensemble scenes before Herbert's entrance.
** Vindication: [[http://www.musicalvienna.at/index.php/en/home/article/32203 This article]]- ''from the producers of the show''- calls Herbert ''Tanz'''s "arguably the most popular figure".
* The goose from ''Theatre/WarHorse''. Although mostly PlayedForLaughs, it's still one of the brilliant puppets used in the show and gets its own round of applause at the curtain call.
* Harvey Johnson, the nerdy kid from the opening number of ''Bye Bye Birdie'', is easily the most memorable character from the whole play, despite having about three lines.
* ''Theatre/TheTwentyFifthAnnualPutnamCountySpellingBee'' has the moment where [[spoiler:JESUS himself]] comes down to give advice to one of the children in their time of need.
* Pretty much any of the numbers from ''Theatre/{{Cats}}'' count, with the exception of those involving [[TheWoobie Grizzabella]].
* Rusty Charlie in ''Theatre/GuysAndDolls''. He seems to be stuffed into the opening song with Benny and Nicely only then to disappear and not have any lines or songs the rest of the show.
** Big Julie. He's basically there to steal the entire sewer craps game scene out from under Sky and Nathan - and succeeds, depending on how good your Sky's "Luck Be a Lady" is.
* The very beautiful aria [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-UQt5HXWnQ "Di rigori amato"]] from ''Theatre/DerRosenkavalier'' is sung by a character called "An Italian Singer" who comes in, sings the aria, is interrupted and leaves, not to be seen again.
* Wolfram von Eschenbach from ''Tannhaüser'' by Music/RichardWagner is mainly in the opera to act as MrExposition and foil to the title character - oh, and to sing THE big, showstopping Wagner aria: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdjKH5u9urc "O Du mein holder Abendstern"]].
* With the exception of the oldest (Jacob) and youngest (Robert), the Anderson brothers in the musical ''Theatre/{{Shenandoah}}'' aren't really what you'd consider "big parts", though they do spend a lot of time on stage in the background. Except that they do get to perform the show-stealing song "Next to Lovin' (I Like Fightin')".
* The Hermit in ''Theatre/DerFreischuetz'' doesn't even appear until halfway through the second-act finale, whereupon he guides the plot to its ultimate resolution.

!VideoGames
* The Weighted CompanionCube from ''VideoGame/{{Portal}}'' is one of the game's most famous icons and is prominent in the game's merchandise, as well as a popular subject in fan art. The companion cube does not speak or move or threaten to stab you and only appears in a single level of the game, but is much more well-known than the protagonist, Chell. Hell, it even got a [[CompanionCube trope]] named after it!
** The defective personality cores in the last act of ''VideoGame/Portal2''.
*** [[AC: "Spacespacespacespace! Spaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaace!"]]
*** [[AC: "Y'know what I hope is in space? Fire. I hope you go to space, and you catch on fire."]]
*** [[AC: "The probability of you dying violently in the next 5 minutes is 87.61%."]]
* In ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry5'' The wounded soldier Nero talks to, nicknamed by Nero and summarily dubbed by the fanbase "Crew Cut," is inexplicably popular. It probably has something to do with the fact that he's a normal person caught in the madness of Devil May Cry, becoming something of an AudienceSurrogate for the fans in the process. Fans were enthralled to see him alive (whether or not he's kicking is up in the air) [[FreezeFrameBonus in the background of a gameplay sequence in the Gamescom trailer]]. The TGS trailer [[AscendedExtra further alluded to him]], with Nico referring to a "Soldier Boy" who told her that the city's HellOnEarth problem is worldwide.
* Creator/PatrickStewart in The ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion''. Apart from his opening cutscene voiceover, he had maybe 10 minutes of screen time as the Emperor before being killed. Creator/SeanBean gets about 30. The only reason there are so few other voice actors in the game is because they blew an inordinate amount of their budget to get him for that one role.
* ''VideoGame/Fallout3'':
** Creator/LiamNeeson lends his voice talent to the main character's father although most of the main quest centers around your father, he only appears in the very beginning of the game and for a brief period in the third act. Tragic, really.
** Also, Creator/MalcolmMcDowell's performance as President Eden is brief but brilliant, and it wouldn't be ''Fallout'' without Creator/RonPerlman's intro: "War. War never changes."
** Harold, the mutant from the previous two games who had a plant sprouting out of his head by the second, makes an appearance for a sidequest in the third, the plant on his head turning into a full-blown tree with Harold stuck inside.
* [[DrillSergeantNasty Sergeant Dornan]] in ''VideoGame/Fallout2'', one of the most memorable NPC's despite being little more than an extra. Despite his relative insignificance to the plot (you can rather easily bypass him at camp Navarro), the Sarge's got a "talking head" and voice acting which [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkKkHmFOfKE must be heard to be believed.]]
* The Goomba's Shoe from ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros3'' is one of, if not ''the'' most beloved power-up in the ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'' series, despite the fact that it only appears in ONE level from ONE game of the entire [[LongRunners Mario franchise]]! That is, unless you buy certain e-Reader cards for ''Super Mario Advance 4''. Too bad [[NoExportForYou the cards weren't available internationally]], although all the e-Reader levels [[AuthorsSavingThrow are included in the Virtual Console version]]. It did get a reference in ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiBowsersInsideStory'' with the [[http://www.mariowiki.com/Sockop Sockops]], a green pitcher-plant monster that Luigi gets to hop around in at one point, and it was reintroduced in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioMaker'' with an altered form that resembles a stilleto. It also got a ShoutOut in ''VideoGame/KirbysReturnToDreamLand''.
* ''VideoGame/YoshisNewIsland'': "Suddenly...[[AssPull warping through space and time]]...[[spoiler:King Bowser]] appears". This is the TrueFinalBoss, by the way, and no elaboration about the "why" and "how" is given. We also have [[spoiler:Mario]] revealing himself to be [[spoiler:Mr. Pipe]] in the post-credits, only if [[spoiler:Bowser]] himself is defeated first.
* ''Franchise/MassEffect'':
** Peter Jessup voices [[KillerRobot Sovereign]] for ''two'' scenes, yet manages to freak out the entire fan community with a single, all-encompassing BadassBoast on behalf of the [[EldritchAbomination Reapers]];
-->'''Sovereign''': [[AC:You exist because we allow it. And you will end because we demand it.]]
-->'''"[[AC: I am Sovereign. [[spoiler: And this station is mine!]]]]"'''
** Matriarch Benezia, Liara's mother and Saren's right-hand woman, only actually shows up for two scenes and one audio recording [[spoiler: before she's killed whilst performing SuicideByCop, as it's the only way to free her from [[BrainwashedAndCrazy indoctrination]]]].
** Matriarch Aethyta, [[spoiler: Liara's [[OneGenderRace father]]]]. She affects one small sidequest, and has only one set of conversation options, which show that she's SeenItAll in her thousand-year life and has no qualms about sharing it. The [[CoolOldLady cool old ladies]] don't get much cooler, or older.
--->''"I saw a krogan drink a liquified turian on a dare six or seven centuries back. Nobody came out of that one looking pretty."''
** A slightly more traditional example from ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' is Creator/AdamBaldwin's brief appearance as [[MemeticBadass Kal'Reegar]], a quarian ''commando'' with a ''rocket launcher''. Despite only appearing in two places, he's gained a huge fan following.
--->'''Kal'Reegar:''' The geth might get me, but I'm not dying of an infection in the middle of a battle! That's just insulting!
** Okeer. Literally a one-scene wonder - a highly intelligent and borderline philosophical character who serves as a traditionalist counterpart to Wrex's reformist idealism, Okeer eloquently explains traditional krogan morality to Shepard while sounding utterly badass. And he provides Shepard with [[spoiler: Grunt, sacrificing himself]] in the process.
** [[LeeroyJenkins Private Jenkins]], the doomed squadmember from the first game who dies ''two minutes'' into your first mission. Even in-universe, he's occasionally mentioned fondly by various ''Normandy'' crewmembers.
** Niftu Cal, the drugged up volus who think's he's a biotic god.
** Rila, Samara's middle daughter. She only appears at the end of the monastery mission, but her HeroicWillpower and LastStand really left a mark.
* Lancer in ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight''. He is the first enemy encountered in the game's introduction and does little but fight with Archer and all but kill Shirou, after which he spends most of the time in the background . He only gets a bit of spotlight [[spoiler:in Unlimited Blade Works when he helps Rin and Shirou by keeping Archer occupied, and later rescues Rin by killing Kotomine and scaring off Shinji while ''missing his heart''. Oh, and inadvertently saving Shirou posthumously by making Gilgamesh sooty]]. Outside of that he's basically the poster boy for TheWorfEffect, [[spoiler:being killed off by the TheDragon in the other two routes.]] Yet he's almost as GAR as Archer for the fandom.
** [[spoiler:On the other hand, in Fate route...he DOES fight Gilgamesh in a duel to the death HeroicSacrifice...against orders. And without complaints.]]
* In ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' there are a very few high-ranking [=NPCs=] that get an occasional memorable scripted scene.
** Saurfang was a minor NPC until he was made Supreme Commander of the Might of Kalimdor. His epic speech that rallied Horde and Alliance alike catapulted him into MemeticBadass territory, from which he has never returned.
** Just about any time Millhouse Manastorm shows up.
** "You face Jaraxus, '''EREDAR LORD OF THE BURNING LEGION!'''" Jaraxus was a BaitAndSwitchBoss in the Trial of the Crusader raid, but his hammy introduction line has long stuck with fans. He also has a fairly memorable card in Hearthstone.
** In Wrath of the Lich King, when Tirion Fordring appears for any significant speaking role, it's usually worth waiting and watching.
** LargeHam or not, the ex-Death Knight, Thassarian, easily steals the spotlight of any questline in which he is involved.
** Grand Apothecary Putress. He sends low-level players out on some really shady quests and then you don't hear from him for 40 levels. At level 75, though, he re-emerges at Wrathgate - crashing a war between Horde/Alliance and the Scourge - [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome with a fucking vengeance.]]
---> "Did you think we had forgotten? Did you think we had forgiven? Behold, now the terrible vengeance of the Forsaken! '''Death to the Scourge, and DEATH TO THE ''LIVING!'''''
** And then did that sterling dead man own seventy shades of bejeezus out of the Horde, the Alliance ''and'' the Scourge - ''Including Bolvar [[FanNickname 'Dragon Puncher']] Fordragon, Saurfang Jr. and the eponymous Lich King, fucking Arthas himself.'' Many players - particularly Undead players - would have sworn allegiance to that man on the spot.
** Interrogator Khan was just a minor background character in ''Burning Crusade'' whose only real role was a background event in the Alliance allied settlement of Telaar. However, he quickly became widely memorable in the fandom due to how uncharacteristically sadistic and brutal he was compared to the normally peaceful and friendly Draenei.
* Although technically a One-Level Wonder, [[BadassPreacher Father Grigori]] in ''VideoGame/HalfLife2'', who like most examples achieves this with his first line. "You have already met my, hehe, 'congregation'."
* Creator/JohnCleese appears as an NPC in a single quest in ''VideoGame/JadeEmpire''. With a name like Sir Roderick Ponce Von Fontlebottom the MagnificentBastard, and being voiced by John Cleese, it's not surprising that he's easily one of the most memorable characters in the game. In his first appearance he ''blasts an enemy fighter when it was preparing to fight him''. And if you beat him you can claim his musket as a reward, then run around through fantasy Imperial China blasting people with a musket.
* [[ColdSniper Captain MacMillan]] from ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty 4: VideoGame/ModernWarfare'' is extremely popular within the fandom and has achieved a MemeticBadass status despite only appearing in two levels. He returns in ''[[VideoGame/ModernWarfare Modern Warfare 3]]''.
** [[spoiler: Dimitri Petrenko's return as an NPC]] in ''VideoGame/CallOfDutyBlackOps''.
* Mike the helicopter pilot in ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4''. Notable for blowing shit up as the ''only'' backup you'll ever receive in the game, and promptly getting shot down as soon as the one level is finished. Players also remember him because Leon shows [[SayMyName far more pathos over Mike's death]] than even the two police officers he traveled with at the beginning of the game.
* The bug-like sentry bots in ''VideoGame/Doom3'' show up only a handful of times, but their presence gives the player an immense relief. They sport a bright headlight and a machine gun, and will quickly locate and kill any hidden enemies while spouting a series of agitated beeps and clicks. Arguably, they could be the only characters in the game the player may feel an emotional connection to, especially because they look and sound surprisingly adorable.
* The Green Biker Dude from the ''VideoGame/MegaManX2'' intro. On screen for barely 5 seconds, and he's still one of the most memorable ''X'' series characters. (The five seconds do involve him popping a sweet wheelie and then exploding.)
* ''VideoGame/FireEmblem'' has so, so many; minor bosses who are only in one stage tend to be among the most beloved in the fanbase. This includes the likes of [[WarmUpBoss Batta the Beast]], [[SmallNameBigEgo Glass]], and [[BrokenRecord Denning]] from ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBlazingBlade Blazing Blade]]''; [[MemeticMolester Gheb]] from ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemTheSacredStones Sacred Stones]]''; and Oliver from ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemPathOfRadiance Path of Radiance]]'', the last of which was popular enough that he returned in the next game [[spoiler:as a recruitable unit]]. There's also the 3-13 Archer, a nameless allied NPC from ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemRadiantDawn Radiant Dawn]]'', who is often considered one of the greatest units in the game. Similarly to the 3-13 Archer. ''VideoGame/FireEmblemFates'' (specifically the ''Conquest'' route) has Haitaka, a generic boss that's surprisingly really strong, and Rallyman, a generic Master of Arms that has ''four'' Rally skills on him, when having more than one is costly. You can also capture them and add them to your army, which increases their popularity. However, one of the most major examples is Dheginsea, the Black Dragon King, who is one of the world's most powerful beings and plays an essential role in the backstory of the Tellius games... he appears ''three times between the two games''.
* ''VideoGame/BattleGaregga'' has the bonus flamingoes that you can trigger on Stage 2 and [[VideoGameCrueltyPotential attack]] for masses of extra points. Because [[EveryTenThousandPoints points give you extra lives]], and extra lives (or rather, [[ScrappyMechanic the suicide of]]) are necessary to keep the game's DynamicDifficulty under control, the flamingoes are very popular amongst fans.
* ''Franchise/DragonAge'':
** Riordan from ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'' is something of one. His debut? He snaps the neck of the man keeping watch over him, whom you have distracted for about two seconds, and then introduces himself with a bow, seeming quite pleased to meet you, with a warm-yet-badass voice. He also reveals he knew Duncan, your mentor. Later, he gives you information and allows you to get some powerful items for free. [[TheStrategist After that, he shows he's not just another BadAss in a game full of badasses, but also knows how to keep his eye on the ball]]. The next time he appears, he makes TheReveal of why the Grey Wardens aren't just useful, but necessary. And then he gets possibly [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome the most amazing send-off of any character, minor or major, in any video game ever]].
** A minor Carta thug in Orzammar has a performance so [[LargeHam over the top]] when you beat him, you'll want to bring him along for the rest of the game.
** The pirate queen Isabela's only major scene happens when you visit Denerim's brothel for the first time. She'll teach the Duelist specialization for Rogues if you beat her at a rigged game of cards...or if you have sex with her regardless of your gender, which can become a three- or ''four''some depending on your companions. Her character was so popular (mostly due to players asking how to get the foursome or [[GirlOnGirlIsHot all-girl threesome]]), that she was brought back for ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'' as a full party member and possible love interest, as promiscuous, morally suspect, and far more pirate-y than ever, and a bottomless well of {{Double Entendre}}s and horrible puns. She also returns in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition'' for the multiplayer mode, though she doesn't interact with the main story in any way.
** In ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition'', Movran the Under (or [[FanNickname Clanboss Goathucker]]), the Avvar chief whose response to the death of his son is to throw live goats at Skyhold (as in the building itself). He's actually fine with you killing his kid, because he recognizes the guy had it coming, but he's gotta do ''something'', so he throws a goat. He appears only while the player decides his punishment, [[LargeHam hamming it up]] the whole time.
** Also in ''Inquisition'', you get a MauveShirt treatment of several people in the [[BoisterousBruiser Iron]] [[HornedHumanoid Bull]]'s mercenary company, Bull's Chargers. They're seen again, but mostly as scene dressing in Bull's personal quest. The writers only got one scene to characterize the [[RagtagBunchOfMisfits motley crew]], and by TheMaker they succeeded wildly. Among them are an explosive happy dwarf, a city elf who is quite pleased that she is now paid to kill humans, a medic who never puts down his sword and explains to everyone how a poultice is supposed to be used, and a mute that everyone suspects is an exiled prince. The standout is the exiled Dalish elf who is [[ImplausibleDeniability quite insistent that she is an "archer", and totally not a mage]]. The glowing crystal on top of her "[[MagicStaff bow]]" is just an old elven aiming trick.
* [[spoiler:Creator/DavidHasselhoff]] as the American Vice President in ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerRedAlert3''
* The opening cinematic of ''VideoGame/StarCraft'' Brood Wars, we get to see what would be a terran defense against the zerg, as well as some of the units not being affected by GameplayAndStorySegregation and fighting as good as they should in theory (this means that a single marine '''will''' lose against a lone zergling, and that the [[KillItwithFire firebats]] attack can kill both enemy and friend), afterwards we get to see a random marine who [[OneHitKill easily]] takes down two zergling, which a previous one couldn't even [[MoreDakka after depleting his entire ammo]] with his rocket launcher[[note]]In the Starcraft universe, the type of Gauss Rifle that was used in the first war had a secondary fire option, [[/note]], earning mentions of being the first [[VideoGame/StarCraftII marauder]].
** Note that this marine is black, wearing sunglasses, and is more concerned with rocking out to guitar solos than his impending death.
* Poseidon in ''VideoGame/GodOfWarIII''. All of the other gods have at least one other appearance in the game, but Poseidon only shows up during Kratos and the Titans' siege of Mount Olympus [[spoiler:due to being killed during it]]. But boy, is his role in that part SugarWiki/{{m|omentOfAwesome}}emorable.
* ''[[VideoGame/ZeldaIITheAdventureOfLink Zelda II: The Adventure of Link]]'': "I AM ERROR." A short appearance and [[MisBlamed name that seemed the result of a glitch or poor translation]] endeared Error to the fans forever.
** In [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaCDiGames the CD-i games]], several minor characters are immensely popular like Morshu, who only has two scenes.
--->'''Morshu''': "Mmmmmm... richer."
*** And of course, [[AllThereInTheManual King Harkinian]]. He only appears in the intro to ''Faces of Evil'' and is only important to the plot of ''Wand of Gamelon'', and even then only appears in the intro and ending. Come the advent of YouTubePoop, he's one of the most popular characters EVER.
--->'''The King''': [[MemeticMutation I wonder what's for dinner...]]
*** Link in The Wand Of Gamelon. He only appears in the opening and closing cutscenes.
* ''VideoGame/GoldenSun'' fandom is largely convinced that Rief's sister Nowell from ''[[VideoGame/GoldenSunDarkDawn Dark Dawn]]'' will return as a player character in the next game. All we know about her presently is that she doesn't like her little brother getting into danger, and that she ''does'' like Captain Piers enough to [[PutOnABus go for an unplanned joyride with him]].
* [[BigBad Father Balder]] in ''VideoGame/{{Bayonetta}}'' is heard in voice, but doesn't appear on screen till the end of the game, but easily steals the show when he does due to his badassery and crossing the MoralEventHorizon.
* Many of the psychopaths from ''VideoGame/DeadRising'' and especially ''VideoGame/DeadRising2'' are these due to only having two cutscenes each to get their characterization from. The big ones though are probably the [[LargeHam STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORE manager]] and Adam from the 1st game and [[KnightTemplar Brandon]] and [[AxCrazy Slappy]] from the second.
* ''Franchise/KingdomHearts''
** WesternAnimation/MickeyMouse only shows up at the very end of the [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsI first game]], after the FinalBoss is dealt with. This was apparently enforced by Creator/{{Disney}}, who had reservations about their mascot being prominent in such an unproven franchise. It was only after the first game became a success that Mickey start becoming more involved within the series' plot.
** [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII Sephiroth]] is nothing more than a {{Superboss}} in both Kingdom Hearts I and II, yet being one of Creator/SquareEnix's most popular villains, he is obviously this.
** [[spoiler:[[WesternAnimation/{{Fantasia}} Chernabog]]]] from the very first game combines this with TheArtifact. A GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere who's fought in the endgame, he was originally supposed to have a bigger role as the leader of TheHeartless, but that was changed halfway through development. That said, he was still kept in the game as a boss solely because he was that popular.
** ''VideoGame/KingdomHearts3DDreamDropDistance'' has one that seemed to exist solely for the trailers, and lasted for all but ''two seconds''. Oh, hi there, [[spoiler:Vanitas.]] Oh, bye, [[spoiler:Vanitas]]! This was addressed and justified in [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsIII the next game]].
** ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep'' displays [[WesternAnimation/{{Cinderella}} Cinderella's]] evil stepfamily in minor roles who only appear in one episode per scenario. Yet, their appearance in Aqua's scenario, ''[[MoralEventHorizon especially]]'' their last cutscene ([[spoiler:where their pure hatred of Cinderella summons an Unversed to murder her, putting the whole ''universe'' in danger because she's a Princess of Heart]]), is one of the most noticeable scenes in the franchise, and solidifies the Tremaines as among the most evil characters in the franchise.
* ''[[VideoGame/MetalGearRisingRevengeance Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance]]'':
** Monsoon appears in only one scene but he leaves a huge impact on the protagonist, Raiden. [[MemeticMutation His infamous speech on memes]] and [[AwesomeBosses/MetalGear his incredible boss fight]] afterwards helped leave an impact on players as well.
** Senator Armstrong only really appears for the last 20 minutes of the game, [[GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere shows up with no preamble to be the final boss fights]], and yet is such a FountainOfMemes that he instantly became a fan favorite. It helps that he gets [[AwesomeMusic/MetalGear some of the most awesome boss music]] in the form of "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYAPgPH9hsI It Has To Be This Way]]."
* Nightmare only appeared very briefly as the FinalBoss at the very end of [[VideoGame/KirbysAdventure one game]] in the ''Franchise/{{Kirby}}'' franchise, yet he remains one of its most iconic villains. Probably helps that he's the one who started the VileVillainSaccharineShow trend the series is famous for.
** Speaking of which, Zero from ''VideoGame/KirbysDreamLand3'' is equally (in)famous, if not more, appearing right out of nowhere with absolutely no foreshadowing and immediately becoming the most memorable part of the game, largely for the shocking scene where it [[EyeScream rips its own bleeding eye out]].
** Zero Two from ''VideoGame/Kirby64TheCrystalShards'' is perhaps even more memorable than its predecessor/original form, no thanks to the strangely dark and moody atmosphere of its boss battle that is unlike anything else in the series.
** Drawcia from ''VideoGame/KirbyCanvasCurse''. She only has one appearance, yet she starts the trend of the TrueFinalBoss soul forms of BigBad main villains.
* The Great Mighty Poo from ''VideoGame/ConkersBadFurDay''. The living definition of the ultimate ToiletHumor. And the aria about poo will stick in your mind long after you've finished the game.
* The fisherman from ''VideoGame/JakAndDaxterThePrecursorLegacy'' only appears briefly, but is memorable to fans of the game for his insanely creepy laugh, provided by none other than Franchise/{{Batman}} himself, Creator/KevinConroy.
* The Puffstool from the first ''VideoGame/{{Pikmin}}'' game. Only appears once, yet turns your troops into the BrainwashedAndCrazy Puffmin, giving them mushrooms for heads and having them beat the living shit out of you. Don't do shrooms, kids.
* Wael from ''VideoGame/PillarsOfEternity'', the [[BlueAndOrangeMorality extremely strange]] god of secrets. In the endgame, they may [[DarkHorseVictory come out of nowhere]] try to convince the Watcher to [[spoiler:cast the souls Woedica stole into parts unknown]]. And what reason do they give for doing this? [[spoiler:They explicitly state it's for no logical or rational reason whatsoever, [[ItAmusedMe just because]]]]. Despite all this, however, the way they offer it and the context alike make it a strangely convincing idea many consider, and a fair number go through with.
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXV'''s TroubledProduction means many characters in the game were designed for prominent roles in earlier drafts and then relegated over many rewrites to minor parts. A good, early example is Loqi, who has a striking design and shows up in a fabulous IncomingHam scene, but is only fought while hidden in a generic mech enemy that unceremoniously explodes.
* ''VideoGame/CopyKitty'' gives us [[spoiler:Isotope]], a creepy, destructive EvilCounterpart to Boki. Being a [[spoiler:Cyber]], she lives up to the hype the story makes them out to be, and has a simple but fun moveset to copy. She only appears in the last two missions of Hard Mode as Boki's TrueFinalBoss, but she makes the most of her brief screentime.
* ''VideoGame/Borderlands2'' gifts us with Face [=McShooty=]. He is a simple man with one simple desire: getting shot in the face. He gives the player a quest to do just that and he is just so excited about it, shouting at the top of his lungs the entire time until you finally give him what he wants.
* ''VideoGame/BoxxyQuestTheGatheringStorm'':
** Orangered and Periwinkle get only a minute or two of screentime during an optional sidequest, but they’re very well liked for their gorgeous designs, charismatic personalities, and unique battle gimmick.
** The Chapter 6 boss, One_Wing. After regaining his true form, he delivers an epic MotiveRant that happens to be one of the funniest scenes in the game. His boss fight is also remembered for being quite a bit tougher than anything else you’ve fought up until that point.
** The Sky Queen, who summons the party long enough to drop a major [[TheReveal Reveal]], seemingly set herself up as the new BigGood, and then [[spoiler:get swiftly killed off by Boxxyfan]] all in the same scene.
** [[spoiler: '''''Legion''''']], the GreaterScopeVillain and the freaking TrueFinalBoss himself. While he’s teased and hinted at a few times throughout the game, he doesn’t show up in person until the last few minutes of one specific route, in a way that blasts the entire plot totally off its rails. Rest assured, those few minutes will be far darker and more intense than anything else so far.
* ''VideoGame/RedDeadRedemption'': Javier Escuella seems to have become one after the release of ''VideoGame/RedDeadRedemption2''. In his one scene, the game portrays Javier as another member of the gang who didn't really care for John Marston while lying about it to his face, but the prequel turns this around and shows that [[spoiler:Javier's life before Dutch van der Linde was ''terrible'', that he once saved John's life, that he was a [[HiddenDepths skillful musician and fisherman]], and how despite his UndyingLoyalty to Dutch he was conflicted about turning on John]]. Now his scene shows how far the previously well-dressed and somewhat good-natured Javier has fallen. His two fates--[[spoiler:he's either captured by his former friend and KilledOffscreen or just shot InTheBack while running away]]--are [[AlasPoorVillain also much sadder now that we know him better]].
* Queen Vanessa in ''VideoGame/AHatInTime''. She only appears in one level, but said level is a major OutOfGenreExperience, shifting from a lighthearted cute-as-heck platformer to ''SurvivalHorror'', of all things. It also helps that her backstory, revealed in one of the Time Rifts, is intertwined with that of the Snatcher, another fan favorite character with a more prominent role.
* ''VideoGame/HuntDownTheFreeman'': Keemstar just gets one audio-only scene where he, as the President of the United States, announces the country's surrender to the Combine. It is one of the most well-known cutscenes in the game for its unintentional goofyness.
* The many wacky side characters in ''Videogame/Yakuza0'', due to it being the one that popularized the franchise in the west. The examples are Mr Shakedown, Mr. Libdo, Esobe the Oblitarian, Yuki and Pocket Circuit Fighter, who [[AscendedExtra went on to reappear]] in Kiwami, 6 and Like a Dragon.
* [[spoiler: Quiet Robe, an actual living Chozo]] shows up in ''VideoGame/MetroidDread'' to give Samus an {{Infodump}} on what happened with his people and the events that occurred on planet [=SR388=]. Once he's finished with his information, he's killed by a sentry.
* [[spoiler: [[VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles2 Poppi]]]] makes a ''very'' brief appearance at the end of ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles3'', yet this one moment was enough to make longtime fans of [[VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles the series]] lose their collective minds!

!Web Original
* In ''Theatre/AVeryPotterMusical'', Molly Weasley and Rumbleroar are each in only one scene, but no one is likely to forget either of them.
* [[spoiler: Doctor W.D. Gaster]] from ''WebVideo/UndertaleTheMusical''. [[spoiler:he]] gets ONE song, but it is unforgettable.
As well, [[spoiler: The Six Human Souls]] don't even GET a whole song, and they still stand out as a huge part of the musical.
* Ma-Ti ([[RunningGag from]] WesternAnimation/{{Captain Planet|and the Planeteers}}) gets this honor in ''{{WebVideo/Kickassia}}'' for showing up in one scene of it and calling WebVideo/TheNostalgiaCritic out on his douchebaggery.
* ''Roleplay/SurvivalOfTheFittest''. [[BearsAreBadNews Kenny the Bear.]] That is all.
* Creator/MichaelKeaton would greatly improve 87% of movies by simply appearing according to this Website/TheOnion [[http://www.theonion.com/articles/study-87-percent-of-movies-would-be-better-with-mi,19268/?utm_source=recentnews article]]
* In ''WebVideo/SuburbanKnights'', a girl using a cellphone who the villain stumbles upon and kills got quite some attention from the fandom, ever since her ''one second appearance in the trailer''. [[Creator/DougWalker The director/star]] even discusses her on the DVDCommentary (she is played by an ex-girlfriend of his).
* ''WebVideo/SonicTheHedgehog2SpecialEdition''. Failure Cresh, one of the series' few original characters, appears in only one level for about five minutes (and later gets a brief mention in the epilogue). In this short time, we learn his entire (hilariously) tragic past and see him (mercifully) die. Consequently, he makes a big impression on audiences.
* At the end of WebVideo/TheNostalgiaCritic's review of ''A Simple Wish'', its lead actress Creator/MaraWilson [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYvgL3lQycY appears to take revenge on him]].
* In the original ''The Gamers'' movie, Mark might qualify. Technically, his character is present everywhere the party goes, but he just stands around looking out into the thin air... Except when he shows up late for game-night, in the middle of a losing battle, immediately goes into a Berserker Rage, slaughters all the enemies alone, then leaves because he's got a date. He was literally only doing anything in one scene!
* ''WebAnimation/RedVsBlue'':
** In season 6, Private Jones, played by Creator/GavinFree, who along with having his name pronounced wrong ("Joannes!" "It's pronounced Jones, sir!") is killed off-screen by Caboose in spite of the latter having his hands tied behind his back.
** In Season 12, the Federation guard who the Reds and Blues fool by disguising themselves as snowmen.

!Webcomics
* ''WebComic/AwkwardZombie'':
** [[Franchise/{{Metroid}} Ridley]] has only appeared once, but the sheer hilarity of the punchline has made him hard to forget (and popular in fan edits):
--->'''Samus:''' Ridley killed my parents.\\
'''Ridley:''' ''[[CrossesTheLineTwice One]]'' [[CrossesTheLineTwice time!]]
** By now, he's actually a Two Scene Wonder, due to appearing in one of her hourly comics, but for the longest time, [[AuthorAvatar Katie's]] [[CoolOldGuy Dad]] was this due to his...rather unusual method of finding out where emergency vehicles get gasoline. [[spoiler: And by unusual it's really he ''crashes his car'' just to ask the policeman that shows up 'where do you get gas?'.]]
* ''Webcomic/BobAndGeorge'' has Random, a Ran recolor. He is introduced and killed off (in the same way that Ran [[DeathIsASlapOnTheWrist frequently]] is) in the span of two strips, except unlike Ran, his death sticks.
* ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'':
** Felix appeared in only 4 strips starting [[http://egscomics.com/egsnp/2017-02-27 here]] and [[http://egscomics.com/sketchbook/2018-016 a filler comic]] but is beloved by fans as a rare UsefulNotes/{{Transgender}} CatGirl in the comic.
** Prior to becoming a major supporting character, Rhoda wearing her old look [[http://www.egscomics.com/sketchbook/2006-06-30 was this]] having been considered a separate unnamed character with only [[http://www.egscomics.com/comic/2006-06-28 one appearance]] (evidently this actually was the case and Dan combined her with Rhoda as a CompositeCharacter in a [[http://egscomics.com/comic/2010-12-27 retcon]]).
* From ''Webcomic/{{Misfile}}'': [[http://www.misfile.com/?date=2009-05-19 Doris]]. Especially memorable as the three characters who are not Doris are all ANGELS. The one who explicitly admits to being scared of her, and that Doris has far worse in store for the girl ([[{{Satan}} Lucifer's]] niece), is an Angel of Vengeance.
* ''Webcomic/WeakHero'':
** Toby Kim is a minor character in the Ganghak arc who ends up being screwed by Jared when he's forced to serve him alcohol at his father's store. This ends up with the store being suspended (Jared reported them ForTheEvulz), and his father sick in bed with worry. This makes it immensely satisfying when Toby exposes Jared's crimes online and beats the shit out of him when Jared confronts him about it. There's no better way for a HateSink to go down than by the hands of one of the hapless kids he bullied.
--->'''Toby:''' My dad is sick at home. I have nothing to fear and nothing to lose. You should have kept my family out of this, you ''bastard''!!
** Ms. Lee is a teacher that only has a sparse appearance in Gray's backstory, but not only does she actively support Gray and Stephen when the rest of the school are against them, she's also one of the only positively portrayed adults in the series, causing her to leave a warm impression on fans.

!WesternAnimation
* ''WesternAnimation/ChipNDaleRescueRangers'' has plenty of one-episode wonders. Foxglove, the bat from "Good Times, Bat Times", appeared in only this one episode, but she seems to be part of a FanFic cast more often than not, she might have more fans than Monterey Jack, and she has even got [[http://foxglove.cdrrhq.ru/ a website dedicated to her]]. Tammy, the squirrelmaid from "Adventures in Squirrelsitting", comes in second. There are several more, including the lab rat Sparky from "Does Pavlov Ring a Bell", Gadget's EvilTwin Lahwhinie from "Gadget Goes Hawaiian", and Geegaw Hackwrench (who never even appeared on-screen, apart from a portrait in "To the Rescue" part 3). Unlike the others, Foxglove did go on to make regular appearances in the short-lived [[ComicBook/ChipNDaleRescueRangers 2010 CDRR comic series]].
** Speaking of Chip and Dale, there was one short named "Two Chips and a Miss", in which a character named Clarice fills in the role of Chip and Dale's girlfriend. This was her only appearance, and yet she has a HUGE popularity (even appearing in Disney Parks for some reason), [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff especially in Japan]]. Who knew that a one appearance character could gain THIS much of a following? ([[RhetoricalQuestionBlunder Actually, considering that this is one of many pages on this site dedicated to such characters...]])
* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' rarely lets a well-received minor character stay that way for long, with a vast array of now-popular characters, from Gil to Disco Stu, having started life as quick one-episode gags. Nevertheless, there are still a few popular characters who never went on to anything beyond their first appearance:
** Hank Scorpio has only had a major role in one episode to date, but is a truly memorable Film/JamesBond villain parody who is also an excellent example of an AffablyEvil character. Such was his popularity that he was initially considered to be the main villain for TheMovie. The plan was canned as the writers didn't want to use a villain from an episode over a decade old. His voice actor (the ever awesome Al Brooks) was kept to voice the final villain, who still shares many quirks worthy of Scorpio.
** Frank Grimes was only in one episode too -- [[spoiler: he died]]. But he's been mentioned many times since, with a RunningGag where Homer forgets that [[spoiler: he's dead]], and his son (Frank Grimes, Jr.) is a villain in "The Great Louse Detective".
** The [[BadassBystander shotgun wielding nurse]] in the Flying Hellfish episode;
---> '''OUR RESIDENTS'''-''BANG''-'''ARE TRYING'''-''BANG''-'''TO NAP!'''-''BANG''
** The twitchy GunNut from the episode where Marge joins the Springfield Police.
---> '''Chief Wiggum''': All right, you scrawny beanpoles: becoming a cop is ''not'' something that happens overnight. It takes one solid weekend of training to get that badge.
---> '''GunNut''': Forget about the badge! When do we get the freakin' GUNS?!
---> '''Chief Wiggum''': Hey, I told you, you don't get your gun until you tell me your name.
---> '''GunNut''': I've had it up to HERE with your "RULES"! [walks off]
** The Very Tall Man, the only original character introduced in "22 Short Films About Springfield" ) [[AuthorAvatar who was a caricature of writer Ian Maxtone-Graham]], who was also rather tall), who left a rather big impact on it by punishing Nelson for mocking him. His only other appearances have been cameos.
** Dr. Colossus, the boastful - but easily humbled - MadScientist from the second part of "Who Shot Mr. Burns?" His two rather brief scenes were so impressive, he is the TropeNamer for CartoonishSupervillainy. (Unfortunately, those scenes were cut for syndication, making them hard to see these days.)
** The "Thursday the 20th" rapper from "Pranksta Rap" appears as a punchline to Skinner wanting to know the exact date the Murder 4 Life concert Bart attended was held. His memorable appearance was the inspiration behind the "IT TIME" meme among the Simpsons Shitposting community, and he made a cameo in a later episode beating up Homer.
** [[RealJokeName Hugh Jass,]] a character who appeared in exactly one scene, is still widely remembered, with at least one listicle calling him "[[NiceGuy the most fundamentally decent human being ever depicted in fiction]]."
** The Sugar Thief, like the Thursday the 20th rapper, provided an [[MemeticMutation incredibly commonly-used]] ReactionShot, and despite getting only three lines, two of which are one word long, facilitated one of Homer's best TheCuckoolanderWasRight moments.
--->'''Marge:''' I want you to forget about [[NewJobAsThePlotDemands guarding the stupid sugar!]] You're being completely paranoid.
--->'''Homer:''' Oh, am I? [[ProperlyParanoid Am I really? Ah ha!]]
--->'''Thief:''' Hello.
--->'''Homer:''' All right, pal: where'd you get the sugar for that tea?
--->'''Thief:''' [[EvilBrit I nicked it]] when you let your guard down for that split second, [[ForTheEvulz and I'd do it again.]] Goodbye.
** Sideshow Raheem, one of Krusty's former second bananas, who only appears in one scene in one episode and says ''two words''.
-->'''Krusty:''' Uh, the script says I'm supposed to bonk ya with this giant mallet.\\
'''Raheem:''' ''(looks down at Krusty)'' I ''wouldn't.''
** Simon Stoolowitz, a simple stool that appeared for about 20 seconds on a Sherlock Holmes-meets-Jack the Ripper parody segment on ''Treehouse of Horror XV'':
-->"I'm alive! I'm gonna go to America! I'll be in pictures! You'll see! The whole world is gonna know the name Simon Stoolowitz!"
** "Homie the Clown" gives us the Wealthy Dowager, whose only role is to get a pie thrown in her face by Krusty for a class demonstration. Not only does Krusty throw the pie so hard she gets her head embedded in the wall and apparently ''dies'', it leads to this glorious line from Homer:
--->'''Homer''' (''taking notes''): "Kill wealthy dowager."
** In "Fear of Flying", Guy Incognito appears only for a short gag as Homer's IdenticalStranger, which gets him beat up and demonstrates Homer's short attention span. Fans are completely serious in wondering if Guy is Abe Simpson's fourth child and thus another of Homer's half-siblings.
* The inhabitants of the Neutral Planet appear in only one episode of ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'', but their "neutral humor" was a particular favorite of the fans and producer David X. Cohen. A Website/YouTube video of his "I have no strong feelings one way or the other" line has over 600,000 views, but the likes & dislikes are split exactly 50/50.
-->'''Neutral President''': If I don't survive, tell my wife "Hello".
** "That Guy" (The 80s Guy) only appears in the episode "Future Stock", but is still revered for his '80s style.
-->'''That Guy:''' There are two kinds of people: sheep and sharks. Anyone who is a sheep is fired. Who is a sheep?
-->'''Dr. Zoidberg:''' Errr, excuse me...which is the one people like to hug?
-->'''That Guy:''' Gutsy question. You're a shark. Sharks are winners, and they don't look back because they have no necks. Necks are for sheep.
** Creator/JonathanFrakes (or rather his bottled head) appears in the Star Trek parody/homage episode just long enough for ''one line''. And yes, it really is Frakes' voice.
--->'''Frakes:''' Yes! Front row!
* The Greedy, a sentient giant lake of taffy and candies who keeps eating himself, in ''WesternAnimation/RaggedyAnnAndAndyAMusicalAdventure''.
* Michigan J. Frog only appeared in one ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' cartoon, "WesternAnimation/OneFroggyEvening" yet was popular enough to (for awhile) become the icon of an entire network, Creator/TheWB.
** This also applies to other one-episode-wonders from ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'', such as Pete Puma and Count Bloodcount ("Hocus pocus!" "Abracadbra!"). Many fans are actually surprised to realize they only appeared in one cartoon. Multiple decades of television reruns probably helps.
** ''WesternAnimation/BackAlleyOproar'' is quite funny with Sylvester keeping Elmer up with his singing, then [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ncgc78RIV0 this guy]] comes along and steals the show.
** While the two cats of "A Gruesome Twosome" fight over getting a kiss from a cute girl cat, a dog appears:
-->'''Dog:''' (''to us'') Ladies and gentlemen...I don't actually belong in this picture, '''''but I can't pass up a chance like THIS!!!''''' (''gives cat a BigDamnKiss then exits the scene yowling in celebration'')
* From ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls'', two words: Rowdyruff Boys. From ONE episode came a raging torrent of fanfics, raging internet debates, and impassioned pleas to Creator/CraigMcCracken to bring them back, nearly all of them [[MisaimedFandom completely missing the point]] of what the Boys were about. (What they were about: Fight, fight, fight, gross out, fight some more. The Mayor had more depth than that.) And when [=McCracken=] finally gave in and brought them back, ''they hardly changed at all!'' To this day they're some of the most popular PPG supporting characters EVER (even having a dot-net website), despite being essentially just a more powerful and vicious Gang Green Gang.
** Dick Hardly, a one-shot villain who made literal rip-offs of the girls to sell to cities all over the place, managed to be this. Likely due to being probably one of the worst villains in the show (possibly even worse than ''Him'', who is supposedly the devil himself), which makes him rather easy to remember. Another thing making him stand out is he's the only human in the series to actually be KilledOffForReal.
* In the three seasons of ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'', we see Koh the FaceStealer ''twice''. One episode, in the first season, when Aang first travels to the Spirit World, and another time in a flashback during the finale, which reveals a previous Avatar's experience with him. Why do we remember him? ''Because he's a gigantic centipede trickster spirit who will steal your face and wear it like a mask if you show the slightest twitch of expression.'' ''[[AndIMustScream He doesn't kill you.]]'' Look at [[TheBlank the monkey]] outside his lair for proof. And technically, he's not even a ''bad guy''. Few monsters have ever been so imaginatively, effortlessly terrifying - it's no wonder fans clamored for more.
** Let us not forget the Foaming Mouth Guy. He has ''three'' [[FanNickName nicknames.]] the aforementioned Foamy Mouth Guy, just Foamy, and Frothers.
** The cabbage guy is just referred to as...the Cabbage Merchant. He was so wildly popular that in the SequelSeries ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'', he (or rather, his descendant) was brought back as the owner of a now big successful Cabbage Corporation. He even gets to say a variation on the famous line - "Not my Cabbage Corp.!"
** [[ProductionNickname Koizilla]] (the ocean spirit's OneWingedAngel form) is one of the most memorable scenes, as is the [[TurtleIsland Lion Turtle.]]
** [[MemeticBadass WANG FIRE!]]
** Fanficcer favorite Song, who appeared exactly once (in "The Cave of Two Lovers"). Her chemistry with Zuko was such that she's pretty much option #3 for Zuko shipping[[note]] Hetero shipping, anyway...[[/note]] (behind [[FanPreferredCouple Katara]] and [[BetaCouple Mai]]).
*** Jin from the BreatherEpisode "Tales of Ba Sing Se" is reasonably popular for similar reasons as Song.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra''
** Any time [[FanNickname the Gaang]] (a.k.a [[WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender the original Team Avatar]]) show up in flashbacks, or whenever we see an elderly Katara. Sokka in particular who has only one line. There's also [[spoiler: adult Aang's appearance as a spirit]] in the first season finale.
** Howl, a.k.a. Hot Order of the White Lotus, a guard who only appears ten seconds in the first episode but it was enough for fans to ship him with Korra.
** Fire Lord Izumi is shockingly popular within the fandom for a character who appears in two scenes and only has about three lines. This is probably largely because she is the daughter of a beloved character from the original series and because the fandom knew about her existence three seasons before she appeared onscreen. Also probably working in her favor is the fact that in the only scene where she speaks, she goes head to head with an extremely unpopular character and quickly establishes herself as a [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure very competent leader.]] Her popularity is such that she was [[GottaShipEmAll being shipped with multiple characters]] before her name was even revealed.
* Ariel, Niko's mentor was such a colorful CoolOldLady that she's a favorite for ''[[WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfTheGalaxyRangers Galaxy Rangers]]'' fanfic writers, despite showing up in only one episode.
* ''WesternAnimation/InvaderZim'' had Tak, a scary and CrazyIsCool psychopathic female counterpart to Zim. She only appeared in one episode, but she's hugely popular. The creators had planned to bring her back regularly and feature her as a major antagonist, but the show got cancelled before that could happen, and by the time ''Zim'' got a continuation in the form of a comic over a decade later, they had completely lost interest in utilizing the character.
** The Hobo in "Gaz, Taster of Pork".
*** He would've gotten a co-starring role in a whole episode, if the series continued much further.
** '''THE SHADOWHOG''' from the above episode.
** And Drill Sergeant 667 in Hobo 13, played by Creator/RLeeErmey.
*** Scum puddling Squag Doogies!
* Freakazette of ''WesternAnimation/{{Freakazoid}}''. She only appears in about four seconds of an introductory song, but never in the show. CR rags on the creators for never doing anything with the character after putting her ''in a spotlight on top of giant letters spelling her name.'' Yeah, ViewersAreMorons for thinking that she'd actually be in the show, right? [[note]]She was going to appear in a later episode of the series titled "Enter Freakazette!", but it was cancelled before that could happen (thus leaving the script unproduced)[[/note]]
** JustForFun/{{Candlejack}} starred in one episode and appeared briefly in only two others, yet somehow he became popular and memetic enough to get his own page on this very Wiki.
* In the Franchise/DCAnimatedUniverse, there is a show called ''[[WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries The New Batman Adventures.]]'' In that show, there is an episode titled "Beware the Creeper". And in that episode, [[http://il.youtube.com/watch?v=7T8y3Af3dH0 there is a scene where the Creeper, in all his yellow-skinned, manic glory, gleefully barges into a clothing store in search of a new costume.]] Everyone in the store runs away screaming... except for [[SuperStoicShopkeeper a clerk who remains completely, utterly stoic]] (making [[DeadpanSnarker deadpan comments]] the whole way) as she helps him pick an outfit and passes him through. And she was called: [[FanNickname "Thriftie".]]
* In ''WesternAnimation/TurtlesForever'', Tohka and Razar, the duo of {{Ensemble Darkhorse}}s from the ''Film/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles1990'' films appears...for all of five seconds as part of the '03 Shredder's Mutant army.
** They also made their appearance in the 1987 series episode, "Dirk Savage: Mutant Hunter".
* The old ''WesternAnimation/TheTick'' animated series featured, in its run, precisely one episode with a would-be villain calling himself 'The Evil Midnight Bomber What Bombs At Midnight' ([[SelfDemonstrating/TheEvilMidnightBomberWhatBombsAtMidnight yeah, baby!]]). This character was [[TalkativeLoon so blisteringly off-the-wall]] - even by ''The Tick'''s standards - that he is easily one of the most memorable characters in the entire series.
--> "And so he says to me, you want to be a bad guy? and I say Yeah Baby! I want to be bad! I says Churchill space ponies I'm making gravy without the lumps! Ah ha ha ha ha haaaaa!!!!!"
** TEMBWBAT got a later one-scene appearance trying to get into the villain awards but being rejected by the bouncer.
--->"One of these days, baby! MILKSHAKE! BOOM!"
* After Remy Buxaplenty's lone appearance on ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddparents'' ("Fairy Fairy Quite Contrary") many fans clamored for another appearance from him and his fairy, and the clamors grew especially after a Halloween episode which had an appearance by Remy's father (but not Remy himself). He eventually got a couple more episodes a few seasons later.
* Originally, the ''WesternAnimation/{{Metalocalypse}}'' character Dr. Rockzo the Rock n Roll Clown (he does cocaine) was a minor character at Murderface's birthday party who only got 50 seconds of screen time. However, the fans and creators liked him so much, he was added as a recurring guest star in 5 more episodes.
** In that first 50 seconds, he says he does cocaine three and a half times.
*** His popularity has allowed him to be the only character [[JokerImmunity not to die]] from [[CartwrightCurse Toki's friendship]]
* Lisa the Babysitter only appeared in a single episode of ''WesternAnimation/DextersLaboratory'', but [[http://browse.deviantart.com/?q=lisa+dexter look how much]] [[http://browse.deviantart.com/?q=lisa+babysitter fanart she has]].
* ''WesternAnimation/SpongebobSquarepants'':
** [[http://youtu.be/NSioqk5Gw28 MOAR Krabs]] appears for only a flash second, and it becomes an instant [[MemeticMutation meme]].
** Though he never actually appears: [[JustForFun/TheUglyBarnacle "Once there was an ugly barnacle"]].
** Smitty [[RealJokeName Werbenjaegermanjensen]]. ''He was number one!!!'' Only his skeleton appears on-screen, yet fans made him into a meme.
** The UnsatisfiableCustomer from the climax of "[[Recap/SpongeBobSquarePantsS1E5PizzaDeliveryHomeSweetPineapple Pizza Delivery]]." Despite only having a few minutes of screen time, he makes for one of the most memorable parts of an already memorable episode partly due to to [[Creator/MrLawrence Doug Lawrence's]] phenomenal performance. His {{Jerkass}} behavior is enough to [[BreakTheCutie make SpongeBob cry]], and it just makes it all the more satisfying when [[AssholeVictim Squidward finally puts the man in his place]].
* ''Franchise/TransformersGeneration1'' has a ton of these due to a large cast [[MerchandiseDriven needing to be sold]] and not loads and loads of time. Some characters make very memorable appearances that are sadly rare and brief. Sixshot, for example, is introduced by Galvatron as a 'one-robot army,' proves it by taking out '''the entire Aerialbot team singlehandedly,''' earning his name by using each of his then-unprecedented six transformations to do it, and is then not seen again.
** Can also go for accessories. At one point in the three-part premiere, Optimus and Megatron are fighting on top of a dam. Optimus transforms his arm into a glowing energy ax. Megatron transforms his into a [[EpicFlail glowing energy morningstar]]. They battle for a minute or two, before Megatron leaves by spinning his morningstar in the air and flying off as if it's a helicopter propellor. These weapons are never seen again. You'd think it'd be a BigLippedAlligatorMoment, but it's so hugely memorable that there have been homages to it ever since, popping up in toys and comics often. It's almost certainly the reason ''WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated'' Optimus has an axe as his main weapon.
* On ''WesternAnimation/TotalDrama,'' the blond [[TheIntern intern]] was originally this. He was pretty much just a character in the background of the TDA Aftermaths, but fans latched onto him, [[FanNickname named him Billy]] (which has since been [[AscendedFanon used by]] WordOfGod) and got him [[AscendedExtra made into a recurring character]] on the game proper.
** "[[ReplicantSnatching Clone Cody]]" (aka "Alien Cody") from the Area 51 episode. The short gag, which can be found [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZ2GOk2WAMI&feature=related here]], was basically just a quick ShoutOut to ''Film/InvasionOfTheBodySnatchers'' where [[DoggedNiceGuy Cody]] (an EnsembleDarkHorse himself) is confronted by a short-lived doppelganger. From people who found him [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments funny]] to people who found him hot, the fact is [[http://clonecody-club.deviantart.com/ Clone Cody is quite popular]]. There's even a fad now where people design clone versions of the other members of the TD cast.
* Fred from ''WesternAnimation/CourageTheCowardlyDog''. Despite only appearing in one episode (apart from a brief cameo at the end of "Ball Of Revenge") he has become one of the series' most recognizable and frightening villains.
** The blue nightmare creature from "Perfect." Although it only appeared in a ten-second nightmare scene during the final episode and barely spoke, it has become known as one of the series' most frightening characters.
** Kitty and Bunny from the episode "The Mask," for having personalities, backstories, and relationships that displayed surprisingly mature themes.
** King Ramses. Despite only appearing sporadically in a single episode, with no future cameos, he has become one of the series' most famously frightening and memorable characters. His creepy and highly repeatable phrases certainly help his memorability.
* Occasionally on ''WesternAnimation/BeavisAndButthead'', a girl named Daria sees the titular duo in the middle of something stupid. [[DullSurprise She barely reacts]] to the UnusuallyUninterestingSight, [[DeadpanSnarker makes a snide remark]] about [[TooDumbToLive the boys' stupidity]], then disappears for pretty much the rest of the episode. As hilarious as Beavis and Butthead can be, [[WesternAnimation/{{Daria}} one can definitely see how this character would end up getting her own series.]]
* ''WesternAnimation/TaleSpin'': The last Cape Suzette Air Force pilot to get shot down in "Last Horizons" is only onscreen for a minute, but makes a good impression with his incredible piloting skills.
* ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'': Argent. Oh so much. A UsefulNotes/{{Pettanko}} dressed in the whole [[ElegantGothicLolita gothic dress thing]] and has an [[EverythingSoundsSexierInFrench Australian accent?]] And her big action during the scene was...getting a communicator from Starfire. Yeah. Her minimal time on screen didn't stop her from becoming a fan art favorite.
** A relationship example Kid Flash and Jinx. After Lightspeed premiered, the love for the Kid Flash/Jinx pairing that emerged from that episode and eventually became an Official Couple ensured that pretty much everyone ships them ([[http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_CTvyMZh5d8E/TJ-yfKxe7mI/AAAAAAAAAHY/2K3M9euR4-Y/s1600/flinx+17.jpg Flinx]]).
* ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' has the {{meme}}-inspiring underpants gnomes and the sexual harassment panda.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheModifyers'' has Baron Vain, whose psychopathy and ridiculousness won the hearts of those who actually saw it.
* ''WesternAnimation/TaleSpin'' has many one-shot guest star characters who are popular with the fans.
* In episode 14 of ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'', titled "Suited For Success", a white unicorn with a blue-and-turquoise mane appears on screen for about 6 seconds. Judging from the turntable in front of her, fans decided that she was a DJ. She got a name (Vinyl Scratch), a stage name (DJ [=P0N-3=]), a few [[http://www.equestriadaily.com/search/label/Vinyl%20Scratch fanfics]] and quite a lot of fanart, and shout outs in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTPqjKk_xCo commercials]] and an [[http://www.welovefine.com/product.php?id_product=486 official t-shirt.]] And now she's [[http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=381668998517210 a toy.]]
** Said DJ pony makes a return in the Season 2 finale for yet another OneSceneWonder, and became a major background character in the Equestria Girls movies. She became a recurring character in later seasons, appearing as a supporting role in many Season 4, 5, and 6 episodes and also appears as one of the supporting characters in the Equestria Girls franchise.
** The [[http://mlp.wikia.com/wiki/Derpy wall-eyed pony]] was an animation mistake in part one of the Friendship Is Magic pilot. Derpy Hooves became a near-instant AscendedExtra, just add insane, never-say-die fandom. Her appearance in "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E14TheLastRoundup The Last Roundup]]" has lead it to become known as as ''"The Episode Where [[AscendedFanon Derpy Became Canon]]"''
** Then there are the Shadowbolts, who have gotten quite a few fans despite them not really existing - including Rainbow Dash, who dresses up as one for [[UsefulNotes/AllHallowsEve Nightmare Night.]]
** The fandom loves these. Octavia (the cello-playing pony from "The Best Night Ever"), Sapphire Shores (a pony pop-star who kicks off the plot of "A Dog and Pony Show"), the camp sea serpent from "Elements of Harmony" (who has gained the nickname "Steven Magnet" thanks to the hilarious youtube closed captions) and Princess Luna (who returned in Season 2, episode 4 and later became an AscendedExtra) and countless other characters get no more than a minute of screen time and a few lines of dialogue (if any), yet own their screen time so hard people are ''still'' talking about them.
** Crackle the dragon. A 4-second CutawayGag of a very odd-looking dragon that just happens to look like Twilight's Rainbow's and Rarity's PaperThinDisguise.
** The episode "Hurricane Fluttershy" gave fans quite a couple OneSceneWonder pegasi: A pair of grayish white-maned pegasi with unique hairstyles named Flitter and Cloudchaser (the latter of whom can also be seen in a season 3 trailer), a darkened stallion named Thunderlane, a white-coated pegasus with a green and pink mane named Blossomforth, and a beefed up muscular pony who notably screams '''YEAH!''' a handful of times in the episode. Each appears only briefly and has a handful of lines at most, but true to form they've each developed some pretty big fan followings. Most of them have since become minor recurring characters in the show.
** In "Games Ponies Play", there was a flashback scene where Rainbow Dash is with a stallion with a rainbow mane just like her. Fans are calling him Rainbow Dad, with a decent fan following from it. He is officially named Rainbow Blaze in merchandise.
** In the Season Four opener, Discord gave Twilight a scepter with a goofy face to mock her [[BuffySpeak princessiness.]] As happened with Derpy, the Twilicane has exploded across the fandom. It took one day for someone to make a 3D model of it, someone else to set up a [[http://asktwilightscepter.tumblr.com Tumblr,]] and for someone else to do [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoaG30dJa7E this.]]
** Firefly, Medley, Twilight, Applejack, Bowtie, Scorpan, and Tirek are some of the most popular ''Franchise/MyLittlePony'' characters but in American canon only appeared in the first of the two ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyTVSpecials''.
** The great and powerful Trixie has only one speaking role in "WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirls". Thanks to her LargeHam status, it's one of the most memorable scenes
** Junebug, the sherbet orange-maned mare with flowers in her saddlebags, has only appeared in two episodes to date, and her sole speaking role is in "Secret of My Excess" when Spike demands a birthday present from her.
** Sunny Rays appeared for but a few seconds moving clouds at the beginning of "Look Before You Sleep", and did not appear again until late in Season 4. Despite this, she has recieved a brushable toy in the Wedding Invitation line.
* The ''WesternAnimation/EdEddNEddy'' GrandFinale [[TheMovie Movie]] introduces us to Eddy's long-unseen older brother. He only gets 5 minutes of screen time and yet leaves a '''huge''' impact as a genuinely dangerous person who beats his younger brother and Edd [[ForTheEvulz for fun]].
* ''WesternAnimation/TinyToonAdventures'' had Julie Bruin. In one very short toon, yet memorable for perhaps [[BestKnownForTheFanservice unwholesome reasons]], as well as being a spoof of her voice actor, Julie Brown.
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheCritic'', Orson Welles appeared in two minutes total over two episodes, and has spawned more memes than any other character on the show.
** "They're even better when you're ''dead''!"
* While chock-full of memorable one-shot characters, episode 50 of ''WesternAnimation/SamuraiJack'' took it a step further when it gave us X9, a highly-skilled robot assassin with a FilmNoir vibe and mobster zoot suit who was the last of his kind, due to receiving an emotion chip that gave him a sense of self-preservation when the other bots let themselves get blown to bits. Unlike his brethren, X9 grew to hate the senseless acts of killing and disappeared from Aku's watchful eyes, then found new purpose in life when he befriended a dog named Lulu... [[ArcWords sweet thing]]. Although X9 appears once, he's the only character with a speaking line that episode, and he's not a FillerVillain with generic motives, but a complex character with a valid reason to take up his gun. More importantly, we're treated to a [[DarkAndTroubledPast deep]], [[WhatMeasureIsANonHuman heartwrenching]] BackStory, which makes him that more endearing to the fans and viewers watching- especially when Aku kidnaps Lulu and [[SadisticChoice blackmails X9 into coming out of retirement to kill Samurai Jack.]] The rest of the episode after the HowWeGotHere segment amounts into a tension-filled showdown between Jack and X9- one of the few times you actually ''don't'' want to see Jack's enemy cut down... [[spoiler: which makes the ending of the episode all the [[TearJerker painful]] [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice to]] [[LastRequest watch.]] Season 5 came years later, and we never did get to find out what the fate of Lulu was... [[NarmCharm sweet thing.]]]]
* The (possible) future Warden on ''WesternAnimation/{{Superjail}}'', who was the reason why the TimePolice arrested the Warden despite him not (yet) committing any crimes in the first season finale. He got maybe three minutes of screen time, and was loved for being an AxeCrazy FutureBadass who conquered the world.
** The doberman puppy from "Superfail" in season 3 wound up with a lot of fanworks dedicated to him, owing to the twisted TearJerker nature of the flashback that he appeared in.
* ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'' could claim a verifiable treasure trove of these, between one or two-line characters like the Tiny Manticore in "Son of Mars" or the Old Man Prisoner from "Gut Grinder" or single-episode characters like Lorraine from "BMO Noire" or Wormo from "Apple Thief". Of course, many of these characters go on to become an AscendedExtra.
* For one short scene in ''WesternAnimation/SuperHeroSquad'', Ray Stevenson reprises his role from the movie as ComicBook/ThePunisher, who lets the entire Squad crash in his van for as long as they can stand it. HilarityEnsues as he goes on a Frank Miller-esque monologue.
* Stacey, Larry's girlfriend, from the ''[[WesternAnimation/KaBlam Life With Loopy]]'' short "Larry's Girl". While she only appeared for one minute and had only one line of dialogue at the end of the episode (and oddly, [[WhatHappenedToTheMouse never showed up again]]), most fans of the short absolutely love her, both for her generally being a very cute character and also due to her scene being [[SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments one of the most heartwarming ones in the series]].
* The baboon jogger from ''WesternAnimation/BojackHorseman''. His only appearance aside from silent cameos lasts for about 30 seconds at most. And yet in that 30 seconds he gives Bojack some of the best, most poignant life advice ever. [[SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments Simply to help out a complete stranger who seemed to be having some trouble.]]
-->"It gets easier. Every day it gets a little easier. But you have to do it every day. That's the hard part. But it does get easier."
* Lots in ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBros'' Some go on to make more appearances later, and others disappear forever. Some more notable examples:
** The Grand Galactic Inquisitor, one of the funniest characters in the whole series despite only appearing in a single episode. '''IGNORE ME!!!'''
** Kim played a role in one episode, cameoed in another, and had two mentions. Fans have begged for her to be brought back, among others because she was suggested to become a villain, but it's neve come of that.
* ''WesternAnimation/JohnnyTest'':
** She-Johnny, the fan name given to the curvy, adult female form Johnny takes for a split second in the first series opening sequence in, and for just as long in the first episode. But those collective two seconds were enough to grant an awful lot of fanart...granted, much of it is a bit, ahem, illicit.
** Vampire Susan and Mary, especially among the anti-''[[Literature/TheTwilightSaga Twilight]]'' fans. The gothic dresses they wear, and their creepy, yet charming dialogue helps.
** Joni West seems to be this, in fact she was so loved that she returned in The Lost Web Series.
* ''WesternAnimation/BobsBurgers'': "The Hawkening: Look Who's Hawking Now" features an in-universe version as the source of the episode's conflict. Shinji Kojima, star of the ''[[ShowWithinAShow Hawk & Chick]]'' film series, steals the second reel of a director's cut of ''Hawk & Chick vs. the Cephalopod Monster'', and the Belchers try to get it back. It turns out Koji stole the movie because a deleted scene featured a then-unknown actor who managed to out-act Kojima, despite having a minor role in the movie. Kojima, in a fit of jealousy, used his clout at the studio to have the scene deleted from the movie.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Baymax}}:'' "Sofia" has a scene of Baymax doing a TamponRun to help a girl go through her first period. Amongst all of the customers giving suggestions of sanitary pads for Baymax, one of them happens to be a trans man (identified by his shirt patterned after the transgender flag itself).
* ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'': Lemon Jade, a fusion of two random Gems that appears for less than a minute during the Homeworld arc that closes out the series. She shows up to declare her solidarity with Stevonnie and the Crystal Gems and is immediately poofed for her defiance, but has attracted quite a fan following for her unique appearance and for being one/two of the few Gems that openly defied the Diamonds.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Characters We Love To See, Even If Just Standing In The Background]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Villains We Sympathize With]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Characters We Love To See Suffer]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Characters Who Allow Us To Live Vicariously]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Villains We Love To Hate]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Heroes We Love To Root For]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder: We Love To Watch Them Get Needlessly Killed]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder: We Love To See Them Semi-Naked]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Characters We Hate To Watch]]
[[/folder]]

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[[index]]

[[/index]]

* OneSceneWonder: A character that has [[OneShotCharacter limited screen time]], and usually not much in the way of plot relevance, but is still one of the most memorable things in the movie. [[BillingDisplacement They may even be given top billing]], or at least an "AndStarring" credit, along with the more obvious stars. This is not the same principle as EnsembleDarkHorse, because the character is often played by an established actor, nor is it the same as DeadStarWalking, because the intent is not to fool you into thinking that the actor will appear more often. The character just appears, gives a show-stealing performance, and then is gone. Like a SpearCarrier, only way more righteous. Like a [[TheCameo Cameo]], except you don't have to recognize the actor to appreciate the scene for all its worth. You know you're dealing with this sort of character if you start referring to "their scene".

* The DesignatedMonkey: The DesignatedMonkey is an unintentional ButtMonkey. They [[LoserArchetype constantly find themselves in horrible situations]]; the author appears to [[CallItKarma intend this to be karmic punishment]], but the audience (or a significant subgroup of it) thinks that it's out of proportion and will treat them as TheWoobie. This can create ValuesDissonance in the work, or it could mean that the fandom is [[MisaimedFandom misaimed]]. The audience may even begin to [[LiteraryAgentHypothesis wonder]] whether the author is deliberately [[BetterThanCanon misrepresenting this character]] to prevent us from sympathizing with them. Or write {{Revenge Fic}}s on their behalf.

* Anyone who goes through CharacterDerailment. A character who evolves from a well-established character to a totally different character ([[ThePlotDemandedThisIndex without rhyme or reason]]) is a sign of a DorkAge. You'll be confused why they have changed so drastically [[MakesJustAsMuchSenseInContext even within the context of the story]].

* The HateSink: The guy everyone just ''loves'' to hate, seeing as that's the idea. A Hate Sink is a character whose ''intended'' role in the story (the role the authors made for them) is to be so despicable that the audience wants them to fail just as much as they want the heroes to succeed. However, this individual doesn't have to be the main villain of the story, or even a villain at all. Let's say we have a cast of perfectly likeable protagonists, reasonable and sympathetic villains, [[MyFriendsAndZoidberg and Bob]]. Bob is not necessarily the main antagonist. He is not causing the struggle that the heroes must overcome, but he is making the heroes' lives more difficult. His list of character traits includes [[ItsAllAboutMe selfishness]], [[StubbornMule stubbornness]], {{greed}}, [[KnightTemplar holier-than-thou contempt]], [[DirtyCoward cowardice]] and an [[TooDumbToLive inexhaustible penchant for making bad decisions]]. He may also be [[{{Jerkass}} rude and obnoxious]], [[FantasticRacism bigoted]], [[{{slimeball}} sleazy]] and [[SmugSnake undeservedly smug]]. Basically, Bob exists to be hated. Everything he does and everything he says is designed to make the audience yearn for his death just a little bit more. If we see his eventual downfall -- and we usually do -- it is just as satisfying as the writers can possibly make it. A particularly pointed KarmicDeath is always a nice touch, and [[CatharsisFactor can be quite satisfying to watch]].