Line #76 BreakoutCharacter/WesternAnimation


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6	BreakoutCharacter in WesternAnimation.
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8	%%Needs more context about popularity.* ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'': [[CuteMonsterGirl Marceline]] started off as a secondary character before the third season began to establish her as part of the main group. Although her episode appearances didn't drastically increase as a result (thanks to the show's penchant for DayInTheLimelight episodes developing at the same time), she was treated as a main character and eventually got her own eight-part miniseries exploring her past in the seventh season.
9	* The Chipettes from ''Franchise/AlvinAndTheChipmunks''. After their first appearance in the [[WesternAnimation/AlvinAndTheChipmunks '80s cartoon]], they have become so popular and get more and more screentime overtime in the series becoming regular characters, which helped them to become {{Canon Immigrant}}s. Now the Chipettes are integral part of the franchise and appear in all media.
10	* [[Characters/AmericanDadRogerSmith Roger Smith]] from ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDad'' originally started out as an alien who lives with the Smith family as well as being forced to stay within the house and didn't have much major importance to the plot. Later in the series, he was more outgoing through the use of disguises and is one of the more prominent characters. Recently, he's the second most prominent character after Stan, and is now one of the most popular characters on the show.
11	* Although in ''WesternAnimation/{{Amphibia}}'' Anne and Sprig are the show's main characters, Marcy Wu quickly became the most popular and beloved character despite debuting in the middle of Season 2. She's {{Adorkable}}, clumsy, and a nerdy NiceGirl, but is also a force to be reckon with in combat. One example of her popularity, compare the view counts between [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVSjc4JVULo Sasha's Theme Song Takeover]], and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYPGZ6zSNdw Marcy's Theme Song Takeover]]. She also gets her own book, ''[[Literature/MarcysJournalAGuideToAmphibia Marcy's Journal]]'', which goes into further detail into her experience in Amphibia.
12	* While ''WesternAnimation/{{Animaniacs}}'' was always intended to be a series of shorts with many different characters, the incredible popularity of the ''WesternAnimation/PinkyAndTheBrain'' shorts led to them appearing in significantly more episodes than the other skits. They were also the only ones to spin-off into their own show. Following the [[WesternAnimation/Animaniacs2020 reboot]], they were among the returning characters alongside the Warners.
13	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Archer}}'' has Pam, Krieger and Ray.
14	** Pam wasn't even in the opening credits on the beginning, but she quickly became a fan favorite from Season 1 to 4, Season 5 however, made her TheScrappy, as she held the IdiotBall and didn't let go, her addiction on cocaine became an OverusedRunningGag in the season and even lost her BigBeautifulWoman attributes for a typical StatuesqueStunner. She came back to being a main character with her old personality by Season 6.
15	** Krieger and Ray were side characters with almost very few lines in Season 1, the creator voiced Ray in order to save money on voice acting since he was supposed to be a one-off character, but both became so popular they were added to the main crew.
16	%%* ''WesternAnimation/{{Arthur}}'': Many of of the early episodes that centered around Arthur's 3rd Grade class mostly focused on Arthur, Buster and Francine, but quite a few other characters managed to receive their own episodes.
17	%%Needs more context about popularity.** Binky Barnes was originally conceived as your typical [[TheBully Schoolyard Bully]], but his role has greatly been expanded where he's received a number of focus episodes and is now one of Arthur's closest friends.
18	%%Needs more context about popularity.** Fern was originally a quiet girl who is very much into literature, but as she opened up and became more social, she also received a few episodes for herself.
19	* ''Franchise/AvatarTheLastAirbender'': Suki was meant to be a GirlOfTheWeek for Sokka in the first season but thanks to her popularity, she returned in the second season to become a recurring character and [[OfficialCouple Sokka's girlfriend]].
20	%%Needs more context about popularity.** ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'': We have Tenzin's BadassBookworm daughter Jinora. Starting out as a side character in Book One, she was granted an [[AscendedExtra expanded role]] in Book Two that saw her become Korra's spirit guide and mentor, giving the latter the skills needed to defeat the BigBadDuumvirate of the season. Book 3 saw her becoming a main character, receiving her own RomanceArc and [[spoiler: helping to bring down another BigBad]]. This culminates in [[spoiler: her being made the youngest airbending master in history, beating out her grandfather, the previous [[PhysicalGod Avatar]], by one year)]].
21	* ''WesternAnimation/BobsBurgers'': [[Characters/BobsBurgersTinaBelcher Tina Belcher]], the awkward teenage girl who writes erotic fanfiction, likes horses and zombies. Her awkward adorableness as well as her self-confidence in being herself and relatable teenage issues made her become very popular and one of the most focused characters later in the show.
22	%%Needs more context about popularity.* On ''WesternAnimation/CareBearsWelcomeToCareALot'', Wonderheart Bear was created for the series, but only had a few episodes where she was actually the main character of focus. At other times, she was just in a supporting role, or mostly background. In ''WesternAnimation/CareBearsAndCousins'', at least in the first six episodes, she is not only a main character, it's probably fair to say that she is the main character, even more so than any of the cousins.
23	* [[SixthRanger William]] from ''WesternAnimation/CodeLyoko'' started out as a secondary character in Season 2. Unlike most breakout characters, William started out being considered a [[DieForOurShip pointless piece of ship interference]]. However, he became more popular in Season 3, where he became a recurring character often helping the heroes. He ends up [[SixthRanger joining the team]]... [[SixthRangerTraitor Before]] being [[BrainwashedAndCrazy brainwashed]] in the season finale by [[BigBad XANA]]. In [[GrandFinale Season 4]], he's been PromotedToOpeningTitles, became a main character and XANA's [[NotHimself unwilling]] [[TheDragon Dragon]]. His popularity ends up skyrocketing as a result. His absence (barring flashbacks and a small cameo in the first book) in the ''Code Lyoko Chronicles'' novels was noticed (even some of his detractors wished he appeared, if only to replace [[BaseBreakingCharacter Eva Skinner]]). Naturally, his fans rejoiced when he came back in the sequel series ''Series/CodeLyokoEvolution'', this time as a hero.
24	* WesternAnimation/DonaldDuck upon his second appearance, (and his first on a WesternAnimation/MickeyMouse cartoon) where he effortlessly steals the picture away from everyone. It wasn't long before he became much more prominent on [[WesternAnimation/ClassicDisneyShorts the cartoons]] than the Mouse himself, before serving as a the centerpiece for [[ComicBook/DisneyDucksComicUniverse an entire comic book universe]] that is ''overwhelmingly'' adored in Europe. Creator/WaltDisney is on record as saying that he never quite understood why people became so attached to the character.
25	** While Donald is the biggest example, many well-known characters of the WesternAnimation/ClassicDisneyShorts started out as side characters and part of Mickey Mouse's supporting cast before starring in their own series of shorts. Most prominently are WesternAnimation/{{Goofy}}, WesternAnimation/MinnieMouse, WesternAnimation/DaisyDuck, and WesternAnimation/{{Pluto\|ThePup}}, who nowadays are all recognizable characters of their own.
26	*** Goofy even proved popular enough to get his own TV series, ''WesternAnimation/GoofTroop'', which then got [[WesternAnimation/AGoofyMovie two]] [[WesternAnimation/AnExtremelyGoofyMovie movies]].
27	*** Speaking of ''WesternAnimation/GoofTroop'', Max Goof was originally an {{Expy}} of Goofy Jr., Goofy's son from the classic shorts. However, Max became a popular character of its own and made a lot of appearances in the early 2000s like in ''WesternAnimation/MickeysOnceUponAChristmas'' and its [[WesternAnimation/MickeysTwiceUponAChristmas sequel]], as well as ''WesternAnimation/HouseOfMouse'' before vanishing into obscurity after his short life in the limelight.
28	*** The Donald Duck shorts introduced its own breakout characters, like his nephews Huey, Dewey and Louie. These three were just occasional supporting characters before becoming popular enough for Donald to officially ''adopt'' them in-universe, making them part of Donald's direct family.
29	*** WesternAnimation/ChipAndDale originally were antagonists for Pluto and later Donald, but soon got their own classic shorts. Kids of the 90's learned to love them from their own animated series, ''WesternAnimation/ChipNDaleRescueRangers'', which they are still wildly known for nowadays. The fandom of that show especially was big enough to have this show's cast (including the {{Canon Foreigner}}s) cameo in ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales2017'' and getting [[Film/ChipNDaleRescueRangers2022 a live-action adaptation]] in 2022.
30	*** Scrooge [=McDuck=] already was a breakout character in the ComicBook/DisneyDucksComicUniverse, but he got a second chance to break out thanks to the popularity of the animated series ''WesternAnimation/{{DuckTales\|1987}}'', which launched the now famous Disney Afternoon and cemented Scrooge as a big character in both Disney cartoons and comics.
31	%%Needs more context about popularity.** Similarly, WesternAnimation/{{Goofy}}. The character started off as an extra in some of Mickey Mouse's cartoons before he went on to get his own series of shorts, his [[WesternAnimation/GoofTroop own television series]] and eventually his [[WesternAnimation/AGoofyMovie own theatrical movie]].
32	%%Needs more context about popularity.** ''WesternAnimation/DarkwingDuck'' character Morgana [[PunnyName Macawber]] and her weird undead family were introduced as a set of villains who disappeared (for many years, within the context of the episode) when their house vanished at sunrise at the end of the episode. Morgana's family was never seen again, but she herself [[PlotHole returned]] [[HandWave without explanation]] to play both [[DatingCatwoman a villain]] and later [[HeelFaceTurn a hero]], developing into a series semi-regular and Darkwing's LoveInterest.
33	%%Needs more context about popularity.** ''WesternAnimation/{{Recess}}'':
34	%%*** Gus Griswald from ''WesternAnimation/{{Recess}}'' was just another member of the main six, and by the end of the series, he had the second-largest amount of episodes focusing on him (with [[TheHero T.J.]] in the lead)
35	%%*** Miss Finster and Principal Prickly became this, with the latter getting a pretty big role in ''WesternAnimation/RecessSchoolsOut'' and the former getting more merchandise. Miss Grotke on the other hand just became an AscendedExtra with a PeripheryDemographic and the show left it at that.
36	%%Needs more context about popularity.** Tigger was a secondary character in the original ''Literature/WinnieThePooh'' books, appearing only in the second book, ''The House At Pooh Corner.'' In the Disney adaptations, he got bigger and bigger roles until he ended up as the franchise's main star apart from Pooh himself. He even gets top billing in ''My Friends Tigger and Pooh''. Not to mention his own movie.
37	%%Needs more context about popularity.** Ironically, ''WesternAnimation/TheTiggerMovie'' also began the expansion of similarly minor character Roo's role, with him gaining a much larger spotlight in later movies and ''also'' his own Direct to DVD movie. ''WesternAnimation/PoohsHeffalumpMovie'' also arguably featured Roo more as the main protagonist than the title character.
38	* WesternAnimation/FelixTheCat was originally conceived as a OneShotCharacter for the film ''WesternAnimation/FelineFollies'', which was made solely because another animator was tardy with his work for the Paramount Screen Magazine, and Pat Sullivan and Creator/OttoMessmer agreed to fill in with a cartoon of their own. Felix's debut was so well liked by audiences that it immediately took off as a hit, graduated to his own standalone series and became one of the most iconic and influential cartoon characters of all time.
39	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'':
40	** Parodied in the episode "Bender Should Not Be Allowed On Television", where [[Characters/FuturamaBenderBendingRodriguez Bender]], nonplussed [[DemotedToExtra with his role as a comatose robot]] on a ShowWithinTheShow [[BadBadActing due to a horrendous audition]], [[LargeHam suddenly busts out and begins chewing up the scenery]] [[AntiRoleModel and engaging in all manner of incorrigible behavior]]. In spite of [[ThrowItIn deviating from the script]] (not to mention that [[TheShowMustGoOn Calculon never does retakes]]), the show finds some of its highest ratings ever, and Bender becomes a sensation.
41	** That aside, Bender actually is one. He is often cited for stealing the show with the scenes he's in and he is the most exploited character when it comes to merchandise.
42	* Creator/HannaBarbera:
43	** WesternAnimation/YogiBear was not even the starring character of the show he debuted in (that honor going to fellow Hanna-Barbera character [[WesternAnimation/TheHuckleberryHoundShow Huckleberry Hound]]), nor even Bill and Joe's first character after they left MGM ([[WesternAnimation/TheRuffAndReddyShow Ruff and Reddy]] say hi). However, Yogi and his shorts [[EnsembleDarkhorse completely stole the show]], leading to him not only getting his own show, but becoming one of Hanna-Barbera's super-star characters on the same level as [[WesternAnimation/TheFlintstones Fred Flintstone]], WesternAnimation/TomAndJerry, and Franchise/ScoobyDoo.
44	** WesternAnimation/{{Snagglepuss}} originated as a recurring antagonist in various Hanna-Barbera shorts, but somewhere along the line he ended up with his own series of shorts (backing up Yogi's own show) with him as a heroic character, and his endearing personality and mannerisms meant that he ended up becoming just as enduring of a cast member as Yogi.
45	** ''WesternAnimation/WackyRaces'' villains Dick Dastardly and Muttley became so popular on that show that they got their own, ''WesternAnimation/DastardlyAndMuttleyInTheirFlyingMachines'', a season later and are now Hanna-Barbera's go-to antagonists in crossovers. The only female racer, Penelope Pitstop, would [[WesternAnimation/ThePerilsOfPenelopePitstop get her own show as well]], with the Anthill Mob joining her in it.
46	** Among the company's many ''Franchise/ScoobyDoo'' clones produced during the late 70s/early 80s, WesternAnimation/{{Jabberjaw}} remains one of the most well-known and popular of them, to the point that he transcended his own origins as the main character of a ''Scooby'' clone and routinely makes appearances in other Hanna-Barbera shows and movies (even ones that don't have anything to do with mysteries), even having a supporting role planned for ''WesternAnimation/{{SCOOB}}''[[labelnote:*]]as a [[GenderFlipped female]] interpretation of the character[[/labelnote]] before it was cut for time.
47	* [[Characters/HeyArnoldHelgaGPataki Helga G. Pataki]] in ''WesternAnimation/HeyArnold'' started out as a HarmlessVillain with a fixation on Arnold before breaking out at some point mid-series. This ultimately led to her character getting a lot more development than Arnold, who became more of a FlatCharacter. As a result, many may argue that by the end, she was the true protagonist. She even had her own spin-off in the works after the show's end, though it didn't pan out.
48	* ''WesternAnimation/IAmWeasel'' started out as a supporting cartoon to help complement ''WesternAnimation/CowAndChicken'', in same vein as ''WesternAnimation/DextersLaboratory'''s "Justice Friends" and "Dial M for Monkey". The characters of Weasel and Baboon were loved enough that the shorts were eventually spun off into an independent series.
49	* [[LargeHam The Red Guy]] was so popular on ''WesternAnimation/CowAndChicken'', he started appearing on ''I Am Weasel'' starting in the second season.
50	* GIR in ''WesternAnimation/InvaderZim''. He is certainly the favorite among the majority of fans, though his voice actor is annoyed when fans ask him to do something like sing the [[MemeticMutation Doom song]] due to doing the voice straining his throat. And aside from that, Nickelodeon ''still'' makes lots of GIR-themed merchandise, and now they've reached the point where they have to make up new quotes just to put on T-shirts. Remarked on in the script reading for unproduced episode ''The Trial''.
51	-->"Back on Earth, mankind has reconstructed the planet. Everything is in GIR's image."\
52	'''Richard Horvitz''': Just like Hot Topic!
53	%%Needs more context about popularity.* A couple of ''WesternAnimation/{{Kablam}}!'' examples include ''Loopy'' and ''Prometheus and Bob''. Not only have they lasted through the entire show, but Life With Loopy had a ''Kablam!'' special dedicated to it, while Prometheus and Bob was planned to be adapted into a film (that was later canceled due to lack of interest). In addition, ''WesternAnimation/ActionLeagueNow'' eventually aired in its own timeslot.
54	* [[DarkActionGirl Shego]] from ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'' started out as a flat sidekick to [[HarmlessVillain Dr. Drakken]]. Her portrayal by voice actress Creator/NicoleSullivan had the creators add more depth to the character, and her dynamic with Dr. Drakken became so popular that the duo became the most featured (and fleshed out) villains in the series.
55	* Along with [[WesternAnimation/LiloAndStitch Stitch]] (as mentioned on [[BreakoutCharacter/{{Film}} the Film page]]), the ''Franchise/LiloAndStitch'' franchise's [[WesternAnimation/LiloAndStitchTheSeries first animated series]] had its own breakout character: Stitch's DistaffCounterpart and LoveInterest Angel, which is impressive considering she was in only two episodes, with a cameo in a third episode and only a minor role in the franchise's [[WesternAnimation/LeroyAndStitch last film]]. Her breakout status was first established when a 2004 Creator/DisneyChannel poll on fans' favorite episodes and experiments of ''Lilo & Stitch: The Series'' showed that she was the most popular one. Since then, [[Anime/{{Stitch}} the anime]] that came afterwards [[AscendedExtra featured her much more often]] (to the point that she had the most appearances among experiments in that show apart from Stitch and Reuben), she was made into a costumed character for the Ride/DisneyThemeParks (and said costume was later given a redesign to be more inline with the Stitch costume design-wise),[[note]]the other experiments apart from her and Stitch to have been made into costumed characters--Felix, Sparky, Sample, Reuben, and 627--still use their original costume designs[[/note]] and she regular appears on lots of merchandise, even in America over seventeen years after the end of ''Lilo & Stitch: The Series'' and the peak of the franchise's success there. Disney even made a dedicated character page for her on the Disney Store website, and she's even found in video games including ''VideoGame/DisneyTsumTsum'', ''VideoGame/DisneyMagicKingdoms'', ''VideoGame/DisneyHeroesBattleMode'', ''VideoGame/DisneyEmojiBlitz'', and ''VideoGame/DisneySpeedstorm'' (which even brought back [[Creator/TaraStrong her original voice actor]] to [[RoleReprise reprise her role]]). All this have allowed the ''Lilo & Stitch'' franchise to defy Disney's tradition of not acknowledging their SequelSeries to [[Franchise/DisneyAnimatedCanon their animated films]] years after they ended.
56	* ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' has had many breakout characters, including:
57	** WesternAnimation/PorkyPig: The original breakout character. He was intended to be a sidekick to the much-forgotten Beans the Cat. Originally appearing in 1935's I Haven't Got a Hat, Porky proved much more popular than Beans, causing him (along with the rest of his co-stars) to be written out within just one year, while Porky remained prominent for decades to come. However, he was eventually upstaged by...
58	** WesternAnimation/DaffyDuck: First appearing in 1937's Porky's Duck Hunt, Daffy was merely one of the many ducks Porky was hunting. However, he would end becoming even more popular than Porky himself, soon starring in a series of his own shorts. But much like Porky, Daffy would end up being upstaged by...
59	** WesternAnimation/BugsBunny: Bugs made his debut in 1940's A Wild Hare (though, his prototype (Happy Rabbit) first appeared in 1938's WesternAnimation/PorkysHareHunt). With his KarmicTrickster personality, he quickly became the franchise's most popular character, and remains the face of Looney Tunes today.
60	** WesternAnimation/FoghornLeghorn: Originally a supporting character to Henery Hawk who debuted in 1946's Walky Talky Hawk, Foghorn proved more popular to the point he became the main star of his shorts, with Henery as the supporting character instead.
61	** Marvin the Martian: Though he only appeared in 5 Golden Age-era shorts (starting with 1948's "WesternAnimation/HaredevilHare"), Marvin became much more popular after the official run, appearing on much of the merchandising, alongside the main characters.
62	** Tasmanian Devil: Like Marvin, Taz only appeared in 5 Golden Age-era shorts (starting with 1954's "WesternAnimation/DevilMayHare"), but also became much more popular later on through merchandising and even getting his on show in the form of ''WesternAnimation/TazMania''. It may come to as a surprise to some fans that Marvin and Taz only appeared in 5 of the original shorts.
63	** Michigan J. Frog. He appeared in exactly only ''one'' cartoon -- "WesternAnimation/OneFroggyEvening", yet he endeared himself to audiences so much that they convinced himself he appeared more than once. In the 1990's he eventually became one of the starring characters when he became the mascot for Creator/TheWB Network.
64	* ''WesternAnimation/TheLoudHouse'' has a few examples:
65	** [[TheRockStar Luna Loud]] started off as just one of Lincoln's sisters. However, she quickly gained a ton of fans, and subsequently became the sister with the most episodes that focus on her, including a special.
66	** Ronnie Anne became popular when she has formally introduced in "Save The Date" thanks to emphasizing how [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold she's tough yet also has a good heart]] while also showing her more lovable behavior. Once she moved to the big city to live with her mother's extended family, she became more popular, and eventually got a whole 5 episode arc in Season 4, and [[WesternAnimation/TheCasagrandes her own show]].
67	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Metalocalypse}}'': Charles Foster Ofdensen wasn't even in the first episode and remained a relatively minor character for the first few episodes of the show, but slowly became not only a great straight-man foil for the band but became an [[EnsembleDarkhorse incredibly popular character]] in his own right as well as a genuine member of the main cast, leading up to several spotlight moments in Season 2 and culminating in his HeroicSacrifice at the very end of the S2 finale. [[spoiler: He gets better.]]
68	* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'':
69	** [[Characters/FriendshipIsMagicPrincessLuna Princess Luna]], sans [[JekyllAndHyde her time as Nightmare Moon]], was only in the series premiere for only a mention in the opening narration, less than a minute of screentime, and two lines before being absent and unmentioned the rest of the season. She proved very popular with her [[ADayInTheLimelight focus episode]] "Luna Eclipsed" furthered while it and a two cameos in the season finale were her only appearances in Season 2. From Season 3 onwards she would get almost as much screentime and prominence as [[BigGood Princess Celestia]], getting PromotionToOpeningTitles in Season 4.
70	** [[Characters/FriendshipIsMagicDiscord Discord]] first appeared as the BigBad of the two-parter "Return of Harmony" as essentially a chimeric version of [[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration Q]], and was so awesome that many fans couldn't help but fall in love with him. Although TakenForGranite at the end of his debut, he was revived in Season 3 to be successfully redeemed ([[HeelFaceRevolvingDoor of sorts]]) by Fluttershy and was promoted to recurring character in Season 4. He's proven popular enough to receive a supporting role in ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyPonyLife''.
71	** The Great and Powerful Trixie only had one appearance in Season 1, which made her extremely popular. She would only return in the Season 3 episode "Magic Duel", to further acclaim. Season 6 has her become friends with Starlight Glimmer (who, at this point, has been promoted to full-on main character), which leads to her getting more appearances.
72	** Pinkie Pie's older sister Maud appeared in her self-titled episode in Season 4 as an extremely stoic {{foil}} to Pinkie's antics who was [[MundaneMadeAwesome obsessed with rocks]]. In a cast full of quirky GenkiGirl types, her utter blandness proved a gold mine of CringeComedy that contrasted with everypony else. She was immediately adored by fans and seemingly the staff as well, as she got a [[OneSceneWonder surprise cameo]] in ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirlsRainbowRocks'' and has made regular appearances since then in both supporting and protagonist roles.
73	* ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'' had Perry the Platypus, the title characters' pet, and a secret agent, and Dr. Doofenshmirtz, one of the most pathetic villains ever created. It soon got to the point where Doofenshmirtz's plotlines with Perry pretty much usurped the title characters' plotline. Perry himself even got acquainted with Disney's merchandising, like in VideoGame/DisneyTsumTsum.
74	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Rugrats}}'': By the last few seasons, Angelica Pickles became the most popular character of the franchise. She was the only ''Rugrats'' character to make TV Guide's list of Top 50 Greatest Cartoon Characters in 2002, and she and Susie also got their own short-lived spinoff ''Preschool Daze''.
75	%%Needs more context about popularity.** Since the show was VindicatedByHistory in the early 2010's after spending the 2000's being seen as a show that suffered from oversaturation and extreme SeasonalRot, Reptar has becoming something of an icon of the show more than the babies. Most social media posts prominently feature the green dinosaur character on its own and merchandise of Reptar has been readily available with no indication the character was previously from this show.
76	%%Needs more context about popularity.* Princess Sally Acorn, from ''WesternAnimation/SonicTheHedgehogSatAM'' and ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogArchieComics'', had more of a supporting role in early Archie but is arguably as prominent a character as Sonic himself later on. This is even more evident counting her earlier background as a minor captive in the games.
77	* ''WesternAnimation/ShaunTheSheep'': Timmy the lamb is this trope due to his innocence and cute design. He later received [[WesternAnimation/TimmyTime his own spinoff]].
78	* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'':
79	** The show was originally a series of shorts on Series/TheTraceyUllmanShow, when they actually became the most popular segment on the show, thus leading to their own spinoff.
80	** The main show was originally revolved around [[Characters/TheSimpsonsBartSimpson Bart Simpson]], not Homer. Soon enough, Bart not only became one of the most popular characters on the show, but one of the most popular characters in television history. This led to the show's Golden Age and Bart's own golden age, Bartmania. This would lead the character to appear on many merchandise, including shirts, toys, and anything else you can think of. In fact, [[https://content.time.com/time/magazine/archive/covers/1990/1101901231_400.jpg Bart was named one of Time's most influential people of the 20th century.]] Homer would later be the show's main focus, and soon enough the BumblingDad would be very famous too. This [[LikeFatherLikeSon father and son duo]] are still part of one of television's funniest families.
81	** The show ruthlessly parodied this concept (along with cheap {{Catchphrase}}s) in the episode "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS5E12BartGetsFamous Bart Gets Famous]]", where Bart accidentally becomes a cast member and breakout star of the Krusty the Clown show. After serving as a last-minute replacement for Sideshow Mel (who gets sick because Bart gave him a sandwich with cheese; Mel is lactose-intolerant), he accidentally destroys the set and says "I didn't do it." That one line makes the entire crowd erupt with laughter, and he quickly gets more roles on the show and tons of merchandise.
82	%%Needs more context about popularity.** The show was initially centered around Bart, but sooner or later, Homer became the central focus of the series.
83	%%Needs more context about popularity.** There have been several episodes in the show where the characters have become superheroes for one reason or another (Bartman from [[Recap/TheSimpsonsS2E21ThreeMenAndAComicBook "Three Men and a Comic Book"]], Stretch Dude and Clobber Girl from [[Recap/TheSimpsonsS11E4TreehouseOfHorrorX "Treehouse of Horror X"]], and Pie Man and Cupcake Kid from [[Recap/TheSimpsonsS15E19SimpleSimpson "Simple Simpson"]] being some of the most well-known). While the superheroes in question have never really appeared in the show outside of their debut episodes, other ''Simpsons'' media (especially the comics) loves to make use of them for various stories.
84	* Sticks the Badger from ''WesternAnimation/SonicBoom''. Her CloudCuckoolander ConspiracyTheorist personality made her a popular character and she has since crossed over into mainstream ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog''-related works, such as ''[[VideoGame/MarioAndSonicAtTheOlympicGames Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games]]'', despite her status as a character from an AlternateContinuity.
85	* Timmy in ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' was initially intended as a one-shot character, but proved so popular (spawning a MemeticMutation, TIMMY!) that he was brought back again and again, and even [[PromotionToOpeningTitles made it into the opening]] in the sixth season, after the departure of Kenny. However, after his brief moment in the sun, he quickly receded into the background again. %%Needs more context about popularity. Butters was a LivingProp in the first few seasons, but went on to becoming a RecurringCharacter and quickly to the fifth most prominent character on the show. %%Needs more context about popularity. Randy Marsh, who went from a geologist simply named "Randy" to "Stan's dad" (thus giving him a recurring role) to arguably being right behind Butters in terms of prominence.
86	* Brak was originally a minor character who showed up every once in a while in ''WesternAnimation/SpaceGhostCoastToCoast''. He proved to be so popular that he replaced Moltar in the ''WesternAnimation/CartoonPlanet'' spinoff, and then eventually [[WesternAnimation/TheBrakShow got his own show.]]%%Needs more context about popularity.* The Simpsons are breakout characters from ''Series/TheTraceyUllmanShow'', starting out as shorts that were a minor part of the show before getting a whole [[WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons spin-off series centered around them]].
87	* ''WesternAnimation/StarTrekLowerDecks'': T'lyn is a Vulcan ensign who was one of two focal characters during ''Lower Decks''[='=] own LowerDeckEpisode, [[Recap/StarTrekLowerDecksS2E09WejDuj "wej duJ"]]. While she was originally written as a [[OneShotCharacter one-off]] counterpart of [[DeadpanSnarker Mariner]], being ([[TheStoic by Vulcan standards]]) a risk-taking, snarky woman more in touch with her emotions than the rest of the ''Sh'vhal''[='=]s crew, both her and her debut episode proved to be incredibly popular--with her [[ReassignedToAntarctica transfer to Starfleet]] being seen as a hook for joining the Cerritos[='=]s crew. While Season 3 was already mostly written by the time "wej duJ" relased, [[Recap/StarTrekLowerDecksS3E10TheStarsAtNight the season finale]][='=]s denouement saw her arrive on the Cerritos as a provisional science officer. As of Season 4, she's an official main character.
88	* ''WesternAnimation/StarVsTheForcesOfEvil'':
89	** During the first season, Janna was a RecurringExtra who would be lucky to have more than two lines per episode. Her only relevant role in that season was in "[[Recap/StarVsTheForcesOfEvilS1E11Mewberty Mewberty]]", but even in that episode she disappeared at the middle of it. Strong fan reactions towards the character turned her quickly into an EnsembleDarkHorse and she became one of Star and Marco's most recurring allies throughout the series. Although it wouldn't be until the final season that she would officially become a main character.
90	** Tom Lucitor was introduced as little more than a minor recurring villain during the first two seasons, but his appealing character concept and dynamic with Marco gave him a sizable fanbase and he quickly became one of the most popular characters of the series. He was given a [[spoiler:RelationshipUpgrade with Star]] in Season 3 and became the tritagonist of the series from that point onwards.
91	** Hekapoo, like the other members of the [[BoomerangBigot Magic High Commission]], was introduced by ADayInTheLimelight episode and then hit by TheWorfEffect [[spoiler:once [[KnightOfCerebus Toffee]] appeared]]. However, her attractive design and personality quickly made her far more popular than the other members, which lead to her getting more roles on her own in comparison to the rest of the Commission. She's also the [[spoiler:only member of the Commission to redeem herself at the end of the series]].
92	* ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'':
93	** The clones of Domino Squad were originally created as one-shot characters for the episode "Rookies". However, due to the episode and the squad proving so popular among fans, Season 3 started with a flashback episode showing their backstory. Fives and Echo, the only surviving members of the squad, became recurring characters with their own subplot from that season onwards, with Fives eventually serving as the main character of the Order 66 arc, and Echo becoming one of the leads in ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheBadBatch''.
94	-->'''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3b0YwG3-d4 Dave Filoni:]]''' On the crew, ["Rookies"] was one of our favorite episodes. When it aired, it became ''very'' clear that the fans also really related to the rookies, they really liked that episode, and we thought: "Wow, we've really got something here."
95	** Speaking of the Bad Batch, the quartet of MilitaryMaverick clones were invented for a Season 7 arc that never got made due to ''The Clone Wars'' being cancelled after the Disney buyout. When it got revived in 2020 for a 12 episode order, Filoni and crew put together a proposal either the Batch or the Martez Sisters--stars of two separate arcs--would get a post-Order 66 spinoff about them. Once the Batch showed up, they won by a landslide, as fans took to their badassery in slaughtering droids while being absolutely insane about doing so with open arms, combined with their unique personalities and voices compared to the rest of their brothers. ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheBadBatch'' would premier in 2021, while the Martez Sisters (who wound up being far less popular thanks to the rash decisions they made during their ''Clone Wars'' arc) would make a guest appearance as a preview of what might have been had they gotten the spot.
96	%%Needs more context about popularity.* ''WesternAnimation/SuperMarioBrosDic'': [[OnlySaneMan Luigi]], to the point that he's the only character to appear in every episode of all three shows, and has a speaking role in all but one episode.
97	* ''WesternAnimation/TotalDrama'':
98	** [[DeadpanSnarker Noah]] is the most noteworthy example. In the first season, [[RedShirt he really only existed to be an early elimination]] so that [[SpotlightStealingSquad the main characters would get more focus]]. However, he became an EnsembleDarkhorse. After being completely absent from the competition in the second season, he is brought back with a few other EnsembleDarkhorse characters ([[HomeschooledKids Ezekiel]], [[LovableJock Tyler]], and [[CasanovaWannabe Cody]]) to get a bigger role in the third season, World Tour. During this season, he made it to about the halfway point of the competition and became much more popular than before due to his surprisingly [[ThoseTwoGuys heartwarming friendship with Owen]] and [[FountainOfMemes getting funnier lines]]. Though the writers did not seem to catch on in time for him to make the ''All-Stars'' season, he is one of only four characters brought back for the spinoff series, ''WesternAnimation/TheRidonculousRace''. Furthermore, in that spinoff he not only gets his friendship with Owen developed even further than before, but he also gets [[PromotedToLoveInterest the main romantic plot of the season]] with newcomer [[CompetitionFreak Emma]]. Now he also prominently features in the other spinoff show, ''WesternAnimation/TotalDramaRama'' with just as much focus as the usual SpotlightStealingSquad characters of the series.
99	** [[CuteAndPsycho Izzy]] became a BreakoutCharacter much faster, arguably within the first season. [[TheQuietOne She does not get many lines in the first few episodes]] just like [[RedShirt the other characters who seemed to only exist to be early eliminations]]. However, due to having a major standout [[DeathInTheLimelight Elimination In The Limelight]] that showed just how hilarious her CloudCuckooLander personality and [[RapidFireComedy voice actress]] were, she gets reentered into the competition halfway through the season. And unlike [[TheBully Eva]], who was only brought back to be an antagonist for one episode, Izzy sticks around long enough to be one of the very last eliminations. Ever since then, while she has never become one of the central characters, she got much more focus on her antics in the second and third seasons, and then got TheCameo in both Seasons 4 AND 5 when most of the focus had moved away from the original cast. Then, like Noah, she returns in ''WesternAnimation/TotalDramaRama'' to get just as much focus as the other SpotlightStealingSquad characters.
100	* One of the back-up segments on ''WesternAnimation/{{Underdog}}'' was ''WesternAnimation/GoGoGophers''. This segment was so popular it became its own show, albeit only consisting of reruns from its days on ''WesternAnimation/{{Underdog}}''.
101	* ''Franchise/WinnieThePooh'' was already fond of ensemble stories, even in the original novels, though the Disney incarnation takes some of its characters a step further:
102	** Tigger only appeared in the second instalment of both the books and the Disney shorts, though quickly became popular enough to be pushed into all of Pooh's future works, to the point of being the first of the supporting cast to get [[WesternAnimation/TheTiggerMovie his own spin off feature film]] and the TV series ''WesternAnimation/MyFriendsTiggerAndPooh'' ascending him to co-lead status.
103	** Roo was originally a minor bit player for Kanga and Tigger, and was slowly fazed out of the Disney works during the ''New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh'' series. From ''The Tigger Movie'' onwards, Roo was given more and more main focus, getting ''two'' spin films and taking over some of Pooh's spin off branches like the ''Learning With Pooh'' featurettes. Such was the case that the marketed new character, Lumpy, was designed largely to be a foil for Roo more than anything else.
104	* ''WesternAnimation/WoodyWoodpecker'': Woody first debuted in the WesternAnimation/AndyPanda short ''WesternAnimation/{{Knock Knock\|1940}}'' but ended up becoming so popular that he immediately spawned his own series of shorts, quickly eclipsing the cute little panda in popularity.
105	* In a somewhat meta-example, ''WesternAnimation/WordGirl'' originated as one of many shorts and interstitials attached to the second half of ''WesternAnimation/MayaAndMiguel''. The ''[=WordGirl=]'' shorts wound up popular enough to get their own show, and has since outlasted the largely forgotten ''Maya & Miguel''.
106	* ''WesternAnimation/XiaolinShowdown'': Raimundo pretty much stole the show from Omi, being the character with the most development, and ended up supplanting him as the main character by the finale.

Context BreakoutCharacter / WesternAnimation