One of the most essential elements of any film or TV show is its side characters. While a compelling protagonist is crucial, those who aren't in the spotlight of the story are often just as important for the production's success. From the sidekick to the main antagonist, these side characters are some of the last people audiences would expect to be top-billed in a series or movie, yet also so deeply deserving.
Want to discover the characters who returned with their own show or movie? Click on through following slides!
In 'Breaking Bad,' Bob Odenkirk plays Saul Goodman, the crooked attorney who represents Bryan Cranston’s Walter White, or Heisenberg.
In its prequel, 'Better Call Saul,' we get to follow the story of Jimmy McGill, who will eventually go on to become Saul Goodman. Some say the spin-off rivals the original series.
Although Frasier Crane didn't appear until the third season of 'Cheers,' he quickly became one of the show's most beloved characters thanks to Kelsey Grammer's performance.
While spin-off series rarely reach the same success as their original counterparts, 'Frasier' was one of the few that did, winning five consecutive Emmys for Outstanding Comedy Series.
Although Steve Carell's character Evan Baxter, Bruce's rival anchor, only appears very briefly, his scenes are some of the most entertaining in the whole film.
While the spin-off 'Evan Almighty' wasn't as well-received as the original, it still gave us many hilarious moments from both Carell and Morgan Freeman.
In 'The Mummy Returns,' Rick O’Connell (Brendan Fraser) and Evie (Rachel Weisz) have to stop Imhotep from taking over the world, and resurrecting the Scorpion King (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson).
Johnson's portrayal earned him his first leading role in 'The Scorpion King,' which takes place 5,000 years before the events 'The Mummy Returns.'
Richard "Ringo" Langly, Melvin Frohike, and John Fitzgerald Byers were 'The X-Files' resident conspiracy theorists. And who can ever forget about them?
Premiered in 2001, 'The Lone Gunmen' follows these eccentrics as they attempt to investigate various conspiracies and other questionable events.
Robin Williams’s extra-terrestrial Mork made his debut in the fifth season of 'Happy Days,' as Richie Cunningham sees a flying saucer before meeting him.
The spin-off series 'Mork & Mindy' explores Mork's backstory as he was sent to Earth on a quest to study human behavior. He also befriends journalism major Mindy, who helps him adjust to life on Earth.
This cult classic by the Coen brothers is often cited as one of the funniest and most entertaining comedies. And John Turturro's character Jesus Quintana is responsible for a lot of the film's most memorable moments.
Some 21 years after the original film was released, Turturro directed a spin-off film titled 'The Jesus Rolls' (2019). The film was, however, a commercial flop.
James Gunn's 'The Suicide Squad' introduced a fantastic ensemble cast of weird and wonderful characters. One of them was John Cena's Peacemaker.
Cena's character was received so positively that he even got his own spin-off TV show. The TV show 'Peacemaker' came out in 2022.
Initially we imagine Jason Statham’s Deckard Shaw to be just as villainous as his brother in the previous movie. But as the franchise progresses it has shown that, similar to Dominic Toretto, for Shaw it's about family above all else.
As two of the most memorable names in the franchise, 'Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw' goes full buddy cop mode with Shaw and Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson).
Judd Apatow's hit comedy 'Knocked Up' features some hilarious and memorable supporting characters, such as Leslie Mann's Debbie and Paul Rudd's Pete.
Five years later, Apatow released a spin-off called 'This Is 40' (2012), which follows Pete and Debbie as they navigate the struggles of marriage and children.
In Robert Rodriguez’s 'Spy Kids,' Danny Trejo plays Isador Cortez, AKA Machete, the uncle of Carmen and Juni Cortez.
Years later, Trejo appeared as the character in a fake trailer in Quentin Tarantino and Rodriguez’s 'Grindhouse' (2007). They then actually came out with 'Machete' in 2010.
Considered to be one of the best comedies of the 2000s, 'Forgetting Sarah Marshall' introduced us to Russell Brand's Aldous Snow, the new boyfriend of Sarah Marshall.
The eccentric and larger-than-life character was received so positively that he even appeared as the protagonist in 'Get Him to the Greek' (2010) with Jonah Hill.
The 'Shrek' movies are filled with hilarious supporting characters, and Puss in Boots is no exception. Voiced by Antonio Banderas, we first meet the sword-fighting feline in 'Shrek 2.'
Eight years after the release of 'Shrek 2,' Puss received its first spin-off in 'Puss in Boots' (2011). It's a prequel of the original Shrek, introducing the cat's origin story.
Although Adonis himself doesn't actually appear in any of the original Rocky films, his infamous father Apollo Creed does.
The 'Creed' franchise follows the late Apollo's son Adonis, who begins a boxing career with the help of Rocky Balboa himself.
Sources: (Ranker) (Screen Rant)
Side characters who got their own show or movie
These side characters stole the show hard enough to get their own spin-off
CELEBRITY Spin-offs
One of the most essential elements of any film or TV show is its side characters. While a compelling protagonist is crucial, those who aren't in the spotlight of the story are often just as important for the production's success. From the sidekick to the main antagonist, these side characters are some of the last people audiences would expect to be top-billed in a series or movie, yet also so deeply deserving.
Want to discover the characters who returned with their own show or movie? Click on through following slides!