Peanuts has a treasure trove of iconic characters that form the core cast of the comic strips. Yet, there are a number of characters that do not get much attention, or as much credit as they are due. That is to say, there are many underrated characters in Peanuts' long publication history, many of whom are forgotten by the average fan.
Some Peanuts characters started out as members of the main cast, but were pushed to the background, or simply stopped appearing all-together over time. Alternatively, other memorable characters started as one-offs, or made minor appearances, but still managed to grab readers' attention with the limited panels they were given.
Whatever the case may be, Peanuts' forgotten and rarely celebrated characters deserve recognition for their contributions to Charles Schulz's legendary comic strip, as they helped to keep the cartoon fresh during its fifty yeats in publication.
10 Shermy
Introduced On October 2, 1950
Shermy debuted along with Charlie Brown and the core Peanuts gang, appearing even before Snoopy. Unfortunately for Shermy, being a Peanuts original did not equate to a long-lasting tenure in the comic, as he was all but phased out by the 1970s. Starting out as Charlie Brown's best friend, two years before Linus usurped that position, Shermy served as the foil to the funnier characters of Peanuts.
In other words, Shermy was the straight man of the earliest Peanuts comic strips, playing an important part, but not one that was meant to last for Shermy, as he started making less frequent appearances as early as 1954, and was soon limited to cameo appearances. Once Peanuts evolved into its golden age and beyond, Charles Schulz felt less of a need for the character, and subsequently, Shermy was only used when he thought someone with a blank slate personality was called for.
A recurring cast of characters, the Beagle Scouts are Snoopy's own version of the Eagle Scouts, with him as their troop leader and his bird friends as his scouts. While the birds may all look the same, they each have their own distinct personalities, which created a slew of funny and classic comic strips, typically involving the birds getting into some hijinks out in the woods.
Bill and Harriet are the smartest, and eventually get married in a later Peanuts comic. Moreover, Harriet has gone to jail – it was actually the Humane Society, but apparently jail to her – for hitting bluejays. Other characters include Conrad, an exceptional scout, and Oliver, a clumsy, quirky bird. The rest of the Beagle Scouts are pretty low-key, but they are an otherwise zany group.
8 Roy
Introduced On June 11, 1965
Roy initially befriended two core Peanuts characters, Charlie Brown and Linus, at summer camp, as all three were seemingly kindred spirits. In fact, Roy's loneliness and sadness actually makes Charlie Brown become his friend, something the round-headed kid can relate to. Likewise, Roy is very sincere, sensitive, and patient, much like Linus, making the three kids bond in a heartfelt way.
Garfield has been a beloved cartoon character for more than 40 years, and in that time he has crossed over with many other comic strip characters.
For a long time, Roy was limited to only appearing in camp comic strips. However, later on, Roy would become a part of the neighborhood Peanuts strips as well, albeit in minor appearances, even ones as small as being just in the background. He did become a classmate of Peppermint Patty's, and was more or less her best friend until Marcie replaced him, creating the now iconic duo of Marcie and Peppermint Patty.
7 Loretta
Introduced On May 22, 1974
Loretta first appeared in Peanuts as a Girl Scout, who helped Snoopy find his way out of the woods when he was lost – and then sold him some cookies. A minor character, Loretta is a kind, yet determined salespeson, one whose appearances deserve greater appreciation from Peanuts fans. Her resolve to sell her girl scout cookies manges to be both hilarious and kind of admirable.
At one pointed, Loretta even pulled off an elaborate ruse, making Charlie Brown think that she was going to apologize to him for hurting his feelings at a party, but instead she just tried to sell him more cookies. While her appearances in the comic strips were numbered, she would occasionally be mentioned by Sally, such as in one mid-1990s comic, in which Sally intended to sent the Girl Scout a Christmas card.
6 Tapioca Pudding
Introduced On September 4, 1986
It is fitting that during the decade of decadence and materialism that a character was introduced to Peanuts who was all about money and fame: Tapioca Pudding. Since she is the daughter of someone in licensing, she has the dream of having her face plastered over a number of products, and tells anyone she meets that they would love to have merchandise with her on it, hoping it will make her a millionaire.
According to a biography of Charles Schulz, Peanuts' creator considered fellow cartoonist Jim Garfield to be his biggest professional rival.
One memorable Tapioca Pudding storylined involved her being furious with Snoopy – her agent – because he booked her for an Olympic ceremony that, to her surprise, occurred two years ago. Funnily enough, Tapicoa Pudding's name is a riff on the very popular Strawberry Shortcake character, who hit the apex of her popularity in the '80s. The fact that Tapioca Pudding is obsessed with merchandising herself is yet another intentional parallel to Strawberry Shortcake, making for an interesting character.
5 Eudora
Introduced On June 13, 1978
Recognizable from her classic knitted beanie hat, which she was almost never seen without, Eudora was Sally's best friend. One of the last major characters to be introduced to Peanuts, Eudora was a big part of the comics for a time, before being relegated to minor character status, and then actually completely disappearing in 1987. Poor Sally apparently did not get to have a best friend in the '90s, apparently.
The
Peanuts
character Edudora was actually inspired by the short story writer Eudora Welty, who Schulz met and was fascinated by.
Coming to the Peanuts Gang's neighborhood from another state, Eudora had a ditzy personality, and possessed very strange eating habits; Sally was particularly disgusted when Euroda ate a chocolate sandwich and wanted to put gravy on it. Also, Sally and Eudora may have be very close – at least while Eudora was in the strip – that did not stop them from getting into tiffs, especially considering Eudora's crush on Sally's "Sweet Baboo" Linus.
4 Molly Volley
Introduced On June 13, 1978
Anyone who is a fan of Snoopy's tennis player alter ego will be familiar with his Snoopy's mixed doubles partner, Molly Volley. She has a fiery temper, much like another tennis player, John McEnroe, and tends to get into animated arguments with her opponents, which made for some funny comic strips. Moreover, Molly Volley has been shown to deal with bullying about her appearance from time to time, which deeply wounds her despite her tough cookie persona.
As a result, the character is one that many kids, and adults for that matter, can relate to and even commiserate with.Despite Molly Volley's temper, she is actually one of the nicest characters to Charlie Brown, even nicer than some of his closer friends. However, due to her fanaticism about winning and Snoopy's absymal tennis skills, she eventually vows to never play with the beagle again, and she stayed true to her word, making her last appearance in late 1990.
3 The Goose Eggs (Austin, Leland, Milo & Ruby)
Introduced In March 1977
Charlie Brown rarely ever got to feel like a big shot, but the group of younger children called the Goose Eggs – consisting of Austin, Leland, Milo and Ruby – occasionally gave Charlie Brown the respect he long desired. In one especially strange, yet side-splitting storyline, Charlie Brown ruan away from home to avoid getting into trouble with the Environmental Protection Agency, after he bit the kite eating tree.
While not among the most well known
Peanuts
characters, The Goose Eggs have been seen in multiple animated TV specials.
After accidentally bonking a fugitive Charlie Brown on the head with a baseball, the Goose Eggs ask Charlie Brown if he can manage their baseball team. Named the Goose Eggs because their team always scored zero, Charlie Brown had his work cut out for him, but the kids were always respectful to him, treating him like a wise elder, with Milo even saying he would like to be like Charlie Brown one day.
2 Truffles
Introduced On March 31, 1975
Truffles is another minor character, who only appeared in two Peanuts storylines, but still managed to have a major impact on Linus and Snoopy. Truffles is so named because her grandfather declared her rare, like a truffle mushroom. She bonded with Linus and Snoopy, leading both to fall in loved with her.
Garfield creator Jim Davis, friend of Peanuts artist Charles Schulz, revealed in an interview why Charlie Brown can't do this one simple thing.
Briefly after that, Snoopy and Linus semi-competed for her affection, but Linus was stymied by not knowing the location of her grandfather's farm, and Snoopy was not willing to guide him there, wanting Truffles all to himself. In a later storyline, a field trip took Linus back to the farm where he encountered Truffles once more; that time, Truffles reciprocated Linus' feelings, , gaining the ire of Sally, and leading the two girls to clash over him.
1 Snoopy's Siblings
Introduced From August 13, 1975 To February 14, 1994
People around the world know and love Snoopy, but not as many are as familiar with Snoopy's kin, specifically his siblings. Each family member was as distinctive a character as the main beagle himself; the introduction of Snoopy's siblings not only revealed a lot more about Snoopy, but created a cascade of new storylines and personalities to riff off of.
With Spike, Snoopy's desert dwelling brother, being the first sibling introduced to viewers, more were to follow like his sister Belle who lives in Kansas City, the smarty pants Marbles, and the witty Olaf who has won an Ugly Dog Contest. The last to be introduced was Andy, who had a horrible sense of direction much like Olaf. All together, they represent some of Peanuts most memorable minor characters.
Created by Charles M. Schulz, Peanuts is a multimedia franchise that began as a comic strip in the 1950s and eventually expanded to include films and a television series. Peanuts follows the daily adventures of the Peanuts gang, with Charlie Brown and his dog Snoopy at the center of them. Aside from the film released in 2015, the franchise also has several Holiday specials that air regularly on U.S. Television during their appropriate seasons.
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