15 Most Popular Peanuts Characters Ranked Worst To Best

That's right -– Charlie Brown is the worst "Peanuts" character. Despite his name being attached to almost every piece of "Peanuts" media there is, the hapless blockhead is by far the least appealing of the whole crew. It shouldn't come as much of a surprise. Charlie fails at nearly everything he attempts, and the last thing that would break his losing streak is an honest assessment of merit. He can't kick a football, hit a baseball, or even recognize true love when it's right in front of him. In a ranking of which of the "Peanuts" are the best, like in every other metric, Charlie languishes at the bottom.

To be fair to Charlie, he was never meant to shine on his own. His role has always been the straight man for the oddball antics of his peers. He's a plain, black t-shirt that allows those bright, plaid pants to pop. He's a modest spoonful of sorbet, so the kick from those Tex-Mex meatballs isn't diluted. That said, stories are full of unassuming average Joe's who still manage to bring something to the table. Frodo was able to destroy the One Ring, and even Neville killed a giant snake. Whatever the "Peanuts" giant snake is (probably Thibault), Charlie isn't the kind of guy to take it on. That's why he sits at the bottom of the list.

Chances are if there is one character on this list that necessitates a Googling to jog your memory, it's Rerun van Pelt. Yes, he does exist, and not only that, he's a member of one of the greatest "Peanuts" dynasties. Rerun is Linus and Lucy's younger brother, and in the context of "Peanuts" lore, that essentially makes him a Targaryen. The problem is that Rerun was such a flat, forgettable character that Shulz eventually started writing him out of the story.

From his first mention on May 23, 1972, all the way until the mid-90s, Rerun looked almost identical to his older brother Linus and never mustered up enough personality to help differentiate the two. In a book of interviews, "Conversations," Shulz himself put it,  "I think he was a mistake when it first began." Though Rerun eventually began starring in "Peanuts" titles himself, the majority of his existence has been spent as a background character, an annoying younger sibling, and worst of all — an afterthought.

More than any other "Peanuts" character, Franklin earns a heap of points and then throws them all away. He's a human rollercoaster that climbs its way towards respect, pauses at the apex for dramatic effect, and then plunges into distastefulness. Franklin is an African American, and his inclusion in the "Peanuts" comic strip way back on July 31, 1968, was daring on Shulz's part. It was even more daring for Harriet Glickman, the African American teacher who convinced Shulz to write him in, as recounted to People. Sadly, once Franklin broke that barrier and made it into the "Peanuts" world, he didn't accomplish much else.

He appeared only rarely, and even then, his bland, one-note characterization made it clear that he was not a true "Peanut" but rather a token. Schulz once explained Franklin's absence in an interview by citing a desire to avoid "race things," but one infamous 1974 comic demonstrated the opposite. Some took the strip to mean that Schulz was willing to talk about race at times, as long as African Americans were the butt of the joke. Happily, the highs and lows of Franklin's history eventually leveled off, and these days he just feels like one of the gang.

Spike is an important figure in the "Peanuts" mythology. He's one of the only characters to live away from the same middle-American suburb as the others and one of the only characters with a different cultural background.

Unlike the cushy comforts the other toons enjoy, Spike chooses to live like a hermit in the California desert, alone aside from a single cactus friend. He's rail-thin and disheveled. From his initial mention on August 4, 1975, followed by his first appearance in the strip the following week, he's remained a quiet and easygoing presence. In essence, Spike is a wandering, unencumbered vagrant whose life outside of his city visits is unknown. One of the few details of Spike's past that he has shared regards the identity of his former roommates, a pack of wild coyotes.

There's just something fascinating and alien about Spike, a rootless bohemian who breezes in and out of the world of "Peanuts."

Kicking off the top half of the list is Marcie -– best friend to Peppermint Patty and intellectual oddball. Marcie is always characterized as modest and soft-spoken, despite being a star student and, in many ways, lightyears beyond her friends. Her laconic nature makes her a hard nut to crack, but inside is a sweet, gooey center. To both Charlie and to Patty, she's spent decades demonstrating that she is a loyal, supportive, selfless friend.

If Marcie has any flaw at all, it's her frequent habit of inserting malapropisms into her otherwise sophisticated speech. From her grades, cultural references, and general wisdom, it's clear that Marcie is brilliant, and yet she can scarcely go a single strip without misspeaking. Whether it's calling Patty "sir" or believing Linus's Halloween deity is the "Great Grape," Marcie is always belying her intellect with naivety. Though, for a child who has proven herself an adept organ player and fluent French speaker, you have to wonder if Marcie's frequent detachment and enigmatic blundering may be deliberate and part of some larger cerebral game.

Pig-Pen has superpowers. There is no denying it. This ever-filthy kid was one of the first "Peanuts" characters, and in his almost 70-year history, has never gotten clean –- not truly. Though countless comic strips and video adaptations have shown Pig-Pen momentarily dust-free, the filth always returns. It instantaneously, magically returns, even when Pig-Pen is nowhere near any dirt or dust. In one appearance, he instantly re-accumulated his soot cloud after being showered clean –- despite being on a decidedly dirt-less adventure in "The NASA Space Station." Even more, Pig-Pen has repeatedly demonstrated an ability to control and direct the dirt, sending it away from and then calling it back, and even temporarily transferring it to other people and objects.

Pig-Pen also maintains an admirable mentality. He's proud of his grime, superpower or not. He revels in the fact that he is perpetually cloaked in the "dust of countless ages." To give Charlie some much-needed kudos, he also stands in awe of Pig-Pen's powers, once marveling that, "It staggers the imagination! He may be carrying the soil that was trod upon by Solomon or Nebuchadnezzar or Genghis Khan!"

Many of the best "Peanuts" characters earn their top spots through some form of kindness, intelligence, or skill. Some kids, like Sally and Franklin, are kind, loyal friends. They help maintain balance when tempests like Lucy rage through town. Others, like Schroeder and Marcie, are intelligent and insightful. They're the voice of reason, and they'll likely go far in life. Still others, like Patty, are talented competitors whose practice and ambition make them invaluable additions to any team, sports or otherwise. Then there is Linus, the one kid who is kinder, smarter, and more talented than every other "Peanuts" kid combined.

Linus saves Christmas. He defends a girl with cancer from a bully. He quotes philosophers verbatim. He speaks candidly and defends differences in mental health. Even more impressive than all of that, Linus steadfastly supports Charlie, no matter what. Despite all of Charlie's moaning, crying, fumbling, and failure, Linus has always been a faithful, loyal, trustworthy friend. He admonishes Chuck from time to time, but only when he needs it to evolve as a person. If not for Linus, Charlie would unravel like a ball of yarn in a cat cafe. Given his ability to temper even notorious dynamos Lucy and Snoopy, it's likely the entire group would unravel without Linus.

There was no other way for this list to end. Snoopy is the absolute highlight of the entire "Peanuts" franchise and by far its best character. Beating out even Charlie Brown, Snoopy has become the face of the "Peanuts." He's everywhere, from the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade to the Hollywood Walk of Fame and even NASA lunar landers. Snoopy's popularity transcends any of his peers, and with good reason -– he can do anything.

Snoopy is unique in his ability to play any role and play them well. Depending on the story, he can be an emotional protagonist or comic relief. He can play the joker and highlight others as the straight man. He's both a real dog to Charlie and a fantastical action hero to Woodstock. Essentially, Snoopy is both Calvin and Hobbes. He's the one to carry the other characters off on wild adventures but follow along earnestly and contentedly when the others have adventures for him. His derring-do can teach kids about World War One aeronautics, and his simple, canine hunger can teach them about gardening.

When you think about the "Peanuts," you think first about Charlie and Snoopy. Since one is a gloomy dope and the other is a magical, colorful knight errant, the choice is clear. Snoopy is the best "Peanuts" character.