25 Most Popular Muppet Characters Ranked Worst To Best

It's time to play the music. It's time to light the lights. It's time to rate the Muppets from the worst to the best. 

Launched from the mind of the legendary Jim Henson in the 1950s, the Muppets have provided decades of entertainment for audiences of all ages. Whether they are teaching young kids their ABCs or giving us Borscht Belt-style comedy, these iconic puppets have influenced the world of show business in a major way.

First introduced in the 1955 TV show "Sam and Friends," the Muppets have gone to evolve by matching pop culture step by step, from "Sesame Street," "Saturday Night Live" and "The Muppet Show" to classic cameo-filled films like "The Muppet Movie" and "The Muppet Christmas Carol" to viral video clips, rock videos, talk shows and more.

Fast forward 67 years later, and the Muppets are still going strong. While the number of Muppet characters created during this time is estimated to be more than 3400 strong (and counting), here are the top 25.

A triangle-loving maroon monster with neurotic tendencies, Telly has undergone many changes since he was first conceived for "Sesame Street." His name originates from Television Monster, and he once had long antennae on his head and swirling eyes that were hypnotically glued to the boob tube. However, this was perceived as an unhealthy example for little ones, so Telly was reimagined without the TV-obsessed personality.

Telly is sensitive and sincere and has an adorable affinity for stuffed animals — his favorite being his monster doll, Freddy. He can often be seen in the company of his best friend, Baby Bear. He loves all creatures great and small, especially his pet hamster, Chuckie Sue. Telly is also an avid admirer of Oscar the Grouch, and a proud member of the Grouchketeers. He's a bit of a worrier at times, but he always has his friends to keep him in good spirits. Oh, and he's a natural musician, too — just check out his tuba skills. 

Wembley Fraggle is the wild, wacky one of the group, and can pull off a Hawaiian shirt like nobody's business. He is filled with optimism and energy, which are perfect traits to accentuate his bongo-playing skills. His indecision can be a problem, however, and his fear of conflict causes him to agree with everyone, no matter the circumstance.

Wembley is generous with his time, volunteering for the Fraggle Rock Fire Department (as the siren), and refereeing local hockey games. He is a loyal friend who will go along on any of the group's adventures, whatever the danger. He might seem flighty at times, but apparently, he's somewhat of a secret genius. He even invented Fraggle Rock's first wheel — though he had trouble catching it after it rolled away. With his kind heart and endless enthusiasm, it's easy to see why Wembley is a favorite character for many "Fraggle Rock" fans.

A symbol of American patriotism (or perhaps in the eyes of some, jingoism), Sam the Eagle takes his role very seriously. Amidst the chaos backstage at "The Muppet Show," Sam tries to bring a little class to the operation. Of course, this almost always backfires, much to his face-palming chagrin. His disapproval of many of the shenanigans on "The Muppet Show" is openly voiced, but mostly ignored. He is an advocate for good, clean, wholesome entertainment, such as the song stylings of Wayne and Wanda. Unfortunately, their performances always end in disaster.

In spite of his reluctance to work with a pack of "weirdos," Sam the Eagle has been featured alongside the other Muppets since the mid-'70s. He has appeared in all of the Muppet feature films, starting with "The Muppet Movie," and most recently in "Muppets Most Wanted." He showed off his acting chops while playing young Ebenezer Scrooge's Headmaster in "A Muppet Christmas Carol," and Samuel Arrow in "Muppet Treasure Island." Whatever the Muppets find themselves doing next, fans can probably bet that Sam will be there to make sure things are up to par.

He's sarcastic, a bit sleazy, and has over 1200 brothers and sisters. Rizzo the Rat first entered the scene in Season 4 of "The Muppet Show," as he and his fellow rodents swarmed the set during Christopher Reeve's hosting duties. He later took on a supporting role in "The Muppets Take Manhattan," where he worked at Pop's Diner and scatted the day away with his rodent pals in the kitchen.

Rizzo's most prominent role was in the classic holiday film "The Muppet Christmas Carol," where he could be seen palling around with author Charles Dickens (played by Gonzo). As Dickens relates the tale of Ebenezer Scrooge, Rizzo is dragged along on the adventure, often finding himself thrown into harrowing circumstances. After his role in "The Muppet Christmas Carol," he and Gonzo were rarely seen apart. The two were also paired up in "Muppet Treasure Island" and "Muppets From Space."

Sadly, Rizzo seems to have largely retired from the Muppets in recent years (his performer, Steve Whitmire, left in 2017). He does have cameos in "The Muppets" and "Muppets Most Wanted," so hopefully fans will be seeing more of their favorite rat sometime in the future.

Everyone's a critic, but no one can roast quite as hard as the resident hecklers on "The Muppet Show," Statler and Waldorf. High from their balcony, the two elderly audience members never miss a performance — as they say, it's like a kind of torture to have to watch the show. 

For two people who hate the Muppets' work so much, they sure seem to be having a blast throwing shade at the cast. They are particularly adept at ruining Fozzie Bear's standup routine, much to the latter's devastation. In most episodes of "The Muppet Show," these oldies-but-goodies got the last laugh with a final post-credits one-liner.

On a few occasions, Statler and Waldorf have left the confines of their balcony box to visit backstage, or even perform for the audience themselves. These fan favorites have also been featured in several Muppet films, playing the Marley brothers (Jacob and Robert) in "The Muppet Christmas Carol" who visit Scrooge (Michael Caine) as ghosts to warn him to change his ways. 

Though very little is known about their history or personal lives, Waldorf's wife, Astoria (who looks remarkably like Statler), once attended "The Muppet Show" with her husband in Statler's place. A very interesting fan theory about the pair went viral on Twitter in March 2021, but fans will have to imagine for themselves what the true history of their relationship entails.  

A Muppet of very few words, Beaker is the lab assistant of Dr. Bunsen Honeydew — and the guinea pig for his mad scientific experiments. He first appeared in the second season of "The Muppet Show" during a Muppet Labs sketch. In these segments, Beaker has been the victim of explosions, electrocutions, and other various experiments gone awry. It's no wonder he has such an anxious disposition; nevertheless, he has continued to be Honeydew's faithful assistant through the years.

In 2008, the Muppets posted a series of videos on YouTube that reached viral status. Beaker himself was the star of several of those videos, one of which even earned him a 2009 Webby Award. The video, titled "Ode to Joy," showcased Beaker's musical talent as he performed six different parts of Beethoven's classic 9th symphony. A video was also released of Beaker covering the classic rock hit "Dust in the Wind," in which the Muppet is literally accosted by the YouTube comments section. Poor Beaker just can't seem to catch a break, but that doesn't mean fans love him any less.

A master pianist and pun enthusiast, Rowlf the Dog has the honor of being the very first Muppet to make it on network television. He first appeared in commercials for Purina Dog Chow, and later as a regular sidekick on "The Jimmy Dean Show." He went on to perform in variety shows such as "Our Place" and "The Mike Douglas Show" in 1966 and 1967, respectively.

Rowlf appeared in the pitch reel for "Sesame Street" alongside Kermit, and was part of the "Muppet Show" pitch, where he would go on to be featured prominently. His main skills involve singing and playing the piano (his song from "The Muppet movie" is a classic), as well as starring as Dr. Bob in "Veterinarian's Hospital." Rowlf was a member of the Muppet Orchestra on "The Muppet Show," and also filled in as a temporary member of Electric Mayhem from time to time. As a talented musician and witty jokester, Rowlf is as cool as they come.

An inquisitive, eight-foot-tall bird with a wondrous view of the world, Big Bird has been a staple of "Sesame Street" since the show's premiere in 1969. He's perpetually six years old, and he loves to sing, roller skate, and cuddle with his favorite teddy bear, Radar. His best friend is Mr. Snuffleupagus, but he is also close with all the residents of Sesame Street. Like many 6-year-olds, he is curious about a lot of things, and is always asking the big, important questions. With such attributes, Big Bird is the perfect surrogate stand-in for his preschool-age audience.

One of Big Bird's most memorable moments occurred in Episode 1839 of the show, which addressed the real-life passing of beloved shopkeeper Mr. Hooper (Will Lee). The landmark, emotional episode taught Big Bird about death, and how to deal with loss and grief — and in the process, did the same for a generation of youngsters watching at home. 

After receiving a great cameo in "The Muppet Movie," Big Bird became the star of 1985's "Follow That Bird," the first "Sesame Street" film to get a theatrical release. The film showed Big Bird on a harrowing journey to return to Sesame Street after he was placed in the foster home of the Dodo family. To this day, Big Bird remains one of the most recognizable members of "Sesame Street," beloved by children and adults.

He's a stand-up comedian with jokes that will make even your dad groan, but Fozzie Bear's determination and unshakable optimism are just plain inspiring. He's been a regular on "The Muppet Show" since the beginning, and despite frequently bombing on stage, Fozzie gets back up there every night and does it all over again. He's perpetually at odds with Statler and Waldorf, who delight in heckling his act, but occasionally he gives as good as he gets. Fozzie constantly approaches Kermit to pitch his ideas for the show, which either go ignored or end in catastrophe.

"The Muppet Movie" tells the story of how Kermit and Fozzie met and formed an unlikely friendship. While performing at a seedy cafe, Fozzie convinced Kermit to let him tag along on a roadtrip to Hollywood, where they hoped to break out into showbiz. The partnership between the two has been an icon of the Muppet franchise, even if they tend to be at odds with one another from time to time.

Dave Grohl? Neil Peart? John Bonham? Phil Collins? Amateurs.

Nobody can slap the skins quite like Animal, the longtime drummer for Electric Mayhem. The trouble is getting him to stop. Known for his wild antics and guttural speech, Animal is the quintessential Muppet rockstar. When he's not beating the drums (or eating them), he's creating havoc wherever he goes — so much so that he has to be chained up to keep him under control. But hey, the same was often true of Keith Moon.

One of Animal's most famous moments on "The Muppet Show" includes a drum battle with the legendary Buddy Rich. Unfortunately for Buddy, Animal is not a graceful loser. Animal also provided accompaniment for Rita Moreno, as she sang the song "Fever." Rita didn't quite appreciate Animal's flair for improv, however, as she smashed his head between two cymbals. Animal didn't seem to mind, though, declaring, "That my kind of woman!"

Not only is Animal a drummer and a popular favorite in the Muppet franchise, but he also is a snowboarding enthusiast. In 1998, he became the official mascot of the U.S. snowboarding team. Snowboarding was still very new to the Olympics at the time, and Animal was considered the perfect spokesperson for the sport. 

A true artist with a flair for the avant-garde, there is no one quite like Gonzo — thank goodness. His career began on "The Muppet Show," where he gave memorable performances like eating a tire to the tune of "Flight of the Bumblebee" and wrestling a six-pound red brick while blindfolded (both of which can be seen in this YouTube compilation). Though most of his acts resulted in him getting booed off the stage, Gonzo would not be discouraged, instead coming up with more new, exciting daredevil stunts.

For many years, Gonzo's origins were a mystery, as his appearance gives no clue to his species. He has been identified as a "Weirdo" and "Whatever" by fellow cast members. In the 1999 film "Muppets From Space" it was suggested that Gonzo is an alien. However, following the movie's release, it seems that Gonzo has reverted back to his status of being a "Whatever." As for his romantic life, Gonzo once professed his love for Miss Piggy on "The Muppet Show," but his feelings were unrequited. Not to worry, though — he has been in a happy relationship with Camilla the Chicken since 1979.

Coming in at Number 2 on the list is everyone's favorite cute, furry, red monster, Elmo. Elmo has been with "Sesame Street" since 1980, but he didn't truly find his voice until years later. Elmo went from a minor monster character who barely spoke to a lovable, huggable sensation that was loved by children everywhere. He's energetic, adorable, and simply unforgettable.

In the early 1990s, Elmo's popularity soared. He received his own half-hour spot on "Sesame Street," along with a huge home video franchise. The release of the "Tickle Me Elmo" toy in 1996 created a massive sales wave, and in 1999 Elmo was given his very own "Sesame Street" movie, "The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland."

Most recently, Elmo has returned to the spotlight, as videos depicting his hatred for Rocco the rock have become a viral trend. He hosted the "Not-So-Late Show" on HBO Max, and clips of his guest spots on light-night television have also been making the rounds, such as "The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon" and the Australian variety series, "Rove."