The 10 Best Friends Characters Introduced After Season 1

Though the characters introduced in the first season are the most beloved, multiple Friends characters introduced after season 1 had a significant impact on the story and won over fans. The show Friends ran on NBC from 1994 to 2004, garnering a massive fanbase. Since then, it hasn’t left the pop culture zeitgeist, continuing to offer laughs two decades after the finale was released.

Friends changed a lot from season 1 to the final episode, and one way is the introduction of new characters outside the core group. While many of them are forgettable, some lovable characters became fan-favorite guest stars and recurring characters. The most memorable characters reach seasons regular status or come back in later seasons for one or two-episode arcs.

10 Richard Burke (Tom Selleck)

Recurring Actor In Friends Season 2; Guest Actor In Seasons 3 & 6

Best Quote: “They’re different from my other friends; they don’t start sentences with, ‘You know who just died shoveling snow?‘”

Though he only appears in nine episodes, Richard Burke is one of the most memorable characters outside of the core group of characters. While most of the appeal comes from the fact that Tom Selleck plays him, Richard also has many lovable traits that make his massive red flag less atrocious to most people. He’s soft-spoken, thoughtful, patient, and loving. He and Monica have little to no drama in their relationship, and they work through their issues with communication.

Their romance also helps Monica realize exactly what she wants in her future, which is a career, marriage, and kids. Because he’s so essential to Monica’s story and because the majority of fans love him, Richard Burke ranks among the best characters introduced after Friends season 1, despite the concerning age gap between him and Monica.

9 Paul Stevens (Bruce Willis)

Guest Actor In Friends Season 6

Best Quote: [Talking to himself in the mirror] “She likes you. You know why? Because you’re a neat guy.”

In Friends season 6, Ross becomes a creep by dating his student, Elizabeth. After a short time of being together, she introduces him to her father, Paul Stevens – played by Bruce Willis. Despite his Stoic and intimidating nature, Paul delivers some humorous and memorable lines. He also has a sweet and romantic, albeit guarded, side that comes out with Rachel. Though the show is wrong for stigmatizing men’s emotions, Willis gives an undeniably funny performance once Paul’s emotional floodgates burst, with him unable to stop weeping.

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Ultimately, Paul ranks among the best Friends characters because of the performance on its own, but it’s even better because Paul Stevens is such a dichotomy from Bruce Willis’ typical roles from the 90s. Unsurprisingly, Willis won the 2000 Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for his role in Friends.

8 Joanna (Alison La Placa)

Guest Actor In Friends Seasons 3 & 4

Best Quote: “Rachel, please, don’t make a scene…Sophie, get in here! [Sophie enters] You see! Now you’re making Sophie uncomfortable!”

Much in the same way that people enjoy watching Michael Scott in The Office, Joanna from Friends is enjoyable in her episodes despite the fact that she would be a terrible boss who creates a hostile work environment. None of the things she says to Sophie are okay, but they have a sharp wit that’s still funny, with shock value adding to the humor.

It’s also amusing to see how insecure she becomes when crushing on Chandler Bing. Her behavior in these situations feels like a complete 180, showing that her tough exterior might be an act. Furthermore, the scene where she leaves him handcuffed to her work desk never fails to be funny due to the absurdity of the situation. For these reasons, she falls into the category of the best Friends characters introduced after season 1.

7 The Chick and The Duck

First Appears In Friends Season 3, Episode 21

Even though they are animals, The Chick and The Duck in Friends feel like two members of the gang who don’t get enough appreciation. They’re adopted by Chandler and Joey in season 3, after Joey sees a message on the news that people shouldn’t adopt chickens for Easter. The two best friends treat The Chick and The Duck like their babies and talk with them as if they can understand everything they’re saying. They watch TV together, introduce them to new people, and make them their own decorated room in the entertainment center.

Chandler is more of a disciplinarian, giving The Chick and The Duck rules, such as they can’t watch the cooking channel. He disciplines The Duck when he’s mean to The Chick, giving him a timeout. However, he shows his softer side, singing “Old MacDonald” to the chick repeatedly. Joey and Chandler’s dynamic with their lovable pets makes the audience love the pets just as much as these two characters do.

6 Dr. Benjamin Hobart (Greg Kinnear)

Guest Actor In Friends Season 10

Best Quote: “No, it starts with a silent M.”

In the twenty years since the Friends series finale, most of the fanbase has collectively decided that Ross is the worst. He is a walking red flag, and he never deserved any of the women he dated. Because of this, one of the best characters on Friends who was introduced after season one is Dr. Benjamin Hobart. The character appears in a single episode of Friends season 10, and it’s entertaining that his sole purpose is to steal Ross’ girlfriend.

Though the man is wildly unprofessional during the dinner and in the interview with the grant candidates, there’s something cathartic about watching him pick on Ross. His questions towards Ross get increasingly more hilarious, and Greg Kinnear delivers the lines with perfect comedic timing. By the end of the episode, he wins over Charlie, leaving Ross single.

5 Susie Moss (Julia Roberts)

Guest Actor In Friends Season 2

Best Quote: “Well, um, why don’t you call me in 20 years and tell me if you’re still upset about this.”

Another character who only appeared in one episode but made a strong impression is Susie Moss, Chandler’s classmate from grade school. Julia Roberts’ Friends cameo goes down in history as one of the most memorable on-off Friends characters. She’s presented as a love interest for Chandler, bolstered by the incredible chemistry between Roberts and Perry – who were dating at the time. However, the end of the episode reveals she was in it for revenge the entire time, a hilarious plot twist that leaves Chandler nearly naked in a restaurant bathroom wearing only women’s panties.

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She never forgave him for pulling up her skirt in front of the entire school while she was onstage. Because of Roberts’ charm and romantic comedy background, the character’s desire for revenge isn’t entirely apparent. The actor’s versatility is also shown in the final moment where she turns from flirty and friendly to vindictive.

4 Eddie (Adam Goldberg)

Guest Actor In Friends Season 2

Best Quote: “I don’t think you’re being fair! One night you see me and you get scared. What about last night when you got a drink of water, and I was nice enough to hide behind the door? I mean, what’s that about, huh?”

One character who only appears in a handful of episodes but makes an impact is Eddie, the man who moves in with Chandler when Joey moves out. The character starts as a quirky but friendly guy, and his only development is the fact that he becomes increasingly erratic and delusional. Eddie does amusing things like dehydrating fruit, stealing Chandler’s insoles, obtaining mannequins, and watching Chandler while he’s sleeping.

He has a poor grasp on reality in Friends, thinking he and Chandler go to Vegas together even though this never happens. He also jumps to the conclusion that Chandler and his ex-girlfriend Tilly sleep together. Ultimately, this unhinged behavior makes him one of the funniest characters to watch. It’s also satisfying that Joey and Chandler work together to kick Eddie out of the apartment when he refuses to go if his own accord.

3 Kathy (Paget Brewster)

Recurring Actor In Friends Season 4

Best Quote: “Okay. I’m understanding a little more why you’re single.”

Kathy, played by Alison La Placa, is one instance where one of the best characters is also one of the most hated. The character is introduced in Friends to create tension in Joey and Chandler’s friendship. Both have an attraction towards Kathy, with Chandler burying his feelings until he finally kisses his best friend’s girlfriend. It’s easy to hate Kathy considering she cheats on both Joey and Chandler, but her presence brought about two of the funniest moments in the show.

After Chandler kisses Kathy, Joey makes him stay in a box for hours in order to show how much he regrets his decision. As Chandler explains, the reasons are threefold:

1. It gives me the time to think about what I did.

2. It proves how much I care about my friendship with Joey.

And, 3. It hurts.

Chandler uses the box as a comedy prop throughout the episode, making himself noticeable even without his visual presence. The other scene caused by Kathy’s presence is Monica teaching Chandler about the erogenous zones. Because her presence leads to so many great scenes, Kathy can’t be dismissed from the “bests” category.

2 Frank Buffay Jr. (Giovanni Ribisi)

Recurring Actor In Friends Seasons 2, 3, & 4; Guest Actor In Friends Seasons 5 & 10

Best Quote: “Telling you about my likes and dislikes – how I like to melt things and dislike things that don’t melt.”

Though Giovanni Ribisi first appears as “Condom Guy,” he comes back later in the season as Frank Jr., the secret half-brother of Phoebe Buffay. When he’s first introduced, he comes across as a goofy guy who has unusual interests, but he grows throughout the series. Frank Jr. maintains his strangeness, highlighted by the fact that his children’s names, but the plot forces him to become slightly more mature.

The only aspect of Frank and his story that’s overtly unlikable is the fact that he, an 18-year-old, marries and has three babies with his 44-year-old teacher – a part of Friends that didn’t age well. Because he’s enjoyable outside his interactions with Alice, he still falls high on the list of the best characters introduced after Friends season 1, whereas Alice cannot be placed in the same category.

1 Mike Hannigan (Paul Rudd)

Regular Actor In Friends Seasons 9 & 10

Best Quote: “First name Cr*p, last name Bag…If you need help remembering, just think of a bag of cr*p.”

The best character introduced later in Friends is Mike Hannigan, played by Paul Rudd. Like many of Paul Rudd’s best roles, Mike is sweet, funny, quirky, and charming. Rather than conforming to the expectations of his family, he quit his job as a lawyer to open a piano bar. He has a perfect level of weirdness that complements Phoebe Buffay, which explains why they kept her with Mike instead of having her go back to David as planned. The moment when he stands up for Phoebe to his parents also solidifies him as one of the best boyfriends on Friends.

In addition to fitting well with Phoebe, Mike freshens up the group dynamic after eight and a half seasons of the same thing. He gets along great with most of the friends, but it’s unbelievably hilarious to watch him hang out with Ross, even though the two have nothing in common. Ultimately, he is the perfect addition to the show, saving the final two seasons of Friends.