The Simpsons: 10 Greatest Recurring Characters Introduced After Season One

They may have been latecomers to Springfield, but they are still loved by all.

By Scott Banner /

Over the past three decades, The Simpsons has developed a cast of characters that no other show in history can match. Who else could put 22 short films in one episode based around over 40 different known, established, and loved characters?

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The town of Springfield is populated with the series’ main cast, its secondary cast, and even its tertiary cast, built up over 30+ years, but many of the strongest characters were introduced almost immediately. The likes of Ned Flanders, Principal Skinner, Mr. Burns, Moe, and Krusty the Clown all appeared in season one along side the titular family themselves.

But what about the later comers to the scene? Though the show may have established itself and its main characters after the first 13 episodes, there has been more than enough time since for some truly special residents of Springfield and beyond earn a place in our hearts.

Whether they typically reside in Springfield Penitentiary, work at Springfield Elementary, or even come from outer space, The Simpsons didn’t rest on its first season laurels, and certainly kept pumping out the classic characters into season two and beyond.

10. Snake

Snake might not be Springfield’s most infamous criminal, though he did bunk with Sideshow Bob for a time, but he is always there when one of The Simpsons’ stories heads to prison, or is in need of a lawbreaker.

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Despite committing numerous felonies and getting arrested more than a few times, Snake is usually roaming free, never staying locked up for long. This is how he is able to ruin Spinal Tap concerts, try to rob the Simpsons and the Kwik-E-Mart, and steal cars from half of the town.

This may be because on one occasion Chief Wiggum let him out to watch his team’s ice hockey game, and on another when he breached the honour system with which he was ‘locked’ up by simply leaving through the front door. Typically his rap sheet consists of armed robbery and car theft, but in Treehouse of Horror IX, he claimed he blew up a bus full of nuns in self-defence. It’s hard to believe that’s actually true, though it was a hilarious line.

There is only a little known about Snake, even his real name has contradicted itself over the years, and he has only ever been a bit part in the episodes he has appeared in. However, when he has turned up in Springfield, despite his lawbreaking ways, he has captured the hearts of the show’s fans.

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