10 TV Characters Who Disappeared Without A Trace

8. Chuck Cunningham - Happy Days

Chuck was the older brother of Richie Cunningham, the star of Happy Days (until Fonzie became the golden boy and even Richie's parents started liking him better, but that's another story). It would remiss not to mention him in this article - after all, Chuck is the trope namer, the patron saint of disappearing siblings, if you will.

Chuck Cunningham was featured in eleven episodes of the first season of the show, while Happy Days was still finding its footing. He was away at college, so he only appeared sporadically, but when he did show up he was almost always carrying a basketball. But then season two rolled around, and he was gone. He went upstairs one day, and just never came back. The family seems to forget that he ever existed, and Richie and Joanie carry on as though they're the only two Cunningham siblings. Mr. Cunningham even goes so far as to refer to his "two kids". As in, two kids total. No Chuck. Chuck never existed. And poor Chuck is probably still sitting upstairs in that room, waiting for a pickup basketball game that will never come.