10 TV Side Characters We Loved More Than The Main Character
9. Lex Luthor - Smallville
Smallville was the CW's first true success in the superhero genre, and as such opened up the opportunity for the network to dive head first into DC Comics with the Arrowverse. Though the slew of subpar Smallville episodes almost outweigh the number of good ones, the one thing that the CW's first foray into DC Comics' properties does right is its characters.
From Erica Durance's flawless portrayal of the persistent and assertive army brat-come-reporter Lois Lane to John Schneider's wonderfully wise take on Jonathan Kent, Smallville is constantly propped up by how the decade-spanning series handles its key personalities, and the one performance that frequently stands out is Michael Rosenbaum's flawless take on a young, impressionable Lex Luthor.
Stoic, immensely intelligent and deceptively nice, he's a character you're constantly fooled into loving. We're fully aware of Lex's obsession with Clark's uncanny abilities from the get-go, but as we learn more about the character's past struggles with expectations from his father we can't help but be intrigued by how his descent into villainy will unfold, often times more than Clark's story.
When Rosenbaum departs the show after seven seasons, the hole that's left as a result is never repaired.