Here Are 27 Underrated Characters That Are Actually More Iconic Than Their Movies

    "My entire elementary school existence was based on Mary-Kate & Ashley."

    Mychal Thompson
    by Mychal Thompson

    BuzzFeed Staff

    We recently asked the BuzzFeed Community to tell us which underrated movie characters were so iconic they became their biggest inspiration in life. Here are some of the characters they shared:



    1. Thanks to the grungy LA gymnast, Missy Pantone, the Rancho Carne Toros almost avoided being the laughingstock of the cheer competitions in Bring It On.

    Missy says, "your school has no gymnastics team, this is a last resort"
    Universal Pictures

    "I dressed like Missy in Bring It On until I finally got a boyfriend my senior year and started dressing like him. He was the lead singer in this band with his two friends, and they would always wear skinny jeans and those studded belts from Hot Topic. THEY WERE NOT GOOD. It was sad. We only dated for two months."

    —anonymous

    2. Lilly Moscovitz from The Princess Diaries had her faults, but Mia's quirky and socially conscious bestie always had good intentions.

    Girl smiling
    Buena Vista Pictures

    "Lilly is not the villain. She was a true best friend, keeping it real. Mia didn't recognize her value. JUSTICE FOR LILLY. I used to wear her butterfly clips in my hair."

    —anonymous

    3. Amber Mariens from Clueless was the flyest diva on campus, rocking her furry headbands and fuzzy sweaters.

    Amber gestures the letter "W" for whatever
    Paramount Pictures

    "I know that Cher and Christian considered her a 'full-on Monet,' but I always thought Amber had the boldest and daring style, the coolest hair, the most memorable personality, and was just honestly the funniest part of the movie! And she got even cooler/more outrageous in the TV series, too! Elisa Donovan is a very underrated actress!"

    —mattyc3

    4. Lydia Deetz from Beetlejuice was the princess of goth, the mistress of macabre, and a spunky photographer.

    Beetlejuice and Lydia getting married
    Warner Bros.

    "When I was a kid, I was obsessed with Winona Ryder's Lydia in Beetlejuice. I loved the performance, character, mood, and style."

    —bluedecor

    5. Wayne Campbell from Wayne's World was one half of the rad metalhead show in his mom's basement that paved the way for the mediocre podcasts of today.

    Wayne holding up a can of Pepsi
    Paramount Pictures

    "You ask most rockers, and they'll often pinpoint a rock character that spoke to them. Eddie from Stranger Things is an icon for the current teenage generation (I run a small independent rock shop and see dozens of Eddies every week). For me, it was Wayne from Wayne's World. He had a hobby he turned into a job he loved, he partied with his friends, and he listened to great music. He had a great sense of humor and a cool girlfriend. He's definitely a blueprint for who I wanted to be, and I can happily say I'm doing well!"

    —jonsharky

    6. Paris Hilton took her catch phrase "that's hot" literally in her first big horror movie role as House of Wax's Paige Edwards.

    Woman hiding from killer
    Warner Bros. Pictures

    "I love love, LOVE Paris Hilton in House of Wax. It's the only movie she's been in, and that's why I love it. She's forever an icon. I first got into horror as a teenager. She would've been a great final girl. I love that she was in this movie for only minutes and stole the show. All hail the queen."

    —anonymous

    7. Jim McAllister and the high school student body didn't stand a chance against the wrath of the overachieving Tracy Flick in in Election.

    Tracy Flick gives speech
    Paramount Pictures

    "I ran for class president because of Tammy Metzler, but Tracy Flick was my favorite in the movie. I like to pretend that Election is actually a prequel for Legally Blonde. Nobody in the school could handle Tracy. I still want to be her or Elle Woods."

    —anonymous

    8. Botanist turned eco-terrorist Poison Ivy was a femme fatale of the forest and the queen of witty comebacks in Batman and Robin.

    Poison Ivy said, "As I told Lady Freeze when I pulled her plug, this is a one woman show"
    Warner Bros.

    "Dr. Pamela Isley is still my role model today. It's Uma Thurman's best role, and I'm willing to die on that hill. Yes, I love Kill Bill, but you can't beat the campy dialogue from Batman. Not to mention all the looks she served during the movie."

    —anonymous

    9. Kelsi Nielsen from High School Musical was the most under-appreciated composer and pianist because without her talents, the show could not go on.

    Kelsi smiling
    Buena Vista Television

    "Kelsi from High School Musical. I have literally become Kelsi."

    —rhrjfk

    10. New York Minute's Roxy Ryan was every girl's favorite rebellious, aspiring rock star with Avril Lavigne energy.

    Roxy using a computer
    Warner Bros.

    "I'm showing my age here, but my entire elementary school existence was based on Mary-Kate & Ashley, and then some subtle Lindsay Lohan/Hilary Duff soft punk."

    —elysiuma1337

    11. Maybe Miranda Priestly overlooked Nigel Kipling's greatness in The Devil Wears Prada, but we all knew the smart-ass art director was a scene stealer.

    Nigel says something sassy
    20th Century Fox

    "I wanted to say Miranda or Andy, but I need to be real with myself. Who am I kidding? I'm almost barely succeeding like Nigel on the sidelines. My heart breaks every time I watch Miranda say Jacqueline Follet instead of Nigel's name. Poor Nigel." 

    —anonymous

    12. The Ice Princess from The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl ruled the Ice Kingdom of Planet Drool with an iron fist and a crystal heart.

    The Ice Princess
    Miramax Films

    "I wanted to be Marissa Electricidad (aka the Ice Princess) from Sharkboy and Lavagirl SO bad. Was she a super random side character that barely progressed the admittedly questionable plot? Yes. Did I start wearing a snowflake necklace to school upon watching the movie? Also, yes."

    —hiitsnicetomeetyou

    13. Anna and her band Pink Slip from Freaky Friday wouldn't be complete without the unmatched vocals and chaotic hairstyles of Maddie.

    Woman singing
    Buena Vista Pictures

    "I discovered I was gay after watching Maddie in Freaky Friday."

    —anonymous

    14. Mrs. White in Clue was a beautiful black widow who ensured NOBODY stood in the way of her happiness, including all five of her mysteriously dead husbands.

    Mrs. White confesses to killing the maid
    Paramount Pictures

    "I have always felt a kindred spirit in Madeline Kahn's Mrs. White in Clue (aside from the serial husband killing). She's so somber yet hilarious, and I feel like some of my wry sense of humor can be owed to her. All my siblings, too. She was practically a deity in our household growing up to the point where one of my nieces was named Madeline in her honor."

    —indy1989

    15. The cutest witch in Hocus Pocus, eight-year-old Dani Dennison had more common sense and on-screen magic than her older brother Max.

    Dani says, "Nice going, airhead"
    Buena Vista Pictures

    "I was obsessed with the little sister in Hocus Pocus. She wore the cutest Halloween costume. I remember when I was a little girl, I begged my mom to make me a costume like hers. She did. It wasn't close to the one in the movie. Everybody thought I was a regular witch."

    —anonymous

    16. Becky was more than just Miss Minchin's servant in the attic, she was deep down always A Little Princess.

    Girl says, "I feel like I been touched by an angel"
    Warner Bros.

    "I LOVED A Little Princess, especially Becky and Sara's friendship. Becky was a tough girl. She helped Sara deal with her grief even when she was annoying and helped her realize who she really is. I always wanted the shoes Sara gives her and to eat all that food the monkey brought them."

    —anonymous

    17. Underdog Fern Mayo from Jawbreaker was so close to becoming the next teen dream when she transformed into the HOT pink Vylette.

    Fern Mayo with a bloody stained bandage on her head
    Sony Pictures

    "I'm so old. I had Jawbreaker on VHS. My friend and I would watch it every other week. It was our generation's Mean Girls like Heathers was for teens in the '80s. I always felt like Vylette and Fern Mayo at the same time depending on the day."

    —anonymous

    18. Merida from Brave broke the traditions of her clan and Disney to become a fiery warrior princess who didn't need a man to save her life.

    Merida eating food
    Disney

    "Merida in Brave. I don't think she's an official Disney princess, but I always felt like her since we both have curly hair that will go [everywhere] with a single gust of damp air."

    —anonymous

    19. Summer Hathaway, aka "Tinkerbell," was a bomb-ass band manager who held the class and their rambunctious teacher together the whole way to success.

    Little girl says, "I can sing"
    Paramount Pictures

    "School of Rock did my girl Summer wrong. I feel like she was the main character."

    —anonymous 

    20. Pixar pulled no emotional punches after introducing the rag doll cowgirl Jessie in Toy Story 2.

    Jessie from Toy Story 4
    Disney/Pixar

    "I relate to Jessie from Toy Story 2. Her emotional trauma is so real. The story of when she was left behind always makes me cry like a baby. It's the saddest scene in a kid's movie. She was claustrophobic because boxes meant she would be thrown away."

    —anonymous

    21. Hands down the most talented baseball player in The Sandlot, Benny Rodriguez, taught the neighborhood boys what a real hero looks like.

    Benny says, "Yeah I do, Smalls — I have to do this"
    20th Century Fox

    "I wanted to be Benny from The Sandlot so bad. He was so cool but wasn’t a jerk about it or too cool. It was the first time I had seen someone like me, a Mexican, on the big screen playing such a cool role. I was so used to the Mexican being the bad guy or just some character that wasn’t important."

    —anonymous

    22. Get you a BFF like Spider-Man's Ned because he was Peter Parker's ride-or-die through it all from day one with no drama.

    Ned asks Spider-Man, "Are you an Avenger"
    Disney/Marvel

    "Ned deserves more love. He kept Peter's secret WAAAAY longer than everybody else and caused the least amount of problems. I aspire to be that type of friend."

    —anonymous

    23. All the '80s kids will agree that the glow-up of Sandy Frink in Romy and Michele's High School Reunion is something for the record books.

    Sandy Frink says, "I don't have you, Michelle"
    Buena Vista Pictures

    "Sandy was a billionaire with a helicopter. I thought maybe I would grow up to be him. NOPE. I stayed an awkward nerd."

    —anonymous

    24. Persephone from The Matrix Reloaded was the perfect representation of beauty, curiosity, and human emotion.

    A woman points to the side
    Warner Bros.

    "I have to say Monica Bellucci as Persephone. She wasn't in the movie for very long, but she definitely made an impression."

    —anonymous

    25. Darcy Lewis had the greatest character growth in the MCU, starting as a sassy student researcher in phase one to an audacious astrophysicist in phase four.

    Darcy says, "Um, hard pass"
    Disney/Marvel

    "DARCY LEWIS in the MCU, played by Kat Dennings, is a scene stealer in the Thor movies. She really lit up the screen in WandaVision. Sexy, smart, and irreverent, Darcy the intern-turned-scientist is so entertaining that I wish she would be a running presence throughout all of the MCU and perhaps even get a show of her own!"

    —anonymous

    26. Richie Tozier and Eddie Kaspbrak had the cutest relationship in IT (2017), constantly trading loud-mouth insults as kids that blossomed into tough love as adults.

    Richie and Eddie
    Warner Bros.

    "Richie or Eddie from IT are literal icons." 

    — AGayWeirdo

    27. The fresh, new leader of the Pink Ladies of Grease 2, Stephanie Zinone, made Danny Zuko look like an undisciplined toddler in comparison.

    Woman says, "Maybe I'm tired of being someone's chick"
    Paramount Pictures

    "I totally wanted to be Stephanie Zinone from Grease II. She did her own thing even if it wasn't popular, and I love bikes, too (but I got my own — to hell with waiting for some dude). And even when the Pink Ladies rejected her because some stupid boys told them to, she was still just cool."

    —anonymous

    Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity. Not all submissions were from Community users.

    Did you have an underrated character who didn't make the cut? Let's hear about them in the comments below!