Only 1 Out Of 10 Simpsons Fans Can Name These Secondary Characters

The Simpsons (1989- ) have been around for so many years that we can't imagine our lives without them. They make us laugh and they make us cry, so we can safely say that it's an emotional roller coaster that we have loved experiencing every step of the way.

Of course, after so many years it's easy to talk about Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie. We know their personalities, their quirks and everything relating to them. The good and the bad. The things we have in common and the things that we don't have in common (but we still find them funny because of their perfect execution!).

But, do we have the same knowledge and skills when it comes to secondary characters? Can we name Homer's best friend? What about Bart's? Is Lisa's first boyfriend an easy question or guess? What about the mayor of our favorite town, i.e. Springfield? Is he a difficult quiz entry? (all of these examples are characters that have been included in this list, so let's see what comes next!).

Let's see how many real fans of The Simpsons (1989- ) are out there! Let's start having fun by naming as many secondary characters as possible!

Question 1

Name this character

The time has come to talk about the bus driver of Springfield Elementary. Not the typical bus driver, this character has very long hair and listens to music most of the time that he’s driving, but despite all that he is a likable character. His design is very elaborate and interestingly enough “he was modeled after early Simpsons writer Wallace Wolodarsky, who at the time wore long black hair, shorts and a baseball cap” (Wikipedia). What’s mostly important is that his relationship with the children is close and that he really cares for them even if it’s not in the most responsible way. Remember his name?

Question 2

Name the character on the left

And since we talked about Principal Skinner’s boss, we should definitely talk about his mother. They live together which makes a great recurring joke in that Seymour hasn’t fully grown because his mother treats him like a child even now in his adulthood. Perhaps this is why, according to Wikipedia, “in the beginning of the series, the writers made several references to [this character] and Seymour's unhealthily close relationship as similar to that of Norman Bates and his mother” (we can definitely see the connection there, so that’s hilarious!). They have gone through many ups and downs and we can’t wait for what comes next. So, remember her name?

Question 3

Name this character

We talked about Homer’s boss, so why not focus on Principal Skinner’s boss for a moment? He constantly visits Springfield Elementary although it is clear he does not like the environment due to the presence of the children. This is because, as it was stated in Wikipedia, this character is “a rigorous man, without frills, and utterly devoid of a sense of humor, with a strong temperament and a low tolerance for noise and transgression.” With a personality as such it makes sense that he doesn’t like spending time inside the Elementary, but his job requires it from time to time. So does the name of this character come to mind?

Question 4

Name this character

This character is another classmate of Bart, but they don’t really hang out. He is the other child genius, besides Lisa, in Springfield and he too has some difficulty in his social life. Like Lisa who plays the saxophone, this character plays a French horn. His characterization is perfectly summed up by Wikipedia as follows: “He is academically brilliant, a teacher's pet, and is portrayed as a stereotypical nerd, with enthusiasms for science fiction and role-playing games, and a poor fashion sense.” In general, he is another character that we enjoy especially due to his catchphrases “Behold!” and “Excelsior!” So, does his name come to mind?

Question 5

Name this character

After Sideshow Bob left, Krusty the Clown needed a replacement. This is when this character enters the picture. He replaces Sideshow Bob as Krusty’s sidekick and assistant and he also doesn’t like this position. Now this character has an elaborate and interesting appearance. He has a bone stuck in his head and we can’t help but wonder what happened there. Well, according to Wikipedia, this character “reveals that he got the bone stuck in his hair by trying to dig gum out with it” and that is something we never would have guessed if we’re being honest! So, does his name come to mind?

Question 6

Name this character

This character owns a bar in Springfield. This bar is where Homer and his friends (mostly Barney) hang out almost every day (if not literally every day!). Most of the times he is single and has a cat, so Homer and Barney are real lifelines for him. They keep him company and they pay the bills. A recurring joke about this character is Bart and Lisa constantly making prank calls to the bar which this character does not find funny (but Lisa and Bart, as well as the audience, find them hilarious!). So does the name of this particular character come to mind?

Question 7

Name this character

This character has to be one of our favorites! According to Wikipedia, he is an “obedient and sycophantic assistant to Mr. Burns and there have often been strong hints about [his] true feelings for his boss, with one of the earliest references being in the season one episode 'The Telltale Head.'" As early as season 1, therefore, we see that this character will have a great storyline based on hints. His being paired with Mr. Burns is the best decision ever since Mr. Burns’ naiveté in certain things, like his assistant’s feelings for him, is one of the reasons this character is so hilariously handled. So, do we remember his name?

Question 8

Name this character

This character is one of the kids in school that pick on Bart, Milhouse, and others. He is voiced by Nancy Cartwright who has a very special reaction towards this character. According to Wikipedia, Cartwright has said: “There's a soft spot in him that the writers have found. He's got this special attraction to Marge, and he sings these songs, and he's got a crush on Lisa. There's something about this poor kid – his mother works at Hooters, his dad went out to buy milk and never came back. I wouldn't want him to come over for dinner, but I really love doing his voice.” Well, we too enjoy her performance! Remember this character’s name?

Question 9

Name this character

This character began his journey in The Simpsons universe as Krusty the Clown’s assistant. He later on quit that job because he couldn’t stand it. What’s more, at some point he decides that Bart is his enemy and that he should take his life. Bart, however, keeps evading him and every attempt is futile. For this reason, “executive producer Al Jean has compared [this] character to that of Wile E. Coyote, noting that both are intelligent, yet always foiled by what they perceive as an inferior intellect” (Wikipedia). After all, this is what makes this character so incredibly funny! Remember his name?

Question 10

Name this character

Another brilliant catchphrase in The Simpsons universe is this character’s “Thank you! Come again!” He is the convenience store owner and he mostly interacts with Homer and Marge. Every interaction is hilarious once again because of Hank Azaria’s performance. According to Wikipedia, the actor, Hank Azaria “loosely based [his performance] on Peter Sellers' character Hrundi V. Bakshi from the film The Party, whom Azaria thinks has a similar personality to [this character].” The combination of Peter Sellers and Hank Azaria can be nothing less but perfect, so it makes sense that we love this character! Does his name come to mind?

Question 11

Name this character

We have Milhouse as a classmate for Bart, so we needed a classmate for Lisa as well! No worries, we got this character whose quirkiness is an added bonus on its own! According to Wikipedia, he was “originally intended to be a ‘Mini-Homer,’ [and] eventually took on a life of his own.” Perhaps that why “the staff figured that he would also fit perfectly as the son of Chief Wiggum” which he definitely is! So, whether he hangs out with Lisa, or he is on his own this character makes a great addition to the show! Does his name come to mind?

Question 12

Name this character

Speaking of characters voiced by Hank Azaria, we can’t leave this one out! Now, according to Wikipedia, Azaria “based [this character’s] voice on a college contemporary named Mark who went by the nickname ‘F,’ short for ‘Flounder’ from the movie National Lampoon's Animal House, and lived in the room next door to him at Tufts University.” What’s more, he has also stated that he “‘loves that the character is an adult who argues with kids as if they're his peers’” and we couldn’t agree more! This character is a lovely addition to the show, and we’re glad to constantly see him even after so many years! So, remember his name?

Question 13

Name this character

We’ve talked about Homer’s neighbor, boss and best friend. Let’s talk about a character that doesn’t have a close connection to Homer but looks a lot like him. According to Wikipedia, this character’s “appearance and design is essentially that of Homer Simpson with clown makeup. Groening said: ‘The satirical conceit that I was going for at the time was that The Simpsons was about a kid who had no respect for his father, but worshipped a clown who looked exactly like his father,’ a theme which became less important as the show developed” and which is brilliantly connected if we really think about it! So, do we remember this clown’s name?

Question 14

Name this character

A guy like Homer needs a best friend that shares his enthusiasm about food and alcohol. For this reason, the production created this character! According to Wikipedia, this character “was inspired by Barney Rubble, Fred Flintstone's best friend and next-door neighbor from the animated series The Flintstones. The writers originally wanted the character to be Homer Simpson's sidekick and next-door neighbor, but instead portrayed him as Homer's best friend,” alone. We think that this is for the best because we got as a next door neighbor Ned Flanders who because of his differences with Homer makes an even better neighbor! So, do we remember the name of Homer’s best friend?

Question 15

Name this character

It’s time to talk about Springfield’s anchorman for Channel 6. We were introduced to this character back in season 1 and since then he has been updating us on the news of our favorite town. A fun fact about this character is that, according to Wikipedia, he “was based on Los Angeles anchormen Hal Fishman and Jerry Dunphy [and] Brad Bird designed the character and modeled him after anchorman Ted Koppel” so he is a super combination of 3 into 1 (and perhaps that’s why he’s so tremendously hilarious!). So, does the name of the Springfield main anchorman come to mind?

Question 16

Name this character

A character that is constantly in a bad mood might not seem like a great idea in the beginning. But, even if it might seem strange, this character is a great addition to The Simpsons not in spite but because of his bad mood. One recurring joke, for instance, is that [this character] “appears to have a beer belly, but whenever he takes off his shirt, he is very muscular” (Wikipedia). It’s things like these, the details that don’t make sense, that make The Simpsons such a successful and funny animation TV series. So, do we remember the name of this character?

Question 17

Name this character

So let’s go to Springfield Elementary’s principal. Yet another male character that is clueless at times, and gives hilarious speeches. A fun fact about this character is that, according to Wikipedia, “writer Jon Vitti named him after behavioral psychologist B. F. Skinner. An original idea for Skinner was that he would continually mispronounce words […] but the idea was later dropped” which we wish it hadn’t but we’ve moved on! Even if he pronounces words correctly there are other mistakes he constantly makes and we can’t help but laugh from one scenario to the next. Our favorite scenes with him are either with Bart or his mother/roommate! So, do we remember his full name?

Question 18

Name this character

This character is Homer’s dad. He is Grampa Simpson and he is one of the most lovable characters on the show! According to Wikipedia, “Matt Groening, creator of The Simpsons, wanted to have a character that was ‘really cranky’ and old, and who complained a lot and invented stories to tell to children, so he created Grampa” and we couldn’t be happier for this decision! He is old and his kindhearted. He can be a bit strict, but his heart is in the right place. The best part of him is that at times he still has secrets which when revealed are extremely hilarious!

Question 19

Name this character

This character is Homer’s boss. He is someone who puts himself and his business above everything else and he is unstoppable at times. According to Wikipedia, “the show's creator Matt Groening principally based [this character] on his high school teacher Mr. Bailey. Drawing further inspiration from oil tycoon John D. Rockefeller, David Rockefeller, Groening made [this character] the ‘embodiment of corporate greed’” and we couldn’t agree more. But to be fair, this is exactly what makes this character so enjoyable! Think of his outdated catchphrases, his plans to get what he wants and his naiveté in certain things! So, remember his name?

Question 20

Name this character

A great part of this character relates to his laziness and his love for food. So, how did Matt Groening create a character that is very similar to his protagonist, i.e. Homer? Well, perhaps it's their different professions or perhaps it might be solely due to Hank Azaria's perfect performance (one of the many of course!). So despite having some things in common with Homer, this character is distinguished from him and in the scenes that both of them are together we can safely say that their execution is quite unforgettable! So, do we remember the name of this character?

Question 21

Name this character

Our neighbors are people we usually see constantly even if we don’t have a particular relationship with them. In the case we don’t like them, we don’t really pay attention to that particular encounter. For Homer Simpson things aren't quite as easy. His neighbor, namely this character, believes that Homer likes him, or perhaps he just wants Homer to like him. That means that he is constantly visiting. There are so many things that make this character incredibly likable and hilarious! His catchphrase, for example, is “Okilly dokilly” and it’s one of the best ones on the show. According to Wikipedia, there is a “tribute band, Okilly Dokilly, [that] plays heavy metal music” because of this character! So, do we remember his name?

Question 22

Name this character

Would the town of Springfield be the same without this guy? We love his jokes. We love his life. We pretty much love everything about him. Interestingly enough, “in writers Jay Kogen and Wallace Wolodarsky's original script for "Bart the Daredevil", [this character] was a woman, who they named after comedic actress Julia Sweeney. When Fox moved The Simpsons to prime time on Thursdays against NBC's top-rated The Cosby Show, the writing staff decided to make [this character] a parody of Bill Cosby's character Dr. Cliff Huxtable” (that’s hilarious!). Well, we have to say that this was a great decision because he is a great addition to the show’s character list! Remember his name?

Question 23

Name this character

Besides the Reverend, the town of Springfield includes various other professions. For instance, the Springfield Elementary is full of teachers and other adults that go about their day by working there. One of those is Bart and Milhouse’s teacher! A fun fact about this character is that her last “name was chosen by early Simpsons writers Wallace Wolodarsky and Jay Kogen as a play on the fruit "crabapple" and as a reference to the teacher Miss Crabtree from the 1930s Our Gang shorts” (that’s hilarious!). We have seen her loving her students and growing tired by the day. She has her good moments and her bad. So, remember her first name?

Question 24

Name this character

Of course, like any other major city, the city of Springfield needs a Reverend! In this case, we have this character. He has an awesome voice and gives incredibly elaborate and very well thought of speeches, but at times he seems to feel a bit indifferent for certain things. An interesting fact about this character is that, according to Wikipedia, “Matt Groening has indicated that [this character] is named after a Street […] in Portland, Oregon, the city where Groening grew up” (didn’t see that one coming!). So, does the name of this particular character come in mind or maybe we not?

Question 25

Name this character

This character is Bart’s best friend and as every fan of The Simpsons (1989- ) have seen he has a crush on Bart’s little sister, Lisa. Episode after episode, we see that he is sort of nerdy and not that popular, but Bart always keeps hanging out with him. What might come as a surprise is that this character is “a favorite among the staff [since] as Al Jean [a writer for The Simpsons] noted ‘most of the writers are more like [him] than Bart’” (Wikipedia). Well, we all have a nerdy side and we love it! Does the name of this character come to mind?

Question 26

Name this character

Ned Flanders is quite the character, but he wouldn’t be complete without his wife and kids. So let’s talk about Ned Flanders’ wife! This character was with us for many years until she accidentally loses her life in season 11. According to Wikipedia, “this loss was decided by the show's producers in order to open new storylines for the episode” and it definitely did. After all, even if she lost her life, this character has returned both in flashbacks and as a ghost. The latter we have to admit brings a new side to this character and the show in general so it was a genius move! So, do we remember her name?

Question 27

Name this character

We said before that one of the best catchphrases of the show is Ned Flanders’ “Okilly dokilly” and we still stand by that statement. Another catchphrase that goes to this list is this character’s catchphrase “What about the children?! Won't somebody please think of the children!?” which, according to Wikipedia, she "always says among a crowd when something bad is happening in the city.” She’s very right to think about the children. It’s just that the way she says it is so gloriously amusing! She is the wife of Reverend Lovejoy and she loves to gossip as we’ve seen in countless episodes! So, remember her first name?

Question 28

Name this character

Would the town of Springfield be complete without a guy like this character? We think not! According to Wikipedia, The Simpsons creator Matt Groening told TV Guide that this character “was just written as a mad scientist character until Hank [Azaria] did the voice, and suddenly he became this nutty professor persona.” Well leave it to Hank Azaria to make a great character awesome! He may not be constantly around, but when he is this character is hilarious no matter the situation he is in. He might not talk a lot but every word counts and that’s what’s important! Remember the name fo this character?

Question 29

Name this character

From our favorite anchorman let’s go to our favorite actor! This character is Springfield’s own star (or would-be star to be more exact!). According to Wikipedia, this character was “based on the typical ‘washed up’ Hollywood actor.” What’s more, “when he was designed, [this character] was given an extra line under his eyes to suggest that the character had gotten a facelift” (wow didn’t see that one coming!). Even if he’s not as famous as he once were, he is constantly introducing himself in documentaries and commercials by giving a series of different roles each time. So do we remember the name of this ex-celebrity?

Question 30

Name this character

We mostly see this character through Homer’s television. The Simpsons watch a TV program in which he stars in. But we also see him in The Simpsons’ universe real life time. The humor this character is based on is a bit different than the animated TV series is usually going for but that’s the reason it’s so successful. Specifically, according to Wikipedia, this character is “a caricature of El Chapulín Colorado ("The Red Grasshopper"), a character created and portrayed by the television comedian Roberto Gómez Bolaños (best known by his pseudonym "Chespirito"), and his show consists of simple skits, often involving heavy slapstick.” So, remember his name?

Question 31

Name this character

Although we meet Grandpa Simpson early on, we don’t get to meet Homer’s mother for a long time. Even if we see her in flashbacks, we don’t see her in the present time until season 6. Her design took some time. According to Wikipedia “there were several design changes because the directors were trying to make her an attractive older and younger woman, but still be Simpson-esque” and at the end of the day we feel like they nailed it! Even if she leaves Homer when he was young, we get to know her and even like her. Remember her name?

Question 32

Name the character on the left

Let’s talk about Milhouse's father. He looks exactly like his wife Luan and as a result Milhouse is an identical image of both of them. It’s never really addressed (this resemblance) so we definitely just go with it. He’s not really a happy character especially after his divorce with Luan and even if they eventually remarry, he doesn’t seem to change the way he feels and sees things. This character is also voiced by Hank Azaria, who according to Wikipedia, has stated that [this character] is "a bad Milhouse impression" and we can understand exactly what he means. So, remember his name?

Question 33

Name this character

This character is a member of the Springfield Police Department. It can be argued that he is the best police officer compared to Chief Wiggum and his other colleagues, but that doesn’t mean that he doesn’t offer us any comic relief! A fun fact about this character (or better yet two fun facts!) is that “according to the Season One DVD commentary, [this character] was based on Lou Whitaker [and that] Hank Azaria based [his] voice on Sylvester Stallone” (Wikipedia). We like this guy and we can’t see what else he will give us in the episodes to come! Remember his name?

Question 34

Name this character

And it’s time to focus on the mayor of Springfield. We think it’s safe to say that this character doesn’t always have the best interest of the town’s people in mind when he is making decisions. After all, this is the basis of most of the jokes the staff writes regarding this character (and we can’t help but laugh every time!). An interesting fact about this character is that, according to Wikipedia, his “name partly comes from NW Quimby Street in Portland, Oregon, the hometown of show creator Matt Groening.” So, does the first name of this character come to mind?

Question 35

Name this character

And we finish off this list with Grandpa Simpson's best friend! As the years go by and the production dwells into and develops the lives of secondary characters we get to learn some things about this character. For example, he knows Grandpa Simpson since they were very young. He is a war veteran, but it turns out that it wasn't by choice (he tried to avoid being drafted but his attempts weren't successful!). Well, we love him and the friendship he shares with Grandpa Simpson, so we can't wait what else we'll see in the episodes to come! Remember the name of this character?

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