10 Best Side Characters in ‘Community,’ Ranked

As Community fans eagerly await the long-anticipated movie, it is the perfect time to rewatch the hilarious and inventive NBC comedy. Community is still so beloved, largely due to the quirky and unusual setting of Greendale Community College. Greendale had school-wide paintball competitions, weird classes, and a reputation for being very difficult to leave. Naturally, a place like Greendale would attract some pretty unusual people, and the characters really delivered.

The central study group was the core of Community, and what made it so special. They had so many fun adventures and great emotional moments. Sometimes it felt like everything at Greendale revolved around them, largely due to Dean Pelton’s (Jim Rash) favoritism of the seven: Jeff Winger (Joel McHale), Britta Perry (Gillian Jacobs), Abed Nadir (Danny Pudi), Annie Edison (Alison Brie), Troy Barnes (Donald Glover), Shirley Bennett (Yvette Nicole Brown), and Pierce Hawthorne (Chevy Chase). However, there were also many really great and funny side characters at Greendale, both students and professors alike.

10 Officer Cackowski

Played by Craig Cackowski

Officer Cackowski (Craig Cackowski) was first introduced in Season 1, Episode 11, “The Politics of Human Sexuality.” When Annie, Britta and Shirley broke into the Dean’s office to see the model for the Dean’s demonstration, Cackowski was on the case. Since then, he was always around in the background, as Greendale’s main police officer. He was there when Britta’s prank went wrong, and then later when the Dean, Jeff, and Annie all tricked each other with prop guns.

Officer Cackowski was a very funny and opinionated character. He took his job very seriously, which was surprising, considering he worked at the strangest community college ever. He always tried to act like he was a campus officer for a real-life college. Officer Cackowski was very serious about protecting Greendale’s students, even when his children were hired to do his job alongside him. One great moment was when Officer Cackowski had to escort Abed away from Greendale for trespassing. When he got to Troy and Abed’s apartment, he found a brick propping up Troy and Abed’s door, and he pointed out that it could be sold for a lot of money.

9 Professor Mashall Kane

Played by Michael K. Williams

In Season 3, Community‘s central study group took Biology 101 with Professor Marshall Kane (Michael K. Williams). For a group of people that were used to being catered to by the Dean, Professor Kane’s class was definitely a rude awakening. He did not go easy on them, and was instead very strict. Professor Kane had an appreciation for nature and the simpler things, as well as for people who worked hard. Professor Kane kicked Jeff out of the class for using his phone, then let him back in again when Jeff made a project where a plant grew out of a broken phone. Additionally, Professor Kane called out Magnitude’s popular catchphrase, and said that people were laughing at him, rather than with him.

Professor Kane did not last long at Greendale, as he left after Star-Burns faked his death. However, he was most memorable for pushing back against the wackiness of the school, as well as for his iconic Legos speech in Season 3, Episode 3, “Competitive Ecology.” “As someone who spent the majority of his life in prison, what happened with Legos? They used to be so simple. Oh, come on, I know you know what I’m talking about. Legos were simple. Something happened out here when I was inside. Harry Potter Legos. Star Wars Legos. Complicated kids, tiny little blocks? I mean, I’m not saying it’s bad; I just want to know what happened.”

8 Neil

Played by Charlie Koontz

Neil (Charlie Koontz) was first introduced in Season 2, as a background student at Greendale. Initially, Neil was subject to a lot of bullying by students and professors alike, which led to the study group trying to make things right with him over a game of Dungeons & Dragons. Neil then started to gain his confidence at Greendale, starting with trying to take Annie out during the school-wide paintball game that year. In Season 3, Neil destroyed the study group’s yam so that his girlfriend, Vicki, would not fail Biology and have to retake it that summer.

Neil was one of the true staples of Community‘s side characters. He was always around somewhere with the other classic side characters, and he was fundamental to the show. He also was one of the students who was at the core of the “Minuses” riot in Season 5. While not necessarily as memorable as some of the other more eccentric students at Greendale, Neil definitely had his moments. Season 2, Episode 14, “Advanced Dungeons & Dragons,” was Neil’s true standout episode, where he fought against Pierce alongside the rest of the group. Neil had a great emotional arc in that episode, and he even thanked Pierce at the end for playing such a strong game against him.

7 Vicki Cooper

Played by Danielle Kaplowitz

Vicki Cooper (Danielle Kaplowitz) was another standout among the side characters. She was introduced in Season 2, Episode 17, Intro to Political Science, as a classmate of Pierce’s who refused to lend him a pencil. In that same episode, Vicki ended up stabbing Pierce with said pencil, and it was the perfect introduction to her character. It also led to a very profound quote from Pierce. Additionally, Vicki worked as a dancer in Pierce’s paintball saloon later that season. Vicki bounced really well off of the other side characters, from her romantic relationship with Neil, to her lab partnership with Magnitude.

In Season 6, Vicki performed her one-woman show, “Veni Vedi Vicki.” The opening number was called “I Have Been Vicki the Most.” Her show seemed to be generally well-received, although it went on way too long and was very personal and dramatic. She talked a lot about the loss of her mother, and then there was a bit when Garrett heckled her. It was then all revealed to be staged by Vicki, even the heckling. Additionally, turned out that Vicki’s mother had never actually died, to the audience’s shock.

6 Rich Stephenson

Played by Greg Cromer

Jeff Winger put it best when he said, “Who is this kettle corn-popping phantom? This human question mark? This number 8 scoop of vanilla tapioca with a PhD in being swell and a Masters in ‘Everybody loves me?'” Rich Stephenson (Greg Cromer) was first introduced in Season 1, Episode 19, “Beginner Pottery.” From the very beginning of Rich’s time on the show, Jeff was intensely jealous of him. Rich was amazing at pottery, all while claiming to be a beginner. Additionally, he was a doctor. Jeff set out to prove that Rich was faking, and that he was actually an expert at pottery. Later, Rich was present at the Halloween party where everyone got infected by a zombie epidemic. He then returned in the spring semester of that year, and he almost joined the study group.

The best thing about Rich was this secret, underlying darkness to him. There were his internal thoughts in “Beginner Pottery,” where viewers learned that his brother was killed on a roller coaster, and that his mom blamed him for it. Additionally, in the zombie episode, Rich risked everyone else’s lives by lying after he got bit. Then, a finger was found in the river that he cleaned with Annie. In short, Jeff may not have been so far off when he implied that Rich could be a serial killer. Either way, Rich was a great character, and he worked really well as a counterpart to Jeff.

5 Alex “Star-Burns” Osbourne

Played by Dino Stamatopolous

Alex “Star-Burns” Osbourne (Dino Stamatopolous) was one of the most memorable side characters in Community. He had his star-shaped sideburns for which he got his nickname, however he only ever wanted to be called Alex. He was a drug dealer, and he was more than a bit rude. Star-Burns eventually got a lizard and a top hat in order to have more of an identity outside of his star-shaped sideburns, but most people could not see past them. In spite of his dislike for the nickname, Star-Burns never shaved his sideburns. He got kicked out of Professor Kane’s biology class for trying to start a meth ring with him in the style of Breaking Bad.

Star-Burns’ biggest character highlight was faking his death in Season 3, which contributed to another wonderfully weird Community plot. His death was a shock to many, and it led to a memorial in front of the whole school that caused a riot and got the study group expelled. It turned out that Star-Burns faked his death to avoid going to jail for dealing drugs, but afterward, he was fine, and he stayed at Greendale. Later on, Star-Burns tried to create a new mode of transportation driven by cats. Eventually, he got expelled from Greendale for his involvement in an underground paintball ring.

4 Magnitude

Played by Luke Youngblood

Magnitude (Luke Youngblood) was a true “one-man party,” as stated by Ben Chang (Ken Jeong) during Magnitude’s very first appearance. He rarely said anything other than his catchphrase, “Pop, pop!” but he was very funny and always up for anything. From his introduction in Season 2, Episode 15, “Early 21st Century Romanticism,” Magnitude was a delight. He ran for student government only using his catchphrase in the debates. Magnitude even sacrificed himself to a paint bomb during paintball in order to fight the good fight against City College.

In Season 4, Episode 12, “Heroic Origins,” Magnitude was revealed to have gone to high school with Annie and Troy. In the flashback, it was shown that when Annie ran through the glass wall and shattered it, Magnitude was sitting right there. The shattered glass led to two balloons popping next to Magnitude, which was the birth of his catchphrase. One time, when Shirley’s fort was being destroyed during the hot lava game that served as Troy Barnes’ sendoff, Magnitude made a “deathbed” confession that he was actually British.

3 Todd Jacobson

Played by David Neher

Todd Jacobson (David Neher) was assigned as Pierce’s lab partner in Season 3, Episode 3, “Competitive Ecology.” Todd was initially very kind and accommodating. He was a true stand-up guy who had previously served in the army. The study group made Todd stay with them in the study room for an entire night as they fought over lab partners. They kept insulting him, then following it up with, “No offense, Todd.” Todd just kept saying “None taken.” By the end of the night, Todd snapped after they set his turtle on fire, with a memorable and hilarious speech. “Your love is weird! And toxic! And it destroys everything it touches! I no longer care about grades. Or biology. Or graduating from college, like I promised by dying father.” Sure enough, Todd had finally snapped, and offense was taken.

Even worse, Todd got initially blamed for the yam incident, and Annie made him break on the stand in Season 3, Episode 17, “Basic Lupine Eurology.” Three seasons later, when Todd officiated Garrett and Stacy’s wedding, Todd was like a whole new person. Todd gave a very odd speech, and he even insinuated that he could be God. He was a very funny character, particularly for how the study group broke him. Once a family man and army vet, Todd was broken by the harm that they caused to him and his turtle. Todd was just trying to get a degree in honor of his late father, but the group put him on trial and tarnished his reputation when they thought that he destroyed their yam. This clearly had long-lasting effects on Todd, as per his speech at Garrett and Stacy’s wedding.

2 Garrett Lambert

Played by Erik Charles Nielsen

To quote the great Troy Barnes about Garrett Lambert (Erik Charles Nielsen), “It’s like God spilled a person.” Garrett was a very funny character with terrible luck. Whenever he was onscreen, he was a true scene-stealer, like with his “Ave Maria” rendition at Star-Burns’ memorial. He also was involved in everything that was going on at Greendale, as the side characters’ song at the end of Season 3, Episode 10, “Regional Holiday Music.” Garrett was most known for his screechy voice his and overreactions. There was the time when Garrett moderated Model UN in Season 3 and kept shouting “Crisis Alert!” There was also the moment in Season 5 when he screamed to everyone that the “Fat Dog for Midterms” dance was actually a Bear Dance. Additionally, there had been a campaign to “Save Garrett” at one point, although the details were never specified.

In Season 6, Episode 12, “Wedding Videography,” Garrett proposed to Stacy in front of the entire law class with a Powerpoint presentation. The two of them then got married in that same episode, only to later find out at the wedding reception that they were actually distant cousins. At first, Garrett and Stacy were devastated. After an inspirational speech from Chang, though, Garrett and Stacy ended up staying together. This was absolutely the sort of thing that would happen to this character, and the perfect end to his arc.

1 Leonard Rodriguez

Played by Richard Erdman

Leonard Rodriguez (Richard Erdman) was the greatest side character on Community, in what was already an incredible cast of wonderful side characters. There was the classic and recurring “Shut up, Leonard” joke, where Leonard would comment on something from the peanut gallery, and then one of the main characters would tell him to shut up before delivering a very specific insult about his life. There was also Leonard’s Youtube channel, where he reviewed frozen foods. Additionally, Leonard took Troy and Abed’s pillow and blanket battle very seriously, even actually comparing it to his time as a soldier. He was also an avid participant in Greendale’s paintball competitions.

Leonard was always very funny in his time on Community, throughout all six seasons. It was unclear just how long he had been at Greendale, but it had been at least a handful of decades, as per a Season 6 flashback. He had a tight-knit clique that other students referred to as the “Hip-sters.” Leonard was their leader, and they caused trouble and played poker. They were bad influences on Pierce in Season 2, Episode 5, “Ancient Peoples and Messianic Myths.” Leonard also had a sad backstory, where he was estranged from his kids and had an issue with gambling. Leonard was a fundamental side character to Greendale. “Hey Guys, thanks for eating all the macaroni.”

WATCH ON PEACOCK

NEXT:The 10 Best ‘Community’ Quotes, Ranked