The Office has been described as the television equivalent of comfort food, and for good reason. Just as comfort food is warm, nostalgic, and awkwardly perfect in every way, The Office is all of these things and more. If you’re one of the people who has binge-watched the show several times or still use the catchphrase Bears. Beets. Battlestar Galactica, whenever you meet a fellow fan of the show, you know that the real magic of Scranton isn’t in the paper company but in the people. The characters of The Office brought us laughter, tears, and chaos in equal measure. But if we’re being completely honest, there is one thing that makes The Office the show that it is, and that is its cast of characters. So grab your World’s Best Boss coffee mug and count down with us the 10 most iconic characters from the show.
10. Creed Bratton (Creed Bratton)
Creed is pure chaos incarnate. It’s difficult to discern what kind of man he is or if he even knows himself. One minute, he’s telling you he’s a former rock star, and the next, he’s dishing out information you wouldn’t have dared to ask. Creed’s one-liners are few and far between, but when they do come, they’re like comedic grenades going off. The best way to experience Creed is in small doses. These surprise moments are some of the funniest and most unpredictable scenes in the entire series.
9. Erin Hannon (Ellie Kemper)
Brought into the show later in the series, Erin immediately added some sort of offbeat sunshine to the office. She’s wide-eyed and infectiously cheerful and just naive enough to make each encounter uncertain. Whether she’s stumbling through her affair with Andy or crafting sweet relationships with Michael and Kelly, Erin is a good-natured sweetheart. Her subplot concerning reconnecting with her parents in the series finale is one of the show’s most moving moments.
8. Kevin Malone (Brian Baumgartner)
Kevin is the accounting behemoth softie, whose brain lags because of the rest of the time, but whose heart is always in the best place. His infamous chili spill is TV history, and his band Scrantonicity is a Scranton legend. Kevin’s hapless logic and innocent sensibility make him one of the most finely tuned humorous characters. You laugh with Kevin, not at Kevin.
7. Andy Bernard (Ed Helms)
Andy begins as the annoying Cornell-freak suck-up, then grows into a pretty richly complex character. His insecurities, a cappella addiction, and people-pleasing nature are both infuriating and lovable. Even with his tumultuous trajectory in later seasons, Andy became a character that people ended up rooting for. And that last line about “the good old days” still lands on every re-watcher hard in the stomach.
6. Darryl Philbin (Craig Robinson)
Darryl is the office’s steady rock. He begins in the warehouse and ends up working his way up, with a healthy dollop of realism and a diabolically sharp sense of humor. His straight-faced delivery keeps the craziness surrounding him in line, and his low-key perseverance makes his triumph tale one of the most satisfying in the series. And his musical abilities don’t hurt, either.
5. Oscar Martínez (Oscar Nunez)
While amidst a sea of zany characters, Oscar is usually the straight man—level-headed, rational one who attempts to keep everything from spiraling out of control. But that same normalcy makes him all the funnier when he reacts to Michael’s shenanigans or finds himself involved in ridiculous combat. Smart, quick with his wit, and richly subtexted, Oscar brings the balance that the show would lack without him.
4. Pam Beesly (Jenna Fischer)
Pam is the emotional heart of the show. She begins shy and insecure, but her evolution from shy girl to confident, fearless, creative woman is one of the greatest in the series. Her romance with Jim is like out of a romance novel, but even aside from that, she’s the emotional heart of Dunder Mifflin—always sharing, subtly funny, and endlessly relatable. Seeing her come into herself is as gratifying as the grand romantic overtures.
3. Jim Halpert (John Krasinski)
Jim is the audience’s stand-in—the man who notices the ridiculousness everywhere and reminds us of that familiar side eye. His office shenanigans with Dwight, his flirtation with Pam over the years, and his effortless charm make him a fan favorite on the show. Occasionally, his plots spiral out of control, but his humor and vulnerability package make him one of TV’s greatest “everymen.”
2. Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson)
Dwight would not make The Office work. The beet farmer, self-described assistant (to the) regional manager, is as unbelievable as he is incredible. He is both ridiculous and somehow brilliant, switching between being a source of comedy and actually a hero in one episode. His unwavering dedication to Michael, odd hobbies, and inexplicable wisdom make him a myth. Dwight is not a character—he’s an institution.
1. Michael Scott (Steve Carell)
Right in the middle of it all was Michael, the hapless boss who was able to be inappropriate, misguided, and somehow lovable at the same time. His pathetic love hunger, his groan-inducing jokes, and his fleeting moments of brilliance had him both laugh-out-loud funny and oddly poignant. From handing out Dundies to his tearful goodbye, Michael brought The Office to life. Without him, it never would have happened.
And there it is—the ultimate list of the best Office characters. Of course, everyone has their own personal favorite (and their own hill to die on), but that’s half the fun of the series. Every rewatch reveals a new moment, a new character beat, or a new reason to love Dunder Mifflin all over again.