30 Funniest Characters From ‘Seinfeld’ — Ranked

“Seinfeld,” the most influential sitcom of the ’90s — and arguably ever — offered up some truly unforgettable characters.

Any self-respecting list of the best TV shows — certainly sitcoms — must include “Seinfeld.” The long-running “show about nothing” all but defined the comic sensibilities of the 1990s and continues to enjoy a rather lively second life in syndication and on streaming — the deals for which made the show’s creators very, very, very wealthy.

We all loved the exploits of Jerry and his cronies over the show’s nine seasons, as they encountered a rogue’s gallery of some of the most unique characters ever envisioned for television. There were literally hundreds, but we ranked the top 30 for your stroll down memory lane. Let the laughter commence!

30. Alton Benes

Played by: Lawrence Tierney

No. of episodes: 1

Episode most known for: “The Jacket”

Elaine was quite a character in her own right, but who remembers that one time we met her dad, Alton Benes, played by the late, great Lawrence Tierney (also known for playing the crime boss in “Reservoir Dogs”).

Tierney brought his gruff voice and hard-boiled manner to Alton, who dressed like he’d just stepped out of a film noir and accidentally wandered into the “Seinfeld” universe. This made his lone appearance on the show all the more hysterical.

29. Bob Sacamano

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Played by: No one

No. of episodes: Zero (sort of)

Episode most known for: “The Heart Attack”

Before “Lost” had its mysterious numbers that were “bad” and other things that were never explained, “Seinfeld” had Bob Sacamano, a supposed friend of Kramer’s whose exploits got taller as the show went on.

One time Kramer said Bob suffered a botched hernia operation; on another occasion, Kramer said Bob somehow cost him a county board election — or something. Bob was never seen, allowing him to grow into an ever-growing joke that built him up in viewers’ minds. Rather meta, and very “Seinfeld.”

28. Donald Sanger, aka the Bubble Boy

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Played by: Jon Hayman (voice)

No. of episodes: 2

Episode most known for: “The Bubble Boy”

We know what you’re thinking: Anyone whose immune system is so compromised that they have to live inside a plastic bubble deserves our sympathies, right? Not in “Seinfeld” land!

Though never actually seen, “Seinfeld” writer Jon Hayman voiced the bubble-bound Donald Sanger, who was fond of screaming at his mother and saying things to women that would get him all the wrong kind of attention in the #MeToo era. Just goes to show you can’t judge a person by their bubble.

27. Babu Bhatt

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Played by: Brian George

No. of episodes: 3

Episode most known for: “The Cafe”

One thing a minor character should never, ever do is take Jerry’s advice. Just ask Babu Bhatt, a Pakistani immigrant whose dream was to open up a New York foodery that served not only traditional Pakistani food but also hot dogs and tacos.

Jerry suggests otherwise, offering what turns out to be un-sage advice that Babu focus solely on Pakistani food. Needless to say, things don’t go well, and perhaps feeling bad, Jerry helps Babu get a job cooking at a diner. It’s fun to watch dreams so dashed, isn’t it?

26. Keith Hernandez

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Played by: Keith Hernandez

No. of episodes: 2

Episode most known for: “The Boyfriend”

For anyone who loves New York sports, Keith Hernandez is a name spoken with reverence given how he and the 1986 Mets bravely fought back the Boston Red Sox to capture the franchise’s first World Series since 1969 — and their last to date.

Jerry absolutely worshiped the ’86 Mets and had more than a bit of a man crush on their first baseman. That is, until Hernandez starts hitting on Elaine, putting Jerry in the tight spot of being loyal to his favorite gal or his favorite team.

25. Aaron

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Played by: Judge Reinhold

No. of episodes: 1

Episode most known for: “The Raincoat”

One of the great things about “Seinfeld” was how so many talented and genuinely funny guest actors the show could snag for even a one-off role like Aaron, played by Judge Reinhold (of “Beverly Hills Cop” and “Fast Times at Ridgemont High”).

One of many also-rans in Elaine’s love life, Aaron showed up for one gut-busting episode, in which he had a penchant for not respecting other people’s personal spaces. In other words, he didn’t get social distancing.

24. Phil Totola

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Played by: Mark Tymchyshyn

No. of episodes: 1

Episode most known for: “The Stand-in”

Jerry was such a nice guy, and a good friend, that he volunteered to set lonely hearted Elaine up on a date with his buddy Phil Totola. Things were proceeding well, and it appeared that Elaine was finally having some good luck in the romance department for a change.

However, hopes were dashed as, late in the date, Phil, certainly unbidden, unsheathes “little Phil,” sending Elaine running. Maybe next time.

23. Lloyd Braun

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Played by: Matt McCoy

No. of episodes: 2

Episode most known for: “The Gum”

Lloyd Bruan was the kind of guy that working people like “Seinfeld’s” lead characters couldn’t help but despise. Lloyd was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and had never faced anything even close to hardship — and actor Matt McCoy brought his token toothy grin to the character.

However, Lloyd actually undergoes a nasty mental breakdown and is then as anxiety-prone and twitchy as George, Elaine and Kramer. Oh, how the mighty fall.

22. Bob and Cedric, aka the Hostile Gays

Played by: Yul Vazquez and John Paragon

No. of episodes: 3

Episode most known for: “The Sponge”

Nearly all of the four main “Seinfeld” characters had recurring antagonists, including Kramer. Once, while guarding a piece of furniture on the sidewalk so Elaine could take it home, Bob and Cedric swiped it right from under Kramer’s nose.

The so-called “Hostile Gays” returned to menace Karmer again in a later episode, getting on his case for not wearing the necessary red ribbon during an AIDS walk.

21. Dr. Wexler

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Played by: Victor Raider-Wexler

No. of episodes: 4

Episode most known for: “The Junior Mint”

How was it that the mercurial Dr. Wexler managed to pop in on Jerry and the gang at such precise moments? Did he have ESP or some other super-special talent that enabled him to be around for such seminal incidents as “The Junior Mint” fiasco?

It’s hard to tell, and because Dr. Wexler only appeared a few times, we never found out much about his backstory.

20. Mrs. Ross

Played by: Grace Zabriskie

No. of episodes: 5

Episode most known for: “The Wizard”

We never found out the first name of the booze-loving Mrs. Ross, nor that of her husband, Mr. Ross (Warren Frost), but they sure made an impression on George. Mrs. Ross was drunk pretty much the entire time she was onscreen, which led to many a laugh, but her constant imbibing was almost partly due to the fact that Mr. Ross was a closeted gay man.

Grace Zabriskie took what could have been a one-dimensional character and gave Mrs. Ross a certain complexity.

19. Helen Seinfeld

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Played by: Liz Sheridan

No. of episodes: 20

Episode most known for: “Bringing Cereal to Jerry in Prison”

They say that behind every great man is a great woman, and Jerry’s mother, Helen, believed in her son — so much so that she simply couldn’t understand how everyone else didn’t worship Jerry and also proclaim his genius.

Actress Liz Sheridan had appeared on earlier sitcoms, including “ALF,” but it was her ongoing guest appearances on “Seinfeld” for which she will almost certainly be remembered.

18. Jack Klompus

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Played by: Sandy Baron

No. of episodes: 4

Episode most known for: “The Pen”

Jerry’s parents had retired to Florida, where they lived next door to an extremely strange fellow by the name of Jack Klompus. His claim to fame: owning an “astronaut pen” that would become a running gag over several episodes.

Jerry couldn’t stand the rather eccentric Jack, making him one of the show’s most memorable “nemeses” for our main character.

17. Sidra Holland

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Played by: Teri Hatcher

No. of episodes: 2

Episode most known for: “The Implant”

Sidra Holland only appeared in “The Implant” and then again briefly in the finale in 1998 — when seemingly every minor “Seinfeld” character ever showed up in court to condemn our heroes. Sidra was just one of Jerry’s string of short-term lovers, and Jerry’s friends kept wondering — a bit too loudly — if her breasts were real.

It’s a bit of a low-brow gag, but this being “Seinfeld,” it was pulled off perfectly, with Teri Hatcher both sexy and funny in the role.

16. Estelle Costanza

NBC / IMDb

Played by: Estelle Harris

No. of episodes: 25

Episode most known for: “Steinbrenner Tells Them George Is Dead”

With such a domineering, shrewish mother, is it any wonder that George turned out the way he did? George could seemingly never do any right by his mother, and actress Estelle Harris — whose voice you may recognize as she played Mrs. Potato Head in the “Toy Story” franchise — made the controlling, screaming Estelle Costanza unforgettable.

But why was it that she seemed to chill out whenever Kramer was around? Ah, the mysteries of life.

15. Kenny Bania

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Played by: Steve Hytner

No. of episodes: 6

Episode most known for: “The Soup”

“It’s gold, Jerry, gold!” Of all the phrases introduced to us on “Seinfeld,” this one has to be near the absolute zenith. Kenny Bania was a painfully unfunny standup comedian, but somehow actor Steve Hytner managed to make such a pathetic character hilarious — especially when he needled Jerry, which happened on the regular.

For the more he tried to suck up to Jerry, the more Jerry despised him.

14. Morty Seinfeld

NBC / IMDb

Played by: Barney Martin

No. of episodes: 19

Episode most known for: “Morty’s Impeachment”

Jerry’s father Morty’s presence explained quite a lot about how his son inherited at least a few of the neuroses exhibited on the show. Morty seemed perpetually annoyed at the world and made us laugh with how he slagged off on waiters — with his uber-precise 12.4 percent tips for “adequate” service.

In real life, the actor behind Morty, Barney Martin, was a New York police officer before trying his hand at acting later in life. Thank goodness he did.

13. Dr. Tim Whatley

NBC / IMDb

Played by: Bryan Cranston

No. of episodes: 5

Episode most known for: “The Yada Yada”

Yep, that Bryan Cranston! Years before the “Malcolm in the Middle” and “Breaking Bad” star would become a household name, he spent years and years as a working actor, appearing in small roles in film and TV whenever they came his way.

And if there was any doubt Cranston had comedic chops, his five-episode turn as a dentist who had more in common with Hugh Hefner than any self-respecting graduate of dental school quieted such doubts rather briskly.

12. George Steinbrenner

NBC / YouTube

Played by: Lee Bear, Mitch Mitchell and Larry David (voice)

No. of episodes: 14

Episode most known for: “The Calzone”

It made complete sense that the Yankees’ longtime owner, whom New Yorkers absolutely loved to hate, would pop up on “Seinfeld,” and it was doubly delicious that the show’s writers found the perfect way to fit him into the show as George Costanza’s boss over several seasons.

The sitcom’s fictitious Steinbrenner was never seen from the front, but the bombast and screaming that the real McCoy was so known for were only slightly exaggerated in the 14 episodes he showed up to make like for George a living hell.

11. Yev Kassem, aka ‘The Soup Nazi’

NBC / IMDb

Played by: Larry Thomas

No. of episodes: 2

Episode most known for: “The Soup Nazi”

“No soup for you!” became such a cathphrase in the culture of the late 1990s that in hindsight it seems rather inconceivable that the character Yev Kassem, “The Soup Nazi,” only appeared in one episode during the series — until he showed up again very briefly for the series’ finale.

It goes to show that there’s no such thing as a “small” role, as actor Larry Thomas has since had to smile through hundreds of people coming up to him on the street to shout his line back to him.

10. J. Peterman

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Played by: John O’Hurley

No. of episodes: 20

Episode most known for: “The Secret Code”

“Seinfeld” was so adept at creating “meta” humor before there was really ever a word for it, and they hit an absolute grand slam with the addition of “Jacopo” Peterman in the sixth season. The character portrayed by John O’Hurley was the personification of a real-life, high-end, mail-order catalogue by the same name, whose puffed-up tales of having traveled the world and gotten into all manner of adventure were almost certainly at least partially (or largely) made up.

Reality soon caught up with fiction, as J. Peterman the catalogue even asked O’Hurley to become its pitchman!

9. Uncle Leo

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Played by: Len Lesser

No. of episodes: 14

Episode most known for: “The Bookstore”

They say not to judge someone by their relatives, and boy howdy does that aphorism come in handy when it comes to the show’s Uncle Leo, who was known to put on a facade of senility to try and steal books, claiming he “thought” he’d already paid for it.

Len Lesser was a great character actor from the old days of Hollywood, and he made a relatively minor character absolutely sing with his comic timing and those oh-so-great funny frowns.

8. David Puddy

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Played by: Patrick Warburton

No. of episodes: 10

Episode most known for: “The Dealership”

With a name like David Puddy, it’s pretty much guaranteed the character is going to be a big-time dork. So it was true of Patrick Warburton’s avatar, who was a bigtime fan of the New Jersey Devils (which is enough for any self-respecting New Yorker to sneer at).

Even though he was a goof, you couldn’t help but love him. So was true for Elaine, who saw Puddy as a counterbalance to her own high-strung nature. Alas, the two never ended up together, and maybe there’s something to be said for Elaine realizing that perhaps it was impossible for her to ever be happy. Ouch.

7. Jackie Chiles

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Played by: Phil Morris

No. of episodes: 5

Episode most known for: “The Maestro,” “The Friar’s Club”

Jackie Chiles was a rather flashy African American attorney with a propensity for cultivating notorious (i.e., well-paying) clients. He also sported a shaggy mustache and delivered courtroom diatribes filled with high-falutin’ language.

If that sounds like Johnny Cochrane, it’s because Chiles was patterned after O.J. Simpson’s attorney. Granted, Cochrane really didn’t need much parodying considering he was already so larger than life, but Chiles never failed to get laughter for sending up Cochrane’s image.

6. Frank Costanza

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Played by: Jerry Stiller

No. of episodes: 20

Episode most known for: “The Serenity Now,” “The Rye,” “The Shower Head”

You know that old saw: “Why does he act that way?” Well, once we met George Costanza’s pop, Frank, you couldn’t help but go “ah ha” when you looked at George’s irascible traits. Just one of Frank’s unforgettable appearances involved him claiming to have “invented” the secular holiday called Festivus, and in Season 9, he made quite a scene trying to rekindle that “lost” holiday.

Sadly, Jerry Stiller (father to actor Ben) died in May 2020, yet his enduring legacy as Frank Constanza will never be forgotten.

5. Newman

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Played by: Wayne Knight

No. of episodes: 43

Episode most known for: “The Boyfriend,” “The Ticket,” “The Big Salad”

Every hero — or antihero, in the case of Jerry and his friends — needs an antagonist, and they had such a great one in cantankerous, roly-poly neighbor, Newman, played by the always-reliable Wayne Knight.

We were never really able to figure out precisely why Newman and Jerry were enemies, but does anyone really know why the Road Runner and Coyote were engaged in a forever game of cat and mouse? Newman had a smart mouth and a surly disposition, which made him a bad guy you couldn’t help but chuckle at.

4. George Costanza

SeinfeldTV / Twitter

Played by: Jason Alexander

No. of episodes: 171

Episode most known for: “The Nap,” “The Invitations,” “The Hot Tub”

It’s no secret that George Costanza was based almost entirely on “Seinfeld” co-creator Larry David, and over 171 episodes, the extremely talented Jason Alexandra infused David’s fictional persona with no short supply of hilariously cantankerous angst. Who can forget George biting his fingernails while worrying that his girlfriend Tatiana is upset he left their room in the middle of sex? Or crashing a rental car that causes a traffic snarl that interferes with Woody Allen’s movie shoot? Whatever mischief he got into, George had us laughing at his antics as his face went ever redder.

And in a super-meta turn, when Larry David played “himself” on “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” Jason Alexander also showed up as himself, complaining to Larry that the character George was so irritating. Mind blown!

3. Cosmo Kramer

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Played by: Michael Richards

No. of episodes: 170

Episode most known for: “The Contest,” “The Muffin Tops,” “The Junior Mint”

The wacky and unhinged mania that was Cosmo Kramer were matched only by his unkempt hair, which so often seemed to be laughing at the face to which it belonged. Despite his later public troubles, Michael Richards never failed to elicit laughter week in and week out as the neighbor known more by his last name than his first.

For our money, Kramer’s single best episode was “The Contest,” wherein he, George, Jerry and Elaine place a friendly wager that the last to not, uh, have some “solo fun” will be the winner. After seeing something sexy on TV, Kramer disappears, returns, slams his cash on the table and says, “I’m out.” Rather racy for TV in 1992, mind you!

2. Elaine Benes

SeinfeldTV / Twitter

Played by: Julia Louis-Dreyfus

No. of episodes: 169

Episode most known for: “The Reverse Peephole,” “The Pen,” “The Stand-In”

An uptight city girl hangs around with three dudes. What could possibly go wrong? Everything! Elaine Benes wasn’t just the welcome estrogen in a sea of immature testosterone, she was an incredibly important part of the show in her own right. Recall that she tried — and failed — to dance at an office party, and that time she and the Soup Nazi got into it so badly that he banned her from the establishment for a year! Heck, she and Jerry still managed to be friends even after they dated (and had sex, as she claimed, 37 times — no more, no less).

Elaine was, if not the consciousness of the show, certainly the foil for much of the worst happenings that befell the gang. And Julia Louis-Dreyfus was always great in the role.

1. Jerry Seinfeld

NBC / IMDb

Played by: Jerry Seinfeld

No. of episodes: 172

Episode most known for: “The Seinfeld Chronicles” (pilot), “The Puffy Shirt,” “The Strike”

Jerry, Jerry, Jerry! When Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David pitched the idea for a “show about nothing” in the late-’80s, Seinfeld was known for little besides his standup routines. Could a show about a fictionalized version of Jerry be pulled off? And would it work with a guy who had only three TV credits to his resume in the lead role? It was a gamble, but boy howdy did it pay off!

For a decade, Seinfeld played the character “Jerry,” getting into all manner of misadventure, but somehow always coming up with a quip or a joke about the ludicrousness of it all. And he kept true to his standup roots by opening each episode with alternate reality Jerry entertaining crowds with a microphone.

Simply put, there could be no “Seinfeld” without Jerry.