The Best New Characters In Pop Culture In 2019

Philip Moder
Updated October 19, 2023
Ranked By
2.8K votes
377 voters
Voting Rules
Pop culture figures and fictional characters who hit the scene in 2019. No existing characters who are just having a moment.

Which 2019 characters defined this year? Thanks to some of the best new movies, TV shows, and cultural events, there are some exciting new characters in pop culture. Many of the best characters of the year are from some of 2019's trending topics, while some exist in a small world of their own, getting their 15 minutes of fame. The best personalities of 2019 in modern culture aren't always your typical movie or TV show character. Some, like the Instagram Egg, launched into the stratosphere because of strategic marketing. Others, like the Fiji Water Girl, seemed to come out of the blue. 

Which characters of 2019 made the biggest impact? What personalities ignited larger conversations in 2019? And which characters from this year were just plain fun? Vote up the 2019 characters that you feel are the most memorable. 

  • 'Baby Yoda'
    1
    119 votes

    Properly referred to as "the Child," this breakout star of The Mandalorian on Disney+ captured the hearts (and memes) of the moment.

  • As the lead character in The Mandalorian, Mando intrigues Star Wars fans with his visually impenetrable costume and warmed their hearts with his stewardship over "the Child."

  • Fat Thor
    3

    Fat Thor

    72 votes

    After losing his way in Avengers: Endgame, Thor gave us a glimpse of what The Dude would be like as a superhero.

  • Already a divisive figure, Joaquin Phoenix and Todd Phillips joined forces to push the Joker envelope even further.

  • Forky
    5

    Forky

    114 votes

    Forky is a spork-and-pipe-cleaner toy made by Bonnie in Toy Story 4. Voiced by Tony Hale, Forky goes through an identity crisis, as he is convinced he is not a toy. 

  • Detective Pikachu
    6

    Detective Pikachu

    65 votes

    The only thing that could be better than a movie revolving around the cutest Pokemon ever is to pair him with the sarcastic voice stylings of Ryan Reynolds. 

  • Brie Larsen suited up as Captain Marvel and filled in a few questions about Nick Fury's past before reappearing in Avengers: Endgame.

  • Shazam
    8
    55 votes

    Shazam cast a spell on audiences world-wide.

  • Playing as the titular Goose allows you to sow mischief in a sleepy English village and people can't get enough.

  • Alita
    10

    Alita

    41 votes

    Transitioning from the pages of her manga to the silver screen garnered Alita a fan-base that is as dedicated as her resolve in the film.

  • BD-1
    11

    BD-1

    34 votes

    The latest personality laden droid to be introduced in the Star Wars universe via Jedi: Fallen Order. 

  • Kombucha Girl
    12

    Kombucha Girl

    42 votes

    A cautionary tale of trying new things while on Tik Tok.

  • Duke Caboom
    13

    Duke Caboom

    74 votes

    Keanu Reeves voices the motorcycle daredevil action figure in Toy Story 4. "Let's Caboom!"

  • Billy Butcher
    14

    Billy Butcher

    30 votes

    Quick witted and a literal anti-hero, there are few characters 2019 that can compete with Billy's rough-around-the-edges charm.

  • Is he creepy? Endearing? Just plain weird? No matter the sentiment, his arrival during a Super Bowl commercial had people talking.

  • Harley Quinn
    16
    21 votes

    Despite Birds of Prey not premiering until 2020, the latest iteration of Harley Quinn took over the internet with just her teaser trailer that appeared before It: Chapter 2.

  • Ugly Sonic
    17

    Ugly Sonic

    88 votes

    When the trailer for the Sonic the Hedgehog film dropped, fans were horrified by the titular character's design. The backlash was so severe that the studio pushed back the release date to redesign him.

  • Mysterio
    18
    93 votes

    Years after rumors raged that he was going to take over for Tobey Maguire as Spider-Man himself, Jake Gyllenhaal finally finds himself in a Spidey flick as the enigmatic Mysterio in the latest MCU entry.

  • Jimmy Hoffa
    19

    Jimmy Hoffa

    29 votes

    The Union Boss whose disappearance remains an unsolved mystery, got new life through Al Pacino's performance in The Irishman.

  • The Instagram Egg
    20

    The Instagram Egg

    94 votes

    The Egg surpassed the Instagram record for most likes. It quickly became a milkshake duck after fans discovered it was all part of a marketing campaign

  • The Tethered
    21

    The Tethered

    53 votes

    The creepy others from Jordan Peele's Us are sure to inspire lots of horrifying group costumes. 

  • Angela Abar (Sister Night)
    22

    Angela Abar (Sister Night)

    31 votes

    Regina King's character has taken over as the new face of Watchmen, reinvigorating fans of the original Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons's masterpiece.

  • Batwoman
    23
    30 votes

    As portrayed by Ruby Rose in the Arrowverse, Batwoman has become an important addition to the Crisis on Infinite Earths saga.

  • Hot Priest
    24

    Hot Priest

    49 votes

    You had us at "Kneel."

  • Nadia Vulvokov
    25

    Nadia Vulvokov

    52 votes

    Natasha Lyonne's semi-autobiographical series Russian Doll won over critics and audiences alike in February 2019. Her character Nadia got think pieces written about her hair and how she says "cockroach."

  • The Masked Singer (Fox, 2019) is an American reality competition series based on the South Korean show King of Mask Singer. Hosted by Nick Cannon, the show features celebrities singing in a head-to-toe costume and face mask which conceals their identity from other contestants, panelists, and audience. 

  • James Holzhauer
    27

    James Holzhauer

    38 votes

    The sports gambler turned heads with his record-breaking streak on Jeopardy! He beat the Single-Game Winnings record by more than $30,000 on his fourth win, and by April 15, he became the second highest winnings earner (regular-season play) behind Ken Jennings.

  • The Fiji Water Girl
    28

    The Fiji Water Girl

    57 votes

    Model Kelleth Cuthbert went viral quickly - as did her back-and-forth legal issues with Fiji Water.

  • Dani
    29

    Dani

    24 votes

    Almost no one refused when asked to go on a "trip" with Dani from Ari Aster's film Midsommar.

  • After HBO's March 2019 documentary The Inventor, people could not get over Holmes - or her bizarre pseudo-deep-voice. Impressions abounded.