Inverse Scene Stealers 2021

It's not always the main characters who are the real heroes. Scene Stealers is an end-of-year salute to the eccentric, to the bizarre, to the unforgettable supporting characters on TV who undeniably steal the show.

Scene Stealers 2021

Scene stealers: The 30 best TV characters of 2021, ranked

By Robin Bea

Inverse spotlights the side characters we fell in love with this year.

Scene Stealers 2021

The most important character in 'Midnight Mass' changed a TV trope forever

By Dais Johnston

Ex-'iZombie' star Rahul Kohli gave an unforgettable, impactful performance in Netflix's horror-drama 'Midnight Mass,' and it's one of the best things of 2021.

Scene Stealers 2021

The best character in 'Squid Game' tells a story of immigrant inequality

By Alex Welch

First time actor Jung Ho-yeon rose to occasion in Netflix's biggest international hit of the year, 'Squid Game,' with a moving story immigration and inequality.

Scene Stealers 2021

The greatest MCU Phase 4 villain reveal came with a catchy theme song

By Tres Dean

It was Agatha all along! Kathryn Hahn ensured the "Hahnissance" is now in the hit Marvel series 'WandaVision,' which set the tone for all of TV in 2021.

Scene Stealers 2021

The MCU's unseen racist history was unmasked with a Black Captain America

By Eric Francisco

With gruff breaths and an Alabama drawl, actor Carl Lumbly embodies the dark, bleak history of superheroes in Marvel's 'Falcon and the Winter Soldier.'

Scene Stealers 2021

The most brilliant sci-fi character of 2021 needs a Marvel spinoff ASAP

By Jake Kleinman
Scene Stealers 2021

'WandaVision's best twist arrived in the form of one surprising character

By Gabrielle Bondi

When this X-Men character arrived on Wanda's doorstep in her Disney+ series, Marvel fans couldn't believe their eyes. Here's why Evans Peters' appearance as Ralph Bohner stole the show in 'WandaVision.'

Scene Stealers 2021

'Ted Lasso' Season 2 took on sports mental health with its best character

By Lauren Entwistle

Football is life. But is football also death? In 'Ted Lasso' Season 2, Cristo Fernández's Dani Rojas overcame "the yips" -- and more.

Scene Stealers 2021

MCU's most relatable villain stole the dance floor, and the show, in 2021

By Maggie Lovitt

Daniel Brühl's return to the MCU in 'The Falcon and the Winter Soldier' is remembered for thoughtful critiques of the MCU itself -- and awesome dance moves.

Scene Stealers 2021

'Succession' seized Season 3 with an unsettling Adrien Brody guest role

By Jack King

A celebrity guest role like no other, Adrien Brody plays his own game of chess in HBO's delectable drama 'Succession.'

Scene Stealers 2021

Patti Harrison is the secret weapon in Netflix's ultra-surreal sketch show

By Isaac Feldberg

Patti Harrison rides the knife's edge between irony and sincerity in Netflix's outrageous surreal comedy 'I Think You Should Leave.'

Scene Stealers 2021

MCU's shocking villain debut in 'Loki' is one of 2021's best TV moments

By Eric Francisco

Blurring barriers between TV and film, 'Loki' stunned MCU fans with the early debut of Jonathan Majors' 'Ant-Man' villain, Kang the Conqueror.

Scene Stealers 2021

'Schmigadoon!' spoofed musical scoundrels in one of 2021's best TV moments

By Isaac Feldberg

In the magical musical town of Schmigadoon, roguish Danny Bailey tries to swoon SNL's Cecily Strong. And it's one of the best things on TV all year.

Scene Stealers 2021

The best, funniest hero in Amazon's 'Invincible' needs a spinoff ASAP

By Aaron Pruner

Allen the Alien is no hero. He's a hero "evaluator." And Seth Rogen's funny and warm 'Invincible' character is the kind of hero we'd follow to the stars.

Scene Stealers 2021

The most overlooked sci-fi show of 2021 reimagined comics in a unique way

By Chrishaun Baker

In the FX adaptation of 'Y: The Last Man,' Beth Deville changes from dream girl to rebel hero in ways that modernize the nearly 20 year old comics.

Scene Stealers 2021

The most exciting Star Wars character in years needs a spin-off ASAP

By Dais Johnston
Chris Barker

2020 edition

Scene Stealers 2020

The best Stephen King character of 2020 deserves a spinoff series ASAP

By Emily Gaudette

Cynthia Erivo’s character from The Outsider is one of King's best.

Scene Stealers 2020

BBC Dracula: Give us the Sister Agatha Van Helsing spin-off we need

By Nick Lucchesi

The foil in BBC's 'Dracula' miniseries is a hero worth watching and one of 2020's most memorable scene stealers deserving of her own spin-off series.

Scene Stealers 2020

Chris Gethard on 'Space Force,' mental health, and talking to strangers

By Joshua Dudley

For a guy who calls himself “shockingly introverted,” Chris Gethard really likes talking on the phone.

Scene Stealers 2020

'Star Trek: Discovery' Season 4: Ian Alexander teases Gray's future

By Jen Glennon

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Scene Stealers 2020

Rahul Kohli on 'Bly Manor,' using Twitter for good, and his next big role

By Dais Johnston

The 'Bly Manor' actor chats with Inverse about his work-life balance, fancasting, and his upcoming projects.

Scene Stealers 2020

'The Boys': How Stormfront shocked superhero TV in 2020

By Eric Francisco

In Amazon's 'The Boys,' superheroes are dangerous. That's no more true than in Stormfront, a secret Nazi turned electric superheroine played by Aya Cash.

Scene Stealers 2020

The 10 best scene-stealers of 2020

By Jake Kleinman
Scene Stealers 2020

'Rick and Morty' Season 5: Sarah Chalke on the future of Space Beth

By Corey Plante

'Rick and Morty' voice actor Sarah Chalke has voiced Beth since the very beginning, and while we've seen different versions before, nothing compares to Space Beth.

Scene Stealers 2020

The best new TV & movie characters of 2020

By Jake Kleinman

These scene stealers are what's great about streaming.

Scene Stealers 2020

The best TV and movie scene stealers of 2020, by the numbers

By Dais Johnston

Get ready for some charts!