Fans know the characters of Friends like the back of their hands, as there are over 200 episodes and every one of them is repeated on television daily across the world. And it's the cast that keeps viewers coming back, as the show is so much more character-driven than story-driven.
It seems that with each season, there's always one particular character that stands out as the MVP of that season. And even though Friends has always been more about the main group than it has about the recurring characters, in a few of the seasons, the supporting cast has gotten more laughs than even Chandler or Phoebe.
Season 1 - Rachel Green
Rachel stormed onto the scene in the first episode in her wedding dress having just escaped the almost-marriage from hell, and from that moment on, she was the most fascinating character of season 1. The way former rich girl Rachel struggles with everyday life, not having anybody wait on her hand and foot, is one of the best fish-out-of-water narratives that doesn't get talked about enough.
It was also the start of the "will they, won't they" relationship between her and Ross, which was the longest story arc of the series. And though all of the characters are great, and there are others that are funnier, no other character had more immediate charisma than Rachel in season 1.
Season 2 - Joey Tribbiani
Joey is a fan favorite, but the character was done somewhat of a disservice later in the show, as he was written dumber and dumber each consecutive season. However, Joey is one of the most three-dimensional characters in season 2, as he's honest, hardworking, has morals, and isn't smart but isn't completely dumb either.
As the first season hinted at Joey's acting career with his off-off-Broadway musical Freud!, and being Al Pacino's butt-double, season 2 goes even further into portraying the life of the struggling actor. On top of that, season 2 is when he first gets the role of one of the most famous TV doctors there has ever been, Dr. Drake Ramoray.
Season 3 - Chandler Bing
Up to season 3, Chandler had been the most underwritten character of the six friends, as he was mostly the comedic relief, spitting out one-liners wherever he got a chance. However, Chandler finally had more character development in season 3, especially when it came to relationships. The groundwork was laid for a potential relationship with Monica, and he slept with one of Joey's sisters.
But more than anything, thanks to Chandler willingly getting into a relationship with Janice, she had much more of a presence in the season, too. Where Janice was only in a couple of episodes in the previous seasons, she was in six episodes of season 3. And though Chandler and Janice's relationship was doomed from the start, it led to some of their best moments together.
Season 4 - Frank Buffay Jr.
After wrongly presuming his sister was a sex worker and being arrested for stealing birds' eggs in season 3, this eccentric, lost-in-the-world character was the MVP of season 4 when he was given more screen time.
Though Friends was never so strictly focused on season-long arcs, one narrative that was imperative throughout the whole of season 4 was Phoebe being the surrogate for her brother's children. Frank Buffay Jr. might have just been a recurring character for the one season, very briefly appearing later on in the series, but every time he was on screen, he stole the show from the main group of friends.
Season 5 - Ross Gellar
For the first few seasons of Friends, Ross was very much a wet blanket, as he was always found leaning against walls and moping around over Rachel. But season 5 saw him become a temperamental sandwich lover whom people were too scared to be around.
Ross found himself in a sticky situation more than any of the other characters, and in season 5, that happens countless amounts of times. The fifth season saw the paleontologist taking a forced sabbatical after screaming at a colleague over the Moist Maker sandwich, and it even ended with him and Rachel drunkenly getting married in Vegas.
Season 6 - Paul Stevens
Ross could very well be the best character of season 6 too, as it sees him fall further into the infantile downward spiral that started when he said the wrong name at the wedding. In the sixth season, Ross gets the ultra-white teeth that are fluorescent in the dark and he puts on the fake British accent to impress his students.
However, season 6 features one of the best Friends guest stars, as Bruce Willis is in the role of Paul, and it's more than just a one-off episode. Paul is in three episodes, and it sees Willis having fun with the character, something fans of the actor haven't seen for decades. He's willing to be goofy and embarrassing too, and even though it was just three episodes, Willis won a Primetime Emmy for the role.
Season 7 - Monica Gellar
The very first episode of season 7 is based around Monica, as she and Chandler are celebrating the engagement, and Monica accuses Rachel of being jealous of her. And from that moment on, the season sees the clean freak at the top of her game, as most of the episodes follow her planning her wedding.
Between trying to convince Janice that Chandler still has feelings for her and trying to befriend her neighbors by making them cookies, not everything goes perfect for Monica and a lot of her plans backfire. But as she and Chandler have such a strong relationship, the stakes are low and it's so entertaining watching each episode follow a different element of the wedding planning.
Season 8 - Mona
One of the ways Ross is the Gellers' favorite child is because Judy doesn't know why women aren't attracted to him, but if she saw what went on behind closed doors she might have an understanding. If it wasn't for Mona, fans wouldn't have so many classic moments, and most of the laughs in season 8 stem from Ross's terrible handling of their relationship.
Ross gave Mona keys to his apartment and then immediately changed the locks, and he even broke into her apartment just to retrieve a shirt. And what made all of his actions funnier was the way Mona reacted to them — and then there was the classic line, "I love spending time with you."
Season 9 - Mike Hannigan
After the phenomenal success of Friends and the main actors getting paid a huge $1 million per episode, it comes as a surprise that one of the most successful actors post-Friends was a guest star. Paul Rudd played Mike, who was introduced in season 9 and had an imperative role in the show from that point on.
But when thinking about how much of an impact he had on the show, it isn't all that shocking, as Mike was a breath of fresh air in the series and was all but an honorary seventh member of the group. From the moment he impressed Phoebe by playing the piano without an actual piano at the beginning of season 9, it was clear that Phoebe and Mike were soulmates. Not only that, but that physical comedy and sarcastic wit continued throughout the whole season.
Season 10 - Phoebe Buffay
Phoebe was Friends' answer to Seinfeld's Kramer, the eccentric and mysterious character who won fans' hearts for nine seasons. However, it was the tenth and final season where Phoebe was at her best.
Out of all the characters of the show, Phoebe had grown and matured the most in such a natural and progressive way, but she still retained that weirdness that fans loved. Between her wedding, teaching Joey how to speak French, and humoring the out-of-breath stripper at her bachelorette party, every delightful Phoebe quirk is on full display in season 10.