The ABC comedy-drama The Greatest American Hero hit the four-decade mark in 2021. Though it was only on the network's primetime schedule for three seasons, the show remains a fond memory for its fans. Additionally, it has continually remained as a regular internet topic due to the never-ending rumors of a reunion or remake.
The series didn't have a lot of characters in its ensemble. Still, they are recalled and sometimes ranked. Fans do this by the number of times they appeared and their general characteristics. It's something that continues in the 21st century.
Agent Bill Maxwell
Here's the main reason why Maxwell, played by Robert Culp, is at the bottom end of this list. He was annoying. Culp definitely didn't play Maxwell as the suave government agent he was as Kelly Robinson in NBC's I Spy. He was disheveled, insistent, and a bit of a male chauvinist pig.
Plus, he always wanted Ralph Hinkley (William Katt from Brian De Palma's Carrie), the show's main protagonist, to use his superpowers to solve situations. However, Ralph is a teacher at heart, so he tried to reason issues through instead of punching them out. This bothered Maxwell quite a bit.
The Aliens
Ralph didn't get his powers from an irradiated arachnid like Spider-Man, gamma rays, or even a thirst for vengeance. He got them from aliens who said he was the chosen one to save the Earth from impending darkness. However, the aliens never seemed like they fully thought out the decision.
They left Ralph with the suit and a set of instructions. Then they said, "Figure it out, kid," and left. Since he lost the user manual, Ralph wasn't able to use the full capabilities of the suit. Let alone be the superhero the extraterrestrials wanted him to be.
Tony Villicana
Tony, portrayed by actor Michael Pare, was one of Ralph's high school students. At first, the two didn't get along. However, after the duo hashed things out in the boxing ring during the show's pilot, they bonded.
Villicana appeared in 30 of the 44 episodes of The Greatest American Hero. During that time he tried to keep on the straight and narrow. He became the manager of a rock band and also handle vehicle repossessions. It's during one of those situations where Villicana was charged with arson. It took Maxwell's investigative ties and Ralph's powers to find the protagonist to clear the young man.
Cyler Johnson
Another member of Ralph's class, Cyler (Jesse D. Goins) was part of the band comprised of other high school students. This included lead singer Rhonda Blake. As the keyboard player, Johnson was one of those who kept the bank on tempo.
Unfortunately, he was also part of a dubious plot by Hydra. Believing he and his bandmates were appearing at an event to protest the transport of nerve gas through their town, they were actually invited by said evil group. Their goal was to destroy the transport, thus releasing the gas and killing hundreds of people. Luckily, Ralph and Maxwell stopped it from happening.
Rhonda Blake
Rhonda, played by Faye Grant, was Villicana's eventual girlfriend. Before that, she was known as "Love Me Rhonda" because she always tried to be liked. That ended in the pilot when Ralph treated her with kindness.
From that point on, she developed a crush on her teacher. This was a bit awkward when she paired up with Ralph's wife, Pam Davidson (Connie Sellecca) on an investigation. She remained a major character through 28 episodes of The Greatest American Hero.
Paco Rodriguez
The character of Paco (Don Cervantes) is higher on the list for one reason. He was a Lone Ranger fan. In the episode "My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys," Rodriguez revealed this to Ralph and his fellow students. Being high schoolers, his admission was met with a bit of ridicule.
Still, he wasn't deterred. In fact, watching Lone Ranger probably gave him the courage to push through high school. This, despite the fact he had issues with his grammar. It also influenced him to be part of the band that performed to protest the transport of the aforementioned nerve gas through their town.
Holly Hathaway
Fans of The Greatest American Hero might not remember the name Holly Hathaway; there's a reason for this. Her character, portrayed by Mary Ellen Stuart, wasn't part of the original run. Rather, Holly was going to be part of a revival of the show called The Greatest American Heroine.
She might have been even nicer than Ralph, who was asked to give up the suit because his identity was revealed. She was an elementary school teacher who was also a foster mother and a rescuer of kittens. Sadly, fans never saw any more adventures with Holly as the bearer of the costume. NBC never picked the pilot up.
Pam Davidson
Ralph's girlfriend/wife was not one to be pushed around. As a lawyer, Pam worked hard to defend those who needed help. As Ralph's partner, she worked hard to keep the man she fell in love with on even ground. This was to prevent his head from getting as big as his strength.
Her main role throughout The Greatest American Hero was to be a buffer between Ralph and Agent Maxwell. It was always a tug-of-war with the crotchety government operative. It wasn't until The Greatest American Heroine pilot that Maxwell admitted that Pam was someone he admired.
Ralph Hinkley
Ralph always had his heart in the right place when he wore the suit. Unfortunately, that muscle didn't help him understand how it worked. While a fairly confident high school teacher, Ralph always seemed to be an inept superhero. Heck, it took him nearly the entire length of the show to learn how to fly.
Nevertheless, Ralph made sure to maximize the powers he had. Not one to give up, he continued to discover what the suit could do for him. He not only helped strangers but also those in his close circle that were important to him.
The Suit
At the top is Ralph's suit: the magical costume that granted him superhuman strength, speed, flight, and mind control.
The suit gave Ralph the power to do things he didn't believe would ever take place. He saved people he never met and those that were extremely close to him. The suit increased Ralph's confidence to be a stronger teacher, friend, and husband. While it never spoke or did things on its own, the super-suit made its mark on the program.