Heroes was a groundbreaking show upon its initial release, proving that superhero shows could be done and that they could be entertaining. The compelling aspect was bringing real-life people with powers to the forefront, rather than having people in capes and masks as is the traditional take on people with superpowers.
The first season of the show still stands up amongst most great television series as one of the best opening seasons ever. However, there is no doubt the show did take a dip in quality as it ran on. But, throughout the course of Heroes, the show introduced a real range of characters, some that had big impacts and were beloved, and others that did sadly fall flat, which didn't help the series in the long run.
MOST IMPORTANT: Sylar
He may have been the main villain of the series, but Sylar was an incredibly compelling character. He was played to perfection by Zachary Quinto who brought the balance between making Sylar feel emotional and damaged, while also being completely psychotic and dangerous.
Possessing a heightened version of Intuitive Aptitude (the ability to learn things instantly), Sylar was unbelievably powerful and he didn't use his powers for good, effectively becoming a super-powered serial killer. His decision to slice people's heads open in order to collect their powers was a gruesome one but it was also a great hook for the show, with Sylar being a character that people couldn't take their eyes off whenever he appeared.
MOST FORGETTABLE: D.L. Hawkins
At the start, D.L. Hawkins had some real potential with the relationship to Nikki and his son Michah. He wasn't a perfect person and that added to his overall story. His power to go phase through anything was different and while it wasn't the most exciting, it certainly worked.
However, he just wasn't given enough time to really be a focal point and even though his death was an emotional moment, it was mainly there to enhance Nikki and her multiple personalities.
MOST IMPORTANT: Noah Bennet
He may not have had any superpowers, unlike the vast majority of the other main characters, but Noah Bennet was certainly important. He brought a great balance to the series, ensuring that it wasn't all about powers, grounding the show in reality, which is what made Heroes so great.
It was hard to always know what Noah was thinking, but he always seemed to have the right answers for situations. He was a true family man and even though he would hurt people at times, it was always with the idea of protecting his family. Noah had a fantastic storyline and was certainly one of the most complex characters on the show.
MOST FORGETTABLE: Maya Herrera
Maya Herrera has the potential to be a really interesting and complex character when she was first introduced. Having killed tons of people through her power that lets her unleash plagues, she was on the run with her twin and that seemed like a really exciting concept at the start.
However, she quickly ended up becoming forgettable as the show often just used her power as a method of solving big problems, as it could wipe out so many bad guys at once. When she linked up with Skylar, things just didn't really click and sadly, she ended up being forgotten by the end of the show.
MOST IMPORTANT: Hiro Nakamura
Hiro Nakamura was always one of the most heavily featured characters in Heroes, and he was someone that audiences absolutely loved to watch. He was incredibly kind-hearted and always looked out for other people, and his love of superpowers was infectious.
The fact that Hiro actively loved having a power also made him easy to relate with, which was important for the cast of Heroes. With the ability to bend time and space to his liking, Hiro was one of the most powerful characters on the show, and while some of his later storylines weren't the greatest, overall, he was a very important part of the show.
MOST FORGETTABLE: Adam Monroe
Adam Monroe may have been able to regenerate and therefore (technically) immortal, but he really was a forgettable character. The problem was that the show built up the immortal Takezo Kensei (a Japanese man) as an incredibly interesting antagonist only for that role to end up going to Adam, who really wasn't the villain people expected nor wanted.
It was meant to be a fun twist but it just fell completely flat, with the whole arc ending up being a huge disappointment. The revelation that Takezo and Adam were the same person actually ended up hurting the time-travelling Hiro as a character, which was a real shame considering how big of a role he had.
MOST IMPORTANT: Peter Petrelli
Peter Petrelli really was the lifeblood of Heroes, as the ultimate good guy that fans could get behind. He was a true moral compass of the show and always tried to do the right thing, with his battles against Sylar really being something that got audiences talking.
The fact he had the ability to take other people's powers made him a really interesting character because he was hard to predict, and that instantly made him a lot of fun to watch. As one of the most powerful characters, Peter had a big role to play and that made him a very important character to the show.
MOST FORGETTABLE: Daphne Millbrook
The power of super speed is one that the show really was missing prior to Daphne Millbrook's introduction in the third season. However, she fell short of reaching her potential. Even though there was something truly interesting within her storylines, there was never quite enough time put into them.
Daphne just felt like she was tagging along with Hiro and Ando for a long period of time. Then when it came to her time with Matt, there were moments of potential again that never ended up being pushed, instead, feeling like a sidekick. She never used her powers to their full advantage to be the most dominant character that she could have been.
MOST IMPORTANT: Claire Bennet
The cheerleader who could save the world, Claire Bennet was a crucial part of the series, especially in the original run where a lot of the events really hung in the balance because of her. She was one of the true heroes (no pun intended) of the show and was incredibly popular with audiences.
Her family connection to the Petrelli's certainly played a huge part in the series and her power (rapid cellular regeneration, effectively turning her immortal) was one of the most interesting as well. She was someone who was very easy to sympathize with, especially with how her father would behave at times and there's no doubt she was an important character to the show.
MOST FORGETTABLE: Monica Dawson
The most forgettable character from Heroes was absolutely Monica Dawson, who didn't stand out at all. Her power didn't really feel special, simply being able to copy what other people did physically, and that wasn't exactly the most exciting or dangerous in comparison to others on the show.
While the attempt was made to try and make her relatable by being a real family person who was trying to get as much money to make her life better, it just wasn't interesting. There weren't enough stakes to Monica in comparison to the others on the show, which is why she was easy to forget about by the end.