Although Parks and Recreation is widely considered to be one of the best comedy shows of the past few decades, most fans will agree that it got off to a rocky start. Season 1 only consisted of six episodes and it was seen as something trying too hard to replicate the success of other similar shows.
Season 2 marked a turnaround where the quality went up and that only continued into later seasons, with the series keeping a remarkable consistency from that point until it ended. Part of its later greatness was the introduction of some of the show's best characters following that inaugural season.
Jeremy Jamm
Every great hero needs their arch-nemesis and for Leslie Knope, that was Jeremy Jamm (Jon Glaser). Their epic rivalry began when Leslie was elected to Pawnee City Council. Jamm was an existing member of the board who constantly butted heads with her at every turn.
Even the tiniest of things Leslie wanted was like pulling teeth against Jamm, which was fitting given his career as an orthodontist. Their feud got personal when Jamm attempted to ruin her wedding to Ben and got punched by Ron. He was a great foil for Leslie and fans always remember his catchphrase, "You just got Jammed."
Jennifer Barkley
At first, it seemed like Jennifer Barkley (Kathryn Hahn) was only going to have a small part. She first appeared when taking over the City Council campaign of Bobby Newport. Her career in politics and life in Washington made her someone who was almost always a step ahead of Leslie's team.
Despite being an antagonist, Leslie and her friends grew to respect Jenn and vice versa. In fact, Jenn helped Ben find his calling in politics and eventually returned to help Leslie grow her career. She always had hilarious scenes thanks to her reactions to the absurdity of Pawnee.
Tammy 2
If Jeremy Jamm was Leslie's greatest foe, then Tammy II (Megan Mullally) was Ron's. His ex-wife first showed up as the local librarian who Leslie thought might actually be a good person. Of course, she revealed herself to be a manipulative sex-crazed woman who ruins Ron's life at every turn.
While Tammy may never be one of the show's most likable people, she was always entertaining. As soon as Tammy appeared, the audience knew that they were in for something chaotic, whether it's turning Ron into someone he's not or fighting Leslie in a dumpster.
Lucy Santo Domingo
Tom Haverford was emotionally wrecked when his wife Wendy divorced him as even though it was a green card marriage, he had fallen in love with her. It took Tom a while to move past this but a big step forward came when he started dating Lucy Santo Domingo (Natalie Morales).
A bartender at the Snakehole Lounge, Lucy proved to be smart, kind, and funny. She brought out a side of Tom that was less showy and more true to who he was on the inside. She broke up with him when she realized that he wasn't over Wendy but they got back together years later and ended the show as a married couple.
Mona-Lisa Saperstein
Audiences thought they had seen the ultimate over-the-top character in Jean-Ralphio Saperstein but then they met his sister Mona-Lisa (Jenny Slate). She was as ridiculous as her brother but also with a dangerous streak that made her surprisingly frightening.
Mona-Lisa was incredibly spoiled to the point of throwing fits when she didn't get her way. That included threatening to burn down Tom's store while they were dating. Like Tammy II, her appearance often meant that something wild was about to happen.
Perd Hapley
Perd Hapley (Jay Jackson) is someone who never impacted the main storyline, yet is an iconic character. Pawnee's local newscaster, Perd is memorable because of the way he speaks, often stating the obvious and overexplaining what is happening.
While Perd never really had a big role to play, he was always around to report on any events. He even hosted his own shows like "Ya Herd? With Perd!" and eventually became a television judge on "The Perples Court." Whenever Perd was on screen, viewers were in stitches.
Craig Middlebrooks
The core cast of Parks and Recreation mostly remained but that changed late when a new main character joined the fray. Craig Middlebrooks (Billy Eichner) held the same position as Donna Meagle in Eagleton before coming over to Pawnee following the merger.
What made Craig stand out was how overdramatic he was. The tiniest things would cause him to raise his voice and shout to the point of startling those around him. He eventually replaced Ron as the director of the department and married Typhoon in the finale, becoming one of the show's few LGBTQ+ couples.
Jean-Ralphio Saperstein
Tom Haverford was always an outlandish character but he certainly met his match and then some with Jean-Ralphio Saperstein (Ben Schwartz). He carries himself as a baller and seems to believe that he's something of a superstar even if everyone seems to dislike him.
Jean-Ralphio's tendency to do everything as if it's a show while annoying those around him was classic comedy. Tom proved to grow as a person over time but Jean-Ralphio remained himself at his core, even faking his death in his later years. His ultimate moment likely came when he was walked in and right back out of a job interview due to his personality.
Chris Traeger
There's no question that the show really hit its stride beginning with the end of season 2, thanks in large part to the addition of two key characters. One was Indiana auditor Chris Traeger (Rob Lowe), who quickly bonded with the Pawnee residents and eventually became city manager.
Although Chris was clearly good at his job, it was his personality that made him so iconic. Chris was absurdly positive, always trying to find the good in any situation and entering any situation with exuberance. His romance with Ann was also a fan favorite.
Ben Wyatt
Joining Chris Traeger to help Pawnee with their financial issues was Ben Wyatt (Adam Scott). He was often the opposite of Chris thanks to his tendency to see things negatively and it made them good at their jobs. Like Chris, Ben stuck around as he grew to adore the Parks Department.
Ben became the lovable nerd as some of the show's funniest moments involved that aspect, including him sitting on a fake Iron Throne, creating a board game, and dressing up as Batman. Fans also loved his relationship with Leslie as they proved to be perfect for each other.