One of the defining shows of the 2010s was also one of the greatest sitcoms of all-time: Parks and Recreation. The NBC single-camera comedy from Michael Schur and Greg Daniels was a beacon of hope and the small differences people can make from the smallest levels of government in the most "off the map" communities in the United States.
What helped set Parks and Rec apart was its lovable, talented cast of some of the best comedic actors working today. Their efforts went a long way towards characterizing the people who populated Pawnee, Indiana. After all, it was the characters who drew people back to Parks and Rec time and again. Over the course of seven seasons, they each had their own character arcs. Some just happened to be better than others.
Tom Haverford
The character arc of Aziz Ansari's Tom Haverford is largely defined by his transition from the parks department to his goals of being an entertainment mogul and media/restaurant entrepreneur. His arc eventually resolves with the idea that he's at peace with failure.
While this shows growth within Tom, there's still plenty of moments (even in the final season) when he acts incredibly selfishly. Tom learns a lot about himself, but not a lot about how to be better towards others, leaving his arc at the bottom of the list.
Ann Perkins
Ann Perkins (Rashida Jones) is a charming, if innocuous, character on Parks and Recreation. Her presence on the show was a calming balm and often helped to soothe the tone, which would have tipped into wackiness without her.
Because of this role as a utility MVP on the series, Ann was not given a whole lot of "fun" storylines on her own. She's largely the same person she was at the beginning of the show, save for her willingness to accept the love she deserves, rather than the love she settles for. That counts for something, at least.
Chris Traeger
Ann's character arc comes to an end at the same time that Chris Traeger's arc concludes. When Rob Lowe joined the series at the end of season two, he immediately helped elevate a comedy that had clear potential and was waiting for that special spark.
The spark came in the arc of Chris Traeger, who begins as a shimmering savior of sweetness and optimism in Pawnee before eventually transitioning to a man warding off depression. Chris took a roller coaster throughout his tenure, but his arc wins points for resolving his character in a happy place.
Ben Wyatt
Adam Scott's Ben Wyatt was the other character who stepped into Parks and Recreation at the end of the second season. While Lowe had more extremes to play, Ben instead followed a more measured trajectory of character development.
He began as a heartless budget slasher, but ended as an incredible person, friend, husband, and father. Ben's arc sought to help him look inward to discover the best parts of himself that were buried long ago. The people of Pawnee brought that out of him, positioning Ben as the outsider who was broken down and embraced by the Pawnee charms - just like the audience!
Donna Meagle
Retta's Donna Meagle, on the other hand, was a part of Parks and Recreation from the beginning. Her arc is truly remarkable because she went from a bit player in the background to a series regular and one of the most important characters.
Her arc tracks her journey from an everyday parks department employee to a visionary philanthropist who is capable of navigating advanced technology. However, the true arc comes in her nature, which develops from disaffected to loyal and engaged, while never compromising the qualities in herself that she values in tandem with those.
Jerry Gergich
Donna's counterpart in the parks department was Jerry (technically Garry), another background player whose role grew in time. She also happened to be the only one who liked Jerry, as the rest of the department eschewed his clumsiness with frequency.
However, Jerry's character arc was a ton of fun. There's not a whole lot of growth, but Parks and Rec provides him a more unconventional arc. The audience sees how many names he has, how perfect his life is, and how he eventually has a perfect death, too. It's a hilarious arc.
Andy Dwyer
Few characters in television have made the one hundred and eighty degree turn that Chris Pratt's Andy Dwyer managed. At the outset of the series, he's a rude, selfish slob. By the end, he's a caring children's entertainer who embraces the goofiness and silliness in the world.
The show really unlocked the best talents Pratt had to offer the series and it paid off. While some characters (Mark Brendanawicz, for example) were shuttled away from the series, Andy was retooled and became one with an amazing arc.
April Ludgate
Andy is also seen to be capable of growing alongside April, his eventual wife on Parks and Recreation. Yes, their relationship is fun, but April's arc is worthwhile when completely removed from Andy altogether, too.
Throughout the show, she is always a gloomy, cynical person. But she always demonstrates flashes of ambition and care for her friends, which is mirrored by her mentor, Leslie. Over the course of the show, she becomes engaged with her real passion and embraces a balance of her original character and a more grown-up side to herself. It was heartening to watch the arc of April, which was true to her identity, but still allowed for reasonable development.
Leslie Knope
Leslie Knope is the heart of the show and a universally beloved character, and the only reason she doesn't top the list is because her characterization is fairly similar from the beginning to the end of the show.
Yes, she begins as a bit of a Michael Scott-type buffoon, but this was quickly abandoned in favor of a Leslie who was driven, competent, and capable of balancing every side of her life brilliantly (except for sleep). She's a perfectly realized creation and it only makes sense that she probably became president.
Ron Swanson
Lastly, Ron Swanson has to be the top-ranking character on the list of arcs from Parks and Recreation. He fits the best trope in television, as he is the kind of character who pretends to care about nothing, but actually cares a great deal more than he lets on.
He has affection for April, respect for Andy, and adoration for Leslie, even though they frequently clash. No arc was more beautiful on Parks than Ron's and all the evidence needed for that comes when he rows to Willie Nelson's "Buddy" in the series finale of the show. Goosebumps just thinking about it.