The 7 Most Underrated 'Full House' Characters

Whether you prefer the ageless good looks of Uncle Jesse or the trouble-making antics of Stephanie, practically everyone who's watched Full House could point to a favorite character. Despite the size of the show's ensemble, nearly every member of the Tanner family was given their chance to shine at one point or another, from Michelle to Joey to D.J. Even Comet had an episode or two solely focused on his doggy well-being.

Many of the other Full House characters didn't receive the same opportunities as the show's main group — and for good reason. Who would sacrifice a great Michelle episode or some D.J. drama to delve into the backstory of extended Tanner family members or supposedly "close" friends? I know I wouldn't. However, these well-crafted minor characters had strong personalities and vibrant backstories even if we didn't necessarily have the time to see every second of it play out in the series. With so many people and plot lines to contend with, you can't blame Full House for not devoting more episodes to the changing story arc of Kimmy's boyfriend Duane, but you also can't blame me for still being curious about him now.

Now that the Tanner family's character arcs have come to a satisfying close, I can't help but feel bad for the series' characters that never received the same attention as their more-popular co-stars, and I want to give them their due all these years later. Here's looking at you, Full House's seven most underrated characters:

Derek Boyd

Derek was my favorite Full House friend ever. He was sassy and he sang and he understood the importance of a good argyle sweater. He was the most talented 30-year-old-trapped-in-a-10-year-old's-body ever on TV.

Papouli

We only knew the Katsopolis grandparent for a few episodes, but, in his short time on the show, he taught the kids to dance, won everyone over with his cooking, and, to his family's distress, secretly married off his eldest granddaughter. When he died, Michelle wasn't the only one who was heartbroken. He may not have made a big impact on the show's characters after that episode, but he'll forever stay in the memories of its fans.

Kathy Santoni

Don't know who Kathy Santoni is? Oh, yes you do. She was Full House's cautionary tale, the girl the Tanner adults would mention every time they thought their own kids were getting in trouble. The poor girl went through puberty too fast, got bad grades in school, and, by senior year, managed to get herself knocked up. Not the greatest story, but still, the Tanner adults should have thought twice before using her as a "what not to do" example for the show's other characters.

Kimmy Gibbler

No one got a worse rep on Full House than Kimmy Gibbler, except maybe for Kathy Santoni. The girl was made fun of for everything, from her grades to her outfits to her supposedly smelly feet. The Tanners always sighed whenever they saw her approach, and, several times throughout the series, she was just straight-up asked to leave the house. All of this might've been understandable if Kimmy was a horrible person, but the worst things that she did were bug Stephanie and comment on how weird it was that 10 people lived in the same house. She wasn't the enemy; she was just a lonely 15-year-old from a dysfunctional family, hoping to spend a few after-school hours in the safe, loving Tanner household. Oh, Kimmy. You deserved so, so much better from those mean old Tanner adults.

Mr. Bear

Mr. Bear went through so much, and yet no one gave him any credit. He was hidden by Michelle, dressed up by Steph, and torn up by Comet, and still, he stayed a background figure in the Tanner siblings' lives. Life just isn't fair for stuffed bear detectives.

Viper

I'm the first one to admit that Viper, a semi-regular character, doesn't really qualify for underrated. Yet no amount of screentime would've been enough for Viper, he of the leather jackets, cobra tattoo, and Hot Daddy and the Monkey Puppets fame. This guy deserved his own spin-off.

Duane

Kimmy always had questionable taste in men, but perhaps none of her love interests were as... interesting as Duane, her dull, Shakespeare-quoting boyfriend. Yet, while the Tanners may have deemed him "whatever," the guy will always have a place in my heart as one of Full House's most underrated characters.

Images: ABC (9); Giphy