While there are plenty of hit sitcoms to come after, Friends still remains among the most popular. The concept of the show has been reused time and time again, but the characters remain irreplaceable. However, there are characters that fans love to hate as much as the ones they love to love.
Not all of them are as bad as meets the eye and often serve to make the show even more entertaining. Even those who have malicious intent can end up pushing the plot in a positive direction. It might have been an accident, but somehow, unlikely characters served the greater good and became low-key heroes.
Gunther
Gunther is mostly known for his crush on Rachel, but because of his obsession, he ends up doing things that serve her best interest. He went straight to Rachel when he found out that Ross slept with someone else, one of the events that made them one of the worst sitcom couples, but which Ross had gone out of his way to keep from her.
Rachel also convinced Gunther to let Phoebe sing at Central Perk, and when she overpaid for a cat that kept attacking her, Gunther bought it from her when others wouldn't even take it for free.
Judy Geller
Both of the Gellers treated Ross better than Monica, and they constantly criticized her decisions and played off her dreams as a hobby. When it comes to their kids' relationships, they're generally disapproving of who they're with.
But after Rachel gets pregnant with Ross's baby, Judy brings a ring to the hospital and encourages him to propose. It does seem to get Ross thinking, and they might have even gotten back together if Joey hadn't accidentally proposed to Rachel.
Richard Burke
Out of all of Monica's boyfriends, Richard was among the best. There was a large age gap between them, but he was ive of Monica and treated her well. They might not have broken up at all if Richard had wanted to have more children.
When Chandler is planning to propose to Monica, Richard returns and tells her that he still loves her. Since Chandler had been standoffish, it made Monica wonder if he was ever going to be ready to make a lifelong commitment. Once Richard realizes how devoted Chandler is to her, he steps back and encourages him to go after the woman they both love.
Mindy Hunter
Mindy definitely wasn't well-intentioned when she slept with her best friend's fiancé, but she did save Rachel from being in a loveless marriage with Barry. While Rachel didn't find out about the infidelity until after she fled her wedding, an important moment in Friends that changed everything, she began to wonder if she made the wrong choice.
Rachel and Barry start sleeping together, even though he's engaged to Mindy. It eventually makes Rachel realize that she was right to leave Barry at the altar. Barry is clearly untrustworthy, as he cheated on Mindy again after they got married.
Eddie Menuek
When Joey decided to move out, it felt like he and Chandler were breaking up with each other. Their close friendship is one of the best parts of the series, and it was made better by their living together. The two of them sitting in their chairs and watching TV was their favorite hobby.
Eddie becomes Chandler's new roommate, but he's nothing like Joey and he's borderline dangerous. Eddie makes Chandler realize how much he misses his best friend, and he tricks Eddie into leaving so Joey can move back in.
Mark Robinson
Ross's insecurity made him jealous of Rachel's co-worker, Mark, and was even part of the reason he slept with someone else on the night of their "break." While Ross does it to having a crush on Rachel later on, he never crossed any lines with her.
Mark got Rachel several of her jobs within the fashion industry, and there's no telling where she would be if she had never met him. Ross is the only person who's ever really seen Mark as a villain.
Ugly Naked Guy
There's plenty of things about Friends that haven't aged well, and Ugly Naked Guy is one of them. They constantly degrade him because of his appearance and spy on him when he walks around his apartment with no clothes on.
But he never did anything to hurt the friend group and actually ends up doing Ross a favor. Ugly Naked Guy decides to sublease his apartment, which Ross wants to rent. Despite all the bribes he received, he ends up giving him the apartment when the two of them bond.
Mr. Heckles
Mr. Heckles was a grumpy, elderly man who lived in the apartment below Monica and Rachel. He comes across as incredibly creepy and always complains about the girls making too much noise.
When Mr. Heckles dies, he leaves all of his belongings to Monica and Rachel, even though most of his things prove to be worthless. Viewers also find out that Chandler and Joey only became roommates because Mr. Heckles drove Chandler's first choice away. If it weren't for him, Joey and Chandler probably wouldn't have become friends.