--- description: TIME's annual list of the most influential characters in TV, film, news and more title: The Most Influential Fictional Characters of 2016 image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- * [Entertainment](/section/entertainment/) ## Entertainment Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # The 10 Most Influential Fictional Characters of 2016  by [Daniel D'Addario](/author/daniel-daddario/)  ## Daniel D'Addario Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Dec 13, 2016 4:42 PM CUT  by [Daniel D'Addario](/author/daniel-daddario/)  ## Daniel D'Addario Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Dec 13, 2016 4:42 PM CUT ### Honorable Mention: Becky with the Good Hair  Columbia Depending on how much you read into the lyrics on _Lemonade_, “Becky With the Good Hair” was either a fictional character created for the song “Sorry,” or a real-life woman with whom Jay Z cheated on Beyoncé. Either way, fans and the media spent weeks speculating about her identity, at one point naming both designer Rachel Roy, who had worked with Jay Z (she [denied the charges](http://people.com/celebrity/beyonces-lemonade-rachel-roy-denies-being-becky-from-album/ "undefined")) and then, by accident, chef Rachael Ray, whose [name is similar to Roy’s](http://people.com/style/7-times-rachael-ray-actually-had-good-hair-though-she-is-not-becky/ "undefined"). Katy Perry eventually included herself in the narrative, as well, arriving to the Met Gala [wearing a “Not Becky” pin](http://people.com/style/rita-ora-and-katy-perry-wear-not-becky-pins-post-met-gala-prove-they-play-for-team-beyonce/ "undefined"). ### 10\. Ginga  RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - JUNE 23: Brazilian national teams mascot Ginga is introduced by the Brazilian Local Organizing Committee at Parque Aquatico Maria Lenk on June 23, 2015 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images) Buda Mendes—Getty Images People loved Rio’s cartoon Olympic ­mascot—until a [real jaguar was subbed in](http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/23/world/americas/jaguar-brazil-olympics-shot.html "undefined") and then killed after exhibiting threatening behavior during a torch-relay event. The incident fueled a debate over the ethics of keeping animals in captivity. ### 9\. Elena Ferrante  CAMBRIDGE , MA - APRIL 8: Elena Ferrante books are photographed at the Harvard Book Store in Cambridge, Mass., on April 8, 2016\. (Photo by Jonathan Wiggs/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) Jonathan Wiggs—Getty Images [The reveal](http://www.nybooks.com/daily/2016/10/02/elena-ferrante-an-answer/ "undefined") of the author’s putative “real” identity as Anita Raja—which happened a month before the release of a [major collection](https://www.amazon.com/Frantumaglia-Writers-Journey-Elena-Ferrante/dp/1609452925/?tag=timecom-20 "undefined") of her ­writing—raised urgent questions about authorship and privacy rights of the famous. ### 8\. Joanne the Scammer  BEVERLY HILLS, CA - OCTOBER 04: Internet personality Joanne The Scammer attends the 6th annual Streamy Awards hosted by King Bach and live streamed on YouTube at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on October 4, 2016 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for dick clark productions) Frazer Harrison—Getty Images The popularity of Branden Miller’s drag alter ego—who garnered legions of [fans](http://people.com/tv/mtv-vmas-2016-joanne-the-scammer-3-things-to-know/ "undefined") and a fair share of [controversy](https://medium.com/@nefertitiankra777/wrong-hands-joanne-the-scammer-and-racial-misogyny-3661fd080ed1 "undefined") by bragging on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/joanneprada "undefined") and ­[Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/iambranden "undefined") about faux exploits such as “robbery” and “fraud”—showed the power of the Internet to elevate niche comedy, especially from nonwhite and queer creators. ### 7\. Daenerys Targaryen  HBO As she charged toward Westeros, the oppressed but resilient star of _Game of Thrones_ (played by Emilia Clarke) felt like a heroine worth rooting for—and her revolutionary style of destroying the patriarchy [drew](http://mashable.com/2016/07/31/hillary-clinton-coloring-book/#lWAYQOfI0SqE "undefined") [comparisons](https://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/slideshows/hillary-clinton-7-ways-shes-just-like-daenerys-targaryen/ "undefined") to a real-life would-be ruler: Hillary Clinton. ### 6\. Pokemon  Performers dressed as Pikachu, the popular animation Pokemon series character, perform in the Pikachu parade in Yokohama on August 7, 2016\. Some 50 life-size Pikachu characters, the most famous from the Pokemon game, marched along the city's waterfront street as visitors took mobile phone pictures and videos of them in scorching sunshine. / AFP / KAZUHIRO NOGI (Photo credit should read KAZUHIRO NOGI/AFP/Getty Images) Kazuhiro Nogi—AFP/Getty Images The hit mobile game Pokémon Go used augmented reality to fill city streets and suburban cul-de-sacs with these virtual monsters (including Pikachu), which players could “catch” for perks. Although detractors called the game dangerous and distracting, it became [a global phenomenon](http://time.com/4400791/pokemon-go-iphone-android-nintendo/ "undefined"). ### 5\. Harley Quinn  Warner Bros. Pictures Margot Robbie’s twisted ringleader helped bring _Suicide Squad_ $325 million at the box ­office—and her vexed coupling with the Joker (Jared Leto) catalyzed a debate over abuse and trauma in relationships. Also influential was her look, as Harley Quinn was [the year’s top Halloween costume](http://time.com/4510616/most-popular-halloween-costume-superhero-princess/ "undefined"). ### 4\. Barb from _Stranger Things_  Stranger Things Curtis Baker—Netflix The surprise star of Netflix’s _Stranger Things_ (played by Shannon Purser) was a dowdy dork in her brief onscreen life, but after a supernatural demise became a symbol for misfits everywhere, inspiring countless memes and hashtags like [#WeAreBarb](https://twitter.com/hashtag/wearebarb?src=hash "undefined"). ### 3\. Deadpool  20th Century Fox Ryan Reynolds’ obscene superhero brought flair, irony and rudeness to the corny, earnest world of comic-book movies, breathing new life into a tired genre. Audiences were clearly ready: Deadpool helped _Deadpool_ become the [highest-grossing R-rated film ever worldwide](http://www.ew.com/article/2016/03/29/deadpool-box-office-highest-grossing-r-rated-movie "undefined"). ### 2\. Barbie  Mattel The 57-year-old doll, long identified by her impossibly lithe physique, [reinvented herself in 2016](http://time.com/barbie-new-body-cover-story/ "undefined"), when Mattel introduced several new body types (including curvy and petite) in an effort to boost sales—and to set a more inclusive beauty standard for Barbie’s millions of young female fans. The shift[ helped boost global sales](http://time.com/4572079/best-inventions-2016/ "undefined") of the Barbie Fashionista brand. ### 1\. Pepe the Frog  The fringe comic character, created by artist Matt Furie in 2005, was best known for being [a popular Internet meme](http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/pepe-the-frog "undefined") with no political subtext—until this year, when he was co-opted by the so-called “alt-right.” After supporters of the movement, which has been associated with white supremacism, antifeminism and more, started altering Pepe’s face for profane social-media posts, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) [officially declared](http://time.com/4510849/pepe-the-frog-adl-hate-symbol/ "undefined") him a “hate symbol.” The news was widely covered as a turning point for Pepe, and for Internet culture in general. But Furie believes there’s hope for his “once-peaceful frog dude.” “In the end, Pepe is whatever you say he is,” he [wrote in October](http://time.com/4530128/pepe-the-frog-creator-hate-symbol/ "undefined"), “and I, the creator, say that Pepe is love.” ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4598518/influential-characters-2016/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4598518/influential-characters-2016/"},"headline":"The 10 Most Influential Fictional Characters of 2016","datePublished":"2016-12-13T16:42:01.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T04:59:14.700Z","description":"TIME's annual list of the most influential characters in TV, film, news and more","url":"https://time.com/4598518/influential-characters-2016/","keywords":["rankings"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Daniel D'Addario","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/daniel-daddario/"}],"articleSection":"Entertainment","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/entertainment/","name":"Entertainment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4598518/influential-characters-2016/","name":"The 10 Most Influential Fictional Characters of 2016"}}]}] ```