Some characters just aren’t that memorable. Sometimes it’s because they only show up once in a while; other times they simply don’t stand out, or they’re overshadowed by the rest of the cast. We can’t remember everyone, but it’s not fair that some are forgotten. So I made a list of some of the easily forgettable characters that I was — somehow — able to remember.
Chris Abeley from The Clique
He’s pretty present in the first book, but other than in a few small scenes or mentions, he basically disappears from the rest of the series. It’s so easy to forget about him, despite his younger sister being a prominent side character. It makes sense; he goes to an all-boys’ school while the main characters are at an all-girls’ school. He’s also a few years older than the main cast, and has a girlfriend initially, so he isn’t a love interest either — making his arc short-lived.
Linh Peony from Cinder
Her presence in Cinder’s life and her death near the beginning of the series are impactful for the plot and characters. But beyond a few mentions, she isn’t as significant later on. In fact, Cinder’s step-family is rarely brought up after the first book, but Peony gets the worst of it because she’s, well, dead. For the most part, the step-family is, thankfully, uninvolved in the plot.
Finnula from Throne of Glass
Finnula only shows up in Elide’s memories, or when she mentions her. She teaches Elide to be smart and about the world, aiding her until she can finally escape. But given that Finnula’s an absent figure in the books, it’s almost as if she’s more a ghost than a character.
Ebisu from Naruto
Ebisu mentors Naruto for the Chūnin Exams and is somewhat prominent for a little while, but then he just fades into the background. There are nearly 500 characters in Naruto, and with so many who are more interesting, and get more screen time, he’s easy to forget.
Toru Hagakure from My Hero Academia
Toru is invisible. While she has a good Quirk, it isn’t utilized to its potential, and she’s just cast aside by the narrative. Not to mention, her invisibility can’t be turned off, therefore, she’s only noticed by her clothes or accessories — so long as there’s nothing making those invisible too. Thus, it’s difficult to remember what, or who, we can’t see.
Kellam from Fire Emblem: Awakening
It’s a gag in the game that he’s invisible despite wearing such a large suit of armor that undoubtedly makes noise when he moves. Most of the characters forget him unless he speaks up or gets really close to them. Even though players can see him on the menu screen for battles, the fact that he’s so underutilized and forgotten, even in-game, makes him difficult to recall.
Miklan from Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Despite Miklan being such a hot topic in Faerghus, for a whole month at that, he’s pretty easy to forget. His death, which is entirely his fault, sparks so many questions. However, except for a brief mention by one of the game’s more curious characters, or by his younger brother Sylvain, he’s just left in the past.
There are so many more forgotten characters worth mentioning, we just couldn’t remember them. What easy-to-forget characters can you name? Huh? Who? Totally forgot about him.
Click here for an article about five characters who were left out of live adaptations.
Check out our Bookstr Team Recs shelf on Bookshop for some of our most memorable reads.
