Although The Big Bang Theory’s cast of characters were instantly recognizable to millions of viewers. Moreover, their unique personalities have become iconic thanks to their years in the series.

Sheldon’s obstinacy, Leonard’s nice guy act, Penny’s sharp tongue, and Bernadette’s seemingly sweet, disarmingly canny attitude were all part of what brought viewers back to the series. However, even more minor ing characters managed to make just as big an impression on viewers over the show’s 12 seasons. For example, the very fact that The Big Bang Theory’s next spinoff, Stuart Fails to Save the Universe, centers on the show’s beleaguered comic book store owner proves that even the show’s ing stars were memorable enough to sustain a series of their own.

10 “I know you're joking, but my flight-or-flight response doesn’t.”

Stuart

The existence of Stuart Fails to Save the Universe is no real surprise considering the character’s most notable quote. In season 12, episode 11, “The Paintball Scattering,” Lauren Lapkus’s Denise messes with her boss and boyfriend Stuart by telling him she’s not at the comic book store to work but rather to see her boyfriend.

As Denise notes, most people have “Fight or flight” defense mechanisms, but Stuart is quick to clarify that he only came equipped with one of the two options.

When he asks if she means him, she pushes further by pretending otherwise. Kevin Sussman’s character then delivers this legendary line, proving Stuart’s quick self-effacing wit masked a lot of social anxiety. As Denise notes, most people have “Fight or flight” defense mechanisms, but Stuart is quick to clarify that he only came equipped with one of the two options. No wonder he couldn’t keep up with Penny.

9 “Now, when you said on the phone he broke up with a girl, you meant an actual girl? Not something you kids whipped up in a lab?”

Mary Cooper

Sheldon’s mother Mary played an occasional ing role in The Big Bang Theory, but thanks to sitcom legend Laurie Metcalf, she became one of the show’s most memorable characters in only a few appearances. Although she means well and tries to defend Sheldon against everything, Mary never quite understands her son or the world he occupies.

Although Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage season 2 might make Mary a more complex character in time, here, Metcalf’s older take on the character is whittled down to her bare essentials. Mary is eager to help her son out in an emotional catastrophe but, true to form, she can’t imagine him actually having a romantic relationship with a living human being and thinks it is much more likely he has broken up with a robot.

8 “So, Howard, have you and Rajesh finally summoned the courage to express your latent homosexual feelings towards one another?”

Beverly Hofstadter

Sheldon and Leonard’s mothers couldn’t be more different, but that doesn’t mean that Christine Baranski’s icy psychologist Beverly Hofstadter was any more equipped to raise her own genius son. The above quote dates back to one of her earliest appearances on the series, and it is a particularly telling one for the cold, unfeeling matriarch. Although Leonard’s mother does succeed in making everyone uncomfortable with her comment, she is way off in of reading Raj and Howard’s friendship.

Beverly is too aloof to it that she’s not great at reading people.

The fact that Beverly can’t imagine Raj and Howard loving each other without their attachment being boiled down to sex highlights her limited understanding of people. Beverly is too aloof to it that she’s not great at reading people, and this results in Leonard feeling terminally misunderstood until his mother finally loosens up and acknowledges her shortcomings later in the series.

7 “Sheldon doesn’t know when he’s being mean because the part of his brain that should know is getting a wedgie from the rest of his brain.”

Bernadette

Howard’s love interest, Bernadette, is living proof that kindness doesn’t always make someone a doormat, and her ferocious temper is a force to be reckoned with throughout the show. However, Bernadette’s best The Big Bang Theory moments prove that she truly understands the gang, including their shortcomings.

It is easy to see how Bernadette overlooked Howard’s shortcomings when viewers look at her empathetic assessment of Sheldon, and her faith in her partner was repaid as Howard went from a sleazy creep to a consummate family man as the show progressed. Rather than changing her friends and love interests, Bernadette simply saw the best in them and brought out the best in the characters as a result.

6 “I promised myself if I ever got friends I’d do whatever they said. Really, I’m lucky you found me before a cult did.”

Amy

Amy Farrah Fowler is a complex character and her relationship with Sheldon is one of the thornier, more dramatic pairings in the series. However, it is ultimately her deep need for companionship that drives her friendship with Penny, her love of Sheldon, and her eventual central role in the gang. If there’s one word that defines Amy, it is “Loyalty,” and this quote from season 8, episode 12, “The Space Probe Disintegration,” proves that Amy was loyal to a fault to both friends and romantic partners at times.

5 “If I could speak the language of rabbits, they would be amazed, and I would be their king.”

Raj

Sheldon and Leonard always came across as cynical, but Howard’s attempts to hit on women and Penny’s failed acting career also gave them a bitter edge, albeit for very different reasons. As such, Raj was the most whimsical and upbeat of the main gang’s characters, even though he faced as much hardship, rejection, and romantic struggles as everyone else. Compared to The Big Bang Theory’s Leslie Winkle, Raj was a ray of sun among the often gloomy Pasadena gang.

Raj usually wanted to believe the best and make the most out of every situation.

Whether he was trying to rope them into a Tom Hanks-themed Thanksgiving party or falling in love for the umpteenth time, Raj usually wanted to believe the best and make the most out of every situation. Even his most downbeat moments were full of childish wailing rather than deep depression, so this quote perfectly summarizes the cheery, optimistic energy he brought to a gang who weren’t always too sunny in their shared outlook on life.

4 “I never joke about math or sex.”

Howard

Howard was a pretty shady character throughout the first few seasons of The Big Bang Theory before he was redeemed by the love of a good woman in classic sitcom fashion. However, underneath all his creepy attempts at flirting and outrageous instances of objectifying women, Howard desperately wanted to be taken seriously by his friends, colleagues, and potential partners.

What makes this quote so perfect is that it is completely untrue, as Howard constantly makes gross jokes about sex and nerdy gags about science. However, his lack of a doctorate made him desperate for professional validation and his lack of a romantic life made him equally desperate for a date, leading him to claim that he takes math and sex as seriously as possible. This quote saw Howard unintentionally lay bare the insecurities underlying his entire character arc, making it an ideal line to define him.

3 “All right, Howard Wolowitz, listen up! You sign anything she puts in front of you because you are the luckiest man alive. If you let her go, there is no way you can find anyone else. Speaking on behalf of all women, it is not going to happen, we had a meeting.”

Penny

Penny is arguably The Big Bang Theory’s most important character and certainly the most important outside of Sheldon, since it is her presence that transforms the lives of the rest of the gang and brings many of them together in the first place. For all her ditziness, Penny is a formidable leader who brings out the best in the gang, as evidenced by her lecture to Howard.

What initially seems like a mean joke at his expense is really an important reminder that Howard needs to put his fears aside and realize how lucky he is to have found Bernadette. If it weren’t for this speech, the first of The Big Bang Theory gang’s children might never have been born. However, for a born leader like Penny, this was just another case of putting one of the gang back on the right track after their ego led them astray again.

2 “I am the king of the nerds.”

Leonard

Compared to the fastidious, often absurdly persnickety Sheldon, Leonard was clearly posited as The Big Bang Theory’s long-suffering everyman protagonist. However, it would be no surprise if viewers found Penny just as relatable as Leonard, if not more so. Leonard’s self-pitying streak earned plenty of criticism while the show was still airing and, like Ross from Friends and Ted from How I Met Your Mother, he eventually ended up being re-examined by retrospectives looking back on the show.

Leonard’s claim that he is the king of the nerds might seem self-effacing, but underneath it is some real un-examined victim mentality that allows him to get away with a lot throughout the show.

Viewing himself as a nerd allowed Leonard to get away with a lot in The Big Bang Theory, including cheating on Penny even though she always remained faithful to him while they were dating. Leonard’s claim that he is the king of the nerds might seem self-effacing, but underneath it is some real un-examined victim mentality that allows him to get away with a lot throughout the show.

1 “Well, this is confusing for me. But I don’t want to stand in the way of your happiness. So, I will condemn you internally while maintaining an outward appearance of acceptance.”

Sheldon

Sheldon never quite grasped the task of saying one thing while thinking another but, to his credit, he truly tried. Sheldon learns to coexist with others and tell white lies in The Big Bang Theory, as his friendship with Penny finally breaks down some of the more rigid elements of his unsparing worldview. However, even at his most accepting, Sheldon has a hard time actually embracing change.

As such, this quote from season 7, episode 18, “The Mommy Observation,” might be the most illustrative line Sheldon has in the entire series. He can’t quite hold his tongue, but he can try his best not to judge and keep his thoughts to himself. The result is a self-defeating one-liner that is hilarious, but also a little endearing as it highlights The Big Bang Theory antihero’s growth throughout the show.

Enjoy ScreenRant's primetime coverage? Click below to sign up for our weekly Network TV newsletter (make sure to check "Network TV" in your preferences) and get the inside scoop from actors and showrunners on your favorite series.

SIGN UP NOW!