Abed Nadir is one of the most beloved characters from Community's six seasons, Abed is known as the one in the study group who is obsessed with film and pop culture in general. Despite all his quirks and inability to pick up on social and emotional cues, Abed is extremely intelligent and has a knack for observation.

Community episodes that are Abed-focused are often the most revered and have the most memorable lines and scenes. Often, these episodes are the ones that most challenge the show's form of storytelling, which makes for exceptionally unique and memorable moments. In many ways, Community’s knack for experiential episodes is largely because of Abed’s imagination and creativity, without him and his vast film knowledge these episodes seemingly wouldn’t have worked or connected to the audience nearly as well. It’ll be interesting to see what constructs Abed will allow the Community movie to challenge.

10 Emotional Consequences of Broadcast Television

Season 6, Episode 13

The Community series finale does a great job of focusing on all of the show’s main characters, giving them all a good send-off. One of the best aspects of the episode was that all of the characters lent to Abed’s idea that they all lived in a network television show and had to essentially “pitch” what season 7 would look like. All of the characters had different versions, with Abed beginning the pitching process.

In Abed’s version of season 7, the study group seems to be acting as the audience has seen them, but there’s filler dialogue because Abed hasn’t figured out what the big crisis for that season is yet. It also sees the return of Yvette Nicole Brown’s Shirley Bennett, as Abed weighs whether or not Shirley returning for season 7 would make the issues the “show” is having disappear. Like most things with Abed, it’s very meta, but it also showcases that as a person, Abed is okay with moving on from this part of his life.

9 Messianic Myths and Ancient Peoples

Season 2, Episode 5

While “Messianic Myths and Ancient Peoples” can and probably be seen as a Shirley-centered episode, it’s Abed that steals the show—literally. Discouraged by the pointless videos Professor Ian Duncan (John Oliver) is showing in Anthropology class, Shirley tries to hire Abed to make a viral video for her church. While Abed initially rejects the offer, the next time audiences see him, he’s read the entirety of the New Testament and wants to create a movie about a filmmaker making a movie about Jesus, but the filmmaker then learns he is Jesus and is being filmed by God’s camera.

Seeing that Abed has fallen into a meta spiral, she tries to make her own version of the viral film, only to learn that Abed has gone ahead with his idea. He adores a long black wig and white button-up shirt and immediately has all of Greendale enamored with his meta-movie that is both about and not about religion at the same time. The escalation of events is classic Community and it eventually comes crashing down when Abed prays to God to take away the film from him because he thinks it’s terrible.

8 Aerodynamics of Gender

Season 2, Episode 7

Initially wanting time for just the girls, Britta, Annie, and Shirley all enroll in a class together, though Abed doesn’t pick up on their social cues to know that he wasn’t actually invited to the class with them. However, the girls begin loving Abed’s company when he begins accidentally insulting the mean girls in class. The graphics of Abed analyzing his data are hilarious, with Community showing audiences that Abed is essentially a robot.

While Shirley, Britta, and Annie find enjoyment in Abed’s insults at first, especially because they seem to hone in on the insecurities of these girls, they eventually realize they could become targets of Abed’s insults. Abed never felt great about insulting others, but did it because it made his friends happy. By the end of the episode, Abed knows what he’s doing is wrong and finds a way to hurt himself to repair the damage he caused with his insults.

7 Introduction to Teaching

Season 5, Episode 2

In an episode where Abed’s storyline was the B-plot, there’s no denying that he absolutely stole the show. Abed enrolls in a class that poses the question of whether Nicholas Cage is a good actor or not, along with Shirley, Britta, and Troy. Throughout the episode, audiences see Abed go down a Nicholas Cage-induced rabbit hole. Abed hangs notes around his, Annie's, and Troy’s apartment and does not sleep trying to find the correct answer.

The climax comes during their next class session where Abed enters the room looking like he hadn’t slept in days. Holding a binder he starts flipping through it, showcasing how he watched all 70 Nicholas Cage movies, and how he still could not ascertain whether or not he was a good actor or not. In one of Danny Pudi’s best moments in all of Community, Abed unintentionally starts doing a superb Nicolas Cage impression before abruptly leaving the classroom. While audiences don’t get an answer about whether Nicholas Cage is a good actor, they are treated to an amazing impersonation.

6 Contemporary American Poultry

Season 1, Episode 21

“Contemporary American Poultry” was one of Community’s first themed episodes, and it truly set the stage for all of the experimentation the show would do throughout its six-season run. In the episode, Jeff convinces the study group to essentially form a crime family that controls the cafeteria. This gives the study group priority on the coveted fried chicken. Because of Abed’s experience working at his father’s falafel restaurant, he is the heart of the operation and eventually takes Jeff out as head of the “family.”

Abed proves just how great of a mob boss he is when he gets Peirce groupies and a pet monkey named Annie’s Boobs for Troy. Sensing that his study group is taking advantage of him and that he’s too effective, Abed eventually sabotages the whole operation. This episode is so memorable because it was one of the first times audiences saw Abed’s attempt to create a deep and meaningful connection with his friends. Additionally, Abed’s voice-overs put the audience in the genre the episode is trying to parody.

5 Pillows and Blankets

Season 3, Episode 14

One of the most beloved relationships on Community is between Danny Pudi’s Abed and Donald Glover’s Troy. However, “Pillows and Blankets” sees a rift between the two best friends, with Troy feeling like Abed has too much control over their friendship. This causes the students of Greendale to divide into different armies in a days-long pillow fight war. The two sides—Pillowtown and Blanketsburg are led by Abed and Troy respectively. The episode is so memorable because it is shot as a documentary of major historical events, and even has its own narrator.

Like many gags in Community things spiral out of control because of of the study group, and “Pillows and Blankets” isn’t an exception. At the root of the episode’s conflict are Abed and Troy, who feel their friendship is over once the war ends. Because they don’t want their fun activities to end, the two refuse to quit fighting even after their respective armies give up. While Abed and Troy eventually makeup, it is still a pivotal episode in understanding how Abed shows his love and care for his friends.

4 Critical Film Studies

Season 2, Episode 19

For Abed’s birthday, the study group plans a surprise Pulp Fiction-themed party, but Abed fails to attend. Instead, Abed has Jeff meet him at a restaurant where Abed acts very unlike himself—he’s essentially acting too normal for Jeff’s liking. Throughout the episode, Jeff consistently tries to get Abed to leave with him or to snap back into his old self but ultimately fails. Abed eventually reveals to Jeff that he was offered an opportunity to go to the set and be an extra on his favorite television show Cougartown, leading to an odd Community and Cougartown crossover.

Abed had tried replicating what he had previously seen in a film he liked without thinking of all of the hard work his friends had put into his surprise party.

Abed tells Jeff that he pooped his pants while on the set of Cougartown, but it’s then revealed that this dinner with Jeff is just another pop culture reference for Abed. Abed had tried replicating what he had previously seen in a film he liked without thinking of all of the hard work his friends had put into his surprise party. While his friends forgive him, and they eventually make it to the restaurant where Abed and Jeff are, the episode is an interesting insight into Abed’s psyche.

3 Virtual Systems Analysis

Season 3, Episode 16

After Troy ditches Abed to go on a date with Britta, Abed allows Annie to enter his and Troy’s Dreamatorium. However, Abed quickly finds that Annie’s lack of imagination doesn’t go along with the kind he’s used to when he’s with Troy. Abed is clearly frustrated with Troy and takes his annoyance out on Annie, but she blocks him from leaving the Dreamatorium. Annie tampers with the mechanics of the Dreamatorium which sets Abed off, especially since she tries to teach him about empathy and selflessness.

It eventually dawns on Annie that this perceived selfishness she saw in Abed was a manifestation of his insecurity and his feelings that his friends may be better off without him.

This eventually leads Annie and Abed to travel to a dimension (via the Dreamatorium) where Abed doesn’t exist. It eventually dawns on Annie that this perceived selfishness she saw in Abed was a manifestation of his insecurity and his feelings that his friends may be better off without him. Annie eventually frees Abed from his imaginary shackles and they strengthen their friendship in the Dreamatorium, even though they aren’t as close as Troy and Abed.

2 Geothermal Escapism

Season 5, Episode 5

Abed is known for having crises that manifest in elaborate and sometimes nonsensical episode plots, and “Geothermal Escapism” is a great example of that. After Pierce bequeathed his boat to Troy in the previous episode, it was clear that Donald Glover's Troy would be exiting Community. For Abed, who doesn’t handle change very well, the change of losing his best friend would’ve been the biggest. Abed’s fear of change and losing Troy manifests in a school-wide game of Floor is Lava.

"Geothermal Escapism" marks Donald Glover's final appearance on Community.

Like many of Community’s paintball episodes, this episode has the same wacky format, but its brilliance comes from the meaningful relationship between Troy and Abed. Abed doesn’t want to let Troy fall into the lava, because that would mean losing his best friend, but it’s something that they both need to face and accept. While initially not the most mature way to deal with the separation, their eventual acceptance is a huge step for both characters.

1 Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas

Season 2, Episode 11

“Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas” is one of Community’s most memorable episodes because it is filmed in stop-motion Claymation. When Abed wakes and sees everything in animated form and tells his friends about it, they invoke the help of Professor Duncan to help them figure out what’s happened with Abed. Through this therapy session, Abed leads the study group through a winter wonderland that only exists within Abed’s mind.

While the other of the study group don’t get to see what Abed is imagining, the audiences do, which makes the episode very interesting since it’s seen from only Abed’s perspective. It’s eventually revealed that this animation hallucination is caused because of his changing family dynamics and Abed’s mother not being around for Christmas this year. The group’s willingness to help Abed during this time is touching, and the episode is incredibly entertaining. While Abed Nadir might be one of the quirkiest characters on television, he often steals scenes, which highlights why he's such an integral character on Community.