Mad Men did a great job of establishing so many of its most important characters right out of the gate in the first season with the likes of Don Draper, Peggy Olson, and Roger Sterling all being involved straight away. However, many of the show's best characters didn't appear until much later on in the show.
Mad Men had seven seasons, and to keep things fresh, plenty of new characters were brought in. Some of them were forgettable, but many of them made a huge impact and became some of the greatest characters in the history of the series.
It ended up leaving fans wishing that they had appeared much earlier than they did because they became so popular. Within this list, we will be ranking the 10 best characters who weren't part of the show from the first season.
Bob Benson
Bob Benson is a character who divided fans, as some people absolutely loved him, and others didn't. However, Bob really was a fun character on the show, even if his storyline wasn't as heavily focused as other characters on this list.
He was the classic office kiss ass who would do anything for everyone in order to please people. His storyline surrounding Pete and his hidden sexuality was incredibly well done and just added a great layer of detail to his character.
Dr. Faye Miller
Not many characters are able to see through Don Draper and the way he behaves, but Dr. Faye Miller could do exactly that. Their brief relationship is one of Don's best, but even she ends up with her heartbroken as he opts to propose to Megan instead.
Faye is one of the most intelligent women that appear in Mad Men, and she certainly knows exactly what is going on. She is able to analyze Don, and that is why he opens up to her about his past, in some of the best scenes.
Ted Chaough
Ted Shaw might not be the greatest of characters, but simply due to the importance he has, it is hard to say he's not one of the best. He isn't particularly funny, but Ted is brought in as the opposite of Don. He's less about drinking and sleeping with lots of women and more about simply doing the work.
However, when they get together for work, Ted ends up falling into similar traps due to his affair with Peggy. But it is after that his character begins to derail and become less important as he moves to California, and his life starts to fall apart as his love for the job disappears.
Henry Francis
Henry Francis is of the few seemingly very good guys within the Mad Men world, and he certainly makes Betty Draper's life much better. While he technically gets involved with her while she's still married to Don, that is something that is fairly common throughout the show, unfortunately.
However, while he still does have his flaws, he is far less controlling and demanding than Don was of Betty, and he clearly cares about her as a person. He's not showcased as much as other people, but he is still a great character whenever he appears.
Dawn Chambers
Mad Men does a good job of being historically accurate to the time that it is set. Sadly, at that period, racism was rife, and because of that, there aren't many African American characters within the show. As the times start to change so does that, which is why Dawn Chambers s the show later on.
She is a great character who is desperate to make her mark and have a great career. She's able to be part of some really important storylines on the show that tackles racism at that time. Dawn grows to a position of power eventually as well, proving just how much times changes.
Megan Draper
Megan Draper ends up being one of the most important characters in Mad Men, and despite the fact, her first few appearances are just as a member of staff at the agency. She quickly ends up as Don's girl, and from there, she catches his eye, with the two ending up married.
Megan brings a lot of fun to the show with her bubbly personality, and for a while, she also brings out a fun side in Don. Of course, things end up going sour between them, which also leads to some memorable moments, with Megan certainly having a big part to play in the show.
Meredith
Even though she was in the show from season five, Meredith didn't really make a big impact until the final season. She was placed onto Don's desk and made everyone wish that she'd been there from the first episode of the show as she was so funny.
Meredith brought tons of fun and humor to the show, and unlike his other girls, she wasn't afraid of putting Don in line and demanding answers from him. She was straight to the point in a kindhearted manner, and she really was a delightful addition to the series.
Michael Ginsberg
When it comes to adding pure comedy, no character delivered more consistently than Michael Ginsberg. He was never more than a ing character on the show, but that didn't stop Ginsberg from making a mark as he would steal scenes every time he appeared.
Ginsberg's ending might have been a sad one, as he is stretchered away to a mental asylum, but he did provide plenty of fun as well. He used to just come out with random comments that would have audiences laughing out loud, which made him very memorable.
Stan Rizzo
Stan Rizzo ed Mad Men in season four, and he did spend a lot of time with Michael Ginsberg as they worked closely together, which meant that he was involved in a lot of comedy. Having that comedic relief was important for the show, especially away from the serious topics that many of the other characters were going through.
However, even though Stan was involved in a lot of comedic moments, his character did develop nicely through his relationship with Peggy. While they started as just friends, they both slowly broke each other's emotions to become close to ending up in a relationship together.
Lane Pryce
Out of all the characters that Mad Men after season one, Lane Pryce is, without doubt, the best. Lane s the cast in the third season of the show and immediately makes a massive impact. He only stays in the show until the fifth season, when he is involved in a heartbreaking finish as he commits suicide.
However, during that time, Lane brings countless amazing moments. While he's a stickler for the cash, he also has a very fun side, and he gets along with everyone (minus Pete,) which leads to a lot of comedy. Most importantly, he also brings the fight scene with Pete, which is one of the funniest moments of the entire series.