Michael Scott might be the manager of The Office brings something that makes the show special, from Kevin's chili to Jim and Pam's relationship, but it's hard to imagine what the series would even be like without one character in particular.

Dwight Schrute and his endless iconic quotes perfectly encapsulate the tone of The Office. There's no one who's as invested in the office they work in as Dwight is, and it's impossible to imagine what the show's humor would be like without his presence. The Office balances humor with genuinely heartwarming moments, and while Dwight is capable of having his own touching moments, the comedic tilt of his character is a big part of what makes both him and The Office so engaging.

Dwight Schrute Appeared In All 201 Episodes Of The Office

Dwight's Love For Dunder Mifflin Emphasizes The Importance Of The Paper Company Setting To The Show

The good news is that there's no reason to worry about what The Office would be like without Dwight, because Dwight is present in not only every season but every single episode. This is a testament to Dwight's dedication and ion for working for Dunder Mifflin. Rainn Wilson spoke about this in the "Health Care With Rainn Wilson" episode of The Office Ladies podcast, discussing Dwight's hierarchal view and how important that was to his character even from the beginning. While he does grow throughout the course of The Office just like any other character, Dwight stays true to who he is.

Dwight is so ionate about the office he works in that he even wants to receive his black belt there in season 9's "Livin' The Dream." While he might not be a character that anyone wants to emulate, Dwight's love of Dunder Mifflin encourages the audience to feel a similar fondness, and his presence in every episode makes it impossible to forget that this is a show about a paper company.

Some people are ionate about family or faith or some pressing matter of importance in the world, but Dwight is ionate about paper.

Somehow, the show manages to showcase how important Dwight's workplace is to him while also maintaining his ion for the Schrute family's traditional beet farm, giving his character an additional layer of depth in a unique way. Some people are ionate about family or faith or some pressing matter of importance in the world, but Dwight is ionate about paper. In fact, in the same "Livin’ The Dream" episode, Jim says, "If there’s someone who loves paper more than Dwight, I definitely don’t want to meet that person."

Jim Halpert Was In Every Episode Too, But There’s A Difference

No Other Relationship Comes Close To Replicating Dwight & Jim

Dwight isn't the only character to be in every episode. Angela, Kevin, and Stanley also appear in all 201 episodes, though they are credited as starring rather than as main characters. Jim appears in every episode as well, though technically, one of his appearances is through a phone call. Dwight would probably enjoy knowing that he beat Jim on this technicality.

If Jim were to prank Creed or Oscar, it wouldn't be as entertaining.

It makes sense that both Dwight and Jim are both so prominently featured, as the antagonistic relationship between them is an important part of both of their characters. If Jim were to prank Creed or Oscar, it wouldn't be as entertaining. While Jim's pranks on Dwight are particularly grandiose, he's not the only one in the office capable of pulling a good prank. Both Dwight's reactions to the pranks and his overall personality make it easy to root against him; he takes himself so seriously that it almost encourages audiences to want to see him knocked down a peg.

If another character were to be treated how Dwight is treated, the audience might feel sorry for them. It would be impossible to replicate Jim and Dwight's dynamic by replacing Dwight with another character. In contrast, Jim's antagonistic actions towards Dwight are sometimes mimicked by Pam, though Pam and Dwight often have a more solid friendship. One of Dwight's strengths as a character is the fact that he makes a fantastic butt of the joke.

Why Dwight Was So Important To The Office (Even More So Than Michael)

Dwight's Humor Sets The Tone For The Office, But So Does His Heart

In an office full of characters with many different wacky personalities, Dwight manages to make the others seem almost normal, including even Michael Scott. While Michael and Dwight are both prone to getting into situations caused by their own actions, Michael has a certain level of innocence that Dwight lacks. Unlike Michael, when Dwight makes a choice in The Office, even a questionable one, he has inevitably thought it through, even if almost anyone would make a different decision than he would.

In Office Ladies' "Health Care With Rainn Wilson" episode, Rainn Wilson also discusses Dwight's clear view of how he thinks the world should work. Wilson discusses how this was a key component of Dwight's character even early on in the show.

In season 5's "Prince Family Paper," Michael has second thoughts about screwing over a small family-owned paper company, but Dwight is determined to see the job through. This scene really showcases who Dwight is and how unafraid he is to make decisions based on what he feels is right. Dwight's loyalty to Dunder Mifflin and to his office can make him seem heartless sometimes, but in other ways, it represents the heart of the show. Dwight's kind moments in The Office are a reminder that every member of the office has a heart.

The central location of Dwight's desk within the office setting also emphasizes how important he is as a central character. It puts him in the perfect position to interact with any of his coworkers (and if Michael is holed up in his office, Dwight isn't afraid to go badger him in there either). While Dwight's character is difficult for people to get along with at first, this also places him in a position within the office that forces him into the middle of everything, no matter whether they want him there or if he wants to be there. Dwight being Dwight in The Office always inevitably makes that funny.