When it first premiered in 2009, Parks and Recreation quickly became one of the funniest and most wholesome sitcoms of the 21st century. This show about a group of colorful low-level government workers struggling to keep their small town afloat has been praised by fans and critics for its feel-good tone and wonderfully likable characters.
The employees of the Pawnee Parks Department are all endlessly enjoyable people to be around. They’re all equally memorable and hilarious characters who’ve formed strong bonds and relationships throughout seven seasons. The range of likability is through the roof with every one of them as they help add to the show’s welcoming vibe.
10 Tom Haverford
Tom Haverford (Aziz Ansari) envisions a life of wealth and luxury for himself as he dreams of becoming a successful entrepreneur someday. However, his cockiness, poor financial decisions, and lousy business ventures have all attributed to his misfortunes, leading him to constantly return to his dead-end job with the Park’s Department.
There’s nothing wrong with having big dreams, and it’s oddly admirable to see that Tom never gave up on achieving his goals. However, if he had learned to be less reckless and impatient, he could have been more successful earlier. Thankfully, he found his happy ending by embracing his past mistakes in order to become more wise and experienced.
9 Ben Wyatt
In his youth, Ben Wyatt’s (Adam Scott) reputation and career in government was tarnished when he bankrupted his small town after becoming mayor. Years later, he’s made it his mission to regain his honor while helping to make Pawnee a better place to live.
Ben wanted to prove that he could handle more government responsibility and first started out as a cold and callous accountant whose job required him to decide who to lay off. However, once he joined the Parks Department and started a relationship with Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler), he learned the value of helping people and positively impacting society. He slowly became Leslie’s strongest supporter and eventually even married her.
8 Jerry Gergich
Poor Jerry Gergich (Jim O’Heir) can never catch a break in life. He’s clumsy, incompetent at his job, and takes the brunt of everyone’s jokes in the Parks Department. He’s prone to accidents and is never respected at his workplace. Yet, despite all of his shortcomings, he still manages to survive the day, keeping his positive attitude and going home to his beautiful family.
What’s great about Jerry is that he perseveres and never lets his misfortunes ruin his happiness. Even when the whole world views him as a punching bag, he smiles and sees the brighter side of his day. By the end of the show’s finale, he has remained strong and happy, even living a long life and becoming one of the most popular mayors in Pawnee history.
7 Donna Meagle
Donna Meagle (Retta) is a woman who knows what she wants and gets things done. Gifted with an extra boost of self-confidence, she can take on and handle any wacky situation involving herself and her coworkers at the Parks Department.
Donna is Leslie’s most competent ally and could be counted on to get things done around Pawnee. She’s a fiercely independent woman, always managing to handle herself and taking matters into her own hands. By the end of the series, she’s stayed true to her values while becoming more compassionate towards her friends and even settling down after having many romantic partners throughout the show.
6 Chris Traeger
The super positive, health-conscious City manager Chris Traeger (Rob Lowe) is one of the friendliest and most pleasant men to be around. He has a can-do attitude that could inspire anyone feeling down, and he always tries to brighten up everyone’s day with his charming and likable personality.
Chris literally sees everyone as his best friends. He gets along with people, rarely expresses negative feelings towards those he interacts with, and avoids confrontation whenever possible. His only flaw is that he masks his insecurities about death and sickness, which sometimes boil over the surface, turning him into a nervous wreck. However, through his interactions with the Parks Department employees, he learns to overcome his fears and be happy.
5 Ann Perkins
Ann Perkins (Rashida Jones) is one of the best friends in the world. She’s supportive, tries to relate to her friends, and helps them resolve their problems or overcome any situation that’s troubling them. Her determination shines each season as she tries to give back to the community and help those in need.
Her desire to help the citizens of Pawnee led to her powerful friendship with her best friend, Leslie, and the two became almost inseparable. Their pairing was one of the most vital parts of the show, and although Ann sadly left during season 6, she still made a few reappearances in the final season, showing that her and Leslie’s friendship will never end.
4 Ron Swanson
Ron Swanson (Nick Offerman) hates everything to do with the modern world. Technology, the government, dieting, and society in general are all things he tries to avoid on a daily basis as he works as the Parks director solely to bring bureaucracy down from the inside.
Ron’s a no-nonsense kind of guy who never breaks a sweat and always knows what he’s doing. Despite hating his job and interacting with people, he does care for his friends in the parks department, and from time to time, he’ll drop his reserved persona to reveal his true cheerful feelings whenever he’s around them.
3 April Ludgate
April Ludgate (Aubrey Plaza) couldn’t care less about her job or anything. With her constantly disinterested facial expression and dark humor, she mostly finds enjoyment in her boring life by often causing mischief and inconvenience to those around her to make them feel as uncomfortable and confused as possible.
April started as a carefree, directionless teenager who never wanted to do anything with her life. However, that gradually started to change once she fell in love with the hilarious goofball Andy Dwyer (Chris Pratt), with whom the two shared many heartwarming moments. Eventually, she learned to warm up to her friends more and revealed that she could sometimes express moments of happiness and sadness.
2 Leslie Knope
Leslie Knope is a hard-working overachiever who sees the best in people and strives to make the world a better place. As a true underdog within the local government, she has to constantly fight tooth and nail to push her agendas and help turn Pawnee into a thriving community for all to enjoy.
What’s great about this iconic female TV protagonist is that she’s super enthusiastic, caring, and determined about her job. She always takes command of any project and keeps going until her work is done. She’s gotten along with everyone she’s ever worked with and gained many friendships. Through her dedication and perseverance, Pawnee eventually changed for the better, thanks to her actions. The series finale even hinted that her successful political career eventually won her the Presidency.
1 Andy Dwyer
Andy Dwyer is the lovable oaf who always finds himself in ridiculous situations because of his hilarious naivety and juvenile behavior. Despite unintentionally causing trouble occasionally, he’s a kind-hearted and curious man-child who always strives to do the right thing and perform kind acts for others.
Originally intended to appear in a few episodes of season one, the showrunners allowed Andy to stay and eventually become one of Parks and Recreation‘s most recognizable characters. He’s a happy-go-lucky guy unfazed by responsibilities and how rough the world could be. Yet, he also grows throughout the show, eventually becoming a father with his wife, April, and learning what it means to be an adult.
