This Is Family Guy’s Funniest Character (Even Though They Only Appear in Less Than 30 Episodes)

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It’s hard to imagine a time before the Griffin family was famous for their antics on television, but that was the reality before Family Guy first aired in 1999. That’s when viewers met Peter, Lois, Meg, Chris, Stewie, Brian, and all the other wonderfully quirky characters who live in the Family Guy universe, and everyone has a favorite member of the Griffin family.

Although the show has many funny characters, the funniest one isn’t actually part of the main family. Despite appearing in only 28 episodes (out of a series with over 400, believe it or not), they are still a remarkably memorable star.

A Big Impression

Who is the funniest character on Family Guy? That title belongs to Peter Griffin’s biggest rival, Ernie the Giant Chicken. He’s been in 28 episodes so far and has created some incredibly memorable moments. While many of Ernie’s scenes feature Peter or Lois, he’s essential to what makes those scenes so funny.

Some of the funniest moments in Family Guy are the unexpected cutaways that completely change the direction of an episode, and that’s a surprisingly fitting way to describe the character of Ernie in eternal. Whenever Ernie appears, he consistently provides a good laugh, even if it’s just a brief interruption to the main action. But when Ernie is the focus, his scenes are consistently the highlight of everything happening.

Who Is Ernie the Chicken?

In Season 2’s third episode, “Da Boom,” we’re introduced to Ernie, but at first, we don’t yet know the Giant Chicken’s name. He simply appears as a regular chicken Peter receives a coupon for. The problem is, the coupon is already expired. When Peter realizes this after trying to use it, he gets incredibly angry and dramatically dives through a window to confront the Chicken.

The fight is both grand and funny, with the two battling all over town – something that becomes a regular part of their conflicts. During this particular fight, Peter manages to defeat the Giant Chicken by repeatedly smashing him into a photocopier, although both of them still plummet from a building. This leads to another common feature of their fights: Ernie appears to be unkillable, as he somehow survives even the most dangerous situations.

The fights between Peter and Ernie keep getting wilder and more intense, and they cleverly incorporate elements from other popular franchises. For example, there’s a parody of Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark where Ernie is hilariously injured by an airplane propeller, or a long Star Wars spoof featuring Ernie as Boba Fett (though, oddly enough, they didn’t actually fight each other during that scene).

Truly Outlandish Scenarios

One of my favorite episodes features a battle from Season 10, episode 23, “Internal Affairs”. It starts with Peter bumping into Ernie’s car. A lucky encounter with Stewie leads Peter and Ernie being sent through time using Stewie’s time pad. They fight throughout history, making countless clones of themselves and eventually taking over a laboratory. Things get even more over-the-top when they destroy an oil rig, and Ernie is choked, stabbed, and even roasted with rocket engines – but unbelievably, he still lives!

We can also thank Stewie for a really funny fight scene in Season 11, episode 4, titled “Yug Ylimaf”. As the title suggests, the brawl between Peter and Ernie happens in reverse, with dramatic slow-motion effects. The fight is packed with over-the-top moments, like Peter being hit by a flamethrower, a speeding bus, a grenade exploding in a coffee shop, and even a huge plane crash. Surprisingly, this isn’t even the main focus of the episode, but it’s still memorable, especially considering it all began when Peter accidentally hit Ernie’s bike with a car door.

There’s even an episode featuring a fight between Lois and Ernie’s wife, Nicole. Though it doesn’t reach the same level of intensity as the arguments between Ernie and Peter, it’s still amusing and occasionally highlights the tensions between the two families. This conflict resurfaces in a subsequent episode, “The Chicken or the Meg,” where Ernie welcomes Meg into his family. However, things take a bizarre turn, ultimately resulting in Meg violently attacking and beheading him.

An Unexpected Heartwarming Moment

Okay, so it’s pretty clear Peter and Ernie have some serious beef with each other, but honestly, that rivalry is also where some of the show’s sweetest moments come from. I was really touched by the storyline where Ernie lands in the hospital with the Bird Flu, and, get this, Peter ends up being his nurse! It’s a fantastic bit of dramatic irony. Peter insists he’s finally won their long-standing feud, but the writing is so clever – he doesn’t actually *feel* good about it. It’s a surprisingly nuanced moment, and really shows how complicated their relationship is. It’s not just about winning or losing; there’s a genuine sense of…well, not quite friendship, but something definitely deeper than just animosity. You can find more about the show here.

Sadly, Ernie briefly passes away, but Peter quickly intervenes and revives him with vigorous CPR. Ernie is puzzled about being saved, and Peter explains that he needs Ernie and the energy he brings to his life, although he also jokingly admits he doesn’t want to be stuck paying for all the destruction caused by their brawls. It’s a surprisingly touching scene, yet still incredibly funny, and perfectly captures Ernie’s impact on the show. That’s why he’s the most hilarious Family Guy character, and fans hope to see plenty more of Ernie’s antics in future episodes.

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2025-09-30 17:13